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.
अमात्यमादिदेशाथ सर्वं राजधनं महत् । गृहीत्वा तु मया सार्द्धमागच्छ त्वरया युतः
Then he ordered his minister: 'Take all the great royal wealth, and come with me at once, without delay.'
यास्येऽहं रघुनाथस्य हयं पालयितुं वरम् । कर्तुं च रामपादाब्जपरिचर्यां सुदुर्लभाम्
I will go to guard the horse of Raghunātha, and to perform the exceedingly rare service of Rāma's lotus feet.
इत्युक्त्वा निर्जगामाथ शत्रुघ्नं प्रति सैनिकैः । तावत्पुरीमथ प्राप्तो रामभ्राता ससैनिकः
Having spoken thus, he set out, with his soldiers, toward Śatrughna; and at that moment, Rāma's brother arrived at the city with his army.
वीरा गर्जंति प्रबला रथाः सुनिनदंति च । जयशंखस्वनास्तत्र वेणुनादाश्च सर्वतः
The mighty heroes roared, the chariots thundered loudly, and everywhere there were the victorious sounds of conch-shells and the music of flutes.
आगत्य सत्यवान्राजा मंत्रिभिः सुसमन्वितः । चरणे प्रणिपत्यास्मै राज्यं प्रादान्महाधनम्
The truthful king arrived, accompanied by his ministers; bowing at his feet, he gave him the kingdom and great wealth.
शत्रुघ्नस्तं तु राजानं ज्ञात्वा राममनुव्रतम् । तद्राज्यं तस्य पुत्राय रुक्मनाम्ने ददौ महत्
Śatrughna, knowing that king to be devoted to Rāma, gave that great kingdom to his son named Rukma.
हनूमंतं परीरभ्य सुबाहुं रामसेवकम् । अन्यान्वै रामभक्तांश्च परिरभ्य महायशाः
Embracing Hanuman, the strong-armed servant of Rama, and likewise embracing the other devotees of Rama, the illustrious one—
कृतार्थमिव चात्मानं मेने सत्यसमन्वितः । ननंद चेतसि तदा शत्रुघ्नेन समन्वितः
Endowed with truth, he considered himself fulfilled, and rejoiced in his heart, accompanied by Shatrughna.
हयस्तावद्गतो दूरं वीरैः सुपरिरक्षितः । शत्रुघ्नस्तेन भूपेन ययौ वीरसमन्वितः
Meanwhile, the horse had gone far, well-guarded by heroes; Shatrughna, with that king, went forth, accompanied by warriors.
इति श्रीपद्मपुराणे पातालखंडे शेषवात्स्यायनसंवादे रामाश्वमेधे सत्यवत्समागमोनाम द्वात्रिंशोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the thirty-second chapter, entitled 'The Meeting with Satyavat at Rama's Ashvamedha,' in the dialogue between Shesha and Vatsyayana, in the Patalakhanda of the glorious Padma Purana.
शेष उवाच। गच्छत्सु रथिवर्येषु शत्रुघ्नादिषु भूरिषु । महाराजेषु सर्वेषु रथकोटियुतेषु च
Shesha said: As the foremost chariot-warriors—Shatrughna and the many great kings, all with countless chariots—were proceeding,
अकस्मादभवन्मार्गे तमः परमदारुणम् । यस्मिन्स्वीयो न पारक्यो लक्ष्यते ज्ञातिभिर्नरैः
Suddenly, on the road, there arose a darkness, exceedingly terrible, in which neither one's own people nor others could be recognized by their kin.
रजसा व्यावृतं व्योम विद्युत्स्तनितसंकुलम् । एतादृशे तु संमर्दे महाभयकरे ततः
The sky was obscured by dust, filled with lightning and thunder; in such a tumult, fraught with great terror,
मेघा वर्षंति रुधिरं पूयामेध्यादिकं बहु । अत्याकुला बभूवुस्ते वीराः परमवैरिणः
Clouds rained blood, pus, and much filth; those mighty warriors, fierce enemies, became greatly distressed.
आकुलीकृतलोके तु किमिदं किमिति स्थितिः । तमोव्याप्तानि लोकानां चक्षूंषि प्रथितौजसाम्
With the world thrown into confusion, people wondered, 'What is this? What is happening?' The eyes of all, even those of renowned might, were enveloped in darkness.
जहाराश्वं रावणस्य सुहृत्पातालसंस्थितः । विद्युन्मालीति विख्यातो राक्षसश्रेणिसंवृतः
Then Vidyunmali, famed among the hosts of Rakshasas and a friend of Ravana dwelling in the netherworld, seized the horse.
कामगे सुविमाने तु सर्वायसनिषेविणि । आरूढोऽश्वं तु वीराणां भयं कुर्वञ्जहार ह
Of his own will, he mounted a splendid aerial chariot, entirely made of iron, and, causing fear among the heroes, carried off the horse.
मुहूर्तात्तत्तमो नष्टमाकाशं विमलं बभौ । वीराः शत्रुघ्नमुख्यास्ते प्रोचुः कुत्र हयोऽस्ति सः
After a moment, that darkness vanished and the sky shone clear; the heroes, led by Shatrughna, asked, 'Where is that horse?'
ते सर्वे हयराजं तु लोकयंतः परस्परम् । ददृशुर्न यदा वाहं हाहाकारस्तदाभवत्
All of them, searching for the horse-king and questioning one another, when they did not see the steed, then there arose a great outcry.
कुत्राश्वो हयमेधस्य केन नीतः कुबुद्धिना । इति वाचमवोचंस्ते तावत्स दनुजेश्वरः
'Where is the horse of the Ashvamedha? By whom has it been taken, with evil intent?'—thus they spoke, when suddenly the lord of the Daityas appeared.