# Bāla Kāṇḍa 46 — Story of Indra & Diti: The Maruts’ regions and Viśālā’s lineage *Diti obtains divine wind-regions for her children, Viśvāmitra recounts Viśālā’s royal lineage and Sumati comes to welcome the travellers* Portion: Stories of Indra · Verses: 22 · Ref format: 1.46. ## Sequence - Diti accepts responsibility for breaking the observance and asks Indra to grant her children a divine future (46.1–2) - she asks that they become the Maruts and range as winds: one in Brahmā's world, one in Indra's, one in the sky, and four through the quarters (46.3–6) - Indra agrees → their arrangement settled, they depart for heaven (46.7–9) - Viśvāmitra identifies the surrounding country as the place where Indra served Diti (46.10). He now answers Rāma's question about the city: Viśāla, son of Ikṣvāku and Alambuṣā, founded Viśālā (46.11–12) - his descendants were Hemacandra, Sucandra, Dhūmrāśva, Sṛñjaya, Sahadeva, Kuśāśva, Somadatta, and Kākutstha → the present King is Kākutstha's son Sumati (46.13–17) - Viśvāmitra praises the dynasty's long life and righteousness and proposes staying overnight before visiting Janaka (46.18–19) - hearing of his arrival, Sumati comes with priests and relatives, honors him, and declares himself fortunate to receive Viśvāmitra (46.20–22). ## Verses **1.46.1** saptadhā tu kṛte garbhe ditiḥ paramaduḥkhitā sahasrākṣaṃ durādharṣaṃ vākyaṃ sānunayābravīt When the fetus had been made sevenfold, Diti, deeply grieved, spoke conciliating words to the invincible thousand-eyed one: **1.46.2** mamāparādhād garbho 'yaṃ saptadhā viphalīkṛtaḥ nāparādho 'sti deveśa tavātra balasūdana “Through my own fault this fetus was rendered fruitless sevenfold; there is no fault of yours in this, O lord of gods, O slayer of Bala. **1.46.3** priyaṃ tu kṛtam icchāmi mama garbhaviparyaye marutāṃ saptaṃ saptānāṃ sthānapālā bhavantv ime But I wish a kindness done me in this ruin of my womb: let these become the guardians of the stations, the seven times seven Maruts. **1.46.4** vātaskandhā ime sapta carantu divi putrakāḥ mārutā iti vikhyātā divyarūpā mamātmajāḥ Let these seven, my little sons, move in the sky as tracts of wind — renowned as the Māruta, of divine form, my offspring. **1.46.5** brahmalokaṃ caratv eka indralokaṃ tathāparaḥ divi vāyur iti khyātas tṛtīyo 'pi mahāyaśāḥ Let one range the world of Brahmā, another likewise the world of Indra; and the third, of great renown, is known in the sky as Vāyu (the Wind). **1.46.6** catvāras tu suraśreṣṭha diśo vai tava śāsanāt saṃcariṣyanti bhadraṃ te devabhūtā mamātmajāḥ tvatkṛtenaiva nāmnā ca mārutā iti viśrutāḥ And four of them, O best of gods, at your command — blessings on you — my offspring, become divine, shall range the (four) quarters; and by the very name given by you they are famed as the Māruta. **1.46.7** tasyās tadvacanaṃ śrutvā sahasrākṣaḥ puraṃdaraḥ uvāca prāñjalir vākyaṃ ditiṃ balaniṣūdanaḥ Hearing that speech of hers, the thousand-eyed Puraṃdara, slayer of Bala, with palms joined, spoke these words to Diti: **1.46.8** sarvam etad yathoktaṃ te bhaviṣyati na saṃśayaḥ vicariṣyanti bhadraṃ te devabhūtās