भवान्सज्जो भवत्वद्य हयस्यानुगमं प्रति । सन्नद्धः कवची खड्गी गजाश्वरथसंयुतः
Be ready today, equipped with armor and sword, accompanied by elephants, horses, and chariots, to follow the horse.
इति वाक्यं समाकर्ण्य शत्रुघ्नस्य महीपतिः । पुत्रं राज्येऽभिषेच्यैव शत्रुघ्नेन सुपूजितः
Hearing these words of Śatrughna, the king, having installed his son on the throne, was duly honored by Śatrughna.
महारथैः परिवृतो निजं पुत्रं रणांगणे । पुष्कलेन हतं भूपः संस्कृत्य विधिपूर्वकम्
Surrounded by great chariot-warriors, the king performed the proper rites for his son Puṣkala, who had fallen on the battlefield.
क्षणं शुशोच तत्त्वज्ञो लोकदृष्ट्या महारथः । ज्ञानेनानाशयच्छोकं रघुनाथमनुस्मरन्
For a moment, the wise great chariot-warrior grieved, as is customary in the world; but by knowledge, remembering Raghunātha, he dispelled his sorrow.
सज्जीभूतो रथे तिष्ठन्महासैन्यसमावृतः । आजगाम स शत्रुघ्नं महारथिपुरस्कृतः
Ready for battle, standing on his chariot and surrounded by a great army, he approached Shatrughna, led by mighty warriors.
राजा तमागतं दृष्ट्वा सर्वसैन्यसमन्वितम् । गंतुं चकार धिषणां हयवर्यस्य पालने
Seeing him arrive with his entire army, the king resolved to set out, intent on protecting the noble horse.
सोऽश्वो विमोचितस्तेन भाले पत्रेण चिह्नितः । वामावर्तं भ्रमन्प्रायात्पौर्वाञ्जनपदान्बहून्
Then that horse was released, marked with a plate on its forehead, and, turning to the left, it proceeded through many eastern lands.
तत्रतत्रत्य भूपालैर्महाशूराभिपूजितैः । प्रणतिः क्रियते तस्य न कोपि तमगृह्णत
There, the local kings, honored by great heroes, offered their respects to it; but no one seized it.
केचिद्वासांसि चित्राणि केचिद्राज्यं स्वकं महत् । केचिद्धनं जनं केचिदानीय प्रणमंति तम्
Some brought splendid garments, some their vast kingdoms, others wealth or people, and all came to pay homage to it.
शेष उवाच। अथ तेजःपुरं प्राप्तस्तुरगः पत्रशोभितः । यस्यां पालयते राजा प्रजाः सत्येन सत्यवान्
Śeṣa said: Then the horse, adorned with the plate, reached Tejaspura, where the king, steadfast in truth, rules his people with righteousness.
अथ कोटिपरीवारो रघुनाथानुजस्ततः । हयानुगो ययौ तस्य पुरतः पुरधर्षणः
Then Shatrughna, the younger brother of Raghunātha, surrounded by countless followers, went ahead, following the horse and ready to conquer the city.
तद्दृष्ट्वा नगरं रम्यं चित्रप्राकारशोभितम् । कांचनैः कलशैस्तत्र परितः प्रतिभासितम्
Seeing that beautiful city, adorned with colorful ramparts and shining all around with golden spires,
देवायतनसाहस्रैः सर्वतश्च विराजितम् । यतीनां तु मठास्तत्र शोभंते यतिपूरिताः
Radiant on all sides with thousands of temples, and with monasteries filled with ascetics, it shone with the presence of holy men.
वहत्यत्र महादेवी शिखिलोचनमूर्धगा । हंसकारंडवाकीर्णामुनिवृंदनिषेविता
There, the great river flows, crowned with crested waves, filled with swans and cranes, and attended by groups of sages.
ब्राह्मणानां प्रत्यगारमग्निहोत्रभवः पुनः । धूमस्तत्र पुनात्यंग पातकाप्लुतमानसान्
At the homes of the Brahmins, the smoke from sacrificial fires rises, purifying even those whose minds are stained with sin.
उवाच सुमतिं राजा शत्रुघ्नः शत्रुतापनः । तत्पुरप्रेक्षणोद्भूतहर्षविस्मितमानसः
There, Shatrughna, the subduer of enemies, spoke to Sumati, his mind filled with wonder and joy at the sight of that city.
