20 shlokas
रामस्य भाषितं श्रुत्वा लक्ष्मणः परमार्थवित् । उवाच प्राञ्जलिर्वाक्यं राघवं दीप्ततेजसम् ।। 7.54.1 ।।
rāmasya bhāṣitaṃ śrutvā lakṣmaṇaḥ paramārthavit | uvāca prāñjalirvākyaṃ rāghavaṃ dīptatejasam || 7.54.1 ||
Translation
Having heard Rama's words, Lakshmana, knower of the highest truth, with joined palms spoke this speech to Raghava of blazing splendor.
अल्पापराधे काकुत्स्थ द्विजाभ्यां शाप ईदृशः । महान्नृगस्य राजर्षेर्यमदण्ड इवापरः ।। 7.54.2 ।।
alpāparādhe kākutstha dvijābhyāṃ śāpa īdṛśaḥ | mahānnṛgasya rājarṣeryamadaṇḍa ivāparaḥ || 7.54.2 ||
Translation
O Kakutstha, for so slight an offense such a great curse was laid upon the royal sage Nriga by the two Brahmins, a curse like a second rod of Yama.
श्रुत्वा तु पापसंयुक्तमात्मानं पुरषर्षभ । किमुवाच नृगो राजा द्विजौ क्रोधसमन्वितौ ।। 7.54.3 ।।
śrutvā tu pāpasaṃyuktamātmānaṃ puraṣarṣabha | kimuvāca nṛgo rājā dvijau krodhasamanvitau || 7.54.3 ||
Translation
O bull among men, when he learned that he himself was bound up with sin, what did King Nriga say to the two Brahmins filled with anger?
लक्ष्मणेनैवमुक्तस्तु राघवः पुनरब्रवीत् । शृणु सौम्य यथा पूर्वं स राजा शापविक्षतः ।। 7.54.4 ।।
lakṣmaṇenaivamuktastu rāghavaḥ punarabravīt | śṛṇu saumya yathā pūrvaṃ sa rājā śāpavikṣataḥ || 7.54.4 ||
Translation
Thus addressed by Lakshmana, Raghava spoke again: Listen, gentle one, to how that king of old, stricken by the curse, conducted himself.
अथाध्वनि गतौ विप्रौ विज्ञाय स नृगस्तदा । आहूय मन्त्रिणः सर्वान्नैगमान्सपुरोधसः ।। 7.54.5 ।।
athādhvani gatau viprau vijñāya sa nṛgastadā | āhūya mantriṇaḥ sarvānnaigamānsapurodhasaḥ || 7.54.5 ||
Translation
Then, when the two Brahmins had gone upon their way and Nriga came to know of his plight, he summoned all his ministers, the townsmen, and his priests.
तानुवाच नृगो राजा सर्वाश्च प्रकृतीस्तथा । दुःखेन सुसमाविष्टः श्रूयतां मे समाहितैः ।। 7.54.6 ।।
tānuvāca nṛgo rājā sarvāśca prakṛtīstathā | duḥkhena susamāviṣṭaḥ śrūyatāṃ me samāhitaiḥ || 7.54.6 ||
Translation
King Nriga, overwhelmed with grief, said to them and likewise to all his subjects: Let it be heard from me with attentive minds.
नारदः पर्वतश्चैव मम दत्त्वा महद्भयम् । गतौ त्रिभुवनं भद्रौ वायुभूतावनिन्दितौ ।। 7.54.7 ।।
nāradaḥ parvataścaiva mama dattvā mahadbhayam | gatau tribhuvanaṃ bhadrau vāyubhūtāvaninditau || 7.54.7 ||
Translation
Narada and Parvata, those two blessed and blameless ones, having given me great cause for fear, departed to the three worlds, becoming as it were creatures of the wind.
कुमारो ऽयं वसुर्नाम स देवो ऽद्याभिषिच्यताम् । श्वभ्रं च यत्सुखस्पर्शं क्रियतां शिल्पिभिर्मम । यत्राहं सङ्क्षयिष्यामि शापं ब्राह्मणनिःसृतम् ।। 7.54.8 ।।
kumāro 'yaṃ vasurnāma sa devo 'dyābhiṣicyatām | śvabhraṃ ca yatsukhasparśaṃ kriyatāṃ śilpibhirmama | yatrāhaṃ saṅkṣayiṣyāmi śāpaṃ brāhmaṇaniḥsṛtam || 7.54.8 ||
Translation
Let this prince named Vasu, godlike, be consecrated this day; and let a pit pleasant to the touch be fashioned for me by the artisans, wherein I shall wear out the curse that has issued from the Brahmins.
वर्षघ्नमेकं श्वभ्रं तु हिमघ्नमपरं तथा । ग्रीष्मघ्नं तु सुखस्पर्शमेकं कुर्वन्तु शिल्पिनः ।। 7.54.9 ।।
varṣaghnamekaṃ śvabhraṃ tu himaghnamaparaṃ tathā | grīṣmaghnaṃ tu sukhasparśamekaṃ kurvantu śilpinaḥ || 7.54.9 ||
Translation
Let the artisans make one pit that wards off the rains, another likewise that wards off the cold, and one that is pleasant to the touch and wards off the summer heat.
