Bala Kanda, Sarga 29

Meaning

Hearing the question of Śrī Rāma, who though possessed of infinite glory made inquiries as above, the highly glorious Viśwāmitra proceeded to make answer as follows : (1)

Meaning

“Here in this very grove, O mighty-armed Rāma, Lord Viṣṇu, the adored of all gods, who is noted for His exceptional asceticism, stayed for hundreds of revolutions of the four Yugas and many more years for practising austerities and Yoga (concentration of mind). Here stands the former hermitage of Lord Vāmana, the divine Dwarf—who is no other than the Supreme Spirit—known by the name of Siddhāśrama; for it was here that Lord Viṣṇu, who is noted for his great asceticism, realized His end prior to His descent in the form of Vāmana. It was during this very period that King Bali, the son of Virocana and grandson of Prahlāda, ruled over the kingdom of Indra and became well-known in all the three worlds, having thoroughly conquered the hosts of gods including Indra, their ruler, as well as the forty-nine wind-gods. (2—5)

Meaning

“The very mighty Bali, the ruler of demons, who was exceptionally great, initiated a sacrifice. While Bali was proceeding with the sacrifice, the gods alongwith Agni, the god of fire, who headed them, personally met Lord Viṣṇu, who had been practising austerities in this very hermitage and submitted to Him as follows : (6)

Meaning

“ ‘Bali, the son of Virocana, O omnipresent Lord, has commenced a great sacrifice. Let the object of Your proteges (gods) be fully accomplished while he has not yet concluded his sacred observance. (7)

Meaning

‘To those who approach him from here and there with some solicitation, he duly gives whatever object they ask and of whatever category. (8)

Meaning

‘Therefore, assuming the semblance of a dwarf by establishing contact with Māyā (the energy which veils Your true nature and invests You with a seemingly human or mortal character) for the sake of doing good to gods, be pleased to serve our best interest.’ (9)

Meaning

“In the meantime, O Rāma, the delighter of all, there appeared on the scene Sage Kaśyapa, resplendent as fire, accompanied by his wife, Aditi, as though glowing with his incarnate glory. (10)

Meaning

Having concluded his sacred observance extending over a thousand celestial years (equivalent to three hundred and sixty thousand human years), in the company of his wife, the glorious sage eulogized Lord Viṣṇu, the Destroyer of the demon Madhu, who was disposed to confer a boon on him as follows : (11)

Meaning

‘By virtue of my asceticism duly practised I am able to behold the Supreme Person in You, endowed as You are with abundant asceticism, a repository of asceticism, nay, asceticism incarnate and consisting of asceticism itself. (12)

Meaning

I perceive this entire creation consisting of animate and inanimate beings in Your body, O Lord ! You are without beginning and indescribable. I have sought You as my refuge. (13)

Meaning

Full of joy Śrī Hari replied as follows to the sage Kaśyapa, who had shaken off all impurities: ‘Ask of Me a boon of your choice, may good betide you; for you are considered by Me as deserving of favour.’ (14)

Meaning

Hearing the aforesaid reply of the Lord, Kaśyapa, the son of Marīci, submitted, ‘Highly satisfied as You are, and disposed to confer a boon, O Lord of noble vows, be pleased to grant the favour solicited by Aditi, my wife, and gods as well as by myself. Assume the role of a son to me as also to Aditi, O sinless Lord ! (15-16)

Meaning

‘Be a younger brother to Indra, O Destroyer of demons ! You ought in reality to render help to gods who are stricken with grief at the loss of their kingdom. (17)

Meaning

‘By Your grace in the form of Your holy presence here this place will be known by the name of Siddhāśrama. Your undertaking in the form of austerities having been successfully concluded, O Ruler of gods, shift Yourself to our abode from this place, O Lord !’ (18)

Meaning

“Now the exceptionally glorious Lord Viṣṇu took His descent through Aditi and, assuming the form of the divine Dwarf, sought the presence of Bali (the son of Virocana, Prahlāda’s son). (19)

Meaning

“Asking of him ground which could be covered by three strides and accepting the offer of land granted by him, the Lord, who sought to have all the three worlds, devoted as He was to the good of the entire creation, covered all the three worlds in three strides, by His all-pervading form and, taming Bali by His divine might, restored them to the great Indra. In this way, the Lord, who is possessed of exceptional glory, placed all the three worlds once more under the lordship of Indra. (20-21)

Meaning

“By that very Lord was this hermitage trodden in the remote past and is accordingly capable of ending the toils of transmigration. It is through devotion to the aforesaid Lord Vāmana alone that this hermitage is being occupied by me too. (22)

Meaning

“Ogres interfering with our religious observances make inroads into this hermitage and at this very juncture, O tiger among men, the aforesaid Rākṣasas of wicked conduct deserve to be killed by you. (23)

Meaning

“Now let us make our way, O Rāma, to the said Siddhāśrama, unsurpassed by others. The site of this hermitage, my darling, is as much yours, too, as mine since you are none else than Lord Viṣṇu, to whom it originally belonged.” (24)

Meaning

Having said so and taking Śrī Rāma alongwith Lakṣmaṇa by the hand, the great sage, Viśwāmitra, entered the limits of the hermitage, full of great delight. While doing so, he shone brightly as the moon free from fog, accompanied by the two stars constituting the constellation Punarvasu. (25)

Meaning

Seeing him come after a long time, with the two distinguished guests, all the hermits dwelling in the hermitage sprang up in a flurry one after another and paid their homage to Viśwāmitra. (26)

Meaning

They offered worship to the wise Viśwāmitra according to his deserts and likewise offered hospitality to the two princes, Śrī Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa. (27)

Meaning

Having rested a while, the two princes, the scions of Raghu, who were capable of subduing the enemy, forthwith submitted to Viśwāmitra, a tiger among sages, with folded hands as follows : (28)

Meaning

“God bless you ! Go through the ceremony of consecration for the sacrificial performance this very day, O jewel among sages ! Let this Siddhāśrama prove to be an abode of success and thereby justify its name and let your word that the ogres deserve to be killed by me (vide verse 23 above) come true.” (29)

Meaning

Addressed in these words by the two brothers, the highly glorious and eminent Ṛṣi, Viśwāmitra, who had curbed his senses and mind and was observing sacred vows, forthwith went through the ceremony of consecration for the sacrificial performance going to be undertaken by him. (30)

Meaning

Having reposed during that night with a calm and composed mind and rising at dawn next morning, the two lads, who resembled Skanda and Viśākha, the two sons of Lord Śiva, and were exceedingly pure by nature offered prayer to the morning twilight after getting purified through bath etc., and having finished the Japa (recitation) of the holy Gāyatrī, the foremost of Mantras, according to rules, greeted Viśwāmitra, who was sitting at ease having mentally* poured oblations into the sacred fire. (31-32)