Ayodhya Kanda · Sarga 68 of 119 · 22 verses
Messengers Ride to Kekaya
Hearing them, Vasishtha answers the friends, ministers and brahmanas: “Since Bharata is living happily with his brother Shatrughna in his uncle’s family, in the city of Rajagriha, let swift messengers go at once on fast horses to bring the two heroic brothers. What else should we consider?” All say, “Let them go.” Vasishtha calls: “Come, Siddhartha, Vijaya, Jayanta, Ashoka, Nandana. Go quickly to Rajagriha on the swiftest horses, and, putting aside your grief, give Bharata this message from me: ‘The priest and all the ministers ask after your welfare. Set out in haste; there is urgent business for you.’ Do not tell him that Rama has been exiled or that his father has died; do not speak of this ruin of the Raghavas. Take silk garments and fine ornaments quickly for the king and for Bharata, and go.”
Given provisions for the road, the messengers go home, mount chosen horses and, after the rites for departure and with Vasishtha’s leave, set off in haste. They pass the end of Aparatala, north of Pralamba, and cross the river Malini in its middle. At Hastinapura they cross the Ganga and go west, reaching Panchala and passing through Kurujangala. Looking at full lakes and rivers of clear water, they hurry on for the sake of their task. They cross swiftly the divine Sharadanda, its water clear, full of birds and crowded with people. Coming to the divine tree on its bank, called Satyopayachana, “the one who grants true prayers”, they salute it and enter the city of Kulinga. Reaching Abhikala, they cross the holy Ikshumati, which flows from Bodhibhavana, the ancestral river of the line. Seeing brahmanas, masters of the Vedas, who drink water from their palms, they go through Bahlika and past Mount Sudama. Seeing Vishnu’s footprint, the Vipasha and the Shalmali, rivers, wells, ponds, pools and lakes, and many lions, tigers, deer and elephants, they go by a very long road, eager to carry out their master’s command. With their mounts tired, by a long but good road, the messengers quickly reach Girivraja, the best of cities. For their master’s sake, to protect the family and secure the line, not resting, in haste, the messengers reach that city at night.
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तेषां तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा वसिष्ठः प्रत्युवाच ह । मित्रामात्यगणान्सर्वान्ब्राह्मणांस्तानिदं वचः ॥ १ ॥
Hearing their words, Vasishtha answered all those groups of friends and ministers and those brahmanas with these words:
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यदसौ मातुलकुले पुरे राजगृहे सुखी । भरतो वसति भ्रात्रा शत्रुघ्नेन समन्वितः ॥ २ ॥
“Since Bharata is living happily in his uncle’s family, in the city of Rajagriha, together with his brother Shatrughna,
तच्छीघ्रं जवना दूता गच्छन्तु त्वरितैर्हयैः । आनेतुं भ्रातरौ वीरौ किं समीक्षामहे वयम् ॥ ३ ॥
“let swift messengers go quickly on fast horses to bring the two heroic brothers. What are we considering?”
गच्छन्त्विति ततः सर्वे वसिष्ठं वाक्यमब्रुवन् । तेषां तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा वसिष्ठो वाक्यमब्रवीत् ॥ ४ ॥
“Let them go,” all of them then said to Vasishtha. Hearing their words, Vasishtha said:
एहि सिद्धार्थ विजय जयन्ताशोकनन्दन । श्रूयतामितिकर्तव्यं सर्वानेव ब्रवीमि वः ॥ ५ ॥
“Come, Siddhartha, Vijaya, Jayanta, Ashoka, Nandana! Listen to what must be done; I tell it to you all.
पुरं राज गृहं गत्वा शीघ्रं शीघ्रजवैर्हयैः । त्यक्तशोकैरिदं वाच्यः शासनाद्भरतो मम ॥ ६ ॥
“Going quickly to the city of Rajagriha on horses of swiftest speed, having put aside your grief, tell Bharata this at my command:
पुरोहितस्त्वां कुशलं प्राह सर्वे च मन्त्रिणः । त्वरमाणश्च निर्याहि कृत्यमात्ययिकं त्वया ॥ ७ ॥
“’The priest and all the ministers say you are well. Come out in haste; you have urgent business.’
मा चास्मै प्रोषितं रामं मा चास्मै पितरं मृतम् । भवन्तः शंसिषुर्गत्वा राघवाणामिमं क्षयम् ॥ ८ ॥
“Do not tell him that Rama has gone away, nor that his father is dead; do not tell him, when you get there, of this ruin of the Raghavas.
