The Curse on Rambha

Shloka 1 (bala.64.1)

सुरकार्यमिदं रंभे कर्तव्यं सुमहत्त्वया। लोभनं कौशिकस्येह काममोहसमन्वितम् ॥ १-६४-१ ॥

surakāryamidaṃ raṃbhe kartavyaṃ sumahattvayā| lobhanaṃ kauśikasyeha kāmamohasamanvitam || 1-64-1 ||

'O Rambha, you must accomplish this great task for the gods: enticing Kaushika here with a passion born of desire and delusion.'

Shloka 2 (bala.64.2)

तथोक्ता साप्सरा राम सहस्राक्षेण धीमता। व्रीडिता प्रांजलिर्वाक्यं प्रत्युवाच सुरेश्वरम् ॥ १-६४-२ ॥

tathoktā sāpsarā rāma sahasrākṣeṇa dhīmatā| vrīḍitā prāṃjalirvākyaṃ pratyuvāca sureśvaram || 1-64-2 ||

Thus addressed, O Rama, by the wise thousand-eyed Indra, that nymph, abashed, replied to the lord of the gods with joined palms:

Shloka 3 (bala.64.3)

अयं सुरपते घोरो विश्वामित्रो महामुनिः। क्रोधमुत्स्रक्ष्यते घोरं मयि देव न संशयः ॥ १-६४-३ ॥

ayaṃ surapate ghoro viśvāmitro mahāmuniḥ| krodhamutsrakṣyate ghoraṃ mayi deva na saṃśayaḥ || 1-64-3 ||

'O lord of the gods, this great sage Vishvamitra is a fearsome one; there is no doubt, O god, that he will unleash his terrible wrath upon me.'

Shloka 4 (bala.64.4)

ततो हि मे भयं देव प्रसादं कर्तुमर्हसि। एवमुक्तस्तया राम सभयं भीतया तदा ॥ १-६४-४ ॥

tato hi me bhayaṃ deva prasādaṃ kartumarhasi| evamuktastayā rāma sabhayaṃ bhītayā tadā || 1-64-4 ||

'Therefore, O god, I am afraid; it behoves you to show me your favour.' Thus addressed by her, O Rama, who spoke fearfully in her terror,

Shloka 5 (bala.64.5)

तामुवाच सहस्राक्षो वेपमानां कृतांजलिम्। मा भैषि रंभे भद्रं ते कुरुष्व मम शासनम् ॥ १-६४-५ ॥

tāmuvāca sahasrākṣo vepamānāṃ kṛtāṃjalim| mā bhaiṣi raṃbhe bhadraṃ te kuruṣva mama śāsanam || 1-64-5 ||

the thousand-eyed Indra spoke to her, trembling and with joined palms: 'Fear not, Rambha; may good befall you. Carry out my command.'

Shloka 6 (bala.64.6)

कोकिलो हृदयग्राही माधवे रुचिरद्रुमे। अहं कंदर्पसहितः स्थास्यामि तव पार्श्वतः ॥ १-६४-६ ॥

kokilo hṛdayagrāhī mādhave ruciradrume| ahaṃ kaṃdarpasahitaḥ sthāsyāmi tava pārśvataḥ || 1-64-6 ||

'Becoming a heart-stealing cuckoo amid the lovely trees of spring, I, together with the god of love, shall remain at your side.'

Shloka 7 (bala.64.7)

त्वं हि रूपं बहुगुणं कृत्वा परमभास्वरम्। तमृषिं कौशिकं रंभे भेदयस्व तपस्विनम् ॥ १-६४-७ ॥

tvaṃ hi rūpaṃ bahuguṇaṃ kṛtvā paramabhāsvaram| tamṛṣiṃ kauśikaṃ raṃbhe bhedayasva tapasvinam || 1-64-7 ||

'Assuming a form of manifold charm and surpassing radiance, O Rambha, you shall turn that ascetic sage Kaushika away from his penance.'

Shloka 8 (bala.64.8)

सा श्रुत्वा वचनं तस्य कृत्वा रूपमनुत्तमम्। लोभयामास ललिता विश्वामित्रं शुचिस्मिता ॥ १-६४-८ ॥

sā śrutvā vacanaṃ tasya kṛtvā rūpamanuttamam| lobhayāmāsa lalitā viśvāmitraṃ śucismitā || 1-64-8 ||

Hearing his words, she assumed a supreme form of beauty, and that graceful nymph, smiling radiantly, set about enticing Vishvamitra.

Shloka 9 (bala.64.9)

कोकिलस्य तु शुश्राव वल्गु व्याहरतः स्वनम्। संप्रहृष्टेन मनसा स एनामन्वैक्षत ॥ १-६४-९ ॥

kokilasya tu śuśrāva valgu vyāharataḥ svanam| saṃprahṛṣṭena manasā sa enāmanvaikṣata || 1-64-9 ||

He heard the sweet trilling call of the cuckoo, and with a heart stirred by delight he turned his gaze upon her.

Shloka 10 (bala.64.10)

अथ तस्य च शब्देन गीतेनाप्रतिमेन च। दर्शनेन च रंभाया मुनिः संदेहमागतः ॥ १-६४-१० ॥

atha tasya ca śabdena gītenāpratimena ca| darśanena ca raṃbhāyā muniḥ saṃdehamāgataḥ || 1-64-10 ||

Then, at that call, at that matchless song, and at the sight of Rambha, the sage grew suspicious.

