Bala Kanda, Sarga 59

उक्तवाक्यं तु राजानं कृपया कुशिकात्मज:। अब्रवीन्मधुरं वाक्यं साक्षाच्चण्डालरूपिणम्।।1.59.1।।

uktavākyaṃ tu rājānaṃ kṛpayā kuśikātmaja:| abravīnmadhuraṃ vākyaṃ sākṣāccaṇḍālarūpiṇam

What the king said was proved by his chandala form which the son of Kushika (Viswamitra) heard and out of compassion spoke these sweet words:

ऐक्ष्वाक स्वागतं वत्स जानामि त्वां सुधार्मिकम् । शरणं ते भविष्यामि मा भैषीर्नृपपुङ्गव।।1.59.2।।

aikṣvāka svāgataṃ vatsa jānāmi tvāṃ sudhārmikam | śaraṇaṃ te bhaviṣyāmi mā bhaiṣīrnṛpapuṅgava

"O Descendant of Ikshvakus, O child, welcome. I know you as highly righteous. O eminent among kings fear not. I offer you refuge.

अहमामन्त्रये सर्वान्महर्षीन्पुण्यकर्मण:। यज्ञसाह्यकरान् राजन् ततो यक्ष्यसि निर्वृत:।।1.59.3।।

ahamāmantraye sarvānmaharṣīnpuṇyakarmaṇa:| yajñasāhyakarān rājan tato yakṣyasi nirvṛta:

O king I shall invite pious maharshis to assist you in the sacrifice which you will be able to perform with great relief.

गुरुशापकृतं रूपं यदिदं त्वयि वर्तते । अनेन सह रूपेण सशरीरो गमिष्यसि।।1.59.4।।

guruśāpakṛtaṃ rūpaṃ yadidaṃ tvayi vartate | anena saha rūpeṇa saśarīro gamiṣyasi

With the present physical body disfigured by the curse of your spiritual preceptor, you shall go to heaven.

हस्तप्राप्तमहं मन्ये स्वर्गं तव नराधिप। यस्त्वं कौशिकमागम्य शरण्यं शरणागत:।।1.59.5।।

hastaprāptamahaṃ manye svargaṃ tava narādhipa| yastvaṃ kauśikamāgamya śaraṇyaṃ śaraṇāgata:

O King since you have taken refuge in Viswamitra who is the protector of those who resort to him, I think heaven is already within your reach".

एवमुक्त्वा महातेजा: पुत्रान् परमधार्मिकान्। व्यादिदेश महाप्राज्ञान् यज्ञसम्भारकारणात्।।1.59.6।।

evamuktvā mahātejā: putrān paramadhārmikān| vyādideśa mahāprājñān yajñasambhārakāraṇāt

Most brilliant Viswamitra having thus spoken, ordered his deeply religious and highly learned sons to make preparations for the sacrifice.

सर्वान् शिष्यान् समाहूय वाक्यमेतदुवाच ह। सर्वानृषिगणान्वत्सा आनयध्वं ममाज्ञया। सशिष्यसुहृदश्चैव सर्त्विज स्सबहुश्रुतान्।।1.59.7।।

sarvān śiṣyān samāhūya vākyametaduvāca ha| sarvānṛṣigaṇānvatsā ānayadhvaṃ mamājñayā| saśiṣyasuhṛdaścaiva sartvija ssabahuśrutān

He summoned all his disciples, and said, "Children bring here hosts of rishis along with their disciples and friends, officiating priests and persons wellversed in the Srutis. This is my order.

यदन्यो वचनं ब्रूयान्मद्वाक्यबलचोदित:। तत्सर्वमखिलेनोक्तं ममाख्येयमनादृतम्।।1.59.8।।

yadanyo vacanaṃ brūyānmadvākyabalacodita:| tatsarvamakhilenoktaṃ mamākhyeyamanādṛtam

If any one should speak with disrespect in response to my order, you may report the matter to me in full".

तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा दिशो जग्मुस्तदाज्ञया। आजग्मुरथ देशेभ्य स्सर्वेभ्यो ब्रह्मवादिन:।।1.59.9।।

tasya tadvacanaṃ śrutvā diśo jagmustadājñayā| ājagmuratha deśebhya ssarvebhyo brahmavādina:

At his command the disciples set out in different directions. And as a result, expounders of the vedas began arriving from various countries.

ते च शिष्या: समागम्य मुनिं ज्वलिततेजसम्। ऊचुश्चवचनं सर्वे सर्वेषां ब्रह्मवादिनाम्।।1.59.10।।

te ca śiṣyā: samāgamya muniṃ jvalitatejasam| ūcuścavacanaṃ sarve sarveṣāṃ brahmavādinām

All the disciples on their return, communicated to the sage shining in splendour what the expounders of the vedas had said.

श्रुत्वा ते वचनं सर्वे समायान्ति द्विजातय:। सर्वदेशेषु चागच्छन् वर्जयित्वा महोदयम्।।1.59.11।।

śrutvā te vacanaṃ sarve samāyānti dvijātaya:| sarvadeśeṣu cāgacchan varjayitvā mahodayam

Having heard your words, all brahmins except Mahodaya have arrived from all countries.

