Vaalmeeki BaalaKaanda Sargas 12 22

Baala Kaanda - Sarga 12
In this Sarga Daaratha gets the blessings of the shis to start the Yaja, and orders the ministers to make
the necessary preparations.
This Sarga has about the same content as Sarga 8. In fact, some of the lkas are exactly the same as
those of Sarga 8. The duplication can be attributed to the variations in multiple hand-w ritten versions,
before the print versions that came to be know n as Eastern Edition and Southern Edition emerged. Please
refer to the commentary in Sarga 4, for more details about the tw o editions.
The flow w ould be more logical and smooth if Sarga 8 is removed from its place and merged w ith this Sarga
12.
1.12.1

Then, after a few moons, arrived a beautiful spring.
The king felt like starting the Yaja.
1.12.2

After paying obeisance and getting the blessings
of the Brhmaa, w ho could be compared to Dvas,
he chose him to be the conductor of the Yaja
that w ould give him offspring to
continue his dynasty after him.
1.12.3

The w ell-honored Brhmaa said:
"Let all the arrangements be made
and let the horse be released!"
1.12.4-5

Then the king said to that prominent minister Sumantra:
O Sumantra! please arrange for the presence of
all the tviks, w ho delve into the secrets of the universe,
like Suyaja, Vmadva, Jbli, Kyapa,
and Vasishha, the Purhita and other eminent Brhmaas.
1.12.6

The expedient Sumantra, immediately arranged
for the presence of all of them, w ho w ere w ell versed in Vdas.
1.12.7

King Daaratha, the Dharmtma
paid respects to all the invitees
and said the follow ing w ords,
in pursuance of Dharma and Artha.
1.12.8

I am not happy. My heart is yearning for offspring.
Hence I am thinking of performing Aw amdha Yga.
1.12.9

I w ould like to perform the Yaja
in strict accordance w ith the stras.
And I am hoping to get my desire fulfilled
w ith the able guidance of the son of the shi (yaga).
1.12.10

Vasishha and other Brhmaas
responded saying that it is, indeed, a good idea.
1.12.11

yaga and all the others, then, said to the king:
"Let all the arrangements be made
and let the horse be released!"
1.12.12

Your desire to have offspring is very much
natural, appropriate and in accordance w ith Dharma.
You w ill, indeed, be blessed w ith
four exceptionally chivalrous sons.
1.12.13

The king w as happy hearing the w ords of Brhmaas
and said these auspicious w ords to the ministers:
1.12.14

"Let all the preparations be made according
to the instructions of our Gurus.
Let the horse be released guarded by able w arriors
and follow ed by teachers of stras."
1.12.15

"Let the ground be prepared on the
northern banks of river Sarayu for performing the Yga.
Let invocations be made for peace
as per the traditions and stras."
1.12.16

"This Yga, one among the best,
is very demanding and difficult to
perform through to the end, w ithout mistakes.
If it w ere easy, every other king w ould have performed it."
1.12.17

"The learned as w ell as the Brahma Rkshasas
w ill only be eager to find
violations in the performance.
A failed Yga w ill also
take dow n the performer, for certain."
1.12.18

"Hence, you, the able souls,
please plan on ensuring that
the Yga is performed to the end
strictly in accordance w ith the
rules and procedures laid out in the stras."
1.12.19

The ministers appreciated the w ords of the king
and did accordingly, as had been directed.
1.12.20

Brhmaas, then, praised the king, the savant of Dharma,
and took proper leave and left.
1.12.21

After the best of those Brhmaas left,
the radiant king dismissed the assembly of ministers
and w ent to his residence.

Thus concludes the tw elfth Sarga
in Bla Ka of the glorious Rmyaa,
the first ever poem of humankind,
composed by Vlmeeki.

Event Management has become a large industry over the past few years and mega events are being
conducted everyw here. Even then, how many of them w ould involve inviting dozens of heads of state or
building thousands of temporary housings? If you like to know how such mammoth events are arranged,
you must read this Sarga.
If you are an event manager yourself, you w ill find a guidebook in this Sarga from lkas 6 to 16 to conduct
such mammoth events and yet offer 'customized' hospitality. It w ill certainly rev up your brain cells and give
you many tips and insights on ensuring the satisfaction of the diverse invitees.
1.13.1 After going through a series of

observances for a full year, one w ould
enter the main 'Deeksha'. Hence the delay
of one year as mentioned in this lka.

A year passed by. It w as spring again.
The able king started the Aw amdha Yga
for begetting offspring.
1.13.2

The king offered humble salutations and
performed Pja in an appropriate manner to Vasishha,
the distinguished Brhmaa and said:
1.13.3

O Brhmaa, the best among Munis!
Please ensure that the Yaja is performed
w ithout any problems and issues, even in any one of its aspects.
1.13.4

You are also my friend, w ell-w isher and ultimate Guru.
Only you are capable of taking this big endeavor smoothly to its
end.
1.13.5

The distinguished Brhmaa assured the king
that everything w ould be done as he w illed.
1.13.6-8 I w as fortunate enough to be involved in
the Pra Pratisha of Sri Venkatsw ara
Temple, Cary, North Carolina. My role w as
to be the journalist. It gave me a fantastic
opportunity to see everything up close,
the things that w ent right and things that
did not go right, w hich is to be expected in
such a mega event.
It w as a tremendous amount of activity -
managing people, expectations,
schedules, w ork, arranging visas for
dignitaries, hotel accommodations for
visiting Arcaka Sw amis from India and
other parts of USA, managing gifts,
admission tokens, setting up improvised
stadium steps for a large number of
attendees, managing w ater stations,
parking and trash, ensuring that people
get enough shade to sit or stand for long
hours, managing audio/video systems,

getting the required clearances and
permissions from the City government,
finishing up the last minute cleanup of the
construction, adding the decorations,
arches and w elcome posters, informing
Vasishha then spoke to the elderly Brhmaas, and managing the artists to be at the right
to the expert performers of Yajas, time at the right place you get the
to the elderly and judicious expert builders, picture.
to the w orkers and earth movers,
At the same time I happened to read this
to the masons and carpenters,
very specific Sarga and w as amazed at the
to the sculptors and painters,
parallels betw een a modern day event
to the dancers and actors,
management and the event management
to the impeccable scholars of stras and
of the days of Rma.
to many skilled and learned men:
The specific and comprehensive
"May you all carry on the orders
instructions given by Vasishha in these
of the king and plan the arrangements for the Yaja!"
lkas w ould serve as the guidebook for
anybody w ho is managing a sizable event,
1.13.9 especially a non-commercial event. If it is a
commercial event, you can alw ays say,
'You get w hat you paid for'. But in an
event like this, the expectations are
subtle, some based on tradition, some
born out of custom and some simply out of
the diverse human tendencies.

'Equality' has become the overriding
Let thousands of bricks be arranged for, immediately. Mantra of today, after w e got intoxicated
Let w onderful, comfortable and w ell-equipped w ith the new ly found ideas of socialism
temporary suites be built for and democracy, to the extent that many of
the kings (that w ould be arriving here). the complex ground realities and
contradictions of life got blurred in our
1.13.10 minds.
But people in those days had a clearer

mind and hence a better Mantra. That
Mantra w as 'Diversity and Customization'.

Treating everyone 'equal' is not as ideal as
it sounds. W hy? Because everyone's
needs are different. People w ill be happy
w hen their needs are met, but not
necessarily, w hen they are treated the
Let hundreds of auspicious and w ell laid-out housings same as others.
filled w ith plenty of food items be built for the Brhmaas.
Children w ill not be happy w hen they are
1.13.11 treated as adults. Children w ill be happy

only w hen they are treated as children, by
providing toys, food and a place for them
to run around. I w ill be happy if Vaa is
served, not bagel. The needs of w omen
are different from the needs of men. The
needs of Brhmaas are different from the
needs of Kings. The needs of city people
are different from the needs of rural
people.
Let large and luxurious housings,
Filled w ith varieties of foods Vasishha gives clear instructions to meet
be built for all the urban folks. the needs of every one appropriately and
respectfully.
1.13.12

Let all the people coming from
rural areas be served w ith excellent food and
treated w ith respect and in an appropriate manner,
w ithout at all being nonchalant.
1.13.13

Let Pja be done to the people of all the four Varnas
and let them all be treated w ell according to custom!
Let no disrespect or disdain be show n tow ards them,
even if they happened to be demanding or nasty!
1.13.14-
15a

Let all the people involved in various activities
of the Yaja, such as the sculptors be
w ell compensated, w ell fed and
and let special and customary Pja be done to them.
1.13.15b-
16a

Let everything be done diligently by you in a
w arm, friendly and pleasing manner w ithout exception.
1.13.16b-
17

Then, all of them assured Vasishha that
everything w ould be arranged w ithout exception
and every activity w ould be performed w ithout deviation.
1.13.18-
19

Then Vasishha requested the presence of Sumantra and said:
"Please invite the kings from all around the w orld
that rule their subjects in a just manner.
Please invite Brhmaas, Kshatriyas, Vaiyas and Sdras
in thousands from everyw here, w ith proper respect.
1.13.20- Vasishha w as in-charge, as far as the

21 Yaja w as concerned. The pow er, the
confidence and the command he w ielded,
as narrated in these lkas, is admirable
and aw e-inspiring.

King Daaratha w as w hat he w as because
of people like Vasishha that he had w ith
him.

You may personally go and bring w ith due honors
the prosperous Janaka, the king of Mithil,
a w arrior of true heroic valor,
proficient in all stras and Vdas.
I have chosen him first, because of
our long lasting relationship w ith him.
1.13.22

Then, you may personally bring our good friend and
the affectionate king from Ksi, a lion among kings,
w hose pleasant disposition is everlasting.
1.13.23

Then, you bring here the father-in-law of our king,
the aged and very righteous king of Kkaya and his sons.
1.13.24

Please also bring, w ith due honors,
the celebrated and prosperous king of Aga, Rmapda,
w ho is a good friend of our king Daaratha.
1.13.25

Please also bring all the kings from
the many countries tow ards the south and east
and from the Sindhu, Souveera and Sourshra regions.
1.13.26

Please invite friendly kings from all around the w orld
along w ith their retinues, families and relatives.
1.13.27

Sumantra heard the w ords of Vasishha.
He immediately arranged for many noble men
to bring the many kings.
1.13.28

The dutiful Sumantra himself personally set out immediately
to bring the principal kings, as told by Vasishha.
1.13.29

All w orkers reported to the ingenious Vasishha
about the preparations that w ere completed for the Yaja.
1.13.30-
31a

Vasishha then reminded everyone:
Ensure there is no nonchalance or disrespect in giving.
Giving w ithout due courtesy w ill, for sure, bring death to the
giver.
1.13.31b-
32a

After a few days, many kings arrived
bringing many precious stones as gifts
for the king Daaratha.
1.13.32b-
33

The pleased Vasishha told king Daaratha:
O tiger among men!
All the esteemed kings have arrived as you desired.
I have received them w ith befitting hospitality.
1.13.34

Our men have diligently completed
all the arrangements for the Yaja.
May your highness go to the
nearby Yaja la to perform Yaja.
Yaja la is the place where Yaja is performed.
1.13.35 'Straight out of mind' is one of the

w onderful expressions in Indic culture. It
basically says that everything is
implemented as it is conceived in the mind,
w ithout any compromises or distortions.

