Balakanda

Chapter 3

बालकांड
सर्ग 3

श्रुत्वा वस्तु समग्रं तत् धर्मात्मा धर्म संहितम् ।
व्यक्त मन्वेषते भूयो यद्वृत्तं तस्य धीमतः ॥

Having already heard the theme of the righteous story of Rama in full from Narada , the pious sage went into contemplation to directly perceive all other details.

उपस्वृश्योदकं सम्यक् मुनिः स्थित्वा कृतांजलिः ।
प्राचीनाग्रेषु दर्भेषु धर्मेणान्वेषते गतिम् ॥

Taking his seat on the mat of Kusa grass , facing east , touching the sacred water and offering his obeisance, the pious sage started reflecting on the story of Rama with his yogic powers.

रामलक्ष्मणसीताभी राज्ञा दशरथेन च ।
सभार्येण सराष्रेण यत् प्राप्तं तत्र तत्त्वतः ॥
हषितं भाषितं चैव गतिर्या यच्च चेष्टितम् ।
तत्सर्वं धर्मवीर्येण यथावत् संप्र पस्यति ॥

Then he became aware of the story of Rama , Lakshmana, Sita as well as the details of the King Dasaratha, his wives and his kingdom. He was aware of their conversations , laughter , movement and what ever they did and the way it actually happenned .

स्त्रीतृतीयेन च तथा यत्प्राप्तं चरता वने ।
सत्य संधेन रामेण तत्सर्वं चान्ववैक्षत ॥

ततः पश्यति धर्मात्मा तत्सर्वं योगमास्थितः ।
पुरा यत् तत्र निर्वृत्तं पाणावामलकं यथा ॥

The ever truthful Rama moving to the forests with his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana and all the related events could be perceived . Because of his yogic powers the sage could perceive all that happenned as though it is on the back of his palm.

तत्सर्वं तत्त्वतो दृष्ट्वा धर्मेण स महाद्युतिः ।
अभिरामस्य रामस्य चरितं कर्तुमुद्यतः ॥

कामार्थगुण संयुक्तं धर्मार्थगुण विस्तरम् ।
समुद्रमिव रत्नाढ्यं सर्व श्रुति मनोहरम् ॥

Thus having perceived the full story the sage took up the task of wrting the whole story of the adorable Rama, the delighter of all . The story which is built on the Kama and Artha however will elaborate in more detail the other two aspects of human aspiration namely Dharma, the righteous conduct and the Moksha the final emaciation. It is deep like the ocean with precious jewels, and most enchanting to hear .

स यथा कथितं पूर्वं नारदेन महर्षिणा ।
रघुवंशस्य चरितं चकार भगवान् ऋषिः ॥

Then the Sage composed the story of kings of Raghu lineage as detailed by the sage Narada.

जन्म रामस्य सुमहत् वीर्यं सर्वानुकूलताम् ।
लोकस्य प्रियतां क्षांतिं सौम्यतां सत्यशीलताम् ॥

The great SriRama's birth , his universal popularity , benevelence to all , his ability to forgive, his soft heartedness and his truthfulness have all been described in this.

नाना चित्र कथाश्चान्याः विश्वामित्र समागमे ।
जानक्याश्च विवाहं च धनुषश्च विभेदनम् ॥
रामरामविवादं च गुणान् दाशरथेः तदा ।
तथाsभिषेकं रामस्य कैकेय्या दुष्टभावताम् ॥
विघातं च अभिषेकस्य राघवस्य निवासनम् ।
राज्ञः शोकविलापं च परलोकस्य च आश्रयम् ॥

It included many different stories about meetings with Viswamitra , the breaking of the bow , marriage of Janaki , the dialogue of Rama and Parasurama , the lofty ideals of Rama. the attempted coronation of Rama, Kaikeyi's cruel behaviour , the interruption of Rama's coronation, Rama's exile , the sorrow of Dasaratha and his consequent death.

