King Rtambhara is Blessed with a Son

1. When those men living in hell went (to heaven), king (Janaka) asked Yama, the best among those who know dharma. The king said:

2-4. O Dharmaraja, you have said that men who commit sins and are not interested in religious discourses, come to your place. O you righteous one, tell me for what sin I have come here, and the cause of my sin, from the beginning. Hearing these words of him, O you tormentor of the enemies, Dharmaraja then told him (the cause of) his arrival to Yama's city.

5-12. O king, you have great religious merit. None else has like it on the surface of the earth. O you who have been observing the vow of (drinking) the honey from the two (lotus-)feet of Raghunatha, the celestial river in the form of your fame which gives great joy and emancipates the wicked, purifies all the sinners full of the dirt (of sin). Still, O you best king, there is a small bit of sin (in you), due to which you, full of merit, have come to my residence (Samyamini). Once you prevented a cow that was grazing (from doing so). Due to the effect of that sin, you have seen the gates of hell. Now, freed from (that) sin and endowed with great religious merit, enjoy many many pleasures obtained through your religious merit. Raghunatha, the ocean of pity, taking away (i.e. desiring to remove) the misery of these, has sent (you) the devotee of Vishnu on this great route. O you of a good vow, how would they have been free from sin, if you had not come along this way? O very intelligent one, people like you who are afflicted by others' misery and who are the abode of kindness, thus remove the misery of beings. Jabali said:

13-15. Having saluted Yama, who was speaking like this, he went to heaven in a divine aeroplane adorned with the host of celestial nymphs. Therefore, cows are to be honoured; one should not even mentally censure them. One who censures them, remains in hell as long as the fourteen Indras rule. Therefore, O best among kings, worship a cow. Being pleased, she will quickly give you a son who is devoted to piety. Sumati said:

16-20. Having heard it, he asked about the worship of a cow: How is she to be respectfully and carefully worshipped? What kind of man does she make him? Jabali duly told him the worship of a cow. He who has undertaken the vow of (worshipping) a cow, should everyday go to the forest to graze her. He should make the cow eat barley-grains and should collect them from her dung. O king, one longing for a son should eat those barley-grains. He should drink pure water (only) when she drinks water. He should be seated (only) when she would sit on a high seat. Everyday he should ward off the gnats and should himself collect grass or fodder (for her). She gives a son devoted to piety to him who does like this. Sumati said:

21-27. Hearing these words that pious Rlambhara, longing for a son, practised the vow. Worshipping the cow everyday, he pleased her with grass etc. The intelligent one, showing great care for her food (like) barley, warded off the gnats. Of him who was worshipping the cow grazing grass etc. in the forest and having fear from nowhere, auspicious days passed. Once that king, curious to observe the beauty of the forest, had cast his eyes on it, and was roaming all around. At that time a lion having come from the interior of the forest struck the cow that was yelling in many ways, that was helpless and that was afflicted due to the burden of the lion (on her body). Then the king, having come there and having seen his mother (i.e. the cow) struck by the lion, was very much distressed and cried. Being afflicted he came to Jabali, the best sage, and asked him about the atonement for the sin of killing a cow. Rtambhara said:

28-29. O lord, I had resorted, by your order, to the forest and looked after the cow. A lion not falling within the range of (my) sight (i.e. not noticed by me) came from somewhere and attacked the cow. What do (i.e. should) I do for the atonement of that sin, by your order? How can I fulfil the vow granting a son to me?

30-40. The best sage said to the king speaking like this: "O king, there are means for the atonement of a sin. There are expiations, O you very intelligent one, for all sins of one who has killed a brahmana, who is ungrateful and who drinks liquor. AH the sins of him who observes the (vows) duly go away by means of vows like Krcchra, Candrayana (observed) along with restraints and controls. For two sinners who have committed heaps of sins, there is no expiation: for him who deliberately kills a cow and one who censures Narayana (i.e. Vishnu). The meanest one who mentally desires (giving) pain to cows, resides in a place in hell as long as fourteen Indras (rule). Even that unfortunate man who just once censures Hari, would, surrounded by his sons and grandsons, see hell. Therefore, Olord of men, you should realise that he who censures Vishnu or causes pain to cows never gets release. There is an expiation if a cow is killed through ignorance. You (now) go to Rtuparnaka, the intelligent devotee of Rama. He looks equally upon all his foes and friends. He will quickly tell you the expiation for this killing of the cow. Formerly you had attached his countries, so he had abandoned them. Giving up enmity, go to Rtuparnaka. Being composed, do quickly what he will tell you (to do), so that there will be the expiation of the sin committed by you."

