यदि वो रोचते वृत्तं जनकस्य महात्मनः। पुरीं गच्छामहे शीघ्रं मा भूत् कालस्य पर्ययः
If the conduct of the noble Janaka pleases you, let us go swiftly to his city, so that no time is lost.
मन्त्रिणो बाढमित्याहुः सह सर्वैर्महर्षिभिः। सुप्रीतश्चाब्रवीद् राजा श्वो यात्रेति च मन्त्रिणः
The ministers, along with all the great sages, replied, 'Certainly.' The pleased king then told his ministers, 'We shall depart tomorrow.'
मन्त्रिणस्तु नरेन्द्रस्य रात्रिं परमसत्कृताः। ऊषुः प्रमुदिताः सर्वे गुणैः सर्वैः समन्विताः
The king's ministers, honored greatly, spent the night there, all delighted and endowed with every virtue.
thumb|एकोनसप्ततितमः सर्गः श्रूयताम्|center श्रीमद्वाल्मीकियरामायणे बालकाण्डे एकोनसप्ततितमः सर्गः ॥१-
Hear now the sixty-ninth sarga in the glorious Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Bālakāṇḍa.
ततो रात्र्यां व्यतीतायां सोपाध्यायः सबान्धवः। राजा दशरथो हृष्टः सुमन्त्रमिदमब्रवीत्
Then, when the night had passed, King Daśaratha, joyful, together with his teachers and relatives, spoke to Sumantra as follows:
अद्य सर्वे धनाध्यक्षा धनमादाय पुष्कलम्। व्रजन्त्वग्रे सुविहिता नानारत्नसमन्विताः
Today, let all the treasurers, bringing abundant wealth adorned with various precious gems, proceed ahead, well-prepared.
चतुरंगबलं चापि शीघ्रं निर्यातु सर्वशः। ममाज्ञासमकालं च यानं युग्यमनुत्तमम्
Let the fourfold army quickly set out in full, and at my command, have the finest chariot yoked without delay.
वसिष्ठो वामदेवश्च जाबालिरथ कश्यपः। मार्कण्डेयस्तु दीर्घायुर्ऋषिः कात्यायनस्तथा
Let Vasiṣṭha, Vāmadeva, Jābāli, Kaśyapa, and the long-lived sage Mārkaṇḍeya, as well as Kātyāyana, be present.
एते द्विजाः प्रयान्त्वग्रे स्यन्दनं योजयस्व मे। यथा कालात्ययो न स्याद् दूता हि त्वरयन्ति माम्
Let these Brāhmaṇas go ahead, and yoke my chariot, so that there is no delay, for the messengers are urging me.
वचनाच्च नरेन्द्रस्य सेना च चतुरंगिणी। राजानमृषिभिः सार्धं व्रजन्तं पृष्ठतोऽन्वयात्
By the king’s order, the fourfold army followed behind the king, who went together with the sages.
गत्वा चतुरहं मार्गं विदेहानभ्युपेयिवान्। राजा च जनकः श्रीमान् श्रुत्वा पूजामकल्पयत्
Having traveled for four days, he reached the land of Videha, and King Janaka, upon hearing of his arrival, arranged a reception.
ततो राजानमासाद्य वृद्धं दशरथं नृपम्। मुदितो जनको राजा प्रहर्षं परमं ययौ
Then, approaching the aged King Daśaratha, King Janaka, filled with joy, experienced the highest delight.
उवाच वचनं श्रेष्ठो नरश्रेष्ठं मुदान्वितम्। स्वागतं ते नरश्रेष्ठ दिष्ट्या प्राप्तोऽसि राघव
The noble king, filled with happiness, spoke these words to the best of men: 'Welcome to you, O foremost of men! By good fortune you have arrived, O Rāghava.'
पुत्रयोरुभयोः प्रीतिं लप्स्यसे वीर्यनिर्जिताम्। दिष्ट्या प्राप्तो महातेजा वसिष्ठो भगवानृषिः
You shall obtain the joy of both sons, won by their valor; by good fortune, the illustrious sage Vasiṣṭha has arrived.
सह सर्वैर्द्विजश्रेष्ठैर्देवैरिव शतक्रतुः। दिष्ट्या मे निर्जिता विघ्ना दिष्ट्या मे पूजितं कुलम्
Together with all the foremost Brāhmaṇas, like Indra with the gods, by good fortune my obstacles are overcome, and by good fortune my lineage is honored.
