Uttara Kanda, Sarga 66

यामेव रात्रिं शत्रुघ्नः पर्णशालामुपाविशत् । तामेव रात्रिं सीतापि प्रसूता दारकद्वयम् ।। 7.66.1 ।।

yāmeva rātriṃ śatrughnaḥ parṇaśālāmupāviśat | tāmeva rātriṃ sītāpi prasūtā dārakadvayam || 7.66.1 ||

The very same night that Shatrughna stayed in the hermitage, Sita also gave birth to two sons.

ततो ऽर्धरात्रसमये बालका मुनिदारकाः । वाल्मीकेः प्रियमाचख्युः सीतायाः प्रसवं शुभम् ।। 7.66.2 ।।

tato 'rdharātrasamaye bālakā munidārakāḥ | vālmīkeḥ priyamācakhyuḥ sītāyāḥ prasavaṃ śubham || 7.66.2 ||

Then, at midnight, the hermitage boys announced the auspicious birth of Sita's children to Valmiki.

भगवन्रामपत्नी सा प्रसूता दारकद्वयम् । ततो रक्षां महातेजः कुरु भूतविनाशिनीम् ।। 7.66.3 ।।

bhagavanrāmapatnī sā prasūtā dārakadvayam | tato rakṣāṃ mahātejaḥ kuru bhūtavināśinīm || 7.66.3 ||

They informed him, "O revered and greatly effulgent one, Rama's wife has given birth to two sons, so please perform the protective rituals that destroy evil spirits."

तेषां तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा महर्षिः समुपागमत् । बालचन्द्रप्रतीकाशौ देवपुत्रौ महौजसौ ।। 7.66.4 ।।

teṣāṃ tadvacanaṃ śrutvā maharṣiḥ samupāgamat | bālacandrapratīkāśau devaputrau mahaujasau || 7.66.4 ||

Having heard their words, the great sage approached, seeing the two greatly powerful divine sons who resembled the young moon.

जगाम तत्र हृष्टात्मा ददर्श च कुमारकौ । भूतघ्नीं चाकरोत्ताभ्यां रक्षां रक्षोविनाशिनीम् ।। 7.66.5 ।।

jagāma tatra hṛṣṭātmā dadarśa ca kumārakau | bhūtaghnīṃ cākarottābhyāṃ rakṣāṃ rakṣovināśinīm || 7.66.5 ||

With a joyful mind, he went there, saw the two boys, and performed for them a protection ritual that destroys demons and malevolent spirits.

कुशमुष्टिमुपादाय लवं चैव तु स द्विजः । वाल्मीकिः प्रददौ ताभ्यां रक्षां भूतविनाशिनीम् ।। 7.66.6 ।।

kuśamuṣṭimupādāya lavaṃ caiva tu sa dvijaḥ | vālmīkiḥ pradadau tābhyāṃ rakṣāṃ bhūtavināśinīm || 7.66.6 ||

Having taken a handful of Kuśa grass and a piece (of it), that brahmin Valmiki indeed gave to the two boys a protection that destroys demons.

यस्तयोः पूर्वजो जातः स कुशैर्मन्त्रसत्कृतैः । निर्मार्जनीयस्तु तदा कुश इत्यस्य नाम तत् ।। 7.66.7 ।।

yastayoḥ pūrvajo jātaḥ sa kuśairmantrasatkṛtaiḥ | nirmārjanīyastu tadā kuśa ityasya nāma tat || 7.66.7 ||

The one who was born first of the two, he was to be purified with Kuśa grass consecrated by mantras, and thus his name became Kuśa.

यश्चावरो भवेत्ताभ्यां लवेन स समाहितः । निर्मार्जनीयो वृद्धाभिर्लव इत्येव नामतः ।। 7.66.8 ।।

yaścāvaro bhavettābhyāṃ lavena sa samāhitaḥ | nirmārjanīyo vṛddhābhirlava ityeva nāmataḥ || 7.66.8 ||

And the one who was younger of the two, he was carefully purified with a piece (of Kuśa grass) by the old women, and thus he was named Lava.

एवं कुशलवौ नाम्ना तावुभौ यमजातकौ । मत्कृताभ्यां च नामभ्यां ख्यातियुक्तौ भविष्यतः ।। 7.66.9 ।।

evaṃ kuśalavau nāmnā tāvubhau yamajātakau | matkṛtābhyāṃ ca nāmabhyāṃ khyātiyuktau bhaviṣyataḥ || 7.66.9 ||

Thus, these two, born as twins, will be known by the names Kuśa and Lava, and will become renowned by these names given by me.

