When the whole story of the promises etc. was told, Ram understood the situation very well. He knew that both King Dasharath and himself are caught in a situation that demanded supreme sacrifice. Bharat was not present in Ayodhya during all these happenings.
Ram was full of praise for Kaikeyi. Said he,
"O mother, you have bestowed a great honour upon me by asking for these two promises. Firstly, I agree with you that Bharat would be a better king than I. Secondly, what of fourteen years of forest life! Time will fly with wink of the eyes. But I must be grateful to you for giving me the opportunity to be close with the nature. Moreover, I shall personally look after the conditions of subjects in far off places of our kingdom."
" I would be more than happy to redress their grievances. And most importantly, I shall get the rare opportunity to submerge myself in spiritual practices to seek the God. The daily hectic life of the king otherwise also comes in the way of God-realization and meditation. And last but not the least, to uphold the word given by the parents is the duty of every son, even if it puts him to utmost suffering. It is a rare opportunity offered to anyone to die for the honour of his father." Sita and Laxman decide to go with Ram.
Thus, Ram genuinely felt nothing at such an arduous predicament. Everyone present was stunned to listen to the brave and high thinking of Ram. Respect for Ram doubled in everyone's heart.
But the daughter of Janak - Janaki (i.e. Sita), the newly married wife of Ram, was not to be left behind. After seeking permission from her mother-in-law, she spoke with dignity and composure to her husband, "O Lord, I will also accompany you to the forest."
Instantly many objections were raised by Queen Kausalya, Prime Minister, and Ram himself that for the newly-wedded queen it would not be proper to leave the comforts of the palace and seek difficult life of the forest. Moreover, her in-laws needed her care more than the able-bodied husband. Kaikeyi has not asked her to accompany her husband.
But Sita was not to be so easily put off. With firm determination she said to Ram, "Please do not deny me the chance of serving you when you need it most. I am your shadow, I have taken wedding vows to be with you in joy and sorrow, in palace or in jungle, in life and death. I cannot remain alive without you. If you still insist that I should stay here with your parents, I declare that I will jump in the river Sarayu after your departure!"
At last, when every effort of persuasion failed, Ram conceded to the request of Sita, his wife, to accompany him. And then comes the extreme sacrifice of a brother for elder brother.
