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.
अवश्यं तु मया ज्ञेया सरसोस्य विनिष्क्रिया। यावदेवं स्थितश्चाहं चिंतयानो रघूत्तम
But I must certainly understand the circumstances of this lake; as I stood thus, thinking in this way, O best of the Raghus—
अथापश्यं मूहूर्तात्तु दिव्यमद्भुतदर्शनम्। विमानं परमोदारं हंसयुक्तं मनोजवम्
Then, after a moment, I saw a wondrous, divine vision: a splendid celestial chariot, swift as thought, yoked with swans.
पुरस्तत्र सहस्रं तु विमानेप्सरसां नृप। गंधर्वाश्चैव तत्संख्या रमयंति वरं नरम्
In front of it, O king, there were a thousand celestial nymphs in the chariot; and Gandharvas, equal in number, delighted that excellent man.
गायंति दिव्यगेयानि वादयंति तथा परे। अथापश्यं नरं तस्माद्विमानादवरोहितम्
Some sang divine songs, others played instruments; then I saw a man descend from that chariot.
शवमांसं भक्षयन्तं च स्नात्वा रघुकुलोद्वह। ततो भुक्त्वा यथाकामं स मांसं बहुपीवरम्
He ate the flesh of the corpse, and after bathing, O best of the Raghu line, he then ate his fill of that abundant, rich meat as he wished.
अवतीर्य सरः शीघ्रमारुरोह दिवं पुनः। तमहं देवसंकाशं श्रिया परमयान्वितम्
Descending quickly into the lake, he then ascended again to the heavens; I saw him, godlike, endowed with supreme splendor.
भो भो स्वर्गिन्महाभाग पृच्छामि त्वां कथं त्विदम्। जुगुप्सितस्तवाहारो गतिश्चेयं तवोत्तमा
"O you, blessed one of heaven! I ask you: how is it that your food is so repugnant, yet your destination so exalted?"
यदि गुह्यं न चैतत्ते कथय त्वद्य मे भवान्। कामतः श्रोतुमिच्छामि किमेतत्परमं वचः
"If this is not a secret, please tell me today; I wish to hear, of my own accord, what this supreme matter is."
को भवान्वद संदेहमाहारश्च विगर्हितः। त्वयेदं भुज्यते सौम्य किमर्थं क्व च वर्तसे
"Who are you? Resolve my doubt. Why do you eat such detestable food, gentle one? For what reason, and where do you dwell?"
कस्यायमैश्वरोभावः शवत्वेन विनिर्मितः। आहारं च कथं निंद्यं श्रोतुमिच्छामि तत्त्वतः
"Whose is this divine state, fashioned in the form of a corpse? And why is your food so blameworthy? I wish to hear the truth of this."