Verse 1
दशरथोऽथ हृष्टात्मा श्रुत्वा तद्वचनं मुनेः । ऋष्यशृङ्गं पुरस्कृत्य ययौ यष्टुं महायशाः ॥
Then King Dasharatha, delighted at heart after hearing the words of the sage, proceeded to perform the great sacrifice, placing Rishyasringa at the forefront.
Verse 2
स तु राजानमामन्त्र्य ऋष्यशृङ्गं पुरस्कृत्य च । सुमन्त्रं च महात्मानं मन्त्रिणं चेदमब्रवीत् ॥
After taking leave of the king and placing Rishyasringa at the forefront, the great sage Sumantra said these words to the minister:
Verse 3
यज्ञस्य च समारम्भं यथाशास्त्रं विधानतः । कारयामास धर्मात्मा राजा दशरथस्तदा ॥
Then the righteous King Dasharatha caused the commencement of the sacrifice to be carried out according to the prescribed procedure and the injunctions of the scriptures.
Verse 4
ऋत्विजोऽथ समानीय ततो राजा महायशाः । यज्ञभूमिं ततो गत्वा यथाशास्त्रं न्यवर्तयत् ॥
Then the illustrious king invited the officiating priests, went to the sacrificial ground, and caused the rites to be performed according to the scriptures.
Verse 5
अथ राजा दशरथो यज्ञं कर्तुमुपाक्रमत् । ऋष्यशृङ्गं पुरस्कृत्य वसिष्ठं च पुरोहितम् ॥
Then King Dasharatha began the sacrifice, placing Rishyasringa at the forefront and Vashishtha as his royal priest.
Verse 6
स च राजा महातेजा यज्ञं तं विधिवत् प्रभुः । समाप्तवान् यथान्यायं यथाशास्त्रं यथाक्रमम् ॥
That mighty and powerful king completed the sacrifice according to the proper procedure, in accordance with the scriptures and in the prescribed order.
Verse 7
ततो यज्ञे समाप्ते तु ऋत्विजो मुनिपुङ्गवाः । प्रसाद्य देवताः सर्वाः प्रतिजग्मुर्यथागतम् ॥
When the sacrifice had been completed, the foremost sages who served as priests, having pleased all the deities, departed to their respective places from which they had come.
Verse 8
अथ राजा दशरथः सुमन्त्रं मन्त्रिसत्तमम् । उवाच वचनं हृष्टः पुत्रार्थं यज्ञकारणात् ॥
Then King Dasharatha, delighted because of the sacrifice performed for the sake of obtaining sons, spoke to the excellent minister Sumantra.
Verse 9
यथोक्तं मुनिना पूर्वं पुत्रकामस्य मे तदा । अश्वमेधे महायज्ञे पुत्रीयं यजतस्तथा ॥
As the sage had previously told me, while I was performing the great Ashvamedha sacrifice and desiring sons, a sacrifice for obtaining sons should also be performed.
Verse 10
तदर्थं यत्नमास्थाय पुत्रकामोऽस्मि सुव्रत । यथाशास्त्रं यथान्यायं पुत्रेष्टिं मे प्रयोजय ॥
Therefore, O you of excellent vows, I desire sons. Make the necessary effort and perform the Putrakameshti sacrifice for me according to the scriptures and proper procedure.
Verse 11
ततः सुमन्त्रः प्रहृष्टो राजानमिदमब्रवीत् । यथोक्तं मुनिना पूर्वं तत्सर्वं समुपाहरत् ॥
Then Sumantra, delighted, spoke to the king and brought together everything that had previously been prescribed by the sage.
Verse 12
ततो राजा दशरथः पुत्रेष्टिं विधिवत् तदा । कारयामास धर्मात्मा ऋष्यशृङ्गस्य शासनात् ॥
Then the righteous King Dasharatha caused the Putrakameshti sacrifice to be performed according to the prescribed procedure, under the direction of Rishyasringa.
Verse 13
ततो देवाः सगन्धर्वाः सिद्धाश्च परमर्षयः । भागप्रतिग्रहार्थं वै समवेता यथाविधि ॥
Then the gods, together with the Gandharvas, Siddhas, and great sages, assembled according to the proper procedure to receive their respective shares of the offerings.
Verse 14
तस्मिन् यज्ञे महायज्ञे राज्ञो दशरथस्य ह । तदा देवाः समागम्य भागान् स्वान् प्रतिजगृहुः ॥
At that great sacrifice of King Dasharatha, the gods assembled and received their respective shares.
Verse 15
ततो यज्ञस्य समाप्तौ तत्र देवाः समागताः । अब्रुवन् सहिताः सर्वे ब्रह्माणं वचनं शुभम् ॥
At the conclusion of the sacrifice, the assembled gods together spoke these auspicious words to Brahma.
Verse 16
भगवन् त्वत्प्रसादेन रावणो नाम राक्षसः । सर्वान् नो बाधते वीर्यात् शासितुं तं न शक्नुमः ॥
O Lord, by your grace the Rakshasa named Ravana is troubling all of us by his power, and we are unable to restrain him.
Verse 17
त्वया तस्मै वरो दत्तः प्रीतेन भगवन् तदा । मानयन्तश्च तं नित्यं सर्वं तस्य क्षमामहे ॥
O Lord, you granted him a boon when you were pleased. Therefore, honoring the power of that boon, we tolerate all that he does.
Verse 18
उद्वेजयति लोकांस्त्रीन् उच्छ्रितान् द्वेष्टि दुर्मतिः । शक्रं त्रिदशराजानं प्रधर्षयितुमिच्छति ॥
That wicked one troubles all the three worlds. He hates the exalted ones and desires to attack Shakra, the king of the gods.
