by Valmiki
‘And when Ṛṣyaṣṛnga becomes Romapāda’s son-in-law, a son will be born to you, Daśaratha. This is what Sanatkumāra, surrounded by sages, said to me,’ said Sumantra. Daśaratha was delighted to hear this and asked Sumantra to tell him in detail how Ṛṣyaṣṛnga was brought to Romapāda’s kingdom.
In response to the king’s request, Sumantra said, ‘I will tell you how Ṛṣyaṣṛnga was brought to Romapāda’s capital. Listen to this story with your ministers!
‘Romapāda’s priests and ministers announced that they had thought of a fool-proof plan. “Ṛṣyaṣṛnga is an ascetic, engrossed in the performance of austerities. He knows nothing about women or the pursuit of pleasure. We will bring him to the city by luring him here with sensual pleasures that agitate men’s minds! Let the most beautiful courtesans adorned in all their finery go to him. They will seduce him with their wiles and bring him here.” The king agreed to the plan and the priests and ministers went to tell the courtesans.
‘The beautiful women went into the great forest and put their plan into action within sight of Ṛṣyaṣṛnga’s hermitage. But the resolute son of the sage Vibhāṇḍaka, who had lived all his life with only his father for company, did not venture out of the hermitage. Never in his life had that ascetic young man seen a man or a woman or any creature that lived in a town or a city.
‘One day, for some reason, Ṛṣyaṣṛnga came to the place where the courtesans were. He could not help but notice those lovely women who were wearing colourful clothes and singing in their sweet voices. They saw the ascetic and came up to him. “Who are you, brahmin?” they asked. “What are you doing here? We want to get to know you so tell us what you are doing all alone in this dense forest.” Ṛṣyaṣṛnga had never seen such beauty and he was utterly entranced. He replied, “I am the son of Vibhāṇḍaka and my name is Ṛṣyaṣṛnga. Beautiful ones, our hermitage is very close by. Come there with me so that we can honour you appropriately!”
‘The courtesans agreed to go with the ascetic. When they reached the hermitage, the sage’s son honoured them with water to wash their feet and gave them fruits and roots to eat. The courtesans accepted his hospitality with enthusiasm but they were nervous about Vibhāṇḍaka’s arrival and were in a hurry to leave the hermitage. “Brahmin, why don’t you try our fruit? Here, eat it quickly!” they said to Ṛṣyaṣṛnga as they embraced him joyfully, offering him the various sweets they had brought with them from the city. Ṛṣyaṣṛnga accepted them thinking they were fruit, for he had never tasted anything like them before. As he ate them, he thought, “Ah! Such fruits are unknown to those who live in the forest!” Fearing Vibhāṇḍaka’s return, the courtesans declined Ṛṣyaṣṛnga’s offer of food, saying that they were fasting and quickly left the hermitage.
‘When they had left, that ascetic born in the line of Kaśyapa began to feel ill at ease and his heart was filled with sorrow. The very next day, he returned to the place where he had seen the beautiful, bejewelled women who had so charmed him. The courtesans were overjoyed to see the young brahmin walking towards them and they ran over to him and said, “Come with us to our hermitage where we will be able to entertain you better!”
‘Their words struck a chord in Ṛṣyaṣṛnga’s heart and he decided to go with them. As they led him into the city, it began to rain. The people rejoiced and the king knew that the sage had arrived in the city. He went to welcome Ṛṣyaṣṛnga himself. He honoured him with arghya water and led him in to the palace with great joy. He begged Ṛṣyaṣṛnga to grant him a boon which would protect him from Vibhāṇḍaka’s anger and took him into the inner apartments. Greatly relieved, the king handed his daughter Śāntā to the sage in marriage with all due ceremony. Honoured by the people, all his desires fulfilled, Ṛṣyaṣṛnga lived happily in Romapāda’s palace with his wife Śāntā.’
Sumantra continued, ‘But listen further to my auspicious words, O Daśaratha. The wise sage Sanatkumāra told me what would happen next.
