तस्मिन् राजनि राज्ये तु स्थिते ऽयोध्यापतौ मुने वसिष्ठे ब्रह्मविच्छ्रेष्ठे पुरोधसि विशेषतः
While that king ruled the kingdom of Ayodhyā, O sage, Vasiṣṭha, foremost knower of Brahman, was especially his chief priest.
न च व्याधिर् न दुर्भिक्षं न चावृष्टिर् न चाधयः ब्रह्मक्षत्रविशां नित्यं शूद्राणां च विशेषतः
There was no disease, no famine, no drought, nor any affliction among Brāhmaṇas, Kṣatriyas, Vaiśyas, and especially among Śūdras.
आश्रमाणां तु सर्वेषाम् आनन्दो ऽभूत् पृथक् पृथक् तस्मिञ् शासति राजेन्द्र इक्ष्वाकूणां कुलोद्वहे
All the hermitages experienced joy individually while that king, the scion of the Ikṣvāku line, ruled.
देवानां दानवानां तु राज्यार्थे विग्रहो ऽभवत् क्वापि तत्र जयं प्रापुर् देवाः क्वापि तथेतरे
A conflict arose somewhere between the gods and the demons for the sake of sovereignty; sometimes the gods prevailed, sometimes the others.
एवं प्रवर्तमाने तु त्रैलोक्यम् अतिपीडितम् अभून् नारद तत्राहम् अवदं दैत्यदानवान्
As this continued, O Nārada, the three worlds were greatly afflicted; then I addressed the Daityas and Dānavas.
देवांश् चापि विशेषेण न कृतं तैर् मदीरितम् पुनश् च संगरस् तेषां बभूव सुमहान् मिथः
But the gods in particular did not heed what I said; again, a great battle arose among them.
विष्णुं गत्वा सुराः प्रोचुस् तथेशानं जगन्मयम् ताव् ऊचतुर् उभौ देवान् असुरान् दैत्यदानवान्
The gods went to Viṣṇu and to Īśāna, the lord of the universe; both of them addressed the gods, as well as the Asuras, Daityas, and Dānavas.
तपसा बलिनो यान्तु पुनः कुर्वन्तु संगरम् तथेत्य् आहुर् ययुः सर्वे तपसे नियतव्रताः
Let those who are strong through austerity go and perform penance again, then wage battle; so they said, and all departed, resolved to undertake austerities.
ययुस् तु राक्षसान् देवाः पुनस् ते मत्सरान्विताः देवानां दानवानां च संगरो ऽभूत् सुदारुणः
But the gods, filled with envy, went to the Rākṣasas again; a most terrible battle arose between the gods and the Dānavas.
न तत्र देवा जेतारो नैव दैत्याश् च दानवाः संयुगे वर्तमाने तु वाग् उवाचाशरीरिणी
There, neither the gods nor the Daityas and Dānavas were victorious; as the battle raged, a bodiless voice spoke.
येषां दशरथो राजा ते जेतारो न चेतरे
Those who have King Daśaratha on their side are the victors, not the others.
इति श्रुत्वा जयायोभौ जग्मतुर् देवदानवौ तत्र वायुस् त्वरन् प्राप्तो राजानम् अवदत् तदा
Hearing this, both the gods and the Dānavas went forth to seek victory; then Vāyu, hastening, approached the king and spoke.
आगन्तव्यं त्वया राजन् देवदानवसंगरे यत्र राजा दशरथो जयस् तत्रेति विश्रुतम्
You must come, O king, to the battle between the gods and the Dānavas; wherever King Daśaratha is, victory is renowned to be there.
तस्मात् त्वं देवपक्षे स्या भवेयुर् जयिनः सुराः
Therefore, you should side with the gods, so that the gods may be victorious.
तद् वायुवचनं श्रुत्वा राजा दशरथो नृपः आगम्यते मया सत्यं गच्छ वायो यथासुखम्
Hearing Vāyu's words, King Daśaratha replied: 'I will certainly come; go, Vāyu, as you please.'
