Shukra's Curse: The Birth of Dandaka Forest

Shloka 1 (uttara.81.1)

स मुहूर्तादुपश्रुत्य देवर्षिरमितप्रभः । स्वमाश्रमं शिष्यवृतः क्षुधार्तः सन्न्यवर्तत ।। ७.८१.१ ।।

sa muhūrtādupaśrutya devarṣiramitaprabhaḥ | svamāśramaṃ śiṣyavṛtaḥ kṣudhārtaḥ sannyavartata || 7.81.1 ||

That divine sage of measureless splendor, having heard within a moment, hungry, returned to his own hermitage surrounded by his disciples.

Shloka 2 (uttara.81.2)

सो ऽपश्यदरजां दीनां रजसा समभिप्लुताम् । ज्योत्स्नामिव ग्रहग्रस्तां प्रत्यूषे न विराजतीम् ।। ७.८१.२ ।।

so 'paśyadarajāṃ dīnāṃ rajasā samabhiplutām | jyotsnāmiva grahagrastāṃ pratyūṣe na virājatīm || 7.81.2 ||

He saw pitiable Araja, overwhelmed with the dust [of violation], like moonlight seized by an eclipse-demon, not shining at dawn.

Shloka 3 (uttara.81.3)

तस्य रोषः समभवत्क्षुधार्तस्य विशेषतः । निर्दहन्निव लोकांस्त्रीञ्छिष्यांश्चैतदुवाच ह ।। ७.८१.३ ।।

tasya roṣaḥ samabhavatkṣudhārtasya viśeṣataḥ | nirdahanniva lokāṃstrīñchiṣyāṃścaitaduvāca ha || 7.81.3 ||

His anger arose, all the more since he was hungry; and, as if burning the three worlds, he spoke this to his disciples.

Shloka 4 (uttara.81.4)

पश्यध्वं विपरीतस्य दण्डस्याविजितात्मनः । विपत्तिं घोरसङ्काशां क्रुद्धामग्निशिखामिव ।। ७.८१.४ ।।

paśyadhvaṃ viparītasya daṇḍasyāvijitātmanaḥ | vipattiṃ ghorasaṅkāśāṃ kruddhāmagniśikhāmiva || 7.81.4 ||

"Behold the calamity coming upon perverse, unrestrained Danda -- terrible to see, like an enraged tongue of fire."

Shloka 5 (uttara.81.5)

क्षयो ऽस्य दुर्मतेः प्राप्तः सानुगस्य दुरात्मनः । यः प्रदीप्तां हुताशस्य शिखां वै स्प्रष्टुमिच्छति ।। ७.८१.५ ।।

kṣayo 'sya durmateḥ prāptaḥ sānugasya durātmanaḥ | yaḥ pradīptāṃ hutāśasya śikhāṃ vai spraṣṭumicchati || 7.81.5 ||

"Destruction has come upon this evil-minded, wicked one, together with his followers -- he who wishes to touch the very blazing flame of fire."

Shloka 6 (uttara.81.6)

यस्मात्स कृतवान्पापमीदृशं घोरसंहितम् । तस्मात्प्राप्स्यति दुर्मेधाः फलं पापस्य कर्मणः ।। ७.८१.६ ।।

yasmātsa kṛtavānpāpamīdṛśaṃ ghorasaṃhitam | tasmātprāpsyati durmedhāḥ phalaṃ pāpasya karmaṇaḥ || 7.81.6 ||

"Since he has committed such a sin, joined with terror, that dull-witted one shall therefore reap the fruit of his sinful deed."

Shloka 7 (uttara.81.7)

सप्तरात्रेण राजासौ सभृत्यबलवाहनः । पापकर्मसमाचारो वधं प्राप्स्यति दुर्मतिः ।। ७.८१.७ ।।

saptarātreṇa rājāsau sabhṛtyabalavāhanaḥ | pāpakarmasamācāro vadhaṃ prāpsyati durmatiḥ || 7.81.7 ||

"Within seven nights, that evil-minded king, along with his servants, army, and mounts, whose conduct is sinful, shall meet death."

