Bala Kanda, Sarga 9

एतच्छ्रुत्वा रहस्सूतो राजानमिदमब्रवीत्। ऋत्विग्भिरुपदिष्टोऽयं पुरावृत्तो मया श्रुत:।।1.9.1।।

etacchrutvā rahassūto rājānamidamabravīt| ṛtvigbhirupadiṣṭo'yaṃ purāvṛtto mayā śruta:

The charioteer tells the king in privacy that he has heard the advice given by the offciating priests.

सनत्कुमारो भगवान्पूर्वं कथितवान्कथाम्। ऋषीणां सन्निधौ राजन् तव पुत्रागमं प्रति।।1.9.2।।

sanatkumāro bhagavānpūrvaṃ kathitavānkathām| ṛṣīṇāṃ sannidhau rājan tava putrāgamaṃ prati

"O king, the divine Sanatkumara had narrated a story about your posterity in the presence of sages.

काश्यपस्यतु पुत्रोऽस्ति विभण्डक इति श्रुत:। ऋष्यशृङ्ग इति ख्यातस्तस्य पुत्रो भविष्यति।।1.9.3।।

kāśyapasyatu putro'sti vibhaṇḍaka iti śruta:| ṛṣyaśṛṅga iti khyātastasya putro bhaviṣyati

Kasyapa has a famous son named Vibhandaka. It was prophesied that he would have a son named Rsyasringa.

स वने नित्यसंवृद्धो मुनिर्वनचरस्सदा । नान्यं जानाति विप्रेन्द्रो नित्यं पित्रनुवर्तनात् ।।1.9.4।।

sa vane nityasaṃvṛddho munirvanacarassadā | nānyaṃ jānāti viprendro nityaṃ pitranuvartanāt

Grown up in the forest and always moving with his father, that sage knows none other than his father.

द्वैविध्यं ब्रह्मचर्यस्य भविष्यति महात्मन:। लोकेषु प्रथितं राजन्विप्रैश्च कथितं सदा।।1.9.5।।

dvaividhyaṃ brahmacaryasya bhaviṣyati mahātmana:| lokeṣu prathitaṃ rājanvipraiśca kathitaṃ sadā

O eminent king, sage Rsyasringa celebrated in the three worlds who practises a twofold brahmacharya life (life of celebacy) described by brahmins (as vratitva and prajapatya).

तस्यैवं वर्तमानस्य कालस्समभिवर्तत । अग्निं शुश्रूषमाणस्य पितरं च यशस्विनम्।।1.9.6।।

tasyaivaṃ vartamānasya kālassamabhivartata | agniṃ śuśrūṣamāṇasya pitaraṃ ca yaśasvinam

Worshipping the firegod and attending on his renowned father, he will spend a long time living in this manner (practising vratitva mode of brahmacharya).

एतस्मिन्नेव काले तु रोमपाद: प्रतापवान्। अङ्गेषु प्रथितो राजा भविष्यति महाबल:।। 1.9.7।।

etasminneva kāle tu romapāda: pratāpavān| aṅgeṣu prathito rājā bhaviṣyati mahābala:

At this time a powerful king Romapada, mighty and celebrated would be living in the country of Anga.

तस्य व्यतिक्रमाद्राज्ञो भविष्यति सुदारुणा । अनावृष्टिस्सुघोरा वै सर्वभूतभयावहा ।।1.9.8।।

tasya vyatikramādrājño bhaviṣyati sudāruṇā | anāvṛṣṭissughorā vai sarvabhūtabhayāvahā

Because of violation of code of conduct by the king, a terrible, dreadful drought frightening all living beings will set in the kingdom.

अनावृष्ट्यां तु वृत्तायां राजा दु:खसमन्वित:। ब्राह्मणान्श्रुतवृद्धांश्च समानीय प्रवक्ष्यति।। 1.9.9।।

anāvṛṣṭyāṃ tu vṛttāyāṃ rājā du:khasamanvita:| brāhmaṇānśrutavṛddhāṃśca samānīya pravakṣyati

With drought prevailing, the griefstricken king, would summon all those grown old with learning and tell them.

भवन्तश्श्रुतधर्माणो लोकचारित्रवेदिन: । समादिशन्तु नियमं प्रायश्चित्तं यथा भवेत् ।।1.9.10।।

bhavantaśśrutadharmāṇo lokacāritravedina: | samādiśantu niyamaṃ prāyaścittaṃ yathā bhavet

You all, conversant with the scriptural duties and well-versed in the ways of the world, instruct me in the religious observance by which expiation may be made.

