Uttara Kanda, Sarga 85

लक्ष्मणस्य तु तद्वाक्यं श्रुत्वा शत्रुनिबर्हणः । वृत्रघातमशेषेण कथयेत्याह सुव्रत ।। 7.85.1 ।।

lakṣmaṇasya tu tadvākyaṃ śrutvā śatrunibarhaṇaḥ | vṛtraghātamaśeṣeṇa kathayetyāha suvrata || 7.85.1 ||

Having heard that speech of Lakshmana, the destroyer of enemies (Rama) said, "O one of good vows, narrate the slaying of Vritra completely."

राघवेणैवमुक्तस्तु सुमित्रानन्दवर्धनः । भूय एव कथां दिव्यां कथयामास सुव्रतः ।। 7.85.2 ।।

rāghaveṇaivamuktastu sumitrānandavardhanaḥ | bhūya eva kathāṃ divyāṃ kathayāmāsa suvrataḥ || 7.85.2 ||

Thus addressed by Rama, the enhancer of Sumitra's joy, who was of good vows, again narrated the divine story.

सहस्राक्षवचः श्रुत्वा सर्वेषां च दिवौकसाम् । विष्णुर्देवानुवाचेदं सर्वानिन्द्रपुरोगमान् ।। 7.85.3 ।।

sahasrākṣavacaḥ śrutvā sarveṣāṃ ca divaukasām | viṣṇurdevānuvācedaṃ sarvānindrapurogamān || 7.85.3 ||

Having heard the words of Indra and all the gods, Vishnu spoke these words to all the gods, with Indra at their forefront.

पूर्वं सौहृदबद्धो ऽस्मि वृत्रस्य ह महात्मनः । तेन युष्मत्प्रियार्थं हि नाहं हन्मि महासुरम् ।। 7.85.4 ।।

pūrvaṃ sauhṛdabaddho 'smi vṛtrasya ha mahātmanaḥ | tena yuṣmatpriyārthaṃ hi nāhaṃ hanmi mahāsuram || 7.85.4 ||

I am indeed bound by a prior friendship with the great Vritra, and therefore I cannot kill this great demon for your benefit.

अवश्यं करणीयं च भवतां सुखमुत्तमम् । तस्मादुपायमाख्यास्ये येन वृत्रो निहन्यते ।। 7.85.5 ।।

avaśyaṃ karaṇīyaṃ ca bhavatāṃ sukhamuttamam | tasmādupāyamākhyāsye yena vṛtro nihanyate || 7.85.5 ||

Your supreme happiness must certainly be achieved, therefore I shall explain a method by which Vritra can be killed.

त्रिधाभूतं करिष्यामि ह्यात्मानं सुरसत्तमाः । तेन वृत्रं सहस्राक्षो वधिष्यति न संशयः ।। 7.85.6 ।।

tridhābhūtaṃ kariṣyāmi hyātmānaṃ surasattamāḥ | tena vṛtraṃ sahasrākṣo vadhiṣyati na saṃśayaḥ || 7.85.6 ||

O best of gods, I shall indeed divide myself into three parts, and thereby Indra will kill Vritra without a doubt.

एकांशो वासवं यातु द्वितीयो वज्रमेव तु । तृतीयो भूतलं शक्रस्तदा वृत्रं वधिष्यति ।। 7.85.7 ।।

ekāṃśo vāsavaṃ yātu dvitīyo vajrameva tu | tṛtīyo bhūtalaṃ śakrastadā vṛtraṃ vadhiṣyati || 7.85.7 ||

Let one part of me go into Indra, the second into his thunderbolt, and the third into the earth; then Indra will be able to kill Vritra.

तथा ब्रुवति देवेशे देवा वाक्यमथाब्रुवन् । एवमेतन्न सन्देहो यथा वदसि दैत्यहन् ।। 7.85.8 ।।

tathā bruvati deveśe devā vākyamathābruvan | evametanna sandeho yathā vadasi daityahan || 7.85.8 ||

When the Lord of Gods (Vishnu) spoke thus, the gods then replied, "O slayer of demons, what you say is indeed true, there is no doubt about it."

