Ramayana, Book I, Canto 52: Vasishtha’s Feastबालकाण्डम्

Ralph T. H. Griffith’s English verse (1870–74), beside the Sanskrit of sarga 1.52.

52Sanskrit sarga 1.52 · Sanskrit source · English source

Sanskrit

श्रीमद्वाल्मीकियरामायणे बालकाण्डे द्विपञ्चाशः सर्गः ॥१-५२॥
तं दृष्ट्वा परमप्रीतो विश्वामित्रो महाबलः।
प्रणतो विनयाद् वीरो वसिष्ठं जपतां वरम् ॥१॥
स्वागतं तव चेत्युक्तो वसिष्ठेन महात्मना।
आसनं चास्य भगवान् वसिष्ठो व्यादिदेश ह ॥२॥
उपविष्टाय च तदा विश्वामित्राय धीमते।
यथान्यायं मुनिवरः फलमूलमुपाहरत् ॥३॥
प्रतिगृह्य तु तां पूजां वसिष्ठाद् राजसत्तमः।
तपोऽग्निहोत्रशिष्येषु कुशलं पर्यपृच्छत ॥४॥
विश्वामित्रो महातेजा वनस्पतिगणे तदा।
सर्वत्र कुशलं प्राह वसिष्ठो राजसत्तमम् ॥५॥
सुखोपविष्टं राजानं विश्वामित्रं महातपाः।
पप्रच्छ जपतां श्रेष्ठो वसिष्ठो ब्रह्मणः सुतः ॥६॥
कच्चित्ते कुशलं राजन् कच्चिद् धर्मेण रञ्जयन्।
प्रजाः पालयसे राजन् राजवृत्तेन धार्मिक ॥७॥
कच्चित्ते सम्भृता भृत्याः कच्चित् तिष्ठन्ति शासने।
कच्चित्ते विजिताः सर्वे रिपवो रिपुसूदन ॥८॥
कच्चिद् बलेषु कोशेषु मित्रेषु च परंतप।
कुशलं ते नरव्याघ्र पुत्रपौत्रे तथानघ ॥९॥
सर्वत्र कुशलं राजा वसिष्ठं प्रत्युदाहरत्।
विश्वामित्रो महातेजा वसिष्ठं विनयान्वितम् ॥१०॥
कृत्वा तौ सुचिरं कालं धर्मिष्ठौ ताः कथास्तदा।
मुदा परमया युक्तौ प्रीयेतां तौ परस्परम् ॥११॥
ततो वसिष्ठो भगवान् कथान्ते रघुनन्दन।
विश्वामित्रमिदं वाक्यमुवाच प्रहसन्निव ॥१२॥
आतिथ्यं कर्तुमिच्छामि बलस्यास्य महाबल।
तव चैवाप्रमेयस्य यथार्हं सम्प्रतीच्छ मे ॥१३॥
सत्क्रियां हि भवानेतां प्रतीच्छतु मया कृताम्।
राजंस्त्वमतिथिश्रेष्ठः पूजनीयः प्रयत्नतः ॥१४॥
एवमुक्तो वसिष्ठेन विश्वामित्रो महामतिः।
कृतमित्यब्रवीद् राजा पूजावाक्येन मे त्वया ॥१५॥
फलमूलेन भगवन् विद्यते यत् तवाश्रमे।
पाद्येनाचमनीयेन भगवद्दर्शनेन च ॥१६॥
सर्वथा च महाप्राज्ञ पूजार्हेण सुपूजितः।
नमस्तेऽस्तु गमिष्यामि मैत्रेणेक्षस्व चक्षुषा ॥१७॥
एवं ब्रुवन्तं राजानं वसिष्ठं पुनरेव हि।
न्यमन्त्रयत धर्मात्मा पुनः पुनरुदारधीः ॥१८॥
बाढमित्येव गाधेयो वसिष्ठं प्रत्युवाच ह।
यथाप्रियं भगवतस्तथास्तु मुनिपुंगव ॥१९॥
एवमुक्तस्तथा तेन वसिष्ठो जपतां वरः।
आजुहाव ततः प्रीतः कल्माषीं धूतकल्मषाम् ॥२०॥
एह्येहि शबले क्षिप्रं शृणु चापि वचो मम।
सबलस्यास्य राजर्षेः कर्तुं व्यवसितोऽस्म्यहम्।
भोजनेन महार्हेण सत्कारं संविधत्स्व मे ॥२१॥
यस्य यस्य यथाकामं षड्रसेष्वभिपूजितम्।
तत् सर्वं कामधुग् दिव्ये अभिवर्ष कृते मम ॥२२॥
रसेनान्नेन पानेन लेह्यचोष्येण संयुतम्।
अन्नानां निचयं सर्वं सृजस्व शबले त्वर ॥२३॥

