The Tale of Rama Begins: The Birth of Vaishravana

Verse 1 (3.275.1)

प्राप्तमप्रतिमं दुःखं रामेण भरतर्षभ । रक्षसा जानकी तस्य हृता भार्या बलीयसा ॥

prāptamapratimaṃ duḥkhaṃ rāmeṇa bharatarṣabha | rakṣasā jānakī tasya hṛtā bhāryā balīyasā

O bull among the Bharatas, Rama suffered a sorrow beyond compare. His wife Janaki was carried off by a mighty Rakshasa,

Verse 2 (3.275.2)

आश्रमाद्राक्षसेन्द्रेण रावणेन दुरात्मना । मायामास्थाय तरसा हत्वा गृध्रं जटायुषम् ॥

āśramādrākṣasendreṇa rāvaṇena durātmanā | māyāmāsthāya tarasā hatvā gṛdhraṃ jaṭāyuṣam

taken from the hermitage by the wicked Ravana, lord of the Rakshasas, who used magic and swiftly slew the vulture Jatayu.

Verse 3 (3.275.3)

प्रत्याजहार तां रामः सुग्रीवबलमाश्रितः । बद्ध्वा सेतुं समुद्रस्य दग्ध्वा लङ्कां शितैः शरैः ॥

pratyājahāra tāṃ rāmaḥ sugrīvabalamāśritaḥ | baddhvā setuṃ samudrasya dagdhvā laṅkāṃ śitaiḥ śaraiḥ

Relying on the forces of Sugriva, Rama brought her back, after bridging the ocean and burning Lanka with his sharp arrows.

Verse 4 (3.275.4)

कस्मिन्रामः कुले जातः किंवीर्यः किंपराक्रमः । रावणः कस्य पुत्रो वा किं वैरं तस्य तेन ह ॥

kasminrāmaḥ kule jātaḥ kiṃvīryaḥ kiṃparākramaḥ | rāvaṇaḥ kasya putro vā kiṃ vairaṃ tasya tena ha

In what family was Rama born? What was his strength, what his valour? Whose son was Ravana, and what was the enmity between them?

Note on the text: Corrected कस्मिन्नामः → कस्मिन्रामः and तस् → तस्य (misprints in Wikisource; CE 3.258.4 kasmin rāmaḥ … tasya).

Verse 5 (3.275.5)

एतन्मे भगवन्सर्वं सम्यगाख्यातुमर्हसि । त्वया प्रत्यक्षतोदृष्टं यथासर्वमशेषतः । श्रोतुमिच्छामि चरितं रामस्याक्लिष्टकर्मणः ॥

etanme bhagavansarvaṃ samyagākhyātumarhasi | tvayā pratyakṣatodṛṣṭaṃ yathāsarvamaśeṣataḥ | śrotumicchāmi caritaṃ rāmasyākliṣṭakarmaṇaḥ

Blessed one, please tell me all this properly, everything in full, just as you saw it with your own eyes. I wish to hear the story of Rama, whose great deeds cost him no strain.

Note on the text: Corrected प्रत्यक्षोदृष्टं → प्रत्यक्षतोदृष्टं (misprint in Wikisource; the dropped त leaves the quarter a syllable short, CE star passage 1233 pratyakṣato dṛṣṭaṃ). Removed stray backtick and quote marks (wiki marks). Lines 1 and 3 are CE 3.258.5 (the automatic alignment missed it); the middle line is not in the CE text (star passage 1233, found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 6 (3.275.6)

अजोनामाभवद्राजा महानिक्ष्वाकुवंशजः । तस्य पुत्रो दशरथःशश्वत्स्वाध्यायवाञ्छुचिः ॥

ajonāmābhavadrājā mahānikṣvākuvaṃśajaḥ | tasya putro daśarathaḥśaśvatsvādhyāyavāñchuciḥ

There was a great king named Aja, born in the line of Ikshvaku. His son was Dasharatha, pure, and ever devoted to the study of the Veda.

Note on the text: Corrected तस् → तस्य (misprint in Wikisource; dropped akshara, CE 3.258.6 tasya).

Verse 7 (3.275.7)

अभवंस्तस्य चत्वारः पुत्रा धर्मार्थकोविदाः । रामलक्ष्मणशत्रुघ्ना भरतश्च महाबलः ॥

abhavaṃstasya catvāraḥ putrā dharmārthakovidāḥ | rāmalakṣmaṇaśatrughnā bharataśca mahābalaḥ

He had four sons, all versed in dharma and in worldly affairs: Rama, Lakshmana, Shatrughna and the mighty Bharata.

Verse 8 (3.275.8)

रामस्य माता कौसल्या कैकेयी भरतस्य तु । सुतौ लक्ष्मणशत्रुघ्नौ सुमित्रायाः परंतपौ ॥

rāmasya mātā kausalyā kaikeyī bharatasya tu | sutau lakṣmaṇaśatrughnau sumitrāyāḥ paraṃtapau

Rama's mother was Kausalya and Bharata's was Kaikeyi, while Lakshmana and Shatrughna, scorchers of their foes, were the sons of Sumitra.

