किं नु मे दुष्कृतं कर्म पुरा देहान्तरे कृतम् । यदहं पुत्रमेकं त्वां पश्यामि निधनं गतम् ।। ७.७३.
What evil deed did I commit in a former life, that now I see you, my only son, gone to death?
अप्राप्तयौवनं बालं पञ्चवर्षसहस्रकम् । अकाले कालमापन्नं मम दुःखाय पुत्रक ।। ७.७३.
My child, not yet come to youth, only five years old, has met his end before his time, bringing me sorrow.
अल्पैरहोभिर्निधनं गमिष्यामि न संशयः । अहं च जननी चैव तव शोकेन पुत्रक ।। ७.७३.
In just a few days, without doubt, I and your mother too will go to death, overcome by grief for you, my son.
न स्मराम्यनृतं ह्युक्तं न च हिंसां स्मराम्यहम् । सर्वेषां प्राणिनां पापं कृतं नैव स्मराम्यहम् ।। ७.७३.
I do not recall ever speaking falsehood, nor do I remember committing violence; I do not remember doing any evil to any living being.
केनाद्य दुष्कृतेनायं बाल एव ममात्मजः । अकृत्वा पितृकार्याणि गतो वैवस्वतक्षयम् ।। ७.७३.
By whose evil act has this child of mine, still a boy, gone to the realm of Yama without performing his duties to his father?
नेदृशं दृष्टपूर्वं मे श्रुतं वा घोरदर्शनम् । मृत्युरप्राप्तकालानां रामस्य विषये यथा ।। ७.७३.
Never before have I seen or heard of such a terrible thing, that in Rama's kingdom, death comes to those whose time has not yet come.
रामस्य दुष्कृतं किञ्चिन्महदस्ति न संशयः । यथा हि विषयस्थानां बालानां मृत्युरागतः ।। ७.७३.
There is surely some great sin committed by Rama, since death has come to children living in his realm.
नह्यन्यविषयस्थानां बालानां मृत्युतो भयम् । त्वं राजञ्जीवयस्वैनं बालं मृत्युवशं गतम् ।। ७.७३.
There is no fear of death for children who are not in forbidden circumstances; O King, revive this child who has fallen under the sway of death.
राजद्वारि मरिष्यामि पत्न्या सार्धमनाथवत् । ब्रह्महत्यां ततो राम समुपेत्य सुखी भव ।। ७.७३.
I shall die at the palace gate, together with my wife, as one without support; then, Rama, having incurred the sin of killing a Brahmin, be happy.
भ्रातृभिः सहितो राजन्दीर्घमायुरवाप्स्यसि । उषिताः स्म सुखं राज्ये तवास्मिन्सुमहाबल ।। ७.७३.
With your brothers, O King, you will obtain long life; we have lived happily in your mighty reign.
इदं तु पतितं तस्मात्तव राम वशे स्थिताः । कालस्य वशमापन्नाः स्वल्पं हि नहि नः सुखम् ।। ७.७३.
This has happened, therefore, Rama, we are under your control; having fallen under the sway of time, our happiness is indeed very little.
सम्प्रत्यनाथो विषय इक्ष्वाकूणां महात्मनाम् । रामं नाथमिहासाद्य बालान्तकरणं ध्रुवम् ।। ७.७३.
Now the realm of the great-souled Ikshvakus is without a protector; having found Rama as the lord here, it is certain that the destruction of children will cease.
राजदोषैर्विपद्यन्ते प्रजा ह्यविधिपालिताः । असद्वृत्ते तु नृपतावकाले म्रियते जनः ।। ७.७३.
Subjects perish due to the faults of the king when not governed by proper law; when the ruler behaves unrighteously, people die in his time.
यद्वा पुरेष्वयुक्तानि जना जनपदेषु च । कुर्वते न च रक्षा ऽस्ति तदा कालकृतं भयम् ।। ७.७३.
Whenever people in cities and provinces act improperly and there is no protection, then the fear caused by time arises.
सुव्यक्तं राजदोषो हि भविष्यति न संशयः । पुरे जनपदे चापि ततो बालवधो ह्ययम् ।। ७.७३.
It is clear that the king's fault will be the cause, there is no doubt; in city and province, therefore, this killing of a child has occurred.
एवं बहुविधैर्वाक्यैरुपरुध्य मुहुर्मुहुः । राजानं दुःखसन्तप्तः सुतं तमुपगूहते ।। ७.७३.