You w ould now see a place
laid out w ith everything that is desirable
and feel as if it came straight out of one's mind.
1.13.36

Vasishha and yaga asked the
the ruler of the earth to set out (for the Yaja)
on that day of auspicious Nakshatra.
1.13.37

Then all the eminent Brhmaas like Vasishha
reached the Yaja la w ith yaga leading them
and started the Yaja as per the
procedures enunciated in the stras.

Thus concludes the thirteenth Sarga

The city. The king. The people. The times. The predicament. The solution. The preparation. A smooth flow by
Vlmeeki, thus far, if you had noticed.
In this Sarga, it is the event. Vlmeeki recorded a snapshot of those times and how they conducted
themselves in this Sarga. This Sarga has only 57 lkas. I w ish there w ere hundreds of lkas and more
detail, to quench the thirst of people like you and me, w ho are interested in know ing the times, w ays,
manners, values and activities of our ancestors.
The times w ere certainly the best and even ideal in many w ays, no matter w hether from the perspective of
material w ealth and capabilities or aesthetic sensitivities or social etiquette or spiritual connections.
One thing is for sure. They had a great time. W hat amazes me is that they lived such a vivacious life, not at
the expense of the environment, as it is happening today, but in harmony w ith it! Isn't there a part of us
that longs for it?
1.14.1

A year passed by. The horse that w as
released earlier, returned.
The Yaja of the king started on
the northern banks of river Sarayu.
1.14.2

The eminent Brhmaas performed the great
Aw a Mdha Yaja of the great king led by yaga.
1.14.3

The Yjakas that knew Vdas from end to end
performed the rituals strictly conforming to
the procedures laid out in the stras.
Yjakas are priests who have specialized in performing various rituals
that are part of the Yaja.
1.14.4

Brhmaas performed the rituals like
Upasada and Pravarga that w ere part of the Yaja
according to the procedures laid out in the stras.
1.14.5 Havis is any offering to Dvas given

through Fire god, by dropping it on the fire
in the Hma Kua.
Hma Kua is like a 'fire pit', a small
enclosure of bricks, in w hich fire is ignited
for making offerings.

These lkas describe the offering done in
the morning, mid-day and evening, called
The delighted and eminent Munis,
Savanas.
performed Pja to the invited Dvas.
Then they started the full array of rituals
starting from the morning Savana.
1.14.6
:

:

Havis w as offered to Indra as per the customs.
Juice w as extracted from a pristine Soma plant.
All the rituals of mid-day Savana w ere performed in proper
sequence.
1.14.7

Similarly, the eminent Brhmaas performed
the rituals of the third (evening) Savana
of the king's Yaja as dictated by the stras.
1.14.8 W hen there are people, there is fun. W hen

every one of them is happy, the mood is
festive. W e cannot have it every day. But
w hen it is there, tw o eyes are not enough
to see, tw o ears are not enough to hear,
and hundreds of lkas are not enough to
describe it. Vlmeeki is attempting to
describe the festive atmosphere in less
than fifty lkas here. 'W ish it w ent on
Every single Hma w as performed w ithout endlessly!
errors, mistakes, omissions or accidents.
Everything w as done according to the Vdas.
Hma is a process of making offerings to the Dvas through fire.
1.14.9

No single Brhmaa could be seen there
w ho w as not an eminent scholar,
w ho w as tired or hungry or not surrounded
by at least a hundred follow ers.
1.14.10

Brhmaas ate as they pleased.
So did the servitors, Tapasvis and Samnysis.
Samnysis are those who are in the fourth rama of renunciation.
1.14.11

Children, w omen, elderly people and
even the ailing w ere feasting every day.
The food w as good and plentiful.
Palates w ere seeking more even after stomachs w ere full.
1.14.12

"Serve varieties of foods and
give aw ay varieties of clothing!"
Thus w as everyone told and they did accordingly.
1.14.13

Every single day, like clock w ork, multiple mounds
of food that resembled mountains, w ere made ready.
1.14.14

In that Yaja of the great king
men and w omen from every w here
w ere gratified w ith plenty of food and drinks.
1.14.15 W hat more w ould a host w ant?

Daaratha, the descendent of Raghu
could hear the Brhmaas saying
"The food is delicious!
It is prepared and served systematically!
W e are very pleased and contented!
May all bode w ell for you!"
1.14.16 Doesn't this lka remind us of the servers
in uniform in a luxury restaurant at a
seven star hotel serving dignitaries?

The men serving the Brhmaas
w ere all dressed w ell and w ere neat.
Even the men assisting them w ere
w ell decorated w ith diamond studded earrings.
1.14.17 Perfect festive atmosphere - people get

into discussions about everything under
the sun.

In the brief breaks here and there in betw een the rituals
eloquent Brhmaas could be seen picking up
discussions to impress upon each other.
1.14.18

Day after day, the motivated and talented Brhmaas
performed all the rituals of the Yaja
exactly as laid out in the stras.
1.14.19

There w as none among the Brhmaas
that filled the court of the king that did
not know the six Vdngas
or not have know ledge of many stras,
or did not observe their respective daily rituals,
or w as not eloquent in discussions.
1.14.20-
21

It w as then time to set up the sacrificial posts.
Six posts made of Bilva w ood,
an identical number of posts made of Khadira w ood,
some others made of Pari w ood,
one made of Slshmtaka w ood and
tw o made of Dvadru w ood w ere erected
standing tw o outstretched hand lengths apart from each other.
1.14.22

Those posts prepared by artisans
w ith complete understanding of the stras
w ere covered w ith gold
to embellish the setting of the Yaja.
1.14.23

The tw enty one sacrificial posts,
each measuring tw enty one Aratnis in height,
w ere w rapped w ith tw enty one drapes, one for each.
Aratni is about eighteen inches.
1.14.24

Those strong posts, w ell chiseled by sculptors
w ith octagonal cross section and fine finish
w ere erected according to specifications in the stras.
1.14.25

Those posts, w ith decorative drapes,
and adorned w ith flow ers and Gandha,
w ere shining like the Sapta shis in the sky.
Gandha refers to perfume, made especially from Sandal Wood.
Sapta shis refers to the constellation of seven stars
that is also known as the 'Big Dipper".
1.14.26 The science and art of building Hma

Kua is elaborate and there are people
1.14.26 w ho have specialized in them. The Hma
Kuas are to be built in different shapes
for different purposes. Some are made in
geometrical shapes such as square,
triangle, circle, semi-circle and octagon.
Some are made in the shape of lotus,
birds, fish or turtle, depending on the
specific type of Yaja.

The bricks for the Hma w ere made as per
the specifications and measurements.
The Brhmaas w ho w ere skilled and specialists in
the techniques of measurements
laid out the bricks for many Hma Kuas.
1.14.27

The Hma Kua for Daaratha w as made
by very skilled Brhmaas w ith three times as many,
i.e., eighteen row s of bricks
in the shape of an eagle, w ith the w ings covered in gold.
1.14.28 Sacrificing animals to appease gods seems

to be a common theme, built into human
psyche, across many civilizations. It took
various forms in various places.

Vedic ceremonies elevated them from the
simple indiscriminate or delirious killing to
the central and solemn rituals as part of
elaborate and demanding Yajas and
Various creatures like snakes, birds and animals endow ed them w ith sophisticated and
meant to appease various Dvas subtler meaning.
w ere procured and tied dow n as specified in the stras.
stra in this context means an operational manual.
1.14.29

W hen it w as time for the sacrifice,
the tviks tied horses and aquatic animals
to the sacrificial posts as per the stras.
1.14.30

On the w hole, three hundred animals w ere tied
to the sacrificial posts including Daaratha's
horse, w hich w as a jew el among horses.
1.14.31

Kousaly did Pradakshia to that horse w ith delighted heart
and relieved it of its life, using three sw ords.
1.14.32

She stayed w ith the horse one night
w ith her mind completely focused on
her legitimate desire.
1.14.33 Brahma, Hta, Adhvaryu and Udgta are

four different roles played by four different
priests, as part of performing the Yaja.
Note that this meaning of Brahma is
different from Brahma, the creator.

Mahishi is the queen. Parivtti is w ife.
Vvta is mistress. Plkalee serves drinks
to the king.
(Brahma,)Hta, Adhvaryu and Udgta accepted
The privileges and responsibilities of each
Mahishi, Parivtti and Vvta (and Plkalee) respectively
one of them differ, w ith respect to the king
by symbolically touching them w ith their hands.
and to the palace establishment.
1.14.34 As part of the Yaja, the king had to give

aw ay the queen to Brahma, the Parivtti to
Hta, the Vvta to Adhvaryu and the
Plkalee to Udgta and then w ould take
them back after compensating them w ith a
token or substantial remuneration.

The tvik, highly know ledgeable in stras and
w ith full mastery over his senses,
removed the Vapa from the fallen horse
and cooked it according to the stras.
Vapa is variedly interpreted as fat, marrow and a
small piece of meat from a specific part of the stomach.
1.14.35

The king smelled the scent of the smoke from the Vapa
in an appropriate manner and at the appropriate time
to rid of all his Ppas.
1.14.36

Sixteen tviks offered all
the various body parts of the horse
to the fire, chanting Mantras
as per procedure.
1.14.37

The Havis w as treated on the branches
of the Plaksha tree in the case of other Yajas.
But in Aw a Mdha Yaja it w as treated on Vaitasa creeper.
1.14.38-
40

According to the Brhmaas of Kalpa Sutra,
Aw a Mdha w as a three day long Yaja.
The first day w as called Catusthma.
The second w as Ukthya and the third day w as Atirtra.
Many other rituals w ere performed during those days
as laid out in the stras including
Jytishthma, yushee, tw o Atirtras,
Abhijit, Viw ajit and a bigger ritual know n as ptryma.
1.14.41- It is, indeed, difficult to part w ith
42 everything that w e have. But as part of
the Yaja, the king is required to do that.
It is a test for his mental composure and
detachment.

Think of giving 'pow er of attorney' to
somebody regarding all your assets even
for a day. Then you w ould get a sense of
w hat Daaratha w as asked to do as part
of the Yaja.

This one aspect in the Yaja is perhaps
much more difficult than all other aspects
combined. This perhaps, is the real and
supreme 'sacrifice'.

