नारदस्तु महातेजा देवर्षिरमितप्रभः । अब्रवीन्मेघपृष्ठस्थो रावणं पुष्पके स्थितम् ।। ७.२०.
Nārada, the great and radiant sage among the gods, standing upon a cloud, addressed Rāvaṇa, who was seated in the Puṣpaka chariot.
राक्षसाधिपते सौम्य तिष्ठ विश्रवसः सुत । प्रीतो ऽस्म्यभिजनोपेतविक्रमैरूर्जितैस्तव ।। ७.२०.
'O gentle lord of the Rākṣasas, son of Viśravas, remain here; I am pleased with your noble lineage and your mighty deeds.'
विष्णुना दैत्यघातैश्च गन्धर्वोरगधर्षणैः । त्वया समं विमर्दैश्च भृशं हि परितोषितः ।। ७.२०.
'By your battles with Viṣṇu, your slaying of Daityas, your harassment of Gandharvas and serpents, and your contests, I am greatly satisfied.'
किंचिद्वक्ष्यामि तावत्ते श्रोतव्यं श्रोष्यसे यदि । श्रुत्वा चानन्तरं कार्यं त्वया राक्षससत्तम । तन्मे निगदतस्तात समाधिं श्रवणे कुरु ।। ७.२०.
'I will now tell you something, which you should hear, if you are willing to listen; and after hearing, you must act accordingly, O best of Rākṣasas. Therefore, my son, focus your mind and listen as I speak.'
किमयं वध्यते तात त्वया ऽवध्येन दैवतैः । हत एव ह्ययं लोको यदा मृत्युवशं गतः ।। ७.२०.
'My son, can this one be slain by you, when he is protected by the gods? Indeed, the world is already destroyed when it has fallen under the sway of death.'
्तम । देवदानवदैत्यानां यक्षगन्धर्वरक्षसाम् । अवध्येन त्वया लोकः क्लेष्टुं युक्तो न मानुषः ।। ७.२०.
You are fit to trouble the world, being invulnerable to gods, asuras, daityas, yakṣas, gandharvas, and rākṣasas, but not to humans.
नित्यं श्रेयसि सम्मूढं महद्भिर्व्यसनैर्वृतम् । हन्यात्कस्तादृशं लोकं जराव्याधिशतैर्युतम् ।। ७.२०.
Who would destroy such a world, always deluded regarding the highest good, surrounded by great misfortunes, and afflicted by countless diseases and old age?
तैस्तैरनिष्टोपगमैरजस्रं यत्र कुत्र कः । मतिमान्मानुषे लोके युद्धेन प्रणयी भवेत् ।। ७.२०.
In this human world, constantly beset everywhere by various misfortunes, who, being wise, would desire conflict?
क्षीयमाणं दैवहतं श्रुत्पिपासाजरादिभिः । विषादशोकसम्मूढं लोकं त्वं क्षपयस्व मा ।। ७.२०.
Do not destroy this world, which is wasting away, struck by fate, afflicted by hunger, thirst, old age, and confusion from sorrow and grief.
पश्य तावन्महाबाहो राक्षसेश्वर मानुषम् । मूढमेवं विचित्रार्थं यस्य न ज्ञायते गतिः ।। ७.२०.
Behold, O mighty-armed lord of rākṣasas, this human race is deluded and bewildering in its ways, its course unknown.
क्वचिद्वादित्रनृत्यादि सेव्यते मुदितैर्जनैः । रुद्यते चापरैरार्तैर्धाराश्रुनयनाननैः ।। ७.२०.
At times, some people delight in music and dance, while others, distressed, weep with streams of tears flowing from their eyes.
मातापितृसुतस्नेहैर्भार्याबन्धुमनोरमैः । मोहितो ऽयं जनो ध्वस्तः क्लेशं स्वं नावबुध्यते ।। ७.२०.
This people, enchanted by affection for mother, father, children, wife, relatives, and pleasures of the mind, is ruined and does not perceive its own suffering.
अलमेनं परिक्लिश्य लोकं मोहनिराकृतम् । जित एव त्वया सौम्य मर्त्यलोको न संशयः ।। ७.२०.
Enough of tormenting this world, which is overcome by delusion; O gentle one, the mortal world is already conquered by you, without doubt.
अवश्यमेभिः सर्वैश्च गन्तव्यं यमसादनम् । तन्निगृह्णीष्व पौलस्त्य यमं परपुरञ्जय ।। ७.२०.
All must inevitably go to the abode of Yama; therefore, O Paulastya, subdue Yama, O conqueror of enemy cities.
तस्मिञ्जिते जितं सर्वं भवत्येव न संशयः । एवमुक्तस्तु लङ्केशो दीप्यमानं स्वतेजसा । अब्रवीन्नारदं तत्र सम्प्रहस्याभिवाद्य च ।। ७.२०.
