एवं ब्रुवाणं जनकः प्रत्युवाच कृताञ्जलिः। श्रोतुमर्हसि भद्रं ते कुलं नः परिकीर्तितम्
Thus addressed, Janaka, with joined palms, replied: 'May it be well with you; you are worthy to hear the account of our lineage.'
प्रदाने हि मुनिश्रेष्ठ कुलं निरवशेषतः। वक्तव्यं कुलजातेन तन्निबोध महामते
For, O best of sages, in the matter of giving a daughter, the lineage must be fully declared by one born in the family; listen to it, O wise one.
राजाभूत् त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुतः स्वेन कर्मणा। निमिः परमधर्मात्मा सर्वसत्त्ववतां वरः
There was a king, renowned in the three worlds for his own deeds, named Nimi, supremely righteous, foremost among all beings.
तस्य पुत्रो मिथिर्नाम जनको मिथिपुत्रकः। प्रथमो जनको राजा जनकादप्युदावसुः
His son was named Mithi, and Janaka was the son of Mithi; the first king Janaka, and from Janaka came Udāvasu.
उदावसोस्तु धर्मात्मा जातो वै नन्दिवर्धनः। नन्दिवर्धसुतः शूरः सुकेतुर्नाम नामतः
From Udāvasu was born the righteous Nandivardhana; Nandivardhana's son was the mighty hero named Suketu.
सुकेतोरपि धर्मात्मा देवरातो महाबलः। देवरातस्य राजर्षेर्बृहद्रथ इति स्मृतः
From Suketu too, the righteous and mighty Devarāta was born; Devarāta, the royal sage, was known as Bṛhadratha.
बृहद्रथस्य शूरोऽभून्महावीरः प्रतापवान्। महावीरस्य धृतिमान् सुधृतिः सत्यविक्रमः
Bṛhadratha's son was the valiant and mighty Mahāvīra; Mahāvīra's son was Sudhṛti, steadfast and truly courageous.
सुधृतेरपि धर्मात्मा धृष्टकेतुः सुधार्मिकः। धृष्टकेतोश्च राजर्षेर्हर्यश्व इति विश्रुतः
From Sudhṛti too, the righteous Dhṛṣṭaketu, of great virtue, was born; and from Dhṛṣṭaketu, the royal sage, was born the renowned Haryaśva.
हर्यश्वस्य मरुः पुत्रो मरोः पुत्रः प्रतीन्धकः। प्रतीन्धकस्य धर्मात्मा राजा कीर्तिरथः सुतः
Maru was the son of Haryaśva, and Pratīndhaka was the son of Maru; from Pratīndhaka was born the righteous king Kīrtiratha.
पुत्रः कीर्तिरथस्यापि देवमीढ इति स्मृतः। देवमीढस्य विबुधो विबुधस्य महीध्रकः
Kīrtiratha's son is known as Devamīḍha; Vibudha was the son of Devamīḍha, and Mahīdhraka was the son of Vibudha.
महीध्रकसुतो राजा कीर्तिरातो महाबलः। कीर्तिरातस्य राजर्षेर्महारोमा व्यजायत
Mahīdhraka's son was the mighty king Kīrtirāta; from the royal sage Kīrtirāta was born Mahāromā.
महारोम्णस्तु धर्मात्मा स्वर्णरोमा व्यजायत। स्वर्णरोम्णस्तु राजर्षेर्ह्रस्वरोमा व्यजायत
From Mahāromā was born the righteous Svarṇaromā; from the royal sage Svarṇaromā was born Hrasvaromā.
तस्य पुत्रद्वयं राज्ञो धर्मज्ञस्य महात्मनः। ज्येष्ठोऽहमनुजो भ्राता मम वीरः कुशध्वजः
That king, the knower of righteousness and great-souled, had two sons; I am the elder, and my valiant younger brother is Kuśadhvaja.
मां तु ज्येष्ठं पिता राज्ये सोऽभिषिच्य पिता मम। कुशध्वजं समावेश्य भारं मयि वनं गतः
My father anointed me, the elder, as king, and entrusting the burden to me, my father went to the forest, installing Kuśadhvaja.
वृद्धे पितरि स्वर्याते धर्मेण धुरमावहम्। भ्रातरं देवसंकाशं स्नेहात् पश्यन् कुशध्वजम्
When my aged father departed to heaven, I bore the duty righteously, always looking upon my brother Kuśadhvaja, who is equal to the gods, with affection.
