THE VALMIKI RAMAYANA

BALA KANDA

¢v|S:  sgI:      Canto 20
    dSrTÞy   p#ÏyaÁyanm¯     The  reluctant   plea   of   Dasaratha
tÅC®¤Ïva   rajSaÑ¥IlaE   ¢váa¢mæOÞy   Ba¢xtm¯   .
m¤h\tI¢mv   ¢nÞs|M:   s|Mava¢ndmb#v£t¯   ¡1¡

tt¯

those

½¤Ïva

on hearing

rajSaÑ¥Il:

the king of kings

¢váa¢mæOÞy

of Viswamitra

Ba¢xtm¯

words

m¤h\tI|

of duration equal to 48 minutes, i.e. a thirtieth part of a day

about

¢nÞs|M:

in stupor

s|Mavan¯

coming to

id|

this

Ab#v£t¯

said

That   tiger   among   kings,   having   heard   those   words   of   Viswamitra,   lost consciousness   for   a   `muhurtha'   (48   minutes)   and   coming   to,   uttered   the following   (1).

UnxaEfSvxaI   mE   ramaE   raj£vlaEcn:   .
n   y¤ÑGyaEÂytamÞy   pÜya¢m   sh   raXsW:   ¡2¡

UnSaEfSvxI:

under sixteen years of age

ram:

Rama

raj£vlaEcn:

lotus-eyed

not

y¤ÑGyaEÂyta|

fitness to engage in battle

AÞy

his

pÜya¢m

I see

with

raXsW:

demons

My   (son)   Rama,   the   lotus-eyed,   who   has   not   yet   attained   sixteen   years of   age,   in   my   view,   is   not   fit   to   fight   the   demons   (2).

iymXaW¢hN£   p¥NaI   yÞyah|   p¢tr£ár:   .
Anya   s|v¦taE   gÏva   yaEÑGa{h|   tW¢nISacrW:   ¡3¡

iy|

this

AXaW¢hN£

army of a particular strength and composition

p¥NaI

full

yÞy

whose

Ah|

p¢t:

commander

iIár:

Lord

Anya

by it

s|v¦t:

accompanied

gÏva

having gone

yaEÑGa

will fight

Ah|

tW:

those

¢nSacrW:

demons

I,   who   am   the   supreme   commander   of   this   army   consisting   of   an`Aksauhini' (a   name   for   the   composition   of   the   armed   forces)   shall,   accompanied   by it,   myself   fight   these   demons   (3).
imE   S¥raà   ¢v@aÓta   B¦Ïya   mE{ÞæO¢vSarda:   .
yaEÂya   rXaEgNWyaIÑG|   n   ram|   nEt¤mhI¢s   ¡4¡

imE

these

S¥ra:

welltrained

and

¢v@aÓta:

strong

B¦Ïya:

soldiers

mine

AÞæO¢vSarda:

adepts in handling weapons

yaEÂya:

fit

rXaEgNW:

group of demons

yaEÑG|

to engage in battle

not

ram|

Rama

nEt¤|

to take

AhI¢s

deserve

These   valiant   and   capable   servants   of   mine,   who   are   adepts   in   archery,   are fit   to   battle   those   groups   of   demons.   May   you   not   take   with   you   Rama   (4).

AhmEkaE   Dn¤Ýpa¢NgaIçOa   smrm¥DI¢n   .
yavt¯   p#aNan¯   D¢rÝya¢m   tavïaEÏÞyE   ¢nSacrW:   ¡5¡

Ah|

ek:

singlehanded

Dn¤Ýpa¢N:

with a bow in arms

gaEçOa

protector

smrm¥DI¢n

in the battlehead

yavt¯

till what time

p#aNan¯

life

D¢rÝya¢m

hold on to

tavt¯

till that time

yaEÏÞyE

will wage war

¢nSacrW:

against the demons

Single-handed   and   armed   with   a   bow,I   shall   be   the   protector   at   the battle-front,   fighting   the   demons   until   I   hold   my   last   breath   (5).

