Bala Kanda, Sarga 25

अथ तस्याप्रमेयस्य मुनेर्वचनमुत्तमम्। श्रुत्वा पुरुषशार्दूल: प्रत्युवाच शुभां गिरम्।।1.25.1।।

atha tasyāprameyasya munervacanamuttamam| śrutvā puruṣaśārdūla: pratyuvāca śubhāṃ giram

On hearing the excellent words of Viswamitra, a sage with unimaginable faculty. Rama, the tiger among men (Rama) replied in a, gentle voice:

अल्पवीर्या यदा यक्षा श्श्रूयन्ते मुनिपुङ्गव। कथन्नागसहस्रस्य धारयत्यबला बलम्।।1.25.2।।

alpavīryā yadā yakṣā śśrūyante munipuṅgava| kathannāgasahasrasya dhārayatyabalā balam

"O best of ascetics, I have heard the yakshas possess little prowess. How can a woman who is by gender weak possess the strength of a thousand elephants?

विश्वामित्रोऽब्रवीद्वाक्यं शृण येन बलोत्तरा। वरदानकृतं वीर्यं धारयत्यबला बलम्।।1.25.3।।

viśvāmitro'bravīdvākyaṃ śṛṇa yena balottarā| varadānakṛtaṃ vīryaṃ dhārayatyabalā balam

Viswamitra said, "Listen, how she acquired the prowess and strength by virtue of a boon she received.

पूर्वमासीन्महायक्षस्सुकेतुर्नाम वीर्यवान्। अनपत्यश्शुभाचारस्स च तेपे महत्तप:।।1.25.4।।

pūrvamāsīnmahāyakṣassuketurnāma vīryavān| anapatyaśśubhācārassa ca tepe mahattapa:

"In the past there was a powerful and great yaksha by name Suketu. He had no children. So he performed an intense penance following virtuous practices.

पितामहस्तु सुप्रीतस्तस्य यक्षपते स्तदा। कन्यारत्नं ददौ राम ताटकां नाम नामत:।।1.25.5।।

pitāmahastu suprītastasya yakṣapate stadā| kanyāratnaṃ dadau rāma tāṭakāṃ nāma nāmata:

Rama the grandsire Brahma was highly gratified and granted to the king of yakshas, the gem of a daughter by name known asTataka.

ददौ नागसहस्रस्य बलं चास्या: पितामह:। नत्वेव पुत्रं यक्षाय ददौ ब्रह्मा महायशा:।।1.25.6।।

dadau nāgasahasrasya balaṃ cāsyā: pitāmaha:| natveva putraṃ yakṣāya dadau brahmā mahāyaśā:

The illustrious grandsire Brahma granted her the strength of a thousand elephants, but did not bestow a son on the yaksha.

तां तु जातां विवर्धन्तीं रूपयौवनशालिनीम्। झर्झपुत्राय सुन्दाय ददौ भार्यां यशस्विनीम्।।1.25.7।।

tāṃ tu jātāṃ vivardhantīṃ rūpayauvanaśālinīm| jharjhaputrāya sundāya dadau bhāryāṃ yaśasvinīm

As she grew up, glowing with youth and beauty she was given in marriage to Sunda, son of Jharjha.

कस्यचित्त्वथ कालस्य यक्षी पुत्रमजायत। मारीचं नाम दुर्धर्षं यश्शापाद्राक्षसोऽभवत्।।1.25.8।।

kasyacittvatha kālasya yakṣī putramajāyata| mārīcaṃ nāma durdharṣaṃ yaśśāpādrākṣaso'bhavat

After some time that yakshini gave birth to an unassailable son by name Maricha. Because of a curse, he became a rakshasa (though born of yaksha parentage).

सुन्दे तु निहते राम सागस्त्यमृषिसत्तमम्। ताटका सह पुत्रेण प्रधर्षयितुमिच्छति।।1.25.9।।

sunde tu nihate rāma sāgastyamṛṣisattamam| tāṭakā saha putreṇa pradharṣayitumicchati

O Rama when Sunda died Tataka along with her son wanted to attack Agastya, the best of sages.

भक्षार्थं जातसंरम्भा गर्जन्ती साभ्यधावत।0 आपतन्तीं तु तां दृष्ट्वा अगस्त्यो भगवानृषि:।।1.25.10।। राक्षसत्वं भजस्वेति मारीचं व्याजहार स:। 1

bhakṣārthaṃ jātasaṃrambhā garjantī sābhyadhāvata|0 āpatantīṃ tu tāṃ dṛṣṭvā agastyo bhagavānṛṣi: rākṣasatvaṃ bhajasveti mārīcaṃ vyājahāra sa:| 1

Roaring, she rushed with excitement to devour him. The venerable rishi Agastya saw her approaching him and cursed Maricha to assume form of a demoness.

अगस्त्य: परमक्रुद्धस्ताटकामपि शप्तवान्।।1.25.11।। पुरुषादी महायक्षी विरूपा विकृतानना। इदं रूपं विहायाथ दारुणं रूपमस्तु ते।।1.25.12।।

agastya: paramakruddhastāṭakāmapi śaptavān puruṣādī mahāyakṣī virūpā vikṛtānanā| idaṃ rūpaṃ vihāyātha dāruṇaṃ rūpamastu te

Mighty angry, Agastya cursed Tataka saying, 'Abandon this form of a great yakshini and assume the terrible figure of a rakshasi, a cannibal with distorted appearance and a hideous countenance'.

