इक्ष्वाकूणां कुले जातु ब्राह्मणो न दुरुक्तिभाक् । ईदृशं कुर्वता कर्म मयैतत्सुकलंकितम्
Never in the Ikṣvāku lineage has a Brahmin uttered harsh words; by performing such an act, I have marked myself with this stain.
ये ब्राह्मणास्तु पूजार्हा दानसम्मानभोजनैः । ते मया निहता विप्राः शरसंघातसंहितैः
Those Brahmins who deserved worship, gifts, honor, and meals—I killed those learned ones with volleys of arrows.
काँल्लोकान्नु गमिष्यामि कुंभीपाकोऽपि दुःसहः । न तादृशं तीर्थमस्ति यन्मां पावयितुं क्षमम्
To which worlds shall I go? Even the dreadful Kumbhīpāka hell is unbearable. There is no such sacred place capable of purifying me.
न यज्ञो न तपो दानं न वा चैव व्रतादिकम् । यत्तु वै ब्राह्मणद्रोग्धुर्ममपावनतारकम्
Neither sacrifice, nor austerity, nor charity, nor vows and the like—nothing can purify me from the sin of harming Brahmins.
यैः कोपितं ब्रह्मकुलं नरैर्निरयगामिभिः । ते नरा बहुशो दुःखं भोक्ष्यंति निरयं गताः
Those men who anger the Brahmin lineage and go to hell will suffer much pain repeatedly in the infernal realms.
वेदा मूलं तु धर्माणां वर्णाश्रमविवेकिनाम् । तन्मूलं ब्राह्मणकुलं सर्ववेदैकशाखिनः
The Vedas are the root of dharma for those who discern caste and stage of life; the Brahmin lineage is its foundation, the sole branch of all the Vedas.
मूलच्छेत्तुर्ममौद्धत्यात्को लोकोनु भविष्यति । किमद्यकरणीयं वै येन मे हि शिवं भवेत्
Who in the world will become the destroyer of my roots due to my arrogance? What should I do today so that well-being may come to me?
शेष उवाच। विलपंतं भृशं रामं राजेंद्रं रघुपुंगवम् । मायामनुष्यवपुषं कुंभजन्माब्रवीद्वचः
Śeṣa said: As Rāma, the foremost of the Raghu dynasty and king among kings, lamented greatly, the one born from the pot, taking on the form of a human through his māyā, spoke these words.
अगस्त्य उवाच। मा विषादं महाधीर कुरु राजन्महामते । न ते ब्राह्मणहत्या स्याद्दुष्टानां नाशमिच्छतः
Agastya said: Do not give in to despair, O king, great in wisdom and steadfast in mind. For you, there is no sin of brahmin-killing, since you sought the destruction of the wicked.
त्वं पुराणः पुमान्साक्षादीश्वरः प्रकृतेः परः । कर्ता हर्ताऽविता साक्षी निर्गुणः स्वेच्छया गुणी
You are the ancient person, the Lord, transcending nature itself—creator, destroyer, protector, witness, beyond qualities, yet assuming qualities by your own will.
सुरापो ब्रह्महत्याकृत्स्वर्णस्तेयी महाघकृत् । सर्वे त्वन्नामवादेन पूताः शीघ्रं भवंति हि
Even a drinker of liquor, a slayer of a brahmin, a thief of gold, or one who commits great sins—all are quickly purified by uttering your name.
इयं देवी जनकजा महाविद्या महामते । यस्याः स्मरणमात्रेण मुक्ता यास्यंति सद्गतिम्
This goddess, daughter of Janaka, is the great wisdom, O wise one. By merely remembering her, people are liberated and attain the highest path.
रावणोऽपि न वै दैत्यो वैकुंठे तव सेवकः । ऋषीणां शापतोऽवाप्तो दैत्यत्वं दनुजांतक
Even Rāvaṇa was not truly a demon, but your servant in Vaikuṇṭha. Due to the curse of the sages, he took birth as a demon, O destroyer of the Danujas.
तस्यानुग्रहकर्ता त्वं न तु हंता द्विजन्मनः । एवं संचिंत्य मा भूयो निजं शोचितुमर्हसि
You were his benefactor, not the slayer of a twice-born. Therefore, reflecting thus, you should not grieve over your own actions any longer.
इति श्रुत्वा ततो वाक्यं रामः परपुरंजयः । उवाच मधुरं वाक्यं गद्गदस्वरभाषितम्
Hearing these words, Rāma, conqueror of enemy cities, spoke sweet words, his voice choked with emotion.
