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Valmiki Ramayana — Bala Kanda · Chapter 66

Bala Kanda, Sarga 66

बालकाण्डः सर्गः 66

19 verses

ततः प्रभाते विमले कृतकर्मा नराधिपः। विश्वामित्रं महात्मानमाजुहाव सराघवम्॥ तमर्चयित्वा धर्मात्मा शास्त्रदृष्टेन कर्मणा। राघवौ च महात्मानौ तदा वाक्यमुवाच ह॥

tataḥ prabhāte vimale kṛtakarmā narādhipaḥ| viśvāmitraṃ mahātmānamājuhāva sarāghavam|| tamarcayitvā dharmātmā śāstradṛṣṭena karmaṇā| rāghavau ca mahātmānau tadā vākyamuvāca ha||

The next morning, which happened to be bright, the lord of men, having performed his daily devotions, welcomed Viśvāmitra and Rāghava. And having, in accordance with the scriptures, paid homage to the former as well as the two high-souled Rāghavas, that virtuous one said,

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भगवन् स्वागतं तेऽस्तु किं करोमि तवानघ। भवानाज्ञापयतु मामाज्ञाप्यो भवता ह्यहम्॥

bhagavan svāgataṃ te'stu kiṃ karomi tavānagha| bhavānājñāpayatu māmājñāpyo bhavatā hyaham||

Hail, O worshipful sir! What shall I do to you, O sinless one? Do you command. Surely, I deserve to be commanded by you.

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एवमुक्तः स धर्मात्मा जनकेन महात्मना। प्रत्युवाच मुनिश्रेष्ठो वाक्यं वाक्यविशारदः॥

evamuktaḥ sa dharmātmā janakena mahātmanā| pratyuvāca muniśreṣṭho vākyaṃ vākyaviśāradaḥ||

Thus addressed by the high-souled Janaka, that first of ascetics endowed with a righteous soul, well versed in speech, answered,

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पुत्रौ दशरथस्येमौ क्षत्रियौ लोकविश्रुतौ। द्रष्टुकामौ धनुःश्रेष्ठं यदेतत्त्वयि तिष्ठति ॥

putrau daśarathasyemau kṣatriyau lokaviśrutau| draṣṭukāmau dhanuḥśreṣṭhaṃ yadetattvayi tiṣṭhati ||

These sons of Dasaratha-Ksatriyas, famed among men, are eager to behold than best of bows.

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एतद् दर्शय भद्रं ते कृतकामौ नृपात्मजौ। दर्शनादस्य धनुषो यथेष्ठं प्रतियास्यतः।६।।

etad darśaya bhadraṃ te kṛtakāmau nṛpātmajau| darśanādasya dhanuṣo yatheṣṭhaṃ pratiyāsyataḥ|6||

If it be with you, do you show it to them, may it be well with you! having obtained a sight of that bow, the king's sons, their desires crowned with success, will success, will return as they list.

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एवमुक्तस्तु जनकः प्रत्युवाच महामुनिम्। श्रूयतामस्य धनुषो यदर्थमिह तिष्ठति॥

evamuktastu janakaḥ pratyuvāca mahāmunim| śrūyatāmasya dhanuṣo yadarthamiha tiṣṭhati||

Thus accosted, Janaka replied to the mighty Muni, saying, Lisen to why the bow lie here.

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देवरात इति ख्यातो निमेयेष्ठो महीपतिः। न्यासोऽयं तस्य भगवन् हस्ते दत्तो महात्मनः॥

devarāta iti khyāto nimeyeṣṭho mahīpatiḥ| nyāso'yaṃ tasya bhagavan haste datto mahātmanaḥ||

There was a king known by the name of Devarata. He was the elder brother of Nimi. And, Oworshipful one, this bow was consigned to the hands of that high-souled one, this bow was consigned to the hands of that high-souled one as a trust.

