# Bāla Kāṇḍa 73 — Paraśurāma: Omens and the encounter on the road home *Janaka gives bridal wealth and the company leaves Mithilā, mixed omens and a dust-darkened sky precede Paraśurāma’s armed appearance* Portion: The encounter with Paraśurāma · Verses: 22 · Ref format: 1.73. ## Sequence - The next morning Viśvāmitra takes leave of both Kings and departs for the northern mountain (73.1) - Daśaratha prepares to return to Ayodhyā (73.2) - Janaka gives abundant bridal wealth: cows, woollen blankets, linen, elephants, horses, chariots, attendants, gold, pearls, and coral → the Kings part, and Daśaratha sets out with his sons, the ṛṣis, and the army (73.3–8) - terrifying birds cry around them, while land animals pass on their right (73.9) - troubled by the conflicting signs, Daśaratha asks Vasiṣṭha what they mean → Vasiṣṭha predicts a grave danger but says the animals foretell its resolution (73.10–12). A violent wind shakes the earth and brings down trees - dust darkens the sun and hides the directions → the army is stunned, while the King, princes, and munis remain conscious (73.13–15) - through the darkness appears a fearsome, matted-haired figure, blazing like the fire of destruction, an axe on his shoulder and a bow and great arrow in his hand (73.16–18) - the munis recognize the Bhārgava Rāma, son of Jamadagni, and wonder whether he intends to renew his slaughter of the warrior race in revenge for his father (73.19–20) - they welcome him with the guest-offering → he accepts, then addresses Daśaratha's Rāma (73.21–22). ## Verses **1.73.1** atha rātryāṃ vyatītāyāṃ viśvāmitro mahāmuniḥ āpṛcchya tau ca rājānau jagāmottaraparvatam Then, when the night had passed, the great sage Viśvāmitra, having taken leave of the two kings, departed to the northern mountain. **1.73.2** viśvāmitro gate rājā vaidehaṃ mithilādhipam āpṛcchyātha jagāmāśu rājā daśarathaḥ purīm When Viśvāmitra had gone, King Daśaratha, having taken leave of the Videha king, lord of Mithilā, then quickly set out for his own city. **1.73.3** atha rājā videhānāṃ dadau kanyādhanaṃ bahu gavāṃ śatasahasrāṇi bahūni mithileśvaraḥ Then the king of the Videhas, the lord of Mithilā, gave much bridal wealth — many hundreds of thousands of cows, **1.73.4** kambalānāṃ ca mukhyānāṃ kṣaumakoṭyambarāṇi ca hastyaśvarathapādātaṃ divyarūpaṃ svalaṃkṛtam and choice woollen blankets, and tens of millions of linen garments, and elephants, horses, chariots, and foot-soldiers, of divine appearance and well adorned. **1.73.5** dadau kanyā pitā tāsāṃ dāsīdāsam anuttamam hiraṇyasya suvarṇasya muktānāṃ vidrumasya ca The father of those maidens gave incomparable menservants and maidservants, and (much) of gold and wrought gold, of pearls and of coral. **1.73.6** dadau paramasaṃhṛṣṭaḥ kanyādhanam anuttamam dattvā bahudhanaṃ rājā samanujñāpya pārthivam Greatly delighted, he gave incomparable bridal wealth; and having given this abundant wealth, the king (of Mithilā) took leave of the (other) king, **1.73.7** praviveśa svanilayaṃ mithilāṃ mithileśvaraḥ rājāpy ayodhyādhipatiḥ saha putrair mahātmabhiḥ the lord of Mithilā entered his own abode, Mithilā; and the king, lord of Ayodhyā, too, together with his great-souled sons, **1.73.8** ṛṣīn sarvān puraskṛtya jagāma sabalānugaḥ gacchantaṃ tu naravyāghraṃ sarṣisaṃghaṃ sarāghavam placing all the seers before him, set out with his army and retinue. As the tiger among men went on, with his host of seers and with the Rāghavas (his sons), **1.73.9** ghorāḥ sma pakṣiṇo vāco vyāharanti tatas tataḥ bhaumāś caiva