Preparations for the Sacrifice

Shloka 1 (bala.12.1)

ततः काले बहुतिथे कस्मिंश्चित्सुमनोहरे । वसन्ते समनुप्राप्ते राज्ञो यष्टुं मनोऽभवत् ॥ 12.1 ॥

tataḥ kāle bahutithe kasmiṃścitsumanohare | vasante samanuprāpte rājño yaṣṭuṃ mano'bhavat

Then, after some time, when a most delightful spring season had come, the king's mind turned toward performing the sacrifice.

Shloka 2 (bala.12.2)

ततः प्रसाद्य शिरसा तं विप्रं देववर्णिनम् । यज्ञाय वरयामास संतानार्थं कुलस्य च ॥ 12.2 ॥

tataḥ prasādya śirasā taṃ vipraṃ devavarṇinam | yajñāya varayāmāsa saṃtānārthaṃ kulasya ca

Bowing his head in reverence to that godlike Brahmin, he entreated him to conduct the sacrifice, for the sake of offspring and the continuance of his line.

Shloka 3 (bala.12.3)

तथेति च स राजानमुवाच च सुसत्कृतः । संभाराः संभ्रियन्तां ते तुरगश्च विमुच्यताम् ॥ 12.3 ॥

tatheti ca sa rājānamuvāca ca susatkṛtaḥ | saṃbhārāḥ saṃbhriyantāṃ te turagaśca vimucyatām

‘So be it,’ replied the honoured sage to the king. ‘Let the sacrificial materials be gathered, and let the horse be set loose.’

Shloka 4 (bala.12.4)

सरव्याश्चोत्तरे तीरे यज्ञभूमिर्विधीयताम् । ततो नृपोऽब्रवीद्वाक्यं सुमन्त्रं मन्त्रिसत्तमम् ॥ 12.4 ॥

saravyāścottare tīre yajñabhūmirvidhīyatām | tato nṛpo'bravīdvākyaṃ sumantraṃ mantrisattamam

‘And let the sacrificial ground be laid out on the northern bank of the river Sarayu.’ Then the king spoke to Sumantra, foremost of his ministers:

Shloka 5 (bala.12.5)

सुमंत्रावाहय क्षिप्रमृत्विजो ब्रह्मवादिनः । सुयज्ञं वामदेवं च जाबालिमथ काश्यपम् ॥ 12.5 ॥

sumaṃtrāvāhaya kṣipramṛtvijo brahmavādinaḥ | suyajñaṃ vāmadevaṃ ca jābālimatha kāśyapam

‘O Sumantra, quickly summon the sacrificial priests, those versed in the Veda — Suyajna, Vamadeva, Jabali, and Kashyapa,’

Shloka 6 (bala.12.6)

पुरोहितं वसिष्ठं च ये चान्ये द्विजसत्तमाः । ततः सुमंत्रस्त्वरितं गत्वा त्वरितविक्रमः ॥ 12.6 ॥

purohitaṃ vasiṣṭhaṃ ca ye cānye dvijasattamāḥ | tataḥ sumaṃtrastvaritaṃ gatvā tvaritavikramaḥ

—together with the family priest Vasishtha and whatever other eminent Brahmins there may be.’ Then Sumantra, ever swift in action, went at once

Shloka 7 (bala.12.7)

समानयत्स तान्सर्वान् समस्तान्वेदपारगान् । तान् पूजयित्वा धर्मात्मा राजा दशरथस्तदा ॥ 12.7 ॥

samānayatsa tānsarvān samastānvedapāragān | tān pūjayitvā dharmātmā rājā daśarathastadā

brought all of them together, every one of them versed in the Vedas. Having duly honoured them, the righteous King Dasharatha then

Shloka 8 (bala.12.8)

धर्मार्थसहितं युक्तं श्लक्ष्णं वचनमब्रवीत् । मम लालप्यमानस्य पुत्रार्थं नास्ति वै सुखम् ॥ 12.8 ॥

dharmārthasahitaṃ yuktaṃ ślakṣṇaṃ vacanamabravīt | mama lālapyamānasya putrārthaṃ nāsti vai sukham

spoke these gentle, fitting words, imbued with both righteousness and purpose: ‘My mind knows no peace, so greatly do I long for a son.’

