यत्र ग्रामे स्थितो नूनं भरतो भ्रातृवत्सलः । विलापं प्रकरोत्युच्चैस्तं ग्रामं स ददर्श ह
Wherever Bharata, loving his brother, resides in a village, he loudly laments; that village he saw.
अगस्त्य उवाच। अथोग्रं स तपो दैत्यो दशवर्षसहस्रकम् । चकार भानुमक्ष्णा च पश्यन्नूर्ध्वपदे स्थितः
Agastya said: Then that demon performed fierce austerity for ten thousand years, standing with his gaze fixed on the sun and his feet raised upward.
कुंभकर्णोऽपि कृतवांस्तपः परमदुश्चरम् । विभीषणस्तु धर्मात्मा चचार परमं तपः
Kumbhakarna also undertook austerity, extremely difficult; and Vibhishana, righteous in nature, performed supreme penance.
तदा प्रसन्नो भगवान्देवदेवः प्रजापतिः । देवदानवयक्षादि मुकुटैः परिसेवितः
Then the blessed Lord, God of gods, Prajapati, became pleased, attended by gods, demons, yakshas, and others, all crowned.
ददौ राज्यं च सुमहद्भुवनत्रयभास्वरम् । वपुश्च कृतवान्रम्यं देवदानवसेवितम्
He granted a vast kingdom, shining across the three worlds, and bestowed a splendid form, served by gods and demons.
तदा संतापितो भ्राता धनदो धर्मबुद्धिमान् । विमानं तु ततो नीतं लंका च नगरी हठात्
Then the brother, Kubera, afflicted and wise in righteousness, was forcibly removed from his palace, and Lanka, the city, was taken.
भुवनं तापितं सर्वं देवाश्चैव दिवो गताः । हतवान्ब्राह्मणकुलं मुनीनां मूलकृंतनः
The whole world was tormented, and the gods had gone to heaven; he had destroyed the families of Brahmins, cutting them off at the root.
तदातिदुःखिता देवाः सेंद्रा ब्रह्माणमाययुः । स्तुतिं चक्रुर्महात्मानो दंडवत्प्रणतिं गताः
Then the gods, greatly distressed, together with Indra, approached Brahma; those great souls offered praise, bowing down in reverence.
ते तुष्टुवुः सुराः सर्वे वाग्भिरर्थ्याभिरादृताः । ततः प्रसन्नो भगवान्किंकरोमीति चाब्रवीत्
All the gods praised him with earnest and respectful words; then the Blessed Lord, pleased, said, 'What shall I do?'
ततो निवेदयांचक्रुर्ब्रह्मणे विबुधाः पुरः । दशग्रीवाच्च संकष्टं तथा निजपराभवम्
Thereupon, the gods presented before Brahma both the distress caused by the ten-headed one and their own defeat.
क्षणं ध्यात्वा ययौ ब्रह्मा कैलासं त्रिदशैः सह । तस्य शैलस्य पार्श्वे तु वैचित्र्येण समाकुलाः
After meditating for a moment, Brahma went to Kailasa with the gods; at the side of that mountain, they were struck with wonder at its marvels.
स्थिताः संतुष्टुवुर्देवाः शंभुं शक्रपुरोगमाः । नमो भवाय शर्वाय नीलग्रीवाय ते नमः
Standing there, the gods, led by Indra, praised Shambhu: 'Homage to Bhava, to Sharva, to you with the blue throat.'
नमः स्थूलाय सूक्ष्माय बहुरूपाय ते नमः । इति सर्वमुखेनोक्तां वाणीमाकर्ण्य शंकरः
'Homage to you who are gross and subtle, who have many forms.' Hearing these words spoken by all, Shankara—
प्रोवाच नंदिनं देवा नानयेति ममांतिकम् । एतस्मिन्नंतरे देवा आहूता नंदिना च ते
—said to Nandi, 'Let the gods come before me, without exception.' Meanwhile, the gods were summoned by Nandi.
प्रविश्यांतःपुरे देवा ददृशुर्विस्मितेक्षणाः । ब्रह्मागत्य ददर्शाथ शंकरं लोकशंकरम्
Entering the inner palace, the gods beheld with astonished eyes; Brahma, having arrived, saw Shankara, the benefactor of the worlds.
गणकोटिसहस्रैस्तु सेवितं मोदशालिभिः । नग्नैर्विरूपैः कुटिलैर्धूसरैर्विकटैस्तथा
He was attended by countless hosts of ganas, rejoicing; some were naked, deformed, crooked, ashen, and grotesque.
