स मधुर्वीर्यसम्पन्नो धर्मे च सुसमाहितः । बहुवर्षसहस्राणि रुद्रप्रीत्या ऽकरोत्तपः ।। ७.६१.
That Madhu, endowed with great strength and firmly established in righteousness, performed austerities for many thousands of years to please Rudra.
रुद्रः प्रीतो ऽभवत्तस्मै वरं दातुं ययौ च सः । बहुमानाच्च रुद्रेण दत्तस्तस्याद्भुतो वरः ।। ७.६१.
Rudra, being pleased, came to grant him a boon; and out of great respect, Rudra gave him a wondrous boon.
शूलं शूलाद्विनिष्कृष्य महावीर्यं महाप्रभम् । ददौ महात्मा सुप्रीतो वाक्यं चैतदुवाच ह ।। ७.६१.
Drawing forth a trident, mighty and radiant, from his own trident, the great-souled one, well-pleased, gave it to him and spoke these words.
त्वयायमतुलो धर्मो मत्प्रसादकरः कृतः । प्रीत्या परमया युक्तो ददाम्यायुधमुत्तमम् ।। ७.६१.
Because you have performed this incomparable act of righteousness, pleasing to me, with utmost devotion, I give you this supreme weapon.
यावत्सुरैश्च विप्रैश्च न विरुध्येर्महासुर । तावच्छूलं तवेदं स्यादन्यथा नाशमेप्यति ।। ७.६१.
As long as you do not act against the gods or Brāhmaṇas, O great Asura, this trident will remain yours; otherwise, it will surely be destroyed.
यश्च त्वामभियुञ्जीत युद्धाय विगतज्वरः । तं शूलो भस्मसात्कृत्वा पुनरेष्यति ते करम् ।। ७.६१.
And whoever attacks you in battle, without fear, this trident will reduce him to ashes and then return to your hand.
एवं रुद्राद्वरं लब्ध्वा भूय एव महासुरः । प्रणिपत्य महादेवं वाक्यमेतदुवाच ह ।। ७.६१.
Having thus received the boon from Rudra, the great Asura again bowed to Mahādeva and spoke these words.
भगवन्मम वंशस्य शूलमेतदनुत्तमम् । भवेत्तु सततं देव सुराणामीश्वरो ह्यसि ।। ७.६१.
'Lord, may this supreme trident always belong to my lineage, for you are indeed the lord of the gods.'
तं ब्रुवाणं मधुं देवः सर्वभूतपतिः शिवः । प्रत्युवाच महातेजा नैतदेवं भविष्यति ।। ७.६१.
To Madhu, as he spoke thus, the god Śiva, lord of all beings, replied with great brilliance: 'It shall not be so.'
मा भूत्ते विफला वाणी मत्प्रसादकृता शुभा । भवतः पुत्रमेकं तु शूलमेतद्भजिष्यते ।। ७.६१.
'Let not your words, spoken through my favor, be fruitless; but only one son of yours shall possess this trident.'
यावत्करस्थः शूलो ऽयं भविष्यति सुतस्य ते । अवध्यः सर्वभूतानां शूलहस्तो भविष्यति ।। ७.६१.
'As long as this trident is in your son's hand, he will be invincible to all beings—he who holds the trident.'
एवं मधुर्वरं लब्ध्वा देवात्सुमहदद्भुतम् । भवनं सो ऽसुरश्रेष्ठः कारयामास सुप्रभम् ।। ७.६१.
Thus, having obtained that wondrous and supreme boon from the god, that foremost of asuras caused a splendid palace to be constructed.
तस्य पत्नी महाभागा प्रिया कुम्भीनसीति या । विश्वावसोरपत्यं सा ह्यनलायां महाप्रभा ।। ७.६१.
His greatly fortunate and beloved wife was Kumbhīnasī, the illustrious daughter of Viśvāvasu and the radiant Analā.
तस्याः पुत्रो महावीर्यो लवणो नाम दारुणः । बाल्यात्प्रभृति दुष्टात्मा पापान्येव समाचरत् ।। ७.६१.
Her son, fierce and mighty, was named Lavaṇa; from childhood he was wicked in nature and always engaged in evil deeds.
तं पुत्रं दुर्विनीतं तु दृष्ट्वा क्रोधसमन्वितः । मधुः स शोकमापेदे न चैनं किञ्चिदब्रवीत् ।। ७.६१.
Seeing his son undisciplined, Madhu, filled with anger and sorrow, did not speak a word to him.
