After praising Rama’s goodness, amiability and noble disposition, the royal sage, Vasishtha, said, thrilling over with emotion, ‘The king has prepared for the installation ceremony; he proposes to confer upon you the dignity of regent.

Today, Rama, you should observe religious austerity, that God may bring the matter to a happy conclusion.’ Having thus instructed him, the guru returned to the king, but Rama’s heart was all dismay.

My brothers and I,’ he thought, ‘were all born together, and together have we eaten and slept and played in childhood; together we had our ears pierced, were invested with the sacred thread and married – in short, all our rejoicings have taken place together.

The only unseemly blot on this spotless line is that the eldest should be installed on the throne to the exclusion of his younger brothers.’ May this loving and graceful expression of regret on the part of the Lord drive away all unworthy thoughts from the minds of his votaries.

Then at that moment came Lakshmana, full of love and delight, and was welcomed with words of affection by the moon of the lily-like of Raghu.

There was a noise of music of every kind, and the rejoicing in the city was beyond description. All prayed for Bharata’s return and said to one another, ‘Wold that Bharata came with expedition and obtained the reward of his eyes.’

In market, street, house, lane and place of resort men and women were saying to one another, ‘When will that blessed hour start tomorrow when God will satisfy our yearning,