tavātmajāḥ “All this shall come to pass for you just as you have said, no doubt; your sons, become divine, shall range (the heavens) — blessings on you.” **1.46.9** evaṃ tau niścayaṃ kṛtvā mātāputrau tapovane jagmatus tridivaṃ rāma kṛtārthāv iti naḥ śrutam Having thus made their resolve, the mother and son in the penance-grove went to heaven, O Rāma, their purpose accomplished — so we have heard. **1.46.10** eṣa deśaḥ sa kākutstha mahendrādhyuṣitaḥ purā ditiṃ yatra tapaḥ siddhām evaṃ paricacāra saḥ This is that land, O Kākutstha, formerly inhabited by great Indra, where he thus waited upon Diti, perfected in her austerity. **1.46.11** ikṣvākos tu naravyāghra putraḥ paramadhārmikaḥ alambuṣāyām utpanno viśāla iti viśrutaḥ O tiger among men, a most righteous son of Ikṣvāku, born of Alambuṣā, was famed as Viśāla. **1.46.12** tena cāsīd iha sthāne viśāleti purī kṛtā And by him a city named Viśālā was built here on this spot. **1.46.13** viśālasya suto rāma hemacandro mahābalaḥ sucandra iti vikhyāto hemacandrād anantaraḥ Viśāla's son, O Rāma, was the mighty Hemacandra; next after Hemacandra was one renowned as Sucandra. **1.46.14** sucandratanayo rāma dhūmrāśva iti viśrutaḥ dhūmrāśvatanayaś cāpi sṛñjayaḥ samapadyata Sucandra's son, O Rāma, was famed as Dhūmrāśva; and Dhūmrāśva's son turned out to be Sṛñjaya. **1.46.15** sṛñjayasya sutaḥ śrīmān sahadevaḥ pratāpavān kuśāśvaḥ sahadevasya putraḥ paramadhārmikaḥ Sṛñjaya's son was the illustrious, valiant Sahadeva; Sahadeva's son was the most righteous Kuśāśva. **1.46.16** kuśāśvasya mahātejāḥ somadattaḥ pratāpavān somadattasya putras tu kākutstha iti viśrutaḥ Kuśāśva's son was the splendid, valiant Somadatta; and Somadatta's son was famed as Kākutstha. **1.46.17** tasya putro mahātejāḥ saṃpraty eṣa purīm imām āvasaty amaraprakhyaḥ sumatir nāma durjayaḥ His son, of great splendour, godlike and invincible, named Sumati, now dwells in this very city. **1.46.18** ikṣvākos tu prasādena sarve vaiśālikā nṛpāḥ dīrghāyuṣo mahātmāno vīryavantaḥ sudhārmikāḥ Through the grace of Ikṣvāku, all the kings of Viśālā are long-lived, great-souled, valorous, and most righteous. **1.46.19** ihādya rajanīṃ rāma sukhaṃ vatsyāmahe vayam śvaḥ prabhāte naraśreṣṭha janakaṃ draṣṭum arhasi Here tonight, O Rāma, we shall pass the night in comfort; and tomorrow at dawn, O best of men, you should go to see Janaka. **1.46.20** sumatis tu mahātejā viśvāmitram upāgatam śrutvā naravaraśreṣṭhaḥ pratyudgacchan mahāyaśāḥ And Sumati, of great splendour, best of the foremost of men, of great renown, hearing that Viśvāmitra had arrived, went out to meet him. **1.46.21** pūjāṃ ca paramāṃ kṛtvā sopādhyāyaḥ sabāndhavaḥ prāñjaliḥ kuśalaṃ pṛṣṭvā viśvāmitram athābravīt And, together with his priests and kinsmen, having done him supreme honour, with palms joined, he inquired after his welfare and then said to Viśvāmitra: **1.46.22** dhanyo 'smy anugṛhīto 'smi yasya me viṣayaṃ mune saṃprāpto darśanaṃ caiva nāsti dhanyataro mama “I am blessed, I am favoured, O sage, in that you have come into my realm and (granted me) the sight of you; there is none more blessed than I.