Bala Kanda, Sarga 61

विश्वामित्रो महात्माथ प्रस्थितान् प्रेक्ष्य तानृषीन्। अब्रवीन्नरशार्दूलस्सर्वांस्तान्वनवासिन:।।1.61.1।।

viśvāmitro mahātmātha prasthitān prekṣya tānṛṣīn| abravīnnaraśārdūlassarvāṃstānvanavāsina:

O Tiger among men (Rama) thereafter great Viswamitra seeing the departing sages of the forest said:

महान्विघ्न: प्रवृत्तोऽयं दक्षिणामास्थितो दिशम्। दिशमन्यां प्रपत्स्यामस्तत्र तप्स्यामहे तप:।।1.61.2।।

mahānvighna: pravṛtto'yaṃ dakṣiṇāmāsthito diśam| diśamanyāṃ prapatsyāmastatra tapsyāmahe tapa:

Since this great obstacle has arisen in the southern quarter, we shall proceed to another region and there perform our austerities.

पश्चिमायां विशालायां पुष्करेषु महात्मन:। सुखं तपश्चरिष्याम: परं तद्धि तपोवनम्।।1.61.3।।

paścimāyāṃ viśālāyāṃ puṣkareṣu mahātmana:| sukhaṃ tapaścariṣyāma: paraṃ taddhi tapovanam

"O Highsouled sages, there is lake Pushkara in the vast western region. There in the forest fit for austerities we shall practise penance peacefully".

एवमुक्त्वा महातेजा: पुष्करेषु महामुनि:। तप उग्रं दुराधर्षं तेपे मूलफलाशन:।।1.61.4।।

evamuktvā mahātejā: puṣkareṣu mahāmuni:| tapa ugraṃ durādharṣaṃ tepe mūlaphalāśana:

With this the most powerful sage Viswamitra reached Pushkara where living on fruits and roots, he carried out intense, unsurpassable, austerities.

एतस्मिन्नेव काले तु अयोध्याधिपतिर्नृप:। अम्बरीष इति ख्यातो यष्टुं समुपचक्रमे।।1.61.5।।

etasminneva kāle tu ayodhyādhipatirnṛpa:| ambarīṣa iti khyāto yaṣṭuṃ samupacakrame

At this time Ambarisha, a wellknown king of Ayodhya, launched preparations for a sacrifice.

तस्य वै यजमानस्य पशुमिन्द्रो जहार ह। प्रणष्टे तु पशौ विप्रो राजानमिदमब्रवीत्।।1.61.6।।

tasya vai yajamānasya paśumindro jahāra ha| praṇaṣṭe tu paśau vipro rājānamidamabravīt

While he was performing the sacrifice Indra stole away the sacrificial animal. The animal could not be traced. Hence the priest said to the king:

पशुरद्य हृतो राजन् प्रणष्टस्तव दुर्नयात् । अरक्षितारं राजानं घ्नन्ति दोषा नरेश्वर ।।1.61.7।।

paśuradya hṛto rājan praṇaṣṭastava durnayāt | arakṣitāraṃ rājānaṃ ghnanti doṣā nareśvara

"O King the animal has been stolen away and because of your inability to enforce law, it could not be traced. O Lord of men the king who fails to protect (his dependents) perishes by his own faults.

प्रायश्चित्तं महद्ध्येतन्नरं वा पुरुषर्षभ । आनयस्व पशुं शीघ्रं यावत्कर्म प्रवर्तते।।1.61.8।।

prāyaścittaṃ mahaddhyetannaraṃ vā puruṣarṣabha | ānayasva paśuṃ śīghraṃ yāvatkarma pravartate

"O Best of men you must pay a big price for this. Bring either the beast or a man immediately so that the sacrifice can be completed".