श्रीराम उवाच। पातकं द्विविधं प्रोक्तं ज्ञाताज्ञातविभेदतः । ज्ञातं यद्बुद्धिपूर्वं हि अज्ञातं तद्विवर्जितम्
Śrī Rāma said: Sin is said to be of two kinds, distinguished as known and unknown. That which is done knowingly is known; what is otherwise is unknown.
बुद्धिपूर्वं कृतं कर्म भोगेनैव विनश्यति । नश्येदनुशयादन्यदिदं शास्त्रविनिश्चितम्
An act done knowingly is destroyed only through experiencing its result; the other is destroyed by remorse—this is the settled conclusion of the scriptures.
कुर्वतो बुद्धिपूर्वं मे ब्रह्महत्यां सुनिंदिताम् । न मे दुःखापनोदाय साधुवादः सुसंमतः
Since I knowingly committed the grave sin of brahmin-killing, mere words of praise are not, in my view, sufficient to remove my sorrow.
प्रब्रूहि तादृशं मह्यं यादृशं पापदाहकम् । व्रतं दानं मखं किंचित्तीर्थमाराधनं महत्
Tell me, therefore, of such a vow, gift, sacrifice, pilgrimage, or great worship that can burn away such sin.
येन मे विमला कीर्तिर्लोकान्वै पावयिष्यति । पापाचाराप्तकालुष्यान्ब्रह्महत्याहतप्रभान्
By which my fame may become pure and sanctify the worlds, and those tainted by sinful conduct and dimmed by the sin of brahmin-killing may be cleansed.
शेष उवाच। इत्युक्तवंतं तं रामं जगाद स तपोनिधिः । सुरासुरनमन्मौलि मणिनीराजितांघ्रिकम्
Śeṣa said: Thus addressed, that Rāma was spoken to by the sage, whose feet were adorned by the jewels of gods and demons bowing in reverence.
शृणु राम महावीर लोकानुग्रहकारक । विप्रहत्यापनोदाय तव यद्वचनं ब्रुवे
Hear, O Rāma, great hero, benefactor of the worlds, the instruction I give for the removal of your brahmin-killing sin.
सर्वं स पापं तरति योऽश्वमेधं यजेत वै । तस्मात्त्वं यज विश्वात्मन्वाजिमेधेन शोभिना
Whoever performs the Aśvamedha sacrifice crosses over all sin; therefore, O soul of the universe, you should perform the glorious horse sacrifice.
सप्ततंतुर्महीभर्त्रा त्वया साध्यो मनीषिणा । महासमृद्धियुक्तेन महाबलसुशालिना
The sacrifice with seventy threads must be performed by you, ruler of the earth, endowed with great prosperity and supreme strength, as determined by the wise.
स वाजिमेधो विप्राणां हत्यायाः पापनोदनः । कृतवान्यं महाराजो दिलीपस्तव पूर्वजः
That Aśvamedha sacrifice, O Brahmins, destroys the sin of killing a Brahmin; your ancestor, the great king Dilīpa, performed it.
शतक्रतुः शतं कृत्वा क्रतूनां पुरुषर्षभः । पदमापामरावत्यां देवदैत्यसुसेवितम्
Indra, the best among men, having performed a hundred sacrifices, attained the abode in Amarāvatī, well served by gods and demons.
मनुश्च सगरो राजा मरुत्तो नहुषात्मजः । एते ते पूर्वजाः सर्वे यज्ञं कृत्वा पदं गताः
Manu, King Sagara, Marutta the son of Nahuṣa—all these your ancestors, having performed sacrifice, attained that state.
तस्मात्त्वं कुरु राजेंद्र समर्थोऽसि समंततः । भ्रातरो लोकपालाभा वर्तंते तव भावुकाः
Therefore, O king, you should do likewise; you are fully capable. Your brothers, noble in spirit, stand by you like guardians of the world.
इत्युक्तमाकर्ण्य मुनेः स भाग्यवान् रघूत्तमो ब्राह्मणघातभीतः । पप्रच्छ यागे सुमतिं चिकीर्षन्विधिं पुरावित्परिगीयमानः
Hearing this from the sage, the fortunate best of the Raghus, fearful of the sin of killing a Brahmin, asked about the proper procedure for the sacrifice, wishing to act as praised in ancient times.
श्रीराम उवाच। कीदृशोऽश्वस्तत्र भाव्यः को विधिस्तत्र पूजने । कथं वा शक्यते कर्तुं के जेयास्तत्र वैरिणः
Śrī Rāma said: What kind of horse should be there? What is the procedure for its worship? How can it be accomplished, and who are the enemies to be conquered there?