Sloka & Translation

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[ Accompanied by Rama and Lakshmana, Viswamitra reaches the hermitage of Kama at the confluence of Sarayu and Ganga.]

prabhātāyāṅ tu śarvaryāṅ viśvāmitrō mahāmuni:.

abhyabhāṣata kākutsthau śayānau parṇasaṅstarē৷৷1.23.1৷৷


śarvaryām when the night, prabhātāyām turned into day break, mahāmuni: eminent ascetic, viśvāmitra: Visvamitra, parṇasaṅstarē in the bed of leaves, śayānau lying down, kākutsthau Rama and Lakshmana, abhyabhāṣata spoke.

When the night turned into day-break, the eminent ascetic Viswamitra, addressing the descendants of Kakutstha (Rama and Lakshmana) who were lying on a bed of leaves said:
kausalyā suprajā rāma! pūrvā sandhyā pravartatē.

uttiṣṭha naraśārdūla! kartavyaṅ daivamāhnikam৷৷1.23.2৷৷


kaisalyā suprajā: O!Beloved son of Kausalya, (a son by whom Kausalya became a blessed mother), rāma O!Rama, pūrvā sandhyā the day-break, pravartatē is commencing ,naraśārdūla O!Best among men, uttiṣṭha awake (fromsleep), daivam oblations to gods, āhnikam religious rite to be performed every day at a fixed hour, kartavyam are required to be done.

"O beloved son of Kausalya, O Rama! the day dawns. O best among men, awake, oblations to gods and other sacred rites are required to be performed".
tasyarṣē: paramōdāraṅ vacaśśrutvā nṛpātmajau .

snātvā kṛtōdakau vīrau jēpatu: paramaṅ japam৷৷1.23.3৷৷


vīrau endowed with heroism, nṛpātmajau the two princes, tasya ṛṣē: that rishi's, paramōdāram highly generous, vaca: words, śrutvā having heard, snātvā having bathed, kṛtōdakau offered oblations of waters(to Sun-god standing in the water), paramam holy, japam tapa, jēpatu: recited.

On hearing the very affectionate call of Viswamitra both the brave princes had their bath and offered oblations to Sun-god (standing in the water) and recited the holy name of the Lord.
kṛtāhnikau mahāvīryau viśvāmitraṅ tapōdhanam.

abhivādyābhisaṅhṛṣṭau gamanāyābhitasthatu:৷৷1.23.4৷৷


mahāvīryau both(brothers)exceedingly powerful, kṛtāhnikau having performed daily rites, abhisaṅhṛṣṭau highly energetic, tapōdhanam a sage with asceticism as wealth, viśvāmitram Visvamitra, abhivādya having prostrated before him with reverence, gamanāya for their onward journey, abhitasthatu: both of them stood ready before him.

On performing the morning rites, the two highly powerful and and energetic princes stood before Viswamitra who was richly endowed with asceticism. They prostrated before him. And stood ready for their onward journey.
tau prayātau mahāvīryau divyāṅ tripathagāṅ nadīm.

dadṛśātē tatastatra sarayvāssaṅgamē śubhē৷৷1.23.5৷৷


tata: thereafter, mahāvīryau tau those two endowed with great prowess, prayātau (they)having gone a little further, tatra there, śubhē by the holy, sarayvā: river Sarayu, saṅgamē in the confluence (with river Ganga), divyāṅ divine, tripathagāṅ flowing in three branches, nadīm river, dadṛśātē saw.

Thereafter, having gone a little further both the heroic brothers looked at the confluence of holy Sarayu with divine Ganga divided into three branches.
tatrāśramapadaṅ puṇyamṛṣīṇāmagyratējasām .

bahuvarṣasahasrāṇi tapyatāṅ paramaṅ tapa:৷৷1.23.6৷৷


tatra there, bahuvarṣasahasrāṇi for many thousands of years, paramam utmost, tapa: austerities, tapyatām while performing austerities, agyratējasām sages of topmost vital power, ṛṣīṇām of the anchorites, puṇyam sacred, āśramapadam hermitage.

There they saw a sacred hermitage of anchorites of great vitality performing severe austerities for thousands of years.
taṅ dṛṣṭvā paramaprītau rāghavau puṇyamāśramam.

ūcatustaṅ mahātmānaṅ viśvāmitramidaṅ vaca:৷৷1.23.7৷৷


tam that, puṇyam sacred, āśramam hermitage, dṛṣṭvā having seen, paramaprītau exceedingly delighted, rāghavau the two princes of Raghu race, mahātmānam illustrious sage, taṅ viśvāmitram addressing Visvamitra, idam vaca: these words, ūcatu: said.

