Summary
Parashurama confronts the wedding party that is returning to Ayodhya from Mithila. On his very entry, the atmosphere becomes pell-mell [in mingled confusion or disorder] and a whirlwind ensues [follows]. Expecting some problem from this Parashurama, the sages like Vashishta and others starts to receive him in a peaceable manner. Not caring anyone around, Parashurama starts a dialogue with Dasharatha Rama.
Chapter [Sarga] 74 – in Detail
When that night is elapsing into the wee hours of next day, then the eminent-saint Vishvamitra on asking for the leave of absence from those kings, Dasharatha and Janaka, and from both Rama and Lakshmana, he set out to northern mountains, namely Himalayas. [1-74-1]
When Vishvamitra departed that ruler to the delight of people, namely Dasharatha, on asking leave of absence with king Janaka who outvies [surpasses] bodily affairs, promptly set forth for the city of Ayodhya. [1-74-2]
Then that king Janaka of Mithila, the one from Videha lineage [descendents], gave innumerable patrimonial [an estate inherited from one's father] riches. He has also given umpteen [indefinitely numerous] number of cows, millions of excellent shawls and silk dresses, and elephants, horses, chariots, foot soldiers, besides hundreds of highly decorated girls, divine in their mien [appearance], as unexcelled chambermaids and handmaidens to the brides. [1-74-3, 4, 5a]
King Janaka gave beau [beautiful] ideal bridal riches in gold, silver, pearls and corals even, for he is very highly gladdened as Seetha's marriage came true. [1-74-5b, 6a]
Having given many kinds of bridal gifts and having accompanied his daughters for a distance, then having received a bid adieu [farewell] from Dasharatha, that sovereign of Mithila, Janaka, re-entered his own palace in Mithila. [1-74-6, 7a]
Even the king Dasharatha, the sovereign of Ayodhya proceeded with his noble-souled sons, keeping all the sages in the fore, while his forces followed him. [1-74-7b, 8a]
But while going with the assemblages of sages and with young Raghava-s, namely Rama, Lakshmana, Bharata, Shatrughna, the sky-bound birds started to screech with startling voice from all around facing that tigerly-man Dasharatha. [1-74-8b, 9a]
Also thus, all of the earth bound animals are going his leftward, and on seeing this, albeit [although] he is a tigerly king he is perplexed [puzzled], and particularly asked Vashishta. [1-74-9b, 10a]
Unpropitious [unfavorable] is the starling voicing of birds, whereby my heart is throbbing down... and propitious is the leftward going of the animals, thereby my heart is throbbing up... why so? [1-74-10b, 11a]
On hearing all that is said by king Dasharatha, the instinctual sage Vashishta said this sentence in a soothing voice, I will tell apart the result of these auguries [divination from auspices or omens]... [1-74-11b, 12a]
The shrieks [to utter a sharp shrill sound] voiced by the birds are foretokening the forthcoming providential [marked by foresight] and perilous [full of full of exposure to the risk of being injured] trepidation [a tremulous motion], but the behavior of these animals is betokening [to give evidence of] it as mitigable [can be avoided]... hence, let this consternation [dismay that throws into confusion] be forsaken [abandon]... [1-74-12b, 13a]
While they are discussing among themselves, a whirlwind started to whirligig [merry-go-round or circle] there, as though to shake the earth and shatter all gigantic trees. [1-74-13b, 14a]
Murkiness [foggy or misty] enshrouded [to cover] the sun, thus everyone is unaware of quarters, a sandstorm enwrapped that army, by which it has become as though ensorcelled [to cast a spell over]. [1-74-14b, 15a]
Then Vashishta and the other sages, the king Dasharatha along with his sons remained there with animation [full of life], and everything and every other one available there has become inanimate [lifeless]. [1-74-15b, 16a]
In that catastrophic darkness, that sand-muffled military of king Dasharatha has seen the son of Sage Jamadagni, namely Bhaargava Rama (or Parashurama), the subjugator of kings of kings. He appeared calamitous [disastrous] in his look by wearing tufty [cluster] matted and unruly head-hair, an unassailable [cannot be defeated] one like Mt. Kailash, an unbearable one like the Epoch-End-Fire, irradiant [not bright] with his own radiance, hence unperceivable [not seen] for commoners, and such as he is, he clinched an axe on his right shoulder and clasped a bow in his left hand, that in simile [two unlike things] is like a congeries [collection] of electroluminescence [light resulting from a high-frequency discharge through a gas], and handling an arrow which is as if ready to electrocute [to kill by electric shock], and he vied [matched] in his overall look with the devastator of triple cities, namely God Shiva. [1-74-16b, 17, 18, 19]
On seeing him who is perilous [full of exposure to the risk of being injured] in his propensity and flaming like the Ritual-fire, Vashishta and the other prominent Brahman-s who are the practicer of meditation and fire-oblations have come together and started to susurrate [issue soft noise], up and down. [1-74-20, 21a]
Will he eradicate the race of Kshatriya-s even now as he was once envenomed [to make poisonous] by the murder of his father, or what... abated [to put an end to] is his anger and alleviated is his frenzy previously when he eliminated Kshatriya-s... but is he really intending to eliminate Kshatriya-s once again, or what? Thus, those Brahmans talked among themselves. [1-74-21b, 22]
After their susurrus [whispering] the sages have approached him, who in his very look is like a visitation [a special dispensation of divine favor or wrath], with oblational [the act of offering the eucharistic elements to God] water and addressed him with benign [of a gentle disposition] words of greeting like, oh, Rama, oh, Bhaargava Rama... [1-74-23]
On receiving the deference [honor] paid by the sage Vashishta, that inexorable [not to be persuaded, moved, or stopped] Rama of Jamadagni started to talk to Rama of Dasharatha. [1-74-24]
Thus, this is the 74th chapter in Bala Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India.
Sriman Moola Rama Vijayate