Thus, repeatedly restraining the king with many kinds of words, the grief-stricken man embraces his son.
इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीये आदिकाव्ये श्रीमदुत्तरकाण्डे त्रिसप्ततितमः सर्गः
Thus ends the seventy-third chapter of the glorious Uttarakanda in the venerable, sage-authored Ramayana of Valmiki.
तथा तु करुणं तस्य द्विजस्य परिदेवनम् । शुश्राव राघवः सर्वं दुःखशोकसमन्वितम् ।। ७.७४.
Raghava heard all the sorrowful lamentation of the Brahmin, full of pain and grief.
स दुःखेन च सन्तप्तो मन्त्रिणस्तानुपाह्वयत् । वसिष्ठं वामदेवं च भ्रातरौ सह नैगमान् ।। ७.७४.
Afflicted with sorrow, he summoned his counselors—Vasishtha, Vamadeva, his brothers, and the citizens.
ततो द्विजा वसिष्ठेन सार्धमष्टौ प्रवेशिताः । राजानं देवसङ्काशं वर्धस्वेति ततो ऽब्रुवन् ।। ७.७४.
Then, eight Brahmins entered together with Vasishtha; they addressed the king, radiant like a god, saying, 'May you prosper.'
मार्कण्डेयो ऽथ मौद्गल्यो वामदेवश्च काश्यपः । कात्यायनो ऽथ जाबालिर्गौतमो नारदस्तथा । एते द्विजर्षभाः सर्वे आसनेषूपवेशिताः ।। ७.७४.
Markandeya, Maudgalya, Vamadeva, Kashyapa, Katyayana, Jabali, Gautama, and Narada—these eminent Brahmins all sat upon their seats.
महर्षीन्समनुप्राप्तानभिवाद्य कृताञ्जलिः । मन्त्रिणो नैगमांश्चैव यथार्हमनुकूलतः ।। ७.७४.
Having approached the great sages, Rama greeted them with joined palms; he also greeted the counselors and citizens appropriately and favorably.
तेषां समुपविष्टानां सर्वेषां दीप्ततेजसाम् । राघवः सर्वमाचष्टे द्विजो ऽयमुपरोधते ।। ७.७४.
As they all sat, radiant in their splendor, Raghava explained everything to them, saying, 'This Brahmin is pressing his case.'
तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा राज्ञो दीनस्य नारदः । प्रत्युवाच शुभं वाक्यमृषीणां सन्निधौ नृपम् ।। ७.७४.
Hearing the king's words, distressed, Narada spoke auspicious words to the king in the presence of the sages.
शृणु राजन्यथाकाले प्राप्तो बालस्य सङ्क्षयः । श्रुत्वा कर्तव्यतां राजन्कुरुष्वरघुनन्दन ।। ७.७४.
Hear, O King, the untimely death of the child has occurred; having heard, act as is proper, O descendant of Raghu.
पुरा कृतयुगे राजन्ब्राह्मणा वै तपस्विनः । अब्राह्मणस्तदा राजन्न तपस्वी कथञ्चन ।। ७.७४.
In the ancient Kṛta Yuga, O King, the Brāhmaṇas were indeed ascetics; at that time, O King, no one who was not a Brāhmaṇa was ever an ascetic.
तस्मिन्युगे प्रज्वलिते ब्रह्मभूते त्वनावृते । अमृत्यवस्तदा सर्वे जज्ञिरे दीर्घदर्शिनः ।। ७.७४.
In that blazing age, filled with Brahman and unobscured, all were deathless, endowed with far-seeing wisdom.
ततस्त्रेतायुगं नाम मानवानां वपुष्मताम् । क्षत्रियास्तत्र जायन्ते पूर्णेन तपसा ऽन्विताः ।। ७.७४.
Then came the age called Tretā, among men of splendid form; there, Kṣatriyas were born, endowed with perfect austerity.
वीर्येण तपसा चैव ते ऽधिकाः पूर्वजन्मनि । मानवा ये महात्मानस्त्वत्र त्रेतायुगे युगे ।। ७.७४.
By their vigor and austerity, those great-souled men who were born in previous lives became superior in the Tretā Yuga.
ब्रह्मक्षत्रं च तत्सर्वं यत्पूर्वमपरं च यत् । युगयोरुभयोरासीत्समवीर्यसमन्वितम् ।। ७.७४.
Both the Brāhmaṇa and Kṣatriya classes, those from before and those after, in both ages, were endowed with equal strength.