Bala Kanda · Sarga 9 of 77 · 20 verses
Sumantra’s Old Prophecy
Hearing the king’s plan, the charioteer Sumantra takes him aside and tells him an old prophecy he once heard from the priests, first spoken by the sage Sanatkumara. The sage Vibhandaka will have a son, Rishyashringa, raised alone in the forest, who knows no one but his father. At that time Romapada, king of Anga, will commit a wrong and his land will suffer a terrible drought.
His brahmanas will advise him to bring Rishyashringa to Anga and give him his daughter Shanta in marriage. Romapada’s priests, afraid of the young sage’s father, will think of a safe way to bring him: the young man will be brought by courtesans, the rain god will pour down, and Shanta will be given to him. “This Rishyashringa, your son-in-law, will bring you sons.”
Press › to begin with verse 1.
एतच्छ्रुत्वा रहः सूतो राजानमिदमब्रवीत् । श्रूयतां तत् पुरावृत्तं पुराणे च मया श्रुतम् ॥ १ ॥
Hearing this, the charioteer said to the king in private: “Listen to an ancient story I heard in the Purana.
यह सुनकर सारथी सुमंत्र ने एकांत में राजा से कहा: “पुराण में सुनी एक प्राचीन कथा सुनिए।
Commentary on the whole sarga
Sumantra’s Old Prophecy 1 min read.
Read the commentary CommentaryNot scripture Sumantra speaks “in private” (rahasi ). What he has to say is a family matter, and a prophecy about the king’s own sons. The charioteer is also a keeper of old stories: in ancient India, the suta , charioteer and bard, preserved the histories of kings.
Scene 1 of 2 · In private, Sumantra tells the king an old prophecy: a boy sage, Rishyashringa, raised alone in the forest by his father.
ऋत्विग्भिरुपदिष्टोऽयं पुरावृत्तो मया श्रुतः । सनत्कुमारो भगवान् पूर्वं कथितवान् कथाम् ॥ २ ॥
ऋषीणां संनिधौ राजंस्तव पुत्रागमं प्रति । काश्यपस्य च पुत्रोऽस्ति विभाण्डक इति श्रुतः ॥ ३ ॥
“I heard this ancient tale as the priests taught it: the holy Sanatkumara once told this story in the presence of the sages, king, concerning the coming of sons to you. Kashyapa has a son, known as Vibhandaka.
“यह प्राचीन कथा मैंने वैसे ही सुनी है जैसे पुरोहितों ने सुनाई थी: राजन, भगवान सनत्कुमार ने एक बार ऋषियों के सामने आपको पुत्र प्राप्त होने के विषय में यह कथा कही थी। कश्यप के एक पुत्र हैं, जो विभांडक नाम से प्रसिद्ध हैं।
CommentaryNot scripture The prophecy comes from Sanatkumara, one of the four eternal boy-sages born from Brahma’s mind. A story within a story within a story: Valmiki tells what the twins sing, which tells what Sumantra heard, which tells what Sanatkumara foresaw. The Ramayana loves these nested frames.
Scene 1 of 2 · In private, Sumantra tells the king an old prophecy: a boy sage, Rishyashringa, raised alone in the forest by his father.
ऋश्यशृङ्ग इति ख्यातस्तस्य पुत्रो भविष्यति । स वने नित्यसंवृद्धो मुनिर्वनचरः सदा ॥ ४ ॥
“He will have a son famed as Rishyashringa. Raised always in the forest, that sage will always wander in the woods.
“उनका ऋष्यशृंग नाम से प्रसिद्ध एक पुत्र होगा। सदा वन में पला-बढ़ा वह मुनि सदा वनों में ही विचरेगा।
CommentaryNot scripture Rishyashringa means “deer-horn”. Tradition says he was born with a small horn on his head. He grows up in the forest with only his father for company, and knows nothing of the world outside. His innocence is the key to the whole tale.
Scene 1 of 2 · In private, Sumantra tells the king an old prophecy: a boy sage, Rishyashringa, raised alone in the forest by his father.