For begetting offspring to continue his lineage and
as laid out by Brahma for the Aw a Mdha Yaja,
the king gave all the land to the east to Hta,
all the land to the w est to Adhvarya,
all that w as to the south to Brahma and
all of it to the north to Udgta.
1.14.43

The mighty among men (Daaratha)
gave aw ay all the lands to the priests
after completing the Yaja
in pursuance of performing it in its fullness.
1.14.44-
47a To be able to reject such a w indfall and
insist on continuing w ith their ow n interest
is possible only if one know s exactly w hat
one w ants. Salutations to their clarity of
mind and purpose.

Brhmaas are esteemed and exalted by
the Indic culture, not w ithout a reason.
Even w hen riches rained on them, it did
not mean much to them. Their focus
remained on studies.
If you have a similar mindset, call yourself
a Brhmaa, and please accept my humble
salutations!

The tviks said to the king, w ho w as now free of all Ppas:
You alone are capable of protecting all the earth.
W e are not capable of taking care of the earth.
Our interest is in pursuing our respective subjects of study.
Give us something that is equivalent in the form
of precious stones, gold, cow s or w hatever is readily
available.
W hat w ould w e do w ith lands?
1.14.47b-
48

As those Brhmaas, w ho knew the Vdas from end to end
had intended, the king then gave them ten lakh cow s,
hundred crores of gold and four times that of silver.
One Lakh is one hundred thousand. One C rore is one hundred Lakhs.
1.14.49

The tviks, in turn, gave all of it to
the Muni yaga and the w ise Vasishha.
1.14.50

Then it w as divided among all the Brhmaas in a fair manner.
They all felt very happy and expressed their pleasure.
1.14.51

W ith all earnestness (the king) then
gave one Crore gold coins to the Brhmaas
w ho came to w itness the Yaja.
1.14.52

The descendent of Raghu (Daaratha)
gave aw ay a nice bracelet to a poor Brhmaa
w ho came beseeching.
1.14.53

The king w ho had alw ays been affectionate to Brhmaas
offered his salutations to those pleased Brhmaas,
as tears of joy and happiness filled his eyes.
1.14.54

The Brhmaas show ered various blessings on the
King, w ho w as generous and valiant among people,
as he prostrated on the ground in front of them.
1.14.55

The king felt happy and contented
having completed the most difficult
and the best of the Yajas that
w ould remove all his Ppas and
w ould lead him to heaven in the end.
1.14.56

Then the king Daaratha told the methodical yaga
that he alone could do the required,
for him to be blessed w ith offspring.
1.14.57

The eminent Brhmaa, then said to the king:
You w ill, indeed, be blessed w ith four sons
that w ould ennoble your dynasty!

Thus concludes the fourteenth Sarga

In this Sarga, the Dvas along w ith Gandharvas, Siddhas, Yakshas and shis pray to Lord Vishu and ask
him to be born in a human form to kill Rvaa, w ho is tormenting all the w orlds.
This Sarga is special, because it happens completely in Dva Lka and also because it is in this Sarga that
Lord Vishu appears for the first time in the narrative.
1.15.1

Having remained plunged in thought for a w hile,
that eminent scholar of Vdas (yaga),
came to a decision as to w hat should
be done next, and said to the king:
1.15.2

There is a Yaja for getting offspring mentioned
along w ith the Mantras in Atharva irasi.
I w ill perform that Yaja for you as per the stras
so that you w ould beget offspring.
Atharva irasi is a part of Veda.
1.15.3

And that man of splendor commenced the Yaja
for obtaining offspring, and made
oblations into the fire according to
rites prescribed in the Mantras.
1.15.4

Then, all the Dvas, Gandharvas, Siddhas and great shis
gathered to receive the offerings from the Yaja
that w as meant for each of them.
1.15.5

After thus making due appearance in that assembly,
the Dvas said the follow ing w ords of great significance
to Lord Brahma, creator of the w orlds:
1.15.6

O Bhagaw an, the Rkshasa named Rvaa harries us
w ith the enormous strength he gained by your grace
and w e are not able to contain him.
1.15.7

W e are condoning all his excesses all the time
being respectful of the boons given by you to him earlier.
1.15.8

That w icked Rvaa is terrorizing all the three w orlds.
He resents every other person w ho is pow erful.
His eye is now on assailing akra, the god of Dvas.
akra is another name for Indra.
1.15.9

He became invincible because of the boons.
He is abusing shis, Yakshas,
Gandharvas, Brhmaas and Asuras.
1.15.10

Neither is the sun able to scorch him
nor is w ind able to breeze by him.
Even the restless, billow -w reathed sea
freezes into stillness w hen it sees him.
1.15.11

W e are scared by the very sight of him.
O Bhagaw an, please find a w ay to put an end to him.
1.15.12

W hen all the Devas pleaded thus,
Lord Brahma pondered for a moment and said:
"Yes, indeed, there is a w ay to annihilate him!"
1.15.13

He asked for immunity from being killed by
Dvas, Daanavas, Rkshasas, Gandharvas and Yakshas.
And I said Yes.
1.15.14

He did not include humans in that list as
he w as very dismissive of them.
Hence he can be killed only by a human and no one else.
1.15.15

Hearing those w ords of relief from Lord Brahma,
all the Dvas and shis felt very happy.
1.15.16 Consider today, i.e., the day you are
reading this lka, as the day that Lord
Vishu came into your life to help you. He
w ill take care of the Rkshasas, i.e., the
adversities, in your life. He w ill do
everything for you even if it means having
to take birth as a human or having his
kingdom taken aw ay or having his w ife
abducted, or w hatever.
Meanw hile, the Lord of the Universe,
the infinitely radiant Vishu Memorize this lka and if you have young
appeared there in his yellow robes w ith children, help them memorize it.
ankha, Chakra and Gada in his hands.
ankha is conch. C hakra is discus. Gada is club.
1.15.17

He w ent up to Brahma and took a
seat there in a solemn manner.
All the Dvas bow ed to him and praised him.
They said to him:
1.15.18-
20a

O Vishu! For the sake of helping the w orlds,
w e w ould like you to take the form of four sons
to the three w ives of King Daaratha.
They are comparable to Hree, Sree and Keerti.
Daaratha, the king of Aydhy
is generous, and savant of Dharma and
shines w ith the brilliance of great shis.
Hree, Sree, Keerti are the names of the three daughters of Daksha.
Hree means modesty and humility.
Sree means affluence and endowment.
Keerti means fame and reputation.
1.15.20

Then, in that human form,
take up a battle w ith Rvaa and kill him,
for he has immunity from being killed by us, the Dvas.
He is troubling all the w orlds and
his pow er is grow ing day by day.
1.15.21

That insolent Rkshasa, Rvaa, of unbridled strength
is terrorizing Dvas, Rkshasas,
Gandharvas, Siddhas and exalted Munis.
1.15.22

That w retched soul is tormenting
shis, Gandharvas and even Apsaras
that play in the gardens of heaven.
Apsaras are magical celestial damsels.
1.15.23

Hence all of us, including Munis, Siddhas,
Gandharvas and Yakshas urge you to kill him.
W e repose our confidence in you.
1.15.24

O Dva, Tormentor of the insidious!
You are the ultimate resort for all of us.
Please take birth as a human and
eliminate the enemies of the Dvas.
1.15.25-
26

Having heard them, Vishu,
the lord and foremost of the Dvas,
w ho w as venerated by the beings of all the w orlds,
addressed Brahma and everyone else
w ho had assembled there w ith a legitimate reason.
1.15.27-
28

"Bid farew ell to your fears! Everything w ill bode w ell for you!
For your sake, I w ill kill Rvaa in a battle
and his sons, grandsons, ministers, kith and kin
w ho are causing fear among the Dvas and shis
w ith their cruel behavior and evil-minds.
I w ill reign in the w orld of humans for
eleven thousand years ruling the entire earth."
1.15.29

Having promised them thus,
the composed Vishu, the Dva of Dvas,
thought about his place of birth
in the w orld of humans.
1.15.30

Then Vishu, the one w ith eyes
w ide and pleasant like lotus petals
made himself into four parts and
made king Daaratha to be his mortal parent.
1.15.31

Then the Dvas of various devine forms,
along w ith Gandharvas, Rudras, and Apsaras
sung the glory of Madhusdana.
Vishu is known as Madhusdana,
the slayer of Madhu, a Rkshasa.
1.15.32

"Uproot that mighty Rvaa,
of frightful prow ess, inflated pride and
full of hatred tow ards Indra.
He has become a hindrance and a source
of fear for Tapasvis and the
cause of grief for all people."
1.15.33

"Eliminate that Rvaa of frightful prow ess,
and his army, his kith and kin
w ho are giving grief to all the people
and then come back to Heaven that is
protected by Indra, freed from all
w orries, anguish and concerns.

Thus concludes the fifteenth Sarga

In this Sarga, the Dvas request Vishu to take human form and kill Rvaa. Vishu agrees and decides to
take Daaratha as his mortal parent. A magnificent Being appears from the Hma Kua of Daaratha, giving
him a pitcher containing Pyasam. Daaratha gives the Pyasam to his three w ives and they become
pregnant.
1.16.1 : Vishu is perceived as the chief executive
of the universe, besides being perceived
as the ultimate in many other dimensions
of the universe.

A successful executive (and even a good
: consultant) know s that he should elicit the

answ er from his subordinates (or clients),
even w hen he know s the answ er.
Then, Nryaa, the Dva,
thus entrusted by the august Suras,
asked them in a pleasant manner,
even though he knew the answ er:
Nryana is another name for Vishu.
Sura is another name for Dva.
1.16.2 Upya is a nice Sanskrit w ord that

permeated into many Indian languages.
W hatever gets us out of a predicament
and beyond an impasse is Upya. It
means solution, strategy, escape, remedy
and 'w ay out', all combined into one.

"Can you think of an Upya to
kill the evil-minded Rvaa,
w ho is troubling the shis?"
1.16.3

All the Suras then responded to
Vishu, the imperishable, saying:
"Take a human form and kill him in a battle."
1.16.4

O, Destroyer of enemies!
He performed arduous Tapa for a long time.
Brahma, the creator of the w orlds and
the one w ho existed even before the w orlds did,
w as pleased.
1.16.5-6a

Then he gave the Rkshasa a boon that
he w ould not have to fear any kind of beings, except humans.
That is because the Rkshasa w as very dismissive of humans.
1.16.6b-7 Seet is not the first w oman that Rvaa
had forced, as many people think. He had
the disrepute of committing transgressions
against w omen much before Rma w as
born.

