# Bāla Kāṇḍa 9 — Story of Ṛṣyaśṛṅga: Courtesans, rain and marriage *Courtesans lure Ṛṣyaśṛṅga from his father’s forest hermitage, rain ends Aṅga’s drought and Romapāda gives him Śāntā in marriage* Portion: Ṛṣyaśṛṅga · Verses: 32 · Ref format: 1.9. ## Sequence - Sumantra now tells the episode in detail: Romapāda's advisers explain that Ṛṣyaśṛṅga knows nothing of women or sensual pleasures → they propose sending richly adorned courtesans to attract him through experiences unfamiliar to him → the King approves, and the women go into the forest near his hermitage (9.1–7) - Ṛṣyaśṛṅga normally stays close to his father, but one day encounters them → singing sweetly, they approach and ask his identity and way of life (9.8–12) - attracted by their unfamiliar appearance, he names himself and his father and invites them home (9.13–16) - he offers arghya (guest-water), pādya (foot-water), roots, and fruit → they accept but fear Vibhāṇḍaka's return (9.17–18) - they embrace Ṛṣyaśṛṅga and give him sweets and delicacies, which he mistakes for unusual fruits → claiming that their observances require them to leave, they hurry away (9.19–22). Distressed by their absence, Ṛṣyaśṛṅga returns to the meeting place the next day (9.23–24) - the women welcome him and invite him to their own supposed hermitage, promising still better hospitality → he agrees and goes with them (9.25–27) - as he is brought into the Kingdom, rain suddenly falls (9.28) - Romapāda comes out, bows to the ground, offers hospitality, and begs that the brāhmaṇa feel no anger → he gives Śāntā to him in marriage → Ṛṣyaśṛṅga remains with her, honored and comfortably provided for (9.29–32). ## Verses **1.9.1** sumantraś codito rājñā provācedaṃ vacas tadā yatharṣyaśṛṅgas tv ānītaḥ śṛṇu me mantribhiḥ saha Urged on by the king, Sumantra then spoke these words: “Hear from me, together with your ministers, how Ṛṣyaśṛṅga was brought. **1.9.2** romapādam uvācedaṃ sahāmātyaḥ purohitaḥ upāyo nirapāyo 'yam asmābhir abhicintitaḥ The family priest, together with the counsellors, said this to Romapāda: “Here is a foolproof plan devised by us. **1.9.3** ṛṣyaśṛṅgo vanacaras tapaḥsvādhyāyane rataḥ anabhijñaḥ sa nārīṇāṃ viṣayāṇāṃ sukhasya ca Ṛṣyaśṛṅga is a forest-dweller, devoted to austerity and Vedic study; he is a stranger to women, to the objects of sense, and to pleasure. **1.9.4** indriyārthair abhimatair naracitta pramāthibhiḥ puram ānāyayiṣyāmaḥ kṣipraṃ cādhyavasīyatām By means of desirable sense-objects that stir the minds of men, we shall have him brought to the city; and let this be decided upon at once. **1.9.5** gaṇikās tatra gacchantu rūpavatyaḥ svalaṃkṛtāḥ pralobhya vividhopāyair āneṣyantīha satkṛtāḥ Let courtesans, beautiful and richly adorned, go there; having enticed him by various devices, well rewarded, they will bring him here. **1.9.6** śrutvā tatheti rājā ca pratyuvāca purohitam purohito mantriṇaś ca tathā cakruś ca te tadā Hearing this, the king said “So be it” and replied to the priest; and the priest and the ministers then acted accordingly. **1.9.7** vāramukhyās tu tac chrutvā vanaṃ praviviśur mahat āśramasyāvidūre 'smin yatnaṃ kurvanti darśane The chief courtesans, hearing this, entered the great forest, and not far from that hermitage they set about contriving to see him, **1.9.8** ṛṣiputrasya ghorasya nityam āśramavāsinaḥ pituḥ sa nityasaṃtuṣṭo nāticakrāma cāśramāt — the seer's son, austere, ever dwelling in the hermitage; for he, always content, never strayed far from his father's hermitage. **1.9.9** na tena janmaprabhṛti dṛṣṭapūrvaṃ tapasvinā strī vā pumān vā yac cānyat sattvaṃ nagara rāṣṭrajam By that ascetic, from his birth onward, no woman or man had ever before been seen, nor any other creature born of town or country. **1.9.10** tataḥ kadā cit taṃ deśam ājagāma yadṛcchayā vibhāṇḍakasutas tatra tāś cāpaśyad varāṅganāḥ Then once, by chance, the son of Vibhāṇḍaka came to that spot, and there he saw those lovely women. **1.9.11** tāś citraveṣāḥ pramadā gāyantyo madhurasvaraiḥ ṛṣiputram upāgamya sarvā vacanam abruvan Those women, in gay attire, singing with sweet voices, approached the seer's son, and all spoke these words: **1.9.12** kas tvaṃ kiṃ vartase brahmañ jñātum icchāmahe vayam ekas tvaṃ vijane ghore vane carasi śaṃsa naḥ “Who are you? What is your way of life, O brahmin? We wish to know. Alone you wander in this desolate and dreadful forest — tell us.” **1.9.13** adṛṣṭarūpās tās tena kāmyarūpā vane striyaḥ hārdāt tasya matir jātā