Chapter 39
Bala Kanda - Book Of Youthful Majesties
विश्वामित्र वचः श्रुत्वा कथान्ते रघुनंदन
उवाच परम प्रीतो मुनिम् दीप्तम् इव अनलम्
viśvāmitra vacaḥ śrutvā kathānte raghunaṃdana
uvāca parama prīto munim dīptam iva analam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
On listening the narration of Vishvamitra, Rama, the delighter of Raghu's dynasty is highly rejoiced, and at the end of the episode he spoke to sage whose glow is fire like. [1-39-1]
श्रोतुम् इच्छामि भद्रम् ते विस्तरेण कथाम् इमाम्
पूर्वजो मे कथम् ब्रह्मन् यज्ञम् वै समुपाहरत्
śrotum icchāmi bhadram te vistareṇa kathām imām
pūrvajo me katham brahman yajñam vai samupāharat
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"I am interested to listen this episode exhaustively, oh, Brahman, let good betide you, how my ancestor Sagara had completed the Vedic-ritual, really. [1-39-2]
तस्य तत् वचनम् श्रुत्वा कौतूहल समन्वितः
विश्वामित्रः तु काकुत्स्थम् उवाच प्रहसन्निव
tasya tat vacanam śrutvā kautūhala samanvitaḥ
viśvāmitraḥ tu kākutstham uvāca prahasanniva
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
On listening the words of Rama that are inclusive of his inquisitiveness, Sage Vishvamitra smilingly spoke to that descendent of Kakutstha, "oh, Rama, let the episode of the great-souled Sagara be listened vividly." Vishvamitra thus commenced to narrate that episode. [1-39-3, 4a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"The father-in-law of god Shankara who is well-known by the name of Himavan sets eyes on Mt. Vindhya, which stands as loftily as Himalayas, and those two mountains peer at each other. [1-39-4b, 5a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Oh, best one among men, Rama, that Vedic-ritual of Sagara came to pass in between those two mountains, namely Himalayas and Vindhya ranges, and oh, tigerly-man Rama, that area is renowned for Vedic-rituals, isn't it! [1-39-5b, 6a]
तस्य अश्व चर्याम् काकुत्स्थ दृढ धन्वा महारथः
tasya aśva caryām kākutstha dṛḍha dhanvā mahārathaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Oh, dear sire Rama, the grandson of Sagara and the son of exiled Asamanja is Amshuman, oh, descendant of Kakutstha, which Anshuman's bow will be unfaltering and who is a top-speeded chariot-rider, and he has escorted ritual-horse released. [1-39-6b, 7a]
PURPORT
तस्य पर्वणि तम् यज्ञम् यजमानस्य वासवः १३९७
राक्षसीम् तनुम् आस्थाय यज्ञिय अश्वम् अपाहरत्
tasya parvaṇi tam yajñam yajamānasya vāsavaḥ 1-39-7
rākṣasīm tanum āsthāya yajñiya aśvam apāharat
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"And on the day of a sacred function called ukthyam , Indra assumed the form of a demon and stole the ritual horse of the chief of the ritual, namely Sagara. [1-39-7b, 8a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"While that ritual-horse of the great-souled Sagara is stolen, all the congregations of the Ritviks, the religious-teachers, then spoke to the chief propitiator, namely Sagara. [1-39-8b, 9a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
" 'Oh, Sagara,the descendent of Kakutstha, at this auspicious time the ritual horse is hastily diverted, you kill him who stole the horse, and let that horse be fetched. [1-39-9b, 10a]
यज्ञः च्छिद्रम् भवति एतत् सर्वेषाम् अशिवाय नः
yajñaḥ cchidram bhavati etat sarveṣām aśivāya naḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
" 'This hindrance in Vedic-ritual will become inauspicious for all of us, thereby, oh, king, action may be taken as to how there can be no fault in proceedings of the ritual.' The religious-teachers of Sagara have advised him in this way. [1-39-10b, 11a]
सो उपाध्याय वचः श्रुत्वा तस्मिन् सदसि पार्थिवः
so upādhyāya vacaḥ śrutvā tasmin sadasi pārthivaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"On hearing the words of religious-teachers that king Sagara indeed spoke this much to his sixty thousand sons in that religious-council. [1-39-11b, 12a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
" 'Oh, sons, I do not envisage any way in for demons into this ritual, since oh, best ones among men, holy-sanctifiers who themselves are sanctified by the Vedic-hymns are conducting this glorious Vedic-ritual, isn't it. [1-39-12b, 13a]
तत् गच्छत विचिन्वध्वम् पुत्रका भद्रम् अस्तु वः
tat gacchata vicinvadhvam putrakā bhadram astu vaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
" 'Oh, sons, you may therefore proceed to search for the horse and its thief on entire earth as far as it is garlanded by the ocean, and safety betides you all. [1-39-13]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
" 'Oh, sons, let each prince advance searching one square yojana of earth, by my order you dig up the earth until the appearance of the horse, while searching for the stealer of that horse. [1-39-14b, 15]
