THE VALMIKI RAMAYANA

BALA KANDA

ct¤dIS:  sgI:   Canto 14(Contd)
AámEDyjnm¯     Performance   of   the   Horse-sacrifice
ka¢rtaÞtæO   bhvaE   ¢v¢hta:   SaÞæOdSInat¯   ¡41¡
ka¢rta:        were completed
tæO        there
bhv:        several
¢v¢hta:        as injuncted
SaÞæOdSInat¯        when viewed from the point of view of Shastras

At   that   sacrifice,   all   items   of   work   were   done   as   may   be   perceived   in the   ritualistic   manuals   (41).
 
ÇyaE¢t¾aEmay¤x£   cWvm¢traæOaW   ¢v¢n¢mItaW   .
A¢B¢j¢¹á¢jÅcWvmaçOaEyaImaE   mha@t¤:   .
Ayj¹a¢jmEDEn   ¢dSs¯ÞvklvDIn:   ¡42¡
ÇyaE¢t¾aEm        Jyotishtoma sacrifice
Aay¤x£        Ayushtoma sacrifice
c        and
ev|        as also
A¢traæOaW        two Atiratra sacrifices
¢v¢n¢mItaW        were performed
A¢B¢jt¯        sacrifice named Abhijit
¢vá¢jt¯        sacrifice named Viswajit
ev|        likewise
AaçOaEyaIm:        sacrifice named Aptoryama
c        and
mha@t¤:        the greatest of sacrifices
Ayjt¯        worshipped
va¢jmEDEn        by Aswamedha
¢dS:        directions
ÞvklvDIn:        desiring to expand his lineage (king Dasaratha)

Two   Atiratra,   and   other   sacrifices   named   Jyotistoma,   Ayustoma,   Abhijit, Viswajit   and   the   great   sacrifice   Aptoryama   were   all   performed.   The   king, desirous   of   lineage,   worshipped   the   quarters   through   the horse-sacrifice   (42).
 
p#ac£|   haEæOE   ddaW   raja   ¢dS|   ÞvklvDIn:   .
AÒvryvE   p#t£c£|   t¤   b#'NE   d¢XNa|   ¢dSm¯   ¡43¡
p#ac£|        the eastern quarter
haEæOE        to the Hota
ddaW        gifted
raja        the king
¢dS|        direction
ÞvklvDIn:        intent on expanding his dynasty
AÒvryvE        to the Adhvaryu
p#t£c£|        the western direction
t¤        verily
b#'NE        to the Brahma (supervisor) of the sacrifice
d¢XNa|        the southern
¢dSm¯        direction

uéaæOE   t¤   tTaEd£c£|   d¢XNWxa   ¢v¢n¢mIta   .
AámEDE   mhayåOE   Þvy|B¤¢v¢htE   p¤ra   ¡44¡
uéaæOE          to the Udgata
t¤        was
tTa        moreover
ud£c£|        the northerly quarter
d¢XNa        as fee
exa          this
¢v¢n¢mIta        was gifted
AámEDE        in the Aswamedha
mhayåOE        great sacrifice
Þvy|B¤¢v¢htE        conceptualised by Lord Brahma
p¤ra        in the days of yore
 
Intent   on   begetting   progeny   for   expanding   his   clan,   the   king   offered   the eastern   regions   to   the   priest   who   pours   oblations   into   the   sacrificial fire,   the   western   quarters   to   the   chief   priest,   the   southern   areas   to   the supervisor   of   the   sacrifice   and   to   the   one   chanting   the   hymns   to   invoke   the gods,   the   northern   regions.   In   this   great   sacrifice   known   as   Aswamedha, which   was   conceived   by   Lord   Brahma  in  the  days  of  yore,  these  offerings were  made  (43-44).  
@t¤|   smaÔy   t¤   tdaÓyayt:   p¤âxxIB:   .
§¢Ïvg¯×yaE   ¢h   ddaW   raja   Dra|   ta|   klvDIn:   ¡45¡
@t¤|        the sacrifice
smaÔy        completing
t¤        at once
tda        then
Óyayt:        as prescribed
p¤âxxIB:        foremost among men
§¢Ïvg¯×y:        to the priests at the sacrifice
¢h        therefore
ddaW        gifted
raja        king
Dra|        land
ta|        that
klvDIn:        keen to continue his lineage
 
That   king,   a   bull   among   men,   intent   on   expanding   his   lineage,   having   then completed   the   sacrifice   as   per   the   laid   down
procedure,   immediately   made over   the   lands   to   the   priests
at   the   sacrifice   (45).
 
