9. Chapter 9

वाल्मीकिरुवाच । तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं तस्य स्नेहपर्याकुलेक्षणम् । समन्युः कौशिको वाक्यं प्रत्युवाच महीपतिम् ॥ १ ॥

vālmīkiruvāca | tacchrutvā vacanaṃ tasya snehaparyākulekṣaṇam | samanyuḥ kauśiko vākyaṃ pratyuvāca mahīpatim || 1 ||

Valmiki said:—On hearing this speech of the king with his piteous look and eyes full of tears, the son of Kausika became highly incensed and replied.

करिष्यामीति संश्रुत्य प्रतिज्ञां हातुमर्हसि । स भवान्केसरी भूत्वा मृगतामिव वाञ्छसि ॥ २ ॥

kariṣyāmīti saṃśrutya pratijñāṃ hātumarhasi | sa bhavānkesarī bhūtvā mṛgatāmiva vāñchasi || 2 ||

Thou art about to break thy promise after pledging thyself to its performance, and thus wishest to behave as a deer after having been a lion.

राघवाणामयुक्तोऽयं कुलस्यास्य विपर्ययः । न कदाचन जायन्ते शीतांशोरुष्णरश्मयः ॥ ३ ॥

rāghavāṇāmayukto'yaṃ kulasyāsya viparyayaḥ | na kadācana jāyante śītāṃśoruṣṇaraśmayaḥ || 3 ||

This is unbecoming of the race of Raghu, it is acting contrary (to the rules) of this great family. Hot rays must not proceed from the cool beamed moon.

यदि त्वं न क्षमो राजन्गमिष्यामि यथागतम् । हीनप्रतिज्ञ काकुत्स्थ सुखी भव सबान्धवः ॥ ४ ॥

yadi tvaṃ na kṣamo rājangamiṣyāmi yathāgatam | hīnapratijña kākutstha sukhī bhava sabāndhavaḥ || 4 ||

If thou art so impotent Oh king! let me return as I came. Thou promise-breaking Kakustha live happily with thy friends.

वाल्मीकिरुवाच । तस्मिन्कोपपरीतेऽथ विश्वामित्रे महात्मनि । चचाल वसुधा कृत्स्ना सुरांश्च भयमाविशत् ॥ ५ ॥

vālmīkiruvāca | tasminkopaparīte'tha viśvāmitre mahātmani | cacāla vasudhā kṛtsnā surāṃśca bhayamāviśat || 5 ||

As the high spirited Viswamitra now moved with ire, the earth trembled under him, and the gods were filled with fear.

क्रोधाभिभूतं विज्ञाय जगन्मित्रं महामुनिम् । धृतिमान्सुव्रतो धीमान्वसिष्ठो वाक्यमब्रवीत् ॥ ६ ॥

krodhābhibhūtaṃ vijñāya jaganmitraṃ mahāmunim | dhṛtimānsuvrato dhīmānvasiṣṭho vākyamabravīt || 6 ||

Vasishtha the meek and wise and observant of his vows, perceiving the great sage and friend of the world thus influenced by ire, gave vent to his speech.

वसिष्ठ उवाच । इक्ष्वाकूणां कुले जातः साक्षाद्धर्म इवापरः । भवान्दशरथः श्रीमांस्त्रैलोक्यगुणभूषितः ॥ ७ ॥

vasiṣṭha uvāca | ikṣvākūṇāṃ kule jātaḥ sākṣāddharma ivāparaḥ | bhavāndaśarathaḥ śrīmāṃstrailokyaguṇabhūṣitaḥ || 7 ||

Oh king that art born of the race of the Ikshakus, and art a form of virtue itself, and called Dasaratha the fortunate, and art adorned with all the good qualities known in the three worlds.

