स्वमाश्रममिदं सौम्य राघवाणां कुलस्य हि । आसनं पाद्यमर्ध्यं च निर्विशङ्कः प्रतीच्छ मे ।। ७.६५.
This hermitage of mine, gentle one, truly belongs to the line of the Raghus; accept from me, without hesitation, a seat, water for washing, and hospitality.
प्रतिगृह्य तदा पूजां फलमूलं च भोजनम् । भक्षयामास काकुत्स्थस्तृप्तिं च परमां गतः ।। ७.६५.
Then Rāma accepted the offering, as well as the fruits and roots for food, and ate them, attaining the highest satisfaction.
स भुक्त्वा फलमूलं च महर्षिं तमुवाच ह । इयं यज्ञविभूतिस्ते कस्याश्रमसमीपतः ।। ७.६५.
Having eaten the fruits and roots, he spoke to the great sage: 'This sacrificial splendor of yours—whose hermitage is it near?'
तत्तस्य भाषितं श्रुत्वा वाल्मीकिर्वाक्यमब्रवीत् । शत्रुघ्न शृणु यस्येदं बभूवायतनं पुरा ।। ७.६५.
Hearing his words, Vālmīki replied: 'Shatrughna, listen to whom this sanctuary once belonged.'
युष्माकं पूर्वको राजा सौदासस्तस्य भूपतेः । पुत्रो वीरसहो नाम वीर्यवानतिधार्मिकः ।। ७.६५.
Your ancestor, King Saudāsa, had a son named Vīrasaha, a mighty and supremely righteous man.
स बाल एव सौदासो मृगयामुपचक्रमे । चञ्चूर्यमाणं ददृशे स शूरो राक्षसद्वयम् ।। ७.६५.
Even as a boy, Saudāsa began to hunt, and that brave one saw two Rākṣasas disturbing the forest.
शार्दूलरूपिणौ घोरौ मृगान्बहुसहस्रशः । भक्षमाणावसन्तुष्टौ पर्याप्तिं नैव जग्मतुः ।। ७.६५.
Those two, fearsome and tiger-formed, were devouring thousands upon thousands of animals, yet were never satisfied.
स तु तौ राक्षसौ दृष्ट्वा निर्मृगं च वनं कृतम् । क्रोधेन महता ऽ ऽविष्टो जघानैकं महेषुणा ।। ७.६५.
Seeing those Rākṣasas and the forest emptied of animals, he was seized by great anger and struck one down with a mighty arrow.
विनिपात्य तमेकं तु सौदासः पुरुषर्षभः । विज्वरो विगतामार्षो हतं रक्षो ह्युदैक्षत ।। ७.६५.
Having felled one, Saudāsa, the best of men, stood free of fever and anger, gazing at the slain Rākṣasa.
निरीक्षमाणं तं दृष्ट्वा सहायं तस्य रक्षसः । सन्तापमकरोद्घोरं सौदासं चेदमब्रवीत् ।। ७.६५.
Seeing his companion dead, the other Rākṣasa looked at Saudāsa and, tormented with grief, spoke these words to him.
यस्मादनपराधं त्वं सहायं मम जघ्निवान् । तस्मात्तवापि पापिष्ठ प्रदास्यामि प्रतिक्रियाम् ।। ७.६५.
'Because you have slain my companion, though he was without fault, therefore, O most wicked, I shall also give you a fitting return.'
एवमुक्त्वा तु तद्राक्षस्तत्रैवान्तरधीयत । कालपर्याययोगेन राजा मित्रसहो ऽभवत् ।। ७.६५.
Having spoken thus, that Rākṣasa vanished on the spot; and in the course of time, the king became known as Mitrasaha.
राजापि यजते यज्ञमस्याश्रमसमीपतः । अश्वमेधं महायज्ञं तं वसिष्ठो ऽभ्यपालयत् ।। ७.६५.
The king performed a great horse sacrifice near this hermitage, and Vasiṣṭha presided over that great sacrifice.
तत्र यज्ञो महानासीद्बहुवर्षगणायुतः । समृद्धः परया लक्ष्म्या देवयज्ञसमो ऽभवत् ।। ७.६५.
There, a great sacrifice was held, lasting many thousands of years, prosperous and supremely splendid, equal to a sacrifice for the gods.
अथावसाने यज्ञस्य पूर्ववैरमनुस्मरन् । वसिष्ठरूपी राजानमिति होवाच राक्षसः ।। ७.६५.
Then, at the conclusion of the sacrifice, recalling his former enmity, a Rākṣasa in the form of Vasiṣṭha spoke to the king.
