25 shlokas
तां कथामिलसम्बद्धां रामेण समुदीरिताम् । लक्ष्मणो भरतश्चैव श्रुत्वा परमविस्मितौ ।। 7.88.1 ।।
tāṃ kathāmilasambaddhāṃ rāmeṇa samudīritām | lakṣmaṇo bharataścaiva śrutvā paramavismitau || 7.88.1 ||
Translation
Having heard that tale concerning Ila, recounted by Rama, both Lakshmana and Bharata were filled with the utmost wonder.
तौ रामं प्राञ्जली भूत्वा तस्य राज्ञो महात्मनः । विस्तरं तस्य भावस्य तदा पप्रच्छतुः पुनः ।। 7.88.2 ।।
tau rāmaṃ prāñjalī bhūtvā tasya rājño mahātmanaḥ | vistaraṃ tasya bhāvasya tadā papracchatuḥ punaḥ || 7.88.2 ||
Translation
The two of them, with palms joined in reverence before Rama, then asked him once again for a fuller account of the condition of that great-souled king.
कथं स राजा स्त्रीभूतो वर्तयामास दुर्गतिः । पुरुषः स यदा भूतः कां वृत्तिं वर्तयत्यसौ ।। 7.88.3 ।।
kathaṃ sa rājā strībhūto vartayāmāsa durgatiḥ | puruṣaḥ sa yadā bhūtaḥ kāṃ vṛttiṃ vartayatyasau || 7.88.3 ||
Translation
"How did that king, fallen into misfortune and turned into a woman, pass his days? And when he became a man, what manner of life did he then lead?"
तयोस्तद्भाषितं श्रुत्वा कौतूहलसमन्वितम् । कथयामास काकुत्स्थस्तस्य राज्ञो यथागतम् ।। 7.88.4 ।।
tayostadbhāṣitaṃ śrutvā kautūhalasamanvitam | kathayāmāsa kākutsthastasya rājño yathāgatam || 7.88.4 ||
Translation
Hearing those words of theirs, spoken with curiosity, Kakutstha related the further course of that king's history just as it had come to pass.
तमेव प्रथमं मासं स्त्रीभूता लोकसुन्दरी । ताभिः परिवृता स्त्रीभिर्ये च पूर्वपदानुगाः ।। 7.88.5 ।।
tameva prathamaṃ māsaṃ strībhūtā lokasundarī | tābhiḥ parivṛtā strībhirye ca pūrvapadānugāḥ || 7.88.5 ||
Translation
During that very first month, having become a woman, that beauty of the world was surrounded by those women who had formerly been her attendants and followers.
तत्काननं विगाह्वाशु विजह्रे लोकसुन्दरी । द्रुमगुल्मलताकीर्णं पद्भ्यां पद्मदलेक्षणा ।। 7.88.6 ।।
tatkānanaṃ vigāhvāśu vijahre lokasundarī | drumagulmalatākīrṇaṃ padbhyāṃ padmadalekṣaṇā || 7.88.6 ||
Translation
Having quickly entered that forest, the lotus-petal-eyed Ila, most beautiful of all in the world, wandered there on foot through woods thick with trees, thickets, and creepers.
वाहनानि च सर्वाणि सा त्यक्त्वा वै समन्ततः । पर्वताभोगविवरे तस्मिन्रेमे इला तदा ।। 7.88.7 ।।
vāhanāni ca sarvāṇi sā tyaktvā vai samantataḥ | parvatābhogavivare tasminreme ilā tadā || 7.88.7 ||
Translation
And having entirely left aside all her vehicles, Ila then took her delight in that hollow expanse of the mountain.
अथ तस्मिन्वनोद्देशे पर्वतस्याविदूरतः । सरः सुरुचिरप्रख्यं नानापक्षिगणैर्युतम् ।। 7.88.8 ।।
atha tasminvanoddeśe parvatasyāvidūrataḥ | saraḥ suruciraprakhyaṃ nānāpakṣigaṇairyutam || 7.88.8 ||
Translation
Then in that region of the forest, not far from the mountain, there was a lake of exceedingly lovely appearance, frequented by flocks of birds of every kind.
