April 30 - Sargas 19 and 20 of Balakanda.
Sage Vishwamitra is immensely pleased by the king's courtesies and instant promise to fulfill any mission that the sage has come to ask for. But when he does say what he has in mind, the king is completely distraught and reduced to great dismay.
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सदृशं राजशार्दूल तवैतद्भुवि नान्यथा ।
महावंशप्रसूतस्य वसिष्ठव्यपदेशिनः ॥
अहं नियममातिष्ठे सिध्यर्थं पुरुषर्षभ।
तस्यविघ्नकरौ द्वौ तु राक्षसौ कामरूपिणौ ॥
व्रते मे बहुशश्चीर्णे समाप्त्यां राक्षसाविमौ।
मारीचश्च सुबाहुश्च वीर्यवन्तौ सुशिक्षितौ ॥
तथाभूता हि सा चर्या न शापस्तत्र मुच्यते।
तत्पुत्रं राजशार्दूल रामं सत्यपराक्रमम् ॥
काकपक्षधरं शूरं ज्येष्ठं मे दातुमर्हसि ।
शक्तो ह्येष मया गुप्तो दिव्येन स्वेन तेजसा ॥
अहं ते प्रतिजानामि हतौ तौ विद्धि राक्षसौ।
अहं वेद्मि महात्मानं रामं सत्यपराक्रमम् ॥
Oh tiger among kings, there is none comparable to you on earth, born as you are in a great royal dynasty and also mentored well by the supreme sage Vasishtha.
I have been engaged in a special yajna for specific purposes. But two rakshasas with magical powers to assume any form have been causing obstructions and disturbances to that yajna.
Just as my yajna was about to be concluded well, these two, Maricha and Subahu, have caused disturbances. They are well trained and very powerful.
Despite the great provocation, I have refrained from using my sagely powers to curse them. Therefore o king, my request to you is that you send your truly valarous son Rama for my assistance.
Please send your eldest son, good looking with lovely side-locks, and very brave. He is powerful by his own divine brilliance, and he will also be well protected by me.
I promise you, o king, those two rakshasas will be slain by Rama. I know fully well the divinity of Rama and his true prowess.
***
इति हृदयमनोविदारणं
मुनिवचनं तदतीव श्रुतवान् ।
नरपतिरगमन्महान् महात्मा
व्यथितमनाः प्रचचाल शासनात् ॥
Hearing these words of the Sage that rent his heart, the great king was plunged into dismay and slipped from his throne.
***
ऊनषोडशवर्षो मे रामो राजीवलोचनः ।
न युद्धयोग्यतामस्य पश्यामि सह राक्षसैः ॥
मामकैर्वा बलैर्ब्रह्मन् मया वा कूटयोधिनाम्।
सर्वं मे शंस भगवन् कथं तेषां मया रणे ॥
My son with lotus-like eyes, Rama, is just short of sixteen years of age! I do not see him capable of fighting those rakshasas.
Or rather, o Sage, tell me how my forces, or myself in battle, shall encounter and defeat those rakshasas.
***
Now Vishwamitra comes up with even more scary details.
**f
महाबलो महावीर्यो राक्षसैर्बहुभिर्वृतः ।
श्रूयते हि महावीर्यो रावणो राक्षसाधिपः ॥
तेन संचोदितौ द्वौ तु राक्षसौ सुमहाबलौ ।
मारीचश्च सुबाहुश्च यज्ञविघ्नं करिष्यतः ॥
You must have heard of the great rakshasa king Ravana. He has a large army of rakshasas and has immense powers. These two, Maricha and Subahu, have been put up to this enterprise by him and thus are troubling our yajna.
***
Vishwamitra gives more details of Ravana's connections to sage Pulastya and how he is protected by Brahma's boons and is the brother of Kubera.
King Dasharatha is totally alarmed by this news. He says plaintively,
***
स त्वं प्रसादं धर्मज्ञ कुरुष्व मम पुत्रके ।
मम चैवाल्पभाग्यस्य दैवतं हि भवान् गुरुः ॥
देवदानवगन्धर्वा यक्षाः पतगपन्नगाः ।
न शक्ता रावणं सोढुं किं पुनर्मानवा युधि ॥
O Sage, You're Our God, our Guru, Please shower mercy on my son and wretched me (I am old and just got sons after a long wait).
No gods, demons, celestials or superhumans or mythical birds or mythical snakes can defeat Ravana. What will then be the fate in war of poor humans like me?
***
इति नरपतिजल्पनाद्विजेन्द्रम्
कुशिकसुतं सुमहान् विवेश मन्युः ।
सुहुत इव मखेऽग्निराज्यसिक्तः
समभवदुज्ज्वलितो महर्षिवह्निः ॥
On hearing these incoherent sorrowful words of the king, a terrible rage came over the great sage, son of Kushika. Just as when ghee is poured into the oblative fire it conflagrates, the sage's anger flared up terrifyingly.
***
॥ श्रीरामजयम् ॥
