The elephants trumpeted and their bells clanged with a terrific din, and on all sides were heard the rumble of the chariots and the neighing of horses. The clash of kettledrums would drown the peal of thunder; no one could hear his own voice or another’s.

At the entrance of the king’s palace, there was such a dense crowd that a stone thrown there would be trodden into dust. Women viewed the spectacle from house-tops, with festal light in salvers in their hands.

-and carolled melodious strains of various kinds in an ecstasy of joy beyond description. Then Sumantra (Dasharath’s own charioteer and trusted counseller) made ready a pair of chariots and harnessed to them horses that would outrun even the horses of the sun-

-and brought them in all their splendour to the king; their beauty was more than Sarasvati could describe. One of them was equipped with the royal paraphernalia and the other was a mass of splendour and shone brightly.

This magnificent chariot the king joyfully caused Vasishtha to mount, and then himself mounted the other, with his thoughts fixed on Lord Shiva and his guru (Vasishtha) and Gauri and Ganesha.

In the company of Vasishtha the king shone forth like Indra with the guru of the gods (i.e., Brihaspati). After performing all the rites sanctioned by family usage or prescribed by the Vedas and seeing everyone well-equipped for the journey.

Dasharath, lord of the earth, sallied forth to the blast of the conch after taking permission from his preceptor and with his thoughts fixed on Rama. The gods rejoiced to see the procession and rained down flowers full of auspicious blessings