After getting this boon from the Progenitor
he became arrogant and started
troubling all the three w orlds and
violating the modesty of w omen.
Only humans are capable of killing him.
Brahma is the progenitor or grandparent of all.
1.16.8

Having heard the Dvas, the sentient Vishu
selected king Daaratha to be his mortal parent.
1.16.9

At the same time, the radiant king (Daaratha),
the nemesis of enemies, w ho had no children,
w as performing the Yaja to beget children.
1.16.10

Having thus decided,
Vishu bid farew ell to Brahma and disappeared,
receiving honors and respects from Dvas and shis.
1.16.11-
15 The metaphors and poetic superlatives
used in these five lkas are amazing.
They paint a vivid image of a magnificent
being in front of your eyes.
If you have children, read this out to them.
It catches their vivid imagination and fires
- up main brain cells.
They w ill not only register this image, but
the entire environment in w hich you read
this out to them, including your facial
expressions as you read this out. This is
how the bonds betw een parents and
children used to get strengthened in times
gone by. You can do the same even now .

-

Then, from the Hma Kua of Daaratha,
w ho w as performing the Yaja
arose a mighty, magnificent and dazzling Being
that had a blood-red face and
a voice resounding like a kettle-drum,
clothed in black and red robes,
w ith silky hair on the face and head like that of a lion
decked w ith a variety of ornaments
portending all good omens
tow ering like the pinnacle of a mountain
w ith gait like that of a proud tiger
glow ing like the bright sun
resembling the radiant and stretched tongues of fire
holding a magical pitcher in its tw o hands
as dearly as one w ould hold a lovely w ife,
w hich w as made of gold that is purified by melting
and w ith the lid made of sterling silver,
filled w ith a divine Pyasam.
Pyasam is a delicious, sweet semi-solid food.
1.16.16

That Being looked at king Daaratha and said:
"O king, I have been sent here by Prajpati!"
1.16.17

Then the king, w ith folded hands said:
"Bhagaw an, w elcome to thee! W hat can I do for you!"
1.16.18

The Being, sent by Prajpati, again said:
"O king, You are receiving this
because you prayed to the Dvas."
1.16.19

"O Tiger among men!
This Pyasam w as made by the Dvas.
It w ill give you offspring,
and enhance your w ealth and health.
Please take it!"
1.16.20

"Give this Pyasam to your deserving w ives
and ask them to consume it.
They w ill beget the sons
that you are performing the Yaja for."
1.16.21

The king said: "I shall do so!" w ith delight,
and held the golden pitcher on his head,
that w as filled w ith the food specially prepared by the Dvas.
1.16.22

The extremely delighted king completed a Pradakshia
to that magnificent and pleasing Being and offered salutations.
1.16.23

Daaratha, having received the Pyasam made by the Dvas
felt extremely joyful like a
desolate person w ho received a bounty.
1.16.24

After thus completing its task
that incredible and effulgent Being disappeared.
1.16.25

The palace of Daaratha shined w ith joy
like the clear moonlit nights of the months after monsoon.
1.16.26

Reaching the palace, he said to Kousaly:
"Please take this Pyasam by w hich you w ill beget sons".
1.16.27-
29

The king thoughtfully divided the Pyasam
in varying proportions among his three w ives.
He gave half of the Pyasam to Kousaly.
From the remaining, he gave half to Sumitr.
From the remaining, he gave half to Kaikyee.
He gave the left over, again, to Sumitr.
1.16.30

Having thus received the Pyasam,
minds filled w ith joy,
those prominent w omen of the king felt honored.
1.16.31

Those noble w omen of the king,
then consumed the Pyasam.
After a w hile, they became pregnant
and w ere glow ing w ith the radiance of the sun and fire.
1.16.32

Seeing his w omen pregnant,
the king felt as happy and content as
Hari in heaven, surrounded and revered by
Indra, Siddhas and shis.
Hari is another name for Vishu.

Thus concludes the sixteenth Sarga

The British w ere baffled and had to take notice, w hen the quiet and docile people of India suddenly
marched to the seas to make salt in every corner of the vast country in protest of the tax on salt.
The quiet, dignified, friendly and orderly nation suddenly raised its defiant voice w hen things culminated to
that point and w hen it found a leader in Mahtma Gandhi.
Now , think about an oppression and disrespect that is multiple times larger, stretched over a period that
spanned generations and against people that w ere dignified, orderly and pursuing higher goals in life. Think
about the moment w hen they had to rebel and put an end to the oppressing force.
Think about the time w hen the pow ers of Dvas, Siddhas, Uragas, shis, Vidydharas and others, w ho
found hope and leadership in the incarnation of Vishu, took the form of Vnaras and inundated the earth,
like thick clouds and vast mountains.
This Sarga brings that scene to life.
1.17.1

As Vishu w as to be born as the son of that king,
Brahma said to all the Dvas:
1.17.2-5

Create great many helpers to the valorous Vishu,
w ho is the w ell-w isher of all of us and
is know n for keeping his w ord at any cost.
Give birth to many sons in the form of Vnaras
through the Apsara and Gandharva w omen
w ith divine bodies and w ith know ledge of all w eapons,
w ho are strong and courageous,
w ho can change form at w ill,
w ho can move w ith the speed of w ind,
w ho are highly intelligent and strategic in their thinking,
w ho cannot be killed, w ho know Upyas,
w ho can be counted as peers in their valor
to Vishu and to all of you that have taken Amrita.
Amrita is the nectar that gave the Dvas immortality and
perpetual youth.
1.17.6 Rvaa must be so strong that so many

mightily strong Vnaras need to be
created to kill him.

I have already created Jmbavanta in the form of a bear.
He w as born from my face w hen I yaw ned.
1.17.7

They agreed to w hat they w ere told
and created many sons in the form of Vnaras.
1.17.8

The great shis, Siddhas, Vidydharas,
Uragas and Craas also created
many valorous sons in the form of Vnaras.
1.17.9

Indra created Vli, w ith mighty body
comparable to Mount Mahndra.
Surya, scorcher of scorchers created Sugreeva.
1.17.10

Bhaspati created a great and prominent Vnara called
Tra, w ho w as unequalled among the Vnaras in intellect.
1.17.11

Kubra, the Dva of w ealth created
a Vnara by name Gandhamdana w ith rich bearing.
Viw akarma created a great Vnara by name Nala.
Viw akarma is the chief architect and engineer of Dvas.
1.17.12

Agni created Neela,
w ith radiance equal to fire and w ith rich bearing
w ho stood out among all the Vnaras
in valor, reputation and radiance.
1.17.13

The Ashw ini Dvas know n for being the most handsome,
created the handsome Mainda and Dw ivinda.
1.17.14

Varuna created Sushea, a great Vnara.
Parjanya created the mighty Sarabha.
1.17.15

Mruta, the god of w ind created
the valorous Hanuman w ith lustrous bearing
and a body that w as as strong as diamond
and speed that w as equivalent to that of Vainatya.
Vainatya is Garuda, the eagle,
son of Vinata and vehicle of Vishu.
1.17.16

They created many thousands of
w arriors of supreme strength,
that could change their form at w ill,
determined on killing the ten headed Rvaa.
1.17.17

Soon, many mighty Vnaras, bears and Gpuccas sprang up
w ith bodies that w ere like Mount Mru and Mandara.
Gpucca is another species among apes.
1.17.18

Each of them thus created,
inherited the strengths and features
of the Dvas w ho created them.
1.17.19

Vnaras w ith noted strength w ere born to
Kinnara, ksha, and Glgla w omen.
Glgla is another species among apes.
1.17.20-
22

In all, the many prominent Dvas,
Gandharvas, Trkshyas, Yakshas, Ngas,
Kimpurushas, Siddhas, Vidydhara and Uragas
created thousands of Vnaras w ith mighty bodies
through the Apsara, Vidydhara,
Ngakanya and Gandharva w omen.
1.17.23

The Vnaras w ere strong,
capable of changing form at w ill
and capable of going to places as they w ished
and comparable to lions and tigers
in their proud demeanor and strength.
1.17.24 For some people, the superlatives in these

lkas may seem ridiculous. I w ant to
remind them that Rmyaa w as w ritten
for singing. These superlatives w ould
sound fantastic in the right art form of
singing. Especially, people in south India,
familiar w ith Burra Katha and Yaksha Gna
w ould know w hat I am saying. If you are
not familiar w ith any of these art forms,
They w ere experts in the use of all forms of w eapons. just listen to a good romantic song in any
They could turn everything into a w eapon including of the movies.
their nails and teeth, and the trees and boulders around.
Then you w ould know how to enjoy
superlatives and the poetry w ithout
getting caught up in 'logic'.
1.17.25

They could shake mountains,
uproot strong and w ell rooted trees,
agitate even the great oceans into w hich all the great rivers
merge,
w ith their great speed.
1.17.26

They could shatter the earth
by stamping w ith their bare feet.
They could jump high enough
into the sky to catch the clouds.
They could jump long enough
to cross mighty oceans.
1.17.27

They could effortlessly subdue
the w ildest elephants in rut roaming in the w ild.
They could make birds drop dow n from the sky
just w ith their roaring voices.
1.17.28 You can easily relate the scene described

in these lkas, if you have been to
mountains and forests full of monkeys,
such as Hampi.
Hundreds of thousands of them suddenly

spring up all around you, making your
heart beat tw ice or thrice as fast in a
matter of seconds.
Hundreds of a hundred thousand w arriors
like these w ere created
w ho could change their form at w ill and
w ho w ere capable of leading great armies.
1.17.29

Those w arriors became the chiefs of armies
and raised many armies of brave soldiers.
1.17.30

Some of them lived on the sierras of mount ksha.
Some lived in other mountains, hillocks and forests.
1.17.31

All those Vnaras w ere led by
Vli, the son of Indra and Sugreeva, the son of Surya,
Hanuman, Nala, Neela and other chiefs.
1.17.32

Those Vnaras, w ell versed in the art of w ar
having strength equivalent to Garuda,
moved around arrogantly, becoming a nightmare
even for the tigers, lions and mighty snakes.
1.17.33

All those Vnaras, Gpuccas and kshas
w ere under the care and discipline of
the mighty armed Vli w ith diverse capabilities.
1.17.34

The mountains, forests and oceans w ere
flooded w ith a variety of species of
Vnaras, each w ith its ow n distinctive features.
1.17.35

Those sw arms of Vnaras of mighty strength
and fearsome bodies and shapes, along w ith their chiefs
descended on earth to assist Rma,
covering it like ranges of mountains and sw aths of clouds.

