Bala Kanda — Sarga 41

पुत्रांश्चिरगताञात्वा सगरो रघुनन्दन। नप्तारमब्रवीद् राजा दीप्यमानं स्वतेजसा॥

Being the delay on the part of his sons, King Sagara, O son of Raghu, addressed his grandson, flaming in his native energy, saying,

Bala Kanda 41.1

शूरश्च कृतविद्यश्च पूर्वैस्तुल्योऽसि तेजसा। पितृणां गतिमन्विच्छ येन चाश्वोऽपवाहितः॥

You are heroic and accomplished and like to your uncles. Do you enquire into the circumstances that have befallen your uncles, as also about the way by which the horse has escaped.

Bala Kanda 41.2

अन्तभौमानि सत्त्वानि वीर्यवन्ति महान्ति च। तेषां तु प्रतिघातार्थं सासिं गृह्णीष्व कार्मुकम्॥

And as there are strong and mighty creatures inhabiting the Earth's interior, with the view of resisting them, do you take your how along with your scimitar.

Bala Kanda 41.3

अभिवाद्याभिवाद्यांस्त्वं हत्वा विघ्नकरानपि। सिद्धार्थः संनिवर्तस्व मम यज्ञस्व पारगः॥

And honouring those that deserve to be honoured and slaying such as disturb you, do you, having attained your end, come back, becoming the instrument for the completion of my sacrifice.'

Bala Kanda 41.4

एवमुक्तोंऽशुमान् सम्यक् सगरेण महात्मना। दनुरादाय खङ्गं च जगाम लघुविक्रमः॥

Thus duly enjoined by the high-souled Sagara, Anśumān endowed with fleet vigour, taking his bow as well as his scimitar, set out.

Bala Kanda 41.5

स खातं पितृभिर्मार्गमन्तभौमं महात्मभिः। प्रापद्यत नरश्रेष्ठ तेन राज्ञाभिचोदितः॥

An commanded by the monarch, he found the underground way that had been carved out by those high-souled ones.

Bala Kanda 41.6

देवदानवरक्षोभिः पिशाचपतगोरगैः। पूज्यमानं महातेजा दिशागजमपश्यत॥

He found an exceedingly powerful elephant belonging to the cardinal point, worshipped by deities, and Dānavas, and Rākşasas, and goblins, and birds, and Uragas.

Bala Kanda 41.7

स तं प्रदक्षिणं कृत्वा पृष्ट्वा चैव निरामयम्। पितॄन् स परिपप्रच्छ वाजिहर्तारमेव च॥

Having gone round him, and asked him as to his welfare, he enquired after his uncles and the stealer of the horse.

Bala Kanda 41.8

दिशागजस्तु तच्छ्रुत्वा प्रत्युवाच महामतिः। आसमञ्ज कृतार्थस्त्वं सहाश्वः शीघ्रमेष्यसि॥

Hearing this, the mighty-minded elephant of that quarter answered, 'O son of Asamañja, having attained your object, you will speedily return with the horse.'

Bala Kanda 41.9

तस्य तद् वचनं श्रुत्वा सर्वानेव दिशागजान्। यथाक्रमं यथान्यायं प्रष्टुं समुपचक्रमे॥

And hearing those words of his, Ansumat by turns duly asked the same question of all the elephants belonging to the cardinal points.

Bala Kanda 41.10

तैश्च सर्वैदिशापालैर्वाक्यज्ञैर्वाक्यकोविदैः। पूजितः सहयश्चैवागन्तासीत्यभिचोदितः॥

And being honoured by those guardians of the cardinal points, knowing words as well as their application in regard to time, place, and person, he was asked by them saying, 'Did you come with the horse?'

Bala Kanda 41.11

तेषां तद् वचनं श्रुत्वा जगाम लघुविक्रमः। भस्मराशीकृता यत्र पितरस्तस्य सागराः॥

Hearing those words of theirs, that one of fleet vigour repaired to the spot where the sons of Sagara, his uncles, had been reduced to a heap of ashes.

Bala Kanda 41.12

स दुःखवशमापनस्त्वसमञ्जसुतस्तदा। चुक्रोश परमार्तस्तु वधात् तेषां सुदुःखितः॥

And (arriving there), Asamañja's son, smitten with grief, and being exceedingly afflicted at their destruction, bewailed in heaviness of heart.

