वसिष्ठो भरतश्चैनं पप्रच्छतुरनामयम्।
शरीरेऽग्निषु वृक्षेषु शिष्येषु मृगपक्षिषु॥
vasiṣṭho bharataś cainaṁ papracchatur anāmayam
śarīre ’gniṣu vṛkṣeṣu śiṣyeṣu mṛga-pakṣiṣu
vasiṣṭhaḥ = Vasiṣṭha; bharataḥ = Bharata; ca = and; enam = of Bharadvāja’s; papracchatuḥ = inquired; anāmayam = about the health; śarīre = body; agniṣu = fire-sacrifices; vṛkṣeṣu = trees; śiṣyeṣu = disciples; mṛga-pakṣiṣu = animals and birds in his āśrama.
Vasiṣṭha and Bharata inquired about the health of Bharadvāja’s body, fire sacrifices, trees, disciples, animals and birds in his āśrama.1
1 Just as the sage Bharadvāja was comprehensively concerned about the state of Bharata’s kingdom, Vasiṣṭha and Bharata were comprehensively concerned about the state of Bharadvāja’s āśrama. Notice that neither the brāhmaṇa nor the kṣatriya has expressed an attitude of oppression towards each other. This is a symptom of true civilization.
They had inquired about Bharadvāja’s body and fire sacrifices because for those who are rich in austerity, these are the means for performing austerities. They had inquired about the animals, birds and so on because they were [his natural] objects of affection like his disciples, for they resided in his āśrama.