भद्रं ते ऽस्तु गमिष्यामो वृत्रासुरवधैषिणः । भजस्व परमोदार वासवं स्वेन तेजसा ।। 7.85.9 ।।

bhadraṃ te 'stu gamiṣyāmo vṛtrāsuravadhaiṣiṇaḥ | bhajasva paramodāra vāsavaṃ svena tejasā || 7.85.9 ||

"May good fortune be with you; we shall now go, eager to slay Vritrasura, and O most generous one, you should empower Indra with your own might."

ततः सर्वे महात्मानः सहस्राक्षपुरोगमाः । तदारण्यमुपाक्रामन्यत्र वृत्रो महासुरः ।। 7.85.10 ।।

tataḥ sarve mahātmānaḥ sahasrākṣapurogamāḥ | tadāraṇyamupākrāmanyatra vṛtro mahāsuraḥ || 7.85.10 ||

Then all the great-souled gods, led by Indra, proceeded towards that forest where the mighty demon Vritra resided.

ते पश्यंस्तेजसा भूतं तप्यन्तमसुरोत्तमम् । पिबन्तमिव लोकांस्त्रीन्निर्दहन्तमिवाम्बरम् ।। 7.85.11 ।।

te paśyaṃstejasā bhūtaṃ tapyantamasurottamam | pibantamiva lokāṃstrīnnirdahantamivāmbaram || 7.85.11 ||

They saw the foremost of demons, Vritra, endowed with immense splendor and radiating heat, as if he were drinking up the three worlds and burning the very sky.

दृष्ट्वैव चासुरश्रेष्ठं देवास्त्रासमुपागमन् । कथमेनं वधिष्यामः कथं न स्यात्पराजयः ।। 7.85.12 ।।

dṛṣṭvaiva cāsuraśreṣṭhaṃ devāstrāsamupāgaman | kathamenaṃ vadhiṣyāmaḥ kathaṃ na syātparājayaḥ || 7.85.12 ||

And having seen that foremost of demons, the gods were struck with fear, wondering, "How shall we kill him? How can we avoid defeat?"

तेषां चिन्तयतां तत्र सहस्राक्षः पुरन्दरः । वज्रं प्रगृह्य पाणिभ्यां प्राहिणोद्वृत्रमूर्धनि ।। 7.85.13 ।।

teṣāṃ cintayatāṃ tatra sahasrākṣaḥ purandaraḥ | vajraṃ pragṛhya pāṇibhyāṃ prāhiṇodvṛtramūrdhani || 7.85.13 ||

While the gods were contemplating there, the thousand-eyed Indra, the destroyer of cities, grasped the thunderbolt with both hands and hurled it onto Vritra's head.

कालाग्निनेव घोरेण तप्तेनैव महार्चिषा । पतता वृत्रशिरसा जगत्ऺत्रासमुपागमत् ।। 7.85.14 ।।

kālāgnineva ghoreṇa taptenaiva mahārciṣā | patatā vṛtraśirasā jagatऺtrāsamupāgamat || 7.85.14 ||

As Vritra's head fell, burning like the terrible, great-flamed fire of universal destruction, the world experienced immense terror.

असम्भाव्यं वधं तस्य वृत्रस्य विबुधाधिपः । चिन्तयानो जगामाशु लोकस्यान्तं महायशाः ।। 7.85.15 ।।

asambhāvyaṃ vadhaṃ tasya vṛtrasya vibudhādhipaḥ | cintayāno jagāmāśu lokasyāntaṃ mahāyaśāḥ || 7.85.15 ||

The greatly renowned lord of gods, contemplating the inconceivable slaying of Vritra, quickly went to a secluded corner of the world.

