Vasishtha Sends Messengers to Bharata

Shloka 1 (ayodhya.68.1)

तेषां तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा वसिष्ठः प्रत्युवाच ह। मित्रामात्यगणान् सर्वान् ब्राह्मणान् तानिदं वचः॥ २-६८-१ ॥

teṣāṃ tadvacanaṃ śrutvā vasiṣṭhaḥ pratyuvāca ha| mitrāmātyagaṇān sarvān brāhmaṇān tānidaṃ vacaḥ

Hearing their words, Vasishtha spoke this reply to all those friends, ministers, and Brahmins.

Shloka 2 (ayodhya.68.2)

यदसौ मातुलकुले पुरे राजगृहे सुखी। भरतो वसति भ्रात्रा शत्रुघ्नेन समन्वितः॥ २-६८-२ ॥

yadasau mātulakule pure rājagṛhe sukhī| bharato vasati bhrātrā śatrughnena samanvitaḥ

"Since Bharata is now living happily, together with his brother Shatrughna, in his maternal uncle's household in the city of Rajagriha,"

Shloka 3 (ayodhya.68.3)

तच्छीघ्रं जवना दूता गच्छन्तु त्वरितैर्हयैः। आनेतुं भ्रातरौ वीरौ किं समीक्षामहे वयम्॥ २-६८-३ ॥

tacchīghraṃ javanā dūtā gacchantu tvaritairhayaiḥ| ānetuṃ bhrātarau vīrau kiṃ samīkṣāmahe vayam

"Let swift messengers therefore go at once, on their fleetest horses, to bring back those two heroic brothers - what more is there for us to deliberate?"

Shloka 4 (ayodhya.68.4)

गच्छन्त्विति ततः सर्वे वसिष्ठं वाक्यमब्रुवन्। तेषां तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा वसिष्ठो वाक्यमब्रवीत्॥ २-६८-४ ॥

gacchantviti tataḥ sarve vasiṣṭhaṃ vākyamabruvan| teṣāṃ tadvacanaṃ śrutvā vasiṣṭho vākyamabravīt

"Let them go," said all of them to Vasishtha in agreement. Hearing their words, Vasishtha spoke as follows.

Shloka 5 (ayodhya.68.5)

एहि सिद्धार्थ विजय जयन्ताशोक नन्दन। श्रूयतामितिकर्तव्यं सर्वानेव ब्रवीमि वः॥ २-६८-५ ॥

ehi siddhārtha vijaya jayantāśoka nandana| śrūyatāmitikartavyaṃ sarvāneva bravīmi vaḥ

"Come here, Siddhartha, Vijaya, Jayanta, Ashoka, Nandana! Hear what must be done - I am speaking to all of you together."

Shloka 6 (ayodhya.68.6)

पुरं राजगृहं गत्वा शीघ्रं शीघ्रजवैर्हयैः। त्यक्तशोकैरिदं वाच्यः शासनाद्भरतो मम॥ २-६८-६ ॥

puraṃ rājagṛhaṃ gatvā śīghraṃ śīghrajavairhayaiḥ| tyaktaśokairidaṃ vācyaḥ śāsanādbharato mama

"Having gone quickly, by the swiftest horses, to the city of Rajagriha, and putting aside your own dismay, you are to tell Bharata this, on my instruction -"

Shloka 7 (ayodhya.68.7)

पुरोहितस्त्वां कुशलं प्राह सर्वे च मन्त्रिणः। त्वरमाणश्च निर्याहि कृत्यमात्ययिकं त्वया॥ २-६८-७ ॥

purohitastvāṃ kuśalaṃ prāha sarve ca mantriṇaḥ| tvaramāṇaśca niryāhi kṛtyamātyayikaṃ tvayā

"'The royal priest asks after your welfare, and so do all the ministers; come hastening at once, for there is an urgent task for you to do.'"

