That mischief, however, turned out to be a boon to all; it helped to sustain their lives like the hope that the period of Rama’s exile would soon be over; else would all have died of grief, as of the fell disease of separation from Lakshmana, Sita and Rama.

The grace of Rama solved this difficulty and the army of the immortals marshalled to plunder them became a group of serviceable allies (protectors). With a burst of affection no tongue can describe Rama locked his brother, Bharata, in a close embrace.

His body, mind and speech overflowed with love and the prince of firmness lost all firmness; his lotus eyes streamed with tears; even the assembled gods were grieved to see his condition.

The sages, Vasishtha the guru and so great a champion of firmness as Janaka, the gold of whose minds had been tested in the fire of wisdom, and whom Brahma had created as unimpressionable by worldly emotions as the leaves of the lotus by the water;

-even they, when they saw the incomparable, unfathomable affection of Rama and Bharata, found their bodies and minds and speech, their judgment and detachment and all overwhelmed with love.

Where the wits of such enlightened men as king Janaka and Vasishtha were baffled, it would be very wrong to describe that divine love as ordinary or mundane. Men would account the poet hard-hearted if they heard him telling of the parting between Rama and Bharata.

The poignancy of the scene was past all telling; the poet’s eloquence, remembering the love that welled up on that occasion, shrank into itself with confusion. Raghunatha first embraced Bharata and consoled him, and then gladly clasped Shatrughna to his heart.