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[Dasaratha requests Rsyasringa to perform the sacrificethe priests order him to procure necessary materials and to release the sacificial horse--Dasaratha orders his ministers to get the preparations done.]

तत: काले बहुतिथे कस्मिंश्चित्सुमनोहरे।

वसन्ते समनुप्राप्ते राज्ञो यष्टुं मनोऽभवत्।।1.12.1।।


तत: afterwards, बहुतिथे काले after a lapse of long time, सुमनोहरे charming, कस्मिंश्चित् some time, वसन्ते spring season, समनुप्राप्ते having arrived, राज्ञ: for the king, यष्टुम् to perform sacrifice, मन: अभवत् desire arose.

After a long time, at the advent of charming spring a desire arose in the mind of the king (Dasaratha) to perform the sacrifice.
तत: प्रसाद्य शिरसा तं विप्रं देववर्णिनम्।

यज्ञाय वरयामास सन्तानार्थं कुलस्य वै।।1.12.2।।


तत: then, देववर्णिनम् effulgent like a celestial being, विप्रम् that brahmin, शिरसा bowing his head low in respect, प्रसाद्य having won his grace, कुलस्य of the dynasty, सन्तानार्थम् for preserving uninterrupted continuity, यज्ञाय to perform sacrifice, वरयामास appointed him as official priest to preside over the ceremony.

Then bowing his head in respect to that brahmin who was effulgent like a celestial and having won his grace he chose him to conduct a sacrifice for a son for (the continuity of) his dynasty.
तथेति च स राजानमुवाच च सुसत्कृत:।

सम्भारा सम्भ्रियन्तां ते तुरगश्च विमुच्यताम्।।1.12.3।।


सुसत्कृत: wellhonoured, स: that brahmin, तथेति be it so, राजानम् king, उवाच said, सम्भारा: requisite materials, सम्भ्रियन्ताम् be procured, ते your, तुरग: sacrificial horse, विमुच्यताम् च let it be released.

The wellhonoured brahmin agreed, saying, "Be it so, let the requisite materials be procured and the sacificial horse, released".
ततो राजाऽब्रवीद्वाक्यं सुमन्त्रं मन्त्रिसत्तमम्।

सुमन्त्रावाहय क्षिप्रं ऋत्विजो ब्रह्मवादिन:।।1.12.4।।

सुयज्ञं वामदेवं च जाबालिमथ काश्यपम्।

पुरोहितं वसिष्ठं च ये चान्ये द्विजसत्तमा:।।1.12.5।।


तत: thereafter, राजा king, मन्त्रिसत्तमम् best of ministers, सुमन्त्रम् Sumantra, वाक्यम् words, अब्रवीत् spoke, सुमन्त्र: O Sumantra, क्षिप्रम् immediately, ब्रह्मवादिन: wellversed in vedas, ऋत्विज: official priests, सुयज्ञम् Suyajna, वामदेवम् च Vamadeva, जाबालिम् Jabali, अथ and, काश्यपम् Kashyapa, पुरोहितं वसिष्ठं च family priest Vasistha, अन्ये other, द्विजसत्तमा: foremost among brahmins, आवाहय summon.

Thereafter the king said to Sumantra, "Summon immediately, Suyajna, Vamadeva, Jabali and Kasyapa, family priest Vasishta and other foremost and learned brahmins who are the official priests wellversed in the Vedas".
ततस्सुमन्त्रस्त्वरितं गत्वा त्वरितविक्रम:।

समानयत्स तान्विप्रान् समस्तान्वेदपारगान्।।1.12.6।।


तत: thereupon, त्वरितविक्रम: a man with swift movements, स: सुमन्त्र: that Sumantra, त्वरितम् immediately, गत्वा had gone, वेदपारगान् mastered fully vedas, समस्तान् gathering together, तान् विप्रान् all of those brahmins, समानयत् brought.

Then Sumantra, a man of smart movement went immediately and brought all those brahmins who were wellversed in the Vedas.
तान्पूजयित्वा धर्मात्मा राजा दशरथस्तदा।

धर्मार्थसहितं युक्तं श्लक्ष्णं वचनमब्रवीत्।।1.12.7।।


धर्मात्मा virtuous, दशरथ: राजा king Dasaratha, तदा then, तान् them, पूजयित्वा after paying respects, धर्मार्थसहितम् full of truth and duty, श्लक्ष्णम् gracious, (इदं) युक्तं वचनम् these words, अब्रवीत् uttered.

