Individual verses with meanings
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Hari Om.
Let us begin the 12th sarga of the bAlakAnDam with offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
In this sarga, daSaratha requests RSyaSrnga to officiate the sacrifice and with the permission of vasisTha, the ministers gather all essentials and let the horse free for the yajna.
After the passage of sometime, with the advent of the spring season, daSaratha thought it was an opportune time to perform the sacrifice to be blessed with progeny to perpetuate his lineage and requested the celestial looking sage RSyaSrnga whose grace he had won, to commence the yajna. RSyaSrnga was pleased and instructed the emperor to gather all the essentials for the yajna as well as let the yajna horse free. The emperor summoned sumantra and ordered that the preceptors suyajna, vAmadEva, jAbAli, kASyapa, family priest vasisTha be brought at once. The best among ministers sumantra who was supremely efficient immediately brought all the brAhmins who had mastered the vEdas to the court. The virtuous king was thrilled to see the brAhmins well versed in vEdas and after paying them due respect started to address them meaningfully with a view to fulfil his desire as follows. “I am overcome by grief due to the lack of a son who would continue my race. Therefore in order to beget a son, I have decided to perform the aswamEdha, the horse sacrifice as enjoined in the scriptures and achieve my desire by the grace of the son of sage (vibhAnDaka)”. The brAhmins led by the chief priest RSyaSrnga exclaimed “wow and well said” and approved of the righteous desire of the king. They reiterated that articles for yajna be brought immediately and the yajna horse be released. They further blessed the king for the righteous thought that has entered his mind and foretold him that he will be blessed with four sons of immense prowess.
The king was delighted at this blessing and turned to his ministers and instructed them to gather all the requirements of the yajna. He also ordered that the yajna horse be released accompanied by warriors and priests. Then he instructed: “Please set up a yajna mandapa on the northern banks of the river sarayu as per the commands of the kalpa and scriptures. Sacrifices such as these bear fruit only when they are done in strict accordance with how they are laid down in the scriptures and there are no omissions and obstructions. The brahmarAkshas (a type of demons) competent in exploiting the loopholes in arrangements and procedures await an opportunity to damage the sacrifice and destroy the doer if there are lapses. Therefore please use your expertise and make all arrangements as per the rules laid down in the scriptures for the conduct of this yajna.
The competent ministers of daSartha complied his orders. The brAhmins went back the way the came and after bidding them good bye the glorious king entered his palace.
Here we conclude the 12th sarga of the bAla kAnDam of SrImath vAlmiKi rAmAyaNam and humbly offer it at the lotus feet of SrIrAma. Hari: Om!
jAi SrIrAma.
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rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 