तस्य रोषः समभवत्क्षुधार्तस्य विशेषतः । निर्दहन्निव लोकांस्त्रीञ्छिष्यांश्चैतदुवाच ह ।। ७.८१.
Especially because he was hungry, anger arose in him, as if burning the worlds; he spoke these words to his disciples.
पश्यध्वं विपरीतस्य दण्डस्याविजितात्मनः । विपत्तिं घोरसङ्काशां क्रुद्धामग्निशिखामिव ।। ७.८१.
Behold the calamity, dreadful as a blazing flame, that has come upon Daṇḍa, whose self is unrestrained.
क्षयो ऽस्य दुर्मतेः प्राप्तः सानुगस्य दुरात्मनः । यः प्रदीप्तां हुताशस्य शिखां वै स्प्रष्टुमिच्छति ।। ७.८१.
Destruction has come upon this wicked Daṇḍa and his followers, for he seeks to touch the blazing flame of fire.
यस्मात्स कृतवान्पापमीदृशं घोरसंहितम् । तस्मात्प्राप्स्यति दुर्मेधाः फलं पापस्य कर्मणः ।। ७.८१.
Because he committed such a terrible and dreadful sin, that wicked-minded one will receive the fruit of his evil deed.
सप्तरात्रेण राजासौ सभृत्यबलवाहनः । पापकर्मसमाचारो वधं प्राप्स्यति दुर्मतिः ।। ७.८१.
Within seven nights, that king, along with his servants, army, and vehicles, having engaged in sinful actions, will meet his death, being of evil mind.
समन्ताद्योजनशतं विषयं चास्य दुर्मतेः । धक्ष्यते पांसुवर्षेण महता पाकशासनः ।। ७.८१.
A hundred yojanas around, the territory of that wicked-minded one will be consumed by a great rain of dust, as decreed by the ruler of punishment.
सर्वसत्वानि यानीह स्थावराणि चराणि च । महता पांसुवर्षेण विलयं सर्वतो ऽगमन् ।। ७.८१.
All creatures here, both immobile and mobile, will be destroyed everywhere by the great rain of dust.
दण्डस्य विषयो यावत्तावत्सर्वसमुच्छ्रयम् । पांसुवर्षमिवालक्ष्यं सप्तरात्रं भविष्यति ।। ७.८१.
For as long as the domain of punishment extends, for seven nights, there will be an unseeable rain of dust, covering everything.
इत्युक्त्वा क्रोधताम्राक्षस्तदाश्रमनिवासिनम् । जनं जनपदान्तेषु स्थीयतामिति चाब्रवीत् ।। ७.८१.
Having spoken thus, his eyes reddened with anger, he said to the residents of the hermitage, 'Let the people remain at the edge of the settlement.'
श्रुत्वा तूशनसो वाक्यं सो ऽ ऽश्रमावसथो जनः । निष्क्रान्तो विषयात्तस्मात्स्थानं चक्रे ऽथ बाह्यतः ।। ७.८१.
Hearing the words of Ushanas, the people dwelling in the hermitage departed from that territory and established themselves outside.
स तथोक्त्वा मुनिजनमरजामिदमब्रवीत् । इहैव वस दुर्मेधे आश्रमे सुसमाहिता ।। ७.८१.
Having spoken thus, he addressed the ascetics, saying, 'Remain here, O wicked-minded one, in the hermitage with full concentration.'
इदं योजनपर्यन्तं सरः सुरुचिरप्रभम् । अरजे विज्वरा भुङ्क्ष्व कालश्चात्र प्रतीक्ष्यताम् ।। ७.८१.
This lake, extending a yojana, is beautiful and radiant; dwell here, free from dust and fever, and await the appointed time.
त्वत्समीपे च ये सत्त्वा वासमेष्यन्ति तां निशाम् । अवध्याः पांसुवर्षेण ते भविष्यन्ति नित्यदा ।। ७.८१.
Those beings who come to dwell near you during that night will always be spared from the rain of dust.
श्रुत्वा नियोगं ब्रह्मर्षेः सा ऽरजा भार्गवी तदा । तथेति पितरं प्राह भार्गवं भृशदुःखिता । इत्युक्त्वा भार्गवो वासमन्यत्र समकारयत् ।। ७.८१.
Hearing the command of the Brahmarshi, that dust-free Bhargavi, greatly distressed, said to her father, Bhargava, 'So be it.' Having spoken, Bhargava arranged his dwelling elsewhere.
तच्च राज्यं नरेन्द्रस्य सभृत्यबलवाहनम् । सप्ताहाद्भस्मसाद्भूतं यथोक्तं ब्रह्मवादिना ।। ७.८१.
