The Legend of King Sagara

Shloka 1 (bala.38.1)

तां कथां कौशिको रामे निवेद्य मधुराक्षरम्। पुन रेवापरं वाक्यं काकुत्स्थमिदमब्रवीत् ॥ १-३८-१ ॥

tāṃ kathāṃ kauśiko rāme nivedya madhurākṣaram| puna revāparaṃ vākyaṃ kākutsthamidamabravīt || 1-38-1 ||

Having related that sweet-worded tale to Rama, the descendant of Kushika spoke this further excellent word to the scion of Kakutstha.

Shloka 2 (bala.38.2)

अयोध्याधिपतिर्वीरः पूर्वमासीन्नराधिपः। सगरो नाम धर्मात्मा प्रजाकामः स चाप्रजः ॥ १-३८-२ ॥

ayodhyādhipatirvīraḥ pūrvamāsīnnarādhipaḥ| sagaro nāma dharmātmā prajākāmaḥ sa cāprajaḥ || 1-38-2 ||

Once there was a valiant king of Ayodhya, a righteous ruler of men, named Sagara, who, though longing for offspring, had none.

Shloka 3 (bala.38.3)

वैदर्भदुहिता राम केशिनी नाम नामतः। ज्येष्ठा सगरपत्नी सा धर्मिष्ठा सत्यवादिनी ॥ १-३८-३ ॥

vaidarbhaduhitā rāma keśinī nāma nāmataḥ| jyeṣṭhā sagarapatnī sā dharmiṣṭhā satyavādinī || 1-38-3 ||

O Rama, the daughter of the king of Vidarbha, named Keshini, was Sagara's elder queen — righteous and truthful.

Shloka 4 (bala.38.4)

अरिष्ठनेमिदुहिता सुपर्णभगिनी तु सा। द्वितीया सगरस्यासीत् पत्नी सुमतिसंज्ञिता ॥ १-३८-४ ॥

ariṣṭhanemiduhitā suparṇabhaginī tu sā| dvitīyā sagarasyāsīt patnī sumatisaṃjñitā || 1-38-4 ||

The daughter of Arishtanemi, sister of Garuda, was Sagara's second wife, known by the name Sumati.

Shloka 5 (bala.38.5)

ताभ्यां सह महाराजा पत्नीभ्याम् तप्तवांस्तपः। हिमवंतं समासाद्य भृगुप्रस्रवणे गिरौ ॥ १-३८-५ ॥

tābhyāṃ saha mahārājā patnībhyām taptavāṃstapaḥ| himavaṃtaṃ samāsādya bhṛguprasravaṇe girau || 1-38-5 ||

Together with those two wives, the great king performed asceticism, having gone to Mount Bhrigu-prasravana in the Himalayas.

Shloka 6 (bala.38.6)

अथ वर्षशते पूर्णे तपसाराधितो मुनिः। सगराय वरं प्रादाद् भृगुः सत्यवतां वरः ॥ १-३८-६ ॥

atha varṣaśate pūrṇe tapasārādhito muniḥ| sagarāya varaṃ prādād bhṛguḥ satyavatāṃ varaḥ || 1-38-6 ||

Then, when a hundred years had passed, sage Bhrigu, foremost among the truthful, being pleased by that austerity, granted Sagara a boon.

Shloka 7 (bala.38.7)

अपत्यलाभः सुमहान् भविष्यति तवानघ। कीर्तिं चाप्रतिमां लोके प्राप्स्यसे पुरुषर्षभ ॥ १-३८-७ ॥

apatyalābhaḥ sumahān bhaviṣyati tavānagha| kīrtiṃ cāpratimāṃ loke prāpsyase puruṣarṣabha || 1-38-7 ||

"O sinless one, you shall obtain very great offspring; and, O bull among men, you shall attain unrivalled renown in the world."

Shloka 8 (bala.38.8)

एका जनयिता तात पुत्रं वंशकरं तव। षष्टिं पुत्रसहस्राणि ह्यपरा जनयिष्यति ॥ १-३८-८ ॥

ekā janayitā tāta putraṃ vaṃśakaraṃ tava| ṣaṣṭiṃ putrasahasrāṇi hyaparā janayiṣyati || 1-38-8 ||

"O dear one, one of your wives will bear a single son who will carry on your lineage; the other will bear sixty thousand sons."

