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.'
वदन्न् इति सुतौ सोष्णं निश्वसन् ग्लपिताधरः पुत्रौ समर्पयाम् आस विश्वामित्रस्य शास्त्रकृत्
Saying thus, sighing hotly with trembling lips, he entrusted his two sons to Viśvāmitra, the knower of the scriptures.
तथेत्य् उक्त्वा दशरथं नमस्य च पुनः पुनः जग्मतू रक्षणार्थाय विश्वामित्रेण तौ मुदा
Having said, 'So be it,' and bowing again and again to Daśaratha, the two joyfully went with Viśvāmitra for the purpose of protection.
ततः प्रहृष्टः स मुनिर् मुदा प्रादात् तदोभयोः माहेश्वरीं महाविद्यां धनुर्विद्यापुरःसराम्
Then that delighted sage gladly gave to both of them the great knowledge of Maheśvara, with the science of archery at its forefront.
शास्त्रीम् आस्त्रीं लौकिकीं च रथविद्यां गजोद्भवाम् अश्वविद्यां गदाविद्यां मन्त्राह्वानविसर्जने
He gave them the knowledge of weapons, missiles, worldly arts, chariot warfare, the science born of elephants, the science of horses, the science of clubs, and the invocation and dismissal of mantras.
सर्वविद्याम् अथावाप्य उभौ तौ रामलक्ष्मणौ वनौकसां हितार्थाय जघ्नतुस् ताटकां वने
Having acquired all knowledge, both Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa, for the welfare of the forest-dwellers, slew Tāṭakā in the forest.
अहल्यां शापनिर्मुक्तां पादस्पर्शाच् च चक्रतुः यज्ञविध्वंसनायाताञ् जघ्नतुस् तत्र राक्षसान्
They freed Ahalyā from her curse by the touch of their feet, and there they slew the rākṣasas who had come to destroy the sacrifice.
कृतविद्यौ धनुष्पाणी चक्रतुर् यज्ञरक्षणम् ततो महामखे वृत्ते विश्वामित्रो मुनीश्वरः
Having mastered the sciences and bearing bows in hand, they protected the sacrifice; then, when the great sacrifice was completed, Viśvāmitra, the lord of sages—
पुत्राभ्यां सहितो राज्ञो जनकं द्रष्टुम् अभ्यगात् चित्राम् अदर्शयत् तत्र राजमध्ये नृपात्मजः
Together with the king's sons, went to see Janaka; there, in the midst of the kings, he showed the wondrous bow.
रामः सौमित्रिसहितो धनुर्विद्यां गुरोर् मताम् तत्प्रीतो जनकः प्रादात् सीतां लक्ष्मीम् अयोनिजाम्
Rāma, accompanied by Saumitri, displayed his mastery of archery as taught by his guru; pleased, Janaka gave Sītā, the goddess of fortune, not born from a womb.
तथैव लक्ष्मणस्यापि भरतस्यानुजस्य च शत्रुघ्नभरतादीनां वसिष्ठादिमते स्थितः
Likewise, for Lakṣmaṇa and also for Bharata's younger brother, for Śatrughna, Bharata, and the others, the arrangements were made according to the wisdom of Vasiṣṭha.