Rama Discovers the Ascetic

Shloka 1 (uttara.75.1)

नारदस्य तु तद्वाक्यं श्रुत्वा ऽमृतमयं तदा । प्रहर्षमतुलं लेभे लक्ष्मणं चेदमब्रवीत् ।। 75.1 ।।

nāradasya tu tadvākyaṃ śrutvā 'mṛtamayaṃ tadā | praharṣamatulaṃ lebhe lakṣmaṇaṃ cedamabravīt || 75.1 ||

Hearing Narada's speech, as sweet as nectar, Rama then felt boundless joy, and spoke thus to Lakshmana.

Shloka 2 (uttara.75.2)

गच्छ सौम्य द्विजश्रेष्ठं समाश्वासय सुव्रतम् । बालस्य तु शरीरं तत्तैलद्रोण्यां निधापय ।। 75.2 ।।

gaccha saumya dvijaśreṣṭhaṃ samāśvāsaya suvratam | bālasya tu śarīraṃ tattailadroṇyāṃ nidhāpaya || 75.2 ||

"Go, gentle one, and console that excellent, faithful brahmin; and place the child's body in a vat of oil."

Shloka 3 (uttara.75.3)

गन्धैश्च परमोदारैस्तैलैश्चापि सुगन्धिभिः । यथा न क्षीयते बालस्तथा सौम्य विधीयताम् ।। 75.3 ।।

gandhaiśca paramodāraistailaiścāpi sugandhibhiḥ | yathā na kṣīyate bālastathā saumya vidhīyatām || 75.3 ||

"With the finest fragrant substances and sweet-scented oils, gentle one, arrange things so that the boy's body does not perish."

Shloka 4 (uttara.75.4)

यथा शरीरो बालस्य गुप्तः सन् शिष्टकर्मणः । विपत्तिः परिभेदो वा न भवेच्च तथा कुरु ।। 75.4 ।।

yathā śarīro bālasya guptaḥ san śiṣṭakarmaṇaḥ | vipattiḥ paribhedo vā na bhavecca tathā kuru || 75.4 ||

"See to it that the boy's body, kept safe until the due rites can be performed, comes to no harm or corruption."

Shloka 5 (uttara.75.5)

एवमादिश्य काकुत्स्थो लक्ष्मणं शुभलक्षणम् । मनसा पुष्पकं दध्यावागच्छेति महायशाः ।। 75.5 ।।

evamādiśya kākutstho lakṣmaṇaṃ śubhalakṣaṇam | manasā puṣpakaṃ dadhyāvāgaccheti mahāyaśāḥ || 75.5 ||

Having so instructed Lakshmana of the auspicious marks, Kakutstha, of great renown, called to mind the Pushpaka chariot, willing it to come.

Shloka 6 (uttara.75.6)

इङ्गितं स तु विज्ञाय पुष्पको हेमभूषितः । आजगाम मुहूर्तेन समीपे राघवस्य वै ।। 75.6 ।।

iṅgitaṃ sa tu vijñāya puṣpako hemabhūṣitaḥ | ājagāma muhūrtena samīpe rāghavasya vai || 75.6 ||

Understanding that silent wish, the gold-adorned Pushpaka arrived in but a moment, right beside Raghava.

Shloka 7 (uttara.75.7)

सो ऽब्रवीत्प्रणतो भूत्वा अयमस्मि नराधिप । वश्यस्तव महाबाहो किङ्करः समुपस्थितः ।। 75.7 ।।

so 'bravītpraṇato bhūtvā ayamasmi narādhipa | vaśyastava mahābāho kiṅkaraḥ samupasthitaḥ || 75.7 ||

Bowing low, it said, "Here I am, O lord of men. Your obedient servant, O mighty-armed one, stands ready before you."

Shloka 8 (uttara.75.8)

भाषितं रुचिरं श्रुत्वा पुष्पकस्य नराधिपः । अभिवाद्य महर्षींस्तान् विमानं सो ऽध्यरोहत ।। 75.8 ।।

bhāṣitaṃ ruciraṃ śrutvā puṣpakasya narādhipaḥ | abhivādya maharṣīṃstān vimānaṃ so 'dhyarohata || 75.8 ||

Hearing the Pushpaka's gracious words, the lord of men, bowing to those great sages, mounted the flying chariot.

Shloka 9 (uttara.75.9)

धनुर्गृहीत्वा तूणी च खड्गं च रुचिरप्रभम् । निक्षिप्य नगरे वीरौ सौमित्रिभरतावुभौ ।। 75.9 ।।

dhanurgṛhītvā tūṇī ca khaḍgaṃ ca ruciraprabham | nikṣipya nagare vīrau saumitribharatāvubhau || 75.9 ||

Taking up his bow, his quivers, and his gleaming sword, he left the two heroes, Saumitri and Bharata, behind in the city.

Shloka 10 (uttara.75.10)

प्रायात्प्रतीचीं हरितं विचिन्वंश्च ततस्ततः । उत्तरामगमच्छ्रीमान्दिशं हिमवता वृताम् ।। 75.10 ।।

prāyātpratīcīṃ haritaṃ vicinvaṃśca tatastataḥ | uttarāmagamacchrīmāndiśaṃ himavatā vṛtām || 75.10 ||

He set forth toward the western quarter, searching here and there, and then that glorious one moved on to the northern region, encircled by the Himalaya.

