The Sage Nishakara's Prophecy

Shloka 1 (kishkindha.62.1)

एवमुक्त्वा मुनिश्रेष्ठमरुदं भृशदुःखितः । अथ ध्यात्वा मुहूर्तं च भगवानिदमब्रवीत् ॥ 62.1 ॥

evamuktvā muniśreṣṭhamarudaṃ bhṛśaduḥkhitaḥ | atha dhyātvā muhūrtaṃ ca bhagavānidamabravīt || 62.1 ||

Having said this to the best of sages, greatly grieved I wept; then, after meditating a while, the venerable one spoke thus.

Shloka 2 (kishkindha.62.2)

पक्षौ च ते प्रपक्षौ च पुनरन्यौ भविष्यतः । चक्षुषी चैव प्राणाश्च विक्रमश्च बलं च ते ॥ 62.2 ॥

pakṣau ca te prapakṣau ca punaranyau bhaviṣyataḥ | cakṣuṣī caiva prāṇāśca vikramaśca balaṃ ca te || 62.2 ||

'Your two wings and new pinions shall grow again; likewise your eyes, your life-breath, your valor and your strength shall return.'

Shloka 3 (kishkindha.62.3)

पुराणे सुमहत्कार्यं भविष्यं हि मया श्रुतम् । दृष्टं मे तपसा चैव श्रुत्वा च विदितं मम ॥ 62.3 ॥

purāṇe sumahatkāryaṃ bhaviṣyaṃ hi mayā śrutam | dṛṣṭaṃ me tapasā caiva śrutvā ca viditaṃ mama || 62.3 ||

'I have heard in ancient times of a very great event that is to come; I have seen it through my austerities, and having heard of it, I know it.'

Shloka 4 (kishkindha.62.4)

राजा दशरथो नाम कश्चिदिक्ष्वाकुवर्धनः । तस्य पुत्रो महातेजा रामो नाम भविष्यति ॥ 62.4 ॥

rājā daśaratho nāma kaścidikṣvākuvardhanaḥ | tasya putro mahātejā rāmo nāma bhaviṣyati || 62.4 ||

'There will be a king named Dasharatha, an increaser of the Ikshvaku line; to him a son of great splendor, named Rama, shall be born.'

Shloka 5 (kishkindha.62.5)

अरण्यं च सह भ्रात्रा लक्ष्मणेन गमिष्यति । तस्मिन्नर्थे नियुक्तः सन् पित्रा सत्यपराक्रमः ॥ 62.5 ॥

araṇyaṃ ca saha bhrātrā lakṣmaṇena gamiṣyati | tasminnarthe niyuktaḥ san pitrā satyaparākramaḥ || 62.5 ||

'He, of true valor, when appointed to that purpose by his father, will go to the forest together with his brother Lakshmana.'

Shloka 6 (kishkindha.62.6)

नैर्ऋतो रावणो नाम तस्य भार्यां हरिष्यति । राक्षसेन्द्रो जनस्थाने अवध्यः सुरदानवैः ॥ 62.6 ॥

nairṛto rāvaṇo nāma tasya bhāryāṃ hariṣyati | rākṣasendro janasthāne avadhyaḥ suradānavaiḥ || 62.6 ||

'Ravana, the lord of the Rakshasas, called Nairrita, unslayable by gods and demons, will abduct his wife from Janasthana.'

Shloka 7 (kishkindha.62.7)

सा च कामैः प्रलोभ्यन्ती भक्ष्यैर्भोज्यैश्च मैथिली । न भोक्ष्यति महाभागा दुःखमग्ना यशस्विनी ॥ 62.7 ॥

sā ca kāmaiḥ pralobhyantī bhakṣyairbhojyaiśca maithilī | na bhokṣyati mahābhāgā duḥkhamagnā yaśasvinī || 62.7 ||

'That glorious and greatly fortunate Maithili, tempted with desirable foods and dainties, sunk in sorrow, will not eat.'

Shloka 8 (kishkindha.62.8)

परमान्नं च वैदेह्या ज्ञात्वा दास्यति वासवः । यदन्नममृतप्रख्यं सुराणामपि दुर्लभम् ॥ 62.8 ॥

paramānnaṃ ca vaidehyā jñātvā dāsyati vāsavaḥ | yadannamamṛtaprakhyaṃ surāṇāmapi durlabham || 62.8 ||

'Knowing of Vaidehi's plight, Indra will give her a supreme food, ambrosial and renowned, hard to obtain even for the gods.'

