---
title: "Uttara Kanda, Sarga 2"
canonical: "https://ramayana.com/valmiki-ramayana/uttara-kanda/sarga-2"
lang: "en"
---

# Uttara Kanda, Sarga 2

> तस्य तद् वचनं श्रुत्वा राघवस्य महात्मनः।  
> कुम्भयोनिर्महातेजा वाक्यमेतदुवाच ह॥ १॥

Hearing these words of the high-souled Rāghava, Agastya of great lustre, spoke the following words: (1)

> शृणु राम तथा वृत्तं तस्य तेजोबलं महत्।  
> जघान शत्रून् येनासौ न च वध्यः स शत्रुभिः॥ २॥

“O Śrī Rāma, hear of his (Indrajit’s) great valour and strength, by virtue of which he slew his enemies but could not be slain by any. (2)

> तावत् ते रावणस्येदं कुलं जन्म च राघव।  
> वरप्रदानं च तथा तस्मै दत्तं ब्रवीमि ते॥ ३॥

“Meanwhile I shall tell you, O Rāghava, about the family of Rāvaṇa, of his birth, of the boons that were granted to him and how. (3)

> पुरा कृतयुगे राम प्रजापतिसुतः प्रभुः।  
> पुलस्त्यो नाम ब्रह्मर्षिः साक्षादिव पितामहः॥ ४॥

“O Śrī Rāma, in the remote Kṛtayuga there lived a famous and powerful Brahmarṣi, Pulastya by name, a son of Brahmā and the very like of the creator himself. (4)

> नानुकीर्त्या गुणास्तस्य धर्मतः शीलतस्तथा।  
> प्रजापतेः पुत्र इति वक्तुं शक्यं हि नामतः॥ ५॥

“It is not possible to praise the qualities pertaining to his righteousness and character. They speak for themselves when it is just stated that he was a son of the creator. (5)

> प्रजापतिसुतत्वेन देवानां वल्लभो हि सः।  
> इष्टः सर्वस्य लोकस्य गुणैः शुभ्रैर्महामतिः॥ ६॥

“By virtue of his being a son of the creator, he became the favourite of gods; by reason of his pure qualities, this great intellectual endeared himself to all people. (6)

> स तु धर्मप्रसङ्गेन मेरोः पार्श्वे महागिरेः।  
> तृणबिन्द्वाश्रमं गत्वाप्यवसन्मुनिपुङ्गवः॥ ७॥

“That jewel among sages, being an ardent votary of Dharma, went to the hermitage of Tṛṇabindu on the slopes of Mount Meru, and lived there. (7)

> तपस्तेपे स धर्मात्मा स्वाध्यायनियतेन्द्रियः।  
> गत्वाऽऽश्रमपदं तस्य विघ्नं कुर्वन्ति कन्यकाः॥ ८॥  
> ऋषिपन्नगकन्याश्च राजर्षितनयाश्च याः।  
> क्रीडन्त्योऽप्सरसश्चैव तं देशमुपपेदिरे॥ ९॥  
> सर्वर्तुषूपभोग्यत्वाद् रम्यत्वात् काननस्य च।  
> नित्यशस्तास्तु तं देशं गत्वा क्रीडन्ति कन्यकाः॥ १०॥  
> देशस्य रमणीयत्वात् पुलस्त्यो यत्र स द्विजः।  
> गायन्त्यो वादयन्त्यश्च लासयन्त्यस्तथैव च॥ ११॥  
> मुनेस्तपस्विनस्तस्य विघ्नं चक्रुरनिन्दिताः।  
> अथ रुष्टो महातेजा व्याजहार महामुनिः॥ १२॥  
> या मे दर्शनमागच्छेत् सा गर्भं धारयिष्यति।  
> तास्तु सर्वाः प्रतिश्रुत्य तस्य वाक्यं महात्मनः॥ १३॥  
> ब्रह्मशापभयाद् भीतास्तं देशं नोपचक्रमुः।  
> तृणबिन्दोस्तु राजर्षेस्तनया न शृणोति तत्॥ १४॥  
> गत्वाऽऽश्रमपदं तत्र विचचार सुनिर्भया।  
> न चापश्यच्च सा तत्र कांचिदभ्यागतां सखीम्॥ १५॥

“This Dharmātmā, highly self-controlled and intent on studying the Vedas, was performing Tapas (askesis). That place, thickly studded with trees, was quite charming and enjoyable in all the seasons (of the year). That is why maidens belonging to the family of seers, Nāgas and kings, as also celestial nymphs resorted to that region everyday, sang, sported, played on musical instruments, and danced and thus caused obstruction, though in an innocent manner, to the sage, who was performing Tapas. That sage, of great fame, got enraged and said, ‘She, on whom my eyes fall, will become enceinte’. Hearing these words of the high-souled seer, those maidens never came to that place, being afraid of the curse of the Brāhmaṇa. “The daughter of the royal sage, Tṛṇabindu, however, did not hear this and went to the Āśrama and roamed about fearlessly, but did not see any of her companions arrived. (8—15)

> तस्मिन् काले महातेजाः प्राजापत्यो महानृषिः।  
> स्वाध्यायमकरोत् तत्र तपसा भावितः स्वयम्॥ १६॥

“At that time that great seer, a son of the creator and of great lustre, was studying the Vedas. He had been rendered lustrous by strict discipline (Tapas). (16)

> सा तु वेदश्रुतिं श्रुत्वा दृष्ट्वा वै तपसो निधिम्।  
> अभवत् पाण्डुदेहा सा सुव्यञ्जितशरीरजा॥ १७॥

“She heard the recitation of the Vedas and also saw the repository of Tapas. With a clear indication of pregnancy, she became pale all over the body at once. (17)

