THE VALMIKI RAMAYANA

BALA KANDA

p#Tm:    sgI:      CANTO   1
kTas|XEp: - STORY IN BRIEF
tp:ÞvaÒyay¢nrt|    tpÞv£    va¢Âvda|    vrm¯ ,
nard|    p¢rpp#ÅC    vaÚm£¢km¤I¢np¤Äñvm¯    .1.

tp:

austerities

ÞvaÒyay

engaged in the study of scriptures

¢nrt|

continuously

tpÞv£

ardent student

va¢Âvda|

among those of excellent articulation

vrm¯

superb

nard|

(of) Narada

p¢rpp#ÅC

reverentially besought

vaÚm£¢k:

Valmiki

m¤¢np¤Äñvm¯

(of) the best among seers

The   ascetic   Valmiki   made   reverential   enquiries   of   Narada, who was   ever engaged   in   penance   and   the   study   of   scriptures,   best   among   transmitters of   knowledge   and   by   nature   given   to   contemplation   (1).

kaE    Óv¢Þmn¯    saØp#t|    laEkE    g¤Nvan¯    kà    v£yIvan¯ ,
DmIMà    k]tMà    sÏyvaÀyaE    Fv#t:    .2.

who

n¤

certainly

A¢Þmn¯

in this

saØp#t|

presently

laEkE

world

g¤Nvan¯

posited with all auspicious qualities

k:	who (again)

and

v£yIvan¯

valorous

DmIM:

knower of values

and

k]tM:

possessed of gratitude

and

sÏyvaÀy:

of truthful speech

Fv#t:

of firm resolve

'In   this   world, presently,   who   possesses   all   auspicious   qualities,
valour in   battle,   knowledge   of   values, sense of   gratitude, truthful   speech   andfirm   resolve   ?     (2).
ca¢ræOEN    c    kaE    y¤³:    svIB¥tEx¤    kaE    ¢ht: ,
¢v¹an¯    k:    k:    smTIà    kàWk¢p#ydSIn:    .3.

ca¢ræOEN

by character

and

who

y¤³:

endowed

svI

all

B¥tEx¤

beings

k:	who (again)

¢ht:

benefactor

¢v¹an¯

one of knowledge

who

k:	who (again)

smTI:

competent

and

k:	who (further)

and

ek:

the only

¢p#y:

of pleasing

dSIn:

disposition

Again,   who   is   endowed   with   immaculate   character, who   is   the   benefactor of   all   living   beings,who   is   knowledgeable, competent in
work   and   the   only one   of   pleasing   disposition   (3).
AaÏmvan¯    kaE    ¢jt@aEDaE    ï¤¢tman¯    kaE{ns¥yk: ,
kÞy    ¢v×y¢t    dEvaà    jatraExÞy    s|y¤gE    .4.

AaÏmvan¯

courageous

who

¢jt@aED:

with ire conquered

ï¤¢tman¯

radiant

k:	who (again)

Ans¥yk:

devoid of jealousy

kÞy

whose

¢v×y¢t

tremble with fear

dEva:

the gods

and

jatraExÞy

when inflamed with anger

s|y¤gE

in battle

Who, again, is   courageous,   has   quelled   his   anger, exudes   radiance,   bereft   of jealousy   and   on   seeing   whom   inflamed   with   anger   in
the   battlefield even   the   gods   shake   with   fear        (4).

et¢dÅCaØyh|    ½aEt¤|    pr|    kaWt¥hl|    ¢h    mE ,
mhxI    Ïv|    smTaI{¢s    åOat¤mEv|¢vD|    nrm¯    .5.

ett¯

(about) this

iÅCa¢m

desire

Ah|

½aEt¤|

to hear (from you)

pr|

great

kaWt¥hl|

eagerness

¢h

doubtless

mE	on my part

mhxI

O! revered sage!

Ïv|

You

smTI:

competent

A¢s

(alone) are

åOat¤|

to be aware of

ev|

of this

¢vD|

description

nrm¯

man

I   am   desirous   of   hearing   about   all   this,   as   I   am greatly curious.
O!   Great   sage!   you   alone   are   capable   of   being   aware of a man   answering this   description   (5).

