Bal Kanda
Narration
Canto 21 — Vishwamitra’s Angry Words and Vashishtha Consoles King Dasharatha
Every syllable of King Dasharatha’s words was filled with affection for his son. Hearing them, the great sage Vishwamitra became angry and spoke to him this way:
“King, you first promised to give what I asked for, and now you want to break that promise. Abandoning one’s pledge is not worthy of the Raghu dynasty. Such conduct indicates the downfall of this lineage. O lord of men, if you think this is right, then I will return the same way I came. Jewel of the Kakutsa clan, now break your promise and remain happy, surrounded by your well-wishers.”
As soon as the wise Vishwamitra became angry, the whole earth trembled, and great fear entered the hearts of the gods. The world felt tormented by his wrath.
Then the calm-minded sage Vashishtha, who adhered to noble vows, said to the king:
“Your Majesty, you were born in the line of Ikshvaku kings like a second form of Dharma itself. You are patient, the follower of noble vows, and endowed with great fortune. You must not abandon your dharma. Dasharatha, ornament of the Raghu clan, is highly righteous—this is known in the three worlds. Therefore, follow your dharma. Do not take the burden of adharma upon yourself.
One who makes a vow—‘I will do this’—and then does not uphold it, loses the merit of sacrifices and rituals, and even the merit gained from building ponds and wells. Therefore, send Shri Ram with Vishwamitra. Whether he knows the science of weapons or not, the demons cannot stand before him. Just as no one can touch nectar protected by blazing fire, similarly, no demon can harm Shri Ram when he is protected by Vishwamitra, son of Kushika.
Shri Ram and the sage Vishwamitra are the very embodiment of dharma. Among the powerful, they are supreme. In knowledge, they surpass all. In tapasya, they are vast storehouses. In all three worlds, along with movable and immovable beings, whatever weapons exist—they know all of them well. Apart from me, no one else knows these weapons properly, nor will anyone ever know them. Gods, rishis, demons, gandharvas, yakshas, kinnaras, and great serpents do not know the full extent of his power.
Almost all weapons are the sons of Prajapati Krishashva, that supremely righteous being. Long ago, Prajapati entrusted these weapons to Vishwamitra, the son of Kushika, when he was still a king.
Krishashva’s sons were born of two daughters of Prajapati Daksha—Jaya and Suprabha. They have many forms. They are radiant, powerful, and victory-giving. Jaya received a boon and gave birth to fifty sons, shapeless yet of immense strength, created to destroy the armies of demons. Suprabha gave birth to fifty sons called Sanharas—terrible, unconquerable, and extremely powerful.
These righteous weapons are fully known to Vishwamitra, son of Kushika. He also has the power to create those weapons which do not yet exist. Raghunandan, nothing of past or future is hidden from this great sage Vishwamitra, who knows dharma.
King, this powerful and glorious Vishwamitra is so mighty that you should have no doubt in sending Ram with him. Though the sage himself can destroy the demons, he wishes to bless your son, and for that he has come to request you.
Hearing Vashishtha’s words, the illustrious Dasharatha, jewel of the Raghu lineage, became pleased. His heart filled with joy, and after thinking carefully, sending Ram with Vishwamitra seemed right to him.
Here the twenty-first canto ends.
Canto 22 — Dasharatha Sends Ram and Lakshman with Blessings; They Receive the Knowledge of Bala and Atibala
After hearing Vashishtha, King Dasharatha’s face blossomed with happiness. He himself called Ram and Lakshman. Then Mother Kaushalya, Father Dasharatha, and the priest Vashishtha performed the sacred rites for their journey. Auspicious mantras were chanted over Shri Ram.
Then King Dasharatha smelled the head of his son and joyfully handed him to Vishwamitra. At that time, a dust-free, pleasant breeze began to blow. Seeing lotus-eyed Shri Ram walking with Vishwamitra, the gods showered flowers from the sky. Divine drums began to sound. Conch shells and kettledrums also echoed.
Ahead walked Vishwamitra, behind him went the sharp-eyed Ram with a crow feather crest, and behind him followed Lakshman, son of Sumitra. Both brothers wore quivers on their backs. Their bows shone in their hands. Walking behind the sage, they looked like two serpents with three hoods—one hood being the bow on the shoulder, the second the quiver on the back, and the third the head in between.
Their nature was noble and generous. Glowing with unmatched radiance, the two beautiful princes spread beauty everywhere as they followed Vishwamitra, just like the Ashwini Kumars follow Brahma.
They were adorned with garments and ornaments. Bows were in their hands, and on their fingers they wore gloves made of monitor-lizard skin. Swords hung at their waists. Their limbs were very graceful. They were glorious, mighty heroes, shining with astonishing brilliance, spreading radiance all around, and happily following Vishwamitra.
At that time, those two powerful princes looked like the two sons of Shiva—Skanda and Vishakha—walking behind the mighty god.
Going one and a half yojanas from Ayodhya, on the southern bank of the Sarayu, Vishwamitra spoke sweetly to Ram:
“Child Ram, now sip the water of the Sarayu. Do not delay this necessary act. Receive this group of mantras known as Bala and Atibala. Because of them you will never feel fatigue. You will not suffer fever. Your form will never appear altered. Even while asleep or inattentive, no demon can attack you. On this earth, no one will match your strength. Practising Bala and Atibala, you will become incomparable in the three worlds. No one will match your fortune, cleverness, knowledge, wisdom, or the ability to answer questions.
These two sciences are the mothers of all knowledge. O Ram, you will not feel hunger or thirst after mastering them. Therefore, for the protection of the world, receive these two sciences. By studying them, your fame will spread over the earth. They are the radiant daughters of Brahma. Child of Kaku lineage, I have chosen to give them to you. You alone are worthy.
