May 2 - Sargas 23 and 24 of Balakanda.
The next morning, sage Vishwamitra wakes up Sri Rama and Lakshmana with this famous shloka that a billion people have heard and enjoyed as the first verse of the legendary MSS' recitation of Sri Venkateshwara Suprabhatam:
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कौसल्यासुप्रजा राम पूर्वा संध्या प्रवर्तते ।
उत्तिष्ठ नरशार्दूल कर्तव्यं दैवमाह्निकम् ॥
O Rama, Blessed is mother Kaushalya having begotten you as her son. It is the sacred moment of dawn. Time for you to wake up and perform your duties, o tiger among men!
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After the princes get ready and proceed further with the sage, they come to a region of hermitages. Sri Rama enquires about the place with its auspicious vibes. Sage Vishwamitra says this is the place where Shiva was meditating when Manmatha or Kama came to disturb his Tapas. An enraged Shiva opened his third eye and reduced Kama to ashes. Since then Kama lives only in the minds of men as desire and lust.
Given this history it is a sacred place for rishis to meditate.
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तस्य गात्रं हतं तत्र निर्दग्धस्य महात्मना ।
अशरीरः कृतः कामः क्रोधाद्देवेश्वरेण ह ॥
तस्यायमाश्रमः पुण्यस्तस्येमे मुनयः पुरा ।
शिष्या धर्मपरा नित्यं तेषां पापं न विद्यते ॥
His body was reduced to ashes and he thus died (to be later resurrected in the minds of men) and thus Kama or God of love became body-less due to the rage of Lord Shiva.
This hermitage associated with that episode is sacred and generations of rishis meditate here always and become sinless.
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After resting there and receiving the hospitality of the sages, sage Vishwamitra and the princes take a boat and cross the river. In the middle, buffetted by waves producing a huge sound, Sri Rama asks the sage what causes this sound. The sage replies smilingly,
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कैलासपर्वते राम मनसा निर्मितं सरः ।
ब्रह्मणा नरशार्दूल तेनेदं मानसः सरः ॥
तस्यामतुलः शब्दो जाह्नवीं अभिवर्तते।
वारिसंक्षोभजो राम प्रणामं नियतः कुरु ॥
O Rama, in Kailasa of the Himalayas, a sacred lake was created by Lord Brahma from his mind. The river flowing from that Manas Sarovar and reaching the ocean is the sacred river Ganga. The river Sarayu that flows around Ayodhya is meeting and mixing with Ganga here, causing this tumultuous sound. Offer your due respects to these sacred rivers at this spot.
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Later, alighting from the boat and proceeding further, the sage and princes enter a forbidding wild forest. Rama describes how the forest seems full of wild animals and a variety of trees. Valmiki Ramayana has been studied in detail by scholars just for the geographical descriptions and the varieties of animal and plant life described by the sage. Not only is the detail matching what we know as India's geography but it helps map Rama's journeys very well too.
Sage Vishwamitra tells a most amazing story about this forbidding forest:
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पुरा वृत्त्रवधे राम मलेन समभिप्लुतम् ।
क्षुधा चैव सहस्राक्षं ब्रह्महत्या समाविशत् ॥
निर्मलो निष्करूषश्च शुचिरिन्द्रो यथाभवत्।
ददौ देशस्य सुप्रीतो वरं प्रभुरनुत्तमम् ॥
Long ago, god Indra incurred sin by killing Vrittra (who was a Brahmin asura). Indra had to be cleansed of that sin and rishis full of tapas powers cleansed him and restored him here. Highly pleased, Indra blessed this land to become prosperous in all ways. This place ((known as Malada-Karusha) was inhabited by happy people for long.
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कस्यचित्त्वथ कालस्य यक्षी वै कामरूपिणी।
बलं नागसहस्रस्य धारयन्ती तदा ह्यभूत् ॥
ताटका नाम भद्रं ते भार्या सुन्दस्य धीमतः।
मारीचो राक्षसः पुत्रो यस्याः शक्रपराक्रमः ॥
स्वबाहुबलमाश्रित्य जहीमां दुष्टचारिणीम् ।
मन्नियोगादिमं देशं कुरु निष्कण्टकं पुनः ॥
By and by this habitation went into ruin by the arrival of a Yakshini demoness who could take any form at will and was the wife of a rakshasa called Sunda. She has the might of a thousand elephants and is extremely wicked. Mareecha is this demoness Tataka's son and is as powerful as Indra himself.
Rama, you should exercise the power of your limbs and your military prowess and rid this land of this evil demoness Tataka.
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॥ श्रीरामजयम् ॥
