Bala Kanda, Sarga 66

तत: प्रभाते विमले कृतकर्मा नराधिप:। विश्वामित्रं महात्मानं आजुहाव सराघवम्।।1.66.1।।

tata: prabhāte vimale kṛtakarmā narādhipa:| viśvāmitraṃ mahātmānaṃ ājuhāva sarāghavam

The day dawned bright and clear when the king (Janaka) performed his daily routine rites and welcomed the great Viswamitra with the two Raghavas (Rama and Lakshmana).

तमर्चयित्वा धर्मात्मा शास्त्रदृष्टेन कर्मणा। राघवौ च महात्मानौ तदा वाक्यमुवाच ह।।1.66.2।।

tamarcayitvā dharmātmā śāstradṛṣṭena karmaṇā| rāghavau ca mahātmānau tadā vākyamuvāca ha

The virtuous Janaka paid respects to Viswamitra and the highsouled Rama and Lakshmana in accordance with the sastras and spoke:

भगवन् स्वागतं तेऽस्तु किं करोमि तवानघ। भवानाज्ञापयतु मामाज्ञाप्यो भवता ह्यहम्।।1.66.3।।

bhagavan svāgataṃ te'stu kiṃ karomi tavānagha| bhavānājñāpayatu māmājñāpyo bhavatā hyaham

"Welcome, O Venerable one O Irreproachable one what can I do for you? Worthy of being commanded, I seek your orders.

एवमुक्तस्स धर्मात्मा जनकेन महात्मना। प्रत्युवाच मुनिर्वीरं वाक्यं वाक्यविशारद:।।1.66.4।।

evamuktassa dharmātmā janakena mahātmanā| pratyuvāca munirvīraṃ vākyaṃ vākyaviśārada:

At the words of the magnanimous Janaka, the virtuous sage wellversed in speech replied to the heroic king:

पुत्रौ दशरथस्येमौ क्षत्रियौ लोकविश्रुतौ। द्रुष्टुकामौ धनु श्श्रेष्ठं यदेतत्वयि तिष्ठति।।1.66.5।।

putrau daśarathasyemau kṣatriyau lokaviśrutau| druṣṭukāmau dhanu śśreṣṭhaṃ yadetatvayi tiṣṭhati

Dasaratha's sons, (Rama and Lakshmana), kshatriyas renowned in the world are eager to see that great bow in your possession.

एतद्दर्शय भद्रं ते कृतकामौ नृपात्मजौ। दर्शनादस्य धनुषो यथेष्टं प्रतियास्यत:।।1.66.6।।

etaddarśaya bhadraṃ te kṛtakāmau nṛpātmajau| darśanādasya dhanuṣo yatheṣṭaṃ pratiyāsyata:

Be blessed. Show this great bow to the princes. This is their desire. Once it is fulfilled, they will go back.

एवमुक्तस्तु जनक: प्रत्युवाच महामुनिम्। श्रूयतामस्य धनुषो यदर्थमिह तिष्ठति।।1.66.7।।

evamuktastu janaka: pratyuvāca mahāmunim| śrūyatāmasya dhanuṣo yadarthamiha tiṣṭhati

Thus addressed by the mighty ascetic Janaka replied, "I shall tell you how this bow came to be deposited here".

देवरात इति ख्यातो निमेष्षष्ठो महीपति:। न्यासोऽयं तस्य भगवन् हस्ते दत्तो महात्मना।।1.66.8।।

devarāta iti khyāto nimeṣṣaṣṭho mahīpati:| nyāso'yaṃ tasya bhagavan haste datto mahātmanā

"O Adorable one there was a famous king named Devarata, sixth in line from Nimi. This bow was kept with him in trust by the exalted lord (Shiva).

दक्षयज्ञवधे पूर्वं धनुरायम्य वीर्यवान्। रुद्रस्तु त्रिदशान् रोषात्सलीलमिदमब्रवीत्।।1.66.9।।

dakṣayajñavadhe pūrvaṃ dhanurāyamya vīryavān| rudrastu tridaśān roṣātsalīlamidamabravīt

Earlier at the time of destruction of Daksha's sacrifice, Rudra endowed with great prowess lifted this bow sportively and spoke to the gods.

