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."
पितामहस्तु मामाह तवाहारः सुदेवज । स्वादूनि स्वानि मांसानि तानि भक्षय नित्यशः ।। ७.७८.
But the Grandsire said to me: "O Sudeva-born, your food is your own sweet flesh; eat that always."
स्वशरीरं त्वया पुष्टं कुर्वता तप उत्तमम् । अनुप्तं रोहते श्वेत न कदाचिन्महामते ।। ७.७८.
"The body you have nourished by supreme austerity, O Śveta, grows back unwounded, O great-minded one, never perishing."
तृप्तिर्न ते ऽस्ति सूक्ष्मा ऽपि वने सत्वनिषेविते । पुरा तु भिक्षमाणाय भिक्षा वै यतये नृप । न हि दत्ता त्वयेन्द्राभ यस्मादतिथये ऽपि वै ।। ७.७८.
"You have not the slightest satisfaction, even in a forest inhabited by beings; for, O king, in former times, when you begged for alms as an ascetic, you never gave, O Indra-like one, not even to a guest."
दत्तं न ते ऽस्ति सूक्ष्मो ऽपि तप एव निषेवसे । तेन स्वर्गगतो वत्स बाध्यसे क्षुत्पिपासया ।। ७.७८.
"You never gave even the smallest gift, but only practiced austerity; therefore, though you have reached heaven, you are afflicted by hunger and thirst, my child."
स त्वं सुपुष्टमाहारैः स्वशरीरमनुत्तमम् । भक्षयित्वामृतरसं तेन तृप्तिर्भविष्यति ।। ७.७८.
"So, by eating your own well-nourished, excellent body, which is like nectar, you will attain satisfaction thereby."
यदा तु तद्वनं श्वेत अगस्त्यः सुमहानृषिः । आगमिष्यति दुर्धर्षस्तदा कृच्छ्राद्विमोक्ष्यते ।। ७.७८.
"But when the great sage Agastya, irresistible, comes to that forest, O Śveta, then you will be released from this hardship."
स हि तारयितुं सौम्य शक्तः सुरगणानपि । किं पुनस्त्वां महाबाहो क्षुत्पिपासावशं गतम् ।। ७.७८.
"For he, gentle one, is able to deliver even the hosts of gods; how much more you, O mighty-armed, who are overcome by hunger and thirst."
सो ऽहं भगवतः श्रुत्वा देवदेवस्य निश्चयम् । आहारं गर्हितं स्वशरीरं द्विजोत्तम ।। ७.७८.
So, O best of twice-born, having heard the decision of the divine Lord of gods, I made my own body, a contemptible food.
बहून्वर्षगणान्ब्रह्मन्भुज्यमानमिदं मया । क्षयं नाभ्येति ब्रह्मर्षे तृप्तिश्चापि ममोत्तमा ।। ७.७८.
O Brahmin, for many years I have eaten this, but, O Brahmarshi, it does not diminish, and my satisfaction is supreme.
तस्य मे कृच्छ्रभूतस्य कृच्छ्रादस्माद्विमोचय । अन्येषां न गतिर्ह्यत्र कुम्भयोनिमृते द्विजम् ।। ७.७८.
Release me from this great distress, for I am afflicted; apart from Kumbhayoni, O twice-born, there is no refuge here for others.
इदमाभरणं सौम्य तारणार्थं द्विजोत्तम । प्रतिगृह्णीष्व भद्रं ते प्रसादं कर्तुमर्हसि ।। ७.७८.
O gentle one, best of Brahmins, accept this ornament for the sake of my deliverance; may good come to you—please grant me your favor.
इदं तावत्सुवर्णं च धनं वस्त्राणि च द्विज । भक्ष्यं भोज्यं च ब्रह्मर्षे ददात्याभरणानि च ।। ७.७८.
Here is gold, wealth, garments, food and drink, O Brahmin sage, and ornaments as well—all these I give to you.
सर्वान्कामान्प्रयच्छामि भोगांश्च मुनिपुङ्गव । तारणे भगवन्मह्यं प्रसादं कर्तुमर्हसि ।। ७.७८.
O eminent sage, I grant you all desired enjoyments and pleasures; O venerable one, please show me your favor for my deliverance.
तस्याहं स्वर्गिणो वाक्यं श्रुत्वा दुःखसमन्वितम् । तारणायोपजग्राह तदाभरणमुत्तमम् ।। ७.७८.
Hearing the sorrowful words of that celestial being, I then accepted that excellent ornament for his deliverance.
मया प्रतिगृहीते तु तस्मिन्नाभरणे शुभे । मानुषः पूर्वको देहो राजर्षेर्विननाश ह ।। ७.७८.
When I had accepted that auspicious ornament, the former human body of the royal sage was destroyed.
प्रनष्टे तु शरीरे ऽसौ राजर्षिः परया मुदा । तृप्तः प्रमुदितो राजा जगाम त्रिदिवं सुखम् ।। ७.७८.
When his body was gone, that royal sage, filled with supreme joy and satisfaction, happily ascended to heaven.
तेनेदं शक्रतुल्येन दिव्यमाभरणं मम । तस्मिन्निमित्ते काकुत्स्थ दत्तमद्भुतदर्शनम् ।। ७.७८.
Because of that, this divine ornament, equal to Indra's, was given to me for that reason, O Kakutstha, and it is wondrous to behold.
इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीये आदिकाव्ये श्रीमदुत्तरकाण्डे ऽष्टसप्ततितमः सर्गः
Thus ends the seventy-eighth sarga in the glorious Uttarakāṇḍa of the ancient and illustrious Rāmāyaṇa composed by Vālmīki.
तदद्भुततमं वाक्यं श्रुत्वागस्त्यस्य राघवः । गौरवाद्विस्मयाच्चैव पुनः प्रष्टुं प्रचक्रमे ।। ७.७९.
Hearing that most marvelous account of Agastya, Rāghava, out of respect and wonder, began to ask further questions.
भगवंस्तद्वनं घोरं तपस्तप्यति यत्र सः । श्वेतो वैदर्भको राजा कथं स्यादमृगद्विजम् ।। ७.७९.
O venerable one, in that dreadful forest where King Śveta of Vidarbha practiced austerities, how could there be no animals or birds?