ददर्श सा त्विला तस्मिन्बुधं सोमसुतं तदा । ज्वलन्तं स्वेन वपुषा पूर्णसोममिवोदितम् ।। 7.88.9 ।।
dadarśa sā tvilā tasminbudhaṃ somasutaṃ tadā | jvalantaṃ svena vapuṣā pūrṇasomamivoditam || 7.88.9 ||
Translation
There, then, Ila beheld Budha, the son of Soma, blazing with his own radiant form, like the full moon newly risen.
तपन्तं च तपस्तीव्रमम्भोमध्ये दुरासदम् । यशस्करं कामकरं कारुण्ये पर्यवस्थितम् ।। 7.88.10 ।।
tapantaṃ ca tapastīvramambhomadhye durāsadam | yaśaskaraṃ kāmakaraṃ kāruṇye paryavasthitam || 7.88.10 ||
Translation
He was performing fierce austerities in the midst of the water, hard to approach, conferring renown, fulfilling desires, and established in compassion.
सा तं जलाशयं सर्वं क्षोभयामास विस्मिता । सहगैः पूर्वपुरुषैः स्त्रीभूतै रघुनन्दन ।। 7.88.11 ।।
sā taṃ jalāśayaṃ sarvaṃ kṣobhayāmāsa vismitā | sahagaiḥ pūrvapuruṣaiḥ strībhūtai raghunandana || 7.88.11 ||
Translation
Filled with wonder, O delight of the Raghus, she, together with her former companions, the men who had been turned into women, stirred up that whole body of water.
बुधस्तु तां समीक्ष्यैव कामबाणवशं गतः । नोपलेभे तदा ऽ ऽत्मानं सञ्चचाल तदा ऽ ऽम्भसि ।। 7.88.12 ।।
budhastu tāṃ samīkṣyaiva kāmabāṇavaśaṃ gataḥ | nopalebhe tadā ' 'tmānaṃ sañcacāla tadā ' 'mbhasi || 7.88.12 ||
Translation
But Budha, the very moment he gazed upon her, fell under the sway of the arrows of desire; he no longer possessed himself, and there in the water he was shaken.
इलां निरीक्षमाणस्तु त्रैलोक्याभ्यधिकां शुभाम् । चिन्तां समभ्यतिक्रामत् का न्वियं देवताधिका ।। 7.88.13 ।।
ilāṃ nirīkṣamāṇastu trailokyābhyadhikāṃ śubhām | cintāṃ samabhyatikrāmat kā nviyaṃ devatādhikā || 7.88.13 ||
Translation
Gazing upon Ila, that auspicious woman surpassing the three worlds, he fell to wondering: who indeed is this who excels even the gods?
न देवीषु न नागीषु नासुरीष्वप्सरःसु च । दृष्टपूर्वा मया काचिद्रूपेणानेन शोभिता ।। 7.88.14 ।।
na devīṣu na nāgīṣu nāsurīṣvapsaraḥsu ca | dṛṣṭapūrvā mayā kācidrūpeṇānena śobhitā || 7.88.14 ||
Translation
Never before have I seen any woman adorned with such beauty as this, neither among the goddesses, nor among the Naga women, nor among the Asura women, nor among the Apsarases.
सदृशीयं मम भवेद्यदि नान्यपरिग्रहः । इति बुद्धिं समास्थाय जलात्कूलमुपागमत् ।। 7.88.15 ।।
sadṛśīyaṃ mama bhavedyadi nānyaparigrahaḥ | iti buddhiṃ samāsthāya jalātkūlamupāgamat || 7.88.15 ||
Translation
"She would be a fit match for me, if she is not already another's possession" — settling upon this resolve, he came up from the water to the shore.
आश्रमं समुपागम्य ततस्ताः प्रमदोत्तमाः । शब्दापयत धर्मात्मा ताश्चैनं च ववन्दिरे ।। 7.88.16 ।।
āśramaṃ samupāgamya tatastāḥ pramadottamāḥ | śabdāpayata dharmātmā tāścainaṃ ca vavandire || 7.88.16 ||
Translation
Having approached the hermitage, those most excellent of women then called out, and the righteous one came; and they paid homage to him.
स ताः पप्रच्छ धर्मात्मा कस्यैषा लोकसुन्दरी । किमर्थमागता चैव सर्वमाख्यात मा चिरम् ।। 7.88.17 ।।
sa tāḥ papraccha dharmātmā kasyaiṣā lokasundarī | kimarthamāgatā caiva sarvamākhyāta mā ciram || 7.88.17 ||
Translation
That righteous one questioned them: "Whose is this woman, the beauty of the world? And for what purpose has she come? Tell me everything without delay."
