Parashurama Appears on the Road

Shloka 1 (bala.74.1)

अथ रात्र्यां व्यतीतायां विश्वामित्रो महामुनिः। आपृच्छ्य तौ च राजानौ जगामोत्तरपर्वतम् ॥ १-७४-१ ॥

atha rātryāṃ vyatītāyāṃ viśvāmitro mahāmuniḥ| āpṛcchya tau ca rājānau jagāmottaraparvatam || 1-74-1 ||

Then, when the night had passed, the great sage Vishvamitra, taking leave of both kings, set off toward the northern mountains.

Shloka 2 (bala.74.2)

विश्वामित्रो गते राजा वैदेहं मिथिलाधिपम्। आपृष्ट्वैव जगामाशु राजा दशरथः पुरीम् ॥ १-७४-२ ॥

viśvāmitro gate rājā vaidehaṃ mithilādhipam| āpṛṣṭvaiva jagāmāśu rājā daśarathaḥ purīm || 1-74-2 ||

When Vishvamitra had gone, King Dasharatha too, taking leave of the Videha king, lord of Mithila, quickly set out for his own city.

Shloka 3 (bala.74.3)

अथ राजा विदेहानां ददौ कन्याधनं बहु। गवां शतसहस्राणि बहूनि मिथिलेश्वरः ॥ १-७४-३ ॥

atha rājā videhānāṃ dadau kanyādhanaṃ bahu| gavāṃ śatasahasrāṇi bahūni mithileśvaraḥ || 1-74-3 ||

Then the king of the Videhas, lord of Mithila, gave abundant bridal wealth — many hundreds of thousands of cows.

Shloka 4 (bala.74.4)

कंबलानां च मुख्यानां क्षौमान् कोट्यंबराणि च। हस्त्यश्वरथपादातं दिव्यरूपं स्वलंकृतम् ॥ १-७४-४ ॥

kaṃbalānāṃ ca mukhyānāṃ kṣaumān koṭyaṃbarāṇi ca| hastyaśvarathapādātaṃ divyarūpaṃ svalaṃkṛtam || 1-74-4 ||

And fine woollen blankets, silken garments by the millions, and elephants, horses, chariots, and foot-soldiers, all of divine appearance and richly adorned.

Shloka 5 (bala.74.5)

ददौ कन्याशतं तासां दासीदासमनुत्तमम्। हिरण्यस्य सुवर्णस्य मुक्तानां विद्रुमस्य च ॥ १-७४-५ ॥

dadau kanyāśataṃ tāsāṃ dāsīdāsamanuttamam| hiraṇyasya suvarṇasya muktānāṃ vidrumasya ca || 1-74-5 ||

He gave a hundred maidens as excellent handmaidens and servants for them, along with silver, gold, pearls, and coral.

Shloka 6 (bala.74.6)

ददौ राजा सुसंहृष्टः कन्याधनमनुत्तमम्। दत्त्वा बहुविधं राजा समनुज्ञाप्य पार्थिवम् ॥ १-७४-६ ॥

dadau rājā susaṃhṛṣṭaḥ kanyādhanamanuttamam| dattvā bahuvidhaṃ rājā samanujñāpya pārthivam || 1-74-6 ||

The king, greatly delighted, gave this matchless bridal wealth. Having given these many kinds of gifts, and having taken leave of King Dasharatha—

Shloka 7 (bala.74.7)

प्रविवेश स्वनिलयं मिथिलां मिथिलेश्वरः। राजाप्ययोध्याधिपतिः सह पुत्रैर्महात्मभिः ॥ १-७४-७ ॥

praviveśa svanilayaṃ mithilāṃ mithileśvaraḥ| rājāpyayodhyādhipatiḥ saha putrairmahātmabhiḥ || 1-74-7 ||

—the lord of Mithila re-entered his own residence in Mithila. And the king, lord of Ayodhya, together with his noble-souled sons—

Shloka 8 (bala.74.8)

ऋषीन् सर्वान् पुरस्कृत्य जगाम सबलानुगः। गच्छन्तं तु नरव्याघ्रं सर्षिसंघं सराघवम् ॥ १-७४-८ ॥

ṛṣīn sarvān puraskṛtya jagāma sabalānugaḥ| gacchantaṃ tu naravyāghraṃ sarṣisaṃghaṃ sarāghavam || 1-74-8 ||

—setting all the sages before him, journeyed on with his army following. As that tiger among men went on with the company of sages and the Raghavas—

Shloka 9 (bala.74.9)

घोरास्तु पक्षिणो वाचो व्याहरन्ति समंततः। भौमाश्चैव मृगाः सर्वे गच्छन्ति स्म प्रदक्षिणम् ॥ १-७४-९ ॥

ghorāstu pakṣiṇo vāco vyāharanti samaṃtataḥ| bhaumāścaiva mṛgāḥ sarve gacchanti sma pradakṣiṇam || 1-74-9 ||

—terrible were the cries the birds uttered on every side, while all the earth-bound deer moved keeping to his right, an auspicious sign.

