Uttara Kanda, Sarga 54

रामस्य भाषितं श्रुत्वा लक्ष्मणः परमार्थवित् । उवाच प्राञ्जलिर्वाक्यं राघवं दीप्ततेजसम् ।। 7.54.1 ।।

rāmasya bhāṣitaṃ śrutvā lakṣmaṇaḥ paramārthavit | uvāca prāñjalirvākyaṃ rāghavaṃ dīptatejasam || 7.54.1 ||

Having heard Rama's speech, Lakshmana, who knew the highest truth, spoke words with folded hands to Rama, who was radiant with splendor.

अल्पापराधे काकुत्स्थ द्विजाभ्यां शाप ईदृशः । महान्नृगस्य राजर्षेर्यमदण्ड इवापरः ।। 7.54.2 ।।

alpāparādhe kākutstha dvijābhyāṃ śāpa īdṛśaḥ | mahānnṛgasya rājarṣeryamadaṇḍa ivāparaḥ || 7.54.2 ||

O Kakutstha, for a minor offense, such a severe curse was given by the two Brahmins, like another punishment from Yama for the royal sage Nṛga.

श्रुत्वा तु पापसंयुक्तमात्मानं पुरषर्षभ । किमुवाच नृगो राजा द्विजौ क्रोधसमन्वितौ ।। 7.54.3 ।।

śrutvā tu pāpasaṃyuktamātmānaṃ puraṣarṣabha | kimuvāca nṛgo rājā dvijau krodhasamanvitau || 7.54.3 ||

O best of men, what did King Nṛga say to the two enraged Brahmins after hearing himself accused of sin?

लक्ष्मणेनैवमुक्तस्तु राघवः पुनरब्रवीत् । शृणु सौम्य यथा पूर्वं स राजा शापविक्षतः ।। 7.54.4 ।।

lakṣmaṇenaivamuktastu rāghavaḥ punarabravīt | śṛṇu saumya yathā pūrvaṃ sa rājā śāpavikṣataḥ || 7.54.4 ||

When Lakshmana thus spoke, Rama again said, "O gentle one, listen to how that king was previously afflicted by the curse."

अथाध्वनि गतौ विप्रौ विज्ञाय स नृगस्तदा । आहूय मन्त्रिणः सर्वान्नैगमान्सपुरोधसः ।। 7.54.5 ।।

athādhvani gatau viprau vijñāya sa nṛgastadā | āhūya mantriṇaḥ sarvānnaigamānsapurodhasaḥ || 7.54.5 ||

Then, having understood that the two Brahmins had departed, King Nṛga summoned all his ministers, citizens, and priests.

तानुवाच नृगो राजा सर्वाश्च प्रकृतीस्तथा । दुःखेन सुसमाविष्टः श्रूयतां मे समाहितैः ।। 7.54.6 ।।

tānuvāca nṛgo rājā sarvāśca prakṛtīstathā | duḥkhena susamāviṣṭaḥ śrūyatāṃ me samāhitaiḥ || 7.54.6 ||

Deeply afflicted by sorrow, King Nṛga spoke to all of them, including his subjects, saying, "Let my words be heard by all of you with attention."

नारदः पर्वतश्चैव मम दत्त्वा महद्भयम् । गतौ त्रिभुवनं भद्रौ वायुभूतावनिन्दितौ ।। 7.54.7 ।।

nāradaḥ parvataścaiva mama dattvā mahadbhayam | gatau tribhuvanaṃ bhadrau vāyubhūtāvaninditau || 7.54.7 ||

The noble and blameless Narada and Parvata, having instilled great fear in me, have indeed departed to the three worlds, swift as the wind.

कुमारो ऽयं वसुर्नाम स देवो ऽद्याभिषिच्यताम् । श्वभ्रं च यत्सुखस्पर्शं क्रियतां शिल्पिभिर्मम । यत्राहं सङ्क्षयिष्यामि शापं ब्राह्मणनिःसृतम् ।। 7.54.8 ।।

kumāro 'yaṃ vasurnāma sa devo 'dyābhiṣicyatām | śvabhraṃ ca yatsukhasparśaṃ kriyatāṃ śilpibhirmama | yatrāhaṃ saṅkṣayiṣyāmi śāpaṃ brāhmaṇaniḥsṛtam || 7.54.8 ||

Let this boy named Vasu be consecrated as a god today, and let artisans construct for me a pleasant cave where I can exhaust the curse issued by a Brahmin.

वर्षघ्नमेकं श्वभ्रं तु हिमघ्नमपरं तथा । ग्रीष्मघ्नं तु सुखस्पर्शमेकं कुर्वन्तु शिल्पिनः ।। 7.54.9 ।।

varṣaghnamekaṃ śvabhraṃ tu himaghnamaparaṃ tathā | grīṣmaghnaṃ tu sukhasparśamekaṃ kurvantu śilpinaḥ || 7.54.9 ||

The artisans should construct one cave that is rain-proof, another that is cold-proof, and a third, pleasant to touch, that is summer-proof.

