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

विश्वामित्रो महात्माथ प्रस्थितान् प्रेक्ष्य तानृषीन्।

अब्रवीन्नरशार्दूलस्सर्वांस्तान्वनवासिन:।।1.61.1।।


नरशार्दूल O Tiger (great) among men, अथ thereafter, महात्मा magnanimous, विश्वामित्र: Visvamitra, प्रस्थितान् those who had set on their journey, वनवासिन: inhabitants of the forest, तान् सर्वान् all those, ऋषीन् sages, प्रेक्ष्य seeing, अब्रवीत् spoke.

O Tiger among men (Rama) thereafter great Viswamitra seeing the departing sages of the forest said:
महान्विघ्न: प्रवृत्तोऽयं दक्षिणामास्थितो दिशम्।

दिशमन्यां प्रपत्स्यामस्तत्र तप्स्यामहे तप:।।1.61.2।।


दक्षिणां दिशं In southern quarter, आस्थित: taking hold of, अयम् महान् this great, विघ्न: obstruction, प्रवृत्त: taken place, अन्याम् another, दिशम् region, प्रपत्स्याम: we will take, तत्र there, तप: austerities, तप्स्यामहे we will perform.

पश्चिमायां विशालायां पुष्करेषु महात्मन:।

सुखं तपश्चरिष्याम: परं तद्धि तपोवनम्।।1.61.3।।


महात्मन: O Magnanimous ones, विशालायाम् in the vast, पश्चिमायाम् western region, पुष्करेषु in the sacred spot known as Pushkara, सुखम् in peace, तप: austerities, चरिष्याम: we will perform, तत् that, परम् best, तपोवनम् हि forest.

"O Highsouled sages, there is lake Pushkara in the vast western region. There in the forest fit for austerities we shall practise penance peacefully".
एवमुक्त्वा महातेजा: पुष्करेषु महामुनि:।

तप उग्रं दुराधर्षं तेपे मूलफलाशन:।।1.61.4।।


महातेजा: exceedingly powerful, महामुनि: great muni, एवम् thus, उक्त्वा having spoken, पुष्करेषु in pushkara land, मूलफलाशन: living of fruits and roots, दुराधर्षम् unsurpassable, उग्रम् intense, तप: austerities, तेपे performed.

With this the most powerful sage Viswamitra reached Pushkara where living on fruits and roots, he carried out intense, unsurpassable, austerities.
एतस्मिन्नेव काले तु अयोध्याधिपतिर्नृप:।

अम्बरीष इति ख्यातो यष्टुं समुपचक्रमे।।1.61.5।।


एतस्मिन् at that, काले एव time itself, अम्बरीष: इति as Ambarisha, ख्यात: wellknown, अयोध्याधिपति: lord of Ayodhya, नृप: king, यष्टुम् to perform sacrifice, समुपचक्रमे commneced.

At this time Ambarisha, a wellknown king of Ayodhya, launched preparations for a sacrifice.
तस्य वै यजमानस्य पशुमिन्द्रो जहार ह।

प्रणष्टे तु पशौ विप्रो राजानमिदमब्रवीत्।।1.61.6।।


यजमानस्य the performer's, तस्य पशुम् his (sacrificial) animal, इन्द्र: Indra, जहार ह stolen away, पशौ when the animal, प्रणष्टे (सति) could not be seen, विप्र: the priest, राजानम् addressing the king, इदम् this word, अब्रवीत् 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:
पशुरद्य हृतो राजन् प्रणष्टस्तव दुर्नयात् ।

अरक्षितारं राजानं घ्नन्ति दोषा नरेश्वर ।।1.61.7।।


राजन् O King, अद्य now, पशु: animal, हृत: stolen, तव your, दुर्नयात् due to wrong policies, प्रणष्ट: could not be seen, नरेश्वर O King, अरक्षितारम् him who fails to protect, राजानम् king, दोषा: faults, घ्नन्ति 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.
प्रायश्चित्तं महद्ध्येतन्नरं वा पुरुषर्षभ ।

