Dasharatha Arrives at Mithila

Shloka 1 (bala.69.1)

ततो रात्र्यां व्यतीतायां सोपाध्यायः सबान्धवः । राजा दशरथो हृष्टः सुमंत्रमिदमब्रवीत् ॥ 69.1 ॥

tato rātryāṃ vyatītāyāṃ sopādhyāyaḥ sabāndhavaḥ | rājā daśaratho hṛṣṭaḥ sumantram idam abravīt ||

Then, when the night had passed, King Dasharatha, together with his teachers and kinsmen, joyfully said this to Sumantra.

Shloka 2 (bala.69.2)

अद्य सर्वे धनाध्यक्षा धनमादाय पुष्कलम् । व्रजंत्वग्रे सुविहिता नानारत्नसमन्विताः ॥ 69.2 ॥

adya sarve dhanādhyakṣā dhanam ādāya puṣkalam | vrajantv agre suvihitā nānāratnasamanvitāḥ ||

"Today let all the treasurers, taking abundant wealth and manifold jewels, set out ahead, well prepared."

Shloka 3 (bala.69.3)

चतुरंगबलं चापि शीघ्रं निर्यातु सर्वशः । ममाज्ञा समकालं च यानं युग्ममनुत्तमम् ॥ 69.3 ॥

caturaṅgabalaṃ ca api śīghraṃ niryātu sarvaśaḥ | mama ājñā samakālaṃ ca yānaṃ yugmam anuttamam ||

"Let the fourfold army too march out at once, at my command, from every quarter, and together with it the finest yoked chariots."

Shloka 4 (bala.69.4)

वसिष्ठो वामदेवश्च जाबालिरथ काश्यपः । मार्कण्डेयश्च दीर्घायुर्ऋषिः कात्यायनस्तथा ॥ 69.4 ॥

vasiṣṭho vāmadevaś ca jābālir atha kāśyapaḥ | mārkaṇḍeyaś ca dīrghāyur ṛṣiḥ kātyāyanas tathā ||

"Vashishtha, Vamadeva, Jabali, Kashyapa, the long-lived Markandeya, and likewise the sage Katyayana—"

Shloka 5 (bala.69.5)

एते द्विजाः प्रयान्त्वग्रे स्यंदनं योजयस्व मे । यथा कालात्ययो न स्याद्दूता हि त्वरयन्ति माम् ॥ 69.5 ॥

ete dvijāḥ prayāntv agre syandanaṃ yojayasva me | yathā kālātyayo na syād dūtā hi tvarayanti mām ||

—let these brahmins go ahead, and let my chariot be yoked, so that no time is lost; for the envoys are urging me to make haste."

Shloka 6 (bala.69.6)

वचनाच्च नरेन्द्रस्य सेना च चतुरंगिणी । राजानमृषिभिः सार्धं व्रजंतं पृष्ठतोऽन्वगात् ॥ 69.6 ॥

vacanāc ca narendrasya senā ca caturaṅgiṇī | rājānam ṛṣibhiḥ sārdhaṃ vrajantaṃ pṛṣṭhato anvagāt ||

At the king's command, the fourfold army too followed close behind the king, who journeyed onward together with the sages.

Shloka 7 (bala.69.7)

गत्वा चतुरहं मार्गं विदेहानभ्युपेयिवान् । राजा तु जनकः श्रीमान् श्रुत्वा पूजामकल्पयत् ॥ 69.7 ॥

gatvā caturahaṃ mārgaṃ videhān abhyupeyivān | rājā tu janakaḥ śrīmān śrutvā pūjām akalpayat ||

Journeying for four days, King Dasharatha drew near the borders of Videha, and on hearing of this, the illustrious King Janaka arranged a welcome.

Shloka 8 (bala.69.8)

ततो राजानमासाद्य वृद्धं दशरथं नृपम् । जनको मुदितो राजा हर्षं च परमं ययौ ॥ 69.8 ॥

tato rājānam āsādya vṛddhaṃ daśarathaṃ nṛpam | janako mudito rājā harṣaṃ ca paramaṃ yayau ||

Then, on meeting the aged King Dasharatha, the delighted King Janaka was filled with the greatest joy.

Shloka 9 (bala.69.9)

उवाच वचनं श्रेष्ठो नरश्रेष्ठं मुदान्वितम् । स्वागतं ते नरश्रेष्ठः दिष्ट्या प्राप्तोऽसि राघव ॥ 69.9 ॥

uvāca vacanaṃ śreṣṭho naraśreṣṭhaṃ mudānvitam | svāgataṃ te naraśreṣṭhaḥ diṣṭyā prāpto asi rāghava ||

That noblest of men, filled with joy, said to Dasharatha, foremost among men, "Welcome, O best of men. By good fortune, O Raghava, you have arrived here."

