# Bāla Kāṇḍa 37 — Story of Sagara: One heir and sixty thousand sons *Sagara’s wives choose one dynastic heir or sixty thousand sons, the many grow in ghee-filled pots while Asamañja is banished for killing children* Portion: Story of Sagara · Verses: 24 · Ref format: 1.37. ## Sequence - Viśvāmitra continues with Rāma's Ikṣvāku ancestor Sagara, the childless King of Ayodhyā (37.1–2) - Sagara undertakes austerity at Bhṛguprasravaṇa, “Bhṛgu’s cascade,” in the Himālaya with his wives Keśinī, a Vidarbha princess, and Sumati, daughter of Ariṣṭanemi (37.3–5) - after a hundred years, Bhṛgu grants offspring: one wife will bear a single son to continue the dynasty, the other sixty thousand sons (37.6–8) - when the Queens ask which will receive which, he leaves the choice to them → Keśinī chooses the dynastic heir, while Sumati, Garuḍa's sister, chooses the sixty thousand (37.9–14) - the family returns to Ayodhyā (37.15). Keśinī gives birth to Asamañja - Sumati produces a gourd-like embryo, which bursts open to release sixty thousand sons → nurses rear them in ghee-filled pots until, in time, they grow into young men (37.16–19) - Asamañja terrorizes the citizens by throwing children into the Sarayū and laughing as they drown → Sagara banishes him (37.20–21) - Asamañja's son Aṃśumat, however, is brave, kindly, and universally respected (37.22) - after a long time Sagara resolves to perform a sacrifice and begins the preparations with his priests (37.23–24). ## Verses **1.37.1** tāṃ kathāṃ kauśiko rāme nivedya madhurākṣaram punar evāparaṃ vākyaṃ kākutstham idam abravīt Having related that tale to Rāma in sweet-syllabled words, Kauśika (Viśvāmitra) then spoke this further word to Kākutstha: **1.37.2** ayodhyādhipatiḥ śūraḥ pūrvam āsīn narādhipaḥ sagaro nāma dharmātmā prajākāmaḥ sa cāprajaḥ Formerly there was a valiant king, lord of Ayodhyā, Sagara by name, righteous of soul, longing for offspring, yet childless. **1.37.3** vaidarbhaduhitā rāma keśinī nāma nāmataḥ jyeṣṭhā sagarapatnī sā dharmiṣṭhā satyavādinī O Rāma, a daughter of Vidarbha, Keśinī by name, was the elder wife of Sagara — most righteous and truthful in speech. **1.37.4** ariṣṭanemiduhitā rūpeṇāpratimā bhuvi dvitīyā sagarasyāsīt patnī sumatisaṃjñitā The daughter of Ariṣṭanemi, unrivalled on earth in beauty, was the second wife of Sagara, named Sumati. **1.37.5** tābhyāṃ saha tadā rājā patnībhyāṃ taptavāṃs tapaḥ himavantaṃ samāsādya bhṛguprasravaṇe girau With those two wives the king then performed austerities, having betaken himself to Himavat, on the mountain at Bhṛgu's cascade. **1.37.6** atha varṣa śate pūrṇe tapasārādhito muniḥ sagarāya varaṃ prādād bhṛguḥ satyavatāṃ varaḥ Now when a hundred years were complete, the sage Bhṛgu, best of the truthful, propitiated by (Sagara's) austerity, granted Sagara a boon: **1.37.7** apatyalābhaḥ sumahān bhaviṣyati tavānagha kīrtiṃ cāpratimāṃ loke prāpsyase puruṣarṣabha “A very great gaining of offspring shall be yours, O sinless one, and you shall win unrivalled fame in the world, O bull among men. **1.37.8** ekā janayitā tāta putraṃ vaṃśakaraṃ tava ṣaṣṭiṃ putrasahasrāṇi aparā janayiṣyati One (wife), my child, will bear a son to continue your line; the other will bring forth sixty thousand sons.” **1.37.9** bhāṣamāṇaṃ naravyāghraṃ rājapatnyau prasādya tam ūcatuḥ paramaprīte kṛtāñjalipuṭe tadā As that tiger among men (the sage) was speaking, the two royal wives, greatly