Shloka 9 (bala.38.9)

भाषमाणं महात्मानं राजपुत्र्यौ प्रसाद्य तम्। ऊचतुः परमप्रीते कृतांजलिपुटे तदा ॥ १-३८-९ ॥

bhāṣamāṇaṃ mahātmānaṃ rājaputryau prasādya tam| ūcatuḥ paramaprīte kṛtāṃjalipuṭe tadā || 1-38-9 ||

Then the two princesses, greatly pleased, with joined palms, having propitiated the great sage as he spoke thus, said to him:

Shloka 10 (bala.38.10)

एकः कस्याः सुतो ब्रह्मन् का बहून् जनयिष्यति। श्रोतुमिच्छावहे ब्रह्मन् सत्यमस्तु वचस्तव ॥ १-३८-१० ॥

ekaḥ kasyāḥ suto brahman kā bahūn janayiṣyati| śrotumicchāvahe brahman satyamastu vacastava || 1-38-10 ||

"O Brahmin, to which of us will the single son belong, and which of us will bear the many? We wish to hear this, O Brahmin; let your word prove true."

Shloka 11 (bala.38.11)

तयोस्तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा भृगुः परमधार्मिकः। उवाच परमां वाणीं स्वच्छन्दोऽत्र विधीयताम् ॥ १-३८-११ ॥

tayostadvacanaṃ śrutvā bhṛguḥ paramadhārmikaḥ| uvāca paramāṃ vāṇīṃ svacchando'tra vidhīyatām || 1-38-11 ||

Hearing their words, Bhrigu, of supreme righteousness, spoke this excellent reply: "Let your own free choice decide this matter."

Shloka 12 (bala.38.12)

एको वंशकरो वास्तु बहवो वा महाबलाः। कीर्तिमन्तो महोत्साहाः का वा कं वरमिच्छति ॥ १-३८-१२ ॥

eko vaṃśakaro vāstu bahavo vā mahābalāḥ| kīrtimanto mahotsāhāḥ kā vā kaṃ varamicchati || 1-38-12 ||

"Whether it be one son who continues the line, or many sons — mighty, renowned, and full of great zeal — let each of you choose which boon she desires."

Shloka 13 (bala.38.13)

मुनेस्तु वचनं श्रुत्वा केशिनी रघुनंदन। पुत्रं वंशकरं राम जग्राह नृपसंनिधौ ॥ १-३८-१३ ॥

munestu vacanaṃ śrutvā keśinī raghunaṃdana| putraṃ vaṃśakaraṃ rāma jagrāha nṛpasaṃnidhau || 1-38-13 ||

Hearing the sage's words, O delight of Raghu's line, Keshini chose, in the king's presence, the one son who would continue the lineage.

Shloka 14 (bala.38.14)

षष्टिं पुत्रसहस्राणि सुपर्णभगिनी तदा। महोत्साहान् कीर्तिमतो जग्राह सुमतिः सुतान् ॥ १-३८-१४ ॥

ṣaṣṭiṃ putrasahasrāṇi suparṇabhaginī tadā| mahotsāhān kīrtimato jagrāha sumatiḥ sutān || 1-38-14 ||

Then Sumati, sister of Garuda, chose the sixty thousand sons, mighty in zeal and renowned.

Shloka 15 (bala.38.15)

प्रदक्षिणमृषिं कृत्वा शिरसाभिप्रणम्य च। जगाम स्वपुरं राजा सभार्या रघुनन्दन ॥ १-३८-१५ ॥

pradakṣiṇamṛṣiṃ kṛtvā śirasābhipraṇamya ca| jagāma svapuraṃ rājā sabhāryā raghunandana || 1-38-15 ||

O delight of Raghu's line, having circled the sage in reverence and bowed his head to him, the king, together with his queens, returned to his own city.

Shloka 16 (bala.38.16)

अथ काले गते तस्मिन् ज्येष्ठा पुत्रं व्यजायत। असमंज इति ख्यातं केशिनी सगरात्मजम् ॥ १-३८-१६ ॥

atha kāle gate tasmin jyeṣṭhā putraṃ vyajāyata| asamaṃja iti khyātaṃ keśinī sagarātmajam || 1-38-16 ||

Then, after time had passed, the elder queen Keshini gave birth to Sagara's son, known by the name Asamanjasa.