प्रकृतीनां विषादं च प्रकृतीनां विसर्जनम् ।
निषादादि संवादं सूतोपावर्तनं तथा ॥
गंगायश्चापि संतारं भरद्वाजस्य दर्शनम् ।
भरद्वाजाभ्यनुज्ञानात् चित्रकूटस्य दर्शनम् ॥
वास्तु कर्म निवेशं च भरतागमनं तथा ।
प्रसादनं च रामस्य पितुश्च सलिल क्रियां ॥
पादुकाग्र्याभिषेकं च नंदिग्राम निवासायनम् ॥

It included the grief of all the people on Rama's exile, Rama's moving away , the dialogue with Guha , the return of the Charioteer after leaving Rama , the crossing of the river Ganges , visiting sage Bharadwaja and his hermitage, moving to Chitrakoot as directed by the sage Bharadvaja, building a hermitage in chitrakoot following principles of Vastu , Bharata visiting SriRama to pursuade him to return , how Rama pursuades Bharat to return instead , Rama's obeisance to the departed soul of King Dasartha , the coronation of the Ramas sandals ,as well as Bharat staying put in Nandigrama.

दंडकारण्यगमनं विराधस्य वथं तथा ।
दर्शनं शरभंगस्य सुतीक्ष्णेन समागमम्॥
अनसूया सहास्यामप्यंगरागस्य च अर्पणम् ।
अगस्त्यदर्शनं चैव जटायोरभिसंगमम् ॥
पंचवट्याश्चगमनं शूर्पणखाश्च दर्शनम् ॥।
शूर्पणखाश्च संवादं विरूपकरणं तथा ।
वथं खरत्रिशिरसोः उत्थानं रावणस्य च ॥

It also included Ramas moving from Panchavati to Dandaka forest , killing of Viradha , the meeting with sage Sarabhanga as well as Sutikshna , Sita's sojourn with Anasuya the wife of Sage Atri , Rama's visit with Sage Agastya , Rama receving bows and arrows as gifts from the sage , the interlude of Surpanakha, the killing of Khara Dushana and Trisira , as well as Ravana coming to know all of this.

मारीचस्य वधं चैव वैदेह्या हरणं तथा ।
राघवस्य विलापं च गृधराज निबर्हणम् ॥
कबंधदर्शनं चैव पंपायाश्च दर्शनम् ।
शबर्या दर्शनं चैव हनुमद्दर्शनं तथा ।
विलापं चैव पंपायां राघवस्य महात्मनः ॥

Killing of Maricha , the kidnapping of Janaki , the sorrow of Rama , the death of Jatayu , meeting Kabandha and Sabari , meeting Hanuman on the Banks of river Pampa as well as Rama's lament have been described in this.

ऋष्यमूकस्य गमनं सुग्रीवेण समागमम् ।
प्रत्ययोत्पादनं सख्यं वालिसुग्रीव विग्रहम् ॥
वालि प्रमथनं चैव सुग्रीव प्रतिपादनम् ।
ताराविलापं समयं वर्षरात्रनिवासनम्॥
कोपं राघव सिंहस्य बलानाम् उपसंग्रहम् ।
दिशः प्रस्थापनं चैव पृथिव्याश्च निवेदनम् ॥

Rama reaching Rishyamuka mountain, meeting Sugriva, bonding with Sugriva , giving confidence to Sugriva about his ability to kill Vali, the Vali and Sugriva's fight , Rama killing Vali, Tara's lament, Sugriva's coronation, Rama's soujourn during monsoon nights, Rama's anger at the delay in Sugriva's actions as promised, Sugriva calling all his forces, deploying them in all direction in search of Sita, as well as Sugriva giving them directions and details of features of lands they will search have all been detailed in this.

