Doha 189

Halting on the bank of the Saī† river they resumed their journey at daybreak and the whole party drew near to Śṛṅgaverapura‡. When the Niṣāda chief (Guha) heard the whole story, he anxiously thought within himself: (1) † The Saī rises about midway between “the Gomatī and the Gaṅgā and falls into the former 10 miles below the city of Jaunpur. ‡ The site of the ancient Śṛṅgaverapura is marked by a village bearing the same name under the modernized form ‘Singraur’ 22 miles to the north-west of Allahabad. The Gaṅgā has changed its course and only a small branch now flows through the old channel. ‘What motive can Bharata have in journeying to the woods? He must have some evil design at heart. If he had no malicious intention, why should he have brought the army with him? (2) ‘He must have thought that after killing Śrī Rāma and his younger brother Lakṣmaṇa he would reign peacefully and happily. But Bharata did not take to heart the maxims of sound polity; latterly he brought on himself stigma alone but this time he will meet sure death. (3) ‘If all the warriors among the gods and demons combine against Śrī Rāma, even they will fail to conquer him in battle. But what wonder that Bharata should behave as he is doing, for venomous plants, after all, can never bear fruits of ambrosia.’ (4)

Pondering thus, Guha said to his kinsmen, “Be alert all of you; take under your control all the boats and sink them and blockade the Ghāṭas (flight of steps leading to the river landing-place). (189)