The Curse of Pulastya and the Birth of Vishrava

Shloka 1 (uttara.2.1)

तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा राघवस्य महात्मनः । कुम्भयोनिर्मिहातेजा राममेतदुवाच ह ॥ 2.1 ॥

tasya tadvacanaṃ śrutvā rāghavasya mahātmanaḥ | kumbhayonirmihātejā rāmametaduvāca ha || 2.1 ||

Hearing those words of the great-souled Raghava, Agastya, the pot-born sage of great splendor, spoke thus to Rama.

Shloka 2 (uttara.2.2)

शृणु राम कथावृत्तं तस्य तेजोबलं महत् । जघान शत्रून्येनासौ न च वध्यः स शत्रुभिः ॥ 2.2 ॥

śṛṇu rāma kathāvṛttaṃ tasya tejobalaṃ mahat | jaghāna śatrūnyenāsau na ca vadhyaḥ sa śatrubhiḥ || 2.2 ||

"Listen, Rama, to the tale of his great power and might — by which he slew his enemies, and by which he himself could not be slain by any foe."

Shloka 3 (uttara.2.3)

तावत्ते रावणस्येदं कुलं जन्म च राघव । वरप्रदानं च तथा तस्मै दत्तं ब्रवीमि ते ॥ 2.3 ॥

tāvatte rāvaṇasyedaṃ kulaṃ janma ca rāghava | varapradānaṃ ca tathā tasmai dattaṃ bravīmi te || 2.3 ||

"Now then, Raghava, I shall tell you of Ravana's lineage and birth, and also of the boon that was granted to him."

Shloka 4 (uttara.2.4)

पुरा कृतयुगे राम प्रजापतिसुतः प्रभुः । पुलस्त्यो नाम ब्रह्मर्षिः साक्षादिव पितामहः ॥ 2.4 ॥

purā kṛtayuge rāma prajāpatisutaḥ prabhuḥ | pulastyo nāma brahmarṣiḥ sākṣādiva pitāmahaḥ || 2.4 ||

"Long ago, in the Krita Yuga, O Rama, there lived a lord, a son of Prajapati — a brahmin-sage named Pulastya, who seemed like the Grandsire Brahma himself in person."

Shloka 5 (uttara.2.5)

नानुकीर्त्या गुणास्तस्य धर्मतः शीलतस्तथा । प्रजापतेः पुत्र इति वक्तुं शक्यं हि नामतः ॥ 2.5 ॥

nānukīrtyā guṇāstasya dharmataḥ śīlatastathā | prajāpateḥ putra iti vaktuṃ śakyaṃ hi nāmataḥ || 2.5 ||

"His virtues of righteousness and character cannot fully be told; it can only be said in brief that he was, by name, a son of Prajapati."

Shloka 6 (uttara.2.6)

प्रजापतिसुतत्वेन देवानां वल्लभो हि सः । हृष्टः सर्वस्य लोकस्य गुणैः शुभ्रैर्महामतिः ॥ 2.6 ॥

prajāpatisutatvena devānāṃ vallabho hi saḥ | hṛṣṭaḥ sarvasya lokasya guṇaiḥ śubhrairmahāmatiḥ || 2.6 ||

"Being a son of Prajapati, he was beloved of the gods; and, being of great intellect, he delighted the whole world through his pure and radiant virtues."

Shloka 7 (uttara.2.7)

स तु धर्मप्रसङ्गेन मेरोः पार्श्वे महागिरेः । तृणविन्द्वाश्रमं गत्वा न्यवसन्मुनिपुङ्गवः ॥ 2.7 ॥

sa tu dharmaprasaṅgena meroḥ pārśve mahāgireḥ | tṛṇavindvāśramaṃ gatvā nyavasanmunipuṅgavaḥ || 2.7 ||

That foremost of sages, out of devotion to dharma, went to dwell at the hermitage of Trinabindu, beside the great mountain Meru.

Shloka 8 (uttara.2.8)

तपस्तेपे स धर्मात्मा स्वाध्यायनियतेन्द्रियः । गत्वाश्रमपदं तस्य विघ्नं कुर्वन्ति कन्यकाः ॥ 2.8 ॥

tapastepe sa dharmātmā svādhyāyaniyatendriyaḥ | gatvāśramapadaṃ tasya vighnaṃ kurvanti kanyakāḥ || 2.8 ||

That righteous sage, his senses restrained through the discipline of Vedic study, performed austerities there. But maidens who came to that hermitage would disturb his penance.

