Weeping as she went, the queen Manoramā, adorned in beautiful garments and carrying her young son in her arms, walked along the banks of the sacred Jahnavi, supported by her faithful maid. Fear pressed upon her heart, and so, without delay, she boarded a boat to cross the holy Bhagirathi. She journeyed swiftly until she reached the slopes of Mount Trikuta. Driven by dread, Manoramā hastened to the hermitage of the sage Bhāradvāja. There, surrounded by ascetics, her fear began to subside. The venerable sage looked upon her kindly and inquired, “Who are you, noble lady? Whose wife are you, and how did you come here through such hardship? Speak the truth, O pure-smiling one. Are you a goddess or a human, dwelling in this forest with your young son? O lotus-eyed one with lovely thighs, why do you seem as though you have lost your kingdom?” Though the sage questioned her thus, Manoramā, radiant yet overwhelmed with grief, could not answer. Instead, she wept and gestured to Vidalla, her companion. Vidalla stepped forward and addressed the sage: “This is Manoramā, the lawful wife of King Dhruvasandhi, foremost among kings. The mighty king of the Solar dynasty was slain by a lion; this boy is his son, Sudarśana. Her father, supremely righteous, died in battle for the sake of his grandson. Fleeing Yudhājit, Manoramā has sought refuge in this lonely forest with her young son. O most fortunate sage, we beg you to be her protector. It is said that protecting the afflicted brings merit greater than sacrifice; to rescue the fearful and destitute is the highest reward.” The sage replied with compassion, “Live here without fear, O auspicious one. Care for your son, O virtuous lady; you need not fear any threat from enemies. Attend to your beloved child, for he will one day be king. Here, neither sorrow nor suffering shall ever befall you.” Thus reassured by Bhāradvāja, Manoramā regained her composure and dwelled peacefully in the hut provided by the sage, free from grief. Together with her maidservants and Vidalla, she cared lovingly for Sudarśana. Meanwhile, Yudhājit, mighty in battle, returned to Ayodhyā after the war. Intent on killing Sudarśana, he made inquiries everywhere about Manoramā’s whereabouts, sending his servants repeatedly to search for her. Then, on an auspicious day, he placed his own grandson upon the throne. With ministers, the sage Vasiṣṭha, and the recitation of sacred Atharvan mantras, the coronation was performed using jars brimming with holy water. The city of Ayodhyā burst into celebration—drums and conches sounded, musical instruments blared, and a festival atmosphere pervaded. Priests chanted the Vedas, bards sang praises, and shouts of victory filled the air. The city, filled with joyful and prosperous citizens, seemed renewed under the new king. Yet, within their homes, some righteous people mourned, wondering where Sudarśana, the prince, had gone. They grieved for Manoramā, who had fled with her son after her father was slain by an enemy greedy for the kingdom. Afflicted by sorrow and under the control of Shatrujit, these good men could do nothing but lament. Yudhājit, having installed his grandson on the throne and entrusted the kingdom to his ministers, returned to his own city. But when he heard that Sudarśana was living in the hermitage of the sages, he set out for Mount Chitrakūṭa, intent on ending the boy’s life. He placed the valiant king of the Niṣādas at the front of his army and marched swiftly toward Durdarśa, lord of Śṛṅgaverapura. When Manoramā heard of Yudhājit’s approach, terror for her son gripped her heart. Overcome by grief, her eyes brimming with tears, she turned to the sage and cried, “What shall I do? Where can I go, now that Yudhājit has come? My father was slain by him, and now he has made his grandson king. He comes here with his army, intent on killing my son.” She continued, “O revered one, I once heard that the Pāṇḍavas, together with Pāñcālī, lived in the hermitage of the sages during their exile in the forest. The five brothers, sons of Pāṇḍu, went hunting while Draupadī remained in the sage’s hermitage. There dwelled Dhaumya, Atri, Gālava, Paila, Jāvāli, Gautama, Bhṛgu, Cyavana, a descendant of Ātri, Kaṇva, Jatu, and Kratu, as well as Vītihotra, Sumantu, Yajñadatta, Vatsala, Rāśāsana, Kahoḍa, Yavakrī, Yajñakṛt, and Kratu. These and many other auspicious sages, beginning with Bhāradvāja, all learned in the Vedas, resided there.” “In that hermitage, Yājñasenī, beautiful in every limb, stayed with her maidservants, fearless among the sages. Meanwhile, the Pāṇḍavas, those five heroic brothers armed with bows and arrows, roamed from forest to forest hunting, tormentors of their foes. At that time, the illustrious lord of Sindhu, accompanied by his army, arrived near the hermitage, drawn by the sacred sound of Vedic recitation. Hearing the chanting of the Vedas by the pure-minded sages, the king quickly descended from his chariot, eager to meet them. Approaching with only two attendants, he beheld the sages, all intent on their Vedic practice.” Thus, Manoramā recalled the ancient refuge of the virtuous and sought the sage’s guidance, her heart longing for safety and protection for her son amidst the dangers that surrounded them.