by Valmiki
‘“Complete the funeral rites for your ancestors and fulfil the promises you made. Your illustrious forefathers, who were so righteous, could not accomplish this goal. Even Anśuman, the most effulgent of all the people on earth, could not achieve this, though he pleaded with Gangā. Dilīpa, your father, a virtuous royal sage, equal to the divine ṛṣis in effulgence and equal to me in austerities, firm in his duties as a warrior, could not bring Gangā here even though he wanted to.
“‘You have accomplished this magnificent task. You shall achieve fame in all the worlds. You have attained the highest dharma by bringing Gangā to earth. It will always be appropriate to bathe in her waters. Do so now, tiger among men, and receive the fruits of your merit. Perform the rites for your ancestors and return to your city. I, too, shall return to my realm!”
‘Brahmā and the gods vanished and Bhagīratha performed the prescribed rites for the souls of Sagara’s sons after he had purified himself with the waters of the Gangā. He went back to rule his kingdom since he had achieved his purpose. His subjects were delighted because his presence made them feel fulfilled and made them free of sorrow and disease.
‘This is the story of Gangā in detail, Rāma, and it is a tale that bestows merit, success, long life, heirs and the attainment of heaven. May good fortune attend you!’
Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa were filled with wonder after they heard the story. They said to Viśvāmitra, ‘Your story about the descent of the Gangā and the filling of the ocean is truly marvellous.’ As they dwelt on Viśvāmitra’s story in their minds, the evening ended.
When the new day dawned, Rāma completed his ablutions and said to the great sage, ‘The night passed so quickly while we were listening to your tale and thinking about it. Let us now cross the Gangā, the greatest of all rivers. The sages have heard about your arrival and they have sent a well-equipped boat to make your journey more pleasant.’
Viśvāmitra crossed the river with a group of sages and the two princes. They disembarked on the northern shore where they saw the city of Viśālā which was as beautiful as a celestial city. Viśvāmitra approached Viśālā with the princes and along the way Rāma joined his palms in respect and asked Viśvāmitra about the city.
‘Great sage, I am curious about the royal clan to whom this city belongs. Tell me all about it.’
Viśvāmitra began the history of Viśālā from ancient times.
‘Listen, Rāma, and I will tell you a story about Indra. And you shall also hear what happened in this region.
‘In the old days, Rāma, in the kṛtayuga, the sons of Diti were powerful and the sons of Aditi were fortunate, heroic and righteous. They began to think of ways to make themselves immortal, free of sickness and old age. They decided to churn the ocean of milk and extract the nectar of immortality from it. They used the serpent Vāsuki as the rope and Mount Mandara as the churning pole.
‘After one thousand years of churning, Vāsuki crushed rocks and stones between his teeth in agony and vomited up the terrible halahala poison. It rose from the sea like a flame and scorched the entire universe with its gods, asuras and humans. The gods sought refuge with Śiva. They appeased him with songs of praise and cried, “Save us, save us!” At that very moment, Viṣṇu arrived, bearing his discus and conch. “Whatever arose first from the churning of the ocean belongs to you because you are the foremost of the gods,” he said to Śiva and smiled. “Accept the halahala poison as your due for being the first born!” And then Viṣṇu disappeared. Śiva noticed that the gods were truly terrified and so he obeyed Viṣṇu’s words and swallowed the poison.
‘Śiva dismissed the gods who went back to churning the ocean with the asuras. But the mountain that they were using as a churning pole sank into the underworld. This time, the gods and the gandharvas praised Viṣṇu, the destroyer of Madhu. ‘You are the refuge of all beings including the gods,’ they pleaded. ‘Help us by raising the mountain!’ Viṣṇu took the form of a tortoise and plunged deep into the waters. He placed the mountain on his back and stood between the gods and the asuras as they continued to churn the ocean.
‘The resplendent apsarases, the very essence of womanhood, arose from the churning waters. Sixty thousand of these beautiful women were produced and their attendants were countless in number. But none of the gods or the gandharvas would take them as wives and so they are known as sādhāraṇās, ‘common to all’.
‘After this came Vārunī, the daughter of Varuṇa and she sought a husband. The sons of Diti would not accept her so the sons of Aditi took her as a wife. Diti’s sons are called the asuras and Aditi’s sons are the suras. The suras were delighted at having obtained Vāruṇī for a wife.