यस्माद्भागार्थिनो भागान्नाकल्पयत मे सुरा:। वराङ्गाणि महार्हाणि धनुषा शातयामि व:।।1.66.10।।

yasmādbhāgārthino bhāgānnākalpayata me surā:| varāṅgāṇi mahārhāṇi dhanuṣā śātayāmi va:

'O gods in your anxiety to partake your share of the sacrifie, you have failed to provide mine in the sacrificial offerings. Therefore, I shall sever your jewelled heads and beautiful limbs with this bow'.

ततो विमनसस्सर्वे देवा वै मुनिपुङ्गव। प्रसादयन्ति देवेशं तेषां प्रीतोऽभवद्भव:।।1.66.11।।

tato vimanasassarve devā vai munipuṅgava| prasādayanti deveśaṃ teṣāṃ prīto'bhavadbhava:

"O Eminent ascetic thereafter all the gods with agitated minds propitiated lord of the gods, Siva and he was pleased with them.

प्रीतियुक्तस्स सर्वेषां ददौ तेषां महात्मनाम्। तदेतद्देवदेवस्य धनूरत्नं महात्मन:। न्यासभूतं तदा न्यस्तमस्माकं पूर्व के विभो।।1.66.12।।

prītiyuktassa sarveṣāṃ dadau teṣāṃ mahātmanām| tadetaddevadevasya dhanūratnaṃ mahātmana:| nyāsabhūtaṃ tadā nyastamasmākaṃ pūrva ke vibho

O Lord that gem of a bow belonging to Siva was given to the great gods who in turn got it deposited in trust with our ancestor.

अथ मे कृषत: क्षेत्रं लाङ्गूलादुत्थिता मया। क्षेत्रं शोधयता लब्धा नाम्ना सीतेति विश्रुता।।1.66.13।।

atha me kṛṣata: kṣetraṃ lāṅgūlādutthitā mayā| kṣetraṃ śodhayatā labdhā nāmnā sīteti viśrutā

Thereupon while I was ploughing and cleaing the (sacrificial) ground, Sita, a wellknown name, was lifted up by the blade of the plough. Thus she was obtained by me.

भूतलादुत्थिता सा तु व्यवर्धत ममात्मजा। वीर्यशुल्केति मे कन्या स्थापितेयमयोनिजा।।1.66.14।।

bhūtalādutthitā sā tu vyavardhata mamātmajā| vīryaśulketi me kanyā sthāpiteyamayonijā

Arisen from the earth and not from a mother's womb, she grew up as my daughter. I made a stipulation that (this shall be the means to win this maiden as a gift) this shall be given in marriage only to the prince whose prowess is fully tried.

भूतलादुत्थितां तां तु वर्धमानां ममात्मजाम्। वरयामासुरागम्य राजानो मुनिपुंगव।।1.66.15।।

bhūtalādutthitāṃ tāṃ tu vardhamānāṃ mamātmajām| varayāmāsurāgamya rājāno munipuṃgava

O Eminent ascetic arisen from the earth and reared as my daughter, she has been sought after in marriage by many princes.

तेषां वरयतां कन्यां सर्वेषां पृथिवीक्षिताम्। वीर्यशुल्केति भगवन् न ददामि सुतामहम्।।1.66.16।।

teṣāṃ varayatāṃ kanyāṃ sarveṣāṃ pṛthivīkṣitām| vīryaśulketi bhagavan na dadāmi sutāmaham

O Worshipful one all those monarchs sought this maiden but I did not offer my daughter saying that the 'marriage offer' could be made only through the tried and tested prowess of a suitor.

ततस्सर्वे नृपतय स्समेत्य मुनिपुंगव। मिथिलामभ्युपागम्य वीर्यजिज्ञासवस्तदा।।1.66.17।।

tatassarve nṛpataya ssametya munipuṃgava| mithilāmabhyupāgamya vīryajijñāsavastadā

O Preeminent among ascetics thereafter many kings together came to Mithila to test their prowess.

