Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 41: Aṁśumān Searches for His Uncles and the Horse
Text 1.41.11
तैश्च सर्वैर्दिशापालैर्वाक्यज्ञैर्वाक्यकोविदैः।
पूजितः सहयश्चैव गन्तासीत्यभिचोदितः॥
taiś ca sarvair diśā-pālair vākyajñair vākya-kovidaiḥ
pūjitaḥ sahayaś caiva gantāsīty abhicoditaḥ
taiḥ ca sarvaiḥ diśā-pālaiḥ = by all of those direction guarding elephants; vākyajñaiḥ = expert in understanding the meaning of others’ words; vākya-kovidaiḥ = and expert in speech; pūjitaḥ = Aṁśumān was honored; sa-hayaḥ ca eva = with the horse; gantāsi = you will go [to your grandfather]; iti abhicoditaḥ = they told him.
Aṁśumān was honored by all of those direction-guarding elephants expert in understanding the meaning of others’ words and expert in speech. They told him, “You will go to your grandfather with the horse.”
Vākyajñaiḥ indicates that the direction-guarding elephants knew which words were to be used. Vākya-kovidaiḥ indicates that they knew what to speak according to time and place.