Shloka 8 (ayodhya.68.8)

मा चास्मै प्रोषितं रामं मा चास्मै पितरं मृतम्। भवन्तः शंसिषुर्गत्वा राघवाणामिमं क्षयम्॥ २-६८-८ ॥

mā cāsmai proṣitaṃ rāmaṃ mā cāsmai pitaraṃ mṛtam| bhavantaḥ śaṃsiṣurgatvā rāghavāṇāmimaṃ kṣayam

"On reaching there, do not tell him of Rama's exile, nor of his father's death, nor speak of this ruin that has befallen the house of Raghu."

Shloka 9 (ayodhya.68.9)

कौशेयानि च वस्त्राणि भूषणानि वराणि च। क्षिप्रमादाय राज्ञश्च भरतस्य च गच्छत॥ २-६८-९ ॥

kauśeyāni ca vastrāṇi bhūṣaṇāni varāṇi ca| kṣipramādāya rājñaśca bharatasya ca gacchata

"Take with you at once silken garments and fine ornaments, both for the king and for Bharata, and go."

Shloka 10 (ayodhya.68.10)

दत्तपथ्यशना दूता जग्मुः स्वं स्वं निवेशनम्। कैकयांस्ते गमिष्यन्तो हयानारुह्य संमतान्॥ २-६८-१० ॥

dattapathyaśanā dūtā jagmuḥ svaṃ svaṃ niveśanam| kaikayāṃste gamiṣyanto hayānāruhya saṃmatān

The messengers, provisioned with food for the road, went each to his own house, before mounting their well-chosen horses to set out for the land of the Kekayas.

Shloka 11 (ayodhya.68.11)

ततः प्रास्थानिकं कृत्वा कार्यशेषमनन्तरम्। वसिष्ठेनाभ्यनुज्ञाता दूताः संत्वरिता ययुः॥ २-६८-११ ॥

tataḥ prāsthānikaṃ kṛtvā kāryaśeṣamanantaram| vasiṣṭhenābhyanujñātā dūtāḥ saṃtvaritā yayuḥ

Then, having completed all the remaining preparations for departure, and having been given leave by Vasishtha, the messengers set off in haste.

Shloka 12 (ayodhya.68.12)

अन्तेनापरतालस्य प्रलम्बस्योत्तरं प्रति। निषेवमाणास्ते जग्मुर्नदीं मध्येन मालिनीम्॥ २-६८-१२ ॥

antenāparatālasya pralambasyottaraṃ prati| niṣevamāṇāste jagmurnadīṃ madhyena mālinīm

Skirting the edge of Mount Aparatala, toward the northern side of Mount Pralamba, they went on along the middle course of the river Malini.

Shloka 13 (ayodhya.68.13)

ते हस्तिनापुरे गङ्गां तीर्त्वा प्रत्यङ्मुखा ययुः। पाञ्चालदेशमासाद्य मध्येन कुरुजाङ्गलम्॥ २-६८-१३ ॥

te hastināpure gaṅgāṃ tīrtvā pratyaṅmukhā yayuḥ| pāñcāladeśamāsādya madhyena kurujāṅgalam

Crossing the Ganga at Hastinapura, they turned westward, and reaching the land of Panchala, passed through the midst of Kurujangala.

Shloka 14 (ayodhya.68.14)

सरांसि च सुपूर्णानि नदीश्च विमलोदकाः। निरीक्षमाणास्ते जग्मुर्दूताः कार्यवशाद्द्रुतम्॥ २-६८-१४ ॥

sarāṃsi ca supūrṇāni nadīśca vimalodakāḥ| nirīkṣamāṇāste jagmurdūtāḥ kāryavaśāddrutam

Beholding lakes brimming full and rivers of clear water as they passed, the messengers, driven by the urgency of their task, pressed swiftly on.

Shloka 15 (ayodhya.68.15)

ते प्रसन्नोदकां दिव्यां नानाविहगसेविताम्। उपातिजग्मुर्वेगेन शरदण्डां जनाकुलाम्॥ २-६८-१५ ॥

te prasannodakāṃ divyāṃ nānāvihagasevitām| upātijagmurvegena śaradaṇḍāṃ janākulām

They swiftly crossed over the crowded, divine river Sharadanda, its clear waters frequented by birds of every kind.

