The ritual horse released by Emperor Sagara is snatched away by Indra in order to cause hindrance to the ritual. The ritual cannot proceed to culmination without the horse. Then Sagara orders his sixty thousand sons to search for that horse, asking them to dig earth to trace it, if it is not found on earth. And the princes will dig earth when they have not found the horse on earth, to the grief of beings living in netherworlds.
विश्वामित्र वचः श्रुत्वा कथान्ते रघुनंदन |
उवाच परम प्रीतो मुनिम् दीप्तम् इव अनलम् || १-३९-१
1. raghu nandana = Raghu's delight - Rama; vishvaamitra vacaH shrutvaa = Vishvamitra's, words - narration, on listening; parama priitaH = highly, rejoiced; katha ante = episode, at the end of; diiptam iva analam = glowing, like, fire; munim = to sage; uvaaca = said to.
On listening the narration of Vishvamitra, Rama, the delighter of Raghu's dynasty is highly rejoiced, and at the end of the episode he spoke to sage whose glow is fire like. [1-39-1]
श्रोतुम् इच्छामि भद्रम् ते विस्तरेण कथाम् इमाम् |
पूर्वजो मे कथम् ब्रह्मन् यज्ञम् वै समुपाहरत् || १-३९-२
2. brahman = oh Brahman; imaam kathaam vistareNa shrotum icChaami = this, episode, extensively, to listen, I am interested; te bhadram = to you, may good betide; me puurva jaH = of mine, earlier, born one - my ancestor Sagara; katham = how; yaGYam = Vedic-ritual; samupaaharat [sam upa aaharat = well, nearly, completed] completed; vai = really.
"I am interested to listen this episode exhaustively, oh, Brahman, let good betide you, how my ancestor Sagara had completed the Vedic-ritual, really. [1-39-2]
तस्य तत् वचनम् श्रुत्वा कौतूहल समन्वितः |
विश्वामित्रः तु काकुत्स्थम् उवाच प्रहसन्निव || १-३९-३
श्रूयताम् विस्तरो राम सगरस्य महात्मनः |
3, 4a. tasya tat vacanam = his - Rama's, that, sentence; kautuuhala samanvitaH = inquisitiveness, inclusive of; shrutvaa = on listening; vishvaamitraH tu = Vishvamitra, on his part; kaakutsthsam = to the descendent of Kakutstha; prahasan iva uvaaca = smiling, as though, said; mahaatmanaH sagarasya = of great-souled one, Sagara's; episode; vistaraH shruuyataam = vividly, may be listened; raama = oh, Rama.
On listening the words of Rama that are inclusive of his inquisitiveness, Sage Vishvamitra smilingly spoke to that descendent of Kakutstha, "oh, Rama, let the episode of the great-souled Sagara be listened vividly." Vishvamitra thus commenced to narrate that episode. [1-39-3, 4a]
शंकर श्वशुरो नाम हिमवान् इति विश्रुतः || १-३९-४
विंध्य पर्वतम् आसाद्य निरीक्षेते परस्परम् |
4b, 5a. shankara shvashuraH = god Sankara's, father-in-law; himavaan naama = Himavanta, namely; iti vi srutaH = by name, thus, well, known vindhya parvatam aasaadya = Vindhya, mountain, [Himavan] attaining - by sight, set eyes on; nir iikSete parasparam = without, wink [stares, peers] each other - Vindhya and Himalayas look at each other.
"The father-in-law of god Shankara who is well-known by the name of Himavan sets eyes on Mt. Vindhya, which stands as loftily as Himalayas, and those two mountains peer at each other. [1-39-4b, 5a]
तयोर् मध्ये संभवत् यज्ञः स पुरुषोत्तम|| १-३९-५
स हि देशो नरव्याघ्र प्रशस्तो यज्ञ कर्मणि|
5b, 6a. puruSa uttama = oh, man, the best - Rama; saH yaGYaH = that, Vedic ritual o f Sagara; tayoH madhye = of them two - between Vindhya and Himalayas mountains between; sambhavat = came to pass; nara vyaaghra = oh, manly, tiger Rama; saH deshaH = that, area; yaGYa karmaNi = for Vedic rituals; prashastaH hi = renowned, isn't it.
