Bala Kanda, Sarga 34

Meaning

The aforesaid Brahmadatta having left after being married, O scion of Raghu, Kuśanābha, who had no male issue, embarked upon a sacrifice intended to procure a son with the object of securing a male issue. (1)

Meaning

In the meantime, while the sacrifice was actually going on, the highly magnanimous Kuśa, the father of Kuśanābha and son of Brahmā (the creator) prophesied to King Kuśanābha as follows : (2)

Meaning

“ ‘A most pious son, worthy of you, will be born to you, my son! You will have Gādhi for your son and thereby attain undying glory in the world.’ (3)

Meaning

“Informing King Kuśanābha accordingly, O Rāma, Kuśa withdrew to the immortal Satyaloka (the realm of Brahmā, from which he had obviously come), coursing through the airspace. (4)

Meaning

“After sometime indeed a most pious son, Gādhi by name, the very name given by Kuśa, was born to the wise Kuśanābha. (5)

Meaning

“That exceedingly pious man, Gādhi by name, was my father, O descendant of Kakutstha ! And descended in the line of Kuśa, I am known as Kauśika, O scion of Raghu ! (6)

Meaning

“I had an elder sister too, of noble vows, known by the name of Satyavatī and given away to the sage, Ṛcīka. (7)

Meaning

“Following as she did, the wishes of her husband throughout her life, my sister bodily ascended to heaven and later on turned into a most beneficent and delightful great river—Kauśikī (the modern Kosi), flowing by the side of the Himalayas, unearthly in character, whose waters confer merit on those using it—and is thus engaged in doing good to the world. (8-9)

Meaning

“Full of affection for my sister, I had been happily leading a life of self-discipline since then by the side of the Himalayas on the banks of the Kauśikī, O scion of Raghu ! (10)

Meaning

“That pious and highly blessed lady, Satyavatī, who was established in the virtue of truthfulness and exclusively devoted to her husband, is still extant in the form of Kauśikī, the foremost of rivers. (11)

Meaning

“Leaving that river I came down to the plains because of my vow to perform a sacrifice at some consecrated spot and arrived at Siddhāśrama, where I got accomplished of my purpose by dint of your glory (might). (12)

Meaning

“In this way has been told by me my birth from the loins of Gādhi, the genesis of my race (from Kuśa, son of Brahmā) and the history of the land of Girivraja extending along the bank of the Sona, which you asked me in particular, O mighty-armed Rāma ! (13)

Meaning

“Half of the night has passed in my narrating past episodes, O scion of Kakutstha ! Peace be with you ! Now go to sleep. Let there be no interference in this journey of ours due to torpor caused by sleeplessness. (14)

Meaning

“All the trees are motionless, the beasts and birds are buried in sleep and the quarters stand enveloped in the darkness of night, O scion of Raghu ! (15)

Meaning

“The evening twilight has gradually receded and the firmament, thick set with lunar mansions and other stars, is shinning with the heavenly bodies as though covered with innumerable eyes. (16)

Meaning

“The moon, which dispels the darkness of the world at night, is just rising*, diffusing its cool rays and delighting the minds of all living beings in the world by its soothing and refreshing splendour. (17)

Meaning

“All nocturnal beings, viz., fearful hosts of Yakṣas and Rākṣasas as well as fiends (feeding on raw flesh) are freely roaming here and there.” (18)

Meaning

Saying so, the exceptionally glorious and great sage Viśwāmitra, became silent and all the aforesaid sages, who accompanied him, applauded him saying “Well spoken ! Good !! (19)

Meaning

“Great is this race of Kuśa and ever given to righteousness too. The high-souled kings descended in the line of Kuśa have been as good as Brāhmaṇa Ṛṣis. (20)

Meaning

“You, O highly illustrious Viśwāmitra, who have attained Brahmanhood by dint of your austerities, are particularly so. And Kauśikī, the foremost of rivers, has added to the lustre of your race.” (21)

Meaning

Extolled thus by the foremost of sages, who were full of delight, the glorious Viśwāmitra, the son of Gādhi, a scion of Kuśa, fell asleep even as the sun sinks below the horizon. (22)

Meaning

Glorifying Viśwāmitra, a tiger among sages, Śrī Rāma too, who felt a bit amazed to hear the family history of Viśwāmitra, courted sleep alongwith Lakṣmaṇa, son of Sumitrā. (23)