यदि देवाः प्रसन्ना मे द्विजपुत्रः स जीवतु । दिशन्तु वरमेतं मे इप्सितं परमं मम ।। ७.७६.
If the gods are pleased with me, let the son of the Brāhmaṇa live; grant me this boon, which is my highest desire.
ममापचाराद्यातो ऽसौ ब्राह्मणस्यैकपुत्रकः । अप्राप्तकालः कालेन नीतो वैवस्वतक्षयम् ।। ७.७६.
Because of my transgression, that only son of the Brāhmaṇa was taken away; untimely, he was led by Time to the abode of Yama.
तं जीवयथ भद्रं वो नानृतं कर्तुमर्हथ । द्विजस्य संश्रुतो ऽर्थो मे जीवयिष्यामि ते सुतम् ।। ७.७६.
Restore him to life, may blessings be upon you; you ought not to act falsely. I have promised the Brāhmaṇa this, and I will revive his son.
राघवस्य तु तद्वाक्यं श्रुत्वा विबुधसत्तमाः । प्रत्युचू राघवं प्रीता देवाः प्रीतिसमन्वितम् ।। ७.७६.
Hearing these words of Rāghava, the foremost among the gods, delighted and filled with joy, replied to Rāghava.
निर्वृतो भव काकुत्स्थ सो ऽस्मिन्नहनि बालकः । जीवितं प्राप्तवान्भूयः समेतश्चापि बन्धुभिः ।। ७.७६.
Be at ease, descendant of Kakutstha; today the boy has regained his life and is reunited with his relatives.
यस्मिन्मुहूर्ते काकुत्स्थ शूद्रो ऽयं विनिपातितः । तस्मिन्मुहूर्ते बालो ऽसौ जीवेन समयुज्यत ।। ७.७६.
At the very moment, O Kakutstha, when the Śūdra was struck down, at that same moment, the boy was joined again with life.
स्वस्ति प्राप्नुहि भद्रं ते साधु याम नरर्षभ । अगस्त्यस्याश्रमपदं द्रष्टुमिच्छाम राघव ।। ७.७६.
May you attain well-being and blessings, O best among men; let us depart, Rāghava, for we wish to see the hermitage of Agastya.
तस्य दीक्षा समाप्ता हि ब्रह्मर्षेः सुमहाद्युतेः । द्वादशं हि गतं वर्षं जलशय्यां समासतः ।। ७.७६.
The vow of that great and radiant sage is now complete; twelve years have passed, spent lying upon water.
काकुत्स्थ तद्गमिष्यामो मुनिं समभिनन्दितुम् । त्वं चाप्यागच्छ भद्रं ते द्रष्टुं तमृषिसत्तमम् ।। ७.७६.
O Kakutstha, let us go to greet the sage; you too, may blessings be upon you, come to see that foremost of Ṛṣis.
स तथेति प्रतिज्ञाय देवानां रघुनन्दनः । आरुरोह विमानं तं पुष्पकं हेमभूषितम् ।। ७.७६.
Having agreed, Raghunandana boarded that celestial chariot, the Puṣpaka, adorned with gold.
ततो देवाः प्रयातास्ते विमानैर्बहुविस्तरैः । रामो ऽप्यनुजगामाशु कुम्भयोनेस्तपोवनम् ।। ७.७६.
Then the gods departed in their spacious chariots, and Rāma swiftly followed to the hermitage of the womb-born sage.
दृष्ट्वा तु देवान्सम्प्राप्तानगस्त्यस्तपसां निधिः । अर्चयामास धर्मात्मा सर्वांस्तानविशेषतः ।। ७.७६.
Seeing the gods arrive, Agastya, the repository of austerity, righteously honored all of them without distinction.
प्रतिगृह्य ततः पूजां सम्पूज्य च महामुनिम् । जग्मुस्ते त्रिदशा हृष्टा नाकपृष्ठं सहानुगैः ।। ७.७६.
After receiving the worship and honoring the great sage, the delighted gods departed for heaven with their attendants.
गतेषु तेषु काकुत्स्थः पुष्पकादवरुह्य च । ततो ऽभिवादयामास ह्यगस्त्यमृषिसत्तमम् ।। ७.७६.
When they had gone, Kakutstha descended from the Puṣpaka and then respectfully greeted Agastya, the foremost sage.
सो ऽभिवाद्य महात्मानं ज्वलन्तमिव तेजसा । आतिथ्यं परमं प्राप्य निषसाद नराधिपः ।। ७.७६.
Having greeted the great-souled one, radiant as fire, the king received the highest hospitality and sat down.
