मदीयं नगरं यातु कार्यं हि महदुद्यतम् । तथेति राजा संश्रुत्य गमनं तस्य धीमतः ॥१-११-
'Let her go to my city, for a great task is at hand.' The king, having agreed, promised the wise one to depart.
उवाच वचनं विप्रं गच्छ त्वं सह भार्यया । ऋषिपुत्रः प्रतिश्रुत्य तथेत्याह नृपं तदा ॥१-११-
He spoke to the Brahmin, 'Go with your wife.' The sage’s son, having promised, then said to the king, 'So be it.'
स नृपेणाभ्यनुज्ञातः प्रययौ सह भार्यया । तावन्योन्याञ्जलिं कृत्वा स्नेहात्संश्लिष्य चोरसा ॥१-११-
Permitted by the king, he departed with his wife; both, out of affection, joined their palms and embraced each other.
ननन्दतुर्दशरथो रोमपादश्च वीर्यवान् । ततः सुहृदमापृच्छ्य प्रस्थितो रघुनन्दनः ॥१-११-
Dasharatha and the mighty Romapada rejoiced; then, having taken leave of his friend, the descendant of Raghu set out.
पौरेषु प्रेषयामास दूतान् वै शीघ्रगामिनः । क्रियतां नगरं सर्वं क्षिप्रमेव स्वलंकृतम् ॥१-११-
He sent swift messengers among the citizens, saying, 'Let the entire city be quickly and splendidly adorned.'
धूपितं सिक्तसम्मृष्टं पताकाभिरलंकृतम् । ततः प्रहृष्टाः पौरास्ते श्रुत्वा राजानमागतम् ॥१-११-
Let it be perfumed, sprinkled, and cleaned, adorned with flags; then the delighted citizens, hearing the king had come, rejoiced.
तथा चक्रुश्च तत् सर्वं राज्ञा यत् प्रेषितं तदा । ततः स्वलंकृतं राजा नगरं प्रविवेश ह ॥१-११-
They did everything as the king had ordered at that time; then the king entered the beautifully decorated city.
शङ्खदुन्दुभिनिर्ह्रादैः पुरस्कृत्वा द्विजर्षभम् । ततः प्रमुदिताः सर्वे दृष्ट्वा वै नागरा द्विजम् ॥१-११-
With the blaring of conches and drums, they led the foremost of Brahmins at the front; then, all the citizens, seeing the Brahmin, became greatly delighted.
प्रवेश्यमानं सत्कृत्य नरेन्द्रेणेन्द्रकर्मणा । यथा दिवि सुरेन्द्रेण सहस्राक्षेण काश्यपम् ॥१-११-
Honored by the king, who acted with the might of Indra, he was brought in just as Kasyapa is brought in by thousand-eyed Indra in heaven.
अन्तःपुरं प्रवेश्यैनं पूजां कृत्वा तु शास्त्रतः । कृतकृत्यं तदात्मानं मेने तस्योपवाहनात् ॥१-११-
After bringing him into the inner chambers and performing the prescribed worship according to the scriptures, the king considered himself fulfilled by having brought him there.
अन्तःपुराणि सर्वाणि शान्तां दृष्ट्वा तथागताम् । सह भर्त्रा विशालाक्षीं प्रीत्यानन्दमुपागमन् ॥१-११-
Seeing all the inner apartments peaceful and thus arrived, the wide-eyed queen, together with her husband, felt joy and happiness.
पूज्यमाना तु ताभिः सा राज्ञा चैव विशेषतः । उवास तत्र सुखिता कञ्चित् कालं सहद्विजा ॥१-११-
Honored by those women and especially by the king, she stayed there happily for some time along with the Brahmin.
thumb|द्वादशः सर्गः श्रूयताम्|center श्रीमद्वाल्मीकियरामायणे बालकाण्डे द्वादशः सर्गः ॥१-
Hear now the twelfth chapter in the glorious Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Bāla Kāṇḍa.
ततः काले बहुतिथे कस्मिंश्चित् सुमनोहरे । वसन्ते समनुप्राप्ते राज्ञो यष्टुं मनोऽभवत् ॥१-१२-
Then, after much time had passed, in a certain delightful season, when spring had arrived, the king desired to perform a sacrifice.
ततः प्रणम्य शिरसा तं विप्रं देववर्णिनम् । यज्ञाय वरयामास संतानार्थं कुलस्य च ॥१-१२-
Then, bowing his head to that Brahmin of divine radiance, he requested him to perform a sacrifice for the sake of progeny and the family's continuation.
तथेति च स राजानमुवाच वसुधाधिपम् । सम्भाराः सम्भ्रियन्तां ते तुरगश्च विमुच्यताम् ॥१-१२-
The Brahmin replied, 'So be it,' and said to the lord of the earth, 'Let the preparations be made, and let the horse be released.'
