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Arriving by means of a car emitting a low and solemn sound, that lord, the highly famous Bharata speedily entered Ayodhy&, ranged by cats and owls, with the doors of the people’s dwellings remaining closed ; like a night enveloped in darkness; gloomy ; and invisible ; resembling the beloved wife of Rahu’s enemy, Rohini, brilliant with the lustre of the latter, when she is forlorn in consequence of her lover being afflicted by that planet ; like unto a mountain stream shrunk up, having its waters turbid and slightly heated, and its fowls burning in the heat ; and with its fishes, alligators and other aquatic animals rendered lean; resembling a flame of fire devoid of smoke and streaming up in golden splendour,

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next sprinkled with clarified butter, and lastly appearing with its crest extinguished ; with armour scattered all round, and sick elephants and horses and cars and standatds,—and heroes’ lying dead,—in distress; like unto an army ina mighty encounter ; resembling the silent ripples of the ocean raised by the gentle breeze, which ere now (in the shapes of surgés) were heaving, brimming over with foam and sending forth roars; like a silent dais after the sacrifice is over, without the sacrificial appurtenances, without worthy priests; like’ unto the wife of a youthful ox, exercised with anxiety on having been forsaken by her favorite ox, staying in distress in a:pen, abstaining from fresh giass; liké unto a string of new’ pearls divorced from noble, mild-gleaming’ rabies and other excellent: gems; like a star on’ the expiration of its virtue, moving from: its: place, and dislodged from heaven, dropping to the earth with its brightness contracted ; like a blossoming’ creeper at the end of spring with maddened Bhramaras* suddenly rendered nerveless in consequence of being caught by a forest firé; with her merchants plunged in grief, and her shops and stalls closed ; like the welkin covered with clouds, afid having its moon and stars hid; like an unclean, uncovered spot used for drinking, with all the wine drained, and scattered with broken bowls, and with the tipplers lying dead ; like unto a reservoir with its terrace riven, filled with broken pots, and lying with its pillars crushed; like a long strong bow-string fixed on a bow furnished with nooses, falling off the bow to the ground, being snapped in consequence of the pressure of the arrow; like a mare, suddenly urged on by a rider skilled in battle, lying (on the ground:, having been slain by the hostile forces. That son of Dagaratha, the beauteous Bharata, while procéeding on his dar, addressed the charioteer as he drove that best of cars, saying, “Why dolI not hear as formerly * Black bees.

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the solemn sounds of song and instrumental music spreading on all sides in Ayodhy& ? And there doth not breathe around the aroma of liquor, or the perfume of garlands, or the incense of aguru and sandal. Andon Rama being banished, in this city is not heard the mild neighing of steeds, the rattle of vehicles, the roar of mad elephants, or the mighty clatter of arms. And on Rama having repaired to the forest, youthful folk stricken with sorrow do not enjoy the incense of aguru and sandal, or costly fresh chaplets. And persons bearing variegated garlands do not walk abroad ; and no festivities are celebrated in the city stricken with grief on account of Rama. Surely, the grace of the city hath gone away with my brother. Surely, that Ayodhy& doth not look beautiful like an autumnal night with showers pouring down. When shall my brother, coming hither like a carnival, gladden all hearts in Ayodhya like rain in summer? And the highways shall be graced with young people elegantly attired and bearing themselves bravely in Ayodhy&4.” Having said this in grief, Bharata in company with the charioteer entered AyodhyS and immediately went to the residence of his father, bereft of that foremost of men, like a cavern bereft of its lion. Seeing the inner apartment shorn of its splendour, like a day deprived of the sun, mourned by the deities, and everywhere unclean, the self-possessed Bharata, moved by grief, began to drop tears.