---
title: "Bala Kanda, Sarga 38"
canonical: "https://ramayana.com/valmiki-ramayana/bala-kanda/sarga-38"
lang: "en"
---

# Bala Kanda, Sarga 38

> तां कथां कौशिको रामे निवेद्य मधुराक्षराम्।  
> पुनरेवापरं वाक्यं काकुत्स्थमिदमब्रवीत्॥ १॥

Having narrated to Śrī Rāma in sweet accents the aforesaid story, Viśwāmitra, a scion of Kuśa, further related the following other narrative to the scion of Kakutstha. (1)

> अयोध्याधिपतिर्वीर पूर्वमासीन्नराधिपः।  
> सगरो नाम धर्मात्मा प्रजाकामः स चाप्रजः॥ २॥

“In the days of old, O heroic Rāma, there was a king, Sagara by name, who ruled over Ayodhyā, and whose mind was given to piety. And being issueless he longed for progeny. (2)

> वैदर्भदुहिता राम केशिनी नाम नामतः।  
> ज्येष्ठा सगरपत्नी सा धर्मिष्ठा सत्यवादिनी॥ ३॥

“A daughter of the king of Vidarbha, known by the name of Keśinī, O Rāma, was the eldest wife of Sagara. She was extremely pious and truthful. (3)

> अरिष्टनेमेर्दुहिता सुपर्णभगिनी तु सा।  
> द्वितीया सगरस्यासीत् पत्नी सुमतिसंज्ञिता॥ ४॥

“The second wife of Sagara was named as Sumati. She was really speaking a daughter of the sage Ariṣṭanemi (nicknamed Kaśyapa) and a sister of Suparṇa (another name of Garuḍa, the king of birds and the carrier of Lord Viṣṇu). (4)

> ताभ्यां सह महाराजः पत्नीभ्यां तप्तवांस्तपः।  
> हिमवन्तं समासाद्य भृगुप्रस्रवणे गिरौ॥ ५॥

“Having reached the Himālaya mountain, the great king practised asceticism on an offshoot of the Himālayas, Bhṛgu-Prasravaṇa by name, alongwith his aforesaid two wives. (5)

> अथ वर्षशते पूर्णे तपसाऽऽराधितो मुनिः।  
> सगराय वरं प्रादाद् भृगुः सत्यवतां वरः॥ ६॥

“Propitiated by his askesis, the sage Bhṛgu (a mind-born son of Brahmā), the foremost of the votaries of truth, conferred a boon on Sagara when a hundred years had been completed. (6)

> अपत्यलाभः सुमहान् भविष्यति तवानघ।  
> कीर्तिं चाप्रतिमां लोके प्राप्स्यसे पुरुषर्षभ॥ ७॥

“He said, ‘good many sons will be born to you, O sinless one, and you will attain unequalled fame in the world, O jewel among men ! (7)

> एका जनयिता तात पुत्रं वंशकरं तव।  
> षष्टिं पुत्रसहस्राणि अपरा जनयिष्यति॥ ८॥

“ ‘One wife of yours will bear you a son that will perpetuate your race, O dear one; while the other will give birth to sixty thousand sons.’ (8)

> भाषमाणं महात्मानं राजपुत्र्यौ प्रसाद्य तम्।  
> ऊचतुः परमप्रीते कृताञ्जलिपुटे तदा॥ ९॥

“Propitiating that exalted soul, the sage Bhṛgu, while he was speaking as aforesaid, the two princesses, the daughters of the king of Vidarbha and the sage Kaśyapa, a king of sages, respectively, who were supremely delighted to hear of the boon granted by him, submitted on that occasion with folded hands as follows : (9)

> एकः कस्याः सुतो ब्रह्मन् का बहूञ्जनयिष्यति।  
> श्रोतुमिच्छावहे ब्रह्मन् सत्यमस्तु वचस्तव॥ १०॥

“We wish to hear by which of us will be borne a single son and which, O holy one, will give birth to many. Let your prediction be true, O sage !” (10)

> तयोस्तद् वचनं श्रुत्वा भृगुः परमधार्मिकः।  
> उवाच परमां वाणीं स्वच्छन्दोऽत्र विधीयताम्॥ ११॥

“Hearing that question of theirs, the supremely pious Bhṛgu gave the following excellent reply : ‘Let your own will be enforced in this matter. (11)