Shloka 8 (uttara.81.8)

समन्ताद्योजनशतं विषयं चास्य दुर्मतेः । धक्ष्यते पांसुवर्षेण महता पाकशासनः ।। ७.८१.८ ।।

samantādyojanaśataṃ viṣayaṃ cāsya durmateḥ | dhakṣyate pāṃsuvarṣeṇa mahatā pākaśāsanaḥ || 7.81.8 ||

"And this evil-minded one's territory, a hundred yojanas all around, shall be burned by Indra with a great rain of dust."

Shloka 9 (uttara.81.9)

सर्वसत्वानि यानीह स्थावराणि चराणि च । महता पांसुवर्षेण विलयं सर्वतो ऽगमन् ।। ७.८१.९ ।।

sarvasatvāni yānīha sthāvarāṇi carāṇi ca | mahatā pāṃsuvarṣeṇa vilayaṃ sarvato 'gaman || 7.81.9 ||

"All beings here, whether unmoving or moving, shall go utterly to destruction through that great rain of dust."

Shloka 10 (uttara.81.10)

दण्डस्य विषयो यावत्तावत्सर्वसमुच्छ्रयम् । पांसुवर्षमिवालक्ष्यं सप्तरात्रं भविष्यति ।। ७.८१.१० ।।

daṇḍasya viṣayo yāvattāvatsarvasamucchrayam | pāṃsuvarṣamivālakṣyaṃ saptarātraṃ bhaviṣyati || 7.81.10 ||

"As far as Danda's territory extends, all its rising ground shall become, as if buried under a rain of dust, unseen and unmarked for seven nights."

Shloka 11 (uttara.81.11)

इत्युक्त्वा क्रोधताम्राक्षस्तदाश्रमनिवासिनम् । जनं जनपदान्तेषु स्थीयतामिति चाब्रवीत् ।। ७.८१.११ ।।

ityuktvā krodhatāmrākṣastadāśramanivāsinam | janaṃ janapadānteṣu sthīyatāmiti cābravīt || 7.81.11 ||

Having said this, red-eyed with fury, he told the people dwelling in that hermitage that they should withdraw to the borders of the country.

Shloka 12 (uttara.81.12)

श्रुत्वा तूशनसो वाक्यं स आश्रमावसथो जनः । निष्क्रान्तो विषयात्तस्मात्स्थानं चक्रे ऽथ बाह्यतः ।। ७.८१.१२ ।।

śrutvā tūśanaso vākyaṃ sa āśramāvasatho janaḥ | niṣkrānto viṣayāttasmātsthānaṃ cakre 'tha bāhyataḥ || 7.81.12 ||

Having heard Ushanas's words, the people dwelling in the hermitage departed from that region and took up their place outside it.

Shloka 13 (uttara.81.13)

स तथोक्त्वा मुनिजनमरजामिदमब्रवीत् । इहैव वस दुर्मेधे आश्रमे सुसमाहिता ।। ७.८१.१३ ।।

sa tathoktvā munijanamarajāmidamabravīt | ihaiva vasa durmedhe āśrame susamāhitā || 7.81.13 ||

Having thus spoken to the sage-folk, he said this to Araja: "Dwell right here in this hermitage, composed, O unfortunate one."

Shloka 14 (uttara.81.14)

इदं योजनपर्यन्तं सरः सुरुचिरप्रभम् । अरजे विज्वरा भुङ्क्ष्व कालश्चात्र प्रतीक्ष्यताम् ।। ७.८१.१४ ।।

idaṃ yojanaparyantaṃ saraḥ suruciraprabham | araje vijvarā bhuṅkṣva kālaścātra pratīkṣyatām || 7.81.14 ||

"O Araja, this lake -- radiant and lovely, extending for a yojana -- is here; free from anguish, partake of it, and await the appointed time in this place."

Shloka 15 (uttara.81.15)

त्वत्समीपे च ये सत्त्वा वासमेष्यन्ति तां निशाम् । अवध्याः पांसुवर्षेण ते भविष्यन्ति नित्यदा ।। ७.८१.१५ ।।

tvatsamīpe ca ye sattvā vāsameṣyanti tāṃ niśām | avadhyāḥ pāṃsuvarṣeṇa te bhaviṣyanti nityadā || 7.81.15 ||

"And whatever creatures come to dwell near you on that night, they shall thereafter be forever unslayable by the rain of dust."

