Uttara Kanda, Sarga 58

एवं ब्रुवति रामे तु लक्ष्मणः परवीरहा । प्रत्युवाच महात्मानं ज्वलन्तमिव तेजसा ।। 7.58.1 ।।

evaṃ bruvati rāme tu lakṣmaṇaḥ paravīrahā | pratyuvāca mahātmānaṃ jvalantamiva tejasā || 7.58.1 ||

While Rama was speaking thus, Lakshmana, the destroyer of enemy heroes, replied to the great-souled Rama, who was shining as if blazing with splendor.

महदद्भुतमाश्चर्यं विदेहस्य पुरातनम् । निर्वृत्तं राजशार्दूल वसिष्ठस्य निमेस्सह ।। 7.58.2 ।।

mahadadbhutamāścaryaṃ videhasya purātanam | nirvṛttaṃ rājaśārdūla vasiṣṭhasya nimessaha || 7.58.2 ||

O tiger among kings, a great and ancient astonishing event concerning Videha occurred involving Vasishtha and Nimi.

निमिस्तु क्षत्रियः शूरो विशेषेण च दीक्षितः । न क्षमां कृतवान्राजा वसिष्ठस्य महात्मनः ।। 7.58.3 ।।

nimistu kṣatriyaḥ śūro viśeṣeṇa ca dīkṣitaḥ | na kṣamāṃ kṛtavānrājā vasiṣṭhasya mahātmanaḥ || 7.58.3 ||

But King Nimi, a brave Kshatriya who was especially initiated into a sacrifice, did not show forgiveness towards the great-souled Vasishtha.

एवमुक्तस्तु तेनायं श्रीमान् क्षत्रियपुङ्गवः । उवाच लक्ष्मणं वाक्यं सर्वशास्त्रविशारदम् ।। 7.58.4 ।।

evamuktastu tenāyaṃ śrīmān kṣatriyapuṅgavaḥ | uvāca lakṣmaṇaṃ vākyaṃ sarvaśāstraviśāradam || 7.58.4 ||

Thus addressed by him (Lakshmana), the glorious Rama, the best among Kshatriyas, spoke words to Lakshmana, who was skilled in all scriptures.

रामो रमयतां श्रेष्ठो भ्रातरं दीप्ततेजसम् । न सर्वत्र क्षमा वीर पुरुषेषु प्रदृश्यते ।। 7.58.5 ।।

rāmo ramayatāṃ śreṣṭho bhrātaraṃ dīptatejasam | na sarvatra kṣamā vīra puruṣeṣu pradṛśyate || 7.58.5 ||

Rama, the best among those who delight, addresses his brother of blazing splendor, stating that forgiveness is not always observed among all men, O hero.

सौमित्रे दुःसहो रोषो यथा क्षान्तो ययातिना । सत्त्वानुगं पुरस्कृत्य तन्निबोध समाहितः ।। 7.58.6 ।।

saumitre duḥsaho roṣo yathā kṣānto yayātinā | sattvānugaṃ puraskṛtya tannibodha samāhitaḥ || 7.58.6 ||

O Lakshmana, understand with a concentrated mind how the unbearable anger was endured by Yayati, considering the path of virtue.

नहुषस्य सुतो राजा ययातिः पौरवर्धनः । तस्य भार्याद्वयं सौम्य रूपेणाप्रतिमं भुवि ।। 7.58.7 ।।

nahuṣasya suto rājā yayātiḥ pauravardhanaḥ | tasya bhāryādvayaṃ saumya rūpeṇāpratimaṃ bhuvi || 7.58.7 ||

O gentle one, King Yayati, the son of Nahusha and augmenter of the Paurava lineage, had two wives whose beauty was unequalled on earth.

एका तु तस्य राजर्षेर्नाहुषस्य पुरस्कृता । शर्मिष्ठा नाम दैतेयी दुहिता वृषपर्वणः ।। 7.58.8 ।।

ekā tu tasya rājarṣernāhuṣasya puraskṛtā | śarmiṣṭhā nāma daiteyī duhitā vṛṣaparvaṇaḥ || 7.58.8 ||

One of those wives, honored by the royal sage Yayati, son of Nahusha, was named Sharmishtha, the daughter of the Daitya king Vrishaparvan.

