ततो ब्रह्मा सुरश्रेष्ठो लोकपालान्सवासवान्। समाहूयाब्रवीत्सर्वांस्तेजोभागोऽत्र युज्यताम्
Then Brahmā, best of gods, summoned all the guardians of the worlds along with Indra, and said to them all: 'Let a share of your splendor be joined here.'
ततो ददुर्लोकपालाश्चतुर्भागं स्वतेजसा। अक्षयश्च ततो ब्रह्मा यतो जातोऽक्षयो नृपः
Then the guardians of the worlds gave a fourth part of their own splendor; and from that, Brahmā created the inexhaustible king, for he was born from the inexhaustible.
तं ब्रह्मा लोकपालानामंशं पुंसामयोजयत्। ततो नृपस्तदा तासां प्रजानां क्षेमपंडितः
Brahmā then united that portion of the guardians of the worlds into a man; thus, the king became the protector and guide of those beings.
तत्रैंद्रेण तु भागेन सर्वानाज्ञापयेन्नृपः। वारुणेन च भागेन सर्वान्पुष्णाति देहिनः
By the portion of Indra, the king commands all; by the portion of Varuṇa, he nourishes all living beings.
कौबेरेण तथांशेन त्वर्थान्दिशति पार्थिवः। यश्च याम्यो नृपे भागस्तेन शास्ति च वै प्रजाः
By the portion of Kubera, the king dispenses wealth; and by the portion of Yama, he rules over the people.
तत्र चैंद्रेण भागेन नरेन्द्रोसि रघूत्तम। प्रतिगृह्णीष्वाभरणं तारणार्थे मम प्रभो
There, by the portion of Indra, you are king, O best of the Raghus; accept the ornament for the sake of my deliverance, O lord.
ततो रामः प्रजग्राह मुनेर्हस्तान्महात्मनः। दिव्यमाभरणं चित्रं प्रदीप्तमिव भास्करं
Then Rama received from the hands of the great sage a divine ornament, splendid and radiant like the sun.
प्रतिगृह्य ततोगस्त्याद्राघवः परवीरहा। निरीक्ष्य सुचिरं कालं विचार्य च पुनः पुनः1.36.
Having accepted it from Agastya, Raghava, the slayer of mighty foes, gazed upon it for a long time, reflecting again and again.
मौक्तिकानि विचित्राणि धात्रीफलसमानि च। जांबूनदनिबद्धानि वज्रविद्रुमनीलकैः
It was adorned with pearls of various kinds, resembling amla fruits, bound with gold and set with diamonds, coral, and sapphires.
पद्मरागैः सगोमेधैर्वैडूर्यैः पुष्परागकैः। सुनिबद्धं सुविभक्तं सुकृतं विश्वकर्मणा
With rubies, garnets, cat's-eye gems, and flower-like stones, skillfully arranged and beautifully crafted by Vishvakarma.
दृष्ट्वा प्रीतिसमायुक्तो भूयश्चेदं व्यचिंतयत्। नेदृशानि च रत्नानि मया दृष्टानि कानिचित्
Seeing it, filled with delight, he thought again: 'I have never seen such gems anywhere.'
उपशोभानि बद्धानि पृथ्वीमूल्यसमानि च। विभीषणस्य लंकायां न दृष्टानि मया पुरा
So splendidly set, equal in value to the earth itself, such jewels I never saw before, even in Vibhishana's Lanka.
इति संचित्य मनसा राघवस्तमृषिं पुनः। आगमं तस्य दिव्यस्य प्रष्टुं समुपचक्रमे
Thus pondering in his mind, Raghava again approached the sage to inquire about the origin of this divine ornament.
अत्यद्भुतमिदं ब्रह्मन्न प्राप्यं च महीक्षिताम्। कथं भगवता प्राप्तं कुतो वा केन निर्मितम्
'O Brahman, this is exceedingly wondrous and unattainable for kings; how did you obtain it, from where, and by whom was it made?'
कुतूहलवशाच्चैव पृच्छामि त्वां महामते। करतलेस्थिते रत्ने करमध्यं प्रकाशते
'Driven by curiosity, O wise one, I ask you: the jewel resting in the palm shines at the center of the hand.'
