Bala Kanda, Sarga 32

Meaning

There was a noble and great ascetic-king of unobstructed vows, Kuśa by name, born of Brahmā, who knew what is right and honoured righteous men. (1)

Meaning

Through his high-born and worthy wife, who hailed from Vidarbha, that exalted soul begot four exceptionally mighty sons becoming of himself, Kuśāmba, Kuśanābha, Asūrtarajasa* and Vasu, who were not only brilliant and possessed of great zeal but were also extremely pious and veracious. With intent to urge them to their duty of protecting people, appropriate to a Kṣatriya, Kuśa said to them, “The duty of protecting people must be done by you. Thereby you will earn unbounded merit.” (2—4)

Meaning

Hearing the admonition of Kuśa all those four jewels among men, who were the noblest in the world, forthwith laid the foundation of four cities. (5)

Meaning

Kuśāmba, who was possessed of exceptional glory, for his part founded the city of Kauśāmbī (named after himself); while Kuśanābha, whose mind was given to piety, built the city named Mahodaya, the modern Kannauja. (6)

Meaning

Asūrtarajasa built a city, Dharmāraṇya by name; while the prince named Vasu built Girivraja, the modern Rajgir, the foremost of all cities. (7)

Meaning

This capital of that high-souled prince, Vasu, was also designated after him as Vasumatī. These five great hills* cast their splendour all round the city of Girivraja, justifying the appellation given to it. (8)

Meaning

The beautiful and celebrated river Sona, which spreads its charm like a garland in the midst of these five prominent hills flows from the west into the territory of Magadha and is accordingly known as the holy Māgadhī. (9)

Meaning

This celebrated river Māgadhī, O Rāma, which flows in an easterly direction and is lined with charming fields on both sides and is thus adorned with rows of crops, is connected with the same high-souled Vasu, O Rāma ! (10)

Meaning

The royal sage Kuśanābha, for his part, whose mind was given to righteousness, O scion of Raghu, begot a hundred daughters, excelled by none, through an Apsarā or celestial nymph named Ghṛtācī. (11)

Meaning

With their comeliness enhanced on their attaining maturity, they for their part would repair to the grounds of the royal garden duly adorned with sandal-paste and flowers etc., and decked with excellent jewels and shining like flashes of lighting during the monsoon, and they experienced supreme delight while singing, dancing and playing on their lutes, O scion of Raghu ! (12-13)

Meaning

Lovely of every limb and peerless on earth in comeliness of form they shone like stars in the midst of clouds on reaching the garden grounds. (14)

Meaning

Seeing them all endowed with excellences and rich in beauty and youth, one day the wind-god, who is bodily present everywhere, addressed the following words to them : (15)

Meaning

“I wish to have you all as my own. You should, therefore, be my wedded wives. The thought that you are human beings should be given up. In this way you will attain a long lease of life. (16)

Meaning

“Indeed youth is ever fleeting, especially in human beings. If you accept me as your husband, you will attain undecaying (abiding) youth and will become immortal.” (17)

Meaning

Hearing the aforesaid proposal of the celebrated wind-god, whose movements are ever unobstructed, and then deriding his offer, all the hundred damsels presently said, “In the form of life-breath you move inside all living beings, O jewel among gods ! And we are aware of your glory, yet we cherish no attraction for you. Why then do you insult us by making an unseemly offer to us? (18-19)

Meaning

“We are all daughters of Kuśanābha, O god, the foremost of all gods ! We can bring you down from your exalted position by pronouncing a curse on you, yet, even though you are a god, we are anxious to preserve our ascetic glory (which is sure to diminish in the event of our cursing you). (20)

Meaning

“Let not that unpropitious hour ever turn up, O evil-minded one, when prompted by lust (our baser nature) we should crave for and accept a match on our own initiative disregarding our veracious father. (21)

Meaning

“For father is our master; nay, he is our supreme deity. He alone will be our husband to whom our father will give us away.” (22)

Meaning

Hearing their insolent and defiant reply, however, the all-pervading wind-god, who is not only glorious and powerful but exceedingly irascible also, entered all their limbs and distorted them. (23)

Meaning

Distorted by the wind-god, the aforesaid maidens returned to the king’s (their father’s) palace. Having entered it, they felt much perturbed and abashed and their eyes were filled with tears. (24)

Meaning

Perplexed to see those beloved and most charming girls deformed and miserable at that moment, the king (Kuśanābha) asked the following question : (25)

Meaning

“What is this strange phenomenon? The whole thing may be related to me; who has violated the principles of justice? By whom have you all been turned hunchbacks and how is it that you are all making gestures and do not utter a word?” Making the aforesaid inquiry and heaving a deep sigh, the king then composed himself in order to hear their reply. (26)