Uttara Kanda, Sarga 84

तथोक्तवति रामे तु भरते च महात्मनि । लक्ष्मणो ऽथ शुभं वाक्यमुवाच रघुनन्दनम् ।। 7.84.1 ।।

tathoktavati rāme tu bharate ca mahātmani | lakṣmaṇo 'tha śubhaṃ vākyamuvāca raghunandanam || 7.84.1 ||

After Rama and the great-souled Bharata had spoken, Lakshmana then addressed Rama, the delight of the Raghus, with auspicious words.

अश्वमेधो महायज्ञः पावनः सर्वपाप्मनाम् । पावनस्तव दुर्धर्षो रोचतां रघुनन्दन ।। 7.84.2 ।।

aśvamedho mahāyajñaḥ pāvanaḥ sarvapāpmanām | pāvanastava durdharṣo rocatāṃ raghunandana || 7.84.2 ||

O delight of the Raghus, may the Ashwamedha, a great sacrifice and purifier of all sins, which is a purifier for you, the unconquerable one, be pleasing to you.

श्रूयते हि पुरावृत्तं वासवे सुमहात्मनि । ब्रह्महत्यावृतः शक्रो हयमेधेन पावितः ।। 7.84.3 ।।

śrūyate hi purāvṛttaṃ vāsave sumahātmani | brahmahatyāvṛtaḥ śakro hayamedhena pāvitaḥ || 7.84.3 ||

Indeed, it is heard that in an ancient event, the very great-souled Indra, afflicted by the sin of Brahman-slaughter, was purified by the Ashwamedha sacrifice.

पुरा किल महाबाहो देवासुरसमागमे । वृत्रो नाम महानासीद्दैतेयो लोकसम्मतः ।। 7.84.4 ।।

purā kila mahābāho devāsurasamāgame | vṛtro nāma mahānāsīddaiteyo lokasammataḥ || 7.84.4 ||

O mighty-armed one, it is said that formerly, during the conflict between gods and asuras, there was a great Daitya named Vritra, renowned throughout the world.

विस्तीर्णो योजनशतमुच्छ्रितस्त्रिगुणं ततः । अनुरागेण लोकांस्त्रीन्स्नेहात्पश्यति सर्वतः ।। 7.84.5 ।।

vistīrṇo yojanaśatamucchritastriguṇaṃ tataḥ | anurāgeṇa lokāṃstrīnsnehātpaśyati sarvataḥ || 7.84.5 ||

He was a hundred yojanas wide and three times that in height, and he regarded all three worlds everywhere with affection and love.

धर्मज्ञश्च कृतज्ञश्च बुद्ध्या च परिनिष्ठितः । शशास पृथिवीं स्फीतां धर्मेण सुसमाहितः ।। 7.84.6 ।।

dharmajñaśca kṛtajñaśca buddhyā ca pariniṣṭhitaḥ | śaśāsa pṛthivīṃ sphītāṃ dharmeṇa susamāhitaḥ || 7.84.6 ||

He, being righteous, grateful, and perfected in intellect, ruled the vast and prosperous earth with perfect attention to dharma.

तस्मिन्प्रशासति तदा सर्वकामदुघा मही । रसवन्ति प्रभूनानि मूलानि च फलानि च ।। 7.84.7 ।।

tasminpraśāsati tadā sarvakāmadughā mahī | rasavanti prabhūnāni mūlāni ca phalāni ca || 7.84.7 ||

While he was ruling, the earth became a wish-fulfilling cow, providing abundant and juicy roots and fruits.

अकृष्टपच्या पृथिवी सुसम्पन्ना महात्मनः । स राज्यं तादृशं भुङ्क्ते स्फीतमद्भुतदर्शनम् ।। 7.84.8 ।।

akṛṣṭapacyā pṛthivī susampannā mahātmanaḥ | sa rājyaṃ tādṛśaṃ bhuṅkte sphītamadbhutadarśanam || 7.84.8 ||

The earth, without cultivation, yielded abundant crops for that great-souled king, and he enjoyed such a prosperous and marvelous kingdom.

तस्य बुद्धिः समुप्तन्ना तपः कुर्यामनुत्तमम् । तपो हि परमं श्रेयः सम्मोहमितरत्सुखम् ।। 7.84.9 ।।

tasya buddhiḥ samuptannā tapaḥ kuryāmanuttamam | tapo hi paramaṃ śreyaḥ sammohamitaratsukham || 7.84.9 ||

A thought arose in his mind that he should perform unsurpassed penance, for indeed, penance is the supreme good, while other forms of happiness lead to delusion.

