“I have accomplished everything for you, my son; and poor MantharŒ has been of great help to me. Only God has marred our plans a little before they could be completed; the king has departed to Indra’s paradise.” As soon as he heard this, Bharata was overcome with grief as an elephant who is terrified at the roar of a lion. Crying “Father, father, Ah my father!” he fell to the ground much agitated˚. “I could not see you before you left, nor did you, my father, entrust me to the care of Ýr¶ RŒma.” Then, collecting himself he got up with some effort and said, “Tell me, mother, the cause of my father’s demise.” Hearing the words of her son she replied as one who had cut a vital part and inserted poison into it. With a glad heart the cruel and wicked woman recounted from the very beginning all that she had done. (1—4)