He   (king   Dasaratha),who   was   of   such   excellences,   full   of   righteousness, high-souled   and   with   a   deep   longing   for   a   son,
did   not   have   one,   who would   ensure continuity  of his lineage (1).
 
¢cÓtyanÞy   tÞyEy|   b¤¢ÑGras£ÓmhaÏmn:   .
s¤taTI|   va¢jmEDEn   ¢kmTI|   n   yjaØyhm¯   ¡2¡

¢cÓtyanÞy

the one who was in anxious despondency

tÞy

his

iy|	of this type

b¤¢ÑG:

thought

Aas£t¯

arose

mhaÏmn:

of the highsouled one

s¤taTI|

for the sake of a son

va¢jmEDEn

by performing Vajimedham (Aswa Medha)

¢kmTI|

for what reason

n

not

yja¢m

perform sacrifice

Ahm¯

I

 
While   in   anxious   despondency,   this   idea   occured   to that   high-souled   one, viz.   why   should   I   not   perform   a   horse   sacrifice   for   the  sake   of   a   son   ?   (2).
 
s¤¢n¢àta|   m¢t|   k]Ïva   y¾Ûy¢m¢t   b¤¢ÑGman¯   .
m¢ÓæO¢B:   sh   DmaIÏma   svIrEv   k]taÏm¢B:   ¡3¡

s¤¢n¢àta|

of firm resolve

m¢t|

thought

k]Ïva

having arrived

y¾Ûy|

sacrifice is to be performed

i¢t

thus

b¤¢ÑGman¯

that wise one

m¢ÓæO¢B:

(with) the ministers

sh	in the company of

DmaIÏma

soul of righteousness

svI:

by all

ev

verily

k]taÏm¢B:

by the competent

 
ttaE{b#v£¢dd|   raja   s¤mÓæO|   m¢ÓæOsäOmm¯   .
S£G#many   mE   svaIn¯   g¤ã|Þtan¯   sp¤raE¢htan¯   ¡4¡

tt:

thereupon

Ab#v£t¯

said

id|

this

raja

king

s¤mÓæO|

to Sumantra

m¢ÓæOsäOmm¯

best among ministers

S£G#|

fast (immediately)

Aany

fetch

mE

my

svaIn¯

all

g¤ãn¯

acharyas (teachers)

tan¯

those

sp¤raE¢htan¯

along with the priests

 
s¤yåO|   vamdEv|   c   jaba¢lmT   kaÜypm¯   .
 p¤raE¢ht|   v¢s¿|   c   yE   caÓyE   ¢¹jsäOma:   ¡5¡

s¤yåO|

Suyajna

vamdEv|

Vamadeva

c

and

jaba¢l|

Jabali

AT

moreover

kaÜypm¯

Kashyapa

p¤raE¢ht|

priest

v¢s¿|

Vasishta

c

and

yE

whoever

c

and

AÓyE

other

¢|b:¹jsäOma:     |?b: noble brahmins  
That   king   who   was   wise   and   the   very   soul   of   righteousness,   having   arrived at   the   firm   resolve   that   `the   sacrifice   must   be   performed',   thereupon   told the   best   among   the   ministers   Sumantra,   thus:   `Bring   here   quickly   those   who are   my   preceptors,  Suyajna,   Vamadeva,   Jabali   and   Kashyapa,   along   with   the priests,   my
personal   priest   Vasishta,   the   other   Brahmins   who   are   worthy
of  respect   and   all   the   ministers   who   are   capable'   (3-5).
 
tt:   s¤mÓæOÞÏv¢rt|   gÏva   Ïv¢rt¢v@m:   .
smanyt¯   s   tan¯   ¢vp#an¯   smÞtan¯   vEdpargan¯   ¡6¡

tt:

thereupon

s¤mÓæO:

Sumantra

Ïv¢rt|

quickly

gÏva

going

Ïv¢rt¢v@m:

with quick steps

smanyt¯

brought

s:

he

tan¯

those

¢vp#an¯

sages

smÞtan¯

who were together

vEdpargan¯

wellversed in the vedas (reached the other shore, as itwere, of vedic lore)

Upon   this,   that   fleet-footed   Sumantra,   proceeding   fast,   fetched those knowledgeable   persons   who   were   together   and   who   had   reached   the   other shore,   as   it   were,   of   the   vedic   lore   (6).
 
tan¯   p¥j¢yÏva   DmaIÏma   raja   dSrTÞtda   .
id|   DmaITIs¢ht|   ÜlßN|   vcnmb#v£t¯   ¡7¡

tan¯

those

p¥j¢yÏva

paying respects

DmaIÏma

righteous person

raja

king

dSrT:

Dasaratha

tda

then

id|

this

DmaITIs¢ht|

full of righteousness

ÜlßN|

sweet

vcn|

words

Ab#v£t¯

uttered

 
Then,   that   righteous   sovereign  Dasaratha,  after  having  offered them worshipful   reverence,   uttered   the   following   words   brimming   with righteousness   in   a   pleasing   manner   (7).
 
mm   lalÔymanÞy   p¤æOaTI|   na¢Þt   vW   s¤Km¯   .
tdTI|   hymEDEn   yßyam£¢t   m¢tmIm       ¡8¡

mm

to me

lalÔymanÞy

longing for (pining for)

p¤æOaTI|

for the sake of a son

na¢Þt

not

vW

verily

s¤Km¯

happiness

tdTI|

for that purpose

hymEDEn

by horse sacrifice (Hayamedha, i.e. Aswamedha)

yßya¢m

I have to perform sacrifice

i¢t

that

m¢t:

opinion

mm

mine

tdh|   y¾¤¢mÅCa¢m   SaÞæO¾En   kmINa   .
kT|   p#ap¯ÞyaØyh|   kam|   b¤¢ÑGræO   ¢vcayItam¯   ¡9¡

tt¯

therefore

Ah|

I

y¾¤|	to perform sacrifice

iÅCa¢m

desire

SaÞæO¾En

as (seen) in the shastras

kmINa

ritual

kT|	in what way

p#ap¯Þya¢m

may attain

Ah|

I

kam|

desire

b¤¢ÑG:

method

AæO	in this matter

¢vcayItam¯

may it be thought over

`I   have   no   happiness,   the   one   who   is   pining   for   a   son. For  that   purpose,   I am   of   the   view   that   I   should   performthe   Aswamedha   sacrifice.   Therefore I   desire   to   perform   the sacrifice   through   the   rituals   prescribed   in   the scriptures.   May you   ponder   over   this   matter   in   such   a   way   that   I   may attain   my  desire   (8-9).
 
saD¤   sa¢Òv¢t   t¹aÀy|   b#a'Na:   p#Ïyp¥jyn¯   .
v¢s¿p#m¤Ka:   svI   pa¢TIvÞy   m¤KE¢rtm¯   .
Uc¤à   prmp#£ta:   svI   dSrT|   vc:   ¡10¡

saD¤

`good'

saD¤

`good'

i¢t

as

tt¯

those

vaÀy|

words

b#a'Na:

the brahmins

p#Ïyp¥jyn¯

acclaimed

v¢s¿p#m¤Ka:

with sage Vasishta in the lead

svI

all

pa¢TIvÞy

of the king

m¤KE¢rtm¯

orally articulated

Uc¤:

said

c

and

prmp#£ta:

extremely joyous

svI

all

dSrT|

Dasaratha

vc:

words