Texts 35-38
bharataḥ prāptam ākarṇya
paurāmātya-purohitaiḥ
pāduke śirasi nyasya
rāmaṁ pratyudyato ’grajam
nandigrāmāt sva-śibirād
gīta-vāditra-niḥsvanaiḥ
brahma-ghoṣeṇa ca muhuḥ
paṭhadbhir brahmavādibhiḥ
svarṇa-kakṣa-patākābhir
haimaiś citra-dhvajai rathaiḥ
sad-aśvai rukma-sannāhair
bhaṭaiḥ puraṭa-varmabhiḥ
śreṇībhir vāra-mukhyābhir
bhṛtyaiś caiva padānugaiḥ
pārameṣṭhyāny upādāya
paṇyāny uccāvacāni ca
pādayor nyapatat premṇā
praklinna-hṛdayekṣaṇaḥ
bharataḥ — Lord Bharata; prāptam — coming back home; ākarṇya — hearing; paura — all kinds of citizens; amātya — all the ministers; purohitaiḥ — accompanied by all the priests; pāduke — the two wooden shoes; śirasi — on the head; nyasya — keeping; rāmam — unto Lord Rāmacandra; pratyudyataḥ — going forward to receive; agrajam — His eldest brother; nandigrāmāt — from His residence, known as Nandigrāma; sva-śibirāt — from His own camp; gīta-vāditra — songs and vibrations of drums and other musical instruments; niḥsvanaiḥ — accompanied by such sounds; brahma-ghoṣeṇa — by the sound of chanting of Vedic mantras; ca — and; muhuḥ — always; paṭhadbhiḥ — reciting from the Vedas; brahma-vādibhiḥ — by first-class brāhmaṇas; svarṇa-kakṣa-patākābhiḥ — decorated with flags with golden embroidery; haimaiḥ — golden; citra-dhvajaiḥ — with decorated flags; rathaiḥ — with chariots; sat-aśvaiḥ — having very beautiful horses; rukma — golden; sannāhaiḥ — with harnesses; bhaṭaiḥ — by soldiers; puraṭa-varmabhiḥ — covered with armor made of gold; śreṇībhiḥ — by such a line or procession; vāra-mukhyābhiḥ — accompanied by beautiful, well-dressed prostitutes; bhṛtyaiḥ — by servants; ca — also; eva — indeed; pada-anugaiḥ — by infantry; pārameṣṭhyāni — other paraphernalia befitting a royal reception; upādāya — taking all together; paṇyāni — valuable jewels, etc.; ucca-avacāni — of different values; ca — also; pādayoḥ — at the lotus feet of the Lord; nyapatat — fell down; premṇā — in ecstatic love; praklinna — softened, moistened; hṛdaya — the core of the heart; īkṣaṇaḥ — whose eyes.
When Lord Bharata understood that Lord Rāmacandra was returning to the capital, Ayodhyā, He immediately took upon His own head Lord Rāmacandra’s wooden shoes and came out from His camp at Nandigrāma. Lord Bharata was accompanied by ministers, priests and other respectable citizens, by professional musicians vibrating pleasing musical sounds, and by learned brāhmaṇas loudly chanting Vedic hymns. Following in the procession were chariots drawn by beautiful horses with harnesses of golden rope. These chariots were decorated by flags with golden embroidery and by other flags of various sizes and patterns. There were soldiers bedecked with golden armor, servants bearing betel nut, and many well-known and beautiful prostitutes. Many servants followed on foot, bearing an umbrella, whisks, different grades of precious jewels, and other paraphernalia befitting a royal reception. Accompanied in this way, Lord Bharata, His heart softened in ecstasy and His eyes full of tears, approached Lord Rāmacandra and fell at His lotus feet with great ecstatic love.