That kingdom of the king, along with his servants, army, and vehicles, became ashes in seven days, just as foretold by the speaker of Brahman.
तस्यासौ दण्डविषयो विन्ध्यशैवलयोर्नृप । शप्तो ब्रह्मर्षिणा तेन वैधर्म्ये सहिते कृते ।। ७.८१.
That territory of Danda, between the Vindhya and Shaiva mountains, was cursed by the Brahmarshi because of the unrighteous act committed there.
ततः प्रभृति काकुत्स्थ दण्डकारण्यमुच्यते । तपस्विनः स्थिता ह्यत्र जनस्थानमतो ऽभवत् ।। ७.८१.
From that time onward, O Kakutstha, it is called Dandaka forest; ascetics dwell here, and thus it became known as Janasthana.
एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं यन्मां पृच्छसि राघव । सन्ध्यामुपासितुं वीर समयो ह्यतिवर्तते ।। ७.८१.
All this has been told to you, O Raghava, as you asked me; the time for worshipping the twilight is passing, O hero.
एते महर्षयः सर्वे पूर्णकुम्भाः समन्ततः । कृतोदका नरव्याघ्र आदित्यं पर्युपासते ।। ७.८१.
All these great sages, with full water pots all around, having performed their ablutions, O tiger among men, are worshipping the sun.
स तैर्ब्राह्मणमभ्यस्तं सहितैर्ब्रह्मवित्तमैः । रविरस्तं गतो राम गच्छोदकमुपस्पृश ।। ७.८१.
The sun, practiced by those Brahmins together with the best knowers of Brahman, has set, O Rama; go and touch water for purification.
इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीये आदिकाव्ये श्रीमदुत्तरकाण्डे एकाशीतितमः सर्गः
Thus ends the eighty-first sarga in the glorious Uttarakanda of the venerable Ramayana, the ancient poem of Valmiki.
ऋषेर्वचनमाज्ञाय रामः सन्ध्यामुपासितुम् । उपाक्रमत्सरः पुण्यमप्सरोगणसेवितम् ।। ७.८२.
Having understood the sage's words, Rāma went to perform the evening worship at a sacred lake attended by hosts of apsarases.
तत्रोदकमुपस्पृश्य सन्ध्यामन्वास्य पश्चिमाम् । आश्रमं प्राविशद्रामः कुम्भयोनेर्महात्मनः ।। ७.८२.
There, after touching the water and completing the evening twilight rites, Rāma entered the hermitage of the great-souled son of the pot.
तस्यागस्त्यो बहुगुणं कन्दमूलं तथौषधिम् । शाल्यादीनि पवित्राणि भोजनार्थमकल्पयत् ।। ७.८२.
Agastya prepared for him many kinds of roots, tubers, medicinal herbs, and pure grains such as rice, for the purpose of a meal.
स भुक्तवान्नरश्रेष्ठस्तदन्नममृतोपमम् । प्रीतश्च परितुष्टश्च तां रात्रिं समुपाविशत् ।। ७.८२.
That best of men ate that food, which was like nectar, and, pleased and satisfied, he spent the night there.
प्रभाते काल्यमुत्थाय कृत्वा ऽ ऽह्निकमरिन्दमः । ऋषिं समुपचक्राम गमनाय रघूत्तमः ।। ७.८२.
At dawn, rising early and performing his daily rites, the subduer of enemies, the best of the Raghu line, approached the sage to take his leave.
अभिवाद्याब्रवीद्रामो महर्षिं कुम्भसम्भवम् । आपृच्छे स्वां पुरीं गन्तुं मामनुज्ञातुमर्हसि ।। ७.८२.
Having bowed, Rāma spoke to the great sage born from the pot: 'I seek your permission to return to my own city.'
धन्यो ऽस्म्यनुगृहीतो ऽस्मि दर्शनेन महात्मनः । द्रष्टुं चैवागमिष्यामि पावनार्थमिहात्मनः ।। ७.८२.
'I am blessed and favored by the sight of the great-souled one; I will come again to see you, for my own purification.'
तथा वदति काकुत्स्थे वाक्यमद्भुतदर्शनम् । उवाच परमप्रीतो धर्मनेत्रस्तपोधनः ।। ७.८२.
As Kākutstha spoke thus, words of wondrous import, the sage, rich in asceticism and guided by righteousness, replied with great delight.
अत्यद्भुतमिदं वाक्यं तव राम शुभाक्षरम् । पावनः सर्वभूतानां त्वमेव रघुनन्दन ।। ७.८२.
'This speech of yours, Rāma, is truly wondrous and auspicious; you alone, O joy of the Raghus, are the purifier of all beings.'