‘The best of all horses, Ucchaiḥśravas, and the best of all gems, the Kaustubha, also appeared along with the nectar of immortality. Because of this, Rāma, there was a split in the family. Diti’s and Aditi’s sons began to fight with each other. In the terrible war that ensued, the heroic sons of Aditi defeated the asuras and Indra happily became king. He ruled over the worlds of the ṛṣis and the cāraṇas.
‘Alambuṣa was a righteous son of the Ikṣvāku clan and he was known in the world as Viśālā. He founded a city named after himself at this very spot. His son was the mighty Hemacandra. After him came Sucandra, renowned in the world. Sucandra’s son was Dhūmrāśva and his son was Sṛnjaya. Sṛnjaya’s son was the illustrious Sahadeva and his son was the righteous Kuśa. Kuśa’s son was the valiant Somadatta and his son was known as Kākutstha. Kākutstha’s son Sumati, like unto a god and invincible, lives in the city of Viśālā. By Kākutstha’s grace, Viśālā’s kings are great-souled, brave, righteous and long-lived.
‘We can spend the night here in comfort and go onwards to Mithilā in the morning.’
When King Sumati heard that Viśvāmitra had arrived in his kingdom, he went out to welcome him with his priests and his attendants. He joined his palms in respect and honoured the great sage, saying, ‘Your presence in my kingdom makes me fortunate!’
Chapter Nine
Viśvāmitra and the princes spent the night in Viśālā and were treated hospitably by the king. The next morning, they continued their journey to Mithilā. The sages that had accompanied Viśvāmitra praised beautiful Mithilā when the city came into view.
Rāma saw a hermitage outside the city that was old and deserted but still very pleasant. ‘Blessed one, how come there is no sage in this hermitage?’ he asked Viśvāmitra. ‘Whose hermitage was this in the old days?’
The eloquent sage replied, ‘Listen, Rāma, and I will tell you whom this hermitage belonged to and how it was cursed by a great soul.
‘This hermitage belonged to the sage Gautama, whom even the gods honoured and it was like a celestial place. Long ago, Gautama practised austerities here along with his wife Ahalyā. Once, knowing that Gautama was away, Indra, the thousand-eyed god and the husband of Saci, disguised himself as a sage and approached Ahalyā.
‘“Slim-waisted lady, the passionate man does not wait for the right season. I want to make love to you now!” Ahalyā recognized Indra in his disguise but she was curious about the king of the gods and agreed to sleep with him. When her desire had been satisfied, she said to the best of the gods, “I am completely fulfilled, Indra! Now go from here quickly and protect yourself and me from my husband!” Indra laughed at Ahalyā’s words. “You have gratified me, O lady with the lovely hips! I shall return to my own realm!”
‘He left the hut after he had slept with her and went away quickly, for he feared her husband. As he was leaving, he saw Gautama enter the hermitage. The sage was so rich in austerities that he was invulnerable to the gods and the dānavs. Purified by the sacred waters, Gautama shone like a fire and he was carrying fuel for the ritual altar. Indra saw him and grew pale with fear.
‘Gautama recognized Indra, who had done a terrible thing in his disguise as a sage. The virtuous Gautama was enraged and cried, “You have assumed my form and done a wicked thing! You will lose
your testicles for what you have done!” At that very moment, the thousand-eyed Indra’s testicles fell to the ground. Then Gautama cursed his wife. “You shall live on air, without food, and you shall sleep on ashes. You shall be invisible to all creatures as you do penance in this hermitage! You shall be purified only when Rāma, the invincible son of Daśaratha, comes to this forest. Wicked woman, when you offer hospitality to Rāma, you shall be freed of your lust and passion. You shall regain your earlier form in my presence!” Gautama left the hermitage and went to a beautiful peak in the Himālayas to practise austerities.
‘Indra, now without his testicles, went to the gods, the ṛṣis and the cāraṇas. In anguish, he cried, “I have destroyed Gautama’s penance by provoking him to anger and this benefits the gods. I caused him to curse me, but I have lost my testicles as a result and his wife has been made formless. You must help me regain my testicles because I acted in your best interest!”
