अहो भाग्यं भूमिपते रत्नग्रीवस्य सन्मतेः । जगामानेन देहेन तद्विष्णोः परमं पदम्
O lord of the earth, how blessed is Ratnagrīva, of noble mind! With this very body he went to that supreme abode of Viṣṇu.
राजन्नसौ नीलगिरिः पुरुषोत्तमसत्कृतः । यं वीक्ष्यैव व्रजंत्यद्धा वैकुंठं परमायनम्
O king, that Nīlagiri, honored by Puruṣottama, is such that merely by seeing it, one truly goes to Vaikuṇṭha, the supreme destination.
एतन्नीलस्य माहात्म्यं यः शृणोति स भाग्यवान् । यः श्रावयति लोकान्वै तौ गच्छेतां परं पदम्
Whoever hears this greatness of Nīla is truly fortunate; and whoever causes others to hear it—both will attain the supreme state.
एतच्छ्रुत्वा तु दुःस्वप्नो नश्यति स्मृतिमात्रतः । प्रांते संसारनिस्तारं ददाति पुरुषोत्तमः
By merely remembering and hearing this, an evil dream is destroyed; at the end, the Supreme Person grants liberation from the cycle of existence.
योऽसौ नीलाधिवासी च स रामः पुरुषोत्तमः । सीतासाक्षान्महालक्ष्मीः सर्वकारणकारणम्
He who dwells upon Nīla is that very Rāma, the Supreme Person; Sītā herself is Mahālakṣmī, the cause of all causes.
हयमेधं चरित्वा स लोकान्वै पावयिष्यति । यन्नामब्रह्महत्यायाः प्रायश्चित्ते प्रदिश्यते
Having performed the horse sacrifice, he will purify the worlds; his name is prescribed as atonement for the sin of killing a brāhmaṇa.
इदानीं त्वद्धयः प्राप्तो नीलेपर्वतसत्तमे । पुरुषोत्तमदेवं त्वं नमस्कुरु महामते
Now your horse has reached the excellent Nīla mountain; O wise one, offer your reverence to the god Puruṣottama.
तत्र निष्पापिनो भूत्वा यास्यामः परमं पदम् । यस्य प्रसादाद्बहवो निस्तीर्णा भवसागरात्
There, becoming free from sin, we shall attain the supreme state—by whose grace many have crossed over the ocean of existence.
एवं प्रवदतस्तस्य प्राप्तोऽश्वो नीलपर्वतम् । वायुवेगेन पृथिवीं कुर्वन्संक्षुण्णमंडलाम्
As he was speaking thus, the horse reached the Nīla mountain, making the earth tremble with the force of the wind, crushing the land.
तदा राजापि तत्पृष्ठचारी नीलाभिधं गिरिम् । प्राप्तो गंगाब्धिसंयोगे स्नात्वागात्पुरुषोत्तमम्
Then the king, following behind, reached the mountain called Nīla at the confluence of the Gaṅgā and the ocean; after bathing, he approached Puruṣottama.
स्तुत्वा नत्वा च देवेशं सुरासुरनमस्कृतम् । जातं कृतार्थमात्मानममन्यत स शत्रुहा
Having praised and bowed to the Lord of the gods, worshipped by gods and demons, the destroyer of enemies considered himself fulfilled.
शेष उवाच। क्षणं स्थित्वा तृणान्यत्त्वा ययौ वाजी मनोजवः । वीरश्रेणीवृतः पत्रं भाले धृत्वा सचामरः
Śeṣa said: After pausing for a moment and grazing on grass, the swift horse departed, surrounded by a host of heroes, bearing a leaf on its forehead and adorned with a chowrie.
शत्रुघ्नेन सुवीरेण लक्ष्मीनिधि नृपेण च । पुष्कलेनोग्रवाहेन प्रतापाग्र्येण रक्षितः
Protected by the valiant Śatrughna, the king who was a treasury of fortune, and Puṣkala of mighty speed and foremost prowess.
ययौ पुरीं स चक्रांकां सुबाहुपरिरक्षिताम् । अनेकवीरकोटीभी रक्षितोऽनुगतः प्रभो
He went to the city marked with a discus, well-guarded by Subāhu, accompanied and protected by countless crores of heroes.
तदा पुत्रोस्य दमनो मृगयामास्थितो महान् । ददर्शाश्वं भालपत्रं चंदनादिकचर्चितम्
At that time, his son Damana, engaged in hunting, saw the horse with the leaf on its forehead, anointed with sandal and other substances.