ākhyātuṃ pitaraṃ svakam Those women in the forest, of a form never seen by him, of alluring beauty — out of the warmth of his heart a wish arose in him to tell of his own father: **1.9.14** pitā vibhāṇḍako 'smākaṃ tasyāhaṃ suta aurasaḥ ṛṣyaśṛṅga iti khyātaṃ nāma karma ca me bhuvi “Our father is Vibhāṇḍaka; I am his own true-born son. On earth my name and my repute are known as Ṛṣyaśṛṅga. **1.9.15** ihāśramapado 'smākaṃ samīpe śubhadarśanāḥ kariṣye vo 'tra pūjāṃ vai sarveṣāṃ vidhipūrvakam Here nearby is our hermitage-site, O fair-faced ones; there I shall do honour to you all, according to due rule.” **1.9.16** ṛṣiputravacaḥ śrutvā sarvāsāṃ matir āsa vai tad āśramapadaṃ draṣṭuṃ jagmuḥ sarvāś ca tena ha Hearing the seer's son's words, a desire arose in all of them, and all of them went with him indeed to see that hermitage. **1.9.17** gatānāṃ tu tataḥ pūjām ṛṣiputraś cakāra ha idam arghyam idaṃ pādyam idaṃ mūlaṃ phalaṃ ca naḥ Then the seer's son did honour to them as they arrived: “This is the guest-water, this the foot-water, and here are our roots and fruit.” **1.9.18** pratigṛhya tu tāṃ pūjāṃ sarvā eva samutsukāḥ ṛṣer bhītāś ca śīghraṃ tu gamanāya matiṃ dadhuḥ Accepting that hospitality, all of them, eager yet afraid of the seer (his father), quickly resolved to depart. **1.9.19** asmākam api mukhyāni phalānīmāni vai dvija gṛhāṇa prati bhadraṃ te bhakṣayasva ca mā ciram “These too are choice fruits of ours, O brahmin; take and accept them — blessings on you — and eat, do not delay.” **1.9.20** tatas tās taṃ samāliṅgya sarvā harṣasamanvitāḥ modakān pradadus tasmai bhakṣyāṃś ca vividhāñ śubhān Then all those women, filled with joy, embracing him, gave him sweetmeats and various fine delicacies. **1.9.21** tāni cāsvādya tejasvī phalānīti sma manyate anāsvāditapūrvāṇi vane nityanivāsinām And having tasted them, the radiant one took them for fruits — things never before tasted by those who dwell forever in the forest. **1.9.22** āpṛcchya ca tadā vipraṃ vratacaryāṃ nivedya ca gacchanti smāpadeśāt tā bhītās tasya pituḥ striyaḥ Then, taking their leave of the brahmin and pleading the excuse of their vow-observances, those women departed on a pretext, in fear of his father. **1.9.23** gatāsu tāsu sarvāsu kāśyapasyātmajo dvijaḥ asvasthahṛdayaś cāsīd duḥkhaṃ sma parivartate When all of them had gone, the brahmin, the descendant of Kāśyapa, grew sick at heart and moved about in distress. **1.9.24** tato 'paredyus taṃ deśam ājagāma sa vīryavān manojñā yatra tā dṛṣṭā vāramukhyāḥ svalaṃkṛtāḥ Then, the next day, that vigorous one came to that spot where those charming, richly adorned chief courtesans had been seen. **1.9.25** dṛṣṭvaiva ca tadā vipram āyāntaṃ hṛṣṭa mānasāḥ upasṛtya tataḥ sarvās tās tam ūcur idaṃ vacaḥ And as soon as they saw the brahmin coming, glad at heart, all those women drew near and then spoke these words to him: **1.9.26** ehy āśramapadaṃ saumya asmākam iti cābruvan tatrāpy eṣa vidhiḥ śrīmān viśeṣeṇa bhaviṣyati “Come to our hermitage, gentle one,” they said; “there too this splendid hospitality will be found, and in fuller measure.” **1.9.27** śrutvā tu vacanaṃ tāsāṃ sarvāsāṃ hṛdayaṃgamam gamanāya matiṃ cakre taṃ ca ninyus tadā striyaḥ Hearing the heart-winning speech of them all, he made up his mind to go; and the women then led him away. **1.9.28** tatra cānīyamāne tu vipre tasmin mahātmani vavarṣa sahasā devo jagat prahlādayaṃs tadā And while that great-souled brahmin was being brought there, the god suddenly sent down rain, gladdening the world. **1.9.29** varṣeṇaivāgataṃ vipraṃ viṣayaṃ svaṃ narādhipaḥ pratyudgamya muniṃ prahvaḥ śirasā ca mahīṃ gataḥ Going forth to meet the sage, the brahmin who had come to his realm along with the rain, the king bowed low and touched the ground with his head. **1.9.30** arghyaṃ ca pradadau tasmai nyāyataḥ susamāhitaḥ vavre prasādaṃ viprendrān mā vipraṃ manyur āviśet Duly and with full attention he gave him the guest-offering; he begged a favour of the best of brahmins, that no wrath might enter the brahmin. **1.9.31** antaḥpuraṃ praviśyāsmai kanyāṃ dattvā yathāvidhi śāntāṃ śāntena manasā rājā harṣam avāpa saḥ Entering the inner apartments and giving him his daughter Śāntā according to rule, the king, with a mind now at peace, attained joy. **1.9.32** evaṃ sa nyavasat tatra sarvakāmaiḥ supūjitaḥ ṛṣyaśṛṅgo mahātejāḥ śāntayā saha bhāryayā Thus Ṛṣyaśṛṅga of great splendour dwelt there, honoured well with every desirable thing, together with Śāntā his wife.