तव मय्यस्ति चेच्छ्रद्धा तदा किंचिद्ब्रवीम्यहम् । शृणुष्व नरशार्दूल गदितं मम सादरः
If you have faith in me, then I will say something; listen attentively, O tiger among men, to my words.
भज श्रीरघुनाथं त्वं कर्मणा मनसा गिरा । नैष्कापट्येन लोकेशं तोषयस्व महामते
Worship Lord Raghunātha with your actions, mind, and speech; please the Lord of the world sincerely, O wise one.
स तुष्टो दास्यते सर्वं त्वद्धृदिस्थं मनोरथम् । अज्ञानकृत गोहत्यापापनाशं करिष्यति
When he is pleased, he will grant all the desires that dwell in your heart; he will remove the sin of cow-killing committed out of ignorance.
रामं स्मरंस्त्वं धर्मात्मन्धेनुं पालय सत्तम । दत्त्वा द्विजाय कनकं पापनिष्कृतिमाप्स्यसि
Remember Rāma, O virtuous one, protect the cow with righteousness; by giving gold to a brāhmaṇa, you will obtain expiation from sin.
सुमतिरुवाच। एतच्छ्रुत्वा तु तद्वाक्यमृतंभरनृपस्तदा । विधाय रामस्मरणं पूतात्मा व्रतमाचरत्
Sumati said: Hearing these nectar-like words, the king, having purified his mind by remembering Rāma, undertook a vow.
पूर्ववत्पालयन्धेनुं जगाम विपिनं महत् । रामनामस्मरन्नित्यं सर्वभूतहिते रतः
As before, protecting the cow, he went to the great forest, always remembering the name of Rāma, devoted to the welfare of all beings.
तस्मै तुष्टा तु सुरभिः प्रोवाच परितोषिता । राजन्वरय मत्तो वै वरं हृत्स्थं मनोरथम्
Then Surabhi, being pleased, spoke to him with satisfaction: 'O king, ask from me the boon that is the desire of your heart.'
तदा प्रोवाच वै राजा पुत्रं देहि मनोरमम् । रामभक्तं पितृरतं स्वधर्मप्रतिपालकम्
Then the king said: 'Grant me a delightful son, devoted to Rāma, devoted to his father, and upholding his own duty.'
तुष्टा दत्त्वा वरं सापि तस्मै राज्ञे सुतार्थिने । जगामादर्शनं देवी कामधेनुः कृपावती
Pleased, the compassionate goddess Kāmadhenu granted that boon to the king who sought a son, and then became invisible.
स काले प्राप्तवान्पुत्रं वैष्णवं रामसेवकम् । सत्यवत्संज्ञयायुक्तमकरोत्तत्र तत्पिता
In due time he obtained a son, a servant of Rāma and a devotee of Viṣṇu; his father named him Satyavatsa.
सत्यवंतं सुतं लब्ध्वा पितृभक्तिपरं महान् । परमं हर्षमापेदे शक्रतुल्यपराक्रमम्
Having obtained Satyavanta, a son devoted to his father, the great king experienced supreme joy and valor equal to Indra.
स राजा धार्मिकं पुत्रं प्राप्य हर्षेणनिर्भरः । राज्यं तस्मिन्महन्न्यस्य जगाम तपसे वनम्
Having gained a righteous son, the king, filled with joy, entrusted the great kingdom to him and went to the forest for penance.
तत्राराध्य हृषीकेशं भक्तियुक्तेन चेतसा । निर्धूतपापः सतनुरगाद्धरिपदं नृपः
There, worshipping Hṛṣīkeśa with a mind full of devotion, the king, freed from sin and with a pure body, attained the feet of Hari.
सुमतिरुवाच। असावपि नृपः सौम्य सत्यवान्नाम विश्रुतः । निजधर्मेण लोकेशं रघुनाथमतोषयत्
Sumati said: That king too, O gentle one, renowned by the name Satyavān, pleased Lord Raghunātha by his own righteous conduct.
अस्मै तुष्टो रमानाथो ददौ भक्तिमचंचलाम् । निजांघ्रिपद्मे यजतां दुर्लभां पुण्यकोटिभिः
To him, being pleased, Lord Rāma granted unwavering devotion, which is difficult to attain even by millions of meritorious deeds, to those who worship his lotus feet.