प्रणिपत्याग्रतः स्थित्वा सह देवैः पितामहः । उवाच देवदेवेशं पश्यावस्थां दिवौकसाम्
Having bowed and stood before him with the gods, the Grandfather spoke to the Lord of gods: 'Behold the condition of the dwellers in heaven.'
कृपां कुरु महादेव शरणागतवत्सल । दुष्टदैत्यवधार्थं त्वं समुद्योगं विधेहि भोः
'Show compassion, O Great God, you who cherish those who seek refuge; undertake action for the destruction of the wicked demon, O Lord.'
सोऽपि तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा दैन्यशोकसमन्वितम् । त्रिदशैः सहितैः सर्वैराजगाम हरेः पदम्
He too, hearing those words filled with humility and sorrow, went with all the gods to the abode of Hari.
तुष्टुवुर्मुनयः सर्वे ससुरोरगकिन्नराः । जय माधव देवेश जय भक्तजनार्तिहन्
All the sages, along with gods, serpents, and kinnaras, praised him: 'Victory to you, Madhava, Lord of gods, destroyer of the suffering of devotees!'
विलोकय महादेव लोकयस्व स्वसेवकान् । इत्युच्चैर्जगदुः सर्वे देवाः शर्वपुरोगमाः
'Look upon us, O Great God, behold your own servants!' Thus all the gods, led by Sharva, loudly cried.
इत्युक्तमाकर्ण्य सुराधिनाथो दृष्ट्वा सुरार्तिं परिचिंत्य विष्णुः । जगाद देवाञ्जलदोच्चया गिरा दुःखं तु तेषां प्रशमं नयन्निव
Hearing these words, the Lord of the gods, seeing their distress and reflecting upon it, Vishnu spoke to the gods in a voice deep as a raincloud, as if bringing an end to their sorrow.
भो ब्रह्मशर्वेंद्र पुरोगमामराः शृण्वंतु वाचं भवतां हितेरताम् । जाने दशग्रीवकृतं भयं वस्तन्नाशयाम्यद्य कृतावतारः
'O Brahma, Sharva, Indra, and all you foremost immortals, listen to my words, intent on your welfare. I know the fear caused by the ten-headed one; having descended, I shall destroy it today.'
पुरी त्वयोध्या रविवंशजातैर्नृपैर्महादानमखादिसत्क्रियैः । प्रपालिता भूतलमंडनीया विराजते राजतभूमिभागैः
The city of Ayodhya, ruled by kings born of the solar dynasty, adorned the earth with great gifts, sacrifices, and noble rites; it shines with its silver-paved quarters, fit to grace the world.
तस्यां दशरथो राजा निरपत्यः श्रियान्वितः । पालयत्यधुना राज्यं दिक्चक्रजयवान्विभुः
There, King Daśaratha, though without a son, endowed with prosperity, now rules the kingdom, a sovereign victorious in all directions.
स तु वंद्यादृष्यशृंगात्प्रार्थितात्पुत्रकाम्यया । पुत्रेष्ट्यां विधिना यज्वा महाबलसमन्वितः
He, desiring a son, was advised by the sage Vasiṣṭha and, following the prescribed rite, performed the Putreṣṭi sacrifice, endowed with great power.
ततोऽहं प्रार्थितः पूर्वं तपसा तेन भोः सुराः । पत्नीषु तिसृषु प्रीत्या चतुर्धापि भवत्कृते
Then I, previously requested by him through austerities, O gods, out of affection for his three wives, divided myself into four for your sake.
राम लक्ष्मण शत्रुघ्न भरताख्या समन्वितः । कर्तास्मि रावणोद्धारं समूल बलवाहनम्
Accompanied by Rāma, Lakṣmaṇa, Śatrughna, and Bharata, I will destroy Rāvaṇa together with his entire force, uprooting him completely.
भवंतोऽपि स्वकैरंशैरवतीर्य चरंत्विह । ऋक्षवानररूपेण सर्वत्र पृथिवीतले
You too, descending with your own portions, should move about here in the forms of bears and monkeys everywhere upon the earth.
इत्युक्त्वा विररामाशु नभसीरितवाङ्मुने । देवाः श्रुत्वा महद्वाक्यं सर्वे संहृष्टमानसाः
Having spoken thus, the sage whose words move through the sky quickly became silent; all the gods, hearing this great declaration, were filled with joy.