तमिन्द्रं ब्रह्महत्या ऽ ऽशु गच्छन्तमनुगच्छति । अपतच्चास्य गात्रेषु तमिन्द्रं दुःखमाविशत् ।। 7.85.16 ।।

tamindraṃ brahmahatyā ' 'śu gacchantamanugacchati | apataccāsya gātreṣu tamindraṃ duḥkhamāviśat || 7.85.16 ||

As that Indra was going, the sin of Brahmanicide quickly followed him and fell upon his limbs, enveloping him in sorrow.

हतारयः प्रनष्टेन्द्रा देवाः साग्निपुरोगमाः । विष्णुं त्रिभुवनेशानं मुहुर्मुहुरपूजयन् ।। 7.85.17 ।।

hatārayaḥ pranaṣṭendrā devāḥ sāgnipurogamāḥ | viṣṇuṃ tribhuvaneśānaṃ muhurmuhurapūjayan || 7.85.17 ||

The gods, whose enemies were slain but whose Indra had disappeared, with Agni as their leader, repeatedly worshipped Vishnu, the lord of the three worlds.

त्वं गतिः परमेशान पूर्वजो जगतः पिता । रक्षार्थं सर्वभूतानां विष्णुत्वमुपजग्मिवान् ।। 7.85.18 ।।

tvaṃ gatiḥ parameśāna pūrvajo jagataḥ pitā | rakṣārthaṃ sarvabhūtānāṃ viṣṇutvamupajagmivān || 7.85.18 ||

O Supreme Lord, you are the ultimate refuge, the primeval father of the world, who has assumed the form of Vishnu for the protection of all beings.

हतश्चायं त्वया वृत्रो ब्रह्महत्या च वासवम् । बाधते सुरशार्दूल मोक्षं तस्या विनिर्दिश ।। 7.85.19 ।।

hataścāyaṃ tvayā vṛtro brahmahatyā ca vāsavam | bādhate suraśārdūla mokṣaṃ tasyā vinirdiśa || 7.85.19 ||

O best among gods, Vritra has been killed by you, and now the sin of Brahmanicide afflicts Indra; please prescribe a means of liberation for him from this sin.

तेषां तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा देवानां विष्णुरब्रवीत् । मामेव यजतां शक्रः पावयिष्यामि वज्रिणम् ।। 7.85.20 ।।

teṣāṃ tadvacanaṃ śrutvā devānāṃ viṣṇurabravīt | māmeva yajatāṃ śakraḥ pāvayiṣyāmi vajriṇam || 7.85.20 ||

Having heard the words of the gods, Vishnu said, "Let Indra worship me alone, and I shall purify the wielder of the thunderbolt."

पुण्येन हयमेधेन मामिष्ट्वा पाकशासनः । पुनरेष्यति देवानामिन्द्रत्वमकुतोभयम् ।। 7.85.21 ।।

puṇyena hayamedhena māmiṣṭvā pākaśāsanaḥ | punareṣyati devānāmindratvamakutobhayam || 7.85.21 ||

Having worshipped me with a meritorious Ashvamedha sacrifice, Indra will again attain his fearless sovereignty over the gods.

एवं सन्दिश्य तां वाणीं देवानाममृतोपमाम् । जगाम विष्णुर्देवेशः स्तूयमानस्त्रिविष्टपम् ।। 7.85.22 ।।

evaṃ sandiśya tāṃ vāṇīṃ devānāmamṛtopamām | jagāma viṣṇurdeveśaḥ stūyamānastriviṣṭapam || 7.85.22 ||

Having thus delivered that nectar-like message to the gods, Vishnu, the lord of gods, returned to heaven, being praised by them. इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीये आदिकाव्ये श्रीमदुत्तरकाण्डे पञ्चाशीतितमः सर्गः ।। 85 ।। Thus ends the eighty-fifth sarga of Uttara Kanda of the holy Ramayana the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.