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Read Ramayana Baala Kaanda - Sarga 42Baala Kaanda - Sarga 42
This Sarga presents the beginning of one of the most celebrated legends of India, that of the descent of river Gaṅga to the earth. In this Sarga, it is shown that it took more than three generations of able kings before someone capable of bringing Gaṅga to the earth was born.
1.42.1
காலதர்மம் கதே ராம ஸகரே ப்ரக்ருதீஜநா: ।
ராஜாநம் ரோசயாமாஸுரம்ஸுமந்தம் ஸுதார்மிகம் ॥
kāladharmaṃ gatē rāma sagarē prakṛtījanāḥ ।
rājānaṃ rōcayāmāsuraṃṡumantaṃ sudhārmikam ॥
O Rāma! After Sagara passed away,
all the officers and people of that kingdom
chose Amṡumān, the Dhārmika, as their king.
1.42.2
ஸ ராஜா ஸுமஹாநஸீதம்ஸுமாந் ரகுநந்தந ।
தஸ்ய புத்ரோ மஹாநாஸீத்திலீப இதி விஸ்ருத: ॥
sa rājā sumahānasīdaṃṡumān raghunandana ।
tasya putrō mahānāsīddilīpa iti viṡrutaḥ ॥
O prince of Raghu dynasty!
Amṡumān became an illustrious ruler.
He had a son by name Dileepa,
a great soul respected by all.
1.42.3
தஸ்மிந் ராஜ்யம் ஸமாவேஸ்ய திலீபே ரகுநந்தந ।
ஹிமவச்சிகரே புண்யே தபஸ்தேபே ஸுதாருணம் ॥
tasmin rājyaṃ samāvēṡya dilīpē raghunandana ।
himavacchikharē puṇyē tapastēpē sudāruṇam ॥
He established Dileepa in charge of the kingdom and
went to the auspicious Himalayas and performed arduous Tapa.
The flexibility of the people in those days amazes me.
On the one hand they would be ruling a kingdom, bearing the brunt of all responsibilities and enjoying the glory. And on the other hand, they just give it all up and go inwards to do Tapa for years.
Their idea of life was certainly not that of seeking opportunities or making wins or proving themselves, as it is now.
Peace is inside and excitement is outside. People of those times were constantly in touch with the peace inside, and not consumed by the excitement outside.
I wish we were still holding on to that higher and bigger picture of life, instead of measuring ourselves with bank balances and level in the power echelons.
1.42.4
த்வாத்ரிம்ஸச்ச ஸஹஸ்ராணி வர்ஷாணி ஸுமஹாயஸா: ।
தபோவநம் கதோ ராம ஸ்வர்கம் லேபே தபோதந: ॥
dvātriṃṡacca sahasrāṇi varṣāṇi sumahāyaṡāḥ ।
tapōvanaṃ gatō rāma svargaṃ lēbhē tapōdhanaḥ ॥
That great Amṡumān was in the Tapōvana
for thirty two thousand years and with that
accrued Tapa he went to Heaven.
1.42.5
திலீபஸ்து மஹாதேஜா: ஸ்ருத்வா பைதாமஹம் வதம் ।
து:கோபஹதயா புத்த்யா நிஸ்சயம் நாத்யகச்சத ॥
dilīpastu mahātējāḥ ṡrutvā paitāmahaṃ vadham ।
duḥkhōpahatayā buddhyā niṡcayaṃ nādhyagacchata ॥
The supremely radiant Dileepa also
felt very sad about the fate of his grand uncles.
But he could not think of anything that he could do.
1.42.6
கதம் கங்காவதரணம் கதம் தேஷாம் ஜலக்ரியா ।
தாரயேயம் கதம் சைநாநிதி சிந்தாபரோऽபவத் ॥
kathaṃ gaṅgāvataraṇaṃ kathaṃ tēṣāṃ jalakriyā ।
tārayēyaṃ kathaṃ caināniti cintāparō'bhavat ॥
He kept thinking:
How am I going to bring the Gaṅga?
