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[Indra steals King Ambarisha 's sacrificial horse -- sage Richika's middle son offers himself for sacrifice.]

viśvāmitrō mahātmātha prasthitān prēkṣya tānṛṣīn.

abravīnnaraśārdūlassarvāṅstānvanavāsina:৷৷1.61.1৷৷


naraśārdūla O! Tiger (great) among men, atha thereafter, mahātmā magnanimous, viśvāmitra: Visvamitra, prasthitān those who had set on their journey, vanavāsina: inhabitants of the forest, tān sarvān all those, ṛṣīn sages, prēkṣya seeing, abravīt spoke.

O Tiger among men (Rama)! thereafter great Viswamitra seeing the departing sages of the forest said:
mahānvighna: pravṛttō.yaṅ dakṣiṇāmāsthitō diśam.

diśamanyāṅ prapatsyāmastatra tapsyāmahē tapa:৷৷1.61.2৷৷


dakṣiṇāṅ diśaṅ In southern quarter, āsthita: taking hold of, ayam mahān this great, vighna: obstruction, pravṛtta: taken place, anyām another, diśam region, prapatsyāma: we will take, tatra there, tapa: austerities, tapsyāmahē we will perform.

paścimāyāṅ viśālāyāṅ puṣkarēṣu mahātmana:.

sukhaṅ tapaścariṣyāma: paraṅ taddhi tapōvanam৷৷1.61.3৷৷


mahātmana: O! Magnanimous ones, viśālāyām in the vast, paścimāyām western region, puṣkarēṣu in the sacred spot known as Pushkara, sukham in peace, tapa: austerities, cariṣyāma: we will perform, tat that, param best, tapōvanam hi forest.

"O High-souled sages, there is lake Pushkara in the vast western region. There in the forest fit for austerities we shall practise penance peacefully".
ēvamuktvā mahātējā: puṣkarēṣu mahāmuni:.

tapa ugraṅ durādharṣaṅ tēpē mūlaphalāśana:৷৷1.61.4৷৷


mahātējā: exceedingly powerful, mahāmuni: great muni, ēvam thus, uktvā having spoken, puṣkarēṣu in pushkara land, mūlaphalāśana: living of fruits and roots, durādharṣam unsurpassable, ugram intense, tapa: austerities, tēpē performed.

With this the most powerful sage Viswamitra reached Pushkara where living on fruits and roots, he carried out intense, unsurpassable, austerities.
ētasminnēva kālē tu ayōdhyādhipatirnṛpa:.

ambarīṣa iti khyātō yaṣṭuṅ samupacakramē৷৷1.61.5৷৷


ētasmin at that, kālē ēva time itself, ambarīṣa: iti as Ambarisha, khyāta: well-known, ayōdhyādhipati: lord of Ayodhya, nṛpa: king, yaṣṭum to perform sacrifice, samupacakramē commneced.

At this time Ambarisha, a well-known king of Ayodhya, launched preparations for a sacrifice.
tasya vai yajamānasya paśumindrō jahāra ha.

praṇaṣṭē tu paśau viprō rājānamidamabravīt৷৷1.61.6৷৷


yajamānasya the performer's, tasya paśum his (sacrificial) animal, indra: Indra, jahāra ha stolen away, paśau when the animal, praṇaṣṭē (sati) could not be seen, vipra: the priest, rājānam addressing the king, idam this word, abravīt spoke.

While he was performing the sacrifice Indra stole away the sacrificial animal. The animal could not be traced. Hence the priest said to the king:
paśuradya hṛtō rājan! praṇaṣṭastava durnayāt .

arakṣitāraṅ rājānaṅ ghnanti dōṣā narēśvara ৷৷1.61.7৷৷


rājan O! King, adya now, paśu: animal, hṛta: stolen, tava your, durnayāt due to wrong policies, praṇaṣṭa: could not be seen, narēśvara O! King, arakṣitāram him who fails to protect, rājānam king, dōṣā: faults, ghnanti is perished.

"O King! the animal has been stolen away and because of your inability to enforce law, it could not be traced. O Lord of men! the king who fails to protect (his dependents)
perishes by his own faults.
prāyaścittaṅ mahaddhyētannaraṅ vā puruṣarṣabha !.

ānayasva paśuṅ śīghraṅ yāvatkarma pravartatē৷৷1.61.8৷৷


puruṣarṣabha! O! Best of men, ētat this one, mahat great, prāyaścittam expiation, naraṅ vā either man, paśum as beast, śīghram speedily, ānayasva bring, karma the sacrifice, yāvat pravartatē may be completed.

