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Bāla Kāṇḍa, sarga 73: Paraśurāma: Omens and the encounter on the road home

Summary. Janaka gives bridal wealth and the company leaves Mithilā, mixed omens and a dust-darkened sky precede Paraśurāma’s armed appearance

Sequence

  1. The next morning Viśvāmitra takes leave of both Kings and departs for the northern mountain (1.73.1)
  2. Daśaratha prepares to return to Ayodhyā (1.73.2)
  3. Janaka gives abundant bridal wealth: cows, woollen blankets, linen, elephants, horses, chariots, attendants, gold, pearls, and coral → the Kings part, and Daśaratha sets out with his sons, the ṛṣis, and the army (1.73.3–8)
  4. terrifying birds cry around them, while land animals pass on their right (1.73.9)
  5. troubled by the conflicting signs, Daśaratha asks Vasiṣṭha what they mean → Vasiṣṭha predicts a grave danger but says the animals foretell its resolution. A violent wind shakes the earth and brings down trees (1.73.10–12)
  6. dust darkens the sun and hides the directions → the army is stunned, while the King, princes, and munis remain conscious (1.73.13–15)
  7. through the darkness appears a fearsome, matted-haired figure, blazing like the fire of destruction, an axe on his shoulder and a bow and great arrow in his hand (1.73.16–18)
  8. the munis recognize the Bhārgava Rāma, son of Jamadagni, and wonder whether he intends to renew his slaughter of the warrior race in revenge for his father (1.73.19–20)
  9. they welcome him with the guest-offering → he accepts, then addresses Daśaratha's Rāma. (1.73.21–22)

Verses 1.73.1–22

1.73.1

atha rātryāṃ vyatītāyāṃ viśvāmitro mahāmuniḥ
āpṛcchya tau ca rājānau jagāmottaraparvatam

Then, when the night had passed, the great sage Viśvāmitra, having taken leave of the two kings, departed to the northern mountain.

Words: atha — then; rātryāṃ — the night (loc. abs.); vyatītāyāṃ — having passed (loc. abs.); viśvāmitro — Viśvāmitra; mahāmuniḥ — the great sage; āpṛcchya — having taken leave of; tau — those two; ca — and; rājānau — the two kings; jagāmottaraparvatam — went to the northern mountain

1.73.2

viśvāmitro gate rājā vaidehaṃ mithilādhipam
āpṛcchyātha jagāmāśu rājā daśarathaḥ purīm

When Viśvāmitra had gone, King Daśaratha, having taken leave of the Videha king, lord of Mithilā, then quickly set out for his own city.

Words: viśvāmitro — Viśvāmitra; gate — having gone (loc. abs.); rājā — the king; vaidehaṃ — the Videha king; mithilādhipam — lord of Mithilā; āpṛcchyātha — having taken leave, then; jagāmāśu — went quickly; rājā — king; daśarathaḥ — Daśaratha; purīm — to the city

1.73.3

atha rājā videhānāṃ dadau kanyādhanaṃ bahu
gavāṃ śatasahasrāṇi bahūni mithileśvaraḥ

Then the king of the Videhas, the lord of Mithilā, gave much bridal wealth — many hundreds of thousands of cows,

Words: atha — then; rājā — the king; videhānāṃ — of the Videhas; dadau — gave; kanyādhanaṃ — bridal wealth, dowry; bahu — much; gavāṃ — of cows; śatasahasrāṇi — hundred-thousands; bahūni — many; mithileśvaraḥ — the lord of Mithilā

1.73.4

kambalānāṃ ca mukhyānāṃ kṣaumakoṭyambarāṇi ca
hastyaśvarathapādātaṃ divyarūpaṃ svalaṃkṛtam

and choice woollen blankets, and tens of millions of linen garments, and elephants, horses, chariots, and foot-soldiers, of divine appearance and well adorned.

Words: kambalānāṃ — of woollen blankets; ca — and; mukhyānāṃ — choice, best; kṣaumakoṭyambarāṇi — ten-million linen garments; ca — and; hastyaśvarathapādātaṃ — elephants, horses, chariots and infantry; divyarūpaṃ — of divine form; svalaṃkṛtam — well adorned

1.73.5

dadau kanyā pitā tāsāṃ dāsīdāsam anuttamam
hiraṇyasya suvarṇasya muktānāṃ vidrumasya ca

The father of those maidens gave incomparable menservants and maidservants, and (much) of gold and wrought gold, of pearls and of coral.