सरय्वाश्चोत्तरे तीरे यज्ञभूमिर्विधीयताम् । ततोऽब्रवीनृपो वाक्यं ब्राह्मणान् वेदपारगान् ॥१-१२-
'Let the sacrificial ground be prepared on the northern bank of the Sarayu.' Then the king spoke to the Brahmins who were well-versed in the Vedas.
सुमन्त्रावाहय क्षिप्रमृत्विजो ब्रह्मवादिनः । सुयज्ञं वामदेवं च जाबालिमथ काश्यपम् ॥१-१२-
'Summon quickly, Sumantra, the officiating priests who are learned in the Vedas: Suyajña, Vāmadeva, Jābāli, and Kāśyapa.'
पुरोहितं वसिष्ठं च ये चान्ये द्विजसत्तमाः । ततः सुमन्त्रस्त्वरितं गत्वा त्वरितविक्रमः ॥१-१२-
'And the family priest Vasiṣṭha, and all other excellent Brahmins.' Then Sumantra, swift and energetic, went quickly.
समानयत् स तान् सर्वान् समस्तान् वेदपारगान् । तान् पूजयित्वा धर्मात्मा राजा दशरथस्तदा ॥१-१२-
He brought all those Brahmins, all who were learned in the Vedas; and then the righteous king Daśaratha honored them.
धर्मार्थसहितं युक्तं श्लक्ष्णं वचनमब्रवीत् । मम तातप्यमानस्य पुत्रार्थं नास्ति वै सुखम् ॥१-१२-
He spoke gentle words, proper and in accord with righteousness and purpose: 'For me, who am afflicted for want of a son, there is truly no happiness.'
पुत्रार्थं हयमेधेन यक्ष्यामीति मतिर्मम । तदहं यष्टुमिच्छामि हयमेधेन कर्मणा ॥१-१२-
'For the sake of a son, I wish to perform a horse sacrifice; this is my intention. Therefore, I desire to undertake the rite of the horse sacrifice.'
ऋषिपुत्रप्रभावेण कामान् प्राप्स्यामि चाप्यहम् । ततः साध्विति तद्वाक्यं ब्राह्मणाः प्रत्यपूजयन् ॥१-१२-
'By the power of the sage's son, I too shall obtain my desires.' Then the Brahmins praised those words, saying, 'Well spoken!'
वसिष्ठप्रमुखाः सर्वे पार्थिवस्य मुखाच्च्युतम् । ऋष्यशृङ्गपुरोगाश्च प्रत्यूचुर्नृपतिं तदा ॥१-१२-
All the Brahmins, led by Vasiṣṭha, and those with Ṛśyaśṛṅga at their head, responded to the king's words.
सर्वथा प्राप्यसे पुत्रांश्चतुरोऽमितविक्रमान् । यस्य ते धार्मिकी बुद्धिरियं पुत्रार्थमागता ॥१-१२-
'You will surely obtain four sons of immeasurable valor, since your righteous intention for a son has arisen.'
ततः प्रीतोऽभवद् राजा श्रुत्वा तु द्विजभाषितम् । अमात्यानब्रवीद् राजा हर्षेणेदं शुभाक्षरम् ॥१-१२-
Then the king, pleased after hearing the words of the twice-born, spoke to his ministers with joy, uttering these auspicious words:
गुरूणां वचनाच्छीघ्रं सम्भाराः सम्भ्रियन्तु मे । समर्थाधिष्ठितश्चाश्वः सोपाध्यायो विमुच्यताम् ॥१-१२-
By the command of the elders, let the preparations for the sacrifice be quickly arranged for me; let the horse, under the supervision of a capable overseer and accompanied by a teacher, be released.
सरय्वाश्चोत्तरे तीरे यज्ञभूमिर्विधीयताम् । शान्तयश्चाभिवर्धन्तां यथाकल्पं यथाविधि ॥१-१२-
Let the sacrificial ground be prepared on the northern bank of the Sarayu; let the rites of pacification be performed according to the prescribed rules and procedures.
शक्यः कर्तुमयं यज्ञः सर्वेणापि महीक्षिता । नापराधो भवेत् कष्टो यद्यस्मिन् क्रतुसत्तमे ॥१-१२-
This sacrifice can indeed be performed by any king of the earth; let there be no grave error in this most excellent ritual.
छिद्रं हि मृगयन्त्येते विद्वांसो ब्रह्मराक्षसाः । विधिहीनस्य यज्ञस्य सद्यः कर्ता विनश्यति ॥१-१२-
For the learned Brahma-rakshasas seek out flaws; if a sacrifice is performed without proper procedure, its performer is immediately destroyed.