Shloka 10 (bala.69.10)

पुत्रयोरुभयोः प्रीतिं लप्स्यसे वीर्यनिर्जिताम् । दिष्ट्या प्राप्तो महातेजा वसिष्ठो भगवानृषिः ॥ 69.10 ॥

putrayor ubhayoḥ prītiṃ lapsyase vīryanirjitām | diṣṭyā prāpto mahātejā vasiṣṭho bhagavān ṛṣiḥ ||

"You will now receive the delight won by the valour of both your sons. By good fortune, the greatly resplendent and holy sage Vashishtha too has come here—"

Shloka 11 (bala.69.11)

सह सर्वैर्द्विजश्रेष्ठैर्देवैरिव शतक्रतुः । दिष्ट्या मे निर्जिता विघ्ना दिष्ट्या मे पूजितं कुलम् ॥ 69.11 ॥

saha sarvair dvijaśreṣṭhair devair iva śatakratuḥ | diṣṭyā me nirjitā vighnā diṣṭyā me pūjitaṃ kulam ||

—along with all these foremost brahmins, as though Indra himself had come with all the gods. By good fortune my obstacles are overcome, and by good fortune my lineage too is honoured—

Shloka 12 (bala.69.12)

राघवैः सह संबंधाद्वीर्यश्रेष्ठैर्महात्मभिः । श्वः प्रभाते नरेन्द्र त्वम् सम्वर्तयितुमर्हसि ॥ 69.12 ॥

rāghavaiḥ saha saṃbandhād vīryaśreṣṭhair mahātmabhiḥ | śvaḥ prabhāte narendra tvam samvartayitum arhasi ||

—through this alliance with the noble Raghavas, foremost in valour. Tomorrow morning, O lord of men, it will be fitting for you to set the marriage in motion—

Shloka 13 (bala.69.13)

यज्ञस्यान्ते नरश्रेष्ठ विवाहमृषिसत्तमैः । तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा ऋषिमध्ये नराधिपः ॥ 69.13 ॥

yajñasya ante naraśreṣṭha vivāham ṛṣisattamaiḥ | tasya tad vacanaṃ śrutvā ṛṣimadhye narādhipaḥ ||

—O foremost of men, let the marriage take place at the conclusion of the sacrifice, at a time set by the eminent sages." On hearing his words, the king, there amid the sages—

Shloka 14 (bala.69.14)

वाक्यं वाक्यविदां श्रेष्ठः प्रत्युवाच महीपतिम् । प्रतिग्रहो दातृवशः श्रुतमेतन्मया पुरा ॥ 69.14 ॥

vākyaṃ vākyavidāṃ śreṣṭhaḥ pratyuvāca mahīpatim | pratigraho dātṛvaśaḥ śrutam etan mayā purā ||

—foremost among those skilled in speech, replied to the king, "I have heard it said before that the receiving rests upon the will of the giver."

Shloka 15 (bala.69.15)

यथा वक्ष्यसि धर्मज्ञ तत् करिष्यामहे वयम् । तद्धर्मिष्ठं यशस्यं च वचनं सत्यवादिनः ॥ 69.15 ॥

yathā vakṣyasi dharmajña tat kariṣyāmahe vayam | tad dharmiṣṭhaṃ yaśasyaṃ ca vacanaṃ satyavādinaḥ ||

"O knower of righteousness, whatever you say, that we shall do." That word of the truthful Dasharatha, so conformable to righteousness and to honour—

Shloka 16 (bala.69.16)

श्रुत्वा विदेहाधिपतिः परं विस्मयमागतः । ततः सर्वे मुनिगणाः परस्परसमागमे ॥ 69.16 ॥

śrutvā videhādhipatiḥ paraṃ vismayam āgataḥ | tataḥ sarve munigaṇāḥ parasparasamāgame ||

—on hearing it, the sovereign of Videha was struck with great wonder. Then all the assemblies of sages, having come together with one another—

Shloka 17 (bala.69.17)

हर्षेण महता युक्तास्तां निशामवसन् सुखम् । अथ रामो महातेजा लक्ष्मणेन समं ययौ ॥ 69.17 ॥

harṣeṇa mahatā yuktās tāṃ niśām avasan sukham | atha rāmo mahātejā lakṣmaṇena samaṃ yayau ||

—filled with great joy, spent that night happily. Then the greatly resplendent Rama, together with Lakshmana—

Shloka 18 (bala.69.18)

विश्वामित्रं पुरस्कृत्य पितुः पादावुपस्पृशन् । राजा च राघवौ पुत्रौ निशाम्य परिहर्षितः ॥ 69.18 ॥

viśvāmitraṃ puraskṛtya pituḥ pādāv upaspṛśan | rājā ca rāghavau putrau niśāmya pariharṣitaḥ ||

—keeping Vishvamitra before him, went to touch his father's feet. And the king, on beholding his two sons, the Raghavas, was overjoyed—

Shloka 19 (bala.69.19)

उवास परमप्रीतो जनकेन सुपूजितः । जनकोऽपि महातेजाः क्रियां धर्मेण तत्त्ववित् । यज्ञस्य च सुताभ्यां च कृत्वा रात्रिमुवास ह ॥ 69.19 ॥

uvāsa paramaprīto janakena supūjitaḥ | janako api mahātejāḥ kriyāṃ dharmeṇa tattvavit | yajñasya ca sutābhyāṃ ca kṛtvā rātrim uvāsa ha ||

—and, greatly honoured by Janaka, dwelt there in the highest contentment. And Janaka, the greatly resplendent knower of truth, having duly performed the rites for the sacrifice and for the marriage of his two daughters, in accordance with scripture, passed that night as well.