Ramayana of Valmiki

by Hari Prasad Shastri | 1952 | 527,382 words | ISBN-10: 9333119590 | ISBN-13: 9789333119597

This page is entitled “king kushanabha’s hundred daughters” and represents Chapter 33 of the Bala-kanda of the Ramayana (English translation by Hari Prasad Shastri). The Ramayana narrates the legend of Rama and Sita and her abduction by Ravana, the king of Lanka. It contains 24,000 verses divided into seven sections [viz., Bala-kanda].

Chapter 33 - King Kushanabha’s hundred daughters

When the hundred princesses were thus questioned by the king their father, they placed their heads at his feet and answered: “The wind god, who pervades all, has entered the evil path and desired us to forsake virtuous conduct. We told him we were not free to choose our way of life since our father was still living and that he should consult you if he wished to wed us, but that sinful god, disregarding our request has twisted and deformed our bodies in this manner.”

The great king hearing the complaint of the hundred virgins, said to them: “You have acted nobly by practising forbearance towards the deity. It is meet that the generous-minded should exercise forbearance, you have added to the honour of our dynasty. Forbearance is the chief ornament of both man and woman, you have achieved something rare; few are capable of such forbearance. O Virgins, forbearance is charity, forbearance is truth, forbearance is sacrifice. A man’s true glory is forbearance; forbearance is dharma. The world is established in forbearance.”

Having spoken thus, the princesses were comforted, and the king dismissed them. Then the monarch, mighty like a god, summoned his ministers and consulted them regarding the alliance of his daughters to suitable families at the proper time and place.

Now a great muni named Chuli full of glory derived from prolonged celibacy and highly virtuous, was engaged in sacred austerities for the purpose of spiritual liberation.

At that place, the virgin daughter of the nymph Urmila, named Somada, began to minister to the muni. She attended on the great sage for a long time with undeviating faith and devotion and her Guru was pleased with her; he said to her: “I am pleased with you, what desire of thine shall I fulfil?”

Perceiving the muni to be highly pleased, that sweet-voiced nymph acquainted with the art of conversation made answer to him: “O King of Kings, I desire to bear a son, resplendent with divine power, a worshipper of God and devoted to dharma. I have no husband, nor do I wish to be the wife of any, as I am a brahmacarini, therefore, by virtue of your Yoga, grant me a son produced by the power of your thought.”

The divine Sage Chuli was pleased to hear these words and granted her a son named Brahmadatta, by the power of his mind. Brahmadatta became King of Kampila and was as prosperous as Indra in heaven. King Kushanabha resolved to give his daughters in marriage to King Brahmadatta. Kushanabha requested King Brahmadatta to visit him and joyfully gave him his daughters in marriage.

O Ramaji, King Brahmadatta, who was equal to Indra in glory wedded the princesses one by one by taking their hands in his. Through the touch of his hand, the princesses were freed from their deformity and restored to their former beauty. When King Kushnabha beheld his daughters released from their disfigurement and restored to their former beauty he was filled with joy.

Thus did the King Kushnabha give his daughters in marriage to King Brahmadatta and then commanded their preceptors to accompany them to the court of his son-in-law.

Somada was delighted with the union of her son to the damsels and receiving them with great affection, commended the virtuous King Kushanabha.

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