Chapter 31
Bala Kanda - Book Of Youthful Majesties
अथ ताम् रजनीम् तत्र कृतार्थौ राम लक्षणौ
ऊषतुर् मुदितौ वीरौ प्रहृष्टेन अंतरात्मना
atha tām rajanīm tatra kṛtārthau rāma lakṣaṇau
ūṣatur muditau vīrau prahṛṣṭena aṃtarātmanā
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Rejoicing for achieving the result of their journey with Vishvamitra, the brave Rama and Lakshmana then resided in that hermitage for that night, gladdening in their heart of hearts. [1-31-1]
प्रभातायाम् तु शर्वर्याम् कृत पौर्व अह्णिक क्रियौ
विश्वामित्रम् ऋषीम् च अन्यान् सहितौ अभिजग्मतुः
prabhātāyām tu śarvaryām kṛta paurva ahṇika kriyau
viśvāmitram ṛṣīm ca anyān sahitau abhijagmatuḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
When that night turned into a new day, performing their morning chores both of the brother jointly approached Sage Vishvamitra, who is along with other sages by then. [1-31-2]
अभिवाद्य मुनि श्रेष्ठम् ज्वलंतम् इव पावकम्
ऊचतुर् परमोदारम् वाक्यम् मधुर भाषिणौ
abhivādya muni śreṣṭham jvalaṃtam iva pāvakam
ūcatur paramodāram vākyam madhura bhāṣiṇau
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
And those gentle-speakers on reverencing that eminent sage Vishvamitra, whose radiance is akin to the ritual-fire, they two spoke this highly courteous sentence to him. [1-31-3]
इमौ स्म मुनि शार्दूल किंकरौ समुपस्थितौ
आज्ञापय मुनिश्रेष्ठ शासनम् करवाव किम्
imau sma muni śārdūla kiṃkarau samupasthitau
ājñāpaya muniśreṣṭha śāsanam karavāva kim
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Oh, tigerly-sage, here are your attendants sir, available in your attendance, what order is to be carried out further, oh, eminent saint, that you may order us. [1-31-4]
एवम् उक्ते तयोः वाक्यम् सर्व एव महर्षयः
विश्वामित्रम् पुरस्कृत्य रामम् वचनम् अब्रुवन्
evam ukte tayoḥ vākyam sarva eva maharṣayaḥ
viśvāmitram puraskṛtya rāmam vacanam abruvan
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
When they have said that way all those great sages spoke to Rama, keeping Vishvamitra at the helm of affairs. [1-31-5]
मैथिलस्य नरश्रेष्ठ जनकस्य भविष्यति
यज्नः परम धर्मिष्ठः तत्र यास्यामहे वयम्
maithilasya naraśreṣṭha janakasya bhaviṣyati
yajnaḥ parama dharmiṣṭhaḥ tatra yāsyāmahe vayam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Oh, best one among men, a highly righteous Vedic ritual belonging to King Janaka of Mithila is going to take place, and we the sages are going over there. [1-31-6]
त्वम् चैव नरशार्दूल सह अस्माभिर् गमिष्यसि
अद्भुतम् च धनू रत्नम् तत्र त्वम् द्रष्टुम् अर्हसि
tvam caiva naraśārdūla saha asmābhir gamiṣyasi
adbhutam ca dhanū ratnam tatra tvam draṣṭum arhasi
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Oh, tigerly-man Rama, if you can come along with us, it will be expedient for you to see a monumental gem of bow there. [1-31-7]
PURPORT
तद्धि पूर्वम् नरश्रेष्ठ दत्तम् सदसि दैवतैः
अप्रमेय बलम् घोरम् मखे परम भास्वरम्
taddhi pūrvam naraśreṣṭha dattam sadasi daivataiḥ
aprameya balam ghoram makhe parama bhāsvaram
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Oh, best one among men, in early times indeed gods gave that awesome bow which has an unimaginable power and which is superbly incandescent in wars to an erstwhile king of Mithila in a congregation of a Vedic-ritual. [1-31-8]
PURPORT
न अस्य देवा न गंधर्वा न असुरा न च राक्षसाः
कर्तुम् आरोपणम् शक्ता न कथंचन मानुषाः
na asya devā na gaṃdharvā na asurā na ca rākṣasāḥ
kartum āropaṇam śaktā na kathaṃcana mānuṣāḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Gods cannot capably lift it to string; gandharva-s, no; asura-s, no; demons, no; and for human beings, not in any way. [1-31-9]
धनुषस्य तस्य वीर्यम् हि जिज्ञासन्तो महीक्षितः
न शेकुर् आरोपयितुम् राजपुत्रा महाबलाः
dhanuṣasya tasya vīryam hi jijñāsanto mahīkṣitaḥ
na śekur āropayitum rājaputrā mahābalāḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Though many kings were inquisitive about the power of that bow, all of those great mighty princes are rendered incapable to string its bowstring. [1-31-10]
तद् धनुर् नरशार्दूल मैथिलस्य महात्मनः
तत्र द्रक्ष्यसि काकुत्स्थ यज्ञम् च परम अद्भुतम्
tad dhanur naraśārdūla maithilasya mahātmanaḥ
tatra drakṣyasi kākutstha yajñam ca parama adbhutam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Oh, tigerly-man Rama, there in Mithila you can see that particular bow of the great-souled king of Mithila and his highly admirable Vedic ritual too, if you come with us. [1-31-11]
तद्धि यज्ञ फलम् तेन मैथिलेन उत्तमम् धनुः
याचितम् नर शार्दूल सुनाभम् सर्व दैवतैः
taddhi yajña phalam tena maithilena uttamam dhanuḥ
yācitam nara śārdūla sunābham sarva daivataiḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Once Devaraata, the grandparent of the present king Janaka of Mithila, conducted a Vedic-ritual and he indeed prayed only for this supreme bow with a best grip-handle as the fruit of that ritual from all of the gods and oh, tigerly man Rama, he got the same from them. [1-31-12]
