Passage 1
अपरेद्युश्च माङ्गल्या यापयित्वा स्तनोद्भवम्। निधाय दन्तखट्वायां राममस्वापयच्छिशुम्॥१॥
The following day Māṅgalyā finished nursing the infant, placed Rāma upon an ivory cot, and put him to sleep.
Passage 2
तत्र कश्चिन्महाघोरो विकटाख्यो महासुरः। इयाय खट्वामाविश्य स्थितो रामजयाशया॥२॥
A supremely dreadful asura named Vikaṭa came there, entered the cot, and remained within it hoping to conquer Rāma.
Passage 3
तं प्रभुः सहसा ज्ञात्वा कामरूपं महासुरम्। चूर्णयामास स्वाङ्गस्य भारेण भगवान् प्रभुः॥३॥
The Lord at once recognized that shape-shifting great asura. The blessed Lord crushed him beneath the weight of his own body.
Passage 4
सञ्चूर्णिते रामशरीरभारै- र्व्यभज्यतासौ खलु खट्वाङ्गसङ्घैः। स आरवो व्याप्य दिशो नभश्च प्रभूतवांस्तत्र यथा ययुर्जनाः॥४॥
Crushed beneath the weight of Rāma’s body, the wicked being broke apart along with the cot’s assembled pieces. The resulting crash filled the directions and sky and grew so immense that people rushed there.
Passage 5
खट्वाङ्गसङ्घं प्रविलोक्य चूर्णितं जनाः परं विस्मयमाययुर्हृदि। तत्राभवन् साक्षिणः केऽपि बाला अनेन खट्वेयमहो विचूर्णिता॥५॥
Seeing the cot’s frame shattered, the people felt profound amazement in their hearts. Some children who had witnessed it said, “Ah, he himself smashed this cot!”
Passage 6
तद्बालभाषितं मत्वा नैव श्रद्दधिरे जनाः। इत्येवं विकटो नाम चूर्णितः स महासुरः। रामेण बालरूपेण रिङ्गता गोकुलाङ्गणे॥६॥
Thinking this merely children’s talk, the people did not believe it. Thus the great asura Vikaṭa was crushed by Rāma, who had assumed a child’s form and crawled in Gokula’s courtyard.
Passage 7
अथान्येद्युरुपायातो वात्यारूपो महासुरः। भूतलं स्वस्तलं चैव कुर्वन् तिमिरसङ्कुलम्॥७॥
Then on another day a great asura came in the form of a whirlwind, filling the earth and the celestial region with darkness.
Passage 8
प्रचण्डवेगारवचूर्णितान्त- स्तृणोच्चयं भूरि समुत्क्षिपन्नितः। अतीव वात्यामयकामविग्रहः कठोररावः प्रसभं समाययौ॥८॥
Its violent speed and roar shattered everything within reach, and it hurled great heaps of grass aloft. With a body made entirely of raging wind and a harsh roar, it swept in by force.
Passage 9
सुदुःसहापूरितशर्कराभरो विलोपिताशेषजनेक्षणक्रियः। दुरन्तपांशुप्रकरप्रवर्षणो गवेन्द्रधामाकुलमातनोत्तराम्॥९॥
It bore an unbearable mass of flying gravel, robbed every person of the power to see, and rained down unending clouds of dust, spreading extreme confusion throughout the chief cowherd’s dwelling.
Passage 10
तस्मिन् क्षणे तु माङ्गल्या कौशल्या चाङ्कसंस्थितम्। रामं कृतमहाभारं न्यवेशयदिलातलम्॥१०॥
At that moment Māṅgalyā and Kauśalyā set Rāma, who had become immensely heavy while resting in their lap, upon the ground.
Passage 11
तं दानवो बहुतरवेगवत्तया रामं समादाय नभः समास्थितः। तावत् प्रसूर्बालमपश्यती स्थले चकार हा क्रन्दमलब्धजीविता॥११॥
With tremendous speed the dānava seized Rāma and rose into the sky. When the mother could no longer see her child upon the ground, she cried “Alas!” as though life had left her.
