As Bharata was recounting the details of his troubling dream, a group of royal messengers arrived at the splendid palace. Their horses, exhausted from the journey, had just crossed the formidable moat that guarded the city. Upon entering, the messengers sought an audience with the king and his son, Bharata. They were received with honor, and after respectfully touching the king’s feet, they turned their attention to Bharata, delivering their message. With deference, they conveyed the priest’s blessings and the well-wishes of all the ministers, urging Bharata to depart without delay, for urgent matters awaited him in Ayodhyā. They presented him with precious garments and ornaments, instructing him to give these to his maternal uncle. Along with these gifts, they handed over twenty crores of coins from the king for his maternal uncle and ten crores for Bharata himself. Accepting these offerings, Bharata, ever affectionate toward his friends, honored the messengers and inquired after the well-being of his family. He asked, “Is my father, King Dasharatha, well? Has any harm come to Rāma or the great-souled Lakshmana? Is noble Kausalya, who is devoted to righteousness and wise in dharma, free from illness? And what of Sumitra, the mother of Lakshmana and the heroic Shatrughna, is she well? My mother Kaikeyi, ever self-willed and quick to anger, wise and proud—even in good health, what message did she send to me?” The messengers replied with respect, assuring Bharata that those for whom he wished well were indeed well. They invoked fortune and the blessings of the goddess of prosperity upon him, praying for his continued protection. Bharata then addressed the messengers, saying, “I will take leave of the great king, for your words urge me to hurry.” Prompted by the urgency of their message, Bharata approached his maternal grandfather and said, “O King, urged by the messengers, I will go to my father’s presence. I will return whenever you remember me.” His grandfather, embracing Bharata’s head, spoke auspicious words: “Go, dear child, I permit you. Kaikeyi is truly blessed to have a son like you. Convey my well-wishes to your mother and your father, the supreme ascetic. Greet the priest and all the excellent twice-born men, and do not forget your brothers, the mighty archers Rāma and Lakshmana.” The Kekaya king honored Bharata with many gifts: the best of elephants, fine blankets and skins, two thousand gold coins, sixteen hundred horses, and a retinue of trusted and virtuous ministers to serve him. His maternal uncle gave him elephants of the Airāvata line, swift and pleasing to behold, as well as well-harnessed mules and palace-raised dogs of great strength and size. Having taken leave of his maternal grandfather and uncle, Bharata—accompanied by Shatrughna—mounted his chariot and departed. Yet, as he set out, a deep anxiety weighed on his heart, stirred by both the urgency of the messengers and the ominous dream he had seen. Surrounded by a great retinue of men, elephants, and horses, Bharata left his residence and entered the royal road, splendid and unrivaled. Passing through the city, he saw the inner quarters and entered them unhindered. After bidding farewell to his mother and his maternal uncle Yudhājit, he and Shatrughna once again ascended their chariot and set out. More than a hundred chariots, harnessed and ready, followed them, accompanied by camels, cattle, horses, and mules. Protected by his army and accompanied by ministers of high standing, Bharata, together with Shatrughna, departed his house as if leaving the world of Indra himself. Thus began the next chapter of their journey. Bharata, resolute, departed from the royal palace. Soon, he beheld the radiant Sudāmā river and crossed it. With his face set forward, the illustrious son of Ikṣvāku then traversed the beautiful, distant, and wave-laden Śatadrū river. After crossing the Ela-dhāna river and reaching the far bank, Bharata and his party traveled the stone-laden path known as Agneyam, a place marked by arrow-cutting. Pure, truthful, and illustrious, Bharata gazed at the hills carrying stones and crossed over the great mountains toward the Caitra forest. He reached the sacred Sarasvatī and Gaṅgā rivers, crossing them with vigor, and entered the northern Bhāruṇḍa forest, land of the heroic Matsyas. Pressing on, he arrived at the swift-flowing Yamunā, called Kulinga, resounding and surrounded by mountains. After crossing it, he reassured his weary army, allowing them to bathe, drink, and cool their limbs before continuing their journey, taking water with them for the road ahead. Through the vast and seldom-traveled forest, Bharata advanced nobly in his fine vehicle, like the wind moving through the sky. Swiftly, he approached the mighty Bhāgīrathī river, difficult to cross, and arrived at the renowned city on its eastern bank, ever closer to his destiny.