Ayodhya Kaanda
96 - Sri Rama admonishes Laksmana and dwells on Bharataís greatness
Chaupais
Description
Had Bharata not been born into the world, who on this earth would have championed the cause of virtue in its entirety? Who else than you, O Lord of Raghus, can know Bharata's good qualities, which are unaproachable even to the race of bards?" On hearing the words of the gods, Laksmana, Sri Rama and Sita were more delighted than words can tell. There Bharata with all his host bathed in the sacred Mandakini. Then, leaving all the people on the riverside and taking permission of his mothers, preceptor (the sage Vasistha) and the minister (Sumantra) he proceeded to the spot where Sita and Sri Rama were, taking the Nisada chief and his younger brother (Satrughna) with him. As he thought of what his mother had done, he felt diffident and formed ill-conjectures of every kind in his mind: "God forbid that Sri Rama, Laksmana and Sita leave the place on hearing my name and shift to some other place !