Uttara Kanda, Sarga 111

एतावदेतदाख्यानं सोत्तरं ब्रह्मपूजितम् । रामायणमिति ख्यातं मुख्यं वाल्मीकीना कृतम् ।। 7.111.1 ।।

etāvadetadākhyānaṃ sottaraṃ brahmapūjitam | rāmāyaṇamiti khyātaṃ mukhyaṃ vālmīkīnā kṛtam || 7.111.1 ||

This is the complete narrative, including the Uttara Kanda, revered by Brahma, known as the Ramayana, and composed as the foremost work by Valmiki.

ततः प्रतिष्ठितो विष्णुः स्वर्गलोके यथा पुरम् । येन व्याप्तमिदं सर्वं त्रैलोक्यं सचराचरम् ।। 7.111.2 ।।

tataḥ pratiṣṭhito viṣṇuḥ svargaloke yathā puram | yena vyāptamidaṃ sarvaṃ trailokyaṃ sacarācaram || 7.111.2 ||

Thereafter, Vishnu, by whom all these three worlds, with their moving and non-moving beings, are pervaded, resided in the heavenly realm as before.

ततो देवाः सगन्धर्वाः सिद्धाश्च परमर्षयः । नित्यं शृण्वन्ति सन्तुष्टाः दिव्यं रामायणं दिवि ।। 7.111.3 ।।

tato devāḥ sagandharvāḥ siddhāśca paramarṣayaḥ | nityaṃ śṛṇvanti santuṣṭāḥ divyaṃ rāmāyaṇaṃ divi || 7.111.3 ||

Then, the gods, along with the Gandharvas, Siddhas, and great sages, always listen to the divine Ramayana in heaven with great delight.

इदमाख्यानमायुष्यं सौभाग्यं पापनाशनम् । रामायणं वेदसमं श्राद्धेषु श्रावयेद्बुधः ।। 7.111.4 ।।

idamākhyānamāyuṣyaṃ saubhāgyaṃ pāpanāśanam | rāmāyaṇaṃ vedasamaṃ śrāddheṣu śrāvayedbudhaḥ || 7.111.4 ||

A wise person should recite this narrative, the Ramayana, which promotes longevity, brings good fortune, destroys sins, and is equal to the Vedas, especially during ancestral rites.

अपुत्रो लभते पुत्रमधनो लभते धनम् । सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्येत पदमप्यस्य यः पठेत् ।। 7.111.5 ।।

aputro labhate putramadhano labhate dhanam | sarvapāpaiḥ pramucyeta padamapyasya yaḥ paṭhet || 7.111.5 ||

One who reads even a single word of this (Ramayana) obtains a son if childless, wealth if poor, and is freed from all sins.

पापान्यपि च यः कुर्यादहन्यहनि मानवः । पठत्येकमपि श्लोकं पापात्स परिमुच्यते ।। 7.111.6 ।।

pāpānyapi ca yaḥ kuryādahanyahani mānavaḥ | paṭhatyekamapi ślokaṃ pāpātsa parimucyate || 7.111.6 ||

Even a human being who commits sins daily, if he recites even one verse (from the Ramayana), is completely freed from those sins.

वाचकाय च दातव्यं वस्त्रं धेनुं हिरण्यकम् । वाचके परितुष्टे तु तुष्टाः स्युः सर्वदेवताः ।। 7.111.7 ।।

vācakāya ca dātavyaṃ vastraṃ dhenuṃ hiraṇyakam | vācake parituṣṭe tu tuṣṭāḥ syuḥ sarvadevatāḥ || 7.111.7 ||

Clothes, a cow, and gold should be given to the reciter, for when the reciter is completely pleased, all deities become pleased.

एतदाख्यानमायुष्यं पठन्रामायणं नरः । सपुत्रपौत्रो लोके ऽस्मिन्प्रेत्य चेह महीयते ।। 7.111.8 ।।

etadākhyānamāyuṣyaṃ paṭhanrāmāyaṇaṃ naraḥ | saputrapautro loke 'sminpretya ceha mahīyate || 7.111.8 ||

A person who recites this life-giving narrative, the Ramayana, is honored in this world with sons and grandsons, and also after death.

अयोध्या ऽपि पुरी रम्या शून्या वर्षगणान्बहून् । ऋषभं प्राप्य राजानं निवासमुपयास्यति ।। 7.111.9 ।।

ayodhyā 'pi purī ramyā śūnyā varṣagaṇānbahūn | ṛṣabhaṃ prāpya rājānaṃ nivāsamupayāsyati || 7.111.9 ||

The beautiful city of Ayodhya, which has been deserted for many years, will once again become inhabited when King Rishabha takes the throne.

