Kusanabha's Daughters Defy Vayus Desire
Balakanda - Sarga 32
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Balakanda - Sarga 32
Discover the epic tale of Kusa's sons and Kusanabha's daughters as they face the wrath of the Wind God in this ancient Sanskrit classic from the Ramayana.
There was a great ascetic named Kusa, born to Brahma (the creator god). Kusa was:
Tireless in his vows
Knowledgeable in dharma (righteousness)
Respectful of virtuous people
Kusa married a princess from Vidarbha who came from a noble family and was well-suited to him. Together, they had four virtuous sons who resembled their father:
Kusamba
Kusanabha
Adhurtarajas
Vasu
Kusa addressed his four brilliant sons, who were:
Enthusiastic
Pious
Truthful
Committed to the duties of the warrior class
He said, "My sons, govern with righteousness, and you will gain great merit."
Heeding their father's words, the four sons, revered in the world, built four cities as their capitals:
Kusamba constructed Kaushambi
Kusanabha built Mahodaya
Adhurtarajas created Dharmaranya
Vasu established Girivraja
Rama, the land where we are now, called Vasumati, belonged to the great Vasu. It is surrounded by five magnificent mountains. The delightful and renowned river Sumagadhi (also known as Sona) flows through the country of Magadha, appearing like a garland amidst the five great mountains.
The virtuous Kusanabha, now a rajarshi (a king who lives like a sage), had a hundred extremely beautiful daughters with a nymph named Ghritachi. These young maidens:
Were adorned with fine ornaments
Went to a pleasure garden
Sang, danced, and played instruments
Moved about in great delight
They appeared like:
Lightning in the rainy season
Stars amidst clouds
The all-pervading Wind God (Vayu), upon seeing the maidens endowed with all virtues, youth, and beauty, addressed them:
"I desire all of you to be my wives. If you agree:
You will abandon your mortal nature
You will attain a long life
You will gain permanent youth
You will become immortal like the gods (devas)"
The Wind God explained, "Youth is always fleeting, especially in humans. But with me, you will be ever youthful."
Hearing these words from the Wind God, known for his untiring nature, the hundred maidens laughed and replied:
"O best among the gods, we know your power. You move within all living beings. Why do you insult us? We, the daughters of Kusanabha, are capable of bringing you down from your position. However, we choose to protect our ascetic merit as virgins."
They continued, "O foolish one, do not dishonor our truthful father. We will serve the bridegrooms our father chooses for us, following our duty (dharma). Our father is:
Our lord
Our supreme god
The one who will decide our husbands"
They concluded, "Whomever our father gives us to, he will become our husband."
Enraged by the maidens' words, the powerful and venerable Wind God:
Entered their bodies
Twisted and distorted their limbs
The maidens, their bodies now disfigured:
Entered the king's palace
Fell to the ground
Were agitated and overtaken by shame
Had tears flowing from their eyes
King Kusanabha, seeing his beloved daughters distressed and deformed, spoke with bewilderment:
"My daughters, what has happened?
Who has disregarded virtue (dharma)?
Who has made you hunchbacked?
Why are you silent as you stand around me?"
The king, sighing deeply, then entered a state of samadhi (deep meditation) to understand the situation.
Thus ends the thirty second sarga (chapter) of Balakanda (The Book of Youth) of the holy Ramayana, the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.