The Ramayana: The Book of Ayodhya

what I say unto thee. To-day the subjects in a body have expressed their desire of having thee for their sovereign. Therefore, O son, I shall install thee as the heir-apparent. O Rāghava A patronymic for Rāma, meaning "descendant of King Raghu.", to-night I have dreamt inauspicious dreams. Stars with tremendous sounds, shoot by day, accompanied with thunder-claps. The astrologers say that the star of my life hath been invaded by those terrible planets, the Sun, Mārs The planet Mangala; in Vedic astrology, its influence can be aggressive or volatile., and Rāhu The "shadow planet" or lunar node responsible for eclipses, often associated with chaos or sudden changes.. It generally happens that when such signs manifest themselves, the king cometh by a terrible calamity, and may meet with death itself. Therefore, O Rāghava, my thoughts change, be thou installed (in the kingdom), for fickle is the mind of all creatures. To-day, before meeting Pushyā An auspicious lunar mansion (nakshatra) considered ideal for coronations and royal ceremonies., the moon has entered the Punarvasu asterism The star group preceding Pushyā.; and the astrologers say that to-morrow it will certainly be in conjunction with Pushyā. My heart urgeth me to instal thee during the Pushyā conjunction, so Oh! afflicter of foes, I shall instal thee to-morrow as heir-apparent. Therefore do thou along with my daughter-in-law Referring to Sītā, Rāma's wife. commencing from sun-set, serving the prescribed restrictions, and lying down on a bed of Kuça grass Desmostachya bipinnata; a sacred grass used in Vedic rituals for purification and as a ceremonial seat or bed., spend the night in fast. And let thy friends vigilantly protect thee all around, for many are the impediments that happen in affairs like this. In my opinion, during the interval that Bharata Rāma's younger half-brother, currently away visiting his maternal grandfather. is away from the city, should thy installation be effected most opportunely; even though thy brother Bharata ever stayeth entirely by the course of the honest; he followeth his elder brother; and is righteous-souled; tender-hearted; and of subdued senses. But in my opinion, the hearts of men are inconstant,—and, O Rāghava, the heart even of the virtuous change by the action of the natural impulses." Having been thus addressed in the matter of his coming installation in the next day, Rāma, with the king's permission embodied in "Go thou," greeting his father, repaired unto his quarters. And entering his residence in the interests of the installation ordered by the monarch, he