आनयस्व पशुं शीघ्रं यावत्कर्म प्रवर्तते।।1.61.8।।


पुरुषर्षभ O Best of men, एतत् this one, महत् great, प्रायश्चित्तम् expiation, नरं वा either man, पशुम् as beast, शीघ्रम् speedily, आनयस्व bring, कर्म the sacrifice, यावत् प्रवर्तते 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".
उपाध्यायवचश्श्रुत्वा स राजा पुरुषर्षभ।

अन्वियेष महाबुद्धि: पशुं गोभिस्सहस्रश:।।1.61.9।।


पुरुषर्षभ O Best of men, महाबुद्धि: great intellectual, स: राजा that king, उपाध्यायवच: the words of priest, श्रुत्वा having heard, सहस्रश: in thousands, गोभि: with cows, पशुम् animal, अन्वियेष 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.
देशान् जनपदांस्तां स्तान्नगराणि वनानि च।

आश्रमाणि च पुण्यानि मार्गमाणो महीपति: ।।1.61.10।।

स पुत्रसहितं तात सभार्यं रघुनन्दन ।

भृगुतुंदे समासीनमृचीकं सन्ददर्श ह।।1.61.11।।


तात O Child, रघुनन्दन delight of the house of Raghu, Rama, स: महीपति: that king, तां स्तान् many, देशान् countries, जनपदान् villages, नगराणि च cities, वनानि च forests, पुण्यानि sacred, आश्रमाणि च hermitages, मार्गमाण: searching, भृगुतुङ्दे on the Bhrigutunda mountain, पुत्रसहितम् along with his sons, सभार्यम् with his wive, समासीनम् seated, ऋचीकम् Richika, a sage, सन्ददर्श ह 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.
तमुवाच महातेजा: प्रणम्याभिप्रसाद्य च।

ब्रह्मर्षिं तपसा दीप्तं राजर्षिरमितप्रभ:।।1.61.12।।

पृष्ट्वा सर्वत्र कुशलमृचीकं तमिदं वच:।


महातेजा: most brilliant, अमितप्रभ: extremely resplendent, तपसा with penance, दीप्तम् shining, तम् ब्रह्मर्षिम् that Brahmarshi, प्रणम्य bowing before him, अभिप्रसाद्य च having propitiated him, सर्वत्र in all, कुशलम् welfare, पृष्ट्वा having enquired, तं ऋचीकम् addressing that sage Richika, इदम् these, वच: words, उवाच 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":
गवां शतसहस्रेण विक्रीणीषे सुतं यदि।।1.61.13।।

पशोरर्थे महाभाग कृतकृत्योऽस्मि भार्गव।


महाभाग भार्गव O Fortunate descendent of Bhrigu race, sage Richika, गवाम् cows, शतसहस्रेण hundred thousands, सुतम् your son, पशो: अर्थे as scrificial animal, विक्रीणीषे यदि if sold, कृतकृत्य: अस्मि 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.
सर्वे परिसृता देशा याज्ञीयं न लभे पशुम्।।1.61.14।।

दातुमर्हसि मूल्येन सुतमेकमितो मम।4


सर्वे all, देशा: countries, परिसृता: roamed about, याज्ञीयम् relating to sacrifice, पशुम् animal, न लभे I could not get, इत: from among them, एकम् one, सुतम् son, मूल्येन for a price, मम for me, दातुम् to give, अर्हसि 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"?
एवमुक्तो महातेजा ऋचीकस्त्वब्रवीद्वच:।।1.61.15।।

नाहं ज्येष्ठं नरश्रेष्ठ विक्रीणीयां कथञ्चन।


एवम् thus, उक्त: spoken, महातेजाः exceedingly brilliant, ऋचीकस्तु Richika, वच: these words, अब्रवीत् spoke, नरश्रेष्ठ O Best among men, अहम् I, कथञ्चन in any way, ज्येष्ठम् eldest one, न विक्रीणीयाम् will not sell.

Thus addressed the exceedingly brilliant Richika said, "O Best among men in no way shall I sell my first born".
ऋचीकस्य वचश्श्रुत्वा तेषां माता महात्मनाम्।।1.61.16।।

उवाच नरशार्दूलमम्बरीषं तपस्विनी।


ऋचीकस्य Richika's, वच: words, श्रुत्वा having listened, महात्मनाम् of illustrious ones, तेषाम् theirs, माता mother, तपस्विनी a woman in misery, नरशार्दूलम् foremost of men, अम्बरीषम् addressing Ambarisha, उवाच spoke.

