Chapter [Sarga] 59

Book I : Bala Kanda - The Youthful Majesties

Chapter [Sarga] 59

Introduction

Vishvamitra undertakes Trishanku's Vedic ritual and sends disciples to invite all Vedic-scholars. Many sages have come except for Vashishta and his sons. Further, the sons of Vashishta have ridiculed this ritual of Vishvamitra and Trishanku. Vishvamitra gets irritated and hurls curses at the sons of Vashishta.

Verse Locator

ukta vaakyam tu raajaanam kR^ipayaa kushika aatmajaH |
abraviit madhuram vaakyam saakSaat caNDaalataam gatam || 1-59-1

1. ukta vaakyam tu= spoken, word - one who spoke thus, Trishanku, but; saakSaat caNDaalataam gatam= in reality, profaner-hood, attained one; raajaanam= to king; kR^ipayaa kushika aatmajaH= piteously, Kushi's, son [Vishvamitra]; madhuram vaakyam abraviit= mellowly, sentence, spoke.

"Vishvamitra, the son of Kushi, piteously spoke this mellowly sentence to king Trishanku who spoke thus, and who in reality attained a state of profaner." Thus Sage Shataananda continued his narration. [1-59-1]

Verse Locator

ikSvaako svaagatam vatsa jaanaami tvaam sudhaarmikam |
sharaNam te bhaviSyaami maa bhaiSiiH nR^ipa pu.ngava || 1-59-2

2. ikSvaakoH vatsa= oh, Ikshvaku-s, progeny, [oh, Trishanku]; svaagatam= welcome; tvaam su dhaarmikam jaanaami= you, as highly, righteous [king,] I am aware; nR^ipa pungava= oh, king, the best; maa bhaiSiiH= do not, fear; [aham= I]; te sharaNam bhaviSyaami= to you, haven, I accord.

" 'Oh, Trishanku, the legatee of Ikshvaku-s, you are welcome. I am aware that you are a highly righteous king. Oh, the best king, you need not be dismayed, for I accord you haven. [1-59-2]

Verse Locator

aham aama.ntraye sarvaan mahar.hSiin puNya karmaNaH |
yaj~na saahya karaan raajan tato yakSyasi nirvR^itaH || 1-59-3

3. aham= I will; puNya karmaNaH= of pious, activities; yaj~na saahya karaan= ritual, assistance, renderers; sarvaan maharSiin aamantraye= all, great-sages, I will invite; tataH raajan= then, oh, king; nirvR^itaH yakSyasi= composedly, you can perform ritual.

" 'I will invite all the sages with pious activities who will render assistance in the ritual, oh, king, then you can perform the ritual self-composedly. [1-59-3]

Verse Locator

guru shaapa kR^itam ruupam yat idam tvayi var.htate |
anena saha ruupeNa sa shariiro gamiSyasi || 1-59-4

4. guru shaapa kR^itam= by mentor, curse, made; yat idam ruupam= which, this, form; tvayi vartate= in you, is there - which you got by curse; anena ruupeNa saha= with this, form, along with; sa shariiraH gamiSyasi= with, body, you can go - to heaven.

" 'You can go to heaven with this body of yours, as well as with the form which is deformed by the curse of mentor Vashishta through his sons. [1-59-4]

Verse Locator

hasta praaptam aham manye svargam tava nareshvara |
yaH tvam kaushikam aagamya sharaNyam sharaNaagataH || 1-59-5

5. nareshvara= oh, subject's, king; yaH tvam= which, you; sharaNyam kaushikam aagamya= [all] sheltering one, to Kaushika [to Vishvamitra,] having approached; sharaNa aagataH= for shelter, you came; such a one like you; tava= to you; svargam hasta praaptam= heaven, in hand, obtained [handy]; aham manye= I, deem.

" 'I deem that heaven is handy to you, oh, king of subjects, as you have approached the all-sheltering Vishvamitra and sought shelter.' Thus Vishvamitra solaced Trishanku. [1-59-5]

Verse Locator

evam uktvaa mahaatejaaH putraan parama dhaarmikaan |
vyaadidesha mahaapraaj~naan yaj~na sa.mbhaara kaaraNaat || 1-59-6

6. mahaatejaaH= great-resplendent Vishvamitra; evam uktvaa= thus, on saying; parama dhaarmikaan= highly, righteous ones; mahaa praaj~naan= astutely, brilliant ones; putraan= sons; yaj~na sambhaara kaaraNaat= ritual, arrangements, to cause [to organise]; vyaadidesha [vi aadi desha]= ordered.