एतदाख्यानमायुष्यं सभविष्यं सहोत्तरम् । कृतवान्प्रचेतसः पुत्रस्तद्ब्रह्माप्यन्वमन्यत ।। 7.111.10 ।।

etadākhyānamāyuṣyaṃ sabhaviṣyaṃ sahottaram | kṛtavānpracetasaḥ putrastadbrahmāpyanvamanyata || 7.111.10 ||

The son of Prachetas (Valmiki) composed this life-giving narrative, including its future events and the Uttara Kanda, and even Brahma himself approved of it.

अश्वमेधसहस्रस्य वाजपेयायुतस्य च । लभते श्रावणादेव सर्गस्यैकस्य मानवः ।। 7.111.11 ।।

aśvamedhasahasrasya vājapeyāyutasya ca | labhate śrāvaṇādeva sargasyaikasya mānavaḥ || 7.111.11 ||

A person who merely listens to a single canto of this epic obtains the merit of performing a thousand Ashwamedha sacrifices and ten thousand Vajapeya sacrifices.

प्रयागादीनि तीर्थानि गङ्गाद्याः सरितस्तथा । नैमिशादीन्यरण्यानि कुरुक्षेत्रादिकान्यपि । गतानि तेन लोके ऽस्मिन्येन रामायणं श्रुतम् ।। 7.111.12 ।।

prayāgādīni tīrthāni gaṅgādyāḥ saritastathā | naimiśādīnyaraṇyāni kurukṣetrādikānyapi | gatāni tena loke 'sminyena rāmāyaṇaṃ śrutam || 7.111.12 ||

In this world, whoever has listened to the Ramayana is considered to have visited holy places like Prayaga, rivers like Ganga, forests like Naimisha, and regions like Kurukshetra.

हेमभारं कुरुक्षेत्रे ग्रस्ते भानौ प्रयच्छति । यश्च रामायणं लोके शृणोति सदृशावुभौ ।। 7.111.13 ।।

hemabhāraṃ kurukṣetre graste bhānau prayacchati | yaśca rāmāyaṇaṃ loke śṛṇoti sadṛśāvubhau || 7.111.13 ||

One who donates a load of gold in Kurukshetra during a solar eclipse and one who listens to the Ramayana in this world are both considered equal in merit.

सम्यक्छ्रद्धासमायुक्तः शृणुते राघवीं कथाम् । सर्वपापात्प्रमुच्येत विष्णुलोकं स गच्छति ।। 7.111.14 ।।

samyakchraddhāsamāyuktaḥ śṛṇute rāghavīṃ kathām | sarvapāpātpramucyeta viṣṇulokaṃ sa gacchati || 7.111.14 ||

One who listens to the story of Rama with complete faith is liberated from all sins and attains the abode of Vishnu.

आदिकाव्यमिदं त्वार्षं पुरा वाल्मीकिना कृतम् । यः शृणोति सदा भक्त्या स गच्छेद्वैष्णवीं तनुम् ।। 7.111.15 ।।

ādikāvyamidaṃ tvārṣaṃ purā vālmīkinā kṛtam | yaḥ śṛṇoti sadā bhaktyā sa gacchedvaiṣṇavīṃ tanum || 7.111.15 ||

This ancient epic, composed by Valmiki, is the first poem, and whoever always listens to it with devotion will attain a divine form akin to Vishnu.

पुत्रदाराश्च वर्धन्ते सम्पदः सन्ततिस्तथा । सत्यमेतद्विदित्वा तु श्रोतव्यं नियतात्मभिः ।। 7.111.16 ।।

putradārāśca vardhante sampadaḥ santatistathā | satyametadviditvā tu śrotavyaṃ niyatātmabhiḥ || 7.111.16 ||

Sons, wives, wealth, and progeny all increase, and knowing this truth, those with self-controlled minds should indeed listen to it.

गायत्र्याश्च स्वरूपं तद्रामायणमनुत्तमम् ।। 7.111.17 ।।

gāyatryāśca svarūpaṃ tadrāmāyaṇamanuttamam || 7.111.17 ||

That Ramayana is indeed the very essence of the Gayatri Mantra and is unsurpassed.

अपुत्रो लभते पुत्रमधनो लभते धनम् । सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्येत पदमप्यस्य यः पठेत् ।। 7.111.18 ।।

aputro labhate putramadhano labhate dhanam | sarvapāpaiḥ pramucyeta padamapyasya yaḥ paṭhet || 7.111.18 ||

One without a son obtains a son, one without wealth obtains wealth, and whoever reads even a single verse of this (Ramayana) is liberated from all sins.

