Sources

The empty cradle

Valmiki · Bala Kanda
1.6.4–1.11.29 (CrEd 1.6.4–1.10.27)

King Dasharatha guards the world as Manu did, but he has no son to carry on his line, and he resolves on the horse sacrifice. His charioteer Sumantra tells him what Sanatkumara foretold long ago: the forest-bred sage Rishyashringa, brought to Anga by courtesans to end a drought, will bring about his sons. Dasharatha goes himself to the king of Anga and brings Rishyashringa into Ayodhya with every honour.

Sanskrit · English·Translation: Raam Leela

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Part 1

The empty cradle

Valmiki 1.6.4–1.11.29 (CrEd 1.6.4–1.10.27)

॥ 1.6.4 ॥

CrEd 1.6.4

Valmikiverse caption

Sanskrit

यथा मनुर् महातेजा लोकस्य परिरक्षिता ।
तथा दशरथो राजा वसञ् जगद् अपालयत् ॥

yathā manur mahātejā lokasya parirakṣitā
tathā daśaratho rājā vasañ jagad apālayat

English

As Manu, of mighty splendour,
was guardian of the world,
so King Dasharatha, dwelling there,
guarded the world.

॥ 1.8.1 ॥

CrEd 1.8.1

Valmikiverse caption

Sanskrit

तस्य त्व् एवं प्रभावस्य धर्मज्ञस्य महात्मनः ।
सुतार्थं तप्यमानस्य नासीद् वंशकरः सुतः ॥

tasya tv evaṃ prabhāvasya dharmajñasya mahātmanaḥ
sutārthaṃ tapyamānasya nāsīd vaṃśakaraḥ sutaḥ

English

But he, so mighty,
knower of dharma, great of soul,
who burned for a son,
had no son to carry on his line.

॥ 1.8.1 ॥

CrEd 1.8.1

silent moment

॥ 1.8.2 ॥

CrEd 1.8.2

Dasharatha

Sanskrit

सुतार्थं वाजिमेधेन किमर्थं न यजाम्य् अहम् ॥

sutārthaṃ vājimedhena kimarthaṃ na yajāmy aham

English

For a son, with the horse sacrifice,
why do I not make offering?

॥ 1.8.3 ॥

CrEd 1.8.3

silent moment

॥ 1.8.4 ॥

CrEd 1.8.4

Dasharatha

Sanskrit

ततोऽब्रवीद् इदं राजा सुमन्त्रं मन्त्रिसत्तमम् शीघ्रम् आनय मे सर्वान् गुरूंस् तान् सपुरोहितान् ॥

tato 'bravīd idaṃ rājā sumantraṃ mantrisattamam śīghram ānaya me sarvān gurūṃs tān sapurohitān

English

Then the king spoke these words
to Sumantra, best of ministers:
“Bring me quickly all
my gurus, with the priests.”

॥ 1.9.1 ॥

CrEd 1.8.5

silent moment

॥ 1.9.1–2 ॥

CrEd 1.8.5–6

Sumantra

Sanskrit

ऋत्विग्भिर् उपदिष्टोऽयं पुरावृत्तो मया श्रुतः सनत्कुमारो भगवान् पूर्वं कथितवान् कथाम् ऋषीणां संनिधौ राजंस् तव पुत्रागमं प्रति ॥

ṛtvigbhir upadiṣṭo 'yaṃ purāvṛtto mayā śrutaḥ sanatkumāro bhagavān pūrvaṃ kathitavān kathām ṛṣīṇāṃ saṃnidhau rājaṃs tava putrāgamaṃ prati

English

Taught by the priests, this tale of old
I have heard:
the holy Sanatkumara long ago
told a story,
in the presence of the sages, O king,
of the coming of your sons.