How am I going to offer the water oblations?
How can I help them go to Heaven?
1.42.7
தஸ்ய சிந்தயதோ நித்யம் தர்மேண விதிதாத்மந: ।
புத்ரோ பகீரதோ நாம ஜஜ்ஞே பரமதார்மிக: ॥
tasya cintayatō nityaṃ dharmēṇa viditātmanaḥ ।
putrō bhagīrathō nāma jajñē paramadhārmikaḥ ॥
As he was constantly, dutifully, thinking of it,
a son by name Bhageeratha was born to him,
who also was a great Dhārmika.
The word Dhārmika appears in the Rāmāyaṇa perhaps a fourth or third as many times as the number of Ṡlōkas as there are (with some exaggeration). The entire ethos of the philosophy of India revolved around Dharma in those days.
Dharma, simply said, is shouldering the right responsibilities and discharging them in the righteous manner, regardless of the challenges and demands involved.
1.42.8
திலீபஸ்து மஹாதேஜா யஜ்ஞைர்பஹுபிரிஷ்டவாந் ।
த்ரிம்ஸத்வர்ஷஸஹஸ்ராணி ராஜா ராஜ்யமகாரயத் ॥
dilīpastu mahātējā yajñairbahubhiriṣṭavān ।
triṃṡadvarṣasahasrāṇi rājā rājyamakārayat ॥
The supremely radiant Dileepa performed many Yajñas.
He ruled the kingdom for thirty thousand years.
1.42.9
அகத்வா நிஸ்சயம் ராஜா தேஷாமுத்தரணம் ப்ரதி ।
வ்யாதிநா நரஸார்தூல காலதர்மமுபேயிவாந் ॥
agatvā niṡcayaṃ rājā tēṣāmuddharaṇaṃ prati ।
vyādhinā naraṡārdūla kāladharmamupēyivān ॥
O tiger among men! Dileepa could not
find a way to relieve their predicament!
He passed away worrying about it.
1.42.10
இந்த்ரலோகம் கதோ ராஜா ஸ்வார்ஜிதேநைவ கர்மணா ।
ராஜ்யே பகீரதம் புத்ரமபிஷிச்ய நரர்ஷப: ॥
indralōkaṃ gatō rājā svārjitēnaiva karmaṇā ।
rājyē bhagīrathaṃ putramabhiṣicya nararṣabhaḥ ॥
He crowned his son Bhageeratha as the new king
and by virtue of the good Karma he had accumulated,
ascended to the abode of Indra.
1.42.11
பகீரதஸ்து ராஜர்ஷிர்தார்மிகோ ரகுநந்தந ।
அநபத்யோ மஹாதேஜா: ப்ரஜாகாம: ஸ சாப்ரஜ: ॥
bhagīrathastu rājarṣirdhārmikō raghunandana ।
anapatyō mahātējāḥ prajākāmaḥ sa cāprajaḥ ॥
O prince of Raghu dynasty!
Bhageeratha was a great Rājarshi and a great Dhārmika.
He wanted to have children, but had none.
1.42.12-13a
மந்த்ரிஷ்வாதாய தத்ராஜ்யம் கங்காவதரணே ரத: ॥
ஸ தபோ தீர்கமாதிஷ்டத்கோகர்ணே ரகுநந்தந ।
ஊர்த்வபாஹு: பஞ்சதபா மாஸாஹாரோ ஜிதேந்த்ரிய: ॥
mantriṣvādhāya tadrājyaṃ gaṅgāvataraṇē rataḥ ॥
sa tapō dīrghamātiṣṭhadgōkarṇē raghunandana ।
ūrdhvabāhuḥ pañcatapā māsāhārō jitēndriyaḥ ॥
O prince of Raghu dynasty!
He set himself on the endeavor of bringing Gaṅga to the earth,
left the kingdom in charge of the ministers
and went to do a long Tapa at the auspicious Gōkarṇa,
standing in the middle of five fires with hands stretched to the sky,
eating only once in a month and having
all his senses under complete control.