वक्ष्यन्ति ते महीपालं ब्राह्मणा वेदपारगा:। विभण्डकसुतं राजन्सर्वोपायैरिहानय।।1.9.11।।

vakṣyanti te mahīpālaṃ brāhmaṇā vedapāragā:| vibhaṇḍakasutaṃ rājansarvopāyairihānaya

Those brahmins versed in the Vedas, said, to 'O king bring here Rsyasringa, son of the sage Vibhandaka by all means'.

आनाय्य च महीपाल ऋश्यशृङ्गं सुसत्कृतम्। प्रयच्छ कन्यां शान्तां वै विधिना सुसमाहित: ।।1.9.12।।

ānāyya ca mahīpāla ṛśyaśṛṅgaṃ susatkṛtam| prayaccha kanyāṃ śāntāṃ vai vidhinā susamāhita:

"O monarch, on having brought Rsyasringa here, honour him, and offer him your daughter Santa with due reverence.

तेषां तु वचनं श्रुत्वा राजा चिन्तां प्रपत्स्यते । केनोपायेन वै शक्य इहानेतुं स वीर्यवान् ।।1.9.13।।

teṣāṃ tu vacanaṃ śrutvā rājā cintāṃ prapatsyate | kenopāyena vai śakya ihānetuṃ sa vīryavān

On hearing their words, the king in a thoughtful mood said, 'How can the mighty sage be brought here'?

ततो राजा विनिश्चित्य सह मन्त्रिभिरात्मवान्। पुरोहितममात्यांश्च तत: प्रेष्यति सत्कृतान्।।1.9.14।।

tato rājā viniścitya saha mantribhirātmavān| purohitamamātyāṃśca tata: preṣyati satkṛtān

Thereafter the confident king, having decided, in consultation with his ministers to bring him (Rsyasringa), sent the priest with the counsellors on this mission.

ते तु राज्ञो वचश्श्रुशृत्वा व्यथिता विनतानना:। न गच्छेम ऋषेर्भीता अनुनेष्यन्ति तं नृपम् ।। 1.9.15।।

te tu rājño vacaśśruśṛtvā vyathitā vinatānanā:| na gacchema ṛṣerbhītā anuneṣyanti taṃ nṛpam

On hearing the king's words, distressed and frightened by rishi's power, they appealed to the king, faces bent down, 'We will not go'.

वक्ष्यन्ति चिन्तयित्वा ते तस्योपायांश्च तत्क्षमान्। आनेष्यामो वयं विप्रं न च दोषो भविष्यति।। 1.9.16।।

vakṣyanti cintayitvā te tasyopāyāṃśca tatkṣamān| āneṣyāmo vayaṃ vipraṃ na ca doṣo bhaviṣyati

After thinking about the means to be employed to bring the rishi to the court, they told him they would bring the sage if they are not to blame (in case anything untoward happens).

एवमङ्गाधिपेनैव गणिकाभि: ऋषेस्सुत:। आनीतोऽवर्षयद्देवश्शान्ता चास्मै प्रदीयते।।1.9.17।।

evamaṅgādhipenaiva gaṇikābhi: ṛṣessuta:| ānīto'varṣayaddevaśśāntā cāsmai pradīyate

Thus with the help of courtesans of the king of Anga, when the son of the sage (Rsyasringa) was brought rains followed. The king offered his daughter Santa (in marriage to the sage).

ऋश्यशृङ्गस्तु जामाता पुत्रांस्तव विधास्यति। सनत्कुमारकथितमेतावद्व्याहृतं मया।।1.9.18।।

ṛśyaśṛṅgastu jāmātā putrāṃstava vidhāsyati| sanatkumārakathitametāvadvyāhṛtaṃ mayā

'Risyasringa, your soninlaw, would help you to obtain sons'. Thus said Sanathkumara which I have related to you.

अथ हृष्टो दशरथस्सुमन्त्रं प्रत्यभाषत। यथर्श्यशृङ्गस्त्वानीतो विस्तरेण त्वयोच्यताम्।।1.9.19।।

atha hṛṣṭo daśarathassumantraṃ pratyabhāṣata| yatharśyaśṛṅgastvānīto vistareṇa tvayocyatām

Thereupon Dasaratha, pleased, (with him), said to Sumantra, "Describe in detail the means by which Rsyasringa was brought (to the court of Romapada)". इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीय आदिकाव्ये बालकाण्डे नवमस्सर्ग:।। Thus ends the ninth sarga of Balakanda of the holy Ramayana of the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.