फलवन्तश्च ये वृक्षाः पुष्पवत्यश्च या लताः । विरोप्यन्तां बहुविधाश्छायावन्तश्च गुल्मिनः ।। 7.54.10 ।।
phalavantaśca ye vṛkṣāḥ puṣpavatyaśca yā latāḥ | viropyantāṃ bahuvidhāśchāyāvantaśca gulminaḥ || 7.54.10 ||
Translation
Let trees that bear fruit and creepers that bear blossoms be planted there, of many kinds, together with shade-giving shrubs.
क्रियतां रमणीयं च श्वभ्राणां सर्वतोदिशम् । सुखमत्र वसिष्यामि यावत्कालस्य पर्ययः ।। 7.54.11 ।।
kriyatāṃ ramaṇīyaṃ ca śvabhrāṇāṃ sarvatodiśam | sukhamatra vasiṣyāmi yāvatkālasya paryayaḥ || 7.54.11 ||
Translation
Let the surroundings of the pits be made delightful on every side; here I shall dwell in comfort until the turning of time runs its course.
पुष्पाणि च सुगन्धीनि क्रियतां तेषु नित्यशः । परिवार्य यथा मे स्युरध्यर्धं योजनं तथा ।। 7.54.12 ।।
puṣpāṇi ca sugandhīni kriyatāṃ teṣu nityaśaḥ | parivārya yathā me syuradhyardhaṃ yojanaṃ tathā || 7.54.12 ||
Translation
Let fragrant flowers be set there continually, so that they may encircle me for the space of a yojana and a half.
एवं कृत्वा विधानं स सन्दिदेश वसं तदा । धर्मनित्यः प्रजाः पुत्र क्षत्रधर्मेण पालय ।। 7.54.13 ।।
evaṃ kṛtvā vidhānaṃ sa sandideśa vasaṃ tadā | dharmanityaḥ prajāḥ putra kṣatradharmeṇa pālaya || 7.54.13 ||
Translation
Having made this arrangement, he then gave his command to Vasu: Ever steadfast in righteousness, my son, protect the subjects according to the duty of a Kshatriya.
प्रत्यक्षं ते यथा शापो द्विजाभ्यां मयि पातितः । नरश्रेष्ठ सरोषाभ्यामपराधे ऽपि तादृशे ।। 7.54.14 ।।
pratyakṣaṃ te yathā śāpo dvijābhyāṃ mayi pātitaḥ | naraśreṣṭha saroṣābhyāmaparādhe 'pi tādṛśe || 7.54.14 ||
Translation
O best of men, even as you have seen with your own eyes how this curse was cast upon me by the two enraged Brahmins for so trifling an offense,
मा कृथास्तनुसन्तापं मत्कृते ऽपि नरर्षभ । कृतान्तः कुशलः पुत्र येनास्मि व्यसनीकृतः ।। 7.54.15 ।।
mā kṛthāstanusantāpaṃ matkṛte 'pi nararṣabha | kṛtāntaḥ kuśalaḥ putra yenāsmi vyasanīkṛtaḥ || 7.54.15 ||
Translation
do not, O bull among men, afflict your body with grief on my account. Destiny, my son, is skilled in its work, and by it I have been brought to calamity.
प्राप्तव्यान्येव प्राप्नोति गन्तव्यान्येव गच्छति । लब्धव्यान्येव लभते दुःखानि च सुखानि च ।। 7.54.16 ।।
prāptavyānyeva prāpnoti gantavyānyeva gacchati | labdhavyānyeva labhate duḥkhāni ca sukhāni ca || 7.54.16 ||
Translation
One attains only what is to be attained, goes only where one is bound to go, and obtains only what is to be obtained, whether sorrows or joys.
पूर्वे जात्यन्तरे वत्स मा विषादं कुरुष्व ह ।। 7.54.17 ।।
pūrve jātyantare vatsa mā viṣādaṃ kuruṣva ha || 7.54.17 ||
Translation
This springs from a former, separate birth, my child; do not give yourself over to despair.
एवमुक्त्वा नृपस्तत्र सुतं राजा महायशाः । श्वभ्रं जगाम सुकृतं वासाय पुरुषर्षभ ।। 7.54.18 ।।
evamuktvā nṛpastatra sutaṃ rājā mahāyaśāḥ | śvabhraṃ jagāma sukṛtaṃ vāsāya puruṣarṣabha || 7.54.18 ||
Translation
Having spoken thus to his son, the king of great renown, that bull among men, went down into the well-fashioned pit to dwell there.
एवं प्रविश्यैव नृपस्तदानीं श्वभ्रं महारत्नविभूषितं तत् । सम्पादयामास तदा महात्मा शापं द्विजाभ्यां हि रुषा विमुक्तम् ।। 7.54.19 ।।
evaṃ praviśyaiva nṛpastadānīṃ śvabhraṃ mahāratnavibhūṣitaṃ tat | sampādayāmāsa tadā mahātmā śāpaṃ dvijābhyāṃ hi ruṣā vimuktam || 7.54.19 ||
Translation
Having entered in this very manner, the great-souled king thereby brought to fulfillment that pit adorned with great jewels, the curse which had been pronounced upon him in anger by the two Brahmins.
इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीये आदिकाव्ये श्रीमदुत्तरकाण्डे चतुःपञ्चाशः सर्गः ।। 54 ।।
ityārṣe śrīmadrāmāyaṇe vālmīkīye ādikāvye śrīmaduttarakāṇḍe catuḥpañcāśaḥ sargaḥ || 54 ||
Translation
Thus ends the fifty-fourth canto of the venerable Uttara Kanda in the glorious Ramayana, the first poem composed by the sage Valmiki.