śrī-rājā uvāca - Mahārāja Parīkṣit inquired; katham - how; saḥ - He, the Lord; bhagavān - the Supreme Personality of Godhead; rāmaḥ - Lord Rāmacandra; bhrātṝn - unto the brothers (Lakṣmaṇa, Bharata and Śatrughna); vā - either; svayam - personally; ātmanaḥ - expansions of His person; tasmin - unto the Lord; vā - either; te - they (all the inhabitants and the brothers); anvavartanta - behaved; prajāḥ - all the inhabitants; paurāḥ - the citizens; ca - and; īśvare - unto the Supreme Lord.

Mahārāja Parīkṣit inquired from Śukadeva Gosvāmī: How did the Lord conduct Himself, and how did He behave in relationship with His brothers, who were expansions of His own self? And how did His brothers and the inhabitants of Ayodhyā treat Him?