बालकांड
चतुर्विंश स्सर्गः

ततः प्रभाते विमले कृत्वाह्निकं अरिंदमौ ।
विश्वामितं पुरस्कृत्य नद्यास्तीरमुपागतौ ॥

Then Rama and Lakshmana who are capable crushing all enmies completed their daily rituals in the peaceful early morning hours. There after Viswamitra in the forefront they reached the banks of the river Ganga.

ते च सर्वे महात्मानौ मुनय स्संशितव्रताः ।
उपस्थाप्य शुभां नावं विश्वामित्रं अथाब्रुवन् ॥
आरोहतु भवान् नावं राजपुत्रपुरस्कृतः ।
अरिष्टं गच्छपंथानं माभूत् कालविपर्ययः ॥
विश्वामित्रस्तथेत्युक्त्वा तान् ऋषीनभिपूज्य च।
ततार सहितस्ताभ्यां सरितं सागरंगमाम् ॥

The venerable sages who are followers of strict practices then got one boat for crossing the river and spoke to Viswamitra.' Oh Venerable sage ! please get into this boat along with the princes. Without losing time have a safe and fruitful journey '. Then Viswamitra too saying 'so be it' and having honored the sages crossed that river Ganges which ultimately merges with the ocean.

ततः शुश्राव वै शब्दं अतिसंरंभवर्धितम् ।
मध्यमागम्य तोयस्य सह रामः कनीयसा ॥
अथ रामस्सरिन्मध्ये प्रपच्छ मुनिपुंगवम् ॥
वारिणो भिद्यमानस्य किमयं तुमुलो ध्वनिः ॥
राघवस्य वचश्रुत्वा कौतूहलसमन्वितः ।
कथयामास धर्मात्मा तस्य शब्दस्य निश्चयम् ॥

When the river reached the mid point of the river, Rama and Lakshmana could hear the roar of the tumultous waves. Then SriRama asked the sage,' What is the reason for the roar of the tumultous waves in the middle of this river '. Then hearing those words of Rama marked with curiosity , Viswamitra the follower of Dharma started to elaborate on the reasons.

कैलासपर्वते राम मनसा निर्मितं सरः ।
ब्रह्मणा नरशार्दूल तेनेदंमानसं सरः ॥
तस्मात् शुश्राव सरसः सायोध्यामुपगूहते ।
सरः प्रवृता सरयूः पूण्या ब्रह्म सरश्च्युता ॥
तस्यायमतुलः शब्दो जाह्नवीं अभिवर्तते ।
वारिसंक्षोभजो राम प्रणामं नियतः कुरु ॥

'O Rama Lord Barhma created a lake as he wished in his mind or 'manas'. Hence it came to be known as lake Manas. The river sarayu flows out of this lake and goes around the city of Ayodhya. Because it is flowing out of a lake or Saras , the river came to be known as Sarayu. When the river Sarayu mingles with river Ganges, the clashing of the fast flowing waters generates the sound of the tumultous waves. O Rama ! Pay obeisance to these two rivers respectfully'.

ताभ्यां तु ता वुभौ कृत्वा प्रणामम् अतिधार्मिकौ ।
तीरं दक्षिणमासाद्य जग्मतुर्लघुविक्रमौ ॥
सवनं घोर संकाशं दृष्ट्वा नृपवरात्मजः ।
अविप्रहत मैक्ष्वाकः प्रपच्छ मुनिपुंगवम् ॥

Reaching the southern bank of the river , Rama and Lakshmana the followers of righteous path paid obeisance to the two rivers and started walking forward quickly. Seeing the dense forest with no movement of human beings , the scion of Ikshwakus spoke to the venerable sage as follows.

अहोवन मिदं दुर्गं झिल्लिकागणनादितम् ।
भैरवैः श्वासदैः पूर्णं शकुंतैर्दारुणारुतैः ॥
नाना प्रकारैः शकुनै वाश्यद्भिः भैरवस्वनैः ।
सिंहव्याघ्रवराहैश्छ वारणैश्चोपशोभितम् ॥
धनाश्वकर्णककुभैः बिल्वतिंदुकपाटलैः ।
संकीर्णं बदरीभिश्च किन्न्वेतद्दारुणं वनम् ॥

'Oh venerable Sir ! This forest is difficult to enter. It is resounding with the sounds of groups of birds. It is full of fearsome animals. It is filled with vultures that give out fearsoms sounds. Lions, tigers and elephants are moving about freely. It is filled with a wide variety of trees . Oh Sir! What is the name of ths forest?'

