Chapter 25
Bala Kanda - Book Of Youthful Majesties
अथ तस्य अप्रमेयस्य मुनेर् वचनम् उत्तमम्
श्रुत्वा पुरुष शार्दूलः प्रत्युवाच शुभाम् गिरम्
atha tasya aprameyasya muner vacanam uttamam
śrutvā puruṣa śārdūlaḥ pratyuvāca śubhām giram
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
On hearing the worthy words of that sage with inestimable power, then the manly-tiger Rama replied him with estimable words. [1-25-1]
अल्प वीर्या यदा यक्षी श्रूयते मुनिपुङ्गव
कथम् नाग सहस्रस्य धारयति अबला बलम्
alpa vīryā yadā yakṣī śrūyate munipuṅgava
katham nāga sahasrasya dhārayati abalā balam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"It is said that yaksha's strength is trivial, and this is an yakshii, more so a female, how then this yakshii frail by her femineity can exert the strength of a thousand elephants? [1-25-2]
इति उक्त,म् वचनम् श्रुत्वा राघवस्य अमित ओजसा
हर्षयन् श्लक्ष्णया वचा स लक्ष्मणम् अरिन्दमम्
iti ukta,m vacanam śrutvā rāghavasya amita ojasā
harṣayan ślakṣṇayā vacā sa lakṣmaṇam arindamam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
On hearing the sentence of Raghava with illimitable dynamism, Vishvamitra said this sentence to the enemy subduer Rama along with Lakshmana, cheering them up with his pleasant words, "Listen by which a female became outstanding by her strength... she assumes strength by the bestowal of a boon. [1-25-3, 4]
पूर्वम् आसीत् महा यक्षः सुकेतुर् नाम वीर्यवान्
अनपत्यः शुभाचारः स च तेपे महत् तपः
pūrvam āsīt mahā yakṣaḥ suketur nāma vīryavān
anapatyaḥ śubhācāraḥ sa ca tepe mahat tapaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Once there was a formidable yaksha named Suketu, but he was childless, and he who had devout conduct performed a great ascesis. [1-25-5]
पितामहः तु सुप्रीतः तस्य यक्षपतेः तदा
कन्या रत्नम् ददौ राम ताटकाम् नाम नामतः
pitāmahaḥ tu suprītaḥ tasya yakṣapateḥ tadā
kanyā ratnam dadau rāma tāṭakām nāma nāmataḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Gladdening at his ascesis, Rama, then the Forefather Brahma gave him a gemlike daughter who is renowned by the name of Tataka. [1-25-6]
ददौ नाग सहस्रस्य बलम् च अस्याः पितामहः
न तु एव पुत्रम् यक्षाय ददौ च असौ महायशाः
dadau nāga sahasrasya balam ca asyāḥ pitāmahaḥ
na tu eva putram yakṣāya dadau ca asau mahāyaśāḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Forefather Brahma also gave the strength of a thousand elephants to her, but he that highly remarkable Brahma did not give a son to that yaksha, anticipating male to be more hazardous. [1-25-7]
ताम् तु बालाम् विवर्धन्तीम् रूप यौवन शालिनीम्
जंभ पुत्राय सुन्दाय ददौ भार्याम् यशस्विनीम्
tām tu bālām vivardhantīm rūpa yauvana śālinīm
jaṃbha putrāya sundāya dadau bhāryām yaśasvinīm
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"When that bright girl is growing up into a youthful beauty her father Suketu gave her to Jambha's son Sunda as wife. [1-25-8]
कस्यचित् तु अथ कालस्य यक्षी पुत्रम् व्यजायत
मारीचम् नाम दुर्धर्षम् यः शापात् राक्षसो।अभवत्
kasyacit tu atha kālasya yakṣī putram vyajāyata
mārīcam nāma durdharṣam yaḥ śāpāt rākṣaso|abhavat
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Then after sometime that yakshii Tataka delivered an indomitable son named Mareecha, who by curse became a demon. [1-25-9]
सुन्दे तु निहते राम सा अगस्त्यम् ऋषि सत्तमम्
ताटका सह पुत्रेण प्रधर्षयितुम् इच्छति
sunde tu nihate rāma sā agastyam ṛṣi sattamam
tāṭakā saha putreṇa pradharṣayitum icchati
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"But when Sunda is eliminated by sage Agastya's curse, she that Tataka wished to retaliate that eminent sage along with her son Mareecha. [1-25-10]
भक्षार्थम् जात संरम्भा गर्जन्ती सा अभ्यधावत
आपतन्तीम् तु ताम् दृष्ट्वा अगस्त्यो भगवान् ऋषिः
bhakṣārtham jāta saṃrambhā garjantī sā abhyadhāvata
