श्रीरामेण हतौ तौ द्वौ शेषजन्म कलौ तयोः । श्रीकृष्णेन हतौ तौ द्वौ धर्मपुत्रावुभौ तथा
Those two were slain by Śrī Rāma; in the age of Kali, their final birth, both were killed by Śrī Kṛṣṇa, as the sons of Dharma.
जरासंधश्च शाल्वश्च दुरात्मा कंस एव च । प्राक्तनात्तस्य वध्यास्ते भुवो भारजिहीर्षया
Jarāsandha, Śālva, the wicked Kaṃsa—all these were destined to be slain by him, to lighten the burden of the earth.
मांधातुः सुतमध्ये च यवनश्चापि प्राक्तनात् । लक्ष्मीश्वरस्य कृष्णस्य धनेन किं प्रयोजनमा
Among the sons of Māṃdhātṛ, the Yavana too, from previous karma; what use has Lakṣmī's lord, Kṛṣṇa, for wealth?
प्रतिज्ञया च सत्यायाः पुण्यकव्रतकारणात् । पारिजातं समनीय चकार स्वात्मनो व्रतम्
By the vow of truthfulness and for the sake of a meritorious vow, he brought the Pārijāta tree and performed his own vow.
स्वयं जाम्बवती देवी दुर्गांशा भल्लुकात्मजा । पाणिं जग्राह तस्याश्च तपसा भारते हरिः
Jāmbavatī herself, the goddess, a portion of Durgā and daughter of the bear-king, was wed to Hari in Bhārata through her own austerity.
कुन्त्याश्च क्षेत्रजाः पुत्राः केवलं भर्तुराज्ञया । कलौ निषिद्धं त्रियुगे प्रसिद्धं पलपैतृकम्
Kuntī's sons, born by the seed of gods, were begotten only by her husband's command; in Kali this is forbidden, but in the three previous ages, it was known as the practice of niyoga.
युधिष्ठिरो धर्मपुत्रो भीमश्च पवनात्मजः । महेन्द्रपुत्रो धर्मिष्ठः फाल्गुनो विजयी भुवि
Yudhiṣṭhira, son of Dharma; Bhīma, son of the Wind; the righteous Indra's son; and Phālguna, victorious on earth.
यस्मै पाशुपतं शंभुः प्रददौ च स्वयं पुरा । अश्वमेधं गवालम्भं संन्यासं पलपैतृकम्
To whom Śaṃbhu himself once gave the Pāśupata weapon, the aśvamedha, the cow-sacrifice, renunciation, and the practice of niyoga.
देवरेण सुतोत्पत्तिं कलौ पञ्च विवर्जयेत् । द्रौपद्याः पञ्च भर्तारः शंकरस्य वरेण च
In Kali, one should avoid begetting children by a brother-in-law; Draupadī's five husbands were by the boon of Śaṃkara.
बलदेवः पुष्पमधु पूतं पिबति नित्यशः । चकार यमुनाह्वानं स्नानार्थं धार्मिकः शुचिः
Balarāma, ever pure and righteous, always drank the purified nectar of flowers and honey, and summoned the Yamunā for his bath.
सुभद्रां च ददौ कृष्णः फाल्गुनाय महात्मने । कन्यकां मातुलानां च दाक्षिणात्यः परिग्रहः
Krishna gave Subhadra to the great-souled Arjuna, and the daughters of their maternal uncles were taken as wives by the southerners.
देशेष्वन्येषु दोषोऽयमित्याह कमलोद्भवः
In other regions, this is considered a fault—so declared the lotus-born Brahma.
अथ षोडशाधिकशततमोऽध्यायः बाण उवाच अनिरुद्ध बुधोऽसि त्वं त्वयोक्तं सत्यमेव च । शंभुना चैवमुक्तं च सर्वं बुद्धं स्वचेतसा
Chapter one hundred and sixteen. Bāṇa said: Aniruddha, you are wise, and what you have spoken is indeed true; all that was spoken by Shambhu has been understood by my own mind.
त्वयोक्तं शंकरवरात्पञ्चानां स्वामिनां प्रिया । द्रौपदी च महाभागा तन्मे व्याख्यातुमर्हसि
You spoke of the boon from Shankara, the beloved of the five lords, and of Draupadi, the greatly fortunate one; please explain this to me.
शम्बरेण हृता पूर्व तव माता कथं रतिः । देवैरपि कथं दत्ता देवास्तेन जिता कथम्
How was your mother, Rati, formerly taken by Shambara? How was she given even by the gods, and how were the gods defeated by him?
