And, blessed be thou, he was
followed by the auspicious Lakshmana--that foremost of bowmen and his
wife Sita, the princess of Videha and daughter of Janaka. And after Rama
had gone into the forest, king Dasaratha took leave of his body,
agreeably to the eternal law of time. And knowing that Rama not near and
that the king was dead, queen Kaikeyi, causing Bharata to be brought
before her, addressed him in these words, "Dasaratha hath gone to heaven
and both Rama and Lakshmana are in the forest! Take thou this kingdom
which is so extensive and whose peace there is no rival to disturb."
Thereupon the virtuous Bharata replied unto her saying, "Thou hast done
a wicked deed, having slain thy husband and exterminated this family
from lust of wealth alone! Heaping infamy on my head, O accursed woman
of our race, thou hast, O mother, attained this, thy object!" And having
said these words, the prince wept aloud. And having proved his innocence
before all the subjects of that realm he set out in the wake of Rama,
desiring to bring him back. And placing Kausalya and Sumitra and Kaikeyi
in the vehicles at the van of his train, he proceeded with a heavy
heart, in company with Satrughna. And he was accompanied by Vasishtha
and Vamadeva, and other Brahmanas by thousands and by the people of the
cities and the provinces, desiring to bring back Rama. And he saw Rama
with Lakshmana, living on the mountains of Chitrakuta with bow in hand
and decked with the ornaments of ascetics.
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