अस्य यज्ञस्य जातो ऽन्तः सामिषं भोजनं मम । दीयतामिह शीघ्रं वै नात्र कार्या विचारणा ।। ७.६५.
'At the end of this sacrifice, a meal with meat has been prepared for me; let it be given here quickly—there is no need for deliberation.'
तच्छ्रुत्वा व्याहृतं वाक्यं रक्षसा ब्रह्मरूपिणा । भक्ष्यसंस्कारकुशलमुवाच पृथिवीपतिः ।। ७.६५.
Hearing these words spoken by the Rākṣasa in the form of a Brāhmaṇa, the king, skilled in the preparation of offerings, replied.
हविष्यं सामिषं स्वादु यथा भवति भोजनम् । तथा कुरुष्व शीघ्रं वै परितुष्येद्यथा गुरुः ।। ७.६५.
'Prepare the oblation with meat so that the food is delicious, just as the teacher desires—do it quickly, so that he may be satisfied.'
शासनात्पार्थिवेन्द्रस्य सूदः सम्भ्रान्तमानसः । स राक्षसः पुनस्तत्र सूदवेषमथाकरोत् ।। ७.६५.
By the command of the king, the cook, his mind disturbed, began the preparations; and the Rākṣasa there assumed the form of a cook.
स मानुषमथो मांसं पार्थिवाय न्यवेदयत् । इदं स्वादु हविष्यं च सामिषं चान्नमाहृतम् ।। ७.६५.
Then he presented human flesh to the king, saying, 'Here is delicious food, an offering with meat, that has been brought.'
स भोजनं वसिष्ठाय पत्न्या सार्धमुपाहरत् । मदयन्त्या नरव्याघ्र सामिषं रक्षसा हृतम् ।। ७.६५.
That man-eater, Madayantī, together with his wife, served the meat dish, taken by the Rākṣasa, to Vasiṣṭha for his meal.
ज्ञात्वा तदामिषं विप्रो मानुषं भाजनं गतम् । क्रोधेन महता ऽ ऽविष्टो व्याहर्तुमुपचक्रमे ।। ७.६५.
The Brāhmaṇa, realizing that the meat placed in the vessel was human flesh, became filled with great anger and began to speak.
यस्मात्त्वं भोजनं राजन्ममैतद्दातुमिच्छसि । तस्माद्भोजनमेतत्ते भविष्यति न संशयः ।। ७.६५.
Because you, O king, wish to give me this food, therefore this very food shall be yours—of this there is no doubt.
ततः क्रुद्धस्तु सौदासस्तोयं जग्राह पाणिना । वसिष्ठं शप्तुमारेभे भार्या चैनमवारयत् ।। ७.६५.
Then Saudāsa, enraged, took water in his hand to curse Vasiṣṭha, but his wife restrained him.
राजन्प्रभुर्यतो ऽस्माकं वसिष्ठो भगवानृषिः । प्रतिशप्तुं न शक्तस्त्वं देवतुल्यं पुरोधसम् ।। ७.६५.
O king, since the venerable sage Vasiṣṭha is our lord, you are not able to curse him, who is like a god and our chief priest.
ततः क्रोधमयं तोयं तेजोबलसमन्वितम् । व्यसर्जयत धर्मात्मा ततः पादौ सिषेच च ।। ७.६५.
Then the righteous king poured out the water, filled with the energy and power of his anger, and washed his feet with it.
तेनास्य राज्ञस्तौ पादौ तदा कल्माषतां गतौ । तदाप्रभृति राजा ऽसौ सौदासः सुमहायशाः । कल्माषपादः संवृत्तः ख्यातश्चैव तथा नृपः ।। ७.६५.
Because of this, the king's feet became dark-stained at that time; from then on, that illustrious king Saudāsa became known as Kalmāṣapāda, and was thus renowned.
स राजा सह पत्न्या वै प्रणिपत्य मुहुर्मुहुः । पुनर्वसिष्ठं प्रोवाच यदुक्तं ब्रह्मरूपिणा ।। ७.६५.
That king, together with his wife, repeatedly bowed down and again addressed Vasiṣṭha, who was of the form of Brahmā, recalling what had been spoken.
तच्छ्रुत्वा पार्थिवेन्द्रस्य रक्षसा विकृतं च तत् । पुनः प्रोवाच राजानं वसिष्ठः पुरुषर्षभम् ।। ७.६५.
Hearing of the king's misfortune, caused by the Rākṣasa, Vasiṣṭha again spoke to the king, the best among men.
मया रोषपरीतेन यदिदं व्याहृतं वचः । नैतच्छक्यं वृथा कर्तुं प्रदास्यामि च ते वरम् ।। ७.६५.
What I have spoken in anger cannot be undone, but I shall grant you a boon.