Valmiki Ramayana - Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Bala Kanda - Book Of Youthful Majesties

सर्वा पूर्वम् इयम् येषाम् आसीत् कृत्स्ना वसुंधरा
प्रजपतिम् उपादाय नृपाणम् जय शालिनाम्

sarvā pūrvam iyam yeṣām āsīt kṛtsnā vasuṃdharā
prajapatim upādāya nṛpāṇam jaya śālinām

SYNONYMS

-3| iyam kṛtsnā vasundharā: this, entire, earth | sarvā: sakala dwiipaatmaka = with all islands | upādāya prajapatim: starting from, Prajapati | jaya śālinām: victorious ones | yeṣām nṛpāṇam: [under] which, kings | pūrvam āsīt: once, it is there | yena sāgaraḥ khānitaḥ: by whom, oceans, deepened | yam yāntam: whom, while setting out in battles] SaSTiH sahasraaNiputra = sixty-thousand, sons | paryavārayan: [going with him] fencing in | yeṣām: in which kings | saḥ sāgaraḥ nāma: he, that Sagara, named [king was there] | teśām mahātmanām: such of those, great-souled | īkśvakunām rāj'ām vamśe: Ikshvaku, kings', dynasty | rāamayanam: Ramayana | iti śrutam: thus, heard [reputed] | idam mahat ākhyanam utpannam: this, highly revered, epic, originated. |

TRANSLATION

Once upon a time, under which victorious kings, starting from Prajapatithi-s, this entire earth with all its islands is there, among which kings one king named Sagara is there, well-known for his deepening the oceans, and whom his sixty thousand sons were fencing in when he is set out for action, in the dynasty of such Ikshvaku kings this highly revered and reputed epic Ramayana is originated. [1-5-1, 3]

VERSE 4

तदिदम् वर्तयिष्यावः सर्वम् निखिलम् आदितः
धर्म काम अर्थ सहितम् श्रोतव्यम् अनसूयता

tadidam vartayiṣyāvaḥ sarvam nikhilam āditaḥ
dharma kāma artha sahitam śrotavyam anasūyatā

SYNONYMS

TRANSLATION

Being such a legend, we two wish to relate this Ramayana entirely and completely from the beginning, which is endowed with the values and means of probity, prosperity, and pleasure seeking... and this be listened without any caviling. [1-5-4]

VERSE 5

कोसलो नाम मुदितः स्फीतो जनपदो महान्
निविष्ट सरयू तीरे प्रभूत धन धान्यवान्

kosalo nāma muditaḥ sphīto janapado mahān
niviṣṭa sarayū tīre prabhūta dhana dhānyavān

SYNONYMS

prabhūta dhana dhānyavān: well flourishing with, monies, cereals | muditaḥ sphītaḥ: joyous one, vast one | kosalaḥ nāma: Kosala, named | mahān janapadaḥ: great, kingdom | sarayū tīre niviṣṭaḥ: River Sarayu, on the banks of, is snugly situated. |

TRANSLATION

A great kingdom named Kosala, a joyous and a vast one well flourishing with monies and cereals, is snugly situated on the riverbanks of Sarayu. [1-5-5]

VERSE 6

अयोध्या नाम नगरी तत्र आसीत् लोक विश्रुता
मनुना मानव इन्द्रेण या पुरी निर्मिता स्वयम्

ayodhyā nāma nagarī tatra āsīt loka viśrutā
manunā mānava indreṇa yā purī nirmitā svayam

SYNONYMS

TRANSLATION

A world-renowned city is there in that kingdom, which is personally built by Manu, the foremost ruler of mankind. [1-4-6]

VERSE 7

आयता दश च द्वे च योजनानि महापुरी
श्रीमती त्रीणि विस्तीर्णा सु विभक्ता महापथा

āyatā daśa ca dve ca yojanāni mahāpurī
śrīmatī trīṇi vistīrṇā su vibhaktā mahāpathā

SYNONYMS

TRANSLATION

That glorious city with well-devised highways is twelve yojana-s lengthwise and three yojana-s breadth wise. [1-5-7]