Thus concludes the seventeenth Sarga

The story moves quite far along in this Sarga. I w ish it w as divided into four small Sargas and the third one
w as elaborated. Anyw ay, it is w hat it is and it has four parts.
The first part is about the w inding up of the Yajas. The second part is about the all-important event of the
birth of the four brothers. The third part is about their grow ing up to marriageable age. The fourth part is
about the arrival of Viw mitra and Daaratha offering hospitality.
The story moves quickly, but as alw ays, Vlmeeki pauses to adorn the narrations and make notew orthy
points that are essential to the nature of mankind and society, prompting me to add several comments on
the side bar.
Interestingly, Vlmeeki closes dow n this Sarga, leaving us in suspense about the purpose of Viw mitras
visit! This technique of 'leaving the audience in suspense' is not invented by w riters of TV serials in modern
times. It w as there right in the first ever Kvya that mankind know s!
Enjoy, and then be left w ith a nice suspense!
1.18.1 Certainly, quite a different mood descends

upon you w hen a huge event w inds dow n.
Everyone is relieved from the stress of
preparations and management. Every one
leaves. Everyone reminisces on the
happenings of the event. Every one
relishes the honors and gifts they have
received, token or substantial. Vlmeeki
tries to capture that mood here.
The Yajas started by the Mahtma Daaratha
came to an end. The Dvas took
their share of Havis and departed to their respective places.
1.18.2

The king and his w ives ended the
Deeksha and related formalities.
They returned to the city along
w ith all the armies, guards, servants and retinue.
1.18.3

All the invited kings w ere pleased w ith the
appropriate hospitality they received from the king
and left to their respective places
after paying respects to the eminent Muni (Vasishha).
1.18.4

It w as a feast to the eyes
to see the lines of armies of the many kings
marching back to their respective cities
in gleeful mood after the celebrations and festivities.
1.18.5

After the kings left, the cultured king Daaratha
entered the city w ith Brhmaas leading the retinue.
1.18.6

yaga left along w ith nta and w ith the
smart King Rmapda and his retinue,
after receiving a befitting farew ell.
1.18.7

After thus bidding farew ell to all the kings,
the king bided his time happily in anticipation
of the sons that he w ould beget.
1.18.8- Six seasons of tw o months each are
11a observed in the Indian Subcontinent, as

opposed to four seasons in temperate
zones of the planet. The six seasons are:
Vasanta (Spring), Greeshma (Summer),
Varsha (Monsoon), arad (Post monsoon),
Hmanta (W inter) and iira (Fall).
Caitra is the first month of the year and
the first of the tw o months of Spring.
Karktaka Lagna means the ascendant is
in Cancer.

The five planets in high position: Surya
(Sun) in Msha (Aeries), Kuja (Mars) in
Makara (Capricorn), Bhaspati (Jupiter) in
Cancer, ukra (Venus) in Pisces, ani
(Saturn) in Tula (Libra).
Based on this astronomical information,
calculations by the advanced tools of

today give us the follow ing dates
regarding the birth of Rma and other
events in Rmyaa.

All dates below are BCE.

5114 Jan 10: Birth of Rma.
Six seasons passed since completion of the Yaja. 5114 Jan 11: Birth of Bharata.
On the tw elfth month after completion, 5089 Jan 4: Pre-coronation eve.
on the ninth day of the Caitra month, 5077 Oct 7: Khara, Dshaa Vadha.
w hen the five planets w ere in high position, 5076 Apr 3: Vli Vadha.
as the Moon and Bihaspati w ere rising along w ith
the star (Punarvasu) that w as presided over 5076 Sep 12: Hanuman's visit to Lanka.
by Aditi in the Karktaka Lagna, 5076 Sep 14: Hanuman's return from
Kousaly gave birth to a son by name Rma, Lanka.
w ho w ould enhance the stature and 5076 Sep 20: Army march to Lanka.
reputation of the Ikshw ku dynasty, 5076 Oct 12: March to Rvaa's fort.
w ith auspicious features, boding splendid fortunes, 5076 Nov 24: Meghantha killed.
endow ed w ith half as many aspects,
qualities and pow ers of Vishu, See w w w .youtube.com/w atch?
the Lord of w orlds saluted by all beings. v=FgSINZO_VuI#t=110s for more details.
1.18.11b-
12a

Kousaly, w ith that son of supreme radiance,
glow ed like Aditi w ith Indra, the w ielder of Vajra
and the foremost among the Dvas.
Aditi is the mother of Dvas.
Vajra is the weapon of Indra.
1.18.12b-
13a

Kaikyee gave birth to a son by name Bharata,
of true prow ess and endow ed w ith
one fourth as many aspects, qualities and pow ers of Vishu.
1.18.13b-
14a

Then, Sumitr gave birth to the
heroic Lakshmaa and atrughna
w ho w ere skilled in the use of all w eapons
endow ed w ith half as many aspects,
qualities and pow ers of Vishu.
1.18.14b-
15a

Bharata, of pristine intellect w as born
w hen the moon w as w ith the star Pushya.
The children of Sumitr w ere born the
next morning w hen the moon w as w ith the star Alsha.
Meena Lagna: Ascendant is in Pisces.
1.18.15b-
16a

Thus, four sons w ith all the adorable and desirable qualities
w ere successively born to the great king Daaratha,
shining like the stars Prvbhdra and Uttarbhdra.
1.18.16b-
18

At that moment, Gandharvas sang melodiously,
Apsaras danced w ith joy,
celestial drums w ere sounded,
flow ers show ered from the sky.
Aydhy became festive w ith people moving all around.

Major pathw ays w ere clogged w ith boisterous crow ds
entertained by singers, musicians, dancers, actors and the like.
1.18.19 It is universal phenomena, that at a time
of joy or plenty or even w ith any other
kind of elation, people feel like giving. (In
fact, psychologists Larry Sanna, Edw ard
Chang, Paul Miceli and Kristjen Lundberg
recently found that people w ho come up
an escalator in a shopping mall are more
likely to drop money in a donation box,
than people w ho come dow n an
The king gave many gifts to escalator).
bards, eulogists and genealogists.
He gave thousands of cow s and money to Brhmaas. W hom does one give to? Traditionally,
there are three constituents of recipients:
1.18.20- 1) Performing artists, so that they are
21 patronized
2) Dependents, because they depend on
you for their care

3) Brhmaas, for pursuing noble, long
term and highest pursuits of humanity.

In modern times the constituents have

changed:

1) Performing artists - they are mostly
w age based than honorarium based,
w hich is 'demeaning' to the artists and the
arts as w ell.

2) Dependents - the w ord dependent is
equated w ith 'loss of individuality and
After eleven days passed, Vasishha dignity', than 'being a part of family or
performed the naming ceremony social unit, w ith a sense of belonging' -
for the new borns w ith delight. hence giving to this constituency is now
He named the great eldest son as Rma, considered 'demeaning'.
the son of Kaikyee as Bharata and
the sons of Sumitr as Lakshmaa and atrughna. 3) Brhmaas - people no more believe
that there are souls w ho are dedicated to
noble pursuits and 'it is an honor to honor
1.18.22- them' - hence giving to this constituency is
23a going out of fashion.

4) Religious institutions - this is a new ly
found constituency for receiving in the past
couple of millennia.

5) Needy people - the poor (i.e., not self-
sufficient) is also a new ly found
constituency, as the global economy and
social structure, w eighed dow n by legal
and administrative structures is creating

more and more families and communities
that are no more financially self-sufficient.
W ith the Brhmaas, city folks and rural folks feasted,
and Brhmaas bestow ed w ith gifts of precious stones, The demise of the first three and the rise
the different rituals of the naming ceremony came to a close. of the last tw o is an indication that the
society is moving in the w rong direction. In
an ideal society, the 4th and 5th
1.18.23b- constituencies should not exist in the first
24a place.

The eldest of them, Rma, stood out among all
and became the obsession of his father.
He became as naturally acceptable to everyone
as the creator of the w orlds, Brahma.
1.18.24b-
25a

All of them learned the Vdas and
became know ledgeable in all subjects.
They w ere endow ed w ith all the desirable qualities.
They learned to share w ith everyone and care about everybody.
1.18.25b- Being radiant like the Sun and endearing

26a like the Moon is a rare combination.

The Moon is so pleasing to everyone, in
spite of spots and smears on his face.
Imagine how nice and more pleasing the
Moon w ould be, sans those spots and

smears?
That is w hat Rma w as, to beholders.
Among all of them, Rma stood out
w ith his supreme radiance and true valor. (Moon is referred to as a male by Indian
He endeared himself to everyone like a spotless moon. civilization. There are other civilizations
w hich refer to Moon as a female.)
1.18.26b- This lka depicts exactly w hat a teenager

27a w ould indulge in even today, except that

the scene of sons being around the father
is becoming rare, as the schools are
claiming the time of children.

They alw ays liked to be around their father and help him.
They rode on the backs of horses and on the
shoulders of elephants and became experts in driving cars.
And they could not get their hands off shooting arrow s.
The word 'car', here, is used in the sense of Ratha or chariot.
1.18.27b-
28a

Lakshmaa, the harbinger of prosperity
had alw ays been close to Rma,
his elder brother w ho w as loved by everyone.
1.18.28b-
29a

Lakshmaa, the embodiment of prosperity w ould
do anything for Rma, even giving up his life, if needed.
He became the alter ego of Rma.
1.18.29b-
30a

He w ould not eat food or go to sleep
w ithout Rma, the best among men, ever beside w ith him.
1.18.30b-
31a

As Rma w ent hunting on horseback,
he w ould follow him w ith bow and arrow s.
1.18.31b-
32a

Similarly, atrughna, the brother of Lakshmaa,
and Bharata w ere close and friendly w ith each other.
1.18.32b-
33a

W ith those four pleasing and richly endow ed sons,
king Daaratha w as as happy as Brahma w ith Dvas.
1.18.33b- Indeed, w hich father w ouldn't feel on top

35a of the w orld, if the children w ere grow ing
up like stars!

As each one of them w as becoming learned,
developing great virtues and a w onderful disposition,
building a reputation for themselves yet being humble,
and as they alw ays kept a forw ard looking attitude
and shined w ith brilliant radiance,
the king Daaratha felt very happy,
as if he w ere the king of Brahma Lka.
1.18.35b- Vlmeeki does not go into the detail of
36a w hat Rma and his brothers learned, here.
But throughout Rmyaa, especially in
the Aydhy and Araya Kas you w ill
come to know about the rich body of
know ledge that Rma possesses.

Those tigers among men w ere earnestly and equally interested
in the study of Vdas and in learning the skill of archery
and in seeking and follow ing the guidance of their parents.
1.18.36b- The adjective Dharmtma is used

37a throughout Rmyaa for many
characters. It indicates a person w ho is
conscious of Dharma all the time, doing the
right thing at the right time, as needed or
as expected.

