The Weapons of Recall

Shloka 1 (bala.28.1)

प्रतिगृह्य ततोऽस्त्राणि प्रहृष्टवदनः शुचिः । गच्छन्नेव च काकुत्स्थो विश्वामित्रमथाब्रवीत् ॥ २८-१ ॥

pratigṛhya tato'strāṇi prahṛṣṭavadanaḥ śuciḥ | gacchanneva ca kākutstho viśvāmitramathābravīt || 28.1 ||

Having thus received the weapons, his face radiant with joy, the pure-hearted Rama, even as he walked on, spoke to Vishvamitra.

Shloka 2 (bala.28.2)

गृहीतास्त्रोऽस्मि भगवन् दुराधर्षः सुरैरपि । अस्त्राणां त्वहमिच्छामि संहारं मुनिपुंगव ॥ २८-२ ॥

gṛhītāstro'smi bhagavan durādharṣaḥ surairapi | astrāṇāṃ tvahamicchāmi saṃhāraṃ munipuṃgava || 28.2 ||

O venerable one, now that I hold these weapons I am unassailable even to the gods; yet, O foremost of sages, I wish also to learn how to recall them.

Shloka 3 (bala.28.3)

एवं ब्रुवति काकुत्स्थे विश्वामित्रो महामुनिः । संहारान् व्याजहाराथ धृतिमान् सुव्रतः शुचिः ॥ २८-३ ॥

evaṃ bruvati kākutsthe viśvāmitro mahāmuniḥ | saṃhārān vyājahārātha dhṛtimān suvrataḥ śuciḥ || 28.3 ||

When Rama spoke thus, the great sage Vishvamitra — steadfast, true to his vows, and pure — then proclaimed to him the weapons of recall.

Shloka 4 (bala.28.4)

सत्यवन्तं सत्यकीर्तिं धृष्टं रभसमेव च । प्रतिहारतरं नाम पराङ्मुखमवाङ्मुखम् ॥ २८-४ ॥

satyavantaṃ satyakīrtiṃ dhṛṣṭaṃ rabhasameva ca | pratihārataraṃ nāma parāṅmukhamavāṅmukham || 28.4 ||

Satyavanta, Satyakirti, Dhrishta, and Rabhasa; the one called Pratiharatara; Paranmukha and Avanmukha.

Shloka 5 (bala.28.5)

लक्ष्यालक्ष्याविमौ चैव दृढनाभसुनाभकौ । दशाक्षशतवक्त्रौ च दशशीर्षशतोदरौ ॥ २८-५ ॥

lakṣyālakṣyāvimau caiva dṛḍhanābhasunābhakau | daśākṣaśatavaktrau ca daśaśīrṣaśatodarau || 28.5 ||

These two, Lakshya and Alakshya; Dridhanabha and Sunabha; the ten-eyed hundred-mouthed pair, and the ten-headed hundred-bellied pair.

Shloka 6 (bala.28.6)

पद्मनाभमहानाभौ दुन्दुनाभस्वनाभकौ । ज्योतिषं शकुनं चैव नैराश्यविमलावुभौ ॥ २८-६ ॥

padmanābhamahānābhau dundunābhasvanābhakau | jyotiṣaṃ śakunaṃ caiva nairāśyavimalāvubhau || 28.6 ||

Padmanabha and Mahanabha; Dundunabha and Svanabha; Jyotisha and Shakuna; and both Nairashya and Vimala.

Shloka 7 (bala.28.7)

यौगंधरविनिद्रौ च दैत्यप्रमधनौ तथा । शुचिबाहुर्महाबाहुर्निष्कलिर्विरुचिस्तथा सार्चिर्माली धृतिर्माली वृत्तिमान् रुचिरस्तथा ॥ २८-७ ॥

yaugaṃdharavinidrau ca daityapramadhanau tathā | śucibāhurmahābāhurniṣkalirvirucistathā sārcirmālī dhṛtirmālī vṛttimān rucirastathā || 28.7 ||

And Yaugandhara and Vinidra; and Daitya-pramathana; Shuchibahu, Mahabahu, Nishkali, and Viruchi; Sarchirmali, Dhritirmali, Vrittiman, and Ruchira.

