When noble Bharata had spoken, the messengers addressed him with respectful words, saying, “O tiger among men, those for whom you wish well are indeed well. Fortune and the lotus goddess favor you, and may your protection be secured.” Hearing these words, Bharata replied, “I must take leave of the great king, for the messengers urge me to hurry.” Prompted by their urgency, Bharata turned to his maternal grandfather and said, “O King, urged by these messengers, I must go to my father’s presence. Whenever you remember me, I shall return again.” His grandfather, embracing Bharata’s head, spoke auspicious words: “Go, dear child. I permit you. Kaikeyi is blessed with a son like you. Convey my well-wishes to your mother and to your father, the supreme ascetic. Also greet the priest and all the excellent twice-born men, and, dear child, your two mighty archer brothers, Rama and Lakshmana.” Honoring Bharata, the Kaikeyan king bestowed upon him the finest elephant, blankets, and skins as wealth. He also ordered two thousand gold coins and sixteen hundred horses as gifts. The lord of horses quickly provided Bharata with trusted, virtuous ministers as attendants. His maternal uncle gave him elephants of the Airavata line, with Indra-like heads, pleasing to behold, and swift, well-harnessed mules. He gifted dogs raised within the palace, endowed with tiger-like strength, armed with fangs, and of great size. Having taken leave of his maternal grandfather and uncle, Bharata—victorious in battle—mounted his chariot with Shatrughna and departed. At that moment, a great anxiety arose in Bharata’s heart, stirred by the urgency of the messengers and a troubling vision seen in a dream. He left his residence, surrounded by men, elephants, and horses, and entered the splendid, unrivaled royal road. As he passed through, Bharata saw the inner city and entered it unhindered. Taking leave of his mother and his maternal uncle Yudhājit, Bharata, together with Shatrughna, ascended his chariot and set forth. More than a hundred chariots with circular wheels were harnessed, and servants followed Bharata, employing camels, cattle, horses, and mules. Protected by his army and accompanied by ministers of high status, Bharata took Shatrughna, free from enemies, and departed his house as if leaving Indra’s world. Now begins the seventy-first chapter of the glorious Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, in the Ayodhyā section. With his face turned forward, the valiant Bharata departed from the royal palace. He beheld the radiant Sudāmā river and crossed it. The illustrious son of Ikṣvāku crossed the delightful, distant, opposite-banked, and backward-flowing, wave-laden Śatadrū river. After crossing the Ela-dhāna river and reaching the other bank, he traversed the stone-laden path and the Agneyam, a place of arrow-cutting. Truthful, pure, and illustrious, Bharata gazed at the stone-carrying hills and passed over the great mountains toward the Caitra forest. He reached the Sarasvatī and Gaṅgā rivers, and after crossing them with vigor, entered the northern Bhāruṇḍa forest of the heroic Matsyas. Arriving at the swift-flowing Yamunā, called Kulinga, resounding and surrounded by mountains, Bharata crossed it and reassured his army. Cooling their limbs and comforting the weary horses, the company bathed and drank at the river, then departed, taking water with them. Through the vast forest, seldom frequented, Bharata advanced nobly in a fine vehicle, like the wind moving through the sky. Swiftly, he approached the Bhāgīrathī, the great river difficult to cross, at the renowned city on the eastern bank. Having crossed the Gaṅgā at the eastern bank, he arrived at Kuṭikoṣṭhikā, and after crossing it with his forces, reached Dharmavardhana. On the southern side of the gate, he came to Jambūprastha, and then proceeded to the charming village of Varūtha. There, after staying in the pleasant forest, Bharata moved forward toward the garden of Ujjihāna, where beloved trees grow. Having reached the beloved sāla trees, Bharata quickly mounted his horses, gave permission to the army, and hurried onward. After staying at every ford and crossing the Uttānakā river, he traversed various other mountain rivers with swift vehicles. Having reached the hut near the back of the elephant, Bharata crossed the Lauhitya river at Kapivata. He crossed the Eka-sala river, the Vinata, and the Gomati, and then, arriving at the city of Kalinga, entered the Sala forest. Though his vehicle was thoroughly exhausted, Bharata pressed onward, passing through the forest and arriving at dawn. He beheld Ayodhya, the city built by King Manu, after spending seven nights on the road. Seeing Ayodhya ahead, Bharata spoke to his charioteer, “This city, famed for its sacred gardens, does not appear familiar to me.