शृणुष्व वचनं तथ्यं भवान्ब्रह्मर्षिसत्तमः । त्वया पृष्टं यदस्मभ्यं सर्वं तत्कथयाम वै
Hear this true statement: You are the best of Brahmarshis; you have asked us, and we will tell you everything.
अगस्त्यवाक्याच्छ्रीरामो विप्रहत्यापनुत्तये । यागं करोति सुमहान्सर्वसंभारसंभृतम्
By the words of Agastya, Śrī Rāma performs a great sacrifice, complete with all materials, to remove the sin of killing a Brahmin.
तं पालयानाः सर्वे वै त्वदाश्रममुपागताः । अश्वेन सहिता विप्र तज्जानीहि महामते
All of us, along with the horse, have come to your hermitage to protect it; know this, O wise one.
इति वाक्यं समाकर्ण्य मनोहारि रसायनम् । अत्यंतं हर्षमापेदे ब्राह्मणो रामभक्तिमान्
Hearing these words, so delightful and sweet, the Brahmin devoted to Rama felt immense joy.
अद्य मे फलितो वृक्षो मनोरथश्रियान्वितः । अद्य मे जननी धन्या जातं मां सुषुवे तु या
Today my tree of desire, adorned with prosperity, has borne fruit; today my mother is blessed, she who gave birth to me.
अद्य राज्यं मया प्राप्तं कंटकेन विवर्जितम् । अद्य कोशाः सुसंपन्ना अद्य देवाः सुतोषिताः
Today I have attained a kingdom free from thorns; today my treasuries are well-filled, today the gods are well-pleased.
अग्निहोत्रफलं त्वद्य प्राप्तं मे हविषा हुतम् । यद्द्रक्ष्ये रामचंद्रस्य चरणांभोरुहोर्युगम्
Today I have received the fruit of the fire-offering, having poured oblations; for I will see the pair of lotus feet of Rāmacandra.
यो नित्यं ध्यायते स्वांते अयोध्यायाः पतिः प्रभुः । स मे दृग्गोचरो नूनं भविष्यति मनोहरः
He who is always meditated upon in the heart—the lord and master of Ayodhya—will surely become visible to my eyes, so enchanting.
हनूमान्मां समालिंग्य प्रक्ष्यते कुशलं मम । भक्तिं मे महतीं दृष्ट्वा तोषं प्राप्स्यति सत्तमः
Hanuman will embrace me and ask about my welfare; seeing my great devotion, that noble one will be satisfied.
इति वाक्यं समाकर्ण्य हनूमान्कपिसत्तमः । जग्राह पादयुगलं मुनेरारण्यकस्य हि
Hearing these words, Hanuman, the foremost of monkeys, took hold of the pair of feet of the forest-dwelling sage.
स्वामिन्हनूमान्विप्रर्षे सेवकोऽहं पुरःस्थितः । जानीहि रामदासस्य रेणुकल्पं मुनीश्वर
O revered sage, I am Hanuman, your servant, standing before you. Know me as one who is like dust at the feet of Rama, O lord of sages.
इत्युक्तवति तस्मिन्वै मुनिः परमहर्षितः । आलिलिंग हनूमंतं रामभक्त्या सुशोभितम्
When he had spoken thus, the sage, filled with supreme joy, embraced Hanuman, who shone with devotion to Rama.
उभौ प्रेमविनिर्भिन्नावुभावपि सुधाप्लुतौ । स्थगितौ चित्रलिखिताविव तत्र बभूवतुः
Both were overwhelmed with love, both immersed as if in nectar; they stood motionless there, like figures painted in a picture.
उपविष्टौ कथास्तत्र चक्रतुः सुमनोहराः । रघुनाथपदांभोजप्रीतिनिर्भरमानसौ
Seated together, they engaged in delightful conversations, their minds overflowing with love for the lotus feet of Raghunatha.
हनूमांस्तमुवाचेदं वचो विविधशोभनम् । आरण्यकं मुनिवरं रामांघ्रिध्याननिर्भृतम्
Hanuman then spoke these various beautiful words to the best of sages, who was absorbed in meditation on Rama's feet in the forest.
