Balakanda - Doha 151 to 160

Doha - 151

"Having enjoyed extensive enjoyments there you shall , after some time , be born as king of Ayodhya; then father, I will be your son.

"Voluntarily assuming human guise I will manifest Myself in your house . Bodying Myself forth with My rays I will perform sportive acts which will be a source of delight to My devotees. Hearing of such exploits with reverence blessed men shall cross the ocean the ocean of worldly existence, renouncing the feeling of meum and arrogance . This Maya , who is no other than My primordial energy that has brought forth the universe, She too will manifest Herself . In this way I will accomplish your desire and this pledge of Mine shall never , never fail. Repeating this again and again , the gracious Lord vanished out of sight . Cherishing in their mind the image of the Lord who is so compassionate to His devotees, the wedded couple stayed in that hermitage for least pain they went and took their abode in Amaravati , the city of immortals.

This most sacred legent was related by Siva (who has a bull emblazoned on His standard) to Uma . Bharadvaja . now hear yet another cause of Sri Rama 's birth.

Listen, O sage , to an old and sacred legend which was narrated by Sambhu to Girija. There was a principality known by the name of Kaikaya which was celebrated throughout the world . A king named Satyaketyu ruled there. He was a champion of virtue, a storehouse of political wisdom , dignified , glorious, amiable and powerful. He had two gallant sons , who were repositories of all virtues and most staunch in battle. The elder of the two were repositories of all virtues and most staunch in battle. The elder of the two and the heir to the throne was named Pratapabhanu. The other was known by the name of Arimardana, who was unequalled in strength of arm and steady in battle. There was perfect unity between the two brothers and the affection each bore to the other was free from all blemish and guile . To the elder son the king resigned the throne and withdrew himself into the forest for the sake of devotion to Sri Hari.

when Pratapabhanu became king ,a proclamation to this effect was made throughout the land . He looked after his subjects with utmost care according to the precepts of the Vedas and there was not a speck of sin anywhere (in his kingdom).

The prime minister, Dharmaruci by name , was a second Sukra * and was as devoted to the king as he was wise. With a prudent counseoller and a gallant in war. He owned a vast army consisting of horse and foot, chariots and elephants. It had numberless excellent warrious all of whom fought fearlessly in battle. The king rejoiced to see his army and there was a tumultuous sounds of kettledrums. He collected a special force for the conquest of the world, and aviling himself of an auspicious day marched forth with beat of drums. A number of battles were fought here and there and all hostile kings were brought to their kness by superior might. By the strength of his arm be reducced all the seven sections of the terrestrial region and let the princes go on payment of tribute Now Pratapabhanu was the undisputed sovereign of the entire globe.

Having thus subjugated the whole universe by the might of his arm , the king re-entered his capital. He devoted himself to the pleasures of wealth, religious practices and sense-gratification etc., at the appropriate time.

Invigorated by king Pratapabhanu's might, the charming earth become a cow of plenty as it were (yielded all one's coveted products). The people were happy and free from all sorrows and both men and women were good-looking and virtuous .The minister, Dharmaruci , was devoted to the feet of Sri Hari ; in the interest of his royal master he advised him on state policy every day. Preceptors, gods , saints, manes and Brahmanas - the king invariably served them all. Whatever duties have been enjoined on a king in the Vedas , he gladly and devoutly performed. He bestowed gifts of various kinds every day and listened to the best scriptures including the Vedas and the tanks, flower gardens and lovely orchards, dwellings for the Brahmanas and beautiful temples of wonderful architecture.

Whatever sacrifieced have been enjoined in the Vedas and the Puranas, the king devoutly performed each one of them a thousand times.

There was no seeking for any reward in his heart; the king was a man of great intelligence and wisdom, Whatever meritorious act he performed in thought , word or deed , the wise king dedicated it to Lord Vasudeva (the all-pervading God Visnu) Equipping himself with all the outfit of hunting the king mounted a gallant steed one day and , entering the dense forest of the Vindhya range , killed many a sacred deer. While ranging in the wood he espied a wild boar. It looked as if with the moon in his mouth the demon Rahu had hid in the forest. The orb was too large to be contained in the mouth, yet in his rage he would not disgorge it. Thus have I chosen to portray the beauty of the frightful tusks of the boar , while its body too was of an enormous size and bulk . Growling at the tramp of the horse and pricking up its ears it gazed with a sartled look.

