Rama's Long and Righteous Reign

Shloka 1 (uttara.99.1)

रजन्यां तु प्रभातायां समानीय महामुनीन् । गीयतामविशङ्काभ्यां रामः पुत्रावुवाच ह ।। ७.९९.१ ।।

rajanyāṃ tu prabhātāyāṃ samānīya mahāmunīn | gīyatām aviśaṅkābhyāṃ rāmaḥ putrāv uvāca ha || 7.99.1 ||

When night had turned to dawn, having summoned the great sages, Rama said to his two sons, "Sing on, without fear."

Shloka 2 (uttara.99.2)

ततः समुपविष्टेषु ब्रह्मर्षिषु महात्मसु । भविष्यदुत्तरं काव्यं जगतुस्तौ कुशीलवौ ।। ७.९९.२ ।।

tataḥ samupaviṣṭeṣu brahmarṣiṣu mahātmasu | bhaviṣyad uttaraṃ kāvyaṃ jagatus tau kuśīlavau || 7.99.2 ||

Then, when the great-souled Brahmarshis had taken their seats, Kusha and Lava sang that future poem, the Uttara.

Shloka 3 (uttara.99.3)

प्रविष्टायां तु सीतायां भूतलं सत्यसम्पदा । तस्यावसाने यज्ञस्य रामः परमदुर्मनाः ।। ७.९९.३ ।।

praviṣṭāyāṃ tu sītāyāṃ bhūtalaṃ satyasampadā | tasyāvasāne yajñasya rāmaḥ paramadurmanāḥ || 7.99.3 ||

With Sita, by the wealth of her truth, having entered the earth, at the conclusion of that sacrifice Rama became utterly downcast.

Shloka 4 (uttara.99.4)

अपश्यमानो वैदेहीं मेने शून्यमिदं जगत् । शोकेन परमायस्तो न शान्तिं मनसा ऽगमत् ।। ७.९९.४ ।।

apaśyamāno vaidehīṃ mene śūnyam idaṃ jagat | śokena paramāyasto na śāntiṃ manasāgamat || 7.99.4 ||

Not seeing Vaidehi, he deemed this whole world empty; utterly worn down by grief, his mind found no peace.

Shloka 5 (uttara.99.5)

विसृज्य पार्थिवान्सर्वानृक्षवानरराक्षसान् । जनौघं विप्रमुख्यानां वित्तपूर्वं विसृज्य च ।। ७.९९.५ ।।

visṛjya pārthivān sarvān ṛkṣavānararākṣasān | janaughaṃ vipramukhyānāṃ vittapūrvaṃ visṛjya ca || 7.99.5 ||

Having dismissed all the kings, the bears, the Vanaras, and the Rakshasas, and having dismissed too, with gifts of wealth, the multitude of foremost Brahmins,

Shloka 6 (uttara.99.6)

एवं समाप्य यज्ञं तु विधिवत्स तु राघवः । ततो विसृज्य तान्सर्वान्रामो राजीवलोचनः ।। ७.९९.६ ।।

evaṃ samāpya yajñaṃ tu vidhivat sa tu rāghavaḥ | tato visṛjya tān sarvān rāmo rājīvalocanaḥ || 7.99.6 ||

Having thus duly completed the sacrifice, that Raghava, the lotus-eyed Rama, having dismissed them all,

Shloka 7 (uttara.99.7)

हृदि कृत्वा तदा सीतामयोध्यां प्रविवेश ह । इष्टयज्ञो नरपतिः पुत्रद्वयसमन्वितः ।। ७.९९.७ ।।

hṛdi kṛtvā tadā sītām ayodhyāṃ praviveśa ha | iṣṭayajño narapatiḥ putradvayasamanvitaḥ || 7.99.7 ||

bearing Sita in his heart, entered Ayodhya, that lord of men, his sacrifice accomplished, together with his two sons.

Shloka 8 (uttara.99.8)

न सीतायाः परां भार्यां वव्रे स रघुनन्दनः । यज्ञे यज्ञे च पत्न्यर्थं जानकी काञ्चनी भवत् ।। ७.९९.८ ।।

na sītāyāḥ parāṃ bhāryāṃ vavre sa raghunandanaḥ | yajñe yajñe ca patnyarthaṃ jānakī kāñcanī bhavat || 7.99.8 ||

That delight of the Raghus took no other wife in place of Sita; and at every sacrifice, in the wife's place, a golden image of Janaki was set.

Shloka 9 (uttara.99.9)

दशवर्षसहस्राणि वाजिमेघानथाकरोत् । वाजपेयान्दशगुणांस्तथा बहुसुवर्णकान् ।। ७.९९.९ ।।

daśavarṣasahasrāṇi vājimedhān athākarot | vājapeyān daśaguṇāṃs tathā bahusuvarṇakān || 7.99.9 ||

For ten thousand years he performed horse-sacrifices, and ten times as many Vajapeya rites, and many other rich-in-gold sacrifices besides.

Shloka 10 (uttara.99.10)

अग्निष्टोमातिरात्राभ्यां गोसवैश्च महाधनैः । ईजे क्रतुभिरन्यैश्च स श्रीमानाप्तदक्षिणैः ।। ७.९९.१० ।।

agniṣṭomātirātrābhyāṃ gosavaiś ca mahādhanaiḥ | īje kratubhir anyaiś ca sa śrīmān āptadakṣiṇaiḥ || 7.99.10 ||

That glorious king sacrificed too with the Agnishtoma and Atiratra rites, with the richly-endowed Gosava, and with other rites furnished with due offerings.