तेषां जिज्ञासमानानां वीर्यं धनुरुपाहृतम्। न शेकुर्ग्रहणे तस्य धनुषस्तोलनेऽपि वा।।1.66.18।।

teṣāṃ jijñāsamānānāṃ vīryaṃ dhanurupāhṛtam| na śekurgrahaṇe tasya dhanuṣastolane'pi vā

The bow was brought and placed before those who were curious to test their strength but none was able to grasp or lift the bow.

तेषां वीर्यवतां वीर्यमल्पं ज्ञात्वा महामुने । प्रत्याख्याता नृपतयस्तन्निबोध तपोधन।।1.66.19।।

teṣāṃ vīryavatāṃ vīryamalpaṃ jñātvā mahāmune | pratyākhyātā nṛpatayastannibodha tapodhana

O great ascetic I knew those mighty kings had little strength, so rejected them.

तत: परमकोपेन राजानो नृपपुङ्गव। न्यरुंधन्मिथिलां सर्वे वीर्यसंदेहमागता:।।1.66.20।।

tata: paramakopena rājāno nṛpapuṅgava| nyaruṃdhanmithilāṃ sarve vīryasaṃdehamāgatā:

O Mighty ascetic, thereafter all the kings doubting their own strength in stringing the bow were inflamed with anger and laid siege on Mithila.

आत्मानमवधूतं ते विज्ञाय नृपपुङ्गवा:। रोषेण महताऽऽविष्टा: पीडयन्मिथिलां पुरीम्।।1.66.21।।

ātmānamavadhūtaṃ te vijñāya nṛpapuṅgavā:| roṣeṇa mahatā''viṣṭā: pīḍayanmithilāṃ purīm

Those eminent kings felt humiliated. Inflamed with anger, they tormented the city of Mithila.

ततस्संवत्सरे पूर्णे क्षयं यातानि सर्वश:। साधनानि मुनिश्रेष्ठ ततोऽहं भृशदु:खित:।।1.66.22।।

tatassaṃvatsare pūrṇe kṣayaṃ yātāni sarvaśa:| sādhanāni muniśreṣṭha tato'haṃ bhṛśadu:khita:

O Best among ascetics thus one year passed. Everywhere in the city all the means of living were exhausted. I felt deeply sad over this situation.

ततो देवगणान् सर्वान् तपसाऽहं प्रसादयम्। ददुश्च परमप्रीता श्चतुरङ्गबलं सुरा:।।1.66.23।।

tato devagaṇān sarvān tapasā'haṃ prasādayam| daduśca paramaprītā ścaturaṅgabalaṃ surā:

Thereafter, I propitiated the gods by my austerities. Highly pleased, they gave me an army of four divisions (chariots, elephants, horses and infantry ).

ततो भग्ना नृपतयो हन्यमाना दिशो ययु:। अवीर्या वीर्यसन्दिग्धा स्सामात्या: पापकर्मण:।।1.66.24।।

tato bhagnā nṛpatayo hanyamānā diśo yayu:| avīryā vīryasandigdhā ssāmātyā: pāpakarmaṇa:

Then those wicked kings who were exhausted were doubtful about their energy. They were beaten and defeated. They fled away along with their ministers in different directions.

तदेतन्मुनिशार्दूल धनु: परमभास्वरम्। रामलक्ष्मणयोश्चापि दर्शयिष्यामि सुव्रत।।1.66.25।।

tadetanmuniśārdūla dhanu: paramabhāsvaram| rāmalakṣmaṇayoścāpi darśayiṣyāmi suvrata

O Sage you are a tiger among asceties, you are faithful to your vows, I shall show this effulgent bow to your Rama and Lakshmana .

यद्यस्य धनुषो राम: कुर्यादारोपणं मुने। सुतामयोनिजां सीतां दद्यां दाशरथेरहम्।।1.66.26।।

yadyasya dhanuṣo rāma: kuryādāropaṇaṃ mune| sutāmayonijāṃ sītāṃ dadyāṃ dāśaratheraham

O Sage if Rama could lift and string this bow I shall give my daughter Sita, not born from a woman, to him (son of Dasaratha)". इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीय आदिकाव्ये बालकाण्डे षट्षष्टितमस्सर्ग:।। Thus ends the sixtysixth sarga of Balakanda of the holy Ramayana the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.