Shloka 16 (uttara.81.16)

श्रुत्वा नियोगं ब्रह्मर्षेः सा ऽरजा भार्गवी तदा । तथेति पितरं प्राह भार्गवं भृशदुःखिता । इत्युक्त्वा भार्गवो वासमन्यत्र समकारयत् ।। ७.८१.१६ ।।

śrutvā niyogaṃ brahmarṣeḥ sā 'rajā bhārgavī tadā | tatheti pitaraṃ prāha bhārgavaṃ bhṛśaduḥkhitā | ityuktvā bhārgavo vāsamanyatra samakārayat || 7.81.16 ||

Hearing the brahmin-sage's command, Araja, Bhargava's daughter, greatly grieved, said "So be it" to her father Bhargava. Having said this, Bhargava made his dwelling elsewhere.

Shloka 17 (uttara.81.17)

तच्च राज्यं नरेन्द्रस्य सभृत्यबलवाहनम् । सप्ताहाद्भस्मसाद्भूतं यथोक्तं ब्रह्मवादिना ।। ७.८१.१७ ।।

tacca rājyaṃ narendrasya sabhṛtyabalavāhanam | saptāhādbhasmasādbhūtaṃ yathoktaṃ brahmavādinā || 7.81.17 ||

And that king's realm, with its servants, army and mounts, was, after seven days, reduced to ashes, exactly as declared by that knower of Brahman.

Shloka 18 (uttara.81.18)

तस्यासौ दण्डविषयो विन्ध्यशैवलयोर्नृप । शप्तो ब्रह्मर्षिणा तेन वैधर्म्ये सहिते कृते ।। ७.८१.१८ ।।

tasyāsau daṇḍaviṣayo vindhyaśaivalayornṛpa | śapto brahmarṣiṇā tena vaidharmye sahite kṛte || 7.81.18 ||

"That territory of Danda's, O king, between the Vindhya and Shaivala [ranges], was cursed by that brahmin-sage when the unrighteous deed had been committed there."

Shloka 19 (uttara.81.19)

ततः प्रभृति काकुत्स्थ दण्डकारण्यमुच्यते । तपस्विनः स्थिता ह्यत्र जनस्थानमतो ऽभवत् ।। ७.८१.१९ ।।

tataḥ prabhṛti kākutstha daṇḍakāraṇyamucyate | tapasvinaḥ sthitā hyatra janasthānamato 'bhavat || 7.81.19 ||

"From that time on, Kakutstha, it is called Dandaka forest; ascetics dwelt here, and so it also came to be known as Janasthana."

Shloka 20 (uttara.81.20)

एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं यन्मां पृच्छसि राघव । सन्ध्यामुपासितुं वीर समयो ह्यतिवर्तते ।। ७.८१.२० ।।

etatte sarvamākhyātaṃ yanmāṃ pṛcchasi rāghava | sandhyāmupāsituṃ vīra samayo hyativartate || 7.81.20 ||

"All this, Raghava, that you asked of me, has now been told. O hero, the time for evening worship is passing."

Shloka 21 (uttara.81.21)

एते महर्षयः सर्वे पूर्णकुम्भाः समन्ततः । कृतोदका नरव्याघ्र आदित्यं पर्युपासते ।। ७.८१.२१ ।।

ete maharṣayaḥ sarve pūrṇakumbhāḥ samantataḥ | kṛtodakā naravyāghra ādityaṃ paryupāsate || 7.81.21 ||

"O tiger among men, all these great sages, their pots filled all around, having made their water-offerings, are worshipping the sun."

Shloka 22 (uttara.81.22)

स तैर्ब्राह्मणमभ्यस्तं सहितैर्ब्रह्मवित्तमैः । रविरस्तं गतो राम गच्छोदकमुपस्पृश ।। ७.८१.२२ ।।

sa tairbrāhmaṇamabhyastaṃ sahitairbrahmavittamaiḥ | ravirastaṃ gato rāma gacchodakamupaspṛśa || 7.81.22 ||

"O Rama, honored by those brahmins, the foremost knowers of Brahman together -- the sun has now set; go and touch the water [for your evening rites]."