Bala Kanda 41.13

यज्ञियं च हयं तत्र चरन्तमविदूरतः। ददर्श पुरुषव्याघ्रो दुःखशोकसमन्वितः॥

And exercised by grief and sorrow, at foremost of men espied there the sacrificial horse straying near.

Bala Kanda 41.14

स तेषां राजपुत्राणां कर्तुकामो जलक्रियाम्। स जलार्थी महातेजा न चापश्यज्जलाशयम्॥

And desirous of offering oblations of water to those princes, that highly powerful one, in need of water, did not find any watery expanse in the neighbourhood.

Bala Kanda 41.15

विसार्य निपुणां दृष्टिं ततोऽपश्यत् खगाधिपम्। पितृणां मातुलं राम सुपर्णमनिलोपमम्॥

And it came to pass, O Rāma, that surveying wide, he descried the maternal uncle to the princes, Suparna, resembling the Wind.

Bala Kanda 41.16

स चैनमब्रवीद् वाक्यं वैनतेयो महाबलः। मा शुचः पुरुषव्याघ्र वधोऽयं लोकसम्मतः॥

And thereupon Vinata's son possessed of mighty strength spoke to him, saying, 'Do not lament, O foremost of men. The destruction of these was for the welfare of all.'

Bala Kanda 41.17

कपिलेनाप्रमेयेण दग्धा हीमे महाबलाः। सलिलं नार्हसि प्राज्ञ दातुमेषां हि लौकिकम्॥

These highly powerful ones had been consumed by the peerless Kapila, therefore, you ought not to offer water to them in consonance with social usage.

Bala Kanda 41.18

गङ्गा हिमवतो ज्येष्ठा दुहिता पुरुषर्षभ। तस्यां कुरु महाबाहो पितृणां सलिलक्रियाम्॥

Gangā, O foremost of men, is the elder daughter of Himavat. In her (streams) do you perform the watery rites of your uncles,

Bala Kanda 41.19

भस्मराशीकृतानेतान् प्लावयेल्लोकपावनी। तथा क्लिन्नमिदं भस्म गङ्गया लोककान्तया। षष्ठिं पुत्रसहस्राणि स्वर्गलोकं गमिष्यति॥

O mighty-armed one: let that purifier of the worlds lave these reduced to a heap of ashes. And on these ashes being watered by Gangā, dear to all, the sixty thousand sons of Sagara will repair to the celestial regions.

Bala Kanda 41.20

निर्गच्छाश्वं महाभाग संगृह्य पुरुषर्षभ। यज्ञं पैतामहं वीर निवर्तयितुमर्हसि ॥

Do you, O highly pious one, go back, taking this horse, O foremost of men; and do you complete the sacrifice of your grand-father,

Bala Kanda 41.21

सुपर्णवचनं श्रुत्वा सोंऽशुमानतिवीर्यवान्। त्वरितं हयमादाय पुनरायान्महातपाः॥

O hero, Hearing Suparna's speech, the exceedingly powerful Ansumat of mighty asceticism speedily taking the horse, retraced his steps.

Bala Kanda 41.22

ततो राजानमासाद्य दीक्षितं रघुनन्दन। न्यवेदयद् यथावृत्तं सुपर्णवचनं तथा॥

Then coming to the king who had been initiated into the ceremony, he, O descendant of Raghu, faithfully communicated to him the words of Suparna.

Bala Kanda 41.23

तच्छ्रुत्वा घोरसंकाशं वाक्यमंशुमतो नृपः। यज्ञं निवर्तयामास यथाकल्पं यथाविधिः॥

Hearing this sorrowful intelligence, the king duly finished the sacrifice agreeably to the scriptures.

Bala Kanda 41.24

स्वपुरं त्वगमच्छीमानिष्टयज्ञो महीपतिः। गङ्गायाश्चागमे राजा निश्चयं नाध्यगच्छत ॥

And having seen the completion of the sacrifice, that lord of earth entered his capital; but the king could not see how to bring Gangā on earth.

Bala Kanda 41.25

अगत्वा निश्चयं राजा कालेन महता महान्। त्रिंशद्वर्षसहस्राणि राज्यं कृत्वा दिवं गतः॥

And without being able to ascertain it, the mighty monarch after a long course of time, and having reigned for thirty thousand years, ascended heaven.

Bala Kanda 41.26