Vālmiki Rāmāyaṇa - Bāla Kānḍa - Sarga 32-34 : History of Māgadhi Nadī

Vālmiki Rāmāyaṇa - Bāla Kānda - Sarga 32

Once there was a highly dharmātmā Rājāṛṣi who is the brainchild of Brahmā whose Tapa is of higher order, who has never flouted the rules of yajña or his vows, and who revered the knowers of dharma by name Kusha." Thus Ṛṣi Viśvāmitra commenced narration. That Mahātmanā Kuśa begot 4 identical and vīryavān sons, namely Kusumba, Kushanābha, Asūrtarajasa, or also called Adhūrtarajasa, and Vasu through the rājaputrī of Vidarbha, which rājaputrī is of noble birth and an eligible bhāryā of Kusha. With an aspiration that his sons shall uphold the principles of Kṣatriya-s, Kuśa spoke to them who are brilliant, highly enthusiastic, dharma abiding, and the advocators of Satya saying, 'establish your rulership, sons, and achieve dharma abundantly.' On hearing the words of Kuśa those 4 sons that are the formidable ones in the loka and the best manuṣya-s among people initiated to build 4 cities. Mahātejā Kushamba built the nagara named Kaushambī for his part, and for his part the dharmātmā Kushanābha built a nagara named Mahodaya. Héy Rāma, noble-minded Asūrtarajasa built a nagara named Dharmāranya, and Rājā Vasu built a nagara in the name of Girivraja.

This land on which we are presently staying is known Vasumatī, the land of dharmātmā Vasu, all around which these 5 best Parvata are standing high. This charming nadī that enters and exits Magadha province is well known as the worthy nadī Māgadhi, and flowing amid the 5 of these elevated Parvata it shines forth like a garland enwreathing them. This Māgadhi is that nadī which pertains to the developmental works of the Mahātmanā Rājā Vasu and Héy Rāma, flowing towards east to its confluence in Gangā, this nadī garlands best farmlands and their crops on its way. The dharmātmā Rājarṣiḥ Kushanābha gave birth to a 100 daughters with unexcelled beauty through a Deva strī called Ghritāchi. Those girls when attained youthfulness they are lovely and on an occasion they have gone to gardens and moved there about like one lightning with a 100 streaks during rainy season, and while those girls that are decorated with select ornaments are singing, dancing and playing musical instruments, they got into a fantastic felicity. On their coming to vanas those girls whose all anga are pretty and whose looks are unparalleled on earth, they looked like stars amid clouds within the cloudy thickets of garden bushes.

On seeing them who are flourishing with all their aspects together with comeliness and ripeness, the all pervading VāyuDeva, Vāyu, spoke this word to them. 'I have a kāma for you all, hence leaving off the notions pertaining to manuṣya you all become my wives, thereby you too will acquire longevity like divinities. Teenage is always transitory, expressly in humans, but on marrying me you will achieve undiminished youthfulness and forever you can be youthful like immortal strīs.' Thus Vāyu-Deva said to those girls. On hearing that proposal of Vāyu, the Vāyu-Deva whose strives are unimpeded, then those 100 girls spoke this sentence laughing off his proposal. 'we are aware that you inspirit allthe living bhūta from inside, héy the ablest divinity, we are also aware of your uniqueness. But, what for you are dishonouring all of us. We are the daughters of Kushanābha, héy best divinity, and we are all capable of displacing you from your realm, but Héy Deva, we are restraining ourselves in doing so only to conserve our Tapasvi values.

'That kāla shall never come, héy Deva with sordid thinking, when we, at our liberty, may look up for our grooms overlooking our satya-saṃdham father. Our father is indeed our svāmi and for us he is the ultimate Deva too. To whomever we are offered by our father in marriage he alone becomes our bhartā.' So said 100 girls to VāyuDeva. On hearing their sentence of rejection, Vāyu, the Vāyu-Deva whose impact is powerful, very angrily entered into all of the anga of those girls only to disfigure them. Those girls whom VāyuDeva disfigured in that way have entered palace-chambers of the Rājā but they have entered diffidently, embarrassedly, and tearfully. That Rājā on seeing his dear and attractive daughters as disfigured and despondent girls he is highly perturbed and said this. 'Héy daughters, what all is this? Who disregarded dharma? Who disfigured you all? Let it be said, Why you gesticulate saying nothing.' asking thus that Rājā sighed and quietened down waiting for a reply." Thus Ṛṣi Viśvāmitra continued his narration.

Vālmiki Rāmāyaṇa - Bāla Kānda - Sarga 33

On hearing that sentence of scholarly Kushanābha those 100 girls touched his feet with their foreheads and spoke to him. 'The all-pervasive Vāyu-Deva desired to dishonour us, héy Rājā resorting to improper approach and overlooking dharmajña conduct. Our father is there and we are not independent, you be safe, hence oh, VāyuDeva, you may request our father to know whether he gives us to you or not.' Thus we have told the VāyuDeva, but. Though we all have spoken to him thus, that Vāyu-Deva who is bound by venality refused to take notice of our words and he has harmed us a lot.' Thus those girls informed their father.

On listening their words that highly dharmajña and mahātejā Rājā spoke to the 100 girls with unsurpassed dharma. 'Forgiving is the duty of imperturbable and you have done it. Excellent. Héy daughters, coursing through your unity my family's prestige is also kept up. Forgiveness is an adornment to strī, as a matter of fact, even for manuṣya-s, and this matter called 'forgiving' that which is there, it is an impracticable affair. That too, in respect of divinities. And the kind of forgiveness you all possess uniformly, that is further laudable. 'Grace is altruism, grace is ritualism, héy my daughters, grace is glory, grace is dharma, and this jagat is verily abiding in prasāda alone for grace itself is the satyam, indeed' Thus Rājā Kushanābha said to his daughters and sent them away.

