# Lord Rāmacandra > [!summary] > *Lord Rāmacandra is the eighteenth incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, appearing as the ideal king and the mightiest of warriors. Known as Maryādā-puruṣottama (the best of persons in following religious principles), He exhibited perfect behavior as a son, brother, husband, and king. His pastimes include His marriage to Sītā Devī after breaking the mighty bow of Lord Śiva, fourteen years of exile in the forest, the rescue of Sītā from the demon Rāvaṇa with the help of Hanumān and the monkey army, and His ideal reign in Ayodhyā known as Rāma-rājya. During His kingdom in Tretā-yuga, the age was transformed into Satya-yuga — everyone was religious and completely happy.* ![[images/all-catalogs/0024_SB-9_2_6.jpg]] ## The Mightiest of Warriors Lord Kṛṣṇa declares that among all wielders of weapons, He is represented by Rāma. This establishes Lord Rāmacandra as the supreme warrior, the incarnation of Kṛṣṇa Himself in the role of the perfect kṣatriya. ![[bg/10/31]] ## The Eighteenth Incarnation Lord Rāmacandra appeared to perform pleasing work for the demigods by exhibiting superhuman powers — controlling the Indian Ocean and killing the atheist King Rāvaṇa. He built a bridge of floating stones across the sea, demonstrating the supreme power of God. ![[sb/1/3/22]] ## Transcendental Activities The pastimes of Lord Rāmacandra have been described by great saintly persons who have seen the truth. Śukadeva Gosvāmī warns that we must accept descriptions only from those who are tattva-darśī (seers of the Absolute Truth), not from speculators or imaginative writers. ![[sb/9/10/3]] ## The Ideal Kingdom: Rāma-rājya Under Lord Rāmacandra's reign, even though it was Tretā-yuga, the kingdom was like Satya-yuga, the golden age. Everyone was religious and completely happy. This demonstrates that when the principles of dharma are properly established, any age can become golden. ![[sb/9/10/51]] ## Key Pastimes **Breaking Lord Śiva's Bow** — At the svayamvara assembly of King Janaka, Lord Rāmacandra won the hand of Sītā Devī by breaking the mighty bow of Lord Śiva, which no other warrior could even lift. **Fourteen Years of Exile** — To honor His father's word to Queen Kaikeyī, Lord Rāmacandra accepted fourteen years of exile in the forest, accompanied by Sītā and His brother Lakṣmaṇa. **Rescue of Sītā** — When Rāvaṇa kidnapped Sītā through trickery, the Lord made alliance with Sugrīva and his monkey army, built a bridge across the ocean, and invaded Laṅkā to rescue His consort and kill the demon. **Return to Ayodhyā** — After defeating Rāvaṇa, Lord Rāmacandra returned to Ayodhyā and established His perfect kingdom, demonstrating ideal governance for all future generations. ## From the Scriptures **Bhagavad-gita:** - [[bg/10/31|Bg. 10.31]] — "Of the wielders of weapons I am Rāma" **Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto 9** — The complete pastimes: - [[sb/9/10|SB 9.10: The Pastimes of Lord Rāmacandra]] — Full narrative - [[sb/9/11|SB 9.11: Lord Rāmacandra Rules the World]] — The ideal reign **Key Verses:** - [[sb/1/3/22|SB 1.3.22]] — The eighteenth incarnation - [[sb/9/10/3|SB 9.10.3]] — Described by tattva-darśīs - [[sb/9/10/51|SB 9.10.51]] — Tretā-yuga became like Satya-yuga **Sri Caitanya-caritamrta:** - [[cc/madhya/9/11|Madhya 9.11]] — South Indian Vaiṣṇavas and Rāma - [[cc/madhya/22/136|Madhya 22.136]] — Hanumān's perfection through serving Rāma ## Related Articles - [[wiki/articles/hanuman|Hanumān]] — His perfect servant - [[wiki/articles/janaka-maharaja|Janaka Mahārāja]] — Father of Sītā Devī - [[wiki/articles/the-varnasrama-system|The varnashrama system]] — Which He exemplified - [[wiki/articles/great-kings-and-maharajas|Great kings and maharajas]] — Among the greatest ## From the Index - [[index/entries/ramacandra-lord|Rāmacandra, Lord]] — Index entry (220+ references) - [[index/meta/incarnations|Incarnations]] — Avatāras of the Lord