THE VALMIKI RAMAYANA

BALA KANDA

sçO¢æO|S:sgI:     Canto   37(Contd)
ÞkÓdaEÏp¢äO      The   birth  of   Skanda
¢n¢XçOmaæOE   gBI   t¤   tEjaE¢Br¢Br¢¸tm¯   .
svI|   pvIts°ÑG|   saWvNImBv¹nm¯   ¡ 21¡

¢n¢XçOmaæOE

as soon as it was placed

gBI

the foetus

t¤

verily

tEjaE¢B:

radiance

A¢Br¢¸tm¯

spreading

svI|

entire

pvIts°ÑG|

of the mountain

saWvNI|

goldenhued

ABvt¯

turned into

vnm¯

forest

When   the   foetus   was   placed   (on the ground), due to its
effulgence   spreading   in   all   directions,   the   entire   forest
range   in   the   mountainous   area   became   golden-hued   (21).

t|   dES|   t¤   ttaE   b#'a   s|p#aÔyWnmBaxt   .
jatÞy   ãp|   yäOÞmaÇjatãp|   B¢vÝy¢t   ¡22¡

that

dES|

place

t¤

indeed

tt:

thereafter

b#'a

Lord Brahma

s|p#aÔy

having arrived

en|

to him

ABaxt

spoke

jatÞy

that which is born

ãp|

matter (gold)

yt¯

that which

tÞmat¯

therefore

jatãp|

Jatarupa

B¢vÝy¢t

will become

Thereupon   Lord   Brahma   arrived   at   that   place   and   spoke   to
him   as   under:   `Because   of   what   has   happened   here,   owing
to   this   reason,   it   is   going   to   be   known   as   "Jatarupa" ' (22).

jatãp¢m¢t   Áyat|   tdaprB¦¢t   raGv   .
s¤vNI|   p¤âxÛyaG#   h^taSnsmp#Bm¯   .
t¦Nv¦Xltag¤Úm|   svI|   Bv¢t   ka·nm¯   ¡ 23¡

jatãp|

Jatarupa

i¢t

named

Áyat|

wellknown

tdaprB¦¢t

from that time

raGv

O! Raghava!

s¤vNI|

gold

p¤âxÛyaG#

O! Best among men!

h^taSnsmp#Bm¯

comparable to blazing fire in sheen

t¦N

grass

v¦X

tree

lta

creeper

g¤Úm|

bush

svI|

all

Bv¢t

became

ka·nm¯

golden

O!   Raghava!   Best   among   men!   Grass,   trees, creepers   and   bushes,
all these   became   golden.   From   that   time,   gold   that   is   comparable
to   the   blazing   fire   in   radiance,   became   known   as   `Jatarupa'   (23).

t|   k¤mar|   ttaE   jat|   sEÓd#a:   sa¢g"mâéNa:   .
X£rs|BavnaTaIy   k]¢äOka:   smyaEjyn¯   ¡ 24¡

that

k¤mar|

son

tt:

from then on

jat|

born

sEÓd#a:

along with Indra

sa¢g"mâéNa:

along with the god of fire and groups of gods

X£rs|BavnaTaIy

for the purpose of bringing up with milk

k]¢äOka:

the Krithikas (nurses)

smyaEjyn¯

was joined with

That   infant   which   was   born   from   there   was   joined   with
Krithikas   for   the   purpose   of   bringing   up   with   milk,   by the gods,
along   with   Indra   and   the   god   of   fire   and   the   other   gods   (24).

ta:   X£r|   jatmaæOÞy   k]Ïva   smym¤äOmm¯   .
dÑ¤:   p¤æOaE{ymÞmak|   svaIsa¢m¢t   ¢n¢àta:   ¡25¡

ta:

they

X£r|

milk

jatmaæOÞy

at the time of his birth

k]Ïva

having given

smy|

signification

uäOmm¯

superior

dÑ¤:

gave

p¤æO:

the son

Ay|

this

AÞmak|

for us

svaIsa|

all

i¢t

thus

¢n¢àta:

settled

Those   Krittikas   indicating   clearly   that   that   infant   was   their
son   and   firmly   of   that   belief,   fed   him   with   milk,   as   he
was   born   (25).
ttÞt¤   dEvta:   svaI:   ka¢tIkEy   i¢t   b#¤vn¯   .
p¤æOÞæOWlaEÀy¢vÁyataE   B¢vÝy¢t   n   s|Sy:   ¡ 26¡

tt:

then

t¤

verily

dEvta:

gods

svaI:

all

ka¢tIkEy

`Karthikeya'

i¢t

thus

b#¤vn¯

saying

p¤æO:

this boy

æOWlaEÀy¢vÁyat:

famed in all the three worlds

B¢vÝy¢t

will become

s|Sy:

doubt

The   gods   then   spoke,   saying   that   this   infant known as Kartikeya
(the   son   of   Krittikas)   will   attain   fame   in   all   the   three   worlds
and   that   there   was   no   doubt   about   it   (26).

tExa|   t¹cn|   ½¤Ïva   Þk°|   gBIp¢r*vE   .
s"apyn¯   prya   lX¯Øya   d£Ôyman¢mvanlm¯   ¡ 27¡

tExa|

their

tt¯

that

vcn|

statement

½¤Ïva

having heard

Þk°|

the slipping

gBIp¢r*vE

falling foetus

s"apyn¯

bathed

prya

with great

lX¯Øya

radiance

d£Ôyman|

brilliant

Anlm¯

the fire

Hearing   those   words   of   theirs,   that   one   which   had slipped   from
the   womb   and   was   dazzling   due   to   its   blinding   effulgence like
fire was   given   bath   (27).