On leaving those girls, héy Rāma, that Rājā whose vikrama matches that of Devatā and who is an expert in thinking strategies started to think with his mantri-s on the topics like, as to how his daughters are to be espoused to, to which deśa they are to be sent, at which kāla marriage shall happen, and to which matching bridegroom the marriage is to be proposed, and so on." Thus Viśvāmitra continued his narration. During that kāla, a Mahātejā Ṛṣi named Cūlī is there, who is subham in his demeanour and who holds his semen upward, and who has achieved high Tapasvi practise strictly according to Vedic canons. While that Ṛṣi is in the practise of Tapaḥ a gandharvī served him at the place of his Tapa, safety be with you. Héy Rāma, she is Somadā by her name, the daughter of Ūrmilā. Even she is obedient in his respect, and dedicating herself in ministering to him she stayed there Dharmaly. After some kāla that Ṛṣi Cūlī has become satisfied with her service. When her service is fructified, héy Rāma, that Ṛṣi benevolently spoke to her saying, 'I am perfectly pleased with your service, let good betide you, what cherish of yours I have to fulfil.'

Perceiving that the Ṛṣi is contented that gandharvī Somadā who is aware of making good sentences is highly delighted and spoke with her melodious svara to that pedantic Ṛṣi. 'Vedic splendour is flourishing in you when you have become one with Brahmā. Héy supreme Tapasvi, I may please be endowed with a dharmātmā putra whose Tapasvi spirituality may embody the spirituality enunciated in Veda. I am unmarried and nobody's bhāryā, safe you be, and as I took shelter under your kindness it will be apt of you to endow me a putra with your faculty of Tapaḥ.' So said Somadā to Ṛṣi Cūlī.

That Brahmaṛṣi Cūlina benignantly bestowed her with a unique and Brahmā like putra who is renowned as Brahmadatta, as well as his own brainchild. Raja Brahmadatta endued with superb grandeur ruled from a nagara called Kāmpilya as with Indra ruling the svarga. The most dharmātmā Rājā Kushanābha then made up his manaḥ, héy Kākutstha, to espouse his 100 daughters to Brahmadatta. Inviting Brahmadatta that Mahātejā svāmi of the land, namely the Rājā Kushanābha, married his 100 daughters to him, pleasing highly in his manaḥ (ātmanaḥ) of hearts. As with the tradition of marriage Rājā Brahmadatta who vies with svāmi of Devatā, namely Indra, in succession took the palm of each of the 100 girls into his palm. By mere touch of hand of Brahmadatta alone, their misshape and desperation are evanished, and all of those 100 maidens beamed bright as they are retouched with utmost elegance. On seeing his daughters getting release from the effect of Vāyu-Deva Kushanābha became highly joyful, and he took great delight time and again as and when he looked at them. Later when the marriage is complete Rājā Kushanābha bade farewell to Rājā Brahmadatta along with his wives, his own 100 daughters, and along with the groups of religious guru.

Somadā, the gandharvī and the mother of Brahmadatta, is cheerful to see her putra Brahmadatta, for the worthwhile deed done by him in removing the blemish caused by the Vāyu-Deva to the girls, or in bringing those worthwhile girls as her snuṣās. She is further cheerful while her feet are traditionally and repeatedly touched by a 100 snuṣās in succession, coupled with her own raising of each of the snuṣā to embrace for a 100 times. Thus Somadā has gone on caressing each of her 100 snuṣās, and in doing so she is cheerful to do so over and over again, she is cheerful. She thus praised Kushanābha for giving his gemlike daughters as her snuṣās and blessed the snuṣās.

Vālmiki Rāmāyaṇa - Bāla Kānda - Sarga 34

When Brahmadatta has married and left, héy Rāghava, Rājā Kushanābha he embarked on Yajña called Putra Kāmesthi in order to beget a putra because is sonless. During the performance of the ritual, supremely generous Kusha, the brainchild of Brahmā and the father of Kushanābha, spoke to the Rājā Kushanābha." 'Héy son, there will be a highly dharmajña and identical putra of yours, known as Gādhi, and through him you also will get everlasting renown in the loka.' " Thus Kuśa said to Kushanābha. Saying so, héy Rāma, Kushanābha's father Kusa entered the sky and journeyed to the kāla-honoured abode of Brahmā. "Then after some time that highly intellectual Kushanābha begot a supremely Dharma putra known by the name Gādhi. Héy Kākutstha kula, that eminently dharmātmā Gādhi is my father, and since I am born in Kuśa kula, héy Raghu's descendant, I got the name Kaushika." Ṛṣi Viśvāmitra thus narrating to Rāma.

"Even my elder sister who undertook benevolent vows and who is renowned by her name Satyavatī is there, héy Rāghava, and she is given in marriage to Ṛṣi Ṛcīka. She journeyed to svarga with her body while she followed her departed bhartā and being a very generous lady she coursed as a great nadī renowned as nadī Kauśikī. "Desiring to yield benefit for the welfare of loka, my sister has emerged with her divinely pious and delightful waters, taking recourse to Himavata Parvatas. "Thereby, héy Rāma, I am delightfully and abidingly residing on the Parvata-sides of Himavatas, in adjacency of my sister Kausiki in all my affection for her. She that Satyavatī for her part is a pious one, steadfast in truthfulness and dharma, a bhartā devout, and such a highly fortunate one has emerged as a best nadī among nadī, namely nadī Kauśikī. "Owing to my vow, héy Rāma, I left her for a while and came to the accomplished Āśrama and owing to your magnificence I have become accomplished in that vow of mine. Héy mahābāho Rāma, this is all about my kula, my deśa, and about my birth, and thus everything is narrated as you have asked me.