41-48. Hearing these words of (i.e. spoken by) him, he went to Rtuparnaka who was an excellent devotee of Rama and who looked equally upon his foe and friend. He told him whatever, the killing of the cow etc., took place. He too thought of a means for the expiation of that sin. Having reflected for a moment, king Rtuparna who was intelligent and who knew dharma laughed and said to Rtambhara: "O king, who am I before (i.e. as compared with) the sages knowing the scriptures? Why have you, abandoning them, come to me, fancying myself to be learned? If you have faith in me, then I shall say something. O best of men, carefully listen to my words. By means of act, thought and words have recourse to Raghunatha. O you highly intelligent one, please the lord of the worlds without deceit. When pleased, he will grant (i.e. satisfy) all desires of your mind. He will destroy the sin of having ignorantly killed a cow. O you religious-minded one, O you best one, remembering Rama, look after the cow. By giving gold to a brahmana, you will atone for the sin." Sumati said:

49-57. Hearing those words king Rtambhara, with his mind purified, took to remembering Rama, and observed the vow. Engaged in the well-being of all beings, and always remembering Rama, he, looking after the cow, went to the forest as before.

Surabhi was pleased with him. When gratified, she said: "O king, choose a boon from me according to the desire of your mind?" Then the king said (to her): "Give me a son who is a devotee of Rama, who is fond of his father, and who will follow his own duty." The merciful, desire-yielding, divine cow, being pleased, gave the boon to the king longing for a son, and disappeared. Then at the (proper) time he obtained a son — Vishnu's devotee and serving Rama. His father (i.e. king Rtambhara) named him Satyavan. Having obtained the son (named) Satyavan who was greatly devoted to his father and comparable to Indra (only) in valour, the great king obtained great joy. The king, having obtained a righteous son, was full of joy and having deposited (i.e. entrusted) the kingdom with him, went to a forest for practising penance. There, with his mind full of devotion he propitiated Vishnu, and with his sins fully washed, he physically went to the place of Vishnu.

1-9. O dear one, this king too who was well known by the name Satyavan pleased by means of his duty Raghunatha, the lord of the worlds. Being pleased (with him) the lord of Rama (i.e. Vishnu) gave him unswerving devotion to his feet, difficult to obtain through crores of religious deeds by his worshippers. He, full of pity and not being fatigued, everyday told the purifying tale of Shri Raghunatha to people. He beat with sticks, causing fear even to Yama, the man who did not worship Ragunatha (i.e. Rama), the lord of Rama (i.e. Vishnu). He made every man who would be above the age of eight till he would be eighty years old, observe the fast of Ekadashi. To him Tulasi was dear; his neck never abandoned the excellent garland from the lotuslike feet of Raghunatha. He was venerable even to the sages.

How then was he not (so) to others? He loved remembering Raghunatha. His sins were washed. His misfortune was destroyed. He, knowing that the very wonderful horse of Ramachandra has come, will come and give you the kingdom free from troublesome fellows. O king, I have told you the best (thing) that you have asked for. O lord, what more do you ask? Order it (and) I (shall) do it. Shesha

10. The horse, possessing many wonders, went into the city. Seeing him, all the people went to the king, and reported to him. The people said:

11-12. A certain horse, shining with a note on his forehead white like the water of Ganga, has come. Hearing those charming and pleasing words uttered by the people, the king laughed and said (to them): "Ascertain whose horse that is."

13-20a. They told him: " A horse, looked after by Shatrughna, has come from the city of king Rama." He, having heard the very pleasing, two-lettered name of Rama, marked with a faltering sound, was very much delighted in mind: 'The horse of that Rama, the lord of Ayodhya, who is constantly thought by me has come with Shatrughna to my city. Hanuman who serves the feet of Rama and who never forgets Rama in his mind, will also be there. I (shall) go there where there are Shatrughna, (Hanumat) the son of Maruta (i.e. the Wind) and other men who serve the lotus-like feet of Rama". He ordered his minister: "Quickly come, taking all the royal wealth with me. I shall go to look after the excellent horse of Raghunatha, and to do (i.e. to offer) service to Rama's lotus-like feet, which is difficult to be had." Saying so he with his soldiers went out to Shatrughna.

20b-26. Just then Rama's brother (Shatrughna) along with his soldiers reached the city. Mighty heroes roared; chariots produced big sounds; there were the sounds of the triumphant conches; everywhere there were the flute-sounds. King Satyavan, having come along with his ministers, saluted (Shatrughna's) feet and presented to him his very wealthy kingdom. Shatrughna, having recognised the king, observing Rama's vow, gave his great kingdom to his son named Rukma. He, endowed with truth, and of great glory, having embraced the very glorious Hanumat of mighty arms and also other devotees of Rama, regarded himself blessed; and with Shatrughna, he was delighted in mind. Just then the horse well-protected by heroes went a long way off. Shatrughna along with that king and heroes went (afterthe horse).

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