नित्यं श्रीरघुनाथस्य कथानकमनातुरः । कुरुते सर्वलोकानां पावनं कृपयायुतः
Always eager to hear the stories of Lord Raghunātha, he, filled with compassion, performed acts that purified all the worlds.
यो न पूजयते देवं रघुनाथं रमापतिम् । स तेन ताड्यते दंडैर्यमस्यापि भयावहैः
He who does not worship Lord Raghunātha, the consort of Lakṣmī, is struck by Yama with terrifying rods of punishment.
अष्टमाद्वत्सरादूर्ध्वमशीतिवत्सरो भवेत् । तावदेकादशी सर्वैर्मानुषैः कारिताऽमुना
After the eighth year, he lived for eighty years; during that time, he caused the observance of Ekādaśī by all people.
तुलसी वल्लभा यस्य कदाचिद्यच्छिरोधराम् । न मुंचति रमानाथ पादपद्मस्रगुत्तमा
He whose beloved is Tulasī, who at some time places her upon his head, the supreme garland of the lotus feet of the Lord of Lakṣmī never leaves him.
ऋषीणामपि पूज्योयमितरेषां कथं नहि । रघुनाथस्मृतिप्रीतिर्धूतपाप्मा हताशुभः
He is worthy of worship even by the sages—how much more so by others! Filled with love for remembering Raghunātha, his sins are washed away and his misfortunes destroyed.
ज्ञात्वायं रामचंद्रस्य वाजिनं परमाद्भुतम् । आगत्य तुभ्यं संदास्यत्येतद्राज्यमकंटकम्
Knowing that this wondrous horse belongs to Rāmacandra, he will come and give you this kingdom, free from all obstacles.
त्वया यद्गदितं राजंस्तत्ते कथितमुत्तमम् । पुनः किं पृच्छसे स्वामिन्नाज्ञापय करोमि तत्
O King, what you have spoken has been told to you in full; why do you ask again, Lord? Command me, and I will do it.
शेष उवाच। गतोऽश्वस्तत्पुरांतस्तु नानाश्चर्यसमन्वितः । तं दृष्ट्वा जनताः सर्वा राज्ञे गत्वा न्यवेदयन्
Śeṣa said: The horse, filled with many wonders, entered that city; seeing him, all the people went and reported to the king.
जनता ऊचुः। कोऽप्यश्वः सितवर्णेन गंगाजलसमेन वै । भाले सौवर्णपत्रेण राजमानः समागतः
The people said: A certain horse, white in color and like the waters of the Gaṅgā, has arrived, shining with a golden plate on his forehead.
तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं रम्यं जनानां हृद्यमीरितम् । ताः प्रत्याह हसन्भूपो ज्ञायतां कस्य वै हयः
Hearing those pleasing and heartfelt words spoken by the people, the king, smiling, replied to them: 'Find out whose horse it is.'
ताश्चैनं कथयामासुः शत्रुघ्नेन प्रपालितः । आयात्यश्वो महीभर्तू रामस्य पुरमध्यतः
They told him: 'Guarded by Śatrughna, the horse of the Lord of the earth, Rāma, is coming into the midst of the city.'
रामस्य नाम स श्रुत्वा द्व्यक्षरं सुमनोरमम् । जहर्ष चित्ते सुभृशं गद्गदस्वरचिन्हितः
Hearing the two-syllabled, most delightful name of Rāma, his heart rejoiced greatly, his voice choked with emotion.
मयायोध्यापतिर्नित्यं यो रामश्चिन्त्यते हृदि । तस्याश्वः सहशत्रुघ्नः समायातः पुरं मम
Rāma, the lord of Ayodhyā, whom I always contemplate in my heart—his horse, together with Śatrughna, has come to my city.
हनूमांस्तत्र रामांघ्रिसेवाकर्ता भविष्यति । कदाचिदपि यो रामं न विस्मरति मानसे
Hanumān there will serve at Rāma's feet, for he never forgets Rāma, not even for a moment, in his mind.
गच्छामि यत्र शत्रुघ्नो यत्र मारुतनंदनः । अन्येऽपि यत्र पुरुषा रामपादाब्जसेवकाः
I will go where Śatrughna is, where the son of the Wind-god is, and where other men are who serve the lotus feet of Rāma.