"Oh, best one among men, Rama, that Vedic-ritual of Sagara came to pass in between those two mountains, namely Himalayas and Vindhya ranges, and oh, tigerly-man Rama, that area is renowned for Vedic-rituals, isn't it! [1-39-5b, 6a]
तस्य अश्व चर्याम् काकुत्स्थ दृढ धन्वा महारथः || १-३९-६
अंशुमान् अकरोत् तात सगरस्य मते स्थितः |
6b, 7a. taata = oh, dear sire; kaakutstha = oh, descendant of Kakutstha; dR^iDha dhanvaa = unfaltering, bow - wielder; mahaa rathaH = top-speeded, chariot-rider; such a prince; amshumaan = Amshuman; sagarasya mate sthitaH = in Sagara's, conviction, abiding by; tasya = its - ritual's; ashva caryaam = of horse, course of action - from release to retrieval; akarot = managed - escorted.
"Oh, dear sire Rama, the grandson of Sagara and the son of exiled Asamanja is Amshuman, oh, descendant of Kakutstha, which Anshuman's bow will be unfaltering and who is a top-speeded chariot-rider, and he has escorted ritual-horse released. [1-39-6b, 7a]
Details regarding the release of horse are at Bala Kanda 1-14-1
तस्य पर्वणि तम् यज्ञम् यजमानस्य वासवः १-३९-७
राक्षसीम् तनुम् आस्थाय यज्ञिय अश्वम् अपाहरत् |
7b, 8a. vaasavaH = Indra; raakSasiim tanum aasthaaya = demonic, form, on assuming; parvaNi = at auspicious time [ukthya, the day of sacred function]; yaGYam yajamaanasya = ritual's, of presiding authority; tasya = his - Sagara's; tam yaGYiya ashvam apaaharat = that, Vedic-ritual's, horse, snatched away.
"And on the day of a sacred function called ukthyam , Indra assumed the form of a demon and stole the ritual horse of the chief of the ritual, namely Sagara. [1-39-7b, 8a]
ह्रियमाणे तु काकुत्स्थ तस्मिन् अश्वे महात्मनः ||१-३९-८
उपाध्याय गणाः सर्वे यजमानम् अथ अब्रुवन् |
8b, 9a. kaakutstha = oh, Rama of Kakutstha; mahaatmanaH = great-souled one's - Sagara's; tasmin ashve hriyamaaNe tu = that, horse, while being stolen; atha sarve upaadhyaaya gaNaaH = then, all, religious-teachers', congregations - of ritwiks; yajamaanam abruvan = to propitiator, then, spoke.
"While that ritual-horse of the great-souled Sagara is stolen, all the congregations of the Ritviks, the religious-teachers, then spoke to the chief propitiator, namely Sagara. [1-39-8b, 9a]
अयम् पर्वणि वेगेन यज्ञिय अश्वो अपनीयते ||१-३९-९
हर्तारम् जहि काकुत्स्थ हयः च एव उपनीयताम् |
9b, 10a. kaakutstha = oh, decedent of Kakutstha - Sagara; parvaNi = on auspicious day; ayam yaGYiya ashvaH = this, ritual's, horse; vegena apaniiyate = hastily, being sidetracked - stolen away; hartaaram jahi = who stole it - horse's thief, you kill; hayasH ca eva upaniiyataam = horse, also, that way, be fetched.
" 'Oh, Sagara,the descendent of Kakutstha, at this auspicious time the ritual horse is hastily diverted, you kill him who stole the horse, and let that horse be fetched. [1-39-9b, 10a]
यज्ञः च्छिद्रम् भवति एतत् सर्वेषाम् अशिवाय नः || १-३९-१०
तत् तथा क्रियताम् राजन् यज्ञो अच्छिद्रः क्रुतो भवेत् |
10b, 11a. etat yaGYaH cChidram = this one - the happening, in Vedic-ritual, hindrance; naH sarveSaam = us, for all; a shivaaya = not, auspicious; bhavati = it becomes; tat = thereby raajan = oh, king; krutaH = ritual's proceedings; a chidraH = not, faulty; yaGYaH bhavet = ritual, it will be; tatha kriyataam = that way, action may be taken.
