Bala Kanda, Sarga 61

Meaning

“Perceiving the aforesaid Ṛṣis, who dwelt in woods, about to depart, the highly glorious Viśwāmitra, O Rāma (a tiger among men), now spoke to them all in the following words : (1)

Meaning

“This great impediment in the shape of Triśaṅku has come over the southern quarter. Hence we shall seek another quarter and practise askesis there. (2)

Meaning

“We shall smoothly practise asceticism in the woods by the side of the Puṣkara lakes in the extensive western region, O high-souled ones; for delightful is that forest meant for austerities.” (3)

Meaning

Having spoken thus, the great sage, Viśwāmitra, who was highly glorious, began to practise severe asceticism, which was difficult to put down, living on roots and fruits alone. (4)

Meaning

At this very time the great king of Ayodhyā, known by the name of Ambarīṣa, for his part began to perform a horse-sacrifice. (5)

Meaning

Even while he was carrying on his sacrificial performance, Indra stole away the sacrificial animal: so it is said. The animal having mysteriously disappeared, the arch-priest officiating at the sacrifice, addressed the following words to the king : (6)

Meaning

“The sacrificial animal brought here, O king, has disappeared through your negligence. Sins accruing from such negligence destroy the king who fails to guard his sacrifice, O ruler of men ! (7)

Meaning

“(Hunt out and) quickly bring (back), O jewel among men, the lost animal or a human beast as a substitute before the sacrifice actually commences ; for such is the principal atonement (prescribed by the scriptures) for the sin incurred by you through the loss of the consecrated animal.” (8)

Meaning

Hearing the injunction of the family priest, and taking with him thousands of cows for being given in exchange on demand, that highly intelligent king, a veritable jewel among men, searched for a human beast to be sacrificed in place of the sacrificial horse. Carrying on his search for the stolen horse as well as for a human substitute through different principalities and their subdivisions, cities, woodlands and holy hermitages, the aforesaid king, O dear Rāma (a scion of Raghu), saw at close quarters, on Mount Bhṛgutuṅga (a mountain-peak associated with Sage Bhṛgu, one of the nine mind-born sons of Brahmā), the sage Ṛcīka sitting at ease with his sons and wife : so the tradition goes. (9—11)

Meaning

Bowing low to him and thereby securing his goodwill and also inquiring after his all-round welfare, the highly glorious Ambarīṣa, a royal sage, who was possessed of infinite splendour, addressed the following submission to that sage Ṛcīka, aglow with spiritual energy acquired through askesis : “If for a lakh of cows you agree to sell one of your sons in my favour for being used as a sacrificial animal, O highly blessed one, I shall feel accomplished of purpose, O scion of Bhṛgu ! All territories have been ransacked by me, but I have not yet recovered the sacrificial horse. (12—14)

Meaning

“Be pleased, therefore, to deliver one of these sons to me for consideration.” Requested thus by the king, the highly glorious sage Ṛcīka for his part spoke as follows : (15)

Meaning

“I am not prepared to sell my eldest boy on any account, O jewel among men !” Hearing the answer of Ṛcīka (her husband), the mother of those high-minded boys addressed the following words to Ambarīṣa, a tiger among men : “The venerable Ṛcīka (a scion of Sage Bhṛgu) declares our eldest son as too precious to be sold. (16-17)

Meaning

“Know Śunaka too, the youngest, to be my favourite, O lord! Therefore, I shall not hand over my youngest son to you, O ruler of the earth ! (18)

Meaning

“For, as a general rule, O jewel among men, eldest sons are the pets of their fathers; while the youngest are the darlings of their mothers. Hence I shall retain the youngest.” (19)

Meaning

The sage having replied as above and his wife too having spoken even as she had done, O Rāma, Śunaḥśepa, the middle one, uttered the following words of his own accord : (20)

Meaning

“Father pronounces the eldest to be unsaleable and mother speaks of the youngest as such. I thereby conclude the middle one, i.e., myself, to be worthy of being disposed of. Take me away, therefore, O king (a king’s son yourself) !” (21)

Meaning

Taking Śunaḥśepa at once with him in exchange for tens of millions of silver and gold coins, heaps of precious stones and a lakh of cows at the end of the aforesaid utterance of the Brāhmaṇa boy, who was an expositor of the Vedas, O mighty-armed Rāma (a scion of Raghu), King Ambarīṣa, a ruler of men, departed, highly pleased. (22-23)

Meaning

Quickly placing Śunaḥśepa in his chariot, the exceedingly glorious and highly illustrious Ambarīṣa, a royal sage, hurriedly left for his capital. (24)