PURPORT

yojana is an ancient measure of distance, where one yojana roughly equals to 8 to 10 miles. Its account is like this : 1 angula is 3/4 inch; 4 angula -s are = one dhanu graha - bow grip; 8 angula-s are = one dhanu muSTi - fist with thumb raised; 12 angula-s are = 1 vitasti - distance between tip of thumb and tip of last finger when palm is stretched; 2 vitasti-s = 1 aratni -s - cubit; 4 aratni-s = one danDa, dhanuS - bow height - 6 ft ; 10 danDa-s = 1 rajju 60 ft ; 2 rajju-s = 1 paridesha - 120 ft ; 2, 000 dhanuS-s = one krosha , and also called goraTa - 4, 000 yards ; 4 krosha-s = 1 yojana - thus one yojana is 9 to 10 miles. But the British Revenue measurement scaled it down to 5 miles, and all the dictionaries say that one yojana is 5 miles. But traditionally it is held as 10 miles. More info on these measures can be had from The Artha Shaastra of Kautilya - a republication of Penguin.

VERSE 8

राज मार्गेण महता सुविभक्तेन शोभिता
मुक्ता पुष्प अवकीर्णेन जल सिक्तेन नित्यशः

rāja mārgeṇa mahatā suvibhaktena śobhitā
muktā puṣpa avakīrṇena jala siktena nityaśaḥ

SYNONYMS

TRANSLATION

That city shines forth with well-laid great royal highways that are always wetted with water, and with flowers strewn and scattered on them. [1-5-8]

VERSE 9

ताम् तु राजा दशरथो महाराष्ट्र विवर्धनः
पुरीम् आवासयामास दिवि देवपतिः यथा

tām tu rājā daśaratho mahārāṣṭra vivardhanaḥ
purīm āvāsayāmāsa divi devapatiḥ yathā

SYNONYMS

mahā rāṣṭra vivardhanaḥ: great, empire, improver | rājā daśarathaḥ: king Dasharatha | deva patiḥ divi yathā: Indra, heaven, as with | tām purīm āvāsayāmāsa: her, that city, made as abode. |

TRANSLATION

As an improver of great kingdom Dasharatha the king made her as his abode, as Indra made heavens as his abode. [1-5-9]

VERSE 10

कपाट तोरणवर्ती सु विभक्त अन्तरापणाम्
सर्व यंत्र अयुधवतीम् उषिताम् सर्व शिल्पिभिः

kapāṭa toraṇavartī su vibhakta antarāpaṇām
sarva yaṃtra ayudhavatīm uṣitām sarva śilpibhiḥ

SYNONYMS

kapāṭa toraṇa vartī: gateways, archways, surrounded with | su vibhakta antara āpaṇām: well, laid-out, internal, forefronts | sarva yantra ayudhavatīm: all machinery, weaponry | uṣitām sarva śilpibhiḥ: lodged with, all, craftsmen | [purīm daśarathaḥ āvāsayāmāsa = in suc a city, ḍaśaratha, vells: this is to be suffixed up to 22nd versse.] |

TRANSLATION

That city is surrounded with gateways and archways; the front yards of buildings are well laid; it is lodges all kinds of machinery, weaponry and craftsmen, and king Dasharatha dwells in such a city. [1-4-10]

VERSE 11

सूत मागध संबाधाम् श्रीमतीम् अतुल प्रभाम्
उच्चाट्टाल ध्वजवतीम् शतघ्नी शत संकुलाम्

sūta māgadha saṃbādhām śrīmatīm atula prabhām
uccāṭṭāla dhvajavatīm śataghnī śata saṃkulām

SYNONYMS

sūta māgadha sambādhām: eulogists, panej~nrists, muchly crammed with | śrīmatīm atula prabhām: prosperous one,[ city,] highly, splendorous | uccāṭṭāla dhvajavatīm: bastions, flags she has | śataghnī śata samkulām: canons, hundreds, of batteries. |

TRANSLATION

She that prosperous city Ayodhya is muchly crammed with many a eulogist and panej~nrist, yet she is highly splendorous with many a bastion, flag and hundreds of batteries of canons, and Dasharatha dwells therein. [1-5-11]

PURPORT

Comment: This shataghnii literally that which can kill a thousand people, and it is said to be a canon and also said to be thorny weapon: shataghnii catuH talaa loha kaNTaka sa~ncitaa | ayaH kaNTaka sa~ncchannaa mahatii shilaa -- elaborate accounts of this shataghni , kshipaNi are there in yajur aaraNyaka .