Shloka 16 (ayodhya.68.16)

निकूलवृक्षमासाद्य दिव्यं सत्योपयाचनम्। अभिगम्याभिवाद्यं तं कुलिङ्गां प्राविशन् पुरीम्॥ २-६८-१६ ॥

nikūlavṛkṣamāsādya divyaṃ satyopayācanam| abhigamyābhivādyaṃ taṃ kuliṅgāṃ prāviśan purīm

Coming upon the divine tree by the bank, called Satyopayachana, and reverently saluting it, they entered the city of Kulinga.

Shloka 17 (ayodhya.68.17)

अभिकालं ततः प्राप्य ते बोधिभवनाच्च्युताम्। पितृपैतामहीं पुण्यां तेरुरिक्षुमतीं नदीम्॥ २-६८-१७ ॥

abhikālaṃ tataḥ prāpya te bodhibhavanāccyutām| pitṛpaitāmahīṃ puṇyāṃ terurikṣumatīṃ nadīm

Then, reaching Abhikala, they crossed the sacred river Ikshumati, flowing down from Bodhibhavana, a river long associated with the king's father and grandfather.

Shloka 18 (ayodhya.68.18)

अवेक्ष्याञ्जलिपानांश्च ब्राह्मणान् वेदपारगान्। ययुर्मध्येन बाह्लीकान् सुदामानं च पर्वतम्॥ २-६८-१८ ॥

avekṣyāñjalipānāṃśca brāhmaṇān vedapāragān| yayurmadhyena bāhlīkān sudāmānaṃ ca parvatam

Having observed Brahmins learned in the Vedas who lived on water drunk only from their cupped palms, they journeyed on through the midst of the Bahlika land and Mount Sudama.

Shloka 19 (ayodhya.68.19)

विष्णोः पदं प्रेक्षमाणा विपाशां चापि शाल्मलीम्। नदीर्वापीस्तटाकानि पल्वलानि सरांसि च॥ २-६८-१९ ॥

viṣṇoḥ padaṃ prekṣamāṇā vipāśāṃ cāpi śālmalīm| nadīrvāpīstaṭākāni palvalāni sarāṃsi ca

Beholding Vishnu's Footprint, and the river Vipasha too, and Salmali trees, rivers, wells, tanks, pools, and lakes,

Shloka 20 (ayodhya.68.20)

पश्यन्तो विविधांश्चापि सिंहव्याघ्रमृगद्विपान्। ययुः पथातिमहता शासनं भर्तुरीप्सवः॥ २-६८-२० ॥

paśyanto vividhāṃścāpi siṃhavyāghramṛgadvipān| yayuḥ pathātimahatā śāsanaṃ bharturīpsavaḥ

And seeing besides all manner of lions, tigers, deer, and elephants, they pressed on along that great highway, eager to fulfil their master's command.

Shloka 21 (ayodhya.68.21)

ते श्रान्तवाहना दूता विकृष्टेन सता पथा। गिरिव्रजं पुरवरं शीघ्रमासेदुरञ्जसा॥ २-६८-२१ ॥

te śrāntavāhanā dūtā vikṛṣṭena satā pathā| girivrajaṃ puravaraṃ śīghramāsedurañjasā

Those messengers, their mounts now weary from the long, extended road, nonetheless reached that excellent city of Girivraja quickly and directly.

Shloka 22 (ayodhya.68.22)

भर्तुः प्रियार्थं कुलरक्षणार्थं भर्तुश्च वंशस्य परिग्रहार्थम्। अहेडमानास्त्वरया स्म दूता रात्र्यां तु तत्पुरमेव याताः॥ २-६८-२२ ॥

bhartuḥ priyārthaṃ kularakṣaṇārthaṃ bhartuśca vaṃśasya parigrahārtham| aheḍamānāstvarayā sma dūtā rātryāṃ tu tatpurameva yātāḥ

For the sake of their master's wish, for the protection of the family, and for the safeguarding of their master's line, those messengers, allowing themselves no delay, hastened on and reached that very city that same night.