Shloka 10 (bala.74.10)

तान् दृष्ट्वा राजशार्दूलो वसिष्ठं पर्यपृच्छत। असौम्याः पक्षिणो घोरा मृगाश्चापि प्रदक्षिणाः ॥ १-७४-१० ॥

tān dṛṣṭvā rājaśārdūlo vasiṣṭhaṃ paryapṛcchata| asaumyāḥ pakṣiṇo ghorā mṛgāścāpi pradakṣiṇāḥ || 1-74-10 ||

Seeing these, that tiger among kings asked Vashishtha, "The birds cry out, ill-omened and terrible, while the deer keep to the right—"

Shloka 11 (bala.74.11)

किमिदं हृदयोत्कंपि मनो मम विषीदति। राज्ञो दशरथस्यैतत् श्रुत्वा वाक्यं महानृषिः ॥ १-७४-११ ॥

kimidaṃ hṛdayotkaṃpi mano mama viṣīdati| rājño daśarathasyaitat śrutvā vākyaṃ mahānṛṣiḥ || 1-74-11 ||

"—what is this? My heart trembles, my mind sinks." Having heard this speech of King Dasharatha, the great sage—

Shloka 12 (bala.74.12)

उवाच मधुरां वाणीं श्रूयतामस्य यत्फलम्। उपस्थितं भयं घोरं दिव्यं पक्षिमुखाच्च्युतम् ॥ १-७४-१२ ॥

uvāca madhurāṃ vāṇīṃ śrūyatāmasya yatphalam| upasthitaṃ bhayaṃ ghoraṃ divyaṃ pakṣimukhāccyutam || 1-74-12 ||

—spoke in a sweet voice, "Hear what the outcome shall be. A terrible danger of divine origin, foretold by the birds' cries, is indeed at hand—"

Shloka 13 (bala.74.13)

मृगाः प्रशमयन्त्येते संतापः त्यज्यतामयम्। तेषां संवदतां तत्र वायुः प्रादुर्बभूव ह ॥ १-७४-१३ ॥

mṛgāḥ praśamayantyete saṃtāpaḥ tyajyatāmayam| teṣāṃ saṃvadatāṃ tatra vāyuḥ prādurbabhūva ha || 1-74-13 ||

"—but these deer are pacifying it; so let this distress be cast aside." While they spoke thus among themselves, a wind arose there—

Shloka 14 (bala.74.14)

कंपयन् मेदिनीं सर्वां पातयंश्च महाद्रुमान्। तमसा संवृतः सूर्यः सर्वे न वेदिषुर्दिशः ॥ १-७४-१४ ॥

kaṃpayan medinīṃ sarvāṃ pātayaṃśca mahādrumān| tamasā saṃvṛtaḥ sūryaḥ sarve na vediṣurdiśaḥ || 1-74-14 ||

—shaking the whole earth and felling great trees; the sun was shrouded in darkness, so that none could tell the directions.

Shloka 15 (bala.74.15)

भस्मना चावृतं सर्वं सम्मूढमिव तद्बलम्। वसिष्ठ ऋषयचान्ये राजा च ससुतस्तदा ॥ १-७४-१५ ॥

bhasmanā cāvṛtaṃ sarvaṃ sammūḍhamiva tadbalam| vasiṣṭha ṛṣayacānye rājā ca sasutastadā || 1-74-15 ||

Everything was covered as if with ash, and that army seemed struck senseless. Then Vashishtha, the other sages, and the king with his sons—

Shloka 16 (bala.74.16)

ससंज्ञा इव तत्रासन् सर्वमन्यद्विचेतनम्। तस्मिंस्तमसि घोरे तु भस्मच्छन्नेव सा चमूः ॥ १-७४-१६ ॥

sasaṃjñā iva tatrāsan sarvamanyadvicetanam| tasmiṃstamasi ghore tu bhasmacchanneva sā camūḥ || 1-74-16 ||

—alone remained conscious there, while everyone and everything else became as if senseless. In that terrible darkness, that army, as if covered with ash—

Shloka 17 (bala.74.17)

ददर्श भीमसंकाशं जटामण्डलधारिणम्। भार्गवं जामदग्न्यं तं राजा राजविमर्दनम् ॥ १-७४-१७ ॥

dadarśa bhīmasaṃkāśaṃ jaṭāmaṇḍaladhāriṇam| bhārgavaṃ jāmadagnyaṃ taṃ rājā rājavimardanam || 1-74-17 ||

—beheld one of fearsome aspect, bearing a mass of matted locks — that Bhargava, son of Jamadagni, the crusher of kings.