VERSE 12

वधू नाटक सन्घैः च संयुक्ताम् सर्वतः पुरीम्
उद्यान आम्र वणोपेताम् महतीम् साल मेखलाम्

vadhū nāṭaka sanghaiḥ ca saṃyuktām sarvataḥ purīm
udyāna āmra vaṇopetām mahatīm sāla mekhalām

SYNONYMS

vadhū nāṭaka sanghaiḥ ca samyuktām: danseuses, theatrical, groups, also, she contains, accommodates | sarvataḥ purīm: everywhere, in city | udyāna āmra vana upetām: gardens, mango, brakes, surrounding it | mahatīm sāla mekhalām: great [wide,] fort wall, as cincture ornament. |

TRANSLATION

That city Ayodhya accommodates groups of danseuses and theatrical personnel, and she is surrounded everywhere with the gardens and brakes of mango trees, and her wide fort-wall is like her cincture ornament. [1-5-12]

VERSE 13

दुर्ग गंभीर परिखाम् दुर्गाम् अन्यैः दुरासदम्
वाजीवारण संपूर्णाम् गोभिः उष्ट्रैः खरैः तथा

durga gaṃbhīra parikhām durgām anyaiḥ durāsadam
vājīvāraṇa saṃpūrṇām gobhiḥ uṣṭraiḥ kharaiḥ tathā

SYNONYMS

durga gambhīra parikhām: impassable, profound, moats | durgām anyaiḥ durāsadaiḥ: impossible [to trespass,] by others, by invaders | vājī vārana sampūrṇam: horses, elephants, abounding | gobhiḥ uṣṭraiḥ kharaiḥ tatha: cows, camels, donkeys, likewise. |

TRANSLATION

That Ayodhya is an impassable one for trespassers, or for others invaders, owing to her impassable and profound moats, and she is abounding with horses, camels, likewise with cows and donkeys. [1-5-13]

VERSE 14

सामंत राज सन्घैः च बलि कर्मभिः आवृतम्
नाना देश निवासैः च वणिग्भिः उपशोभिताम्

sāmaṃta rāja sanghaiḥ ca bali karmabhiḥ āvṛtam
nānā deśa nivāsaiḥ ca vaṇigbhiḥ upaśobhitām

SYNONYMS

sāmanta rāja sanghaiḥ ca: with provincial, kings', throngs of, also | bali karmabhiḥ āvṛtam: dues, paying, pervaded by | nā nā deśa nivāsaiḥ ca: various, countries, residents of | vaṇikbhiḥ upa śobhtām: with traders too, verily, lustrous. |

TRANSLATION

With the throngs of provincial kings who come hither to pay dues pervade that city, and she is verily lustrous with residents of various other countries, and with traders, too. In such a city Dasharatha dwells. [1-5-14]

VERSE 15

प्रासादै रत्न विकृतैः पर्वतैः इव शोभिताम्
कूटागारैः च संपूर्णाम् इन्द्रस्य इव अमरावतीम्
१५१५

prāsādai ratna vikṛtaiḥ parvataiḥ iva śobhitām
kūṭāgāraiḥ ca saṃpūrṇām indrasya iva amarāvatīm
1-5-15

SYNONYMS

prāsadaiḥ ratna vikṛtaiḥ: buildings, precious gems, studded ornamentally | parvataiḥ iva upaśobhitām: mountain like [skyscrapers,] adorned with | kūṭagaraiḥ ca sampūrṇām: multi-storeyed, too, filled with | indrasya iva amarāvatīm: of Indra's, like, Amaraavati. |

TRANSLATION

Buildings are ornamentally studded with precious gems, and with such multi-storied sky scrappers she is adorned, and filled with them she is like Amaravati, the capital of Indra. [1-5-15]