अगस्त्य: परमक्रुद्धस्ताटकामपि शप्तवान्।।1.25.11।। पुरुषादी महायक्षी विरूपा विकृतानना। इदं रूपं विहायाथ दारुणं रूपमस्तु ते।।1.25.12।।

agastya: paramakruddhastāṭakāmapi śaptavān puruṣādī mahāyakṣī virūpā vikṛtānanā| idaṃ rūpaṃ vihāyātha dāruṇaṃ rūpamastu te

Mighty angry, Agastya cursed Tataka saying, 'Abandon this form of a great yakshini and assume the terrible figure of a rakshasi, a cannibal with distorted appearance and a hideous countenance'.

सैषा शापकृतामर्षा ताटका क्रोधमूर्छिता। देशमुत्सादयत्येनमगस्त्यचरितं शुभम्।।1.25.13।।

saiṣā śāpakṛtāmarṣā tāṭakā krodhamūrchitā| deśamutsādayatyenamagastyacaritaṃ śubham

Enraged at the curse, senseless, Tataka with anger, has been ravaging this sacred land when Agastya walked.

एनां राघव दुर्वृत्तां यक्षीं परमदारुणाम्। गोब्राह्मणहितार्थाय जहि दुष्टपराक्रमाम्।।1.25.14।।

enāṃ rāghava durvṛttāṃ yakṣīṃ paramadāruṇām| gobrāhmaṇahitārthāya jahi duṣṭaparākramām

O Rama for the welfare of cows and brahmins, slay this yakshini who is wicked, extremely cruel and possessing vile prowess.

न ह्येनां शापसम्स्पृष्टां कश्चिदुत्सहते पुमान्। निहन्तुं त्रिषु लोकेषु त्वामृते रघुनन्दन।।1.25.15।।

na hyenāṃ śāpasamspṛṣṭāṃ kaścidutsahate pumān| nihantuṃ triṣu lokeṣu tvāmṛte raghunandana

O son of Raghu's dynasty she is maligned by the curse, and so not a single man in the three worlds except you, is competent to slay this yakshini.

न हि ते स्त्रीवधकृते घृणा कार्या नरोत्तम। चातुर्वण्यहितार्थाय कर्तव्यं राजसूनुना।।1.25.16।।

na hi te strīvadhakṛte ghṛṇā kāryā narottama| cāturvaṇyahitārthāya kartavyaṃ rājasūnunā

O best among men you need not hate killing a woman. You are a prince. You should serve the interest of the four orders of the society.

नृशंसमनृशंसं वा प्रजारक्षणकारणात्। पातकं वा सदोषं वा कर्तव्यं रक्षता सता।।1.25.17।।

nṛśaṃsamanṛśaṃsaṃ vā prajārakṣaṇakāraṇāt| pātakaṃ vā sadoṣaṃ vā kartavyaṃ rakṣatā satā

Whether cruel or kind, sinful or wrong whatever contributes to the protection of the subjects, should be done by the righteous (king).

राज्यभारनियुक्तानामेष धर्मस्सनातन:। अधर्म्यां जहि काकुत्स्थ धर्मोह्यस्या न विद्यते।।1.25.18।।

rājyabhāraniyuktānāmeṣa dharmassanātana:| adharmyāṃ jahi kākutstha dharmohyasyā na vidyate

This is the eternal law binding those who are appointed to bear the burden of a kingdom. O Kakutstha kill her. She knows no dharma.

श्रूयते हि पुरा शक्रो विरोचनसुतां नृप। पृथिवीं हन्तुमिच्छन्तीं मन्थरामभ्यसूदयत्।।1.25.19।।

śrūyate hi purā śakro virocanasutāṃ nṛpa| pṛthivīṃ hantumicchantīṃ mantharāmabhyasūdayat

O Prince It is heard that in the past Indra slew Manthara, Virochana's daughter who intended to destroy the earth.

विष्णुनापि पुरा राम भृगुपत्नी दृढव्रता। अनिन्द्रं लोकमिच्छन्ती काव्यमाता निषूदिता।।1.25.20।।

viṣṇunāpi purā rāma bhṛgupatnī dṛḍhavratā| anindraṃ lokamicchantī kāvyamātā niṣūditā

'O Rama! In olden times, Kavya, the mother of Sukracharya, the wife of sage Bhrigu, was destroyed by Vishnu determined to destroy Indra.'

एतैश्चान्यैश्च बहुभी राजपुत्र महात्मभि:। अधर्मसहिता नार्यो हता: पुरुषसत्तमै:।।1.25.21।।

etaiścānyaiśca bahubhī rājaputra mahātmabhi:| adharmasahitā nāryo hatā: puruṣasattamai:

O Prince by these magnanimous persons and by great men several unrighteous women were killed for the common good". इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीय आदिकाव्ये बालकाण्डे पञ्चविंशस्सर्ग:।। Thus ends the twentyfifth sarga of Balakanda of the holy Ramayana the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.