The Legend of King Kusha

Shloka 1 (bala.32.1)

ब्रह्मयोनिर्महानासीत् कुशो नाम महातपाः । अक्लिष्टव्रतधर्मज्ञः सज्जनप्रतिपूजकः ।। ३२.१ ।।

brahmayonirmahānāsīt kuśo nāma mahātapāḥ | akliṣṭavratadharmajñaḥ sajjanapratipūjakaḥ || 32.1 ||

There once was a great king-sage named Kusha, born of Brahma, of high austerity, unwavering in his vows, a knower of righteousness, and a reverer of the virtuous.

Shloka 2 (bala.32.2)

स महात्मा कुलीनायां युक्तायां सुमहाबलान् । वैदर्भ्यां जनयामास चतुरः सदृशान् सुतान् ।। ३२.२ ।।

sa mahātmā kulīnāyāṃ yuktāyāṃ sumahābalān | vaidarbhyāṃ janayāmāsa caturaḥ sadṛśān sutān || 32.2 ||

That great-souled one begot, through the noble and worthy princess of Vidarbha, four mighty and equally excellent sons.

Shloka 3 (bala.32.3)

कुशाम्बं कुशनाभं च अधूर्तरजसं वसुम् । दीप्तियुक्तान् महोत्साहान् क्षत्रधर्मचिकीर्षया ।। ३२.३ ।।

kuśāmbaṃ kuśanābhaṃ ca adhūrtarajasaṃ vasum | dīptiyuktān mahotsāhān kṣatradharmacikīrṣayā || 32.3 ||

Kushamba, Kushanabha, Adhurtarajasa, and Vasu -- radiant and full of ardour, born so that they might uphold the duties of kshatriyas.

Shloka 4 (bala.32.4)

तानुवाच कुशः पुत्रान् धर्मिष्ठान् सत्यवादिनः । क्रियतां पालनं पुत्रा धर्मं प्राप्स्यथ पुष्कलम् ।। ३२.४ ।।

tānuvāca kuśaḥ putrān dharmiṣṭhān satyavādinaḥ | kriyatāṃ pālanaṃ putrā dharmaṃ prāpsyatha puṣkalam || 32.4 ||

Kusha said to those righteous and truthful sons: "My sons, take up the task of ruling, and you shall attain abundant merit."

Shloka 5 (bala.32.5)

कुशस्य वचनं श्रुत्वा चत्वारो लोकसत्तमाः । निवेशं चक्रिरे सर्वे पुराणां नृवरास्तदा ।। ३२.५ ।।

kuśasya vacanaṃ śrutvā catvāro lokasattamāḥ | niveśaṃ cakrire sarve purāṇāṃ nṛvarāstadā || 32.5 ||

On hearing Kusha's words, those four, most excellent among men in the world, all set about founding cities.

Shloka 6 (bala.32.6)

कुशाम्बस्तु महातेजाः कौशांबीमकरोत् पुरीम् । कुशनाभस्तु धर्मात्मा पुरं चक्रे महोदयम् ।। ३२.६ ।।

kuśāmbastu mahātejāḥ kauśāṃbīmakarot purīm | kuśanābhastu dharmātmā puraṃ cakre mahodayam || 32.6 ||

The greatly resplendent Kushamba built the city of Kaushambi, while the righteous Kushanabha built the city named Mahodaya.

Shloka 7 (bala.32.7)

अधूर्तरजसो राम धर्मारण्यं महामतिः । चक्रे पुरवरं राजा वसुर्नाम गिरिव्रजम् ।। ३२.७ ।।

adhūrtarajaso rāma dharmāraṇyaṃ mahāmatiḥ | cakre puravaraṃ rājā vasurnāma girivrajam || 32.7 ||

The wise Adhurtarajasa, O Rama, built the excellent city of Dharmaranya, and king Vasu built the city named Girivraja.

Shloka 8 (bala.32.8)

एषा वसुमती नाम वसोस्तस्य महात्मनः । एते शैलवराः पंच प्रकाशन्ते समंततः ।। ३२.८ ।।

eṣā vasumatī nāma vasostasya mahātmanaḥ | ete śailavarāḥ paṃca prakāśante samaṃtataḥ || 32.8 ||

This land is named Vasumati after that great-souled Vasu, and all around it these five excellent mountains stand shining.

Shloka 9 (bala.32.9)

सुमागधी नदी रम्या मागधान् विश्रुताययौ । पंचानां शैलमुख्यानां मध्ये मालेव शोभते ।। ३२.९ ।।

sumāgadhī nadī ramyā māgadhān viśrutāyayau | paṃcānāṃ śailamukhyānāṃ madhye māleva śobhate || 32.9 ||

The lovely and renowned river Sumagadhi flows through the land of Magadha, shining like a garland amid these five chief mountains.

