66697602-The-Ramayana-R-K-Narayan

accompany him to the forest. A vast throng of citizens, army,
horses, elephants, women, and children, set forth in the
direction of Chitrakuta, where Rama was camping. Bharatha
wore a garment made of tree bark, and insisted on
accomplishing the journey on foot as a penance, following
Rama’s own example. When they crossed the Ganges and
came within sight of Chitrakuta, Lakshmana, who had set
himself as Rama’s bodyguard, noticed the crowd at a
distance and cried out, “There he comes, with an army—to
make sure that you don’t return to claim his ill-gotten
kingdom. I’ll destroy the whole lot. I have enough power in my
quiver.”
While they stood watching, Bharatha left his followers
behind and came forward alone in his tree-bark garb, his
arms held aloft in supplication, with tears in his eyes,
praying, “Rama, Rama, forgive me.” Rama whispered to
Lakshmana, “Do you note his martial air, and the battledress
he has put on?”
Lakshmana hung his head and confessed, “I had
misjudged him.”
Bharatha flung himself down at Rama’s feet. Rama lifted
him up with many kind words.
When Rama learned of his father’s death, he broke down.
After a while, when he recovered, he set about performing
on the river bank the rites required of the son of the departed
King. When they settled down after the ceremonies,