यः पठेच्छृणुयान्नित्यं चरितं राघवस्य ह । भक्त्या निष्कल्मषो भूत्वा दीर्घमायुरवाप्नुयात् ।। 7.111.19 ।।

yaḥ paṭhecchṛṇuyānnityaṃ caritaṃ rāghavasya ha | bhaktyā niṣkalmaṣo bhūtvā dīrghamāyuravāpnuyāt || 7.111.19 ||

One who daily reads or listens to the story of Raghava with devotion, becoming free from sin, attains a long life.

चिन्तयेद्राघवं नित्यं श्रेयः प्राप्तुं य इच्छति । श्रावयेदिदमाख्यानं ब्राह्मणेभ्यो दिने दिने ।। 7.111.20 ।।

cintayedrāghavaṃ nityaṃ śreyaḥ prāptuṃ ya icchati | śrāvayedidamākhyānaṃ brāhmaṇebhyo dine dine || 7.111.20 ||

One who desires to attain ultimate welfare should daily meditate upon Raghava and should narrate this story to Brahmins day by day.

यस्त्विदं रघुनाथस्य चरितं सकलं पठेत् । सो ऽसुक्षये विष्णुलोकं गच्छत्येव न संशयः ।। 7.111.21 ।।

yastvidaṃ raghunāthasya caritaṃ sakalaṃ paṭhet | so 'sukṣaye viṣṇulokaṃ gacchatyeva na saṃśayaḥ || 7.111.21 ||

One who reads this entire story of Raghunatha certainly goes to the world of Vishnu at the end of life; there is no doubt about it.

पिता पितामहस्तस्य तथैव प्रपितामहः । तत्पिता तत्पिता चैव विष्णुं यान्ति न संशयः ।। 7.111.22 ।।

pitā pitāmahastasya tathaiva prapitāmahaḥ | tatpitā tatpitā caiva viṣṇuṃ yānti na saṃśayaḥ || 7.111.22 ||

His father, grandfather, and similarly his great-grandfather, great-great-grandfather, and great-great-great-grandfather all certainly go to Vishnu; there is no doubt about it.

चतुर्वर्गप्रदं नित्यं चरितं राघवस्य तु । तस्माद्यत्नवता नित्यं श्रोतव्यं परमं सदा ।। 7.111.23 ।।

caturvargapradaṃ nityaṃ caritaṃ rāghavasya tu | tasmādyatnavatā nityaṃ śrotavyaṃ paramaṃ sadā || 7.111.23 ||

The story of Raghava is always the bestower of the four aims of life; therefore, it should always be heard with supreme diligence.

शृण्वन्रामायणं भक्त्या यः पादं पदमेव वा । स याति ब्रह्मणः स्थानं ब्रह्मणा पूज्यते सदा ।। 7.111.24 ।।

śṛṇvanrāmāyaṇaṃ bhaktyā yaḥ pādaṃ padameva vā | sa yāti brahmaṇaḥ sthānaṃ brahmaṇā pūjyate sadā || 7.111.24 ||

Whoever listens to even a quarter of a verse or a single word of the Ramayana with devotion attains the abode of Brahma and is always worshipped by Brahma himself.

एवमेतत्पुरावृत्तमाख्यानं भद्रमस्तु वः । प्रव्याहरत विस्रब्धं बलं विष्णोः प्रवर्धताम् ।। 7.111.25 ।।

evametatpurāvṛttamākhyānaṃ bhadramastu vaḥ | pravyāharata visrabdhaṃ balaṃ viṣṇoḥ pravardhatām || 7.111.25 ||

Thus is this ancient narrative; may welfare be to you; proclaim it confidently, and may the strength of Vishnu increase. इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे श्रीमद्वाल्मीकीये आदिकाव्ये चतुर्विंशत्सहस्रिकायां संहितायां श्रीमदुत्तरकाण्डे एकादशोत्तरशततमः सर्गः ।। 111 ।। Thus ends the hundred and eleventh sarga of Uttara Kanda of the holy Ramayana the first epic composed by sage Valmiki. ।। इत्युत्तरकाण्डः समाप्तः ।। Thus the Uttara Kanda is concluded. ।। इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्वाल्मीकीये आदिकाव्ये श्रीमद्रामायणं सम्पूर्णम् ।। Thus the glorious Ramayana, the first epic composed by sage Valmiki, is complete. ।। श्रीसीतारामचन्द्रार्पणमस्तु ।। May this work be an offering unto the glorious Sita and Ramachandra.