कस्यचित्त्वथ कालस्य सांकाश्यादागतः पुरात्। सुधन्वा वीर्यवान् राजा मिथिलामवरोधकः
Then, after some time, the powerful king Sudhanvā came from Sāṃkāśya and besieged Mithilā.
स च मे प्रेषयामास शैवं धनुरनुत्तमम्। सीता च कन्या पद्माक्षी मह्यं वै दीयतामिति
He sent me a message, saying, 'Give me the unrivaled bow of Śiva and Sītā, the lotus-eyed maiden.'
तस्याप्रदानान्महर्षे युद्धमासीन्मया सह। स हतोऽभिमुखो राजा सुधन्वा तु मया रणे
Because I did not give them, O great sage, there was a battle between us; in that fight, I slew King Sudhanvā, who faced me.
निहत्य तं मुनिश्रेष्ठ सुधन्वानं नराधिपम्। सांकाश्ये भ्रातरं शूरमभ्यषिञ्चं कुशध्वजम्
Having slain Sudhanvā, the best of kings, O foremost sage, I anointed my heroic brother Kuśadhvaja in Sāṃkāśya.
कनीयानेष मे भ्राता अहं ज्येष्ठो महामुने। ददामि परमप्रीतो वध्वौ ते मुनिपुंगव
This is my younger brother, and I am the elder, O great sage; with utmost joy, I give you both brides, O best of sages.
सीतां रामाय भद्रं ते ऊर्मिलां लक्ष्मणाय वै। वीर्यशुल्कां मम सुतां सीतां सुरसुतोपमाम्
May good fortune be yours; I give Sītā to Rāma and Urmilā to Lakṣmaṇa—my daughter Sītā, equal to the daughters of the gods, won by prowess.
द्वितीयामूर्मिलां चैव त्रिर्वदामि न संशयः। ददामि परमप्रीतो वध्वौ ते मुनिपुंगव
And the second, Urmilā as well—I say it three times, there is no doubt—with utmost joy, I give you both brides, O best of sages.
रामलक्ष्मणयो राजन् गोदानं कारयस्व ह। पितृकार्यं च भद्रं ते ततो वैवाहिकं कुरु
O king, arrange for the gifting of cows for Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa, and perform the ancestral rites; then, may good fortune be yours, conduct the wedding ceremony.
मघा ह्यद्य महाबाहो तृतीयदिवसे प्रभो। फल्गुन्यामुत्तरे राजंस्तस्मिन् वैवाहिकं कुरु। रामलक्ष्मणयोरर्थे दानं कार्यं सुखोदयम्
Today is the constellation Maghā, O mighty-armed one, and on the third day, under the Uttara Phalgunī star, O king, perform the wedding; for Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa, make the auspicious gifts.
thumb|द्विसप्ततितमः सर्गः श्रूयताम्|center श्रीमद्वाल्मीकियरामायणे बालकाण्डे द्विसप्ततितमः सर्गः ॥१-
Hear now the seventy-second sarga in the glorious Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Bāla Kāṇḍa.
तमुक्तवन्तं वैदेहं विश्वामित्रो महामुनिः। उवाच वचनं वीरं वसिष्ठसहितो नृपम्
When the king of Videha had spoken thus, the great sage Viśvāmitra, together with Vasiṣṭha, addressed these words to the valiant king.
अचिन्त्यान्यप्रमेयाणि कुलानि नरपुंगव। इक्ष्वाकूणां विदेहानां नैषां तुल्योऽस्ति कश्चन
The lineages of the Ikṣvākus and the Videhas, O best of men, are unfathomable and immeasurable; there is truly no one equal to them.
सदृशो धर्मसम्बन्धः सदृशो रूपसम्पदा। रामलक्ष्मणयो राजन् सीता चोर्मिलया सह
The union of Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa with Sītā and Urmilā, O King, is fitting both in righteousness and in beauty.
वक्तव्यं च नरश्रेष्ठ श्रूयतां वचनं मम। भ्राता यवीयान् धर्मज्ञ एष राजा कुशध्वजः
And now, O foremost of men, hear my words: this is King Kuśadhvaja, my younger brother, who knows righteousness.
अस्य धर्मात्मनो राजन् रूपेणाप्रतिमं भुवि। सुताद्वयं नरश्रेष्ठ पत्न्यर्थं वरयामहे
O King, to this righteous one, unmatched in beauty on earth, belong two daughters; O best of men, we seek them as wives.