PURPORT
आयागभूतम् नृपतेः तस्य वेश्मनि राघव
अर्चितम् विविधैः गन्धैः धूपैः च अगुरु गंध्भिः
āyāgabhūtam nṛpateḥ tasya veśmani rāghava
arcitam vividhaiḥ gandhaiḥ dhūpaiḥ ca aguru gaṃdhbhiḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"That bow has got a regular worship and especially during the periods of dhanur utsava -s, festivals of bows-and- arrows. Hence it is kept in the palace of King of Mithila, and oh, Raghava it is worshipped with a variety of sandalwood pastes, scents of aloe substance, and with incenses." [1-31-13]
एवम् उक्त्वा मुनिवरः प्रस्थानम् अकरोत् तदा
स ऋषि संघः स काकुत्स्थ आमंत्र्य वन देवताः
evam uktvā munivaraḥ prasthānam akarot tadā
sa ṛṣi saṃghaḥ sa kākutstha āmaṃtrya vana devatāḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Saying so that best saint Vishvamitra started to travel on along with the assemblages of sages, and even along with Rama and Lakshmana, whose tacit consent to follow the sage is obtained by now, and on bidding farewell to the deities of woodlands of that Accomplished Hermitage, where his ritual is accomplished with the help of Rama and Lakshmana. [1-31-14]
स्वस्ति वो अस्तु गमिष्यामि सिद्धः सिद्ध आश्रमात् अहम्
उत्तरे जाह्नवी तीरे हिमवंतम् शिलोच्चयम्
svasti vo astu gamiṣyāmi siddhaḥ siddha āśramāt aham
uttare jāhnavī tīre himavaṃtam śiloccayam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Adieu, georgic deities, everything bodes well to you all, on accomplishment of the ritual I have undertaken here, I wish to go from this Accomplished Hermitage towards the ranges of Himalayan Mountains that are on the northern bank of River Ganga." [1-31-15]
इति उक्त्वा मुनिशार्दूलः कौशिकः स तपोधनः
उत्तराम् दिशम् उद्दिश्य प्रस्थातुम् उपचक्रमे
iti uktvā muniśārdūlaḥ kauśikaḥ sa tapodhanaḥ
uttarām diśam uddiśya prasthātum upacakrame
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Thus saying farewell to woodland-deities that descendent of Kaushika, namely Vishvamitra, the saint whose wealth is his ascesis started to journey on aiming to reach the northern side of River Ganga. [1-31-16]
तम् व्रजंतम् मुनिवरम् अन्वगात् अनुसारिणाम्
शकटी शत मात्रम् तु प्रयाणे ब्रह्म वादिनाम्
tam vrajaṃtam munivaram anvagāt anusāriṇām
śakaṭī śata mātram tu prayāṇe brahma vādinām
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
While that best saint set forth, the team of his close followers who are the advocators of Vedic canons have moved behind him, approximately with a hundred carts loaded with their ritual paraphernalia. [1-31-17]
मृग पक्षि गणाः चैव सिद्ध आश्रम निवासिनः
अनुजग्मुर् महात्मानम् विश्वामित्रम् तपोधनम्
mṛga pakṣi gaṇāḥ caiva siddha āśrama nivāsinaḥ
anujagmur mahātmānam viśvāmitram tapodhanam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Even the residents of that Hermitage of Accomplishment, namely animals and birds, closely followed that great-souled Vishvamitra, whose wealth is his ascesis, in herds and flocks. But that sage Vishvamitra made those flocks of birds and the herds of animals to return to their places, as they have shown enough courtesy. [1-31-18, 19a]
PURPORT
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Those assemblages of sages on going far on their path made a camp on the bank of River Sona when the sun is dangling towards west. [1-31-19b, 20a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
When the sun went into dusk those sages with illimitable resplendence took their bath and on kindling the consumer of kindled oblations they completed their evening fire ritual, and then squatted before sage Vishvamitra. [1-31-20b, 21a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
And even Rama along with Lakshmana on worshipping those sages squatted before that intellectual Vishvamitra. [1-31-21b, 22a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
With growing inquisitiveness that resplendent Rama has asked the tigerly sage Vishvamitra whose wealth is his ascesis. [1-31-22b, 23a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Oh, godly sage, this place is glistening with well-developed woodlands, really what is this place? You be blest! It will be apt of you tell about it, in essence." Thus Rama asked Vishvamitra.[1-31-23b, 24a]
इति वाल्मीकि रामायणे आदि काव्ये बाल काण्डे एक त्रिंशः सर्गः
iti vālmīki rāmāyaṇe ādi kāvye bāla kāṇḍe eka triṃśaḥ sargaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Sage Vishvamitra whose vows are unselfish and whose ascesis is exalted is motivated with the words of Rama and staying amidst the sages he started to tell all about that place. [1-31-24b, c]