विश्वामित्रो हि राजर्षिर्हृष्टपुष्टस्तदाभवत्। सान्तःपुरवरो राजा सब्राह्मणपुरोहितः
Then Viśvāmitra, the royal sage, along with his household, priests, and attendants, became delighted and well-nourished.
सामात्यो मन्त्रिसहितः सभृत्यः पूजितस्तदा। युक्तः परमहर्षेण वसिष्ठमिदमब्रवीत्
Honored with his ministers and servants, filled with supreme joy, he spoke these words to Vasiṣṭha.
पूजितोऽहं त्वया ब्रह्मन् पूजार्हेण सुसत्कृतः। श्रूयतामभिधास्यामि वाक्यं वाक्यविशारद
O Brāhmaṇa, you have honored me with the highest hospitality; listen, O master of words, as I speak.
गवां शतसहस्रेण दीयतां शबला मम। रत्नं हि भगवन्नेतद् रत्नहारी च पार्थिवः
Give me Śabalā in exchange for a hundred thousand cows; for this cow is a jewel, and kings are collectors of jewels.
तस्मान्मे शबलां देहि ममैषा धर्मतो द्विज। एवमुक्तस्तु भगवान् वसिष्ठो मुनिपुंगवः
Therefore, O twice-born, give me Śabalā by right; thus addressed, the venerable Vasiṣṭha, foremost of sages, replied.
विश्वामित्रेण धर्मात्मा प्रत्युवाच महीपतिम्। नाहं शतसहस्रेण नापि कोटिशतैर्गवाम्
The righteous Vasiṣṭha answered the king Viśvāmitra: I will not give up Śabalā for a hundred thousand cows, nor for hundreds of millions.
राजन् दास्यामि शबलां राशिभी रजतस्य वा। न परित्यागमर्हेयं मत्सकाशादरिंदम
O king, I will not give up Śabalā for heaps of silver either; I am not fit to part with her, O subduer of foes.
शाश्वती शबला मह्यं कीर्तिरात्मवतो यथा। अस्यां हव्यं च कव्यं च प्राणयात्रा तथैव च
Śabalā has always been mine, as is the fame of a virtuous man; through her, I obtain offerings for gods and ancestors, and my very livelihood.
आयत्तमग्निहोत्रं च बलिर्होमस्तथैव च। स्वाहाकारवषट्कारौ विद्याश्च विविधास्तथा
Through her depend the sacred fire-ritual, offerings, oblations, the utterance of svāhā and vaṣaṭ, and various branches of knowledge.
आयत्तमत्र राजर्षे सर्वमेतन्न संशयः। सर्वस्वमेतत् सत्येन मम तुष्टिकरी तथा
All this, O royal sage, depends on her—there is no doubt; she is my everything, my source of satisfaction and truth.
कारणैर्बहुभी राजन् न दास्ये शबलां तव। वसिष्ठेनैवमुक्तस्तु विश्वामित्रोऽब्रवीत् तदा
For many reasons, O king, I will not give you Śabalā; thus addressed by Vasiṣṭha, Viśvāmitra then spoke.
संरब्धतरमत्यर्थं वाक्यं वाक्यविशारदः। हैरण्यकक्षग्रैवेयान् सुवर्णाङ्कुशभूषितान्
With heightened eagerness and great intensity, the master of speech spoke these words: 'I will give you elephants adorned with golden chains and golden goads, their necks encircled with collars of gold.'
ददामि कुञ्जराणां ते सहस्राणि चतुर्दश। हैरण्यानां रथानां च श्वेताश्वानां चतुर्युजाम्
'I will give you fourteen thousand such golden elephants, and chariots made of gold, drawn by four white horses.'
ददामि ते शतान्यष्टौ किंकिणीकविभूषितान्। हयानां देशजातानां कुलजानां महौजसाम्। सहस्रमेकं दश च ददामि तव सुव्रत
'I will give you eight hundred horses, adorned with tinkling bells, born of noble lineage and great strength, and one thousand and ten more, all for you, O steadfast one.'
नानावर्णविभक्तानां वयःस्थानां तथैव च। ददाम्येकां गवां कोटिं शबला दीयतां मम
'I will give you a crore of cows, of various colors and ages; let the spotted one be given to me.'