Shloka 8 (bala.28.8)

पित्र्यः सौमनसश्चैव विधूतमकरावुभौ । करवीरकरं चैव धनधान्यौ च राघव ॥ २८-८ ॥

pitryaḥ saumanasaścaiva vidhūtamakarāvubhau | karavīrakaraṃ caiva dhanadhānyau ca rāghava || 28.8 ||

Pitrya and Saumanasa; the pair Vidhuta and Makara; Karavirakara; and, O Raghava, Dhana and Dhanya.

Shloka 9 (bala.28.9)

कामरूपं कामरुचिं मोहमावरणं तथा । जृंभकं सर्पनाभं च पन्थानवरणौ तथा ॥ २८-९ ॥

kāmarūpaṃ kāmaruciṃ mohamāvaraṇaṃ tathā | jṛṃbhakaṃ sarpanābhaṃ ca panthānavaraṇau tathā || 28.9 ||

Kamarupa and Kamaruchi; Moha and Avarana; Jrimbhaka and Sarpanabha; and Panthana and Varana.

Shloka 10 (bala.28.10)

कृशाश्वतनयान् राम भास्वरान् कामरूपिणः । प्रतीच्छ मम भद्रं ते पात्रभूतोऽसि राघव ॥ २८-१० ॥

kṛśāśvatanayān rāma bhāsvarān kāmarūpiṇaḥ | pratīccha mama bhadraṃ te pātrabhūto'si rāghava || 28.10 ||

Receive these, O Rama, the radiant sons of Krishashva, able to take any form at will; blessings upon you, O Raghava, for you are worthy to hold them.

Shloka 11 (bala.28.11)

बाढमित्येव काकुत्स्थ प्रहृष्टेनान्तरात्मना । दिव्यभास्वरदेहाश्च मूर्तिमन्तः सुखप्रदाः ॥ २८-११ ॥

bāḍhamityeva kākutstha prahṛṣṭenāntarātmanā | divyabhāsvaradehāśca mūrtimantaḥ sukhapradāḥ || 28.11 ||

'So be it,' said Rama, his heart filled with joy; and they — of divine, radiant bodies, taking bodily form, bestowers of delight —

Shloka 12 (bala.28.12)

केचिदङ्गारसदृशाः केचिद् धूमोपमास्तथा । चन्द्रार्कसदृशाः केचित् प्रह्वांजलिपुटास्तथा ॥ २८-१२ ॥

kecidaṅgārasadṛśāḥ kecid dhūmopamāstathā | candrārkasadṛśāḥ kecit prahvāṃjalipuṭāstathā || 28.12 ||

— some resembling glowing embers, some like smoke, some like the moon or the sun, some standing with heads bowed and hands cupped in reverence —

Shloka 13 (bala.28.13)

रामं प्रांजलयो भूत्वाऽब्रुवन् मधुरभाषिणः । इमे स्म नरशार्दूल शाधि किं करवाम ते ॥ २८-१३ ॥

rāmaṃ prāṃjalayo bhūtvā'bruvan madhurabhāṣiṇaḥ | ime sma naraśārdūla śādhi kiṃ karavāma te || 28.13 ||

— with hands folded before Rama, spoke sweetly: 'Here we stand, O tiger among men; command us — what would you have us do?'

Shloka 14 (bala.28.14)

गम्यतामिति तानाह यथेष्टं रघुनन्दनः । मानसाः कार्यकालेषु साहाय्यं मे करिष्यथ ॥ २८-१४ ॥

gamyatāmiti tānāha yatheṣṭaṃ raghunandanaḥ | mānasāḥ kāryakāleṣu sāhāyyaṃ me kariṣyatha || 28.14 ||

'You may go now, as you please,' said Rama, the joy of the Raghus; 'when the time of need comes, appear in my thought and lend me your aid.'

Shloka 15 (bala.28.15)

अथ ते राममामन्त्र्य कृत्वा चापि प्रदक्षिणम् । एवमस्त्विति काकुत्स्थमुक्त्वा जग्मुर्यथागतम् ॥ २८-१५ ॥

atha te rāmamāmantrya kṛtvā cāpi pradakṣiṇam | evamastviti kākutsthamuktvā jagmuryathāgatam || 28.15 ||

Then, having taken leave of Rama and circled him in reverence, saying 'so be it' to him, they went back the way they had come.

