अथ रात्र्यां व्यतीतायां विश्वामित्रो महामुनिः | आपृच्छ्य तौ च राजानौ जगामोत्तरपर्वतम् || १-७४-१
atha raatryaam vyatiitaayaam vishvaamitro mahaamuniH | aapR^iShTvaa tau ca raajaanau jagaama uttara parvatam || 1-74-1
When that night is elapsing into the wee hours of next day, then the eminent-saint Vishvamitra on asking for the leave of absence from those kings, Dasharatha and Janaka, and from both Rama and Lakshmana, he set out to northern mountains, namely Himalayas. [1-74-1]
विश्वामित्रो गते राजा वैदेहं मिथिलाधिपम् | आपृष्ट्वैव जगामाशु राजा दशरथः पुरीम् || १-७४-२
vishvaamitro gate raajaa vaideham mithilaa adhipam | aapR^iShTva iva jagaama aashu raajaa dasharathaH puriim || 1-74-2
When Vishvamitra departed that ruler to the delight of people, namely Dasharatha, on asking leave of absence with king Janaka who outvies bodily affairs, promptly set forth for the city of Ayodhya. [1-74-2]
अथ राजा विदेहानां ददौ कन्याधनं बहु | गवां शतसहस्राणि बहूनि मिथिलेश्वरः || १-७४-३ कंबलानां च मुख्यानां क्षौमान् कोट्यंबराणि च | हस्त्यश्वरथपादातं दिव्यरूपं स्वलंकृतम् || १-७४-४ ददौ कन्याशतं तासां दासीदासमनुत्तमम् |
atha raajaa videhaanaam dadau kanyaa dhanam bahu | gavaam shata sahasraaNi bahuuni mithileshvaraH || 1-74-3 kaMbalaanaam ca mukhyaanaam kShaumaan koTi aMbaraaNi ca | hasti ashva ratha paadaatam divya ruupam svalaMkR^itam || 1-74-4 dadau kanyaa shatam taasaam daasii daasam anuttamam |
Then that king Janaka of Mithila, the one from Videha lineage, gave innumerable patrimonial riches. He has also given umpteen number of cows, millions of excellent shawls and silk dresses, and elephants, horses, chariots, foot soldiers, besides hundreds of highly decorated girls, divine in their mien, as unexcelled chambermaids and handmaidens to the brides. [1-74-3, 4, 5a]
हिरण्यस्य सुवर्णस्य मुक्तानां विद्रुमस्य च || १-७४-५ ददौ राजा सुसंहृष्टः कन्याधनमनुत्तमम् |
dattvaa bahu vidham raajaa samanuj~naapya paarthivam || 1-74-6 pravivesha sva nilayam mithilaam mithileshvaraH |
King Janaka gave beau idéal bridal riches in gold, silver, pearls and corals even, for he is very highly gladdened as Seetha's marriage came true. [1-74-5b, 6a]
दत्त्वा बहुविधं राजा समनुज्ञाप्य पार्थिवम् || १-७४-६ प्रविवेश स्वनिलयं मिथिलां मिथिलेश्वरः |
raajaa api ayodhyaa adhipatiH saha putraiH mahaatmabhiH || 1-74-7 R^iShiin sarvaan puraskR^itya jagaama sa bala anugaH |
Having given many kinds of bridal gifts and having accompanied his daughters for a distance, then having received a bid adieu from Dasharatha, that sovereign of Mithila, Janaka, re-entered is own palace in Mithila. [1-74-6, 7a]
राजाप्ययोध्याधिपतिः सह पुत्रैर्महात्मभिः || १-७४-७ ऋषीन् सर्वान् पुरस्कृत्य जगाम सबलानुगः |
gacChaMtam tu naravyaaghram sa R^iShi saMgham sa raaghavam || 1-74-8 ghoraaH tu pakShiNo vaaco vyaaharanti samaMtataH |
Even the king Dasharatha, the sovereign of Ayodhya proceeded with his noble-souled sons, keeping all the sages in the fore, while his forces followed him. [1-74-7b, 8a]
गच्छन्तं तु नरव्याघ्रं सर्षिसंघं सराघवम् || १-७४-८ घोरास्तु पक्षिणो वाचो व्याहरन्ति समंततः |