शुभं तु तस्य तद्वाक्यं मधुरं मधुराक्षरम् । श्रुत्वा स्त्रियश्च ताः सर्वा ऊचुर्मधुरया गिरा ।। 7.88.18 ।।
śubhaṃ tu tasya tadvākyaṃ madhuraṃ madhurākṣaram | śrutvā striyaśca tāḥ sarvā ūcurmadhurayā girā || 7.88.18 ||
Translation
Having heard his auspicious words, sweet and of sweet syllables, all those women replied in a sweet voice.
अस्माकमेषा सुश्रोणी प्रभुत्वे वर्तते सदा । अपतिः काननान्तेषु सहास्माभिश्चरत्यसौ ।। 7.88.19 ।।
asmākameṣā suśroṇī prabhutve vartate sadā | apatiḥ kānanānteṣu sahāsmābhiścaratyasau || 7.88.19 ||
Translation
"This fair-hipped woman is always under our authority; she is without a husband, and roams together with us in the depths of the forest."
तद्वाक्यमव्यक्तपदं तासां स्त्रीणां निशम्य च । विद्यामावर्तनीं पुण्यामावर्तयत स द्विजः ।। 7.88.20 ।।
tadvākyamavyaktapadaṃ tāsāṃ strīṇāṃ niśamya ca | vidyāmāvartanīṃ puṇyāmāvartayata sa dvijaḥ || 7.88.20 ||
Translation
And having heard that speech of those women, with its words unclear, that twice-born one recited a holy spell of recollection.
सो ऽर्थं विदित्वा सकलं तस्य राज्ञो यथागतम् । सर्वा एव स्त्रियस्ताश्च बभाषे मुनिपुङ्गवः ।। 7.88.21 ।।
so 'rthaṃ viditvā sakalaṃ tasya rājño yathāgatam | sarvā eva striyastāśca babhāṣe munipuṅgavaḥ || 7.88.21 ||
Translation
Having thus learned the entire matter of that king, how it had come to pass, that bull among sages then addressed all those women.
अत्र किम्पुरुषीर्भूत्वा शैलरोधसि वत्स्यथ । आवासस्तु गिरावस्मिञ्छीघ्रमेव विधीयताम् ।। 7.88.22 ।।
atra kimpuruṣīrbhūtvā śailarodhasi vatsyatha | āvāsastu girāvasmiñchīghrameva vidhīyatām || 7.88.22 ||
Translation
"Here, becoming Kimpurusha women, you shall dwell on the mountain slope; let your dwelling be arranged at once upon this mountain."
मूलपत्रफलैः सर्वा वर्तयिष्यथ नित्यदा । स्त्रियः किम्पुरुषान्नाम भर्तऽन्समुपलप्स्यथ ।। 7.88.23 ।।
mūlapatraphalaiḥ sarvā vartayiṣyatha nityadā | striyaḥ kimpuruṣānnāma bharta'nsamupalapsyatha || 7.88.23 ||
Translation
"You shall all sustain yourselves perpetually on roots, leaves, and fruits; O women, you shall obtain as husbands those called Kimpurushas."
ताः श्रुत्वा सोमपुत्रस्य वाचं किम्पुरुषीकृताः । उपासाञ्चक्रिरे शैलं वध्वस्ता बहुलास्तदा ।। 7.88.24 ।।
tāḥ śrutvā somaputrasya vācaṃ kimpuruṣīkṛtāḥ | upāsāñcakrire śailaṃ vadhvastā bahulāstadā || 7.88.24 ||
Translation
Having heard the words of the son of Soma, those many women, transformed into Kimpurusha women, then took up their abode upon the mountain as wives.
इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीये आदिकाव्ये श्रीमदुत्तरकाण्डे ऽष्टाशीतितमः सर्गः ।। 88 ।।
ityārṣe śrīmadrāmāyaṇe vālmīkīye ādikāvye śrīmaduttarakāṇḍe 'ṣṭāśītitamaḥ sargaḥ || 88 ||
Translation
Thus in the sacred Srimad Ramayana, the first epic poem composed by Valmiki, in the venerable Uttara Kanda, ends the eighty-eighth canto.