बालकांड
षट्रिंशस्सर्गः

उक्तवाक्ये मुनौ तस्मिन् उभौ राघवलक्ष्मणौ ।
प्रतिनंद्य कथां वीरौ ऊचतुर्मुनिपुंगवम् ॥

Hearing those words of the venerable sage Viswamitra , the two brothers Rama and Lakshmana were very happy and asked the venerable sage again as follows.

धर्मयुक्तमिदं ब्रह्मन् कथितं परमं त्वया ।
दुहितः शैलराजस्य ज्येष्ठया वक्तुमर्हसि ॥
विस्तरं विस्तरज्ञोसि दिव्यमानुष संभवम् ।
त्रीन् पथो हेतुना केन प्लावयेल्लोकपावनी ॥
कथं गंगा त्रिपथगा विश्रुता सरिदुत्तमा ।
त्रिषु लोकेषु धर्मज्ञ कर्मभिः कैस्समन्विता ॥

'O Brahman ! What you have told us is most appropriate. Only you are the authority to tell us about Ganga , the elder daughter of that king of Mountains. You may elaborate on the happenings in this earthly world and the world of Suras about this river Ganga. Why did that auspicious river flow in the three worlds ? Oh The knower of right knowledge ! Why this river known as "Tripatha" attained fame as the best of rivers in the all three worlds ?

तथा ब्रुवति काकुत् स्थे विशामित्रस्तपोधनः ।
निखिलेन कथां सर्वाम् ऋषिमध्ये न्यवेदयत् ॥

Thus as the scion of Kakutstha questioned him , that venerable sage Viswamitra elaborted the full story in the presence of all other venerable sages.

पुरा राम कृतोद्वाहो नीलकंठो महातपाः ।
दृष्ट्वा च स्पृहया देवीं मैथुना योपचक्रमे ॥
शितिकंठस्य देवस्य दिव्यं वर्षशतं गतम् ।
न चापि तनयो राम तस्यामासीत् परंतप ॥

" O Rama ! In the earlier times Nilakantha married Parvati under the influence of Manmatha. There after Nilakantha and Parvati spent hundred years. But Oh Parantapa! They did not have children".

ततो देवाः समुद्विग्नाः पितामह पुरोगमाः।
यदिहोत्पद्यते भूतं कस्तत् प्रतिसहिष्यते ॥
अभिगम्य सुरास्सर्वे प्रणिपत्येदमब्रुवन् ।
देव देव महादेव लोकस्यास्य हितेरत ॥
सुराणां प्रणिपातेन प्रसादं कर्तुमर्हसि ।
न लोका धारयिष्यंति तव तेजः सुरोत्तम ॥
ब्राह्मेण तपसा युक्तो देव्या सह तपश्चर ।
त्रैलोक्यहित कामार्थं तेजस्तेजसि धारय ॥

'Then concerned that if a son is born after so many years the worlds may not be able to with stand the power of Siva's Tejas, all the Devas came to Mahadeva. After paying obeisances, they spoke to him. " Oh Deva Deva ! Maha Deva ! You are always concerned with the welfare of the worlds. These worlds cannot bear your Tejas. For the benefit of the words please contain your Tejas among yourself. Please continue your penance for Brahman !

देवतानां वचः श्रुत्वा सर्वलोकमहेश्वरः ।
बाढमित्यब्रवीत् सर्वान् पुन श्चेदमुवाचह ॥
धारयिष्याम्यहं तेजः तेजस्येव सहोमया ।
त्रिदशाः पृथिवीचैव निर्वाणमधिगच्छतु ॥
यदिदं क्षुभितं स्थानात् मम तेजोह्यनुत्तमम् ।
धारयिष्यति कस्तन्मे ब्रुवंतु सुरसत्तमाः ॥

Hearing those words of Devas, that Lord of the worlds said "Let it be so". Then he again spoke to them." O Best of Surasas ! we will retain our Tejas among ourselves. Let the worlds of Devas and humans be at peace. Yet , Oh Best of Suras ! if my Tejas were to move from its position , please tell me who can bear the same ?"