॥ 1.9.3–5 ॥

CrEd 1.8.7–8

condensed from 1.9.3–5

Sumantra

Sanskrit

काश्यपस्य तु पुत्रोऽस्ति विभाण्डक इति श्रुतः ऋष्यशृङ्ग इति ख्यातस् तस्य पुत्रो भविष्यति स वने नित्यसंवृद्धो … नान्यं जानाति विप्रेन्द्रो नित्यं पित्रनुवर्तनात् ॥

kāśyapasya tu putro 'sti vibhāṇḍaka iti śrutaḥ ṛṣyaśṛṅga iti khyātas tasya putro bhaviṣyati sa vane nityasaṃvṛddho … nānyaṃ jānāti viprendro nityaṃ pitranuvartanāt

English

Kashyapa has a son,
Vibhandaka, so it is heard;
to him a son will be born,
famed as Rishyashringa.
He, ever reared in the forest,
…
knows no one else, that best of brahmins,
ever following his father.

॥ 1.9.8–9 ॥

CrEd 1.8.11–12

condensed from 1.9.8–9

Sumantra

Sanskrit

एतस्मिन्न् एव काले तु लोमपादः प्रतापवान् ।
अङ्गेषु प्रथितो राजा भविष्यति महाबलः ।
तस्य व्यतिक्रमाद् राज्ञो भविष्यति सुदारुणा ।
अनावृष्टिः सुघोरा वै सर्वभूतभयावहा ॥

etasminn eva kāle tu lomapādaḥ pratāpavān
aṅgeṣu prathito rājā bhaviṣyati mahābalaḥ
tasya vyatikramād rājño bhaviṣyati sudāruṇā
anāvṛṣṭiḥ sughorā vai sarvabhūtabhayāvahā

English

At that very time Lomapada,
full of valour,
will be a renowned king among the Angas,
mighty in strength.
Through that king’s transgression
there will come, most dreadful,
a drought, terrible indeed,
bringing fear to every creature.

॥ 1.9.19 ॥

CrEd 1.8.22

Sumantra

Sanskrit

ऋष्यशृङ्गस् तु जामाता पुत्रांस् तव विधास्यति सनत्कुमारकथितम् एतावद् व्याहृतं मया ॥

ṛṣyaśṛṅgas tu jāmātā putrāṃs tava vidhāsyati sanatkumārakathitam etāvad vyāhṛtaṃ mayā

English

And Rishyashringa, the son-in-law,
will bring about your sons.
What Sanatkumara told,
thus far I have declared.

॥ 1.9.20 ॥

CrEd 1.8.23

silent moment

॥ 1.9.20 ॥

CrEd 1.8.23

Dasharatha

Sanskrit

अथ हृष्टो दशरथः सुमन्त्रं प्रत्यभाषत यथर्ष्यशृङ्गस् त्व् आनीतो विस्तरेण त्वयोच्यताम् ॥

atha hṛṣṭo daśarathaḥ sumantraṃ pratyabhāṣata yatharṣyaśṛṅgas tv ānīto vistareṇa tvayocyatām

English

Then Dasharatha, delighted,
answered Sumantra:
“How Rishyashringa was brought,
tell it to me in full.”

॥ 1.10.9, 1.10.20–21 ॥

CrEd 1.9.9, 1.9.20–21

condensed from 1.10.9, 1.10.20–21

Sumantra

Sanskrit

न तेन जन्मप्रभृति दृष्टपूर्वं तपस्विना स्त्री वा पुमान् वा … मोदकान् प्रददुस् तस्मै … तानि चास्वाद्य तेजस्वी फलानीति स्म मन्यते ॥

na tena janmaprabhṛti dṛṣṭapūrvaṃ tapasvinā strī vā pumān vā … modakān pradadus tasmai … tāni cāsvādya tejasvī phalānīti sma manyate

English

Never since his birth
had that ascetic seen
a woman, or a man …
They gave him sweets …
and tasting them, the radiant one
thought that they were fruits.

॥ 1.10.29 ॥

CrEd 1.9.28

Sumantra

Sanskrit

तत्र चानीयमाने तु विप्रे तस्मिन् महात्मनि ववर्ष सहसा देवो जगत् प्रह्लादयंस् तदा ॥

tatra cānīyamāne tu vipre tasmin mahātmani vavarṣa sahasā devo jagat prahlādayaṃs tadā

English

And as he was being brought there,
that great-souled brahmin,
suddenly the god rained down,
gladdening the world.

