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?
तद्वनं स कथ राजा शून्यं मनुजवर्जितम् । तपश्चर्तुं प्रविष्टः स श्रोतुमिच्छामि तत्त्वतः ।। ७.७९.
How did that king enter such a deserted forest, devoid of people, to perform penance? I wish to hear the truth of this.
रामस्य वचनं श्रुत्वा कौतूहलसमन्वितम् । वाक्यं परमतेजस्वी वक्तुमेवोपचक्रमे ।। ७.७९.
Hearing Rāma's words, filled with curiosity, the exceedingly radiant sage began to speak.
पुरा कृतयुगे राम मनुर्दण्डधरः प्रभुः । तस्य पुत्रो महानासीदिक्ष्वाकुः कुलनन्दनः ।। ७.७९.
Long ago, in the Kṛta Yuga, O Rāma, Manu, the lord who wields the rod of punishment, had a great son named Ikṣvāku, delight of his lineage.
तं पुत्रं पूर्वंकं राज्ये निक्षिप्य भुवि दुर्जयम् । पृथिव्यां राजवंशानां भव कर्तेत्युवाच ह ।। ७.७९.
Placing his eldest son, unconquerable on earth, upon the throne, Manu said to him, 'Become the progenitor of royal dynasties on earth.'
तथैवेति प्रतिज्ञातं पितुः पुत्रेण राघव । ततः परमसन्तुष्टो मनुः पुत्रमुवाच ह ।। ७.७९.
The son promised his father, 'So it shall be,' O Rāghava; then Manu, greatly pleased, spoke to his son.
प्रीतो ऽस्मि परमोदार त्वं कर्ता ऽसि न संशयः । दण्डेन च प्रजा रक्ष मा च दण्डमकारणे ।। ७.७९.
'I am pleased with you, supremely noble one; you will indeed be the doer, without doubt. Protect the people with the rod of punishment, but do not punish without cause.'
अपराधिषु यो दण्डः पात्यते मानवेषु वै । स दण्डो विधिवन्मुक्तः स्वर्गं नयति पार्थिवम् ।। ७.७९.
The punishment that is rightly inflicted upon offenders among men leads the king to heaven.
तस्माद्दण्डे महाबाहो यत्नवान्भव पुत्रक । धर्मो हि परमो लोके कुर्वतस्ते भविष्यति ।। ७.७९.
Therefore, O mighty-armed one, be diligent in upholding punishment, my son; for righteousness is supreme in the world, and it will arise when you act.
इति तं बहु सन्दिश्य मनुः पुत्रं समाधिना । जगाम त्रिदिवं हृष्टो ब्रह्मलोकं सनातनम् ।। ७.७९.
Having thus given many instructions to his son with concentration, Manu, delighted, ascended to the eternal realm of Brahma.
प्रयाते त्रिदिवं तस्मिन्निक्ष्वाकुरमितप्रभः । जनयिष्ये कथं पुत्रानिति चिन्तापरो ऽभवत् ।। ७.७९.
When Manu had departed to heaven, Ikshvaku, whose brilliance was undiminished, became absorbed in thought, wondering how he might beget sons.
कर्मभिर्बहुरूपैश्च तैस्तैर्मनुसुतस्सुतान् । जनयामास धर्मात्मा शतं देवसुतोपमान् ।। ७.७९.
That righteous-souled Manu, by various acts and in many forms, begot a hundred sons, all comparable to the sons of the gods.
तेषामवरजस्तात सर्वेषां रघुनन्दन । मूढश्चाकृतविद्यश्च न शुश्रूषति पूर्वजान् ।। ७.७९.
O delight of the Raghus, the youngest among them was foolish, unlearned, and did not obey his elders.
नाम तस्य च दण्डेति पिता चक्रे ऽल्पमेधसः । अवश्यं दण्डपतनं शरीरे ऽस्य भविष्यति ।। ७.७९.
His father gave him the name Daṇḍa, for he was of little intelligence; surely, punishment would befall his body.
अपश्यमानस्तं देशं घोरं पुत्रस्य राघव । विन्ध्यशैवलयोर्मध्ये राज्यं प्रादादरिन्दम ।। ७.७९.
Not seeing a suitable land for his son, O Raghava, he granted him a kingdom between the Vindhya and Shaivala mountains, O destroyer of foes.
स दण्डस्तत्र राजाभूद्रम्ये पर्वतरोधसि । पुरं चाप्रतिमं राम न्यवेशयदनुत्तमम् ।। ७.७९.
There, Daṇḍa became king on the beautiful mountain slope, and founded an incomparable and excellent city, O Rama.
पुरस्य चाकरोन्नाम मधुमन्तमिति प्रभो । पुरोहितं तूशनसं वरयामास सुव्रतम् ।। ७.७९.
He named the city Madhumanta, O lord, and chose Ushanas, steadfast in vows, as his chief priest.
एवं स राजा तद्राज्यमकरोत्सपुरोहितः । प्रहृष्टमनुजाकीर्णं देवराजं यथा वृषा ।। ७.७९.
Thus, with his priest, the king ruled that kingdom, filled with joyful people, like Indra with his bull among the gods.
ततः स राजा मनुजेन्द्रपुत्रः सार्धं च तेनोशनसा तदानीम् । चकार राज्यं सुमहान्महात्मा शक्रो दिवीवोशनसा समेतः ।। ७.७९.
Then that king, the son of the lord of men, together with Ushanas, ruled the great kingdom, a mighty soul, like Shakra in heaven united with Ushanas.
इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीये आदिकाव्ये श्रीमदुत्तरकाण्डे एकोनशीतितमः सर्गः
Thus ends the eighty-ninth sarga in the glorious Uttarakanda of the ancient and illustrious Ramayana composed by the sage Valmiki.
एतदाख्याय रामाय महर्षिः कुम्भसम्भवः । अस्यामेवापरं वाक्यं कथायामुपचक्रमे ।। ७.८०.
Having related this, the great sage born from a pot began another narration in this very story to Rama.