Shloka 11 (uttara.99.11)

एवं स कालः सुमहान्राज्यस्थस्य महात्मनः । धर्मे प्रयतमानस्य व्यतीयाद्राघवस्य तु ।। ७.९९.११ ।।

evaṃ sa kālaḥ sumahān rājyasthasya mahātmanaḥ | dharme prayatamānasya vyatīyād rāghavasya tu || 7.99.11 ||

Thus a great span of time passed for that great-souled Raghava, established in his kingdom, ever striving in righteousness.

Shloka 12 (uttara.99.12)

अनुरञ्जन्ति राजानमहन्यहनि राघवम् । ऋक्षवानररक्षांसि स्थिता रामस्य शासने ।। ७.९९.१२ ।।

anurañjanti rājānam ahany ahani rāghavam | ṛkṣavānararakṣāṃsi sthitā rāmasya śāsane || 7.99.12 ||

The bears, the Vanaras, and the Rakshasas, established under Rama's rule, held their king Raghava dear day after day.

Shloka 13 (uttara.99.13)

काले वर्षति पर्जन्यः सुभिक्षं विमला दिशः । हृष्टपुष्टजनाकीर्णं पुरं जनपदास्तथा ।। ७.९९.१३ ।।

kāle varṣati parjanyaḥ subhikṣaṃ vimalā diśaḥ | hṛṣṭapuṣṭajanākīrṇaṃ puraṃ janapadās tathā || 7.99.13 ||

The rain-clouds rained in season, the quarters were clear, food was abundant, and the city and the countryside were thronged with a happy, thriving people.

Shloka 14 (uttara.99.14)

नाकाले म्रियते कश्चिन्न व्याधिः प्राणिनां तथा । नानर्थो विद्यते कश्चिद्रामे राज्यं प्रशासति ।। ७.९९.१४ ।।

nākāle mriyate kaś cin na vyādhiḥ prāṇinām tathā | nānartho vidyate kaś cid rāme rājyaṃ praśāsati || 7.99.14 ||

While Rama ruled the kingdom, no one died before their time, no creature suffered disease, and no misfortune of any kind existed.

Shloka 15 (uttara.99.15)

अथ दीर्घस्य कालस्य राममाता यशस्विनी । पुत्रपौत्रैः परिवृता कालधर्ममुपागमत् ।। ७.९९.१५ ।।

atha dīrghasya kālasya rāmamātā yaśasvinī | putrapautraiḥ parivṛtā kāladharmam upāgamat || 7.99.15 ||

Then, after a long time, Rama's renowned mother, surrounded by her sons and grandsons, met the way appointed by time -- that is, she passed away.

Shloka 16 (uttara.99.16)

अन्वियाय सुमित्रा च कैकेयी च यशस्विनी । धर्मं कृत्वा बहुविधं त्रिदिवे पर्यवस्थिता ।। ७.९९.१६ ।।

anviyāya sumitrā ca kaikeyī ca yaśasvinī | dharmaṃ kṛtvā bahuvidhaṃ tridive paryavasthitā || 7.99.16 ||

Sumitra followed her, and the renowned Kaikeyi too; having performed many forms of righteous duty, they came to dwell in the third heaven.

Shloka 17 (uttara.99.17)

सर्वाः प्रमुदिताः स्वर्गे राज्ञा दशरथेन च । समागता महाभागाः सर्वधर्मं च लेभिरे ।। ७.९९.१७ ।।

sarvāḥ pramuditāḥ svarge rājñā daśarathena ca | samāgatā mahābhāgāḥ sarvadharmaṃ ca lebhire || 7.99.17 ||

All of them, those most fortunate queens, rejoicing, were reunited with King Dasharatha in heaven, and obtained the full fruit of righteousness.

Shloka 18 (uttara.99.18)

तासां रामो महादानं काले काले प्रयच्छति । मातऽणामविशेषेण ब्राह्मणेषु तपस्विषु ।। ७.९९.१८ ।।

tāsāṃ rāmo mahādānaṃ kāle kāle prayacchati | mātṝṇām aviśeṣeṇa brāhmaṇeṣu tapasviṣu || 7.99.18 ||

For their sake Rama, from time to time, gave great gifts, without distinction among his mothers, to ascetic Brahmins.

Shloka 19 (uttara.99.19)

पित्र्याणि ब्रह्मरत्नानि यज्ञान्परमदुस्तरान् । चकार रामो धर्मात्मा पितऽन्देवान्विवर्धयन् ।। ७.९९.१९ ।।

pitryāṇi brahmaratnāni yajñān paramadustarān | cakāra rāmo dharmātmā pitṝn devān vivardhayan || 7.99.19 ||

The righteous Rama performed the ancestral gifts of sacred wealth to Brahmins and the most arduous sacrifices, ever exalting his forefathers and the gods.

Shloka 20 (uttara.99.20)

एवं वर्षसहस्राणि बहून्यथ ययुः सुखम् । यज्ञैर्बहुविधं धर्मं वर्धयानस्य सर्वदा ।। ७.९९.२० ।।

evaṃ varṣasahasrāṇi bahūny atha yayuḥ sukham | yajñair bahuvidhaṃ dharmaṃ vardhayānasya sarvadā || 7.99.20 ||

Thus many thousand years passed happily for him, who through his sacrifices ever increased righteousness in manifold ways.