Words: dadau — gave; kanyā — of the maidens; pitā — the father; tāsāṃ — of those; dāsīdāsam — maidservants and menservants; anuttamam — incomparable; hiraṇyasya — of gold; suvarṇasya — of wrought gold; muktānāṃ — of pearls; vidrumasya — of coral; ca — and

1.73.6

dadau paramasaṃhṛṣṭaḥ kanyādhanam anuttamam
dattvā bahudhanaṃ rājā samanujñāpya pārthivam

Greatly delighted, he gave incomparable bridal wealth; and having given this abundant wealth, the king (of Mithilā) took leave of the (other) king,

Words: dadau — gave; paramasaṃhṛṣṭaḥ — greatly delighted; kanyādhanam — bridal wealth; anuttamam — incomparable; dattvā — having given; bahudhanaṃ — abundant wealth; rājā — the king; samanujñāpya — having taken leave of, dismissed with consent; pārthivam — the (other) king

1.73.7

praviveśa svanilayaṃ mithilāṃ mithileśvaraḥ
rājāpy ayodhyādhipatiḥ saha putrair mahātmabhiḥ

the lord of Mithilā entered his own abode, Mithilā; and the king, lord of Ayodhyā, too, together with his great-souled sons,

Words: praviveśa — entered; svanilayaṃ — his own abode; mithilāṃ — Mithilā; mithileśvaraḥ — the lord of Mithilā; rājāpy — the king too; ayodhyādhipatiḥ — lord of Ayodhyā; saha — together with; putrair — his sons; mahātmabhiḥ — great-souled

1.73.8

ṛṣīn sarvān puraskṛtya jagāma sabalānugaḥ
gacchantaṃ tu naravyāghraṃ sarṣisaṃghaṃ sarāghavam

placing all the seers before him, set out with his army and retinue. As the tiger among men went on, with his host of seers and with the Rāghavas (his sons),

Words: ṛṣīn — the seers; sarvān — all; puraskṛtya — placing in front, at the head; jagāma — went, set out; sabalānugaḥ — with his army and retinue; gacchantaṃ — (as he was) going; tu — and; naravyāghraṃ — the tiger among men; sarṣisaṃghaṃ — with the host of seers; sarāghavam — with the Rāghavas (his sons)

1.73.9

ghorāḥ sma pakṣiṇo vāco vyāharanti tatas tataḥ
bhaumāś caiva mṛgāḥ sarve gacchanti sma pradakṣiṇam

terrible birds uttered cries on every side; yet all the beasts of the earth kept moving past him to the right.

Words: ghorāḥ — terrible; sma — (past-tense particle); pakṣiṇo — birds; vāco — cries, sounds; vyāharanti — utter, give forth; tatas tataḥ — here and there, on every side; bhaumāś — of the earth, earthly; caiva — and; mṛgāḥ — beasts, deer; sarve — all; gacchanti sma — kept moving, went; pradakṣiṇam — to the right (auspiciously)

1.73.10

tān dṛṣṭvā rājaśārdūlo vasiṣṭhaṃ paryapṛcchata
asaumyāḥ pakṣiṇo ghorā mṛgāś cāpi pradakṣiṇāḥ
kim idaṃ hṛdayotkampi mano mama viṣīdati

Seeing them, the tiger among kings questioned Vasiṣṭha: “The birds are inauspicious and terrible, yet the beasts move to the right; what is this that makes my heart tremble, so that my mind sinks?”

Words: tān — them; dṛṣṭvā — having seen; rājaśārdūlo — tiger among kings; vasiṣṭhaṃ — Vasiṣṭha; paryapṛcchata — questioned, asked; asaumyāḥ — inauspicious, unlovely; pakṣiṇo — birds; ghorā — terrible; mṛgāś — beasts; cāpi — and yet; pradakṣiṇāḥ — (moving) to the right; kim idaṃ — what is this; hṛdayotkampi — making the heart tremble; mano — mind; mama — my; viṣīdati — sinks, despairs

1.73.11

rājño daśarathasyaitac chrutvā vākyaṃ mahān ṛṣiḥ
uvāca madhurāṃ vāṇīṃ śrūyatām asya yat phalam

Hearing this speech of King Daśaratha, the great seer spoke in a sweet voice: “Hear what the outcome of this is.

Words: rājño — of the king; daśarathasyaitac — this of Daśaratha; chrutvā — having heard; vākyaṃ — words; mahān — great; ṛṣiḥ — seer; uvāca — spoke; madhurāṃ — sweet; vāṇīṃ — voice, speech; śrūyatām — let it be heard; asya — of this; yat — what; phalam — the outcome, fruit

1.73.12

upasthitaṃ bhayaṃ ghoraṃ divyaṃ pakṣimukhāc cyutam
mṛgāḥ praśamayanty ete saṃtāpas tyajyatām ayam

A terrible danger sent from heaven is at hand, issued from the mouths of the birds; but these beasts avert it — let this anguish be set aside.”

