Bharata, with Lord Shiva as my witness I speak the truth in good faith: the world depends on your support. Do not, dear brother, entertain vain apprehensions; enmity and love can in no way be hid.

Birds and beasts draw close to hermits, but flee at the sight of fierce huntsmen. If beasts and birds can distinguish between friend and foe, how much more can man, whose body is a treasure-house of virtue and wisdom?

I know you, dear brother, through and through, but what am I to do? My mind is sore perplexed. The king (our father), you know, kept his word and abandoned me; he gave up his life to keep his vow of love.

If I now break our father’s promise, I shall be heartily grieved; yet my scruple on your account is greater still. On top of it the guru has laid his commands upon me; in any case I am ready to do whatever you say.

Set your mind at case and shaking off all scruple, speak out; I will do it at once.’ The assembled people rejoiced when they heard these words of Raghubara, who was ever true to his word.

But the king of heaven (Indra) and all the celestial deities were alarmed and thought that all their plans were going to be wrecked; there was no scheme worth their while; mentally all took refuge with Rama. (If they had gone to him in person, their whole plan would have been spoilt and Ravana would thus have become aware of Rama’s divinity.)

Again they deliberated with one another and said, “Raghunatha is subservient to the devotion of his votaries.’ Remembering the legends of Ambarisha and Durvasa, the gods as well as their lord (Indra) were utterly dejected. (The stories of Ambarisha and Durvasa reminded them of Vishnu’s readiness to hear the prayers of his followers and of the fierceness of his indignation against those who persecuted them; it was therefore useless for the gods to think of opposing Bharata; their only plan was to win him over to their side.)