Individual verses with meanings
Hari Om.
Let us begin the thirty sixth sarga of the bAlakAnDam with offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
In this sarga, the plot momentarily shifts to the life of the younger sibling of ganga, her marriage and life. Onwards ..
rAma and lakshmaNa thoroughly enjoyed the brief narration of the sage supreme about ganga, the elder daughter of himavAn. They extolled the vast knowledge of the sage and requested to narrate in more detail the story of ganga and the associated happenings in this and the higher worlds. They asked how did ganga come to flow in tri-fold paths in the three worlds, how it received the exalted status of being the best among the rivers.
Thus prompted by the kakutstha princes, the repertoire of immense penance, the great sage viSwAmitra began to unfold the story of ganga amidst the sages who were accompanying them.
“O rAma, in the yore, the blue-throated (nIlakanTha) God of supreme penance – Siva having wedded uma, was smitten by her divine charm and the divine couple began to enjoy marital bliss. Although they were absorbed in union for a hundred years, goddess uma didn’t conceive a child. The gods led by brahma were alarmed and thought that the earth will be unable to contain the off spring so born from the marital union of Siva and uma.
They went to lord Siva, prostrated in front of Him and prayed thus – “O lord, the earth will be unable to bear the energy of Your divine splendor (that will emerge as the sperm). Therefore withdraw Yourself from this marital conjugation and along with dEvi uma, perform penance in accordance with the vEdas. Please grant us this boon and protect the earth”. The great lord relented and said “so be it, for now I shall hold this vital energy (semen) without conferring it in uma. However it has already started it’s journey from it’s native resting place, so please let me know where I shall deposit the same”.
The dEvas replied that the earth will hold His energy. The lord released his incomprehensible energy in the form of the vital fluid on the earth which spread over the entire earth including mountains and forests. Then the dEvas prayed to agni and vAyu (the fire and wind gods) to enter into that energy flow. The energy of rudra spread by the fire god turned into a splendorous fiery white mountain filled with thicket of reeds (like bamboo grass). The brilliant kArtikEya was born of agni (fire) on this white mountain.
The sages and dEvas were relieved and intensely prayed lord Siva and uma. O rAma, dEvi uma was incensed with anger at the dEvas and her eyes turned red as she cursed them that since they prevented her from bearing her own child, even the gods will not be able to produce children through their consorts. She further cursed the earth also that may she be the wife to many bearing many forms and not have a child of her own.
Lord Siva, seeing the sulking dEvas departed from there along with uma in the western direction (that of varuNa) and further went north of himavat mountain to perform penance.
O rAma and lakshmaNa, till now I regaled you with the life of uma, the daughter of himavAn, now listen to the birth of ganga.
Here we conclude the thirty sixth sarga of the bAlakAnDam of SrImath vAlmiKi rAmAyaNam and humbly offer it at the lotus feet of SrIrAma. Hari: Om!
jAi SrIrAma.
Next: 1.37. kArtikEya the conqueror is born!
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rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 