अधमं तद्विजानीयात्सर्वशास्त्रेषु गर्हितम्। दिशः प्रकाशयेद्यत्तन्मध्यमं मुनिसत्तम
'Know that the lowest is condemned in all scriptures, O best of sages; that which shines toward the directions is considered middling.'
ऊर्ध्वगं त्रिशिखं यत्स्यादुत्तमं तदुदाहृतम्। एतान्युत्तमजातीनि ऋषिभिः कीर्तितानि तु
'That which rises upward in three rays is called the highest; these superior types are praised by the sages.'
आश्चर्याणां बहूनां हि दिव्यानां भगवान्निधिः। एवं वदति काकुत्स्थे मुनिर्वाक्यमथाब्रवीत्
Of many wondrous and divine treasures, the Lord is the repository; thus, as Kakutstha spoke, the sage replied.
अगस्त्य उवाच। शृणु राम पुरावृत्तं पुरा त्रेतायुगे महत्। द्वापरे समनुप्राप्ते वने यद्दृष्टवानहम्
Agastya said: 'Hear, Rama, of an ancient event, long ago in the great Treta age, and what I saw in the forest as Dvapara approached.'
आश्चर्यं सुमहाबाहो निबोध रघुनंदन। पुरा त्रेतायुगे ह्यासीदरण्यं बहुविस्तरम्
'Listen, O mighty-armed descendant of Raghu, to a marvel: in the Treta age there was a vast forest.'
समंताद्योजनशतं मृगव्याघ्रविवर्जितम्। तस्मिन्निष्पुरुषेऽरण्ये चिकीर्षुस्तप उत्तमम्
'For a hundred yojanas on all sides, devoid of deer and tigers; in that uninhabited forest, I wished to perform supreme austerity.'
अहमाक्रमितुं सौम्य तदरण्यमुपागतः। तस्यारण्यस्य मध्यं तु युक्तं मूलफलैः सदा
'Gentle one, I entered that forest to traverse it; its center was always rich with roots and fruits.'
शाकैर्बहुविधाकारैर्नानारूपैः सुकाननैः। तस्यारण्यस्य मध्ये तु पंचयोजनमायतम्
'With vegetables of many shapes, delightful groves of various forms; in the midst of that forest was a stretch five yojanas long.'
हंसकारंडवाकीर्णं चक्रवाकोपशोभितम्। तत्राश्चर्यं मया दृष्टं सरः परमशोभितम्
'Filled with swans and cranes, adorned by chakravaka birds; there I saw a wondrous lake of supreme beauty.'
विसारिकच्छपाकीर्णं बकपंक्तिगणैर्युतम्। समीपे तस्य सरसस्तपस्तप्तुं गतः पुरा
Once, I went near that lake, filled with turtles and crocodiles, and lined with rows of cranes, to perform austerities.
देशं पुण्यमुपेत्यैवं सर्वहिंसाविवर्जितम्। तत्राहमवसं रात्रिं नैदाघीं पुरुषर्षभ
Having reached that holy place, entirely free from all violence, I spent the summer night there, O best of men.
प्रभाते पुरुत्थाय सरस्तदुपचक्रमे। अथापश्यं शवमहमस्पृष्टजरसं क्वचित्
At dawn, rising early, I approached that lake; then I saw, at some spot, a corpse untouched by decay.
तिष्ठंतं परया लक्ष्म्या सरसो नातिदूरतः। तदर्थं चिंतयानोहं मुहूर्तमिव राघव
Standing not far from the lake, endowed with extraordinary beauty, I pondered its purpose for a moment, O Raghava.
अस्य तीरे न वै प्राणी को वाप्येष सुरर्षभः। मुनिर्वा पार्थिवो वापि क्व मुनिः पार्थिवोपि वा
On this shore, there is no living being—who could this be, O best of gods? Is he a sage or a king? Where is the sage or the king?
अथवा पार्थिवसुतस्तस्यैवं संभवः कृतः। अतीतेहनि रात्रौ वा प्रातर्वापि मृतो यदि
Or perhaps he is the son of a king, and this has happened to him; whether he died last night or this morning, if that is so.