Plans for Ram's Coronation

Years had passed since the royal families returned from Mithila. Ram was now known in Ayodhya for patience, courtesy, careful listening, and steady judgment. Bharat and Shatrughna were far away at the time, visiting their grandfather's household in the kingdom of Kekaya. As King Dasharatha grew older, he began thinking seriously about the kingdom's future.

He did not announce a decision without consultation. He called his ministers, the teachers Vashishtha and Vamadeva, and representatives from the capital and surrounding regions. Dasharatha said that he wished to install Ram as heir apparent and asked them to speak freely. The assembly agreed. Their praise, however, did not make the work easy: an heir would have to consider food, justice, safety, alliances, and the different needs of many communities.

Dasharatha then advised Ram not to depend upon popularity. He should speak truthfully, master anger, understand income and expenditure, and hear people's concerns directly. Ram received the proposal as a duty of service, not merely a reward.

Across Ayodhya, preparations began. People cleaned the roads, arranged flowers, filled water vessels, tuned instruments, and prepared places for visitors. The city's happiness was made visible through the work of many hands.

Vashishtha asked Ram and Sita to keep a simple observance and a quiet mind until morning. Sitting together, they spoke about the responsibility ahead. They did not know that events elsewhere in the palace were about to change the plan.