बालकांड
एकविंश सर्गः

तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं तस्य तस्य स्नेहपर्याकुलेक्षणम् ।
समन्युः कौशिको वाक्यं प्रत्युवाच महीपतिम् ॥

Hearing those faltering words of the king Dasaratha delivered more with parental affection, the sage Viswamitra very much angered spoke as follows.

पूर्वमन्युः प्रतिश्रुत्य प्रतिज्ञां हातुमिच्छसि ।
राघवाणां अयुक्तोsयं कुलस्यास्य विपर्ययः ॥
यदीदं ते क्षमं राजन् गमिष्यामि यथा गतम् ।
मिथ्याप्रतिज्ञः काकुत्थ्स सुखीभव सबांधवः ॥

'O King ! Having promised earlier , now you are preparing to go against that promise. This is not proper for the line of Raghus. This is a blemish on your race. If you think it is right then I will go the way I have come. Born into the Kakuthsa line you have gone back on your word. May you live happily with your people'.

तस्य रोषपरीतस्य विश्वामित्रस्य धीमतः ॥
चचाल वसुधा कृत्श्ना विवेश च भयं सुरान् ॥
त्रस्तरूपं तु विज्ञाय जगत्सर्वं महान् ऋषिः ।
नृपतिं सुव्रतो धीरो वसिष्ठो वाक्यमब्रवीत् ॥

When that great Viswamitra was seized with fury, the whole earth shook and fear entered the minds of Devas. Realizing that the whole earth is alarmed, the great and noble sage Vashista then spoke to king Dasaratha.

इक्ष्वाकूणां कुले जातः साक्षाद्धर्म इवापरः ।
धृतिमान् सुव्रतः श्रीमान् न धर्मं हातुमर्हसि ॥
त्रिषु लोकेषु विख्यातो धर्मात्मा इति राघव ।
स्वधर्मं प्रतिपद्यस्व नाधर्मंवोढुमर्हसि ॥

' Oh King You are born into the line of Ishwakus. You are personification of Dharma. You are courageous and stickler to truth. Hence you can not abandon the right path. Oh Raghava ! You are known in the three worlds as man of righteous action. Please stick to your duty . Do not fall prey to unrighteousness'.

संश्रुत्यैवं करिष्यामीत्यकुर्वाणस्य राघव ।
इष्टापूर्तवधो भूयात् तस्माद्रामं विसर्जय ॥
कृतास्त्रं अकृतास्त्रं वा नैनं शक्ष्यंति राक्षसाः ।
गुप्तं कुशिकपुत्रेण ज्वलनेनामृतं यथा ॥

'Oh Raghava ! One who having promised 'I will fulfil your wish' does not do so , will lose all the merits of having performed the Aswamedha Yaga or any other fruitful actions . Hence please send SriRama along with Sage Viswamitra. Though Rama may not yet be proficient in the art of weapons none of the ogres can touch him when is under the protection of Viswamitra, like the nectar protected by a ring of fire'.

एष विग्रहान् धर्म एष वीर्यवतां वरः ।
एष बुध्याsधिको लोके तपसश्च परायणम् ॥
एषोsस्त्रान् विविधान् वेत्ति त्रैलोक्ये स चराचरे ।
नैनमन्यः पुमान् वेत्ति न च वेत्संति केचन ॥
न देवा नर्षयः केचित् नासुरा न च राक्षसाः ।
गंधर्वयक्षप्रवराः स किन्नरमहोरगाः ॥

'Viswamitra is piety incarnate. He is the best among those endowed with prowess. He knows all types of weapons . Among all the moving and non moving beings in the three worlds, there is no one who equals him and there will be none too in the future. Among Devas, Rishis, Gandharvas , Asuras, Kinneras , Nagas etc there is no one who is equal to him'.

सर्वास्त्राणि कृशाश्वस्य पुत्त्राः परमधार्मिकाः ।
कौशिकाय पुरादत्ता यदाराज्यं प्रशासति ॥
तेsपि पुत्त्राः कृशाश्वस्य प्रजापतिसुतासुताः ।
नैकरूपा महावीर्या दीप्तिमंतो जयावहाः ॥

'When Viswamitra was a king, a Prajapathi by name Krusaasva gave away his sons in the form of weapons to the king. Krusaasva sons are the in-laws of Daksha. They are of different forms with prowess and they bring victory'

जया च सुप्रभाचैव दक्षकन्ये सुमध्यमे ।
ते सुवातेsस्त्र शस्त्राणी शतं परमभास्वरम् ॥
पंचाशतं सुतान् लेभे जया नाम परान् पुरा ।
वधाया सुर सैन्यानाम् अमेयान् कामरूपिणः ॥
सुप्रभाsजनयच्चापि पुत्त्रान् पंचशतं पुनः ।
संहारान् नाम दुर्दर्षान् दुराक्रमान् बलीयसः ॥

' Beautiful and of wonderful form Jaya and Suprabha are Daksha's daughters . They produced hundred powerful weapons to defeat enemies . To defeat the armies of Asuras Jaya gave birth to fifty sons who are capable of taking any form and who are very powerful. Suprabha too gave birth to fifty sons by name 'Samharas' . They are of great prowess and are very powerful. They cannot be overpowered'.

तानि चास्त्राणि वेत्येष यथावत् कुशिकात्मजः ।
अपूर्वाणां च जनने शक्तो भूयस्सधर्मवित् ॥
एवं वीर्यो महातेजा विश्वामित्रो महाययशाः ।
न रामगमने राजन् संशयं कर्तुमर्हसि ॥
तेषां निग्रहेण शक्तः स्वयं च कुशिकात्मजः ।
तवपुत्त्र हितार्थाय त्वां उपेत्याभियाचते ॥

' Righteous Viswamitra, the son of Kusika knows all the weapons and is even capable of creating new ones. O King ! Viswamitra is high souled jewel among sages and is well known . Hence O King! have no doubts about sending SriRama with him. Viswamitra himself is capable of handling the ogres . He is here for the sake of doing good to your son and is soliciting your assistance. '

इति मुनिवचनात् प्रसन्नचित्तो
रघुवृषबस्तु मुमोद भास्वरांगः ।
गमनमभिरुरोच राघवस्य
प्रथित यशाः कुशिकात्मजाय बुद्ध्या ॥

Hearing those words of the sage king Dasaratha was delighted in his mind . King Dasaratha with a disciplined mind agreed to send SriRama with the sage Viswamitra.

इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीये आदिकाव्ये बालकांडे एकविंश स्सर्गः ।
समाप्तं॥

Thus ends chapter 21 of Balakanda in Valmiki Ramayana

|| om tat sat ||