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Baala Kaanda - Sarga 69
In this Sarga, Daṡaratha, along with his Gurus, ministers and armies travels to Mithilā. Janaka feels very happy to see Daṡaratha. After exchanging pleasantries, Janaka proposes that the marriage be performed on the following day and Daṡaratha agrees.
1.69.1 ததோ ராத்ர்யாம் வ்யதீதாயாம் ஸோபாத்யாய: ஸபாந்தவ: ।
ராஜா தஸரதோ ஹ்ருஷ்ட: ஸுமந்த்ரமிதமப்ரவீத் ॥
tatō rātryāṃ vyatītāyāṃ sōpādhyāyaḥ sabāndhavaḥ ।
rājā daṡarathō hṛṣṭaḥ sumantramidamabravīt ॥
After the night passed, the king Daṡaratha,
along with his Gurus and relatives, said to Sumantra: The seeds of what makes the Rāmāyaṇa, well, the Rāmāyaṇa, are sown towards the end of the previous Sarga and this Sarga.
Notice that in these Sargas, Daṡaratha consults only with the Gurus and Purōhitas and not with his wives. Not only that, all through the rest of this Bāla Kāṇḍa, even through the wedding process, you would not see a mention of Kousalya, Sumitrā or Kaikēyee.
What does this signify? This shows that Rāma's marriage is more a social and stately affair than a family affair. From the perspective of a common man, this would certainly seem odd and weird. But life at higher echelons, just like on the higher elevations of mountains, takes a different form.
Marriages between princely families have the potential to bring both peace as well as distress to the respective kingdoms.
Hence, royal marriages, often mean more to the populace in and around the respective states than to the very people who are getting married and to their kith and kin.
(This is akin to the anxiety of communities, ancillary industries and small businesses at the time of a proposed merger between two giant corporations of the world. Such mergers could easily uproot the business models of many businesses and sap the life out of many communities.)
Rāmāyaṇa is the story of the kings of Raghu dynasty, who held not only the welfare, but also the opinions of their subjects above and beyond their own personal comforts and familial relationships.
1.69.2 அத்ய ஸர்வே தநாத்யக்ஷா தநமாதாய புஷ்கலம் ।
வ்ரஜந்த்வக்ரே ஸுவிஹிதா நாநாரத்நஸமந்விதா: ॥
adya sarvē dhanādhyakṣā dhanamādāya puṣkalam ।
vrajantvagrē suvihitā nānāratnasamanvitāḥ ॥
Let all the treasurers get well prepared
with abundant quantity of money and precious stones
and start ahead of us.
1.69.3 சதுரங்கம் பலம் சாபி ஸீக்ரம் நிர்யாது ஸர்வஸ: ।
மமாஜ்ஞாஸமகாலம் ச யாநயுக்யமநுத்தமம் ॥
caturaṅgaṃ balaṃ cāpi ṡīghraṃ niryātu sarvaṡaḥ ।
mamājñāsamakālaṃ ca yānayugyamanuttamam ॥
May all the four forces of the army from all directions
and all of the best of vehicles
be made ready to start at my signal.
1.69.4-5 வஸிஷ்டோ வாமதேவஸ்ச ஜாபாலிரத காஸ்யப: ।
மார்கண்டேய: ஸுதீர்காயுர்ருஷி: காத்யாயநஸ்ததா ॥
ஏதே த்விஜா: ப்ரயாந்த்வக்ரே ஸ்யந்தநம் யோஜயஸ்வ மே ।
யதா காலாத்யயோ ந ஸ்யாத்தூதா ஹி த்வரயந்தி மாம் ॥
vasiṣṭhō vāmadēvaṡca jābāliratha kāṡyapaḥ ।
mārkaṇḍēyaḥ sudīrghāyurṛṣiḥ kātyāyanastathā ॥
ētē dvijāḥ prayāntvagrē syandanaṃ yōjayasva mē ।
yathā kālātyayō na syāddūtā hi tvarayanti mām ॥
May Brāhmaṇas, Vasishṭha, Vāmadēva, Jābāli, Kāṡyapa,
and Mārkaṇḍēya of great life span,
and the Ṛshi Katyāyana start ahead of me.
May my chariot be made ready.
Do everything possible so that we do not lose any time.
The envoys are urging me to be expedient.