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दक्षयज्ञवधे पूर्वं धनुरायम्य वीर्यवान्। विध्वस्य त्रिदशान् रोषात्सलीलमिदमब्रवीत्॥ यस्माद् भागार्थिनो भागं नाकल्पयत मे सुराः। वराङ्गानि महार्हणि धनुषा शातयामि वः॥

dakṣayajñavadhe pūrvaṃ dhanurāyamya vīryavān| vidhvasya tridaśān roṣātsalīlamidamabravīt|| yasmād bhāgārthino bhāgaṃ nākalpayata me surāḥ| varāṅgāni mahārhaṇi dhanuṣā śātayāmi vaḥ||

Formerly with the view of destroying Dakşa's sacrifice, the puissant (Śiva), drawing this bow, sportively spoke to the celestials in ire, saying, 'Since, you gods, you deny me the shares (of this sacrifice), which I lay claim to, I will with my bow even sever those heads of yours.'

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ततो विमनसः सर्वे देवा वै मुनिपुङ्गव। प्रसादयन्त देवेशं तेषां प्रीतोऽभवद् भवः॥

tato vimanasaḥ sarve devā vai munipuṅgava| prasādayanta deveśaṃ teṣāṃ prīto'bhavad bhavaḥ||

Thereat, O powerful ascetic, with agitated hearts, the deities fell to propitiating that lord of the celestials, and Bhava was pleased with them.

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प्रीतियुक्तस्तु सर्वेषां ददौ तेषां महात्मनाम्। तदेतद् देवदेवस्य धनूरत्नं महात्मनः॥ न्यासभूतं तदा न्यस्तमस्माकं पूर्वजे विभौ।

prītiyuktastu sarveṣāṃ dadau teṣāṃ mahātmanām| tadetad devadevasya dhanūratnaṃ mahātmanaḥ|| nyāsabhūtaṃ tadā nyastamasmākaṃ pūrvaje vibhau|

And well-pleased with them, he conferred this upon those high-souled ones. And even this is that jewel of a bow belonging to the high-souled god of gods, and which was ultimately, O lord, consigned as a trust to our ancestor.

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अथ मे कृषतः क्षेत्र लाङ्गलादुत्थिता ततः॥ क्षेत्रं शोधयता लब्धा नाम्ना सीतेति विश्रुता। भूतलादुत्थितां सा तु व्यवर्धत ममात्मजा ॥

atha me kṛṣataḥ kṣetra lāṅgalādutthitā tataḥ|| kṣetraṃ śodhayatā labdhā nāmnā sīteti viśrutā| bhūtalādutthitāṃ sā tu vyavardhata mamātmajā ||

And as I was ploughing the mead, arose a damsel, and as I obtained her while hallowing the field (for sacrifice), she has come to be known by the name of Sītā. And arising from the earth, she grew as my daughter.

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वीर्यशुल्केति मे कन्या स्थापितेयमयोनिजा। भूतलादुत्थितां तां तु वर्धमानां ममात्मजाम्॥ वरयामासुरागत्य राजानो मुनिपुङ्गव। तेषां वरयतां कन्यां सर्वेषां पृथिवीक्षिताम्॥ वीर्यशुल्केति भगवन् न ददामि सुतामहम्। ततः सर्वे नृपतयः समेत्य मुनिपुङ्गव॥ मिथिलामप्युपागम्य वीर्यं जिज्ञासवस्तदा।

vīryaśulketi me kanyā sthāpiteyamayonijā| bhūtalādutthitāṃ tāṃ tu vardhamānāṃ mamātmajām|| varayāmāsurāgatya rājāno munipuṅgava| teṣāṃ varayatāṃ kanyāṃ sarveṣāṃ pṛthivīkṣitām|| vīryaśulketi bhagavan na dadāmi sutāmaham| tataḥ sarve nṛpatayaḥ sametya munipuṅgava|| mithilāmapyupāgamya vīryaṃ jijñāsavastadā|

Unsprung from the usual source, she was then established here as my daughter, whose hand must be obtained by bending the bow. And, O foremost of ascetics, many a king, coming here, had saught to obtain my growing daughter arisen from the earth. But, O worshipful one, in consideration of her being one whose dower must be prowess in bending the bow, I would not bestow my daughter upon those lords of earth seeking for the kings in a body began to flock to Mithila, desirous of being acquainted with the strength of the bow.