‘In the clan of Ikṣvāku, he said, there will be born an illustrious king named Daśaratha. He will be a righteous man of his word. He will form an alliance with king Romapāda of Anga, the one who has the blessed daughter Śāntā. Daśaratha will approach Romapāda in order to beget a son. He will say, “I am childless. Unknown to you, Śāntā’s husband can produce an heir for my clan. Let me take him away from here.” Romapāda will consider the matter and allow his son-in-law to accompany Daśaratha. Daśaratha will joyfully take him away to perform a sacrifice. After he has got what he wants, he will gratefully honour Romapāda, the best among the twice-born. The purpose of Daśaratha’s sacrifice will be to beget sons and ensure a place for himself in heaven. Daśaratha will ask Ṛṣyaṣṛnga to officiate at the sacrifice and as a result, he will have four heroic sons. They will increase the prestige of their clan and will be famous in all the worlds.
‘This is what Sanatkumāra told me long ago in the age of the gods. Tiger among men, you must go to Anga and bring Ṛṣyaṣṛnga here yourself. Bring him in your mighty chariot with all the honour that is due to him.’
Daśaratha took Sumantra’s advice. After taking permission from Vasiṣṭha, he went with his ministers to Anga. The entourage passed through forests and crossed many rivers. At long last, they arrived in the kingdom where Ṛṣyaṣṛnga lived. They saw the best of all the brahmins, the son of Vibhāṇḍaka, blazing like a fire, seated beside king Romapāda.
Romapāda honoured Daśaratha and Daśaratha was filled with joy at their friendship. When Romapāda told Ṛṣyaṣṛnga about his friendship with Daśaratha, the wise sage was pleased and blessed the alliance. Daśaratha said to Romapāda, ‘I have undertaken a very important task, ruler of the earth! Please allow your daughter Śāntā and her husband to accompany me to my capital city.’ Romapāda agreed and instructed Ṛṣyaṣṛnga to take his wife and go with Daśaratha. Ṛṣyaṣṛnga obeyed and Daśaratha embraced both him and his wife with deep affection as he praised the mighty king of Anga. Daśaratha bade his friend a fond farewell and then sent messengers ahead to Ayodhyā so that the citizens could decorate the city for his arrival.
The citizens of Ayodhyā were overjoyed when they heard of their king’s return and immediately set about to do his bidding. Daśaratha entered the beautifully decorated city and Ṛṣyaṣṛnga was greeted with the sound of conch shells and drums when his arrival was announced. The people were delighted to see the brahmin entering their city, duly honoured by the terrestrial Indra as he would have been by the celestial Indra.
Ṛṣyaṣṛnga and Śāntā were taken into the inner apartments of the palace were they were honoured according to the prescriptions in the holy books. The ladies of the palace welcomed the large-eyed Śāntā and her husband with affection and happiness. Śāntā and Ṛṣyaṣṛnga, honoured even by the king himself, lived happily in Ayodhyā for some time.
The days passed easily and when Spring arrived, Daśaratha’s mind turned to the sacrifice. He went to the god-like Ṛṣyaṣṛnga. He bowed before him and asked him to perform the sacrifice that would produce heirs for the Ikṣvāku clan. Ṛṣyaṣṛnga agreed and said, ‘Have all the materials necessary for the sacrifice assembled and release the sacrificial horse!’
The king instructed Sumantra, the best among his ministers. ‘Summon the most eloquent brahmins and priests!’ Sumantra hurried off. With courtesy and respect, he invited all the priests who were well-versed in the Vedas and their accompanying schools of knowledge, including Vāmadeva, Jābāli, Kaśyapa, the royal priest Vasiṣṭha and other excellent brahmins.
The righteous King Daśaratha honoured them all and spoke to them humbly, concealing nothing. ‘Despite my fervent wishes for an heir, I have no son. That is why I have decided to undertake the horse sacrifice. I want the sacrifice to be performed according to the prescriptions laid out in the sacred texts. I hope to fulfil my heart’s desire with sage Ṛṣyaṣṛnga’s assistance.’ Led by Vasiṣṭha, the learned sa
ges approved of the king’s plan. As Ṛṣyaṣṛnga had done, they told Daśaratha to organize the collection of the sacrificial materials and release the horse. ‘You have decided on a course that is in accordance with dharma. And you shall have four mighty sons!’ they said.
