# Bāla Kāṇḍa 15 — Daśaratha receives and divides the divine pāyasa *Viṣṇu chooses Daśaratha as his father, a being emerges from the fire with divine pāyasa and the King distributes it among his wives* Portion: Birth of the princes and their allies · Verses: 28 · Ref format: 1.15. ## Sequence - Viṣṇu asks how Rāvaṇa can be killed, although he already knows → the Suras explain again that Rāvaṇa's contempt for humans left them outside his protection → Viṣṇu chooses Daśaratha as his father (15.1–7) - at Daśaratha's ongoing putrīyā iṣṭi, a mighty being emerges from the fire: dark-bodied, red-clad, radiant like the sun and flame, with a voice like a drum (15.8–12) - he carries a large golden vessel with silver edging, filled with divine pāyasa, and identifies himself as a messenger of Prajāpati (15.12–14) - Daśaratha welcomes him → the messenger tells him to give this divinely prepared, offspring-producing food to his wives (15.15–18) - the delighted King receives the vessel on his head, bows, and circles the messenger reverently → the messenger vanishes after completing his task (15.19–22). Daśaratha enters the joyful inner apartments and offers the pāyasa to Kausalyā (15.23–24) - he gives Kausalyā half of the whole (1/2) → he gives Sumitrā half of the remaining half (1/4) (15.25) - he halves the remaining quarter, giving Kaikeyī one eighth (1/8) → after reflection, he gives the last eighth to Sumitrā, bringing her total to three eighths (1/4 + 1/8 = 3/8) → the three Queens receive their shares with joy and a sense of being honored (15.26–28). ## Verses **1.15.1** tato nārāyaṇo viṣṇur niyuktaḥ surasattamaiḥ jānann api surān evaṃ ślakṣṇaṃ vacanam abravīt Then Nārāyaṇa Viṣṇu, appointed by the best of the gods, though he already knew, thus spoke gentle words to the gods: **1.15.2** upāyaḥ ko vadhe tasya rākṣasādhipateḥ surāḥ yam ahaṃ taṃ samāsthāya nihanyām ṛṣikaṇṭakam “What is the means for the slaying of that lord of rākṣasas, O gods — resorting to which I might slay that thorn to the seers?” **1.15.3** evam uktāḥ surāḥ sarve pratyūcur viṣṇum avyayam mānuṣīṃ tanum āsthāya rāvaṇaṃ jahi saṃyuge Addressed thus, all the gods replied to the imperishable Viṣṇu: “Taking on a human body, slay Rāvaṇa in battle. **1.15.4** sa hi tepe tapas tīvraṃ dīrghakālam ariṃdama yena tuṣṭo 'bhavad brahmā lokakṛl lokapūjitaḥ For he practised fierce austerity for a long time, O tamer of foes, by which Brahmā, maker of the worlds and honoured by the worlds, became pleased. **1.15.5** saṃtuṣṭaḥ pradadau tasmai rākṣasāya varaṃ prabhuḥ nānāvidhebhyo bhūtebhyo bhayaṃ nānyatra mānuṣāt Well pleased, the lord granted that rākṣasa a boon: (safety) from beings of every kind — danger from nowhere save from a human. **1.15.6** avajñātāḥ purā tena varadānena mānavāḥ tasmāt tasya vadho dṛṣṭo mānuṣebhyaḥ paraṃtapa Long ago, at the granting of that boon, humans were slighted by him; therefore his death is foreseen at the hands of humans, O scorcher of foes. **1.15.7** ity etad vacanaṃ śrutvā surāṇāṃ viṣṇur ātmavān pitaraṃ rocayām āsa tadā daśarathaṃ nṛpam Having heard this speech of the gods, the self-possessed Viṣṇu then chose King Daśaratha for his father. **1.15.8** sa cāpy aputro nṛpatis tasmin kāle mahādyutiḥ ayajat putriyām iṣṭiṃ putrepsur arisūdanaḥ And at that time that sonless king of great splendour, that slayer of foes, desiring a son, performed the son-producing iṣṭi. **1.15.9** tato vai yajamānasya pāvakād atulaprabham prādurbhūtaṃ mahad bhūtaṃ mahāvīryaṃ mahābalam Then indeed, as he was sacrificing, there appeared from the fire a great being of incomparable radiance, of great valour and great strength — **1.15.10** kṛṣṇaṃ raktāmbaradharaṃ raktāsyaṃ dundubhisvanam snigdhaharyakṣatanujaśmaśrupravaramūrdhajam black, clad in red garments, red-faced, with a voice like a kettledrum, its body-hair, beard, and fine head-hair glossy as a lion’s (mane), **1.15.11** śubhalakṣaṇasaṃpannaṃ divyābharaṇabhūṣitam śailaśṛṅgasamutsedhaṃ dṛptaśārdūlavikramam endowed with auspicious marks, adorned with divine ornaments, towering high as a mountain peak, with the stride of a proud tiger, **1.15.12** divākarasamākāraṃ dīptānalaśikhopamam taptajāmbūnadamayīṃ rājatāntaparicchadām in appearance like the sun, resembling the flame of a blazing fire, (holding a vessel) made of refined gold with silver-lined edges, **1.15.13** divyapāyasasaṃpūrṇāṃ pātrīṃ patnīm iva priyām pragṛhya vipulāṃ dorbhyāṃ svayaṃ māyāmayīm iva holding in both his arms a large vessel filled with divine pāyasa, dear to him as a wife, as though it were fashioned of pure magic, **1.15.14** samavekṣyābravīd vākyam idaṃ daśarathaṃ nṛpam prājāpatyaṃ naraṃ viddhi mām ihābhyāgataṃ nṛpa Gazing upon him, he spoke this word to King Daśaratha: “Know me, O king, as a man of Prajāpati, come here. **1.15.15** tataḥ paraṃ tadā rājā pratyuvāca kṛtāñjaliḥ bhagavan svāgataṃ te 'stu kim ahaṃ karavāṇi te Thereupon the king, with palms joined, replied: “Venerable one, welcome to you! What may I do for you?” **1.15.16** atho punar idaṃ vākyaṃ prājāpatyo naro 'bravīt rājann arcayatā devān adya prāptam idaṃ tvayā Then again the man of Prajāpati spoke this word: “O king, by you who worship the gods, this has now been obtained. **1.15.17** idaṃ tu naraśārdūla pāyasaṃ devanirmitam prajākaraṃ gṛhāṇa tvaṃ dhanyam ārogyavardhanam Take this pāyasa, O tiger among men, fashioned by the gods, offspring-producing, blessed, and health-increasing. **1.15.18** bhāryāṇām anurūpāṇām aśnīteti prayaccha vai tāsu tvaṃ lapsyase putrān yadarthaṃ yajase nṛpa Give it to your suitable wives, saying ‘Eat’; in them you will gain the sons for whose sake you sacrifice, O king.” **1.15.19** tatheti nṛpatiḥ prītaḥ śirasā pratigṛhyatām pātrīṃ devānnasaṃpūrṇāṃ devadattāṃ hiraṇmayīm “So be it,” said the delighted king, and he received upon his head the golden vessel, filled with the food of the gods and given by the god. **1.15.20** abhivādya ca tad bhūtam adbhutaṃ priyadarśanam mudā paramayā yuktaś cakārābhipradakṣiṇam And having saluted that wondrous being of pleasing aspect, filled with the greatest joy, he made a circumambulation of it. **1.15.21** tato daśarathaḥ prāpya pāyasaṃ devanirmitam babhūva paramaprītaḥ prāpya vittam ivādhanaḥ Then Daśaratha, having obtained the god-made pāyasa, became supremely delighted, like a poor man obtaining wealth. **1.15.22** tatas tad adbhutaprakhyaṃ bhūtaṃ paramabhāsvaram saṃvartayitvā tat karma tatraivāntaradhīyata Then that being of wondrous aspect, supremely resplendent, having accomplished that task, vanished right there. **1.15.23** harṣaraśmibhir udyotaṃ tasyāntaḥpuram ābabhau śāradasyābhirāmasya candrasyeva nabho'ṃśubhiḥ His inner apartments, lit up with rays of joy, shone as the sky shines with the beams of the lovely autumn moon. **1.15.24** so 'ntaḥpuraṃ praviśyaiva kausalyām idam abravīt pāyasaṃ pratigṛhṇīṣva putrīyaṃ tv idam ātmanaḥ Entering the inner apartments, he said this to Kausalyā: “Receive this son-producing pāyasa, for yourself.” **1.15.25** kausalyāyai narapatiḥ pāyasārdhaṃ dadau tadā ardhād ardhaṃ dadau cāpi sumitrāyai narādhipaḥ The king then gave half the pāyasa to Kausalyā; and the king gave half of that (remaining) half to Sumitrā. **1.15.26** kaikeyyai cāvaśiṣṭārdhaṃ dadau putrārthakāraṇāt pradadau cāvaśiṣṭārdhaṃ pāyasasyāmṛtopamam And he gave the remaining half to Kaikeyī, for the sake of a son; and he gave once more the remaining half of the pāyasa, which was like nectar — **1.15.27** anucintya sumitrāyai punar eva mahīpatiḥ evaṃ tāsāṃ dadau rājā bhāryāṇāṃ pāyasaṃ pṛthak having reflected, the lord of the earth gave once again to Sumitrā; thus the king gave the pāyasa to his wives, portion by portion. **1.15.28** tās tv etat pāyasaṃ prāpya narendrasyottamāḥ striyaḥ saṃmānaṃ menire sarvāḥ praharṣoditacetasaḥ And those excellent wives of the king, having received this pāyasa, all regarded it as a mark of honour, their hearts uplifted with great joy.