English Griffith

Right glad was Viśvámitra when
He saw the prince of saintly men.
Low at his feet the hero bent,
And did obeisance, reverent.

The king was welcomed in, and shown
A seat beside the hermit’s own,
Who offered him, when resting there,
Fruit in due course, and woodland fare.
And Viśvámitra, noblest king,
Received Vaśishṭha’s welcoming,
Turned to his host, and prayed him tell
That he and all with him were well.
Vaśishṭha to the king replied
That all was well on every side,
That fire, and vows, and pupils throve,
And all the trees within the grove.
And then the son of Brahmá, best
Of all who pray with voice suppressed,
Questioned with pleasant words like these
The mighty king who sate at ease:
“And is it well with thee? I pray;
And dost thou win by virtuous sway
Thy people’s love, discharging all
The duties on a king that fall?
Are all thy servants fostered well?
Do all obey, and none rebel?
Hast thou, destroyer of the foe,
No enemies to overthrow?
Does fortune, conqueror! still attend
Thy treasure, host, and every friend?
Is it all well? Does happy fate
On sons and children’s children wait?”

He spoke. The modest king replied
That all was prosperous far and wide.

Thus for awhile the two conversed,
As each to each his tale rehearsed,
And as the happy moments flew,
Their joy and friendship stronger grew.
When such discourse had reached an end,
Thus spoke the saint most reverend
To royal Viśvámitra, while
His features brightened with a smile:
“O mighty lord of men. I fain
Would banquet thee and all thy train
In mode that suits thy station high:
And do not thou my prayer deny.
Let my good lord with favour take
The offering that I fain would make,
And let me honour, ere we part,
My royal guest with loving heart.”

Him Viśvámitra thus addressed:
“Why make, O Saint, this new request?
Thy welcome and each gracious word
Sufficient honour have conferred.
Thou gavest roots and fruit to eat,
The treasures of this pure retreat,
And water for my mouth and feet;
And—boon I prize above the rest—
Thy presence has mine eyesight blest.
Honoured by thee in every way,
To whom all honour all should pay,
I now will go. My lord, Good-bye!
Regard me with a friendly eye.”

Him speaking thus Vaśishṭha stayed,
And still to share his banquet prayed.
The will of Gádhi’s son he bent,
And won the monarch to consent,
Who spoke in answer. “Let it be,
Great Hermit, as it pleases thee.”
When, best of those who breathe the prayer,
He heard the king his will declare,
He called the cow of spotted skin,
All spot without, all pure within.
“Come, Dapple-skin,” he cried, “with speed;
Hear thou my words and help at need.
My heart is set to entertain
This monarch and his mighty train
With sumptuous meal and worthy fare;
Be thine the banquet to prepare.
Each dainty cate, each goodly dish,
Of six-fold taste²²¹ as each may wish—
All these, O cow of heavenly power,
Rain down for me in copious shower:
Viands and drink for tooth and lip,
To eat, to suck, to quaff, to sip—
Of these sufficient, and to spare,
O plenty-giving cow, prepare.”

Griffith’s notes (1)

Sweet, salt, pungent, bitter, acid, and astringent.