यावदिच्छसि रत्नानि हिरण्यं वा द्विजोत्तम। तावद् ददामि ते सर्वं दीयतां शबला मम
'As many jewels or as much gold as you desire, O best of twice-born, I will give you all that; let the spotted one be given to me.'
एवमुक्तस्तु भगवान् विश्वामित्रेण धीमता। न दास्यामीति शबलां प्राह राजन् कथंचन
Thus addressed by the wise Viśvāmitra, the venerable one replied, 'I will not give you the spotted one under any circumstance, O king.'
एतदेव हि मे रत्नमेतदेव हि मे धनम्। एतदेव हि सर्वस्वमेतदेव हि जीवितम्
'This alone is my treasure, this alone is my wealth; this alone is my everything, this alone is my very life.'
दर्शश्च पौर्णमासश्च यज्ञाश्चैवाप्तदक्षिणाः। एतदेव हि मे राजन् विविधाश्च क्रियास्तथा
'The new and full moon sacrifices, and all the rites duly performed—these alone are mine, O king, as are the various other rituals.'
अतोमूलाः क्रियाः सर्वा मम राजन् न संशयः। बहुना किं प्रलापेन न दास्ये कामदोहिनीम्
'All my rites depend upon her, O king, there is no doubt; why speak at length? I will not give up the wish-fulfilling cow.'
thumb|चतुःपञ्चाशः सर्गः श्रूयताम्|center श्रीमद्वाल्मीकियरामायणे बालकाण्डे चतुःपञ्चाशः सर्गः ॥१-
Listen to the fifty-fourth chapter.
कामधेनुं वसिष्ठोऽपि यदा न त्यजते मुनिः। तदास्य शबलां राम विश्वामित्रोऽन्वकर्षत
When the sage Vasiṣṭha would not give up Kāmadhenu, Viśvāmitra then began to drag away the spotted cow, O Rāma.
नीयमाना तु शबला राम राज्ञा महात्मना। दुःखिता चिन्तयामास रुदन्ती शोककर्शिता
As she was being led away by the great king, the spotted cow, distressed and weeping, began to ponder in sorrow.
परित्यक्ता वसिष्ठेन किमहं सुमहात्मना। याहं राजभृतैर्दीना ह्रियेय भृशदुःखिता
'Abandoned by the supremely noble Vasiṣṭha, why am I, so miserable, being led away by the king's men, filled with great grief?'
किं मयापकृतं तस्य महर्षेर्भावितात्मनः। यन्मामनागसं दृष्ट्वा भक्तां त्यजति धार्मिकः
'What wrong have I done to that great-souled sage, that he, seeing me innocent and devoted, abandons me, though he is righteous?'
इति संचिन्तयित्वा तु निःश्वस्य च पुनः पुनः। जगाम वेगेन तदा वसिष्ठं परमौजसम्
Thinking thus, and sighing again and again, she swiftly went to the exceedingly powerful Vasiṣṭha.
निर्धूय तांस्तदा भृत्यान् शतशः शत्रुसूदन। जगामानिलवेगेन पादमूलं महात्मनः
Shaking off the king's men by the hundreds, O destroyer of foes, she rushed with the speed of the wind to the feet of the great-souled one.
शबला सा रुदन्ती च क्रोशन्ती चेदमब्रवीत्। वसिष्ठस्याग्रतः स्थित्वा रुदन्ती मेघनिःस्वना
That spotted cow, weeping and crying out, stood before Vasiṣṭha and spoke these words, her voice resounding like thunderclouds.
भगवन् किं परित्यक्ता त्वयाहं ब्रह्मणः सुत। यस्माद् राजभटा मां हि नयन्ते त्वत्सकाशतः
'O venerable one, son of Brahmā, why have you abandoned me, that the king's soldiers are taking me away from your presence?'
एवमुक्तस्तु ब्रह्मर्षिरिदं वचनमब्रवीत्। शोकसंतप्तहृदयां स्वसारमिव दुःखिताम्
Thus addressed, the Brahmarshi spoke these words, as if to a grieving sister whose heart was scorched by sorrow.