एवमुक्ताः सुराः सर्वे प्रत्यूचुः वृषभध्वजम् ।
यत्तेजः क्षुभितं ह्येतत् तद्धरा धारयिष्यति ॥
एव मुक्ताः सुरपतिः प्रमुमोच महीतले ।
तेजसा पृथिवी येन व्याप्ता सगिरिकानना ॥

Then the Suras told Lord Siva, " If your Tejas were to move then the goddess Earth can bear the same". Hearing those words of the Devas, Siva then let his Tejas out on the earth. Then that Tejas spread all over the earth with forests and mountains.

प्रविश त्वं महातेजो रौद्रं वायु समन्वितः ॥
तदग्निना पुनर्व्याप्तं संजातः श्वेतपर्वतः ।
दिव्यं शरवणं चैव पावकादित्यसन्निभम् ।
यत्र जातो महातेजाः कार्तिकेयोsग्निसंभवः ॥
अथोमां च शिवं चैव देवास्सर्षिगणास्तदा ।
पूजयामासुरत्यर्थं सुप्रीत मनसस्ततः ॥

Then the Devas told the Lord of fire to bear the Tejas of Siva along with Vayu. Then that Tejas born by the fire became a White mountain. There a weed as powerful as the Fire and Sun grew up. Among that weed the powerful Kartikeya was born . He was known as ' Agni Sambhava', the one caused by the Fire. All the Devas were very happy. They worshipped Siva and Parvati with all diligence.

अथ शैलसुता राम त्रिदशान् इदमब्रवीत् ।
समन्युरशपत् सर्वान् क्रोधसंरक्तलोचना ॥
यस्मान्निवारिता चैव संगतिः पुत्रकाम्यया ।
अपत्यं स्वेषु दारेषु तस्मान्नोत्पादयिष्यथ ॥
अद्य प्रभृति युष्माकं अप्रजाः संतु पत्नयः ।
एवमुक्त्वा सुरान् सर्वान् शशाप पृथिवीमपि ॥

' Oh Rama ! Then Parvati spoke with anger cursing all the Devas with with eyes reddened due to anger. She spoke as follows. "Oh Devas ! You have obstructed my wish to have a son through my husband. Hence none of your wives will have progeny. From today your wives will not bear any children". Having cursed all the Devas thus, Parvati then spoke to the goddess earth too.'

अवने नैकरूपात्वं बहुभार्या भविष्यसि ।
न च पुत्रकृतां प्रीतिं मत्क्रोधकलुषीकृता ।
प्राप्स्यसि त्वं सुदुर्मेधे ममपुत्त्र मनिच्छति ॥

" You will be without forests, and will have many forms. You will be the wife to many. Because you ensured that I do not have sons. You too will not have the happiness of having children."

तान् सर्वान् व्रीडितान् दृष्ट्वा सुरान् सुरपतिस्तदा ।
गमनायोपचक्राम दिशं वरुणपालिताम् ॥
स गत्वा तप अतिष्ठत् पार्श्वे तस्यॊत्तरे गिरेः ।
हिमवत्प्रभवे शृंगे सह देव्या महेश्वरः ॥

'Seeing all the Devas downcast , Parameswar moved in the direction of lands ruled by Varuna. Then he reached the mountain in the northern quarter and started his penance along with Parvati '

एष ते विस्तरो राम शैलपुत्य्रानिवेदितः ।
गंगायाः प्रभवं चैव शृणु मे सह लक्ष्मणः ॥

' Oh Rama ! I have told you in detail about Parvati, the daughter of king of mountains. Now I will tell you about the story of Ganga. Please listen along with Lakshmana'.

इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीये आदिकाव्ये
बालकांडे षट्रिंशस्सर्गः ॥
समाप्तं ॥

|| Thus ends the Sarga thirty six of balakanda in Valmiki Ramayana ||
|| Om tat sat ||