तमुवाच महातेजाः कुम्भयोनिर्महातपाः । स्वागतं ते नरश्रेष्ठ दिष्ट्या प्राप्तो ऽसि राघव ।। ७.७६.
The mighty and ascetic Agastya, born from a jar, addressed him: 'Welcome to you, best of men; by good fortune you have arrived, Rāghava.'
त्वं मे बहुमतो राम गुणैर्बहुभिरुत्तमैः । अतिथिः पूजनीयश्च मम नित्यं हृदि स्थितः ।। ७.७६.
You are greatly esteemed by me, Rāma, for your many excellent qualities; as a guest, you are always worthy of honor and remain in my heart.
सुरा हि कथयन्ति त्वामागतं शूद्रघातिनम् । ब्राह्मणस्य तु धर्मेण त्वया जीवापितः सुतः ।। ७.७६.
The gods indeed speak of you as the slayer of a Shudra who has come; yet, by the law of the Brahmin, you have restored life to his son.
उष्यतां चेह रजनी सकाशे मम राघव । प्रभाते पुष्पकेण त्वं गन्ता ऽसि पुरमेव हि ।। ७.७६.
Let the night be spent here in my presence, O Raghava; in the morning, you shall go to your city in the Pushpaka chariot.
त्वं हि नारायणः श्रीमांस्त्वयि सर्वं प्रतिष्ठितम् । त्वं प्रभुः सर्वदेवानां पुरुषस्त्वं सनातनः ।। ७.७६.
For you are Narayana, glorious; in you all is established. You are the lord of all the gods, the eternal person.
इदं चाभरणं सौम्य निर्मितं विश्वकर्मणा । दिव्यं दिव्येन वपुषा दीप्यमानं स्वतेजसा । प्रतिगृह्णीष्व काकुत्स्थ मत्प्रियं कुरु राघव ।। ७.७६.
And this ornament, gentle one, fashioned by Vishvakarma, divine, shining with its own brilliance and form—accept it, O Kakutstha, and do what pleases me, O Raghava.
दत्तस्य हि पुनर्दाने सुमहत्फलमुच्यते । भरणे हि भवान् शक्तः सेन्द्राणां मरुतामपि ।। ७.७६.
Indeed, it is said that giving again what has been given yields great fruit; and you are able to bear even the burden of the Maruts with Indra.
त्वं हि शक्तस्तारयितुं सेन्द्रानपि दिवौकसः । तस्मात्प्रदास्ये विधिवत्तत्प्रतीच्छ नराधिप ।। ७.७६.
You are indeed able to deliver even the gods with Indra; therefore, I shall give it to you properly—accept it, O king of men.
दिव्यमाभरणं चित्रं प्रदीप्तमिव भास्करम् ।। ७.७६.
A wondrous divine ornament, shining like the sun.
अथोवाच महात्मानमिक्ष्वाकूणां महारथः । रामो मतिमतां श्रेष्ठः क्षत्रधर्ममनुस्मरन् ।। ७.७६.
Then Rama, the great chariot-warrior of the Ikshvaku line, best among the wise, recalling the duty of a warrior, spoke to the great-souled one.
प्रतिग्रहो ऽयं भगवन्ब्राह्मणस्याविगर्हितः । गृह्णीयां क्षत्रियो ऽहं वै कथं ब्राह्मणपुङ्गव ।। ७.७६.
This acceptance, O revered one, is blameless for a Brahmin; but I am a Kshatriya—how can I, O foremost of Brahmins?
ब्राह्मणेन विशेषेण दत्तं तद्वक्तुमर्हसि । एवमुक्तस्तु रामेण प्रत्युवाच महानृषिः ।। ७.७६.
Especially when given by a Brahmin, you ought to explain this; thus addressed by Rama, the great sage replied.
आसन्कृतयुगे राम ब्रह्मभूते पुरायुगे । अपार्थिवाः प्रजाः सर्वाः सुराणां तु शतक्रतुः ।। ७.७६.
In the Krita age, O Rama, in the ancient age when Brahman was all, all beings were not of earthly origin, and Indra was the lord of the gods.
ताः प्रजा देवदेवेशं राजार्थं समुपाद्रवन् । सुराणां स्थापितो राजा त्वया देव शतक्रतुः ।। ७.७६.
Those beings approached the lord of gods for the sake of a king; O god, by you, Indra was established as king of the gods.
प्रयच्छ नो हि लोकेश पार्थिवं नरपुङ्गवम् । यस्मै पूजां प्रयुञ्जाना धूतपापाश्चरेमहि । न वसामो विना राज्ञा एष नो निश्चयः परः ।। ७.७६.
Grant us, O lord of the world, a king among men, to whom, offering worship and purified of sin, we may live; we will not dwell without a king—this is our firm resolve.