At the sight of the lovely stream, dark as Raghunatha, Bharata and his party sank into a sea of grief born of separation from Rama till they boarded the dark of discretion.

That day they halted on the bank of the Yamuna, and everyone was provided with comforts according to the occasion. In the night innumerable boats, all ineffably beautiful, arrived from the various ghats.

At daybreak the whole party crossed the river in a single trip; everyone was pleased with the service rendered by the Nishad chief. Then, after performing their ablutions and bowing their heads to the river (Yamuna), the two brothers (Bharata and Shatrughna) again set forth with the lord of the Nishadas.

At the head of the cavalcade in their splendid carriages went the principal sages (Vamadeva, Vasishtha and so on), followed by the royal retinue. Next followed the two royal brothers, both on foot; their ornaments, costumes and style of dress were all of the very simplest.

With them went their servants and friends and the ministers’ sons, with their thoughts fixed on Lakshmana, Sita and Raghunatha. They lovingly saluted each and every place where Rama had either encamped or rested awhile.

When they heard of their arrival, men and women who lived by the roadside left their household work and ran out to see the royal travellers, and having seen their beauty and their affection, they all rejoiced, for they had achieved their life’s reward.

The women who saw the princes said to one another in affectionate tones, ‘Friend, are these Rama and Lakshmana, or not? Their age and bodily form and complexion and beauty, friend, are the same, and they are like them, too, in amiability and affection and gait.