Valmiki Ramayana — Bala Kanda — Chapter 38
VR 1 38.1
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,
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
VR 1 38.2
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.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
VR 1 38.3
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.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
VR 1 38.4
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).
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
VR 1 38.5
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.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
VR 1 38.6
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.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
VR 1 38.7
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.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
VR 1 38.8
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.'
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
VR 1 38.9
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.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
VR 1 38.10
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!
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
VR 1 38.11
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?'
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
VR 1 38.12
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.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
VR 1 38.13
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.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
VR 1 38.14
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.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
VR 1 38.15
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.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
VR 1 38.16
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.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
VR 1 38.17
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.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
VR 1 38.18
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.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
VR 1 38.19
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.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
VR 1 38.20
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.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
VR 1 38.21
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.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
VR 1 38.22
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.'
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
VR 1 38.23
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.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)