21 shlokas
तदद्भुततमं वाक्यं श्रुत्वागस्त्यस्य राघवः । गौरवाद्विस्मयाच्चैव पुनः प्रष्टुं प्रचक्रमे ।। 7.79.1 ।।
tadadbhutatamaṃ vākyaṃ śrutvāgastyasya rāghavaḥ | gauravādvismayāccaiva punaḥ praṣṭuṃ pracakrame || 7.79.1 ||
Translation
Having heard that most wondrous account of Agastya, Raghava, out of reverence and out of astonishment, set about questioning him once again.
भगवंस्तद्वनं घोरं तपस्तप्यति यत्र सः । श्वेतो वैदर्भको राजा कथं स्यादमृगद्विजम् ।। 7.79.2 ।।
bhagavaṃstadvanaṃ ghoraṃ tapastapyati yatra saḥ | śveto vaidarbhako rājā kathaṃ syādamṛgadvijam || 7.79.2 ||
Translation
"O blessed one, that dreadful forest in which he performed his austerities — how did that forest, where Shveta, the king of the Vidarbhas, dwelt, come to be devoid of beasts and birds?
तद्वनं स कथ राजा शून्यं मनुजवर्जितम् । तपश्चर्तुं प्रविष्टः स श्रोतुमिच्छामि तत्त्वतः ।। 7.79.3 ।।
tadvanaṃ sa katha rājā śūnyaṃ manujavarjitam | tapaścartuṃ praviṣṭaḥ sa śrotumicchāmi tattvataḥ || 7.79.3 ||
Translation
How did that king enter that forest, empty and bereft of human beings, in order to practice austerities? This I wish to hear truly."
रामस्य वचनं श्रुत्वा कौतूहलसमन्वितम् । वाक्यं परमतेजस्वी वक्तुमेवोपचक्रमे ।। 7.79.4 ।।
rāmasya vacanaṃ śrutvā kautūhalasamanvitam | vākyaṃ paramatejasvī vaktumevopacakrame || 7.79.4 ||
Translation
Having heard the words of Rama, filled with curiosity, the one of supreme splendor began to speak his reply.
पुरा कृतयुगे राम मनुर्दण्डधरः प्रभुः । तस्य पुत्रो महानासीदिक्ष्वाकुः कुलनन्दनः ।। 7.79.5 ।।
purā kṛtayuge rāma manurdaṇḍadharaḥ prabhuḥ | tasya putro mahānāsīdikṣvākuḥ kulanandanaḥ || 7.79.5 ||
Translation
In ancient times, O Rama, in the Krita age, Manu was the lord and wielder of the rod of justice; his son was the great Ikshvaku, the delight of the dynasty.
तं पुत्रं पूर्वंकं राज्ये निक्षिप्य भुवि दुर्जयम् । पृथिव्यां राजवंशानां भव कर्तेत्युवाच ह ।। 7.79.6 ।।
taṃ putraṃ pūrvaṃkaṃ rājye nikṣipya bhuvi durjayam | pṛthivyāṃ rājavaṃśānāṃ bhava kartetyuvāca ha || 7.79.6 ||
Translation
Having established that son, the foremost and invincible upon the earth, in the kingship, Manu said to him, "Be the founder of the royal lineages upon this earth."
तथैवेति प्रतिज्ञातं पितुः पुत्रेण राघव । ततः परमसन्तुष्टो मनुः पुत्रमुवाच ह ।। 7.79.7 ।।
tathaiveti pratijñātaṃ pituḥ putreṇa rāghava | tataḥ paramasantuṣṭo manuḥ putramuvāca ha || 7.79.7 ||
Translation
"So be it," the son promised his father, O Raghava; thereupon Manu, exceedingly pleased, spoke again to his son.
प्रीतो ऽस्मि परमोदार त्वं कर्ता ऽसि न संशयः । दण्डेन च प्रजा रक्ष मा च दण्डमकारणे ।। 7.79.8 ।।
prīto 'smi paramodāra tvaṃ kartā 'si na saṃśayaḥ | daṇḍena ca prajā rakṣa mā ca daṇḍamakāraṇe || 7.79.8 ||
Translation
"I am pleased, O most generous one; you shall be that founder, there is no doubt. Protect the subjects with the rod of punishment, but do not inflict punishment without cause.
अपराधिषु यो दण्डः पात्यते मानवेषु वै । स दण्डो विधिवन्मुक्तः स्वर्गं नयति पार्थिवम् ।। 7.79.9 ।।
aparādhiṣu yo daṇḍaḥ pātyate mānaveṣu vai | sa daṇḍo vidhivanmuktaḥ svargaṃ nayati pārthivam || 7.79.9 ||
Translation
The punishment that is laid upon offending men, when meted out according to the prescribed law, leads the king to heaven.
तस्माद्दण्डे महाबाहो यत्नवान्भव पुत्रक । धर्मो हि परमो लोके कुर्वतस्ते भविष्यति ।। 7.79.10 ।।
tasmāddaṇḍe mahābāho yatnavānbhava putraka | dharmo hi paramo loke kurvataste bhaviṣyati || 7.79.10 ||
Translation
Therefore, O mighty-armed son, be diligent in the matter of punishment; for as you act thus, the highest righteousness in the world shall be yours."
