Ramayana

by Manmatha Nath Dutt | 1891 | ISBN-13: 9788171101566

This page describes Chapter XXVII of the English translation of the Ramayana, one of the largest Sanskrit epics of ancient India revolving around the characters Rama, Sita and Ravana. It was orignally authored by Valmiki at least over 2500 years ago. This is the first book of the Bāla-kāṇḍa (Bala-kanda) of the Ramayana, which consists of 24,000 Sanskrit metrical verses divided oer seven books.

Having passed that night, the illustrious Viśvāmitra, smiling complacently, sweetly spoke to Rāghava, saying,

Pleased am I with you. Good betide you, O highly famous prince! With supreme pleasure, do I confer upon you all the weapons.

By means of which subduing such antagonists as celestials and Asuras backed on earth by Gandharvas and Uragas, you will in battle be crowned with victory.

All those celestial weapons, good betide you, I will confer upon you. And I will confer upon you, O Rāghava, the celestial and mighty Daṇḍacakra[1] and Dharmacakra, and also Kālacakra. And, O foremost of men, I will confer upon you the fierce Viṣṇucakra, and Indracakra.

The Vajra, and Śiva’s Śūlavara, and the weapon Brahmaśiras, and Aiṣīka, O mighty-armed descendant of Raghu! And, O tiger among men, I will, O king’s son, bestow upon you the matchless Brahmā weapon, and, O Kākutstha, the two excellent maces, the flaming Modakī and Śikhari. And, O Rāma, I will confer upon you Dharmapāśa,[2] and Kālapāśa, and the excellent Varuṇapāśa.

O descendant of Raghu, I will bestow upon you the two Aśanis, Śuṣka and Ārdra, and the Pināka weapon, and the Nārāyaṇa, and the Āgneya weapon called Śikhara, and the Vāyavya, called Prathama.

O sinless one! And, O Rāghava, I will confer upon you the weapon called Hayaśiras, and the Krauñca weapon, and, O Kākutstha, a couple of darts.

And I will confer upon you Kaṅkāla, and the dreadful Muśala, and Kapāla, and Kiṅkiṇī—all those that are intended for slaughtering Rākṣasas.

And, O mighty-armed one, O son of the best of men, I will confer upon you the mighty weapon Vidyādhara, and that excellent scimitar named Nandana, and the favourite Gandharva weapon, Mohana, and Prasvāpana, Paśamana, and Saumya, Rāghava! And, O tiger among men, do you accept Varṣaṇa, and Śoṣaṇa, and Santāpana, and Vilāpana, and Mādana hard to repress, beloved of Kandarpa, and that favourite Gandharva weapon, Mānava, and the favourite Piśāca weapon, O highly famous prince.

You, O mighty-armed Rāma, speedily accept the Tāmasa, O tiger among men, and the exceedingly powerful Saumana, and the irrepressible Saṃvarta and Mauśala, O son of the king, and the Satya weapon, and the supreme Māyāmaya, and the Saura. Tejaprabha, capable of depriving foes of energy, and the Soma, and the Siśira, and the Tvāṣṭra, and the terrible Dāruṇa belonging to Bhaga, and Śileṣu, and Mānava.

O long-armed king’s son, Rāma! receive instantly all powerful, highly exalted forms that can be modified at will.

Then with his face turned towards the east, that foremost of ascetics having purified himself, gladly conferred the mantras upon Rāma.

And the Vipra also bestowed upon Rāghava those weapons, of which even the celestials are incapable of holding all.

As that intelligent ascetic, Viśvāmitra, recited mantras, all those invaluable weapons appeared before that descendant of Raghu. And with clasped hands, they well-pleased, addressed Rāma,—These, O highly generous one, are your servants, O Rāghava. And whatever you wish, good betide you, shall by all means be accomplished by us.

Thus addressed by those highly powerful weapons, Kākutstha Rāma, with a delighted soul, accepting them, touched them with his hand, and said, Do you appear before me as I remember you!

Then the exceedingly energetic Rāma, well pleased, paying reverence to the mighty ascetic, Viśvāmitra, prepared to set out.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Cakra means discus. These enumerations specify different kinds of the discus.

[2]:

Pāsa means noose

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