Shloka 10 (bala.32.10)

सैषा हि मागधी राम वसोस्तस्य महात्मनः । पूर्वाभिचरिता राम सुक्षेत्रा सस्यमालिनी ।। ३२.१० ।।

saiṣā hi māgadhī rāma vasostasya mahātmanaḥ | pūrvābhicaritā rāma sukṣetrā sasyamālinī || 32.10 ||

This same river Magadhi, O Rama, belongs to that great-souled Vasu; flowing eastward, O Rama, she garlands fertile fields and abundant crops.

Shloka 11 (bala.32.11)

कुशनाभस्तु राजर्षिः कन्याशतमनुत्तमम् । जनयामास धर्मात्मा घृताच्यां रघुनंदन ।। ३२.११ ।।

kuśanābhastu rājarṣiḥ kanyāśatamanuttamam | janayāmāsa dharmātmā ghṛtācyāṃ raghunaṃdana || 32.11 ||

The righteous royal sage Kushanabha, O delight of the Raghus, begot through the celestial nymph Ghritachi a hundred daughters of unsurpassed beauty.

Shloka 12 (bala.32.12)

तास्तु यौवनशालिन्यो रूपवत्यः स्वलंकृताः । उद्यानभूमिमागम्य प्रावृषीव शतह्रदाः ।। ३२.१२ ।।

tāstu yauvanaśālinyo rūpavatyaḥ svalaṃkṛtāḥ | udyānabhūmimāgamya prāvṛṣīva śatahradāḥ || 32.12 ||

Those maidens, blessed with youth and beauty, finely adorned, came to the garden grounds, gleaming like flashes of lightning in the rainy season.

Shloka 13 (bala.32.13)

गायन्त्यो नृत्यमानाश्च वादयन्त्यश्च राघव । आमोदं परमं जग्मुर्वराभरणभूषिताः ।। ३२.१३ ।।

gāyantyo nṛtyamānāśca vādayantyaśca rāghava | āmodaṃ paramaṃ jagmurvarābharaṇabhūṣitāḥ || 32.13 ||

Singing, dancing, and playing musical instruments, O Raghava, those maidens, adorned with fine ornaments, gave themselves up to the greatest delight.

Shloka 14 (bala.32.14)

अथ ताश्चारुसर्वांग्यो रूपेणाप्रतिमा भुवि । उद्यानभूमिमागम्य तारा इव घनान्तरे ।। ३२.१४ ।।

atha tāścārusarvāṃgyo rūpeṇāpratimā bhuvi | udyānabhūmimāgamya tārā iva ghanāntare || 32.14 ||

Then those maidens, lovely in every limb and unrivalled in beauty on earth, arriving at the garden grounds, shone like stars amid the clouds.

Shloka 15 (bala.32.15)

ताः सर्वगुणसंपन्ना रूपयौवनसंयुताः । दृष्ट्वा सर्वात्मको वायुरिदं वचनमब्रवीत् ।। ३२.१५ ।।

tāḥ sarvaguṇasaṃpannā rūpayauvanasaṃyutāḥ | dṛṣṭvā sarvātmako vāyuridaṃ vacanamabravīt || 32.15 ||

Seeing them, endowed with every virtue and possessed of beauty and youth, the all-pervading Vayu, the wind-god, spoke these words.

Shloka 16 (bala.32.16)

अहं वः कामये सर्वा भार्या मम भविष्यथ । मानुषस्त्यज्यतां भावो दीर्घमायुरवाप्स्यथ ।। ३२.१६ ।।

ahaṃ vaḥ kāmaye sarvā bhāryā mama bhaviṣyatha | mānuṣastyajyatāṃ bhāvo dīrghamāyuravāpsyatha || 32.16 ||

"I desire all of you; become my wives. Give up your mortal nature, and you shall attain long life."

Shloka 17 (bala.32.17)

चलं हि यौवनं नित्यं मानुषेषु विशेषतः । अक्षय्यं यौवनं प्राप्ता अमर्यश्च भविष्य्थ ।। ३२.१७ ।।

calaṃ hi yauvanaṃ nityaṃ mānuṣeṣu viśeṣataḥ | akṣayyaṃ yauvanaṃ prāptā amaryaśca bhaviṣytha || 32.17 ||

"Youth among mortals is ever fleeting; but on gaining me, your youth will become imperishable, and you shall become immortal."

Shloka 18 (bala.32.18)

तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा वायोरक्लिष्टकर्मणः । अपहास्य ततो वाक्यं कन्याशतमथाब्रवीत् ।। ३२.१८ ।।

tasya tadvacanaṃ śrutvā vāyorakliṣṭakarmaṇaḥ | apahāsya tato vākyaṃ kanyāśatamathābravīt || 32.18 ||

Hearing that speech of Vayu, whose endeavours are never thwarted, the hundred maidens laughed it off and then replied with these words.