शत्रुघ्न उवाच। मंत्रिन्कथय कस्येदं पुरं मे दृष्टिगोचरम् । करोति मानसाह्लादं धर्मेण प्रतिपालितम्
Shatrughna said: O minister, tell me whose city this is that has come into my view, which delights my heart and is governed by righteousness.
शेष उवाच। इति वाक्यं समाकर्ण्य शत्रुघ्नस्य महीपतेः । उवाच सुमतिः सर्वं यथातथमनुद्धतम्
Śeṣa said: Hearing these words of King Shatrughna, Sumati replied, recounting everything as it was, without exaggeration.
सुमतिरुवाच। शृणुष्वावहितः स्वामिन्वैष्णवस्य कथाः शुभाः । याः श्रुत्वा मुच्यते पापाद्ब्रह्महत्यासमादपि
Sumati said: Listen attentively, master, to these auspicious tales of a devotee of Vishnu; hearing them, one is freed from sin, even from the guilt of killing a Brahmin.
जीवन्मुक्तो वरीवर्ति रामांघ्र्यंबुजषट्पदः । सत्यवान्यज्ञयज्ञांग ज्ञाता कर्ताऽविता महान्
He, liberated while living, a bee at the lotus feet of Rāma, truthful, a limb of sacrifice, a knower, doer, and great protector.
धेनुं प्रसाद्य बहुभिर्व्रतैर्यं प्राप तत्पिता । ऋतंभराख्यो जगति ख्यातः परमधार्मिकः
By pleasing the cow with many vows, his father obtained him; known in the world as Ṛtambhara, renowned for supreme righteousness.
गौः प्रसन्ना ददौ पुत्रमनेकगुणसंस्कृतम् । सत्यवंतं सुशोभाढ्यं तं जानीहि नृपोत्तमम्
The pleased cow gave him a son, endowed with many virtues, truthful and radiant; know him as the foremost of kings.
शत्रुघ्न उवाच। को वा ऋतंभरो राजा किमर्थं धेनुपूजनम् । कथं प्राप्तः सुतस्तस्य वैष्णवो विष्णुसेवकः
Śatrughna said: Who indeed is King Ṛtambhara, and for what reason is the cow worshipped? How did his son become a devotee of Viṣṇu, a servant of Viṣṇu?
सर्वमेतत्समाचक्ष्व वैष्णवस्य कथानकम् । श्रुतं हरति जंतूनां महापातकपर्वतम्
Tell me all this in detail—the story of the Vaiṣṇava. Hearing it destroys the great mountain of sins for living beings.
शेष उवाच। इति वाक्यं समाकर्ण्य शत्रुघ्नस्य महार्थकम् । कथयामास विशदं तदुत्पत्तिकथानकम्
Śeṣa said: Hearing these meaningful words of Śatrughna, he began to narrate clearly the story of that origin.
ऋतंभरो नरपतिरनपत्यः पुराऽभवत् । कलत्राणि बहून्यस्य न पुत्रं प्राप तेषु वै
Ṛtambhara, the king, was once without children; though he had many wives, he did not obtain a son from any of them.
तदा जाबालिनामानं मुनिं दैवादुपागतम् । प्रपच्छ कुशलोद्युक्तः सपुत्रोत्पत्तिकारणम्
Then, by destiny, a sage named Jābāli arrived; eager for success, the king asked him the means for obtaining a son.
ऋतंभर उवाच। स्वामिन्वंध्यस्य मे ब्रूहि पुत्रोत्पत्तिकरं वचः । यत्कृत्वा जायतेऽपत्यं मम वंशधरं वरम्
Ṛtambhara said: O revered one, tell me the means by which a childless man like me may obtain a son—a worthy heir to my lineage.
तज्ज्ञात्वा भवतो भव्यं प्रकुर्यां निश्चितं वचः । दानं व्रतं वा तीर्थं वा मखं वा मुनिसत्तम
Knowing this, I will certainly do what is auspicious, as you instruct—be it charity, a vow, a pilgrimage, or a sacrifice, O best of sages.
इति राज्ञोवचः श्रुत्वा जगाद मुनिसत्तमः । सुतोत्पत्तिकरं वाक्यं प्रणतस्य सुतार्थिनः
Hearing the king's words, the best of sages spoke the means for obtaining a son to the king, who had bowed and sought a child.