pleased, having won him over, then said to him with cupped hands joined: **1.37.10** ekaḥ kasyāḥ suto brahman kā bahūñ janayiṣyati śrotum icchāvahe brahman satyam astu vacas tava “Whose shall be the one son, O brahmin, and which of us will bear the many? We two wish to hear, O brahmin; may your word come true.” **1.37.11** tayos tad vacanaṃ śrutvā bhṛguḥ parama dhārmikaḥ uvāca paramāṃ vāṇīṃ svacchando 'tra vidhīyatām Hearing that speech of theirs, the supremely righteous Bhṛgu spoke this excellent word: “Let your own free choice be exercised in this matter. **1.37.12** eko vaṃśakaro vāstu bahavo vā mahābalāḥ kīrtimanto mahotsāhāḥ kā vā kaṃ varam icchati Let it be either one to continue the line, or the many — mighty, glorious, full of great energy: which of you desires which boon?” **1.37.13** munes tu vacanaṃ śrutvā keśinī raghunandana putraṃ vaṃśakaraṃ rāma jagrāha nṛpasaṃnidhau Hearing the sage's word, O joy of the Raghus, Keśinī chose the son who would continue the line, O Rāma, in the king's presence. **1.37.14** ṣaṣṭiṃ putrasahasrāṇi suparṇabhaginī tadā mahotsāhān kīrtimato jagrāha sumatiḥ sutān And Sumati, the sister of Suparṇa (Garuḍa), then chose sixty thousand sons, of great energy and glorious. **1.37.15** pradakṣiṇam ṛṣiṃ kṛtvā śirasābhipraṇamya ca jagāma svapuraṃ rājā sabhāryā raghunandana Having circumambulated the seer and bowed to him with his head, the king went to his own city with his wives, O joy of the Raghus. **1.37.16** atha kāle gate tasmiñ jyeṣṭhā putraṃ vyajāyata asamañja iti khyātaṃ keśinī sagarātmajam Now when that time had passed, the elder wife Keśinī gave birth to a son of Sagara, known as Asamañja. **1.37.17** sumatis tu naravyāghra garbhatumbaṃ vyajāyata ṣaṣṭiḥ putrasahasrāṇi tumbabhedād viniḥsṛtāḥ But Sumati, O tiger among men, gave birth to a gourd-like embryo; and sixty thousand sons came forth from the bursting of the gourd. **1.37.18** ghṛtapūrṇeṣu kumbheṣu dhātryas tān samavardhayan kālena mahatā sarve yauvanaṃ pratipedire Nurses reared them in pots filled with ghee; and in the course of a long time they all attained youth. **1.37.19** atha dīrgheṇa kālena rūpayauvanaśālinaḥ ṣaṣṭiḥ putrasahasrāṇi sagarasyābhavaṃs tadā Then after a long time Sagara's sixty thousand sons came to be endowed with beauty and youth. **1.37.20** sa ca jyeṣṭho naraśreṣṭha sagarasyātmasaṃbhavaḥ bālān gṛhītvā tu jale sarayvā raghunandana prakṣipya prahasan nityaṃ majjatas tān nirīkṣya vai And that eldest son, O best of men, born of Sagara — O joy of the Raghus — would seize children and, casting them into the water of the Sarayū, laughing all the while, watch them as they drowned. **1.37.21** paurāṇām ahite yuktaḥ pitrā nirvāsitaḥ purāt Bent on harm to the citizens, he was banished from the city by his father. **1.37.22** tasya putro 'ṃśumān nāma asamañjasya vīryavān saṃmataḥ sarvalokasya sarvasyāpi priyaṃvadaḥ Asamañja had a valiant son named Aṃśumat, esteemed by all the world and speaking kindly to everyone. **1.37.23** tataḥ kālena mahatā matiḥ samabhijāyata sagarasya naraśreṣṭha yajeyam iti niścitā Then after a long time a resolve arose in Sagara, O best of men — the firm intention, “Let me perform a sacrifice.” **1.37.24** sa kṛtvā niścayaṃ rājā sopādhyāyagaṇas tadā yajñakarmaṇi vedajño yaṣṭuṃ samupacakrame Having made his decision, the king, versed in the Veda, together with his company of priestly teachers, then set about performing the sacrificial rite.