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Attachment and Detachment
217
But he was even now the image of detachment. His determination remained unshaken. The clever guiles adopted by his sisters-in-law had totally failed.
Meanwhile, a tragic event occurred in the palace. The mighty elephant Bhuvanalankar which Shri Ram had brought with him, from Lanka, had suddenly grown inebriate; had broken loose and was creating a terrible commotion and disturbance. A mighty commotion appeared throughout the city. The intoxicated elephant dashed down to pieces whatever, it found on the way and with a dreadful speed, it ran up to the banks of the lake.
Bharath was standing on the bank. He noticed the elephant, which was rushing up furiously. The elephant also saw him and then a miracle occurred. As if mesmerised by some mysterious force the elephant stood still and calm paralysed by a force beyond its might. Its intoxication disappeared.
"Bhuvanalankar broke loose and has run towards the lake !" Hearing this news, Shri Ram and Lakshman ran after the elephant and when they saw the sight on the bank of the lake they stood supefied. They were unable to understand how the elephant could thus become calm and tame at the very sight of Bharath,
Shri Ram, Lakshman and Bharath returned to the palace. The news that Bharath was determined to renounce the samsar and that the very sight of Bharath had rendered an intoxicated elephant calm and tame spread like wildfire throughout Ayodhya.
As soon as the princes entered the palace the guard who was taking care of the garden outside the city brought some auspicious news. Bharath's heart bloomed into bliss on hearing the news.
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