After paying respect to them (learned brahmins), virtuous king Dasaratha graciously uttered these words charged with dharma and artha.
मम लालप्यमानस्य पुत्रार्थं नास्ति वै सुखम्।

तदर्थं हयमेधेन यक्ष्यामीति मतिर्मम।।1.12.8।।


पुत्रार्थम् to have sons, लालप्यमानस्य suffering from intense sorrow, मम for me, सुखम् happiness, नास्ति वै not there, तदर्थं for that reason, (अहम् I), हयमेधेन यक्ष्यामि I shall perform HorseSacrifice, इति thus, मम my, मति: intention.

"There is no happiness for me. I am overwhelmed with grief as I have no son. Therefore, I intend to perform a horsesacrifice.
तदहं यष्टुमिच्छामि शास्त्रदृष्टेन कर्मणा।

ऋषिपुत्रप्रभावेन कामान्प्राप्स्यामि चाप्यहम्।।1.12.9।।


तत् for that reason, शास्त्रदृष्टेन कर्मणा according to scriptural procedures, यष्टुं इच्छामि desirous of performing sacrifice, ऋषिपुत्रप्रभावेन by the grace of sage Rishyashringa, अहम् I, कामान् desires, प्राप्स्यामि च will obtain.

I wish to perform the yaga acording to scriptural procedures. And I will have my desire fulfilled by the grace of the sage (Rsyasringa)".
ततस्साध्विति तद्वाक्यं ब्राह्मणा: प्रत्यपूजयन्।

वसिष्ठप्रमुखास्सर्वे पार्थिवस्य मुखाच्च्युतम्।।1.12.10।।


तत: then, वसिष्ठप्रमुखा: Vasishta and others, ब्राह्मणा: brahmins, सर्वे all, पार्थिवस्य king's, मुखात् from the mouth, च्युतम् delivered, तत् वाक्यम those words, साधु इति well said, प्रत्यपूजयन् extolled.

When they heard these words from the king's month, those brahmins heades by Vasishta extolled the king's decision exclaiming, "wellsaid":
ऋष्यशृङ्गपुरोगाश्च प्रत्यूचुर्नृपतिं तदा।

सम्भारास्सम्भ्रियन्तां ते तुरगश्च विमुच्यताम्।।1.12.11।।


ऋष्यशृङ्गपुरोगा: priests led by Rsyashringa, तदा then, नृपतिम् addressing king, प्रत्यूचु: replied, सम्भारा: sacrificial articles, सम्भ्रियन्ताम् be procured, ते your, तुरग: sacrificial horse, विमुच्यतां च be released.

The priests led by Rsyasringa replied to the king, saying, "Let the sacrificial articles be procured and your sacrificial horse released."
सर्वथा प्राप्स्यसे पुत्रांश्चत्वारोऽमितविक्रमान्।

यस्य ते धार्मिकी बुद्धिरियं पुत्रार्थमागता ।।1.12.12।।


यस्य ते for you whose, पुत्रार्थम् for begetting children, इयम् this, धार्मिकी बुद्धि: righteous thought, आगता having come to your mind, सर्वथा surely, अमितविक्रमान् men of immense prowess, चत्वार: four, पुत्रान् sons, प्राप्स्यसे shall you get.

"Since this righteous thought for begetting children has entered your mind, you shall surely get four sons of immense prowess".
तत: प्रीतोऽभवद्राजा श्रुत्वा तद्विजभाषितम्।

अमात्यांश्चाब्रवीद्राजा हर्षेणेदं शुभाक्षरम्।।1.12.13।।


तत: thereafter, राजा king, द्विजभाषितम् brahmin's words, श्रुत्वा having heard, प्रीत: अभवत् felt happy, राजा king, हर्षेण with delight, शुभाक्षरम् containing auspicious letters, इदं this, अब्रवीत् spoke.

Pleased to hear the brahmins' words, the king happily addressed his ministers with auspicious words:
गुरूणां वचनाच्छीघ्रं सम्भारास्सम्भ्रियन्तु मे।

समर्थाधिष्ठितश्चाश्वस्सोपाध्यायो विमुच्यताम्।।1.12.14।।


(इह now), मे गुरूणाम् my spiritual preceptors', वचनात् words, सम्भारा: articles required for performing the sacrifice, सम्भ्रियन्तु be procured, समर्थाधिष्ठित: under the protection of warriors, सोपाध्याय: along with main priest, अश्व: horse, विमुच्यताम् be released.

