Uttara Kanda, Sarga 77

पुरा त्रेतायुगे राम बभूव बहुविस्तरम् । समन्ताद्योजनशतं विमृगं पक्षिवर्जितम् ।। 7.77.1 ।।

purā tretāyuge rāma babhūva bahuvistaram | samantādyojanaśataṃ vimṛgaṃ pakṣivarjitam || 7.77.1 ||

O Rama, formerly in the Treta Yuga, there was a very extensive area, a hundred yojanas all around, that was devoid of both animals and birds.

तस्मिन्निर्मानुषे ऽरण्ये कुर्वाणस्तप उत्तमम् । अहमाक्रमितुं सौम्य तदरण्यमुपागमम् ।। 7.77.2 ।।

tasminnirmānuṣe 'raṇye kurvāṇastapa uttamam | ahamākramituṃ saumya tadaraṇyamupāgamam || 7.77.2 ||

O gentle one, I approached that uninhabited forest to perform excellent penance and to traverse it.

तस्य रूपमरण्यस्य निर्देष्टुं न शशाक ह । फलमूलैः सुखास्वादैर्बहुरूपैश्च पादपैः ।। 7.77.3 ।।

tasya rūpamaraṇyasya nirdeṣṭuṃ na śaśāka ha | phalamūlaiḥ sukhāsvādairbahurūpaiśca pādapaiḥ || 7.77.3 ||

The beauty of that forest, with its various kinds of trees bearing fruits and roots of pleasant taste, was indeed indescribable.

तस्यारण्यस्य मध्ये तु सरो योजनमायतम् । हंसकारण्डवाकीर्णं चक्रवाकोपशोभितम् ।। 7.77.4 ।।

tasyāraṇyasya madhye tu saro yojanamāyatam | haṃsakāraṇḍavākīrṇaṃ cakravākopaśobhitam || 7.77.4 ||

In the middle of that forest was a lake, a yojana in length, teeming with swans and karandava ducks, and graced by chakravaka birds.

पद्मोत्पलसमाकीर्णं समतिक्रान्तशैवलम् । तदाश्चर्यमिवात्यर्थं सुखास्वादमनुत्तमम् ।। 7.77.5 ।।

padmotpalasamākīrṇaṃ samatikrāntaśaivalam | tadāścaryamivātyarthaṃ sukhāsvādamanuttamam || 7.77.5 ||

That lake was filled with lotuses and water lilies, free from moss, exceedingly wonderful, and its water was of unsurpassed pleasant taste.

अरजस्कं तथा ऽक्षोभ्यं श्रीमत्पक्षिगणायुतम् । समीपे तस्य सरसो महदद्भुतमाश्रमम् ।। 7.77.6 ।।

arajaskaṃ tathā 'kṣobhyaṃ śrīmatpakṣigaṇāyutam | samīpe tasya saraso mahadadbhutamāśramam || 7.77.6 ||

The lake was pure, undisturbed, glorious, and filled with flocks of birds; and near it was a great and wonderful hermitage.

पुराणं पुण्यमत्यर्थं तपस्विजनवर्जितम् । तत्राहमवसं रात्रिं नैदाघीं पुरुषर्षभ ।। 7.77.7 ।।

purāṇaṃ puṇyamatyarthaṃ tapasvijanavarjitam | tatrāhamavasaṃ rātriṃ naidāghīṃ puruṣarṣabha || 7.77.7 ||

O best among men, that hermitage was ancient, exceedingly sacred, yet devoid of ascetics, and there I spent a summer night.

प्रभाते काल्यमुत्थाय सरस्तदुपचक्रमे । अथापश्यं शवं तत्र सुपुष्टमजरं क्वचित् ।। 7.77.8 ।।

prabhāte kālyamutthāya sarastadupacakrame | athāpaśyaṃ śavaṃ tatra supuṣṭamajaraṃ kvacit || 7.77.8 ||

Early in the morning, having risen, I approached that lake, and there I saw a very well-nourished, undecaying corpse somewhere.

पङ्किभेदेन पुष्टाङ्गं समाश्रितसरोवरम् । तिष्ठन्तं परया लक्ष्म्या तस्मिंस्तोयाशये नृप ।। 7.77.9 ।।

paṅkibhedena puṣṭāṅgaṃ samāśritasarovaram | tiṣṭhantaṃ parayā lakṣmyā tasmiṃstoyāśaye nṛpa || 7.77.9 ||

O King, it was resting in that body of water, its limbs nourished by the rich environment, remaining there with supreme splendor.

तमर्थं चिन्तयानो ऽहं मुहूर्तं तत्र राघव । उषितो ऽस्मि सरस्तीरे किन्न्विदं स्यादिति प्रभो ।। 7.77.10 ।।

tamarthaṃ cintayāno 'haṃ muhūrtaṃ tatra rāghava | uṣito 'smi sarastīre kinnvidaṃ syāditi prabho || 7.77.10 ||

O Raghava, O Lord, pondering that matter, I remained on the lake shore for a moment, wondering what this might be.

अथापश्यं मुहूर्तेन दिव्यमद्भुतदर्शनम् । विमानं परमोदारं हंसयुक्तं मनोजवम् ।। 7.77.11 ।।

athāpaśyaṃ muhūrtena divyamadbhutadarśanam | vimānaṃ paramodāraṃ haṃsayuktaṃ manojavam || 7.77.11 ||

Then, after a moment, I saw a divine aerial chariot of wondrous sight, exceedingly grand, yoked with swans, and swift as thought.