Exceedingly delighted to see the sacred hermitage, the two princes enquired from the illustrious sage Viswamitra:
kasyāyamāśrama: puṇya: kōnvasminvasatē pumān.

bhagavan! śrōtumicchāva: paraṅ kautūhalaṅ hi nau৷৷1.23.8৷৷


bhagavan O! Worshipful one, ayam this, puṇya:āśrama: sacred hermitage, kasya whose, asmin in this, ka: nu who indeed, pumān man, vasatē lives, śrōtum to hear, icchāva: we both are desirous, nau for both of us, param keenly, kautūhalaṅ hi curiosity.

"O worshipful one, whose sacred hermitage is this? Who lives here? Indeed, we are curious to know".
tayōstadvacanaṅ śrutvā prahasya munipuṅgava:.

abravīcchrūyatāṅ rāma! yasyāyaṅ pūrva āśrama:৷৷1.23.9 ৷৷


munipuṅgava: the foremost of sages, tayō: theirs, tat vacanam those words, śrutvā having heard, prahasya after gently smiling, abravīt said, pūrva: in the days past, ayam āśrama: this heritage, yasya whose, śrūyatām let it be heard.

On having heard their words, the foremost of sages gently smiled and said, "O Rama! listen, who this hermitage belonged to in the past".
kandarpō mūrtimānāsītkāma ityucyatē budhai:.

tapasyantamiha sthāṇuṅ niyamēna samāhitam৷৷1.23.10৷৷

kṛtōdvāhaṅ tu dēvēśaṅ gacchantaṅ samarudgagaṇam.

dharṣayāmāsa durmēdhā huṅkṛtaśca mahātmanā৷৷1.23.11৷৷


kandarpa: Kandarpa also known as Manmatha, mūrtimān incarnated in human form, āsīt lived, budhai: by the learned, kāma: iti ucyatē is called Kama, durmēdhā: foolish minded, iha here, tapasyantam while doing penance, niyamēna in accordance with rules, samāhitam absorbed in meditation, kṛtōdvāham with his newly wedded wife, samarudgagaṇam accompanied by maruts, gacchantam wending his way, dēvēśam lord of deities, sthāṇum Siva, dharṣayāmāsa opposed him, mahātmanā by Lord Siva, huṅkṛtaśca roared in menacing sound.

"Kandarpa (the god of love) once lived here in human form. He is called Kama by the learned. The wicked Kama on his way with the maruts (god of wind) insulted Siva, the god of gods, while he was absorbed in austere meditation along with his newly wedded consort. On seeing Kama Lord Siva roared at him (menacingly).
avadagdhasya raudrēṇa cakṣuṣā raghunandana!.

vyaśīryanta śarīrātsvātsarvagātrāṇi durmatē:৷৷1.23.12৷৷


raghunandana O! Descendent of Raghu, raudrēṇa with fierce, cakṣuṣā (third)eye, avadagdhasya he was burnt down, durmatē: of the evil intentioned Kama, svāt from his own, śarīrāt body, sarvagātrāṇi all the limbs, vyaśīryanta were consumed.

"O descendant of Raghu, burnt down by his fierce (third) eye, all the limbs of the body of that evil-minded Kama were consumed.
tasya gātraṅ hataṅ tatra nirdagthasya mahātmanā.

aśarīra: kṛta: kāma: krōdhāddēvēśvarēṇa hi৷৷1.23.13৷৷


mahātmanā by that lord Siva, nirdagthasya having burnt down totally, tasya his, gātram body, tatra there, hatam disappeared, dēvēśvarēṇa by the lord of devatas, krōdhāt because of wrath, kāma: Kama, aśarīra: disembodied, kṛta: had been made.

Having been completely burnt down by Lord Siva, Kama's body was destroyed. Mighty angry, Siva, reduced Kama to a 'disembodied being.
anaṅga iti vikhyātastadāprabhṛti rāghava!.

sa cāṅgaviṣayaśśrīmānyatrāṅgaṅ pramumōca ha৷৷1.23.14৷৷


rāghava O! Rama, tadāprabhṛti from that time onwards, anaṅga iti as Ananga, vikhyāta: had become well-known, yatra where, aṅgam body, pramumōca ha he gave up, sa:ca that place, śrīmān beautiful, aṅgaviṣaya: Ananga desa, vikhyāta: famed.

O descendant of the Raghus, from that time onwards, he was known as 'Ananga' (one without form). The beautiful place where he gave up his body is known as Angadesa.
tasyāyamāśrama: puṇyastasyēmē munaya: purā.

