Bala Kanda, Sarga 21

Meaning

Hearing the reply, quoted above, of Daśaratha, marked with faltering accents, expressive of parental affection, Viśwāmitra (descended in the line of Kuśa), full of rage, made the following rebuttal to the king : (1)

Meaning

“Having first promised to grant the object solicited by me, you want to go back upon your word! This breach of promise is unworthy of the scions of Raghu and will prove to be the ruin of this race. (2)

Meaning

“If this is bearable to you, I shall return even as I came without taking Rāma with me. With your promise thus falsified, O scion of Kakutstha, remain at ease in the midst of your relations.” (3)

Meaning

When Viśwāmitra, who was full of wisdom, was seized with fury, the whole earth shook and a grave fear entered the mind of gods. (4)

Meaning

Perceiving the entire world to be greatly alarmed indeed, the great and wise Ṛṣi Vasiṣṭha of noble vows addressed the following words to the king : (5)

Meaning

“Born in the line of the Ikṣwākus, you are the highest virtue personified, as it were. Full of firmness and observing excellent vows, as you do, Your Majesty ought not to abandon righteousness (in the form of fidelity to your word). (6)

Meaning

“A scion of Raghu as you are, celebrated in all the three worlds as one whose mind is given to piety, resort to your innate character, i.e., fidelity to truth. You ought not to embrace unrighteousness in the form of breach of promise. (7)

Meaning

“Merit that has accrued to you from sacrificial performances (culminating in a horse-sacrifice) and works of public utility (like the construction of wells etc.) will be lost if you fail to redeem the promise made by you, having once solemnly declared that you will do a thing. Therefore, send Rāma with him. (8)

Meaning

“The ogres will not be able to overpower him, no matter whether he has mastered archery or not, so long as he is protected by Viśwāmitra (son of Gādhi, a scion of Kuśa) as nectar was guarded by (a belt* of) fire. (9)

Meaning

“Viśwāmitra is piety incarnate; he is the foremost of those endowed with prowess. He is superior in learning to all and is a great repository of asceticism. (10)

Meaning

“He knows the use of the different types of missiles. In all the three worlds including the mobile and immobile creation inhabiting them no other man (than myself) knows him nor shall any other creatures know him, neither gods nor any Ṛṣis nor again the Rākṣasas nor the foremost of the Gandharvas and Yakṣas including the Kinnaras and great Nāgas. (11-12)

Meaning

“All the missiles were formerly born as the most pious sons of Kṛśāśwa (a lord of created beings) and were gifted by Lord Śiva to Viśwāmitra while he ruled over a kingdom. (13)

Meaning

“The aforesaid sons of Kṛśāśwa, born as they were of the daughters of Dakṣa (another lord of created beings), were possessed of varied forms, endowed with extraordinary prowess and full of splendour, and brought victory to him who employed them in his service. (14)

Meaning

“Jayā and Suprabhā, the two aforesaid daughters of Dakṣa, who were both possessed of well-proportioned limbs, gave birth to a hundred most effulgent missiles as well as other weapons. (15)

Meaning

“Of these, Jayā, who had secured a boon (to this effect), got fifty excellent sons, possessed of infinite glory and devoid of form, for the destruction of Asuric (diabolic) forces. (16)

Meaning

“Suprabhā too brought forth fifty more sons, who were exceptionally powerful, hard to overpower, nay difficult even to assail, and collectively known by the name of Saṁhāras (destructive forces). (17)

Meaning

“The son of Gādhi, present before you, who is conversant with the principles of righteousness, not only knows the use of all those missiles as one ought to but is also capable of evolving new ones. (18)

Meaning

“Hence nothing relating to the past and the future is unknown, O scion of Raghu, to this high-souled jewel among the sages, who knows everything concerning Dharma, i.e., virtue. (19)

Meaning

“Of such extraordinary might is the highly renowned and exceptionally glorious Viśwāmitra. You ought not, therefore, to entertain any doubt about sending Śrī Rāma with him, O king ! (20)

Meaning

“Though capable of punishing the Rākṣasas himself, it is for the sake of doing good to your son, Śrī Rāma, that the sage Viśwāmitra (son of Gādhi) has sought you and has solicited him.” (21)

Meaning

Delighted in mind by the aforesaid explanation by sage Vasiṣṭha, King Daśaratha, a jewel among the Raghus, the foremost of kings, whose fame was spread far and wide, felt rejoiced and mentally acquiesced in the act of sending Śrī Rāma (a scion of Raghu) in order to gladden Viśwāmitra (son of Gādhi, a scion of Kuśa). (22)