1.69.6 வசநாத்து நரேந்த்ரஸ்ய ஸா ஸேநா சதுரங்கிணீ ।
ராஜாநம்ருஷிபி: ஸார்த்தம் வ்ரஜந்தம் ப்ருஷ்டதோऽந்வகாத் ॥
vacanāttu narēndrasya sā sēnā caturaṅgiṇī ।
rājānamṛṣibhiḥ sārddhaṃ vrajantaṃ pṛṣṭhatō'nvagāt ॥
The four forces of the army then followed
the king who was accompanied by the Ṛshis.
1.69.7 கத்வா சதுரஹம் மார்கம் விதேஹாநப்யுபேயிவாந் ।
ராஜா து ஜநக: ஸ்ரீமாந் ஸ்ருத்வா பூஜாமகல்பயத் ॥
gatvā caturahaṃ mārgaṃ vidēhānabhyupēyivān ।
rājā tu janakaḥ ṡrīmān ṡrutvā pūjāmakalpayat ॥
After traveling for four days, they
reached the kingdom of Vidēha.
The well-endowed and charitable Janaka
arranged for hospitalities all along the way.
1.69.8 ததோ ராஜாநமாஸாத்ய வ்ருத்தம் தஸரதம் ந்ருபம் ।
ஜநகோ முதிதோ ராஜா ஹர்ஷம் ச பரமம் யயௌ ॥
tatō rājānamāsādya vṛddhaṃ daṡarathaṃ nṛpam ।
janakō muditō rājā harṣaṃ ca paramaṃ yayau ॥
The pleased king Janaka then met with
the aged king Daṡaratha and felt very happy.
1.69.9 உவாச ச நரஸ்ரேஷ்டோ நரஸ்ரேஷ்டம் முதாந்வித: ।
ஸ்வாகதம் தே மஹாராஜ திஷ்ட்யா ப்ராப்தோऽஸி ராகவ ।
புத்ரயோருபயோ: ப்ரீதிம் லப்ஸ்யஸே வீர்யநிர்ஜிதாம் ॥
uvāca ca naraṡrēṣṭhō naraṡrēṣṭhaṃ mudānvitaḥ ।
svāgataṃ tē mahārāja diṣṭyā prāptō'si rāghava ।
putrayōrubhayōḥ prītiṃ lapsyasē vīryanirjitām ॥
The very pleased, best among men (Janaka)
said to the best among men (Daṡaratha):
O great king! Welcome to you, the king of Raghu dynasty!
It is my great fortune that you are here!
You would be very happy to see both your sons
who triumphed due to their valor.
1.69.10 திஷ்ட்யா ப்ராப்தோ மஹாதேஜா வஸிஷ்டோ பகவாந்ருஷி: ।
ஸஹ ஸர்வைர்த்விஜஸ்ரேஷ்டைர்தேவைரிவ ஸதக்ரது: ॥
diṣṭyā prāptō mahātējā vasiṣṭhō bhagavānṛṣiḥ ।
saha sarvairdvijaṡrēṣṭhairdēvairiva ṡatakratuḥ ॥
It is my fortune that the supremely radiant
Bhagawan and Ṛshi Vasishṭha has come here
along with all the great Brāhmaṇas,
like Indra along with all the Dēvas.
1.69.11 திஷ்ட்யா மே நிர்ஜிதா விக்நா திஷ்ட்யா மே பூஜிதம் குலம் ।
ராகவை: ஸஹ ஸம்பந்தாத்வீர்யஸ்ரேஷ்டைர்மஹாத்மபி: ॥
diṣṭyā mē nirjitā vighnā diṣṭyā mē pūjitaṃ kulam ।
rāghavaiḥ saha sambandhādvīryaṡrēṣṭhairmahātmabhiḥ ॥
It is my good fortune that all
impediments are behind me
and my lineage is honored by this new bond
with the best of heroes of Raghu dynasty.
1.69.12 ஸ்வ: ப்ரபாதே நரேந்த்ரேந்த்ர நிர்வர்தயிதுமர்ஹஸி ।
யஜ்ஞஸ்யாந்தே நரஸ்ரேஷ்ட விவாஹம்ருஷிஸம்மதம் ॥
ṡvaḥ prabhātē narēndrēndra nirvartayitumarhasi ।
yajñasyāntē naraṡrēṣṭha vivāhamṛṣisammatam ॥
O lord of the lords of peoples!
May you perform the marriage tomorrow
after the Yajña is completed,
with due consent from all the eminent Ṛshis!