Shloka 18 (bala.74.18)

कैलासमिव दुर्धर्षं कालाग्निमिव दुःसहम्। ज्वलंतमिव तेजोभिः दुर्निरीक्ष्यं पृथग्जनैः ॥ १-७४-१८ ॥

kailāsamiva durdharṣaṃ kālāgnimiva duḥsaham| jvalaṃtamiva tejobhiḥ durnirīkṣyaṃ pṛthagjanaiḥ || 1-74-18 ||

Unassailable as Mount Kailasa, unbearable as the fire at the end of time, blazing as it were with his own splendour, unbearable for common folk to look upon—

Shloka 19 (bala.74.19)

स्कन्धे चासज्य परशुं धनुर्विद्युद्गणोपमम्। प्रगृह्य शरमुग्रं च त्रिपुरघ्नं यथा शिवम् ॥ १-७४-१९ ॥

skandhe cāsajya paraśuṃ dhanurvidyudgaṇopamam| pragṛhya śaramugraṃ ca tripuraghnaṃ yathā śivam || 1-74-19 ||

—with an axe set upon his shoulder, holding a bow like a mass of lightning and a fearsome arrow, seeming like Shiva, destroyer of the triple city.

Shloka 20 (bala.74.20)

तं दृष्ट्वा भीमसंकाशं ज्वलंतमिव पावकम्। वसिष्ठप्रमुखा विप्रा जपहोमपरायणाः ॥ १-७४-२० ॥

taṃ dṛṣṭvā bhīmasaṃkāśaṃ jvalaṃtamiva pāvakam| vasiṣṭhapramukhā viprā japahomaparāyaṇāḥ || 1-74-20 ||

Seeing him, of terrible aspect, blazing as it were like fire, the Brahmins headed by Vashishtha, devoted to japa and homa—

Shloka 21 (bala.74.21)

संगता मुनयः सर्वे संजजल्पुरथो मिथः। कच्चित् पितृवधामर्षी क्षत्र ं नोत्सादयिष्यति ॥ १-७४-२१ ॥

saṃgatā munayaḥ sarve saṃjajalpuratho mithaḥ| kaccit pitṛvadhāmarṣī kṣatra ṃ notsādayiṣyati || 1-74-21 ||

—all the sages gathered together and spoke among themselves, "Surely, enraged still by his father's slaying, he will not destroy the Kshatriyas again—"

Shloka 22 (bala.74.22)

पूर्वं क्षत्रवधं कृत्वा गतमन्युर्गतज्वरः। क्षत्रस्योत्सादनं भूयो न खल्वस्य चिकीर्षितम् ॥ १-७४-२२ ॥

pūrvaṃ kṣatravadhaṃ kṛtvā gatamanyurgatajvaraḥ| kṣatrasyotsādanaṃ bhūyo na khalvasya cikīrṣitam || 1-74-22 ||

"—having formerly destroyed the Kshatriyas, his wrath departed and his fever of anger subsided; surely he wishes their destruction no more."

Shloka 23 (bala.74.23)

एवमुक्त्वार्घ्यमादाय भार्गवं भीमदर्शनम्। ऋषयो राम रामेति मधुरं वाक्यमब्रुवन् ॥ १-७४-२३ ॥

evamuktvārghyamādāya bhārgavaṃ bhīmadarśanam| ṛṣayo rāma rāmeti madhuraṃ vākyamabruvan || 1-74-23 ||

Having said this, the sages, taking up the arghya offering, approached that fearsome-looking Bhargava and spoke sweet words, "Rama, O Rama—"

Shloka 24 (bala.74.24)

प्रतिगृह्य तु तां पूजामृषिदत्तां प्रतापवान्। रामं दाशरथिं रामो जामदग्न्योऽभ्यभाषत ॥ १-७४-२४ ॥

pratigṛhya tu tāṃ pūjāmṛṣidattāṃ pratāpavān| rāmaṃ dāśarathiṃ rāmo jāmadagnyo'bhyabhāṣata || 1-74-24 ||

Having accepted that worship offered by the sages, the mighty Rama, son of Jamadagni, then spoke to Rama, son of Dasharatha.