Rajagriha, also known as Girivraja, is presented as the distant royal city where Bharat lives with Śatrughna. Its role in the narrative is brief but politically charged: the city is both a place of family residence and the destination of messengers sent amid concern for the royal succession.

Identity and Setting

The text names the city as Rájagriha and later calls it Girivraja, identifying both names with the same destination. It is described as a splendid town, reached by royal envoys after a long, exhausting journey. Their arrival takes place at night, lending the journey an atmosphere of urgency without turning the city itself into a scene of conflict.

Bharat’s Residence

Bharat is living in Rajagriha, where his maternal grandfather reigns; Śatrughna remains beside him. The detail places the two princes away from the royal court at a moment when the family’s succession matters. Rajagriha therefore marks a significant distance between Bharat and the immediate affairs of the kingdom, while his residence there ties him to his mother’s royal family.

The Envoys’ Arrival

The messengers ride to Girivraja swiftly, their horses worn by the demanding journey, and reach the city by night. Their stated purpose is to please their master and safeguard the royal lineal right. In this episode, Rajagriha becomes a point on the kingdom’s political communications route: the envoys’ arrival connects Bharat’s distant residence with a succession concern unfolding elsewhere, though the account here does not describe the city’s wider history or its response.