May 6 - Sargas 31 and 32 of Balakanda.
These two sargas describe Vishwamitra's departure from Siddhashrama to go and attend the great yajna being conducted by Videha king Janaka of Mithila. En route Rama and Lakshmana are told an interesting story about the daughters of a king Kushanabha.
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इमौ स्वो मुनिशार्दूल किङ्करौ समुपस्थितौ।
आज्ञापय यथेष्टं वै शासनं करवाव किम् ॥
एवमुक्तास्ततस्ताभ्यां सर्व एव महर्षयः ।
विश्वामित्रं पुरस्कृत्य रामं वचनमब्रुवन् ॥
The next day, well rested after the yajna and having completed their morning prayers and obeisances to the sage, the brothers addressed sage Vishwamitra in extremely respectful words: "Oh great sage! here we are, your two attendants. Kindly instruct us what orders of yours shall we two carry out next."
Thus addressed, the sages there, after getting permission from sage Vishwamitra, informed Rama as follows.
मैथिलस्य नरश्रेष्ठ जनकस्य भविष्यति ।
यज्ञः परमधर्मिष्ठस्तत्र यास्यामहे वयम् ॥
त्वं चैव नरशार्दूल सहास्माभिर्गमिष्यसि ।
अद्भुतं च धनूरत्नं तत्रैकं द्रष्टुमर्हसि ॥
धनुषस्तस्य वीर्यं हि जिज्ञासन्तो महीक्षितः।
न शेकुरारोपयितुं राजपुत्रा महाबलाः ॥
आयागभूतं नृपतेस्तस्य वेश्मनि राघव ।
अर्चितं विविधैर्गन्धैर्धूपैश्चागरुगन्धभिः ॥
"Oh noble prince, We are going to attend a great sacred yajna to be conducted by the king of Mithila, Janaka soon.
You too shall travel with us, Oh tiger among men. You should see a magnificent gem of a bow there.
Kings of all regions are still trying to understand the power and majesty of that sacred bow. For none of them has been able to lift and string it thus far.
This bow was bestowed by the gods on the king of Mithila as a boon in a great yajna. This is housed in his palace and will be worshipped in this yajna also. It will be anointed with fragrances and incense and perfumes. "
एवमुक्त्वा मुनिवरः प्रस्थानमकरोत्तदा।
सर्षिसङ्घः सकाकुत्स्थः आमन्त्र्य वनदेवताः ॥
तं प्रयान्तं मुनिवरमन्वयादनुसारिणाम् ।
शकटीशतमात्रं च प्रयाणे ब्रह्मवादिनाम् ॥
मृगपक्षिगणाश्चैव सिद्धाश्रमनिवासिनः ।
अनुजग्मुर्महात्मानं विश्वामित्रं महामुनिम् ॥
Having said this, the sage Vishwamitra then started from that place along with rishis and Sri Rama and Lakshmana, invoking the blessings of the gods of the forest.
The sages and others who accompanied him, along with their paraphernalia for yajna and other materials, travelled in a caravan of a hundred carts.
Even the animals and birds resident in Siddhashrama joined the retinue of that great sage Vishwamitra. That was his pull.
Vishwamitra bade a tender farewell to Siddhashrama and sent the animals and birds back to stay on there.
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After journeying through the day, the caravan rested on the banks of a river. Sri Rama requested sage Vishwamitra to tell them the story of that charming country. The sage was glad to do so.
By the way we read every so often how the sage and the brothers performed their sandhya prayers and agnihotra (fire oblation). This was mandatory for every Hindu in the past. And let us not forget sage Vishwamitra was the ORIGINATOR of the most sacred mantra in Hinduism - the Gayatri, which was revealed to him given his exalted status as a Brahmarshi.
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Now the story:
There was a most worthy king by name Kusha, son of Brahma. He begot four worthy sons, from the princess Vaidharbhi, who were named Kushamba, Kushanabha, Adhurtarajasa and Vasu.
On their father's directive, the princes created four charming kingdoms. Right now, where the sage and his retinue were encamped, was Magadha, on the banks of Sumagadhi river. The country was also known as Girivraja, surrounded as it was by a garland of five wonderful mountains. It had been established by the prince Vasu and was also known as Vasumati.
The second prince Kushanabha had established his kingdom Mahodaya. He was a great rajarshi (a king with qualities of a sage as well). He had a hundred daughters from an Apsara queen. The princesses were of extraordinary beauty and grace.
Once they had all gone on a picnic and were sporting in a garden. They wore splendid ornaments and were singing and dancing and making merry.
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ताः सर्वगुणसंपन्ना रूपयौवनसंयुताः ।
दृष्ट्वा सर्वात्मको वायुरिदं वचनमब्रवीत् ॥
अहं वः कामये सर्वा भार्या मम भविष्यथ।
मानुषस्त्यज्यतां भावो दीर्घमायुरवाप्स्यथ ॥
Just then, Vayu, the wind god, who is everywhere and in everyone, saw these extremely virtuous and youthful beautiful princesses. He addressed them thus: oh charming beauties, I have fallen in love with you all princesses. Please marry me and become my wives. You shall be rid of the limitations of the human body and enjoy great longevity.
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Vayu also added that humans were constantly losing their youth and beauty. The princesses would get eternal youth and beauty and deathlessness by marrying him.
The princesses were not amused by his demand. They replied
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अन्तश्चरसि भूतानां सर्वेषां त्वं सुरोत्तम ।
प्रभावाज्ञाश्च ते सर्वाः किमस्मानवमन्यसे ॥
कुशनाभसुताः सर्वाः समर्थास्त्वां सुरोत्तम।
स्थानाच्च्यावयितुं देवं रक्षामस्तु तपो वयम् ॥
मा भूत्स कालो दुर्मेधः पितरं सत्यवादिनम्।
अवमन्य स्वधर्मेण स्वयंवरमुपास्महे ॥
पिता हि प्रभुरस्माकं दैवतं परमं च नः।
यस्य नो दास्यति पिता स नो भर्ता भविष्यति ॥
Oh wind god! You travel everywhere and reside in everyone. Everyone knows your power. But why do you insult us?
Know oh wind God, that we are all the daughters of the king Kushanabha. By the power of our tapas, we are capable of protecting ourselves from you and even displacing you from your godly position.
Let there not come such an evil time when we will insult our righteous father and choose at our whim our spouse through swayamvara.
Our father is our Lord and God also. Whomsoever he chooses to give us in marriage shall be our husband.
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With his suit being thus rejected, Vayu, the wind god, flew into a terrible rage. He entered into the hundred princesses and reduced them to deformed pygmies. They were greatly dismayed by this and full of shame and shedding tears, they went and presented themselves in front of their father, king Kushanabha.
The king was simply alarmed and asked, "which godly righteous power have you all offended to be reduced to this pitiable state, my dears!? I am waiting to hear from you what terrible thing transpired."
*Note: In our ancient medical sciences, all neurological disorders, which cause musculoskeletal and nervous deformities and diseases, stem from an imbalance of Vayu, one of the triad Pitta Kapha Vayu. These three have to maintain the balance and preserve the various body systems for our health.
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॥ श्रीरामजयम् ॥