Shloka 9 (uttara.2.9)

देवपन्नगकन्याश्च राजर्षितनयाश्च याः । क्रीडन्त्यो ऽप्सरसश्चैव तं देशमुपपेदिरे ॥ 2.9 ॥

devapannagakanyāśca rājarṣitanayāśca yāḥ | krīḍantyo 'psarasaścaiva taṃ deśamupapedire || 2.9 ||

The daughters of gods and serpents, the daughters of royal seers, and apsaras at play would all come to that region.

Shloka 10 (uttara.2.10)

सर्वर्तुषृपभोग्यत्वाद्रम्यत्वात्काननस्य च । नित्यशस्तास्तु तं देशं गत्वा क्रीडन्ति कन्यकाः ॥ 2.10 ॥

sarvartuṣṛpabhogyatvādramyatvātkānanasya ca | nityaśastāstu taṃ deśaṃ gatvā krīḍanti kanyakāḥ || 2.10 ||

Because the place was delightful in every season and the forest itself so charming, maidens would constantly go there to play.

Shloka 11 (uttara.2.11)

देशस्य रमणीयत्वात्पुलस्त्यो यत्र स द्विजः । गायन्त्यो वादयन्त्यश्च लासयन्त्यस्तथैव च । मुनेस्तपस्विनस्तस्य विघ्नं चक्रुरनिन्दिताः ॥ 2.11 ॥

deśasya ramaṇīyatvātpulastyo yatra sa dvijaḥ | gāyantyo vādayantyaśca lāsayantyastathaiva ca | munestapasvinastasya vighnaṃ cakruraninditāḥ || 2.11 ||

Because of the charm of the place where the twice-born Pulastya dwelt, those blameless maidens — singing, playing instruments, and dancing — disturbed the austerities of that ascetic sage.

Shloka 12 (uttara.2.12)

अथ क्रुद्धो महातेजा व्याजहार महामुनिः । या मे दर्शनमागच्छेत्सा गर्भं धारयिष्यति ॥ 2.12 ॥

atha kruddho mahātejā vyājahāra mahāmuniḥ | yā me darśanamāgacchetsā garbhaṃ dhārayiṣyati || 2.12 ||

Then that great sage, of mighty splendor, angered, declared: "Whichever maiden comes into my sight shall conceive a child."

Shloka 13 (uttara.2.13)

तास्तु सर्वाः प्रतिश्रुत्य तस्य वाक्यं महात्मनः । ब्रह्मशापभयाद्भीतास्तं देशं नोपचक्रमुः ॥ 2.13 ॥

tāstu sarvāḥ pratiśrutya tasya vākyaṃ mahātmanaḥ | brahmaśāpabhayādbhītāstaṃ deśaṃ nopacakramuḥ || 2.13 ||

All those maidens, on hearing that word of the great soul, and fearing a brahmin's curse, no longer approached that region.

Shloka 14 (uttara.2.14)

तृणबिन्दोस्तु राजर्षेस्तनया न शृणोति तत् ॥ 2.14 ॥

tṛṇabindostu rājarṣestanayā na śṛṇoti tat || 2.14 ||

But the daughter of the royal sage Trinabindu had not heard of this.

Shloka 15 (uttara.2.15)

गत्वाश्रमपदं तत्र विचचार सुनिर्भया । न सापश्यत्स्थिता तत्र काञ्चिदभ्यागतां सखीम् ॥ 2.15 ॥

gatvāśramapadaṃ tatra vicacāra sunirbhayā | na sāpaśyatsthitā tatra kāñcidabhyāgatāṃ sakhīm || 2.15 ||

Going to that hermitage-site, she wandered about without fear. Standing there, she saw none of her companions who had come with her.

Shloka 16 (uttara.2.16)

तस्मिन्काले महातेजाः प्राजापत्यो महानृषिः । स्वाध्यायमकरोत्तत्र तपसा भावितः स्वयम् ॥ 2.16 ॥

tasminkāle mahātejāḥ prājāpatyo mahānṛṣiḥ | svādhyāyamakarottatra tapasā bhāvitaḥ svayam || 2.16 ||

At that time, the great sage of mighty splendor, the son of Prajapati, was himself there absorbed in Vedic recitation, hallowed by his own austerity.

Shloka 17 (uttara.2.17)

सा तु वेदश्रुतिं श्रुत्वा दृष्ट्वा वै तपसो निधिम् । अभवत्पाण्डुदेहा सा सुव्यञ्जितशरीरजा ॥ 2.17 ॥

sā tu vedaśrutiṃ śrutvā dṛṣṭvā vai tapaso nidhim | abhavatpāṇḍudehā sā suvyañjitaśarīrajā || 2.17 ||

On hearing the sound of Vedic recitation and beholding that treasury of austerity, she grew pale, and her body began to show clear signs of pregnancy.

