Uttara Kanda, Sarga 79

तदद्भुततमं वाक्यं श्रुत्वागस्त्यस्य राघवः । गौरवाद्विस्मयाच्चैव पुनः प्रष्टुं प्रचक्रमे ।। 7.79.1 ।।

tadadbhutatamaṃ vākyaṃ śrutvāgastyasya rāghavaḥ | gauravādvismayāccaiva punaḥ praṣṭuṃ pracakrame || 7.79.1 ||

Having heard that most wonderful statement from Agastya, Rama, out of both respect and wonder, began to ask again.

भगवंस्तद्वनं घोरं तपस्तप्यति यत्र सः । श्वेतो वैदर्भको राजा कथं स्यादमृगद्विजम् ।। 7.79.2 ।।

bhagavaṃstadvanaṃ ghoraṃ tapastapyati yatra saḥ | śveto vaidarbhako rājā kathaṃ syādamṛgadvijam || 7.79.2 ||

O venerable one, how could that dreadful forest, where King Shveta of Vidarbha performed penance, be devoid of deer and birds?

तद्वनं स कथ राजा शून्यं मनुजवर्जितम् । तपश्चर्तुं प्रविष्टः स श्रोतुमिच्छामि तत्त्वतः ।। 7.79.3 ।।

tadvanaṃ sa katha rājā śūnyaṃ manujavarjitam | tapaścartuṃ praviṣṭaḥ sa śrotumicchāmi tattvataḥ || 7.79.3 ||

I truly wish to hear how that king entered such a desolate forest, devoid of humans, to perform penance.

रामस्य वचनं श्रुत्वा कौतूहलसमन्वितम् । वाक्यं परमतेजस्वी वक्तुमेवोपचक्रमे ।। 7.79.4 ।।

rāmasya vacanaṃ śrutvā kautūhalasamanvitam | vākyaṃ paramatejasvī vaktumevopacakrame || 7.79.4 ||

Having heard Rama's words, which were filled with curiosity, the highly effulgent Agastya indeed began to speak.

पुरा कृतयुगे राम मनुर्दण्डधरः प्रभुः । तस्य पुत्रो महानासीदिक्ष्वाकुः कुलनन्दनः ।। 7.79.5 ।।

purā kṛtayuge rāma manurdaṇḍadharaḥ prabhuḥ | tasya putro mahānāsīdikṣvākuḥ kulanandanaḥ || 7.79.5 ||

O Rama, formerly in the Krita Yuga, there was a powerful lord named Manu, the wielder of the scepter, and his great son, Ikshvaku, was the delight of his family.

तं पुत्रं पूर्वंकं राज्ये निक्षिप्य भुवि दुर्जयम् । पृथिव्यां राजवंशानां भव कर्तेत्युवाच ह ।। 7.79.6 ।।

taṃ putraṃ pūrvaṃkaṃ rājye nikṣipya bhuvi durjayam | pṛthivyāṃ rājavaṃśānāṃ bhava kartetyuvāca ha || 7.79.6 ||

Having placed that unconquerable first-born son in the kingdom on earth, Manu said to him, "Become the founder of royal dynasties on this earth."

तथैवेति प्रतिज्ञातं पितुः पुत्रेण राघव । ततः परमसन्तुष्टो मनुः पुत्रमुवाच ह ।। 7.79.7 ।।

tathaiveti pratijñātaṃ pituḥ putreṇa rāghava | tataḥ paramasantuṣṭo manuḥ putramuvāca ha || 7.79.7 ||

O Rama, the son assented to his father's command, and then Manu, extremely pleased, spoke to his son.

प्रीतो ऽस्मि परमोदार त्वं कर्ता ऽसि न संशयः । दण्डेन च प्रजा रक्ष मा च दण्डमकारणे ।। 7.79.8 ।।

prīto 'smi paramodāra tvaṃ kartā 'si na saṃśayaḥ | daṇḍena ca prajā rakṣa mā ca daṇḍamakāraṇe || 7.79.8 ||

Manu said, "O most generous one, I am pleased; you are indeed the creator, of this there is no doubt; protect the subjects with justice, but do not inflict punishment without cause."

अपराधिषु यो दण्डः पात्यते मानवेषु वै । स दण्डो विधिवन्मुक्तः स्वर्गं नयति पार्थिवम् ।। 7.79.9 ।।

aparādhiṣu yo daṇḍaḥ pātyate mānaveṣu vai | sa daṇḍo vidhivanmuktaḥ svargaṃ nayati pārthivam || 7.79.9 ||

The punishment that is properly inflicted upon offenders among men, when administered according to law, leads the king to heaven.

तस्माद्दण्डे महाबाहो यत्नवान्भव पुत्रक । धर्मो हि परमो लोके कुर्वतस्ते भविष्यति ।। 7.79.10 ।।

tasmāddaṇḍe mahābāho yatnavānbhava putraka | dharmo hi paramo loke kurvataste bhaviṣyati || 7.79.10 ||

Therefore, O mighty-armed son, be diligent in administering justice, for by doing so, supreme righteousness will be yours in this world.

