सुशांताश्च कुलीनाश्च नये मंत्रे च कोविदाः। तानाहूय स धर्मात्मा पुष्पकादवरुह्य च
They are calm, noble by birth, skilled in counsel and policy; having summoned them, that righteous one descended from the Puṣpaka chariot.
गृध्रोलूकौ विवदंतौ पृच्छति स्म रघूत्तमः। कति वर्षाणि भो गृध्र तवेदं निलयं कृतं
The best of the Raghu lineage questioned the vulture and the owl, who were disputing: 'Tell me, O vulture, how many years have you made this your dwelling?'
एतन्मे कौतुकं ब्रूहि यदि जानासि तत्त्वतः। एतच्छ्रुत्वा वचो गृध्रो बभाषे राघवं स्थितं
'Tell me this out of curiosity, if you know the truth.' Hearing these words, the vulture addressed Rāghava, who stood there.
इयं वसुमती राम मानुषैर्बहुबाहुभिः। उच्छ्रितैराचिता सर्वा तदाप्रभृति मद्गृहं
'O Rāma, this earth was amassed by men with strong arms; from that time onward, this has been my home.'
उलूकस्त्वब्रवीद्रामं पादपैरुपशोभिता। यदैव पृथिवी राजंस्तदाप्रभृति मे गृहं
But the owl said to Rāma, 'Adorned with trees, O king, from the very time the earth existed, this has been my home.'
एतच्छ्रुत्वा तु रामो वै सभासद उवाचह। न सा सभा यत्र न संति वृद्धा वृद्धा न ते ये न वदंति धर्मं1.37.
Hearing this, Rāma spoke in the assembly: 'That is not an assembly where there are no elders, nor are they elders who do not speak of righteousness.'
नासौ धर्मो यत्र न चास्ति सत्यं न तत्सत्यं यच्छलमभ्युपैति। ये तु सभ्याः सभां गत्वा तूष्णीं ध्यायंत आसते
That is not righteousness where there is no truth, and that is not truth which accepts deceit; those who, having entered an assembly, sit silently and meditate—
यथाप्राप्तं न ब्रुवते सर्वे तेऽनृतवादिनः। न वक्ति च श्रुतं यश्च कामात्क्रोधात्तथा भयात्
—who do not speak as is appropriate—all of them are speakers of falsehood; and whoever does not speak what he has heard, whether from desire, anger, or fear—
सहस्रं वारुणाः पाशाः प्रतिमुंचंति तं नरं। तेषां संवत्सरे पूर्णे पाश एकः प्रमुच्यते
—for such a man, a thousand nooses of Varuṇa are fastened; when a year is completed, one noose is released from them.
तस्मात्सत्यं तु वक्तव्यं जानता सत्यमंजसा। एतच्छ्रुत्वा तु सचिवा राममेवाब्रुवंस्तदा
Therefore, one who knows the truth must speak it plainly; having heard this, the ministers then addressed only Rāma.
उलूकः शोभते राजन्न तु गृध्रो महामते। त्वं प्रमाणं महाराज राजा हि परमा गतिः
The owl is auspicious, O king, but not the vulture, O wise one; you are the authority, great king, for the king is the highest refuge.
राजमूलाः प्रजाः सर्वा राजा धर्मः सनातनः। शास्ता राजा नृणां येषां न ते गच्छंति दुर्गतिम्
All subjects have their root in the king; the king is eternal righteousness; those people whose ruler is just do not fall into misfortune.
वैवस्वतेन मुक्ताश्च भवंति पुरुषोत्तमाः। सचिवानां वचः श्रुत्वा रामो वचनमब्रवीत्
Those excellent men who are released by Vaivasvata become liberated; having heard the words of the ministers, Rāma spoke as follows:
श्रूयतामभिधास्यामि पुराणं यदुदाहृतं। द्यौः सचंद्रार्कनक्षत्रा सपर्वतमहीद्रुमम्
Listen, I will recount the ancient story that has been told: the sky, with the moon, sun, and stars, with mountains, earth, and trees—
सलिलार्णवसंमग्नं त्रैलोक्यं सचराचरं। एकमेव तदा ह्यासीत्सर्वमेकमिवांबरं
—with the waters and the ocean, all the three worlds, with moving and unmoving beings, were at that time all one, like a single expanse of space.