The king was well-pleased with the words of the brahmins and he repeated them to his ministers. ‘In keeping with my mentor’s instructions, send out the horse accompanied by a battalion of soldiers and their commander! Prepare the sacrificial grounds on the northern bank of the river Sarayū and start performing the rites of protection as they are laid out in the sacred texts.’ Daśaratha ordered his ministers to make sure that no impediments or obstacles arose during the period of the sacrifice. ‘Sacrifices are often flawed by brahmarākṣasas who wander around and destroy the merits of the sacrifice. My sacrifice must be completed according to the prescribed rituals. You must see that all necessary precautions are taken to ensure its success.’ The ministers paid their respects to the king before they departed to carry out his instructions. Dismissing the brahmins and the ministers, the king went into his private apartments.
When the year stipulated for the wandering of the sacrificial horse ended, the animal was brought back and the king proceeded with the latter part of the sacrifice on the Sarayū’s northern banks. Led by Ṛṣyaṣṛnga, the learned priests performed the rituals prescribed in the holy books for the great-souled king. Well-pleased, the king completed this best of all sacrifices. Even for the greatest of kings, the horse sacrifice is not easy to complete, but it absolves the individual of all sin and ensures a place for him in heaven.
The king addressed Ṛṣyaṣṛnga. ‘You who are true to your vows, only you can ensure the continuance of my clan!’ The best of all brahmins, Ṛṣyaṣṛnga, said, ‘It shall indeed be so! You shall have four sons who shall uplift your clan!’
After meditating for a little while, the wise brahmin who was learned in the Vedas said to the king, ‘I will perform the rituals and recite the mantras prescribed in the Atharva Veda for the birth of a son. Your aim will be achieved by my recitation of these mantras.’ The sage poured oblations into the fire as he recited the prescribed mantras.
The gods, ṛṣis, gandharvas, and siddhas gathered to receive their appointed portions of the sacrifice according to custom. They took their places according to hierarchy and then spoke to Brahmā, the Creator of the worlds. ‘Lord, the rākṣasa Rāvaṇa obstructs us all because of the favours that he has received from you. He is strong and brave and none of us can subdue him. Long ago, when you were pleased with him, you gave him a boon and now we have to suffer this constant oppression. Wicked Rāvaṇa is our enemy and he has already defeated the guardians of the three worlds. Now he wants to humble Indra himself! Intoxicated with the boon from you, that awful creature crushes divine ṛṣis, yakṣas, gandharvas, gods and brahmins. The sun does not shine and the wind does not blow in his presence and even the mighty ocean garlanded with waves is stilled. We live in constant fear of that rākṣasa who has a terrifying face. You must think of a way to kill Rāvaṇa!’
Brahmā thought for a while and then he said, ‘There is a way to kill this dissolute creature. “May I be invulnerable to gods, gandharvas, yakṣas and dānavs! ” were the words Rāvaṇa spoke and I replied that it would be so. He was contemptuous of humans in general and so he did not ask for protection from them. Therefore, he can be killed only by a human being.’
Brahmā’s words delighted and reassured the gods, the divine ṛṣis and all the others. At that very moment, the effulgent Viṣṇu arrived at the gathering and after he had honoured Brahmā, he took his accustomed place. The gods praised him with hymns and songs and then they said to him, ‘O Viṣṇu, we plead with you for the welfare of the three worlds! The king of Ayodhyā, Daśaratha, is a righteous and truthful man, effulgent like a great sage. He has three wives and they are all chaste, beautiful and illustrious. Viṣṇu, divide yourself into four parts and go to earth as their offspring. Become a human being and destroy Rāvaṇa, the enemy of the three worlds, for he cannot be killed by gods or divine beings in battle! The rākṣasa Rāvaṇa, encouraged by his own strength, obstructs the gods, gandharvas, siddhas and divine ṛṣis. Destroy this creature who is the enemy of the gods, whose arrogance increases every day, whose roaring disrupts the meditation of ascetics. Release the holy ones from their fear!’
Praised by all the gods, Viṣṇu humbly asked them a question, although he already knew the answer. ‘How can this king of the rākṣasas be killed? Tell me and I will use that very method to kill this creature who torments the ṛṣis!’
The gods cried out together, ‘Be born as the son of a mortal woman and kill him in battle! O Scorcher of your foes, Rāvaṇa practised severe austerities for years and gratified Brahmā, the Creator of the worlds, the most revered. Brahmā was so pleased that he gave Rāvaṇa a boon by which he was invulnerable to all beings except humans. In the old days, Rāvaṇa scorned humans and so he did not include them in his boon of invulnerability. O Enemy-burner, Rāvaṇa can only be killed by a human.’ Viṣṇu considered the words of the gods and decided to choose King Daśaratha as his father.
