## Verse 1
ब्रह्मयोनिर्महानासीद् कुशो नाम महातपाः ।
अक्लिष्टव्रतधर्मज्ञः सज्जनप्रतिपूजकः ॥
There was a great ascetic named Kusha, born from Brahma, who knew the duties of vows and righteousness and who honoured virtuous people.
## Verse 2
स महात्मा कुलीनायां युक्तायां सुमहाबलान् ।
वैदर्भ्यां जनयामास चतुरः सदृशान् सुतान् ॥
That great-souled Kusha begot four mighty and illustrious sons from a noble woman of the Vidarbha lineage.
## Verse 3
कुशाम्बं कुशनाभं च आसूर्तरजसं वसुम् ।
चतुरः सदृशान् पुत्रान् धर्मात्मान् सत्यवादिनः ॥
Kushamba, Kushanabha, Asurtarajasa and Vasu were his four sons, equal in glory, righteous and truthful.
## Verse 4
कुशस्य पुत्रः कुशनाभो महातेजा महाबलः ।
तस्य पुत्रशतं राजन् कन्यानां चारुदर्शनम् ॥
Kushanabha, the greatly powerful and radiant son of Kusha, had a hundred daughters who were exceedingly beautiful.
## Verse 5
ताः सर्वाः रूपसम्पन्नाः कन्याः पद्मदलाक्षणाः ।
उद्यानभूमिमागम्य क्रीडन्त्यो नृपतेः सुताः ॥
All those daughters of the king, endowed with beauty and eyes like lotus petals, came to the garden and began to play.
## Verse 6
ताश्च सर्वाः समासाद्य वायुः कामसमन्वितः ।
उवाच मधुरं वाक्यं ताः कन्याः पवनस्तदा ॥
The wind-god Vayu, overcome with desire, approached all those maidens and spoke to them in sweet words.
## Verse 7
अहं वः कामये सर्वाः पतित्वे चारुहासिकाः ।
त्यजत मानुषं भावं भजध्वं मामनिन्दिताः ॥
“O beautiful maidens, I desire all of you as my wives. Abandon the limitations of human existence and accept me, who am without blemish.”
## Verse 8
मानुषोऽहं न भवामि देवोऽहं कामरूपधृक् ।
यौवनं च वयश्चैव न नश्यति मम सर्वदा ॥
“I am not a human being. I am a god who can assume any form he desires. My youth and age never decline.”
## Verse 9
तस्मान्मां भजध्वं सर्वाः कन्याः परमशोभनाः ।
भविष्यथ महाभागाः सर्वलोकेषु विश्रुताः ॥
“Therefore, all of you exceedingly beautiful maidens, accept me. You shall become fortunate and renowned throughout the worlds.”
## Verse 10
तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा वायोरुक्तं वराङ्गनाः ।
प्रत्यूचुर्मधुरं वाक्यं सस्मिताः कन्यकास्तदा ॥
Hearing the words spoken by Vayu, those excellent maidens smiled and replied to him with gentle words.
## Verse 11
किं त्वया नूनमज्ञानाद् धर्मोऽयं प्रतिषेधितः ।
पितरं नः प्रतीक्षन्त्यो वयं धर्मपरायणाः ॥
“Why do you disregard righteousness? We are devoted to righteousness and are waiting for our father.”
## Verse 12
पिता हि नः प्रभुर्नित्यं दाता च वरवर्णिनाम् ।
तस्य वाक्यं प्रतीक्षामो न वयं स्वेच्छया व्रजेत् ॥
“Our father is always our lord and the giver of our husbands. We await his decision and shall not act according to our own wishes.”
## Verse 13
सर्वासां नः पिता राजा प्रभुः परमधार्मिकः ।
यथास्मान् दास्यते राजा स नो भर्ता भविष्यति ॥
“Our father the king is the lord of us all and is supremely righteous. Whomever the king gives us in marriage shall become our husband.”
## Verse 14
एवं तासां वचः श्रुत्वा वायुः परमकोपनः ।
प्रहस्य ताः कन्यकाः सर्वाः प्रत्यभाषत ॥
Hearing these words, Vayu became exceedingly angry, laughed, and replied to all those maidens.