mṛgāḥ sarve gacchanti sma pradakṣiṇam terrible birds uttered cries on every side; yet all the beasts of the earth kept moving past him to the right. **1.73.10** tān dṛṣṭvā rājaśārdūlo vasiṣṭhaṃ paryapṛcchata asaumyāḥ pakṣiṇo ghorā mṛgāś cāpi pradakṣiṇāḥ kim idaṃ hṛdayotkampi mano mama viṣīdati Seeing them, the tiger among kings questioned Vasiṣṭha: “The birds are inauspicious and terrible, yet the beasts move to the right; what is this that makes my heart tremble, so that my mind sinks?” **1.73.11** rājño daśarathasyaitac chrutvā vākyaṃ mahān ṛṣiḥ uvāca madhurāṃ vāṇīṃ śrūyatām asya yat phalam Hearing this speech of King Daśaratha, the great seer spoke in a sweet voice: “Hear what the outcome of this is. **1.73.12** upasthitaṃ bhayaṃ ghoraṃ divyaṃ pakṣimukhāc cyutam mṛgāḥ praśamayanty ete saṃtāpas tyajyatām ayam A terrible danger sent from heaven is at hand, issued from the mouths of the birds; but these beasts avert it — let this anguish be set aside.” **1.73.13** teṣāṃ saṃvadatāṃ tatra vāyuḥ prādur babhūva ha kampayan medinīṃ sarvāṃ pātayaṃś ca drumāṃḥ śubhān As they were conversing there, a wind arose, shaking the whole earth and felling the fair trees. **1.73.14** tamasā saṃvṛtaḥ sūryaḥ sarvā na prababhur diśaḥ bhasmanā cāvṛtaṃ sarvaṃ saṃmūḍham iva tad balam The sun was shrouded in darkness, none of the quarters shone; all was covered with dust, and that army was as if stupefied. **1.73.15** vasiṣṭha ṛṣayaś cānye rājā ca sasutas tadā sasaṃjñā iva tatrāsan sarvam anyad vicetanam Vasiṣṭha, the other seers, and the king with his sons then alone remained conscious, as it were, while everything else was insensible. **1.73.16** tasmiṃs tamasi ghore tu bhasmacchanneva sā camūḥ dadarśa bhīmasaṃkāśaṃ jaṭāmaṇḍaladhāriṇam In that terrible darkness, as the army lay covered in dust, it beheld one of fearsome aspect, bearing a mass of matted locks — **1.73.17** kailāsam iva durdharṣaṃ kālāgnim iva duḥsaham jvalantam iva tejobhir durnirīkṣyaṃ pṛthagjanaiḥ unassailable as Mount Kailāsa, unbearable as the fire of doom, blazing as it were with his splendour, hard for common folk to look upon; **1.73.18** skandhe cāsajya paraśuṃ dhanur vidyudgaṇopamam pragṛhya śaramukhyaṃ ca tripuraghnaṃ yathā haram an axe slung upon his shoulder, and grasping a bow like a mass of lightning together with a chief arrow — like Hara, the destroyer of the Triple City. **1.73.19** taṃ dṛṣṭvā bhīmasaṃkāśaṃ jvalantam iva pāvakam vasiṣṭhapramukhā viprā japahomaparāyaṇāḥ saṃgatā munayaḥ sarve saṃjajalpur atho mithaḥ Seeing him of fearsome aspect, blazing like fire, the brahmins led by Vasiṣṭha, devoted to muttered prayer and oblation, all the sages, coming together, then spoke among themselves: **1.73.20** kaccit pitṛvadhāmarṣī kṣatraṃ notsādayiṣyati pūrvaṃ kṣatravadhaṃ kṛtvā gatamanyur gatajvaraḥ kṣatrasyotsādanaṃ bhūyo na khalv asya cikīrṣitam “Surely, resentful at his father's slaying, he will not (again) exterminate the warrior-race? Having formerly wrought the slaughter of the kṣatriyas, his wrath spent and his fever gone, surely he does not intend once more to destroy them?” **1.73.21** evam uktvārghyam ādāya bhārgavaṃ bhīmadarśanam ṛṣayo rāma rāmeti madhurāṃ vācam abruvan Having spoken thus, and taking up the guest-offering, the seers addressed the fearsome-looking Bhārgava in sweet words, “Rāma! Rāma!” **1.73.22** pratigṛhya tu tāṃ pūjām ṛṣidattāṃ pratāpavān rāmaṃ dāśarathiṃ rāmo jāmadagnyo 'bhyabhāṣata Accepting that homage offered by the seers, the mighty Rāma son of Jamadagni addressed Rāma the son of Daśaratha: