रामो नाम श्रुतो लोके वनं चाप्युपयास्यति । ब्राह्मणार्थे महाबाहुर्विष्णुर्मानुषविग्रहः । तं द्रक्ष्यसि यदा भद्रे ततः पूता भविष्यसि ।। ७.३०.
'Rāma by name, renowned in the world, will also enter the forest; mighty-armed, Viṣṇu in human form, for the sake of the Brahmins. When you see him, O blessed one, then you will be purified.'
स हि पावयितुं शक्तस्त्वया यद्दुष्कृतं कृतम् । तस्यातिथ्यं च कृत्वा वै मत्समीपं गमिष्यसि ।। ७.३०.
'He alone is able to purify the wrong you have committed; after receiving him as a guest, you will come to me.'
वत्स्यसि त्वं मया सार्धं तदा हि वरवर्णिनि । एवमुक्त्वा स विप्रर्षिराजगाम स्वमाश्रमम् ।। ७.३०.
'Then you will dwell with me, O woman of lovely complexion.' Having spoken thus, the sage returned to his hermitage.
तपश्चाचार सुमहत्सा पत्नी ब्रह्मवादिनः । शापोत्सर्गाद्धि तस्येदं मुनेः सर्वमुपस्थितम् ।। ७.३०.
His wife, devoted to great austerity and conduct, was a speaker of Brahman; but all this befell the sage because of the curse.
तत्स्मर त्वं महाबाहो दुष्कृतं यत्त्वया कृतम् । तेन त्वं ग्रहणं शत्रोर्यातो नान्येन वासव ।। ७.३०.
Recall, O mighty-armed one, the wrong you have done; because of that, O Vāsava, you have been seized by the enemy, not for any other reason.
शीघ्रं वै यज यज्ञं त्वं वैष्णवं सुसमाहितः । पावितस्तेन यज्ञेन यास्यसे त्रिदिवं ततः ।। ७.३०.
Quickly perform the Viṣṇu-sacrifice with full concentration; purified by that sacrifice, you will then ascend to heaven.
पुत्रश्च तव देवेन्द्र न विनष्टो महारणे । नीतः सन्निहितश्चैव आर्यकेण महोदधौ ।। ७.३०.
And your son, O Indra, was not lost in the great battle; he was taken and kept safe by the noble one in the great ocean.
एतच्छ्रुत्वा महेन्द्रस्तु यज्ञमिष्ट्वा च वैष्णवम् । पुनस्त्रिदिवमाक्रामदन्वशासच्च देवराट् ।। ७.३०.
Hearing this, mighty Indra, after performing the Viṣṇu-sacrifice, once again ascended to heaven and ruled as king of the gods.
एतदिन्द्रजितो नाम बलं यत्कीर्तितं मया । निर्जितस्तेन देवेन्द्रः प्राणिनो ऽन्ये तु किं पुनः ।। ७.३०.
This power of Indrajit, which I have described, conquered even Indra; what need to speak of other living beings?
आश्चर्यमिति रामश्च लक्ष्मणश्चाब्रवीत्तदा । अगस्त्यवचनं श्रुत्वा वानरा राक्षसास्तदा ।। ७.३०.
Then Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa, upon hearing Agastya's words, both said, 'How astonishing!' as did the monkeys and the rākṣasas.
विभीषणस्तु रामस्य पार्श्वस्थो वाक्यमब्रवीत् । आश्चर्यं स्मारितो ऽस्म्यद्य यत्तद्दृष्टं पुरातनम् ।। ७.३०.
Standing at Rāma's side, Vibhīṣaṇa spoke: 'Today I am reminded of those wondrous things I saw in ancient times.'
अगस्त्यं त्वब्रवीद्रामः सत्यमेतच्छ्रुतं च मे ।। ७.३०.
Rāma then said to Agastya: 'All this is true, and I have heard it as well.'
एवं राम समुद्भूतो रावणो लोककण्टकः । सपुत्रो येन सङ्ग्रामे जितः शक्रः सुरेश्वरः ।। ७.३०.
Thus, Rāma, was Rāvaṇa, the scourge of the worlds, born; by him, even Indra, lord of the gods, was defeated in battle along with his son.
ततो रामो महातेजा विस्मयात्पुनरेव हि । उवाच प्रणतो वाक्यमगस्त्यमृषिसत्तमम् ।। ७.३१.
Then Rāma, radiant with great energy, once again, out of amazement, spoke reverently to the eminent sage Agastya.
भगवन्राक्षसः क्रूरो यदाप्रभृति मेदिनीम् । पर्यटत्किं तदा लोकाः शून्या आसन्द्विजोत्तम ।। ७.३१.
'Revered one, from the time that cruel rākṣasa roamed the earth, were the worlds then deserted, O best of twice-born?'