अत्यर्थं स्वर्गिणं त विमाने रघुनन्दन । उपास्ते ऽप्सरसां वीर सहस्रं दिव्यभूषणम् ।। 7.77.12 ।।

atyarthaṃ svargiṇaṃ ta vimāne raghunandana | upāste 'psarasāṃ vīra sahasraṃ divyabhūṣaṇam || 7.77.12 ||

O Raghunandana, O hero, a thousand Apsaras adorned with divine ornaments served that exceedingly celestial being in the aerial chariot.

गायन्ति दिव्यगेयानि वादयन्ति तथा ऽपराः । क्ष्वेलयन्ति तथा चान्या नृत्यन्ति च तथा ऽपराः ।। 7.77.13 ।।

gāyanti divyageyāni vādayanti tathā 'parāḥ | kṣvelayanti tathā cānyā nṛtyanti ca tathā 'parāḥ || 7.77.13 ||

Some (celestial women) sing divine songs, others play musical instruments, some engage in playful sports, and still others dance.

अपराश्चन्द्ररश्म्याभैर्हेमदण्डैश्च चामरैः । दोधूयुर्वदनं तस्य पुण्डरीकनिभेक्षणम् ।। 7.77.14 ।।

aparāścandraraśmyābhairhemadaṇḍaiśca cāmaraiḥ | dodhūyurvadanaṃ tasya puṇḍarīkanibhekṣaṇam || 7.77.14 ||

Other celestial women fanned his lotus-eyed face with whisks that had golden handles and shone like moonbeams.

ततः सिंहासनं त्यक्त्वा मेरुकूटमिवांशुमान् । पश्यतो मे तदा राम विमानादवरुह्य च । तं शवं भक्षयामास स स्वर्गी रघुनन्दन ।। 7.77.15 ।।

tataḥ siṃhāsanaṃ tyaktvā merukūṭamivāṃśumān | paśyato me tadā rāma vimānādavaruhya ca | taṃ śavaṃ bhakṣayāmāsa sa svargī raghunandana || 7.77.15 ||

Then, O Rama, O delight of the Raghus, while I watched, that celestial being, like the sun leaving the peak of Meru, descended from his celestial chariot, abandoned his throne, and proceeded to eat that corpse.

तथा भुक्त्वा यथाकामं मांसं बहु सुपीवरम् । अवतीर्य सरः स्वर्गी संस्प्रष्टुमुपचक्रमे ।। 7.77.16 ।।

tathā bhuktvā yathākāmaṃ māṃsaṃ bahu supīvaram | avatīrya saraḥ svargī saṃspraṣṭumupacakrame || 7.77.16 ||

After thus eating a large quantity of very plump meat to his heart's content, the celestial being descended into a lake and began to perform ablutions.

उपस्पृश्य यथान्यायं स स्वर्गी रघुपुङ्गव । आरोढुमुपचक्राम विमानवरमुत्तमम् ।। 7.77.17 ।।

upaspṛśya yathānyāyaṃ sa svargī raghupuṅgava | āroḍhumupacakrāma vimānavaramuttamam || 7.77.17 ||

Having performed ablutions properly, O foremost of the Raghus, that celestial being then began to ascend his excellent and best celestial chariot.

तमहं देवसङ्काशमारोहन्तमुदीक्ष्य वै । अथाहमब्रुवं वाक्यं स्वर्गिणं पुरुषर्षभ ।। 7.77.18 ।।

tamahaṃ devasaṅkāśamārohantamudīkṣya vai | athāhamabruvaṃ vākyaṃ svargiṇaṃ puruṣarṣabha || 7.77.18 ||

Having seen that god-like being ascending, I then spoke these words to the celestial being, O best among men.

को भवान्देवसङ्काश आहारश्च विगर्हितः । त्वयेदं भुज्यते सौम्य किमर्थं वक्तुमर्हसि ।। 7.77.19 ।।

ko bhavāndevasaṅkāśa āhāraśca vigarhitaḥ | tvayedaṃ bhujyate saumya kimarthaṃ vaktumarhasi || 7.77.19 ||

O god-like one, who are you, and why do you consume this reprehensible food, O gentle one, please tell me the reason.

कस्य स्यादीदृशो भाव आहारो देवसम्मतः । आश्चर्यं वर्तते सौम्य श्रोतुमिच्छामि तत्त्वतः ।। 7.77.20 ।।

kasya syādīdṛśo bhāva āhāro devasammataḥ | āścaryaṃ vartate saumya śrotumicchāmi tattvataḥ || 7.77.20 ||

Whose nature would be such, and what kind of food is this that is approved by gods; O gentle one, this is a wonder, and I truly wish to hear about it.

नाहमौपयिकं मन्ये तव भक्ष्यमिदं शवम् ।। 7.77.21 ।।

nāhamaupayikaṃ manye tava bhakṣyamidaṃ śavam || 7.77.21 ||

I do not consider this corpse to be suitable food for you.

इत्येवमुक्तः स नरेन्द्र नाकी कौतूहलात्सूनृतया गिरा च । श्रुत्वा च वाक्यं मम सर्वमेतत्सर्वं तथा चाकथयन्ममेति ।। 7.77.22 ।।

ityevamuktaḥ sa narendra nākī kautūhalātsūnṛtayā girā ca | śrutvā ca vākyaṃ mama sarvametatsarvaṃ tathā cākathayanmameti || 7.77.22 ||

O king, thus addressed, that celestial being, out of curiosity and with pleasant and truthful words, having heard all my words, then narrated everything to me. इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीये आदिकाव्ये श्रीमदुत्तरकाण्डे सप्तसप्ततितमः सर्गः ।। 77 ।। Thus ends the seventy-seventh sarga of Uttara Kanda of the holy Ramayana the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.