Having heard Richika, the miserable mother of great sons, addressed Ambarisha, the foremost of men, saying:
अविक्रेयं सुतं ज्येष्ठं भगवानाह भार्गव:।।1.61.17।।

ममापि दयितं विद्धि कनिष्ठं शुनकं नृप।

तस्मात्कनीयसं पुत्रं न दास्ये तव पार्थिव ।।1.61.18।।


भगवान् venerable, भार्गव: descendent of Bhrugu, sage Richika, ज्येष्ठम् eldest, सुतम् son, अविक्रेयम् cannot be sold, आह is telling, नृप O King, शुनकम् named Sunaka, कनिष्ठम् youngest, मम for me, दयितम् beloved son, विद्धि you may better know, पार्द्धिव O King, तस्मात् for that reason, कनीयसं पुत्रम् yougest son, तव to you, न दास्ये 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".
प्रायेण हि नरश्रेष्ठ ज्येष्ठा: पितृषु वल्लभा:।

मातृ़णां तु कनीयांसस्तस्माद्रक्षे कनीयसम् ।।1.61.19।।


नरश्रेष्ठ O Best among men, प्रायेण generally, ज्येष्ठा: eldest sons, पितृषु for their fathers, वल्लभा: beloved, मातृ़णां तु for mothers, कनीयांस: yougest are beloved, तस्मात् for that reason, कनीयसम् yougest son, रक्षे 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.
उक्तवाक्ये मुनौ तस्मिन् मुनिपत्न्यां तथैव च।

शुनश्शेफस्स्वयं राम मध्यमो वाक्यमब्रवीत्।।1.61.20।।


राम O Rama, तस्मिन् मुनौ: when that sage, उक्तवाक्ये having spoken thus, तथैव च in the same way, मुनिपत्न्याम् by wife of sage, मध्यम: middle son, शुन:शेफ: Sunas sepha, स्वयम् on his own, वाक्यम् words, अब्रवीत् spoke.

O Rama the sage and his wife having spoken thus, their middle son Sunassepha said on his own:
पिता ज्येष्ठमविक्रेयं माता चाह कनीयसम्।

विक्रीतं मध्यमं मन्ये राजन् पुत्रं नयस्व माम्।।1.61.21।।


राजन् O King, पिता my father, ज्येष्ठम् eldest son, अविक्रेयम् cannot be sold, आह said, माता च mother, कनीयसम् youngest one, मध्यमं पुत्रम् middle son, विक्रीतम् is sold, मन्ये I consider, माम् me, नयस्व 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"
गवां शतसहस्रेण शुनश्शेफं नरेश्वर:।

गृहीत्वा परमप्रीतो जगाम रघुनन्दन ।।1.61.22।।


रघुनन्दन O Delighter of Raghus, Rama, नरेश्वरः that king, गवाम् of cows, शतसहस्रेण by hundred thousands, शुनश्शेफम् Sunassepha, गृहीत्वा having received, परमप्रीत: immensely pleased, जगाम went.

"O Delight of the Raghus (Rama) having purchased Sunassepha for a hundred thousands of cows the king refurned immensely pleased.
अम्बरीषस्तु राजर्षी रथमारोप्य सत्वर:।

शुनश्शेफं महातेजा जगामाशु महायशा:।।1.61.23।।


महातेजा: most brilliant, महायशा: highly famous, राजर्षि: Rajarshi, अम्बरीषस्तु Ambarisha, सत्वर: speedily, शुन:शेफम् Sunsshepha, रथम् आरोप्य mounting on his chariot, आशु instantly, जगाम went.

Most brilliant, illustrious rajarshi Ambarisha mounting Sunasshepha on his chariot instantly went away".
इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीय आदिकाव्ये बालकाण्डे एकषष्टितमस्सर्ग:।।
Thus ends the sixtyfirst sarga of Balakanda of the holy Ramayana the first epic
composed by sage Valmiki.