THE VALMIKI RAMAYANA

BALA KANDA

ÇyE¿|

the first-born

ram|

as Sri Rama

mhaÏman|

great soul

Brt|

as Bharatha

kWky£s¤tm¯

the son of Kaikeyi

saW¢m¢æO|

the son of Sumitra

lßmN|

as Lakshmana

i¢t

thus

SæO¤G"|

as Shatrugna

Apr|

the other

tTa

like that

v¢s¿:

Vasishta

prmp#£t:

extremely pleased

nama¢n

names

k]tvan¯

gave

tda

then

That   high-souled   eldest   was   named   `Rama',   the   son   of   Kaikeyi   as
`Bharatha',   one   of   the   sons   of   Sumitra   as   `Lakshmana'   and   the   other   as `Satrughna'   at   that   time   by   Vasishta,   who   was   extremely   pleased   (21).

b#a'aNan¯   BaEjymas   paWrjanpdan¢p   .
Addaëra'Nana|   c   rÏnaWGm¢mt|   bh^   .
tExa|   jÓm¢@yad£¢n   svIkmaIÎykaryt¯   ¡22¡

b#a'aNan¯

to the Brahmins

BaEjymas

feasted

paWrjanpdan¯

in the city and the villages

A¢p

and again

Addat¯

offered

b#a'Nana|

to the brahmins

and

rÏnaWG|

heaps of precious stones

A¢mt|

immeasurable

bh^

several

tExa|

to them

jÓm¢@yad£¢n

Jatakarma etc;

svIkmaI¢N

all propitiatory rituals

Akaryt¯

had them performed

He   (Dasaratha)   feasted   the   learned   ones   in   the   urban   and   rural   areas   and also   gifted   to   them   endless   heaps   of   precious   stones.   He   also completed all the rituals connected with the birth of the sons   (22).

tExa|   kEt¤¢rv   ÇyE¿aE   ramaE   r¢tkr:   ¢pt¤:   .
bB¥v   B¥yaE   B¥tana|   Þvy|B¥¢rv   s|mt:   ¡23¡

tExa|

among them

kEt¤:

a fluttering flag

ÇyE¿:

the eldest

ram:

Sri Rama

r¢tkr:

harbinger of joy

¢pt¤:

to the father

bB¥v

was

B¥y:

very

B¥tana|

to all creatures

Þvy|B¥:

Lord Brahma

s|mt:

lovable

The   eldest   among   them,   Sri   Rama,was   a   source   of   happiness   for   his   father, like   a   fluttering   flag   and   was   most   acceptable   to   all   beings   like   Lord Brahma   (23).

svI   vEd¢vd:   S¥ra:   svI   laEk¢htE   rta:   .
svI   JanaEpp°aà   svI   sm¤¢dta   g¤NW:   ¡24¡

svI

all

vEd¢vd:

vedic scholars

S¥ra:

valiant

svI

all

laEk¢htE

for the welfare of the people

rta:

deeply concerned

svI

all

JanaEpp°a:

full of wisdom

and

svI

all

sm¤¢dta:

possessing

g¤NW:

noble attributes

All   of   them   were   well-versed   in   the   sacred   texts,   valiant,
bent   on   doing good to the world, wise and endowed with all
desirable qualities (24).

tExam¢p   mhatEja   ram:   sÏypra@m:   .
i¾:   svIÞy   laEkÞy   SSaÄð   iv   ¢nmIl:   ¡25¡

tExa|

among them

A¢p

even so

mhatEja:

of great brilliance

ram:

Sri Rama

sÏypra@m:

of never diminishing valour

i¾:

beloved

svIÞy

of all

laEkÞy

of the worlds

SSaÄð:

the moon

¢nmIl:

unsullied

Even   so,   among   them   was   Rama,   who   was   extremely   effulgent,   of   real valour   and   most   beloved   of   all   the   worlds,   like   the   spotless   moon   (25).

gjÞkÓDE{áp¦¿E   c   rTcyaIs¤   s|mt:   .
Dn¤vIdE   c   ¢nrt:   ¢pt¦S¤½¥xNE   rt:   ¡26¡

gjÞkÓDE

elephantriding

Aáp¦¿E

horse-riding

and

rTcyaIs¤

in manouevering of chariots

s|mt:

wellversed

Dn¤vIdE

in archery

and

¢nrt:

expert

¢pt¦S¤½¥xNE

in looking after the father

rt:

ever committed

He   was   an   expert   in   elephant-riding,   horse-riding   and   the   use   of   the chariot.   In   addition,   he   was   an   expert   in   archery; he was   also keen in   devoutly serving   his   father   (26).

baÚyat¯   p#B¦¢t   s¤¢s"ÂDaE   lßmNaE   l¢ßmvDIn:   .
ramÞy   laEkramÞy   B#at¤ÇyI¿Þy   ¢nÏyS:   ¡27¡

baÚyat¯

from childhood

p#B¦¢t

commencing

s¤¢s"ÂD:

exceedingly fond of

lßmN:

Lakshmana

l¢ßmvDIn:

enhancer of prosperity

ramÞy

of Sri Rama

laEkramÞy

charming the world

B#at¤:

brother

ÇyE¿Þy

elder

¢nÏyS:

always

Lakshmana,   the   enhancer   of   prosperity,   was   from   very   childhood,   very intimate   and   attached   to   his   elder   co-born,   (that)   Rama,   who   was   making all   the   worlds     extremely   happy   (27).

svI¢p#ykrÞtÞy   ramÞya¢p   Sr£rt:   .
lßmNaE   l¢ßms|p°aE   v¢h:p#aN   ivapr:   ¡28¡

svI

for all

¢p#ykr:

source of joy

tÞy

that

ramÞy

to Sri Rama

A¢p

also

Sr£rt:

even over and above his physical body

lßmN:

Lakshmana

l¢ßms|p°:

endowed with all pleasing qualit

ies

v¢h:

outer

p#aN:

vital airs

Apr:

another set

Lakshmana,   endowed   with   all   auspicious   attributes,   appeared   as   the   very vital   airs   of   Rama,   moving   outside   and   gave   him   joy   in   all   aspects   and respects   (28).

n   c   tEn   ¢vna   ¢nd#a|   lBtE   p¤âxaEäOm:   .
m¦¾m°m¤pan£tmÆa¢t   n   ¢h   t|   ¢vna   ¡29¡

not

and

tEn

him

¢vna

without

¢nd#a|

sleep

lBtE

gets

p¤âxaEäOm:

that foremost among men

m¦¾|

delicious and superior

A°|

food

upan£t|

brought

AÆa¢t

eats

not

¢h	Oh! Behold!

¢vna

without

Without   him,   the   best   among   men   did   not   sleep   nor   did   he   partake   the   best of   foods   that   were   fetched,   without   him   (29).

yda   ¢h   hymaãFaE   m¦gya|   ya¢t   raGv:   .
ATWn|   p¦¿taE   ya¢t   sDn¤:   p¢rpalyn¯   ¡30¡

yda

whenever

¢h

Oh! Look!

hy|

the horse

AaãF:

mounting

m¦gya|

for hunting

ya¢t

sets out

raGv:

Sri Raghava

then

en|

him (Rama)

p¦¿t:

following

ya¢t

(Lakshmana) goes

sDn¤:

armed with the bow

p¢rpalyn¯

protecting

Whenever Rama went on hunting on his horse-mount, then (Lakshmana) went behind him, with bow in hand, for his protection (30).
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