# Bāla Kāṇḍa 10 — Daśaratha brings Ṛṣyaśṛṅga to Ayodhyā *Daśaratha visits Romapāda in Aṅga, asks for Ṛṣyaśṛṅga’s help with the sacrifice and brings the ṛṣi & Śāntā to Ayodhyā* Portion: Ṛṣyaśṛṅga · Verses: 29 · Ref format: 1.10. ## Sequence - Sumantra continues Sanatkumāra's prophecy: Daśaratha will ask his friend Romapāda to send Śāntā's husband to perform a sacrifice for the continuation of his line → Ṛṣyaśṛṅga will agree, and four renowned sons will be born (10.1–11) - Sumantra advises Daśaratha to fetch Ṛṣyaśṛṅga personally (10.12) - with Vasiṣṭha's approval, Daśaratha travels with his household and advisers across forests and rivers to Aṅga → there he sees Ṛṣyaśṛṅga, radiant like fire, beside Romapāda (10.13–15) - the visitors exchange honors, and Romapāda explains the friendship and family connection (10.16–17) - after seven or eight days, Daśaratha requests that Śāntā and her husband accompany him for an important undertaking → Romapāda consents, and Ṛṣyaśṛṅga agrees to go (10.18–21). The Kings embrace and take leave (10.22–23) - Daśaratha sends messengers ahead to have Ayodhyā decorated → he enters amid conches and drums with Ṛṣyaśṛṅga leading the procession → the citizens rejoice at Ṛṣyaśṛṅga's arrival (10.23–26) - Daśaratha receives him according to the prescribed rites → the palace women affectionately welcome Śāntā, and the couple stay happily in Ayodhyā (10.27–29). ## Verses **1.10.1** bhūya eva ca rājendra śṛṇu me vacanaṃ hitam yathā sa devapravaraḥ kathayām āsa buddhimān And once more, O lord of kings, hear my salutary words — how that wise, foremost of gods (Sanatkumāra) told the tale. **1.10.2** ikṣvākūṇāṃ kule jāto bhaviṣyati sudhārmikaḥ rājā daśaratho nāmnā śrīmān satyapratiśravaḥ “Born in the line of the Ikṣvākus there will be a most righteous king, Daśaratha by name, glorious and true to his word. **1.10.3** aṅgarājena sakhyaṃ ca tasya rājño bhaviṣyati kanyā cāsya mahābhāgā śāntā nāma bhaviṣyati That king will have a friendship with the king of the Aṅgas; and his daughter, greatly blessed, will be Śāntā by name. **1.10.4** putras tv aṅgasya rājñas tu romapāda iti śrutaḥ taṃ sa rājā daśaratho gamiṣyati mahāyaśāḥ The scion of the Aṅga king is known as Romapāda; to him the illustrious king Daśaratha will go. **1.10.5** anapatyo 'smi dharmātmañ śāntā bhāryā mama kratum āhareta tvayājñaptaḥ saṃtānārthaṃ kulasya ca ‘I am without offspring, O righteous one; Śāntā being his wife, let her husband, commanded by you, perform a sacrifice for me, for the continuation of my line.’ **1.10.6** śrutvā rājño 'tha tad vākyaṃ manasā sa vicintya ca pradāsyate putravantaṃ śāntā bhartāram ātmavān Then, hearing that speech of the king and pondering it in his mind, the self-possessed one (Romapāda) will bestow Śāntā's husband, who is to bring sons. **1.10.7** pratigṛhya ca taṃ vipraṃ sa rājā vigatajvaraḥ āhariṣyati taṃ yajñaṃ prahṛṣṭenāntarātmanā And having received that brahmin, that king, his anxiety gone, will perform that sacrifice with a thoroughly delighted heart. **1.10.8** taṃ ca rājā daśaratho yaṣṭukāmaḥ kṛtāñjaliḥ ṛṣyaśṛṅgaṃ dvijaśreṣṭhaṃ varayiṣyati dharmavit And that king Daśaratha, desiring to sacrifice, knowing dharma, with palms joined, will make his request of Ṛṣyaśṛṅga, the best of brahmins, **1.10.9** yajñārthaṃ prasavārthaṃ ca svargārthaṃ ca nareśvaraḥ labhate ca sa taṃ kāmaṃ dvija mukhyād viśāṃ patiḥ for the sake of the sacrifice, of progeny, and of heaven; and that lord of men, ruler of the people, obtains that wish from the chief of brahmins. **1.10.10** putrāś cāsya bhaviṣyanti catvāro 'mitavikramāḥ vaṃśapratiṣṭhānakarāḥ sarvalokeṣu viśrutāḥ And he will have four sons of measureless valour, establishers of the line, renowned throughout all the worlds.” **1.10.11** evaṃ sa devapravaraḥ pūrvaṃ kathitavān kathām sanatkumāro bhagavān purā devayuge prabhuḥ Thus that foremost of gods, the venerable lord Sanatkumāra, told the tale of old, long ago in the age of the gods. **1.10.12** sa tvaṃ puruṣaśārdūla tam ānaya susatkṛtam svayam eva mahārāja gatvā sabalavāhanaḥ So you, O tiger among men, go yourself, O great king, with