bhaumaaH caiva mR^igaaH sarve gacChanti sma pradakShiNam || 1-74-9 taan dR^iShTvaa raaja shaarduulo vasiShTham paryapR^icChata |
But while going with the assemblages of sages and with young Raghava-s, namely Rama, Lakshmana, Bharata, Shatrughna, the sky-bound birds started to screech with startling voice from all around facing that tigerly-man Dasharatha. [1-74-8b, 9a]
भौमाश्चैव मृगाः सर्वे गच्छन्ति स्म प्रदक्षिणम् || १-७४-९ तान् दृष्ट्वा राजशार्दूलो वसिष्ठं पर्यपृच्छत |
asauMyaaH pakShiNo ghoraa mR^igaaH ca api pradakShiNaaH || 1-74-10 kim idam hR^idaya utkaMpi mano mama viShiidati |
Also thus, all of the earth bound animals are going his leftward, and on seeing this, albeit he is a tigerly king he is perplexed, and particularly asked Vashishta. [1-74-9b, 10a]
असौम्याः पक्षिणो घोरा मृगाश्चापि प्रदक्षिणाः || १-७४-१० किमिदं हृदयोत्कंपि मनो मम विषीदति |
raaj~no dasharathasya etat shrutvaa vaakyam mahaan R^iShiH || 1-74-11 uvaaca madhuraam vaaNiim shruuyataam asya yat phalam |
"Unpropitious is the starling voicing of birds, whereby my heart is throbbing down... and propitious is the leftward going of the animals, thereby my heart is throbbing up... why so?" [1-74-10b, 11a]
राज्ञो दशरथस्यैतत् श्रुत्वा वाक्यं महानृषिः || १-७४-११ उवाच मधुरां वाणीं श्रूयतामस्य यत्फलम् |
upasthitam bhayam ghoram divyam pakShi mukhaat cyutam || 1-74-12 mR^igaaH prashamayanti ete saMtaapaH tyajyataam ayam |
On hearing all that is said by king Dasharatha, the instinctual sage Vashishta said this sentence in a soothing voice, "I will tell apart the result of these auguries... [1-74-11b, 12a]
उपस्थितं भयं घोरं दिव्यं पक्षिमुखाच्च्युतम् || १-७४-१२ मृगाः प्रशमयन्त्येते संतापः त्यज्यतामयम् |
teShaam saMvadataam tatra vaayuH praadur babhuuva ha || 1-74-13 kaMpayan mediniim sarvaam paatayan ca mahaan drumaan |
"The shrieks voiced by the birds are foretokening the forthcoming providential and perilous trepidation, but the behaviour of these animals is betokening it as mitigable... hence, let this consternation be forsaken... [1-74-12b, 13a]
तेषां संवदतां तत्र वायुः प्रादुर्बभूव ह || १-७४-१३ कंपयन् मेदिनीं सर्वां पातयंश्च महाद्रुमान् |
tamasaa saMvR^itaH suuryaH sarve na vediShur dishaH || 1-74-14 bhasmanaa ca aavR^itam sarvam sammuuDham iva tat balam |
While they are discussing among themselves, a whirlwind started to whirligig there, as though to shake the earth and shatter all gigantic trees. [1-74-13b, 14a]
तमसा संवृतः सूर्यः सर्वे न वेदिषुर्दिशः || १-७४-१४ भस्मना चावृतं सर्वं सम्मूढमिव तद्बलम् |
vasiShTha R^iShayaH ca anye raajaa ca sasutaH tadaa || 1-74-15 sa saMj~naa iva tatra aasan sarvam anyat vicetanam |
Murkiness enshrouded the sun, thus everyone is unaware of quarters, a sandstorm enwrapped that army, by which it has become as though ensorcelled. [1-74-14b, 15a]
वसिष्ठ ऋषयचान्ये राजा च ससुतस्तदा || १-७४-१५ ससंज्ञा इव तत्रासन् सर्वमन्यद्विचेतनम् |
