स्वपदस्थान् सुरांश्चक्रे नारसिंहः सुरैः स्तुतः। देवासुरे पुरा युद्धे बलिप्रभृतिभिः सुराः
Narasiṃha, praised by the gods, restored the gods to their own positions. In the ancient war between gods and asuras, the gods were defeated by Bali and others.
जिताः स्वर्गात्परिभ्रप्टा हरिं वै शरणं गताः। सुराणाममयं दत्त्वा अदित्या कश्यपेन च
Defeated, cast down from heaven, the gods sought refuge in Hari. For the sake of the gods, Aditi and Kaśyapa gave him a body free from illusion.
स्तुतोऽसौ वामनो भूत्वा ह्यदित्यां स क्रतुं ययौ। बलेः श्रीयजमानस्य, राजद्वारेऽगृणात् श्रुतिम्
Praised by them, he became Vāmana and went to Aditi’s sacrifice. At the gate of King Bali, the sacrificer, he recited the Vedic hymns.
वेदान् पठन्तं तं श्रुत्वा वामनं वरदोऽब्रवीत्। निवारितोऽपि शुक्रेण बलिर्ब्रूहि यदिच्छसि
Hearing Vāmana reciting the Vedas, Bali, the granter of boons, spoke: Though forbidden by Śukra, Bali said, 'Speak what you desire.'
त्तत्तेऽहं सम्प्रदास्यामि,वामनो बलिमब्रवीत्। पदत्रयं हि गुर्वर्थं देहि दास्ये तमब्रवीत्
Vāmana said to Bali, 'I will surely grant you whatever you ask. For the sake of my teacher, give me three steps of land.' He replied, 'I will give it.'
तोये तु पतिते हस्ते वामनोऽभूदवामनः। भूर्लोकं स भुवर्लोकं स्वर्लेकञ्च पदत्रयम्
When water was poured into his hand, Vāmana ceased to be small. With three steps he took the earth, the mid-region, and heaven.
चक्रे बलिञ्च सुतलं तच्छक्राय ददौ हरिः। शक्रो देवैर्हरिं स्तुत्वा भुवनेशः सुखीं त्वभूत्
He consigned Bali to Sutala and gave that realm to Indra. Indra, having praised Hari with the gods, became the happy lord of the worlds.
वक्ष्ये परशुरामस्य चावतारं श्रृणु द्विज। उद्वतान् क्षत्रियान् मत्वा भूभारहाणाय सः
I will recount the descent of Paraśurāma; listen, O twice-born. Seeing the kṣatriyas grown arrogant, he came down to lighten the burden of the earth.
अवतीर्णो हरिः शान्त्यै देवविप्रादिपालकः। जमदग्ने रेणुकायां भार्गवः शस्त्रपारगः
Hari descended for peace, as the protector of gods, brahmins, and others. He was born as Bhārgava, son of Jamadagni and Reṇukā, skilled in weapons.
दत्तात्रेयप्रसादेन कार्त्तवीर्यो नृपस्त्वभूत्। सहस्त्रबाहुः सर्वोर्वीपतिः स मृगयां गतः
By the grace of Dattātreya, Kārtavīrya became king, with a thousand arms, lord of all the earth. He went hunting.
श्रान्तो निमन्त्रितोऽरण्ये मुनिना जमदग्निना। कामधेनुप्रभावेण भोजितः सबलो नृपः
Weary, he was invited in the forest by the sage Jamadagni. By the power of Kāmadhenu, the king and his army were fed.
अप्रार्थयत् कामधेनुं यदा स न ददौ तदा। हृतवानथ रामेण शिरश्छित्त्वा निपातितः
When he asked for Kāmadhenu and was refused, he seized her. Then Rāma struck off his head and felled him.
युद्धे परशुना राजा धेनुः स्वाश्रममाययौ । कार्त्तवीर्यस्य पुत्रस्तु जमदग्निर्निपातितः
In battle, the king was slain by Rāma with an axe, and the cow returned to her hermitage. But the son of Kārtavīrya killed Jamadagni.
रामे वनं गते वैरादथ रामः समागतः। पितरं निहतं दृष्ट्वा पितृनाशाभिमर्षितः
When Rāma had gone to the forest, out of enmity, Rāma returned. Seeing his father slain, he was seized by the fury of his father’s death.
त्रिः सप्तकृत्वः पृथिवीं निःक्षत्रामकरोद्विभुः। कुरुश्रेत्रे पञ्च कुण्डान् कृत्वा सन्तर्प्य वै पितृन्
The mighty one made the earth devoid of stars three times seven times; having made five sacrificial pits in Kurukshetra, he duly satisfied the ancestors.