Here Daaratha is referred to as
Dharmtma, because he thinks of
The Dharmtma king Daaratha, then, performing the marriage of his sons, as is
along w ith the high priest and relatives expected and necessary.
pondered about their marriage.
1.18.37b-
38a

As that Mahtma Daaratha
w as discussing about their marriages w ith the ministers,
the supremely radiant and great Muni Viw mitra arrived.
1.18.38b-
39a

He w anted to see the king and said to the guards at the gate:
"W ould you tell immediately that the son of Gdhi,
from the lineage of Kuika has arrived?"
1.18.39b-
40a

Hearing that, the guards felt nervous and apprehensive
and immediately dashed to the king in the palace.
1.18.40b-
41a

They w ent into the palace and told
the king of Ikshw ku dynasty about the arrival
of the shi Viw mitra.
1.18.41b-
42a

Having heard them, the king felt very happy
and earnestly w ent along w ith the priests to
receive him, as Indra w ould receive Brahma.
1.18.42b- Informal vs. formal. Intimacy vs. courtesy.

43a
People close to each other by virtue of
grow ing together or living together or
w orking together on a daily basis, w ould
develop intimacy, and meetings among
them w ould have an informal air.

W hereas, people w ho do not have such a
close relationship but know each other
W ith happiness exuding in his face upon seeing
because of their positions or roles, have to
that brilliant, radiant and highly disciplined shi,
take the help of established protocol in
he paid respects to him by giving him w ater to drink.
honoring each other. As is indicated in this
lka, even offering w ater and accepting it
1.18.43b- is a part of the protocol.
44a
And it should be noted that the w ord
stra has a w ide ranging meaning. It
includes everything from the Vdas to
books on any given subject such as
cooking to archery to manuals about
making sculptures, to procedures for
performing Yaja, to documented protocols
The shi accepted the w ater from the king as for various occasions.
per the protocol laid out in stras
and enquired about his w ellbeing.
1.18.44b- These tw o lkas, in that order are very

45a illustrative. If you are meeting someone
formally, or meeting after a long time, the
order in w hich you enquire about their
w ellbeing should be 'from generic to
specific'. The first of these tw o lkas is
about general w ellbeing. The second is
about specific w ellbeing.

The Dhrmika from the lineage of Kuika, And the enquiry should depend on the
also enquired about the w ellbeing of Varna of the person. A king (Kshatriya)
the king's city, treasury, country, kith and kin. should be enquired about doing w ell from
a 'control' perspective. A businessman
Dhrmika is same as Dharmtma. It means a Dharma minded person.
(Vaiya) should be enquired about doing
w ell from the 'cash flow and profits'
1.18.45b- perspective.
46a

"I hope all the provincial kings are w ell under your control.
I hope all the detractors are subdued.
I hope you are doing all that is appropriate
to please the Dvas and your subjects!"
1.18.46b-
47a

The eminent Muni enquired about the w ellbeing
of the great Vasishha and other great shis.
1.18.47b-
48a

All of them, pleased w ith each other,
entered the palace of the king and took their seats
after being received formally.
1.18.48b-
49a

The pleased, generous and kind king
paid due respects to the great Muni and said to him:
1.18.49b-
51a

"Your arrival here is like obtaining Amrita,
like rains in the places affected by drought,
like the birth of a son through
a dear w ife, for a childless man,
like the repossession of a lost object,
and is like the delight accompanying great achievement!
W elcome to thee, O great Muni!"
1.18.51b-
52

"I am very happy, my life has found its purpose,
and my life is enriched w ith your visit!
O Brahman, O descendant of Kuika,
please let me know if there is anything I can do for you!
It is my good fortune that you are here.
And it is my honor to fulfill your desire!"
1.18.53 Changing the Varna in a life time is next to

impossible, since Varna indicates the hard-
w ired proclivities and instincts. (Varna is
not the community or caste that one
belongs to - as people often mistake.)

Changing ones Varna is as difficult as
changing the blood group. It w ould take a
miraculous operation to change one's
"You w ere w ell know n as the blood group, if at all possible. In a similar
great Rjarshi in the past. w ay, it w ould take a deep surgery of the
Now you have become a Brahmarshi mind to change one's basic instincts and
after performing monumental Tapa. proclivities.
It is my privilege to honor you!"
Viw mitra is know n to have changed such
hard-w ired instinctual makeup of his mind,
1.18.54 from that of Kshatriya to Brhmaa. It is
not easy for a Kshatriya living in the midst
of riches and people and for w hom control
and pow er is second nature, to transform
into a Brhmaa, w ho loves to be in the
Vanas and indulge perpetually in the study
of esoteric subjects.

Later on, in this Bla Ka, w e w ill learn
"O Lord, therefore, it is nothing short of a miracle, the details of how Viw mitra changed his
that I have the good fortune and privilege of this sacred Varna (i.e., changed his instinctual make-
moment. up).
Being in your presence is equivalent to being
at many auspicious places simultaneously."
1.18.55

"Let me know the reason for your visit here.
I w ould feel blessed to do anything you need."
1.18.56

"O descendent of Kuika, do not
hesitate to lay out w hat you need.
I shall fulfill your need in full. You are like a Dva to me."
1.18.57

Great is my good fortune that you have come,
and supremely great and complete the Dharma
that must come in its w ake.
1.18.58

Upon hearing those humble and genuine w ords from the king
that w ere like music to the ears and pleasing to the heart,
the eminent shi of great virtues and
qualities that w ere w ell know n, felt extremely happy.

Thus concludes the eighteenth Sarga

In the previous Sarga, Viw mitra arrived in Daaratha's court and w as received w ith great honor.
In this Sarga, the shi Viw mitra asks king Daaratha to send his son Rma along w ith him to protect his
Yaja from the Rkshasas.
This is one of the most concise Sargas in Rmyaa. It requires no modifications, before it can be turned
into a lesson on 'Proposal Making' for executives, diplomats and sales persons or before it is offered as part
of a curriculum in an MBA course.
1.19.1

Hearing those nice, elaborate and acquiescing w ords
of the lion among kings (Daaratha),
the supremely radiant Muni had goose bumps and said:
1.19.2

There is no w onder you spoke thus, and not unusual,
considering the great lineage that you are born into
and considering the able guidance you get from Vasishha!
1.19.3

O tiger among kings!
I hope you w ill be able to fulfill
the request that is in my mind
and do accordingly, w ithout fail!
1.19.4

O bull among men! I am follow ing
specific discipline and rigor
in the pursuit of certain objectives.
But tw o Rkshasas, that can change their form at w ill,
are causing obstructions.
1.19.5-6a Aw amdha Yaja, performed by kings

involves animal sacrifice. W hereas, any
presence of blood or meat is considered
sacrilegious in the case of Yajas
performed by Munis.

It is my conjecture, that
1. Yajas done for the sake of material

gains (such as by kings) may involve
animal sacrifice and pomp, and are
performed in the middle of a huge number
of attendees.

As I w as draw ing to a close of that Vrata, 2. But Yajas done for the sake of gaining
tw o pow erful and w ell trained Rkshasas spiritual energies (such as by Munis) are
by name Mreecha and Subhu have done in an ascetic manner and in the midst
poured blood and dumped meat on the altar. of quiet and serene Vanas.
1.19.6b-
7a

Having my discipline, determination and effort thus spoiled,
I felt de-motivated and abandoned it and came aw ay.
1.19.7b-
8a

I could not even get angry at them, because
the stipulations of the Vrata, demand calmness.
Further, I could not even curse them
because I w as in the middle of the Yaja.
1.19.8b-
9a

O tiger among kings!
Please give me your eldest son,
the heroic and truly valorous Rma
w ith beautiful side-locks!
The reference to beautiful side-locks implies youthfulness!
1.19.9a-
10b

He, w ith his ow n divine brilliance
and acting under my direction and protection,
w ill be the right person to destroy those Rkshasas
that are obstructing my w ork!
1.19.10b-
11a These nine lkas (10b-19a) lay out a 9-
point template for successful 'proposal
making'.
Viw mitra w ants Daaratha to send Rma
along w ith him. This may sound like a
simple request. But, if you read through
these 9 lkas carefully, you w ill see it as
a w ell-crafted and w ell delivered proposal.
Please be assured that I w ill bring
a multitude of great things upon him and that This 9 point template for 'proposal making'
his fame w ill reach the far corners of all three w orlds. is very illustrative and can be used by you
in any situation.
1.19.11b- For example, let us say you w ant to
12a request your friend to invest more than
half of his retirement savings in your

business. (You are like Viw mitra, your
friend is like Daaratha. The 'retirement
savings' are like Rma).

How do you make your friend part w ith his
'retirement savings'?
Those tw o (Rkshasas) cannot stand against Rma. Follow the 9 points below , as laid out in
No one other than Rma, the Prince each of these 9 lkas, for maximum
of Raghu Dynasty, can kill them. effect:
1.19.12b- 1. (lka 10b-11a) Speak about the

13a returns on investment. (Answ er the W hat
is in it for me' question!)

2. (lka 11b-12a) Explain how uniquely
your friend is positioned for the
opportunity and that there is no risk.
(Boost the ego of your friend, and trivialize
the risk).

O tiger among kings! 3. (lka 12b-13a) Explain that the timing
The end of those tw o w retched souls, is perfect and everything is falling in place.
that are emboldened by their raw muscle, is near. (Draw attention to the 'timing', and again
They are no match for the great Rma. trivialize the risk).
4. (lka 13b-14a) Calm dow n knee-jerk

1.19.13b- apprehensions. ("Don't let small things
14a come in your w ay. Trust me, everything is
w ell thought out").
5. (lka 14b-15a) Deflect the focus aw ay
from yourself and put yourself in good
company. ("It is not just me, other eminent
people also agree w ith me").

I hope you w ill not back out because of your love for Rma. 6. (lka 15b-16a) Shift the focus to him
Consider those tw o Rkshasas as already killed by him. and aw ay from you. ("It is in your long
And, repose complete faith in my w ords. term interest, you should do this").
7. (lka 16b-17a) Deflect the burden of

1.19.14b- decision making from him to his trusted
15a advisors. ("Check w ith your confidants").
8. (lka 17b-18a) Give the specifics only
after you have raised some comfort level
and say, some feel-good w ords. (Such as:
'of course, it is your hard-earned money').
9. (lka 18b-19a) Mention the urgency

('offer is void if not acted upon w ithin a
I am confident about the true capabilities of the great Rma. certain time frame') and turn yourself into
So do the radiant Vasishha and other Munis. a counselor, from being a requester.
1.19.15b-
16a

If you w ant to further the cause of Dharma and
if you w ant to enhance your reputation in this w orld,
please do not w aver about sending Rma w ith me.
1.19.16b-
17a

O descendant of Kkutstha!
Please check w ith your ministers and Vasishha
and only upon their good advice,
should you send Rma w ith me!
1.19.17b-
18a

For the duration of the ten nights of the Yaja,
please send your dearest, shiny lotus eyed Rma, w ithout delay.
1.19.18b-
19a

O prince of Raghu dynasty!
Please act in time for my Yaja.
Everything w ill be alright and you
w ill not have anything to w orry about.
1.19.19b-
20a

The Dharmtma, the Muni, the supremely radiant
Viw mitra,
thus stated his legitimate purpose.
Dharma = legitimate, fair and reasonable. Artha = Purpose.
1.19.20b-
21a

The good opportunity that Viw mitra laid out
Did not help that king of kings
from sinking w ith grief and fear.
1.19.21

The w ords of Viw mitra tore his heart into pieces.
The mind of the lord of men w ent out of shape.
And he almost jumped out of his throne.