Shloka 18 (uttara.2.18)

वभूव च समुद्विग्ना दृष्ट्वा तद्दोषमात्मनः । इदं मे किन्त्विति ज्ञात्वा पितुर्गत्वा ऽ ऽश्रमे स्थिता ॥ 2.18 ॥

vabhūva ca samudvignā dṛṣṭvā taddoṣamātmanaḥ | idaṃ me kintviti jñātvā piturgatvā ' 'śrame sthitā || 2.18 ||

She grew troubled on seeing this change in herself; wondering, 'What has happened to me?' she went and stayed in her father's hermitage.

Shloka 19 (uttara.2.19)

तां तु दृष्ट्वा तथाभूतां तृणविन्दुरथाब्रवीत् । किं त्वमेतत्त्वसदृशं धारयस्यात्मनो वपुः ॥ 2.19 ॥

tāṃ tu dṛṣṭvā tathābhūtāṃ tṛṇavindurathābravīt | kiṃ tvametattvasadṛśaṃ dhārayasyātmano vapuḥ || 2.19 ||

Seeing her in that state, Trinabindu then said: "Why do you bear this form, so unlike your own?"

Shloka 20 (uttara.2.20)

सा तु कृत्वाञ्जलिं दीना कन्योवाच तपोधनम् । न जाने कारणं तात येन मे रूपमीदृशम् ॥ 2.20 ॥

sā tu kṛtvāñjaliṃ dīnā kanyovāca tapodhanam | na jāne kāraṇaṃ tāta yena me rūpamīdṛśam || 2.20 ||

She, distressed, joined her palms and said to that man of austerity: "I do not know, father, the reason my form has become like this."

Shloka 21 (uttara.2.21)

किं तु पूर्वं गतास्म्येका महर्षेर्भावितात्मनः । पुलस्त्यस्याश्रमं दिव्यमन्वेष्टुं स्वसखीजनम् ॥ 2.21 ॥

kiṃ tu pūrvaṃ gatāsmyekā maharṣerbhāvitātmanaḥ | pulastyasyāśramaṃ divyamanveṣṭuṃ svasakhījanam || 2.21 ||

"But earlier I went alone to the divine hermitage of the great and purified sage Pulastya, in search of my companions."

Shloka 22 (uttara.2.22)

न च पश्याम्यहं तत्र काञ्चिदभ्यागतां सखीम् । रूपस्य तु विपर्यासं दृष्ट्वा त्रासादिहागता ॥ 2.22 ॥

na ca paśyāmyahaṃ tatra kāñcidabhyāgatāṃ sakhīm | rūpasya tu viparyāsaṃ dṛṣṭvā trāsādihāgatā || 2.22 ||

"And I did not find any companion there. Then, seeing this alteration in my form, I came here in fear."

Shloka 23 (uttara.2.23)

तृणबिन्दुस्तु राजर्षिस्तपसा द्योतितप्रभः । ध्यानं विवेश तच्चापि ह्यपश्यदृषिकर्मजम् ॥ 2.23 ॥

tṛṇabindustu rājarṣistapasā dyotitaprabhaḥ | dhyānaṃ viveśa taccāpi hyapaśyadṛṣikarmajam || 2.23 ||

Trinabindu, the royal sage, radiant with the light of austerity, entered into meditation, and thereby perceived that this was the result of the sage Pulastya's own act.

Shloka 24 (uttara.2.24)

स तु विज्ञाय तं शापं महर्षेर्भावितात्मनः । गृहीत्वा तनयां गत्वा पुलस्त्यमिदमब्रवीत् ॥ 2.24 ॥

sa tu vijñāya taṃ śāpaṃ maharṣerbhāvitātmanaḥ | gṛhītvā tanayāṃ gatvā pulastyamidamabravīt || 2.24 ||

Understanding the curse of that great and purified sage, he took his daughter, went to Pulastya, and spoke thus.

Shloka 25 (uttara.2.25)

भगवंस्तनयां मे त्वं गुणैः स्वैरेव भूषिताम् । भिक्षां प्रतिगृहाणेमां महर्षे स्वयमुद्यताम् ॥ 2.25 ॥

bhagavaṃstanayāṃ me tvaṃ guṇaiḥ svaireva bhūṣitām | bhikṣāṃ pratigṛhāṇemāṃ maharṣe svayamudyatām || 2.25 ||

"O venerable one, accept this daughter of mine, adorned with her own virtues, as an offering, great sage — she who comes to you of her own accord."

Shloka 26 (uttara.2.26)

तपश्चरणयुक्तस्य श्रम्यमाणेन्द्रियस्य ते । शुश्रूषणपरा नित्यं भविष्यति न संशयः ॥ 2.26 ॥

tapaścaraṇayuktasya śramyamāṇendriyasya te | śuśrūṣaṇaparā nityaṃ bhaviṣyati na saṃśayaḥ || 2.26 ||

"To you, devoted to austerity, your senses wearied with toil, she will ever remain devoted to service — of this there is no doubt."

Shloka 27 (uttara.2.27)

तं ब्रुवाणं तु तद्वाक्यं राजर्षिं धार्मिकं तदा । जिघृक्षुरब्रवीत्कन्यां बाढमित्येव स द्विजः ॥ 2.27 ॥

taṃ bruvāṇaṃ tu tadvākyaṃ rājarṣiṃ dhārmikaṃ tadā | jighṛkṣurabravītkanyāṃ bāḍhamityeva sa dvijaḥ || 2.27 ||

To that righteous royal sage speaking thus, the twice-born Pulastya, willing to accept the maiden, replied only: "So be it."

Shloka 28 (uttara.2.28)

दत्त्वा स तु यथान्यायं स्वमाश्रमपदं गतः । सापि तत्रावसत्कन्या तोषयन्ती पतिं गुणैः ॥ 2.28 ॥

dattvā sa tu yathānyāyaṃ svamāśramapadaṃ gataḥ | sāpi tatrāvasatkanyā toṣayantī patiṃ guṇaiḥ || 2.28 ||

Having duly given her away, Trinabindu returned to his own hermitage. And that maiden dwelt there, pleasing her husband through her virtues.

Shloka 29 (uttara.2.29)

तस्यास्तु शीलवृत्ताभ्यां तुतोष मुनिपुङ्गवः । प्रीतः स तु महातेजा वाक्यमेतदुवाच ह ॥ 2.29 ॥

tasyāstu śīlavṛttābhyāṃ tutoṣa munipuṅgavaḥ | prītaḥ sa tu mahātejā vākyametaduvāca ha || 2.29 ||

That foremost of sages was gratified by her character and conduct; and, pleased, that great and radiant one spoke these words.

Shloka 30 (uttara.2.30)

परितुष्टो ऽस्मि सुश्रोणि गुणानां सम्पदा भृशम् । तस्माद्देवि ददाम्यद्य पुत्रमात्मसमं तव ॥ 2.30 ॥

parituṣṭo 'smi suśroṇi guṇānāṃ sampadā bhṛśam | tasmāddevi dadāmyadya putramātmasamaṃ tava || 2.30 ||

"I am greatly pleased, fair one, with the abundance of your virtues. Therefore, lady, I grant you today a son equal to myself."

Shloka 31 (uttara.2.31)

उभयोर्वंशकर्तारं पौलस्त्य इति विश्रुतम् । यस्मात्तु विश्रुतो वेदस्त्वयैषो ऽध्ययतो मम ॥ 2.31 ॥

ubhayorvaṃśakartāraṃ paulastya iti viśrutam | yasmāttu viśruto vedastvayaiṣo 'dhyayato mama || 2.31 ||

"He shall be the founder of both our lineages, renowned by the name Paulastya. And since the Veda shall become widely renowned through him as he studies it from me —"

Shloka 32 (uttara.2.32)

तस्मात्स विश्रवा नाम भविष्यति न संशयः । एवमुक्ता तु सा देवी प्रहृष्टेनान्तरात्मना ॥ 2.32 ॥

tasmātsa viśravā nāma bhaviṣyati na saṃśayaḥ | evamuktā tu sā devī prahṛṣṭenāntarātmanā || 2.32 ||

"— therefore, without doubt, he shall be named Vishrava." Thus addressed, that lady, her heart filled with joy —

Shloka 33 (uttara.2.33)

अचिरेणैव कालेनासूत विश्रवसं सुतम् । त्रिषु लोकेषु विख्यातं यशोधर्मसमन्वितम् ॥ 2.33 ॥

acireṇaiva kālenāsūta viśravasaṃ sutam | triṣu lokeṣu vikhyātaṃ yaśodharmasamanvitam || 2.33 ||

— in a short while gave birth to a son, Vishrava, renowned throughout the three worlds and endowed with fame and righteousness.

Shloka 34 (uttara.2.34)

श्रुतिमान्समदर्शी च व्रताचाररतस्तथा । पितेव तपसा युक्तो ह्यभवद्विश्रवा मुनिः ॥ 2.34 ॥

śrutimānsamadarśī ca vratācāraratastathā | piteva tapasā yukto hyabhavadviśravā muniḥ || 2.34 ||

Learned in the scriptures, of even vision, devoted to vows and virtuous conduct, and possessed of austerity like his father — such was the sage Vishrava.