" 'This hindrance in Vedic-ritual will become inauspicious for all of us, thereby, oh, king, action may be taken as to how there can be no fault in proceedings of the ritual.' The religious-teachers of Sagara have advised him in this way. [1-39-10b, 11a]
सो उपाध्याय वचः श्रुत्वा तस्मिन् सदसि पार्थिवः ||१-३९-११
षष्टिम् पुत्र सहस्राणि वाक्यम् एतत् उवाच ह |
11b, 12a. paarthivaH = that king - Sagara; upaadhyaaya vacaH shrutvaa = he Sagara, religious-teachers, words, on hearing; tasmin sadasi = in that, religious-council; SaSTim putra sahasraaNi = to sixty, sons, thousands; etat vaakyam uvaaca ha = this much, sentence, spoke to, indeed.
"On hearing the words of religious-teachers that king Sagara indeed spoke this much to his sixty thousand sons in that religious-council. [1-39-11b, 12a]
गतिम् पुत्रा न पश्यामि रक्षसाम् पुरुषर्षभाः ||१-३९-१२
मंत्र पूतैः महाभागैः आस्थितो हि महाक्रतुः |
12b, 13a. puruSarSabhaaH = oh, best ones among men; putraaH = oh, sons; rakSasaam gatim na pashyaami = for demons, approaching [here,] not, I envisage; mahaa kratuH = glorious, Vedic-ritual; mantra puutaiH mahaa bhaagaiH = by hymns, sanctified, by holy, sanctifiers; aasthitaH hi = presided over - being conducted, isn't it.
" 'Oh, sons, I do not envisage any way in for demons into this ritual, since oh, best ones among men, holy-sanctifiers who themselves are sanctified by the Vedic-hymns are conducting this glorious Vedic-ritual, isn't it. [1-39-12b, 13a]
तत् गच्छत विचिन्वध्वम् पुत्रका भद्रम् अस्तु वः ||१-३९-१३
समुद्र मालिनीम् सर्वाम् पृथिवीम् अनुगच्छत |
13b, 14a. putrakaaH = oh, sons; tat = therefore; vicinadhvam = for the purpose of searching - horse and its thief; gacChata = you may proceed; vaH bhadram astu = to you all, safety, there will be; samudra maaliniim = with ocean, garlanded - encompassed by oceans; sarvaam = entire; pR^ithiviim anugacchata = earth, you follow - you search.
" 'Oh, sons, you may therefore proceed to search for the horse and its thief on entire earth as far as it is garlanded by the ocean, and safety betides you all. [1-39-13]
एक एकम् योजनम् पुत्रा विस्तारम् अभिगच्छत || १-३९-१४
यावत् तुरग संदर्शः तावत् खनत मेदिनीम् |
तम् एव हय हर्तारम् मार्गमाणा मम आज्ञया ||१-३९-१५
14b, 15. putraaH = oh, sons; eka ekam yojanam = one [each prince,] one, yojana - area of earth; vistaaram abhigacChata = square area, you advance - allocate for yourself; mama aaGYayaa = by my, order; tam haya hartaaram = him, horse, stealer; maargamaaNaa = while searching; turaga samdarshaH yaavat = horse's, appearance, until; taavat mediniim khanata = till then, earth, you dig out.
" 'Oh, sons, let each prince advance searching one square yojana of earth, by my order you dig up the earth until the appearance of the horse, while searching for the stealer of that horse. [1-39-14b, 15]
दीक्षितः पौत्र सहितः स उपाध्याय गणः तु अहम् |
इह स्थास्यामि भद्रम् वो यावत् तुरग दर्शनम् ||१-३९-१६
16. diikSitaH aham tu = under vow, I, for my part; such as I am; pautra sahitaH = grand son [Amshuman,] along with; sa upaadhyaaya gaNaH = along with, religious-teachers, congregation; yaavat turaga darshanam = till, horse, appears; iha sthaasyaami = here, I will stay; vaH bhadram = to you all, safe betides.
