त्वन्नामगर्जनं श्रुत्वा महापातककुंजराः । पलायंते महाराज कुत्रचित्स्थानलिप्सया
Hearing the thunder of your name, O great king, the elephants of great sins flee, seeking some place to hide.
तस्मात्तव कथं हत्या महापुण्यददर्शन । राम त्वत्सुकथां श्रुत्वा पूतः सद्यो भविष्यति
Therefore, how can there be sin for one who beholds great merit? O Rama, upon hearing your delightful story, one is immediately purified.
मया पूर्वं कृतयुगे गंगायास्तीरवासिनाम् । ऋषीणां मुखतो वाक्यं श्रुतमेतत्पुराविदाम्
Long ago, in the Krita age, I heard these words from the mouths of sages dwelling on the banks of the Ganga.
तावत्पापभियः पुंसां कातराणां सुपापिनाम् । यावन्न वदते वाचा रामनाममनोहरम्
So long as a person, fearful of sin and greatly sinful, does not utter the enchanting name of Rama, sins remain.
तस्माद्धन्योऽहमधुना मम संसृतिनाशनम् । सांप्रतं सुलभं रामचंद्र त्वद्दर्शनादभूत्
Therefore, I am blessed now, for the destruction of my worldly existence has become easy, O Ramachandra, through your vision.
इत्युक्तवंतं स मुनिं पूजयामास तत्र वै । सर्वे मुनिजनाः साधु साधु वाक्यमिति ब्रुवन्
Having spoken thus, all the sages there honored the sage, saying, 'Excellent, excellent words.'
शेष उवाच। अत्याश्चर्यमभूत्तत्र तन्मे निगदतः शृणु । वात्स्यायनमुनिश्रेष्ठ रामभक्तिपरायण
Śeṣa said: A most wondrous event occurred there; listen as I recount it, O Vātsyāyana, foremost among sages, devoted to Rama.
रामं दृष्ट्वा महाराजं यादृशं ध्यानगोचरम् । अत्यंतं हर्षमापन्नो जगाद स मुनीश्वरान्
Seeing Rama, the king, as he appeared in meditation, that sage was filled with intense joy and spoke to the lordly sages.
मुनीश्वराः संशृणुत मद्वाक्यं सुमनोहरम् । मादृशः को न भूलोके भविष्यति सुभाग्यवान्
O lordly sages, listen to my most delightful words: who in this world will ever be as fortunate as I?
नास्ति मत्सदृशः कोपि न जातो न भविष्यति । यद्रामभद्रो मां नत्वा स्वागतं परिपृष्टवान्
There is no one like me, nor has there been nor will there be, for Rama himself bowed to me and asked after my well-being.
यत्पादपंकजरजः श्रुतिमृग्यं सदैव हि । सोऽद्य मत्पादयोः पाथः पीत्वा पूतममन्यत
The dust of his lotus feet is always sought by the Vedas; today, having drunk the water from my own feet, he considered himself purified.
एवं प्रवदतस्तस्य ब्रह्मस्फोटोऽभवत्तदा । निर्गतं तद्भवं तेजो विवेश रघुनायके
As he spoke thus, a Brahmanic radiance arose; that essence departed and entered into Raghunāyaka.
पश्यतां सर्वलोकानां सरयूतीरमंडपे । सायुज्यमुक्तिं संप्राप दुर्ल्लभां योगिभिर्जनैः
In the pavilion on the banks of the Sarayu, before all the worlds, he attained union and liberation, rare even among yogis.
दिवि तूर्यनिनादोऽभूद्वीणानादोऽभवत्तदा । पुष्पवृष्टिः पपाताग्रे पश्यतां चित्रमद्भुतम्
At that moment, there was a sound of celestial drums and lutes in the sky; a shower of flowers fell in front, a marvelous and wondrous sight.
मुनयोऽप्येतदीक्षित्वा प्रशंसंतो मुनीश्वरम् । कृतार्थोयं मुनिश्रेष्ठो यद्रामवपुषीक्षितः
Even the sages, having witnessed this, praised the lord among ascetics, saying: 'This foremost sage has fulfilled his purpose, for he has beheld the form of Rama.'