Shloka 9 (bala.12.9)

तदर्थं हयमेधेन यक्ष्यामीति मतिर्मम । तदहं यष्टुमिच्छामि शास्त्रदृष्टेन कर्मणा ॥ 12.9 ॥

tadarthaṃ hayamedhena yakṣyāmīti matirmama | tadahaṃ yaṣṭumicchāmi śāstradṛṣṭena karmaṇā

‘For that reason, it is my resolve to perform the Ashvamedha, the horse-sacrifice. Therefore I wish to carry it out exactly as the scriptures prescribe.’

Shloka 10 (bala.12.10)

ऋषिपुत्रप्रभावेण कामान्प्राप्स्यामि चाप्यहम् । ततः साध्विति तद्वाक्यं ब्राह्मणाः प्रत्यपूजयन् ॥ 12.10 ॥

ṛṣiputraprabhāveṇa kāmānprāpsyāmi cāpyaham | tataḥ sādhviti tadvākyaṃ brāhmaṇāḥ pratyapūjayan

‘And through the power of the sage’s son Rishyashringa, I shall surely obtain my heart’s desire.’ ‘Excellent!’ the Brahmins exclaimed, applauding these words.

Shloka 11 (bala.12.11)

वसिष्ठप्रमुखाः सर्वे पार्थिवस्य मुखाच्च्युतम् । ऋष्यशृङ्गपुरोगाश्च प्रत्यूचुर्नृपतिं तदा ॥ 12.11 ॥

vasiṣṭhapramukhāḥ sarve pārthivasya mukhāccyutam | ṛṣyaśṛṅgapurogāśca pratyūcurnṛpatiṃ tadā

All of them, led by Vasishtha, welcomed the words that had come from the king’s own mouth; and, with Rishyashringa at their head, they then answered the king:

Shloka 12 (bala.12.12)

संभाराः संभ्रियन्तां ते तुरगश्च विमुच्यताम् । सरव्याश्चोत्तरे तीरे यज्ञभूमिर्विधीयताम् ॥ 12.12 ॥

saṃbhārāḥ saṃbhriyantāṃ te turagaśca vimucyatām | saravyāścottare tīre yajñabhūmirvidhīyatām

‘Let the sacrificial materials be gathered, and let the horse be set loose; and let the sacrificial ground be laid out on the northern bank of the Sarayu.’

Shloka 13 (bala.12.13)

सर्वथा प्राप्यसे पुत्रांश्चतुरोऽमितविक्रमान् । यस्य ते धार्मिकी बुद्धिरियं पुत्रार्थमागता ॥ 12.13 ॥

sarvathā prāpyase putrāṃścaturo'mitavikramān | yasya te dhārmikī buddhiriyaṃ putrārthamāgatā

‘You shall surely obtain four sons of boundless valour, since this righteous wish for offspring has arisen in you.’

Shloka 14 (bala.12.14)

ततः प्रीतोऽभवद्राजा श्रुत्वा तत् द्विजभाषितम् । अमात्यांश्चाब्रवीद्राजा हर्षेणेदं शुभाक्षरम् ॥ 12.14 ॥

tataḥ prīto'bhavadrājā śrutvā tat dvijabhāṣitam | amātyāṃścābravīdrājā harṣeṇedaṃ śubhākṣaram

Hearing these words from the Brahmins, the king was filled with delight; and with joy he spoke this auspicious word to his ministers.

Shloka 15 (bala.12.15)

गुरूणां वचनाच्छीघ्रं संभाराः संभ्रियन्तु मे । समर्थाधिष्ठितश्चाश्वः सोपाध्यायो विमुच्यताम् ॥ 12.15 ॥

gurūṇāṃ vacanācchīghraṃ saṃbhārāḥ saṃbhriyantu me | samarthādhiṣṭhitaścāśvaḥ sopādhyāyo vimucyatām

‘In accordance with my preceptors’ word, let the materials be gathered for me at once; and let the sacrificial horse, guarded by able men and accompanied by its attending priests, be set free.’