राजा वा राजमात्रो वा किं तदा नात्र कश्चन । धर्षणं यत्र न प्राप्तो रावणो राक्षसेश्वरः ।। ७.३१.
'Was there any king or prince at that time who was not subjected to the oppression of Rāvaṇa, lord of the rākṣasas?'
उताहो हतवीर्यास्ते बभूवुः पृथिवीक्षितः । बहिष्कृता वरास्त्रैश्च बहवो निर्जिता नृपाः ।। ७.३१.
'Or did the rulers of the earth lose their strength, many kings being banished or defeated by superior weapons?'
राघवस्य वचः श्रुत्वा ह्यगस्त्यो भगवानृषिः । उवाच रामं प्रहसन्पितामह इवेश्वरम् ।। ७.३१.
Hearing Rāghava's words, the divine sage Agastya, smiling like Brahmā addressing the Lord, spoke to Rāma.
इत्येवं बाधमानस्तु पार्थिवान्पार्थिवर्षभ । चचार रावणो राम पृथिवीं पृथिवीपते ।। ७.३१.
Thus, O best of kings, Rāvaṇa, harassing the rulers, roamed the earth, O Rāma, lord of the earth.
ततो माहिष्मतीं नाम पुरीं स्वर्गपुरीप्रभाम् । सम्प्राप्तो यत्र सान्निध्यं सदासीद्वसुरेतसः ।। ७.३१.
Then he reached the city called Māhiṣmatī, shining like the city of the gods, where the presence of Vasuretas was always felt.
तुल्य आसीन्नृपस्तस्य प्रभावाद्वसुरेतसः । अर्जुनो नाम यत्राग्निः शरकुण्डेशयः सदा ।। ७.३१.
The king there, equal in power to Vasuretas, was named Arjuna, who was always devoted to the fire in the arrow-pit.
तमेव दिवसं सो ऽथ हैहयाधिपतिर्बली । अर्जुनो नर्मदां रन्तुं गतः स्त्रीभिः सहेश्वरः ।। ७.३१.
On that very day, the mighty lord of the Haihayas, Arjuna, had gone to the Narmadā river to enjoy himself with his wives.
तमेव दिवसं सो ऽथ रावणस्तत्र आगतः । रावणो राक्षसेन्द्रस्तु तस्यामात्यानपृच्छत ।। ७.३१.
On that same day, Rāvaṇa, king of the rākṣasas, arrived there and questioned the ministers of Arjuna.
क्वार्जुनो नृपतिः शीघ्रं सम्यगाख्यातुमर्हथ । रावणो ऽहमनुप्राप्तो युद्धेप्सुर्नृवरेण ह । ममागमनमप्यग्रे युष्माभिः सन्निवेद्यताम् ।। ७.३१.
'Where is King Arjuna? You must quickly and properly tell me. I, Rāvaṇa, have come, desiring battle with that foremost of men. Announce my arrival to him at once.'
इत्येवं रावणेनोक्तास्ते ऽमात्याः सुविपश्चितः । अब्रुवन्राक्षसपतिमसान्निध्यं महीपतेः ।। ७.३१.
Thus addressed by Rāvaṇa, those wise ministers informed him of the king's whereabouts.
श्रुत्वा विश्रवसः पुत्रः पौराणामर्जुनं गतम् । अपसृत्यागतो विन्ध्यं हिमवत्सन्निभं गिरिम् ।। ७.३१.
Hearing that the son of Viśravas had reached the ancient Arjuna, he departed and arrived at the Vindhya, a mountain resembling the Himalayas.
स तमभ्रमिवाविष्टमुद्भ्रन्तमिव मेदिनीम् । अपश्यद्रावणो विन्ध्यमालिखन्तमिवाम्बरम् ।। ७.३१.
Rāvaṇa saw the Vindhya, enveloped like a cloud, rising as if to touch the earth, and seeming to scratch the sky.
सहस्रशिखरोपेतं सिंहाध्युषितकन्दरम् । प्रपातपतितैस्तोयैः साट्टहासमिवाम्बुधिम् ।। ७.३१.
With a thousand peaks, its caves inhabited by lions, its waters falling from precipices, it roared like the ocean with laughter.
देवदानवगन्धर्वैः साप्सरोगणकिन्नरैः । स्वस्त्रीभिः क्रीडमानैश्च स्वर्गभूतं महोच्छ्रयम् ।। ७.३१.
With gods, demons, gandharvas, apsaras groups, and kinnaras, playing with their own women, it appeared as heaven, lofty and grand.
नदीभिः स्यन्दमानाभिः स्फटिकप्रतिमं जलम् । फणाभिश्चलजिह्वाभिरनन्तमिव विष्ठितम् ।। ७.३१.
With rivers flowing, water clear as crystal, and serpents with moving tongues, it seemed endless and vast.