स विहाय त्विमं लोकं प्रविष्टो वरुणालयम् । शूलं निवेश्य लवणे वरं तस्मै न्यवेदयत् ।। ७.६१.
Abandoning this world, he entered the abode of Varuṇa, placing the spear with Lavaṇa and granting him the boon.
स प्रभावेण शूलस्य दौरात्म्येनात्मनस्तथा । सन्तापयति लोकांस्त्रीन्विशेषेण च तापसान् ।। ७.६१.
By the power of that spear and his own wickedness, he torments the three worlds, especially the ascetics.
एवंप्रभावो लवणः शूलं चैव तथाविधम् । श्रुत्वा प्रमाणं काकुत्स्थ त्वं हि नः परमा गतिः ।। ७.६१.
Such is the might of Lavaṇa and the nature of that spear; having heard this account, O descendant of Kakutstha, you are indeed our supreme refuge.
बहवः पार्थिवा राम भयार्तैर्ऋषिभिः पुरा । अभयं याचिता वीर त्रातारं न च विद्महे ।। ७.६१.
Many kings, O Rāma, were once entreated by terrified sages for protection, but, O hero, we have found no savior.
ते वयं रावणं श्रुत्वा हतं सबलवाहनम् । त्रातारं विद्महे तात नान्यं भुवि नराधिपम् । तत्परित्रातुमिच्छामो लवणाद्भयपीडितान् ।। ७.६१.
Hearing that Rāvaṇa, with his forces and vehicles, has been slain, O dear one, we know you alone as protector among men on earth; therefore, we wish you to deliver us, afflicted by the fear of Lavaṇa.
इति राम निवेदितं तु ते भयजं कारणमुत्थितं च यत् । विनिवारयितुं भवान्क्षमः कुरु तं काममहीनविक्रम ।। ७.६१.
Thus, O Rāma, we have presented to you the cause of our fear that has arisen; you alone are able to remove it—fulfill this wish with your heroic might.
इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीये आदिकाव्ये श्रीमदुत्तरकाण्डे एकषष्टितमः सर्गः
Thus ends the sixty-first sarga in the glorious Uttarakāṇḍa of the ancient and revered Rāmāyaṇa, composed by the sage Vālmīki.
तथोक्ते तानृषीन्रामः प्रत्युवाच कृताञ्जलिः । किमाहारः किमाचारो लवणः क्व च वर्तते ।। ७.६२.
When this was spoken, Rāma, with joined palms, addressed those sages: 'What is Lavaṇa's food, what is his conduct, and where does he dwell?'
राघवस्य वचः श्रुत्वा ऋषयः सर्व एव ते । ततो निवेदयामासुर्लवणो ववृधे यथा ।। ७.६२.
Hearing the words of Rāghava, all those sages then began to recount how Lavaṇa had grown.
आहारः सर्वसत्त्वानि विशेषेण च तापसाः । आचारो रौद्रता नित्यं वासो मधुवने तथा ।। ७.६२.
His food is all living beings, especially ascetics; his conduct is ever cruel, and his dwelling is in Madhuvana.
हत्वा बहुसहस्राणि सिंहव्याघ्रमृगद्विपान् । मानुषांश्चैव कुरुते नित्यमाहारमाह्निकम् ।। ७.६२.
Having slain many thousands of lions, tigers, deer, and elephants, as well as humans, he makes them his daily food.
ततो ऽन्तराणि सत्त्वानि खादते स महाबलः । संहारे समनुप्राप्ते व्यादितास्य इवान्तकः ।। ७.६२.
Thereafter, that mighty one devours the creatures in between, and when destruction approaches, he appears like Death with gaping mouth.
तच्छ्रुत्वा राघवो वाक्यमुवाच स महामुनीन् । घातयिष्यामि तद्रक्षो ह्यपगच्छतु वो भयम् ।। ७.६२.
Hearing this, Rāghava spoke to those great sages: 'I will slay that rākṣasa; let your fear depart.'
प्रतिज्ञाय तथा तेषां मुनीनामुग्रतेजसाम् । स भ्रातऽन्सहितान्सर्वानुवाच रघुनन्दनः ।। ७.६२.
Having thus pledged to those sages of fierce energy, the descendant of Raghu addressed all his brothers together.
को हन्ता लवणं वीरः कस्यांशः स विधीयताम् । भरतस्य महाबाहोः शत्रुघ्नस्य च धीमतः ।। ७.६२.
Who will slay Lavaṇa, the valiant one? To whom shall this task be assigned—Bharata, mighty-armed, or wise Shatrughna?