पौरजानपदान्स्थाप्य स्वकार्येष्वहमागतः । क्रतूनेव करिष्यामि प्रभावाद्भवतां सताम् ।। ७.३६.
Having settled the affairs of the citizens and the people, I have come here; by your power, O noble ones, I will perform sacrifices.
सदस्या मम यज्ञेषु भवन्तो नित्यमेव तत् । भविष्यथ महावीर्या ममानुग्रहकाङ्क्षिणः ।। ७.३६.
May you, of great might, always be participants in my sacrifices, wishing to grant me your favor.
अहं युष्मान्समाश्रित्य तपोनिर्धूतकल्मषान् । अनुग्रहीतः पितृभिर्भविष्यामि सुनिर्वृतः ।। ७.३६.
Relying on you, whose austerities have cleansed all sin, I will be blessed by my ancestors and find great contentment.
तदागन्तव्यमनिशं भवद्भिरिह सङ्गतैः । अगस्त्याद्यास्तु तच्छ्रुत्वा ऋषयः संशितव्रताः ।। ७.३६.
Therefore, you should always come here together; hearing this, Agastya and the other sages of firm vows—
एवमस्त्विति तं चोक्त्वा प्रयातुमुपचक्रमुः ।। ७.३६.
Having said, 'So be it,' to him, they began to depart.
एवमुक्त्वा गताः सर्वे ऋषयस्ते यथागतम् । राघवश्च तमेवार्थं चिन्तयामास विस्मितः ।। ७.३६.
Thus, having spoken, all those sages departed as they had come, and Raghava, amazed, pondered over that matter.
ततो ऽस्तं भास्करे याते विसृज्य नृपवानरान् । सन्ध्यामुपास्य विधिवत्तदा नरवरोत्तमः । प्रवृत्तायां रजन्यां तु सो ऽन्तःपुरचरो ऽभवत् ।। ७.३६.
Then, when the sun had set, releasing the kings and monkeys, the best of men duly performed the evening rites; when night had fallen, he entered the inner chambers.
अभिषिक्ते तु काकुत्स्थे धर्मेण विदितात्मनि । व्यतीता या निशा पूर्वा पौराणां हर्षवर्धिनी ।। ७.३७.
When Kakutstha, who knows righteousness and his own self, had been anointed, that previous night passed, increasing the joy of the citizens.
तस्यां रजन्यां व्युष्टायां प्रातर्नृपतिबोधकाः । वन्दिनः समुपातिष्ठन्सौम्या नृपतिवेश्मनि ।। ७.३७.
When that night had ended, in the morning, the bards who awaken the king approached the palace of the gentle ruler.
ते रक्तकण्ठिनः सर्वे किन्नरा इव शिक्षिताः । तुष्टुवुर्नपतिं वीरं यथावत् सम्प्रहर्षिणः ।। ७.३७.
All of them, with red throats, trained like kinnaras, joyfully praised the heroic king as was fitting.
वीर सौम्य प्रबुध्यस्व कौसल्याप्रीतिवर्धन । जगद्धि सर्वं स्वपिति त्वयि सुप्ते नराधिप ।। ७.३७.
'O hero, gentle one, awaken! O increaser of Kausalya's joy! For when you, O king, sleep, the whole world sleeps.'
विक्रमस्ते यथा विष्णो रूपं चैवाश्विनोरिव । बुद्ध्या बृहस्पतेस्तुल्यः प्रजापतिसमो ह्यसि ।। ७.३७.
Your valor is like that of Viṣṇu, your form like that of the Aśvins; in wisdom you are equal to Bṛhaspati, and you are indeed like Prajāpati.
क्षमा ते पृथिवीतुल्या तेजसा भास्करोपमः । वेगस्ते वायुना तुल्यो गाम्भीर्यमुदधेरिव ।। ७.३७.
Your forbearance is equal to the earth, your brilliance is like the sun; in speed you are like the wind, and in depth, like the ocean.
अप्रकम्प्यो यता स्थाणुश्चन्द्रे सौम्यत्वमीदृशम् । नेदृशाः पार्थिवाः पूर्वं भवितारो नराधिप ।। ७.३७.
You are unshakable like Sthāṇu (Śiva), gentle as the moon; O lord of men, there have not been, nor will there be, kings like you before.
यथा त्वमतिदुर्धर्षो धर्मनित्यः प्रजाहितः । न त्वां जहाति कीर्तिश्च लक्ष्मीश्च पुरुषर्षभ ।। ७.३७.
Just as you are exceedingly invincible, ever devoted to righteousness, and devoted to the welfare of your people, O best of men, so fame and fortune never abandon you.
श्रीश्च धर्मश्च काकुत्स्थ त्वयि नित्यं प्रतिष्ठितौ । एताश्चान्याश्च मधुरा वन्दिभिः परिकीर्तिताः ।। ७.३७.
O descendant of Kakutstha, both prosperity and righteousness are always established in you; these and other sweet praises are sung by the bards.
सूताश्च संस्तवैर्दिव्यैर्बोधयन्ति स्म राघवम् । स्तुतिभिः स्तूयमानाभिः प्रत्यबुध्यत राघवः ।। ७.३७.
The bards awakened Rāghava with divine hymns of praise; thus awakened by these eulogies, Rāghava arose.
स तद्विहाय शयनं पाण्डराच्छादनास्तृतम् । उत्तस्थौ नागशयनाद्धरिर्नारायणो यथा ।। ७.३७.
Leaving his bed, covered with white sheets, he rose from his serpent-couch like Hari Nārāyaṇa.
तमुत्थितं महात्मानं प्रह्वाः प्राञ्जलयो नराः । सलिलं भाजनैः शुभ्रैरुपतस्थुः सहस्रशः ।। ७.३७.
As he arose, the people, humble and with joined palms, thousands in number, approached the great-souled one with pure vessels of water.
कृतोदकशुचिर्भूत्वा काले हुतहुताशनः । देवागारं जगामाशु पुण्यमिक्ष्वाकुसेवितम् ।। ७.३७.
Having performed the water-rites and purified himself, and at the proper time having offered oblations into the sacred fire, he quickly went to the temple of the gods, sanctified by the Ikṣvāku lineage.
तत्र देवान्पितऽन्विप्रानर्चयित्वा यथाविधि । बाह्यकक्षान्तरं रामो निर्जगाम जनैर्वृतः ।। ७.३७.
There, having worshipped the gods, ancestors, and brahmins according to the proper rites, Rāma departed to the outer chamber, surrounded by people.
उपतस्थुर्महात्मानो मन्त्रिणः सपुरोहिताः । वसिष्ठप्रमुखाः सर्वे दीप्यमाना इवाग्नयः ।। ७.३७.
The great-souled ministers, together with the chief priest Vasiṣṭha and all the others, attended him, shining like blazing fires.
क्षत्रियाश्च महात्मानो नानाजनपदेश्वराः । रामस्योपाविशन्पार्श्वे शक्रस्येव यथा ऽमराः ।। ७.३७.
And the great-souled kṣatriyas, lords of various lands, sat beside Rāma, as the immortals do beside Indra.
भरतो लक्ष्मणश्चात्र शत्रुघ्नश्च महायशाः । उपासाञ्चक्रिरे हृष्टा वेदास्त्रय इवाध्वरम् ।। ७.३७.
There, Bharata, Lakṣmaṇa, and the illustrious Śatrughna, joyful, attended him like the three Vedas at a sacrifice.
याताः प्राञ्जलयो भूत्वा किङ्करा मुदिताननाः । मुदिता नाम पार्श्वस्था बहवः समुपाविशन् ।। ७.३७.
The servants, with joyful faces and joined palms, approached and sat nearby; many, called the Joyful Ones, sat close by.
वानराश्च महावीर्या विंशतिः कामरूपिणः । सुग्रीवप्रमुखा राममुपासन्ते महौजसः ।। ७.३७.
And twenty mighty vanaras, able to assume any form at will, led by Sugrīva and possessed of great energy, attended upon Rāma.
विभीषणश्च रक्षोभिश्चतुर्भिः परिवारितः । उपासते महात्मानं धनेशमिव गुह्यकाः ।। ७.३७.
Vibhīṣaṇa, surrounded by four rākṣasas, attended the great-souled one, as the guhyakas attend the Lord of Wealth.
तथा निगमवृद्धाश्च कुलीना ये च मानवाः । शिरसा ऽ ऽवन्द्य राजानमुपासन्ते विचक्षणाः ।। ७.३७.
Likewise, the venerable elders of the scriptures, the noble-born, and the wise men, bowing their heads, attended the king.
तथा परिवृतो राजा श्रीमद्भिर्ऋषिभिर्वृतः । राजभिश्च महावीर्यैर्वानरैश्च सराक्षसैः ।। ७.३७.
Thus surrounded, the king, graced by illustrious sages, by mighty kings, by vanaras, and by all the rākṣasas, shone forth.
यथा देवेश्वरो नित्यमृषिभिः समुपास्यते । अधिकस्तेन रूपेण सहस्राक्षाद्विरोचते ।। ७.३७.
Just as the lord of the gods is always worshipped by the sages, so, in that form, he shines forth more brilliantly than Indra with a thousand eyes.