I gained them through austerity, so through my tapas they will become many-formed for you and bear various fruits.”
Then Shri Ram performed achaman, purified himself, and joyfully received both knowledges from the sage. Endowed with knowledge, the mighty Ram began to shine like the autumn sun with thousands of rays.
After that, Ram served Vishwamitra with all respect and felt joy. They spent that night peacefully on the Sarayu bank. The two princes slept on a bed of grass, which was not fit for them. Vishwamitra lovingly expressed affection toward them, and because of this, the night felt pleasant.
Here the twenty-second canto ends.
Canto 23 — Dawn, Morning Rites, and the Sacred Ashram at the Ganga–Sarayu Confluence
When night passed and dawn arrived, the great sage Vishwamitra said to the two Kakutstha princes sleeping on straw and leaves:
“O noble Ram, a mother like Kaushalya is called blessed for having a son like you. Look, the time of dawn is here. Rise and perform the daily rites for the gods.”
Hearing his generous words, the two noble heroes bathed, offered libations to the gods, and then chanted the sacred mantras. Finishing their daily duties, Ram and Lakshman happily bowed to Vishwamitra and prepared to move ahead.
On their way, they reached the holy confluence of the Ganga and Sarayu, where they saw the divine Tripathaga Ganga. Near the confluence was a sacred hermitage of pure-hearted sages who had been performing tapasya for thousands of years. Seeing this ashram, Ram and Lakshman were pleased.
They asked Vishwamitra:
“Lord, whose holy ashram is this? Who lives here? We wish to hear this. Our hearts are eager to know.”
Hearing their words, Vishwamitra smiled and said:
“Ram, listen, I will tell you whose place this once was. The divine being known as Kama—Kandarpa—once roamed in embodied form. At that time, Lord Shiva, performing tapasya with one-pointed mind, lived in this ashram.
One day, coming out of his meditation, Shiva was going somewhere with the Maruts. At that moment, foolish Kama attacked him. Seeing this, Shiva roared and stopped him. With a wrathful glance, he looked at Kama with disdain. Immediately, all the limbs of that foolish being withered and fell. Kama’s body was burned; he became limb-less by Shiva’s anger. Since then, he is known as ‘Ananga.’ The region where Kandarpa left his limbs is known as Anga-desh. This is that sacred ashram of Lord Mahadeva.
These sages were his righteous disciples. All their sins have been destroyed.
Ram, tonight we will stay here between these sacred rivers. Tomorrow morning we will cross them. Bathe, perform japa and havan, and stay happily in this sacred ashram.”
As they were speaking, the sages living there, knowing their arrival through their spiritual insight, became very pleased. They welcomed Vishwamitra with offerings and hospitality. They also honored Ram and Lakshman and entertained them with various stories. Then the sages performed the evening rites and japa with focused minds, and showed Vishwamitra and the others appropriate places to rest.
They all stayed happily in that sacred ashram.
Here the twenty-third canto ends.
Canto 24 — Ram Learns the Cause of the Roaring Waters; Introduction to Malada, Karusha, and the Tataka Forest; Vishwamitra Commands Ram to Slay Tataka
At clean dawn, after completing their morning rituals, Ram and Lakshman followed Vishwamitra to the bank of the Ganga. The resident sages arranged a boat and said:
“O sage, take these princes and cross safely without delay.”
Vishwamitra appreciated them and set out with Ram and Lakshman across the mighty Ganga.
Reaching mid-stream, Ram heard a tremendous roaring sound caused by the meeting of two waters. Curious, he asked:
“What is this sound? Why is it occurring? From where is it coming?”
Hearing the eagerness in Ram’s voice, Vishwamitra explained:
“O noble Ram, on Mount Kailash there is a beautiful lake created by Brahma through mental resolve. Because it was created by the mind, it is called Manas. From that lake flows a river which passes by Ayodhya. Because it originates from Brahmasar, it is known as the holy Sarayu. Its waters are merging here with the Ganga. The loud sound is from the meeting of the two rivers. Control your mind and bow to the waters.”
Hearing this, both brothers bowed to the sacred rivers. Landing on the southern bank, they walked quickly.
Ram then saw a terrifying forest with no trace of human passage. He asked:
“Gurudev, what is this strange, difficult forest? The sound of insects is everywhere. Ferocious animals fill it. Birds with frightening calls cry from all sides. Many kinds of wild creatures are screeching. Lions, tigers, boars, and elephants add to its wildness. Trees of dhava, ashvakarna, kakubha, bel, tinduka, patala, and ber fill it. What is this forest? What is its name?”
Vishwamitra replied:
“Child of Kakutstha, listen to whom this forest once belonged. In ancient times, two prosperous regions existed here—Malada and Karusha. They were created by the efforts of the gods.
Once, after killing Vritrasura, Indra became covered with impurity. Sin entered him. Then the gods and sages bathed Indra here with water from Ganga-filled pots, removing his impurity. Seeing the impurity and that of Karusha appear on this ground, the gods were pleased. Indra regained purity and granted a boon:
‘These two lands shall be known as Malada and Karusha and will remain prosperous.’
For a long time they flourished.
Later, a yakshini arrived who could change form at will. She possessed the strength of a thousand elephants. Her name is Tataka. She is the wife of the asura Sunda. Her son Maricha is equal in might to Indra. With swollen arms, huge head, gaping mouth, and vast body, this terrible demon constantly torments the people. Tataka herself always destroys these two regions.
She dwells in this forest, covering one and a half yojanas of land. We must now go toward the forest of Tataka. Rely on your strength and slay this wicked one. By my command, make this land peaceful again. This place is truly delightful, yet no one can come here because of her. She has destroyed everything.”