‘Led by Agni and accompanied by the māruts, the gods went to the ancestors. “Here is a ram with testicles and here is Indra without any. Take the ram’s testicles and attach them to Indra’s body. The gelded ram will still please you and so will the humans who desire infinite happiness and will offer such rams for your satisfation!” The ancestors got together and plucked off the ram’s testicles and offered them to Indra.
‘And from that day onwards, Rāma, the ancestors have accepted a gelded ram as an offering. Those who present it to them get a suitable reward. And from that day onwards, Indra has had the testicles of a ram because of the power of Gautama’s austerities.
‘Enter this hermitage, Rāma, and do the right thing by liberating Ahalyā who is as beautiful as a goddess!’
Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa followed Viśvāmitra into the hermitage. Even though Ahalyā was invisible to the gods and the asuras and the people of the world, Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa were able to see the fortunate woman who shone with the power of her austerities. Her celestial beauty was the result of a special effort by the Creator. She appeared like a flame veiled in smoke, like the light of the full moon covered by a delicate mist, like the sun’s rays reflected by water, so beautiful that she was almost an illusion.
Gautama’s curse had made her invisible to all beings until the moment she saw Rāma. The princes touched her feet, and recalling Gautama’s words Ahalyā welcomed them. With a serene mind, she honoured them with the arghya ritual. Flowers rained from the sky and the sound of celestial drums was heard as the gandharvas and apsarases gathered. The gods honoured Ahalyā who had been reunited with her husband because of her austerities. Gautama and a joyous Ahalyā honoured Rāma and then Gautama returned to his ascetic practices. Rāma accepted the ritual honours from Gautama and went onwards to Mithilā.
Chapter Ten
Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa followed Viśvāmitra in a north-easterly direction until they reached Janaka’s sacrificial grounds. ‘The preparations for Janaka’s sacrifice are truly magnificent,’ they said. ‘Thousands of brahmins, learned in the Vedas, have come here from different countries. And look at the camps of the holy men and the cartloads of materials for the sacrifice! Choose a place where we can stay.’ Viśvāmitra picked a spot that was secluded and supplied with water.
Janaka heard that the great Viśvāmitra had arrived and came there to greet him along with his illustrious family priest Śatānanda. Sacrificial priests carried the arghya for Viśvāmitra and honoured him with the appropriate mantras. Viśvāmitra accepted the honours graciously and inquired about Janaka’s welfare and the progress of the sacrifice. Then he enquired about the priests and sages according to their status, delighted to be in their company.
Janaka joined his palms in respect and said to Viśvāmitra, ‘Blessed one, take your place among the best of sages!’ The sage seated himself and the king, his ministers and the priests sat around him. Janaka said, ‘The gods have made my preparations bear fruit. Your presence here today bestows the benefits of the sacrifice upon me. I am deeply grateful you have come to my sacrifice along with these other sages. There are twelve days left for the completion of the rituals. Then you will see the gods when they arrive to claim their shares.’
Then Janaka asked Viśvāmitra about the two young men that were with him. ‘May good fortune attend you! Who are these two young men? They seem to have the valour of the gods and are as strong as lions and elephants, tigers and bulls! Armed with swords, bows and quivers, they are as handsome as the aśvins with their eyes shaped like lotus petals. Are they immortals who have come to earth? Why have they come here on foot and what is their purpose? Whose sons are these well-armed warriors? They light up this area as the sun and the moon light up the sky. They resemble each other in looks and deportment and their hair is as dark as the crow’s wing. Tell me all about them!’
Viśvāmitra introduced the valiant sons of Daśaratha. He told Janaka about the incident at Siddhāśrama, the killing of the rākṣasas and their safe arrival at Viśālā, about the liberation of Ahalyā and the meeting with Gautama and about their desire to see the great bow which had brought them to Mithilā.
The next day, the king performed his ritual worship in the pure light of the dawn and sent for Viśvāmitra and the princes.
Righteous Janaka honoured them as was the custom and then addressed the great-souled sage. ‘Blessed one, you are indeed welcome. I am here to follow your commands. Tell me, what can I do for you?’ The eloquent sage replied, ‘These two kṣatriya princes are the sons of King Daśaratha and they are renowned in the world. They want to see the mighty bow which is in your keeping. Be kind enough to show it to them and let their wish be fulfilled. They will have accomplished their purpose when they see the bow.’