Thus concludes the nineteenth Sarga

How to say 'no'? Especially w hen it means negating all that you stand for and are know n for! W ell, it is not
easy. It is embarrassing and aw kw ard. And imagine having to say that in public and in the presence of
people w ho look up to you! Daaratha is in that very predicament in this Sarga. He says 'no' to Viw mitra's
request. It does not go w ell.
He is at a ripened age. His glorious days are behind him. His physical and mental strengths are w aning. He
is trying to lean on his son for support. The fear of losing that support is real and is playing out on the
surface.
Every one of us w ill go through that stage in our lives, inevitably. Until then, it w ould be difficult for us to
identify w ith the mental state of Daaratha. This mental state dictates all the actions of Daaratha, in Bla
Ka and Aydhy Ka, until his death.
1.20.1

Hearing those w ords of Viw mitra,
the tiger among kings (Daaratha)
lost his senses for a moment and
then recollected himself, and said:
1.20.2

My lotus eyed Rma is not even sixteen yet.
I cannot think of how he w ould be able to
take upon the Rkshasas in a duel.
1.20.3 One Akshouhii is: 1,09,350 foot-soldiers,
65,610 mounted on horses, 21,870
mounted on elephants, and another
21,870 mounted on fully equipped chariots
- roughly equivalent in number to the
American troops deployed in Iraq w ar
recently, at its height.

Rkshasa are referred to as 'nocturnal'
I have a full 'Akshouhii' of army in my care and control. here, both to acknow ledge their ability to
I w ill go w ith all of them and fight out those nocturnals. move at night and to emphasize their
tendencies of 'guerrilla fighting', i.e.,
1.20.4 fighting w ithout coming out in the open.

These heroic w arriors, w ho are on my payroll,
are w ell versed in w ar craft and
can easily fight out the Rkshasas.
There is no need to bring Rma for this purpose.
1.20.5

I w ill take up arms myself and lead the fight.
I w ill fight as long as needed,
till I shed my last drop of blood.
1.20.6

I w ill come there in person and protect your Vrata
from any obstructions. You do not need Rma.
1.20.7-8a

He is young. He is not yet fully trained.
He is not suave enough to gauge the enemy.
Nor is he a seasoned w arrior.
Nor is his quiver stocked w ell yet.
He is certainly not a match for the Rkshasas
w ho are know n for their trickery in the battle field!
1.20.8b-
9a

O tiger among Munis!
I w ould not be able to live even for a moment,
after sending my Rma aw ay.
Please do not ask for taking him aw ay from me.
'Tiger among Munis', is an unusual way of addressing a Muni.
But, the ferocity of Viwmitra is well known.
And Daaratha acknowledges it here.
1.20.9b-
10a

O Brahman seasoned in Vratas!
Should you insist on having Rma, please
let me also join him, along
w ith all the four of my armed forces.
1.20.10b-
11a

O descendant of Kuika, I had Rma at this advanced age of
sixty thousand years, after a long saga of trials and efforts.
I plead w ith you to not take him aw ay from me!
1.20.11b-
12a

He is the dearest and eldest among all the four of my sons.
He is the chief among them to carry on the responsibilities.
I plead w ith you to not take him aw ay from me!
1.20.12b-
13a

How strong are those Rkshasas?
W hat is their lineage? W hat is their size?
W ho is behind them? W ho is supporting them?
1.20.13b-
14a

Tell me how either Rma or I or my armies
can counter those tricky Rkshasas.
1.20.14b-
15a

O Bhagaw an! Tell me in detail
as to how I should stand against those Rkshasas
of brutal strength and w icked nature!
1.20.15b-
17a

Viw mitra heard him and said:
There is a Rkshasa by name
Rvaa from the Pulastya lineage.
He is mighty strong and mightily valiant.
He, along w ith all his lieutenants,
is menacing around all w orlds
w ith impunity because of the boons
given to him earlier by Brahma.
1.20.17b-
18a

He is the brother of Kubra and son of Muni Viravasu.
He is the head of the Rkshasas and
know n for his immense valor.
1.20.18b-
19

He does not involve directly in obstructing the Yajas,
but tw o strong Rkshasas, Mreecha and Subhu,
do the job for him, at his behest.
1.20.20

Having learned the details about the Rkshasas in full,
the king expressed his inability to stand up in fight
against that mighty evil soul.
1.20.21

O Dharmaja! Please be kind to me and my son,
w ho are not w orthy enough to deserve
this opportunity to serve you!
You are our Guru and Lord!
1.20.22

Even Dvas, Dnavas, Yakshas, Patagas, Pannagas
cannot engage him in a fight.
W hat can be said of a mere human (like me)?
1.20.23-
24a

O the best among Munis!
He w ould suck out the energies of any w arrior, in fight.
Neither alone, nor w ith all my forces, nor w ith my sons,
w ould I be able to stand up against him in fight.
1.20.24

O Brahman! He is my little angel.
He does not know anything about fights and w ars.
I w ill not be able to give my son to you.
1.20.25

The sons of Sunda and Upasunda (Mreecha and Subhu)
w ho are obstructing your Yaja
are the alter egos of death itself, in fight.
I w ill not be able to give my son to you.
1.20.26

Mreeca and Subhu are w ell trained and strong.
I, along w ith the best of my men,
may be able to take on, at the most, one of them.
1.20.27 In fact, Daaratha w as very coherent, as

you have seen in these lkas, in his
reasoning. How ever, Viw mitra thinks (or
Vlmeeki calls) it a babble. Because he
contradicts himself in lka 5 vs. lka 23-
24a, even though w ith a reason.

Every author loves this technique, of
letting a character build itself into a
This babble of the king, made the son of Kuika bubble, only to be burst by another
and the leader among Munis, greatly angry. character (legitimately, though) w ith a
That anger arose out of him like fire in single poke.
the Hma Kua at its heights aided by jya!
This pattern is very common and recurs
jya is 'ghee' or clarified butter. throughout the Rmyaa.
In this context, I love the dismissive

expression of 'babble' (Jalpa in Sanskrit),

because in spite of more or less orderly
presentation of the case, Daaratha's
argument is rooted in nothing but fear,
hence the incoherence, hence the fumble,
and hence the babble.

Thus concludes the tw entieth Sarga
The previous Sarga left us w ith an infuriated Viw mitra at Daarathas refusal to send Rma. The drama of
life continues in this Sarga. Vasishha, his Guru, is right there, w itnessing the happenings. He steps up to
counsel Daaratha and helps him see the w isdom in Viw mitras request. The Sarga ends w ith Daaratha
making up his mind to send Rma.
The trio of Sargas 19, 20, 21 portray the drama that repeats in human lives everyw here, of 'making a
proposal', 'refusing a proposal' and 'conceding to the proposal' respectively.
1.21.1

Having heard those incoherent w ords of
the king w hich w ere born out of concern for his son,
the infuriated descendant of Kuika said:
1.21.2 These expressions like "this is not

expected of you", live w ell w ith all your
empty promises at someone w ho
betrayed a helpless dependent found in
these tw o lkas are so much a part of
Indic culture. They can be found in all
subcultures of India and in every single
region and language.

W e cannot tell w hether the Rmyaa
You are reneging on your w ord of fulfilling my needs.
influenced Indic culture so much that these
This is not to be expected of a descendant of Raghu lineage.
expressions became a part of it, or
w hether it has captured these expressions
1.21.3 that w ere already there as the essence of
the culture!
One w ay or the other, it is surprising to
find such lively and contemporary
expressions in such an ancient and classic
w ork!
Also, notice the reference to the lineage of
Raghu. It is this moral pressure that
O prince of Kkutstha lineage! guaranteed the good behavior of the
If you are all right w ith it, I shall return, just as I came. rulers in the days past. Now adays, no
May you, w ith your empty promises, such pressure exists on the elected
live w ell, along w ith your kith and kin! leaders. W e elect them, so w e pay for
their misdeeds.
1.21.4

That infuriation of the sagacious Viw mitra
shook the earth and filled the Dvas w ith fear.
1.21.5

Noting that the entire w orld w as gripped w ith fear,
the Suvrata and Dheera Vasishha, said to the king:
Suvrata is someone who has done many Vratas
and thus seasoned in following the rigor
and executing demanding tasks of a spiritual nature.
The name 'Subroto' in Bengal region
comes from this word 'Suvrata'.
1.21.6

You are born into the illustrious lineage of Ikshw ku.
You are considered the embodiment of Dharma.
You are brave and Suvrata and are endow ed w ith riches.
It does not befit you to renege on Dharma.
1.21.7

O descendant of Raghu!
You are w idely know n in all the three w orlds as a Dharmtma.
Do your Dharma. Do not follow Adharma.
Adharma is lack of Dharma.
1.21.8

O prince of Raghu Dynasty!
Having promised something and then reneging on it,
w ill nullify the good rew ards of all the
Yajas and charitable acts that you have done thus far.
Hence, send Rma!
1.21.9

The Rkshasas cannot do anything to some one
under the protection of the descendent of Kuika
regardless of w hether they know or do not know w ar craft.
It is like Amrita being under the protection of fire.
1.21.10

He is the embodiment of Dharma.
He is the best among the valorous.
His intelligence beats that of the entire w orld.
He is the pinnacle of Tapa.
1.21.11

He know s about multitudes of Astras.
No one in all the three w orlds w ould know as much as he does.
Neither can anyone in the future be expected to know as much.
1.21.12

Neither Dvas, nor shis, nor Asuras, nor Rkshasas,
nor Gandharvas, nor Pravaras, nor Kinnaras, nor the great Uragas
w ould know as much as he does.
1.21.13 From Prajpati w ere born not only people,

but also faculties and objects. All of them
w ere personified and given names just as
people w ere. In those early realms of
genesis, beings as w ell as faculties and
objects w ere considered as 'beings', so
much so that even Astras are referred to
as 'sons'.

All the rightful Astras originated as offspring of Bhva. In today's parlance w e use the expression
They w ere given to the descendent of Kuika, 'brain child', to indicate an idea or gadget
w hen he w as ruling the kingdom. created by someone. A good example is:
the iPhone is the 'brain child' of Steve
1.21.14 Jobs.

In those days, the w ords son and
daughter w ere used to indicate 'brain
children' and all forms of creation. If
something ow ed its existence to
something else, the former w as
considered a child, the latter w as
considered the parent.