¢n¢vIG"a   v#tcyaI   sa   B¢vÝy¢t   s¤r¢Xta   .
Ah|   tæO   g¢mÝya¢m   n   ram|   nEt¤mhI¢s   ¡6¡

¢n¢vIG"a

uninterrupted

v#tcyaI

( your) sacrifice

that

B¢vÝy¢t

is going to be

s¤r¢Xta:

wellprotected (by me)

Ah|

tæO

there

g¢mÝya¢m

going

not

ram|

Rama

nEt¤|

to be taken

AhI¢s

deserve

That   observance   (of   yours)   is   going   to   be   well-protected,   without   any interference. I shall myself go there, may you not   take away Rama (6).

balaE   /k]t¢vïà   n   c   vE¢äO   blablm¯   .
n   caÞæObls|y¤³aE   n   c   y¤ÑG¢vSard:   ¡
n   casaW   rXsa|   yaEÂy:   k\zy¤ÑGa   ¢h   tE   D#¤vm¯   ¡7¡

bal:

child

¢h

indeed!

Ak]t¢vï:

not trained in warfare

moreover

not

and

vE¢äO

knows

blablm¯

strength and weakness

not

and

AÞæObls|y¤³:

endowed with the capacity to wield astras

not

and also

y¤ÑG¢vSard:

competent to wage war

not

also

AsaW

rXsa|

to the demons

yaEÂy:

equal

k\zy¤ÑGa:

unrighteous warfare

¢h

indeed!

they

D#¤vm¯

certainly

(
Rama   is)   but   a   child,   is   not   well-up   in   dealing   in   arms,   does   not   know the   strengths   and   weaknesses,   nor   is   he   well-trained   in   archery;   is   also not   capable   of   engaging   in   battle   and   definitely   is   not   a   match   for   those demons, who are adepts   in foul-play   and   trickery   (7).

¢vp#y¤³aE   ¢h   ramEN   m¤h\tIm¢p   naEÏshE   .
j£¢vt¤|   m¤¢nSaÑ¥Il   n   ram|   nEt¤mhI¢s   ¡8¡

¢vp#y¤³:

separated

¢h

indeed

ramEN

from Rama

m¤h\tI|

a duration of 48 minutes

A¢p

even

uÏshE

stand

j£¢vt¤|

to hold my life

m¤¢nSaÑ¥Il

O! Tiger among sages!

not

ram|

Rama

nEt¤|

to take

AhI¢s

deserve

O!   Tiger   among   sages!   Separated   from   Rama,   I   will   not   be   able   to   hold my   life   even   for   a   `Muhurtha'   and   as   such,   may   you   not   take away   Rama   (8).

y¢d   va   raGv|   b#'°Et¤¢mÅC¢s   s¤v#t   .
ct¤rÄñsmay¤³|   mya   c   s¢ht|   ny   ¡9¡

y¢d

in case

raGv|

Raghava

b#'n¯

O! Realised One!

nEt¤|

to take away (Rama)

iÅC¢s

(you) desire

s¤v#t

O! One of auspicious austerities!

ct¤rHg rT gj t¤rg pda¢d

( , , ) consisting of four limbs viz, chariots, elephants, cavalry

and also infantry

smay¤³|

accompanied

mya

by me

and

s¢ht|

along with

ny	may you take away

O!   One   of   auspicious   austerities!   If,   however,   you   are   intent   on   taking away   Rama,   may   you   do   so   by   taking   me   also   along,   who   will   be accompanied by the   four-fold   division of my armed forces   (9).

x¢¾vIxIsh*a¢N   jatÞy   mm   kaW¢Sk   .
Ñ¤:KEnaEÏpa¢dtàay|   n   ram|   nEt¤mhI¢s   ¡10¡

x¢¾

sixty

vIxI

years

sh*a¢N

thousands

jatÞy

born

kaW¢Sk

O! Kausika!

Ñ¤:KEn

with great difficulty

uÏpa¢dt:

obtained

and

Ay|

this

not

ram|

Rama

nEt¤|

to take

AhI¢s

deserve

O! Scion of Kusika clan! This one has been born with great difficulty, to me of sixty thousand years of age and hence, may you not take away Rama (10).
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