10. The soles of their feet were bruised by the blades of grass, and the joints of their bodies, were weakened by the heat of the sun; while their fair forms were covered with dust flying from the ground on their lonesome journey. (Their pilgrimage in the thorny and sunny paths of the world of woes).
11. They saw the clump of a leash of trees by the way side, which were braided with tufts of spikes upon them, and loaded with fruits and flowers hanging downward; while they formed a resort for flights of the fowls of air, and flocks of the fauna; of the desert, resting both above and around them. (The copse of the three trees, means the triple states of dharma, artha and Káma, or virtue, wealth and their fruition, which are sought after by all).
12. The two first of these trees did not grow of themselves, (but were reared by men); and the third which was easy of ascent, bore no seeds to produce other plants in future. (i.e. Virtue and wealth require to thrive by cultivation, and enjoyment which is delectable to taste, is not productive of any future good or reward).
13. They were refreshed from the fatigue of their journey, under the shade of these trees; and they halted there like the three Deities Indra, Váya and Yama, under the umbrage of the Párijáta arbour of Paradise. (The three gods—Jupiter, Eolus and Pluto, were the regents of the three regions of heaven, sky and the infernal world:—swar, bhuvar and bhur, composing the three spheres of their circuit).
14. They eat the ambrosial fruits of these trees; and drank their nectarious juice to their fill; and after decorating themselves with guluncha chaplets, they retook themselves to their journey. (i.e. The intellectual powers are supported by the fruits of their acts in their journey through life).
15. Having gone a long way, they met at the mid-day a confluence of three rivers, running with its rapid currents and swelling waves. (The three streams are the three qualities of satva, rajas and tamas or of goodness, mediocrity and excess, which are commingled in all the acts of mankind).
16. One of these was a dry channel and the other two were shallow and with little water in them; and they looked like the eyes of blind men with their blinded eye-balls. (i.e. The channel of satva or temperance was almost dried up, and that of rajas or mediocrity had become shallow for want of righteous deeds; but the stream of tamas or excess was in full force, owing to the unrighteous conduct of men).
17. The princes who were wet with perspiration, bathed joyfully in the almost dried up channel; as when the three gods Brahmá, Vishnu and Siva lave their sweating limbs, in the limpid stream of Ganges. (The three powers of the soul, like the three persons of the Puránic trinity, were respectively possessed of the three qualities of action; and yet their pure natures preferred to bathe in the pure stream of goodness—satva, as in the holy waters of heavenly Ganga—the hallowed Mandákiní).
18. They sported a long while in the water, and drank some draughts of the same, which was as sweet as milk, and cheered their spirits with full satisfaction of their hearts (meaning that satwika or good conduct is sweeter far to the soul, than any other done as unjust or showy—rajas or tamas).
19. They resumed their journey, and arrived at the end of the day and about sunset, to their future abode of a new-built city, standing afar as on the height of a hill. (This new-built city was the new-made earth; to which the spirits descended from their Empyrean).