नान्यं जानाति विप्रेन्द्रो नित्यं पित्रनुवर्तनात् । द्वैविध्यं ब्रह्मचर्यस्य भविष्यति महात्मनः ॥ ५ ॥
लोकेषु प्रथितं राजन् विप्रैश्च कथितं सदा । तस्यैवं वर्तमानस्य कालः समभिवर्तत ॥ ६ ॥
“That lord of brahmanas will know no one else, since he always follows his father. The great-souled one will keep both kinds of brahmacarya, king, as is famous in the worlds and always told by the brahmanas. While he lives so, time will pass,
“सदा अपने पिता के ही साथ रहने के कारण वह ब्राह्मणश्रेष्ठ किसी दूसरे को नहीं जानेगा। राजन, वह महात्मा दोनों प्रकार के ब्रह्मचर्य का पालन करेगा, जैसा संसार में प्रसिद्ध है और ब्राह्मण सदा कहते हैं। ऐसे रहते हुए उसका समय बीतेगा,
CommentaryNot scripture He knows no one but his father. The “two kinds of brahmacarya” are understood as lifelong celibacy and the student’s disciplined life of study. Rishyashringa keeps both perfectly. He is pure in a way that is almost unworldly, and that purity has great power.
Scene 1 of 2 · In private, Sumantra tells the king an old prophecy: a boy sage, Rishyashringa, raised alone in the forest by his father.
अग्निं शुश्रूषमाणस्य पितरं च यशस्विनम् । एतस्मिन्नेव काले तु रोमपादः प्रतापवान् ॥ ७ ॥
अङ्गेषु प्रथितो राजा भविष्यति महाबलः । तस्य व्यतिक्रमाद् राज्ञो भविष्यति सुदारुणा ॥ ८ ॥
“as he tends the sacred fire and his glorious father. At that same time there will be a mighty, valorous king famed among the Angas, Romapada. Through a transgression of that king there will be
“अग्नि और अपने यशस्वी पिता की सेवा करते हुए। उसी समय अंग देश में रोमपाद नाम के एक बलवान, पराक्रमी और प्रसिद्ध राजा होंगे। उस राजा के एक अपराध के कारण
CommentaryNot scripture Romapada, king of the Angas (in eastern India, around today’s Bhagalpur), commits a transgression (vyatikrama ). Other versions say he broke a promise to a brahmana. Valmiki does not explain. What matters is the result: a king’s fault brings suffering to his whole land.
Scene 1 of 2 · In private, Sumantra tells the king an old prophecy: a boy sage, Rishyashringa, raised alone in the forest by his father.
अनावृष्टिः सुघोरा वै सर्वलोकभयावहा । अनावृष्ट्यां तु वृत्तायां राजा दुःखसमन्वितः ॥ ९ ॥
ब्राह्मणाञ्छ्रुतसंवृद्धान् समानीय प्रवक्ष्यति व । भवन्तः श्रुतकर्माणो लोकचारित्रवेदिनः ॥ १० ॥
“a dreadful drought, most terrible, bringing fear to all the world. When the drought has come, the king, full of sorrow, will gather brahmanas grown old in learning and will say: ‘You know the scriptures and rites and know the ways of the world.
“एक भयंकर, अत्यंत घोर सूखा पड़ेगा, जो सारे संसार को भयभीत कर देगा। सूखा पड़ने पर शोक से भरे राजा विद्या में बड़े हुए ब्राह्मणों को बुलाकर कहेंगे: ‘आप शास्त्र और कर्मकांड जानते हैं, और संसार की रीति भी जानते हैं।
CommentaryNot scripture A drought that “brings fear to all the world”. In the ancient Indian view, a king’s dharma and the rain are linked: when the king errs, the heavens withhold water. Romapada does the right thing: he turns to the elders, those “grown old in learning”, and asks for guidance.
Scene 2 of 2 · Drought grips the land of Anga, and King Romapada asks his sages how the rain can return.