Passage 12
रामोऽपि नभसा यान्तं वात्यासुरमकारणम्। आत्मापहारिणं मत्वा दृढं दध्रे कृकाटिकाम्॥१२॥
Rāma understood that the causeless whirlwind-asura carrying him through the sky was his abductor, and gripped its neck firmly.
Passage 13
स रामहस्ताग्रनिबद्धघाटा निर्मुक्तजीवो भृशपीडयाहतः। तत्याज देहं विकटं महीतले महाशिलापातविशेषचूर्णितम्॥१३॥
Caught in the crushing grip of Rāma’s hands and struck by intense pressure, the asura’s life departed. It cast its misshapen body upon the earth, smashed as though by the fall of a massive rock.
Passage 14
तस्मिन् रिपोरुरसि पपात राघवः सञ्चूर्णयन्निजवपुषो भरेण तम्। आगत्य व्रजसुदृशो ग्रहीषुरेनं भाग्येन द्युतलगतं व्युपागतं च॥१४॥
Rāghava landed upon his enemy’s chest and crushed him with the weight of his own body. The beautiful women of Vraja came wishing to take up the child who, by good fortune, had returned from the sky.
Passage 15
कौशल्यया भूरि सकम्पया मुहुः स्वाङ्के समारोप्य भृशं स लालितः। माङ्गल्ययागत्य चिरं गृहीतः शिरस्युपाघ्राय मुखेन चुम्बितः॥१५॥
The deeply trembling Kauśalyā repeatedly placed him upon her lap and caressed him. Māṅgalyā arrived, held him for a long time, smelled his head, and kissed his face.
Passage 16
एवं बहव उत्पाता आसन् गोपीन्द्रगोकुले। रावणस्याज्ञया नित्यं चरद्भिर्घोरराक्षसैः॥१६॥
In this way many calamities occurred in the chief cowherd’s Gokula through the dreadful rākṣasas who constantly roamed at Rāvaṇa’s command.
Passage 17
ततस्ते मन्त्रणां चक्रुर्गोपालाः सुखितादयः। राज्ञो दशरथस्याग्रे निबद्धाञ्जलयोऽखिलाः॥१७॥
Then all the cowherds, Sukhita and the others, stood before King Daśaratha with joined palms and held counsel. The cowherds said
Passage 18
राजन्नत्र महोत्पाता दृश्यन्ते प्रतिवासरम्। भाग्येन जीविता बालाः प्राणादप्यधिका अमी॥१८॥
King, immense calamities appear here every day. Only by good fortune have these children, dearer to us than life, survived.
Passage 19
सा राक्षसी मानुषघोरदर्शना समागता बालकानां जिघांसया। दिष्ट्या मृता सा रविवंशजानां पुण्यप्रभावेन महीयसा एव॥१९॥
That rākṣasī, dreadful for humans to behold, came intending to kill the children. Fortunately she died through the immense power of merit belonging to the descendants of the solar line.
Passage 20
ततः परं सातिकठोरखट्वा स्वयं व्यशीर्यत् पापरूपा परेषाम्। तस्यांशया नो नृप रामचन्द्रो भाग्येन लब्धो व्रजवासिनां नः॥२०॥
Next, that extremely hard cot—the embodiment of evil for others—broke apart of itself. Yet, king, by the fortune of us residents of Vraja, Rāmacandra was recovered for us from its midst.
Passage 21
ततः स वात्यासुर उज्जहार रामं धरण्यां निहितं जनन्या। स एव यातो यमसादनं खलो बालस्तावत् क्लेशभराद्विमुक्तः॥२१॥
Then the whirlwind-asura carried away Rāma after his mother had placed him on the ground. That wicked being himself went to Yama’s abode, while the child was freed from the mass of affliction.
Passage 22
एकदास्य पदस्पृष्टौ शाखिनौ गगनस्पृशौ। स्वयं निपतितौ भूम्यां किञ्चिद्दूरेऽयमत्यगात्॥२२॥
On another occasion two sky-touching trees brushed by his feet fell to the ground of themselves, while the child escaped a short distance away.