फलवन्तश्च ये वृक्षाः पुष्पवत्यश्च या लताः । विरोप्यन्तां बहुविधाश्छायावन्तश्च गुल्मिनः ।। 7.54.10 ।।

phalavantaśca ye vṛkṣāḥ puṣpavatyaśca yā latāḥ | viropyantāṃ bahuvidhāśchāyāvantaśca gulminaḥ || 7.54.10 ||

Let fruit-bearing trees, flowering creepers, and various kinds of shade-giving shrubs be planted.

क्रियतां रमणीयं च श्वभ्राणां सर्वतोदिशम् । सुखमत्र वसिष्यामि यावत्कालस्य पर्ययः ।। 7.54.11 ।।

kriyatāṃ ramaṇīyaṃ ca śvabhrāṇāṃ sarvatodiśam | sukhamatra vasiṣyāmi yāvatkālasya paryayaḥ || 7.54.11 ||

Let the surroundings of the caves be made beautiful in all directions, for I will dwell there comfortably until the end of my destined time.

पुष्पाणि च सुगन्धीनि क्रियतां तेषु नित्यशः । परिवार्य यथा मे स्युरध्यर्धं योजनं तथा ।। 7.54.12 ।।

puṣpāṇi ca sugandhīni kriyatāṃ teṣu nityaśaḥ | parivārya yathā me syuradhyardhaṃ yojanaṃ tathā || 7.54.12 ||

Let fragrant flowers always be placed in them, surrounding the area for me to a distance of one and a half Yojanas.

एवं कृत्वा विधानं स सन्दिदेश वसं तदा । धर्मनित्यः प्रजाः पुत्र क्षत्रधर्मेण पालय ।। 7.54.13 ।।

evaṃ kṛtvā vidhānaṃ sa sandideśa vasaṃ tadā | dharmanityaḥ prajāḥ putra kṣatradharmeṇa pālaya || 7.54.13 ||

Having made this arrangement, the king then instructed his son, "O son, ever devoted to righteousness, protect your subjects according to the duty of a Kshatriya."

प्रत्यक्षं ते यथा शापो द्विजाभ्यां मयि पातितः । नरश्रेष्ठ सरोषाभ्यामपराधे ऽपि तादृशे ।। 7.54.14 ।।

pratyakṣaṃ te yathā śāpo dvijābhyāṃ mayi pātitaḥ | naraśreṣṭha saroṣābhyāmaparādhe 'pi tādṛśe || 7.54.14 ||

O best among men, you yourself witnessed how a curse was inflicted upon me by the two angry Brahmins, even for such an offense.

मा कृथास्तनुसन्तापं मत्कृते ऽपि नरर्षभ । कृतान्तः कुशलः पुत्र येनास्मि व्यसनीकृतः ।। 7.54.15 ।।

mā kṛthāstanusantāpaṃ matkṛte 'pi nararṣabha | kṛtāntaḥ kuśalaḥ putra yenāsmi vyasanīkṛtaḥ || 7.54.15 ||

O best of men, do not grieve for my sake, O son, for destiny is powerful, and it is by its force that I have been afflicted with this misery.

प्राप्तव्यान्येव प्राप्नोति गन्तव्यान्येव गच्छति । लब्धव्यान्येव लभते दुःखानि च सुखानि च ।। 7.54.16 ।।

prāptavyānyeva prāpnoti gantavyānyeva gacchati | labdhavyānyeva labhate duḥkhāni ca sukhāni ca || 7.54.16 ||

One obtains only what is destined to be obtained, goes only where one is destined to go, and receives only the sorrows and joys that are destined to be received.

पूर्वे जात्यन्तरे वत्स मा विषादं कुरुष्व ह ।। 7.54.17 ।।

pūrve jātyantare vatsa mā viṣādaṃ kuruṣva ha || 7.54.17 ||

O son, do not grieve over what happened in a former birth.

एवमुक्त्वा नृपस्तत्र सुतं राजा महायशाः । श्वभ्रं जगाम सुकृतं वासाय पुरुषर्षभ ।। 7.54.18 ।।

evamuktvā nṛpastatra sutaṃ rājā mahāyaśāḥ | śvabhraṃ jagāma sukṛtaṃ vāsāya puruṣarṣabha || 7.54.18 ||

O best among men, having thus spoken to his son, the highly renowned king went into the well, which was well-constructed for his dwelling.

एवं प्रविश्यैव नृपस्तदानीं श्वभ्रं महारत्नविभूषितं तत् । सम्पादयामास तदा महात्मा शापं द्विजाभ्यां हि रुषा विमुक्तम् ।। 7.54.19 ।।

evaṃ praviśyaiva nṛpastadānīṃ śvabhraṃ mahāratnavibhūṣitaṃ tat | sampādayāmāsa tadā mahātmā śāpaṃ dvijābhyāṃ hi ruṣā vimuktam || 7.54.19 ||

Having thus just entered that well adorned with great jewels, the great-souled king then fulfilled the curse that had indeed been uttered with anger by the two Brahmins. इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीये आदिकाव्ये श्रीमदुत्तरकाण्डे चतुःपञ्चाशः सर्गः ।। 54 ।। Thus ends the fifty-fourth sarga of Uttara Kanda of the holy Ramayana the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.