"On saying thus to Trishanku that great-resplendent Vishvamitra ordered his highly righteous and astutely brilliant sons to organise the arrangements for the ritual. [1-59-6]

Verse Locator

sarvaan shiSyaan samaahuuya vaakyam etat uvaaca ha |
sarvaan R^iSi varaan vashiSThaan aanayadhvam mama aaj~nayaa || 1-59-7
sa shiSyaan suhR^idaH caiva sa R^itvijaH subahu shrutaan |

7, 8a: sarvaan shiSyaan samaahuuya= all, disciples, calling forth; etat vaakyam uvaaca ha= this, sentence, said, indeed; [vatsaaH= oh, boys]; mama aaj~nayaa= by my, order; sa shiSyaan suhR^idaH caiva= with, [their] disciples, friends, also thus; sa R^itvijaH= with, ritwiks [conductors of rituals]; su bahu shrutaan= very, many, heard [well-read pundits in Veda-s]; sarvaan R^iSi varaan= all, sages, eminent one; and; vashiSThaan= [sons] of Vashishta; aanayadhvam= be invited.

"Vishvamitra calling forth all of his disciples said this sentence, 'invite all the eminent sages who are well-read in many Veda-s, along with their disciples and friends, and their ritwiks, the conductors of rituals, and even the sons of Vashishta, at my order. [1-59-7, 8a]

Verse Locator

yat anyo vacanam bruuyaat mat vaakya bala coditaH || 1-59-8
tat sarvam akhilena uktam mama aakhyeyam anaadR^itam |

8b, 9a: anyaH= other [someone]; mat vaakya bala coditaH= my, word, forcefulness, incited by; yat vacanam bruuyaat= whichever, words, if speaks; akhilena= by all invitees [whoever]; uktam an+aadR^itam= spoken, not, considerately; tat sarvam mama aakhyeyam= that [whatever,] all, to me, reported.

" 'If someone speaks inconsiderately incited by the forcefulness of my word, whoever speaks it, whichever word it may be, all that is to be reported to me, whatever it is.' Thus Vishvamitra ordered his disciples. [1-59-8]

Verse Locator

tasya tat vacanam shrutvaa disho jagmuH tat aaj~nayaa || 1-59-9
aajagmuH atha deshebhyaH sarvebhyo brahma vaadinaH |

9b, 10a. tasya tat vacanam shrutvaa= his [of Vishvamitra,] that, word, on listening; tat aaj~nayaa= by that, order; dishaH jagmuH= to [all] directions, [disciples] went; atha= then; sarvebhyaH deshebhyaH= from all, provinces; brahma vaadinaH= all, Brahma, advocators of [Vedic scholars]; aajagmuH= started to arrive.

"On listening that word of Vishvamitra his disciples went to all directions inviting all by his order, and then the Vedic scholars started to arrive from all provinces. [1-59-9 b, 10a]

Verse Locator

te ca shiSyaaH samaagamya munim jvalita tejasam || 1-59-10
uucuH ca vacanam sarve sarveSaam brahma vaadinaam |

10b, 11a. te shiSyaaH sarve samaagamya= they, disciples, all of them, on returning; jvalita tejasam munim= of fulgent, resplendence, to sage; sarveSaam brahma vaadinaam= of all, of Vedic, scholars; vacanam= words [spoken by scholars]; uucuH== said - reported.

"All of the disciples have returned to the fulgently resplendent sage Vishvamitra, and reported the words spoken by all the Vedic scholars. [1-59-10b, 11a]

Verse Locator

shrutvaa te vacanam sarve samaayaanti dvijaatayaH || 1-59-11
sarva desheSu ca agacChan varjayitvaa mahaaudayam |

11b, 12a. te vacanam shrutvaa= your, sentence [invitation,] on listening; sarve dvijaatayaH samaayaanti= all, Brahmans, are coming; mahaaudayam varjayitvaa= Mahodaya, excepting for; sarva desheSu agacChan= from all, provinces, have came.