सूत उवाच। एतदाख्यानकं श्रुत्वा वात्स्यायन उदारधीः । परमं हर्षमापेदे जगाद च फणीश्वरम्
Suta said: Upon hearing this tale, Vatsyayana, noble-minded, was filled with supreme joy and spoke to the lord of serpents.
वात्स्यायन उवाच। कथां संशृण्वते मह्यं तृप्तिर्नास्ति फणीश्वर । रघुनाथस्य भक्तार्तिहारिकीर्तिकरस्य वै
Vatsyayana said: O lord of serpents, as I listen to this story, I find no satisfaction; for it is about Raghunatha, whose fame removes the suffering of devotees.
धन्य आरण्यको नाम मुनिर्वेदधरः परः । रघुनाथं समालोक्य देहं तत्याज नश्वरम्
Blessed was the sage named Aranyaka, supreme knower of the Vedas; having beheld Raghunatha, he abandoned his perishable body.
ततो राज्ञो हयः कुत्र गतः केन नियंत्रितः । कथं तत्र रमानाथ कीर्तिर्जाता फणीश्वर
Then, where did the king's horse go, and by whom was it restrained? How did the fame of Ramānātha arise there, O lord of serpents?
सर्वं कथय मे तथ्यं सर्वज्ञोऽस्ति यतो भवान् । धराधरवपुर्धारी साक्षात्तस्य स्वरूपधृक्
Tell me everything truthfully, for you are all-knowing; you bear the form of the mountain and directly possess his true nature.
व्यास उवाच। इति वाक्यं समाकर्ण्य प्रहृष्टेनांतरात्मना । उवाच रामचारित्रं तत्तद्गुणकथोदयम्
Vyasa said: Hearing these words, with his inner self delighted, he spoke of Rama's deeds, recounting the stories of his various virtues.
शेष उवाच। साधु पृच्छसि विप्रर्षे रघुनाथगुणान्मुहुः । श्रुता न श्रुतवत्कृत्वा तेषु लोलुपतां दधत्
Shesha said: You inquire well, O sage among Brahmins, repeatedly about the virtues of Raghunatha; though you have heard them, you act as if you have not, displaying eagerness for them.
ततो निरगमद्वाहः सैनिकैर्बहुभिवृतः । रेवातीरे मनोज्ञे तु मुनिवृंदनिषेविते
Then the horse departed, surrounded by many soldiers, to the charming bank of the Reva, frequented by groups of sages.
सेनाचरास्ततः सर्वे यत्र वाहस्ततस्ततः । प्रसर्पंति निरीक्षंतस्तन्मार्गं रणकोविदाः
All the army scouts then moved wherever the horse went, observing its path, skilled in the ways of battle.
वाजी गतोऽथ रेवाया ह्रदेऽगाधजलान्विते । भाले स्वर्णभवं पत्रं धारयन्पूजितांगकः
The steed went to the deep waters of the Reva, bearing a golden plate on its forehead, adorned and honored.
ततो जले ममज्जासौ रामचंद्र हयो वरः । तदा सर्वे महाशूरास्तत्र विस्मयमागताः
Then, in the water, that excellent horse of Rama sank; at that moment, all the mighty warriors there were struck with wonder.
तैः परस्परमेवोचे कथं हयसमागमः । कोऽत्र गंता जले वाहमानेतुं तं महोदयम्
They spoke among themselves: 'How shall we recover the horse? Who will go into the water to bring back that great one?'
इति यावत्समुद्विग्ना मंत्रयंते परस्परम् । तावद्वीरशतैः सार्धमाजगाम रघोः पतिः
While they were anxiously deliberating among themselves, the lord of the Raghu dynasty arrived, accompanied by hundreds of heroes.
तान्सर्वान्विमनस्कान्स दृष्ट्वा शत्रुघ्नसंज्ञितः । पप्रच्छ मेघगंभीरवाचा वीरशिरोमणिः
Seeing them all disheartened, Shatrughna, the jewel among warriors, addressed them with a voice deep as a cloud.
किं स्थितं निखिलैरद्य युष्माभिः संघशो जले । कुत्राश्वो रघुनाथस्य स्वर्णपत्रेण शोभितः
'Why are you all gathered here today, standing in the water? Where is the horse of Raghunatha, adorned with a golden plate?'