वासिष्ठं तच्छतं सर्वं क्रोधपर्याकुलाक्षरम्। यदाह वचनं सर्वं शृणु त्वं मुनिपुङ्गव।।1.59.12।।

vāsiṣṭhaṃ tacchataṃ sarvaṃ krodhaparyākulākṣaram| yadāha vacanaṃ sarvaṃ śṛṇu tvaṃ munipuṅgava

O Preeminent among ascetics Here is what the hundred sons of Vasishta spoke in anger.

क्षत्रियो याजको यस्य चण्डालस्य विशेषत:। कथं सदसि भोक्तारो हविस्तस्य सुरर्षय:।।1.59.13।।

kṣatriyo yājako yasya caṇḍālasya viśeṣata:| kathaṃ sadasi bhoktāro havistasya surarṣaya:

When a kshatriya acts as a priest for the sacrifice, particularly for a chandala, how can gods and sages partake the offerings?

ब्राह्मणा वा महात्मानो भुक्त्वा चण्डालभोजनम्। कथं स्वर्गं गमिष्यन्ति विश्वामित्रेण पालिता:।।1.59.14।।

brāhmaṇā vā mahātmāno bhuktvā caṇḍālabhojanam| kathaṃ svargaṃ gamiṣyanti viśvāmitreṇa pālitā:

Joining Viswamitra, (in chanting the mantras during the yaga) how will the great brahmins attain heaven after partaking the food offered by of Chandala?

एतद्वचननैष्ठुर्यमूचु स्संरक्तलोचना:। वासिष्ठा मुनिशार्दूल सर्वे ते समहोदया:।।1.59.15।।

etadvacananaiṣṭhuryamūcu ssaṃraktalocanā:| vāsiṣṭhā muniśārdūla sarve te samahodayā:

O Best among ascetics all the sons of Vasishta along with Mahodaya with their eyes reddened in anger spoke these harsh words":

तेषां तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा सर्वेषां मुनिपुङ्गव:। क्रोधसंरक्तनयन स्सरोषमिदमब्रवीत्।।1.59.16।।

teṣāṃ tadvacanaṃ śrutvā sarveṣāṃ munipuṅgava:| krodhasaṃraktanayana ssaroṣamidamabravīt

On hearing the words (of the hundred sons of Vasishta uttered in anger) Viswamitra, preeminent among ascetics, spoke furiously with eyes reddened in anger.

ये दूषयन्त्यदुष्टं मां तप उग्रं समास्थितम्। भस्मीभूता दुरात्मानो भविष्यन्ति न संशय:।।1.59.17।।

ye dūṣayantyaduṣṭaṃ māṃ tapa ugraṃ samāsthitam| bhasmībhūtā durātmāno bhaviṣyanti na saṃśaya:

"I am blameless. I have practised rigorous penance. These wicked ones who have abused (a sage like me) will be reduced to ashes.

अद्य ते कालपाशेन नीता वैवस्वतक्षयम्। सप्तजातिशतान्येव मृतपस्सन्तु सर्वश:।।1.59.18।।

adya te kālapāśena nītā vaivasvatakṣayam| saptajātiśatānyeva mṛtapassantu sarvaśa:

Caught by the noose of death this day, they shall be brought to the abode of Yama and for seven hundred births, feed on corpses.

श्वमांसनियताहारा मुष्टिका नाम निर्घृणा:। विकृताश्च विरूपाश्च लोकाननुचरन्त्विमान्।।1.59.19।।

śvamāṃsaniyatāhārā muṣṭikā nāma nirghṛṇā:| vikṛtāśca virūpāśca lokānanucarantvimān

Reborn as the merciless race of mushtikas, feeding on the flesh of dogs, hideous and deformed, they shall wander in these worlds.

महोदयस्तु दुर्बुद्धिर्मामदूष्यं ह्यदूषयत्। दूषित स्सर्वलोकेषु निषादत्वं गमिष्यति।।1.59.20।।

mahodayastu durbuddhirmāmadūṣyaṃ hyadūṣayat| dūṣita ssarvalokeṣu niṣādatvaṃ gamiṣyati

The wicked Mahodaya, who blamed a sage like me so faultless shall be reborn in the race of the nishadas vulnerable to abuse by all.

प्राणातिपातनिरतो निरनुक्रोशतां गत:। दीर्घकालं मम क्रोधाद्दुर्गतिं वर्तयिष्यति।।1.59.21।।

prāṇātipātanirato niranukrośatāṃ gata:| dīrghakālaṃ mama krodhāddurgatiṃ vartayiṣyati

As a consequence of my anger that Mahodaya, devoid of mercy and taking pleasure in depriving others of their life, will pursue a wretched life for a long time".

एतावदुक्त्वा वचनं विश्वामित्रो महातपा:। विरराम महातेजा ऋषिमध्ये महामुनि:।।1.59.22।।

etāvaduktvā vacanaṃ viśvāmitro mahātapā:| virarāma mahātejā ṛṣimadhye mahāmuni:

The most powerful sage Viswamitra of fierce asceticism fell silent after after uttering this curse in the assembly of rishis. इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीय आदिकाव्ये बालकाण्डे एकोनषष्टितमस्सर्ग:।। Thus ends the fiftyninth sarga of Balakanda of the holy Ramayana the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.