"O Best of men! you must pay a big price for this. Bring either the beast or a man immediately so that the sacrifice can be completed".
upādhyāyavacaśśrutvā sa rājā puruṣarṣabha!.

anviyēṣa mahābuddhi: paśuṅ gōbhissahasraśa:৷৷1.61.9৷৷


puruṣarṣabha O! Best of men, mahābuddhi: great intellectual, sa: rājā that king, upādhyāyavaca: the words of priest, śrutvā having heard, sahasraśa: in thousands, gōbhi: with cows, paśum animal, anviyēṣa searched.

"O Best of men (Rama)! hearing the words of the high priest, the highly intellectual king searched for a human victim in exchange for thousands of cows.
dēśān janapadāṅstāṅ stānnagarāṇi vanāni ca.

āśramāṇi ca puṇyāni mārgamāṇō mahīpati: ৷৷1.61.10৷৷

sa putrasahitaṅ tāta sabhāryaṅ raghunandana .

bhṛgutuṅdē samāsīnamṛcīkaṅ sandadarśa ha৷৷1.61.11৷৷


tāta O! Child, raghunandana delight of the house of Raghu, Rama, sa: mahīpati: that king, tāṅ stān many, dēśān countries, janapadān villages, nagarāṇi ca cities, vanāni ca forests, puṇyāni sacred, āśramāṇi ca hermitages, mārgamāṇa: searching, bhṛgutuṅdē on the Bhrigutunda mountain, putrasahitam along with his sons, sabhāryam with his wive, samāsīnam seated, ṛcīkam Richika, a sage, sandadarśa ha beheld.

O Dear Rama, the delight of Raghu clan! the king scoured countries, villages, cities, forests, sacred hermitages till he saw sage Richika in the Bhrigutunda mountain sitting with his sons and wie.
tamuvāca mahātējā: praṇamyābhiprasādya ca.

brahmarṣiṅ tapasā dīptaṅ rājarṣiramitaprabha:৷৷1.61.12৷৷

pṛṣṭvā sarvatra kuśalamṛcīkaṅ tamidaṅ vaca:.


mahātējā: most brilliant, amitaprabha: extremely resplendent, tapasā with penance, dīptam shining, tam brahmarṣim that Brahmarshi, praṇamya bowing before him, abhiprasādya ca having propitiated him, sarvatra in all, kuśalam welfare, pṛṣṭvā having enquired, taṅ ṛcīkam addressing that sage Richika, idam these, vaca: words, uvāca spoke.

The most brilliant king(Ambarisha) bowing to sage Richika, a brahmarshi who looked extremely resplendent with penance, propitiated him, enquired about the welfare of all and finally said":
gavāṅ śatasahasrēṇa vikrīṇīṣē sutaṅ yadi৷৷1.61.13৷৷

paśōrarthē mahābhāga! kṛtakṛtyō.smi bhārgava!.


mahābhāga bhārgava O! Fortunate descendent of Bhrigu race, sage Richika, gavām cows, śatasahasrēṇa hundred thousands, sutam your son, paśō: arthē as scrificial animal, vikrīṇīṣē yadi if sold, kṛtakṛtya: asmi I have fulfilled my purpose.

"O Fortunate descendent of the Bhrigu race! if your son is sold as a sacrificial animal in exchange for a hundred thousand cows, my purpose will be answered.
sarvē parisṛtā dēśā yājñīyaṅ na labhē paśum৷৷1.61.14৷৷

dātumarhasi mūlyēna sutamēkamitō mama.4


sarvē all, dēśā: countries, parisṛtā: roamed about, yājñīyam relating to sacrifice, paśum animal, na labhē I could not get, ita: from among them, ēkam one, sutam son, mūlyēna for a price, mama for me, dātum to give, arhasi it behoves of you.

I have roamed all countries but could not final the sacrificial animal. Should'nt you spare one of your sons for a price"?
ēvamuktō mahātējā ṛcīkastvabravīdvaca:৷৷1.61.15৷৷

nāhaṅ jyēṣṭhaṅ naraśrēṣṭha vikrīṇīyāṅ kathañcana.


ēvam thus, ukta: spoken, mahātējāḥ exceedingly brilliant, ṛcīkastu Richika, vaca: these words, abravīt spoke, naraśrēṣṭha O! Best among men, aham I, kathañcana in any way, jyēṣṭham eldest one, na vikrīṇīyām will not sell.

Thus addressed the exceedingly brilliant Richika said, "O Best among men! in no way shall I sell my first born".
ṛcīkasya vacaśśrutvā tēṣāṅ mātā mahātmanām৷৷1.61.16৷৷

uvāca naraśārdūlamambarīṣaṅ tapasvinī.


