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Valmiki Ramayana — Bala Kanda · Chapter 38

Bala Kanda, Sarga 38

बालकाण्डः सर्गः 38

23 verses

तां कथां कौशिको रामे निवेद्य मधुराक्षराम्। पुनरेवापरं वाक्यं काकुत्स्थमिदमब्रवीत्॥

tāṃ kathāṃ kauśiko rāme nivedya madhurākṣarām| punarevāparaṃ vākyaṃ kākutsthamidamabravīt||

Having said those words to Rāma, composed of melodious letters, Kausika again spoke to Kākutstha, saying,

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अयोध्याधिपतिर्वीर पूर्वमासीन्नराधिपः। सगरो नाम धर्मात्मा प्रजाकामः स चाग्रजः॥

ayodhyādhipatirvīra pūrvamāsīnnarādhipaḥ| sagaro nāma dharmātmā prajākāmaḥ sa cāgrajaḥ||

Formerly there was a king-lord of Ayodhyā-named Sagara. And it came to pass that righteous one, though eagerly wishing for children was without issue.

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वैदर्भदुहिता राम केशिनी नाम नामतः। ज्येष्ठा सगरपत्नी सा धर्मिष्ठा सत्यवादिनी॥

vaidarbhaduhitā rāma keśinī nāma nāmataḥ| jyeṣṭhā sagarapatnī sā dharmiṣṭhā satyavādinī||

O Räma, Vidarbha's daughter, named Kesinī, was the elder wife of Sagara. And she was virtuous and truthful.

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अरिष्टनेमेर्दुहिता सुपर्णभगिनी तु सा। द्वितीया सगरस्यासीत् पत्नी सुमतिसंज्ञिता॥

ariṣṭanemerduhitā suparṇabhaginī tu sā| dvitīyā sagarasyāsīt patnī sumatisaṃjñitā||

The second wife of Sagara was called Sumati, who was the daughter of Aristanemi and the sister of Suparna (Garuda).

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ताभ्यां सह महाराजः पत्नीभ्यां तप्तवांस्तपः। हिमवन्तं समासाद्य भृगुप्रस्रवणे गिरौ॥

tābhyāṃ saha mahārājaḥ patnībhyāṃ taptavāṃstapaḥ| himavantaṃ samāsādya bhṛguprasravaṇe girau||

And with those wives of his, that mighty king, coming to the Himavat, began to practice austerities on the mountain Bhrguprasravaņa.

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अथ वर्षशते पूर्णे तपसाऽऽराधितो मुनिः। सगराय वरं प्रादाद् भृगुः सत्यवतां वरः॥

atha varṣaśate pūrṇe tapasā''rādhito muniḥ| sagarāya varaṃ prādād bhṛguḥ satyavatāṃ varaḥ||

When a full hundred years had been numbered, the ascetic that had been adored by means of these austerities, Bright, best of those endowed with truth, conferred a boon upon Sagara, saying.

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अपत्यलाभः सुमहान् भविष्यति तवानघ। कीर्ति चाप्रतिमां लोके प्राप्स्यसे पुरुषर्षभ।७।।

apatyalābhaḥ sumahān bhaviṣyati tavānagha| kīrti cāpratimāṃ loke prāpsyase puruṣarṣabha|7||

O sinless one, you shall obtain glorious offspring; and, O foremost of men, you shall attain unparalleled renown among Man.

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एका जनयिता तात पुत्रं वंशकरं तव। षष्ठिं पुत्रसहस्राणि अपरा जनयिष्यति॥

ekā janayitā tāta putraṃ vaṃśakaraṃ tava| ṣaṣṭhiṃ putrasahasrāṇi aparā janayiṣyati||

O child, one of your con sorts shall bring forth a son who will perpetuate your race; and the other give birth to sixty thousand sons.'

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भाषमाणं महात्मानं राजपुत्र्यौ प्रसाद्य तम्। ऊचतुः परमप्रीते कृताञ्जलिपुटे तदा॥

bhāṣamāṇaṃ mahātmānaṃ rājaputryau prasādya tam| ūcatuḥ paramaprīte kṛtāñjalipuṭe tadā||

As that best of men was saying this, those daughters of kings, exceedingly delighted, propitiating him, addressed him with clasped hands.

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एकः कस्याः सुतो ब्रह्मन् का बहूञ्जनयिष्यति। श्रोतुमिच्छामहे ब्रह्मन् सत्यमस्तु वचस्तव॥

ekaḥ kasyāḥ suto brahman kā bahūñjanayiṣyati| śrotumicchāmahe brahman satyamastu vacastava||

Who of us, O Brahmana, shall produce a single son, and who many? This, O Brāhmaṇa, we wish to hear. May your word prove true!

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तयोस्तद् वचनं श्रुत्वा भृगुः परमधार्मिकः। उवाच परमां वाणी स्वच्छन्दोऽत्र विधीयताम्॥ एको वंशकरो वास्तु बहवो वा महाबलाः। कीर्तिमन्तो महोत्साहाः का वा कं वरमिच्छति ॥

tayostad vacanaṃ śrutvā bhṛguḥ paramadhārmikaḥ| uvāca paramāṃ vāṇī svacchando'tra vidhīyatām|| eko vaṃśakaro vāstu bahavo vā mahābalāḥ| kīrtimanto mahotsāhāḥ kā vā kaṃ varamicchati ||

Hearing this, the highly pious Bhỉgu said these pregnant words, 'Do you unfold your minds. Who wishes for what boon, between a single perpetuator of the line, and innumerable sons, possessed of mighty strength, and furnished with fame, and endowed with high spirits?'