काश्यपाय महीं दत्त्वा महेन्द्रे पर्वते स्थितः। कूर्म्मस्य च वराहस्य नृसिंहस्य च वामनम्
Having given the earth to Kashyapa, he remained on Mount Mahendra; and the incarnations of the Tortoise, the Boar, the Man-Lion, and the Dwarf.
अवतारं च रामस्य श्रुत्वा याति दिवं नरः
Hearing also of the descent of Rama, a man attains heaven.
अग्निरुवाच रामायणमहं वक्ष्ये नारदेनोदितं पुरा। वाल्मीकये यथा तद्वत् पठितं भुक्तिमुक्तिदम्
Agni said: I shall relate the Ramayana, as formerly told by Narada, and as recited by Valmiki, which bestows both enjoyment and liberation.
नारद उवाच विष्णुनाभ्यव्जजो ब्रह्मा मरीचिर्ब्रह्मणः सुतः। मरीचेः कश्यपस्तस्मात् सूर्यो वैवस्वतो मनुः
Narada said: From Vishnu was born Brahma; Marichi was the son of Brahma; from Marichi came Kashyapa, from him the Sun, and from the Sun, Manu the son of Vivasvat.
ततस्तस्मात्तथेक्ष्वाकुस्तस्य वंशे ककुत्स्थकः। ककुत्स्थस्य रघुस्तस्मादजो दशरथस्ततः
Then from him, likewise, was Ikshvaku; in his line was Kakutstha; from Kakutstha came Raghu, from him Aja, and then Dasharatha.
रावणादेर्वधार्थाय चतुर्द्धाभूत स्वयं हरिः। राज्ञो दशरथाद्रामः कौशल्यायां बभूव ह
For the destruction of Ravana and others, Hari himself became fourfold; from King Dasharatha, Rama was born to Kausalya.
कैकेय्यां भरतः पुत्रः सुमित्रायाञ्च लक्ष्मणः। शत्रुघ्नः ऋष्यश्रृङ्गेण तासु सन्दत्तपायसात्
To Kaikeyi was born the son Bharata, and to Sumitra, Lakshmana; Shatrughna also, from the consecrated payasa given by Rishyasringa to those queens.
प्राशिताद्यज्ञसंसिद्धाद्राद्रामाद्याश्च समाः पितुः। यज्ञविध्नविनाशाय विश्वामित्रार्थितो नृपः
After partaking of the oblation sanctified by the sacrifice, those sons, beginning with Rama, spent their years with their father; at the request of Vishvamitra, the king sent them to destroy the obstacles to the sacrifice.
रामं सम्प्रेषयामास लक्ष्मणं मुनिना सह। रामो गतोऽस्त्रशस्त्राणि शिक्षितस्ताडकान्तकृत
He sent Rama, together with Lakshmana and the sage; Rama, having gone, learned the use of weapons and missiles, and slew Tadaka.
मारीचं मानवास्त्रेण मोहितं दूरतोऽनयत्। सुबाहुं यज्ञहन्तारं सबलञ्चावधीद् बली
He bewildered Maricha from afar with the Manava missile; the mighty one slew Subahu, the destroyer of sacrifices, along with his forces.
सिद्धाश्रमनिवासी च विश्वामित्रादिभिः सह। गतः क्रतुं मैथिलस्य द्रष्टुञ्चापंसहानुजः
Dwelling at Siddhashrama with Vishvamitra and others, he went to the sacrifice of the king of Mithila, to see the bow, accompanied by his brother.
शतानन्दनिमित्तेन विश्वामित्रप्रभावतः। रामाय कथितो राज्ञा समुनिः पूजितः क्रतौ
By the arrangement of Shatananda and the power of Vishvamitra, the sage, honored at the sacrifice, told the story to Rama, the king.
धनुरापूरयामास लीलया स बभञ्ज तत् । वीर्यशुल्कञ्च जनकः सीतां कन्यान्त्वयोनिजाम्
He effortlessly strung the bow and broke it; Janaka, as the bride-price for valor, gave Sita, the daughter not born from a womb.
ददौ रामाय रामोऽपि पित्रादौ हि समागते। उपयेमे जानकीन्तामुर्मिलां लक्ष्मणस्तथा
He gave her to Rama; and when his father and others had assembled, Rama married Janaki, and likewise Lakshmana married Urmila.
श्रुतकीर्त्तिं माण्डवीञ्च कुशध्वजसुते तथा। जनकस्यानुजस्यैते शत्रुघ्नभरतावुभौ
Shrutakirti and Mandavi, the daughters of Kushadhvaja, the younger brother of Janaka, were married to Shatrughna and Bharata, both of them.