At that time, the effulgent king, the slayer of his enemies, was conducting a huge sacrifice for the birth of a son. A huge being of immense strength rose out of Daśaratha’s sacrificial fire, heralded by a roll of drums. His dark skin gleamed with a red glow, his hair was the colour of a lion’s mane and he wore crimson robes. His voice was deep and resonant and he was adorned with all the auspicious marks. Tall and straight as a mountain peak, as mighty as a striding tiger, he wore celestial ornaments that were studded with jewels. Bright as the sun, glowing like a flame from a blazing fire, he carried a silver bowl that was decorated with gold and filled with pāyasa. He held the bowl out to the king, offering it to him as would a beloved wife.
‘King, know that I have been sent here by Prajāpati!’ he announced. Daśaratha bowed to him and said, ‘You are welcome, blessed one! What can I do for you?’ The man sent by Prajāpati replied, ‘Today you will receive your reward for worshipping the gods. Accept this divine pāyasa. It will produce sons for you and make you healthy and wealthy! Ask your wives to eat this one after the other and you shall beget the sons for whom you performed this sacrifice.’
The king was delighted, and humbly he took the golden bowl that contained the gift from the gods. He honoured the marvellous being by touching his feet reverentially and his joy knew no bounds as he circumambulated the divine man. When Daśaratha accepted the celestial food, he was as happy as a man who gets a meal after not eating for days. The wondrous being gave the king the bowl and vanished.
Daśaratha’s queens were overjoyed with the events and their faces glowed with a radiance like that of the late autumn moon in the night sky. Daśaratha entered the inner apartments and said to Kausalyā, ‘Eat this pāyasa so that you can bear a son!’ and he gave half of it to Kausalyā and a third of it to Sumitrā. Then he gave Kaikeyī an eighth portion and after some thought, he gave the remainder to Sumitrā. In this way, he divided the pāyasa among his wives. His wives were filled with joy and they felt themselves truly honoured when they received the pāyasa.
When Viṣṇu had become the offspring of the great-souled Daśaratha, Brahmā addressed the other gods. ‘Heroic Viṣṇu, the ocean of truth, desires what is best for us all. You should create mighty beings who can change their shape at will in order to help him. They should know the arts of magic, they must be brave, as swift as the wind, resourceful, wise and equal to Viṣṇu in valour. Create invincible beings who are as handsome as divine creatures, skilled in the use of all kinds of weapons and like unto the gods themselves!
‘Beget sons upon the apsarases and gandharvīs, upon the daughters of the yakṣas and the panngas, the ṛkṣas and the vidyādharas, upon kinnaris and vānarīs. Let them have the form of monkeys and let them be equal to yourselves in valour! Long ago, I created Jāmbavān, the best among the
ṛḳsas, in the same way. He emerged from my mouth as I was yawning!’
The gods followed Brahmā’s instructions and created sons in the form of monkeys. The great-souled ṛṣis, the siddhas and the uragas also ensured that mighty sons were born to creatures that lived in the forest. Indra created Vālī, the king of the monkeys, equal to the king of the gods himself. Sūrya, the best among the shining ones, created Sugrīva. Bṛhaspati created the great monkey Tāra who was incomparably wise. Kubera’s son was the excellent monkey Gandhamādana and Viśvakarmā created Nala. Agni created the illustrious Nīla who blazed like the fire and was the most accomplished and bravest of all the monkeys. The two aśvins, resplendent in wealth and beauty, created Mainda and Dvivida. Varuṇa created Suṣeṇa and Parjanya the mighty Śarabha. Vāyu’s son was the excellent monkey Hanumān whose body was as hard as a diamond and whose speed equalled Garuḍa’s. He was the mightiest and most intelligent of all the monkeys.
These heroic warriors, who could change form at will, were created in the thousands for the purpose of killing Rāvaṇa and they were unmatched in strength, courage and valour. Strong as elephants and as mighty as mountains, the ṛkṣas, gopucchas and vanaras were like their divine fathers in demeanour and courage. They could fight on foot with stones, using their nails and teeth, and they were also skilled in the use of all kinds of weapons. They could pulverize mountains and uproot huge trees, moving as swiftly as flowing water. They could tear up the earth with their feet and cause the ocean to overflow. They could even reach into the sky and take hold of the clouds.
