Uttara Kanda, Sarga 92

तत्सर्वमखिलेनाशु प्रस्थाप्य भरताग्रजः । हयं लक्षणसम्पन्नं कृष्णसारं मुमोच ह ।। 7.92.1 ।।

tatsarvamakhilenāśu prasthāpya bharatāgrajaḥ | hayaṃ lakṣaṇasampannaṃ kṛṣṇasāraṃ mumoca ha || 7.92.1 ||

Having quickly sent forth all those arrangements completely, Rama, Bharata's elder brother, then released the black-spotted horse, which was endowed with auspicious marks, for the sacrifice.

ऋत्विग्भिर्लक्ष्मणं सार्धमश्वतन्त्रे नियोज्य च । ततो ऽभ्यगच्छत्काकुत्स्थः सह सैन्येन नैमिशम् ।। 7.92.2 ।।

ṛtvigbhirlakṣmaṇaṃ sārdhamaśvatantre niyojya ca | tato 'bhyagacchatkākutsthaḥ saha sainyena naimiśam || 7.92.2 ||

After appointing Lakshmana along with the priests to supervise the sacrificial horse, Rama then proceeded towards Naimisha with his army.

यज्ञवाटं महाबाहुर्दृष्ट्वा परममद्भुतम् । प्रबर्षमतुलं लेभे श्रीमानिति वचो ऽब्रवीत् ।। 7.92.3 ।।

yajñavāṭaṃ mahābāhurdṛṣṭvā paramamadbhutam | prabarṣamatulaṃ lebhe śrīmāniti vaco 'bravīt || 7.92.3 ||

Having seen the extremely wonderful sacrificial enclosure, the glorious and mighty-armed Rama felt incomparable joy and spoke these words.

नैमिषे वसतस्तस्य सर्व एव नराधिपाः । आनिन्युरुपहारांश्च तान्रामः प्रत्यपूजयत् ।। 7.92.4 ।।

naimiṣe vasatastasya sarva eva narādhipāḥ | āninyurupahārāṃśca tānrāmaḥ pratyapūjayat || 7.92.4 ||

While Rama was residing in Naimisha, all the kings brought him gifts, and Rama, in turn, honored them.

उपकार्या महार्हाश्च पार्थिवानां महात्मनाम् । सानुगानां नरश्रेष्ठो व्यादिदेश महामतिः ।। 7.92.5 ।।

upakāryā mahārhāśca pārthivānāṃ mahātmanām | sānugānāṃ naraśreṣṭho vyādideśa mahāmatiḥ || 7.92.5 ||

The great-minded Rama, the best among men, arranged for valuable and suitable lodgings for the great kings and their retinues.

अन्नपानानि वस्त्राणि सानुगानां महात्मनाम् । भरतः सन्ददावाशु शत्रुघ्नसहितस्तदा ।। 7.92.6 ।।

annapānāni vastrāṇi sānugānāṃ mahātmanām | bharataḥ sandadāvāśu śatrughnasahitastadā || 7.92.6 ||

Bharata, accompanied by Shatrughna, then swiftly provided food, drinks, and clothes for the great-souled kings and their followers.

वानराश्च महात्मानः सुग्रीवसहितास्तदा । विप्राणां प्रणताः सर्वे चक्रिरे परिवेषणम् ।। 7.92.7 ।।

vānarāśca mahātmānaḥ sugrīvasahitāstadā | viprāṇāṃ praṇatāḥ sarve cakrire pariveṣaṇam || 7.92.7 ||

Then, all the great-souled Vanaras, led by Sugriva, humbly served food to the Brahmins.

बिभीषणश्च रक्षोभिर्बहुभिः स्रग्विभिर्वृतः । ऋषीणामुग्रतपसां पूजां चक्रे महात्मनाम् ।। 7.92.8 ।।

bibhīṣaṇaśca rakṣobhirbahubhiḥ sragvibhirvṛtaḥ | ṛṣīṇāmugratapasāṃ pūjāṃ cakre mahātmanām || 7.92.8 ||

Vibhishana, accompanied by many garland-wearing Rakshasas, performed worship for the great-souled sages of severe penance.

एवं सुविहितो यज्ञो हयमेधो ऽभ्यवर्तत । लक्ष्मणेनागुप्ता च हयचर्या प्रवर्तत । ईदृशं राजसिंहस्य यज्ञप्रवरमुत्तमम् ।। 7.92.9 ।।

evaṃ suvihito yajño hayamedho 'bhyavartata | lakṣmaṇenāguptā ca hayacaryā pravartata | īdṛśaṃ rājasiṃhasya yajñapravaramuttamam || 7.92.9 ||

Thus, the well-arranged Ashvamedha sacrifice proceeded, and the horse's journey, unguarded by Lakshmana, also took place, such was this excellent and supreme sacrifice of the lion among kings.