śiṣyā dharmaparā nityaṅ tēṣāṅ pāpaṅ na vidyatē৷৷1.23.15৷৷


ayam this, tasya his, puṇya: holy, āśrama: hermitage, purā formerly, tasya his, śiṣyā: disciples, imē munaya: these ascetics, nityam always, dharmaparā: righteous, tēṣām for them, pāpam sin, na vidyatē does not accrue.

This holy hermitage belongs to Kama. These ascetics are his disciples. They are always righteous and are free from sin.
ihādya rajanīṅ rāma! vasēma śubhadarśana.

puṇyayōssaritōrmadhyē śvastariṣyāmahē vayam৷৷1.23.16৷৷


śubhadarśana O!Auspicious looking one, rāma Rama, vayam we, adya today, rajanīm this night, iha here, puṇyayō: of both the sacred, saritō: rivers, madhyē in the midst, vasēma shall stay, śva: tomorrow, tariṣyāmahē cross over.

O auspicious-looking Rama, we will stay here tonight at the confluence of both these sacred rivers (Sarayu and Ganga) and cross over Ganga tomorrow.
abhigacchāmahē sarvē śucaya: puṇyamāśramam.

snātāśca kṛtajapyāśca hutahavyā narōttama!৷৷1.23.17৷৷


narōttama O! Chief of men, sarvē all of us, snātāśca have taken bath, kṛtajapyāśca have performed Japa (muttering god's sacred name severally), hutahavyā: offered oblations in fire, śucaya: pure, puṇyam pious, āśramam hermitage, abhigacchāmahē we will enter.

O best of men, after morning ablutions offering oblations to the sacred fire, all of us sanctified will enter this pious hermitage".
tēṣāṅ saṅvadatāṅ tatra tapōdīrghēṇa cakṣuṣā.

vijñāya paramaprītā munayō harṣamāgaman৷৷1.23.18৷৷


tatra there, tēṣām they, saṅvadatām were conversing, munaya: ascetics, tapōdīrghēṇa with their far- reaching austerities, cakṣuṣā vision, vijñāya having recognised them, paramaprītā: immensely pleased, harṣam delight, āgaman obtained.

As they were conversing thus, the ascetics, with their far reaching spiritual vision (beyond the veil of time) recognised them and were immensely pleased.
arghyaṅ pādyaṅ tathā.tithyaṅ nivēdya kuśikātmajē.

rāmalakṣmaṇayō: paścādakurvannatithikriyām৷৷1.23.19৷৷


arghyam respectable offerings, pādyam water for washing feet, tathā and, ātithyam hospitality, kuśikātmajē to Visvamitra, nivēdya having offered, paścāt thereafter, rāmalakṣmaṇayō: for Rama and Lakshmana, atithikriyām acts of hospitality, akurvan performed.

After extending hospitality to the son of Kusika (Viswamitra) with respectful offerings, and water for washing feet they played the host to Rama and Lakshmana.
satkāraṅ samanuprāpya kathābhirabhirañjayan.

yathārhamajapan sandhyāmṛṣayastē samāhitā:৷৷1.23.20৷৷


satkāram hospitality, samanuprāpya having received, kathābhi: with their conversation, abhirañjayan delighted, tē ṛṣaya: those rishis, samāhitā: with composed minds, yathārham in accordance with tradition, sandhyām evening prayers, ajapan recited.

Having received due hospitality, they delighted them (ascetics) with their talk. The rishis with composed minds recited their evening prayer as usual.
tatra vāsibhirānītā munibhissuvratai: saha.

nyavasan susukhaṅ tatra kāmāśramapadē tadā৷৷1.23.21৷৷


tatra there, vāsibhi: by the residents, suvratai: by those faithful to their vows, munibhi: ascetics, saha along with them, ānītā: having been brought, tadā then, tatra there, kāmāśramapadē in Kama's hermitage, susukham happily, nyavasan dwelt .

The ascetics who resided there, faithful to their vows, took them in. There they staed happily in Kama's hermitage.
kathābhirabhirāmābhirabhirāmau nṛpātmajau.

ramayāmāsa dharmātmā kauśikō munipuṅgava:৷৷1.23.22৷৷


dharmātmā the magnanimous, munipuṅgava: foremost of ascetics, kauśika: son of Kusika, abhirāmau charming, nṛpātmajau princes, abhirāmābhi: by enchanting, kathābhi: tales, ramayāmāsa delighted them.

Foremost among the ascetics the son of Kusika (Viswamitra) delighted the charming princes with enchanting tales.
ityārṣē śrīmadrāmāyaṇē vālmīkīya ādikāvyē bālakāṇḍē trayōviṅśassarga:৷৷
Thus ends the twentythird sarga of Balakanda of the holy Ramayana the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.