# Bāla Kāṇḍa 38 — Story of Sagara: The stolen horse and the earth’s excavation *Indra steals the sacrificial horse, Sagara sends his sixty thousand sons to dig for it and the devastation drives the earth’s inhabitants to Brahmā* Portion: Story of Sagara · Verses: 26 · Ref format: 1.38. ## Sequence - Rāma asks to hear how his ancestor's sacrifice proceeded (38.1–3) - Viśvāmitra places it between the Himālaya and Vindhya mountains, with Aṃśumat guarding the horse (38.4–6) - at a critical ritual moment, Indra takes a rākṣasa's form and steals the horse (38.7) - the priests warn that the interruption endangers the sacrifice and demand its recovery (38.8–10) - Sagara orders his sixty thousand sons to search the entire earth, each covering a yojana-wide tract and digging until the horse and thief are found → he remains consecrated at the sacrifice with Aṃśumat and the priests (38.11–16) - the sons begin breaking open the earth with their arms, spears, and ploughs (38.17–19) - the earth cries out, and nāgas, asuras, rākṣasas, and other creatures are killed as the excavation reaches Rasātala (38.20–22) - terrified divine and subterranean beings appeal to Brahmā, reporting that the princes accuse creatures indiscriminately and kill them as supposed horse-thieves (38.23–26). ## Verses **1.38.1** viśvāmitravacaḥ śrutvā kathānte raghunandana uvāca paramaprīto muniṃ dīptam ivānalam Hearing Viśvāmitra's words, at the end of the tale, O joy of the Raghus, (Rāma), greatly delighted, said to the sage who blazed like a kindled fire: **1.38.2** śrotum ichāmi bhadraṃ te vistareṇa kathām imām pūrvako me kathaṃ brahman yajñaṃ vai samupāharat “I wish to hear this tale in full — blessings on you — O brahmin: how did my forefather offer up that sacrifice?” **1.38.3** viśvāmitras tu kākutstham uvāca prahasann iva śrūyatāṃ vistaro rāma sagarasya mahātmanaḥ And Viśvāmitra, smiling a little, said to Kākutstha: “Let the full account of the great-souled Sagara be heard, O Rāma. **1.38.4** śaṃkaraśvaśuro nāma himavān acalottamaḥ vindhyaparvatam āsādya nirīkṣete parasparam There is Himavat, best of mountains, called the father-in-law of Śaṃkara (Śiva); facing toward the Vindhya mountain, the two gaze upon each other. **1.38.5** tayor madhye pravṛtto 'bhūd yajñaḥ sa puruṣottama sa hi deśo naravyāghra praśasto yajñakarmaṇi Between those two, O supreme among men, that sacrifice was set in motion; for that region, O tiger among men, is commended for sacrificial rites. **1.38.6** tasyāśvacaryāṃ kākutstha dṛḍhadhanvā mahārathaḥ aṃśumān akarot tāta sagarasya mate sthitaḥ For it, O Kākutstha, Aṃśumat — strong-bowed, a great chariot-warrior — carried out the guarding of the horse, my dear, abiding by Sagara's counsel. **1.38.7** tasya parvaṇi taṃ yajñaṃ yajamānasya vāsavaḥ rākṣasīṃ tanum āsthāya yajñiyāśvam apāharat As he was sacrificing, at the sacred juncture Vāsava (Indra), assuming the body of a rākṣasa, carried off that sacrifice's horse. **1.38.8** hriyamāṇe tu kākutstha tasminn aśve mahātmanaḥ upādhyāya gaṇāḥ sarve yajamānam athābruvan When that horse of the great-souled one was being carried off, O Kākutstha, all the companies of priestly teachers then said to the sacrificer: **1.38.9** ayaṃ parvaṇi vegena yajñiyāśvo 'panīyate hartāraṃ jahi kākutstha hayaś caivopanīyatām “At the juncture this sacrificial horse is being swiftly carried off; slay the thief, O Kākutstha, and let the horse be brought back.” **1.38.10** yajñac chidraṃ bhavaty etat sarveṣām aśivāya naḥ tat tathā kriyatāṃ rājan yathāchidraḥ kratur bhavet “This becomes a