Uttara Kanda, Sarga 64

एवमुक्त्वा च काकुत्स्थं प्रशस्य च पुनः पुनः । पुनरेवापरं वाक्यमुवाच रघुनन्दनः ।। 7.64.1 ।।

evamuktvā ca kākutsthaṃ praśasya ca punaḥ punaḥ | punarevāparaṃ vākyamuvāca raghunandanaḥ || 7.64.1 ||

Having spoken thus to Rama and praised him repeatedly, Rama, the delight of the Raghus, then spoke another statement.

इमान्यश्वसहस्राणि चत्वारि पुरुषर्षभ । रथानां द्वे सहस्रे च गजानां शतमुत्तमम् ।। 7.64.2 ।।

imānyaśvasahasrāṇi catvāri puruṣarṣabha | rathānāṃ dve sahasre ca gajānāṃ śatamuttamam || 7.64.2 ||

O best among men, take these four thousand horses, two thousand chariots, and a hundred excellent elephants.

अन्तरा पणवीथ्यश्च नानापण्योपशोभिताः । अनुगच्छन्तु काकुत्स्थं तथैव नटनर्तकाः ।। 7.64.3 ।।

antarā paṇavīthyaśca nānāpaṇyopaśobhitāḥ | anugacchantu kākutsthaṃ tathaiva naṭanartakāḥ || 7.64.3 ||

Let market streets adorned with various goods, and similarly actors and dancers, follow Kakutstha along the way.

हिरण्यस्य सुवर्णस्य नियुतं पुरुषर्षभ । आदाय गच्छ शत्रुघ्न पर्याप्तधनवाहनः ।। 7.64.4 ।।

hiraṇyasya suvarṇasya niyutaṃ puruṣarṣabha | ādāya gaccha śatrughna paryāptadhanavāhanaḥ || 7.64.4 ||

O Shatrughna, best among men, take a million units of gold and fine gold, and go, equipped with ample wealth and conveyances.

बलं च सुभृतं वीर हृष्टपुष्टमनुद्धतम् । सम्भाषासम्प्रदानेन रञ्जयस्व नगेत्तम ।। 7.64.5 ।।

balaṃ ca subhṛtaṃ vīra hṛṣṭapuṣṭamanuddhatam | sambhāṣāsampradānena rañjayasva nagettama || 7.64.5 ||

O hero, O best among men, please the well-maintained, cheerful, well-nourished, and disciplined army by engaging in good conversation and bestowing gifts.

न ह्यर्थास्तत्र तिष्ठन्ति न दारा न च बान्धवाः । सुप्रीतो भृत्यवर्गश्च यत्र तिष्ठसि राघव ।। 7.64.6 ।।

na hyarthāstatra tiṣṭhanti na dārā na ca bāndhavāḥ | suprīto bhṛtyavargaśca yatra tiṣṭhasi rāghava || 7.64.6 ||

O Raghava, neither wealth, wives, nor relatives truly endure, but a well-pleased retinue will remain with you wherever you are.

ततो हृष्टजनाकीर्णां प्रस्थाप्य महतीं चमूम् । एक एव धनुष्पाणिर्गच्छ त्वं मधुनो वनम् ।। 7.64.7 ।।

tato hṛṣṭajanākīrṇāṃ prasthāpya mahatīṃ camūm | eka eva dhanuṣpāṇirgaccha tvaṃ madhuno vanam || 7.64.7 ||

Then, having dispatched a great army filled with joyful people, you alone, holding a bow in hand, should go to the forest of Madhu.

यथा त्वां न प्रजानाति गच्छन्तं युद्धकाङ्क्षिणम् । लवणस्तु मधोः पुत्रस्तथा गच्छेरशङ्कितम् ।। 7.64.8 ।।

yathā tvāṃ na prajānāti gacchantaṃ yuddhakāṅkṣiṇam | lavaṇastu madhoḥ putrastathā gaccheraśaṅkitam || 7.64.8 ||

You should go without suspicion, so that Lavana, the son of Madhu, does not recognize you as one going and desiring battle.

न तस्य मूत्युरन्यो ऽस्ति कश्चिद्धि पुरुषर्षभ । दर्शनं यो ऽभिगच्छेत स वध्यो लवणेन हि ।। 7.64.9 ।।

na tasya mūtyuranyo 'sti kaściddhi puruṣarṣabha | darśanaṃ yo 'bhigaccheta sa vadhyo lavaṇena hi || 7.64.9 ||

O best among men, there is no other way to kill him, for anyone who approaches his sight is indeed slain by Lavana.

स हि ग्रीष्मो ऽपयाते तु वर्षारात्र उपागते । हन्यास्त्वं लवणं सौम्य सहि कालो ऽस्य दुर्मतेः ।। 7.64.10 ।।

sa hi grīṣmo 'payāte tu varṣārātra upāgate | hanyāstvaṃ lavaṇaṃ saumya sahi kālo 'sya durmateḥ || 7.64.10 ||

O gentle one, you should kill Lavana when summer has departed and the rainy season has arrived, for that is indeed the opportune time for that wicked one.

