`There   lived   one   named   Kusa,   son   of   Brahma,   one   of
great austerities   and   observances,   performer   of   difficult   vows
and righteous acts and worshipper of  the  good  and  the   great  (1).
  
s   mhaÏma   k¤l£naya|   y¤³aya|   rG¤nÓdn   .
vWdE/a|   jnyamas   ct¤rÞsSan¯   s¤tan¯   ¡
k¤SaØb|   k¤SnaB|   c   AD¥tIrjs|   vs¤m¯   ¡2¡

s:

that

mhaÏma

highsouled person

k¤l£naya|

born of a good lineage

y¤³aya|

suited to him

rG¤nÓdn

O! Delight of the Raghus!

vWdE/a|

of Vaidehi

jnyamas

brought forth

ct¤r:

four

sSan¯

like himself

s¤tan¯

sons

k¤SaØb|

Kusamba

k¤SnaB|

Kusanabha

c

and

AD¥tIrjs|

Adhurtarajas

vs¤m¯

Vasu

O!   Delight   of   the   Raghu   race!   That   high-souled   one   begot
four   sons   Kusamba,   Kusanabha,   Adhurtarajasa   and   Vasu,
all   like   himself,   in   his   wife   Vaidehi,   who was from a good
family   and   a   suitable   wife   to   him   (2).
 
d£¢çOy¤³an¯   mhaEÏsahan¯   XæODmI¢ck£xIya   .
tan¤vac   k¤S:   p¤æOaÓD¢mI¿an¯   sÏyva¢dn:   ¡
¢@yta|   paln|   p¤æOa   DmI|   p#ap¯ÞyT   p¤Ýklm¯   ¡3¡

d£¢çOy¤³an¯

resplendent

mhaEÏsahan¯

greatly enthusiastic

XæODmI

duties enjoined on the warrior class

¢ck£xIya

desirous of doing

tan¯

them

uvac

told

k¤S:

Kusa

p¤æOan¯

sons

D¢mI¿an¯

righteous

sÏyva¢dn:

truthful

¢@yta|

may it be performed

paln|

observance

p¤æOa:

O! sons!

DmI|

merit

p#ap¯ÞyT

may you attain

p¤Ýklm¯

in abundance

 

Anxious   to   ensure   that  the  duties of Kshatriyas were performed
properly,   Kusa   told   his   sons,   who   were   radiant,   energetic,
righteous   and   truthful,   the   following:   `O!   Sons!   May   you
engage   in   protecting   the   people   and   through   that,   may   you
attain   in   abundance   (the   fruits   of)   performing   righteous   acts   (3).
 
k¤SÞy   vcn|   ½¤Ïva   cÏvaraE   laEks|mta:   .
¢nvESa|à¢@rE   svI   p¤ra¢N   n¦vraÞtda   ¡4¡

k¤SÞy

of Kusa

vcn|

words

½¤Ïva

on hearing

cÏvar:

the four

laEks|mta:

universally acceptable

¢nvESan¯

abodes

c¢@rE

made

svI

all

p¤ra¢N

in cities

n¦vra:

best among kings

tda

then

 
Upon   these   words   of   Kusa,   those   four,   who   were   acceptable
to   all   people,   then   became   the   best  among kings and established
four   capital   cities   (4).
 
k¤SaØbÞt¤   mhatEja:   kaWSaØb£mkraEÏp¤r£m¯   .
k¤SnaBÞt¤   DmaIÏma   p¤r|   c@E   mhaEdym¯   ¡5¡

k¤SaØb:

Kusamba

t¤	on his part

mhatEja:

of great effulgence

kaWSaØb£|

called Kausambi

AkraEt¯

constructed

p¤r£m¯

that city

k¤SnaB:

Kusanabha

t¤

too

DmaIÏma

righteous

p¤r|

city

c@E

built

mhaEdym¯

named Mahodaya

That   greatly   radiant   Kusamba   set   up   the   city   of   Kauasmbi.
The   righteous   Kusanabha   established   the   city   of   Mahodaya   (5).
 
