श्रुत्वा च दुःखितो ब्रह्मा सप्तर्षीन्प्राह लोकगान्
Hearing this, Brahmā, distressed, spoke to the Seven Sages and the worlds.
इति श्रुत्वा मरीचिस्तु वशिष्ठादिभिरन्वितः ४३ मृगव्याधस्तु तान्दृष्ट्वा धनुर्बाणधरो बली
Having heard thus, Marīci, accompanied by Vasiṣṭha and others, and the mighty hunter, seeing them, with bow and arrow in hand—
मरीचाद्या विहस्याहुः किमर्थं हंतुमुद्यतः
Marīci and the others laughed and said, 'For what reason have you set out to kill?'
इत्युक्तस्तान्द्विजः प्राह कुलार्थं चात्मनो हिते
Thus addressed, the twice-born replied, 'For the sake of the family and for my own welfare.'
श्रुत्वा तमाहुस्ते विप्रा गच्छ शीघ्रं धनुर्धर
Hearing this, those brahmins said, 'Go quickly, O archer!'
इति श्रुत्वा तु घोरात्मा तेषां दृष्ट्या सुनिर्मलः
Hearing this, that fierce-souled one became utterly pure in their sight.
तत्पापकं भवद्भिश्च ग्रहणीयं धनं यथा
That sinful wealth must be seized by you all, as is proper.
साक्षीयं भूमिरचला साक्षी सूर्योऽयमुत्तमः 3.4.10.
The earth, unshakable, is witness, and this excellent sun is witness.
यथा पापं क्षयं याति तथा माज्ञातुमर्हथ
Just as sin is destroyed, so you should understand.
राम नाम हि तज्ज्ञेयं सर्वाघौघविनाशनम्
Know that the name 'Rama' destroys all floods of sin.
इत्युक्त्वा ते गता विप्रास्तीर्थात्तीर्थान्तरं प्रति
Having said this, those brahmins departed from one holy place to another.
जपप्रभावादभवद्वनमुत्पलसंकुलम्
By the power of recitation, the forest became filled with lotuses.
ततः सप्तर्षयः प्राप्ता वल्मीकात्तं निराकृतम्
Then the seven sages arrived, having rejected him from the anthill.
वल्मीकान्निस्सृतो यस्मात्तस्माद्वाल्मीकिरुत्तमम्
Because he emerged from the anthill, he is called the excellent Vālmīki.
एवमुक्त्वा ययुर्लोकं स तु रामायणं मुनिः
Having spoken thus, they went to their worlds, and that sage composed the Rāmāyaṇa.
चकार निर्मलं पद्यैः सर्वाघौघविनाशनम्
He made it pure with verses that destroy all floods of sin.
अद्यापि संस्थितः स्वामी मृगव्याधः सनातनः
Even today, the lord remains, the eternal hunter of deer.
वैवस्वतेऽन्तरे प्राप्ते चाद्ये सत्ययुगे शुभे 3.4.10.
When the Vaivasvata period arrived, and now in this auspicious Satya Yuga,
तदा सरस्वती देवी नदी भूत्वा समागता
Then the goddess Sarasvatī came together, having become a river.
बाहुभ्यां क्षत्रियं चैव चोरुभ्यां वैश्यमुत्तमम्
With her arms she took the Kṣatriya, and with her thighs the excellent Vaiśya.
द्विजराजस्तथा सोमश्चंद्रमा नामतो द्विजः
The king of the twice-born, Soma, also known as Candramas, was a Brahmin by name.
कश्यपो हि द्वितीयोऽसौ मरीचिस्तु ततोऽभवत्
Kashyapa was the second, and from him Marichi was born.
लोकान्धरति यो द्रव्यैः स तु धर्मो हि नामतः
He who sustains the worlds with wealth is known as Dharma.
लोकान्दक्षति यः कृत्यैः स तु दक्षः प्रजापतिः
He who upholds the worlds through actions is Daksha, the lord of creatures.
वर्णधर्मेण ते सर्वे वर्णात्मानश्च वै क्रमात् विष्णु मायाप्रभावेन कलाभूताः स्थिता भुवि
All of them, by the dharma of their varna, became embodiments of the classes in order, and, by the power of Vishnu's maya, appeared on earth as portions.
तदा तु भगवान्ब्रह्मा सोमायाश्विनिमण्डलम्
Then, the blessed Brahma created the circle of Soma and the Ashvins.
कश्यपायादितिगणं क्षत्ररूपं त्रयोदशम्
He created for Kashyapa the group of Adityas, and the thirteenth form as the Kshatriya.
नानाविधानि सृष्टानि चासन्वैवस्वतेऽन्तरे 3.4.10.
Various kinds of beings were created during the interval of Vaivasvata.
तत्र वासं स्वयं दक्षः कृतवान्यज्ञतत्परः
There, Daksha himself, devoted to sacrifice, made his abode.
भूतनाथो महादेवो न ननाम कदाचन
The lord of beings, Mahadeva, never bowed to anyone.