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.'
तस्य पुत्रद्वयं ब्रह्मन्द्वाभ्यां स्त्रीभ्यामजायत । अहं श्वेत इति ख्यातो यवीयान्सुरथो ऽभवत् ।। ७.७८.
'He had two sons, O brāhmaṇa, born from two wives: I, known as Śveta, and the younger, Suratha.'
ततः पितरि स्वर्याते पौरा मामभ्यषेचयन् । तत्राहं कृतवान्राज्यं धर्म्यं च सुसमाहितः ।। ७.७८.
Then, when my father had ascended to heaven, the citizens anointed me; there, I ruled the kingdom righteously and with great attention.
एवं वर्षसहस्राणि समतीतानि सुव्रत । राज्यं कारयतो ब्रह्मन्प्रजा धर्मेण रक्षतः ।। ७.७८.
Thus, O virtuous one, thousands of years passed as I governed the kingdom, protecting the people with righteousness, O Brahmin.
सो ऽहं निमित्ते कस्मिंश्चिद्विज्ञातायुर्द्विजोत्तम । कालधर्मं हृदि न्यस्य ततो वनमुपागमम् ।। ७.७८.
Then, O best of twice-born, realizing my lifespan was known through an omen, I fixed the law of time in my heart and went to the forest.
सो ऽहं वनमिदं दुर्गं मृगपक्षिविवर्जितम् । तपश्चर्तुं प्रविष्टो ऽस्मि समीपे सरसः शुभे ।। ७.७८.
I entered this difficult forest, devoid of beasts and birds, to practice austerity near a beautiful lake.
भ्रातरं सुरथं राज्ये ह्यभिषिच्य महीपतिम् । इदं सरः समासाद्य तपस्तप्तं मया चिरम् ।। ७.७८.
Having installed my brother Suratha as king, I reached this lake and performed austerities here for a long time.
सो ऽहं वर्षसहस्राणि तपस्त्रीणि महावने । तप्त्वा सुदुष्करं प्राप्तो ब्रह्मलोकमनुत्तमम् ।। ७.७८.
Here, in the great forest, I performed extremely difficult austerities for three thousand years, and attained the supreme world of Brahma.
तस्य मे स्वर्गभूतस्य क्षुत्पिपासे द्विजोत्तम । बाधेते परमोदार ततो ऽहं व्यथितेन्द्रियः । गत्वा त्रिभुवनश्रेष्ठं पितामहमुवाच ह ।। ७.७८.
But, O best of twice-born, even in that heavenly state, hunger and thirst tormented me greatly; thus, with my senses afflicted, I went to the Lord of the Three Worlds, the Grandsire, and spoke to him.
भगवन्ब्रह्मलोको ऽयं क्षुत्पिपासाविवर्जितः । कस्यायं कर्मणः पाकः क्षुत्पिपासानुगो ह्यहम् ।। ७.७८.
"O Lord, this world of Brahma is said to be free from hunger and thirst; by whose action do I suffer hunger and thirst here?"
आहारः कश्च मे देव तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह ।। ७.७८.
"What food is there for me, O god? Tell me this, O Grandsire."