Rāmāyana | Bala Kaṇḍa | Chapter 32

Sargam [Chapter]: 32
Kushnabha's Story

[Sage Viśvāmitra tells the story of great King Kuśanabha and his Hundred Daughters. When the Wind God proposes to them, they reject saying that they would marry only one whom their father approves. Wind god curses them to be disfigured.]

"As ascetic of a great order called Kuśa was the brain child of Lord Brahma. He was one who never broke the rules of Dharma and he worshipped all the good people." 32.1

"That noble great man begot four sons, who were equal to him in knowledge and great strength, by marrying the very eligible princess of Vidarbha whose names were Kusamba, Kusanabha, Asurthejasa and Vāsu." 32.2

"Kuśa, the upholder of Dharma and truth, spoke to those sons, who had great lustre, greatly enthusiastic, upholders of the Dharma of royals, "Please rule over with great abundance of Dharma." 32.3-32.4

"Hearing those words of Kuśa, those four great people of the world, initiated the building of four cities." 32.5

"The greatly lustrous Kuśambha built the great town of Kosambī and Kuśa who was the soul of Dharma built a town called Mahodhaya." 32.6

"Oh Rāma, the intelligent Asurtha Thejasa built a city called Dharmaranyam and King Vasu built a town called Girivraja." 32.7

"This land of Vasu, where we are staying, is called Vasumathi and shines in between four Mountains." 32.8

"This good river called Māgadhī enters and exists from Magadha Kingdom and is shining like a garland in between five Mountains." 32.9

"Oh Rāma, this River Māgadhī, which was developed by King Vasu, flows towards the east and is flowing through good fields rich in plant wealth." 32.10

"Oh Rāma, Kuśanabha, who was a royal sage, had one hundred daughters of matchless beauty through Ghritāchī, a soul of Dharma." 32.11

"They were all in their youth, pretty, well decorated and went to a garden and moved about like hundred streaked lightning in rainy season, singing, dancing and playing instruments and they were all well decorated with divine ornaments." 32.12-32.13

"All of them, who were pretty and matchless in this world, reached the garden and looked like stars in the sky." 32.14

"Seeing all of them blessed with all good qualities, prettiness and youth, the wind God, who is the soul of all, spoke to them like this." 32.15

"I love you all and so please become my wives, leaving out the inhibitions of human beings and acquire divinity and long life." 32.16

"The youth is temporary and goes away quickly especially in humans. Become immortal ladies with never fading youth." 32.17

"Hearing those words of wind god, who never gets tired of his job, those one hundred maids replied in a jeering way." 32.18

"Oh great God, you keep moving round within all beings. All of us know your power and the reason why you are honoured." 32.19

"Oh Great Deva, all of us are the daughters of King Kuśanabha and we are capable of moving you out from your position and not doing so to protect the honour of our penance." 32.20

"Oh person of a bad brain, disregarding our father who is the votary of truth, using our opinion we would never select a groom of our own." 32.21

"Our father is our Lord and he is also our divine god. And unless gives us one, no one can become our husband." 32.22

"Hearing these words from them, the wind god became angry and he entered in to the limbs of all of them and disfigured them all." 32.23

"Those maids disfigured, entered their father's home, greatly embarrassed and greatly fluttered with tear drenched eye." 32.24

"Seeing his dear and pretty daughters, the King became sad, flustered and told them like this:" 32.25

"Oh daughters, who did like this? Who insulted Dharma? Who disfigured you like this? Please say. Why are you not gesticulating or saying anything? The King became silent after asking like this." 32.26

This is the end of Thirty Second of Bala Kanda which occurs in Holy Rāmāyaṇa composed by Vālmīki as the First Epic.