Shloka 19 (bala.32.19)

अन्तश्चरसि भूतानां सर्वेषां त्वं सुरसत्तम । प्रभावज्ञाश्च ते सर्वाः किमर्थमवमन्यसे ।। ३२.१९ ।।

antaścarasi bhūtānāṃ sarveṣāṃ tvaṃ surasattama | prabhāvajñāśca te sarvāḥ kimarthamavamanyase || 32.19 ||

"O best of gods, you move within all beings; we all know your power well -- why then do you dishonour us?"

Shloka 20 (bala.32.20)

कुशनाभसुताः देवं समस्ता सुरसत्तम । स्थानाच्च्यावयितुं देवं रक्षामस्तु तपो वयम् ।। ३२.२० ।।

kuśanābhasutāḥ devaṃ samastā surasattama | sthānāccyāvayituṃ devaṃ rakṣāmastu tapo vayam || 32.20 ||

"O best of gods, all of us, the daughters of Kushanabha, though capable of dislodging you from your very station, restrain ourselves for the sake of guarding our austerity."

Shloka 21 (bala.32.21)

मा भूत्सकालो दुर्मेधः पितरं सत्यवादिनम् । अवमन्य स्वधर्मेण स्वयंवरमुपास्महे ।। ३२.२१ ।।

mā bhūtsakālo durmedhaḥ pitaraṃ satyavādinam | avamanya svadharmeṇa svayaṃvaramupāsmahe || 32.21 ||

"O ill-minded one, let that time never come when, disregarding our truthful father, we would choose a husband by our own will alone."

Shloka 22 (bala.32.22)

पिता हि प्रभुरस्माकं दैवतं परमं च सः । यस्य नो दास्यति पिता स नो भर्ता भविष्यति ।। ३२.२२ ।।

pitā hi prabhurasmākaṃ daivataṃ paramaṃ ca saḥ | yasya no dāsyati pitā sa no bhartā bhaviṣyati || 32.22 ||

"Our father alone is our lord, and he alone is our supreme deity. Whomever our father gives us to, he alone shall become our husband."

Shloka 23 (bala.32.23)

तासां तु वचनं श्रुत्वा हरिः परमकोपनः । प्रविश्य सर्वगात्राणि बभंज भगवान् प्रभुः ।। ३२.२३ ।।

tāsāṃ tu vacanaṃ śrutvā hariḥ paramakopanaḥ | praviśya sarvagātrāṇi babhaṃja bhagavān prabhuḥ || 32.23 ||

On hearing their words, Vayu, the mighty and powerful one, grew intensely angry, and entering all their limbs, twisted them out of shape.

Shloka 24 (bala.32.24)

ताः कन्या वायुना भग्ना विविशुर्नृपतेर्गृहम् । प्रविश्य च सुसंभ्रान्ताः सलज्जाः साश्रुलोचनाः ।। ३२.२४ ।।

tāḥ kanyā vāyunā bhagnā viviśurnṛpatergṛham | praviśya ca susaṃbhrāntāḥ salajjāḥ sāśrulocanāḥ || 32.24 ||

Those maidens, deformed by Vayu, entered the palace of the king; entering it, they were greatly agitated, ashamed, and with tears in their eyes.

Shloka 25 (bala.32.25)

स च ता दयिता भग्नाः कन्याः परमशोभनाः । दृष्ट्वा दीनास्तदा राजा संभ्रांत इदमब्रवीत् ।। ३२.२५ ।।

sa ca tā dayitā bhagnāḥ kanyāḥ paramaśobhanāḥ | dṛṣṭvā dīnāstadā rājā saṃbhrāṃta idamabravīt || 32.25 ||

Seeing his beloved and once supremely beautiful daughters now deformed and wretched, the king, greatly agitated, spoke these words.

Shloka 26 (bala.32.26)

किमिदं कथ्यतां पुत्र्यः को धर्ममवमन्यते । कुब्जाः केन कृताः सर्वा चेष्टन्त्यो नाभिभाषथ । एवं राजा विनिःश्वस्य समाधिं संदधे ततः ।। ३२.२६ ।।

kimidaṃ kathyatāṃ putryaḥ ko dharmamavamanyate | kubjāḥ kena kṛtāḥ sarvā ceṣṭantyo nābhibhāṣatha | evaṃ rājā viniḥśvasya samādhiṃ saṃdadhe tataḥ || 32.26 ||

"What is this? Tell me, my daughters -- who has disregarded righteousness? By whom have you all been made hunchbacked? You gesture, yet say nothing!" So saying, the king sighed deeply and then composed himself, waiting in silence.