अन्या तूशनसः पत्नी ययातेः पुरुषर्षभ । न तु सा दयिता राज्ञो देवयानी सुमध्यमा ।। 7.58.9 ।।

anyā tūśanasaḥ patnī yayāteḥ puruṣarṣabha | na tu sā dayitā rājño devayānī sumadhyamā || 7.58.9 ||

O best among men, the other wife of Yayati was Devayani, the daughter of Ushanas, but that slender-waisted Devayani was not beloved by the king.

तयोः पुत्रौ तु सम्भूतौ रूपवन्तौ समाहितौ । शर्मिष्ठा ऽजनयत्पूरुं देवयानी यदुं तदा ।। 7.58.10 ।।

tayoḥ putrau tu sambhūtau rūpavantau samāhitau | śarmiṣṭhā 'janayatpūruṃ devayānī yaduṃ tadā || 7.58.10 ||

Then, two handsome and well-composed sons were born to them; Sharmishtha gave birth to Puru, and Devayani gave birth to Yadu.

पूरुस्तु दयितो राज्ञो गुणैर्मातृकृतेन च । ततो दुःखसमाविष्टो यदुर्मातरमब्रवीत् ।। 7.58.11 ।।

pūrustu dayito rājño guṇairmātṛkṛtena ca | tato duḥkhasamāviṣṭo yadurmātaramabravīt || 7.58.11 ||

Puru was beloved by the king due to his qualities and his mother's situation, so Yadu, filled with sorrow, then spoke to his mother.

भार्गवस्य कुले जाता देवस्याक्लिष्टकर्मणः । सहसे हृद्गतं दुःखमवमानं च दुःसहम् ।। 7.58.12 ।।

bhārgavasya kule jātā devasyākliṣṭakarmaṇaḥ | sahase hṛdgataṃ duḥkhamavamānaṃ ca duḥsaham || 7.58.12 ||

Yadu questioned his mother, Devayani, born in the lineage of the divine Bhrigu whose deeds are unblemished, asking why she endures such deep-seated sorrow and unbearable insult.

आवां च सहितौ देवि प्रविशाव हुताशनम् । राजा तु रमतां सार्धं दैत्यपुत्र्या बहुक्षपाः ।। 7.58.13 ।।

āvāṃ ca sahitau devi praviśāva hutāśanam | rājā tu ramatāṃ sārdhaṃ daityaputryā bahukṣapāḥ || 7.58.13 ||

Yadu proposed to his mother, "O goddess, let us both enter the fire together, while the king enjoys himself with the Daitya's daughter for many nights."

यदि वा सहनीयं ते मामनुज्ञातुमर्हसि । क्षम त्वं न क्षमिष्ये ऽहं मरिष्यामि न संशयः ।। 7.58.14 ।।

yadi vā sahanīyaṃ te māmanujñātumarhasi | kṣama tvaṃ na kṣamiṣye 'haṃ mariṣyāmi na saṃśayaḥ || 7.58.14 ||

Yadu continued, "If this is bearable for you, then you should permit me; you may endure it, but I will not, and I will surely die."

पुत्रस्य भाषितं श्रुत्वा परमार्तस्य रोदतः । देवयानी तु सङ्क्रुद्धा सस्मार पितरं तदा ।। 7.58.15 ।।

putrasya bhāṣitaṃ śrutvā paramārtasya rodataḥ | devayānī tu saṅkruddhā sasmāra pitaraṃ tadā || 7.58.15 ||

Having heard the words of her greatly distressed and weeping son, Devayani became exceedingly enraged and then remembered her father.

इङ्गितं तदभिज्ञाय दुहितुर्भार्गवस्तदा । आगतस्त्वरितं तत्र देवयानी तु यत्र सा ।। 7.58.16 ।।

iṅgitaṃ tadabhijñāya duhiturbhārgavastadā | āgatastvaritaṃ tatra devayānī tu yatra sā || 7.58.16 ||

Then, understanding that sign of his daughter, Bhargava quickly came to where Devayani was.

दृष्ट्वा चाप्रकृतिस्थां तामप्रहृष्टामचेतनाम् । पिता दुहितरं वाक्यं किमेतदिति चाब्रवीत् ।। 7.58.17 ।।

dṛṣṭvā cāprakṛtisthāṃ tāmaprahṛṣṭāmacetanām | pitā duhitaraṃ vākyaṃ kimetaditi cābravīt || 7.58.17 ||

And having seen her in a disturbed, unhappy, and distraught state, the father spoke to his daughter, asking, "What is this?"

