21 shlokas
तां श्रुत्वा दिव्यसङ्काशां कथामद्भुतदर्शनाम् । लक्ष्मणः परमप्रीतो राघवं वाक्यमब्रवीत् ।। 7.57.1 ।।
tāṃ śrutvā divyasaṅkāśāṃ kathāmadbhutadarśanām | lakṣmaṇaḥ paramaprīto rāghavaṃ vākyamabravīt || 7.57.1 ||
Translation
Having heard that tale, resembling something divine and wondrous to behold, Lakshmana, exceedingly pleased, spoke these words to Raghava.
निक्षिप्तदेहौ काकुत्स्थ कथं तौ द्विजपार्थिवौ । पुनर्देहेन संयोगं जग्मुर्देवसम्मतौ ।। 7.57.2 ।।
nikṣiptadehau kākutstha kathaṃ tau dvijapārthivau | punardehena saṃyogaṃ jagmurdevasammatau || 7.57.2 ||
Translation
"O Kakutstha, those two—the brahmin and the king—who had laid down their bodies, how did they, esteemed by the gods, come once more into union with a body?"
तस्य तद्भाषितं श्रुत्वा रामः सत्यपराक्रमः । तां कथां कथयामास वसिष्ठस्य महात्मनः ।। 7.57.3 ।।
tasya tadbhāṣitaṃ śrutvā rāmaḥ satyaparākramaḥ | tāṃ kathāṃ kathayāmāsa vasiṣṭhasya mahātmanaḥ || 7.57.3 ||
Translation
Hearing that speech of his, Rama, whose valor is truth, related that tale of the great-souled Vasishtha.
यस्तु कुम्भो रघुश्रेष्ठ तेजःपूर्णो महात्मनोः । तस्मिंस्तेजोमयौ विप्रौ सम्भूतावृषिसत्तमौ ।। 7.57.4 ।।
yastu kumbho raghuśreṣṭha tejaḥpūrṇo mahātmanoḥ | tasmiṃstejomayau viprau sambhūtāvṛṣisattamau || 7.57.4 ||
Translation
"As for that jar, O best of the Raghus, which was filled with the radiance of those two great-souled ones, within it the two brahmins, made of that radiance, came into being—those most excellent of sages.
पूर्वं समभवत्तत्र ह्यगस्त्यो भगवानृषिः । नाहं सुतस्तवेत्युक्त्वा मित्रं तस्मादपाक्रमत् ।। 7.57.5 ।।
pūrvaṃ samabhavattatra hyagastyo bhagavānṛṣiḥ | nāhaṃ sutastavetyuktvā mitraṃ tasmādapākramat || 7.57.5 ||
Translation
First there arose there the venerable sage Agastya; saying "I am not your son," he departed from Mitra.
तद्धि तेजस्तु मित्रस्य उर्वस्याः पूर्वमाहितम् । तस्मिन्समभवत्कुम्भे तत्तेजो यत्र वारुणम् ।। 7.57.6 ।।
taddhi tejastu mitrasya urvasyāḥ pūrvamāhitam | tasminsamabhavatkumbhe tattejo yatra vāruṇam || 7.57.6 ||
Translation
For that radiance of Mitra and of Urvashi had earlier been deposited in that jar wherein the radiance of Varuna also was; from it he came into being.
कस्यचित्त्वथ कालस्य मित्रावरुणसम्भवः । वसिष्ठस्तेजसा युक्तो जज्ञे इक्ष्वाकुदैवतम् ।। 7.57.7 ।।
kasyacittvatha kālasya mitrāvaruṇasambhavaḥ | vasiṣṭhastejasā yukto jajñe ikṣvākudaivatam || 7.57.7 ||
Translation
Then, after some time, Vasishtha, sprung from Mitra and Varuna and endowed with splendor, was born to be the chosen priest of the Ikshvakus.
तमिक्ष्वाकुर्महातेजा जातमात्रमनिन्दितम् । वव्रे पुरोधसं सौम्य वंशस्यास्य भवाय नः ।। 7.57.8 ।।
tamikṣvākurmahātejā jātamātramaninditam | vavre purodhasaṃ saumya vaṃśasyāsya bhavāya naḥ || 7.57.8 ||
Translation
That blameless one, the moment he was born, Ikshvaku of great splendor chose as his family priest, saying, 'O gentle one, may it be for the prosperity of this our lineage.'
एवं त्वपूर्वदेहस्य वसिष्ठस्य महात्मनः । कथितो निर्गमः सौम्य निमेः शृणु यथा ऽभवत् ।। 7.57.9 ।।
evaṃ tvapūrvadehasya vasiṣṭhasya mahātmanaḥ | kathito nirgamaḥ saumya nimeḥ śṛṇu yathā 'bhavat || 7.57.9 ||
Translation
Thus, O gentle one, has been told to you the coming-forth of the great-souled Vasishtha of that former body; now hear how it was with Nimi.
दृष्ट्वा विदेहं राजानमृषयः सर्व एव ते । तं च ते योजयामासुर्यागदीक्षां मनीषिणः ।। 7.57.10 ।।
dṛṣṭvā videhaṃ rājānamṛṣayaḥ sarva eva te | taṃ ca te yojayāmāsuryāgadīkṣāṃ manīṣiṇaḥ || 7.57.10 ||
Translation
When all those wise sages beheld King Videha, they engaged him in the consecration for a sacrifice.
तं च देहं नरेन्द्रस्य रक्षन्ति स्म द्विजोत्तमाः । गन्धैर्माल्यैश्च वस्त्रैश्च पौरभृत्यसमन्विताः ।। 7.57.11 ।।
taṃ ca dehaṃ narendrasya rakṣanti sma dvijottamāḥ | gandhairmālyaiśca vastraiśca paurabhṛtyasamanvitāḥ || 7.57.11 ||
Translation
And the foremost of the twice-born, together with the citizens and attendants, guarded that body of the king with perfumes, garlands, and garments.
