बाल-काण्ड > राजा सगर के पुत्रों की उत्पत्ति व यज्ञ कि तय्यारी



Sage Vishvamitra narrates the legend of Sagara, the earliest King of Ayodhya and Rama's forefather, who is childlessness, but who begets sixty thousand sons of merit and one son of demerit. Emperor Sagara is the one who brought celestial Ganga onto the surface of earth..

ताम् कथाम् कौशिको रामे निवेद्य मधुर अक्षरम् |
पुनः एव अपरम् वाक्यम् काकुत्स्थम् इदम् अब्रवीत् || १-३८-१
Describing that legend of Kaartikeya to Rama, the descendent of Kaushi, namely sage Vishvamitra has further spoken this best sentence worded melodiously to Rama, the descendent of Kakutstha. [1-38-1]
अयोध्या अधिपतिः वीरः पूर्वम् आसीत् नराधिपः |
सगरो नाम धर्मात्मा प्रजाकामः स च अप्रजः || १-३८-२
"Once there was a valiant an virtue-souled king of Ayodhya named Sagara, who is without offspring, as such he was longing for offspring. [1-38-2]
वैदर्भ दुहिता राम केशिनी नाम नामतः |
ज्येष्ठा सगर पत्नी सा धर्मिष्ठा सत्य वादिनी || १-३८-३
"The daughter of King of Vidarbha, renowned by name Keshini, is the eldest wife of Sagara, and she was virtue-minded, and an advocate of truth. [1-38-3]
अरिष्ठनेमि दुहिता सुपर्ण भगिनी तु सा |
द्वितीया सगरस्य आसीत् पत्नी सुमति संज्ञिता || १-३८-४
"The daughter of Arishtanemi, namely sage Kashyapa, and who is also the sister of Garuda, the Divine-Eagle-vehicle of Vishnu, is the second wife of Sagara, who is known by the name Sumati. [1-38-4]
ताभ्याम् सह महाराजा पत्नीभ्याम् तप्तवान् तपः |
हिमवंतम् समासाद्य भृगु प्रस्रवणे गिरौ || १-३८-५
"Reaching the Himalayan Mountains along with his two wives that great King Sagara practised asceticism on a mountain called Brugu-prsravana for progeny. [1-38-5]
अथ वर्ष शते पूर्णे तपसा आराधितो मुनिः |
सगराय वरम् प्रादाद् भृगुः सत्यवताम् वरः || १-३८-६
"On completion of a hundred years of ascesis, and when the Sage Bhrugu is worshipped with asceticism, that sage who is a prominent one among the patrons of truth bestowed a boon to Sagara. [1-38-6]
अपत्य लाभः सुमहान् भविष्यति तव अनघ |
कीर्तिम् च अप्रतिमाम् लोके प्राप्स्यसे पुरुषर्षभ || १-३८-७
" 'Oh, merited one, you will achieve very admirable progeny, and oh, best one among men, you will also acquire an unparalleled renown in the world. [1-38-7]
एका जनयिता तात पुत्रम् वंशकरम् तव |
षष्टिम् पुत्र सहस्राणि अपरा जनयिष्यति || १-३८-८
" 'One of your wives will mother a son who enriches your dynasty, oh, dear sire, and the other mothers sixty thousand sons.' Said Sage Bhrigu to Sagara. [1-38-8]
भाषमाणम् महात्मानम् राज पुत्र्यौ प्रसाद्य तम् |
ऊचतुः परम प्रीते कृतांजलि पुटे तदा || १-३८-९
Highly gladdened are the daughters of kings of Vidarbha and Aristanemi, i.e., the queens of Sagara, and on making palm-fold in supplication at the sage who is speaking that way, and on gaining the grace of that sage they spoke to him. [1-38-9]
एकः कस्याः सुतो ब्रह्मन् का बहून् जनयिष्यति |
श्रोतुम् इच्छावहे ब्रह्मन् सत्यम् अस्तु वचः तव || १-३८-१०
" 'Which of us will carry one son, oh, Brahma-sage, and which of us begets numerous sons, we two wish to listen about that, oh, Brahman, let your word betide truth.' Thus, the queens of Sagara spoke to the sage. [1-38-10]
तयोः तत् वचनम् श्रुत्वा भृगुः परमधार्मिकः |
उवाच परमाम् वाणीम् स्वच्छन्दो अत्र विधीयताम् || १-३८-११
On listening their words the Sage Bhrigu spoke in a glorious tone, 'let your freewill be brought to bear this issue. [1-38-11]
एको वंश करो वा अस्तु बहवो वा महाबलाः |
कीर्तिमन्तो महोत्साहाः का वा कम् वरम् इच्छति || १-३८-१२
