येन लोकोऽक्षयः स्वर्गो भविता त्वत्कृतेन मे। ततः प्रतिग्रहो दत्तो जगद्वंद्य नृपेण हि
By your action, an imperishable world and heaven will be attained by me; thus, the king, honored by the world, gave the offering.
भवान्मामनुगृह्णातु प्रतीच्छस्व प्रतिग्रहम्
May you show me favor; accept this gift from me.
कृता मतिस्तारणाय न लोभाद्रघुनंदन। गृहीते भूषणे राम मम हस्तगते तदा
My intention was for deliverance, not out of greed, O descendant of Raghu; when I took the ornament, O Rama, it then came into my hand.
मानुषः पौर्विको देहस्तदा नष्टोस्य भूपते। प्रणष्टे तु शरीरे च राजर्षिः परया मुदा
At that moment, O king, his former human body was lost; when the body was gone, the royal sage rejoiced greatly.
मयोक्तोसौ विमानेन जगाम त्रिदिवं पुनः। तेन मे शक्रतुल्येन दत्तमाभरणं शुभं
I told him, and he departed again to heaven in a celestial chariot; by him, equal to Indra, the auspicious ornament was given to me.
तस्मिन्निमित्ते काकुत्स्थ दत्तमद्भुतकर्मणा। श्वेतो वैदर्भको राजा तदाभूद्गतकल्मषः
For this reason, O descendant of Kakutstha, through this wondrous deed, King Sveta of Vidarbha became free from sin.
पुलस्त्य उवाच। तदद्भुततमं वाक्यं श्रुत्वा च रघुनंदनः। गौरवाद्विस्मयाच्चापि भूयः प्रष्टुं प्रचक्रमे
Pulastya said: Hearing that most marvelous account, Raghunandana, out of respect and wonder, began to question further.
राम उवाच। भगवंस्तद्वनं घोरं यत्रासौ तप्तवांस्तपः। श्वेतो वैदर्भको राजा तदद्भुतमभूत्कथं
Rama said: Reverend sir, that dreadful forest where King Sveta of Vidarbha performed austerities—how did that marvel come to be?
विषमं तद्वनं राजा शून्यं मृगविवर्जितं। प्रविष्टस्तप आस्थातुं कथं वद महामुने
That forest was harsh, deserted, devoid of animals; how did the king enter it to undertake austerity? Tell me, great sage.
समंताद्योजनशतं निर्मनुष्यमभूत्कथं। भवान्कथं प्रविष्टस्तद्येन कार्येण तद्वद
How did that region, a hundred yojanas all around, become devoid of people? How did you enter it, and for what purpose? Tell me that.
अगस्त्य उवाच। पुरा कृतयुगे राजा मनुर्दंडधरः प्रभुः। तस्य पुत्रोथ नाम्नासीदिक्ष्वाकुरमितद्युतिः
Agastya said: Long ago, in the Krita age, there was a king named Manu, wielder of the rod, a mighty lord; his son, famed as Ikshvaku, shone with splendor.
तं पुत्रं पूर्वजं राज्ये निक्षिप्य भुविसंमतम्। पृथिव्यां राजवंशानां भव राजेत्युवाच ह
Placing his eldest son, esteemed by the world, on the throne, he said, 'Be king among the royal lineages on earth.'
तथेति च प्रतिज्ञातं पितुः पुत्रेण राघव। ततःपरमसंहृष्टः पुनस्तं प्रत्यभाषत
The son promised his father, 'So be it,' O Raghava; then, exceedingly delighted, the father spoke to him again.
प्रीतोस्मि परमोदार कर्मणा ते न संशयः। दंडेन च प्रजा रक्ष न च दंडमकारणम्
'I am pleased with your most noble deed, without doubt; protect the people with the rod, but do not punish without cause.'
अपराधिषु यो दंडः पात्यते मानवैरिह। स दंडो विधिवन्मुक्तः स्वर्गं नयति पार्थिवम्
'The punishment that is rightly inflicted on wrongdoers among men leads the king to heaven.'