" 'As for myself, I will stay here only along with my grandson, namely Amsuman, and with the congregation of religious-teachers till the horse appears, as I am under vow of the ritual.' Thus Sagara instructed to his sixty thousand sons and stayed back at the ritual place. [1-39-16]
ते सर्वे हृष्टमनसो राज पुत्रा महाबलाः |
जग्मुर् मही तलम् राम पितुर् वचन यंत्रिताः ||१-३९-१७
17. raama = oh, Rama; [iti uktaaH = thus, who are addressed - the sons]; mahaa balaaH = great, mighty ones; raaja putraa = king's, sons - princes; hR^iSTa manasaH = gladdened, at heart - enthusiastically; pituH vacana yantritaaH = of father, words, amimated by; te sarve = they, all; mahii talam jagmuH = on earth's, surface, proceeded.
"Animated by their father's words those great-mighty princes enthusiastically proceeded onto earth's surface in the preliminary round of search. [1-39-1]
गत्व तु पृथिवीम् सर्वम् अदृष्टा तम् महबलाः |
योजनायाम् अविस्तारम् एकैको धरणी तलम् |
बिभिदुः पुरुषव्याघ्र वज्र स्पर्श समैः भुजैः ||१-३९-१८
18. puruSa vyaaghra = oh, man, the tiger, Rama; mahaa balaaH = great mighty ones; sarvam pR^ithiviim gatva tu = entire, earth, having gone, but; tam a dR^iShTaa = that - horse, not, seen; eka ekaH = each, every - prince; yojana = one yojana; aayaama vistaaram = length, breadth - square; dharaNii talam = earth, surface; vajra sparsha samaiH diamond, touch, similar to; bhujaiH [nakhaiH] = with arms - with nails; bibhiduH = they hollowed out.
"But, oh, tigerly-man Rama, on going round the earth in its entirety those great-mighty princes did not find that horse, then as said by their father they mapped the earth to a unit of one square yojana for each of them, and each of them hollowed out each and every area on the surface of earth with their arms that have the touch of the diamonds. [1-39-18]
शूलैः अशनि कल्पैः च हलैः च अपि सुदारुणैः |
भिद्यमाना वसुमती ननाद रघुनंदन ||१-३९-१९
19. raghunandana = oh, legatee of Raghu, Rama; ashani kalpaiH shuulaiH ca = thunderbolt, similar, with spears, also; su daaruNaiH halaiH ca api = very, gruelling, with ploughs, also, even; bhidyamaanaa vasumatii nanaada = being ruptured, mother earth, bewailed.
"Mother Earth bewailed while she is ruptured with spears also that are similar to thunderbolts, besides with very gruelling ploughs. [1-39-19]
नागानाम् वध्यमानानाम् असुराणाम् च राघव |
राक्षसानाम् च दुर्धर्षः सत्त्वानाम् निनदो अभवत् ||१-३९-२०
20. raaghava = oh, Raghava; vadhyamaanaanaam [mathyamaanaanaam] naagaanaam = being killed [while being battered,] of serpents; asuraaNaam ca = of asura-s, also; raakSasaanaam ca = of demons, also; sattvaanaam = of other beings; durdharSaH ninadaH abhavat = unbearable [unstoppable,] rumpuses, emerged.
"Oh, Raghava, there emerged an unbearable rumpus from the serpents, asura-s, demons, and other beings living underneath the surface of earth, while they are killed during hollowing the earth. [1-39-20]
योजनानाम् सहस्राणि षष्टिम् तु रघुनंदन |
बिभिदुर् धरणीम् राम रसा तलम् अनुत्तमम् ||१-३९-२१
21. raghu nandana = oh, legatee of Raghu's dynasty; raama = oh, Rama; yojanaanaam SaSTim sahasraaNi tu = yojana-s, thousand, sixty, thus; dharaNiim = of earth; they dug to make it as the; an uttamam = unsurpassed; rasaa talam = as sixth, subterranean field; bibhiduH = hollowed.