½¤Ïva    cWtt¯    ¢æOlaEkåOaE    vaÚm£kEnaIrdaE    vc: ,
½¥yta¢m¢t    camn¯y    p#¶¾aE    vaÀymb#v£t¯    .6.

½¤Ïva

upon hearing

and

ett¯

this

¢æOlaEkåO:

knower of the happenings in the three worlds

vaÚm£kE:

of Valmiki

nard:

Narada

vc:

words

½¥yta|

listen

i¢t

thus

and

Aamn¯y

having instructed

p#¶¾:

joyous state

vaÀy|

(the following) words

Ab#v£t¯

said

On   hearing   these   words   of   Valmiki,   the   knower   of   all   about the   three worlds,   the   revered   Narada   told   Valmiki,   `May   you   listen'
and   with   a gladdened   heart   spoke   the   following   (6).

bhvaE    Ñ¤lIBaàWv    yE    Ïvya    k£¢tIta    g¤Na: ,
m¤nE    vßyaØyh|    b¤ÑGva    tWy¤I³:    ½¥yta|    nr:    .7.

bhv:

many

Ñ¤lIBa:

rare

and

ev	definitely

whichever

Ïvya

by you

k£¢tIta:

mentioned

g¤Na:

good qualities

m¤nE

Oh! sage!

vßya¢m

(I) shall narrate

Ah|

b¤ÑGva

after consideration

tW:

with those (qualities)

y¤³:

endowed with

½¥yta|

may you listen

nr:

man

The   qualities   that   you   have   mentioned   are   many   and   rare   to
be   found. After   consideration   I   shall   tell   you   about   the   man,
Oh!   sage!   who   is endowed   with   them.   Pray   listen   (7).

ißvakv|Sp#BvaE    ramaE    nam    jnW:    ½¤t: ,
¢nytaÏma    mhav£yaI    ï¤¢tmaÓD¦¢tman¯    vS£    .8.

ißvakv|S

of Iksvaku lineage

p#Bv:

born of

ram:

Rama

nam

by name

jnW:

by the people

½¤t:

known

¢nytaÏma

of subjugated senses

mhav£yI:

of great valour

ï¤¢tman¯

full of charming radiance

D¦¢tman¯

doing the right thing at the right time

vS£

having control over mind

Spoken   of   by   the   people   as   `Rama'   and   born   in   the   dynasty
of   Iksvaku, is   the   man   possessed   of   control   over   his   senses,
great   valour,   charming radiance, capacity   to   do   the   right   thing
at   the   right   time   and   total subjugation   of   his   mind   (8).
b¤¢ÑGma°£¢tman¯    vaÂm£    ½£man¯    SæO¤¢nbhIN: ,
¢vp¤la|saE    mhabah^:    kØb¤g#£vaE    mhahn¤:    .9.

b¤¢ÑGman¯

endowed with wisdom

n£¢tman¯

dispenser of justice

vaÂm£

of persuasive speech

½£man¯

possessed of wealth

SæO¤

enemies

¢nbhIN:

destroyer of

¢vp¤la|s:

of broad shoulders

mhabah^:

of srtong arms

kØb¤g#£v:

of conchshaped neck

mhahn¤:

chubby cheeks

(He   is   further)   endowed   with   wisdom,   total   judicial   disposition,
persuasive   speech,   prosperity,   prowess   to   destroy   his   enemies,
of   broad shoulders,   strong   arms,   conch-shaped   neck and chubby cheeks (9).
mhaErÞkaE    mhEÝvasaE    g¥FjæO¤r¢rÓdm: ,
Aajan¤bah^:    s¤¢Sra:    s¤llaz:    s¤¢v@m:    .10.

mhaErÞk:

of expansive chest

mhEÝvas:

great archer

g¥FjæO¤:

muscle-covered clavicles

A¢rÓdm:

suppresser of foes

Aajan¤bah^:

of long arms

¢Sra:

well-proportioned head

llaz:

of handsome forehead

¢v@m:

of lovely gait

(He is further possessed of) expansive chest, muscle-covered
shoulder bones, long arms, well-proportioned head, handsome forehead, lovely gait and is a suppressor of foes and a great archer (10).
PROCEED TO NEXT SLOKAS RETURN TO INDEX OF BALA KANDA