Adhyaya 39

A procession advances toward a divine city built of gems, linked with the nāgas and Śiva’s radiant realm. The narrative introduces King Vīramaṇi and his son Rukmāṅgada, who enters a luxuriant forest where the six seasons seem to flourish at once, surrounded by women, pleasures, and delights. A splendid sacrificial horse arrives, bearing an inscription on a golden leaf. Urged on by the women, Rukmāṅgada seizes the horse and returns to the city, proclaiming himself superior to the king of Rāmabhūmi. The act is judged ethically ambiguous, and the matter is reported to Śiva (Candracūḍa), who reads the coming conflict as a chance to behold Rāma’s lotus-feet while also instructing on kṣatriya duty—protection, restraint, and the limits of fighting against one’s own lord. The chapter ends with a resolve for battle under Śiva’s protection.