॥ 1.11.1–2 ॥

CrEd 1.10.1–2

condensed from 1.11.1–2

Sumantra

Sanskrit

भूय एव च राजेन्द्र शृणु मे वचनं हितम् … इक्ष्वाकूणां कुले जातो भविष्यति सुधार्मिकः राजा दशरथो नाम्ना श्रीमान् सत्यप्रतिश्रवः ॥

bhūya eva ca rājendra śṛṇu me vacanaṃ hitam … ikṣvākūṇāṃ kule jāto bhaviṣyati sudhārmikaḥ rājā daśaratho nāmnā śrīmān satyapratiśravaḥ

English

Hear further, lord of kings,
my words, for your good.
…
Born in the Ikshvakus’ line
there will be one most righteous,
a king, Dasharatha by name,
glorious, true to his word.

॥ 1.11.2 ॥

CrEd 1.10.2

silent moment

॥ 1.11.10 ॥

CrEd 1.10.10

Sumantra

Sanskrit

पुत्राश् चास्य भविष्यन्ति चत्वारोऽमितविक्रमाः वंशप्रतिष्ठानकराः सर्वलोकेषु विश्रुताः ॥

putrāś cāsya bhaviṣyanti catvāro 'mitavikramāḥ vaṃśapratiṣṭhānakarāḥ sarvalokeṣu viśrutāḥ

English

And sons will be born to him,
four, of boundless valour,
the founders of his line,
renowned in all the worlds.

॥ 1.11.13 ॥

CrEd 1.10.13

silent moment

॥ 1.11.12 ॥

CrEd 1.10.12

Sumantra

Sanskrit

स त्वं पुरुषशार्दूल तम् आनय सुसत्कृतम् स्वयम् एव महाराज गत्वा सबलवाहनः ॥

sa tvaṃ puruṣaśārdūla tam ānaya susatkṛtam svayam eva mahārāja gatvā sabalavāhanaḥ

English

So you, tiger among men,
bring him, with all honour,
going yourself, great king,
with army and carriages.

॥ 1.11.13 ॥

CrEd 1.10.13

silent moment

॥ 1.11.26 ॥

CrEd 1.10.25

Valmikiverse caption

Sanskrit

ततः स्वलंकृतं राजा नगरं प्रविवेश ह ।
शङ्खदुन्दुभिनिर्घोषैः पुरस्कृत्य द्विजर्षभम् ॥

tataḥ svalaṃkṛtaṃ rājā nagaraṃ praviveśa ha
śaṅkhadundubhinirghoṣaiḥ puraskṛtya dvijarṣabham

English

Then into the well-adorned city
the king made his entry,
to the roar of conches and drums,
the bull among brahmins before him.

॥ 1.11.27–29 ॥

CrEd 1.10.26–27

Valmikiverse caption

Sanskrit

ततः प्रमुदिताः सर्वे दृष्ट्वा तं नागरा द्विजम् ।
प्रवेश्यमानं सत्कृत्य नरेन्द्रेणेन्द्रकर्मणा ।
अन्तःपुरं प्रवेश्यैनं पूजां कृत्वा तु शास्त्रतः ।
कृतकृत्यं तदात्मानं मेने तस्योपवाहनात् ॥

tataḥ pramuditāḥ sarve dṛṣṭvā taṃ nāgarā dvijam
praveśyamānaṃ satkṛtya narendreṇendrakarmaṇā
antaḥpuraṃ praveśyainaṃ pūjāṃ kṛtvā tu śāstrataḥ
kṛtakṛtyaṃ tadātmānaṃ mene tasyopavāhanāt

English

Then all the citizens rejoiced
to see that brahmin
brought in with honour by the lord of men,
whose deeds were Indra’s.
He brought him into the inner palace,
worshipped him as the texts direct,
and thought himself fulfilled
for having brought him there.

॥ 1.11.29 ॥

CrEd 1.10.27

silent moment