पृच्छन्तमसकृत्तं वै भार्गवं दीप्ततेजसम् । देवयानी तु सङ्क्रुद्धा पितरं वाक्यमब्रवीत् ।। 7.58.18 ।।

pṛcchantamasakṛttaṃ vai bhārgavaṃ dīptatejasam | devayānī tu saṅkruddhā pitaraṃ vākyamabravīt || 7.58.18 ||

To that Bhargava of blazing splendor, who was repeatedly asking her, Devayani, greatly enraged, indeed spoke these words to her father.

अहमग्निं विषं तीक्ष्णमपो वा मुनिसत्तम । भक्षयिष्ये प्रवेक्ष्यामि न तु शक्ष्यामि जीवितुम् ।। 7.58.19 ।।

ahamagniṃ viṣaṃ tīkṣṇamapo vā munisattama | bhakṣayiṣye pravekṣyāmi na tu śakṣyāmi jīvitum || 7.58.19 ||

O best of sages, I will consume fire or potent poison, or I will enter water, but I will not be able to live.

न मां त्वमवजानीषे दुःखितामवमानिताम् । वृक्षस्यावज्ञया ब्रह्मंश्छिद्यन्ते वृक्षजीविनः ।। 7.58.20 ।।

na māṃ tvamavajānīṣe duḥkhitāmavamānitām | vṛkṣasyāvajñayā brahmaṃśchidyante vṛkṣajīvinaḥ || 7.58.20 ||

Indrani complains to Chyavana that Nahusha disregards her, who is distressed and humiliated, just as tree-dwellers are destroyed by disrespecting the tree.

अवज्ञया च राजर्षिः परिभूय च भार्गव । मय्यवज्ञां प्रयुङ्क्ते हि न च मां बहु मन्यते ।। 7.58.21 ।।

avajñayā ca rājarṣiḥ paribhūya ca bhārgava | mayyavajñāṃ prayuṅkte hi na ca māṃ bahu manyate || 7.58.21 ||

Indrani further complains to Chyavana, stating that the royal sage Nahusha, having insulted her, indeed shows disrespect towards her and does not regard her highly.

तस्यास्तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा कोपेनाभिपरिप्लुतः । व्याहर्तुमुपचक्राम भार्गवो नहुषात्मजम् ।। 7.58.22 ।।

tasyāstadvacanaṃ śrutvā kopenābhipariplutaḥ | vyāhartumupacakrāma bhārgavo nahuṣātmajam || 7.58.22 ||

Having heard her words, Chyavana, the son of Bhrigu, was overwhelmed with anger and began to speak to Nahusha.

यस्मान्मामवजानीषे नाहुष त्वं दुरात्मवान् । जरया परया जीर्णः शैथिल्यमुपयास्यसि ।। 7.58.23 ।।

yasmānmāmavajānīṣe nāhuṣa tvaṃ durātmavān | jarayā parayā jīrṇaḥ śaithilyamupayāsyasi || 7.58.23 ||

Chyavana cursed Nahusha, declaring that because the evil-minded Nahusha disregarded him, he would become extremely worn out by old age and attain great weakness.

एवमुक्त्वा दुहितरं समाश्वास्य च भार्गवः । पुनर्जगाम ब्रह्मर्षिर्भवनं स्वं महायशाः ।। 7.58.24 ।।

evamuktvā duhitaraṃ samāśvāsya ca bhārgavaḥ | punarjagāma brahmarṣirbhavanaṃ svaṃ mahāyaśāḥ || 7.58.24 ||

Having thus spoken and comforted his daughter, the highly renowned Brahmarshi Chyavana, the son of Bhrigu, returned to his own abode.

स एवमुक्त्वा द्विजपुङ्गवाग्र्यः सुतां समाश्वास्य च देवयानीम् । पुनर्ययौ सूर्यसमानतेजा दत्त्वा च शापं नहुषात्मजाय ।। 7.58.25 ।।

sa evamuktvā dvijapuṅgavāgryaḥ sutāṃ samāśvāsya ca devayānīm | punaryayau sūryasamānatejā dattvā ca śāpaṃ nahuṣātmajāya || 7.58.25 ||

Having thus spoken, the foremost Brahmin Shukra, after consoling his daughter Devayani and cursing Yayati, the son of Nahusha, departed again with a splendor like the sun. इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीये आदिकाव्ये श्रीमदुत्तरकाण्डे ऽष्टपञ्चाशः सर्गः ।। 58 ।। Thus ends the fifty-eighth sarga of Uttara Kanda of the holy Ramayana the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.