कौशेयानि च वस्त्राणि भूषणानि वराणि च । क्षिप्रमादाय राज्ञश्च भरतस्य च गच्छत ॥ ९ ॥
“And quickly taking silk garments and excellent ornaments for the king and for Bharata, go.”
दत्तपथ्यशना दूताजग्मुः स्वं स्वं निवेशनम् । केकयांस्ते गमिष्यन्तो हयानारुह्य सम्मतान् ॥ १० ॥
Given provisions for the road, the messengers went each to his own house, and, about to go to the Kekayas, mounted chosen horses.
ततः प्रास्थानिकं कृत्वा कार्यशेषमनन्तरम् । वसिष्ठेनाभ्यनुज्ञाता दूताः संत्वरिता ययुः ॥ ११ ॥
Then, having done the rites for departure and the rest of their business, given leave by Vasishtha, the messengers set out in haste.
न्यन्तेनापरतालस्य प्रलम्बस्योत्तरं प्रति । निषेवमाणास्ते जग्मुर्नदीं मध्येन मालिनीम् ॥ १२ ॥
Passing the end of Aparatala, toward the north of Pralamba, they went, crossing the river Malini in its middle.
ते हस्तिनपुरे गङ्गां तीर्त्वा प्रत्यङ्मुखा ययुः । पाञ्चालदेशमासाद्य मध्येन कुरुजाङ्गलम् ॥ १३ ॥
Having crossed the Ganga at Hastinapura, they went facing west, reaching the Panchala country, through the middle of Kurujangala.
सरांसि च सुपूर्णानि नदीश्च विमलोदकाः । निरीक्षमाणास्ते जग्मुर्दूताः कार्यवशाद्द्रुतम् ॥ १४ ॥
Looking at well-filled lakes and rivers of clear water, the messengers went on quickly, driven by their task.
ते प्रसन्नोदकां दिव्यां नानाविहगसेविताम् । उपातिजग्मुर्वेगेन शरदण्डां जनाकुलाम् ॥ १५ ॥
They swiftly crossed the divine Sharadanda, with its clear water, frequented by many kinds of birds, crowded with people.
निकूलवृक्षमासाद्य दिव्यं सत्योपयाचनम् । अभिगम्याभिवाद्यं तं कुलिङ्गां प्राविशन्पुरीम् ॥ १६ ॥
Reaching the divine tree on its bank, Satyopayachana, approaching and saluting it, they entered the city of Kulinga.
अभिकालं ततः प्राप्य ते बोधिभवनाच्च्युताः । पितृपैतामहीं पुण्यां तेरुरिक्षुमतीं नदीम् ॥ १७ ॥
Then, reaching Abhikala, they crossed the holy Ikshumati, flowing from Bodhibhavana, the river of their fathers and grandfathers.
अवेक्ष्याञ्जलिपानांश्च ब्राह्मणान्वेदपारगान् । ययुर्मध्येन बाह्लीकान्सुदामानं च पर्वतम् ॥ १८ ॥
Seeing brahmanas, masters of the Vedas, who drink from joined palms, they went through the middle of Bahlika and to Mount Sudama.
विष्णोः पदं प्रेक्षमाणा विपाशां चापि शाल्मलीम् । नदीर्वापीस्तटाकानि पल्वलानि सरांसि च ॥ १९ ॥
Seeing Vishnu’s footprint, and the Vipasha and the Shalmali, rivers, wells, ponds, pools and lakes,
पश्यन्तो विविधांश्चापि सिंहव्याघ्रमृगद्विपान् । ययुः पथातिमहता शासनं भर्तुरीप्सवः ॥ २० ॥
and seeing many kinds of lions, tigers, deer and elephants, they went by a very long road, eager to carry out their master’s command.
ते श्रान्तवाहना दूता विकृष्टेन पथा ततः । गिरिव्रजं पुरवरं शीघ्रमासेदुरञ्जसा ॥ २१ ॥
With tired mounts, by a long road, the messengers quickly and directly reached Girivraja, the best of cities.
भर्तुः प्रियार्थं कुलरक्षणार्थंभर्तुश्च वंशस्य परिग्रहार्थम् । अहेडमानास्त्वरया स्म दूता रात्र्यां तु ते तत्पुरमेव याताः ॥ २२ ॥
For the sake of what was dear to their master, to protect the family, to secure their master’s line, not resting, in haste, the messengers reached that city at night.