> बभूव च समुद्विग्ना दृष्ट्वा तद्दोषमात्मनः।  
> इदं मे किंत्विति ज्ञात्वा पितुर्गत्वाऽऽश्रमे स्थिता॥ १८॥

“Seeing that transformation, she became extremely anxious. Saying to herself, ‘I do not understand what this means !’ she then went to her father’s Āśrama and stood before him. (18)

> तां तु दृष्ट्वा तथाभूतां तृणबिन्दुरथाब्रवीत्।  
> किं त्वमेतत्त्वसदृशं धारयस्यात्मनो वपुः॥ १९॥

“Seeing her thus changed’ Tṛṇabindu said, ‘How does it happen that your body looks unlike itself?’ (19)

> सा तु कृत्वाञ्जलिं दीना कन्योवाच तपोधनम्।  
> न जाने कारणं तात येन मे रूपमीदृशम्॥ २०॥

“That maiden, very dispirited, spoke with folded hands to the repository of Tapas: ‘Father I do not know the reason for this change in my body. (20)

> किं तु पूर्वं गतास्म्येका महर्षेर्भावितात्मनः।  
> पुलस्त्यस्याश्रमं दिव्यमन्वेष्टुं स्वसखीजनम्॥ २१॥

‘Prior to this I went alone to the charming Āśrama of the great seer, Pulastya, the knower of the Self, in search of my companions. (21)

> न च पश्याम्यहं तत्र कांचिदभ्यागतां सखीम्।  
> रूपस्य तु विपर्यासं दृष्ट्वा त्रासादिहागता॥ २२॥

‘But I did not see anyone of them in that place. I, however, noticed this change in my bodily form and have come here in trepidation.’ (22)

> तृणबिन्दुस्तु राजर्षिस्तपसा द्योतितप्रभः।  
> ध्यानं विवेश तच्चापि अपश्यदृषिकर्मजम्॥ २३॥

Tṛṇabindu, the royal sage, glowing with lustre arising from his Tapas, went into meditation and discovered that it was the work of the seer. (23)

> स तु विज्ञाय तं शापं महर्षेर्भावितात्मनः।  
> गृहीत्वा तनयां गत्वा पुलस्त्यमिदमब्रवीत्॥ २४॥

Learning of the curse of Pulastya, the great seer, who had realized his Self, and taking hold of his daughter, he went to him and said: (24)

> भगवंस्तनयां मे त्वं गुणैः स्वैरेव भूषिताम्।  
> भिक्षां प्रतिगृहाणेमां महर्षे स्वयमुद्यताम्॥ २५॥

“ ‘O venerable sir, O great seer, deign to accept, as a gift, my daughter, adorned by her own qualities, who has come to you of her own accord. (25)

> तपश्चरणयुक्तस्य श्रम्यमाणेन्द्रियस्य ते।  
> शुश्रूषणपरा नित्यं भविष्यति न संशयः॥ २६॥

“ ‘There is no doubt that she will always do service to you, your limbs being fatigued due to the practice of Tapas.’ (26)

> तं ब्रुवाणं तु तद् वाक्यं राजर्षिं धार्मिकं तदा।  
> जिघृक्षुरब्रवीत् कन्यां बाढमित्येव स द्विजः॥ २७॥

“Desiring to accept her, that Brāhmaṇa said, ‘Yes’, to the virtuous royal sage who spoke as above. (27)

> दत्त्वा तु तनयां राजा स्वमाश्रमपदं गतः।  
> सापि तत्रावसत् कन्या तोषयन्ती पतिं गुणैः॥ २८॥

“After giving his daughter to the sage, the Rājaṛṣi returned to his Āśrama. That maiden stayed there, pleasing her husband by her service. (28)

> तस्यास्तु शीलवृत्ताभ्यां तुतोष मुनिपुङ्गवः।  
> प्रीतः स तु महातेजा वाक्यमेतदुवाच ह॥ २९॥

“That best of seers, of great lustre, was pleased with her conduct and character and out of love, spoke the following words to her: (29)

> परितुष्टोऽस्मि सुश्रोणि गुणानां सम्पदा भृशम्।  
> तस्माद् देवि ददाम्यद्य पुत्रमात्मसमं तव॥ ३०॥  
> उभयोर्वंशकर्तारं पौलस्त्य इति विश्रुतम्।  
> यस्मात् तु विश्रुतो वेदस्त्वयेहाध्ययतो मम॥ ३१॥  
> तस्मात् स विश्रवा नाम भविष्यति न संशयः।  
> एवमुक्ता तु सा देवी प्रहृष्टेनान्तरात्मना॥ ३२॥  
> अचिरेणैव कालेनासूत विश्रवसं सुतम्।  
> त्रिषु लोकेषु विख्यातं यशोधर्मसमन्वितम्॥ ३३॥

“O lady of shapely limbs, I am highly pleased with the wealth of your excellent qualities; therefore, O Devi, I shall give you today a son equal to me in every respect, who will continue my line as well as yours and who will become known as Pulastya. Since you listened to the Vedas as I was reciting them, he will, without doubt be known as Viśravā.” “Hearing these words that lady was inwardly highly pleased, and soon gave birth to a son, Viśravā by name. He became well-known in the three worlds, rich as he was in righteousness and fame. (30—33)

> श्रुतिमान् समदर्शी च व्रताचाररतस्तथा।  
> पितेव तपसा युक्तो ह्यभवद् विश्रवा मुनिः॥ ३४॥

Viśravā, the seer, spent his time in Tapas like his father. He was well-read in the Vedas. He treated all living creatures alike. He was devoted to the observance of holy vows and good conduct. (34)

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

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