इति तं बहु सन्दिश्य मनुः पुत्रं समाधिना । जगाम त्रिदिवं हृष्टो ब्रह्मलोकं सनातनम् ।। 7.79.11 ।।

iti taṃ bahu sandiśya manuḥ putraṃ samādhinā | jagāma tridivaṃ hṛṣṭo brahmalokaṃ sanātanam || 7.79.11 ||

Having thus given many instructions to his son with a composed mind, Manu, delighted, went to the eternal world of Brahma, which is heaven.

प्रयाते त्रिदिवं तस्मिन्निक्ष्वाकुरमितप्रभः । जनयिष्ये कथं पुत्रानिति चिन्तापरो ऽभवत् ।। 7.79.12 ।।

prayāte tridivaṃ tasminnikṣvākuramitaprabhaḥ | janayiṣye kathaṃ putrāniti cintāparo 'bhavat || 7.79.12 ||

When Manu had departed to heaven, Ikshvaku, who was of immeasurable splendor, became absorbed in the thought, "How shall I beget sons?"

कर्मभिर्बहुरूपैश्च तैस्तैर्मनुसुतस्सुतान् । जनयामास धर्मात्मा शतं देवसुतोपमान् ।। 7.79.13 ।।

karmabhirbahurūpaiśca taistairmanusutassutān | janayāmāsa dharmātmā śataṃ devasutopamān || 7.79.13 ||

The righteous son of Manu, Ikshvaku, then begot a hundred sons, resembling the sons of gods, through various kinds of rituals and deeds.

तेषामवरजस्तात सर्वेषां रघुनन्दन । मूढश्चाकृतविद्यश्च न शुश्रूषति पूर्वजान् ।। 7.79.14 ।।

teṣāmavarajastāta sarveṣāṃ raghunandana | mūḍhaścākṛtavidyaśca na śuśrūṣati pūrvajān || 7.79.14 ||

O dear Rama, the delight of the Raghu dynasty, the youngest among all those sons was foolish and uneducated, and he did not serve his elders.

नाम तस्य च दण्डेति पिता चक्रे ऽल्पमेधसः । अवश्यं दण्डपतनं शरीरे ऽस्य भविष्यति ।। 7.79.15 ।।

nāma tasya ca daṇḍeti pitā cakre 'lpamedhasaḥ | avaśyaṃ daṇḍapatanaṃ śarīre 'sya bhaviṣyati || 7.79.15 ||

His father named that dull-witted son Danda, thinking that punishment would certainly befall his body.

अपश्यमानस्तं देशं घोरं पुत्रस्य राघव । विन्ध्यशैवलयोर्मध्ये राज्यं प्रादादरिन्दम ।। 7.79.16 ।।

apaśyamānastaṃ deśaṃ ghoraṃ putrasya rāghava | vindhyaśaivalayormadhye rājyaṃ prādādarindama || 7.79.16 ||

O Raghava, O destroyer of enemies, not finding that dreadful region of Lavana suitable, he (Shatrughna) established a kingdom in the middle of the Vindhya and Shaivala mountains.

स दण्डस्तत्र राजाभूद्रम्ये पर्वतरोधसि । पुरं चाप्रतिमं राम न्यवेशयदनुत्तमम् ।। 7.79.17 ।।

sa daṇḍastatra rājābhūdramye parvatarodhasi | puraṃ cāpratimaṃ rāma nyaveśayadanuttamam || 7.79.17 ||

O Rama, he (Shatrughna), the wielder of justice, became king there on the beautiful mountain slope and established an unequalled, unsurpassed city.

पुरस्य चाकरोन्नाम मधुमन्तमिति प्रभो । पुरोहितं तूशनसं वरयामास सुव्रतम् ।। 7.79.18 ।।

purasya cākaronnāma madhumantamiti prabho | purohitaṃ tūśanasaṃ varayāmāsa suvratam || 7.79.18 ||

And, O Lord, he named the city Madhumanta and indeed chose the righteous Ushanas as his priest.

एवं स राजा तद्राज्यमकरोत्सपुरोहितः । प्रहृष्टमनुजाकीर्णं देवराजं यथा वृषा ।। 7.79.19 ।।

evaṃ sa rājā tadrājyamakarotsapurohitaḥ | prahṛṣṭamanujākīrṇaṃ devarājaṃ yathā vṛṣā || 7.79.19 ||

Thus, that king (Shatrughna), with his priest, ruled that kingdom, which was filled with joyful people, just as Indra rules the kingdom of the gods.

ततः स राजा मनुजेन्द्रपुत्रः सार्धं च तेनोशनसा तदानीम् । चकार राज्यं सुमहान्महात्मा शक्रो दिवीवोशनसा समेतः ।। 7.79.20 ।।

tataḥ sa rājā manujendraputraḥ sārdhaṃ ca tenośanasā tadānīm | cakāra rājyaṃ sumahānmahātmā śakro divīvośanasā sametaḥ || 7.79.20 ||

Then, that great-souled king, the son of the lord of men (Shatrughna), together with Ushanas at that time, ruled the very great kingdom, just as Indra, accompanied by Ushanas, rules in heaven. इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीये आदिकाव्ये श्रीमदुत्तरकाण्डे एकोनशीतितमः सर्गः ।। 79 ।। Thus ends the seventy-ninth sarga of Uttara Kanda of the holy Ramayana the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.