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.
कालो द्वादश वर्षाणि शापस्यान्तो भविष्यति । मत्प्रासादाच्च राजेन्द्र व्यतीतं न स्मरिष्यसि ।। ७.६५.
The curse will last for twelve years, O king; and by my favor, you will not remember what has passed.
एवं स राजा तं शापमुपभुज्यारिसूदनः । प्रतिलेभे पुना राज्यं प्रजाश्चैवान्वपालयत् ।। ७.६५.
Thus, having endured that curse, the king, destroyer of enemies, regained his kingdom and again protected his subjects.
तस्य कल्माषपादस्य यज्ञस्यायतनं शुभम् । आश्रमस्य समीपे ऽस्य यन्मां पृच्छसि राघव ।। ७.६५.
The auspicious sacrificial hall of Kalmāṣapāda, which you ask me about, O Rāghava, is near his hermitage.
तस्य तां पार्थिवेन्द्रस्य कथां श्रुत्वा सुदारुणाम् । विवेश पर्णशालायां महर्षिमभिवाद्य च ।। ७.६५.
Hearing that dreadful story of the king, he entered the leaf-hut and respectfully greeted the great sage.
इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीये आदिकाव्ये श्रीमदुत्तरकाण्डे पञ्चषष्टितमः सर्गः
Thus ends the sixty-fifth sarga in the glorious Uttarakāṇḍa of the ancient and revered Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa.
यामेव रात्रिं शत्रुघ्नः पर्णशालामुपाविशत् । तामेव रात्रिं सीतापि प्रसूता दारकद्वयम् ।। ७.६६.
On the very night that Śatrughna entered the leaf-hut, Sītā also gave birth to two sons.
ततो ऽर्धरात्रसमये बालका मुनिदारकाः । वाल्मीकेः प्रियमाचख्युः सीतायाः प्रसवं शुभम् ।। ७.६६.
Then, at midnight, the young sons of the sage joyfully informed Vālmīki of Sītā's auspicious delivery.
भगवन्रामपत्नी सा प्रसूता दारकद्वयम् । ततो रक्षां महातेजः कुरु भूतविनाशिनीम् ।। ७.६६.
The wife of the blessed Rāma gave birth to two sons; therefore, O mighty one, perform a protective rite that destroys evil beings.
तेषां तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा महर्षिः समुपागमत् । बालचन्द्रप्रतीकाशौ देवपुत्रौ महौजसौ ।। ७.६६.
Hearing those words, the great sage approached; the two sons, radiant as young moons, were like sons of the gods, possessing great energy.
जगाम तत्र हृष्टात्मा ददर्श च कुमारकौ । भूतघ्नीं चाकरोत्ताभ्यां रक्षां रक्षोविनाशिनीम् ।। ७.६६.
Arriving there with a joyful heart, he saw the two boys and performed for them a protective rite that destroys evil beings.
कुशमुष्टिमुपादाय लवं चैव तु स द्विजः । वाल्मीकिः प्रददौ ताभ्यां रक्षां भूतविनाशिनीम् ।। ७.६६.
Taking a handful of kuśa grass and also some lava, the sage Vālmīki gave to them a protective rite that destroys evil beings.
यस्तयोः पूर्वजो जातः स कुशैर्मन्त्रसत्कृतैः । निर्मार्जनीयस्तु तदा कुश इत्यस्य नाम तत् ।। ७.६६.
The elder of the two, who was consecrated with mantras along with kuśa grass, was then to be purified and thus received the name Kuśa.
यश्चावरो भवेत्ताभ्यां लवेन स समाहितः । निर्मार्जनीयो वृद्धाभिर्लव इत्येव नामतः ।। ७.६६.
The younger, who was consecrated with lava, was to be purified by the elder women and thus received the name Lava.
एवं कुशलवौ नाम्ना तावुभौ यमजातकौ । मत्कृताभ्यां च नामभ्यां ख्यातियुक्तौ भविष्यतः ।। ७.६६.
Thus, the two sons born to Sītā were named Kuśa and Lava; by the names I have given, they will become renowned.
तां रक्षां जगृहुस्ताश्च मुनिहस्तात्समाहिताः । अकुर्वंश्च ततो रक्षां तयोर्विगतकल्मषाः ।। ७.६६.
They received that protective rite from the sage’s hand with concentration, and then, purified of all stain, they performed the protective rite.
तथा तां क्रियमाणां च वृद्धाभिर्जन्म नाम च । सङ्कीर्तनं च रामस्य सीतायाः प्रसवौ शुभौ ।। ७.६६.
As that rite was being performed by the elder women, there was mention of their birth, the naming, and the auspicious birth of Sītā’s sons, along with the recitation of Rāma’s name.
अर्धरात्रे तु शत्रुघ्नः शुश्राव सुमहत्प्रियम् । पर्णशालां ततो गत्वा मातर्दिष्ट्येति चाब्रवीत् ।। ७.६६.
At midnight, Śatrughna heard exceedingly joyful news; going to the leaf-hut, he said to his mother, 'By good fortune!'
तथा तस्य प्रहृष्टस्य शत्रुघ्नस्य महात्मनः । व्यतीता वार्षिकी रात्रिः श्रावणी लघुविक्रमः ।। ७.६६.
Thus, for the delighted and noble Śatrughna, the annual night of the month of Śrāvaṇa, swift in its passing, elapsed.
प्रभाते सुमहावीर्यः कृत्वा पौर्वाह्णिकीं क्रियाम् । मुनिं प्राञ्जलिरामन्त्र्य ययौ पश्चान्मुखः पुनः ।। ७.६६.
At dawn, the mighty one, having performed the morning rites, respectfully took leave of the sage with joined palms and then departed, facing west.
स गत्वा यमुनातीरं सप्तरात्रोषितः पथि । ऋषीणां पुण्यकीर्तीनामाश्रमे वासमभ्ययात् ।। ७.६६.
Having reached the bank of the Yamunā and spent seven nights on the journey, he arrived at the hermitage of the sages of holy renown.