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.
अपश्यंस्तु न ते सर्वे विशेषमधिकं ततः । स्थापनं चक्रिरे तत्र चातुर्वर्ण्यस्य सम्मतम् ।। ७.७४.
Not seeing any significant distinction among them, they established the well-accepted system of four varṇas there.
तस्मिन्युगे प्रज्वलिते धर्मभूते ह्यनावृते । अधर्मः पादमेकं तु पातयत्पृथिवीतले ।। ७.७४.
In that blazing age, which was established in righteousness and unobscured, unrighteousness cast down one foot upon the earth.
अधर्मेण हि संयुक्तस्तेजो मन्दं भविष्यति ।। ७.७४.
Indeed, joined with unrighteousness, their brilliance would become diminished.
आमिषं यच्च पूर्वेषां राजसं च मलं भृशम् । अनृतं नाम तद्भूतं पादेन पृथिवीतले ।। ७.७४.
The meat and the intense impurity of passion among the former people—this came to be called falsehood, and with one foot it stood upon the earth.
अनृतं पातयित्वा तु पादमेकमधर्मतः । ततः प्रादुष्कृतं पूर्वमायुषः परिनिष्ठितम् ।। ७.७४.
Having cast down one foot of unrighteousness as falsehood, then, previously, the fixed span of life was diminished.
पतिते त्वनृते तस्मिन्नधर्मे च महीतले । शुभान्येवाचरँल्लोकः सत्यधर्मपरायणः ।। ७.७४.
When that falsehood and unrighteousness fell upon the earth, people still practiced only auspicious acts, devoted to truth and righteousness.
त्रेतायुगे च वर्तन्ते ब्राह्मणाः क्षत्रियाश्च ये । तपो ऽतप्यन्त ते सर्वे शुश्रूषामपरे जनाः ।। ७.७४.
In the Tretā Yuga, Brāhmaṇas and Kṣatriyas practiced austerity, and the other people engaged in service.
स धर्मः परमस्तेषां वैश्यशूद्रं समागमत् । पूजां च सर्ववर्णानां शूद्राश्चक्रुर्विशेषतः ।। ७.७४.
Among them, that supreme righteousness reached the Vaiśyas and Śūdras; the Śūdras especially rendered service to all the varṇas.
एतस्मिन्नन्तरे तेषामधर्मे चानृते च ह । ततः पूर्वे भृशं ह्रासमगमन्नृपसत्तम ।। ७.७४.
Meanwhile, as unrighteousness and falsehood arose among them, the people of earlier times, O best of kings, greatly declined.
ततः पादमधर्मस्स द्वितीयमवतारयत् । ततो द्वापरसञ्ज्ञा ऽस्य युगस्य समजायत ।। ७.७४.
Then unrighteousness set down a second foot; thus, this age came to be known as Dvāpara.