Verse 1
विश्वामित्रवचः श्रुत्वा हृष्टरोमा महातपाः ।
शतानन्दो महातेजा रामं वचनमब्रवीत् ॥
Hearing the words of Vishvamitra, the great ascetic Shatananda, whose hairs stood on end with joy, and who was greatly radiant, spoke to Rama.
Verse 2
अहो ते परमो लाभो महर्षेर्दर्शनं शुभम् ।
विश्वामित्रस्य काकुत्स्थ तपसा भावितात्मनः ॥
“O Kakutstha, your great fortune is that you have obtained the auspicious sight of the great sage Vishvamitra, whose self has been purified through austerity.”
Verse 3
येन त्वं परमर्षिणा विश्वामित्रेण धीमता ।
कृतार्थोऽसि महाबाहो कृत्स्नं च कथितं मया ॥
“O mighty-armed Rama, by the wise great sage Vishvamitra you have been blessed, and I shall now tell you his entire history.”
Verse 4
राजर्षिरभवद्राजा प्रजापालनतत्परः ।
कुशस्य पुत्रो बलवान् कुशनाभ इति स्मृतः ॥
“There was a royal sage who was a king devoted to protecting his subjects. He was the powerful son of Kusha and was known as Kushanabha.”
Verse 5
कुशनाभस्य च सुतो गाधिरित्येव विश्रुतः ।
गाधेः पुत्रो महातेजा विश्वामित्रो महामुनिः ॥
“Kushanabha had a son renowned by the name of Gadhi. The greatly radiant Vishvamitra, the great sage, was the son of Gadhi.”
Verse 6
विश्वामित्रो महातेजाः प्रजाः सम्यगपालयत् ।
राजा परमधर्मात्मा दण्डेन च नयेन च ॥
“The greatly radiant Vishvamitra properly protected his subjects. The king was exceedingly righteous and ruled through justice and proper governance.”
Verse 7
स कदाचिन्महातेजा वसिष्ठस्याश्रमं ययौ ।
सैन्येन महता युक्तो राजा राजर्षिसत्तमः ॥
“Once, that greatly radiant king, the foremost among royal sages, went to the hermitage of Vasistha accompanied by a great army.”
Verse 8
तत्र दृष्ट्वा मुनिश्रेष्ठं वसिष्ठं तपसि स्थितम् ।
पूजयामास धर्मात्मा राजा राजर्षिसत्तमः ॥
“There he saw the foremost of sages, Vasistha, engaged in austerities. The righteous king, the best among royal sages, worshipped him.”
Verse 9
तं दृष्ट्वा मुनिशार्दूलं विश्वामित्रं महाबलम् ।
वसिष्ठः परमप्रीतोऽभ्यागतं प्रत्यपूजयत् ॥
“Seeing Vishvamitra, the tiger among sages and possessed of great strength, Vasistha became exceedingly pleased and honoured his guest.”
Verse 10
अर्घ्यं पाद्यं च गां चैव मधुपर्कं तथैव च ।
निवेदयामास विधिवद्राज्ञे परमधार्मिकः ॥
“The highly righteous Vasistha duly offered the king arghya, water for washing his feet, a cow, and madhuparka.”
Verse 11
प्रतिगृह्य तु तां पूजां विश्वामित्रो महाबलः ।
कृतार्थोऽभून्महातेजा वसिष्ठेन महात्मना ॥
“Having accepted that honour, the mighty and greatly radiant Vishvamitra felt fulfilled by the hospitality of the great-souled Vasistha.”
Verse 12
ततः कुशलमव्यग्रं वसिष्ठो मुनिपुङ्गवः ।
पप्रच्छ मधुरं वाक्यं विश्वामित्रं महामुनिम् ॥
“Then Vasistha, the foremost of sages, calmly enquired about the welfare of the great sage Vishvamitra in sweet words.”
Verse 13
कच्चित्ते कुशलं राजन् राज्ये च बले च ते ।
मित्रेषु च सुहृच्चैव कच्चित्सुखमवाप्स्यसि ॥
“O king, I hope you are well, and that your kingdom and army are also well. I hope your friends and well-wishers are happy and that you are living happily.”
Verse 14
कच्चित्ते कुशलं राम सर्वत्र च नरेश्वर ।
कच्चिद्भृत्याः प्रसन्नास्ते कच्चित्तेऽस्ति धनागमः ॥
“O Rama, I hope everything is well with you everywhere, O lord of men. I hope your servants are content and that wealth is coming to you.”
Verse 15
तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा विश्वामित्रो महामुनिः ।
उवाच मधुरं वाक्यं वसिष्ठं मुनिसत्तमम् ॥
“Hearing those words, the great sage Vishvamitra spoke sweetly to the excellent sage Vasistha.”
Verse 16
कुशलं मे महाभाग सर्वत्र कुशलं मम ।
राज्यं च कुशलं सर्वं बलं च कुशलं तथा ॥
“O greatly fortunate one, I am well, and everything is well with me. My kingdom is prosperous and my army too is in good condition.”
Verse 17
मित्राणि च सुहृच्चैव भृत्याश्च कुशलाः सदा ।
धनागमश्च मे ब्रह्मन् कुशलं च यथातथम् ॥
“My friends and well-wishers are well, and my servants are also always well. O Brahman, wealth is coming to me, and everything is as it should be.”
Verse 18
एवमुक्त्वा महातेजा विश्वामित्रो महामुनिः ।
वसिष्ठं मुनिशार्दूलं पुनरेवाभ्यभाषत ॥
“Having spoken thus, the greatly radiant great sage Vishvamitra again addressed Vasistha, the tiger among sages.”
Verse 19
इमौ कुमारौ भद्रं ते देवतुल्यपराक्रमौ ।
रामो दशरथस्यायं लक्ष्मणश्चापि वीर्यवान् ॥
“These two princes possess prowess equal to that of the gods. May you be blessed. This is Rama, the son of Dasharatha, and this is the mighty Lakshmana.”
Verse 20
इमौ मुनिवरश्रेष्ठं मां शुश्रूषापरायणौ ।
आगतौ सहिता वीरौ यज्ञस्य परिरक्षणे ॥
“These two heroic princes have come with me, devoted to serving me and protecting my sacrifice.”
Verse 21
अहं वेद्मि महात्मानौ रामलक्ष्मणयोर्बलम् ।
न वेत्ति हि भवान् सर्वं तयोर्वीर्यं महामुने ॥
“O great sage, I know the strength of these two great-souled princes, Rama and Lakshmana. You do not yet know the full extent of their valour.”
Verse 22
शतानन्दवचः श्रुत्वा रामो दशरथात्मजः ।
प्रहृष्टवदनः श्रीमान् विश्वामित्रमथाब्रवीत् ॥
Hearing the words of Shatananda, Rama, the son of Dasharatha, with a joyful face and endowed with splendour, spoke to Vishvamitra.
Verse 23
भगवन् कौशिकश्रेष्ठ वसिष्ठस्य महात्मनः ।
विश्वामित्रस्य चरितं श्रोतुमिच्छामि विस्तरात् ॥
“O Bhagavan, O foremost among the descendants of Kusha, I wish to hear in detail the history of the great-souled Vishvamitra and his association with Vasistha.”
इति वाल्मीकि रामायणे आदिकाव्ये बालकाण्डे द्विपञ्चाशः सर्गः ।
Thus ends the fifty-second Sarga of the Bala Kanda of the Valmiki Ramayana, the original epic.