VERSE 16

चित्रम् अष्टापद आकाराम् वर नारी गणैर् युताम्
सर्व रत्न समाकीर्णाम् विमान गृह शोभिताम्

citram aṣṭāpada ākārām vara nārī gaṇair yutām
sarva ratna samākīrṇām vimāna gṛha śobhitām

SYNONYMS

cirām aṣṭapada ākārām: amazing, a game board-like, in lay-out | vara narī gaṇaiḥ: beautiful, womenfolk, flocks | sarva ratna samākīrṇām: all kinds of, precious gems, heaped up | vimāna gṛha śobhitām: by seven storied, buildings, picturesque. |

TRANSLATION

Amazing is Ayodhya for its lay-out is like a game board called aSTapadi , and with its flocks of beautiful women moving thereabout, where all kinds of precious gems are heaped up, and where its seven storied buildings are picturesque. [1-5-16]

VERSE 17

गृह गाढाम् अविच्छिद्राम् सम भूमौ निवेशिताम्
शालि तण्डुल संपूर्णाम् इक्षु काण्ड रसः उदकाम्

gṛha gāḍhām avicchidrām sama bhūmau niveśitām
śāli taṇḍula saṃpūrṇām ikṣu kāṇḍa rasaḥ udakām

SYNONYMS

gṛha gāḍhām a vi cchidrām: housing, dense, nothing, left unutilised | sama bhūmau niveśitām: well levelled, lands, constructed on | śāli taṇḍula sampūrṇām: rice, grains, plentiful | ikśu kaṇḍa rasa udakām: sugar cane, juice, water, is like. |

TRANSLATION

The housing is very dense and there is no place or ground unutilized, and all are constructed on well-levelled lands, and rice-grain is plentiful while the drinking water tastes like sugar cane juice. [1-5-17]

VERSE 18

दुन्दुभीभिः मृदन्गैः च वीणाभिः पणवैः तथा
नादिताम् भृशम् अत्यर्थम् पृथिव्याम् ताम् अनुत्तमाम्

dundubhībhiḥ mṛdangaiḥ ca vīṇābhiḥ paṇavaiḥ tathā
nāditām bhṛśam atyartham pṛthivyām tām anuttamām

SYNONYMS

dundubhībhiḥ mṛdangaiḥ ca: great drums, rhythm instruments, also | vīṇābhiḥ paṇavaiḥ tatha: Veena, string instruments, cymbals, also | nāditām bhṛśam: sounding, markedly | pṛthivyām atyartham anuttamam tām: on earth, uniquely, the best [city] | tām: her [Dasharatha made an abode.] |

TRANSLATION

That city is sounding with the drumbeats of great drums, and with musical rhythm instruments like mridnga, cymbals, and with string instruments like Veena etc., and on earth she is uniquely the best city. [1-5-18]

PURPORT

Great drums, called dundubhi , placed on castle walls and at central places to drum the times of the day or night, or at the arrivals of the noblemen or to keep the sentry whistles. As well, the melodious tunes from string instruments like Veena or rhythmic instrument mridanga and from various other instruments are always made available to the citizens, as a sort of background music, since royalty sponsors these performing arts.

VERSE 19

विमानम् इव सिद्धानाम् तपस अधिगतम् दिवि
सु निवेशित वेश्मान्ताम् नरोत्तम समावृताम्

vimānam iva siddhānām tapasa adhigatam divi
su niveśita veśmāntām narottama samāvṛtām

SYNONYMS

divi tapasa adhigatam: heavens, with ascesis, attained | siddhānām: of sages | vimanam iva: space-stations, like | su niveśita veśmāntam: well, planned, with edifices | nara uttama sama āvṛttam: people, the best, teemed with. |

TRANSLATION

Ayodhya is like a hovering space station attained by sages by their ascesis, and its edifices are well planned and it is teeming with best people. [1-4-19]

VERSE 20

ये च बाणैः न विध्यन्ति विविक्तम् अपरा परम्
शब्द वेध्यम् च विततम् लघु हस्ता विशारदाः

ye ca bāṇaiḥ na vidhyanti viviktam aparā param
śabda vedhyam ca vitatam laghu hastā viśāradāḥ