ṛcīkasya Richika's, vaca: words, śrutvā having listened, mahātmanām of illustrious ones, tēṣām theirs, mātā mother, tapasvinī a woman in misery, naraśārdūlam foremost of men, ambarīṣam addressing Ambarisha, uvāca spoke.

Having heard Richika, the miserable mother of great sons, addressed Ambarisha, the foremost of men, saying:
avikrēyaṅ sutaṅ jyēṣṭhaṅ bhagavānāha bhārgava:৷৷1.61.17৷৷

mamāpi dayitaṅ viddhi kaniṣṭhaṅ śunakaṅ nṛpa!.

tasmātkanīyasaṅ putraṅ na dāsyē tava pārthiva! ৷৷1.61.18৷৷


bhagavān venerable, bhārgava: descendent of Bhrugu, sage Richika, jyēṣṭham eldest, sutam son, avikrēyam cannot be sold, āha is telling, nṛpa O! King, śunakam named Sunaka, kaniṣṭham youngest, mama for me, dayitam beloved son, viddhi you may better know, pārddhiva O! King, tasmāt for that reason, kanīyasaṅ putram yougest son, tava to you, na dāsyē I will not give.

Venerable descendant of the Bhrugus (sage Richika) said that the eldest son cannot be sold. "O King! the youngest son, Sunaka, is my beloved son. You know, O King! for that reason I will not give my yougest son".
prāyēṇa hi naraśrēṣṭha jyēṣṭhā: pitṛṣu vallabhā:.

mātṛṇāṅ tu kanīyāṅsastasmādrakṣē kanīyasam ৷৷1.61.19৷৷


naraśrēṣṭha O! Best among men, prāyēṇa generally, jyēṣṭhā: eldest sons, pitṛṣu for their fathers, vallabhā: beloved, mātṛṇāṅ tu for mothers, kanīyāṅsa: yougest are beloved, tasmāt for that reason, kanīyasam yougest son, rakṣē I shall protect.

"O Best among men! generally, the eldest sons are the favourites of their fathers, the youngest their mothers: For that reason, I shall keep my youngest son.
uktavākyē munau tasmin munipatnyāṅ tathaiva ca.

śunaśśēphassvayaṅ rāma! madhyamō vākyamabravīt৷৷1.61.20৷৷


rāma O! Rama, tasmin munau: when that sage, uktavākyē having spoken thus, tathaiva ca in the same way, munipatnyām by wife of sage, madhyama: middle son, śuna:śēpha: Sunas sepha, svayam on his own, vākyam words, abravīt spoke.

O Rama! the sage and his wife having spoken thus, their middle son Sunassepha said on his own:
pitā jyēṣṭhamavikrēyaṅ mātā cāha kanīyasam.

vikrītaṅ madhyamaṅ manyē rājan putraṅ nayasva mām৷৷1.61.21৷৷


rājan O! King, pitā my father, jyēṣṭham eldest son, avikrēyam cannot be sold, āha said, mātā ca mother, kanīyasam youngest one, madhyamaṅ putram middle son, vikrītam is sold, manyē I consider, mām me, nayasva you may take me.

O King! my father says his eldest son cannot be sold, mother says that her youngest son cannot be spared. From this I think middle son is already sold away. Therefore, take me"!
gavāṅ śatasahasrēṇa śunaśśēphaṅ narēśvara:.

gṛhītvā paramaprītō jagāma raghunandana ৷৷1.61.22৷৷


raghunandana O! Delighter of Raghus, Rama, narēśvaraḥ that king, gavām of cows, śatasahasrēṇa by hundred thousands, śunaśśēpham Sunassepha, gṛhītvā having received, paramaprīta: immensely pleased, jagāma went.

"O Delight of the Raghus (Rama)! having purchased Sunassepha for a hundred thousands of cows the king refurned immensely pleased.
ambarīṣastu rājarṣī rathamārōpya satvara:.

śunaśśēphaṅ mahātējā jagāmāśu mahāyaśā:৷৷1.61.23৷৷


mahātējā: most brilliant, mahāyaśā: highly famous, rājarṣi: Rajarshi, ambarīṣastu Ambarisha, satvara: speedily, śuna:śēpham Sunsshepha, ratham ārōpya mounting on his chariot, āśu instantly, jagāma went.

Most brilliant, illustrious rajarshi Ambarisha mounting Sunasshepha on his chariot instantly went away".
ityārṣē śrīmadrāmāyaṇē vālmīkīya ādikāvyē bālakāṇḍē ēkaṣaṣṭitamassarga:৷৷
Thus ends the sixtyfirst sarga of Balakanda of the holy Ramayana the first epic
composed by sage Valmiki.