"Oh, Rama, the legatee of Raghu's dynasty, thus sixty thousand square yojana-s of the earth is dug over, so as to make the earth's outermost plane as the unsurpassed rasaa tala, the sixth subterranean and the nethermost plane. [1-39-21]
एवम् पर्वत संबाधम् जम्बू द्वीपम् नृपात्मजाः |
खनन्तो नृपशार्दूल सर्वतः परिचक्रमुः ||१-३९-२२
22. nR^ipa shaarduula = oh, tigerly king, Rama; nR^ipa aatmajaaH = king's, sons; parvata sam baadham = with mountains, verily, congested; jambuu dviipam = Jambu Island [plateau]; evam khanantaH = this way, while digging; sarvataH paricakramuH = everywhere, they endeavoured.
"Oh, the kingly tiger Rama, the sons of Sagara have endeavoured everywhere digging over the Jambu Island which is verily congested with mountains in this way. [1-39-22]
The jambu dwiipa is a continent according to Hindu mythology where the total continents listed are seven. jambuu plakShaahya dviipau shaalmaliH ca aparo dvija | kushaH krauncaH tathaa shakaH puShkaraH ca eva ca saptamaH the seven continents are jambu- plaksha - shaalmali- kusha - kraunca - shaaka - puSkara, and jambu dwiipa is one among them.
ततो देवाः स गंधर्वाः स असुराः सह पन्नगाः |
संभ्रांत मनसः सर्वे पितामहम् उपागमन् ||१-३९-२३
23. tataH = then; sa gandharvaaH = along with, gandharva-s; sa asuraaH saha pannagaaH = with asura-s, and with, reptiles; devaaH = gods; sarve sambhraanta manasaH = all are, distraught, at heart - for the plight of earth; pitaamaham upaagaman = to Forefather, Brahma, neared - approached.
"All the gods along with gandharva-s, asura-s, and reptiles who are distraught at heart for the plight of earth have approached the Forefather, Brahma. [1-39-23]
ते प्रसाद्य महात्मानम् विषण्ण वदनाः तदा |
ऊचुः परम संत्रस्ताः पितामहम् इदम् वचः ||१-३९-२४
24. parama sam trastaaH = who are very, highly, scared; viSaNNa vadanaaH = with despondent, faces - chap-fallen; te = they, the gods; tadaa = then; mahaatmaanam pitaamaham prasaadya = of great-souled, Forefather - Brahma, getting the grace of; idam vacaH uucuH = this, sentence, they spoke.
"They the gods who are very highly scared, and who are chap-fallen, then spoke this sentence to the great-souled Forefather Brahma on gaining his grace. [1-39-24]
भगवन् पृथिवी सर्वा खन्यते सगर आत्मजैः |
बहवः च महात्मानो वध्यन्ते जल चारिणः ||१-३९-२५
25. bhagavan = oh, god Brahma; sarvaa pR^ithivii = entire, earth; sagara aatmajaiH khanyate = by Sagara, sons, being dug; jala caariNaH [tala vaasinaH, rasaa tala vaasinaH] = water, moving [aquatic beings, dwellers in netherworlds]; bahavaH ca mahaatmaanaH vadhyante = many, great souled beings, also, are being destroyed.
" 'Oh, god Brahma, the sons of Sagara are digging entire earth, thus aquatic beings and many great-souls are being destroyed. [1-39-25]
अयम् यज्ञ हरो अस्माकम् अनेन अश्वो अपनीयते |
इति ते सर्व भूतानि हिंसन्ति सगर आत्मजः ||१-३९-२६
26. ayam = this one is; [naH = our]; yaGYa haraH = ritual, stealer - hinderer; anena = by this one; asmaakam ashvaH apaniiyate = our, [ritual] horse, is carried off; iti = thus - thinking thus; te sagara aatmajaH = those, Sagara's, sons; sarva bhuutaani himsanti = all, living beings, they are torturing.
" 'This one is the destroyer of our ritual... this one has carried off our ritual horse...' thinking thus and suspecting everyone those sons of Sagara are torturing all the living beings.' Thus all the gods have appealed to Brahma." So said Sage Vishvamitra to Rama and others. [1-39-26]
इति वाल्मीकि रामायणे आदि काव्ये बाल काण्डे एकोन चत्वारिंशः सर्गः
© July, 2002, Desiraju Hanumanta Rao[Revised : September 04]
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