23 shlokas
पुरा त्रेतायुगे राम बभूव बहुविस्तरम् । समन्ताद्योजनशतं विमृगं पक्षिवर्जितम् ।। 7.77.1 ।।
purā tretāyuge rāma babhūva bahuvistaram | samantādyojanaśataṃ vimṛgaṃ pakṣivarjitam || 7.77.1 ||
Translation
Long ago in the Treta age, O Rama, there came to be a vast forest, extending a hundred yojanas on every side, devoid of beasts and empty of birds.
तस्मिन्निर्मानुषे ऽरण्ये कुर्वाणस्तप उत्तमम् । अहमाक्रमितुं सौम्य तदरण्यमुपागमम् ।। 7.77.2 ।।
tasminnirmānuṣe 'raṇye kurvāṇastapa uttamam | ahamākramituṃ saumya tadaraṇyamupāgamam || 7.77.2 ||
Translation
Into that uninhabited wilderness I came, O gentle one, while engaged in the highest austerity, intending to traverse that forest.
तस्य रूपमरण्यस्य निर्देष्टुं न शशाक ह । फलमूलैः सुखास्वादैर्बहुरूपैश्च पादपैः ।। 7.77.3 ।।
tasya rūpamaraṇyasya nirdeṣṭuṃ na śaśāka ha | phalamūlaiḥ sukhāsvādairbahurūpaiśca pādapaiḥ || 7.77.3 ||
Translation
The aspect of that forest could not be described, so abounding was it in trees of many kinds bearing fruits and roots that were sweet to taste.
तस्यारण्यस्य मध्ये तु सरो योजनमायतम् । हंसकारण्डवाकीर्णं चक्रवाकोपशोभितम् ।। 7.77.4 ।।
tasyāraṇyasya madhye tu saro yojanamāyatam | haṃsakāraṇḍavākīrṇaṃ cakravākopaśobhitam || 7.77.4 ||
Translation
In the midst of that forest there was a lake a yojana in extent, thronged with swans and karandava ducks and graced by chakravaka birds.
पद्मोत्पलसमाकीर्णं समतिक्रान्तशैवलम् । तदाश्चर्यमिवात्यर्थं सुखास्वादमनुत्तमम् ।। 7.77.5 ।।
padmotpalasamākīrṇaṃ samatikrāntaśaivalam | tadāścaryamivātyarthaṃ sukhāsvādamanuttamam || 7.77.5 ||
Translation
It was strewn with lotuses and water-lilies and free of moss; it was like a wonder exceedingly, of sweet taste and most excellent.
अरजस्कं तथा ऽक्षोभ्यं श्रीमत्पक्षिगणायुतम् । समीपे तस्य सरसो महदद्भुतमाश्रमम् ।। 7.77.6 ।।
arajaskaṃ tathā 'kṣobhyaṃ śrīmatpakṣigaṇāyutam | samīpe tasya saraso mahadadbhutamāśramam || 7.77.6 ||
Translation
Dustless and undisturbed, splendid and frequented by flocks of birds it was; and near that lake there stood a great and wondrous hermitage.
पुराणं पुण्यमत्यर्थं तपस्विजनवर्जितम् । तत्राहमवसं रात्रिं नैदाघीं पुरुषर्षभ ।। 7.77.7 ।।
purāṇaṃ puṇyamatyarthaṃ tapasvijanavarjitam | tatrāhamavasaṃ rātriṃ naidāghīṃ puruṣarṣabha || 7.77.7 ||
Translation
Ancient and most holy, yet abandoned by ascetics, there I passed a summer's night, O bull among men.
प्रभाते काल्यमुत्थाय सरस्तदुपचक्रमे । अथापश्यं शवं तत्र सुपुष्टमजरं क्वचित् ।। 7.77.8 ।।
prabhāte kālyamutthāya sarastadupacakrame | athāpaśyaṃ śavaṃ tatra supuṣṭamajaraṃ kvacit || 7.77.8 ||
Translation
Rising at dawn at the proper hour, I approached that lake; and there at one spot I saw a corpse, well-nourished and undecayed.