The five fires are: four fires on four sides, the fifth one being the Sun.
1.42.13b-14
தஸ்ய வர்ஷஸஹஸ்ராணி கோரே தபஸி திஷ்டத: ।
அதீதாநி மஹாபாஹோ தஸ்ய ராஜ்ஞோ மஹாத்மந: ॥
ஸுப்ரீதோ பகவாந் ப்ரஹ்மா ப்ரஜாநாம் பதிரீஸ்வர: ॥
tasya varṣasahasrāṇi ghōrē tapasi tiṣṭhataḥ ।
atītāni mahābāhō tasya rājñō mahātmanaḥ ॥
suprītō bhagavān brahmā prajānāṃ patirīṡvaraḥ ॥
O mighty armed Rāma!
Thousands of years passed while
that Mahātma king was doing arduous Tapa.
Bhagawān Brahma, the lord of all peoples, was pleased.
1.42.15
ததஸ்ஸுரகுணைஸ்ஸார்த்தமுபாகம்ய பிதாமஹ: ।
பகீரதம் மஹாத்மாநம் தப்யமாநமதாப்ரவீத் ॥
tatassuraguṇaissārddhamupāgamya pitāmahaḥ ।
bhagīrathaṃ mahātmānaṃ tapyamānamathābravīt ॥
The Progenitor, along with many Dēvas appeared
in front of Bhageeratha the Mahātma, and said:
1.42.16
பகீரத மஹாபாக ப்ரீதஸ்தேऽஹம் ஜநேஸ்வர ।
தபஸா ச ஸுதப்தேந வரம் வரய ஸுவ்ரத ॥
bhagīratha mahābhāga prītastē'haṃ janēṡvara ।
tapasā ca sutaptēna varaṃ varaya suvrata ॥
O King! O Bhageeratha! O blessed one!
I am pleased with the Tapa you have performed.
Please ask for a boon that you would like to be granted!
1.42.17
தமுவாச மஹாதேஜாஸ்ஸர்வலோகபிதாமஹம் ।
பகீரதோ மஹாபாக: க்ருதாஞ்ஜலிருபஸ்தித: ॥
tamuvāca mahātējāssarvalōkapitāmaham ।
bhagīrathō mahābhāgaḥ kṛtāñjalirupasthitaḥ ॥
Approaching him with folded hands, that
blessed, supremely radiant, Bhageeratha
asked the progenitor of all worlds:
1.42.18-19
யதி மே பகவந் ப்ரீதோ யத்யஸ்தி தபஸ: பலம் ।
ஸகரஸ்யாத்மஜாஸ்ஸர்வே மத்தஸ்ஸலிலமாப்நுயு: ।
கங்காயாஸ்ஸலிலக்லிந்நே பஸ்மந்யேஷாம் மஹாத்மநாம் ।
ஸ்வர்கம் கச்சேயுரத்யந்தம் ஸர்வே மே ப்ரபிதாமஹா: ॥
yadi mē bhagavan prītō yadyasti tapasaḥ phalam ।
sagarasyātmajāssarvē mattassalilamāpnuyuḥ ।
gaṅgāyāssalilaklinnē bhasmanyēṣāṃ mahātmanām ।
svargaṃ gacchēyuratyantaṃ sarvē mē prapitāmahāḥ ॥
If you are pleased with me,
if my Tapa deserves any reward,
let it be that all the sons of Sagara
get the water oblations from me!
With their ashes doused by the waters of Gaṅga,
may all my great grand uncles reach Heaven forever.
1.42.20
தேயா ச ஸந்ததிர்தேவ நாவஸீதேத்குலம் ச ந: ।
இக்ஷ்வாகூணாம் குலே தேவ ஏஷ மேऽஸ்து வர: பர: ॥
dēyā ca santatirdēva nāvasīdētkulaṃ ca naḥ ।
ikṣvākūṇāṃ kulē dēva ēṣa mē'stu varaḥ paraḥ ॥
And also please bless me with children,
so that the dynasty of Ikshwāku continues without interruption.
