Ayodhya Kaanda
88 - Departure of Bharata and Satrughna with the citizens of Ayodhya to the woods
Chaupais
Description
Seized with a longing for the sight of Sri Rama, all the people, including both men and women, headed with the same zeal as male and female elephants rush in pursuit of water. Realizing in their heart that Sita and Rama were in the woods Bharata and his younger brother journeyed on foot. Seeing their affection the people were overcome with emotion and dismounting walked on foot, leaving their horses, elephants and chariots. Going up to Bharata Sri Rama's mother (Kausalya) stopped her palanquin by his side and spoke in soft accents, "I adjure you by my life to mount the chariot, dear child; or else all our near and dear ones will be put to trouble. If you walk on foot the whole party will follow suit and you know they are all wasted with sorrow and hardly fit to undertake the journey on foot." Reverently obeying her command and bowing their head at her feet the two brothers mounted their chariot and proceeded on the journey. They halted the first day on the bank of the Tamasa* river and made the next halt on the bank of the Gomati.