Verse 19
ऋषीन्यक्षान् सगन्धर्वानसुरान् ब्राह्मणांस्तथा । अतिक्रामति दुर्धर्षो वरदानेन मोहितः ॥
That invincible one, deluded by the boon he received, oppresses the sages, Yakshas, Gandharvas, Asuras, and Brahmanas.
Verse 20
ततः सर्वे सुराः सिद्धा गन्धर्वाश्च महर्षयः । विष्णुं समुपसंगम्य तुष्टुवुर्विविधैः स्तवैः ॥
Then all the gods, Siddhas, Gandharvas, and great sages approached Vishnu and praised him with various hymns.
Verse 21
तेषां स्तुतस्तु देवेशो विष्णुस्त्रिदशपुङ्गवः । अब्रवीत् त्रिदशान् सर्वान् समेतान् धर्मसंहितान् ॥
Thus praised by them, Vishnu, the Lord of the gods and foremost among them, spoke to all the assembled gods who were devoted to righteousness.
Verse 22
भयं त्यजत भद्रं वो हितार्थं युधि रावणम् । सपुत्रपौत्रं सामात्यं समित्रज्ञातिबान्धवम् ॥
Give up your fear. May good be upon you. For your welfare, I shall kill Ravana in battle, together with his sons, grandsons, ministers, friends, relatives, and kinsmen.
Verse 23
हत्वा क्रूरं दुराधर्षं देवर्षीणां भयावहम् । दश वर्षसहस्राणि दश वर्षशतानि च ॥
Having killed that cruel and invincible one who causes fear to the gods and sages, I shall remain—
Verse 24
वत्स्यामि मानुषे लोके पालयन् पृथ्वीमिमाम् । एवं दत्त्वा वरं देवो देवानां विष्णुरात्मवान् ॥
—I shall dwell in the human world, ruling this earth, for ten thousand years and another one thousand years. Having granted this assurance to the gods, the self-possessed Lord Vishnu—
Verse 25
मानुषे चिन्तयामास जन्मभूमिमथात्मनः । ततः पद्मपलाशाक्षः कृत्वात्मानं चतुर्विधम् ॥
—then considered his place of birth in the human world. The lotus-petal-eyed Lord decided to manifest himself in four forms.
Verse 26
पितरं रोचयामास तदा दशरथं नृपम् । अयोध्याधिपतिं वीरं धर्मात्मानं यशस्विनम् ॥
Then he chose King Dasharatha as his father, the heroic, righteous, and renowned ruler of Ayodhya.
Verse 27
ततो देवर्षिगन्धर्वाः सरुद्राः साप्सरोगणाः । स्तुतिभिर्दिव्यरूपाभिस्तुष्टुवुर्मधुसूदनम् ॥
Then the gods, sages, Gandharvas, Rudras, and groups of Apsaras praised Madhusudana with divine hymns.
Verse 28
तमेव हत्वा सबलं सबान्धवं विरावणं रावणमुग्रपौरुषम् । स्वर्लोकमागच्छ गतज्वरश्चिरं सुरेन्द्रगुप्तं गतदोषकल्मषम् ॥
Having killed that Ravana of terrible might, together with his army and kinsmen, and having ended his oppression, return thereafter to the heavenly world, free from distress, to the realm protected by the Lord of the gods and free from fault and impurity.
Verse 29
ततः प्रीतमनाः सर्वे देवाः सर्षिगणास्तदा । विष्णुं प्रणम्य संहृष्टा जग्मुस्ते त्रिदिवं पुनः ॥
Then all the gods, together with the sages, became delighted. Having bowed to Vishnu, they joyfully returned to heaven.
Verse 30
अथ राजा दशरथः पुत्रीयां यज्ञकर्मणि । ऋष्यशृङ्गं पुरस्कृत्य प्रहृष्टोऽभ्यर्चयद् द्विजान् ॥
Then King Dasharatha, delighted, honored the Brahmanas, placing Rishyasringa at the forefront during the sacrifice performed for obtaining sons.
Verse 31
ऋत्विजश्च महात्मानः पूजितास्तेन पार्थिव । यथार्हं दक्षिणाभिश्च तोषिताः पृथिवीपतिः ॥
The great officiating priests were honored by the king, and the ruler of the earth pleased them with appropriate gifts and sacrificial fees.
Verse 32
ततः प्रसाद्य तान् सर्वान् ऋत्विजो मुनिसत्तमान् । सह पत्नीभिरागत्य यज्ञशालां नृपोऽभ्यगात् ॥
Having pleased all those excellent sages and officiating priests, the king then entered the sacrificial hall together with his wives.
Verse 33
तत्रासीनं नरश्रेष्ठं मुनिभिः परिवारितम् । उवाच वचनं राजा पुत्रकामः कृताञ्जलिः ॥
The king, desirous of sons and with folded hands, spoke to the foremost of men who was seated there surrounded by sages.
Verse 34
भगवन् पुत्रकामोऽहं पुत्रान् इच्छामि धार्मिकान् । यथोक्तं भवता पूर्वं पुत्रेष्टिं मे प्रयोजय ॥
O Lord, I desire sons. I wish to have righteous sons. As you previously instructed, perform the Putrakameshti sacrifice for me.
इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीये आदिकाव्ये बालकाण्डे षोडशः सर्गः ॥
Thus ends the sixteenth Sarga of Bala Kanda of the Valmiki Ramayana, the first epic composed by Sage Valmiki.