1.42.21
உக்தவாக்யம் து ராஜாநம் ஸர்வலோகபிதாமஹ: ।
ப்ரத்யுவாச ஸுபாம் வாணீம் மதுராம் மதுராக்ஷராம் ॥
uktavākyaṃ tu rājānaṃ sarvalōkapitāmahaḥ ।
pratyuvāca ṡubhāṃ vāṇīṃ madhurāṃ madhurākṣarām ॥
To the king, who asked thus, the progenitor of all worlds
replied in the most pleasing voice, with pleasing words.
1.42.22
மநோரதோ மஹாநேஷ பகீரத மஹாரத ।
ஏவம் பவது பத்ரம் தே இக்ஷ்வாகுகுலவர்த்தந ॥
manōrathō mahānēṣa bhagīratha mahāratha ।
ēvaṃ bhavatu bhadraṃ tē ikṣvākukulavarddhana ॥
O Bhageeratha, the great charioteer!
O forebear of Ikshwāku dynasty!
The wishes you sought are great, indeed!
May you be thus granted! May all bode well for you!
1.42.23
இயம் ஹைமவதீ கங்கா ஜ்யேஷ்டா ஹிமவதஸ்ஸுதா ।
தாம் வை தாரயிதும் ஸக்தோ ஹரஸ்தத்ர நியுஜ்யதாம் ॥
iyaṃ haimavatī gaṅgā jyēṣṭhā himavatassutā ।
tāṃ vai dhārayituṃ ṡaktō harastatra niyujyatām ॥
However, only lord Ṡiva is capable of
taking the impact of Gaṅga, the elder daughter of Himalayas
and hence you need his appointment.
1.42.24
கங்காயா: பதநம் ராஜந் ப்ருதிவீ ந ஸஹிஷ்யதி ।
தாம் வை தாரயிதும் வீர நாந்யம் பஸ்யாமி ஸூலிந: ॥
gaṅgāyāḥ patanaṃ rājan pṛthivī na sahiṣyati ।
tāṃ vai dhārayituṃ vīra nānyaṃ paṡyāmi ṡūlinaḥ ॥
O King! Earth cannot withstand
the impact of the fall of massive Gaṅga.
No one other than Ṡiva, the holder of Ṡoola,
can I see as capable of withstanding the impact.
Throughout the Rāmāyaṇa you see events and activities of a mega scale. With that comes mega concerns and mega answers, like that of having to commission Ṡiva, the primordial power.
Rāmāyaṇa takes us on a ride that nicely swings between the infinitesimal nuances of daily life and the infinite factors larger than life.
1.42.25
தமேவமுக்த்வா ராஜாநம் கங்காம் சாபாஷ்ய லோகக்ருத் ।
ஜகாம த்ரிதிவம் தேவஸ்ஸஹ தேவைர்மருத்கணை: ॥
tamēvamuktvā rājānaṃ gaṅgāṃ cābhāṣya lōkakṛt ।
jagāma tridivaṃ dēvassaha dēvairmarudgaṇaiḥ ॥
Speaking thus to the King
and after apprising Gaṅga,
the creator of the worlds returned to Heaven
along with all the Dēvas and Maruts.
இத்யார்ஷே ஸ்ரீமத்ராமாயணே வால்மீகீயே ஆதிகாவ்யே
ஸ்ரீமத்பாலகாண்டே த்விசத்வாரிம்ஸ: ஸர்க: ॥
ityārṣē ṡrīmadrāmāyaṇē vālmīkīyē ādikāvyē
ṡrīmadbālakāṇḍē dvicatvāriṃṡaḥ sargaḥ ॥
Thus concludes the forty second Sarga
in Bāla Kāṇḍa of the glorious Rāmāyaṇa,
the first ever poem of humankind,
composed by Vālmeeki.
We completed reading 1283 Ṡlōkas out of ~24,000 Ṡlōkas of Vālmeeki Rāmāyaṇa.