तमुवाच महातेजा विश्वामित्रो महमुनिः ।
श्रूयतां वत्स काकुत् स्थ यस्यैतद्दारुणं वनम्॥
एतौ जनपदौ स्फीतौ पूर्वमास्तां नरोत्तम ।
मलदाश्च करूशाश्च देवनिर्माण निर्मितौ ॥

Sage Viswamitra who radiates power then spoke to Rama with the following words.'O Best of men ! I will tell you about this forest . Please listen. In the olden days there were two lands by name 'Malada' and 'Karusa' which were built by Devas. They were very wealthy , prosperous and full of riches of grains'.

पुरा पुत्रवधे राम मलेन समभिप्लुतम् ।
क्षुधा चैव सहस्राक्षं ब्रह्महत्या समाविशत् ॥
तमिंद्रं भुम्यां मलं दत्वा दत्वा कारूशमेव च
शरीरजं महेंद्रस्य ततो हर्षं प्रपेदिरे ॥

'Oh Rama ! In the olden days having killed Vrittasura , Indra was afflicted by the sin of killing a Brahmana. Thus he acquired the impurity and started to be afflicted by hunger and thirst. The Devas and others rich with fruits of penance bathed him with the waters of ganges chanting sacred hymns. Hence the impurities as well as his hunger and thirst were removed. The Devas and the Rishis were delighted with this place since his impurity and the hunger were thus removed'.
निर्मलो निष्करूशश्चशुचिरिंद्रो यदाsभवत् ।
ददौ देशस्य सुप्रीतो व्ररं प्रभुरनुत्तमम् ॥
इमौ जनपदौ स्फीतौ ख्यातिं लोके गमिष्यतः ।
मलदाश्च करूशाश्च ममांग मलधारिणौ ॥
साधु साध्विति तं देवाः पाकशासनमब्रुवन्।
देवस्य पूजां तां दृष्ट्वा कृतां शक्रेण धीमता ॥
एतौ जनपदौ स्फीतो दीर्घकालमतिंदम ।
मलदाश्च करूशाश्च मुदितौ धनधान्यतः ॥

'Indra too was happy that his impurity and the hunger were removed and he attained the purity. So he gave the best of the boons pronouncing that these two lands will be well known by the name of 'Malada' and 'Karusa' and will always be prosperous being full of riches of wealth and grains'. Hearing the boon given by that powerful Indra all the Devas too indicated their happiness pronouncing 'well said ', 'well said' . Oh Rama the the two lands of Malada and Karusa shone for a long time with riches'.

कस्यचित्त्वथ कालस्य यक्षी वै कामरूपिणी।
बलं नागसहस्रस्य धारयंती तदाह्यभूत् ॥
ताटका नाम भद्रंते भार्या सुंदस्य धीमतः ।
मारीचो राक्षसः पुत्त्रो यस्याः शक्रपराक्रमः ॥
वृत्तबाहुर्महावीर्यो विपुलास्यतमर्महान् ।
राक्षसो भैरवाकारो नित्यं त्रासयते प्रजाः ॥

'After some time , a Yakshini who was born with the strength of thousand elephants and who is capable of attaining any form lived here. She is known as Tataki and became the wife of one powerful person by name 'Sunda'. Oh Rama! she bore a Rakshasa son by name Maricha. He is as powerful as Indra. His shoulders are powerful and has a big face. He was always troubling the people'.

इमौ जनपदौ नित्यं विनाशयति राघव ।
मलदांश्च करूशांश्च ताटका दुष्टचारिणी ॥
सेयं पंथान मावार्य वसत्य ध्यर्थयोजने ।
अत एव च गंतव्यं ताटकया वनं यतः ॥
स्वबाहुबलमाश्रित्य जहीमां दुष्टचारिणीम् ।
मन्नियोगादिमं देशं कुरु निष्कंटकं पुनः ॥

Oh Rama! The wicked Tataki is destroying the two lands of Malada and Karusa . About one and half Yojanas from here , Tataki has occupied the path and is living here. So we are going to go through the path occupied by Tataki. Hence Oh Rama ! using your strength you must kill this wicked Yakshni . Please follow my words and make these lands free of impediments like before.'

न हि कश्चिदिमं देशं शक्नोत्यागंतुमीदृशम् ।
यक्षिण्या घोरया राम उत्सादितमसह्यया ॥

'Oh Rama ! no body is able to come to these lands being destroyed by the fearsome and hateful Yakshini'.

एतत् ते सर्वमाख्यातुं यथैतद्दारुणं वनम् ।
यक्ष्या चोत्सादितं सर्वं अद्यापि न निवर्तते ॥

' I have elaborated on how Tataka destroyed these lands and how these lands became lnads with no people. This Tataki has not left this forest even now'.

इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीये आदिकाव्ये
बालकांडे चतुर्विंश स्सर्गः ॥
समाप्तं ॥

Thus ends the Twentyfifth sarga of Balakanda in Valmiki Ramayana.

|| om tat sat ||

|| om tat sat ||