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.
कन्ये द्वे उपयेमाते जनकेन सुपूजितः। रामोऽगात्सवशिष्ठाद्यैर्जामदगन्यं विजित्य च
Those two maidens were married by them, honored by Janaka; Rama, having conquered Jamadagnya, departed with Vashishtha and others.
नारद उवाच रामो वशिष्ठं मातॄश्च नत्वाऽत्रिञ्च प्रणम्य सः। अनसूयाञ्च तत्पत्नीं शरभङ्गं सुतीक्ष्णकम्
Narada said: Rama, having bowed to Vashishtha, his mothers, and also to Atri, and having saluted Anasuya, his wife, Sharabhanga, and Sutikshna—
अगस्त्य भ्रातरं नत्वा अगस्त्यन्तत्प्रसादतः। धनुः खङ्गञ्च सम्प्राप्य दण्डकारण्यमागतः
Having bowed to his brother Agastya, and by Agastya’s favor obtaining a bow and a sword, he entered the Dandaka forest.
जनस्थाने पञ्चवट्यां स्थितो गोदावरीं तटे। तत्र सूर्पणखायाता भक्षितुं तान् भयङ्करी
Dwelling at Janasthana, in Panchavati, on the bank of the Godavari, there came Surpanakha, the terrifying one, to devour them.
रामं सुरूपं दृष्ट्वा सा कामिनी वाक्यमब्रवीत्। कस्त्वं कस्मात्समायातो भर्त्ता मे भव चार्थितः
Seeing Rama, handsome in form, that desiring woman spoke these words: 'Who are you? For what reason have you come? Become my husband as I request.'
एतौ च भक्षयिष्यामि इत्युक्त्वा तं समुद्यता । तस्या नासाञ्च कर्णौ च रामोक्तो लक्ष्मणोऽच्छिनत्
And saying, 'I will devour these two,' she rushed at them; but at Rama’s command, Lakshmana cut off her nose and ears.
रक्तं क्षरन्ती प्रययौ खरं भ्रातरमब्रवीत्। मरीष्यामि विनासाऽहं खर जीवामि वै तदा
Bleeding, she went to her brother Khara and said: 'I will die without a nose, Khara; I live only thus.'
रामस्य भार्य्या सीताऽसौ तस्यासील्लक्ष्मणोऽनुजः। तेषां यद्रुधिरं सोष्णं पाययिष्यसि मां यदि
'Sita is Rama’s wife, and Lakshmana is his younger brother; if you make me drink their warm blood, then I shall live.'
खरस्तथेति तामुक्त्वा यतुर्दृशसहस्त्रकैः। रक्षसां दूषणेनागाद्योद्धु त्रिशिरसा सह
Khara, saying 'So be it,' set out with thousands of fierce-eyed rakshasas, accompanied by Dushana and Trishira, to fight.
रामं रामोऽपि युयुधे शरैर्विव्याध राक्षसान्। हस्त्यश्वरथपादातं बलं निन्ये यमक्षयम्
Rama fought them; with arrows he struck the rakshasas, and sent their army of elephants, horses, chariots, and foot soldiers to the abode of Yama.