उपाध्यायवचश्श्रुत्वा स राजा पुरुषर्षभ। अन्वियेष महाबुद्धि: पशुं गोभिस्सहस्रश:।।1.61.9।।

upādhyāyavacaśśrutvā sa rājā puruṣarṣabha| anviyeṣa mahābuddhi: paśuṃ gobhissahasraśa:

"O Best of men (Rama) hearing the words of the high priest, the highly intellectual king searched for a human victim in exchange for thousands of cows.

देशान् जनपदांस्तां स्तान्नगराणि वनानि च। आश्रमाणि च पुण्यानि मार्गमाणो महीपति: ।।1.61.10।। स पुत्रसहितं तात सभार्यं रघुनन्दन । भृगुतुंदे समासीनमृचीकं सन्ददर्श ह।।1.61.11।।

deśān janapadāṃstāṃ stānnagarāṇi vanāni ca| āśramāṇi ca puṇyāni mārgamāṇo mahīpati: sa putrasahitaṃ tāta sabhāryaṃ raghunandana | bhṛgutuṃde samāsīnamṛcīkaṃ sandadarśa ha

O Dear Rama, the delight of Raghu clan the king scoured countries, villages, cities, forests, sacred hermitages till he saw sage Richika in the Bhrigutunda mountain sitting with his sons and wie.

देशान् जनपदांस्तां स्तान्नगराणि वनानि च। आश्रमाणि च पुण्यानि मार्गमाणो महीपति: ।।1.61.10।। स पुत्रसहितं तात सभार्यं रघुनन्दन । भृगुतुंदे समासीनमृचीकं सन्ददर्श ह।।1.61.11।।

deśān janapadāṃstāṃ stānnagarāṇi vanāni ca| āśramāṇi ca puṇyāni mārgamāṇo mahīpati: sa putrasahitaṃ tāta sabhāryaṃ raghunandana | bhṛgutuṃde samāsīnamṛcīkaṃ sandadarśa ha

O Dear Rama, the delight of Raghu clan the king scoured countries, villages, cities, forests, sacred hermitages till he saw sage Richika in the Bhrigutunda mountain sitting with his sons and wie.

तमुवाच महातेजा: प्रणम्याभिप्रसाद्य च। ब्रह्मर्षिं तपसा दीप्तं राजर्षिरमितप्रभ:।।1.61.12।। पृष्ट्वा सर्वत्र कुशलमृचीकं तमिदं वच:।

tamuvāca mahātejā: praṇamyābhiprasādya ca| brahmarṣiṃ tapasā dīptaṃ rājarṣiramitaprabha: pṛṣṭvā sarvatra kuśalamṛcīkaṃ tamidaṃ vaca:|

The most brilliant king(Ambarisha) bowing to sage Richika, a brahmarshi who looked extremely resplendent with penance, propitiated him, enquired about the welfare of all and finally said":

गवां शतसहस्रेण विक्रीणीषे सुतं यदि।।1.61.13।। पशोरर्थे महाभाग कृतकृत्योऽस्मि भार्गव।

gavāṃ śatasahasreṇa vikrīṇīṣe sutaṃ yadi paśorarthe mahābhāga kṛtakṛtyo'smi bhārgava|

"O Fortunate descendent of the Bhrigu race if your son is sold as a sacrificial animal in exchange for a hundred thousand cows, my purpose will be answered.

सर्वे परिसृता देशा याज्ञीयं न लभे पशुम्।।1.61.14।। दातुमर्हसि मूल्येन सुतमेकमितो मम।4

sarve parisṛtā deśā yājñīyaṃ na labhe paśum dātumarhasi mūlyena sutamekamito mama|4

I have roamed all countries but could not final the sacrificial animal. Should'nt you spare one of your sons for a price"?

एवमुक्तो महातेजा ऋचीकस्त्वब्रवीद्वच:।।1.61.15।। नाहं ज्येष्ठं नरश्रेष्ठ विक्रीणीयां कथञ्चन।

evamukto mahātejā ṛcīkastvabravīdvaca: nāhaṃ jyeṣṭhaṃ naraśreṣṭha vikrīṇīyāṃ kathañcana|

Thus addressed the exceedingly brilliant Richika said, "O Best among men in no way shall I sell my first born".