your army and mounts, and bring him, well honoured. **1.10.13** anumānya vasiṣṭhaṃ ca sūtavākyaṃ niśamya ca sāntaḥpuraḥ sahāmātyaḥ prayayau yatra sa dvijaḥ Having gained Vasiṣṭha's assent and heard the charioteer's words, together with his harem and counsellors he set out to where that brahmin was. **1.10.14** vanāni saritaś caiva vyatikramya śanaiḥ śanaiḥ abhicakrāma taṃ deśaṃ yatra vai munipuṃgavaḥ Crossing forests and rivers little by little, he drew near to that region where the bull among sages dwelt. **1.10.15** āsādya taṃ dvijaśreṣṭhaṃ romapādasamīpagam ṛṣiputraṃ dadarśādau dīpyamānam ivānalam Reaching that best of brahmins, who was at Romapāda's side, he first beheld the seer's son, blazing like fire. **1.10.16** tato rājā yathānyāyaṃ pūjāṃ cakre viśeṣataḥ sakhitvāt tasya vai rājñaḥ prahṛṣṭenāntarātmanā Then the king, with a thoroughly delighted heart, did him special honour as was fitting, on account of his friendship with that king. **1.10.17** romapādena cākhyātam ṛṣiputrāya dhīmate sakhyaṃ saṃbandhakaṃ caiva tadā taṃ pratyapūjayat And when the friendship and the kinship had been declared by Romapāda to the wise seer's son, he then honoured him (the king) in return. **1.10.18** evaṃ susatkṛtas tena sahoṣitvā nararṣabhaḥ saptāṣṭadivasān rājā rājānam idam abravīt Thus well honoured by him, that bull among men, having stayed seven or eight days, the king said this to the (other) king: **1.10.19** śāntā tava sutā rājan saha bhartrā viśāmpate madīyaṃ nagaraṃ yātu kāryaṃ hi mahad udyatam “Śāntā, your daughter, O king, O lord of peoples — let her go with her husband to my city, for a great task is at hand.” **1.10.20** tatheti rājā saṃśrutya gamanaṃ tasya dhīmataḥ uvāca vacanaṃ vipraṃ gaccha tvaṃ saha bhāryayā Saying “So be it,” the king consented to the departure of that wise one, and said these words to the brahmin: “Go, together with your wife.” **1.10.21** ṛṣiputraḥ pratiśrutya tathety āha nṛpaṃ tadā sa nṛpeṇābhyanujñātaḥ prayayau saha bhāryayā The seer's son, assenting, then said “So be it” to the king; and, given leave by the king, he set forth with his wife. **1.10.22** tāv anyonyāñjaliṃ kṛtvā snehāt saṃśliṣya corasā nanandatur daśaratho romapādaś ca vīryavān The two of them, saluting each other with joined palms and embracing breast to breast out of affection, rejoiced — Daśaratha and the valiant Romapāda. **1.10.23** tataḥ suhṛdam āpṛcchya prasthito raghunandanaḥ paurebhyaḥ preṣayām āsa dūtān vai śīghragāminaḥ kriyatāṃ nagaraṃ sarvaṃ kṣipram eva svalaṃkṛtam Then, taking leave of his friend, the delight of the Raghus set out; he sent swift-going messengers to the citizens: “Let the whole city be quickly made well-adorned.” **1.10.24** tataḥ prahṛṣṭāḥ paurās te śrutvā rājānam āgatam tathā pracakrus tat sarvaṃ rājñā yat preṣitaṃ tadā Then those citizens, delighted, hearing that the king had come, did all that just as the king had then ordered. **1.10.25** tataḥ svalaṃkṛtaṃ rājā nagaraṃ praviveśa ha śaṅkhadundubhinirghoṣaiḥ puraskṛtya dvijarṣabham Then the king entered the well-adorned city amid the blare of conches and kettledrums, placing the bull among brahmins at the fore. **1.10.26** tataḥ pramuditāḥ sarve dṛṣṭvā vai nāgarā dvijam praveśyamānaṃ satkṛtya narendreṇendrakarmaṇā Then all the citizens were delighted to see the brahmin being ushered in with honour by the king, whose deeds were like Indra's. **1.10.27** antaḥpuraṃ praveśyainaṃ pūjāṃ kṛtvā tu śāstrataḥ kṛtakṛtyaṃ tadātmānaṃ mene tasyopavāhanāt Having ushered him into the inner apartments and done him honour according to scripture, the king deemed himself to have accomplished his purpose by bringing him. **1.10.28** antaḥpurāṇi sarvāṇi śāntāṃ dṛṣṭvā tathāgatām saha bhartrā viśālākṣīṃ prītyānandam upāgaman All the women of the inner apartments, seeing the large-eyed Śāntā thus arrived with her husband, came to joy with affection. **1.10.29** pūjyamānā ca tābhiḥ sā rājñā caiva viśeṣataḥ uvāsa tatra sukhitā kaṃ cit kālaṃ saha dvijā And, being honoured by them and especially by the king, she dwelt there happily for some time, together with her brahmin husband.