Sumantra Tells the Tale of Rishyashringa

Shloka 1 (bala.9.1)

एतच्छ्रुत्वा रहः सूतो राजानमिदमब्रवीत् । श्रूयतां तत् पुरावृत्तं पुराणे च मया श्रुतम् ।। ९.१ ।।

etat śrutvā rahaḥ sūto rājānam idam abravīt | śrūyatām tat purā vṛttam purāṇe ca mayā śrutam || 9.1 ||

Having heard this, the charioteer Sumantra spoke privately to the king thus: 'Let there be heard that ancient event which I too have heard told in olden times.'

Shloka 2 (bala.9.2)

ऋत्विग्भिरुपदिष्टोऽयं पुरावृत्तो मया श्रुतः । सनत्कुमारो भगवान् पूर्वं कथितवान् कथाम् ।। ९.२ ।।

ṛtvigbhiḥ upadiṣṭo.ayam purā vṛtto mayā śrutaḥ | sanatkumāro bhagavān pūrvam kathitavān kathām || 9.2 ||

'O king, this too was told earlier by the officiating priests; I once heard the very account that the blessed Sanatkumara had narrated in the presence of the sages, concerning the coming of your sons —'

Shloka 3 (bala.9.3)

ऋषीणां सन्निधौ राजंस्तव पुत्रागमं प्रति । काश्यपस्य च पुत्रोऽस्ति विभाण्डक इति श्रुतः ।। ९.३ ।।

ṛṣīṇām sannidhau rājan tava putrāagamam prati | kāśyapasya ca putro.asti vibhāṇḍaka iti śrutaḥ || 9.3 ||

'— Sage Kashyapa, O king, has a son known as Vibhandaka; his son shall become renowned as Rishyashringa.'

Shloka 4 (bala.9.4)

ऋष्यशृङ्ग इति ख्यातस्तस्य पुत्रो भविष्यति । स वने नित्यसंवृद्धो मुनिर्वनचरः सदा ।। ९.४ ।।

ṛṣyaśṛṅga iti khyātaḥ tasya putro bhaviṣyati | sa vane nitya saṃvṛddho munir vanacaraḥ sadā || 9.4 ||

'He, having always grown up in the forest, shall ever remain a forest-dwelling sage.'

Shloka 5 (bala.9.5)

नान्यं जानाति विप्रेन्द्रो नित्यं पित्रनुवर्तनात् । द्वैविध्यं ब्रहचर्यस्य भविष्यति महात्मनः ।। ९.५ ।।

na anyam jānāti viprendro nityam pitra anuvartanāt | dvaividhyam brahmacaryasya bhaviṣyati mahātmanaḥ || 9.5 ||

'That foremost of Brahmins, ever abiding by his father's word alone and knowing none other, will find a hindrance befall the great soul's celibacy.'

Shloka 6 (bala.9.6)

लोकेषु प्रथितं राजन् विप्रैश्च कथितं सदा । तस्यैवं वर्तमानस्य कालः समभिवर्तत ।। ९.६ ।।

lokeṣu prathitam rājan vipraiḥ ca kathitam sadā | tasya evam vartamānasya kālaḥ samabhivartata || 9.6 ||

'He shall become renowned in the world, O king, and ever praised by the Brahmins; and as he continued thus, time went on.'

Shloka 7 (bala.9.7)

अग्निं शुश्रूषमाणस्य पितरं च यशस्विनम् । एतस्मिन्नेव काले तु रोमपादः प्रतापवान् ।। ९.७ ।।

agnim śuśrūṣamāṇasya pitaram ca yaśasvinam | etasmin eva kāle tu romapādaḥ pratāpavān || 9.7 ||

'While he was engaged in tending the sacred fire and in serving his renowned father, at this very time there lived Romapada, a mighty and valorous king —'

Shloka 8 (bala.9.8)

अङ्गेषु प्रथितो राजा भविष्यति महाबलः । तस्य व्यतिक्रमाद्राज्ञो भविष्यति सुदारुणा ।। ९.८ ।।

āṅgeṣu prathito rājā bhaviṣyati mahābalaḥ | tasya vyatikramāt rājño bhaviṣyati sudāruṇā || 9.8 ||

'— renowned in the Anga country. Through some transgression of that king, a most dreadful and terrible drought would come to pass —'

Shloka 9 (bala.9.9)

अनावृष्ठिः सुघोरा वै सर्वभूतभयावहा । अनावृष्ट्यां तु वृत्तायां राजा दुःखसमन्वितः ।। ९.९ ।।

anāvṛṣṭiḥ sughorā vai sarvaloka bhayāavahā | anāvṛṣṭyām tu vṛttāyām rājā duḥkha samanvitaḥ || 9.9 ||

'— one that would strike terror into all creatures. When that drought had come upon them, the king, filled with sorrow —'

Shloka 10 (bala.9.10)

ब्राह्मणान् श्रुतवृद्धांश्च समानीय प्रवक्ष्यति । भवन्तः श्रुतधर्माणो लोकचारित्रवेदिनः ।। ९.१० ।।

brāhmaṇān śruta saṃvṛddhān ca samānīya pravakṣyati | bhavantaḥ śruta karmāṇo loka cāritra vedinaḥ || 9.10 ||

'— shall summon Brahmins grown old in sacred learning and address them: 'You are versed in the sacred law and know the ways of the world —'

Shloka 11 (bala.9.11)