इति तं बहु सन्दिश्य मनुः पुत्रं समाधिना । जगाम त्रिदिवं हृष्टो ब्रह्मलोकं सनातनम् ।। 7.79.11 ।।
iti taṃ bahu sandiśya manuḥ putraṃ samādhinā | jagāma tridivaṃ hṛṣṭo brahmalokaṃ sanātanam || 7.79.11 ||
Translation
Having thus instructed his son at length, Manu, joyful, departed through deep meditation to the third heaven, the eternal world of Brahma.
प्रयाते त्रिदिवं तस्मिन्निक्ष्वाकुरमितप्रभः । जनयिष्ये कथं पुत्रानिति चिन्तापरो ऽभवत् ।। 7.79.12 ।।
prayāte tridivaṃ tasminnikṣvākuramitaprabhaḥ | janayiṣye kathaṃ putrāniti cintāparo 'bhavat || 7.79.12 ||
Translation
When Manu had gone to the third heaven, Ikshvaku of measureless splendor became absorbed in anxious thought, wondering, "How shall I beget sons?"
कर्मभिर्बहुरूपैश्च तैस्तैर्मनुसुतस्सुतान् । जनयामास धर्मात्मा शतं देवसुतोपमान् ।। 7.79.13 ।।
karmabhirbahurūpaiśca taistairmanusutassutān | janayāmāsa dharmātmā śataṃ devasutopamān || 7.79.13 ||
Translation
By various rites of many kinds, the son of Manu, that righteous-souled one, begot a hundred sons, each the equal of the sons of the gods.
तेषामवरजस्तात सर्वेषां रघुनन्दन । मूढश्चाकृतविद्यश्च न शुश्रूषति पूर्वजान् ।। 7.79.14 ।।
teṣāmavarajastāta sarveṣāṃ raghunandana | mūḍhaścākṛtavidyaśca na śuśrūṣati pūrvajān || 7.79.14 ||
Translation
Among all of them, O dear son, O delight of the Raghus, the youngest was a fool, untrained in learning, and showed no obedience to his elders.
नाम तस्य च दण्डेति पिता चक्रे ऽल्पमेधसः । अवश्यं दण्डपतनं शरीरे ऽस्य भविष्यति ।। 7.79.15 ।।
nāma tasya ca daṇḍeti pitā cakre 'lpamedhasaḥ | avaśyaṃ daṇḍapatanaṃ śarīre 'sya bhaviṣyati || 7.79.15 ||
Translation
His father gave to that dull-witted one the name Danda, thinking, "Surely the falling of the rod of punishment upon his body is inevitable."
अपश्यमानस्तं देशं घोरं पुत्रस्य राघव । विन्ध्यशैवलयोर्मध्ये राज्यं प्रादादरिन्दम ।। 7.79.16 ।।
apaśyamānastaṃ deśaṃ ghoraṃ putrasya rāghava | vindhyaśaivalayormadhye rājyaṃ prādādarindama || 7.79.16 ||
Translation
Not finding any other dreadful region for his son, O Raghava, scorcher of foes, he granted him a kingdom in the area between the Vindhya and the Shaivala mountains.
स दण्डस्तत्र राजाभूद्रम्ये पर्वतरोधसि । पुरं चाप्रतिमं राम न्यवेशयदनुत्तमम् ।। 7.79.17 ।।
sa daṇḍastatra rājābhūdramye parvatarodhasi | puraṃ cāpratimaṃ rāma nyaveśayadanuttamam || 7.79.17 ||
Translation
There Danda became king upon a delightful mountain slope, and he founded an unrivaled, most excellent city, O Rama.
पुरस्य चाकरोन्नाम मधुमन्तमिति प्रभो । पुरोहितं तूशनसं वरयामास सुव्रतम् ।। 7.79.18 ।।
purasya cākaronnāma madhumantamiti prabho | purohitaṃ tūśanasaṃ varayāmāsa suvratam || 7.79.18 ||
Translation
He gave the city the name Madhumanta, O lord, and he chose as his priest the virtuous Ushanas, firm in his vows.
एवं स राजा तद्राज्यमकरोत्सपुरोहितः । प्रहृष्टमनुजाकीर्णं देवराजं यथा वृषा ।। 7.79.19 ।।
evaṃ sa rājā tadrājyamakarotsapurohitaḥ | prahṛṣṭamanujākīrṇaṃ devarājaṃ yathā vṛṣā || 7.79.19 ||
Translation
Thus that king, together with his priest, ruled that kingdom, which was thronged with joyful people, even as the bull-like king of the gods rules over his own.
ततः स राजा मनुजेन्द्रपुत्रः सार्धं च तेनोशनसा तदानीम् । चकार राज्यं सुमहान्महात्मा शक्रो दिवीवोशनसा समेतः ।। 7.79.20 ।।
tataḥ sa rājā manujendraputraḥ sārdhaṃ ca tenośanasā tadānīm | cakāra rājyaṃ sumahānmahātmā śakro divīvośanasā sametaḥ || 7.79.20 ||
Translation
Then that king, son of the lord of men, that exceedingly mighty and high-souled one, ruled the kingdom at that time together with Ushanas, even as Shakra in heaven attended by Ushanas (Shukra).
इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीये आदिकाव्ये श्रीमदुत्तरकाण्डे एकोनशीतितमः सर्गः ।। 79 ।।
ityārṣe śrīmadrāmāyaṇe vālmīkīye ādikāvye śrīmaduttarakāṇḍe ekonaśītitamaḥ sargaḥ || 79 ||
Translation
Thus ends the seventy-ninth canto in the venerable Uttara Kanda of the holy Ramayana, the first epic poem composed by the seer Valmiki.