Shloka 9 (kishkindha.62.9)

तदन्नं मैथिली प्राप्य विज्ञायेन्द्रादिदं त्विति । अग्रमुद्धृत्य रामाय भूतले निर्वपिष्यति ॥ 62.9 ॥

tadannaṃ maithilī prāpya vijñāyendrādidaṃ tviti | agramuda‍dhṛtya rāmāya bhūtale nirvapiṣyati || 62.9 ||

'Having received that food, and knowing that it is from Indra, Maithili, taking up the first portion, will offer it on the ground for Rama, saying:'

Shloka 10 (kishkindha.62.10)

यदि जीवति मे भर्ता लक्ष्मणो वापि देवरः । देवत्वं गच्छतोर्वापि तयोरन्नमिदं त्विति ॥ 62.10 ॥

yadi jīvati me bhartā lakṣmaṇo vāpi devaraḥ | devatvaṃ gacchatorvāpi tayorannamidaṃ tviti || 62.10 ||

'If my husband lives, or my brother-in-law Lakshmana also, or if they have both gone to godhood — this food is for them.'

Shloka 11 (kishkindha.62.11)

एष्यन्ति प्रेषितास्तत्र रामदूताः प्लवङ्गमाः । आख्येया राममहिषी त्वया तेभ्यो विहङ्गम ॥ 62.11 ॥

eṣyanti preṣitāstatra rāmadūtāḥ plavaṅgamāḥ | ākhyeyā rāmamahiṣī tvayā tebhyo vihaṅgama || 62.11 ||

'O sky-ranger, Rama's messengers, the leaping monkeys, sent forth, will come there; you must tell them of Rama's queen.'

Shloka 12 (kishkindha.62.12)

सर्वथा तु न गन्तव्यमीदृशः क्व गमिष्यसि । देशकालौ प्रतीक्षस्व पक्षौ त्वं प्रतिपत्स्यसे ॥ 62.12 ॥

sarvathā tu na gantavyamīdṛśaḥ kva gamiṣyasi | deśakālau pratīkṣasva pakṣau tvaṃ pratipatsyase || 62.12 ||

'You must by no means go anywhere just now; where would you go, being as you are? Await the right place and time — you shall regain your wings.'

Shloka 13 (kishkindha.62.13)

उत्सहेयमहं कर्तुमद्यैव त्वां सपक्षकम् । इहस्थस्त्वं हि लोकानां हितं कार्यं करिष्यसि ॥ 62.13 ॥

utsaheyamahaṃ kartumadyaiva tvāṃ sapakṣakam | ihasthastvaṃ hi lokānāṃ hitaṃ kāryaṃ kariṣyasi || 62.13 ||

'I could make you winged even this very day; but staying here you shall render a service beneficial to all the worlds.'

Shloka 14 (kishkindha.62.14)

त्वयापि खलु तत् कार्यं तयोश्च नृपपुत्रयोः । ब्राह्मणानां गुरूणां च मुनीनां वासवस्य च ॥ 62.14 ॥

tvayāpi khalu tat kāryaṃ tayośca nṛpaputrayoḥ | brāhmaṇānāṃ gurūṇāṃ ca munīnāṃ vāsavasya ca || 62.14 ||

'That task must be accomplished by you, for the sake of those two princes, and of the Brahmins, the elders, the sages, and Indra as well.'

Shloka 15 (kishkindha.62.15)

इच्छाम्यहमपि द्रष्टुं भ्रातरौ रामलक्ष्मणौ । नेच्छे चिरं धारयितुं प्राणांस्त्यक्ष्ये कलेवरम् । महर्षिस्त्वब्रवीदेवं दृष्टतत्त्वार्थदर्शनः ॥ 62.15 ॥

icchāmyahamapi draṣṭuṃ bhrātarau rāmalakṣmaṇau | necche ciraṃ dhārayituṃ prāṇāṃstyakṣye kalevaram | maharṣistvabravīdevaṃ dṛṣṭatattvārthadarśanaḥ || 62.15 ||

'I too wish to see the brothers Rama and Lakshmana, but I do not wish to bear this life any longer; I shall cast off my body.' Thus spoke the great sage, who had seen the truth of the highest reality.