पङ्किभेदेन पुष्टाङ्गं समाश्रितसरोवरम् । तिष्ठन्तं परया लक्ष्म्या तस्मिंस्तोयाशये नृप ।। 7.77.9 ।।
paṅkibhedena puṣṭāṅgaṃ samāśritasarovaram | tiṣṭhantaṃ parayā lakṣmyā tasmiṃstoyāśaye nṛpa || 7.77.9 ||
Translation
Its limbs were plump in their several parts, and it lay close to the lake, resting in that body of water with surpassing splendor, O king.
तमर्थं चिन्तयानो ऽहं मुहूर्तं तत्र राघव । उषितो ऽस्मि सरस्तीरे किन्न्विदं स्यादिति प्रभो ।। 7.77.10 ।।
tamarthaṃ cintayāno 'haṃ muhūrtaṃ tatra rāghava | uṣito 'smi sarastīre kinnvidaṃ syāditi prabho || 7.77.10 ||
Translation
Pondering this matter, O Raghava, I dwelt there a while upon the lake's shore, wondering, 'What indeed can this be?', O lord.
अथापश्यं मुहूर्तेन दिव्यमद्भुतदर्शनम् । विमानं परमोदारं हंसयुक्तं मनोजवम् ।। 7.77.11 ।।
athāpaśyaṃ muhūrtena divyamadbhutadarśanam | vimānaṃ paramodāraṃ haṃsayuktaṃ manojavam || 7.77.11 ||
Translation
Then in a moment I beheld a divine and wondrous sight: a most magnificent aerial chariot, yoked to swans and swift as thought.
अत्यर्थं स्वर्गिणं त विमाने रघुनन्दन । उपास्ते ऽप्सरसां वीर सहस्रं दिव्यभूषणम् ।। 7.77.12 ।।
atyarthaṃ svargiṇaṃ ta vimāne raghunandana | upāste 'psarasāṃ vīra sahasraṃ divyabhūṣaṇam || 7.77.12 ||
Translation
Within that chariot, O delight of the Raghus, there was a dweller of heaven exceedingly resplendent; and a thousand apsarases, O hero, adorned with celestial ornaments, attended upon him.
गायन्ति दिव्यगेयानि वादयन्ति तथा ऽपराः । क्ष्वेलयन्ति तथा चान्या नृत्यन्ति च तथा ऽपराः ।। 7.77.13 ।।
gāyanti divyageyāni vādayanti tathā 'parāḥ | kṣvelayanti tathā cānyā nṛtyanti ca tathā 'parāḥ || 7.77.13 ||
Translation
Some sang divine songs, while others played upon instruments; some likewise made merry, and yet others danced.
अपराश्चन्द्ररश्म्याभैर्हेमदण्डैश्च चामरैः । दोधूयुर्वदनं तस्य पुण्डरीकनिभेक्षणम् ।। 7.77.14 ।।
aparāścandraraśmyābhairhemadaṇḍaiśca cāmaraiḥ | dodhūyurvadanaṃ tasya puṇḍarīkanibhekṣaṇam || 7.77.14 ||
Translation
Others, with chowries having golden handles and gleaming like the rays of the moon, fanned his face whose eyes were like white lotuses.
ततः सिंहासनं त्यक्त्वा मेरुकूटमिवांशुमान् । पश्यतो मे तदा राम विमानादवरुह्य च । तं शवं भक्षयामास स स्वर्गी रघुनन्दन ।। 7.77.15 ।।
tataḥ siṃhāsanaṃ tyaktvā merukūṭamivāṃśumān | paśyato me tadā rāma vimānādavaruhya ca | taṃ śavaṃ bhakṣayāmāsa sa svargī raghunandana || 7.77.15 ||
Translation
Then, leaving his throne like the sun departing from the peak of Meru, that dweller of heaven descended from the chariot, O Rama, and, as I looked on, he devoured that corpse, O delight of the Raghus.
