THE VALMIKI RAMAYANA

BALA KANDA

A¾cÏva¢r|S:   sgI:      Canto  48
AhÚyaSap:      The   curse   on   Ahalya
p¦¾¯va   t¤   k¤Sl|   tæO   prÞprsmagmE   .
kTaÓtE   s¤m¢tvaIÀy|   Ûyajhar   mham¤¢nm¯   ¡1¡

p¦¾¯va

making enquiries

t¤	immediately

k¤Sl|

welfare

tæO

there

prÞprsmagmE

on meeting each other

kTaÓtE

at the end of the conversation

s¤m¢t:

(the king) Sumati

vaÀy|

words

Ûyajhar

spoke as follows

mham¤¢nm¯

to the noble sage

Then   and   there,   on   meeting   each   other,   having   exchanged
pleasantries,   at   the   end   of   the   conversation,   (king)   Sumati
addressed   that   great   sage,   in   the   following   terms   (1).
imaW   k¤maraW   Bd#|   tE   dEvt¤Úypra@maW   .
gj¢s|hgt£   v£raW   SaÑ¥Ilv¦xBaEpmaW       ¡ 2¡

imaW

these two

k¤maraW

lads

Bd#|

may you tell us

indeed

dEvt¤Úypra@maW

equal in valour to the gods

gj¢s|hgt£

with gait comparable to the lion and the elephant

v£raW

courageous

SaÑ¥Ilv¦xBaEpmaW

strong like the tiger and the bull

pîpæO¢vSalaXaW KÄñt¥N£Dn¤DIraW .
A¢ána¢vv ãpEN sm¤p¢ÞTtyaWvnaW ¡ 3¡

pîpæO¢vSalaXaW

eyes comparable to the broad petals of the red lotus

KÄñt¥N£Dn¤DIraW

with bows, quivers and swords

A¢ánaW

the twin Aswini gods

ãpEN

in handsome features

sm¤p¢ÞTtyaWvnaW

in the prime of youth

yÅCyWv ga| p#açOaW dEvlaEka¢dvamraW .
kT| pd¯×ya¢mh p#açOaW ¢kmTI| kÞy va m¤nE ¡ 4¡

yÅCya

accidentally

surely

ga|

the earth

p#açOaW

reached

dEvlaEkat¯

from the heavens

iv	similar to

AmraW

gods

kT|

how

pd¯×ya|

on foot

here

p#açOaW

have come

¢kmTI|

for what purpose

kÞy

for whom

m¤nE

O! Great sage!

B¥xyÓta¢vm| dES| cÓd#s¥yaI¢vvaØbrm¯ .
prÞprÞy sSaW p#maNE¢ÄñäOcE¢¾tW: ¡ 5¡

B¥xyÓtaW

illuminating

im|

this

dES|

place

cÓd#s¥yaI

the Sun and the Moon

just as

AØbrm¯

the skies

prÞprÞy

one another

sSaW

similar

p#maNE¢ÄñäOcE¢¾tW:

in form, features, behaviour, attire and actions

May   glory   be   to   you!   (May   you   be   pleased   to   enlighten   me   on)   For what   purpose   and   whose   sake   have   these   two   lads,   possessed   of   prowess like   the   gods,   resembling   the   gait   of   the   lion   and   the   elephant, comparable   to   the   tiger   and   the   bull   in   bearing,   of   eyes   wide   like the   petals   of   the   lotus,   armed   with   bows,quivers   and   swords, rivalling   the   twin   Aswini   gods   in   loveliness   of   limbs,   exhibiting the   onset   of   youthfulness,   appearing   as   gods   having   descended   to this   earth   from   the   celestial   regions   per   chance,   illuminating   this area   like   the   Sun   and   the   Moon   blazing   in   the   skies,   compatible with   each   other   in   form,   thoughts   and   actions,   come   thither travelling   on   foot?   (2-5)
¢kmTI|   c   nr½E¿aW   sØp#açOaW   Ñ¤gImE   p¢T   .
vray¤DDraW   v£raW   ½aEt¤¢mÅCa¢m   tÏÏvt:   ¡ 6¡