स्वामिन्नयं दशरथकुलहीरांकुरो महान् । रामभ्राता महाशूरः शत्रुघ्नः प्रणमत्यसौ
O master, this is Shatrughna, the great hero, a mighty offshoot of the illustrious line of Dasharatha and brother of Rama; he bows to you.
लवणो येन निहतः सर्वलोकभयंकरः । कृताश्च सुखिनः सर्वे मुनयः सुतपोधनाः
It was he who slew Lavana, the terror of all worlds, and by whom all the great ascetic sages have been made happy.
एष पुष्कलनामा त्वां नमत्युद्भटसेवितः । येनाधुना महावीरा जिताः समरमंडले
This is Pushkala by name, who worships you with great devotion; by whom, O mighty one, many heroes have just now been conquered in battle.
जानीह्येनं बहुगुणं रामामात्यं महाबलम् । प्राणप्रियं रघुपतेः सर्वज्ञं धर्मकोविदम्
Know him to be Pushkala, endowed with many virtues, a minister of Rama, of great strength, dear as life to the lord of the Raghus, all-knowing and learned in righteousness.
सुबाहुरयमत्युग्रो वैरिवंशदवानलः । रामपादाब्जरोलंबो नमति त्वां महायशाः
This is Subahu, exceedingly fierce, a fire to the forest of enemy lineages; he, famed and devoted to the lotus feet of Rama, bows to you.
सुमदोऽप्येष पार्वत्या दत्तरामांघ्रिसेवया । प्राप्तोऽधुनासौ संसारवार्धिनिस्तरणं महत्
This is Sumada, who, by serving Rama's feet as granted by Parvati, has now attained the great crossing over the ocean of worldly existence.
सत्यवानयमश्वं यः प्राप्तमाश्रुत्य सेवकात् । राज्यं निवेदयामास स त्वां प्रणमति क्षितौ
This is Satyavan, who, upon hearing from his servant that a horse had been obtained, offered his kingdom; he now bows to you on the ground.
इति वाक्यं समाकर्ण्य समालिंग्य समादरात् । चकारारण्यक ऋषिः स्वागतं फलकादिना
Hearing these words, the forest sage, embracing them all with great respect, welcomed them with fruits and the like.
ते हृष्टास्तत्र वसतिं चक्रुर्मुनिवराश्रमे । प्रातर्नित्यक्रियां कृत्वा रेवायां ते महोद्यमाः
Joyful, they stayed there in the sage's hermitage; each morning, after performing their daily rites in the Reva river, they exerted themselves greatly.
नरयानमथारोप्य सेवकैः सहितं मुनिम् । शत्रुघ्नः प्रापयामासायोध्यां रामकृतालयाम्
Then Shatrughna, seating the sage in a chariot along with his attendants, brought him to Ayodhya, the city established by Rama.
स दूरान्नगरीं दृष्ट्वा सूर्यवंशनृपोषिताम् । पदातिरभवद्वेगाद्रघुनाथदिदृक्षया
Seeing the city from afar, inhabited by the kings of the solar dynasty, he became a swift pedestrian, eager to behold Raghunatha.
संप्राप्य नगरीं रम्यामयोध्यां जनशोभिताम् । मनोरथसहस्रेण संरूढो रामदर्शने
Having reached the beautiful city of Ayodhya, crowded with people, he was filled with a thousand desires to see Rama.
ददर्श तत्र सरयूतीरे मंडपशोभिते । रामं दूर्वादलश्यामं कंजकांतिविलोचनम्
There, on the bank of the Sarayu, in a splendid pavilion, he saw Rama, dark as a blade of sacred grass, with eyes lovely as lotuses.
मृगशृंगं कटौ रम्यं धारयंतं श्रियान्वितम् । ऋषिवृंदैर्व्यासमुख्यैर्वृतं शूरैः सुसेवितम्
He, adorned with beauty, wearing a deer's horn at his waist, surrounded by groups of sages led by Vyasa, and well attended by valiant men—
भरतेन सुमित्रायास्तनूजेन परीवृतम् । ददतं दीनसंधेभ्यो दानानि प्रार्थितानि तम्
Encircled by Bharata, the son of Sumitra, he gave the requested gifts to the distressed and the needy.