"In accordance with the instructions by my spiritual preceptors let the articles (required for performing the sacrifice) be procured and the horse released under the protection of warriors accompanied by the chief priest".
सरय्वाश्चोत्तरे तीरे यज्ञभूमिर्विधीयताम्।

शान्तयश्चाभिवर्धन्तां यथाकल्पं यथाविधि।।1.12.15।।


सरय्वा: of river Sarayu, उत्तरे तीरे on the northern bank, यज्ञभूमि: sacrificial pavillion, विधीयताम् be constructed, यथाकल्पम् according to prescribed ritual code, यथाविधि according to the scriptural stipulation, शान्तयश्च expiatory rites, अभिवर्धन्ताम् may be wished.

Let a sacrificial pavillion be constructed on the northern bank of Sarayu according to prescribed methods ordained in the 'kalpa' and other scriptures for the uninterrupted completion of the sacrifice.
शक्य: प्राप्तुमयं यज्ञस्सर्वेणापि महीक्षिता।

नापराधो भवेत्कष्टो यद्यस्मिन्क्रतुसत्तमे।।1.12.16।।


अस्मिन् In this, क्रतुसत्तमे best of sacifices, कष्ट: difficulties, अपराध: omissions, न भवेत् यदि does not happen, अयं यज्ञ: this sacrifice, सर्वेणापि महीक्षिता indeed by every king, प्राप्तुम् to obtain, शक्य: possible.

If in this best of sacrifices aswamedha, obstructions and omissions do not occur it will be possible for the king to get the results.
छिद्रं हि मृगयन्तेऽत्र विद्वांसो ब्रह्मराक्षसा:।

निहतस्य च यज्ञस्य सद्य: कर्ता विनश्यति।।1.12.17।।


अत्र in this sacrifice, विद्वांस: learned men, ब्रह्मराक्षसा: brahma rakshasas(celestial beings turned into demons), छिद्रम् flaw, मृगयन्ते हि will be looking out for, निहतस्य struck down, यज्ञस्य of sacrifice, कर्ता च the doer, सद्य: immediately, विनश्यति will be destroyed.

The learned brahmarakshasas always look out for flaws in the sacrifice so that they can strike into it. If the sacrifice is damaged, the doer of the sacrifice will be immediately destroyed.
तद्यथा विधिपूर्वं मे क्रतुरेष समाप्यते।

तथा विधानं क्रियतां समर्था: करणेष्विह।।1.12.18।।


तत् for that reason, मे my, एष: क्रतु: this sacifice, विधिपूर्वम् in accordance with scriptures, यथा समाप्यते as it could be completed, तथा in that manner, विधानम् arrangement, क्रियताम् may be done, इह(You) here, करणेषु in actions, समर्था: experts.

Therefore let the arrangements be made in a manner by which this sacifice is completed in accordance with the prescriptions in scriptures and you are experts in doing so".
तथेति च ततस्सर्वे मन्त्रिण: प्रत्यपूजयन्।

पार्थिवेन्द्रस्य तद्वाक्यं यथाज्ञप्तमकुर्वत।।1.12.19।।


तत: then, मन्त्रिण: ministers, सर्वे all, पार्थिवेन्द्रस्य of that king's, तथेति let it be so, प्रत्यपूजयन् honoured, यथाज्ञप्तम् as ordered, अकुर्वत performed.

Honouring the words of the king, all the ministers did as ordered.
ततो द्विजास्ते धर्मज्ञमस्तुवन्पार्थिवर्षभम्।

अनुज्ञातास्ततस्सर्वे पुनर्जग्मुर्यथागतम्।।1.12.20।।


तत: after that, ते द्विजा: those brahmins, धर्मज्ञम् knower of righteousness, पार्थिवर्षभम् great king, अस्तुवन् praised, अनुज्ञाता: having been permitted, तत: from there, पुन: again, यथागतम् in the manner as they came, जग्मु: returned.

Admiring the great king, the knower of righteousness, the brahmins permitted by him returned to their places as they had some.
गतेष्वथ द्विजाग्य्रेषु मन्त्रिणस्तान्नराधिप:।

विसर्जयित्वा स्वं वेश्म प्रविवेश महाद्युति:।।1.12.21।।


अथ thereafter, द्विजाग्य्रेषु when great brahmins, गतेषु (सत्सु) had departed, महाद्युति: great and glorious, नराधिप: king, मन्त्रिण: those ministers, विसर्जयित्वा having sent them, स्वं वेश्म his palace, प्रविवेश entered.

When the great brahmins departed, the glorious king (Dasaratha) sent away his ministers and entered his palace.
इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीय आदिकाव्ये बालकाण्डे द्वादशस्सर्ग:।।2
Thus ends the twelfth sarga of Balakanda of the holy Ramayana the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.