तेषां तद् वचनं श्रुत्वा वसिष्ठः प्रत्युवाच ह। मित्रामात्यजनान् सर्वान् ब्राह्मणांस्तानिदं वचः॥
Hearing their words, Vasiştha said to the Brāhmaṇas and the adherents and counsellors (of the king)
यदसौ मातुलकुले दत्तराज्यः परं सुखी। भरतो वसति भ्रात्रा शत्रुघ्नेन मुदान्वितः॥
Bharata, on whom the king has conferred the kingdom, along with his brother Satrughna, is living happily in the house of his maternal uncle.
तच्छीघ्रं जवना दूता गच्छन्तु त्वरितं हयैः। आनेतुं भ्रातरौ वीरौ किं समीक्षामहे वयम्॥
Let envoys by means of fleet coursers speedily repair thither and bring those heroic brothers. What shall we decide?
गच्छन्त्विति ततः सर्वे वसिष्ठं वाक्यमब्रुवन्। तेषां तद् वचनं श्रुत्वा वसिष्ठो वाक्यमब्रवीत्॥
"Let them go", said all to Vasistha. Hearing their words, Vasistha spoke to them, saying.
एहि सिद्धार्थ विजय जयन्ताशोकनन्दन। श्रूयतामितिकर्तव्यं सर्वानेव ब्रवीमि वः॥
Come here, you Siddhārtha, and Vijaya, and Jayanta, and Asokanandana. Do you hear. I well tell you what you are to do.
पुरं राजगृहं गत्वा शीघ्रं शीघ्रजवैर्हयैः। त्यक्तशोकैरिदं वाच्यः शासनाद् भरतो मम ॥
First going speedily to the royal residence by means of swift horses, do you, renouncing grief, by my order speak these words of mine to Bharata.
पुरोहितस्त्वां कुशलं प्राह सर्वे च मन्त्रिणः। त्वरमाणश्च निर्याहि कृत्यमात्ययिकं त्वया।७॥
The priest as well as the counsellors have enquired after your welfare. Do you at once set out. A business is at hand that brooks no delay on your part.
मा चास्मै प्रोषितं रामं मा चास्मै पितरं मृतम्। भवन्तः शंसिषुर्गत्वा राघवाणामितः क्षयम्॥
But you must on no account communicate to him the exile of Rāma, or the demise of the monarch, or the destruction that has befallen the Raghu race through this occasion.
कौशेयानि च वस्त्राणि भूषणानि वराणि च। क्षिप्रमादाय राज्ञश्च भरतस्य च गच्छत॥
Do you, speedily taking silk apparel and excellent ornaments for king Bharata, set off.
दत्तपथ्यशना दूता जग्मुः स्वं स्वं निवेशनम्। केकयांस्ते गमिष्यन्तो हयानारुह्य सम्मतान्॥
Thereupon, having been furnished with the necessaries for the journey, they bound for Kekaya went to their respective abodes, mounted on goodly horses.
ततः प्रास्थानिकं कृत्वा कार्यशेषमनन्तरम्। वसिष्ठेनाभ्यनुज्ञाता दूताः संत्वरितं ययुः॥
Then having supplied themselves with the necessaries of the journey, the envoys in consonance with Vasiştha's injunction, speedily went away.
न्यन्तेनापरतालस्य प्रलम्बस्योत्तरं प्रति। निषेवमाणास्ते जग्मुर्नदी मध्येन मालिनीम्॥
Having proceeded by the west of Aparatāla, they in the middle crossed the Mālinſ, and went towards the north of Pralamba.
ते हास्तिनपुरे गङ्गां तीर्त्वा प्रत्यङ्मुखा ययुः। पाञ्चालदेशमासाद्य मध्येन कुरुजाङ्गलम्॥
Then crossing the Gangā at Hastināpura, and arriving at Pāñcāla, they proceeded west ward through Kurujāngala.
सरांसि च सुफुल्लानि नदीश्च विमलोदकाः। निरीक्षमाणा जग्मुस्ते दूताः कार्यवशाद् द्रुतम्॥
And beholding watery expan'ses filled with blown blossoms, and rivers containing pellucid waters, the envoys proceeded apace on account of the errand they had on hand.
ते प्रसन्नोदकां दिव्यां नानाविहगसेविताम्। उपातिजग्मुर्वेगेन शरदण्डां जलाकुलाम्॥
And they darted past the Saradanda overflowing with delightful water, beautiful, and haunted by fowls of various kinds.
निकूलवृक्षमासाद्य दिव्यं सत्योपयाचनम्। अभिगम्याभिवाद्यं तं कुलिङ्गां प्राविशन् पुरीम्॥
Then on the western bank of the stream, coming upon a tree called Satyopayācana presided by a deity, and bowing down to the tree and going round it, they entered the city of Kulinga.
अभिकालं ततः प्राप्य तेजोऽभिभवनाच्च्युताः। पितृपैतामहीं पुण्यां तेरुरिक्षुमती नदीम्॥
And having passed Tejobhibhavana and arrived at Abhikāla, they crossed the sacred stream Ikşumatī belonging to the Ikşvākus for generations.
अवेक्ष्याञ्जलिपानांश्च ब्राह्मणान् वेदपारगान्। ययुर्मध्येन बाह्रीकान् सुदामानं च पर्वतम्॥
Beholding here Brāhmaṇas versed in the Vedas drinking water with their joined hands, they went through Vahllika towards the mount Sudaman.
विष्णोः पदं प्रेक्ष्यमाणा विपाशां चापि शाल्मलीम्। नदीर्वापीतटाकानि पल्वलानि सरांसि च॥ पश्यन्तो विविधांश्चापि सिंहान् व्याघ्रान् मृगान् द्विपान्। ययुः पथातिमहता शासनं भर्तुरीप्सवः॥
There seeing the foot-print of Visnu, they desirous of doing the bidding of their master, proceeded a long way, viewing the Vipasa and the Salmali and rivers and tanks and pools and ponds and sheets of water and various kinds of lions and tigers and deer and elephants.
ते श्रान्तवाहना दूता विकृष्टेन सता पथा। गिरिव्रजं पुरवरं शीघ्रमासेदुरञ्जसा ॥
And with their vehicles fatigued, the ambassadors, on account of the great distance of the way; speedily reached that best of cities, Girivraja.
भर्तुः प्रियार्थं कुलरक्षणार्थं भर्तुश्च वंशस्य परिग्रहार्थम्। अहेडमानास्त्वरया स्म दूता रात्र्यां तु ते तत्पुरमेव याताः॥
And for pleasing their master, for the preservation of the people, and enabling Bharata to assume the reins of government, those envoys, casting aside negligence, swiftly entered the city in the night.