Having spent the night in the peaceful hermitage, the two princes—Rama and Lakshmana, destroyers of their enemies—rose at dawn. With reverence, they offered their respects to the great sage Bharadvāja before preparing to continue their journey toward the mountain. The sage, filled with affection for the brothers, blessed them for their travels and watched them depart, following them with his gaze as lovingly as a father would his own sons. As they began their way, the radiant sage Bharadvāja, his ascetic power shining forth, spoke kindly to Rama, who was steadfast in truth and valor. "O best of men," he instructed, "when you reach the confluence of the Ganga and Yamuna, follow the Kālindī river, which flows westward. When you come to the swift-flowing Kālindī and see the ancient, sacred ford, you will recognize it. There, after constructing a raft, you must cross the shining river. On the far bank, you will find a great banyan tree, lush with green foliage and surrounded by many other trees, dark and frequented by perfected beings. There, Sita should offer her salutations with joined palms and utter auspicious blessings. "After reaching that tree, you may rest there or continue onward. If you travel about a krosha further, you will come upon the blue forest—a beautiful place with palāśa and jujube trees, and bamboo from the Yamuna. I myself have taken this path to Chitrakuta many times. It is pleasant, gentle, and free from forest fires." Having thus described the way, the great sage turned back. Rama, with deep respect, replied, "So be it," and with Lakshmana, bid the sage farewell. As Bharadvāja departed, Rama turned to Lakshmana and said, "Truly, Saumitri, we are blessed by the great compassion of this sage." The two brothers, wise and mighty, spoke together with gratitude. Placing Sita at the front, they made their way to the river Kālindī. Upon reaching its swiftly flowing waters, they set about making a sturdy raft from bundles of wood. They covered it with dry bamboo and wrapped it with roots for strength. Lakshmana, skillful and attentive, gathered branches of cane and jambu trees, and fashioned a comfortable seat for Sita. Rama, ever caring, seated his beloved wife upon it as if placing her upon a throne of fortune. They placed their bows and arrows upon the raft, and at Sita's side, her garments and warm coverings. Rama arranged the hard quivers and other weapons securely. First seating Sita, the two brothers then took hold of the raft and began to cross. As they reached the middle of the Kālindī, Sita, pure-hearted and devoted, offered her salutations to the river. With folded hands, she prayed, "Farewell, O goddess! May I cross you safely, and may my vow of fidelity be preserved. I will worship you with a thousand cows and a hundred jars of liquor. Farewell, when Rama returns to the city protected by the Ikshvakus." Thus she prayed to the goddess Kālindī. Having reached the southern bank, the beautiful Sita stepped onto the shore. The three, having crossed the shining, wave-covered river by raft, found themselves amidst banks lined with many trees. Leaving the raft behind, they set out from the Yamuna forest. Soon, they came to a great, dark banyan tree, cool and lush with green leaves. Approaching it, Sita spoke with devotion: "Salutations to you, great tree! May my vow of fidelity be fulfilled, may I see Kausalya and the illustrious Sumitra again." With joined palms, she circled the tree, making her request with a pure heart. Watching Sita, faultless in her conduct, Rama spoke to Lakshmana with affection: "Take Sita and go ahead, O Bharata's younger brother. I will follow behind, armed. Whatever fruit or flower Janaka's daughter desires, give it to Vaidehi wherever her heart delights." Thus, the three continued, with Sita walking between the two brothers. She moved gracefully, as lovely as an elephant-cow between two mighty tuskers, her eyes drawn to each tree, bush, or flowering vine along their path. Seeing many beautiful, blossoming trees she had never seen before, Sita, gentle and curious, asked Rama about them. Eager to fulfill Sita's wishes, Lakshmana led her to a river adorned with varied sands and alive with the calls of swans and cranes. There, Sita, the daughter of King Janaka, delighted in gazing at the river. After journeying about a krosha further, the brothers Rama and Lakshmana, skilled in the chase, hunted noble deer in the Yamuna forest. They enjoyed the beauty of the forest, filled with peacocks and elephants, and finally reached a pleasing riverside grove. There, they settled for the night, free from sorrow. When night had passed and Lakshmana was still asleep, Rama, scion of Raghu, gently awakened him. "Saumitri," he said, "listen to the sweet sounds of the forest creatures. It is time for us to set out, O great ascetic." Thus awakened at the right time by his brother, Lakshmana cast off sleep, drowsiness, and all the fatigue of their journey. All three rose, touched the auspicious waters of the river, and followed the path shown by the sages toward Chitrakuta. As they set out at the proper time, Rama spoke gently to Sita, whose eyes were like lotus petals.