āpatantīm tu tām dṛṣṭvā agastyo bhagavān ṛṣiḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"With desperation brewing in her she roaringly rushed towards the sage as though to eat him away, and on seeing her rushing along with her son Mareecha towards him, the godly saint Agastya firstly cursed Mareecha saying, 'you will attain demon-hood.' [1-25-11, 12a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Highly infuriated sage Agastya even cursed Tataka saying, 'forthwith divested of this form of a beautiful female, oh, great yakshii, you shall become a man eater with your form distorted, face contorted, and shape monstrous.' [1-25-12b, 13]
सैषा शाप कृताम् अर्षा ताटका क्रोध मूर्छिता
देशम् उत्सादयति एनम् अगस्त्या चरितम् शुभम्
saiṣā śāpa kṛtām arṣā tāṭakā krodha mūrchitā
deśam utsādayati enam agastyā caritam śubham
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Frenzied by the curse and convulsed in fury she that Tataka is thus vandalising this auspicious province, in which sage Agastya once sauntered. [1-25-14]
एनाम् राघव दुर्वृत्ताम् यक्षीम् परम दारुणाम्
गो ब्राह्मण हितार्थाय जहि दुष्ट पराक्रमाम्
enām rāghava durvṛttām yakṣīm parama dāruṇām
go brāhmaṇa hitārthāya jahi duṣṭa parākramām
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"She that highly atrocious one is with horrific behaviour and malefic valour, hence you shall eliminate this yakshii for the welfare of Brahmans and cows. [1-25-15]
न हि एनाम् शाप संसृष्टाम् कश्चित् उत्सहते पुमान्
निहन्तुम् त्रिषु लोकेषु त्वाम् ऋते रघु नन्दन
na hi enām śāpa saṃsṛṣṭām kaścit utsahate pumān
nihantum triṣu lokeṣu tvām ṛte raghu nandana
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Excepting you there is none to eliminate her who is indomitably sheathed in a curse, oh, Raghu's legatee, and none in the three worlds can possibly brave her. [1-25-16]
न हि ते स्त्री वध कृते घृणा कार्या नरोत्तम
चातुर् वर्ण्य हितार्थाम् हि कर्तव्यम् राज सूनुना
na hi te strī vadha kṛte ghṛṇā kāryā narottama
cātur varṇya hitārthām hi kartavyam rāja sūnunā
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Compassion regarding the elimination of a female is ungermane, oh, best one among men, since a prince has to effectuate it intending the welfare of four categories of society. [1-25-17]
नृशंसम् अनृशंसम् वा प्रजा रक्षण कारणात्
पातकम् वा सदोषम् वा कर्तव्यम् रक्षता सदा
nṛśaṃsam anṛśaṃsam vā prajā rakṣaṇa kāraṇāt
pātakam vā sadoṣam vā kartavyam rakṣatā sadā
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"For the reason of protecting people, a protector always has to execute such deed, either it is ruthless or humane, sinful or vilifying. [1-25-18]
राज्य भार नियुक्तानाम् एष धर्मः सनातनः
अधर्ंयाम् जहि काकुत्स्थ धर्मो हि अस्याम् न विद्यते
rājya bhāra niyuktānām eṣa dharmaḥ sanātanaḥ
adharṃyām jahi kākutstha dharmo hi asyām na vidyate
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"To the nominee who bears the burden of kingdom this is the age-old duty, and hence oh, Rama, the legatee of Kakutstha, eliminate this infamy, as goodness is inevident in her, isn't it. [1-25-19]
श्रूयते हि पुरा शक्रो विरोचन सुताम् नृप
पृथिवीम् हन्तुम् इच्छन्तीम् मन्थराम् अभ्यसूदयत्
śrūyate hi purā śakro virocana sutām nṛpa
pṛthivīm hantum icchantīm mantharām abhyasūdayat
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Oh, Rama, the protector of people, we have heard that Indra once eliminated Manthara, the daughter of Virochana, when she wished to annihilate earth, haven't we. [1-25-20]
विष्णुना च पुरा राम भृगु पत्नी पतिव्रता
अनिन्द्रम् लोकम् इच्छन्ती काव्यमाता निषूदिता
viṣṇunā ca purā rāma bhṛgu patnī pativratā
anindram lokam icchantī kāvyamātā niṣūditā
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"And Rama, once Vishnu wiped out even the wife of sage Bhrigu and sage Shukracarya's mother when she wished the world to become one without a governing factor, namely Indra. [1-25-21]
इति वाल्मीकि रामायणे
आदिकाव्ये बाल काण्डे पंचविंशः सर्गः
iti vālmīki rāmāyaṇe
ādikāvye bāla kāṇḍe paṃcaviṃśaḥ sargaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Oh, prince, these great souls and many other celebrated personalities have eliminated females who deported themselves with unrighteousness, and hence, oh, Rama, the protector of people, by my decree you leave off compassion and eliminate her." Thus said sage Vishvamitra to Rama regarding Tataka's elimination. [1-25-22]
PURPORT