Shloka 11 (bala.64.11)

सहस्राक्षस्य तत् कर्म विज्ञाय मुनिपुंगवः। रंभां क्रोधसमाविष्टः शशाप कुशिकात्मजः ॥ १-६४-११ ॥

sahasrākṣasya tat karma vijñāya munipuṃgavaḥ| raṃbhāṃ krodhasamāviṣṭaḥ śaśāpa kuśikātmajaḥ || 1-64-11 ||

Recognising this as the doing of the thousand-eyed Indra, the eminent sage, the son of Kushika, overcome with fury, cursed Rambha:

Shloka 12 (bala.64.12)

यन्मां लोभयसे रंभे कामक्रोधजयैषिणम्। दश वर्षसहस्राणि शैली स्थास्यसि दुर्भगे ॥ १-६४-१२ ॥

yanmāṃ lobhayase raṃbhe kāmakrodhajayaiṣiṇam| daśa varṣasahasrāṇi śailī sthāsyasi durbhage || 1-64-12 ||

'Because you sought to entice me, O Rambha, who am striving to conquer desire and anger, O unfortunate one, you shall remain a stone for ten thousand years.'

Shloka 13 (bala.64.13)

ब्राह्मणः सुमहातेजास्तपोबलसमन्वितः। उद्धरिष्यति रंभे त्वां मत्क्रोधकलुषीकृताम् ॥ १-६४-१३ ॥

brāhmaṇaḥ sumahātejāstapobalasamanvitaḥ| uddhariṣyati raṃbhe tvāṃ matkrodhakaluṣīkṛtām || 1-64-13 ||

'A Brahmin of great splendour, endowed with the strength of his own austerity, will one day release you, O Rambha, defiled as you now are by my wrath.'

Shloka 14 (bala.64.14)

एवमुक्त्वा महातेजा विश्वामित्रो महामुनिः। अशक्नुवन् धारयितुं कोपं संतापमागतः ॥ १-६४-१४ ॥

evamuktvā mahātejā viśvāmitro mahāmuniḥ| aśaknuvan dhārayituṃ kopaṃ saṃtāpamāgataḥ || 1-64-14 ||

Having spoken thus, the great sage Vishvamitra of mighty splendour, unable to contain his anger, fell into deep remorse.

Shloka 15 (bala.64.15)

तस्य शापेन महता रम्भा शैली तदाभवत्। वचः श्रुत्वा च कन्दर्पो महर्षेः स च निर्गतः ॥ १-६४-१५ ॥

tasya śāpena mahatā rambhā śailī tadābhavat| vacaḥ śrutvā ca kandarpo maharṣeḥ sa ca nirgataḥ || 1-64-15 ||

By his great curse, Rambha then became a stone; and, hearing the great sage's words, the god of love, along with Indra, fled from that place.

Shloka 16 (bala.64.16)

कोपेन स महातेजास्तपोऽपहरणे कृते। इन्द्रियैरजितै राम न लेभे शान्तिमात्मनः ॥ १-६४-१६ ॥

kopena sa mahātejāstapo'paharaṇe kṛte| indriyairajitai rāma na lebhe śāntimātmanaḥ || 1-64-16 ||

Through his own anger, that greatly resplendent sage, his austerity thus robbed away, found no peace of mind, O Rama, since his senses remained unconquered.

Shloka 17 (bala.64.17)

बभूवास्य मनश्चिंता तपोऽपहरणे कृते। नैव क्रोधं गमिष्यामि न च वक्ष्ये कथंचन ॥ १-६४-१७ ॥

babhūvāsya manaściṃtā tapo'paharaṇe kṛte| naiva krodhaṃ gamiṣyāmi na ca vakṣye kathaṃcana || 1-64-17 ||

His mind grew troubled at the loss of his penance, and he resolved: 'I shall never again yield to anger, nor shall I ever speak of it in any way.'

Shloka 18 (bala.64.18)

अथवा नोच्छ्वसिष्यामि संवत्सरशतान्यपि। अहं हि शोषयिष्यामि आत्मानं विजितेन्द्रियः ॥ १-६४-१८ ॥

athavā nocchvasiṣyāmi saṃvatsaraśatānyapi| ahaṃ hi śoṣayiṣyāmi ātmānaṃ vijitendriyaḥ || 1-64-18 ||

'Or rather, I shall not even breathe, though it take hundreds of years; I shall dry up my own body, having wholly conquered my senses.'

Shloka 19 (bala.64.19)

तावद्यावद्धि मे प्राप्तं ब्राह्मण्यं तपसार्जितम्। अनुच्छ्वसन्नभुंजास्तिष्ठेयं शाश्वतीः समाः ॥ १-६४-१९ ॥

tāvadyāvaddhi me prāptaṃ brāhmaṇyaṃ tapasārjitam| anucchvasannabhuṃjāstiṣṭheyaṃ śāśvatīḥ samāḥ || 1-64-19 ||

'Until such time as I attain Brahminhood earned by my own austerity, I shall remain without breath and without food, though it be for endless years; for while I am absorbed in penance, my bodily powers shall never waste away.'

Shloka 20 (bala.64.20)

न हि मे तप्यमानस्य क्षयं यास्यन्ति मूर्तयः। एवं वर्षसहस्रस्य दीक्षां स मुनिपुंगवः। चकार प्रतिमां लोके प्रतिज्ञां रघुन्ंदन ॥ १-६४-२० ॥

na hi me tapyamānasya kṣayaṃ yāsyanti mūrtayaḥ| evaṃ varṣasahasrasya dīkṣāṃ sa munipuṃgavaḥ| cakāra pratimāṃ loke pratijñāṃ raghunṃdana || 1-64-20 ||

Thus, O delight of Raghu's line, that eminent sage made a vow of dedication for a thousand years, a resolve unparalleled in all the world.