> एको वंशकरो वास्तु बहवो वा महाबलाः।  
> कीर्तिमन्तो महोत्साहाः का वा कं वरमिच्छति॥ १२॥

“ ‘In one case there will be a single son that will perpetuate the race and in the other many mighty and renowned sons full of great daring. Which of you would have which boon?’ (12)

> मुनेस्तु वचनं श्रुत्वा केशिनी रघुनन्दन।  
> पुत्रं वंशकरं राम जग्राह नृपसंनिधौ॥ १३॥

“Hearing the sage’s reply, Keśinī, the senior queen, for her part, O scion of Raghu, preferred in the presence of the king a son that would perpetuate the line, O Rāma. (13)

> षष्टिं पुत्रसहस्राणि सुपर्णभगिनी तदा।  
> महोत्साहान् कीर्तिमतो जग्राह सुमतिः सुतान्॥ १४॥

“Thereupon Sumati, Garuḍa’s sister, sought sixty thousand renowned sons full of great daring. (14)

> प्रदक्षिणमृषिं कृत्वा शिरसाभिप्रणम्य तम्।  
> जगाम स्वपुरं राजा सभार्यो रघुनन्दन॥ १५॥

“Going round the sage clockwise and saluting him with his head bent low, the king returned to his capital with his wives, O Rāma ! (15)

> अथ काले गते तस्य ज्येष्ठा पुत्रं व्यजायत।  
> असमञ्ज इति ख्यातं केशिनी सगरात्मजम्॥ १६॥

“Now, when the time was ripe, the senior queen, Keśinī, bore Sagara a son, known by the name of Asamañja, sprung from his loins. (16)

> सुमतिस्तु नरव्याघ्र गर्भतुम्बं व्यजायत।  
> षष्टिः पुत्रसहस्राणि तुम्बभेदाद् विनिस्सृताः॥ १७॥

“Sumati, on the other hand, O tiger among men, brought forth a foetus shaped like a bitter gourd. On the gourd being split up sixty thousand male issues emerged from it. (17)

> घृतपूर्णेषु कुम्भेषु धात्र्यस्तान् समवर्धयन्।  
> कालेन महता सर्वे यौवनं प्रतिपेदिरे॥ १८॥

“The nurses nurtured them placing them in jars full of ghee. After a considerable period of time all attained maturity. (18)

> अथ दीर्घेण कालेन रूपयौवनशालिनः।  
> षष्टिः पुत्रसहस्राणि सगरस्याभवंस्तदा॥ १९॥

“Then after a long time sixty thousand sons endowed with comeliness and youthful vigour now stood by the side of King Sagara. (19)

> स च ज्येष्ठो नरश्रेष्ठ सगरस्यात्मसम्भवः।  
> बालान् गृहीत्वा तु जले सरय्वा रघुनन्दन॥ २०॥  
> प्रक्षिप्य प्राहसन्नित्यं मज्जतस्तान् निरीक्ष्य वै।  
> एवं पापसमाचारः सज्जनप्रतिबाधकः॥ २१॥  
> पौराणामहिते युक्तः पित्रा निर्वासितः पुरात्।  
> तस्य पुत्रोंऽशुमान् नाम असमञ्जस्य वीर्यवान्॥ २२॥  
> सम्मतः सर्वलोकस्य सर्वस्यापि प्रियंवदः।  
> ततः कालेन महता मतिः समभिजायत।  
> सगरस्य नरश्रेष्ठ यजेयमिति निश्चिता॥ २३॥  
> स कृत्वा निश्चयं राजा सोपाध्यायगणस्तदा।  
> यज्ञकर्मणि वेदज्ञो यष्टुं समुपचक्रमे॥ २४॥

“The aforesaid eldest son of Sagara, however, O jewel among men, actually caught hold of infants, O scion of Raghu, everyday and, throwing them into the waters of the Sarayū, openly and heartily laughed to see them drowning. Thus given to sinful conduct and tormenting pious men and intent on doing harm to the citizens, the youth was exiled by his father from the capital. The valiant son of the aforesaid Asamañja, Aṁśumān by name, on the other hand, was beloved of all people and spoke kindly to all. Then after a considerable period of time a firm resolve was made by Sagara that he should perform a sacrifice, O jewel among men ! Having resolved upon a sacrificial performance, the aforesaid king, who was well-versed in the Vedas, made ready that very moment to undertake a sacrifice alongwith the help of his family-priests.” (20—24)

Book: https://ramayana.com/valmiki-ramayana

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