Verse 1
कामधेनुं वसिष्ठोऽपि यदा न त्यजते मुनिः ।
तदास्य शबलां राम विश्वामित्रोऽन्वकर्षत ॥
When the sage Vasistha did not give up Kamadhenu, O Rama, Vishvamitra began to drag Shabala away.
Verse 2
नीयमाना तु शबला राम राज्ञा महात्मना ।
दुःखिता चिन्तयामास रुदती शोककर्शिता ॥
While being led away by the great king Vishvamitra, Shabala, distressed and afflicted with sorrow, began to lament and think.
Verse 3
परित्यक्ता वसिष्ठेन किमहं सुमहात्मना ।
या अहं राजभृतैर्दीना ह्रियेयं भृशदुःखिता ॥
“Have I been abandoned by the great-souled Vasistha, that I, helpless and greatly distressed, am being carried away by the king’s servants?”
Verse 4
किं मयापहृतं तस्य महर्षेर्भावितात्मनः ।
यन्मामनागसं भक्तामिष्टां त्यजति धार्मिकः ॥
“What wrong have I done to that great sage whose mind is purified by austerity, that the righteous one is abandoning me, who am innocent, devoted and dear to him?”
Verse 5
इति सा चिन्तयित्वा तु वसिष्ठं परमं गुरुम् ।
निश्चक्रामाश्रमात्तूर्णं रामं दृष्ट्वेव मैथिली ॥
Having thought thus of Vasistha, her supreme master, she quickly left the hermitage, as Maithili would later go forth upon seeing Rama.
Verse 6
साश्रुनेत्रा तु शबला वसिष्ठमुपसर्पती ।
निवारयन्ती राजर्षेर्बलमाह महात्मनः ॥
With tears in her eyes, Shabala approached Vasistha and spoke to the great sage about restraining the army of the royal sage.
Verse 7
किं मया ह्यपकृतं ते राज्ञा वा मुनिसत्तम ।
यन्मां नयति राजर्षिर्बलाद्बलसमन्वितः ॥
“O best of sages, what wrong have I done to you or to the king, that the royal sage, accompanied by his army, is forcibly taking me away?”
Verse 8
न त्वं त्यजसि मां ब्रह्मन् न चाहं त्वां जहाम्यहम् ।
त्वया सह मया नित्यं वत्स्यामि मुनिसत्तम ॥
“O Brahman, you are not abandoning me, nor will I abandon you. O best of sages, I shall always remain with you.”
Verse 9
एवं विलपमानां तु शबलां मुनिसत्तमः ।
वसिष्ठः सान्त्वयामास पुत्रीमिव सुमध्यमाम् ॥
As Shabala lamented thus, the excellent sage Vasistha consoled her as though she were his own daughter.
Verse 10
मा शुचः शबले भद्रे न त्वां त्यक्ष्यामि कर्हिचित् ।
बलाद्धि नयते राजा त्वां बलवान् ममाश्रमात् ॥
“Do not grieve, O auspicious Shabala. I shall never abandon you. The powerful king is forcibly taking you away from my hermitage.”
Verse 11
मया त्वं परिरक्ष्या वै न शक्या राजसत्तमात् ।
न हि शक्तोऽस्मि राजेन्द्र बलाद्रक्षितुमात्मनः ॥
“You must be protected by me, but I am unable to protect you from this excellent king. O king, I am not able to protect myself by force against him.”
Verse 12
सैन्येन महता राजन् त्वया मां बाधते बलात् ।
तद्बलं मे न शक्नोमि निवारयितुमद्य वै ॥
“O king, with your great army you are forcibly oppressing me. Today I am unable to restrain that army.”
Verse 13
ततः क्रुद्धा तु शबला वसिष्ठं प्रत्यभाषत ।
सृजस्व सैन्यं विपुलं त्वदर्थं मुनिसत्तम ॥
Then Shabala, becoming angry, replied to Vasistha, “O best of sages, create a vast army for your sake.”
Verse 14
तस्यास्तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा वसिष्ठो मुनिपुङ्गवः ।
सृजस्वेति तदा प्राह शबलां कामदुहां वराम् ॥
Hearing her words, Vasistha, the foremost of sages, said to Shabala, the excellent wish-fulfilling cow, “Create it.”
Verse 15
ततोऽसृजत तदा सैन्यं शबला कामदोहिनी ।
तस्याः स्तनात्समुद्भूताः पयोधरसमप्रभाः ॥
Then Shabala, the fulfiller of desires, created an army. From her udder emerged beings radiant like clouds.
Verse 16
पहलवाः शतशो राम कंबोजाश्च सहस्रशः ।
यवनाश्च शतशोऽथ शकाः परमशोभनाः ॥
O Rama, hundreds of Pahlavas, thousands of Kambojas, hundreds of Yavanas and splendid Shakas were produced.
Verse 17
ततोऽपराणि सैन्यानि नानादेशसमुद्भवानि ।
शबलायाः प्रसूतानि तद्राज्ञो बलमर्दयन् ॥
Then other armies originating from various regions were produced by Shabala, and they destroyed the king’s army.
Verse 18
तद्बलं बलवद्भीमं राज्ञो विश्वामित्रस्य ह ।
विनाशयद्भृशं तत्र शबलासृजितं महत् ॥
The mighty and formidable army of King Vishvamitra was then greatly destroyed by the vast forces created by Shabala.
Verse 19
ततः क्रुद्धो महातेजा विश्वामित्रोऽभ्यभाषत ।
वसिष्ठं मुनिशार्दूलं हन्यतामिति तद्बलम् ॥
Then the greatly radiant Vishvamitra became angry and said to Vasistha, the tiger among sages, “Let this army be destroyed.”
Verse 20
ततो राजर्षिसैन्येन शबलायाः सुदारुणम् ।
युद्धमासीत्सुदुर्धर्षं देवासुररणोपमम् ॥
Then a terrible and extremely fierce battle took place between the royal sage’s army and Shabala’s forces, resembling the battle between the gods and Asuras.
Verse 21
तैः आसीत् संवृता भूमिः शकैर्यवनमिश्रितैः ।
प्रभावद्भिर्महावीर्यैर्हेमकिंजल्कसन्निभैः ॥
The earth became covered with Shakas mixed with Yavanas, powerful and immensely valiant, whose appearance was like the golden filaments of flowers.
Verse 22
दीर्घासिपट्टिशधरैर्हेमवर्णाम्बरावृतैः ।
निर्दग्धं तत् बलं सर्वं प्रदीप्तैरिव पावकैः ॥
Wielding long swords and broad lances and clad in golden-coloured garments, they completely destroyed that entire army, like blazing fires.
Verse 23
ततोऽस्त्राणि महातेजा विश्वामित्रो मुमोच ह ।
तैस्तैर्यवनकाम्बोजा बर्बराश्चाकुलीकृताः ॥
Then the greatly radiant Vishvamitra released his weapons, by which the Yavanas, Kambojas and Barbaras were thrown into confusion.
इति वाल्मीकि रामायणे आदिकाव्ये बालकाण्डे चतुःपञ्चाशः सर्गः ।
Thus ends the fifty-fourth Sarga of the Bala Kanda of the Valmiki Ramayana, the original epic.