धृतिमान्सुव्रतो भूत्वा न धर्मं हातुमर्हसि । त्रिषु लोकेषु विख्यातो धर्मेण यशसा युतः ॥ ८ ॥

dhṛtimānsuvrato bhūtvā na dharmaṃ hātumarhasi | triṣu lokeṣu vikhyāto dharmeṇa yaśasā yutaḥ || 8 ||

Being famed for thy meekness and strictness to thy vows, and renowned in all three worlds for thy virtues and fame, thou canst not break thy plighted faith.

स्वधर्मं प्रतिपद्यस्व न धर्मं हातुमर्हसि । मुनेस्त्रिभुवनेशस्य वचनं कर्तुमर्हसि ॥ ९ ॥

svadharmaṃ pratipadyasva na dharmaṃ hātumarhasi | munestribhuvaneśasya vacanaṃ kartumarhasi || 9 ||

Preserve thy virtue and think not to break thy faith, comply with the request of the sage who is honoured in all the three worlds.

करिष्यामीति संश्रुत्य तत्ते राजन्नकुर्वतः । इष्टापूर्तं हरेद्धर्मं तस्माद्रामं विसर्जय ॥ १० ॥

kariṣyāmīti saṃśrutya tatte rājannakurvataḥ | iṣṭāpūrtaṃ hareddharmaṃ tasmādrāmaṃ visarjaya || 10 ||

Saying, thou wilt do it, if thou retract thy promise, thou losest the object of thy yet unfulfilled desires. Therefore part with Rama from thee.

इक्ष्वाकुवंशजातोऽपि स्वयं दशरथोऽपि सन् । न पालयसि चेद्वाक्यं कोऽपरः पालयिष्यति ॥ ११ ॥

ikṣvākuvaṃśajāto'pi svayaṃ daśaratho'pi san | na pālayasi cedvākyaṃ ko'paraḥ pālayiṣyati || 11 ||

Descended from the race of Ikshaku, and being Dasaratha thyself, if thou failest to perform thy promise, who else on earth will ever keep his word?

युष्मदादिप्रणीतेन व्यवहारेण जन्तवः । मर्यादां न विमुञ्चन्ति तां न हातुं त्वमर्हसि ॥ १२ ॥

yuṣmadādipraṇītena vyavahāreṇa jantavaḥ | maryādāṃ na vimuñcanti tāṃ na hātuṃ tvamarhasi || 12 ||

It is in pursuance of the conduct of great men like thee, that low people even do not dare to transgress the bounds of their duty, how then dost thou wish to violate it thyself?

गुप्तं पुरुषसिंहेन ज्वलनेनामृतं यथा । कृतास्त्रमकृतास्त्रं वा नैनं शक्ष्यन्ति राक्षसाः ॥ १३ ॥

guptaṃ puruṣasiṃhena jvalanenāmṛtaṃ yathā | kṛtāstramakṛtāstraṃ vā nainaṃ śakṣyanti rākṣasāḥ || 13 ||

Guarded by this lion-like man (Viswamitra) in the manner of ambrosia by fire, no Rakshasa will have power to prevail over Rama, whether he be accoutered and armed or not.

एष विग्रहवान्धर्म एप वीर्यवतां वरः । एष बुद्ध्याऽधिको लोके तपसां च परायणम् ॥ १४ ॥

eṣa vigrahavāndharma epa vīryavatāṃ varaḥ | eṣa buddhyā'dhiko loke tapasāṃ ca parāyaṇam || 14 ||

Behold him here as the personification of virtue, the mightiest of the mighty, and superior to all in the world in his intelligence, and devotedness to asceticism.

एषोऽस्त्रं विविधं वेत्ति त्रैलोक्ये सचराचरे । नैतदन्यः पुमान्वेत्ति न च वेत्स्यति कश्चन ॥ १५ ॥

eṣo'straṃ vividhaṃ vetti trailokye sacarācare | naitadanyaḥ pumānvetti na ca vetsyati kaścana || 15 ||

He is skilled in all warlike arms that are known in the three worlds, no other man knows them so well nor shall ever be able to master them like him.