Words: upasthitaṃ — at hand, present; bhayaṃ — danger, fear; ghoraṃ — terrible; divyaṃ — heavenly, sent by heaven; pakṣimukhāc — from the mouths of the birds; cyutam — issued, fallen forth; mṛgāḥ — the beasts; praśamayanty — avert, allay; ete — these; saṃtāpas — anguish, distress; tyajyatām — let it be abandoned; ayam — this

1.73.13

teṣāṃ saṃvadatāṃ tatra vāyuḥ prādur babhūva ha
kampayan medinīṃ sarvāṃ pātayaṃś ca drumāṃḥ śubhān

As they were conversing there, a wind arose, shaking the whole earth and felling the fair trees.

Words: teṣāṃ — of them; saṃvadatāṃ — (as they were) conversing (gen. abs.); tatra — there; vāyuḥ — wind; prādur babhūva — arose, sprang up; ha — indeed; kampayan — shaking; medinīṃ — the earth; sarvāṃ — whole; pātayaṃś — felling; ca — and; drumāṃḥ — trees; śubhān — fair, fine

1.73.14

tamasā saṃvṛtaḥ sūryaḥ sarvā na prababhur diśaḥ
bhasmanā cāvṛtaṃ sarvaṃ saṃmūḍham iva tad balam

The sun was shrouded in darkness, none of the quarters shone; all was covered with dust, and that army was as if stupefied.

Words: tamasā — by darkness; saṃvṛtaḥ — covered, shrouded; sūryaḥ — the sun; sarvā — all; na — not; prababhur — shone; diśaḥ — the quarters, directions; bhasmanā — by ash, dust; cāvṛtaṃ — and covered; sarvaṃ — all, everything; saṃmūḍham — stupefied, bewildered; iva — as if; tad — that; balam — army

1.73.15

vasiṣṭha ṛṣayaś cānye rājā ca sasutas tadā
sasaṃjñā iva tatrāsan sarvam anyad vicetanam

Vasiṣṭha, the other seers, and the king with his sons then alone remained conscious, as it were, while everything else was insensible.

Words: vasiṣṭha — Vasiṣṭha; ṛṣayaś — the seers; cānye — and others; rājā — the king; ca — and; sasutas — with his sons; tadā — then; sasaṃjñā — conscious, retaining their senses; iva — as it were; tatrāsan — remained there; sarvam — everything; anyad — else; vicetanam — senseless, unconscious

1.73.16

tasmiṃs tamasi ghore tu bhasmacchanneva sā camūḥ
dadarśa bhīmasaṃkāśaṃ jaṭāmaṇḍaladhāriṇam

In that terrible darkness, as the army lay covered in dust, it beheld one of fearsome aspect, bearing a mass of matted locks —

Words: tasmiṃs — in that; tamasi — darkness; ghore — terrible; tu — and; bhasmacchanneva — as if covered with dust; sā — that; camūḥ — army; dadarśa — beheld, saw; bhīmasaṃkāśaṃ — of fearsome aspect; jaṭāmaṇḍaladhāriṇam — bearing a mass of matted locks

1.73.17

kailāsam iva durdharṣaṃ kālāgnim iva duḥsaham
jvalantam iva tejobhir durnirīkṣyaṃ pṛthagjanaiḥ

unassailable as Mount Kailāsa, unbearable as the fire of doom, blazing as it were with his splendour, hard for common folk to look upon;

Words: kailāsam — Kailāsa (the mountain); iva — like; durdharṣaṃ — unassailable; kālāgnim — the fire of doom; iva — like; duḥsaham — unbearable; jvalantam — blazing; iva — as it were; tejobhir — with (his) splendour; durnirīkṣyaṃ — hard to look upon; pṛthagjanaiḥ — by common people

1.73.18

skandhe cāsajya paraśuṃ dhanur vidyudgaṇopamam
pragṛhya śaramukhyaṃ ca tripuraghnaṃ yathā haram

an axe slung upon his shoulder, and grasping a bow like a mass of lightning together with a chief arrow — like Hara, the destroyer of the Triple City.