SYNONYMS

ye ca bāṇaiḥ na vidhyanti: those, also, with arrows, not, kill | viviktam apara param: lone one, at his hind [without a successor,] at his fore [without a predecessor] | sabda vedhyam ca vitatam: by sound, killing, also, fleeing away | laghu hastāḥ viśāradaḥ: acumen, handiness, skilful ones. |

TRANSLATION

They the skilful archers of that Ayodhya will not kill a lone one with their arrows, one that does not have either a predecessor or a successor in his family, a fleeing one, or by listening to the sound of the target, as is done in sonic-archery, and their skills, acumen and handiness are thus benevolent. [1-5-20]

PURPORT

Dasharatha in his youth, when he was on a hunting spree, killed the son of a hermit who was drawing water from a river. That son of the sage dipped his pot in the waters and the filling water gave sounds like that of a grumbling tiger. Dasharatha mistook that sound to be a tiger's grumble and swung his arrow that way, killing the boy. Thereby the father of the boy being a sage of eminence, cursed Dasharatha to die lamenting for his son, which happens after the exile of Rama. Perhaps the sonic-archery may thus have been banned in Ayodhya, lest such sad incidents would have recurred.

VERSE 21

सिंह व्याघ्र वराहाणाम् मत्तानाम् नदताम् वने
हन्तारो निशितैः शस्त्रैः बलात् बाहु बलैर् अपि

siṃha vyāghra varāhāṇām mattānām nadatām vane
hantāro niśitaiḥ śastraiḥ balāt bāhu balair api

SYNONYMS

simha vyāghra varāhāṇām: lions, tigers, wild boars | mattānām nadatām vane: fattened ones, roaring, in forests | hantāraḥ nisitaiḥ sastraiḥ: killers, with sharp, weapons | balāt bāhu balaiḥ api: with might, by arms, might, also. |

TRANSLATION

They kill the fattened and roaring lions, tigers and wild boars with the might of their sharp weaponry, or even with the might of their own arms alone. [1-4-21]

VERSE 22

तादृशानाम् सहस्रैः ताम् अभि पूर्णाम् महारथैः
पुरीम् आवसयमास राजा दशरथः तदा

tādṛśānām sahasraiḥ tām abhi pūrṇām mahārathaiḥ
purīm āvasayamāsa rājā daśarathaḥ tadā

SYNONYMS

tādṛsanām sahasraiḥ: that kind of, with thousands [of archers] | tām abhipūrṇām maha rathaiḥ: in her [in city,] filled with, great, chariot-warriors | purīm āvāsayāmasa: in the city, dwelling is | raja dasarathaḥ tathā: king, Dasharatha, thus. |

TRANSLATION

With that kind of thousands of archers, and with speediest chariot-warriors she that Ayodhya is filled with, and King Dasharatha made his abode in such a city. [1-5-22]

VERSE 23

इति वाल्मीकि रामायणे आदि काव्ये बाल काण्डे पंचमः सर्गः

iti vālmīki rāmāyaṇe ādi kāvye bāla kāṇḍe paṃcamaḥ sargaḥ

SYNONYMS

agnimadbhiḥ: by ritual-fire worshippers | gunavadbhiḥ: with virtuous ones | veda ṣaṭ anga pāragaiḥ: Veda-s, their six of, ancillary subjects, scholars in | sahasra daiḥ = thousands, givers, donors that donate in thousands: not miserly | satya rataiḥ: by truth, abiding ones | mahātmabhiḥ: with great souls | maharṣi kalpaiḥ: great saints, in similitude | kevalaiḥ ṛṣibhiḥ ca: juist [like,] sages, also | dvijottamaiḥ: with Brahman scholars | āvṟitāam: she is encompassed with | tām: her | [purīm daśarathaḥ āvāsayāmāsa: ] the city, Dasharatha, is dwelling. |

TRANSLATION

She that Ayodhya is encompassed with Vedic scholars who always worship the ritual fire by enkindling the three kinds of ritual-fires continuously, virtuous Brahman scholars in Veda-s and their six ancillary subjects, and other great souls that are in similitude with great saints, and who are just like sages that are charitable donors, and that abide by the truth. [1-5-23]