Chapter 12
Bala Kanda - Book Of Youthful Majesties
ततः काले बहु तिथे कस्मिन् चित् सुमनोहरे
वसन्ते समनुप्राप्ते राज्ञो यष्टुम् मनो।अभवत्
tataḥ kāle bahu tithe kasmin cit sumanohare
vasante samanuprāpte rājño yaṣṭum mano|abhavat
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
After a lapse some time when spring season has come the king Dasharatha desired to perform the Vedic ritual. [1-12-1]
PURPORT
ततः प्रणंय शिरसा तम् विप्रम् देव वर्णिनम्
यज्ञाय वरयामास संतान अर्थम् कुलस्य च
tataḥ praṇaṃya śirasā tam vipram deva varṇinam
yajñāya varayāmāsa saṃtāna artham kulasya ca
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Then bowing his head before that Brahmana sage Rishyasringa whose is glow is like that of a deity, King Dasharatha verily beseeched that sage to conduct Vedic ritual on his behalf as he wished to beget progeny to maintaining his family line. [1-12-2]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Sage Rishyasringa who by now is well-honoured by the king said to the king, "So it shall be, let the paraphernalia for ritual be garnered and let your ritual horse be released as a prerogative." [1-12-3]
ततो अब्रवीत् नृपः वाक्यम् ब्राह्मणान् वेद पारगान्
tato abravīt nṛpaḥ vākyam brāhmaṇān veda pāragān
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Then King Dasharatha said to his best minister Sumantra, "Let the Vedic scholars and ritual conductors like Sages Suyajna, Vaamadeva, Jaabaali, and Kaashyapa, along with the family priest Vashishta, as well as other Vedic Brahmans that are there, they all be invited swiftly..." [1-12-4, 5]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Then Sumantra being a quickest person went quickly and fetched all those Vedic scholars and clergymen. Then the virtuous king Dasharatha having offered due worships to all the sages and saints brought in by Sumantra, uttered these words which are with virtue and meaning, in an impressible manner. [1-12-6, 7]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"My mind is tumultuous without quietude for I have no sons... hence I am thinking of performing the Vedic Horse Ritual for progeny... I wish to perform the ritual as enshrined in the scriptures and by strict observances... I wish to get my desires fulfilled through the divine influence of the Sage's son, Rishyasringa... [1-12-8, 9]
ततः साधु इति तद् वाक्यम् ब्राह्मणाः प्रत्यपूजयन्
tataḥ sādhu iti tad vākyam brāhmaṇāḥ pratyapūjayan
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Then "Splendid, splendid is this idea," said the Brahmana scholars blessing the king. Then Sage Vashishta along with all other important personalities have applauded the idea that has come out of the king's voice, and all those Vedic scholars and clergymen keeping Rishyasringa at helm of affairs said this to the king, in appreciation of that idea. [1-12-10, 11]
संभाराः संभ्रियम्ताम् ते तुरगः च विमुच्यताम्
सरव्याः च उत्तरे तीरे यज्ञ भूमिः विधीयताम्
saṃbhārāḥ saṃbhriyamtām te turagaḥ ca vimucyatām
saravyāḥ ca uttare tīre yajña bhūmiḥ vidhīyatām
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Because a virtuous thinking of begetting sons through Vedic ritual has come to you, you will by all means get four sons with boundless valour... let ritual paraphernalia be garnered and let your ritual-horse be released..." The Vedic seers thus blessed Dasharatha. [1-12-12, 13]
ततः प्रीतो।अभवत् राजा श्रुत्वा तु द्विज भाषितम्
अमात्यान् अब्रवीत् राजा हर्षेण इदम् शुभ अक्षरम्
tataḥ prīto|abhavat rājā śrutvā tu dvija bhāṣitam
amātyān abravīt rājā harṣeṇa idam śubha akṣaram
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Then the king is gladdened to hear the blessing advises of the Vedic scholars, and he spoke to the other ministers of his court, with happiness derived from those good words. [1-12-14]
गुरूणाम् वचनात् शीघ्रम् संभाराः संभ्रियन्तु मे
समर्थ अधिष्टितः च अश्वः सः उपाध्यायो विमुच्यताम्
gurūṇām vacanāt śīghram saṃbhārāḥ saṃbhriyantu me
samartha adhiṣṭitaḥ ca aśvaḥ saḥ upādhyāyo vimucyatām
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
The king said to his executives, "As advised by my Vedic teachers, let the paraphernalia for my ritual be procured... let the ritual-horse be released, guarded well by gallant men in its journey... and let religious teachers follow that horse as per tradition... let the ritual place be decided on the northern banks of Sarayu River... let the peace invocations be prevailing and prospering throughout as ordained in the scriptures and tradition... all the kings on this earth would have performed this Horse Ritual, if only they can perform this without a mistake... thus, this is a great and difficult ritual... the Brahma-demons will be hunting for the faults performed in the rituals whereat they can inteject themselves in to the proceedings of the ritual in order to ruin it... further, the performer of the ritual also gets ruined if there were be to be faults... that is why this ritual shall be conducted faultlessly till its conclusion, and with absolute adherence to the scriptures... since all of you assembled here are efficient ones in conducting such rituals without faults, I hope you all will organise carefully.... [1-12-15,16,17,18, 19]
तथा इति च ततः सर्वे मंत्रिणः प्रत्यपूजयन्
पार्थिव इन्द्रस्य तत् वाक्यम् यथा आज्ञप्तम् अकुर्वत
tathā iti ca tataḥ sarve maṃtriṇaḥ pratyapūjayan
pārthiva indrasya tat vākyam yathā ājñaptam akurvata
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
In appreciation of his orders all the ministers replied the king saying "it will be done accordingly..." and indeed they have faultlessly carried out works as ordered. [1-12-20]
ततो द्विजाः ते धर्मज्ञम् अस्तुवन् पार्थिवर्षभम्
अनुज्ञाताः ततः सर्वे पुनः जग्मुः यथा आगतम्
tato dvijāḥ te dharmajñam astuvan pārthivarṣabham
anujñātāḥ tataḥ sarve punaḥ jagmuḥ yathā āgatam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Then all the Brahmans applauded the virtuous king and who is like a Sacred Bull among the kings for his virtuous endeavour of undertaking the Vedic ritual, and with his permission all of them returned from there as they have come. [1-12-21]
इति वाल्मीकि रामायणे आदि काव्ये बाल काण्डे द्वादशः सर्गः
iti vālmīki rāmāyaṇe ādi kāvye bāla kāṇḍe dvādaśaḥ sargaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
On the departure of the prominent Brahmans, King Dasharatha sent off those ministers who are still available there for further orders from the king, and then he the great resplendent king has entered his own palace. [1-12-22] The Indian yearly time-cycle is two-kind, one on northern solstice and the other southern solstice. And seasons are twelve and every two months is a season, and they are calculated by almanacs basing on the stars position every year. They roughly compare with the following Gregorian months as below:
