Bala Kanda, Sarga 18

Meaning

The celebrated Aśwamedha sacrifice, as well as that intended to procure male progeny, performed by the high-souled Emperor, having been concluded, the immortals, who personally attended it, returned even as they had come, after receiving their respective shares of the offerings made in the sacrifices. (1)

Meaning

Having completed the sacred vow of chastity etc., taken at the time of consecration, the king proceeded towards his capital accompanied by his wives and alongwith his servants, army and conveyances. (2)

Meaning

Having been honoured according to their respective rank by the Emperor, who had just concluded his sacrificial performances, the kings too that had assembled for the sacrifice, returned full of delight to their territories bowing low to Vasiṣṭha, Ṛṣyaśṛṅga, Vāmadeva and others (the foremost of sages). (3)

Meaning

Clad in a white uniform (presented by the Emperor) and greatly delighted, the troops of those glorious kings, even as the latter proceeded to their respective homes from that city of Ayodhyā, shone brightly. (4)

Meaning

The kings having dispersed, the glorious King Daśaratha, who had gone out in state to see them off, entered the city once more, placing the foremost of Brāhmaṇas, Vasiṣṭha and others, ahead of all. (5)

Meaning

Duly honoured and being followed (to some distance) by the wise king with his entourage, Ṛṣyaśṛnga too departed with his wife, Śāntā. (6)

Meaning

Having thus sent away all of them, and fully realized his ambition of performing a horse-sacrifice, the king dwelt happily in his own capital, eagerly awaiting the birth of sons (to him). (7)

Meaning

In the meantime six seasons, each consisting of two months, rolled away after the sacrifice was over. Then on the ninth lunar day of the bright fortnight of Caitra, the twelfth month after the conclusion of the sacrifices when the asterism Punarvasu (presided over by Aditi) was in the ascendant and as many as five planets (viz., the Sun, Mars, Saturn, Jupiter and Venus) happened to be exalted (appeared in the zodiacal signs of Meṣa or Aries, Makara or Capricornus, Tulā or Libra, Karka or Cancer and Mīna or Pisces respectively) and Jupiter in conjunction with the Moon appeared in the zodiacal sign of Karka, mother Kausalyā, the eldest wife of Daśaratha, gave birth to a highly blessed son, named Śrī Rāma, who was no other than the Lord of the universe, the adored of all the three worlds, the delight of Ikṣwāku’s race, who represented one-half of Lord Viṣṇu and was endowed with auspicious divine marks in that he had eyes tinged with red, possessed exceptionally long arms and ruddy lips and a voice resembling the sound of a kettledrum. (8—11)

Meaning

Kausalyā shone brightly with that son possessed of immense glory even as Aditi, the mother of gods, with Indra, the wielder of a thunderbolt, the foremost of gods. (12)

Meaning

Next, through the womb of Kaikeyī, the youngest wife of King Daśaratha, was born Bharata, possessed of true valour, who actually represented a quarter of Lord Viṣṇu and was adorned with all divine virtues. (13)

Meaning

Sumitrā, the second wife of King Daśaratha, then gave birth to two (twin) sons, Lakṣmaṇa and Śatrughna, both valiant and skilled in the use of all kinds of missiles and jointly representing a portion one-sixth of Lord Viṣṇu. (14)

Meaning

Bharata of cheerful mind was born when the constellation Puṣya was in the ascendant and the Sun had entered the zodiacal sign of Pisces; while the twin sons of Sumitrā were born when the constellation Āśleṣā was in the ascendant and the sun had reached the meridian, touching the zodiacal sign of Karka (Cancer). (15)

Meaning

The four high-souled sons of the Emperor were born separately, though identical in essence. Endowed with transcendental virtues, they all resembled one another and vied with the four stars comprising the constellations Pūrvā Bhādrapadā and Uttarā Bhādrapadā in splendour. (16)

Meaning

The Gandharvas sang melodiously and bevies of Apsarās (celestial nymphs) danced; nay, the kettledrums of the gods sounded of their own accord and a shower of flowers dropped from the heavens. (17)

Meaning

There was great rejoicing marked with crowds of men in Ayodhyā. Nay, the streets got crowded with actors and dancers and were marked with a great rush of men. (18)

Meaning

The extensive roads in Ayodhyā, which were noisy with the sound of songsters and those who played on musical instruments as well as with that of others such as the chanters of the Vedas, minstrels, bards and panegyrists and were strewn with all kinds of precious stones (thrown by the people in order to signify their admiration for their songs etc.), presented a gala appearance. (19)

Meaning

The king bestowed presents worth giving on the ballad-singers, bards and panegyrists and gave away riches and cows in thousands to Brāhmaṇas. (20)

Meaning

He further performed the naming ceremony with respect to his sons on completing eleven* days (after the birth of Lakṣmaṇa and Śatrughna or thirteen days after the advent of Śrī Rāma, which took place two days earlier). Supremely delighted the sage Vasiṣṭha, on behalf of the king, made the eldest, an embodiment of the Supreme Spirit, known by the name of ‘Rāma’, the son of Kaikeyī by that of ‘Bharata’, the first son of Sumitrā by that of Lakṣmaṇa and the other by that of Śatrughna on that occasion. (21-22)

Meaning

The sage, on behalf of the Emperor, fed the Brāhmaṇas of the capital as well as of the entire kingdom of Kosala and gave away to the said Brāhmaṇas a large heap of shining jewels. (23)

Meaning

He further caused to be performed from time to time with respect to the four princes all purificatory rites commencing from the Jātakarma and ending with Upananyana or investiture with the sacred thread. The eldest of them, Śrī Rāma, proclaimed the greatness of his race like a flag and proved to be the delight of his father. (24)

Meaning

Again, he was esteemed by all created beings as Brahmā, the self-born. All the four princes turned out to be masters of the Vedas and great heroes, and all were intent upon doing good to the people. (25)

Meaning

All were endowed with wisdom and all were adorned with virtues. Śrī Rāma, however, was exceptionally glorious of them all and possessed of true, unfailing prowess. (26)

Meaning

Like the full moon in a clear sky, he was the beloved of all people and was esteemed in the art of riding on elephants and on horseback and in the various processes of driving a chariot. (27)

Meaning

He took delight in the science of archery and was devoted to the service of his father. Lakṣmaṇa, the promoter of fortune of those who sought his protection, was ever deeply attached from his very infancy to his eldest brother, Śrī Rāma, the delight of the world. He gratified the latter in everyway. Lakṣmaṇa, who was rich in splendour, was a second life, as it were, to Śrī Rāma, moving outside his body. Without him Śrī Rāma, the foremost of men, did not have even a wink of sleep, nor did he partake of a dainty dish brought for him without Lakṣmaṇa. Whenever Śrī Rāma, the celebrated scion of Raghu, went out a-hunting, mounted on horseback, Lakṣmaṇa forthwith followed at his heels, armed with a bow and arrows and guarding him on all sides. Śatrughna, the younger brother of Lakṣmaṇa, was dearer to Bharata even than the latter’s own life and Bharata likewise was ever dear to Śatrughna. The said King, Daśaratha, felt supremely delighted with his four highly blessed and beloved sons as Brahmā, the progenitor of the entire creation, with the gods viz., Indra, Varuṇa, Yama and Kubera presiding over the four quarters. When they got enriched with wisdom, they were all adorned with virtues. Nay, they were modest, glorious, all-knowing and far-sighted. King Daśaratha, the father of them all—who were possessed of such unique glory and luminous splendour—felt rejoiced as Brahmā, the ruler of the universe. Those tigers among men too were attached to their Vedic studies, nay, devoted to the service of their parents, and were well-versed in the science of archery. Now, when their studies neared completion, King Daśaratha, whose mind was given to piety, deliberated with his family priests, the sages Vasiṣṭha and Vāmadeva, and relations, such as King Romapāda, about the princes’ marriage. Even while that high-souled monarch was deliberating on the subject in the midst of his counsellors, the great sage Viśwāmitra, who was possessed of unique glory, arrived at the palace of King Daśaratha. Seeking an audience with the king, he addressed the gate-keepers as follows : (28—39)

Meaning

“Inform the king about me, the sage Viśwāmitra belonging to the line of Kuśa, the son of Gādhi, having arrived at his door.” Hearing the aforesaid utterance of the sage and spurred on by that command, all of them ran fast to the king’s apartments with an awe-stricken mind. Reaching the royal apartments at once, they forthwith reported to King Daśaratha (belonging to the line of Ikṣwāku) the news of the sage Viśwāmitra having arrived at the portals. Overjoyed to hear the aforesaid statement of theirs, the king, full of devotion, went forth to receive him alongwith his family priest, Vasiṣṭha, even as Indra would go to meet Brahmā. Seeing the hermit of austere vows and shining with effulgence, the king with a most cheerful countenance thereupon offered to him water to wash his hands with. Accepting the water for washing the hands with and other attentions offered by the king with ceremony, as enjoined by the scriptures, he duly inquired of the king after his health and prosperity. The exceedingly pious sage Viśwāmitra also duly inquired after the welfare of the king’s capital, treasury, kingdom, relations and friends. He then said, “I hope all your vassals—are fully submissive to you and your enemies subdued. (40—46)

Meaning

And are your duties like pouring oblations into the fire in relation to gods and human beings (newcomers) duly discharged?” Nay, meeting (embracing) in the proper order of sequence Vasiṣṭha and those other seers, Vāmadeva and so on, who were present there, he inquired after their welfare: so the tradition goes. Delighted in mind, they all then entered the court of the celebrated king (Daśaratha) and, received with attentions by him, took their seat according to their respective rank. Thrilled with joy the highly magnanimous king then spoke with a delighted mind to the great sage Viśwāmitra, glorifying him as follows : “I consider your advent precisely as welcome as securing nectar in one’s own hands, as rainfall in a waterless tract, as the actual birth of a son, through a wife becoming oneself, to one without a child, as the recovery of a treasure irretrievably lost, or joy proceeding from a festive occasion, O great sage ! I wonder what supreme object of your desire I can delightfully accomplish and how ! (47—52)

Meaning

“You are deserving of every service from me and have called at my place through my good luck, O bestower of honour ! My birth stands fulfilled and my life is blessed today. (53)

Meaning

“My night has culminated in a propitious sunrise in that I have seen the foremost of Brāhmaṇas in you. Formerly distinguished by the appellation ‘Rājarṣi’ (a royal sage), you have since earned the status of a Brahmarṣi (Brāhmaṇa sage), your splendour having been brightened by your asceticism. You are thus worthy of adoration to me in many ways. Your visit to me has been wonderful in that it has proved to be highly purifying for me, O Brāhmaṇa sage !(54-55)

Meaning

“Nay, by virtue of your very sight, O lord, I have visited all sacred places. Pray, tell me what object is sought to be accomplished by you through your advent to my capital. Favoured by you, I wish to promote your cause. You need not entertain any doubt about the success of your mission, O sage of noble vows! (56-57)

Meaning

“I shall fully accomplish your object; for being an honoured guest, you are a veritable god to me. This is an occasion for great rejoicing come to me, as well as to my family O Brāhmaṇa sage, and the highest religious merit proceeding from your visit has fallen to my lot in its entirety, O holy one !” (58)

Meaning

The great sage Viśwāmitra, whose renown occasioned by his excellences had spread far and wide and who was distinguished by his virtues, experienced supreme delight on hearing the aforesaid prayer, which was not only pleasing to the heart but also to the ears, addressed as it was in polite words by the high-souled monarch. (59)