" 'On listening your word all the Brahmans from all provinces have started to come and some have already come, leaving alone Mahodaya, the son of Vashishta.' Thus, the disciples have started to inform Vishvamitra. [1-59-11b, 12a]

Verse Locator

vaasiSTham tat shatam sarvam krodha paryaakula akSaram || 1-59-12
yathaa aaha vacanam sarvam shR^iNu tvam muni pu.ngava |

12b, 13a. muni pungava= oh, sage, the eminent; sarvam= all [that is said]; tat vaasiSTham shatam= that, of Vashishta, hundred [sons]; krodha paryaakula akSaram= fury, explosive, with words; [yat= which]; vacanam aaha= words, [they] said; yathaa= as to how [they said]; [tat= that]; sarvam tvam shR^iNu= all, you, listen.

" 'What all said by those hundred sons of Vashishta is explosively worded in their fury, oh, eminent sage, and what all they have said that you may please listen. [1-59-12b, 13a]

Verse Locator

kSatriyo yaajako yasya caNDaalasya visheSataH || 1-59-13
katham sadasi bhoktaaro haviH tasya sura R^iSayaH |

13b, 14a. yasya= to whom; kSatriyaH yaajakaH= a Kshatriya, officiator of ritual; visheSataH caNDaalasya= especially, of a profaner; tasya sadasi= in such a, ritual-assembly [of a profaner] ; sura R^iSayaH= gods, sages; haviH katham bhoktaaraH= oblation, how, one can partake of.

" 'A Kshatriya is the officiator, and a profaner is the performer. How then the gods or sages can partake of the remnants of oblations in that ritual-assembly, especially that of a profaner?' Thus, the sons of Vashishta exclaimed. [1-59-13b, 14a]

One who is uninitiated into any esoteric knowledge is venturing to perform a Vedic ritual and a king, who can perform a ritual, but who cannot officiate ritual or teach Veda-s like a Brahman, is officiating it. Thus both of these, officiator and performer have no Vedic sanctity.

Verse Locator

braahmaNaa vaa mahaatmaano bhuktvaa caNDaala bhojanam || 1-59-14
katham svargam gamiSyanti vishvaamitreNa paalitaaH |

14b, 15a. vishvaamitreNa paalitaaH= by Vishvamitra, [even though] ruled over [rather, embarrassed]; mahaatmaanaH braahmaNaa vaa= great-souled [sages,] Brahmans, either; caNDaala bhojanam bhuktvaa= profaner's, food, by partaking of; svargam katham gamiSyanti= to heavens, how, they go.

" 'Though the Brahmans or the high-souled sages are now embarrassed by Vishvamitra, how can they go to heaven even after their demise, partaking of the food of a profaner? [1-59-14b, 15a]

Verse Locator

etat vacanam naiSThuryam uucuH sa.mrakta locanaaH || 1-59-15
vaasiSThaa muni shaarduula sarve saha mahodayaaH |

15b, 16a. muni shaarduula= oh, sage, the tiger; saha mahodayaaH sarve= with, Mahodaya, all of them; vaasiSThaa= of Vashishta [his sons]; samrakta locanaaH= with reddennig, eyes - in anger; etat vacanam naiSThuryam= all these, sentences, derisive; uucuH= spoke.

" 'Oh, tigerly sage Vishvamitra, all the sons of Vashishta including Mahodaya spoke these derisive sentences with their eyes reddening in anger.' Thus, the disciples reported to Vishvamitra. [1-59-15b, 16a]

Verse Locator

teSaam tat vacanam shrutvaa sarveSaam muni pu.ngavaH || 1-59-16
krodha sa.mrakta nayanaH sa roSam idam abraviit |

16b, 17a. muni pungavaH= sage, the eminent; teSaam sarveSaam tat vacanam shrutvaa= their, all of them, that, sentence, on listening; krodha samrakta nayanaH= with fury, bloodshot, eyes; sa roSam= with, rancour; idam abraviit= this, said.

"The eminent sage Vishvamitra having heard those words of the sons of Vashishta from all of his disciples, said this rancorously with bloodshot eyes. [1-59-16b, 17a]

Verse Locator

yat duuSayanti aduSTam maam tapa ugram sa.maasthitam || 1-59-17
bhasmii bhuutaa duraatmaano bhaviSyanti na sa.mshayaH |

17b, 18a: ugram tapaH sam aasthitam= rigorous, ascesis, verily, abiding in; a + duSTam= not, reprovable one; maam= me; yat duuSayanti= who, reproves; dura + aatmaanaH= not, reverent minded; bhasmiibhuutaa bhaviSyanti= state of ashes, turns to; na samshayaH= no, doubt.