राघवैः सह सम्बन्धाद् वीर्यश्रेष्ठैर्महाबलैः। श्वः प्रभाते नरेन्द्र त्वं संवर्तयितुमर्हसि
Through alliance with the Raghavas, who are supreme in valor and might, O king, you should arrange the ceremony tomorrow at dawn.
यज्ञस्यान्ते नरश्रेष्ठ विवाहमृषिसत्तमैः। तस्य तद् वचनं श्रुत्वा ऋषिमध्ये नराधिपः
At the conclusion of the sacrifice, O best of kings, let the marriage be performed in the presence of the foremost sages; hearing these words among the sages, the lord of men replied.
वाक्यं वाक्यविदां श्रेष्ठः प्रत्युवाच महीपतिम्। प्रतिग्रहो दातृवशः श्रुतमेतन्मया पुरा
The best among those skilled in speech replied to the king: 'Acceptance depends on the giver; I have heard this before.'
यथा वक्ष्यसि धर्मज्ञ तत् करिष्यामहे वयम्। तद् धर्मिष्ठं यशस्यं च वचनं सत्यवादिनः
'As you say, O knower of righteousness, so shall we do; your words, righteous and renowned, are those of a speaker of truth.'
श्रुत्वा विदेहाधिपतिः परं विस्मयमागतः। ततः सर्वे मुनिगणाः परस्परसमागमे
Hearing this, the lord of Videha was filled with great wonder; then all the groups of sages, meeting together,
हर्षेण महता युक्तास्तां रात्रिमवसन् सुखम्। अथ रामो महातेजा लक्ष्मणेन समं ययौ
Spent that night happily, filled with great joy; then Rāma, of great splendor, went together with Lakṣmaṇa.
विश्वामित्रं पुरस्कृत्य पितुः पादावुपस्पृशन्। राजा च राघवौ पुत्रौ निशाम्य परिहर्षितः
With Viśvāmitra leading, they touched their father's feet; and the king, hearing his sons, Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa, was overjoyed.
उवास परमप्रीतो जनकेनाभिपूजितः। जनकोऽपि महातेजाः क्रिया धर्मेण तत्त्ववित्। यज्ञस्य च सुताभ्यां च कृत्वा रात्रिमुवास ह
He stayed there, greatly pleased, honored by Janaka; and Janaka, of great splendor, versed in dharma, after performing the rites for the sacrifice and for his daughters, spent the night there.
thumb|सप्ततितमः सर्गः श्रूयताम्|center श्रीमद्वाल्मीकियरामायणे बालकाण्डे सप्ततितमः सर्गः ॥१-
Here ends the seventieth sarga of the Bālakāṇḍa in the glorious Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa.
ततः प्रभाते जनकः कृतकर्मा महर्षिभिः। उवाच वाक्यं वाक्यज्ञः शतानन्दं पुरोहितम्
Then, at dawn, Janaka, having completed his morning duties, spoke to Śatānanda, the learned family priest, in the presence of the great sages.
भ्राता मम महातेजा वीर्यवानतिधार्मिकः। कुशध्वज इति ख्यातः पुरीमध्यवसच्छुभाम्
My brother, renowned as Kuśadhvaja, is a man of great energy, valor, and virtue, and he dwells in the auspicious city.
वार्याफलकपर्यन्तां पिबन्निक्षुमतीं नदीम्। सांकाश्यां पुण्यसंकाशां विमानमिव पुष्पकम्
He resides in Sāṃkāśya, a city as pure as merit itself, drinking the waters of the Kṣumatī river, which is bordered by groves and fruit trees, like the celestial Puṣpaka chariot.
तमहं द्रष्टुमिच्छामि यज्ञगोप्ता स मे मतः। प्रीतिं सोऽपि महातेजा इमां भोक्ता मया सह
I wish to see him, for I consider him the protector of the sacrifice; that great and radiant one, too, will share in this joy with me.
एवमुक्ते तु वचने शतानन्दस्य संनिधौ। आगताः केचिदव्यग्रा जनकस्तान् समादिशत्
When these words were spoken in the presence of Śatānanda, some attendants arrived, and Janaka gave them instructions.
शासनात् तु नरेन्द्रस्य प्रययुः शीघ्रवाजिभिः। समानेतुं नरव्याघ्रं विष्णुमिन्द्राज्ञया यथा
By the king's command, they departed swiftly on fast horses, to bring Kuśadhvaja, the tiger among men, just as Viṣṇu is summoned by Indra's order.