When he is conquered, all is indeed conquered, without doubt. Thus addressed, the lord of Lanka, blazing with his own splendor, smiled, saluted Nārada, and spoke there.
महर्षे देवगन्धर्वविहार समरप्रिय । अहं समुद्यतो गन्तुं विजयार्थं रसातलम् ।। ७.२०.
O great sage, lover of battle and the pleasures of gods and gandharvas, I am now resolved to go to the netherworld for the sake of victory.
ततो लोकत्रयं जित्वा स्थाप्य नागान्सुरान्वशे । समुद्रममृतार्थं च मथिष्यामि रसालयम् ।। ७.२०.
Then, having conquered the three worlds and brought the nāgas and gods under my control, I will churn the ocean for the sake of nectar.
अथाब्रवीदृशग्रीवं नारदो भगवानृषिः । क्व खल्विदानीं मार्गेण त्वया ह्यन्येन गम्यते ।। ७.२०.
Then the venerable sage Nārada said to the ten-headed one: By what path, indeed, are you now proceeding?
अयं खलु सुदुर्गम्यः प्रेतराजपुरं प्रति । मार्गो गच्छति दुर्धर्षो यमस्यामित्रकर्शन ।। ७.२०.
This path, leading to the city of the lord of the dead, is indeed very difficult to traverse, O subduer of enemies, and hard to overcome.
स तु शारदमेघाभं हासं मुक्त्वा दशाननः । उवाच कृतमित्येव वचनं चेदमब्रवीत् ।। ७.२०.
Then Daśānana, releasing a smile like an autumn cloud, said, 'It is done,' and spoke these words.
तस्मादेवमहं ब्रह्मन् वैवस्वतवधोद्यतः । गच्छामि दक्षिणामाशां यत्र सूर्यात्मजो नृपः ।। ७.२०.
Therefore, O brāhman, I am now intent on slaying Vaivasvata; I go southward, where the king, son of the sun, resides.
मया हि भगवन्क्रोधात्प्रतिज्ञातं रणार्थिना । अवजेष्यामि चतुरो लोकपालानिति प्रभो ।। ७.२०.
For, O lord, in anger and eager for battle, I have vowed to subdue the four guardians of the world.
तदिह प्रस्थितो ऽहं वै प्रेतराजपुरं प्रति । प्राणिसङ्क्लेशकर्तारं योजयिष्यामि मृत्युना ।। ७.२०.
Therefore, I have set out for the city of the lord of the dead, to subject the inflictor of suffering on living beings to death.
एवमुक्त्वा दशग्रीवो मुनिं तमभिवाद्य च । प्रययौ दक्षिणामाशां प्रविष्टः सह मन्त्रिभिः ।। ७.२०.
Having spoken thus, the ten-headed one, after bowing to the sage, departed toward the southern quarter, entering it together with his counselors.
नारदस्तु महातेजा मुहूर्तं ध्यानमास्थितः । चिन्तयामास विप्रेन्द्रो विधूम इव पावकः ।। ७.२०.
But Nārada, endowed with great brilliance, sat for a moment absorbed in meditation, the foremost of Brahmins, like a smokeless fire.
येन लोकास्त्रयः सेन्द्राः क्लिश्यन्ते सचराचराः । क्षीणे चायुषि धर्मेण स कालो जेष्यते कथम् ।। ७.२०.
He by whom the three worlds, along with Indra, both moving and unmoving beings, are tormented—when his lifespan is spent, how will he be conquered by righteousness and time?
स्वदत्तकृतसाक्षी यो द्वितीय इव पावकः । लब्धसञ्ज्ञा विजेष्यन्ते लोका यस्य महात्मनः ।। ७.२०.
He who is witness to his own gifts, like a second fire, and by whose command the worlds are subdued—how will that great soul be overcome?
यस्य नित्यं त्रयो लोका विद्रवन्ति भयार्दिताः । तं कथं राक्षसेन्द्रो ऽसौ स्वयमेव गमिष्यति ।। ७.२०.
He before whom the three worlds always flee, stricken with fear—how will that king of Rākṣasas go forth on his own?
यो विधाता च धाता च सुकृतं दुष्कृतं तथा । त्रैलोक्यं विजितं येन तं कथं विजयिष्यते ।। ७.२०.
He who is both creator and sustainer, of good deeds and evil as well, by whom the three worlds have been conquered—how will he be defeated?
अपरं किन्तु कृत्वायं विधानं संविधास्यति । कौतूहलसमुत्पन्नो यास्यामि यमसादनम् ।। ७.२०.
Yet, after making some other arrangement, he will bring about this outcome. Filled with curiosity, I will go to the abode of Yama.