Lord Rāmacandra’s Charity, Sītā’s Departure, and the Lord’s Return to Vaikuṇṭha
श्रीराजोवाच कथं स भगवान् रामो भ्रातृन् वा स्वयमात्मन: । तस्मिन् वा तेऽन्ववर्तन्त प्रजा: पौराश्च ईश्वरे ॥ २४ ॥
śrī-rājovāca kathaṁ sa bhagavān rāmo bhrātṝn vā svayam ātmanaḥ tasmin vā te ’nvavartanta prajāḥ paurāś ca īśvare
Śrī Raja Parīkṣit bertanya: Bagaimana Tuhan Śrī Rāma bertingkah laku, dan bagaimana hubungan-Nya dengan saudara-saudara-Nya yang merupakan perluasan diri-Nya sendiri? Dan bagaimana para saudara itu serta rakyat dan warga Ayodhyā memperlakukan Sang Īśvara?
This verse shows Parīkṣit inquiring about Lord Rāma’s rule—how His brothers followed Him and how the citizens and city-dwellers lived in obedient harmony under the Lord as the ideal ruler.
In the narrative of Canto 9, Parīkṣit seeks to understand the exemplary conduct of the Lord’s dynasty—especially how divine leadership inspires unity, loyalty, and dharmic order among family members and subjects.
It highlights leadership through righteousness and the value of cooperative followership—families, teams, and communities thrive when guided by principled authority and when members act with loyalty, respect, and shared dharma.