पुनर्भूः सह लक्ष्म्या च विष्णोर्जठरमाविशत्। तां निगृह्य महातेजाः प्रविश्य सलिलार्णवं
Again, the earth, together with Lakṣmī, entered the belly of Viṣṇu; restraining her, the great and radiant one entered the ocean of waters.
सुष्वाप हि कृतात्मा स बहुवर्षशतान्यपि। विष्णौ सुप्ते ततो ब्रह्मा विवेश जठरं ततः
He, whose self was disciplined, slept there for many hundreds of years; while Viṣṇu slept, then Brahmā entered his belly.
बहुस्रोतं च तं ज्ञात्वा महायोगी समाविशत्। नाभ्यां विष्णोः समुद्भूतं पद्मं हेमविभूषितं
Recognizing it as having many channels, the great yogi entered; from Viṣṇu’s navel arose a lotus adorned with gold.
स तु निर्गम्य वै ब्रह्मा योगी भूत्वा महाप्रभुः। सिसृक्षुः पृथिवीं वायुं पर्वतांश्च महीरुहान्
Emerging from it, Brahmā, the great lord, having become a yogi, desiring to create the earth, the wind, the mountains, and the great trees—
तदंतराः प्रजाः सर्वा मानुषांश्च सरीसृपान्। जरायुजाण्डजान्सर्वान्ससर्ज स महातपाः
—then, in between, he created all creatures, humans, and reptiles; all those born from wombs and eggs, he, the great ascetic, created.
तस्य गात्रसमुत्पन्नः कैटभो मधुना सह। दानवौ तौ महावीर्यौ घोरौ लब्धवरौ तदा
From his body arose Kaitabha together with Madhu; those two Dānavas, of great might and terrible, having obtained boons at that time—
दृष्ट्वा प्रजापतिं तत्र क्रोधाविष्टावुभौ नृप। वेगेन महता भोक्तुं स्वयंभुवमधावतां
—seeing the Lord of creatures there, both, seized by anger, rushed with great force to devour the self-born one.
दृष्ट्वा सत्वानि सर्वाणि निस्सरन्ति पृथक्पृथक्। ब्रह्मणा संस्तुतो विष्णुर्हत्वा तौ मधुकैटभौ
Seeing all beings emerging separately, Viṣṇu, praised by Brahmā, slew those two, Madhu and Kaitabha.
पृथिवीं वर्धयामास स्थित्यर्थं मेदसा तयोः। मेदोगंधा तु धरणी मेदिनीत्यभिधां गता
For the sake of stability, he caused the earth to grow with the fat of those two; because the earth had the smell of fat, she came to be called Medinī.
तस्माद्गृध्रस्त्वसत्यो वै पापकर्मापरालयम्। स्वीयं करोति पापात्मा दण्डनीयो न संशयः
Therefore, this vulture is indeed untruthful, devoted to wicked deeds, and a refuge of evil; he acts according to his sinful nature and is certainly deserving of punishment.
ततोऽशरीरिणीवाणी अंतरिक्षात्प्रभाषते। मा वधी राम गृध्रं त्वं पूर्वंदग्धं तपोबलात्
Then, a bodiless voice spoke from the sky: 'Do not kill the vulture, O Rāma; he was previously burned by the power of asceticism.'
पुरा गौतम दग्धोऽयं प्रजानाथो जनेश्वर। ब्रह्मदत्तस्तु नामैष शूरः सत्यव्रतः शुचिः
Long ago, this one was burned by Gautama, the lord of creatures, O king of men; his name is Brahmadatta, a valiant, truthful, and pure man.
गृहमागत्य विप्रर्षेर्भोजनं प्रत्ययाचत। साग्रं वर्षशतं चैव भुक्तवान्नृपसत्तम
Having come to the house of the sage, this Brahmadatta asked for food; and for a full hundred years, O best of kings, he ate there.
ब्रह्मदत्तस्य वै तस्य पाद्यमर्घ्यं स्वयं ततः। आत्मनैवाकरोत्सम्यग्भोजनार्थं महाद्युते
For Brahmadatta, that noble one, personally offered water for washing the feet and for hospitality, properly, in preparation for the meal.
समाविश्य गृहं तस्य आहारे तु महात्मनः। नारीं पूर्णस्तनीं दृष्ट्वा हस्तेनाथ परामृशत्
Entering his house, when the great-souled one was about to eat, he saw a woman with full breasts and then touched her with his hand.