When Ayodhya came in sight, Lord Rama, wishing to bring joy to others, thought of welcoming them. He looked towards the monkeys and spoke to Lord Hanuman. Hanuman was to hurry to Ayodhya and learn how all fared in the king's palace. On the way, at the city of Sringavera, he was to tell Guha, king of the Nishadas, that Rama was well; Guha, a friend as dear to Rama as his own self, would rejoice to hear that Rama was safe and free of all troubles.1
Of Bharata, Hanuman was to ask after his welfare in Rama's name, and tell him that Rama, his father's vow fulfilled, had come with Lakshmana and with Sita, his wife; that, his foes vanquished and great fame won, Rama had arrived at the gate of the city with his valiant friends. Rama spoke also of the kingdom itself, an ancestral kingdom full of every prosperity: whose mind, he asked, does not change on gaining such a kingdom? And if Bharata, ruling it, wished the kingdom for himself, then let him rule over the whole earth.2
So commanded, Hanuman, son of the Wind-god, took a human shape and set out swiftly for Ayodhya. Crossing the meeting of the Ganges and the Yamuna, he reached the city of Sringavera, met Guha and spoke to him with joy: his friend Rama, whose prowess is truth, had asked after his welfare, together with Sita and Lakshmana, the son of Sumitra. Then, not caring for the weariness of the road, Hanuman rose up with great speed, glad at heart, his hair standing on end. Passing holy rivers, a great forest of sala trees and many lands peopled by thousands, he went a great distance swiftly and came to the trees near Nandigrama, which were like those of Chaitraratha, the garden of the lord of the celestials.3
At a distance of one krosha from Ayodhya, Hanuman saw Bharata living in a hermitage. Worn down by grief at his brother's misfortune, Bharata wore an antelope skin and matted locks; his body was worn thin and covered with dirt, and he lived on roots and fruits, self-controlled, leading the life of an ascetic. Radiant as the Brahmarshis, he ruled the earth with the sandals always placed before him, and kept the people of the four varnas safe from all fear. And the citizens, who loved dharma, would not wear fine clothes when they saw their prince in bark and deer skin.4
Then Hanuman, with folded hands, spoke to Bharata, who knew dharma like virtue itself in bodily form. Rama of the line of Kakutstha, for whom Bharata grieved, who had lived in the Dandaka forest in bark and matted locks, had asked after his welfare. Let him cast off his terrible grief, Hanuman said: in this very moment he would be with his brother Rama again. Rama had slain Ravana and won back Sita, and, his purpose achieved, had come with his valiant friends.5
Hearing these words, Bharata, the son of Kaikeyi, was overjoyed and fell all at once in a swoon of joy. Then, embracing Hanuman with respect, he bathed him in tears, tears not of grief but of joy. Hearing from that foremost of monkeys of Rama's wonderful return, the prince was filled with delight and longed to behold him.6
Bharata said that the news of his brother, who had lived for many years in the great forest, gave him great delight; the saying of the people now seemed to him full of good sense, that a man, if he lives, may find joy even after a hundred years. He asked Hanuman to tell him truly how, and in what land, Rama and the monkeys had come together. Seated on kusha grass, Hanuman began to tell of Rama's life in the forest.7
Hanuman told the whole story. To lift the grief of his sorrowing companions, he had leapt a hundred yojanas by his own strength and found Sita in the Ashoka grove, pale, in a red garment, bereft of all joy and keeping strict austerities. Hearing the news of her, Rama had revived like one at the point of death who drinks nectar. At the shore of the ocean Rama had Nala build a bridge, over which the army of monkey heroes crossed; Lakshmana slew Ravana's son, and Rama himself slew Ravana. Now, having reached the Ganges again, Rama was staying with the ascetic, and Bharata should see him on the morrow.8
Delighted by Hanuman's sweet words, Bharata joined his hands and said that after a long time his desire had been fulfilled. In his delight he ordered Satrughna to have all the people purify themselves and worship all the deities and altars of the city with fragrant garlands and music. Satrughna divided the work among the servants: the ground from Nandigrama to Ayodhya was to be levelled and well watered with cool water.9
Then Bharata himself, high-souled and devoted to dharma, worn with fasting and dressed in bark and antelope skin, went out to receive Rama with his counsellors, surrounded by Brahmanas, by people of every caste and by his own kin. He bore his worshipful brother's sandals on his head, with the white umbrella hung with white garlands and the gold-adorned white chowries fit for kings. The earth shook with the sound of hooves and chariots, of conches and bugles, and the whole city went to Nandigrama.10
Bharata, longing to see his brother, said to Hanuman that they did not yet see the worshipful Rama, slayer of foes, nor the monkeys who take shapes at will. Hanuman bade him listen to the great uproar of the joyful monkeys; he thought the host had crossed the river Gomati. And he showed him the celestial car, shining like the newly risen sun, moving at will and bearing Rama, the car won by the favour of the Giver of wealth. On it were the two heroic brothers of Raghu's line with Sita, the radiant King Sugriva and the Rakshasa Vibhishana. Then all the people came down from their chariots, elephants and horses and beheld Rama standing on the car like the moon in the sky. And Bharata, facing Raghava with folded hands, joyfully worshipped him with pleasing words, with arghya and with water to wash his feet.11