Bala Kanda, Sarga 21

तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं तस्य स्नेहपर्याकुलाक्षरम्। समन्यु: कौशिको वाक्यं प्रत्युवाच महीपतिम्।।1.21.1।।

tacchrutvā vacanaṃ tasya snehaparyākulākṣaram| samanyu: kauśiko vākyaṃ pratyuvāca mahīpatim

Out of affection towards his son, his (king Dasaratha's) plea to Viswamitra was full of contradiction. And on hearing the king, enraged Viswamitra replied:

पूर्वमर्थं प्रतिश्रुत्य प्रतिज्ञां हातुमिच्छसि। राघवाणामयुक्तोऽयं कुलस्यास्य विपर्यय:।।1.21.2।।

pūrvamarthaṃ pratiśrutya pratijñāṃ hātumicchasi| rāghavāṇāmayukto'yaṃ kulasyāsya viparyaya:

Having formerly promised the thing, you now wish to break your pledge; such a breach of vow is improper and unbecoming in the race of Raghu.

यदीदं ते क्षमं राजन् गमिष्यामि यथाऽगतम्। मिथ्याप्रतिज्ञ: काकुत्स्थ सुखीभव सबान्धव:।।1.21.3।।

yadīdaṃ te kṣamaṃ rājan gamiṣyāmi yathā'gatam| mithyāpratijña: kākutstha sukhībhava sabāndhava:

O king, if this act of yours is appropriate to you, I will go back (to the places) where from I came. O scion of the race of kakutstha, you have proved false to your promise. Live happily with your relatives".

तस्य रोषपरीतस्य विश्वामित्रस्य धीमत:। चचाल वसुधा कृत्स्ना विवेश च भयं सुरान्।।1.21.4।।

tasya roṣaparītasya viśvāmitrasya dhīmata:| cacāla vasudhā kṛtsnā viveśa ca bhayaṃ surān

At the sight of the wise sage Viswamitra seized of wrath, the entire earth shook and devatas were gripped in fear.

त्रस्तरूपं तु विज्ञाय जगत्सर्वं महानृषि:। नृपतिं सुव्रतो धीरो वसिष्ठो वाक्यमब्रवीत्।।1.21.5।।

trastarūpaṃ tu vijñāya jagatsarvaṃ mahānṛṣi:| nṛpatiṃ suvrato dhīro vasiṣṭho vākyamabravīt

Great Vasishta, an adherent of ascetic practices and steadfast (to duty), seeing that the entire world frightened addressed the king, saying:

इक्ष्वाकूणां कुले जातस्साक्षाद्धर्म इवापर:। धृतिमान् सुव्रत: श्रीमान्नधर्मं हातुमर्हसि।।1.21.6।।

ikṣvākūṇāṃ kule jātassākṣāddharma ivāpara:| dhṛtimān suvrata: śrīmānnadharmaṃ hātumarhasi

"Born in the line of Ikshvaku, you are a veritable the second god of righteousness, firm adherent of vows auspicious and virtuous. It is not right on your part to abandon your promise.

त्रिषु लोकेषु विख्यातो धर्मात्मा इति राघव। स्वधर्मं प्रतिपद्यस्व नाधर्मं वोढुमर्हसि।।1.21.7।।

triṣu lokeṣu vikhyāto dharmātmā iti rāghava| svadharmaṃ pratipadyasva nādharmaṃ voḍhumarhasi

O Dasaratha you are reputed in the three worlds as righteousminded. Do your own duty. Do not follow an unjust act which is unworthy of respect.

संश्रुत्यैवं करिष्यामीत्यकुर्वाणस्य राघव। इष्टापूर्तवधो भूयात्तस्माद्रामं विसर्जय।।1.21.8।।

saṃśrutyaivaṃ kariṣyāmītyakurvāṇasya rāghava| iṣṭāpūrtavadho bhūyāttasmādrāmaṃ visarjaya

O Dasaratha, a promise made and not kept amounts to destruction of merits earned through previous pieties. Therefore send Rama (with him).

कृतास्त्रमकृतास्त्रं वा नैनं शक्ष्यन्ति राक्षसा:। गुप्तं कुशिकपुत्रेण ज्वलनेनामृतं यथा।।1.21.9।।

kṛtāstramakṛtāstraṃ vā nainaṃ śakṣyanti rākṣasā:| guptaṃ kuśikaputreṇa jvalanenāmṛtaṃ yathā

Trained or not in the use of arms, as long as Rama is protected by Viswamitra, just as nectar is protected by the flaming firegod rakshasas will not be able to compete with him.

एष विग्रहवान् धर्म एष वीर्यवतां वर:। एष बुध्याऽधिको लोके तपसश्च परायणम्।।1.21.10।।

eṣa vigrahavān dharma eṣa vīryavatāṃ vara:| eṣa budhyā'dhiko loke tapasaśca parāyaṇam

This (Viswamitra) is an embodiment of righteousness and unsurpassed among the powerful. None can excel him in intellect in this world. He is the supreme refuge in austerity.