" 'He who reproves me, who am abiding in rigorous ascesis, and who am an unreprovable one by my ascetic merit, that irreverent person will be reduced to ashes, and there is no doubt about it. [1-59-17b, 18a]

Verse Locator

adya te kaala paashena niitaa vaivastava kSayam || 1-59-18
sapta jaati shataani eva mR^itapaaH santu sarvashaH |

18b, 19a. te= they; adya kaala paashena= now, by Time's, lasso; vaivastava kSayam niitaa= Yama, [the Terminator's,] to house, dragged; sapta jaati shataani eva= seven, births, hundred, thus - for seven hundred births to come; sarvashaH= anywise - come what may; mR^ita paaH= dead, eaters [devourers of corpse]; santu= they will become.

" 'Now they will be dragged by the lasso of Time to the House of Yama, the Terminator, and from now to seven hundred births to come they take birth as devourers of corpses, come what may. [1-59-18b, 19a]

Verse Locator

shva maa.msa niyata aahaaraa muSTikaa naama nirghR^iNaaH || 1-59-19
vikR^itaaH ca viruupaaH ca lokaan anucarantu imaan |

19b, 20a. nir + ghR^iNaaH= without, ruth - ruthless; muSTikaa naama= Mushtika, named - sect - taking birth in that sect; shva maamsa niyata aahaaraa= dog, flesh, always [staple,] as food - eating it; vikR^itaaH ca viruupaaH ca= disfigured, also, deformed, also; imaan lokaan anucarantu= these, [mortal] worlds [in them,] they wander about.

" 'Those who reprove me will be wandering about these mortal worlds on taking birth as disfigured and deformed beings in the ruthless sect of Mustika-s that always feed on dog's flesh. [1-59-19b, 20a]

Verse Locator

mahodayaH ca dur.hbuddhiH maam aduuSyam hi aduuSayat || 1-59-20
duuSitaH sarva lokeSu niSaadatvam gamiSyati |

20b, 21a. dur buddhiH mahodayaH ca= wrong, headed, Mahodaya, also; a+duuSyam= not, reproachable one; maam= me; aduuSayat hi= he reproached, indeed; he; sarva lokeSu duuSitaH= by all, world, reproached; niSaadatvam gamiSyati= tribal-hood, obtains.

" 'That wrong-headed Mahodaya also reproached me, who am irreproachable on my part, hence he gets into tribal-hood and becomes a reproachable tribal for the entire world. [1-59-20b, 21a]

Verse Locator

praaNa atipaata nirato niranukroshataam gataH || 1-59-21
diirgha kaalam mama krodhaat dur.hgatim var.htayiSyati |

21b, 22a. mama krodhaat= by my, fury; praaNa atipaata nirataH= lives, out falling [taking out, murderous bent,] occupied with; niranukroshataam [nir anu kroshataam] gataH= utter barbarity, on obtaining; diirgha kaalam= for a long, time; dur gatim vartayiSyati= worst, living, cycles through.

" 'By my fury he obtains an utter barbarity and he will be occupied with a murderous bent, and he cycles through a worst possible living for a long time. [1-59-21b, 22a]

Verse Locator

etaavat uktvaa vacanam vishvaamitro mahaatapaaH |
viraraama mahaatejaa R^iSi madhye mahaamuniH || 1-59-22

22b, c. mahaa tapaaH= great-ascetic; mahaatejaa= highly-resplendent; mahaamuniH= great-sage; vishvaamitraH= Vishvamitra; R^iSi madhye= sages, among; etaavat vacanam uktvaa= this much, sentence [of curse,] on saying; viraraama= paused.

"On saying this much sentence of curse among the sages who have already arrived, that great-resplendent, greatly ascetic, great sage Vishvamitra paused. [1-59-22]

The poet in the last line remembers the sages who have already arrived, only to say that, 'had they not come at the beck and call of Vishvamitra, they too are liable for the above curses, maybe some more curses too, from Vishvamitra. So, knowing this Vedic-ritual of ineligible Trishanku and unqualified Vishvamitra is an improper egotistical extravaganza of Vishvamitra, those who have already come, have come at the cost of their Brahman-hood.'

iti vaalmiiki raamaayaNe aadi kaavye baala kaaNDe eko na SaSTitamaH sargaH

Thus, this is the 59th chapter in Bala Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India.