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.
प्रजानां वचनं श्रुत्वा निश्चयित्वा ऽर्थमुत्तमम् ।। ७.७६.
Hearing the words of the beings and determining the highest purpose—
ततो ब्रह्मा सुरश्रेष्ठो लोकपालान्सवासवान् । समाहूयाब्रवीत्सर्वांस्तेजोभागान्प्रयच्छत ।। ७.७६.
Then Brahma, best of the gods, summoned the guardians of the worlds along with Indra and said to them all: 'Give portions of your own brilliance.'
ततो ददुर्लोकपालाः सर्वे भागान्स्वतेजसः । अक्षुपच्च ततो ब्रह्मा यतो जातः क्षुपो नृपः ।। ७.७६.
Then all the guardians of the worlds gave portions of their own brilliance; and from that, Brahma fashioned Kshupa, from whom King Kshupa was born.
तं ब्रह्मा लोकपालानां सहांशैः समयोजयत् । ततो ददौ नृपं तासां प्रजानामीश्वरं क्षुपम् ।। ७.७६.
Brahma joined him with portions from the guardians of the worlds; then he gave Kshupa as king, lord of those beings.
तत्रैन्द्रेण च भागेन महीमाज्ञापयन्नृपः । वारुणेन तु भागेन वपुः पुष्यति पार्थिवः ।। ७.७६.
There, by Indra's portion, the king commands the earth; by Varuna's portion, the king's form is nourished.
कौबेरेण तु भागेन वित्तमासां ददौ तदा । यस्तु याम्यो ऽभवद्भागस्तेन शास्ति स्म स प्रजाः ।। ७.७६.
At that time, he gave them wealth as their share from Kubera; and the one whose share belonged to Yama, by that share, he ruled over the people.
तत्रैन्द्रेण नरश्रेष्ठ भागेन रघुनन्दन । प्रतिगृह्णीष्व भद्रं ते तारणार्थं मम प्रभो ।। ७.७६.
There, O best of men, descendant of Raghu, take the share from Indra, for your welfare, O lord, for my deliverance.
तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा ऋषेः परमधार्मिकम् । तद्रामः प्रतिजग्राह मुनेराभरणं वरम् ।। ७.७६.
Hearing those words of the sage, which were supremely righteous, Rama accepted that excellent ornament from the sage.
प्रतिगृह्य ततो रामस्तदाभरणमुत्तमम् । आगमं तस्य दीप्तस्य प्रष्टुमेवोपचक्रमे ।। ७.७६.
Having received that excellent ornament, Rama then began to question him about the origin of that radiant object.
अत्यद्भुतमिदं दिव्यं वपुषा युक्तमुत्तमम् । कथं वा भगवता प्राप्तं कुतो वा केन वा हृतम् ।। ७.७६.
This is exceedingly wondrous and divine, endowed with supreme beauty; how did the Lord obtain it, or from where, or by whom was it taken?