Seated upon a golden stool before her husband, Queen Kaushalya agrees that the time has come for him to retire and their son Rama to be crowned king of Ayodhya. King Dasharatha gestures to his minister to fetch Rama so they can give him the news of their decision. The scene takes place in the private apartments of the palace, guarded by a stern staff-bearer at the door. In the top margin, the number “18” is written in Takri, the regional script used in the western Himalayas.