Having been granted every comfort and delight, the soldiers of Bharata’s great army rejoiced. Their desires satisfied, their bodies adorned with red sandalwood, and surrounded by groups of celestial apsarases, they raised their voices in exultation. “We will not return to Ayodhyā, nor will we venture into the Daṇḍaka forest; let Bharata be well, and may Rāma also be happy,” they cried, their hearts overflowing with contentment. Foot soldiers, charioteers, riders of elephants and horses, and all the attendants, having found such unexpected fortune, joined together in this joyful chorus. Thousands of men, filled with wonder and happiness, exclaimed as they followed Bharata, “This is heaven itself!” Their spirits soared as they danced, laughed, and sang, garlands crowning their heads, running about in all directions by the thousands. After feasting on food that seemed like nectar, their eyes drawn again and again to the divine delicacies before them, their minds returned to the pleasures of eating. The attendants, the women, and the countless others stationed in the army became exceedingly proud, all arrayed in splendid garments. Elephants, camels, oxen, horses, wild animals, and birds—none were left wanting; all were well provided for. Nowhere was anyone seen in soiled white clothes, nor was there anyone hungry, dirty, or with hair disheveled by dust. Dishes of goat and wild boar, prepared with the finest cuts, and soups made from fruit extracts, fragrant and delicious, were offered in abundance. Thousands of iron vessels, adorned with flowered banners and piled high with heaps of pure white rice, amazed the onlookers. By the edges of the forest, wells appeared, filled with creamy rice and milk, wish-fulfilling cows grazed nearby, and trees dripped with honey. Ponds brimmed with mead, surrounded by heaps of well-cooked meat, and hot dishes of peacock and jungle fowl lined the pathways. There were thousands of bowls, tens of thousands of pots, and hundreds of millions of golden vessels glimmering in the light. Jars and dishes overflowed with curds made from the milk of young, fragrant cows and kapittha fruits. Pools were filled with sweet mango juice, thick white milk, heaps of rice pudding, and sugar. Along the riverbanks, men found various medicinal pastes, powders, decoctions, and all manner of bathing substances set out in vessels. Heaps of shining white tooth-cleaning sticks and sandalwood pastes were placed nearby. Polished mirrors, piles of garments, and thousands upon thousands of sandals and shoes were available for all. Cosmetic boxes, combs, brushes, weapons and bows, ornate armor, as well as beds and seats, were provided in abundance. Lakes full of drinks for camels, oxen, elephants, and horses appeared, along with bathing ponds with gentle banks, blooming with lotuses and water-lilies. Pools with water as blue as the sky invited all to bathe, and heaps of soft barley, colored like blue beryl, were set out. All the animals required for sacrificial offerings were prepared. The people gazed in awe, marveling at the wondrous hospitality the great sage had shown to Bharata, scarcely believing it was not a dream. Thus, like the gods enjoying themselves in the Nandana gardens, Bharata and his retinue spent that beautiful night at Bharadvāja’s hermitage. As dawn approached, the rivers and Gandharvas who had come to grace the night departed, having received Bharadvāja’s permission, along with all the lovely women. The intoxicated men, anointed with divine aloe and sandalwood, remained, and splendid garlands lay scattered, trampled underfoot by the joyous crowd. Thus ended that wondrous night. When the night had passed, Bharata, honored in every way, approached the sage Bharadvāja with his retinue. Seeing Bharata, the tiger among men, arrive with joined palms, the sage—having completed his fire rituals—addressed him kindly: “Did you spend the night comfortably in my hermitage? Is your entire company well? Tell me, blameless one, if you found the hospitality satisfactory.” Bharata, bowing deeply with joined palms, replied to the radiant sage who had come forth from his hermitage: “Revered one, I, along with my entire army and attendants, have rested well. In every way, we have been satisfied by your hospitality. Freed from fatigue and distress, well-provided with food and shelter, even our servants, without exception, have been most comfortably accommodated.” He continued, “O revered sage, I now take my leave. Please, with your friendly gaze, bless me as I set out to approach my brother. O knower of righteousness, tell me which path leads to the hermitage of that righteous and great-souled one, and how far it is.” Thus questioned by Bharata, who longed to see his brother, the great ascetic Bharadvāja, endowed with immense energy, replied, “At a distance of two and a half yojanas in the uninhabited forest lies the mountain Citrakūṭa, with its delightful, uninterrupted woods. On its northern side flows the Mandākinī river, shaded by blossoming trees and beautiful with flowering groves. Beyond that river stands Mount Citrakūṭa; at the foot of both, dear one, is their leaf-hut, where surely the two reside.” Thus, with the sage’s guidance, Bharata prepared to set forth, his heart full of hope and devotion.