On seeing the huge boar , which resembled a purple mountain-peak , the king whipped the horse and advanced rapidly. challenging the boar at the same time and saying it could no longer escape.

When it saw the horse coming on with a noise, the boar took to flight swift as wind. The king lost no time in fitting the arrow to his bow and the boar crouched as soon as it saw the shaft . The king discharged his arrows taking a steady aim each time , but the boar saved itseft by its willness. The beast rushed on , now hiding and now emergine into view; while the king in much excitement followed closely on its teack. The boar went afar into a dense thicket, which was impenetrable by horse or elephant. Even though the king was all by himself and was faced with untold hardship in the forest , still he would not abandon the chase. Seeing the king so determined, the boar slunk away into a deep mountion -cave . Seeing the king so determind, the boar slunk away into abandon the chase. Seeing the king so determined , the boar slunk away into a deep mountain -cave. When the king perceived that there was no access to the cave, he had to return much disappointed; and what was worse, he lost his teack in the great forest.

Exhausted with much exertion and oppressed by hunger and thirst, the king and his horse kept searching for a stream or pond and almost fainted for want of water.

While wandering in the forest he espied a hermitage. In that hermitage dwelt, in the disguise of a hermit, a monarch who had been despoiled of his kingdom by Pratapabhanu and who had run away from the field of battle deserting his army. Knowing that the time was propitious for Pratapabhanu and most unfavourable to his own self, he felt much disgusted at heart and refused to return home ; and he was too pround to come to terms with the victor. Suppressing the anger in his own heart the ex-king lived in the forest like a pauper in the garb of an anchorite. It was to him that king Pratapabhanu. went and he for his part immediately recognized that the newcomer was no other than Pratapabhanu. Overcome by thirst, the latter, however, could not recognize the ex-king Perceiving his holy garb Pratapabhanu took king was, however, too astute to dislose his name.

Seeing king Pratapabhanu thirsty, he showed him a good lake and the king as well as his horse gladly bathed in it and drank from it.

The whole fatigue was gone and the king heaved a sigh of relief. The hermit thereafter took him back to his hermitage; and perceiving that it was sunset now he gave him a seat and then spoke to him in polite terms, "Who are you and wherefore do you risk your life by roaming in the forest all alone , even though you are so young and handsome? Reading the marks of an emperor on your person I am moved with great pity ." "Listen , O great sage; there is a king named Pratapabhanu; I am his minister. Ranging in pursuit of game I have lost my way and by great good fortune I have been led into your presence . You sight is a rare boon to me ; it leads me to believe that something good is about to befall me." The hermit said , "It is now dusk, my son; and your city is five hundred and sixty miles away.

"Listen, O friend : dark dreary is the night , and the forest is dense and trackless; knowing this , tarry here overnight and depart next morning ."

The inevitable , says Tulasidasa, is invariably preceded by circumstances that are favourable to it. Either it comes to a takes him to the sause of his doom.

"Very well , my lord," the king replied; and bowing to the hermit's command he tied up the horse to a tree and then sat down. The king extolled him in many ways and bowing at his feet congratulated himself . He then spoke to him in soft and endearing terms, "Regarding you as a father , my lord , I venture to address you. Looking upon me as your son and servant O great sage, pray tell me your name in full, my master." Although the king did not recognize him , he recognize the king While the king had a guileless heart , the hermit was a pastmaster in fraud. Being an enemy in the first instance , and a Ksatriya on top of it and again of the pleasures of royalty had made the enemy king sad; the fire of jealousy smouldered within his heart like that of a furnace. On hearing the artless words of Pratapabhanu and recalling the grudge he had nursed against him, the felt delighted at heart.

He uttered the following soft yet false and artful words , "My name is now Bhikhari (a mendicant), penniless and homeless as I am."

The king replied, "Those who are repositories of wisdom and free from pride like you always keep their reality concealed; even though proficient in everyway, they prefer to remain in tattered clothes. That is why saints as well as the Vedas proclaim that those who are supremely indigent are held most dear by Sri Hari. Penniless and homeless beggars like you fill the minds of even Viranci and Siva with doubt . Whoever you may be, I bow at Your feet; now be gracious to me, my lord ." When the hermit saw the king 's artless affection and extraordinary faith in him , he won him over in everyway , and spoke with a stili greater affection " Listen, O king ; I tell you sincerely that I have dwelt here for long.