" 'Whether one wants one son who enriches dynasty, or whether numerous sons who will be highly energetic, highly renowned, and highly enthusiastic. Who wants which boon from either of them?' Thus, the Sage gave them the option. [1-38-12]
मुनेः तु वचनम् श्रुत्वा केशिनी रघुनंदन |
पुत्रम् वंश करम् राम जग्राह नृप संनिधौ || १-३८-१३
"On listening the words of the sage, oh, Rama, oh, delighter of Raghu's dynasty, the first queen Keshini has chosen one son who enriches the dynasty in the presence of King Sagara. [1-38-13]]
षष्टिम् पुत्र सहस्राणि सुपर्ण भगिनी तदा |
महोत्साहान् कीर्तिमतो जग्राह सुमतिः सुतान् || १-३८-१४
"Sumati, the sister of mighty-winged Garuda and the second queen of Ssagara has then chosen sixty thousand sons with great enthusiasm and high reputation. [1-38-14]
प्रदक्षिणम् ऋषिम् कृत्वा शिरसा अभिप्रणंय च |
जगाम स्व पुरम् राजा सभार्या रघु नन्दन || १-३८-१५
"On performing circumambulations to the Sage Bhrigu along with wives, oh, Raghu's scion, also on reverencing him head-bent, the king Sagara proceeded to his own city. [1-38-15]
अथ काले गते तस्मिन् ज्येष्ठा पुत्रम् व्यजायत |
असमंज इति ख्यातम् केशिनी सगरात्मजम् || १-३८-१६
"When the time rolled by then the elder wife Keshini gave birth to the son of Sagara who is reputed by the name Asamanja. [1-38-16]
सुमतिः तु नरव्याघ्र गर्भ तुंबम् व्यजायत |
षष्टिः पुत्र सहस्राणि तुंब भेदात् विनिःसृताः || १-३८-१७
"But the second queen Sumati on part, oh, tigerly-man Rama, verily delivered a round and long egg which is like a single gourd, and on breaking it up sixty thousand sons are issued forth from that cucumber like egg. [1-38-17]
घृत पूर्णेषु कुंभेषु धात्र्यः तान् समवर्धयन् |
कालेन महता सर्वे यौवनम् प्रतिपेदिरे || १-३८-१८
"The childminders brought up those siblings in vessels filled with ghee, the clarified butter, and after a protracted time all of the children have attained youthfulness. [1-38-18]
अथ दीर्घेण कालेन रूप यौवनशालिनः |
षष्टिः पुत्र सहस्राणि सगरस्य अभवन् तदा || १-३८-१९
"After a long time the sixty thousand sons of king Sagara have become youthful, and handsome in their aspects. [1-38-19]
स च ज्येष्ठो नरश्रेष्ठ सगरस्य आत्म संभवः |
बालान् गृहीत्वा तु जले सरय्वा रघुनंदन || १-३८-२०
प्रक्षिप्य प्रहसन् नित्यम् मज्जतस् तान् निरीक्ष्य वै |
But, oh, best one among men, oh, Rama, the elder son of the king Sagara, namely Asamanja, always used to grab and hurl children into the waters of River Sarayu, and on seeing the drowning children he used to enjoy with laughter. [1-38-20, 21a]
एवम् पाप समाचारः सज्जन प्रतिबाधकः || १-३८-२१
पौराणाम् अहिते युक्तः पित्रा निर्वासितः पुरात् |
This way, when that son Asamanja is with sinister activity, a torturer of goodmen, and delighter in the undesirable activities towards citizens, his father king Sagara expatriated him from the city. [1-38-21b, 22a]
तस्य पुत्रो अंशुमान् नाम असमंजस्य वीर्यवान् || १-३८-२२
सम्मतः सर्व लोकस्य सर्वस्य अपि प्रियम् वदः |
But Asamanja's son is a valorous one, who by name is Anshuman, and who is an acceptable one for all people and who fondly converses with all. [1-38 -22b, 23a]
ततः कालेन महता मतिः समभिजायत || १-३८-२३
सगरस्य नरश्रेष्ठ यजेयम् इति निश्चिता |
"Oh, best one among men, Rama, then after along time a decided thought has occurred to king Sagara that, 'I shall perform a Vedic-ritual.'[1-38-23b, 24a]
स कृत्वा निश्चयम् राजा स उपाध्याय गणः तदा |
यज्ञ कर्मणि वेदज्ञो यष्टुम् समुपचक्रमे || १-३८-२४
"That king Sagara who is an expert in Vedic-procedures has then taken a decision along with the assemblages of his religious-teachers insofar as the procedures of the ritual are concerned, and he commenced to perform the Vedic-ritual. [1-38-24b, c]
इति वाल्मीकि रामायणे आदि काव्ये बाल काण्डे अष्टा त्रिंशः सर्गः