Bala Kanda: Chapter 21

तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं तस्य स्नेहपर्याकुलाक्षरम्। समन्युः कौशिकौ वाक्यं प्रत्युवाच महीपतिम् ॥
Hearing those words of Dasaratha's composed of letters faltering with affection, Kusika's son, stirred up with anger, answered the monarch, saying,

पूर्वमर्थं प्रतिश्रुत्य प्रतिज्ञां हातुमिच्छसि। राघवाणामयुक्तोऽयं कुलस्यास्य विपर्यय॥
Having promised me first, you endeavour to renounce that proinise of yours. This surely is unworthy of a descendant of Raghu, and this can bring destruction upon the dynasty.

यदीदं ते क्षमं राजन् गमिष्यामि यथागतम्। मिथ्याप्रतिज्ञः काकुत्स्थ सुखी भव सुहृद्वृतः॥
If, O king, in acting thus, you have acted properly, I will then repair to the place whence I had come. O Kākutstha's descendant false in promise, do you attain happiness, being surrounded by your friends.

तस्य रोषपरीतस्य विश्वामित्रस्य धीमतः। चचाल वसुधा कृत्स्ना देवानां च भयं महत्॥
And when the intelligent Viśvāmitra was exercised with wrath, the entire earth began to tremble, and the gods even were inspired with awe.

त्रस्तरूपं तु विज्ञाय जगत् सर्वं महानृषिः। नृपतिं सुव्रतो धीरो वसिष्ठो वाक्यमब्रवीत्॥
And knowing that the entire universe was in trepidation, that mighty saint, the sedate Vasiştha of excellent vows, said these words to the king.

इक्ष्वाकूणां कुले जातः साक्षाद् धर्म इवापरः। धृतिमान् सुव्रतः श्रीमान् न धर्म हातुमर्हसि॥
Born in the line of Ikşvāku, you are the very second self of virtue. And endowed with patience, and auspicious, and observing excellent vows, you ought not to renounce virtue.

त्रिषु लोकेषु विख्यातो धर्मात्मा इति राघवः। स्वधर्मं प्रतिपद्यस्व नाधर्मं वोढुमर्हसि।७।।
The descendant of Raghu is famed over the three worlds as righteous-souled. Do you maintain your habit of adhering to promise; for it does not behove you to act unrighteously.

प्रतिश्रुत्य करिष्येति उक्तं वाक्यमकुर्वतः। इष्टापूर्तवधो भूयात् तस्माद् रामं विसर्जय॥
If having promised, I will do so, you do not act up to your word, the merit you have achieved by digging tanks, shall come to naught, therefore do you renounce Rāma!

कृतास्त्रमकृतास्त्रं वा नैनं शक्ष्यन्ति राक्षसाः। गुप्तं कुशिकपुत्रेण ज्वलनेनामृतं यथा॥
Accomplished or not accomplished in weapons, the Rākṣasas cannot bear him protected by Kusika's son, like ambrosia, by flaming fire.

एष विग्रहवान् धर्म एष वीर्यवतां वरः। एष विद्याधिको लोके तपसश्च परायणम्॥
This one is Virtue incarnate : this one is the foremost of those possessing prowess. This one surpass all others in learning, and is the refuge of asceticism.

एषोऽस्त्रान् विविधान् वेत्ति त्रैलोक्ये सचराचरे। नैनमन्यः पुमान् वेत्ति न च वेत्स्यन्ति केचन॥
This one is congnizant of all that exist in the three worlds furnished with mobile and immobile things;. but others do not know him,-nor yet shall know him hereafter.

न देवा नर्षयः केचिन्नामरा न च राक्षसाः। गन्धर्वयक्षप्रवराः सकिन्नरमहोरगाः॥
And neither the gods, nor the saints, nor the immortals, nor the Rakşasas, nor the foremost of Gandharvas and Yaksas, nor the Kinnaras, nor the mighty Serpents can know him.

सर्वास्त्राणि कृशाश्वस्य पुत्राः परमधार्मिकाः। कौशिकाय पुरा दत्ता यदा राज्यं प्रशासति॥
And formerly while the descendant of Kusika was ruling his kingdom, Siva conferred upon him the highly famous sons of Kțśāśva in the shape of all w apons.

तेऽपि पुत्राः कृशाश्वस्य प्रजापतिसुतासुताः। नैकरूपा महावीर्या दीप्तिमन्तो जयावहाः॥
Those sons of Krśāśva were the offspring of Prajāpati's daughters. And they were endowed with various forms, and were effulgent and dreadful.

जया च सुप्रभा चैव दक्षकन्ये सुमध्यमे। ते सूतेऽस्त्राणि शस्त्राणि शतं परमभास्वरम्॥
And Dakşa's daughters of elegant waists, Jayā and Suprabhā, brought forth an hundred exceedingly effulgent weapons.

पञ्चाशतं सुताँल्लेभे जया लब्धवरा वरान्। वधायासुरसैन्यानामप्रमेयानरूपिणः॥
And by virtue of her boon, Jayā obtained fifty sons of immeasurable strength and endued with the power of becoming invisible for the purpose of slaughtering the hosts of the Asuras.

सुप्रभाजनयच्चापि पुत्रान् पञ्चशतं पुनः। संहारान् नाम दुर्धर्षान् दुराक्रमान् बलीयसः॥
Suprabhā also brought forth fifty sons named Sanhäras, incapable of being borne, and infallible and powerful.

तानि चास्त्राणि वेत्त्येष यथावत् कुशिकात्मजः। अपूर्वाणां च जनने शक्तो भूयश्च धर्मवित्॥
Kuśika's son is adequately conversant with all those weapons. And that one knowing duty is also capable of creating wonderful weapons.

तेनास्य मुनिमुख्यस्य धर्मज्ञस्य महात्मनः। न किञ्चिदस्त्यविदितं भूतं भव्यं च राघव॥
O descendant of Raghu, there is nothing present, past, or future which is not known by that foremost of ascetics of high soul, and cognizant of morality.

एवंवीर्यो महातेजा विश्वामित्रो महायशाः। न रामगमने राजन् संशयं गन्तुमर्हसि ॥
Such is the prowess of that highly famous Viśvāmitra possessed of mighty energy. Therefore, O king, it behove you not to hesitate in the matter of Rāma's going.

तेषां निग्रहणे शक्तः स्वयं च कुशिकात्मजः। तव पुत्रहितार्थाय त्वामुपेत्याभियाचते॥
The descendant of Kusika is himself capable of repressing the Rākşasas; and it is in order to your son's welfare that coming to you, he ask for him of you.

इति मुनिवचनात् प्रसन्नचित्तो रघुवृषभश्च मुमोद पार्थिवाग्र्यः। गमनमभिरुरोच राघवस्य प्रथितयशाः कुशिकात्मजाय बुद्ध्या॥
At this speech of the ascetic, that foremost of Raghus, the king, well-pleased, became exceedingly delighted. And that famous one, relishing the journey of Rāma, began to reflect in his mind about consigning him to Kusika's son.

गमनमभिरुरोच राघवस्य प्रथितयशाः कुशिकात्मजाय बुद्ध्या॥
At this speech of the ascetic, that foremost of Raghus, the king, well-pleased, became exceedingly delighted. And that famous one, relishing the journey of Rāma, began to reflect in his mind about consigning him to Kusika's son. a