The Journey to Prayag

"Lakshmana, you are the only one with weapons," Rama said to Lakshmana. "Could you go in front? Sita will walk behind you, and I will follow her to protect her completely."

The following day, they arrived at Prayag. Prayag is a sacred place because it is the meeting point of three rivers: Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati. It is believed that bathing at this confluence brings good fortune. Before going to Maharshi Bharadwaja's ashram, they bathed at the confluence. Afterward, they visited the ashram, where Maharshi Bharadwaja embraced Rama. The sage felt as if he had merged with Brahman. Rama inquired about a peaceful and secure place to stay, and after considering several options, the sage suggested that Chitrakoot would be the most suitable place.

After returning alone to the palace at Ayodhya, Sumantra saw that King Dasharatha and Queen Kaushalya were despondent. Due to grief and sorrow, Dasharatha, was on the verge of death. As his condition started deteriorated, he told Kaushalya that he had committed a heinous crime when he was young and was now being punished for it. This piqued Kaushalya's curiosity, and she begged him to disclose everything to her.