AD¥tIrjsaE   ram   DmaIrÎy|   mh£p¢t:   .
c@E   p¤rvr|   raja   vs¤à@E   ¢g¢rv#jm¯   ¡6¡

AD¥tIrjs:

Adhurtarajas

ram

O! Rama !

DmaIrÎy|

called Dharmaranya

mh£p¢t:

lord of the earth

c@E

built

p¤rvr|

foremost among cities

raja

king

vs¤:

Vasu

c@E	constructed

¢g¢rv#jm¯

by name Girivraja

 
O!   Rama!   King   Adhurtarajas   brought   into   being   Dharmaranya.
King   Vasu   established   the   best   among   cities   Girivraja   (6).
 
exa   vs¤mt£   ram   vsaEÞtÞy   mhaÏmn:   .
etE   SWlvra:   p·   p#kaSÓtE   smÓtt:   ¡7¡

exa

this

vs¤mt£

earth

ram

O! Rama!

vsaE:

of Vasu

tÞy

his

mhaÏmn:

of the highsouled

etE

these

SWlvra:

majestic mountains

p·

five

p#kaSÓtE

are shining

smÓtt:

all round

O!   Rama!   This   region   known   as   Vasumati   belongs   to
that   high-souled   Vasu.   Ciircumferencing   this   city   are
these   five   mountains,   the   best   among   all   mountains   (7).
 
s¤magD£   nd£   ram   magDan¯   ¢v½¤ta{{yyaW   .
p·ana|   SWlm¤Áyana|   mÒyE   malEv   SaEBtE   ¡8¡

s¤magD£

by name Sumagadhi (rising in the beautiful land of Magadha)

nd£

river

ram

O!Rama!

magDan¯

the Magadha country

¢v½¤ta

famous

AayyaW

courses round

p·ana|

of the five

SWlm¤Áyana|

great mountains

mÒyE	in the middle

malEv

like a garland

SaEBtE

sparkles

 
O!   Rama!   The   river   that   is   famous   and   known   as   Sumagadhi
courses   through   the   Magadha   country   and   shines   as   a   necklace
around   these   five   mountain   ranges   (8).
 
sWxa   ¢h   magD£   ram   vsaEÞtÞy   mhaÏmn:   .
p¥vaI¢Bc¢rta   ram   s¤XEæOa   sÞyma¢ln£   ¡9¡

sa	that (river)

exa	this (river)

¢h

indeed

magD£

springing from the land of Magadha

ram

O! Rama!

vsaE:

of Vasu

tÞy

his

mhaÏmn:

of the highsouled

p¥vI	(from) east

A¢Bc¢rta

flowing towards (west)

ram

O! Rama!

s¤XEæOa

beautiful fields

sÞyma¢ln£

lush with vegetation

 
O! Rama!   That   river   has   risen   from   the   Magadha   country,
which   belongs   to   Vasu.   O!Rama!   It   runs from east to west
having   fine   agricultural   lands   (to   be   watered),   which   are
shining with   full   and   lush   vegetation   (9).
 
k¤SnaBÞt¤   raj¢xI:   kÓyaStmn¤äOmm¯   .
jnyamas   DmaIÏma   G¦taÅya|   rG¤nÓdn   ¡10¡

k¤SnaB:

Kusanabha

t¤	on his part

raj¢xI:

the royal sage

kÓyaStm¯

a century of maidens

An¤äOmm¯

nonpareil

jnyamas

brought forth

DmaIÏma

established in righteousness

G¦taÅya|

through Ghritachi

rG¤nÓdn

O! the delight of the Raghu race!

 
O!   Delight   of   the   Raghus!   That   soul   of   righteousness
and royal sage Kusanabha, through  (his   consort)   Ghritachi
begot   a   hundred   unparalleled   daughters   (10).