Bharata, urged by the messengers, spoke respectfully to his grandfather, the king of the Kekayas: “O King, at their urging, I must go to my father’s presence. Whenever you remember me, I will return again.” Hearing Bharata’s words, the king, his maternal grandfather, responded warmly, embracing Bharata’s head and blessing him with auspicious words. “Go, dear child,” said the king, “I permit you. Kaikeyi is blessed to have a son like you. Convey my well-wishes to your mother and to your father, the supreme ascetic. Greet the priest, and all the excellent twice-born men, as well as your two mighty brothers, Rama and Lakshmana.” In honor of Bharata, the king of the Kaikeyas bestowed upon him the finest elephant, luxurious blankets and skins, and other wealth. He then ordered two thousand gold coins and sixteen hundred horses as gifts for Kaikeyi’s son. The lord of horses quickly provided Bharata with trusted and virtuous ministers, attendants as he desired. His maternal uncle gifted him elephants of the Airavata lineage, with heads like Indra’s, pleasing to behold, and swift, well-harnessed mules. He also gave dogs raised within the palace, endowed with tiger-like strength and power, armed with fangs, and of great size. Having received these honors and gifts, Bharata took leave of his maternal grandfather and uncle, both renowned for their prowess in battle. With Shatrughna beside him, Bharata mounted his chariot and departed. Yet, as he left, a great anxiety welled up in his heart, compelled by the urgency of the messengers and a troubling vision from his dream. Leaving his own residence, Bharata was surrounded by men, elephants, and horses as he entered the splendid, unrivaled royal road. As he passed through, the noble-minded prince saw the inner city and entered it unhindered. He took leave of his mother and his maternal uncle Yudhājit, and with Shatrughna, ascended his chariot once more. Servants harnessed more than a hundred chariots with circular wheels, following Bharata as he set out, using camels, cattle, horses, and mules. Protected by his army, Bharata, accompanied by ministers of noble status, took Shatrughna, who was free from enemies, and departed his house as if leaving Indra’s own world. Now begins the seventy-first chapter in the glorious Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, in the Ayodhyā section. Bharata, valiant and resolute, departed from the royal palace, his face turned forward. He beheld the radiant Sudāmā river and crossed it. The illustrious son of Ikṣvāku crossed the delightful, distant, opposite-banked, and backward-flowing Śatadrū river, its waves surging. He crossed the Ela-dhāna river and reached the other bank, traversing a stone-laden path and the Agneyam, a place where arrows were cut. 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, land of the heroic Matsyas. Arriving at the swift-flowing Yamunā, called Kulinga, resounding and surrounded by mountains, Bharata crossed it and reassured his army. They cooled their limbs and comforted the weary horses, bathing and drinking there, then departed, taking water with them. Through the vast forest, seldom frequented, the prince advanced nobly in a fine vehicle, like the wind moving through the sky. Rāghava swiftly approached the Bhāgīrathī, the great river difficult to cross, at the renowned city on the eastern bank. Having crossed the Gaṅgā, he arrived at Kuṭikoṣṭhikā, and, with his forces, crossed it to reach Dharmavardhana. On the southern side of the gate, he came to Jambūprastha, and proceeded to the charming village Varūtha. There, after staying in the pleasant forest, he 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, the tiger among men 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. Bharata, whose vehicle was thoroughly exhausted, pressed onward, and after passing through the forest, reached his destination at dawn. After spending seven nights on the road, the tiger among men beheld Ayodhya, the city built by King Manu. Seeing Ayodhya ahead, Bharata spoke to his charioteer: “This city, famed for its sacred gardens, does not appear familiar to me. Ayodhya is seen from afar, O charioteer, with its pale earth, filled with Brahmins accomplished in virtue and skilled in the Vedas. Once, Ayodhya was crowded with sages and protected by the best of royal seers; in that city, a great tumultuous sound was always heard. But today, I do not hear, all around, the voices of men and women, for the gardens, after the day’s play, are now deserted by the people. Formerly, the gardens shone all around with people running about, but today they seem to lament, abandoned by those who once delighted in them.