स निक्षिप्य सुतं ज्येष्ठं पौरेषु मधुरेश्वरम् । तप उग्रं समातिष्ठत्तापयन्सर्वदेवताः ।। 7.84.10 ।।

sa nikṣipya sutaṃ jyeṣṭhaṃ paureṣu madhureśvaram | tapa ugraṃ samātiṣṭhattāpayansarvadevatāḥ || 7.84.10 ||

He entrusted his eldest son, Madhureśvara, to the citizens and undertook severe penance, thereby causing all the deities to suffer.

तपस्तप्यति वृत्रे तु वासवः परमार्तवत् । विष्णुं समुपसङ्क्रम्य वाक्यमेतदुवाच ह ।। 7.84.11 ।।

tapastapyati vṛtre tu vāsavaḥ paramārtavat | viṣṇuṃ samupasaṅkramya vākyametaduvāca ha || 7.84.11 ||

When Vritra was performing penance, Indra, greatly distressed, approached Vishnu and spoke these words.

तपस्यता महाबाहो लोकाः वृत्रेण निर्जिताः । बलवान्स हि धर्मात्मा नैनं शक्ष्यामि शासितुम् ।। 7.84.12 ।।

tapasyatā mahābāho lokāḥ vṛtreṇa nirjitāḥ | balavānsa hi dharmātmā nainaṃ śakṣyāmi śāsitum || 7.84.12 ||

O mighty-armed one, Vritra, who is performing penance, has conquered the worlds; he is indeed powerful and righteous, and I am unable to control him.

यद्यसौ तप आतिष्ठेद्भूय एवासुरेश्वर । यावल्लोका धरिष्यन्ति तावदस्य वशानुगाः ।। 7.84.13 ।।

yadyasau tapa ātiṣṭhedbhūya evāsureśvara | yāvallokā dhariṣyanti tāvadasya vaśānugāḥ || 7.84.13 ||

O Lord of Asuras, if he performs penance again, the worlds will remain subservient to him as long as they endure.

तं चैनं परमोदारमुपेक्षसि महाबलम् । क्षणं हि न भवेद्वृत्रः क्रुद्धे त्वयि सुरेश्वर ।। 7.84.14 ।।

taṃ cainaṃ paramodāramupekṣasi mahābalam | kṣaṇaṃ hi na bhavedvṛtraḥ kruddhe tvayi sureśvara || 7.84.14 ||

And yet you disregard this extremely powerful Vritra; for indeed, Vritra would not exist even for a moment if you, O Lord of gods, were to become angry.

यदा हि प्रीतिसंयोगं त्वया विष्णो समागतः । तदाप्रभृति लोकानां नाथत्वमुपलब्धवान् ।। 7.84.15 ।।

yadā hi prītisaṃyogaṃ tvayā viṣṇo samāgataḥ | tadāprabhṛti lokānāṃ nāthatvamupalabdhavān || 7.84.15 ||

Indeed, it was when he obtained your favor, O Vishnu, that he achieved lordship over the worlds from that time onwards.

स त्वं प्रसादं लोकानां कुरुष्व सुसमाहितः । त्वत्कृतेन हि सर्वं स्याप्रशान्तमरुजं जगत् ।। 7.84.16 ।।

sa tvaṃ prasādaṃ lokānāṃ kuruṣva susamāhitaḥ | tvatkṛtena hi sarvaṃ syāpraśāntamarujaṃ jagat || 7.84.16 ||

You, being well-composed, should bestow your favor upon the worlds, for by your action alone, the entire world would become peaceful and free from suffering.

इमे हि सर्वे विष्णो त्वां निरीक्षन्ते दिवौकसः । वृत्रघातेन महता तेषां साह्यं कुरुष्व ह ।। 7.84.17 ।।

ime hi sarve viṣṇo tvāṃ nirīkṣante divaukasaḥ | vṛtraghātena mahatā teṣāṃ sāhyaṃ kuruṣva ha || 7.84.17 ||

O Vishnu, all these gods indeed await you; therefore, render them great help by slaying Vritra.

त्वया हि नित्यशः साह्यं कृतमेषां महात्मनाम् । असह्यमिदमन्येषामगतीनां गतिर्भवान् ।। 7.84.18 ।।

tvayā hi nityaśaḥ sāhyaṃ kṛtameṣāṃ mahātmanām | asahyamidamanyeṣāmagatīnāṃ gatirbhavān || 7.84.18 ||

Indeed, you have always rendered help to these great-souled ones, for this task is unbearable for others, and you are the sole refuge for the helpless. इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीये आदिकाव्ये श्रीमदुत्तरकाण्डे चतुरशीतितमः सर्गः ।। 84 ।। Thus ends the eighty-fourth sarga of Uttara Kanda of the holy Ramayana the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.