Shloka 11 (uttara.75.11)

अपश्यमानस्तत्रापि स्वल्पमप्यथ दुष्कृतम् । पूर्वामपि दिशं सर्वामथो ऽपश्यन्नराधिपः ।। 75.11 ।।

apaśyamānastatrāpi svalpamapyatha duṣkṛtam | pūrvāmapi diśaṃ sarvāmatho 'paśyannarādhipaḥ || 75.11 ||

Finding not even the slightest wrongdoing there either, the lord of men then surveyed the whole of the eastern quarter as well.

Shloka 12 (uttara.75.12)

प्रविशुद्धसमाचारामादर्शतलनिर्मलाम् । पुष्पकस्थो महाबाहुस्तदापश्यन्नराधिपः ।। 75.12 ।।

praviśuddhasamācārāmādarśatalanirmalām | puṣpakastho mahābāhustadāpaśyannarādhipaḥ || 75.12 ||

Seated in the Pushpaka, the mighty-armed lord of men found that quarter to be one of utterly pure conduct, spotless as a mirror's surface.

Shloka 13 (uttara.75.13)

दक्षिणां दिशमाक्रामत्ततो राजर्षिनन्दनः । शैवलस्योत्तरे पार्श्वे ददर्श सुमहत्सरः ।। 75.13 ।।

dakṣiṇāṃ diśamākrāmattato rājarṣinandanaḥ | śaivalasyottare pārśve dadarśa sumahatsaraḥ || 75.13 ||

Then that son of a royal sage advanced into the southern quarter, and on the northern side of Shaivala he caught sight of a vast lake.

Shloka 14 (uttara.75.14)

तस्मिन्सरसि तप्यन्तं तापसं सुमहत्तपः । ददर्श राघवः श्रीमाँल्लम्बमानमधोमुखम् ।। 75.14 ।।

tasminsarasi tapyantaṃ tāpasaṃ sumahattapaḥ | dadarśa rāghavaḥ śrīmā~llambamānamadhomukham || 75.14 ||

There at that lake, the glorious Raghava saw an ascetic performing the most severe austerity, hanging suspended head downward.

Shloka 15 (uttara.75.15)

राघवस्तमुपागम्य तप्यन्तं तप उत्तमम् । उवाच स तदा वाक्यं धन्यस्त्वमसि सुव्रत ।। 75.15 ।।

rāghavastamupāgamya tapyantaṃ tapa uttamam | uvāca sa tadā vākyaṃ dhanyastvamasi suvrata || 75.15 ||

Raghava, going up to him as he practiced his exalted austerity, then spoke these words: "Blessed are you, O man of noble vows."

Shloka 16 (uttara.75.16)

कस्यां योन्यां तपोवृद्ध वर्तसे दृढविक्रम । कौतूहलात्त्वां पृच्छामि रामो दाशरथिर्ह्यहम् ।। 75.16 ।।

kasyāṃ yonyāṃ tapovṛddha vartase dṛḍhavikrama | kautūhalāttvāṃ pṛcchāmi rāmo dāśarathirhyaham || 75.16 ||

"Of what birth, O elder in austerity, O man of steadfast resolve, are you? I ask you out of curiosity—I am Rama, son of Dasharatha."

Shloka 17 (uttara.75.17)

को ऽर्थो मनीषितस्तुभ्यं स्वर्गलाभः परो ऽथवा । वराश्रयो यदर्थं त्वं तपस्यसि सुदुष्करम् । यमाश्रित्य तपस्तप्तं श्रोतुमिच्छामि तापस ।। 75.17 ।।

ko 'rtho manīṣitastubhyaṃ svargalābhaḥ paro 'thavā | varāśrayo yadarthaṃ tvaṃ tapasyasi suduṣkaram | yamāśritya tapastaptaṃ śrotumicchāmi tāpasa || 75.17 ||

"What is it you seek—the attainment of heaven, or some other, higher boon—for whose sake you perform this most arduous austerity? O ascetic, I wish to hear on what ground this tapas is undertaken."

Shloka 18 (uttara.75.18)

ब्राह्मणो वा ऽसि भद्रं ते क्षत्रियो वा ऽसि दुर्जयः । वैश्यस्तृतीयवर्णो वा शूद्रो वा सत्यवाग्भव ।। 75.18 ।।

brāhmaṇo vā 'si bhadraṃ te kṣatriyo vā 'si durjayaḥ | vaiśyastṛtīyavarṇo vā śūdro vā satyavāgbhava || 75.18 ||

"Are you a brahmin—blessings be upon you—or an unconquerable kshatriya? Or a vaishya, the third order, or a shudra? Speak the truth to me."

Shloka 19 (uttara.75.19)

इत्येवमुक्तः स नराधिपेन ह्यवाक्छिरा दाशरथाय तस्मै । उवाच जातिं नृपपुङ्गवाय यत्कारणे चैव तपःप्रयत्नः ।। 75.19 ।।

ityevamuktaḥ sa narādhipena hyavākchirā dāśarathāya tasmai | uvāca jātiṃ nṛpapuṅgavāya yatkāraṇe caiva tapaḥprayatnaḥ || 75.19 ||

Thus questioned by the lord of men, he, his head bowed low, told that son of Dasharatha, foremost of kings, his caste, and the reason for his striving in austerity.