At Rāma's Door

At the end of Rāma's reign, Time came to Ayodhyā in the form of an ascetic with a message from Brahmā, and asked to speak with Rāma alone. Whoever sees or hears us, he said, you must put to death. Rāma agreed, and set Lakṣmaṇa to guard the door.

While they were speaking, the sage Durvāsa came to the palace gate and said to Lakṣmaṇa, Take me to Rāma at once, before my purpose fails. Lakṣmaṇa bowed and said, Tell me what you need, sir. Rāma is busy; wait a little. Durvāsa glared at him as if to burn him and said: Tell Rāma I am here this very moment. If you do not, I will curse the kingdom and the city, Rāma and Bharata and all your line. I cannot hold my anger in.

Lakṣmaṇa thought: Better that I alone should die than that all should perish. And he went in and told Rāma. Rāma ended his talk with Time and came out, and saw the son of Atri, and bowed to him with folded hands, and asked what he wished. Today, said Durvāsa, I have finished a thousand years of austerity. I wish to eat whatever food is ready. Rāma gladly brought him food, and the sage ate it as if it were nectar, said, Well done, Rāma, and went back to his hermitage.

Then Rāma remembered his promise to Time, and bowed his head in grief, and could not speak. Lakṣmaṇa told him gladly to keep his word and put him to death. But Vasiṣṭha counselled Rāma to give Lakṣmaṇa up and keep his promise, for if the promise failed, dharma itself would fail, and with it the three worlds. So Rāma sent Lakṣmaṇa away, saying that for the good, to be cast off and to be put to death are the same. Lakṣmaṇa went in tears to the bank of the Sarayū, held his breath in yoga, and Indra carried him, in his own body, to heaven.