Uttara Kanda, Sarga 75

नारदस्य तु तद्वाक्यं श्रुत्वा ऽमृतमयं तदा । प्रहर्षमतुलं लेभे लक्ष्मणं चेदमब्रवीत् ।। 7.75.1 ।।

nāradasya tu tadvākyaṃ śrutvā 'mṛtamayaṃ tadā | praharṣamatulaṃ lebhe lakṣmaṇaṃ cedamabravīt || 7.75.1 ||

Then, having heard those nectar-like words of Narada, Rama obtained immeasurable joy and spoke this to Lakshmana.

गच्छ सौम्य द्विजश्रेष्ठं समाश्वासय सुव्रतम् । बालस्य तु शरीरं तत्तैलद्रोण्यां निधापय ।। 7.75.2 ।।

gaccha saumya dvijaśreṣṭhaṃ samāśvāsaya suvratam | bālasya tu śarīraṃ tattailadroṇyāṃ nidhāpaya || 7.75.2 ||

O gentle one, go and console that best of Brahmins, the one of good vows, and have the child's body preserved in a trough of oil.

गन्धैश्च परमोदारैस्तैलैश्चापि सुगन्धिभिः । यथा न क्षीयते बालस्तथा सौम्य विधीयताम् ।। 7.75.3 ।।

gandhaiśca paramodāraistailaiścāpi sugandhibhiḥ | yathā na kṣīyate bālastathā saumya vidhīyatām || 7.75.3 ||

O gentle one, let it be done with very excellent fragrances and fragrant oils so that the child does not waste away.

यथा शरीरो बालस्य गुप्तः सन् शिष्टकर्मणः । विपत्तिः परिभेदो वा न भवेच्च तथा कुरु ।। 7.75.4 ।।

yathā śarīro bālasya guptaḥ san śiṣṭakarmaṇaḥ | vipattiḥ paribhedo vā na bhavecca tathā kuru || 7.75.4 ||

Ensure that the body of the well-behaved child is protected so that no misfortune or injury may occur.

एवमादिश्य काकुत्स्थो लक्ष्मणं शुभलक्षणम् । मनसा पुष्पकं दध्यावागच्छेति महायशाः ।। 7.75.5 ।।

evamādiśya kākutstho lakṣmaṇaṃ śubhalakṣaṇam | manasā puṣpakaṃ dadhyāvāgaccheti mahāyaśāḥ || 7.75.5 ||

Having thus instructed the auspicious-featured Lakshmana, the highly renowned Rama thought of the Pushpaka chariot in his mind, commanding it to come.

इङ्गितं स तु विज्ञाय पुष्पको हेमभूषितः । आजगाम मुहूर्तेन समीपे राघवस्य वै ।। 7.75.6 ।।

iṅgitaṃ sa tu vijñāya puṣpako hemabhūṣitaḥ | ājagāma muhūrtena samīpe rāghavasya vai || 7.75.6 ||

Indeed, having understood Rama's mental signal, the gold-adorned Pushpaka chariot arrived near Rama in a moment.

सो ऽब्रवीत्प्रणतो भूत्वा अयमस्मि नराधिप । वश्यस्तव महाबाहो किङ्करः समुपस्थितः ।। 7.75.7 ।।

so 'bravītpraṇato bhūtvā ayamasmi narādhipa | vaśyastava mahābāho kiṅkaraḥ samupasthitaḥ || 7.75.7 ||

Having bowed, the Pushpaka spoke, "O king of men, O mighty-armed one, I am your obedient servant, present here."

भाषितं रुचिरं श्रुत्वा पुष्पकस्य नराधिपः । अभिवाद्य महर्षींस्तान् विमानं सो ऽध्यरोहत ।। 7.75.8 ।।

bhāṣitaṃ ruciraṃ śrutvā puṣpakasya narādhipaḥ | abhivādya maharṣīṃstān vimānaṃ so 'dhyarohata || 7.75.8 ||

Having heard the pleasing words of Pushpaka, the king (Rama) saluted those great sages and then ascended the aerial chariot.

धनुर्गृहीत्वा तूणी च खड्गं च रुचिरप्रभम् । निक्षिप्य नगरे वीरौ सौमित्रिभरतावुभौ ।। 7.75.9 ।।

dhanurgṛhītvā tūṇī ca khaḍgaṃ ca ruciraprabham | nikṣipya nagare vīrau saumitribharatāvubhau || 7.75.9 ||

Having taken his bow, quiver, and a beautifully shining sword, and having left both heroes Lakshmana and Bharata in the city, (Rama proceeded).

प्रायात्प्रतीचीं हरितं विचिन्वंश्च ततस्ततः । उत्तरामगमच्छ्रीमान्दिशं हिमवता वृताम् ।। 7.75.10 ।।

prāyātpratīcīṃ haritaṃ vicinvaṃśca tatastataḥ | uttarāmagamacchrīmāndiśaṃ himavatā vṛtām || 7.75.10 ||

The glorious Rama proceeded to the western direction, searching everywhere, and then went to the northern direction, which is covered by the Himalayas.