1.69.13 தஸ்ய தத்வசநம் ஸ்ருத்யா ருஷிமத்யே நராதிப: ।
வாக்யம் வாக்யவிதாம் ஸ்ரேஷ்ட: ப்ரத்யுவாச மஹீபதிம் ॥
tasya tadvacanaṃ ṡrutyā ṛṣimadhyē narādhipaḥ ।
vākyaṃ vākyavidāṃ ṡrēṣṭhaḥ pratyuvāca mahīpatim ॥
The eloquent and thoughtful lord of peoples (Daṡaratha),
in response to those words, said to the king:
1.69.14 ப்ரதிக்ரஹோ தாத்ருவஸ: ஸ்ருதமேதந்மயா புரா ।
யதா வக்ஷ்யஸி தர்மஜ்ஞ தத்கரிஷ்யாமஹே வயம் ॥
pratigrahō dātṛvaṡaḥ ṡrutamētanmayā purā ।
yathā vakṣyasi dharmajña tatkariṣyāmahē vayam ॥
O Dharmajña! What I have learned over time is that
there cannot be a taker unless there is a giver.
I shall do just as you have said!
This Ṡlōka says somewhat in a 'tongue in cheek' manner, that there is nothing like a 'taker' without there being a 'giver'. And, of course, the opposite is also true.
Similarly, there is no producer without a consumer and vice versa. There is no husband without a wife and vice versa. There is no parent without a child and vice versa. There is no teacher without a student and vice versa. There is no inside without an outside and vice versa. There is no god without a devotee and vice versa. There is no night without a day and vice versa. There is no up without down and vice versa.
Indic philosophy recognizes these types of dualities as foundational to the Universe. Kaivalya is defined as the state in which all of these dualities lose their existence.
The concept of dualities is so fundamental to our thinking, that the language of Sanskrit has the special 'dual' number in addition to the singular and plural numbers, to capture them.
1.69.15 தர்மிஷ்டம் ச யஸஸ்யம் ச வசநம் ஸத்யவாதிந: ।
ஸ்ருத்வா விதேஹாதிபதி: பரம் விஸ்மயமாகத: ॥
dharmiṣṭhaṃ ca yaṡasyaṃ ca vacanaṃ satyavādinaḥ ।
ṡrutvā vidēhādhipatiḥ paraṃ vismayamāgataḥ ॥
Hearing those just and laudable words of
the verily trustworthy Daṡaratha,
the king of Vidēha felt overwhelmed.
1.69.16 தத: ஸர்வே முநிகணா: பரஸ்பரஸமாகமே ।
ஹர்ஷேண மஹதா யுக்தாஸ்தாம் நிஸாமவஸந் ஸுகம் ॥
tataḥ sarvē munigaṇāḥ parasparasamāgamē ।
harṣēṇa mahatā yuktāstāṃ niṡāmavasan sukham ॥
Then all the Munis
felt very happy to meet with each other
and enjoyed spending the night together.
1.69.17 ராஜா ச ராகவௌ புத்ரௌ நிஸாம்ய பரிஹர்ஷித: ।
உவாஸ பரமப்ரீதோ ஜநகேநாபிபூஜித: ॥
rājā ca rāghavau putrau niṡāmya pariharṣitaḥ ।
uvāsa paramaprītō janakēnābhipūjitaḥ ॥
The king felt very happy to see his two sons,
the princes of Raghu dynasty.
He stayed there, extremely pleased,
receiving the hospitalities provided by Janaka.
1.69.18 ஜநகோऽபி மஹாதேஜா: க்ரியாம் தர்மேண தத்த்வவித் ।
யஜ்ஞஸ்ய ச ஸுதாப்யாம் ச க்ருத்வா ராத்ரிமுவாஸ ஹ ॥
janakō'pi mahātējāḥ kriyāṃ dharmēṇa tattvavit ।
yajñasya ca sutābhyāṃ ca kṛtvā rātrimuvāsa ha ॥
The supremely radiant Janaka
who had deep knowledge of everything,
also rested for the night after
completing the necessary preparations for
the Yajña and the (marriages of the) daughters.
இத்யார்ஷே ஸ்ரீமத்ராமாயணே வால்மீகீயே ஆதிகாவ்யே
ஸ்ரீமத்பாலகாண்டே ஏகோநஸப்ததிதம: ஸர்க: ॥
ityārṣē ṡrīmadrāmāyaṇē vālmīkīyē ādikāvyē
ṡrīmadbālakāṇḍē ēkōnasaptatitamaḥ sargaḥ ॥
Thus concludes the sixty ninth Sarga
in Bāla Kāṇḍa of the glorious Rāmāyaṇa,
the first ever poem of humankind,
composed by Vālmeeki.
We completed reading 1998 Ṡlōkas out of ~24,000 Ṡlōkas of Vālmeeki Rāmāyaṇa.