समादिशन्तु नियमं प्रायश्चित्तं यथा भवेत् । इत्युक्तास्ते ततो राज्ञा सर्वे ब्राह्मणसत्तमाः ॥ ११ ॥
वक्ष्यन्ति ते महीपालं ब्राह्मणा वेदपारगाः । विभाण्डकसुतं राजन् सर्वोपायैरिहानय ॥ १२ ॥
“’Direct me to a discipline, so that there may be atonement.’ Spoken to so by the king, all those excellent brahmanas, masters of the Vedas, will say to the lord of the earth: ‘King, bring here by every means the son of Vibhandaka.
“’मुझे कोई नियम बताइए, जिससे प्रायश्चित्त हो सके।’ राजा के ऐसा कहने पर वेदों के पारंगत वे सब श्रेष्ठ ब्राह्मण पृथ्वीपति से कहेंगे: ‘राजन, किसी भी उपाय से विभांडक के पुत्र को यहाँ ले आइए।
CommentaryNot scripture He asks for a prayashchitta , an act of atonement. This is the mark of a good king: he admits his fault and seeks to repair it. The brahmanas’ answer is surprising: bring the forest sage Rishyashringa here, by any means.
Scene 2 of 2 · Drought grips the land of Anga, and King Romapada asks his sages how the rain can return.
आनाय्य तु महीपाल ऋष्यशृङ्गं सुसत्कृतम् । विभाण्डकसुतं राजन् ब्राह्मणं वेदपारगम् । प्रयच्छ कन्यां शान्तां वै विधिना सुसमाहितः ॥ १३ ॥
“’Having brought Rishyashringa, son of Vibhandaka, honoured well, a brahmana master of the Vedas, give him your daughter Shanta by the rite, with full attention.’
“’विभांडक के पुत्र ऋष्यशृंग को, जो वेदों के पारंगत ब्राह्मण हैं, यहाँ लाकर, उनका भली-भाँति सम्मान करके, पूरे ध्यान से विधिपूर्वक अपनी पुत्री शांता उन्हें दे दीजिए।’
CommentaryNot scripture And give him your daughter, Shanta, in marriage. The name means “peace”. Many commentators say Shanta was born to Dasharatha and given to his friend Romapada to raise. That is why verse 19 calls Rishyashringa Dasharatha’s son-in-law.
Scene 2 of 2 · Drought grips the land of Anga, and King Romapada asks his sages how the rain can return.
तेषां तु वचनं श्रुत्वा राजा चिन्तां प्रपत्स्यते । केनोपायेन वै शक्यमिहानेतुं स वीर्यवान् ॥ १४ ॥
“Hearing their words, the king will fall to thinking: ‘By what means can that powerful one be brought here?’
“उनके वचन सुनकर राजा सोच में पड़ जाएँगे: ‘उन प्रभावशाली मुनि को यहाँ किस उपाय से लाया जाए?’
CommentaryNot scripture The problem: how to bring a sage who has never left the forest, whose father guards him, and whose anger could be dangerous? Romapada thinks hard. The story is turning into a puzzle.
Scene 2 of 2 · Drought grips the land of Anga, and King Romapada asks his sages how the rain can return.
ततो राजा विनिश्चित्य सह मन्त्रिभिरात्मवान् । पुरोहितममात्यांश्च प्रेषयिष्यति सत्कृतान् ॥ १५ ॥
“Then the king, self-possessed, having decided with his ministers, will send his priest and ministers, honoured.
“तब संयमी राजा अपने मंत्रियों से निश्चय करके अपने पुरोहित और मंत्रियों को सम्मान के साथ भेजेंगे।
CommentaryNot scripture He sends his own priest and ministers, with honour. A formal embassy is the proper way to invite a sage. But formal ways will not work with a boy who has never seen a city.
Scene 2 of 2 · Drought grips the land of Anga, and King Romapada asks his sages how the rain can return.
