वज्राद् अपि कठोरं वा जीवितं तम् अपश्यतोः शीघ्रं न यान्ति यत् प्राणास् तदेकायत्तजीवयोः
Life is harder than a thunderbolt for those who, unable to see their son, do not quickly die, though their lives depend on him alone.
एवं बहुविधा वाचो वृद्धयोर् वदतोर् वने तदा दशरथो राजा शनैस् तं देशम् अभ्यगात्
As the two elders spoke many such words in the forest, King Dasharatha slowly approached that place.
पादसंचारशब्देन मेनाते सुतम् आगतम्
By the sound of footsteps, they guessed their son had arrived.
कुतो वत्स चिरात् प्राप्तस् त्वं दृष्टिस् त्वं परायणम् न ब्रूषे किंतु रुष्टो ऽसि वृद्धयोर् अन्धयोः सुतः
Child, why have you come after so long? You are our only support, our sight—why do you not speak? Are you angry, son of your blind parents?
सशल्य इव दुःखार्तः शोचन् दुष्कृतम् आत्मनः स भीत इव राजेन्द्रस् ताव् उवाचाथ नारद
Like one pierced by a dart, tormented by sorrow, grieving for his own misdeed, the king, fearful, then spoke to them, O Nārada.
उदपानं च कुरुतां तच् छ्रुत्वा नृपभाषितम् नायं वक्ता सुतो ऽस्माकं को भवांस् तत् पुरा वद
Hearing the king's words, 'Let us have water,' they said: 'This is not our son speaking—who are you? Tell us truly.'
पश्चात् पिबावः पानीयं ततो राजाब्रवीच् च तौ
'Let us drink water afterward,' the king then said to them.
तत्र तिष्ठति वां पुत्रो यत्र वारिसमाश्रयः
'Your son stands there, where the water is kept.'
तच् छ्रुत्वोचतुर् आर्तौ तौ सत्यं ब्रूहि न चान्यथा आचचक्षे ततो राजा सर्वम् एव यथातथम्
Hearing this, the two afflicted ones said, 'Speak the truth, do not deceive us.' Then the king told them everything, just as it was.
ततस् तु पतितौ वृद्धौ तत्रावां नय मा स्पृश ब्रह्मघ्नस्पर्शनं पापं न कदाचिद् विनश्यति
Then the two aged ones fell down and said, 'Lead us there. Do not touch us—the touch of a slayer of a Brahmin is a sin that never perishes.'
निन्ये वै श्रवणं वृद्धं सभार्यं नृपसत्तमः यत्रासौ पतितः पुत्रस् तं स्पृष्ट्वा तौ विलेपतुः
The best of kings, along with his wife, brought the aged Śravaṇa to the place where their son had fallen, and, touching him, they both wept.
यथा पुत्रवियोगेन मृत्युर् नौ विहितस् तथा त्वं चापि पाप पुत्रस्य वियोगान् मृत्युम् आप्स्यसि
Just as death has been ordained for us because of the loss of our son, so too, you will meet death from the loss of your son due to your sin.
एवं तु जल्पतोर् ब्रह्मन् गताः प्राणास् ततो नृपः अग्निना योजयाम् आस वृद्धौ च ऋषिपुत्रकम्
O Brahmin, as they spoke thus, the king's life departed; he then arranged for the cremation of the aged couple and their ṛṣi-son with fire.
ततो जगाम नगरं दुःखितो नृपतिर् मुने वसिष्ठाय च तत् सर्वं न्यवेदयद् अशेषतः
Then the king, afflicted with grief, went to the city, O sage, and reported all of this in detail to Vasiṣṭha.
नृपाणां सूर्यवंश्यानां वसिष्ठो हि परा गतिः वसिष्ठो ऽपि द्विजश्रेष्ठैः संमन्त्र्याह च निष्कृतिम्
For the kings of the Solar dynasty, Vasiṣṭha is indeed the supreme refuge; and Vasiṣṭha, after consulting with the foremost of twice-born, prescribed expiation.
गालवं वामदेवं च जाबालिम् अथ कश्यपम् एतान् अन्यान् समाहूय हयमेधाय यत्नतः
Summoning Gālava, Vāmadeva, Jābāli, and Kaśyapa, and others, he diligently instructed them to perform the Aśvamedha sacrifice.
यजस्व हयमेधैश् च बहुभिर् बहुदक्षिणैः
Perform many horse sacrifices, each with abundant gifts.
अकरोद् धयमेधांश् च राजा दशरथो द्विजैः एतस्मिन्न् अन्तरे तत्र वाग् उवाचाशरीरिणी
King Daśaratha performed horse sacrifices with the brahmins; at that moment, a bodiless voice spoke there.
पूतं शरीरम् अभवद् राज्ञो दशरथस्य हि व्यवहार्यश् च भविता भविष्यन्ति तथा सुताः ज्येष्ठपुत्रप्रसादेन राजापापो भविष्यति
King Daśaratha's body became purified, and his sons will be fit for royal duties; by the favor of the eldest son, the king will be freed from sin.
ततो बहुतिथे काले ऋष्यशृङ्गान् मुनीश्वरात् देवानां कार्यसिद्ध्यर्थं सुता आसन् सुरोपमाः
After much time, for the fulfillment of the gods' purpose, sons resembling the gods were born from the great sage Ṛṣyaśṛṅga.
कौशल्यायां तथा रामः सुमित्रायां च लक्ष्मणः शत्रुघ्नश् चापि कैकेय्यां भरतो मतिमत्तरः
Thus, Rāma was born to Kauśalyā, Lakṣmaṇa and Śatrughna to Sumitrā, and Bharata, the wisest, to Kaikeyī.
ते सर्वे मतिमन्तश् च प्रिया राज्ञो वशे स्थिताः तं राजानम् ऋषिः प्राप्य विश्वामित्रः प्रजापतिः
All of them were intelligent, dear to the king, and obedient to his will; the sage Viśvāmitra, lord of creatures, approached that king.
रामं च लक्ष्मणं चापि अयाचत महामते यज्ञसंरक्षणार्थाय ज्ञाततन्महिमा मुनिः
The sage, knowing their greatness, requested Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa, both of great intelligence, for the protection of his sacrifice.
चिरप्राप्तसुतो वृद्धो राजा नैवेत्य् अभाषत
The aged king, who had long awaited sons, did not give his assent.
महता दैवयोगेन कथंचिद् वार्धके मुने जाताव् आनन्दसंदोहदायकौ मम बालकौ
By a great conjunction of fate, in old age, O sage, these two boys were born to me, bringing a flood of joy.
सशरीरम् इदं राज्यं दास्ये नैव सुताव् इमौ
I will give you the kingdom with my own body, but not these two sons.
वसिष्ठेन तदा प्रोक्तो राजा दशरथस् त्व् इति
Then Vasiṣṭha spoke to King Daśaratha thus.
रघवः प्रार्थनाभङ्गं न राजन् क्वापि शिक्षिताः
O King, the Raghavas have never been taught to refuse a request.
रामं च लक्ष्मणं चैव कथंचिद् अवदन् नृपः
The king somehow spoke to Rāma and also to Lakṣmaṇa.
विश्वामित्रस्य ब्रह्मर्षेः कुरुतां यज्ञरक्षणम्
He said, 'Let the sons of Viśvāmitra, the brahmarṣi, protect the sacrifice.'