Passage 23
इत्येवमस्मद्भाग्येन त्वत्पूर्वसुकृतेन च। चिरं जीवति रामोऽसौ परं चिन्ताकुला वयम्॥२३॥
Thus, through our good fortune and the merit you accumulated formerly, Rāma continues to live. Nevertheless, we are overwhelmed with anxiety.
Passage 24
जानीमहेऽमी रमणा निजांश- विनिर्मितकोटिब्रह्माण्डनाथाः। तथापि भूपाल सुरक्षणीयाः सर्वस्वभूता भवतो नो विशेषात्॥२४॥
We know that these delightful princes are lords of millions of universes formed from their own portions. Even so, king, they must be guarded with the greatest care, for they are everything to you and especially to us.
Passage 25
पश्यन्त्य एतान् वनिता व्रजौकसां जीवन्ति मीनाः सलिलान्तरे यथा। गायन्त्य एतान् मधुरस्वनेन दिवानिशं बिभ्रति मानसे मुदम्॥२५॥
The women of Vraja live by beholding them, just as fish live within water. Singing of them in sweet voices day and night, the women bear joy in their hearts. The king said
Passage 26
जानीमहे महोत्पातान् तदत्रैव विधीयताम्। सरय्वाः पुरतः पारे विशालं कामिकावनम्॥२६॥
I know of these immense calamities. Let provision therefore be made at once: across the Sarayū and farther on lies the vast Kāmikā forest.
Passage 27
तत्र निश्चीयतां गोपा भवद्भिर्वसतिर्निजा। नीयतां गोधनान्यग्रे पश्चान्निर्गम्यतां जवात्॥२७॥
Cowherds, establish your own settlement there. Drive the cattle ahead, then depart swiftly behind them.
Passage 28
स्वान् स्वान् दारान् समादाय शकटैरनुडुद्युतैः। एवं बुद्ध्वा मतं राज्ञो गोपा गोप्यः सगोधनाः॥२८॥
Each took his own family upon the following carts. Having understood the king’s decision, the cowherd men and women set out with their cattle.
Passage 29
गोकुलेन्द्रं पुरस्कृत्य प्रययुः कामिकावनम्। यत्र सन्दीपनं नाम वनानामुत्तमं वनम्॥२९॥
Placing Gokula’s chief at their head, they went to Kāmikāvana, where stood Sandīpana, the finest of forests.
Passage 30
सौगन्धिको नाम गिरिर्महारत्नविभूषितः। यत्रासने महारम्याः कतिशो रत्नवापिकाः॥३०॥
There was a mountain named Saugandhika adorned with great jewels, and in that region were several exceedingly lovely jewel-lined stepwells.
Passage 31
सरयूजलकल्लोलतलस्रोतविभाविताः। कदम्बकाननं यत्र सर्वर्तुकुसुमान्वितम्॥३१॥
They were beautified by streams beneath the rolling waters of the Sarayū. There stood a kadamba grove filled with flowers of every season,
Passage 32
यत्र वृक्षाः सदानम्राः पक्वामृतफलान्विताः। तत्रावासं चकारोच्चै राजापि स्वयमादरात्॥ धात्रीगृहे कुमाराणां वर्द्धतां सुखकाम्यया॥३२॥
where the trees always bent low, laden with ripe, nectar-like fruits. The king himself respectfully established a splendid residence there in the nurse’s home, desiring happiness for the growing princes. --- Thus ends the eighteenth chapter, “The Description of Rāma’s Childhood Deeds,” in the dialogue of Brahmā and Bhuśuṇḍa in the Śrīmad Ādi Rāmāyaṇa. Textual notes At verse 5 the edition marks uncertainty in the final consonant cluster of खट्वाङ्गसङ्घं; the metrically and grammatically coherent reading is retained. Verses 6 and 32 are printed as three-line stanzas and remain so here. The compound तस्यांशया in verse 20 and अनुडुद्युतैः in verse 28 are lexically difficult in the photographed text; their translations follow the narrative syntax without silently altering either reading.