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.
पुराणं पुण्यमत्यर्थं तपस्विजनवर्जितम् । तत्राहमवसं रात्रिं नैदाघीं पुरुषर्षभ ।। ७.७७.
Ancient, exceedingly holy, and abandoned by ascetics; there I spent the night, O best of men, in the cool season.
प्रभाते काल्यमुत्थाय सरस्तदुपचक्रमे । अथापश्यं शवं तत्र सुपुष्टमजरं क्वचित् ।। ७.७७.
At dawn, rising early, I approached that lake; then I saw there, at a certain spot, a well-formed, ageless corpse.
पङ्किभेदेन पुष्टाङ्गं समाश्रितसरोवरम् । तिष्ठन्तं परया लक्ष्म्या तस्मिंस्तोयाशये नृप ।। ७.७७.
Its limbs were nourished, covered with mud, resting in the lake; it stood there with supreme beauty in that reservoir of water, O king.
तमर्थं चिन्तयानो ऽहं मुहूर्तं तत्र राघव । उषितो ऽस्मि सरस्तीरे किन्न्विदं स्यादिति प्रभो ।। ७.७७.
Reflecting on that matter, O Rāghava, I stayed there for a moment on the shore of the lake, wondering, 'What could this be, my lord?'
अथापश्यं मुहूर्तेन दिव्यमद्भुतदर्शनम् । विमानं परमोदारं हंसयुक्तं मनोजवम् ।। ७.७७.
Then, within a moment, I beheld a wondrous and divine sight: a most splendid aerial chariot, swift as the mind, drawn by swans.
अत्यर्थं स्वर्गिणं त विमाने रघुनन्दन । उपास्ते ऽप्सरसां वीर सहस्रं दिव्यभूषणम् ।। ७.७७.
O delight of the Raghu line, in that chariot, exceedingly heavenly, a thousand apsarases adorned with divine ornaments attended upon a radiant being.
गायन्ति दिव्यगेयानि वादयन्ति तथा ऽपराः । क्ष्वेलयन्ति तथा चान्या नृत्यन्ति च तथा ऽपराः ।। ७.७७.
Some sang celestial songs, others played instruments, some made melodious sounds, and others danced.
अपराश्चन्द्ररश्म्याभैर्हेमदण्डैश्च चामरैः । दोधूयुर्वदनं तस्य पुण्डरीकनिभेक्षणम् ।। ७.७७.
Others, with fans of gold and rods shining like moonbeams, gently fanned his face, whose eyes resembled lotuses.
ततः सिंहासनं त्यक्त्वा मेरुकूटमिवांशुमान् । पश्यतो मे तदा राम विमानादवरुह्य च । तं शवं भक्षयामास स स्वर्गी रघुनन्दन ।। ७.७७.
Then, leaving his throne like the sun descending from the peak of Meru, as I watched, O Rāma, he descended from the chariot and began to eat that corpse.
तथा भुक्त्वा यथाकामं मांसं बहु सुपीवरम् । अवतीर्य सरः स्वर्गी संस्प्रष्टुमुपचक्रमे ।। ७.७७.
Having eaten as much of the abundant, well-fleshed meat as he desired, the heavenly being descended to the lake to bathe.
उपस्पृश्य यथान्यायं स स्वर्गी रघुपुङ्गव । आरोढुमुपचक्राम विमानवरमुत्तमम् ।। ७.७७.
After ritually bathing as prescribed, that celestial, O best of the Raghus, began to ascend again to the excellent aerial chariot.
तमहं देवसङ्काशमारोहन्तमुदीक्ष्य वै । अथाहमब्रुवं वाक्यं स्वर्गिणं पुरुषर्षभ ।। ७.७७.
Seeing him, who resembled a god, ascending, I then spoke these words to the celestial being, O best of men.
को भवान्देवसङ्काश आहारश्च विगर्हितः । त्वयेदं भुज्यते सौम्य किमर्थं वक्तुमर्हसि ।। ७.७७.
'Who are you, O godlike one? And why do you eat this food, which is so unworthy? Please tell me the reason, gentle sir.'
कस्य स्यादीदृशो भाव आहारो देवसम्मतः । आश्चर्यं वर्तते सौम्य श्रोतुमिच्छामि तत्त्वतः ।। ७.७७.
'For whom could there be such a condition, with food approved by the gods? This is astonishing, gentle one; I wish to hear the truth of it.'
नाहमौपयिकं मन्ये तव भक्ष्यमिदं शवम् ।। ७.७७.
'I do not think this corpse is a proper food for you.'
इत्येवमुक्तः स नरेन्द्र नाकी कौतूहलात्सूनृतया गिरा च । श्रुत्वा च वाक्यं मम सर्वमेतत्सर्वं तथा चाकथयन्ममेति ।। ७.७७.
Thus addressed, O king, that celestial, out of curiosity and with gentle words, after hearing all I had said, told me everything just as it was.
इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीये आदिकाव्ये श्रीमदुत्तरकाण्डे सप्तसप्ततितमः सर्गः
Thus ends the seventy-seventh sarga of the glorious Uttarakāṇḍa in the ancient and revered Rāmāyaṇa composed by Vālmīki.
श्रुत्वा तु भाषितं वाक्यं मम राम शुभाक्षरम् । प्राञ्जलिः प्रत्युवाचेदं स स्वर्गी रघुनन्दन ।। ७.७८.
Hearing my words, O Rāma, which were auspicious and well-spoken, that celestial, with joined palms, replied to me thus.
शृणु ब्रह्मन्पुरा वृत्तं ममैतत्सुखदुःखयोः । अनतिक्रमणीयं हि यथा पृच्छसि मां द्विज ।। ७.७८.
'Listen, O brāhmaṇa, to what happened to me before, in both happiness and sorrow; for, as you ask me, this is something that cannot be avoided.'
पुरा वैदर्भको राजा पिता मम महायशाः । सुदेव इति विख्यातस्त्रिषु लोकेषु वीर्यवान् ।। ७.७८.
'Long ago, my father was the illustrious king of Vidarbha, famed as Sudeva, mighty among the three worlds.'