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## The Eighth Sixty
The eclipse of the sun by Rahu signifies the decline of fortune, enjoyment, and lifespan. The collapse of your grand palace will lead you to the forest of penance. || 696 ||
Hearing these words in solitude, Rama, the knower of truth, being courageous and magnanimous, did not experience any mental distress. || 697 ||
Considering the welfare of both worlds, he proclaimed that no one should harm any living being, for compassion is the essence of all. || 698 ||
He performed the peace-offering and the bath of the omniscient, and gave charity to the needy, fulfilling their desires. || 699 ||
Due to his depleted merit, Lakshmana, after a few days, was afflicted by a severe illness, caused by the arising of his karmic debts. || 700 ||
Due to this incurable disease, the lord of the wheel-jewel, Lakshmana, departed to the fourth earth, Pankaprabha, on the last day of the dark fortnight of Magha. || 701 ||
His heart consumed by the fire of grief due to Lakshmana's separation, Rama, through the power of knowledge, somehow stabilized his own mind. He performed the funeral rites of his younger brother according to the scriptures, and with cheerful words, pacified the sorrow of the entire palace. || 702-703 ||
In the presence of all, he bestowed the kingdom upon the eldest son of Lakshmana, born to the beautiful queen Prithvisundari, and personally crowned him. || 704 ||
Sita had eight sons, all of virtuous character, named Vijayarama and others. The seven elder sons did not desire the kingdom and its wealth. Therefore, he bestowed the position of Yuvaraja upon the youngest son, Ajitajnjay, and gave him the kingdom of Mithila. He himself, renounced the world, the body, and worldly pleasures. || 705-706 ||
Renouncing everything, he went to the forest of Siddhartha, near Ayodhya, which was a sacred place due to the initiation ceremony of Lord Rishabhadeva. There, he met the powerful Kevali, Shivgupta, and gained a clear understanding of the causes and fruits of worldly existence and liberation. || 707-708 ||
When he learned from the Kevali that Lakshmana had gone to the fourth hell due to the fault of the nidana-salya, his mind became even more pure. He renounced all attachment to Lakshmana, and through the knowledge of the Abhinibodhika, he understood the truth revealed by the Vedas, as explained by Sugriva, Hanuman, and others. || 709-710 ||