The subjects of Ayodhya had followed Rama to the banks of river Sarayu. Rama announced his decision of entering the holy waters of the Sarayu. All of them also wanted to end their lives by drowning in the river water with him. But Rama pacified them by delivering them from bondage. He entered the river. The gods had come there along with the sages and the saints, the army of monkeys and bears to witness his entering the waters.
Thus the life tenure of Rama, Lakshmana, Bharata and Shtrughna, sons of king Dasharatha, on the earth came to an end. The subjects of Ayodhya were distressed at the depature of their king Rama who had sacrified even his personal life for the benefit of his subjects.
A divine light appeared; then Rama got absorbed in that divine light. Bharata and Shatrughna were a part of the great divinity of Lord Vishnu. So, they chose to be absorbed in the divine light of Lord Vishnu. Immediately, they too went into the water, gave up their mortal bodies with the divine light and went to the abode of Lord Vishnu.