Shloka 16 (bala.28.16)

स च तान् राघवो ज्ञात्वा विश्वामित्रं महामुनिम् । गच्छन्नेवाथ मधुरं श्लक्ष्णं वचनमब्रवीत् ॥ २८-१६ ॥

sa ca tān rāghavo jñātvā viśvāmitraṃ mahāmunim | gacchannevātha madhuraṃ ślakṣṇaṃ vacanamabravīt || 28.16 ||

And Raghava, having watched them go, then, still walking on, addressed the great sage Vishvamitra in sweet and gentle words.

Shloka 17 (bala.28.17)

किं न्वेतन्मेघसंकाशं पर्वतस्याविदूरतः । वृक्षखण्डमिवाभाति परं कौतूहलं हि मे ॥ २८-१७ ॥

kiṃ nvetanmeghasaṃkāśaṃ parvatasyāvidūrataḥ | vṛkṣakhaṇḍamivābhāti paraṃ kautūhalaṃ hi me || 28.17 ||

What is this, cloud-like, gleaming like a stretch of forest not far from the mountain? My curiosity is truly aroused.

Shloka 18 (bala.28.18)

दर्शनीयं मृगाकीर्णं मनोहरमतीव च । नानाप्रकारैः शकुनैर्वल्गुभाषैरलंकृतम् ॥ २८-१८ ॥

darśanīyaṃ mṛgākīrṇaṃ manoharamatīva ca | nānāprakāraiḥ śakunairvalgubhāṣairalaṃkṛtam || 28.18 ||

It is a sight worth seeing, thronged with deer and exceedingly lovely, graced with birds of many kinds calling out sweetly.

Shloka 19 (bala.28.19)

निःसृताः स्म मुनिश्रेष्ठ कान्ताराद्रोमहर्षणात् । अनया त्ववगच्छामि देशस्य सुखवत्तया ॥ २८-१९ ॥

niḥsṛtāḥ sma muniśreṣṭha kāntārādromaharṣaṇāt | anayā tvavagacchāmi deśasya sukhavattayā || 28.19 ||

O foremost of sages, we have come forth from that dreadful, hair-raising wilderness; and by the pleasantness of this land I can tell —

Shloka 20 (bala.28.20)

सर्वं मे शंस भगवन् कस्याश्रमपदं त्विदम् । संप्राप्ता यत्र ते पापा ब्रह्मघ्ना दुष्टचारिणः ॥ २८-२० ॥

sarvaṃ me śaṃsa bhagavan kasyāśramapadaṃ tvidam | saṃprāptā yatra te pāpā brahmaghnā duṣṭacāriṇaḥ || 28.20 ||

— that we have come to a good place. Tell me everything, O venerable one — whose hermitage is this, to which those sinful brahmin-killing evildoers come —

Shloka 21 (bala.28.21)

तव यज्ञस्य विघ्नाय दुरात्मानो महामुनेः । भगवंस्तस्य को देशः सा यत्र तव याज्ञिकी ॥ २८-२१ ॥

tava yajñasya vighnāya durātmāno mahāmuneḥ | bhagavaṃstasya ko deśaḥ sā yatra tava yājñikī || 28.21 ||

— those wicked ones who come to hinder the sacrifice of you, the great sage. O venerable one, tell me where that place is, where your sacrificial —

Shloka 22 (bala.28.22)

रक्षितव्या क्रिया ब्रह्मन् मया वध्याश्च राक्षसाः । एतत्सर्वं मुनिश्रेष्ट श्रोतुमिच्छाम्यहं प्रभो ॥ २८-२२ ॥

rakṣitavyā kriyā brahman mayā vadhyāśca rākṣasāḥ | etatsarvaṃ muniśreṣṭa śrotumicchāmyahaṃ prabho || 28.22 ||

— rite must be safeguarded by me and the rakshasas destroyed. All this, O foremost of sages, I wish to hear, O lord.