Verse 9 (3.275.9)

विदेहराजो जनकः सीता तस्यात्मजा विभो । यां चकार स्वयं त्वष्टा रामस्य महिषीं प्रियाम् ॥

videharājo janakaḥ sītā tasyātmajā vibho | yāṃ cakāra svayaṃ tvaṣṭā rāmasya mahiṣīṃ priyām

Janaka was king of Videha, and Sita was his daughter, O lord; Tvashtri himself fashioned her to be Rama's beloved queen.

Note on the text: Corrected विमो → विभो (misprint in Wikisource; म for भ, CE 3.258.9 vibho).

Verse 10 (3.275.10)

एतद्रामस्य ते जन्म सीतायाश्च प्रकीर्तितम् । रावणस्यापि ते जन्म व्याख्यास्यामि जनेश्वर ॥

etadrāmasya te janma sītāyāśca prakīrtitam | rāvaṇasyāpi te janma vyākhyāsyāmi janeśvara

I have now told you of the birth of Rama and of Sita. Next I shall explain to you the birth of Ravana as well, O lord of men.

Note on the text: Corrected रजनेश्वर → जनेश्वर (misprint in Wikisource; रजनेश्वर 'lord of the night', the moon, cannot address Yudhishthira, CE 3.258.10 janeśvara).

Verse 11 (3.275.11)

पितामहो रावणस्य साक्षाद्देवः प्रजापतिः । स्वयंभूः सर्वलोकानां प्रभुः स्रष्टा महातपाः ॥

pitāmaho rāvaṇasya sākṣāddevaḥ prajāpatiḥ | svayaṃbhūḥ sarvalokānāṃ prabhuḥ sraṣṭā mahātapāḥ

The grandsire of Ravana's line was the god Prajapati himself, the Self-born, lord and creator of all the worlds, a great ascetic.

Verse 12 (3.275.12)

पुलस्त्यो नाम तस्यासीन्मानसो दयितः सुतः । तस्य वैश्रवणो नाम गवि पुत्रोऽभवत्प्रभुः ॥

pulastyo nāma tasyāsīnmānaso dayitaḥ sutaḥ | tasya vaiśravaṇo nāma gavi putro'bhavatprabhuḥ

He had a beloved son born of his mind, named Pulastya. To Pulastya, by his wife Gau, was born a son, the lord named Vaishravana.

Verse 13 (3.275.13)

पितरं स समुत्सृज्य पितामहमुपस्थितः । तस्य कोपात्पिता राजन्ससर्जात्मानमात्मना ॥

pitaraṃ sa samutsṛjya pitāmahamupasthitaḥ | tasya kopātpitā rājansasarjātmānamātmanā

Vaishravana abandoned his father and went to serve his grandfather. Angered at this, his father, O king, created a second self out of himself.

Verse 14 (3.275.14)

स जज्ञे विश्रवा नाम तस्यात्मार्धेन वै द्विजः । प्रतीकाराय सक्रोधस्ततो वैश्रवणस्य वै ॥

sa jajñe viśravā nāma tasyātmārdhena vai dvijaḥ | pratīkārāya sakrodhastato vaiśravaṇasya vai

From half of his self was born a Brahmin named Vishravas, full of anger and bent on avenging himself on Vaishravana.

Verse 15 (3.275.15)

पितामहस्तुप्रीतात्मा ददौ वैश्रवणस्य ह । अमरत्वं धनेशत्वं लोकपालत्वमेव च ॥

pitāmahastuprītātmā dadau vaiśravaṇasya ha | amaratvaṃ dhaneśatvaṃ lokapālatvameva ca

But the grandsire, well pleased, gave Vaishravana immortality, lordship over wealth and the office of a guardian of the world,

Note on the text: Corrected वैश्रवणस् → वैश्रवणस्य (misprint in Wikisource; dropped akshara, CE 3.258.15 vaiśravaṇasya).

Verse 16 (3.275.16)

ईशानेन तथा सख्यं पुत्रं च नलकूवरम् । राजधानीनिवेशं च लङ्कांरक्षोगणान्विताम् ॥

īśānena tathā sakhyaṃ putraṃ ca nalakūvaram | rājadhānīniveśaṃ ca laṅkāṃrakṣogaṇānvitām

friendship with Ishana (Shiva), a son, Nalakuvara, and Lanka, thronged with hosts of Rakshasas, as the seat of his capital.

Note on the text: Corrected ईशानन → ईशानेन and निवेसं → निवेशं (misprints in Wikisource; dropped vowel sign and स for श, CE 3.258.16 īśānena … -niveśaṃ).

Verse 17 (3.275.17)

विमानं पुष्पकं नाम कामगं च ददौ प्रभुः । यक्षाणामाधिपत्यंच राजराजत्वमेव च ॥

vimānaṃ puṣpakaṃ nāma kāmagaṃ ca dadau prabhuḥ | yakṣāṇāmādhipatyaṃca rājarājatvameva ca

The lord also gave him the aerial chariot named Pushpaka, which goes wherever one wishes, sovereignty over the Yakshas, and the rank of king of kings.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's text (found in the vulgate recension); CE star passage 1235 after 3.258.16.