Shloka 17 (bala.38.17)

सुमतिस्तु नरव्याघ्र गर्भतुंबं व्यजायत। षष्टिः पुत्रसहस्राणि तुंबभेदाद्विनिःसृताः ॥ १-३८-१७ ॥

sumatistu naravyāghra garbhatuṃbaṃ vyajāyata| ṣaṣṭiḥ putrasahasrāṇi tuṃbabhedādviniḥsṛtāḥ || 1-38-17 ||

But Sumati, O tiger among men, gave birth to a gourd-like mass of flesh; and when that gourd broke open, sixty thousand sons issued forth from it.

Shloka 18 (bala.38.18)

घृतपूर्णेषु कुंभेषु धात्र्यस्तान् समवर्धयन्। कालेन महता सर्वे यौवनं प्रतिपेदिरे ॥ १-३८-१८ ॥

ghṛtapūrṇeṣu kuṃbheṣu dhātryastān samavardhayan| kālena mahatā sarve yauvanaṃ pratipedire || 1-38-18 ||

The nurses raised them all in jars filled with ghee, and in the course of a long time, all of them attained youth.

Shloka 19 (bala.38.19)

अथ दीर्घेण कालेन रूपयौवनशालिनः। षष्टिः पुत्रसहस्राणि सगरस्याभवंस्तदा ॥ १-३८-१९ ॥

atha dīrgheṇa kālena rūpayauvanaśālinaḥ| ṣaṣṭiḥ putrasahasrāṇi sagarasyābhavaṃstadā || 1-38-19 ||

Thus, after a long time, Sagara's sixty thousand sons became endowed with beauty and the vigor of youth.

Shloka 20 (bala.38.20)

स च ज्येष्ठो नरश्रेष्ठ सगरस्यात्मसंभवः। बालान् गृहीत्वा तु जले सरय्वा रघुनंदन ॥ १-३८-२० ॥

sa ca jyeṣṭho naraśreṣṭha sagarasyātmasaṃbhavaḥ| bālān gṛhītvā tu jale sarayvā raghunaṃdana || 1-38-20 ||

But that eldest one, O best of men, Sagara's own firstborn, O delight of Raghu's line, used to seize children and throw them into the waters of the Sarayu,

Shloka 21 (bala.38.21)

प्रक्षिप्य प्रहसन् नित्यं मज्जतस्तान् निरीक्ष्य वै। एवं पापसमाचारः सज्जनप्रतिबाधकः ॥ १-३८-२१ ॥

prakṣipya prahasan nityaṃ majjatastān nirīkṣya vai| evaṃ pāpasamācāraḥ sajjanapratibādhakaḥ || 1-38-21 ||

and, laughing, would always watch them drown. Thus he became wicked in conduct, a tormentor of good and virtuous people,

Shloka 22 (bala.38.22)

पौराणामहिते युक्तः पित्रा निर्वासितः पुरात्। तस्य पुत्रोंऽशुमान्नाम असमंजस्य वीर्यवान् ॥ १-३८-२२ ॥

paurāṇāmahite yuktaḥ pitrā nirvāsitaḥ purāt| tasya putroṃ'śumānnāma asamaṃjasya vīryavān || 1-38-22 ||

bent upon harming the citizens; so his own father banished him from the city. His son, valorous, was named Amshuman,

Shloka 23 (bala.38.23)

सम्मतः सर्वलोकस्य सर्वस्यापि प्रियंवदः। ततः कालेन महता मतिः समभिजायत ॥ १-३८-२३ ॥

sammataḥ sarvalokasya sarvasyāpi priyaṃvadaḥ| tataḥ kālena mahatā matiḥ samabhijāyata || 1-38-23 ||

esteemed by all the world, and pleasant of speech to everyone. Then, after a long time had passed, a resolve arose in Sagara's mind.

Shloka 24 (bala.38.24)

सगरस्य नरश्रेष्ठ यजेयमिति निश्चिता। स कृत्वा निश्चयं राजा सोपाध्यायगणस्तदा। यज्ञकर्मणि वेदज्ञो यष्टुं समुपचक्रमे ॥ १-३८-२४ ॥

sagarasya naraśreṣṭha yajeyamiti niścitā| sa kṛtvā niścayaṃ rājā sopādhyāyagaṇastadā| yajñakarmaṇi vedajño yaṣṭuṃ samupacakrame || 1-38-24 ||

"I shall perform a sacrifice," he resolved, O best of men. Having made this decision, that king, versed in the Vedas, together with his assembly of priests, set about performing the sacrificial rite.