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."
श्रुत्वा च भाषितं तत्र मम राम सतां वर। प्रांजलिः प्रत्युवाचेदं स स्वर्गी रघुनंदन
Hearing my words there, O Rama, best of the virtuous, that heavenly being, with joined palms, replied to me, descendant of Raghu.
शृणुष्वाद्य यथावृत्तं ममेदं सुखदुःखजम्। कामो हि दुरितक्रम्यः शृणु यत्पृच्छसे द्विज
"Listen now to the true account of my joys and sorrows; for desire, when pursued wrongly, brings misfortune—hear what you ask, O twice-born one."
पुरा वैदर्भको राजा पिता मे हि महायशाः। वासुदेव इति ख्यातस्त्रिषु लोकेषु धार्मिकः
Long ago, my father was the illustrious king of Vidarbha, known as Vāsudeva, righteous among the three worlds.
तस्य पुत्रद्वयं ब्रह्मन्द्वाभ्यां स्त्रीभ्यामजायत। अहं श्वेत इति ख्यातो यवीयान्सुरथोऽभवत्
He had two sons, born from two women; I am known as Śveta, and the younger was Suratha.
पितर्युपरते तस्मिन्पौरा मामभ्यषेचयन्। तत्राहंकारयन्राज्यं धर्मे चासं समाहितः
When my father passed away, the citizens anointed me as king; but in ruling, I became proud and was not steadfast in righteousness.
एवं वर्षसहस्राणि बहूनि समुपाव्रजन्। मम राज्यं कारयतः परिपालयतः प्रजाः
Thus, many thousands of years passed as I governed the kingdom and protected the people.
सोहं निमित्ते कस्मिंश्चिद्वैराग्येण द्विजोत्तम। मरणं हृदये कृत्वा तपोवनमुपागमम्
Then, O best of twice-born, at some point, through detachment, I fixed my mind on death and went to the forest of ascetics.
सोहं वनमिदं रम्यं भृशं पक्षिविवर्जितम्। प्रविष्टस्तप आस्थातुमस्यैव सरसोंतिके
I entered this delightful forest, free from birds, to undertake austerity beside this very lake.
राज्येऽभिषिच्य सुरथं भ्रातरं तं नराधिपम्। इदं सरः समासाद्य तपस्तप्तं सुदारुणम्
Having installed my brother Suratha as king, I reached this lake and performed severe austerity.
दशवर्षसहस्राणि तपस्तप्त्वा महावने। शुभं तु भवनं प्राप्तो ब्रह्मलोकमनामयम्
After practicing austerity for ten thousand years in the great forest, I attained a splendid abode, the flawless world of Brahmā.