20 shlokas
प्रस्थाप्य तु स शत्रुघ्नं भ्रातृभ्यां सह राघवः । प्रमुमोद सुखी राज्यं धर्मेण परिपालयन् ।। 7.73.1 ।।
prasthāpya tu sa śatrughnaṃ bhrātṛbhyāṃ saha rāghavaḥ | pramumoda sukhī rājyaṃ dharmeṇa paripālayan || 7.73.1 ||
Translation
Having sent forth Shatrughna along with his two brothers, Raghava rejoiced, happy, governing his kingdom with righteousness.
ततः कतिपयाहःसु वृद्धो जानपदो द्विजः । मृतं बालमुपादाय राजद्वारमुपागमत् ।। 7.73.2 ।।
tataḥ katipayāhaḥsu vṛddho jānapado dvijaḥ | mṛtaṃ bālamupādāya rājadvāramupāgamat || 7.73.2 ||
Translation
Then, after some days had passed, an aged Brahmin of the countryside, carrying his dead boy, came to the gate of the king.
रुदन्बहुविधा वाचः स्नेहदुःखसमन्विताः । असकृत्पुत्र पुत्रेति वाक्यमेतदुवाच ह ।। 7.73.3 ।।
rudanbahuvidhā vācaḥ snehaduḥkhasamanvitāḥ | asakṛtputra putreti vākyametaduvāca ha || 7.73.3 ||
Translation
Weeping, he uttered manifold words filled with affection and grief, repeatedly crying out this lament, "O my son, my son!"
किं नु मे दुष्कृतं कर्म पुरा देहान्तरे कृतम् । यदहं पुत्रमेकं त्वां पश्यामि निधनं गतम् ।। 7.73.4 ।।
kiṃ nu me duṣkṛtaṃ karma purā dehāntare kṛtam | yadahaṃ putramekaṃ tvāṃ paśyāmi nidhanaṃ gatam || 7.73.4 ||
Translation
"What evil deed did I commit long ago in another body, that I now behold you, my only son, gone to your death?"
अप्राप्तयौवनं बालं पञ्चवर्षसहस्रकम् । अकाले कालमापन्नं मम दुःखाय पुत्रक ।। 7.73.5 ।।
aprāptayauvanaṃ bālaṃ pañcavarṣasahasrakam | akāle kālamāpannaṃ mama duḥkhāya putraka || 7.73.5 ||
Translation
"A child not yet come to youth, only five thousand years old, you have met your end untimely, to my sorrow, O my little son."
अल्पैरहोभिर्निधनं गमिष्यामि न संशयः । अहं च जननी चैव तव शोकेन पुत्रक ।। 7.73.6 ।।
alpairahobhirnidhanaṃ gamiṣyāmi na saṃśayaḥ | ahaṃ ca jananī caiva tava śokena putraka || 7.73.6 ||
Translation
In but a few days I shall surely meet my death, without doubt; and both I and the mother as well, O dear child, shall perish through grief for you.
न स्मराम्यनृतं ह्युक्तं न च हिंसां स्मराम्यहम् । सर्वेषां प्राणिनां पापं कृतं नैव स्मराम्यहम् ।। 7.73.7 ।।
na smarāmyanṛtaṃ hyuktaṃ na ca hiṃsāṃ smarāmyaham | sarveṣāṃ prāṇināṃ pāpaṃ kṛtaṃ naiva smarāmyaham || 7.73.7 ||
Translation
I do not recall ever having spoken a falsehood, nor do I recall doing any violence; I do not recall any sin committed against any living creature.
केनाद्य दुष्कृतेनायं बाल एव ममात्मजः । अकृत्वा पितृकार्याणि गतो वैवस्वतक्षयम् ।। 7.73.8 ।।
kenādya duṣkṛtenāyaṃ bāla eva mamātmajaḥ | akṛtvā pitṛkāryāṇi gato vaivasvatakṣayam || 7.73.8 ||
Translation
By what evil deed has this son of mine today, while still but a boy, gone to the abode of Vaivasvata (Yama) without having performed the funeral rites for his fathers?
नेदृशं दृष्टपूर्वं मे श्रुतं वा घोरदर्शनम् । मृत्युरप्राप्तकालानां रामस्य विषये यथा ।। 7.73.9 ।।
nedṛśaṃ dṛṣṭapūrvaṃ me śrutaṃ vā ghoradarśanam | mṛtyuraprāptakālānāṃ rāmasya viṣaye yathā || 7.73.9 ||
Translation
Never before have I seen or heard of so dreadful a sight, that death should come to those whose time has not yet arrived, as it has within Rama's realm.
रामस्य दुष्कृतं किञ्चिन्महदस्ति न संशयः । यथा हि विषयस्थानां बालानां मृत्युरागतः ।। 7.73.10 ।।
rāmasya duṣkṛtaṃ kiñcinmahadasti na saṃśayaḥ | yathā hi viṣayasthānāṃ bālānāṃ mṛtyurāgataḥ || 7.73.10 ||
Translation
There is surely some great misdeed of Rama, beyond doubt, since death has come to children dwelling within his kingdom.