अंगुळीयक दानं च ऋक्षस्य बिल्व दर्शनम् ।
प्रायोपवेशनं चापि संपातेश्चापि दर्शनम् ॥
पर्वतारोहणं चैव सागरस्य च लंघनम् ।
समुद्रवचनाच्चैव मैनाकस्य दर्शनम् ॥
राक्षसी तर्जनं चैव चायाग्राहस्य दर्शनम् ।
सिंहिकायाश्च निथनं लंकामलय दर्शनम् ॥
रात्रौ लंकाप्रवेशं च एकस्याअपि विचिंतनम् ॥

It also included events relating to Rama giving his ring as a token to Hanuman, the Vanara's attempt to face death in desparation, meeting with Sampathi , Hanuman climbing mount Mahendra, his leap across the ocean , the attempt of Mainaka to offer a resting place to Hanuman as prompted by Sagara, overcoming Surasa, killing of Simhika , seeing mountains of Lanka, Hanuman entering Lanka in the middle of the night , Hanuman's reflections on entering Lanka alone.

अपानभूमि गमनं अवरोधस्य दर्शनम् ।
दर्शनं रावणस्यापि पुष्पकस्य च दर्शनम् ॥

अशोकवनिकायाम् सीतायाश्चापि दर्शनम् ।
अभिज्ञान प्रदानं च सीतायाश्चाभिभाषणम् ॥

राक्षसी तर्जनं चैव त्रिजटा स्वप्न दर्शनम् ।
मणिप्रदानं सीतायाः वृक्षभंगं तथैव च ॥

It also included events relating to Hanuman moving about in the kings inner chambers insearch of Sita, seeing Ravana in sleeping chambers , also seeing the Pushpaka Vimana , locating Sita in Ashoka grove , giving of Rams's ring as a token to Sita , conversations with Sita , the chattering of the Rakshasa women, the dream of Trijata , Sita giving the Chudamani, as well as Hanuman destroying the trees in the Ashoka grove`

राक्षसी विद्रवं चैव किंकराणां निबर्हणम् ।
ग्रहणं वायुसूनोश्च लंकादाहाभिगर्जनम् ॥

प्रतिप्लवनमेवाथ मथूनां हरणं तथा ।
राघवाश्वासनं चापि मणिनिर्यातनं तथा ॥

It included the events relating to the running away of the Rakshasa women in fear , Hanuman killing kinkaras etc, Hanuman being captured , the burning of Lanka, the return of Hanuman, destruction of Madhuvan, Hanuman assuring Rama of Sita's safety , and Hanuman giving Sita's Chudamani to Rama as a token from Sita.

संगमं च समुद्रेण नळसेतोश्चबंधनम् ।
प्रतारं समुद्रस्य रात्रौ लंकावरोधनम् ॥

विभीषणेन संसर्गं वथोपायनिवेदनम् ।
कुंभकर्णस्य निथनं मेघनाध निबर्हणम् ॥

रावणस्य विनाशं च सीतावाप्तिं अरेः पुरे ।
विभीषणाभिषेकं च पुष्पकस्य च दर्शनम् ॥

अयोध्यायाश्च गमनं भरतेन समागमम् ।
रामाभिषेकाभ्युदयं सर्वसैन्य विसर्जनम् ।

There upon Rama meeting Sagara , Nala building a bridge across the ocean , crossing the ocean and attcking Lanka , Vibhishana meeting Rama , ways and means of killing Rakshsa warriors, killing of Kumbhakarna and Indrajit , kiling of Ravana , recovery of Sita , coronation of Vibhishana, returning to Ayodhya on the Pushpaka vimana, meeting Bharata, Rama's coronation, releasing the vanara army to return to their abode have all been detailed in this.

स्वराष्ट्ररंजनं चैव वैदेह्याश्च विसर्जनं ।
अनागतिं च यत्किंचित् रामस्य वसुधातले ॥
तत् चकारोत्तरे काव्ये वाल्मीकिर्भगवान् ऋषिः ॥।

Rama's rule aclaimed by people , the exile of Sita and other events which were yet happen were also descibed in this excellent poem.

इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे
वाल्मीकीये आदिकाव्ये बालकांडे
तृतीय सर्गः
समाप्तं
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Thus ends the chapter three of Balakanda in SrimadRamayanam the first poem ever composed by Sage Valmiki
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