tasmin tamasi ghore tu bhasma Channa iva saa camuuH || 1-74-16 dadarsha bhiima saMkaasham jaTaa maNDala dhaariNam | bhaargavam jamadagne ayam raajaa raaja vimardanam || 1-74-17 kailaasam iva durdharSham kaala agnim iva duHsaham | jvalaMtam iva tejobhiH dur niriikShyam pR^ithak janaiH || 1-74-18 skandhe ca aasajya parashum dhanuH vidyut gaNa upamam | pragR^ihya sharam ugram ca tri pura ghnam yathaa shivam || 1-74-19
Then Vashishta and the other sages, the king Dasharatha along with his sons remained there with animation, and everything and every other one available there has become inanimate. [1-74-15b, 16a]
तस्मिंस्तमसि घोरे तु भस्मच्छन्नेव सा चमूः || १-७४-१६ ददर्श भीमसंकाशं जटामण्डलधारिणम् | भार्गवं जामदग्न्यं तं राजा राजविमर्दनम् || १-७४-१७ कैलासमिव दुर्धर्षं कालाग्निमिव दुःसहम् | ज्वलंतमिव तेजोभिः दुर्निरीक्ष्यं पृथग्जनैः || १-७४-१८ स्कन्धे चासज्य परशुं धनुर्विद्युद्गणोपमम् | प्रगृह्य शरमुग्रं च त्रिपुरघ्नं यथा शिवम् || १-७४-१९
tam dR^iShTvaa bhiima saMkaasham jvalaMtam iva paavakam | vasiShTha pramukhaa vipraa japa homa paraayaNaaH || 1-74-20 saMgataa munayaH sarve saMjajalpuH atho mithaH |
In that catastrophic darkness, that sand-muffled military of king Dasharatha has seen the son of Sage Jamadagni, namely Bhaargava Rama, the subjugator of kings of kings. He appeared calamitous in his look by wearing tufty matted and unruly head-hair, an unassailable one like Mt. Kailash, an unbearable one like the Epoch-End-Fire, irradiant with his own radiance, hence imperceivable for commoners, and such as he is, he clinched an axe on his right shoulder and clasped a bow in his left hand, that in simile is like a congeries of electroluminescence, and handling an arrow which is as if ready to electrocute, and he vied in his overall look with the devastator of triple cities, namely God Shiva. [1-74-16b, 17, 18, 19]
तं दृष्ट्वा भीमसंकाशं ज्वलंतमिव पावकम् | वसिष्ठप्रमुखा विप्रा जपहोमपरायणाः || १-७४-२० संगता मुनयः सर्वे संजजल्पुरथो मिथः |
On seeing him who is perilous in his propensity and flaming like the Ritual-fire, Vashishta and the other prominent Brahman-s who are the practisers of meditation and fire-oblations have come together and started to susurrate, up and down. [1-74-20, 21a]
कच्चित् पितृवधामर्षी क्षत्र ं नोत्सादयिष्यति || १-७४-२१ पूर्वं क्षत्रवधं कृत्वा गतमन्युर्गतज्वरः | क्षत्रस्योत्सादनं भूयो न खल्वस्य चिकीर्षितम् || १-७४-२२
"Will he eradicate the race of Kshatriya-s even now as he was once envenomed by the murder of his father, or what... abated is his anger and alleviated is his frenzy previously when he eliminated Kshatriya-s... but is he really intending to eliminate Kshatriya-s once again, or what?" Thus, those Brahmans talked among themselves. [1-74-21b, 22]
एवमुक्त्वार्घ्यमादाय भार्गवं भीमदर्शनम् | ऋषयो राम रामेति मधुरं वाक्यमब्रुवन् || १-७४-२३
After their susurrus the sages have approached him, who in his very look is like a visitation, with oblational water and addressed him with benign words of greeting like, "oh, Rama, oh, Bhaargava Rama..." [1-74-23]
प्रतिगृह्य तु तां पूजामृषिदत्तां प्रतापवान् | रामं दाशरथिं रामो जामदग्न्योऽभ्यभाषत || १-७४-२४
On receiving the deference paid by the sage Vashishta, that inexorable Rama of Jamadagni started to talk to Rama of Dasharatha. [1-74-24]