नह्यन्यविषयस्थानां बालानां मृत्युतो भयम् । त्वं राजञ्जीवयस्वैनं बालं मृत्युवशं गतम् ।। 7.73.11 ।।
nahyanyaviṣayasthānāṃ bālānāṃ mṛtyuto bhayam | tvaṃ rājañjīvayasvainaṃ bālaṃ mṛtyuvaśaṃ gatam || 7.73.11 ||
Translation
For in the realms of others there is no fear of death for children. You, O king, restore this boy to life, who has fallen under the power of death.
राजद्वारि मरिष्यामि पत्न्या सार्धमनाथवत् । ब्रह्महत्यां ततो राम समुपेत्य सुखी भव ।। 7.73.12 ।।
rājadvāri mariṣyāmi patnyā sārdhamanāthavat | brahmahatyāṃ tato rāma samupetya sukhī bhava || 7.73.12 ||
Translation
I shall die here at the gate of the palace together with my wife, helpless as one without a protector; then, O Rama, having incurred the guilt of slaying a brahmin, be you happy.
भ्रातृभिः सहितो राजन्दीर्घमायुरवाप्स्यसि । उषिताः स्म सुखं राज्ये तवास्मिन्सुमहाबल ।। 7.73.13 ।।
bhrātṛbhiḥ sahito rājandīrghamāyuravāpsyasi | uṣitāḥ sma sukhaṃ rājye tavāsminsumahābala || 7.73.13 ||
Translation
Together with your brothers, O king, you will attain a long life; we had dwelt happily in this your kingdom, O most mighty one.
इदं तु पतितं तस्मात्तव राम वशे स्थिताः । कालस्य वशमापन्नाः स्वल्पं हि नहि नः सुखम् ।। 7.73.14 ।।
idaṃ tu patitaṃ tasmāttava rāma vaśe sthitāḥ | kālasya vaśamāpannāḥ svalpaṃ hi nahi naḥ sukham || 7.73.14 ||
Translation
But this calamity has now befallen, O Rama; abiding under your rule, fallen under the power of Time, our happiness is little indeed, nay none at all.
सम्प्रत्यनाथो विषय इक्ष्वाकूणां महात्मनाम् । रामं नाथमिहासाद्य बालान्तकरणं ध्रुवम् ।। 7.73.15 ।।
sampratyanātho viṣaya ikṣvākūṇāṃ mahātmanām | rāmaṃ nāthamihāsādya bālāntakaraṇaṃ dhruvam || 7.73.15 ||
Translation
Now the realm of the great-souled Ikshvakus is left without a protector, since here, having Rama for its lord, it has surely become a destroyer of children.
राजदोषैर्विपद्यन्ते प्रजा ह्यविधिपालिताः । असद्वृत्ते तु नृपतावकाले म्रियते जनः ।। 7.73.16 ।।
rājadoṣairvipadyante prajā hyavidhipālitāḥ | asadvṛtte tu nṛpatāvakāle mriyate janaḥ || 7.73.16 ||
Translation
Through the faults of the king the subjects come to ruin when they are not protected according to the law; and when the king is of evil conduct, the people die before their time.
यद्वा पुरेष्वयुक्तानि जना जनपदेषु च । कुर्वते न च रक्षा ऽस्ति तदा कालकृतं भयम् ।। 7.73.17 ।।
yadvā pureṣvayuktāni janā janapadeṣu ca | kurvate na ca rakṣā 'sti tadā kālakṛtaṃ bhayam || 7.73.17 ||
Translation
Or else, when men in the cities and in the countryside commit improper deeds and there is no protection against them, then arises the danger wrought by Time.
सुव्यक्तं राजदोषो हि भविष्यति न संशयः । पुरे जनपदे चापि ततो बालवधो ह्ययम् ।। 7.73.18 ।।
suvyaktaṃ rājadoṣo hi bhaviṣyati na saṃśayaḥ | pure janapade cāpi tato bālavadho hyayam || 7.73.18 ||
Translation
Plainly there is a fault in the king, beyond doubt, both in the city and in the countryside; and from that has come this slaying of the boy.
एवं बहुविधैर्वाक्यैरुपरुध्य मुहुर्मुहुः । राजानं दुःखसन्तप्तः सुतं तमुपगूहते ।। 7.73.19 ।।
evaṃ bahuvidhairvākyairuparudhya muhurmuhuḥ | rājānaṃ duḥkhasantaptaḥ sutaṃ tamupagūhate || 7.73.19 ||
Translation
Thus, obstructing and reproaching the king again and again with words of many kinds, consumed by grief, he embraced that son of his.
इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीये आदिकाव्ये श्रीमदुत्तरकाण्डे त्रिसप्ततितमः सर्गः ।। 73 ।।
ityārṣe śrīmadrāmāyaṇe vālmīkīye ādikāvye śrīmaduttarakāṇḍe trisaptatitamaḥ sargaḥ || 73 ||
Translation
Thus ends the seventy-third canto in the sacred Ramayana, the first epic poem composed by Valmiki, in the venerable Uttara Kanda.