तथा भुक्त्वा यथाकामं मांसं बहु सुपीवरम् । अवतीर्य सरः स्वर्गी संस्प्रष्टुमुपचक्रमे ।। 7.77.16 ।।
tathā bhuktvā yathākāmaṃ māṃsaṃ bahu supīvaram | avatīrya saraḥ svargī saṃspraṣṭumupacakrame || 7.77.16 ||
Translation
Having thus eaten his fill of that abundant and very fatty flesh, the dweller of heaven went down into the lake and began to bathe.
उपस्पृश्य यथान्यायं स स्वर्गी रघुपुङ्गव । आरोढुमुपचक्राम विमानवरमुत्तमम् ।। 7.77.17 ।।
upaspṛśya yathānyāyaṃ sa svargī raghupuṅgava | āroḍhumupacakrāma vimānavaramuttamam || 7.77.17 ||
Translation
Having sipped water and purified himself according to custom, that dweller of heaven, O foremost of the Raghus, prepared to mount his most excellent and supreme chariot.
तमहं देवसङ्काशमारोहन्तमुदीक्ष्य वै । अथाहमब्रुवं वाक्यं स्वर्गिणं पुरुषर्षभ ।। 7.77.18 ।।
tamahaṃ devasaṅkāśamārohantamudīkṣya vai | athāhamabruvaṃ vākyaṃ svargiṇaṃ puruṣarṣabha || 7.77.18 ||
Translation
Beholding that one, godlike in appearance, as he was mounting up, I then addressed these words to that dweller of heaven, O bull among men.
को भवान्देवसङ्काश आहारश्च विगर्हितः । त्वयेदं भुज्यते सौम्य किमर्थं वक्तुमर्हसि ।। 7.77.19 ।।
ko bhavāndevasaṅkāśa āhāraśca vigarhitaḥ | tvayedaṃ bhujyate saumya kimarthaṃ vaktumarhasi || 7.77.19 ||
Translation
Who are you, resembling a god, and why is this reviled food eaten by you? O gentle one, be pleased to tell me for what reason you partake of it.
कस्य स्यादीदृशो भाव आहारो देवसम्मतः । आश्चर्यं वर्तते सौम्य श्रोतुमिच्छामि तत्त्वतः ।। 7.77.20 ।।
kasya syādīdṛśo bhāva āhāro devasammataḥ | āścaryaṃ vartate saumya śrotumicchāmi tattvataḥ || 7.77.20 ||
Translation
To whom could such a condition belong, that his food should be approved by the gods? It is a wonder, O gentle one, and I wish to hear of it truly.
नाहमौपयिकं मन्ये तव भक्ष्यमिदं शवम् ।। 7.77.21 ।।
nāhamaupayikaṃ manye tava bhakṣyamidaṃ śavam || 7.77.21 ||
Translation
I do not think this corpse a fitting thing for you to eat.
इत्येवमुक्तः स नरेन्द्र नाकी कौतूहलात्सूनृतया गिरा च । श्रुत्वा च वाक्यं मम सर्वमेतत्सर्वं तथा चाकथयन्ममेति ।। 7.77.22 ।।
ityevamuktaḥ sa narendra nākī kautūhalātsūnṛtayā girā ca | śrutvā ca vākyaṃ mama sarvametatsarvaṃ tathā cākathayanmameti || 7.77.22 ||
Translation
Thus addressed, O lord of men, that dweller in heaven, out of curiosity and with kindly, truthful speech, having heard all this my utterance, then related the whole of it to me just as it was, saying, 'This is mine.'
इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीये आदिकाव्ये श्रीमदुत्तरकाण्डे सप्तसप्ततितमः सर्गः ।। 77 ।।
ityārṣe śrīmadrāmāyaṇe vālmīkīye ādikāvye śrīmaduttarakāṇḍe saptasaptatitamaḥ sargaḥ || 77 ||
Translation
Thus ends the seventy-seventh canto in the venerable Uttara Kanda of the sacred Ramayana, the first poem, composed by Valmiki.