एषोऽस्त्रान् विविधान्वेत्ति त्रैलोक्ये सचराचरे। नैनमन्य: पुमान्वेत्ति न च वेत्स्यन्ति केचन।।1.21.11।।

eṣo'strān vividhānvetti trailokye sacarācare| nainamanya: pumānvetti na ca vetsyanti kecana

This Viswamitra knows the use of various kinds of weapons which no one knows among the animate and the inanimate in the three worlds. Nor will any one even know in future.

न देवा नर्षय: केचिन्नासुरा न च राक्षसा:। गन्धर्वयक्षप्रवरास्सकिन्नरमहोरगा:।।1.21.12।।

na devā narṣaya: kecinnāsurā na ca rākṣasā:| gandharvayakṣapravarāssakinnaramahoragā:

No gods nor sages nor asuras in rakshasas nor kinnaras nor mighty serpents nor gandharvas nor the best of yakshas (will be able to know)

सर्वास्त्राणि भृशाश्वस्य पुत्रा: परमधार्मिका:। कौशिकाय पुरा दत्ता यदा राज्यं प्रशासति।।1.21.13।।

sarvāstrāṇi bhṛśāśvasya putrā: paramadhārmikā:| kauśikāya purā dattā yadā rājyaṃ praśāsati

All these weapons were given to Viswamitra by Bhrisasva's highly virtuous sons while he was ruling the kingdom.

तेऽपि पुत्रा भृशाश्वस्य प्रजापतिसुतासुता:। नैकरूपा महावीर्या दीप्तिमन्तो जयावहा:।।1.21.14।।

te'pi putrā bhṛśāśvasya prajāpatisutāsutā:| naikarūpā mahāvīryā dīptimanto jayāvahā:

Grandsons (daughter's sons) of Prajapati, they (these weapons) are in diverse forms, highly energetic and full of glory they bring victory.

जया च सुप्रभा चैव दक्षकन्ये सुमध्यमे। ते सुवातेऽस्त्रशस्त्राणि शतं परमभास्वरम्।।1.21.15।।

jayā ca suprabhā caiva dakṣakanye sumadhyame| te suvāte'straśastrāṇi śataṃ paramabhāsvaram

Jaya and Suprabha of slender waists are the two daughters of Daksha. They gave birth to one hundred effulgent sons known as astras and shastras.

पञ्चाशतं सुतान् लेभे जया नाम परान् पुरा। वधायासुरसैन्यानाममेयान् कामरूपिण:।।1.21.16।।

pañcāśataṃ sutān lebhe jayā nāma parān purā| vadhāyāsurasainyānāmameyān kāmarūpiṇa:

Formerly Jaya, for the destruction of the army of asuras gave birth to fifty sons by virtue of a boon. They possess immeasurable power of changing forms at will.

सुप्रभाऽजनयच्चापि पुत्रान्पञ्चाशतं पुन:। संहारान्नामदुर्धर्षान् दुराक्रामान् बलीयस:।।1.21.17।।

suprabhā'janayaccāpi putrānpañcāśataṃ puna:| saṃhārānnāmadurdharṣān durākrāmān balīyasa:

Suprabha gave birth to another fifty sons named Samharas who are unassailable, invincible and more powerful.

तानि चास्त्राणि वेत्त्येष यथावत्कुशिकात्मज:। अपूर्वाणां च जनने शक्तो भूयस्स धर्मवित्।।1.21.18।।

tāni cāstrāṇi vettyeṣa yathāvatkuśikātmaja:| apūrvāṇāṃ ca janane śakto bhūyassa dharmavit

Viswamitra is well conversant with these weapons. Being virtuous, he is capable of creating new weapons also.

एवं वीर्यो महातेजा विश्वामित्रो महायशाः। न रामगमने राजन् संशयं कर्तुमर्हसि।।1.21.19।।

evaṃ vīryo mahātejā viśvāmitro mahāyaśāḥ| na rāmagamane rājan saṃśayaṃ kartumarhasi

Such is the prowess of Viswamitra who is a highly effulgent and highly renowned sage. O King in sending Rama, you need not entertain any doubt.

तेषां निग्रहणे शक्तस्स्वयं च कुशिकात्मज:। तव पुत्रहितार्थाय त्वामुपेत्याभियाचते।।1.21.20।।

teṣāṃ nigrahaṇe śaktassvayaṃ ca kuśikātmaja:| tava putrahitārthāya tvāmupetyābhiyācate

Son of Kusika, even though capable of repressing those rakhsasas by himself, it is for the welfare of your son that he is here requesting you to spare him".

इति मुनिवचनात्प्रसन्नचित्तो रघुवृषभस्तु मुमोद भास्वराङ्ग:। गमनमभिरुरोच राघवस्य प्रथितयशा: कुशिकात्मजाय बुध्या।।1.21.21।।

iti munivacanātprasannacitto raghuvṛṣabhastu mumoda bhāsvarāṅga:| gamanamabhiruroca rāghavasya prathitayaśā: kuśikātmajāya budhyā

Satisfied in his mind at the words of the sage (Vasishta), the full one among the Raghus' (Dasaratha) one with wide reputation, his frame shining gave his cheerful consent to the son of Kusika for Rama's departure. इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीय आदिकाव्ये बालकाण्डे एकविंशस्सर्ग:।। Thus ends the twentyfirst sarga of Balakanda of the holy Ramayana the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.