After the war was over, it was decided that Ram, Lakhsman and Sita will return to Ayodhya on Pushpak, the flying chariot which was originally owned by Kuber but was acquired forcefully by Ravan. In this journey, Ram, Lakshman and Sita were accompanied by Vibhishana, Sarama, Mandodari and Trijata. They were also joined by Sugriva, Hanuman, Angada, Nala, Nila and Jambuvan.

On their way back, the entourage stopped several times. First at the tip of Jambudvipa, from which sprang the bridge to Lanka, where Ram and Sita offered prayers to Shiva, to Sampati and to Varuna, thanking them for their support during the war. After a brief halt at the caves of Swayamprabha, they passed over Kishkindha and Ram pointed to the clearing in the woods where he had killed Vali and the boulder by which he had met Hanuman. Sita recognized the trees and the riverbanks over which she had strewn her jewels. She thanked them for passing on her message to her Ram. Then they stopped at the ashramas of the rishis they had visited earlier: Agastya, Atri, Sharabhanga, Sutikshna and Bharadwaja. The birds and snakes had informed the tapasvis of Sita's plight and the rishis were glad she was safe again. Lopamudra told Sita to think of the future. Anasuya warned her against dwelling on the past.

Later as Ayodhya was nearing, to everyone's surprise, Ram asked the Pushpak to travel beyound Ayodhya to the Himalayas. 'I killed a man who knew the hymns of the Vedas and was a master of many sciences and arts. By killing its transmitter, I have committed the crime of brahman-hatya. I need to atone for this disservice to humanity.'

'But he abducted your wife,' argued Lakshman.

'Ravan had ten heads. Nine were filled with delusion, which made him impatient, lustful, greedy, arrogant, insecure, angry, envious, rude and dominating. But he had one head filled with wisdom and faith. The cacophony of nine heads overpowered the music of that head. I regret killing that head.'

So on the slopes of the Himalayas, the vanaras and the rakshasas and Lakshman and Sita watched Ram seek Ravan's forgiveness. He sat on the ground, shut his eyes and contemplating on the events of the war, invoked the memory of that enemy, of his ten head and twenty arms.

After some time, two celestial beings appeared before Ram and said,'Know this. We are Jaya and Vijaya, doorkeepers of Vaikuntha. Once we had stopped four sages from entering the abode of Vishnu because Vishnu was asleep. We stopped them three times. And for this reason they cursed us to be born on earth three times. Vishnu promised us that he would liberate us from our mortal lives. The first time we were born as the asuras Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashyap. Vishu liberated us, taking the form of the boar Varaha and the man-lion Narasimha. Then we took the form of two rakshasas, Ravan and Kumbhkarna. Vishu liberated us, taking the form of Ram. Now we shall be reborn as two humans, Shishupala and Dantavakra. Vishnu will liberate us taking the form of Krishna. Go to Ayodhya in peace, Ram. Know that you have done what you were destined to do.'

Only after this did Rama make his way to Ayodhya.