Chapter XXIII

And when the night had passed away, the mighty ascetic spoke to Kākutstha, lying down on a bed of leaves, O Rāma, surely has Kausalyā given birth to an excellent son! The first Sandhyā^[1] should now be performed. Do you, O tiger among men, arise! You should perform the purificatory rites and contemplate the gods.

Hearing those proper words of the ascetic, those foremost of men, endowed with heroism, bathed, and, sipping water, began to recite the Gāyatrī. (The solar hymn of the Veda).

And having performed these daily duties, those exceedingly powerful ones, greeting Viśvāmitra having asceticism for wealth, stood before him, with the object of starting on their journey.

And as those ones endowed with exceeding prowess were proceeding, at the shining confluence of the Sarayū and the Gaṅgā they beheld a noble river flowing in three branches.

There lay a holy hermitage, belonging to ascetics of subdued souls, where they had been carrying on their high austerities for thousands of years.

Beholding that sacred asylum those descendants of Raghu, exceedingly delighted, spoke to the high-souled Viśvāmitra, these words.

Whose is this sacred hermitage? And what man lives here? O worshipful one, we are desirous of hearing this. Surely, great is our curiosity.

At those words of theirs, that foremost of ascetics, smiling, said, Heap O Rāma, as to whom the asylum has belonged in time past.

Kandarpa, called Kāma by the wise, was once incarnate (on earth.) And it came to pass that as that lord of the deities, Sthāṇu, having performed here his austerities in accordance with the prescribed restrictions, was wending his way in company with the Maruts, that fool-hardy wight dared disturb the equanimity of his mind.

Thereupon, O descendant of Raghu, uttering a roar, the high-souled Rudra eyed him steadfastly. And thereat all the limbs of that perverse-hearted one became blasted.

And on his body being consumed by that high-souled one, Kāma was deprived of his person in consequence of the ire of that foremost among the deities.

O Rāghava, from that time forth, he has become known as Anaṅga. And the place where he was deprived of his body is the lovely land of Aṅga.

This sacred hermitage belongs to Śiva; and these ascetics engaged in pious acts, O hero, have been from father to son his disciples. And no sin touch them.

Here, O Rāma, in the midst of the sacred streams, will we spend the night, O you of gracious presence, crossing over on the morrow.

Let us then, having purified ourselves, enter the holy hermitage! It is highly desirable for us to sojourn here, here will we happily spend the night, having bathed, and recited the mantras, and offered oblations to the sacrificial fire, O best of men.

As they were conversing thus, the ascetics were highly delighted on discovering them by means of their far-reaching spiritual vision, and they rejoiced greatly.

Then giving Kuśika’s son water to wash his feet and Arghya, and extending to him also the rites of hospitality, they next entertained Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa.

Having experienced their hospitality, they (the guests) delighted them with their talk. And then the saints with collected minds recited their evening prayers.

And having been shown their destined place of rest along with ascetics of excellent vows, they happily passed that night in that hermitage affording every comfort.

And that foremost of ascetics, the righteous-souled son of Kuśika, by means of his excellent converse, charmed the prepossessing sons of the monarch.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Brāhmaṇas have to perform their daily devotions thrice,—in the morning, at noon, and in the evening.