Words: skandhe — on (his) shoulder; cāsajya — having slung, laid; paraśuṃ — the axe; dhanur — the bow; vidyudgaṇopamam — like a mass of lightning; pragṛhya — grasping, holding forth; śaramukhyaṃ — a chief arrow; ca — and; tripuraghnaṃ — the slayer of the Triple City; yathā — like; haram — Hara (Śiva)

1.73.19

taṃ dṛṣṭvā bhīmasaṃkāśaṃ jvalantam iva pāvakam
vasiṣṭhapramukhā viprā japahomaparāyaṇāḥ
saṃgatā munayaḥ sarve saṃjajalpur atho mithaḥ

Seeing him of fearsome aspect, blazing like fire, the brahmins led by Vasiṣṭha, devoted to muttered prayer and oblation, all the sages, coming together, then spoke among themselves:

Words: taṃ — him; dṛṣṭvā — having seen; bhīmasaṃkāśaṃ — of fearsome aspect; jvalantam — blazing; iva — like; pāvakam — fire; vasiṣṭhapramukhā — led by Vasiṣṭha; viprā — the brahmins; japahomaparāyaṇāḥ — devoted to muttered prayer and oblation; saṃgatā — gathered together; munayaḥ — the sages; sarve — all; saṃjajalpur — conversed, spoke together; atho — then; mithaḥ — among themselves, mutually

1.73.20

kaccit pitṛvadhāmarṣī kṣatraṃ notsādayiṣyati
pūrvaṃ kṣatravadhaṃ kṛtvā gatamanyur gatajvaraḥ
kṣatrasyotsādanaṃ bhūyo na khalv asya cikīrṣitam

“Surely, resentful at his father's slaying, he will not (again) exterminate the warrior-race? Having formerly wrought the slaughter of the kṣatriyas, his wrath spent and his fever gone, surely he does not intend once more to destroy them?”

Words: kaccit — surely (not)? (interrogative of anxious hope); pitṛvadhāmarṣī — resentful at his father's slaying; kṣatraṃ — the warrior-race, kṣatriyas; notsādayiṣyati — will not exterminate; pūrvaṃ — formerly, before; kṣatravadhaṃ — the slaughter of the kṣatriyas; kṛtvā — having done; gatamanyur — his wrath gone; gatajvaraḥ — his fever gone; kṣatrasyotsādanaṃ — the extermination of the kṣatriyas; bhūyo — again; na — not; khalv — indeed; asya — his; cikīrṣitam — intention, desire to do

1.73.21

evam uktvārghyam ādāya bhārgavaṃ bhīmadarśanam
ṛṣayo rāma rāmeti madhurāṃ vācam abruvan

Having spoken thus, and taking up the guest-offering, the seers addressed the fearsome-looking Bhārgava in sweet words, “Rāma! Rāma!”

Words: evam — thus; uktvārghyam — having spoken, the guest-offering; ādāya — having taken up; bhārgavaṃ — the Bhārgava (Paraśurāma, of Bhṛgu's line); bhīmadarśanam — of fearsome appearance; ṛṣayo — the seers; rāma rāmeti — “Rāma, Rāma”; madhurāṃ — sweet; vācam — words, speech; abruvan — spoke

1.73.22

pratigṛhya tu tāṃ pūjām ṛṣidattāṃ pratāpavān
rāmaṃ dāśarathiṃ rāmo jāmadagnyo 'bhyabhāṣata

Accepting that homage offered by the seers, the mighty Rāma son of Jamadagni addressed Rāma the son of Daśaratha:

Words: pratigṛhya — accepting, receiving; tu — and; tāṃ — that; pūjām — homage, worship; ṛṣidattāṃ — offered by the seers; pratāpavān — mighty, valorous; rāmaṃ — Rāma; dāśarathiṃ — the son of Daśaratha; rāmo — Rāma; jāmadagnyo — the son of Jamadagni; 'bhyabhāṣata — addressed, spoke to

← 1.72 Vivāha: Taking hands and circling the fire · Bāla Kāṇḍa · 1.74 Paraśurāma: The two divine bows and the challenge →

Composed by Maharṣi Vālmīki, the ādikavi of the ādikāvya: the first poet of the first poem. Sanskrit: The Vālmīki-Rāmāyaṇa: Critical Edition, Oriental Institute, Baroda, 1960–1975 (gen. eds. G. H. Bhatt, U. P. Shah); IAST from GRETIL (Göttingen). Translation and word glosses: Claude Opus 4.6–4.7; summaries and sequences: ChatGPT Astra (machine-made). Numbering follows the Critical Edition, not the vulgate (e.g. Gita Press, valmikiramayan.net), so sarga and verse numbers can differ from those editions.

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