§¢Ïvjàab#¤vn¯   svI   rajan|   gtkÚmxm¯   .
BvanEv   mh£|   k]Ïs"amEkaE   r¢Xt¤mhI¢t   ¡46¡
§¢Ïvj:        all the priests
c        and
Ab#¤vn¯        addressed
svI        all
rajan|        the king
gtkÚmxm¯        absolved of all sins
Bvan¯        you
ev        alone
mh£|        the earth

k]Ïs"a|     -     entire
ek:        one person
r¢Xt¤|        to protect
AhI¢t        capable
 
n   B¥Øya   kayImÞmak|   n   ¢h   S³a:   Þm   palnE   .
rta:   ÞvaÒyaykrNE   vy|   ¢nÏy|   ¢h   B¥¢mp   .
¢nÝ@y|   ¢k¢·dEvEh   p#yÅCt¤   Bvan¯   ¢h   n:   ¡47¡
n        no
B¥Øya        by the land
kayI|        utility
AÞmak|        to us
n        no
¢h        is it not?
S³a:        capable
Þm        we
palnE        of managing
rta:        engaged in
ÞvaÒyaykrNE        learning and teaching of scriptures
vy|        we
¢nÏy|        always
¢h        verily
B¥¢mp        O! Protector of the earth!
¢nÝ@y|        monetary equivalent
¢k¢·t¯        a little
ev        alone
ih        here
p#yÅCt¤        give
Bvan¯        you
¢h        indeed!
n:        for us
 
m¢NrÏn|   s¤vNI|   va   gavaE   y¹a   sm¤ïtm¯   .
tt¯   p#yÅC   nr½E¿   DrÎya   n   p#yaEjnm¯   ¡48¡
m¢NrÏn|        gems and precious stones
s¤vNI|          gold
va        or
gav:        cows
yt¯        whatever
va        or
sm¤ïtm¯        is available
tt¯        that
p#yÅC        may you give
nr½E¿        O! foremost among men!
DrÎya          with lands
n        no
p#yaEjnm¯        use
 
Those   priests   addressed   the   king,   who   was   cleansed   of   all   his   sins,   in   the following   words:   `Oh!   Ruler   of   the   earth!   You   alone   are   fit   to   rule   over the   entire   earth.   We   have   no   use   for   lands.   We   have   nothing   to   be   done with   the   land.   We   are   not   capable   of   ruling   over   or   maintaining   land;   we are   intent   on   the   study   of   scriptures.Therefore,Oh!   Best   among   men!   You may   instead   give   us   the   cost   of   the   land,   ornaments,   jewels,   cows   etc, whichever   is   available,   in   a   small   measure'   (46-48).  
evm¤³aE   nrp¢trb#a'NWvIdpargW:   .
gva|   Stsh*a¢N   dS   tE×yaE   ddaW   n¦p:   ¡49¡
ev|        in this manner
u³:        being told
nrp¢t:        the king of men
b#a'NW:        by the priests
vEdpargW:        who have crossed the ocean of Vedas
gva|        of the cows
Stsh*a¢N        a hundred thousands
dS        ten
tE×y:        to them
ddaW        gave
n¦p:        king
 
dS   kaEz£Þs¤vNIÞy   rjtÞy   ct¤g¤INm¯   ¡50¡
dS        ten
kaEz£:        crores
s¤vNIÞy        of gold
rjtÞy        silver
ct¤g¤INm¯        four times
 
That   king,   the   lord   of   men,   being   told   thus   by   those   learned   Brahmins,   who had   reached   as   it   were   the   other   shore   of   Vedic   lore,   gifted   to   them   ten lakhs   of   cows,   ten   crores   of   golden   pieces   and   four   times   as   much   silver pieces   (49-50).    
PROCEED TO NEXT SLOKAS
RETURN TO PREVIOUS SLOKAS
RETURN TO INDEX OF BALA KANDA