तस्माद्दण्डे महाबाहो यत्नवान्भव पुत्रक। धर्मस्ते परमो लोके कृत एवं भविष्यति
Therefore, O mighty-armed one, be diligent in punishment, my son; by doing so, your supreme righteousness will be established in the world.
इति तं बहुसंदिश्य मनुः पुत्रं समाधिना। जगाम त्रिदिवं हृष्टो ब्रह्मलोकमनुत्तमम्
Thus, having given many instructions to his son with concentration, Manu, delighted, departed to the highest realm of Brahma.
जनयिष्ये कथं पुत्रानिति चिंतापरोऽभवत्। कर्मभिर्बहुभिस्तैस्तैस्ससुतैस्संयुतोऽभवत्
He became absorbed in thoughts of how he might produce sons, and through many deeds, he became endowed with those sons.
तोषयामास पुत्रैस्स पितॄन्देवसुतोपमैः। सर्वेषामुत्तमस्तेषां कनीयान्रघुनंदन
He pleased his ancestors with sons who were equal to the children of the gods; among them all, the youngest was Raghunandana.
शूरश्च कृतविद्यश्च गुरुश्च जनपूजया। नाम तस्याथ दंडेति पिता चक्रे स बुद्धिमान्
He was heroic, accomplished in learning, and honored by the people as a teacher; his wise father then named him Danda.
भविष्यद्दण्डपतनं शरीरे तस्य वीक्ष्य च। संपश्यमानस्तं दोषं घोरं पुत्रस्य राघव
Foreseeing the future downfall of Danda's body, and perceiving that terrible fault in his son, O descendant of Raghu,
स विंध्यनीलयोर्मध्ये राज्यमस्य ददौ प्रभुः। स दंडस्तत्र राजाभूद्रम्ये पर्वतमूर्द्धनि
The lord granted him a kingdom between the Vindhya and Nilaya mountains; there, Danda became king atop the beautiful mountain.
पुरं चाप्रतिमं तेन निवेशाय तथा कृतम्। नाम तस्य पुरस्याथ मधुमत्तमिति स्वयम्
He established an incomparable city there for his residence; and he himself named that city Madhumatta.
तथादेशेन संपन्नः शूरो वासमथाकरोत्। एवं राजा स तद्राज्यं चकार सपुरोहितः
Thus endowed by command, the hero made his dwelling there; and so the king ruled that kingdom with his chief priest.
प्रहृष्ट सुप्रजाकीर्णं देवराजो यथा दिवि। ततः स दंडः काकुत्स्थ बहुवर्षगणायुतम्
Filled with joy and surrounded by excellent offspring, like the king of the gods in heaven, Danda, O descendant of Kakutstha,
अकारयत्तु धर्मात्मा राज्यं निहतकंटकं। अथ काले तु कस्मिंश्चिद्राजा भार्गवमाश्रमम्
That righteous soul governed the kingdom, free from thorns; then, at some time, the king approached the hermitage of Bhargava.
रमणीयमुपाक्रामच्चैत्रमासे मनोरमे। तत्र भार्गवकन्यां तु रूपेणाप्रतिमां भुवि
He entered that delightful place in the charming month of Chaitra; there, he saw Bhargava's daughter, unmatched in beauty on earth.
विचरंतीं वनोद्देशे दंडोऽपश्यदनुत्तमाम्। उत्तुंगपीवरीं श्यामां चंद्राभवदनां शुभाम्
As she wandered in the forest region, Danda beheld her, supreme among women: tall, full-bodied, dark, auspicious, with a face like the moon.
सुनासां चारुसर्वांगीं पीनोन्नतपयोधराम्। मध्ये क्षामां च विस्तीर्णां दृष्ट्वा तां कुरुते मुदम्
With a beautiful nose, lovely limbs, and full, prominent breasts; slender in the middle and broad, seeing her, he felt delight.
एकवस्त्रां वने चैकां प्रथमे यौवने स्थिताम्। स तां दृष्ट्वात्वधर्मेण अनंगशरपीडितः
Alone in the forest, clad in a single garment, in the first bloom of youth; seeing her, he was struck by the arrows of love, acting unrighteously.