Shloka 16 (bala.12.16)

सरयव्याश्चोत्तरे तीरे यज्ञभूमिर्विधीयताम् । शांतयश्चाभिवर्धन्तां यथाकल्पं यथाविधि ॥ 12.16 ॥

sarayavyāścottare tīre yajñabhūmirvidhīyatām | śāṃtayaścābhivardhantāṃ yathākalpaṃ yathāvidhi

‘Let the sacrificial ground be laid out on the northern bank of the Sarayu, and let the peace-rites be performed in full measure, exactly as rule and custom prescribe.’

Shloka 17 (bala.12.17)

शक्यः कर्तुमयं यज्ञः सर्वेणापि महीक्षिता । नापराधो भवेत्कष्टो यद्यस्मिन् क्रतुसत्तमे ॥ 12.17 ॥

śakyaḥ kartumayaṃ yajñaḥ sarveṇāpi mahīkṣitā | nāparādho bhavetkaṣṭo yadyasmin kratusattame

‘This sacrifice can be performed by any king who is able to undertake it; but let no serious lapse occur in this most excellent rite.’

Shloka 18 (bala.12.18)

छिद्रं हि मृगयन्तेऽत्र विद्वांसो ब्रह्मराक्षसाः । विघ्नितस्य हि यज्ञस्य सद्यः कर्ता विनश्यति ॥ 12.18 ॥

chidraṃ hi mṛgayante'tra vidvāṃso brahmarākṣasāḥ | vighnitasya hi yajñasya sadyaḥ kartā vinaśyati

‘For learned demons ever watch for some flaw here; and should the sacrifice be disrupted, its performer perishes at once.’

Shloka 19 (bala.12.19)

तद्यथा विधिपूर्वं मे क्रतुरेष समाप्यते । तथा विधानं क्रियतां समर्थाः करणेष्विह ॥ 12.19 ॥

tadyathā vidhipūrvaṃ me kratureṣa samāpyate | tathā vidhānaṃ kriyatāṃ samarthāḥ karaṇeṣviha

‘Therefore see to it that this sacrifice of mine is brought to completion exactly as prescribed; let capable men be assigned to each of its various tasks.’

Shloka 20 (bala.12.20)

तथेति च ततः सर्वे मंत्रिणः प्रत्यपूजयन् । पार्थिवेन्द्रस्य तद्वाक्यं यथाज्ञप्तमकुर्वत ॥ 12.20 ॥

tatheti ca tataḥ sarve maṃtriṇaḥ pratyapūjayan | pārthivendrasya tadvākyaṃ yathājñaptamakurvata

‘So be it,’ all the ministers replied, honouring the word of that foremost king; and they carried it out precisely as he had ordered.

Shloka 21 (bala.12.21)

ततो द्विजास्ते धर्मज्ञमस्तुवन्पार्थिवर्षभम् । अनुज्ञातास्ततः सर्वे पुनर्जग्मुर्यथागतम् ॥ 12.21 ॥

tato dvijāste dharmajñamastuvanpārthivarṣabham | anujñātāstataḥ sarve punarjagmuryathāgatam

Then those Brahmins praised the righteous king, that bull among monarchs; and, having taken his leave, they all returned the way they had come.

Shloka 22 (bala.12.22)

गतेष्वथ द्विजाग्र्येषु मंत्रिणस्तान्नराधिपः । विसर्जयित्वा स्वं वेश्म प्रविवेश महाद्युतिः ॥ 12.22 ॥

gateṣvatha dvijāgryeṣu maṃtriṇastānnarādhipaḥ | visarjayitvā svaṃ veśma praviveśa mahādyutiḥ

When those eminent Brahmins had departed, the king took leave of his ministers too, and that most radiant lord of men entered his own dwelling.