तां रक्षां जगृहुस्ताश्च मुनिहस्तात्समाहिताः । अकुर्वंश्च ततो रक्षां तयोर्विगतकल्मषाः ।। 7.66.10 ।।

tāṃ rakṣāṃ jagṛhustāśca munihastātsamāhitāḥ | akurvaṃśca tato rakṣāṃ tayorvigatakalmaṣāḥ || 7.66.10 ||

The attentive women took the protective charm from the sage's hands and, being purified, then performed the protective rites for the two newborns.

तथा तां क्रियमाणां च वृद्धाभिर्जन्म नाम च । सङ्कीर्तनं च रामस्य सीतायाः प्रसवौ शुभौ ।। 7.66.11 ।।

tathā tāṃ kriyamāṇāṃ ca vṛddhābhirjanma nāma ca | saṅkīrtanaṃ ca rāmasya sītāyāḥ prasavau śubhau || 7.66.11 ||

Thus, while that (protection) was being performed by the elderly women, there was also chanting of Rama's name and glorification of Sita's two auspicious births.

अर्धरात्रे तु शत्रुघ्नः शुश्राव सुमहत्प्रियम् । पर्णशालां ततो गत्वा मातर्दिष्ट्येति चाब्रवीत् ।। 7.66.12 ।।

ardharātre tu śatrughnaḥ śuśrāva sumahatpriyam | parṇaśālāṃ tato gatvā mātardiṣṭyeti cābravīt || 7.66.12 ||

At midnight, Shatrughna heard the very great good news, and then, having gone to the hermitage, he said to Sita, "O mother, fortunately!"

तथा तस्य प्रहृष्टस्य शत्रुघ्नस्य महात्मनः । व्यतीता वार्षिकी रात्रिः श्रावणी लघुविक्रमः ।। 7.66.13 ।।

tathā tasya prahṛṣṭasya śatrughnasya mahātmanaḥ | vyatītā vārṣikī rātriḥ śrāvaṇī laghuvikramaḥ || 7.66.13 ||

Thus, for the overjoyed, great-souled Shatrughna, the night of Shravana, which marked the rainy season, passed swiftly.

प्रभाते सुमहावीर्यः कृत्वा पौर्वाह्णिकीं क्रियाम् । मुनिं प्राञ्जलिरामन्त्र्य ययौ पश्चान्मुखः पुनः ।। 7.66.14 ।।

prabhāte sumahāvīryaḥ kṛtvā paurvāhṇikīṃ kriyām | muniṃ prāñjalirāmantrya yayau paścānmukhaḥ punaḥ || 7.66.14 ||

In the morning, the very mighty Shatrughna, having performed his morning rites and having bid farewell to the sage with folded hands, again departed, facing west.

स गत्वा यमुनातीरं सप्तरात्रोषितः पथि । ऋषीणां पुण्यकीर्तीनामाश्रमे वासमभ्ययात् ।। 7.66.15 ।।

sa gatvā yamunātīraṃ saptarātroṣitaḥ pathi | ṛṣīṇāṃ puṇyakīrtīnāmāśrame vāsamabhyayāt || 7.66.15 ||

Having traveled and stayed for seven nights on the way, he reached the bank of the Yamuna and obtained residence in the hermitage of the sages of pure fame.

स तत्र मुनिभिः सार्धं भार्गवप्रमुखैर्नृपः । कथाभिरभिरूपाभिर्वासं चक्रे महायशाः ।। 7.66.16 ।।

sa tatra munibhiḥ sārdhaṃ bhārgavapramukhairnṛpaḥ | kathābhirabhirūpābhirvāsaṃ cakre mahāyaśāḥ || 7.66.16 ||

There, the greatly renowned king spent his stay with the sages, led by Bhargava, engaging in delightful conversations.

स काञ्चनाद्यैर्मुनिभिः समेतो रघुप्रवीरो रजनीं तदानीम् । कथाप्रकारैर्बहुभिर्महात्मा विरामयामास नरेन्द्रसूनुः ।। 7.66.17 ।।

sa kāñcanādyairmunibhiḥ sameto raghupravīro rajanīṃ tadānīm | kathāprakārairbahubhirmahātmā virāmayāmāsa narendrasūnuḥ || 7.66.17 ||

Then, the great-souled Shatrughna, the hero of Raghu's lineage and son of the king, accompanied by sages like Kanchana and others, passed the night with many kinds of stories. इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीये आदिकाव्ये श्रीमदुत्तरकाण्डे षट्षष्टितमः सर्गः ।। 66 ।। Thus ends the sixty-sixth sarga of Uttara Kanda of the holy Ramayana the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.