The Astras w hich w ere born to Bhva People w orking in the field of object-
through the daughters of (Daksha) Prajpati oriented softw are can easily relate to the
w ere of varied forms, of great pow er, lkas here.
of blinding light, and a guarantee for victory.
(The early realms of creation are
extensively, in varying detail, described in
Puranas like Brahma Purna.)
1.21.15

The daughters of Daksha w ere slender
and know n by the names of Jaya and Suprabha.
They gave birth to a hundred
extremely effervescent Astras.
1.21.16

Jaya gave birth to fifty of those exclusive Astras
that w ere capable of adapting as needed
to erase infinitely large armies of Asuras.
Adapting as needed - think of missiles of modern day that
can change direction as needed to chase a moving target.
1.21.17

Suprabha gave birth to the other fifty
invincible, mighty strong killer Astras
that could not be subdued.
1.21.18

The descendent of Kuika know s all those Astras w ell.
Further, he, the know er of Dharma, is capable of
creating Astras that did not exist before, all anew .
1.21.19

The w ell-know n and radiant Viw mitra
is of such accomplished abilities.
Hence you need not w orry about sending Rma.
1.21.20 In this lka, Vasishha essentially tells
Daaratha that it is 'in your best interest'
to send Rma.
Having a friend, w ho can be a judicious
counselor w hen needed is the best one
can ask for.

As families are becoming atomic and as w e
are entering the 'dog eat dog' culture in
In fact, this descendent of Kuika is verily capable of these 'modern' times, the common man
taking them (the Rkshasas) on by himself.
today is bereft of any 'trust w orthy'
It is for the sake of helping your son, advisors.
that he is asking your son to be sent w ith him.
W e are driving people aw ay from our ow n
1.21.21 lives in the name of individuality and
independence, not knowing how difficult

it actually is, to keep people in our lives.
Increasingly, w e are left w ith no one that
w e can trust and no one that trusts us.
The ideas of individuality and
independence are bright. Yet, they cast

their ow n dark shadow s, and they come in
the form of 'isolating each one of us from
W ith those w ords of the Muni (Vasishha),
the other and making us lonely, stressed
the bull of Raghu Dynasty (Daaratha) and depressed'.
felt relieved at heart and energetic in every part of his body.
The reputed king, then agreed w ith all his mind,
for Rma to leave w ith the son of Kuika.

Thus concludes the tw enty first Sarga

In this Sarga Daaratha sends Rma and Lakshmaa w ith Viw mitra. After reaching the banks of river
Sarayu, Viw mitra gives many Vidyas to Rma, including Bala and Atibala. The brothers sleep on grass for
the first time in their lives.
1.22.1

W ith those w ords of Vasishha,
happiness descended on the face of Daaratha.
He then, himself called for Rma and also Lakshmaa.
1.22.2-3 One of the nice and pow erful constructs in
English are gerunds (verbal nouns) and
nouns that can turn into verbs w ithout
changing form. These tw o constructs in
English contribute to the ease w ith w hich
business names, program names and
trademarks can be created.
Sanskrit has different type of pow erful
constructs that lend themselves to poetic
expression. One of them is to turn actions
into adjectives.

If a sequence of events needs to be
described, all the prior actions can be
turned into 'Samsas', w hich can further
turn into adjectives, so that only one verb
that indicates the final activity need to be
Mother and father Daaratha pronounced customary blessings. used as a verb.
Purhita Vasishha uttered Vedic benedictions.
King Daaratha kissed his dear son on the crow n of his head. How ever, this does not flow w ell in
He then gave his dear son to Viw mitra English. So, for ease of flow , I translate
w ith his heart completely at peace. them as the multiple activities that they
are.
1.22.4 It is difficult for me to bear the soft w eight

of poetry in this lka!

As the lotus eyed Rma follow ed Viw mitra,
the w ind, free of pollen and dust,
touched him gently and pleasantly.
1.22.5

As that Mahtma (Viw mitra) set his foot out,
flow ers show ered, divine kettle drums blared,
and the sounds of conches and drums took over.
1.22.6

Viw mitra led.
Rma, w ith his bow and arrow s, follow ed.
And the son of Sumitr, w ho had beautiful side locks,
Also w ith bow and arrow s, follow ed them.
1.22.7-8a Vlmeekis poetic metaphors and visuals
are par excellence. It is only after many
millennia that w e could find a match for
him in Klidsa.

Vlmeeki's visuals are as clear, beautiful
and pow erful as anything that can be
found in the screen-plays of the best of
the modern motion pictures.

In this lka, the visual is amazing. W ith
quiver raised above one shoulder and the
bow on the other, both Rma and
Lakshmaa look like three-headed
W ith the quiver and the bow , Rma and Lakshmaa serpents or dragons.
looked like three headed serpents.
Their radiance lit up every direction. Imagine it as a visual in a movie, w ith
They w ent along w ith Viw mitra, Rma w alking tow ards the camera over
as if it w ere Aw ini Dvatas follow ing Brahma. the horizon w ith the quiver, bow and head
appearing in the frame slow ly, starting
Awini Dvatas are known to be the most handsome celestial beings.
from the top, suggesting a gentle,
confident, and commanding stride, against
1.22.8b- the backdrop of a sunrise.
10

W ith bow s in their hands, palms protected w ith gloves
made from the skin of monitor lizard, holding sw ords,
the young, radiant and handsome brothers
Rma and Lakshmaa, made Viw mitra glow ,
like the sons (Skanda and Vikha) did
to the Sthu, the Dva w ho is difficult to contemplate up
on.
Sthu is another name for iva. Sthu also means stone.
1.22.11

After going for a distance of half a Yjana,
on the southern bank of the river Sarayu,
Viw mitra said 'O Rma!' in a pleasant and sw eet voice.
1.22.12 It is my great fortune that almost tw enty
years ago, I got to play the role of
Viw mitra in a Kcipdi dance drama in
Minneapolis, in a professional setting
organized and directed by a professional
choreographer and dancer.

In that role, I remember, giving the Bala
and Atibala to Rma :)
My dear, before it is too late (for the sun to set),
come and take w ater. I w ill give you
the 'Bala' and 'Atibala' Vidyas and many other Mantras.
Vidya is skill, technique and knowledge of the associated Mantras,
processes and procedures related to any subject.
1.22.13

You w ill not fall sick, or feel tired,
nor w ill you suffer disgurement.
The Rkshasas w ill not be able to harm you
regardless of w hether you are on guard or asleep.
1.22.14

O Rma! No one in this w orld has arms as strong as you have.
None in the three w orlds can ever become comparable to you.
1.22.15

O faultless one! Neither in know ledge,
nor in judgment, nor in compassion,
nor in fortitude, nor in giving a befitting reply,
w ould there ever be an equivalent to you!
1.22.16

Now that you have received the Bala and Atibala,
there w ould not be anyone equivalent to you.
These tw o are the mothers of all types of know ledge.
1.22.17

O the noble among men! You w ill not
succumb to pangs of hunger, w hen you chant
the Mantras of Bala and Atibala.
1.22.18-
19a

W ith these tw o Vidyas on your side,
your fame w ill have no parallel.
O Dhrmika, O prince of Kkutstha lineage!
You alone are the fitting recipient of
these glorious Vidyas that are the
daughters of grand Progenitor Brahma.
1.22.19

You are going to have many uses for them, w ithout doubt.
And they w ill evolve into multitudes of techniques
as you keep w orking on them.
1.22.20

Then, Rma touched the w ater.
W ith body purified w ith w ater and face cheerful,
he received those Vidyas from
the Maharshi, a pure soul.
1.22.21-
22

The mightily capable Rma,
having gained the Vidyas,
and having done everything he ow ed his Guru,
shined like the sun in the season of arat
w ith many bright, clear rays.
The three of them, then rested for the night
on the banks of river Sarayu.
1.22.23 Vlmeeki never misses an opportunity to

mention the tender aspects of life and I
never fail to enjoy them, just like you all
do!

For the sons of king Daaratha, lying dow n
on a bed made of grass w as a new experience.
But they very w ell enjoyed the experience of
that night - of sleeping together and
listening to the w ords of doting Viw mitra.

Thus concludes the tw enty second Sarga
Meaning, notes and commentary by: Krishna Sharma.

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Baala Kaanda - Sarga 12

Baala Kaanda - Sarga 13

1.13.1 After going through a series of

But people in those days had a clearer

1.13.20- Vasishha w as in-charge, as far as the

1.13.35 'Straight out of mind' is one of the

Baala Kaanda - Sarga 14

1.14.5 Havis is any offering to Dvas given

1.14.8 W hen there are people, there is fun. W hen

1.14.15 W hat more w ould a host w ant?

1.14.17 Perfect festive atmosphere - people get

1.14.26 The science and art of building Hma

1.14.28 Sacrificing animals to appease gods seems

1.14.33 Brahma, Hta, Adhvaryu and Udgta are

1.14.34 As part of the Yaja, the king had to give

Baala Kaanda - Sarga 15

Baala Kaanda - Sarga 16

1.16.2 Upya is a nice Sanskrit w ord that

Baala Kaanda - Sarga 17

This Sarga brings that scene to life.

1.17.6 Rvaa must be so strong that so many

Viw akarma is the chief architect and engineer of Dvas.

1.17.24 For some people, the superlatives in these

1.17.28 You can easily relate the scene described

Hundreds of thousands of them suddenly

Baala Kaanda - Sarga 18

Enjoy, and then be left w ith a nice suspense!

1.18.1 Certainly, quite a different mood descends

Aydhy became festive w ith people moving all around.

1.18.25b- Being radiant like the Sun and endearing

1.18.26b- This lka depicts exactly w hat a teenager

1.18.33b- Indeed, w hich father w ouldn't feel on top

1.18.36b- The adjective Dharmtma is used

1.18.42b- Informal vs. formal. Intimacy vs. courtesy.

1.18.44b- These tw o lkas, in that order are very

1.18.53 Changing the Varna in a life time is next to

Baala Kaanda - Sarga 19

1.19.5-6a Aw amdha Yaja, performed by kings

1. Yajas done for the sake of material

1.19.12b- 1. (lka 10b-11a) Speak about the

4. (lka 13b-14a) Calm dow n knee-jerk

7. (lka 16b-17a) Deflect the burden of

Baala Kaanda - Sarga 20

1.20.27 In fact, Daaratha w as very coherent, as

In this context, I love the dismissive

1.21.2 These expressions like "this is not

1.21.13 From Prajpati w ere born not only people,

Baala Kaanda - Sarga 22

1.22.4 It is difficult for me to bear the soft w eight

1.22.23 Vlmeeki never misses an opportunity to

Meaning, notes and commentary by: Krishna Sharma.

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