दीक्षितः पौत्र सहितः स उपाध्याय गणः तु अहम्
इह स्थास्यामि भद्रम् वो यावत् तुरग दर्शनम्
dīkṣitaḥ pautra sahitaḥ sa upādhyāya gaṇaḥ tu aham
iha sthāsyāmi bhadram vo yāvat turaga darśanam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
" 'As for myself, I will stay here only along with my grandson, namely Amsuman, and with the congregation of religious-teachers till the horse appears, as I am under vow of the ritual.' Thus Sagara instructed to his sixty thousand sons and stayed back at the ritual place. [1-39-16]
ते सर्वे हृष्टमनसो राज पुत्रा महाबलाः
जग्मुर् मही तलम् राम पितुर् वचन यंत्रिताः
te sarve hṛṣṭamanaso rāja putrā mahābalāḥ
jagmur mahī talam rāma pitur vacana yaṃtritāḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Animated by their father's words those great-mighty princes enthusiastically proceeded onto earth's surface in the preliminary round of search. [1-39-1]
गत्व तु पृथिवीम् सर्वम् अदृष्टा तम् महबलाः
योजनायाम् अविस्तारम् एकैको धरणी तलम्
बिभिदुः पुरुषव्याघ्र वज्र स्पर्श समैः भुजैः
gatva tu pṛthivīm sarvam adṛṣṭā tam mahabalāḥ
yojanāyām avistāram ekaiko dharaṇī talam
bibhiduḥ puruṣavyāghra vajra sparśa samaiḥ bhujaiḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"But, oh, tigerly-man Rama, on going round the earth in its entirety those great-mighty princes did not find that horse, then as said by their father they mapped the earth to a unit of one square yojana for each of them, and each of them hollowed out each and every area on the surface of earth with their arms that have the touch of the diamonds. [1-39-18]
शूलैः अशनि कल्पैः च हलैः च अपि सुदारुणैः
भिद्यमाना वसुमती ननाद रघुनंदन
śūlaiḥ aśani kalpaiḥ ca halaiḥ ca api sudāruṇaiḥ
bhidyamānā vasumatī nanāda raghunaṃdana
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Mother Earth bewailed while she is ruptured with spears also that are similar to thunderbolts, besides with very gruelling ploughs. [1-39-19]
नागानाम् वध्यमानानाम् असुराणाम् च राघव
राक्षसानाम् च दुर्धर्षः सत्त्वानाम् निनदो अभवत्
nāgānām vadhyamānānām asurāṇām ca rāghava
rākṣasānām ca durdharṣaḥ sattvānām ninado abhavat
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Oh, Raghava, there emerged an unbearable rumpus from the serpents, asura-s, demons, and other beings living underneath the surface of earth, while they are killed during hollowing the earth. [1-39-20]
योजनानाम् सहस्राणि षष्टिम् तु रघुनंदन
बिभिदुर् धरणीम् राम रसा तलम् अनुत्तमम्
yojanānām sahasrāṇi ṣaṣṭim tu raghunaṃdana
bibhidur dharaṇīm rāma rasā talam anuttamam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Oh, Rama, the legatee of Raghu's dynasty, thus sixty thousand square yojana-s of the earth is dug over, so as to make the earth's outermost plane as the unsurpassed rasaa tala , the sixth subterranean and the nethermost plane. [1-39-21]
एवम् पर्वत संबाधम् जम्बू द्वीपम् नृपात्मजाः
खनन्तो नृपशार्दूल सर्वतः परिचक्रमुः
evam parvata saṃbādham jambū dvīpam nṛpātmajāḥ
khananto nṛpaśārdūla sarvataḥ paricakramuḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Oh, the kingly tiger Rama, the sons of Sagara have endeavoured everywhere digging over the Jambu Island which is verily congested with mountains in this way. [1-39-22]
PURPORT
ततो देवाः स गंधर्वाः स असुराः सह पन्नगाः
संभ्रांत मनसः सर्वे पितामहम् उपागमन्
tato devāḥ sa gaṃdharvāḥ sa asurāḥ saha pannagāḥ
saṃbhrāṃta manasaḥ sarve pitāmaham upāgaman
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"All the gods along with gandharva-s, asura-s, and reptiles who are distraught at heart for the plight of earth have approached the Forefather, Brahma. [1-39-23]
ते प्रसाद्य महात्मानम् विषण्ण वदनाः तदा
ऊचुः परम संत्रस्ताः पितामहम् इदम् वचः
te prasādya mahātmānam viṣaṇṇa vadanāḥ tadā
ūcuḥ parama saṃtrastāḥ pitāmaham idam vacaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"They the gods who are very highly scared, and who are chap-fallen, then spoke this sentence to the great-souled Forefather Brahma on gaining his grace. [1-39-24]
भगवन् पृथिवी सर्वा खन्यते सगर आत्मजैः
बहवः च महात्मानो वध्यन्ते जल चारिणः
bhagavan pṛthivī sarvā khanyate sagara ātmajaiḥ
bahavaḥ ca mahātmāno vadhyante jala cāriṇaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
" 'Oh, god Brahma, the sons of Sagara are digging entire earth, thus aquatic beings and many great-souls are being destroyed. [1-39-25]
इति वाल्मीकि रामायणे आदि काव्ये बाल काण्डे एकोन चत्वारिंशः
सर्गः
iti vālmīki rāmāyaṇe ādi kāvye bāla kāṇḍe ekona catvāriṃśaḥ
sargaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
" 'This one is the destroyer of our ritual... this one has carried off our ritual horse...' thinking thus and suspecting everyone those sons of Sagara are torturing all the living beings.' Thus all the gods have appealed to Brahma." So said Sage Vishvamitra to Rama and others. [1-39-26]