विलोक्य सेवकं प्राह कस्याश्वो मेऽक्षिगोचरः । भाले पत्रं धृतं किं नु चामरं किंतु शोभनम्
Seeing it, he said to his attendant: 'Whose horse is this within my sight? Why is a leaf placed on its forehead, and why is there a chowrie—yet it is splendid?'
इति राज्ञोवचः श्रुत्वा सेवकः प्रययौ ततः । यत्रासौ वर्तते वाजी भालपत्रः सुशोभनः
Hearing the king's words, the attendant went to where that splendid horse with the leaf on its forehead was standing.
गृहीत्वा तं केशसंघे रत्नमालाविभूषितम् । निनाय चाग्रे भूपस्य सुबाहुकुलधारिणः
Taking hold of it by the mane, adorned with a garland of jewels, the bearer of Subāhu's lineage led it before the king.
स पत्रं वाचयामास सुंदराक्षरशोभितम् । अयोध्याधिपतिश्चासीद्राजा दशरथो बली
He read the leaf, beautiful with fine letters; and the lord of Ayodhyā was the mighty king Daśaratha.
तस्यात्मजो रामभद्रः सर्वशूरशिरोमणिः । नान्योस्ति तत्समः पृथ्व्यां धनुर्धरणविक्रमः
His son was Rāmabhadra, the foremost of all heroes; there is no one equal to him on earth in the prowess of bearing arms.
तेनासौ मोचितो वाजी चंदनादिकचर्चितः । तं पालयति धर्मात्मा शत्रुघ्नः परवीरहा
By him, that horse, adorned with sandalwood and other unguents, was released; and the righteous Shatrughna, destroyer of enemy heroes, is guarding it.
ये च शूरा वयं वीरा धनुर्हस्ता इमे वयम् । ते गृह्णंतु बलाद्वाहं रत्नमालाविभूषितम्
Let those among us who are valiant, who bear bows in hand, seize this prize-laden steed adorned with a garland of jewels.
तं च मोक्ष्यति शत्रुघ्नः सर्ववीरशिरोमणिः । अन्यथा पादयोस्तस्य प्रणतिं यांतु धन्विनः
Shatrughna, the foremost among all warriors, will release it; otherwise, let the archers bow at his feet.
इत्यभिप्रायमालोक्य जगाद नृपनंदनः । राम एव धनुर्धारी न वयं क्षत्त्रियाः स्मृताः
Perceiving this intention, the prince spoke: 'Only Rama is truly an archer; we are not regarded as Kshatriyas.'
ताते मेऽवस्थिते पृथ्व्यां कोऽयं गर्वो महान्भुवि । प्राप्नोतु गर्वस्य फलं मम निर्मुक्तसायकैः
While my father stands upon the earth, what is this great pride in the world? Let him reap the fruit of his arrogance from my arrows, once loosed.
अद्य मे निशिता बाणाः शत्रुघ्नं किंशुकं यथा । पुष्पितं विदधत्वद्धा क्षतावृतशरीरकम्
Today, let my sharp arrows make Shatrughna, like a blossoming kimshuka tree, covered with wounds upon his body.
दारयंतु कपोलांश्च सायका मम दंतिनाम् । अश्वान्पश्यंतु शतशो रुधिरौघपरिप्लुतान्
Let my arrows pierce the cheeks of the elephants, and let the horses be seen by the hundreds, drenched in streams of blood.
पिबंतु योगिनीसंघा रुधिराणि नृमस्तकैः । शिवा भवंतु संतुष्टा मद्वैरिक्रव्यभक्षणैः
Let the hosts of yoginis drink blood from the heads of men, and let Shiva's consorts be satisfied by devouring the flesh of my enemies.
पश्यंतु सुभटास्तस्य मम बाहुबलं महत् । कोदंडदंडनिर्मुक्ताः शरकोटीर्विमुंचतः
Let those mighty warriors witness the great strength of my arms, as I release millions of arrows from my bow, the staff of Kodanda.
इत्थमुक्त्वा महीपस्य तनुजो दमनाभिधः । स्वपुरं प्रेषयित्वा तं प्रहृष्टोऽभवदुद्भटः
Having spoken thus, the king's son named Damana, after sending him to his own city, became exultant and fierce.