--- title: "Uttara Kanda, Sarga 4" canonical: "https://ramayana.com/valmiki-ramayana/uttara-kanda/sarga-4" lang: "en" --- # Uttara Kanda, Sarga 4 > श्रुत्वागस्त्येरितं वाक्यं रामो विस्मयमागतः। > कथमासीत् तु लङ्कायां सम्भवो रक्षसां पुरा॥ १॥ Rāma was struck with surprise on hearing the words spoken by Agastya. ‘How did it happen that the Rākṣasas lived in Laṅkā even before Viśravā?’ (1) > ततः शिरः कम्पयित्वा त्रेताग्निसमविग्रहम्। > तमगस्त्यं मुहुर्दृष्ट्वा स्मयमानोऽभ्यभाषत॥ २॥ Shaking his head and repeatedly looking at Agastya, whose lustre was equal to that of the three fires (Dakṣiṇāgni, Gārhapatya and Āhavanīya), Śrī Rāma spoke the following words smilingly: (2) > भगवन् पूर्वमप्येषा लङ्काऽऽसीत् पिशिताशिनाम्। > श्रुत्वेदं भगवद्वाक्यं जातो मे विस्मयः परः॥ ३॥ ‘Revered Sir, hearing Your Holiness’ words that Laṅkā belonged to the demons even before, I am greatly surprised. (3) > पुलस्त्यवंशादुद्भूता राक्षसा इति नः श्रुतम्। > इदानीमन्यतश्चापि सम्भवः कीर्तितस्त्वया॥ ४॥ “We have heard it said that the origin of the Rākṣasas was from the progeny of Pulastya. But now their descent is traced by you to another source. (4) > रावणात् कुम्भकर्णाश्च प्रहस्ताद् विकटादपि। > रावणस्य च पुत्रेभ्यः किं नु ते बलवत्तराः॥ ५॥ “Were they more powerful than Rāvaṇa, Kumbhakarṇa, Prahasta, Vikaṭa and Rāvaṇa’s sons? (5) > क एषां पूर्वको ब्रह्मन् किं नामा च बलोत्कटः। > अपराधं च कं प्राप्य विष्णुना द्राविताः कथम्॥ ६॥ “Who was their ancestor, O Brāhmaṇa, what was the name of that powerful being? For what offence and how were they driven out by Lord Viṣṇu? (6) > एतद् विस्तरतः सर्वं कथयस्व ममानघ। > कुतूहलमिदं मह्यं नुद भानुर्यथा तमः॥ ७॥ “O sinless one, tell me all about this in detail and remove this curiosity of mine as the sun dispels darkness.” (7) > राघवस्य वचः श्रुत्वा संस्कारालंकृतं शुभम्। > अथ विस्मयमानस्तमगस्त्यः प्राह राघवम्॥ ८॥ “Hearing these beautiful and polished words of Rāghava, Agastya, feeling rather surprised, addressed the following words to him: (8) > प्रजापतिः पुरा सृष्ट्वा अपः सलिलसम्भवः। > तासां गोपायने सत्त्वानसृजत् पद्मसम्भवः॥ ९॥ “Prajāpati, born of the causal water and of the lotus (sprung from the navel of Lord Viṣṇu), created the waters of the ocean in the days of yore and then created living beings for their protection. (9) > ते सत्त्वाः सत्त्वकर्तारं विनीतवदुपस्थिताः। > किं कुर्म इति भाषन्तः क्षुत्पिपासाभयार्दिताः॥ १०॥ “Tormented by fear born of hunger and thirst, these living beings approached the creator in all humility and asked: ‘What shall we do?’ (10) > प्रजापतिस्तु तान् सर्वान् प्रत्याह प्रहसन्निव। > आभाष्य वाचा यत्नेन रक्षध्वमिति मानद॥ ११॥ Addressing them in so many words, O bestower of honour, Prajāpati said as though laughing: ‘Protect the waters with all effort.’ (11) > रक्षाम इति तत्रान्यैर्यक्षाम इति चापरैः। > भुक्षिताभुक्षितैरुक्तस्ततस्तानाह भूतकृत्॥ १२॥ > रक्षाम इति यैरुक्तं राक्षसास्ते भवन्तु वः। > यक्षाम इति यैरुक्तं यक्षा एव भवन्तु वः॥ १३॥ “Of those who were hungry and thirsty, some said, ‘We shall protect’ and the others said, ‘We shall adore.’ Then the creator told them, ‘Let those of you who said, ‘We shall protect’ become Rākṣasas and those of you who said, ‘We shall adore’ become Yakṣas.’ (12-13) > तत्र हेतिः प्रहेतिश्च भ्रातरौ राक्षसाधिपौ। > मधुकैटभसंकाशौ बभूवतुररिंदमौ॥ १४॥ “There were two brothers, Heti and Praheti, leaders of the Rākṣasas and the scourge of their enemies, compeers of Madhu and Kaiṭabha. (14) > प्रहेतिर्धार्मिकस्तत्र तपोवनगतस्तदा। > हेतिर्दारक्रियार्थे तु परं यत्नमथाकरोत्॥ १५॥ “Of them, Praheti, given to the practice of Dharma, then repaired to a forest retreat used as a place for performing Tapas. Heti made great efforts to secure a wife. (15) > स कालभगिनीं कन्यां भयां नाम महाभयाम्। > उदावहदमेयात्मा स्वयमेव महामतिः॥ १६॥ “Highly intelligent and indefatigable, he married on his own initiative the sister of Yama, Bhayā by name, who inspired great terror (because of her being a sister of Kāla). (16) > स तस्यां जनयामास हेती राक्षसपुंगवः। > पुत्रं पुत्रवतां श्रेष्ठो विद्युत्केशमिति श्रुतम्॥ १७॥ “Heti, the best of Rākṣasas begot of her a son known as Vidyutkeśa, and came to be recognized as the foremost of those blessed with sons. (17) > विद्युत्केशो हेतिपुत्रः स दीप्तार्कसमप्रभः। > व्यवर्धत महातेजास्तोयमध्य इवाम्बुजम्॥ १८॥ “Vidyutkeśa, the son of Heti, who was of great lustre like the blazing sun, grew up as a lotus in the midst of water. (18) > स यदा यौवनं भद्रमनुप्राप्तो निशाचरः। > ततो दारक्रियां तस्य कर्तुं व्यवसितः पिता॥ १९॥ “When that Rākṣasa attained blooming youth, his father exerted himself for getting him married. (19) > संध्यादुहितरं सोऽथ संध्यातुल्यां प्रभावतः। > वरयामास पुत्रार्थं हेती राक्षसपुंगवः॥ २०॥ “Heti, the best of Rākṣasas, forthwith selected for his son, the daughter of Sandhyā, equal in majesty to Sandhyā herself. (20) > अवश्यमेव दातव्या परस्मै सेति संध्यया। > चिन्तयित्वा सुता दत्ता विद्युत्केशाय राघव॥ २१॥ “Thinking that her daughter had necessarily to be given to another, Sandhyā gave her away in marriage to Vidyutkeśa, O Rāghava ! (21) > संध्यायास्तनयां लब्ध्वा विद्युत्केशो निशाचरः। > रमते स तया सार्धं पौलोम्या मघवानिव॥ २२॥ “Having secured (Sālakaṭaṅkaṭā) the daughter of Sandhyā, Vidyutkeśa, the said Rākṣasa, revelled with her as Indra does with Paulomī. (22) > केनचित्त्वथ कालेन राम सालकटङ्कटा। > विद्युत्केशाद् गर्भमाप घनराजिरिवार्णवात्॥ २३॥ “In course of time, O Śrī Rāma, Sālakaṭaṅkaṭā thereupon conceived a child through Vidyutkeśa even as a mass of clouds would draw water from the ocean. (23) > ततः सा राक्षसी गर्भं घनगर्भसमप्रभम्। > प्रसूता मन्दरं गत्वा गङ्गा गर्भमिवाग्निजम्। > समुत्सृज्य तु सा गर्भं विद्युत्केशरतार्थिनी॥ २४॥ > रेमे तु सार्धं पतिना विस्मृत्य सुतमात्मजम्। > उत्सृष्टस्तु तदा गर्भो घनशब्दसमस्वनः॥ २५॥ “The Rākṣasī repaired to the slopes of Mount Mandara and gave birth to a son, brilliant like lightning, even as Goddess Gaṅgā delivered the offspring (of Lord Śiva) released by Agni. Desiring to revel with Vidyutkeśa, she delivered the child and revelled with her husband, forgetting all about her own child. Deserted by her, the baby then rumbled like a cloud. (24-25) > तयोत्सृष्टः स तु शिशुः शरदर्कसमद्युतिः। > निधायास्ये स्वयं मुष्टिं रुरोद शनकैस्तदा॥ २६॥ “Putting the fist into the mouth itself, the child left by her, who was equal in lustre to the autumnal sun, gently cried. (26) > ततो वृषभमास्थाय पार्वत्या सहितः शिवः। > वायुमार्गेण गच्छन् वै शुश्राव रुदितस्वनम्॥ २७॥ “Lord Śiva, mounted on his bull and proceeding by air in the company of Pārvatī, thereupon heard the sound of crying. (27) > अपश्यदुमया सार्धं रुदन्तं राक्षसात्मजम्। > कारुण्यभावात् पार्वत्या भवस्त्रिपुरसूदनः॥ २८॥ > तं राक्षसात्मजं चक्रे मातुरेव वयःसमम्। > अमरं चैव तं कृत्वा महादेवोऽक्षरोऽव्ययः॥ २९॥ “Mahādeva, the undecaying and imperishable, the destroyer of Tripura, saw the crying child of the Rākṣasa, and due to the compassion felt by Umā, the daughter of Himavān, made the Rākṣasa’s son grow up to the age of his mother and made him also immortal. (28-29) > पुरमाकाशगं प्रादात् पार्वत्याः प्रियकाम्यया। > उमयापि वरो दत्तो राक्षसीनां नृपात्मज॥ ३०॥ > सद्योपलब्धिर्गर्भस्य प्रसूतिः सद्य एव च। > सद्य एव वयःप्राप्तिं मातुरेव वयःसमम्॥ ३१॥ “To please Pārvatī, Śiva gave him a flying city; Umā also gave to the Rākṣasa woman the boon of instantaneous conception, instantaneous delivery and instantaneous growing up of the child to the age of its mother. (30-31) > ततः सुकेशो वरदानगर्वितः > श्रियं प्रभोः प्राप्य हरस्य पार्श्वतः। > चचार सर्वत्र महान् महामतिः > खगं पुरं प्राप्य पुरंदरो यथा॥ ३२॥ “Then the great and intelligent Sukeśa, obtaining from Lord Śiva, both wealth and the city that could fly in the air, became haughty by reason of the boon of immortality and roamed about everywhere like Indra.” (32) Book: https://ramayana.com/valmiki-ramayana --- Source: Gita Press, Gorakhpur editions. Buy the book: https://gitapress.org/product/sri-ramcharitmanas-special-edition Ramayana.com, a free, ad-free project of Ved Vyas Foundation.