न देवा नर्षयः केचिन्नासुरा न च राक्षसाः । न नागा यक्षगन्धर्वाः समेताः सदृशा मुनेः ॥ १६ ॥

na devā narṣayaḥ kecinnāsurā na ca rākṣasāḥ | na nāgā yakṣagandharvāḥ sametāḥ sadṛśā muneḥ || 16 ||

Among the Gods, the Sages, the Asuras, the Rakshasas, the Nagas, the Yakshas and Gandharvas, there is none equal to him.

अस्त्रमस्मै कृशाश्वेन परैः परमदुर्जयम् । कौशिकाय पुरा दत्तं यदा राज्यं समन्वगात् ॥ १७ ॥

astramasmai kṛśāśvena paraiḥ paramadurjayam | kauśikāya purā dattaṃ yadā rājyaṃ samanvagāt || 17 ||

In bygone days when this son of Kaushika used to rule over his realm, he was furnished with all the arms by Krisaswa, and which no enemy can baffle.

ते हि पुत्राः कृशाश्वस्य प्रजापतिसुतोपमाः । एनमन्वचरन्वीरा दीप्तिमन्तो महौजसः ॥ १८ ॥

te hi putrāḥ kṛśāśvasya prajāpatisutopamāḥ | enamanvacaranvīrā dīptimanto mahaujasaḥ || 18 ||

These arms were the progeny of Krisaswa, and were equally radiant and powerful as the progeny of the Prajapati, and followed him.

जया च सुप्रभा चैव दाक्षायण्यौ सुमध्यमे । तयोस्तु यान्यपत्यानि शतं परमदुर्जयम् ॥ १९ ॥

jayā ca suprabhā caiva dākṣāyaṇyau sumadhyame | tayostu yānyapatyāni śataṃ paramadurjayam || 19 ||

Now Daksha (the patriarch) had two beauteous daughters Jaya and Supraja (alias Vijaya), who had a hundred offspring (as personifications of the implements, that are invincible in war.

पञ्चाशतं सुताञ्जज्ञे जया लब्धवरा पुरा । वधार्थं सुरसैन्यानां ते क्षमाः कामचारिणः ॥ २० ॥

pañcāśataṃ sutāñjajñe jayā labdhavarā purā | vadhārthaṃ surasainyānāṃ te kṣamāḥ kāmacāriṇaḥ || 20 ||

Of these the favoured Jaya has given birth to fifty sons of old, who are implacable agents of the destruction of Asura forces.

सुप्रभा जनयामास पुत्रान्पञ्चाशतं परान् । संघर्षान्नाम दुर्धर्षान्दुराकारान्वलीयसः ॥ २१ ॥

suprabhā janayāmāsa putrānpañcāśataṃ parān | saṃgharṣānnāma durdharṣāndurākārānvalīyasaḥ || 21 ||

In like manner, Supraja gave birth to fifty sons of very superior qualities, who are very powerful and terrible in their appearance, and indomitably aggressive.

एवंवीर्यो महातेजा विश्वामित्रो जगन्मुनिः । न रामगमने बुद्धिं विक्लवां कर्तुमर्हसि ॥ २२ ॥

evaṃvīryo mahātejā viśvāmitro jaganmuniḥ | na rāmagamane buddhiṃ viklavāṃ kartumarhasi || 22 ||

Thus Viswamitra is strengthened and grown powerful (by means of these). He is acknowledged as a sage in the three worlds, Thou therefore must not think otherwise than deliver Rama to him.

अस्मिन्महासत्त्वतमे मुनीन्द्रे स्थिते समीपे पुरूषस्य साधो । प्राप्तेऽपि मृत्यावमरत्वमेति मा दीनतां गच्छ यथा विमूढः ॥ २३ ॥

asminmahāsattvatame munīndre sthite samīpe purūṣasya sādho | prāpte'pi mṛtyāvamaratvameti mā dīnatāṃ gaccha yathā vimūḍhaḥ || 23 ||

This mighty and virtuous man and prince of sages being nigh, any one even at the point of death in his presence, is sure to attain his immortality (on earth): therefore be not disheartened like an insensible man.