अनिरुद्ध उवाच एकदा रघुनाथश्च सीतया लक्ष्मणो च । स्नातः सरसि तत्रस्थो रम्ये पञ्चवटीतटे
Aniruddha said: Once, Raghunatha, along with Sita and Lakshmana, after bathing in the lake, remained there on the beautiful bank of Panchavati.
उवाच सीता हेमन्ते जलं सुस्वादु निर्मलम् । तथाऽन्नं व्यञ्जनं रम्यं सर्वं वस्तु सुशीतलम्
In the winter, Sita said, 'The water is very sweet and pure, and likewise the food and delightful dishes, everything is pleasantly cool.'
फलावबचयनं चक्रे सीतायै प्रददौ मुदा । ततो ददौ लक्ष्मणाय पश्चाद्भङ्क्ते स्वयं प्रभुः
He gathered fruits for Sita and joyfully gave them to her; then he gave some to Lakshmana, and afterwards the Lord himself ate.
लक्ष्मणस्तद्गृहीत्वा च नैव भुङ्क्ते फलं जलम् । मेघनादवधार्थं च सीतोद्धारणकारणात्
Lakshmana, having received them, did not eat the fruit or drink the water, for the sake of slaying Meghanada and rescuing Sita.
निद्रां न याति नो भुङ्क्ते वर्षाणां च चतुर्दश । य एवं पुरुषो योगी तद्वध्यो रावणत्मजः
For fourteen years, he neither slept nor ate, with the purpose of killing Ravana's son and rescuing Sita; such a yogi alone could slay him.
एतस्मिन्नन्तरे रामं द्रष्टुं कमललोचनम् । वहनिस्तत्र समायातो द्विजरूपी कृपानिधिः भविष्यत्कथयामाम श्रुतिकौटपरं वचः
Meanwhile, to see Rama, the lotus-eyed one, Agni arrived there in the form of a brahmin, the compassionate one, to speak of future events and words beyond the Vedas.
वह्निरुवाच शृणु राम महाभाग सीतासंगोपनं कुरु । सप्ताहाभ्यन्तरे चैव रावणो दुष्टराक्षसः
Agni said: Hear me, O greatly fortunate Rama; conceal Sita. Within seven days, Ravana, the wicked rakshasa, will come.
दुर्निवार्यः प्राक्तनेन जानकीं च हरिष्यति । विधात्रा लिखितं कर्म प्राक्तंनं केन वार्यते
He, irresistible due to previous fate, will abduct Janaki; what is ordained by the Creator cannot be prevented by anyone.
वेदैश्चतुर्भिः कथितं न च दैवात्परं वरम्
It is declared by the four Vedas that there is no power greater than destiny.
राम उवाच सीतां गृहीत्वा त्वं गच्छ च्छायाऽत्रैव तु तिष्ठतु । कलत्रवर्जनं कर्म सर्वेषां च जुगुप्सितम्
Rama said: Take Sita with you, but let her shadow remain here; abandonment of one's wife is condemned by all.
सीतां गृहीत्वा प्रययौ रुदतीं च हुताशनः । सीतया सदृशी छाया तस्थौ श्रीरामसंनिधौ
Agni took Sita, who was weeping, and departed; a shadow resembling Sita remained in the presence of Shri Rama.
सा च च्छाया हृता पूर्व रावणेनावलीलया । समुद्दधार तां रामो निहत्य तं सबान्धवम्
That shadow was formerly abducted by Ravana through illusion; Rama later rescued her after slaying him and his kin.
वह्नौ परीक्षाकाले च च्छाया वह्नौ विवेश सा । अग्निश्छायां च संरक्ष्य ददौ रामाय जानकीम्
At the time of the fire ordeal, that shadow entered the fire; Agni, having protected the shadow, gave Janaki back to Rama.
रामस्तां च गृहीत्वा च प्रययौ स्वाश्रमं मुदा । छाया तस्थौ वह्निपार्श्वे हृदयेन विदूयता
Rama took her and joyfully returned to his own hermitage; Chaya remained by the fire's side, her heart torn with sorrow.
सा च च्छाया तपश्चक्रे नारायणसरोवरे । तपश्चकार दिव्यं च शातवर्षं च शूलिनः
That Chaya performed austerities at the Narayana Lake; she undertook a divine penance for a hundred years to please Shiva.