Individual verses with meanings
Hari Om.
Let us begin the thirtieth sarga of the bAla kAnDam with offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
In this sarga, rAma protects the yajna by slaying the demons who come to desecrate it. Let’s begin.
The two princes rAma and lakshmaNa, capable of suppressing enemies and having an excellent sense of time and place, prostrated before the brahmarshi viSwAmitra and asked, “ O sire, we are eager to know when the demons make their appearance. Kindly let us know so that we don’t miss the moment and protect the yajna.”
The sages of the hermitage were thrilled at the eagerness and resolve of the princes to fight the demons. They replied, “O princes, from today, for six days the yajna will be on and during this time the brahmarshi observes the vow of silence. The yajna needs to be protected for these six days and nights”. The two illustrious princes prepared to protect the yajna for six days and nights at a stretch without sleep. The heroic wielders of the best bows and destroyer of the enemies kept strict vigil such that the yajna continued without obstruction.
The yajna entered the sixth day. rAma cautioned lakshmaNa to be vigilant. As rAma spoke thus, the fire in the sacrificial altar inflamed intensely and burned brightly illuminating the sage viSwAmitra, the priests and Rtwiks present there, and all the sacred appliances of the yajna such as the ladle, darbha grass, flowers etc. While the yajna was going on in accordance to the scriptures and sacred chants of the mantras, there arose in the sky, a terrifying and tumultuous sound. Just like clouds cover the sky in the rainy season rapidly, two demons mArIca and subAhu came running across the sky with illusory powers along with their followers and started raining blood on the yajna drenching and desecrating the altar.
rAma sighted them in the skies and said, “O lakshmaNa, watch out how I use the potent mAnavAStra and chase away these man-eating demons like winds chase away the clouds”. Infuriated, rAma aimed at the chest of mArica, the supremely potent and effulgent mAnavAStra. mArica, as he was hit by the mAnavAStra was hurled a hundred yOjanas away and thrown into the high seas. Seeing mArica thrown afar and rendered unconscious, rAma explained to lakshmaNa how the mAnavAStra employs a cool arrow and while it renders the victim unconscious, this righteous arrow doesn’t take away the life!
He then said, “I shall slay these remaining wicked, merciless and blood-baying demons”. So saying, he struck at the chest of subAhu with the weapon of fire, the AgnEyAstra who was instantly dead and fell on the ground. The supremely generous rAma struck down the remaining demons by employing the vAyuvyAstra, the weapon of the wind and caused much delight to the ascetics.
स हत्वा राक्षसान् सर्वान् यज्ञघ्नान् रघुनन्दन:।
ऋषिभि: पूजितस्तत्र यथेन्द्रो विजये पुरा।।1.30.23।।
Having vanquished all the demons with his amazing archery skills and protecting the yajna, rAma received the worship of the sages just as in the past indra had in the past after being victorious.
[This is the second verse in the gAyatri rAmAyaNa. And it marks the completion of approximately the first thousand verses of the vAlmIki rAmAyaNam]
As the yajna drew to a close, the great sage viSwAmitra inspected all directions filled with auspiciousness and complementing rAma said, “O rAma, I am blessed and fulfilled my desire of completing the yajna. You have fulfilled your father’s command. By this heroic act of yours you have held true the name of siddhASrama.
Here we conclude the thirtieth sarga of the bAlakAnDam of SrImath vAlmiKi rAmAyaNam and humbly offer it at the lotus feet of SrIrAma. Hari: Om!
jAi SrIrAma.
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rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 