THE VALMIKI RAMAYANA

BALA KANDA

p·p·aS:   sgI:      Canto  55(Contd)
¢váa¢mæOÞy   Dn¤vIda¢Dgm:    Viswamitra   acquires   the  art   of   archery
ttaE   gÏva{{½mpd|   m¤maEcaÞæOa¢N   pa¢TIv: .
yWÞtäOpaEvn|   svI|   ¢ndIÂD|   caÞæOtEjsa       ¡ 21¡

tt:

thereafter

gÏva

going to

Aa½mpd|

the hermitage (Of Vasishta)

m¤maEc

rained

AÞæOa¢N

missiles

pa¢TIv:

the king (Viswamitra)

yW:

by which

tt¯

that

tpaEvn|

the penancegrove

svI|

completely

¢ndIÂD|

reduced to ashes

and

AÞæOtEjsa

prowess of the missiles

Thereafter,   the   king   (Viswamitra)   went   to   the   hermitage
(of   Vasishta)   and   showered   arrows,   whereupon   due   to   the
potency   of   those   arrows,   the   entire   penance-grove
was   reduced   to   ashes     (21).

ud£yImaNmÞæO|   t¢¹áa¢mæOÞy   D£mt:           .
è¾va   ¢vp#d#ta   B£ta   m¤ny:   StSaE   ¢dS: ¡22¡

ud£yImaN|

attacking from all sides

AÞæO|

missile(s)

tt¯

that (those)

¢váa¢mæOÞy

of Viswamitra

D£mt:

of the competent

è¾va

seeing

¢vp#d#ta:

ran helter skelter

B£ta:

terrified

m¤ny:

the sages

StS:

in hundreds

¢dS:

in all directions

v¢s¿Þy c yE ¢SÝyaÞtTWv m¦gp¢XN: .
¢vd#v¢Ót Byaë£ta nana¢dg¯×y: sh*S: ¡ 23¡

v¢s¿Þy

of Vasishta

and

whoever

¢SÝya:

(were) disciples

tTa

in the same manner

also

m¦gp¢XN:

the animals and the birds

¢vd#v¢Ót

running away

Byat¯

terrorstricken

B£ta:

terrified

nana¢dg¯×y:

in various directions

sh*S:

in their thousands

v¢s¿Þya½mpd| S¥Óymas£ÓmhaÏmn: .
m¤h\tI¢mv ¢nÜSÖdmas£¢d¢rNs¢°Bm¯ ¡24¡

v¢s¿Þy

of Vasishta

Aa½mpd|

the hermitage

S¥Óy|

vacant

Aas£t¯

became

mhaÏmn:

of that highsouled one

m¤h\tI|

for a moment

as if

¢nÜSÖd|

silent

Aas£t¯

became

i¢rNs¢°Bm¯

similar to an uninhabited forest area

vdtaE vW v¢s¿Þy ma BW¾E¢t m¤h^m¤Ih^: .
naSyaØyï gaDEy| n£har¢mv BaÞkr: ¡ 25¡

vdt:

calling out

verily

v¢s¿Þy

by Vasishta

`be not'

BW¾

`afraid'

i¢t

thus

m¤h^:

again

m¤h^:

and again

naSya¢m

(I) shall destroy

Aï

presently

gaDEy|

son of Gadhi

n£har|

mist

BaÞkr:

the Sun

Noticing   the   rain   of   arrows   of   that   capable   Viswamitra
spreading   in   all   directions,   inspite   of   the   repeated   reassurance
from   Vasishta,`Be   not   afraid,   I   shall   destroy     the   son
of   Gadhi   (Viswamitra)   like   the   sun   dispelling   mist',   hundreds   of
disciples   of   Vasishta   and   the   other   several   saints,   gripped   with
terror,   ran   helter   skelter   in   all   directions.   Animals   and   birds
in   their   thousands,   terrified   for   life,   ran   in   different
directions.For   a   moment,   the   penance-grove   of   that   high-souled
Vasishta   became   vacant,   was   engulfed   in   deathly   silence   and
appeared   like   an   uninhabited   forest   area   (22-25).

evm¤ÀÏva   mhatEja   v¢s¿aE   jpta|   vr:   .
¢váa¢mæO|   tda   vaÀy|   sraEx¢mdmb#v£t¯   ¡ 26¡

ev|

in this manner

uÀÏva

having spoken

mhatEja:

of great resplendence

v¢s¿:

Vasishta

jpta|

of those given to the study of scriptures

vr:

the best

¢váa¢mæO|

to Viswamitra

tda

thereupon

vaÀy|

words

sraEx|

angrily

id|

like this

Ab#v£t¯

said

Having   said   these   words,   that   greatly   effulgent   Vasishta,   the
best   among   those   who   know   the   secret   formulae,   addressed   the
following   words   to   Viswamitra,   in   a   state   of   anger   (26).

Aa½m|   ¢crs|v¦Ñ¯D|   y¢¹na¢Stvan¢s             .
Ñ¤racaraE{¢s   yÓm¥F   tÞmat¯Ïv|   n   B¢vÝy¢s ¡ 27¡

Aa½m|        this hermitage

¢crs|v¦Ñ¯D|        developed over a very long period of time

yt¯        for what reason

¢vna¢Stvan¯        destroyed

A¢s        have (you)

Ñ¤racar:        given to evil ways

A¢s        (you) are

yt¯        for that reason

m¥F        O! Deluded one!

tÞmat¯        therefore

Ïv|        you

n        not

B¢vÝy¢s        will survive

This   hermitage   that   has   been   developed   by   me   over   a   long   time,
you   have   laid   waste.   O!   Deluded   one!   For   the   reason   you   are
engaging   in   evil   acts,   you   shall   not   survive'   (27).

iÏy¤ÀÏva   prm@ÑGaE   dÎfm¤ïØy   sÏvr:    .
¢vD¥m   iv   kala¢g"yImdÎf¢mvaprm¯         ¡
uptÞTE   mhatEja   v¢s¿:   kaW¢SkÞy   t¤ ¡ 28¡

i¢t        thus

uÀÏva        saying

prm@ÑG:        blind with rage

dÎf|        the staff (Brahma danda)

uïØy        lifting up

sÏvr:        quickly

¢vD¥m:        smokeless

iv        like

kala¢g":        the conflagaration at the time of the dissolution of the universe

ymdÎf|        the rod of the god of death

iv        like

Aprm¯        another

uptÞTE        stayed in front

mhatEja:        of immense radiance

v¢s¿:        Vasishta

kaW¢SkÞy        of Kausika

t¤        what a wonder!

That   greatly   effulgent   Vasishta,   uttering   these   words,   seething
with   rage   and   resembling   the   smokeless   blazing   conflagration   at   the
time   of   the   dissolution   of   the   universe,   quickly   positioned
himself   in   front   of   Viswamitra,   holding   a   staff   in   his   hand,
which   seemed   like   another   rod   of   the   lord   of   death   (28).
iÏyaxI   ½£md#amayNE   vaÚm£k£yE   Aa¢dkaÛyE    balkaÎfE   p·p·aS:   sgI: ¡55¡
Thus   ends   Canto   55   of   the   Bala   Kanda   of   the   first   and   ancient   poetical   work   Srimad   Ramayana   of   Valmiki

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