नान्यः शब्दो ऽभवत्तत्र हयमेधे महात्मनः । छन्दतो देहि विस्रब्धो यावत्तुष्यन्ति याचकाः ।। 7.92.10 ।।

nānyaḥ śabdo 'bhavattatra hayamedhe mahātmanaḥ | chandato dehi visrabdho yāvattuṣyanti yācakāḥ || 7.92.10 ||

In the great-souled Rama's Ashvamedha, no other sound was heard except "Give freely and confidently until the supplicants are satisfied."

तावत्सर्वाणि दत्तानि क्रतुमध्ये महात्मनः । विविधानि च गौडानि खाण्डवानि तथैव च ।। 7.92.11 ।।

tāvatsarvāṇi dattāni kratumadhye mahātmanaḥ | vividhāni ca gauḍāni khāṇḍavāni tathaiva ca || 7.92.11 ||

In the midst of the great-souled one's sacrifice, all sorts of things were given, including various jaggery sweets and sugar sweets.

न निस्सृतं भतत्योष्ठाद्वचनं यावदर्थिनाम् । तावद्वानररक्षोभिर्दत्तमेवाभ्यदृश्यत ।। 7.92.12 ।।

na nissṛtaṃ bhatatyoṣṭhādvacanaṃ yāvadarthinām | tāvadvānararakṣobhirdattamevābhyadṛśyata || 7.92.12 ||

Before a word could even emerge from the lips of the supplicants, it was already seen to be given by the monkeys and rakshasas.

न कश्चिन्मलिनस्तत्र दीनो वा ऽप्यथ कृर्शतः । तस्मिन्यज्ञवरे राज्ञो हृष्टपुष्टजनावृते ।। 7.92.13 ।।

na kaścinmalinastatra dīno vā 'pyatha kṛrśataḥ | tasminyajñavare rājño hṛṣṭapuṣṭajanāvṛte || 7.92.13 ||

In that excellent sacrifice of the king, which was filled with happy and well-nourished people, there was no one who was dirty, poor, or emaciated.

ये च तत्र महात्मानो मुनयश्चिरजीविनः । नास्मरंस्तादृशं यज्ञं नाप्यासीत् स कदाचन ।। 7.92.14 ।।

ye ca tatra mahātmāno munayaścirajīvinaḥ | nāsmaraṃstādṛśaṃ yajñaṃ nāpyāsīt sa kadācana || 7.92.14 ||

Even the great-souled, long-lived sages present there had never remembered or witnessed such a sacrifice before.

यः कृत्यवान्सुवर्णेन सुवर्णं लभते स्म सः । वित्तार्थी लभते वित्तं रत्नार्थी रत्नमेव च ।। 7.92.15 ।।

yaḥ kṛtyavānsuvarṇena suvarṇaṃ labhate sma saḥ | vittārthī labhate vittaṃ ratnārthī ratnameva ca || 7.92.15 ||

Whoever had a need for gold obtained gold, those desiring wealth obtained wealth, and those desiring jewels indeed obtained jewels.

रजतानां सुवर्णानामश्मनामथ वाससाम् । अनिशं दीयमानानां राशिः समुपदृश्यते ।। 7.92.16 ।।

rajatānāṃ suvarṇānāmaśmanāmatha vāsasām | aniśaṃ dīyamānānāṃ rāśiḥ samupadṛśyate || 7.92.16 ||

Heaps of silver, gold, jewels, and clothes, constantly being distributed, were visible everywhere.

न शक्रस्य धनेशस्य यमस्य वरुणस्य वा । ईदृशो दृष्टपूर्वो न एवमूचुस्तपोधनाः ।। 7.92.17 ।।

na śakrasya dhaneśasya yamasya varuṇasya vā | īdṛśo dṛṣṭapūrvo na evamūcustapodhanāḥ || 7.92.17 ||

The ascetics declared that such a spectacle had never been seen before, not even in the realms of Indra, Kubera, Yama, or Varuna.

सर्वत्र वानरास्तस्थुः सर्वत्रैव च राक्षसाः । वासोधनान्नमर्थिभ्यः पूर्णहस्ता ददुर्भृशम् ।। 7.92.18 ।।

sarvatra vānarāstasthuḥ sarvatraiva ca rākṣasāḥ | vāsodhanānnamarthibhyaḥ pūrṇahastā dadurbhṛśam || 7.92.18 ||

Monkeys and rakshasas were present everywhere, giving clothes, wealth, and food abundantly with full hands to all who sought them.

ईदृशो राजसिंहस्य यज्ञः सर्वगुणान्वितः । संवत्सरमथो साग्रं वर्तते न च हीयते ।। 7.92.19 ।।

īdṛśo rājasiṃhasya yajñaḥ sarvaguṇānvitaḥ | saṃvatsaramatho sāgraṃ vartate na ca hīyate || 7.92.19 ||

Such a sacrifice of the lion among kings, endowed with all good qualities, continued for more than a year without diminishing. इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीये आदिकाव्ये श्रीमदुत्तरकाण्डे द्विनवतितमः सर्गः ।। 92 ।। Thus ends the ninety-second sarga of Uttara Kanda of the holy Ramayana the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.