सर्गः 74

Night over, the great ascetic Viswamitra, profusely blessed the princes born in the race of Raghu, took leave of the two kings and set out towards the northern (Himalayas) mountains.

With the departure of Viswamitra, king Dasaratha who was the source of happiness to his subjects took leave of Janaka, king of Mithila and speedily set out for the city of Ayodhya.

King Janaka, lord of the Videhas, gave plenty of gifts to his daughters and followed king Dasaratha for some distance on his journey to Ayodhya.

The king of Mithila and father of the brides gave a hundred thousand cows, excellent woollen carpets, crores of silk garments, four divisions of elephants, horses, chariots and infantry and welldecorated, excellent male and maidservants shining in celestial beauty.

The king of Mithila and father of the brides gave a hundred thousand cows, excellent woollen carpets, crores of silk garments, four divisions of elephants, horses, chariots and infantry and welldecorated, excellent male and maidservants shining in celestial beauty.

Immensely delighted, he gave his excellent daughters gold, pearls and corals.

The Lord of Mithila bestowed a lot of wealth on his daughters and with the consent of the king (Dasaratha) reentered his residence in Mithila.

King Dasaratha of Ayodhya also left along with his great sons preceded by the sages and followed by the army.

While this tiger among men Dasaratha, was returning with the hosts of sages and his sons, he observed here and there frightening birds making disagreeable sounds.

Seeing the beasts on the way rushing to the right the tiger among men, enquired of Vasishta:

"While the frightening birds are inauspicious, the deer on the right are favourables Why is this? My heart beats. My mind is depressed.

To these words of king Dasaratha the great ascetic Vasishta replied in a gentle voice, "I shall tell you the consequences Listen".

The dreadful cries from the mouths of birds foretell an event of celestial nature likely to befall but the movements other of deer indicate restoration of peace. Therefore do not grieve.

While they were conversing, a storm blew, shaking the earth and felling down beautiful trees.

The Sun was wrapped in dark. The quarters were devoid of brightness. The entire army was covered with ashes, as if they fainted.

At that time Vasishta and other saints, the king and his sons held their senses under control. All others lost their consciousness.

In that dreadful darkness while the army looked as if covered with ashes, king Dasaratha encountered the repressor of kings, descendant of Bhrugu and son of Jamadagni with a terrible crown of matted hair, inaccessible like Kailasa mountain and unendurable like the fire at the time of dissolution. The laymen gazing at his blazing energy,hanging an axe on his shoulder and holding a bow in his hand which flashed like lighning and the principal arrow he looked like Siva at the time of slaying of Tripura.

In that dreadful darkness while the army looked as if covered with ashes, king Dasaratha encountered the repressor of kings, descendant of Bhrugu and son of Jamadagni with a terrible crown of matted hair, inaccessible like Kailasa mountain and unendurable like the fire at the time of dissolution. The laymen gazing at his blazing energy,hanging an axe on his shoulder and holding a bow in his hand which flashed like lighning and the principal arrow he looked like Siva at the time of slaying of Tripura.

In that dreadful darkness while the army looked as if covered with ashes, king Dasaratha encountered the repressor of kings, descendant of Bhrugu and son of Jamadagni with a terrible crown of matted hair, inaccessible like Kailasa mountain and unendurable like the fire at the time of dissolution. The laymen gazing at his blazing energy,hanging an axe on his shoulder and holding a bow in his hand which flashed like lighning and the principal arrow he looked like Siva at the time of slaying of Tripura.

In that dreadful darkness while the army looked as if covered with ashes, king Dasaratha encountered the repressor of kings, descendant of Bhrugu and son of Jamadagni with a terrible crown of matted hair, inaccessible like Kailasa mountain and unendurable like the fire at the time of dissolution. The laymen gazing at his blazing energy,hanging an axe on his shoulder and holding a bow in his hand which flashed like lighning and the principal arrow he looked like Siva at the time of slaying of Tripura.

At the sight of the fearful appearance of Parasurama looking like flaming fire, Vasishta and all other saints who were in the habit of chanting mantras and offering oblations to the fire whispered among themselves:

Enraged at the slaughter of his father (by Kartaveeryarjuna), is he intent upon exterminating the kshatriya race? Having slaughtered the kshatriyas, in the past he was freed from anger and grief. Is he again desirous of annihilating the kshatriyas?

Enraged at the slaughter of his father (by Kartaveeryarjuna), is he intent upon exterminating the kshatriya race? Having slaughtered the kshatriyas, in the past he was freed from anger and grief. Is he again desirous of annihilating the kshatriyas?

The saints having thus talked amongst themselves, offered arghya to the son of Bhargava, of dreadful appearance and addressed him in soothing words: "O Rama O Rama".

Valiant Parasurama, son of Jamadagni, having accepted the homage offered by the saints addressed Rama, son of Dasaratha and said: इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीय आदिकाव्ये बालकाण्डे चतुस्सप्ततितमस्सर्ग:।। Thus ends the seventyfourth sarga of Balakanda of the holy Ramayana the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.