Ramayana of Valmiki

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

This page is entitled “king vishvamitra king desires to possess shabala” and represents Chapter 53 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 53 - King Vishvamitra king desires to possess Shabala

[Full title: The king desires to possess Shabala but Shri Vasishtha will not give her up]

The cow Shabala provided for the needs of all according to the instruction of Shri Vasishtha. Sugar cane, sweets of various kinds, honey, crushed barley, wine and other excellent drinks, hot rice in heaps as high as mountains, milk, curry and other fare combining the six tastes and countless other dishes with sweets made of jagari were distributed. Each was wholly satisfied and delighted with the hospitality of Shri Vasishtha, who accorded to all the companions and retainers of King Vishvamitra the full extent of their desires.

The king with his family priests, ministers and attendants, partaking of the feast offered with generosity and respect by the great sage, was highly gratified.

When all the counsellors and personal attendants and the army had received full hospitality, the king, wholly satisfied, said to Shri Vasishtha: “O Holy Sage, you have entertained me royally, please hear what I have to say O Eloquent One! O Lord, give me the cow Shabala in exchange for a hundred thousand excellent cows. Shabala is a jewel and by a king should jewels be enjoyed—according to the natural law, this treasure should therefore be mine.”

Shri Vasishtha answered, saying: “O King, I will not part with Shabala in exchange for ten million cows, still less for a hundred thousand. If you did’st offer me mountains of silver yet would I refuse to give you Shabala for she must remain in my hermitage.

“O King, as a righteous man cares for his good name, so do I for Shabala. She helps me to satisfy the devas, the pittris and other beings. My sacred fire sacrifice and other Vedic rites, besides the various branches of learning depend on Shabala. O Great Ruler, indeed I cannot relinquish this cow, she is my all and she fulfils all my needs—for these and numerous other reasons do I refuse to yield the cow to you. O King, verily I will not part with Shabala.”

The words of Shri Vasishtha merely increased the king’s desire and he, under great emotion, declared with passion: “O Great Muni, I will give you fourteen thousand elephants adorned with golden trappings, ornaments and goads and, in addition, I will give you a hundred and eight chariots made of solid gold, each driven by four milk white horses. At the same time, I offer you eleven thousand well-trained horses, each with a golden harness and further ten million cows of varied colours, that are young and healthy. O give me Shabala, and I will give you in exchange as much gold as you desirest. Grant me Shabala, I implore you, and accept my gifts, O Sage.”

Then the wise Vasishtha said: “Under no condition can I part with Shabala, O King, she is my jewel and my wealth. She is my very life, my all-in-all, and she furnishes me with alms and all I require for sacrifice. In brief, O King, Shabala is the source of my spiritual life and I will never give her up.”

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