बालकांड
एकत्रिंशस्सर्गः

अथ तां रजनीं तत्र कृतार्थौ रामलक्ष्मणौ ।
ऊषतुर्मुदितौ वीरौ प्रहृष्टेनांतरात्मना ॥

Then the two princes Rama and Lakshmana who have succeeded in their mission rested there for the night with a delighted feeling .

प्रभातायां तु शर्वर्यां कृत पौर्वाह्णिक क्रियौ ।
विश्वामित्रम् ऋषींश्चान्यान् सहितानभिजग्मतुः ॥

In the early hours of the day having completed the morning rites , the two brothers stood in front of sage Viswamitra who was sitting along with all other hermits.

अभिवाद्य मुनिश्रेष्ठं ज्वलंतमिव पावकम् ।
ऊचतुर्मधुरोदारं वाक्यं मधुरभाषिणौ ॥
इमौ स्म मुनिशार्दूल किंकरौ समुपस्थितौ ।
आज्ञापय यथेष्टं वै शासनं करवान किम् ॥

Paying obeisance to the sage who is shining brightly like the god of fire, the two who speak with soft sweetness spoke to the venerable sage.' Oh Tiger among sages ! Standing in front of you , we are here to do your bidding . Please tell us what else we are to do according to your wishes'.

एवमुक्ता ततस्ताभ्यां सर्व एव महर्षयः ।
विश्वामित्रं पुरस्कृत्य रामं वचनमब्रुवन् ॥
मैथिलस्य नरश्रेष्ठ जनकस्य भविष्यति ।
यज्ञः परमधर्मिष्ठः तत्र यास्यामहे वयम् ॥
त्वं चैव नरशार्दूल सहस्माभिर्गमिष्यसि ।
अद्भुतं धनुरत्नं च तद्द्रष्टुमर्हसि ॥

Having heard those words of SriRama , all those sages along with Viswamitra spoke to SriRama as follows. 'O Best of men ! Janaka, the very pious , of the city of Mithila is performing a sacrifice. We will all proceed to that place. In that place there is a bow which is wonderful and which is jewel among all bows. You can see that there'.

तद्दि पूर्वं नरश्रेष्ठ दत्तं सदसि दैवतैः ।
अप्रमेय बलं घोरं मखे परमभास्वरम्॥
नास्य देवा न गंधर्वा नासुरा न च राक्षसाः ।
कर्तुमारोपणं शक्ता न कथंचन मानुषाः ॥
धनुषस्तस्य वीर्यं तु जिज्ञासंतो महीक्षितः ।
न शेकु रारोपयितुं राजपुत्त्रा महाबलाः ॥

' O Best among men ! It has unmatched powers. It is distinguished by its powers. It is fearsome. In the olden times it was given by the Devas in a congregation. to take aim with that bow is beyond the capabilities of Devas, gandharvas, Asuras and Rakshasas . Then what to say about men ! To know about its capabilities many powerful kings tried to take aim with the bow and failed'.

तद्धनुर्नरशार्दूल मैथिलस्य महात्मनः ।
तत्र द्रक्ष्यसि काकुत् स्थ यज्ञं चाद्भुतदर्शनम् ॥
तद्धि यज्ञ फलं तेन मैथिलोनोत्तमं धनुः ।
याचितं नरशार्दूल सुनाभं सर्व देवतैः ॥
आयागभूतं नृपतेः तस्य वेश्मनि राघव ।
अर्चितं विविधैर्गंधैः धूपै श्चागरुगंधिभिः ॥

' Oh Tiger among men! You will see there the bow of that great soul and the king of Mithila. You will also see a wonderful sacrifice. Oh Tiger among men ! In the olden times Devas gave that best of bows as a fruit of a sacrifice to that king of Mithila. Oh Rama ! In that palace where sacrifices were performed, the bow is worshipped with flowers and all other appropriate materials'

एवमुक्त्वा मुनिवरः प्रस्थानमकरोत् तदा ।
सर्षिसंघः सकाकुत् स्थ आमंत्र्य वनदेवताः ॥
स्वस्ति वोsस्तु गमिष्यामि सिद्ध सिद्धाश्रमादहम् ।
उत्तरे जाह्नवी तीरे हिमवंतं शिलोच्चयम् ॥

Having thus spoken that best among sages moving ahead with the scions of Kakuthsa then spoke to the guardians of the of the forest as follows.' May you all prosper. Having attained my goal , I am moving from the Siddhasrama to land of Himalayas on the northern shore of river Ganges'.

प्रदक्षिणं ततः कृत्वा सिद्धाश्रममनुत्तमम् ।
उत्तरां दिशमुद्दिश्य प्रस्थातुमुपचक्रमे ॥
तं प्रयांतं मुनिवरं अन्वयादनुसारिणम्।
शकटी शतमात्रं तु प्रायेण ब्रह्मवादिनाम् ॥
मृगपक्षि गणाश्चैव सिद्धाश्रमनिवासिनः ।
अनुजग्मुर्महात्मानं विश्वामित्रं महामुनिम् ।
निवर्तयामास ततः पक्षिसंघान् मृगानपि ॥

Then the venerable sage having circumbulated the hermitage started on his journey in the northerly direction. Then a hundred vehicles carrying all the utensils required for preforming Homas followed the foremost among the sages. Then even as the animals and birds living in that Siddhasrama followed the venerable sage , the venerable sage asked them to turn back .

ते गत्वा दूरमध्वानं लंबमाने दिवाकरे ।
वासं चक्रुर्मुनि गणाः शोणाकूले समाहिताः ॥
तेsस्तंगते दिनकरे स्नात्वा हुतहुताशनाः ।
विश्वामित्रं पुरस्कृत्य निषेदुरमतौजसः ॥

After they traveled for a distance it was the time for setting Sun. Then those sages reached the banks of river Sona and stayed there for the night. Then those illustrious sages finished their bath and related evening rites during the twilight hours and sat down along with sage Viswamitra.

रामोsपि सहसौमित्रिः मुनीं स्तानभिपूज्यच ।
अग्रतो निषसादाथ विश्वामित्रस्य धीमतः ॥
अथ रामो महातेजा विश्वामित्रं महमुनिम् ।
पप्रच्छ नरशार्दूलः कौतूहलसमन्वितः ॥
भगवन् को न्वयं देशः समृद्ध वन शोभितः ।
श्रोतुमिच्छामि भद्रं ते वक्तुमर्हसि तत्त्वतः ॥

SriRama along with Lakshmana too paid obeisance to those sages and sat in front of sage Viswamitra. Then Rama with with renewed interest asked that pious and venerable sage Viswamitra. 'O great Soul! Who rules this place with dense forests on the banks of river Sona. I would like to hear about the same. Please tell us in detail'.

चोदितो राम वाक्येन कथयामास सुव्रतः ।
तस्य देशस्य निखिलं ऋषिमध्ये महातपाः ॥

Then sitting among the Rishis that great Viswamitra started to tell SriRama about the story of that land in response to his question.

इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीये आदिकाव्ये
बालकांडे एकत्रिंश स्सर्गः ॥
समाप्तं ॥

|| Thus the thirty first sarga of Balakanda in Valmikis Ramayana comes to an end ||

|| Om tat sat ||