breach in the sacrifice, to the misfortune of us all; so act, O king, that the rite may be without flaw.” **1.38.11** upādhyāya vacaḥ śrutvā tasmin sadasi pārthivaḥ ṣaṣṭiṃ putrasahasrāṇi vākyam etad uvāca ha Hearing the teachers' word, in that assembly the king spoke this word to his sixty thousand sons: **1.38.12** gatiṃ putrā na paśyāmi rakṣasāṃ puruṣarṣabhāḥ mantrapūtair mahābhāgair āsthito hi mahākratuḥ “I see no way to trace the rākṣasas, O sons, O bulls among men; for this great rite has been begun with mantra-purified, illustrious (priests). **1.38.13** tad gacchata vicinvadhvaṃ putrakā bhadram astu vaḥ samudramālinīṃ sarvāṃ pṛthivīm anugacchata So go and search, my dear boys — blessings upon you; traverse the whole earth, girdled by the ocean. **1.38.14** ekaikaṃ yojanaṃ putrā vistāram abhigacchata Each one of you, my sons, cover one yojana in breadth. **1.38.15** yāvat turagasaṃdarśas tāvat khanata medinīm tam eva hayahartāraṃ mārgamāṇā mamājñayā Dig up the earth until the horse comes into sight, searching out that very horse-thief, by my command. **1.38.16** dīkṣitaḥ pautrasahitaḥ sopādhyāyagaṇo hy aham iha sthāsyāmi bhadraṃ vo yāvat turagadarśanam Consecrated for the rite, together with my grandson and the company of teachers, I shall remain here — blessings on you — until the horse is found.” **1.38.17** ity uktvā hṛṣṭamanaso rājaputrā mahābalāḥ jagmur mahītalaṃ rāma pitur vacanayantritāḥ Having spoken thus, the mighty princes, joyful of heart and bound by their father's word, set out over the surface of the earth, O Rāma. **1.38.18** yojanāyām avistāram ekaiko dharaṇītalam bibhiduḥ puruṣavyāghra vajrasparśasamair bhujaiḥ Each one, O tiger among men, broke up the surface of the earth, a yojana in length and breadth, with arms whose touch was like the thunderbolt's. **1.38.19** śūlair aśanikalpaiś ca halaiś cāpi sudāruṇaiḥ bhidyamānā vasumatī nanāda raghunandana Torn open with spears like thunderbolts and with terrible ploughs, the earth cried out, O joy of the Raghus. **1.38.20** nāgānāṃ vadhyamānānām asurāṇāṃ ca rāghava rākṣasānāṃ ca durdharṣaḥ sattvānāṃ ninado 'bhavat There arose an unbearable clamour of the creatures being slain — of the nāgas, the asuras, and the rākṣasas, O Rāghava. **1.38.21** yojanānāṃ sahasrāṇi ṣaṣṭiṃ tu raghunandana bibhidur dharaṇīṃ vīrā rasātalam anuttamam The heroes dug up the earth for sixty thousand yojanas, O joy of the Raghus, down to the peerless nether world, Rasātala. **1.38.22** evaṃ parvatasaṃbādhaṃ jambūdvīpaṃ nṛpātmajāḥ khananto nṛpaśārdūla sarvataḥ paricakramuḥ Thus the king's sons, O tiger of a king, digging up Jambūdvīpa, dense with mountains, ranged over it on every side. **1.38.23** tato devāḥ sagandharvāḥ sāsurāḥ sahapannagāḥ saṃbhrāntamanasaḥ sarve pitāmaham upāgaman Then the gods, together with the gandharvas, the asuras, and the serpents, all with agitated minds, approached the Grandsire. **1.38.24** te prasādya mahātmānaṃ viṣaṇṇavadanās tadā ūcuḥ paramasaṃtrastāḥ pitāmaham idaṃ vacaḥ Propitiating the great one, their faces downcast, then, sore afraid, they spoke this word to the Grandsire: **1.38.25** bhagavan pṛthivī sarvā khanyate sagarātmajaiḥ bahavaś ca mahātmāno vadhyante jalacāriṇaḥ “O venerable one, the whole earth is being dug up by Sagara's sons, and many great water-dwelling creatures are being killed. **1.38.26** ayaṃ yajñahano 'smākam anenāśvo 'panīyate iti te sarvabhūtāni nighnanti sagarātmajaḥ Saying, ‘This one is the wrecker of our sacrifice; by him the horse has been carried off,' these sons of Sagara are slaying all beings.”