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?
कुतूहलितया ब्रह्मन्पृच्छामि त्वां महायशः । आश्चर्याणां बहूनां हि निधिः परमको भवान् ।। ७.७६.
Out of curiosity, O illustrious one, I ask you; for you are indeed the foremost repository of many marvels.
एवं ब्रुवति काकुत्स्थे मुनिर्वाक्यमथाब्रवीत् । शृणु राम यथावृत्तं पुरा त्रेतायुगे युगे ।। ७.७६.
As Kakutstha spoke thus, the sage then said: 'Listen, Rama, to what happened long ago, in the age of Treta.'
रमणीयप्रदेशे ऽस्मिन् वने यद्दृष्टवानहम् । आश्चर्यं मे महाबाहो दानमाश्रित्य केवलम् ।। ७.७६.
In this delightful region of the forest, O mighty-armed one, I witnessed a marvel, relying solely on the act of giving.
इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीये आदिकाव्ये श्रीमदुत्तरकाण्डे षट्सप्ततितमः सर्गः
Thus ends the seventy-sixth sarga in the glorious Uttarakanda of the ancient and revered Ramayana composed by the sage Valmiki.
पुरा त्रेतायुगे राम बभूव बहुविस्तरम् । समन्ताद्योजनशतं विमृगं पक्षिवर्जितम् ।। ७.७७.
Long ago, in the Treta age, O Rama, there was a vast forest, a hundred yojanas all around, devoid of animals and birds.
तस्मिन्निर्मानुषे ऽरण्ये कुर्वाणस्तप उत्तमम् । अहमाक्रमितुं सौम्य तदरण्यमुपागमम् ।। ७.७७.
In that forest, devoid of humans, while performing supreme austerity, gentle one, I went to traverse that forest.
तस्य रूपमरण्यस्य निर्देष्टुं न शशाक ह । फलमूलैः सुखास्वादैर्बहुरूपैश्च पादपैः ।। ७.७७.
The beauty of that forest could not be described; with fruits and roots of delightful taste, and trees of many kinds.
तस्यारण्यस्य मध्ये तु सरो योजनमायतम् । हंसकारण्डवाकीर्णं चक्रवाकोपशोभितम् ।। ७.७७.
In the middle of that forest was a lake, a yojana in length, filled with swans and cranes, adorned by chakravaka birds.
पद्मोत्पलसमाकीर्णं समतिक्रान्तशैवलम् । तदाश्चर्यमिवात्यर्थं सुखास्वादमनुत्तमम् ।। ७.७७.
It was crowded with lotuses and water-lilies, entirely free from moss; it was truly wondrous, supremely delightful and unsurpassed.
अरजस्कं तथा ऽक्षोभ्यं श्रीमत्पक्षिगणायुतम् । समीपे तस्य सरसो महदद्भुतमाश्रमम् ।। ७.७७.
It was without dust, undisturbed, and filled with splendid flocks of birds; near that lake was a great and wondrous hermitage.