Lord Rāmacandra appeared on this world to educate, or to place ideal example of a king, how the king should be. Therefore when there is good government . . . the example is given, Rāma-rājya. Rāma-rājya. It is the kingdom of Lord Rāma. Because everyone was happy. Everyone. There are so many instances in the life of Rāmacandra.
One brahmin . . . not brahmin exactly; somebody came to Rāmacandra. Because at that time there was no court like this, that you have to go to a court and apply with stamp fee, then your judgment will be delivered after six years. It is not like that. Anyone who has got some complaint, he should . . . the king used to sit in the open audience, and the citizens were allowed to approach the king and place their complaints. Because there was no complaint practically. Everyone was happy. Very minor complaint.
So somebody came to Rāmacandra, and he charged Rāmacandra, "My dear king, my son has died. How is that, in the presence of his father, son can die? There must be something wrong in Your government." Just see. The charge is, "Why my son has died before my death? This is unnatural." So there was nothing unnatural. The king was responsible even for severe cold, severe heat. That we get from history of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. That is stated. So the kings were so much responsible. They were always thinking of the happiness of the citizens, and the citizens were also so nice.
One citizen approached Lord Rāmacandra, and His next assistant, His brother, Lakṣmaṇa, informed Him that, "He is a brahmin. You were absent on Your tour for, I think, for a fortnight or a month, and this brahmin has not eaten even a drop of water during Your absence." "Why?" "Because he comes here to see You, darśana."
Just like we come here in the temple to see the Deity, so Lord Rāmacandra was present personally, so he used to come. After seeing Rāmacandra, offering his obeisances, then he would go home and take something, his breakfast. That was his vow. And because he could not see for a fortnight or a month Lord Rāmacandra, because He was out on political tour, he did not eat even. Just see. The citizen as similar the king.
So at that time, there was a statue of Rāmacandra which was being worshiped in the family from Mahārāja Ikṣvāku. Mahārāja Ikṣvāku, the son of Manu, happens to be the forefather of the family in which Rāmacandra appeared. So he was devotee of Lord Rāma, and he was worshiping the statue of Lord Rāma. So that statue was being worshiped by the family one after another.
But when Rāmacandra was actually present He kept that statue in the closet of the room, and when this brahmin approached and Rāmacandra was informed by Lakṣmaṇa that he is so steady and strong in his vow, so Rāmacandra ordered that he may be delivered that statue so that, "In My absence he can offer respect to the statue and do with this." That form, I mean to say, statue, or arca of Rāmacandra, is still existing in South India. It is being worshiped from that time.