महर्षींस्तु पुरत्कृत्य प्रयान्तु तव सौनिकाः । यथा ग्रीष्मावशेषेण तरेयुर्जाह्नवीजलम् ।। 7.64.11 ।।

maharṣīṃstu puratkṛtya prayāntu tava saunikāḥ | yathā grīṣmāvaśeṣeṇa tareyurjāhnavījalam || 7.64.11 ||

Let your soldiers proceed, placing the great sages in front, so that they may cross the waters of the Ganga with the remaining part of summer.

तत्र स्थाप्य बलं सर्वं नदीतीरे समाहितः । अग्रतो धनुषा सार्धं गच्छ त्वं लघुविक्रमः ।। 7.64.12 ।।

tatra sthāpya balaṃ sarvaṃ nadītīre samāhitaḥ | agrato dhanuṣā sārdhaṃ gaccha tvaṃ laghuvikramaḥ || 7.64.12 ||

Having stationed your entire army on the river bank, you, swift in action, should proceed ahead with your bow.

एवमुक्तस्तु रामेण शत्रुघ्नस्तान्महाबलान् । सेनामुख्यान्समानीय ततो वाक्यमुवाच ह ।। 7.64.13 ।।

evamuktastu rāmeṇa śatrughnastānmahābalān | senāmukhyānsamānīya tato vākyamuvāca ha || 7.64.13 ||

Thus addressed by Rama, Shatrughna gathered those mighty army chiefs and then spoke these words.

एते वो गणिता वासा यत्र तत्र निवत्स्यथ । स्थातव्यं चाविरोधेन यथा बाधा न कस्यचित् ।। 7.64.14 ।।

ete vo gaṇitā vāsā yatra tatra nivatsyatha | sthātavyaṃ cāvirodhena yathā bādhā na kasyacit || 7.64.14 ||

These are your assigned camps where you shall dwell, and you must stay peacefully so that no one is troubled.

तथा तांस्तु समाज्ञाप्य प्रस्थाप्य च महद्बलम् । कौसल्यां च सुमित्रां च कैकेयीं चाभ्यवादयत् ।। 7.64.15 ।।

tathā tāṃstu samājñāpya prasthāpya ca mahadbalam | kausalyāṃ ca sumitrāṃ ca kaikeyīṃ cābhyavādayat || 7.64.15 ||

Having thus instructed them and sent forth the great army, he then saluted Kausalya, Sumitra, and Kaikeyi.

रामं प्रदक्षिणीकृत्य शिरसा ऽभिप्रणम्य च । रामेण चाभ्यनुज्ञातः शत्रुघ्नः शत्रुतापनः ।। 7.64.16 ।।

rāmaṃ pradakṣiṇīkṛtya śirasā 'bhipraṇamya ca | rāmeṇa cābhyanujñātaḥ śatrughnaḥ śatrutāpanaḥ || 7.64.16 ||

Having circumambulated Rama and bowed down with his head, Shatrughna, the tormentor of enemies, was then given leave by Rama.

लक्ष्मणं भरतं चैव प्रणिपत्य कृताञ्जलिः । पुरोहितं वसिष्ठं च शत्रुघ्नः प्रयतात्मवान् । प्रदक्षिणमथो कृत्वा निर्जगाम महाबलः ।। 7.64.17 ।।

lakṣmaṇaṃ bharataṃ caiva praṇipatya kṛtāñjaliḥ | purohitaṃ vasiṣṭhaṃ ca śatrughnaḥ prayatātmavān | pradakṣiṇamatho kṛtvā nirjagāma mahābalaḥ || 7.64.17 ||

The mighty and pure-minded Shatrughna, having bowed down with folded hands to Lakshmana, Bharata, and the priest Vasishtha, and having performed circumambulation, then departed.

प्रस्थाप्य सेनामथ सो ऽग्रतस्तदा गजेन्द्रवाजिप्रवरौघसङ्कुलाम् । उपास मासं तु नरेन्द्रपार्श्वतस्त्वथ प्रयातो रघुवंशवर्धनः ।। 7.64.18 ।।

prasthāpya senāmatha so 'gratastadā gajendravājipravaraughasaṅkulām | upāsa māsaṃ tu narendrapārśvatastvatha prayāto raghuvaṃśavardhanaḥ || 7.64.18 ||

Having first sent forth his army, which was crowded with excellent elephants and horses, Shatrughna, the增ifier of the Raghu dynasty, then stayed by the king's side for a month before departing. इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीये आदिकाव्ये श्रीमदुत्तरकाण्डे चतुष्षष्टितमः सर्गः ।। 64 ।। Thus ends the sixty-fourth sarga of Uttara Kanda of the holy Ramayana the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.