Requesting Vasistha to fetch his mothers and pressing forward, Bharata reaches the hut, made of leafy twigs, in which the three exiles were living. While attempting to hail Śrī Rāma, Sītā and Laksmana on seeing them, he stumbles down even on an even ground, his eyes getting bedimmed with tears at the sight of their ascetic garb. Śrī Rāma hastens to lift him up and clasps him to his bosom. Sumantra and Guha as well meet Śrī Rāma and Laksmana.

Telling off Guha and Śatrughna with their followers to find out the hermitage of Śrī Rāma, Bharata himself, who was keen to see Śrī Rāma, goes out in search of his hermitage with the ministers, walking all the way and envying the good fortune of Sītā and Laksmana, who were living with Śrī Rāma; and reaching the foot of a sāla tree and concluding the place from the presence of smoke nearby to be a human habitation and ruling out the possibility of any other human being living in that lonely forest, he eagerly hastens forward in the hope of meeting Śrī Rāma.

Pointing out to Laksmana who was waxing indignant at Bharata, the impropriety of killing the latter, Śrī Rāma pacifies him by assuring him of the pious intentions of Bharata. Ashamed of himself to hear the opinion of his brother about Bharata, and climbing down the tree, Laksmana hides his shame by changing the topic. Commanded by Bharata, who was anxious to avoid causing disturbance to the hermitage occupied by Śrī Rāma, the army encamps roundabout Citrakuta.

While recreating himself in the company of Sītā on the lovely hills of Citrakuta, Śrī Rāma beholds all of a sudden a large cloud of dust screening the sun and hears a loud noise and despatches Laksmana to ascertain the cause. Laksmana thereupon climbs up the top of a lofty tree and catching sight of an army with the chariot of its leader distinguished by an ensign bearing the device of a Kovidāra tree, hastily concludes that Bharata has come all the way to dispose of Śrī Rāma and thereby to make himself secure on the throne of Ayodhyā. Returning apace to the presence of Śrī Rāma he disburdens himself of his suspicions and speaks angrily about Bharata, swearing that he will kill the intruder.

In order to humour Sītā, Śrī Rāma gives a description of the river Mandākinī to her.

Diverting his own mind and seeking to please Sītā, Śrī Rāma gives a graphic description of Citrakuta, stressing the special features.

Setting his foot on the soil of Citrakutawith his army and camp-followers, and identifying the place with the help of the features pointed out by Bharadwāja, Bharata commands the army men to look out for the hermitage of Śrī Rāma. Pursuing their search they perceive smoke at some distance and concluding the site to be the hermitage of Śrī Rāma, Bharata enjoins his army to halt and makes up his mind to walk with Vasistha and others to that place.

Questioned with folded hands about the road to Citrakuta, Bharadwāja shows the way to Bharata and then inquires of him about the names of his three mothers, who stood bowing down to the sage. Having told him the names of all the three of his mothers with the history of each, and commanding the army to get ready for the journey ahead, Bharata proceeds to Citrakuta with his retinue.

The hospitality shown by Sage Bharadwāja, who had acquired rare mystic powers by virtue of his austerities, to Bharata, his army and entourage, the kind of which could not be shown even by a ruler of the entire globe.

Leaving his party a couple of miles away on this side of the hermitage, Bharata enters it with Vasistha and Śatrughna. After exchange of compliments between Sages Vasistha and Bharadwāja, Bharata bows down at the feet of the latter, who inquires of his health and seeks to know his mind about Śrī Rāma. Bharata thereupon remorsefully apprises him of his intention to bring Rāma back from the forest and questions him about his whereabouts. To this the sage replies that Śrī Rāma was sojourning on Mount Citrakuta, and advises Bharata to see the latter the following morning.