ऋचीकस्य वचश्श्रुत्वा तेषां माता महात्मनाम्।।1.61.16।। उवाच नरशार्दूलमम्बरीषं तपस्विनी।

ṛcīkasya vacaśśrutvā teṣāṃ mātā mahātmanām uvāca naraśārdūlamambarīṣaṃ tapasvinī|

Having heard Richika, the miserable mother of great sons, addressed Ambarisha, the foremost of men, saying:

अविक्रेयं सुतं ज्येष्ठं भगवानाह भार्गव:।।1.61.17।। ममापि दयितं विद्धि कनिष्ठं शुनकं नृप। तस्मात्कनीयसं पुत्रं न दास्ये तव पार्थिव ।।1.61.18।।

avikreyaṃ sutaṃ jyeṣṭhaṃ bhagavānāha bhārgava: mamāpi dayitaṃ viddhi kaniṣṭhaṃ śunakaṃ nṛpa| tasmātkanīyasaṃ putraṃ na dāsye tava pārthiva

Venerable descendant of the Bhrugus (sage Richika) said that the eldest son cannot be sold. "O King the youngest son, Sunaka, is my beloved son. You know, O King for that reason I will not give my yougest son".

अविक्रेयं सुतं ज्येष्ठं भगवानाह भार्गव:।।1.61.17।। ममापि दयितं विद्धि कनिष्ठं शुनकं नृप। तस्मात्कनीयसं पुत्रं न दास्ये तव पार्थिव ।।1.61.18।।

avikreyaṃ sutaṃ jyeṣṭhaṃ bhagavānāha bhārgava: mamāpi dayitaṃ viddhi kaniṣṭhaṃ śunakaṃ nṛpa| tasmātkanīyasaṃ putraṃ na dāsye tava pārthiva

Venerable descendant of the Bhrugus (sage Richika) said that the eldest son cannot be sold. "O King the youngest son, Sunaka, is my beloved son. You know, O King for that reason I will not give my yougest son".

प्रायेण हि नरश्रेष्ठ ज्येष्ठा: पितृषु वल्लभा:। मातृ़णां तु कनीयांसस्तस्माद्रक्षे कनीयसम् ।।1.61.19।।

prāyeṇa hi naraśreṣṭha jyeṣṭhā: pitṛṣu vallabhā:| mātṛ़ṇāṃ tu kanīyāṃsastasmādrakṣe kanīyasam

"O Best among men generally, the eldest sons are the favourites of their fathers, the youngest their mothers: For that reason, I shall keep my youngest son.

उक्तवाक्ये मुनौ तस्मिन् मुनिपत्न्यां तथैव च। शुनश्शेफस्स्वयं राम मध्यमो वाक्यमब्रवीत्।।1.61.20।।

uktavākye munau tasmin munipatnyāṃ tathaiva ca| śunaśśephassvayaṃ rāma madhyamo vākyamabravīt

O Rama the sage and his wife having spoken thus, their middle son Sunassepha said on his own:

पिता ज्येष्ठमविक्रेयं माता चाह कनीयसम्। विक्रीतं मध्यमं मन्ये राजन् पुत्रं नयस्व माम्।।1.61.21।।

pitā jyeṣṭhamavikreyaṃ mātā cāha kanīyasam| vikrītaṃ madhyamaṃ manye rājan putraṃ nayasva mām

O King my father says his eldest son cannot be sold, mother says that her youngest son cannot be spared. From this I think middle son is already sold away. Therefore, take me"

गवां शतसहस्रेण शुनश्शेफं नरेश्वर:। गृहीत्वा परमप्रीतो जगाम रघुनन्दन ।।1.61.22।।

gavāṃ śatasahasreṇa śunaśśephaṃ nareśvara:| gṛhītvā paramaprīto jagāma raghunandana

"O Delight of the Raghus (Rama) having purchased Sunassepha for a hundred thousands of cows the king refurned immensely pleased.