समादिशन्तु नियमं प्रायश्चित्तं यथा भवेत् । इत्युक्तास्ते ततो राज्ञा सर्वे ब्राह्मणसत्तमाः ।। ९.११ ।।

samādiśantu niyamam prāyaścittam yathā bhavet | iti uktāḥ te tato rājñā sarve brāhmaṇa sattamāḥ || 9.11 ||

'— prescribe for me the rule and the penance by which this may be atoned.' Thus addressed by the king, all those foremost of Brahmins —'

Shloka 12 (bala.9.12)

वक्ष्यन्ति ते महीपालं ब्राह्मणा वेदपारगाः । विभाण्डकसुतं राजन् सर्वोपायैरिहानय ।। ९.१२ ।।

vakṣyanti te mahīpālam brāhmaṇā veda pāragāḥ | vibhāṇḍaka sutam rājan sarva upāyaiḥ iha ānaya || 9.12 ||

'— those Brahmins versed in the Vedas will say to the king: 'O king, by every means bring here the son of Vibhandaka.''

Shloka 13 (bala.9.13)

आनाय्य तु महीपाल ऋश्यशृङ्गं सुसत्कृतम् । विभाण्डकसुतं राजन् ब्राह्मणं वेदपारगम् । प्रयच्छ कन्यां शान्तां वै विधिना सुसमाहितः ।। ९.१३ ।।

ānāyya tu mahīpāla ṛśyaśṛṅgam susatkṛtam | vibhāṇḍaka sutam rājan brāhmaṇam veda pāragam | prayaccha kanyām śāntām vai vidhinā susamāhitaḥ || 9.13 ||

'— Having brought Rishyashringa, O king, and having honoured him well, give him, that Brahmin versed in the Vedas, son of Vibhandaka, your daughter Shanta in marriage, duly and with careful ceremony.'

Shloka 14 (bala.9.14)

तेषां तु वचनं श्रुत्वा राजा चिन्तां प्रपत्स्यते । केनोपायेन वै शक्यमिहानेतुं स वीर्यवान् ।। ९.१४ ।।

teṣām tu vacanam śrutvā rājā cintām prapatsyate | kena upāyena vai śakyam iha ānetum sa vīryavān || 9.14 ||

'Hearing their words, the king, mighty in valour, will fall to thinking by what means he might be brought there.'

Shloka 15 (bala.9.15)

ततो राजा विनिश्चित्य सह मंत्रिभिरात्मवान् । पुरोहितममात्यांश्च प्रेषयिष्यति सत्कृतान् ।। ९.१५ ।।

tato rājā viniścitya saha maṃtribhiḥ ātmavān | purohitam amātyām ca preṣayiṣyati satkṛtān || 9.15 ||

'Then the wise king, having deliberated together with his ministers, will send forth the priest and ministers, duly honoured —'

Shloka 16 (bala.9.16)

ते तु राज्ञो वचः श्रुत्वा व्यथिता विनताननाः । न गच्छेम ऋषेर्भीता अनुनेष्यन्ति तं नृपम् ।। ९.१६ ।।

te tu rājño vacaḥ śrutvā vyathitā vinata ānanāḥ | na gacchema ṛṣeḥ bhītā anuneṣyanti tam nṛpam || 9.16 ||

'— but they, on hearing the king's command, distressed and with faces downcast, will say: "We dare not go, for we fear the sage," and will plead with the king instead.'

Shloka 17 (bala.9.17)

वक्ष्यन्ति चिंतयित्वा ते तस्योपायांश्च तत्क्षमान् । आनेष्यामो वयं विप्रं न च दोषो भविष्यति ।। ९.१७ ।।

vakṣṣyanti ciṃtayitvā te tasya upāyām ca tān kṣamān | āneṣyāmo vayam vipram na ca doṣo bhaviṣyati || 9.17 ||

'Then, having thought it over, they will propose a plan fitting to the purpose, saying: "We shall bring that Brahmin, and no fault shall attach to it."'

Shloka 18 (bala.9.18)

एवमङ्गाधिपेनैव गणिकाभिर्ऋषेः सुतः । आनीतोऽवर्षयद्देवः शान्ता चास्मै प्रदीयते ।। ९.१८ ।।

evam aṅgādhipena eva gaṇikābhiḥ ṛṣeḥ sutaḥ | ānīto.avarṣayat deva śāntā ca asmai pradīyate || 9.18 ||

'Thus, through the king of Anga and through courtesans, the sage's son will be brought; and the god of rain will pour down showers, and Shanta will be given to him in marriage.'

Shloka 19 (bala.9.19)

ऋष्यशृङ्गस्तु जामाता पुत्रांस्तव विधास्यति । सनत्कुमारकथितमेतावद्व्याहृतं मया ।। ९.१९ ।।

ṛṣyaśṛṅgaḥ tu jāmātā putrān tava vidhāsyati | sanatkumāra kathitam etāvat vyāhṛtam mayā || 9.19 ||

'Rishyashringa, becoming the son-in-law, shall grant sons to you as well — thus much was spoken by Sanatkumara, and I have now related it all to you.'

Shloka 20 (bala.9.20)

अथ हृष्टो दशरथः सुमंत्रं प्रत्यभाषत । यथर्ऋष्यशृङ्गस्त्वानीतो विस्तरेण तथोच्यताम् ।। ९.२० ।।

atha hṛṣṭo daśarathaḥ sumaṃtram pratyabhāṣata | yathā ṛṣyaśṛṅgaḥ tu ānīto yena upāyena sa uccatām || 9.20 ||

Then Dasharatha, greatly delighted, said in reply to Sumantra: 'Tell me now in full detail, by what means Rishyashringa was brought.'