‘Listen and I will tell you how the bow came to me!’ said Janaka. ‘There was a great king named Devarāta, sixth in the line of Nimi. This bow was given to him as a sacred trust. Long ago, at the time of Dakṣa’s sacrifice, the great god Śiva grabbed this bow in anger and teased the other gods saying, ‘You did not keep my share of the sacrifice even though I wanted it! Now I shall cut off your limbs with this weapon!’ Terrified, the gods appeased Śiva and gratified him. He gave his mighty bow to the gods who then gave it to my ancestor, Devarāta, in trust.
‘Once, when I was ploughing the sacrificial grounds in order to clean them up, the blade of my plough turned up a little girl. This child who was born from the earth has grown up as my daughter and she is known in the world as Sītā. I announced that since this child was not born from a human womb, she would be won in marriage only after a test of strength.
‘When she grew up, kings from all over the world wanted to marry this daughter of mine who had been produced by the earth. They were all keen to take her as a bride, but I said that I would give her away only for the price of valour. The kings came here together to test their strength but they could not even lift this great bow, let alone draw its string! I refused to give my daughter to any of them when I saw how little strength they had.
‘The kings felt that I had cast aspersions on their ability and they grew angry at the insult. They laid seige to the city of Mithilā and made life difficult for us. After a whole year had passed and my resources had been depleted, I began to worry. I appeased the gods with a series of penances. When they were gratified, they gave me a four-divisioned army.* I attacked those cowardly and wicked princes and, terrified, they fled in all directions with their advisors.
‘Now I will show this splendid bow to Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa. If Rāma can string the bow, I will give this mighty son of Daśaratha my daughter Sītā in marriage!’
Viśvāmitra said, ‘Send for the bow!’ and Janaka instructed his attendants to fetch the divine bow which was decorated with garlands of flowers and anointed with sweet perfumes. Janaka’s attendants went into the city to bring the bow and came back bearing it before them. Five hundred tall and hefty men struggled with the eight-wheeled iron cart that held the bow. They dragged the cart into the king’s presence and then Janaka’s mini
sters said, ‘Here is the best of all bows that you wished to display, the one that is revered by all beings, O king!’
Joining his palms respectfully, Janaka addressed Viśvāmitra and the princes. ‘This magnificent bow has been honoured by my clan for generations. Not even the bravest of all men has been able to bend it. Neither the gods nor the asuras, neither the rākṣasas nor the foremost of the gandharvas and yakṣas, not even the kinnaras and uragas have been able to draw this mighty bow! What chance does a mere mortal have of lifting it, stringing it, placing an arrow in it and then drawing it? Let the two princes see the bow!’
‘Child, examine the bow,’ said Viśvāmitra to Rāma. Rāma walked over and opened the iron casket that contained the bow. ‘May I touch this splendid bow? May I try and lift it and take a measure of it in my hands?’ he asked courteously. The king and the sage gave him their permission and Rāma casually grasped the bow in the middle. Watched by thousands of people, righteous Rāma lifted the celestial bow with ease. He strung the bow and drew it to its fullest extent and fitted an arrow into it. Then, Rāma snapped the bow in half. It broke with a huge sound like a thunder-clap and the earth shook as if all the mountains had collapsed. Stunned by the sound, all the spectators, except Janaka, Viśvāmitra and the two princes, fell to the ground.
The king was relieved when the people recovered consciousness. ‘Blessed one, I have now witnessed Rāma’s strength!’ he said to Viśvāmitra. ‘I never thought that such a thing was possible! My daughter Sītā will bring honour to my family when she becomes the wife of Rāma, son of Daśaratha! And my promise that she would be won only by a man of valour will also be redeemed when I bestow my beloved daughter on Rāma! With your permission and blessings, let me send my ministers to Ayodhyā at once! Let them tell King Daśaratha how I vowed to give my daughter in marriage to a man of valour. Let them tell him what happened here and bring him to Mithilā. Let them tell him that his sons are here with you and then they will bring him here with all speed, rejoicing.’
