As Bharata was recounting the troubling dream he had seen, a group of messengers arrived at the royal palace. Their horses, exhausted from the journey, had managed to cross the city’s formidable moat and entered the splendid halls where Bharata and his kin resided. The messengers were ushered into the presence of the king and his son and, after being received with honor, respectfully touched the king’s feet. Turning to Bharata, they delivered their message. They conveyed greetings and good wishes from the royal priest and all the ministers, urging Bharata to depart immediately, for urgent matters awaited him in Ayodhya. They presented him with fine garments and ornaments, instructing him to give these to his maternal uncle. Additionally, they announced that King Dasharatha had sent twenty crores for Bharata’s maternal uncle and ten crores for Bharata himself. Bharata accepted these gifts graciously and, caring for those around him, honored the messengers with warm words. He then asked after the wellbeing of his father, King Dasharatha, and his brothers, Rama and Lakshmana. He inquired about Kausalya, Rama’s mother, renowned for her wisdom and devotion to dharma, and about Sumitra, the mother of Lakshmana and Shatrughna, hoping they were all free from illness. Bharata also asked about his own mother, Kaikeyi, known for her strong will and quick temper, wondering what message she had sent for him. The messengers assured Bharata that all those he cared for were well, and that fortune and prosperity favored him. After hearing their words, Bharata told them he would take leave of the king, as their urgency compelled him to hasten. He then turned to his maternal grandfather, the king of Kekaya, and respectfully said, “O King, the messengers urge me to return to my father. I will come back whenever you wish for me.” His grandfather blessed him, embracing Bharata’s head and speaking auspicious words. He said, “Go, dear child. Kaikeyi is fortunate to have a son like you. Convey my well-wishes to your mother and your father, the supreme ascetic. Also greet the priest and all the noble twice-born men, as well as your heroic brothers Rama and Lakshmana.” The Kekaya king honored Bharata with gifts: the finest elephant, luxurious blankets and skins, and ordered two thousand gold coins and sixteen hundred horses to be given. The lord of horses sent trusted and virtuous ministers to serve Bharata. Bharata’s maternal uncle gifted him elephants of the Airavata line, swift mules, and palace-bred dogs of great strength and size. Having taken leave of his maternal grandfather and uncle, Bharata, victorious in battle, mounted his chariot with Shatrughna by his side and departed. At that moment, a deep anxiety stirred within Bharata, fueled by the urgency of the messengers and the ominous dream he had seen. Leaving his residence, surrounded by men, elephants, and horses, he entered the grand royal road. Passing through the city, Bharata gazed upon its inner quarters and entered, unhindered. After bidding farewell to his mother and his maternal uncle Yudhājit, Bharata and Shatrughna ascended the chariot. More than a hundred chariots were harnessed, and servants followed, bringing camels, cattle, horses, and mules. Protected by his army and accompanied by ministers of noble status, Bharata took Shatrughna, free from enemies, and departed from the house as if leaving the realm of Indra himself. With resolve, Bharata left the royal palace behind. He soon reached the radiant Sudāmā river and crossed it. Next, the illustrious son of Ikṣvāku crossed the delightful and distant Śatadrū river, its waves flowing backward. He then traversed the Ela-dhāna river, crossed to the other bank, and made his way along a path strewn with stones and through Agneyam, a place marked by arrow-cutting. Pure and truthful, Bharata gazed upon the stone-carrying hills and crossed great mountains, journeying toward the Caitra forest. He reached the sacred Sarasvatī and Gaṅgā rivers, crossed them with vigor, and entered the northern Bhāruṇḍa forest, land of the heroic Matsyas. Arriving at the swift-flowing Yamunā, called Kulinga, surrounded by mountains and resounding with its waters, Bharata crossed it and reassured his weary army. There, his companions cooled their limbs, refreshed the tired horses, bathed, drank, and took water with them for the journey ahead. Through vast forests rarely traversed, the noble prince advanced in his fine vehicle, moving with the grace and speed of the wind through the sky.