ते तु राज्ञो वचः श्रुत्वा व्यथिता विनताननाः । न गच्छेम ऋषेर्भीता अनुनेष्यन्ति तं नृपम् ॥ १६ ॥
“Hearing the king’s words, they will be distressed and hang their heads: ‘We will not go; we fear the sage.’ They will plead with the king,
“राजा के वचन सुनकर वे दुखी होकर सिर झुका लेंगे: ‘हम नहीं जाएँगे; हमें मुनि से डर लगता है।’ वे राजा से विनती करेंगे,
CommentaryNot scripture The ministers are afraid. They hang their heads: “We fear the sage.” A sage’s curse could destroy them. Their honest fear is a small, human moment in the middle of a prophecy.
Scene 2 of 2 · Drought grips the land of Anga, and King Romapada asks his sages how the rain can return.
वक्ष्यन्ति चिन्तयित्वा ते तस्योपायांश्च तान्क्षमान् । आनेष्यामो वयं विप्रं न च दोषो भविष्यति ॥ १७ ॥
“and after thinking they will tell him suitable means: ‘We will bring the brahmana, and no fault will follow.’
“और सोच-विचार करके उन्हें उचित उपाय बताएँगे: ‘हम ब्राह्मण को ले आएँगे, और कोई दोष नहीं होगा।’
CommentaryNot scripture But after thinking, they find a way that will cause “no fault” (na ca dosho bhavishyati ). The next sarga will reveal it in full. A delicate plan, with a playful side: the poem’s tone lightens here.
Scene 2 of 2 · Drought grips the land of Anga, and King Romapada asks his sages how the rain can return.
एवमङ्गाधिपेनैव गणिकाभिर्ऋषेः सुतः । आनीतोऽवर्षयद् देवः शान्ता चास्मै प्रदीयते ॥ १८ ॥
“So, by the lord of Anga, through courtesans, the sage’s son was brought; the god sent rain, and Shanta was given to him.
“इस प्रकार अंगराज ने गणिकाओं के द्वारा मुनिपुत्र को बुलवाया; देवता ने वर्षा की, और शांता उन्हें ब्याह दी गई।
CommentaryNot scripture In one line Sumantra gives the end: courtesans (ganika ) bring the sage’s son to the city, the rain god sends rain, and Shanta marries him. The fuller story follows. Note that the verse uses the past tense: the prophecy has already come true.
Scene 2 of 2 · Drought grips the land of Anga, and King Romapada asks his sages how the rain can return.
ऋश्यशृङ्गस्तु जामाता पुत्रांस्तव विधास्यति । सनत्कुमारकथितमेतावद् व्याहृतं मया ॥ १९ ॥
“Rishyashringa, your son-in-law, will bring about sons for you. This much of what Sanatkumara told I have related.”
“आपके दामाद ऋष्यशृंग आपके लिए पुत्रों का प्रबंध करेंगे। सनत्कुमार ने जो कहा था, उसमें से इतना मैंने बता दिया।”
CommentaryNot scripture And now the point of the prophecy: this same Rishyashringa will help Dasharatha get sons. Sanatkumara foresaw it long ago. The king’s longing is part of a larger plan already set in motion.
Scene 2 of 2 · Drought grips the land of Anga, and King Romapada asks his sages how the rain can return.
अथ हृष्टो दशरथः सुमन्त्रं प्रत्यभाषत । यथर्ष्यशृङ्गस्त्वानीतो येनोपायेन सोच्यताम् ॥ २० ॥
Then Dasharatha, delighted, said to Sumantra: “Tell me how Rishyashringa was brought, and by what means.”
तब प्रसन्न होकर दशरथ ने सुमंत्र से कहा: “मुझे बताओ कि ऋष्यशृंग को कैसे लाया गया, और किस उपाय से।”
CommentaryNot scripture Dasharatha is delighted (hrishta ), and like any listener, he wants the whole story: how exactly was the sage brought? His curiosity is our own. The next sarga tells it.
Scene 2 of 2 · Drought grips the land of Anga, and King Romapada asks his sages how the rain can return.