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मुनेस्तु वचनं श्रुत्वा केशिनी रघुनन्दन। पुत्रं वंशकरं राम जग्राह नृपसंनिधौ॥

munestu vacanaṃ śrutvā keśinī raghunandana| putraṃ vaṃśakaraṃ rāma jagrāha nṛpasaṃnidhau||

Hearing the ascetic's words, O descendant of Raghu, Kesinī in the presence of the monarch chose, O Rāma, a single son to perpetuate the line.

M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)

षष्ठिं पुत्रसहस्राणि सुपर्णभगिनी तदा। महोत्साहान् कीर्तिमतो जग्राह सुमतिः सुतान् ॥

ṣaṣṭhiṃ putrasahasrāṇi suparṇabhaginī tadā| mahotsāhān kīrtimato jagrāha sumatiḥ sutān ||

And Suparna's sister, Sumati, sixty thousand sons, high-spirited and furnished with fame.

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प्रदक्षिणमृषि कृत्वा शिरसाभिप्रणम्य तम्। जगाम स्वपुरं राजा सभार्यो रघुनन्दन ॥

pradakṣiṇamṛṣi kṛtvā śirasābhipraṇamya tam| jagāma svapuraṃ rājā sabhāryo raghunandana ||

Then, O son of Raghu, having gone round the saint and bowed down the head, the king went to his own capital, accompanied by his consorts.

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अथ काले गते तस्य ज्येष्ठा पुत्रं व्यजायत। असमञ्ज इति ख्यातं केशिनी सगरात्मजम्॥

atha kāle gate tasya jyeṣṭhā putraṃ vyajāyata| asamañja iti khyātaṃ keśinī sagarātmajam||

And after a length of time, the elder, Kesini, bore a son to Sagara, known by the name of Asamanja.

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सुमतिस्तु नरव्याघ्र गर्भतुम्बं व्यजायत। षष्ठिः पुत्रसहस्राणि तुम्बभेदाद् विनिःसृताः॥

sumatistu naravyāghra garbhatumbaṃ vyajāyata| ṣaṣṭhiḥ putrasahasrāṇi tumbabhedād viniḥsṛtāḥ||

And Sumati, O foremost of men, brought forth a gourd. And when it burst open, out came from it sixty thousand sons.

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घृतपूर्णेषु कुम्भेषु धात्र्यस्तान् समवर्धयन्। कालेन महता सर्वे यौवनं प्रतिपेदिरे॥

ghṛtapūrṇeṣu kumbheṣu dhātryastān samavardhayan| kālena mahatā sarve yauvanaṃ pratipedire||

And the nurses fostered them by keeping them in jars filled with clarified butter. And after a great length of time, they attained to youth.

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अथ दीर्पण कालेन रूपयौवनशालिनः। षष्ठिः पुत्रसहस्राणि सगरस्याभवंस्तदा॥

atha dīrpaṇa kālena rūpayauvanaśālinaḥ| ṣaṣṭhiḥ putrasahasrāṇi sagarasyābhavaṃstadā||

And after a long lapse of time, Sagara's sixty thousand sons attained to youth and beauty.

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सच ज्येष्ठो नरश्रेष्ठ सगरस्यात्मसम्भवः। बालान् गृहीत्वा तु जले सरय्वा रघुनन्दन ॥ प्रक्षिप्य प्राहसन्नित्यं मज्जतस्तान् निरीक्ष्य वै।

saca jyeṣṭho naraśreṣṭha sagarasyātmasambhavaḥ| bālān gṛhītvā tu jale sarayvā raghunandana || prakṣipya prāhasannityaṃ majjatastān nirīkṣya vai|

O foremost of men,* the eldest son of Sagara, taking those children, would, O descendant of Raghu, often cast them into the Sarayū, and in mirth behold them sinking in the waters. *The text has Narasresthas, put for Asamanja. Evidently this is an error. I make it a vocative.

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एवं पापसमाचारः सज्जनप्रतिबाधकः॥ पौराणामहिते युक्तः पित्रा निर्वासितः पुरात्।

evaṃ pāpasamācāraḥ sajjanapratibādhakaḥ|| paurāṇāmahite yuktaḥ pitrā nirvāsitaḥ purāt|

Being thus evil-disposed, and injuring honest folks, and engaged in doing wrong to the citizens, he was banished by this father from the city.

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तस्य पुत्रोंऽशुमान् नाम असमञ्जस्य वीर्यवान् ॥ सम्मतः सर्वलोकस्य सर्वस्यापि प्रियंवदः।

tasya putroṃ'śumān nāma asamañjasya vīryavān || sammataḥ sarvalokasya sarvasyāpi priyaṃvadaḥ|

Asamañja had a son possessed of prowess, named Anšumān. And he was beloved of all men and fair-spoken towards everyone.

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ततः कालेन महता मतिः समभिजायत ॥ सगरस्य नरश्रेष्ठ यजेयमिति निश्चिता।

tataḥ kālena mahatā matiḥ samabhijāyata || sagarasya naraśreṣṭha yajeyamiti niścitā|

O foremost of men, it came to pass that after a long time had gone by, that lord of earth Sagara made up his mind, saying, 'I will sacrifice.'

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स कृत्वा निश्चयं राजा सोपाध्यायगणस्तदा। यज्ञकर्मणि वेदज्ञो यष्टुं समुपचक्रमे॥

sa kṛtvā niścayaṃ rājā sopādhyāyagaṇastadā| yajñakarmaṇi vedajño yaṣṭuṃ samupacakrame||

Having determined upon it, that one versed in the Vedas set about it, in company with his priests.

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