## Verse 15
काममोहसमाविष्टः क्रोधाद् वै ताः कन्यकाः शुभाः ।
कुब्जाः करोमि सर्वास्तु न शक्ष्यन्ति यथेष्टतः ॥
“Overcome by desire and anger, I shall make all of you hunchbacked, so that you will no longer be able to move about as you please.”
## Verse 16
एवमुक्त्वा स ताः सर्वाः कन्याः परमशोभनाः ।
कुब्जाश्चकार दुर्धर्षो वायुः कामसमन्वितः ॥
Having spoken thus, the irresistible Vayu, overcome with desire, made all those exceedingly beautiful maidens hunchbacked.
## Verse 17
ताः कन्याः कुब्जतां प्राप्ता वायुनाभिपीडिताः ।
निश्चेष्टाः शरणं जग्मुः पितरं नृपसत्तमम् ॥
Those maidens, having been made hunchbacked and afflicted by Vayu, became helpless and went to their father, the excellent king, seeking refuge.
## Verse 18
ताः प्रविश्य पुरं रम्यं राज्ञः कुशनाभस्य धीमतः ।
शोकसन्तप्तहृदयाः पितरं पर्युपासते ॥
Entering the beautiful city of the wise King Kushanabha, they were afflicted with sorrow and approached their father.
## Verse 19
ताः दृष्ट्वा राजा धर्मात्मा कन्याः कुब्जाः समागताः ।
किमेतदिति चिन्तायां पर्युपास्ते पितामहः ॥
The righteous king, seeing his daughters arrive hunchbacked, wondered what had happened and remained thoughtful.
## Verse 20
ताः कन्याः परमासीनाः पितरं प्रत्यभाषत ।
वायुनास्मि वयं भग्नाः सर्वाः परमदुर्मनाः ॥
The maidens, greatly distressed, spoke to their father: “We have all been disfigured by Vayu and are filled with sorrow.”
## Verse 21
सर्वासामेव नः कन्यानां वायुः कामसमन्वितः ।
पाणिं ग्रहीतुं चाकाङ्क्षद् वयं तं नाभ्यनन्दिषुः ॥
“Vayu, overcome by desire, wished to take all of us as his wives, but we did not accept him.”
## Verse 22
पितरं च प्रतीक्षन्त्यो वयं धर्मपरायणाः ।
तस्य रोषेण भग्नाः स्म वायोः परमदुर्मतेः ॥
“We were devoted to righteousness and were waiting for our father. Because of the anger of that wicked-minded Vayu, we have been disfigured.”
## Verse 23
एतच्छ्रुत्वा तु वचनं कन्यानां नृपसत्तमः ।
सान्त्वयामास ताः सर्वाः पुत्रीवत् सुमहायशाः ॥
Hearing the words of his daughters, the illustrious king, foremost among men, consoled them all as though they were his own children.
## Verse 24
ताः कन्या वायुनाभग्ना विविशुर्नृपतेर्गृहम् ।
प्रविश्य च सुसंभ्रान्ताः सलज्जाः साश्रुलोचनाः ॥
Those maidens, disfigured by Vayu, entered the king’s palace. Having entered, they were greatly distressed and ashamed, with tears in their eyes.
## Verse 25
स च ता दयिता भग्नाः कन्याः परमशोभनाः ।
दृष्ट्वा दीनास्तदा राजा संभ्रांत इदमब्रवीत् ॥
Seeing his beloved and exceedingly beautiful daughters now disfigured and miserable, the king became greatly distressed and spoke these words.
## Verse 26
किमिदं कथ्यतां पुत्र्यः को धर्ममवमन्यते ।
कुब्जाः केन कृताः सर्वा चेष्टन्त्यो नाभिभाषथ ।
एवं राजा विनिःश्वस्य समाधिं संदधे ततः ॥
“What is this? Tell me, my daughters. Who has disregarded righteousness? By whom have you all been made hunchbacked? Why do you gesture without speaking?”
Thus the king sighed and then remained silent, waiting for their response.
इति वाल्मीकिरामायणे आदिकाव्ये बालकाण्डे द्वात्रिंशः सर्गः
Thus ends the thirty-second Sarga of the Bala Kanda of the Valmiki Ramayana, the original epic.