ÞkÓd   iÏyb#¤vn¯   dEva:   Þk°|   gBIp¢r*vat¯   .
ka¢tIkEy|   mhaBag|   kakt¯ÞT   ÇvlnaEpmm¯   ¡ 28¡

ÞkÓd:

`Skanda'

i¢t

thus

Ab#¤vn¯

called him

dEva:

the gods

Þk°|

the one who slipped

gBIp¢r*vat¯

in the discharge of the foetus

ka¢tIkEy|

Karthikeya

mhaBag|

the highly fortunate

kakt¯ÞT

O! Kakutstha!

ÇvlnaEpmm¯

who was brilliant like fire

O!   Scion   of   the   Kakutstha   clan!   The   gods named Kartikeya as
`Skanda',   who   was   of   great   good   luck   and   blazing   like   fire,
owing to   his   having   slipped   and   fallen   from   the   womb   (28).

p#aÑ¤B¥It|   tt:   X£r|   k]¢äOkanamn¤äOmm¯   .
xÎNa|   xfannaE   B¥Ïva   jg#ah   Þtnj|   py:   ¡ 29¡

p#aÑ¤B¥It|

arising

tt:

then

X£r|

milk

k]¢äOkana|

of the Krithikas

An¤äOmm¯

incomparable

xÎNa|

of the six

xfann:

the sixfaced (Skanda)

B¥Ïva

having become

jg#ah

drank

Þtnj|

issuing forth from their breasts

py:

milk

Thereupon   all   the   six   Krittikas   lactated   and   were   blessed   with
superior   milk,   milk   which   (he)   consumed   from   their   breasts,
assuming   six   faces   (29).

g¦h£Ïva   X£rmEkaþa   s¤kmarvp¤Þtda   .
Ajyt¯   ÞvEn   v£yIN   dWÏysEnagNan¯   ¢vB¤:   ¡ 30¡

g¦h£Ïva

consuming

X£r|

milk

ekaþa

a day

s¤kmarvp¤:

of a slender body

tda

at that time

Ajyt¯

crushed

ÞvEn

his own

v£yIN

valour

dWÏysEnagNan¯

the army of demons

¢vB¤:

lord

Having   taken   milk   for   a   day,   that   Lord   of   tender   body,   in
those days,   on   his   own   valour   quelled   groups   of   armies   (30).

s¤rsEnagNp¢t|   ttÞtmt¤lï¤¢tm¯   .
A×y¢x·n¯   s¤rgNaÞsmEÏya¢g"p¤raEgma:   ¡ 31¡

s¤rsEnagNp¢t|

the commanderin-chief of all the gods

tt:

then

him

At¤lï¤¢tm¯

inimitable radiance

A×y¢x·n¯

coronated

s¤rgNa:

all the gods

smEÏy

unitedly

A¢g"p¤raEgma:

with the god of fire leading

The   celestial   groups,   with   the   God   of   fire   in   the   lead, thereupon
coronated   Him   as   the   commander-in-chief   of   the   heavenly   forces,
Him   who   was   of   unmatched   radiance   (31).

ex   tE   ram   gÄñaya   ¢vÞtraE{¢B¢htaE   mya   .
kmars|BvàWv   DÓy:   p¤ÎyÞtTWv   c   ¡ 32¡

ex:

this

to you

ram

O! Rama!

gÄñaya:

of Ganga

¢vÞtr:

in detail

A¢B¢ht:

has been told

mya

by me

kmars|Bv:

the birth of Kumara (Lord Subrahmanya)

and

also

DÓy:

the glorious

p¤Îy:

pure

tTa

and also

also

and

O!   Rama!   Thus   have   you   been   told   by   me   the   history   of
Ganga and   the   birth   of   Kumara,   anecdotes   which   are   great
and   holy   (32).

y   im|   ½¦N¤yad#am   ka¢tIkEyÞy   s|Bvm¯   .
svIpap¢v¢nm¤I³aE     ya¢t   b#'   snatnm¯   ¡ 33¡

whoever

im|

this

½¦N¤yat¯

hears

ram

O! Rama!

ka¢tIkEyÞy

of Karthikeya

s|Bvm¯

birth

svIpap¢v¢nm¤I³:

relieved of all sins

ya¢t

attains

b#'

great joy

snatnm¯

eternal

O!   Rama!   Whoever   hears   this   story   of   the   birth   of   Kartikeya
will   be   released   from   all   sins   and   will   revel in the beginningless
bliss   (33).
B³à   y:   ka¢tIkEyE   kakt¯ÞT   B¤¢v   manv:   .
Aay¤Ýman¯   p¤æOpaWæOWà   ÞkÓdsalaEÀymap"¤yat¯   ¡ 34¡

B³:

devotee

and

whoever

ka¢tIkEyE

in Karthikeya (Lord Subrahmanya)

kakt¯ÞT

O! Kakutstha!

B¤¢v

on the earth

manv:

human being

Aay¤Ýman¯

endowed with long life

p¤æOpaWæOW:

children and grandchildren

and

ÞkÓdsalaEÀy|

the same abode as Skanda

Aap"¤yat¯

attains

O!   Scion   of   the   Kakutstha   clan!   In   this   world   whoever is
devoted   to   Kartikeya,   will   be   long-lived,   blessed   with   sons
and   grandsons   and   will   atain   the   world   of   Skanda'   (34).

iÏyaxI  ½£md#amayNE   vaÚm£k£yE   Aa¢dkaÛyE balkaÎfE   sçO¢æO|S:   sgI:¡37¡
Thus   ends  Canto   37   of   the   Bala   Kanda   of  the   first   and   ancient   poetical   work  Srimad   Ramayana   of   Valmiki
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