गते वायौ तदा दैत्या आजग्मुर् भूपतिं प्रति ते ऽप्य् ऊचुर् भगवन्न् अस्मत्साहाय्यं कर्तुम् अर्हसि
When Vāyu had departed, the Daityas then came to the king and said, 'O lord, you ought to assist us as well.'
राजन् दशरथ श्रीमन् विजयस् त्वयि संस्थितः तस्मात् त्वं वै दैत्यपतेः साहाय्यं कर्तुम् अर्हसि
O king, illustrious Daśaratha, victory rests with you; therefore, you ought to assist the lord of the Daityas.
ततः प्रोवाच नृपतिर् वायुना प्रार्थितः पुरा प्रतिज्ञातं मया तच् च यान्तु दैत्याश् च दानवाः
Then the king, who had once been entreated by Vāyu, spoke: 'I have already pledged this; let the Daityas and Dānavas depart.'
स तु राजा तथा चक्रे गत्वा चैव त्रिविष्टपम् युद्धं चक्रे तथा दैत्यैर् दानवैः सह राक्षसैः
That king acted accordingly, and, having gone to heaven, he fought a battle with the Daityas, Dānavas, and Rākṣasas.
पश्यत्सु देवसंघेषु नमुचेर् भ्रातरस् तदा विविधुर् निशितैर् बाणैर् अथाक्षं नृपतेस् तथा
While the assembly of gods looked on, the brothers of Namuci then shattered the king’s axle with sharp arrows.
भिन्नाक्षं तं रथं राजा न जानाति स संभ्रमात् राजान्तिके स्थिता सुभ्रूः कैकेय्याज्ञायि नारद
The king, in his confusion, did not realize that his chariot’s axle was broken; Kaikeyī, of beautiful brows, stood near the king, O Nārada.
न ज्ञापितं तया राज्ञे स्वयम् आलोक्य सुव्रता भग्नम् अक्षं समालक्ष्य चक्रे हस्तं तदा स्वकम्
She did not inform the king herself, but, seeing the broken axle, the virtuous lady placed her own hand there at once.
अक्षवन् मुनिशार्दूल तद् एतन् महद् अद्भुतम् रथेन रथिनां श्रेष्ठस् तया दत्तकरेण च
O best of sages, this was a great and wondrous deed: the foremost of charioteers prevailed in battle with a chariot whose axle was replaced by her hand.
जितवान् दैत्यदनुजान् देवैः प्राप्य वरान् बहून् ततो देवैर् अनुज्ञातस् त्व् अयोध्यां पुनर् अभ्यगात्
Having conquered the Daityas and Dānavas, and having received many boons from the gods, he was permitted by them and happily returned to Ayodhyā.
स तु मध्ये महाराजो मार्गे वीक्ष्य तदा प्रियाम् कैकेय्याः कर्म तद् दृष्ट्वा विस्मयं परमं गतः
Then, on the way, the great king saw his beloved, and, witnessing Kaikeyī’s deed, he was filled with utmost astonishment.
ततस् तस्यै वरान् प्रादात् त्रींस् तु नारद सा अपि अनुमान्य नृपप्रोक्तं कैकेयी वाक्यम् अब्रवीत्
Thereupon he granted her three boons, O Nārada; and, after seeking the king’s permission, Kaikeyī spoke these words.
त्वयि तिष्ठन्तु राजेन्द्र त्वया दत्ता वरा अमी
Let these boons, O king of kings, remain with you until I desire them.
विभूषणानि राजेन्द्रो दत्त्वा स प्रियया सह रथेन विजयी राजा ययौ स्वनगरं सुखी
The king, having given ornaments to his beloved, returned victorious and happy to his own city with her in the chariot.
योषितां किम् अदेयं हि प्रियाणाम् उचितागमे स कदाचिद् दशरथो मृगयाशीलिभिर् वृतः
What is there that should not be given to beloved women at the proper time? Once, Daśaratha, surrounded by hunters, set out for the hunt.
अटन्न् अरण्ये शर्वर्यां वारिबन्धम् अथाकरोत् सप्तव्यसनहीनेन भवितव्यं तु भूभुजा
He wandered in the forest at night and constructed a water reservoir; a king must be free from the seven vices.