Rāmāyana | Bala Kaṇḍa | Chapter 64

Sargam [Chapter]: 64
Viśvāmitra and Rambha

[Rambha reluctantly tries to entice Viśvāmitra. He curses her and Indra runs away. Viśvāmitra continues penance without food.]

"Oh Rambha, you have to do a great help to devas in enticing the son of Kuśika by simulating his lust and pension." 64.1

"Oh Rāma, when the clever Indra had spoken thus, she bashfully saluted him with folded hands and replied to the lord of devas." 64.2

"Oh Lord of devas, the great sage Viśvāmitra is a frightful person and there is no doubt that he will curse me with great anger and so it is proper that you do not ask this service from me." 64.3

"Oh Rāma, that Indra, seeing Rambha standing there trembling with folded hands and hearing what she had said, told." 64.4

"Oh Rambha, do not get scared and carry out my order. In the spring season, when trees are in full bloom, I will assume the form of a Cuckoo and along with God of love by my side, stay there." 64.5- 64.6

"Oh Rambha, assuming a form of variety and having a shining form, break the penance of that great ascetic." 64.7

"She, after listening to the words of Indra, assumed a matchless form of beauty with a pretty smile, tried to attract Viśvāmitra." 64.8

"Hearing the musical sound of Cuckoo, Viśvāmitra looked at her with great joy." 64.9

"Hearing the matchless song of the cuckoo and seeing before him the pretty Rambha, a doubt arose in the mind of sage." 64.10

"The great sage, who was the son of Kuśika, having understood it as the work of Indra, got extremely angry and cursed Rambha." 64.11

"Oh horrible Rambha, you are trying to seduce me, who is trying to conquer desire and passion, let you become a stone in earth for ten thousand years." 64.12

"Oh Rambha, a Brahmin, endowed with great penance and great lustre, will liberate you from the curse brought about my great anger." 64.13

"That exceedingly lustrous great sage Viśvāmitra, who was unable to control his great anger, having spoke thus, felt greatly depressed." 64.14

"Due to his great curse, Rambha became a rock and having listened to the words of great sage, Indra fled from there along with the God of love." 64.15

"Oh Rāma, that highly powerful Viśvāmitra, being stolen of the effect of his great penance due to his anger, lost his peace of mind due to his inability to control the senses." 64.16

"Having lost the power, which he had got out of his penance, he thought in his mind that he will never get angry and he will also not speak." 64.17

Further he told himself, "I will not breathe even in one hundred years and after controlling my senses, I will dry up my body." 64.18

"Until I am able to get Brahmin hood, I will stop my breath; I will not take any food for innumerable number of years and I am sure that while performing these strict penances, my body will not become weaker." 64.19

"Oh Rāma, that great sage carried out such unparalleled austerities for another one thousand years and vowed to lead a life of self-denial for thousands of years." 64.20

This is the end of Sixty Fourth Sarga of Bala Kanda which occurs in Holy Rāmāyaṇa composed by Vālmīki as the First Epic.