¢kmTI|

for what purpose

and

nr½E¿aW

these two best among men

sØp#açOaW

have come

Ñ¤gImE

difficult of approach

p¢T

path

vray¤DDraW

armed with superior weapons

v£raW

valiant

½aEt¤|

to hear

iÅCa¢m

(I) desire

tÏÏvt:

facts as known (to you)

(I)   am   eager   to   learn   about   the   full   facts   regarding   the   purpose
for   which   these   valiant   and   best   among   men,   armed   with   superior
weapons   have   come   and   taken   this   route,   which   is   difficult
to   tread'   (6).
tÞy   t¹cn|   ½¤Ïva   yTav¦äO|   ÓyvEdyt¯   .
AyaEÒya¢DptE:   p¤æOaW   raåOaE   dSrTÞy   ¢h   ¡
mm   yåOsmaçyTImagtaW   ramlßmNaW   ¡7¡

tÞy

his (king's)

tt¯

those

vcn|

words

½¤Ïva

having listened

yTav¦äO|

as it happened

ÓyvEdyt¯

reported

AyaEÒya¢DptE:

of the Lord of Ayodhya

p¤æOaW

sons

raåO:

of the king

dSrTÞy

of Dasaratha

¢h

verily

yåOsmaçyTI|

for the successful completion of (my) sacrifice

AagtaW

have come

ramlßmNaW

Rama and Lakshmana

Having   heard   those   words   of   his,   (Viswamitra)   related   everything
as   it   had   happened.`   These   are   indeed   Rama   and   Lakshmana,   the   sons of   Dasaratha,   the   ruler   of   Ayodhya,   who   have   come   to   enable   me to   complete   my   sacrificial   activities   (7).
¢sÑ¯Da½mmn¤p#aÔy   raXsan¢BhÏy   c   .
im|   dESmn¤p#açOaW   v£raW   dSrTaÏmjaW   ¡ 8¡

¢sÑ¯Da½m|

Sidhasrama

An¤p#aÔy

having come

raXsan¯

the demons

A¢BhÏy

destroying

and

im|

this

dES|

place

An¤p#açOaW

have reached

v£raW

brave

dSrTaÏmjaW

the sons of Dasaratha

Those   valiant   sons   of   Dasaratha,   having   come   to   Sidhasrama
and   destroyed   the   demons   have   reached   this   place'   (8).
¢váa¢mæOvc:   ½¤Ïva   raja   prmh¢xIt:   .
A¢tT£   prmaW   p#açOaW   p¤æOaW   dSrTÞy   taW   ¡
p¥jyamas   ¢v¢Dvt¯   sÏkarahaI   mhablaW   ¡ 9¡

¢váa¢mæOvc:

the words of Viswamitra

½¤Ïva

upon hearing

raja

king

prmh¢xIt:

highly pleased

A¢tT£

guests

prmaW

noble

p#açOaW

having come

p¤æOaW

sons

dSrTÞy

of Dasaratha

taW

those two

p¥jyamas

worshipped

¢v¢Dvt¯

as laid down (in the Sastras)

sÏkarahaI

worthy of worship

mhablaW

imnemsely powerful

Having   heard   these   words   of   Viswamitra,   the   king   became extremely   happy   on   receiving   these   superior   guests,   those   two sons   of   Dasaratha   and   offered   them   respectful   worship,   as laid   down   in   the   scriptures,   for   those   two   who   richly   deserved all   such   respect   and   were   greatly   powerful   (9).
tt:   prmsÏkar|   s¤mtE:   p#aÔy   raGvaW   .
uÝy   tæO   ¢nSamEka|   jÂmt¤¢mI¢Tla|   tt:   ¡ 10¡

tt:

thereafter

prmsÏkar|

superior respectful worship

s¤mtE:

of the king Sumati

p#aÔy

having received

raGvaW

the Raghavas

uÝy

staying

tæO

there

¢nSa|

night

eka|

one

jÂmt¤:

left

¢m¢Tla|

for Mithila

tt:

thereafter

The   scions   of   the   Raghu   race,   thereupon   having   received   all
that   superior   respectful   worship   from   Sumati   spent   one   night
there   and   then   left   for   Mithila   (10).

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