As Bharata, the son of Kaikeyi was thus burning in grief, that foremost
of those skilled in speech, the saint Vasishtha, endowed with excellence
of language, said, "Do not weep, good betide thee, O illustrious prince.
Do thou perform the funereal rites of the departed king." Hearing
Vasishtha's words, Bharata cognisant of duty, bowed down to the ground
and despatched the ministers for performing the last rites. And raising
from under the oil the body of the king with a sallow countenance, and
appearing to be asleep, Bharata placed it on the ground upon a couch in
front adorned with various gems. Then overwhelmed with grief,
Dacaratha's son bewailed him thus, "O king, what was it that thou hadst
intended to do, I absent and away from home, by banishing righteous Rama
and the powerful Lakshmana? Whither wendest thou, O mighty monarch,
forsaking these aggrieved people, who have already been deprived of the
lion like Rama energetic in action? O father, thou having ascended
heaven and Rama having taken refuge in the woods, who now in this city
of thine shall protect what the people possess and secure unto them what
they have not? Widowed in consequence of losing thee, this earth does
not look graceful. The city appeareth unto me like the night deprived of
the Moon." As Bharata was lamenting thus in dejected mood, the mighty
ascetic Vasishtha again addressed him, saying, "O mighty armed one, do
thou without indulging in any reflections, perform those funeral
ceremonies of the monarch which ought to be performed." Thereupon
honoring his words by saying, "So be it," he urged speed upon all the
Ritwigas, priests, and Acharyas. And then those that had brought the
king's corpse outside from the fire chamber, instructed by the Ritwigas
and priests according to the ordinance began to offer oblations into the
fire. Next placing the king deprived of life on a car, the servants with
their throats oppressed with vapour and with their minds weighed down
with dejection carried him. And scattering gold and silver and various
kinds of cloth, on the way, people went in front of the king. Others
procuring sandal, _aguru_ and other resinous incenses, _sarala_,
_padmaka_ and _devaduru_, cast it (on the earth). And drawing near the
king there, Ritwigas laid various other fragrant substances on the
funeral pile. Then offering oblations into the fire, the Ritwigas began
to recite _japa_; and as laid down in the scriptures, Sama singers
chanted Samas. And by means of litters and other conveyances, each
mounted according to her rank, the wives of the king went out from the
city, surrounded by aged men. And Ritwijas went round the corpse of the
king who performed many sacrifices leaving it on the left side. And
kindling with grief, the females also headed by Kaucalya,
(circumambulated the pyre). And then there was heard the wail of women
distressed with grief weeping piteously by thousands like unto
Kraunchis. Weeping again and again with their sense lost, the wives of
the king alighted from the car on the banks of the Sarayu. Having
performed the watery rites, the wives of the monarch as well as the
counsellors and priests, in company with Bharata entering the city with
tears in their eyes, spent ten days[168] in mourning lying down on the
ground.
[168] The _Smriti_ lays down twelve days of mourning for kings, and
sixteen for Ksbatriyas. Parasara, however, fixes _ten days_ for
Kshatriyas in general.--T.