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तेषां जिज्ञासमानानां शैवं धनुरूपाहृतम्॥ न शेकुर्ग्रहणे तस्य धनुषस्तोलनेऽपि वा।

teṣāṃ jijñāsamānānāṃ śaivaṃ dhanurūpāhṛtam|| na śekurgrahaṇe tasya dhanuṣastolane'pi vā|

And on their being curious (as to the bow), I showed it to them; but they could neither hold nor wield it.

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तेषां वीर्यवतां वीर्यमल्पं ज्ञात्वा महामुने॥ प्रत्याख्याता नृपतयस्तन्निबोध तपोधन । ततः परमकोपेन राजानो मुनिपुङ्गव॥ अरुन्धन् मिथिलां सर्वे वीर्यसंदेहमागताः। आत्मानमवधूतं मे विज्ञाय नृपपुङ्गवाः॥ रोषेण महताविष्टाः पीडयन् मिथिलां पुरीम्।

teṣāṃ vīryavatāṃ vīryamalpaṃ jñātvā mahāmune|| pratyākhyātā nṛpatayastannibodha tapodhana | tataḥ paramakopena rājāno munipuṅgava|| arundhan mithilāṃ sarve vīryasaṃdehamāgatāḥ| ātmānamavadhūtaṃ me vijñāya nṛpapuṅgavāḥ|| roṣeṇa mahatāviṣṭāḥ pīḍayan mithilāṃ purīm|

And, O mighty Muni, finding those powerful kings to be but endowed with small prowess, I passed them by. Hear what then befell, O you of ascetic wealth. Then, O powerful anchorite, in high ire, the kings, doubtful as to their strength in stringing the bow, laid siege to Mithila. And those potent princes, conceiving themselves as frustrated by me, began to harass the city of Mithila, waxing wondrous wroth.

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ततः संवत्सरे पूर्णे क्षयं यातानि सर्वशः॥ साधनानि मुनिश्रेष्ठ ततोऽहं भृशदुःखितः।

tataḥ saṃvatsare pūrṇe kṣayaṃ yātāni sarvaśaḥ|| sādhanāni muniśreṣṭha tato'haṃ bhṛśaduḥkhitaḥ|

And when a year had been completed, my defensive resources were entirely exhausted, and at this, I was exceedingly aggrieved.

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ततो देवगणान् सर्वांस्तपसाहं प्रसादयम्॥ ददुश्च परमप्रीताश्चतुरङ्गबलं सुराः।

tato devagaṇān sarvāṃstapasāhaṃ prasādayam|| daduśca paramaprītāścaturaṅgabalaṃ surāḥ|

Then I sought to propitiate the deities; and well-pleased, the celestials granted me a Caturanga army.

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ततो भग्ना नृपतयो हन्यमाना दिशो ययुः॥ अवीर्या वीर्यसंदिग्धाः सामात्याः पापकारिणः।

tato bhagnā nṛpatayo hanyamānā diśo yayuḥ|| avīryā vīryasaṃdigdhāḥ sāmātyāḥ pāpakāriṇaḥ|

At length those wicked kings, meeting with slaughter, broke and fled in all directions, together with their adherents, bereft of vigour, and confidence in their strength.

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तदेतन्मुनिशार्दूल धनुः परमभास्वरम्॥ रामलक्ष्मणयोश्चापि दर्शयिष्यामि सुव्रत।

tadetanmuniśārdūla dhanuḥ paramabhāsvaram|| rāmalakṣmaṇayoścāpi darśayiṣyāmi suvrata|

And, O puissant ascetic, this highly effulgent bow will I show to Rāma and Laksmana.

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यद्यस्य धनुषो रामः कुर्यादारोपणं मुने। सुतामयोनिजां सीतां दद्यां दाशरथेरहम्॥

yadyasya dhanuṣo rāmaḥ kuryādāropaṇaṃ mune| sutāmayonijāṃ sītāṃ dadyāṃ dāśaratheraham||

O you of excellent vows. And, if, Ascetic, Rāma succeeds in fixing string to it, I will confer upon Daſaratha's son my daughter unsprung from the usual source. Sītā,

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