ततो यज्ञे समाप्ते तु भृगुस्तत्रेदमब्रवीत् । आनयिष्यामि ते चेतस्तुष्टो ऽस्मि तव पार्थिव ।। 7.57.12 ।।
tato yajñe samāpte tu bhṛgustatredamabravīt | ānayiṣyāmi te cetastuṣṭo 'smi tava pārthiva || 7.57.12 ||
Translation
Then, when the sacrifice was completed, Bhrigu spoke thus there: 'I shall bring back your consciousness, O king; I am pleased with you.'
सुप्रीताश्च सुराः सर्वे निमेश्चेतस्तथाब्रुवन् । वरं वरय राजर्षे क्व ते चेतो निरूप्यताम् ।। 7.57.13 ।।
suprītāśca surāḥ sarve nimeścetastathābruvan | varaṃ varaya rājarṣe kva te ceto nirūpyatām || 7.57.13 ||
Translation
And all the gods, well pleased, spoke thus to the consciousness of Nimi: 'Choose a boon, O royal sage; let it be declared where your consciousness shall dwell.'
एवमुक्तः सुरैः सर्वैर्निमेश्चेतस्तदाब्रवीत् । नेत्रेषु सर्वभूतानां वसेयं सुरसत्तमाः ।। 7.57.14 ।।
evamuktaḥ suraiḥ sarvairnimeścetastadābravīt | netreṣu sarvabhūtānāṃ vaseyaṃ surasattamāḥ || 7.57.14 ||
Translation
Thus addressed by all the gods, the consciousness of Nimi then said, 'O best of the gods, may I dwell in the eyes of all beings.'
बाढमित्येव विबुधा निमेश्चेतस्तदा ऽब्रुवन् । नेत्रेषु सर्वभूतानां वायुभूतश्चरिष्यसि ।। 7.57.15 ।।
bāḍhamityeva vibudhā nimeścetastadā 'bruvan | netreṣu sarvabhūtānāṃ vāyubhūtaścariṣyasi || 7.57.15 ||
Translation
'So be it,' the gods then said to the consciousness of Nimi; 'in the eyes of all beings you shall move, having become as wind.'
त्वत्कृते च निमिष्यन्ति चक्षूंषि पृथिवीपते । वायुभूतेन चरता विश्रमार्थं मुहुर्मुहुः ।। 7.57.16 ।।
tvatkṛte ca nimiṣyanti cakṣūṃṣi pṛthivīpate | vāyubhūtena caratā viśramārthaṃ muhurmuhuḥ || 7.57.16 ||
Translation
'And for your sake, O lord of the earth, the eyes of beings shall blink, when you, become as wind, move within them, again and again for the sake of rest.'
एवमुक्त्वा तु विबुधाः सर्वे जग्मुर्यथागतम् । ऋषयो ऽपि महात्मानो निमेर्देहं समाहरन् ।। 7.57.17 ।।
evamuktvā tu vibudhāḥ sarve jagmuryathāgatam | ṛṣayo 'pi mahātmāno nimerdehaṃ samāharan || 7.57.17 ||
Translation
Having spoken thus, all the gods departed as they had come; and the great-souled sages too gathered up the body of Nimi.
अरणिं तत्र निक्षिप्य मथनं चक्रुरोजसा । मन्त्रहोमैर्महात्मानः पुत्रहेतोर्निमेस्तदा ।। 7.57.18 ।।
araṇiṃ tatra nikṣipya mathanaṃ cakrurojasā | mantrahomairmahātmānaḥ putrahetornimestadā || 7.57.18 ||
Translation
Placing the fire-kindling stick there, those great-souled ones then performed the churning with vigor, with sacred chants and oblations, for the sake of a son for Nimi.
अरण्यां मथ्यामानायां प्रादुर्भूतो महातपाः । मथनान्मिथिरित्याहुर्जननाज्जनको ऽभवत् । यस्माद्विदेहात्सम्भूतो वैदेहस्तु ततः स्मृतः ।। 7.57.19 ।।
araṇyāṃ mathyāmānāyāṃ prādurbhūto mahātapāḥ | mathanānmithirityāhurjananājjanako 'bhavat | yasmādvidehātsambhūto vaidehastu tataḥ smṛtaḥ || 7.57.19 ||
Translation
As the kindling-stick was being churned, the one of great austerity came forth; because he arose from the churning (mathana) they called him Mithi, and because he was born (janana) he became Janaka; and because he was produced from a body-less one (Videha), he was thereafter remembered as Vaideha.
एवं विदेहराजश्च जनकः पूर्वको ऽभवत् । मिथिर्नाम महातेजास्तेनायं मैथिलो ऽभवत् ।। 7.57.20 ।।
evaṃ videharājaśca janakaḥ pūrvako 'bhavat | mithirnāma mahātejāstenāyaṃ maithilo 'bhavat || 7.57.20 ||
Translation
Thus Janaka became the first king of the Videhas; he of great splendor was named Mithi, and by him this lineage became known as Maithila.
इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीये आदिकाव्ये श्रीमदुत्तरकाण्डे सप्तपञ्चाशः सर्गः ।। 57 ।।
ityārṣe śrīmadrāmāyaṇe vālmīkīye ādikāvye śrīmaduttarakāṇḍe saptapañcāśaḥ sargaḥ || 57 ||
Translation
Thus ends the fifty-seventh canto in the venerable Uttara Kanda of the holy Ramayana, the first poem, composed by the seer Valmiki.