SAUNDARANANDA 1.18: Here Comes the Sun

atha tejasvi-sadanaM
tapaH-kShetraM tam aashramaM
ke cid ikShvaakavo jagmuu
raaja-putraa vivatsavaH

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1.18
Now, to that ashram, that seat of intensity,

That domain of austerity,

There came certain sons of Ikshvaku,

Royal princes, wishing to stay.


COMMENT:
Kapila's ashram, we have heard, was as if overhung by a thundercloud. But from here the mood brightens up a bit.

When ascetics go camping in the woods in order to practice austerities, why are they always so bloody serious about it?

Because they stay in tents.

If the intense, austere and dour manner of the ascetics described hitherto was rooted in the serious, careful, spiritual ways of the Brahmin tradition, then the princes, as men of action, trained in the kshatriya ways of a warrior, will introduce a different flavour, another colour, a bit of human interest, a few rays of sunshine.

The princes belonged, Ashvaghosha tells us, to the House of Ikshvaku. Ikshvaku (lit. "Sugarcane") is known as the first king of the Ikshvaku dynasty and founder of the Solar Dynasty of kshatriyas.

EH Johnston:
One day there came to that hermitage, the seat of the brilliant one, the domain of austerities, certain princes, sons of Ikshvaku, desirious of dwelling there.

Linda Covill:
Now one day certain princes of Ikshvaku's lineage came to the ashram, desiring to live in that domain of austerity, the dwelling of those luminaries.

VOCABULARY:
atha: [inceptive particle] now, and so,
tejasvi-sadanam (acc. sg.): the seat of the sharp
tejasvin: mfn. sharp (the eye) ; brilliant , splendid , bright , powerful , energetic ; violent ; inspiring respect , dignified , noble
tejas: n. (often pl.) the sharp edge (of a knife &c ) , point or top of a flame or ray , glow , glare , splendour , brilliance , light , fire ; clearness of the eyes
sadana: mfn. (from sad, to sit down, esp. at a sacrifice) causing to settle down or remain ; n. settling down , coming to rest ; n. a seat , dwelling , residence , house , home (often ifc. = " abiding or dwelling in ") ; n. the abode of sacrifice , sacrificial hall ; n. the abode of yama

tapaH-kShetram (acc. sg.): domain of ascetic practice
tapaH = in comp. for tapas: n. ascetic practice, ascetisim
kShetra: n. landed property , land , soil ; a field; department , sphere of action ; place of origin , place where anything is found
tam (acc. sg. m.): that
aashramam (acc. sg.): mn. ( √shram) , a hermitage , the abode of ascetics , the cell of a hermit or of retired saints or sages

ke cid (nom. pl. m.): some
ikShvaakavaH = nom. pl. m. ikShvaaku: name of a son of manu vaivasvata (father of kukShi and first king of the solar dynasty in ayodhyaa) ; a descendant of ikShvaaku (some Buddhists as well as the jainas derive their cakravartins and many of their arhats from ikShvaaku)
jagmuur (3rd pers. pl. perfect gam): they came

raaja-putraaH (nom. pl.): m. a king's son , prince
vivatsavaH (nom. pl. vivatsu, from desiderative vi-√vas): wishing to live there
vi-√vas: to change an abode , depart from (abl.); (with brahmacaryam) , to enter upon an apprenticeship , become a pupil ; to abide , dwell , live ; to pass , spend (time)