अपश्यमानस्तत्रापि स्वल्पमप्यथ दुष्कृतम् । पूर्वामपि दिशं सर्वामथो ऽपश्यन्नराधिपः ।। 7.75.11 ।।

apaśyamānastatrāpi svalpamapyatha duṣkṛtam | pūrvāmapi diśaṃ sarvāmatho 'paśyannarādhipaḥ || 7.75.11 ||

Not finding even a slight evil deed there (in the north), the king then surveyed the entire eastern direction as well.

प्रविशुद्धसमाचारामादर्शतलनिर्मलाम् । पुष्पकस्थो महाबाहुस्तदापश्यन्नराधिपः ।। 7.75.12 ।।

praviśuddhasamācārāmādarśatalanirmalām | puṣpakastho mahābāhustadāpaśyannarādhipaḥ || 7.75.12 ||

Seated in Pushpaka, the mighty-armed king then saw (the entire land) whose conduct was perfectly pure and as clear as the surface of a mirror.

दक्षिणां दिशमाक्रामत्ततो राजर्षिनन्दनः । शैवलस्योत्तरे पार्श्वे ददर्श सुमहत्सरः ।। 7.75.13 ।।

dakṣiṇāṃ diśamākrāmattato rājarṣinandanaḥ | śaivalasyottare pārśve dadarśa sumahatsaraḥ || 7.75.13 ||

Then, Rama, the son of the royal sage, proceeded towards the southern direction and on the northern side of Shaivala, he saw a very large lake.

तस्मिन्सरसि तप्यन्तं तापसं सुमहत्तपः । ददर्श राघवः श्रीमाँल्लम्बमानमधोमुखम् ।। 7.75.14 ।।

tasminsarasi tapyantaṃ tāpasaṃ sumahattapaḥ | dadarśa rāghavaḥ śrīmāँllambamānamadhomukham || 7.75.14 ||

In that lake, the glorious Rama saw an ascetic performing very great penance, hanging head downwards.

राघवस्तमुपागम्य तप्यन्तं तप उत्तमम् । उवाच स तदा वाक्यं धन्यस्त्वमसि सुव्रत ।। 7.75.15 ।।

rāghavastamupāgamya tapyantaṃ tapa uttamam | uvāca sa tadā vākyaṃ dhanyastvamasi suvrata || 7.75.15 ||

Rama, having approached him who was performing excellent penance, then spoke these words: "O ascetic of good vows, you are blessed."

कस्यां योन्यां तपोवृद्ध वर्तसे दृढविक्रम । कौतूहलात्त्वां पृच्छामि रामो दाशरथिर्ह्यहम् ।। 7.75.16 ।।

kasyāṃ yonyāṃ tapovṛddha vartase dṛḍhavikrama | kautūhalāttvāṃ pṛcchāmi rāmo dāśarathirhyaham || 7.75.16 ||

"O venerable ascetic, in which birth or species do you exist, O one of firm resolve? I ask you out of curiosity, for I am Rama, the son of Dasharatha."

को ऽर्थो मनीषितस्तुभ्यं स्वर्गलाभः परो ऽथवा । वराश्रयो यदर्थं त्वं तपस्यसि सुदुष्करम् । यमाश्रित्य तपस्तप्तं श्रोतुमिच्छामि तापस ।। 7.75.17 ।।

ko 'rtho manīṣitastubhyaṃ svargalābhaḥ paro 'thavā | varāśrayo yadarthaṃ tvaṃ tapasyasi suduṣkaram | yamāśritya tapastaptaṃ śrotumicchāmi tāpasa || 7.75.17 ||

"What is the purpose desired by you, is it the attainment of heaven or some other supreme boon, for which you are performing this very difficult penance, O ascetic? I wish to hear what you have resorted to for performing this penance."

ब्राह्मणो वा ऽसि भद्रं ते क्षत्रियो वा ऽसि दुर्जयः । वैश्यस्तृतीयवर्णो वा शूद्रो वा सत्यवाग्भव ।। 7.75.18 ।।

brāhmaṇo vā 'si bhadraṃ te kṣatriyo vā 'si durjayaḥ | vaiśyastṛtīyavarṇo vā śūdro vā satyavāgbhava || 7.75.18 ||

Rama asks the ascetic to truthfully state his varna, whether he is a Brahmana, a Kshatriya, a Vaishya, or a Shudra, wishing him well regardless.

इत्येवमुक्तः स नराधिपेन ह्यवाक्छिरा दाशरथाय तस्मै । उवाच जातिं नृपपुङ्गवाय यत्कारणे चैव तपःप्रयत्नः ।। 7.75.19 ।।

ityevamuktaḥ sa narādhipena hyavākchirā dāśarathāya tasmai | uvāca jātiṃ nṛpapuṅgavāya yatkāraṇe caiva tapaḥprayatnaḥ || 7.75.19 ||

Thus addressed by the king, the ascetic, with his head bowed, revealed his caste and the reason for his severe penance to Rama, the best of kings. इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीये आदिकाव्ये श्रीमदुत्तरकाण्डे पञ्चसप्ततितमः सर्गः ।। 75 ।। Thus ends the seventy-fifth sarga of Uttara Kanda of the holy Ramayana the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.