अर्धस्य देवो वरदो वरार्धस्य तव ह्यहम् । तस्मादर्धं गृहाण त्वं स्त्रीपुंसोर्यावदिच्छसि ।। ७.८७.
The god is the bestower of boons for half, and I am for the other half of you; therefore, take whichever half you desire, whether male or female.
तदद्भुततरं श्रुत्वा देव्या वरमनुत्तमम् । सम्प्रहृष्टमना भूत्वा राजा वाक्यमथाब्रवीत् ।। ७.८७.
Hearing that wondrous and supreme boon from the goddess, the king, his mind filled with joy, then spoke these words.
यदि देवि प्रसन्ना मे रूपेणाप्रतिमा भुवि । मासं स्त्रीत्वमुपासित्वा मासं स्यां पुरुषः पुनः ।। ७.८७.
If you are pleased with me, O goddess, unrivaled in beauty on earth, let me be a woman for one month, and then a man again for one month.
ईप्सितं तस्य विज्ञाय देवी सुरुचिरानना । प्रत्युवाच शुभं वाक्यमेवमेव भविष्यति ।। ७.८७.
Knowing his desire, the goddess with a lovely face replied with auspicious words: 'So it shall be.'
राजन्पुरुषभूतस्त्वं स्त्रीभावं न स्मरिष्यसि । स्त्रीभूतश्च परं मासं न स्मरिष्यसि पौरुषम् ।। ७.८७.
O king, when you become a man, you will not remember your womanhood; and when you become a woman for that month, you will not remember your manhood.
एवं स राजा पुरुषो मासं भूत्वाथ कार्दमिः । त्रैलोक्यसुन्दरी नारी मासमेकमिला ऽभवत् ।। ७.८७.
Thus, the king became a man for one month, and then, O descendant of Kardama, for one month he became a woman, the most beautiful in the three worlds.
इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीये आदिकाव्ये श्रीमदुत्तरकाण्डे सप्ताशीतितमः सर्गः
Thus ends the eighty-seventh sarga in the glorious Uttarakāṇḍa of the ancient and revered Rāmāyaṇa composed by Vālmīki.
तां कथामिलसम्बद्धां रामेण समुदीरिताम् । लक्ष्मणो भरतश्चैव श्रुत्वा परमविस्मितौ ।। ७.८८.
Hearing that story of Ilā, narrated by Rāma, both Lakṣmaṇa and Bharata were utterly amazed.
तौ रामं प्राञ्जली भूत्वा तस्य राज्ञो महात्मनः । विस्तरं तस्य भावस्य तदा पप्रच्छतुः पुनः ।। ७.८८.
With joined palms, those two approached Rāma, the great-souled king, and again asked him to tell the full account of that matter.
कथं स राजा स्त्रीभूतो वर्तयामास दुर्गतिः । पुरुषः स यदा भूतः कां वृत्तिं वर्तयत्यसौ ।। ७.८८.
How did that king, having become a woman, endure hardship? And when he became a man, what manner of life did he lead?
तयोस्तद्भाषितं श्रुत्वा कौतूहलसमन्वितम् । कथयामास काकुत्स्थस्तस्य राज्ञो यथागतम् ।। ७.८८.
Hearing their words, filled with curiosity, Kakutstha began to narrate the story of that king as it happened.
तमेव प्रथमं मासं स्त्रीभूता लोकसुन्दरी । ताभिः परिवृता स्त्रीभिर्ये च पूर्वपदानुगाः ।। ७.८८.
For that first month, having become a woman, the beauty of the worlds, Ilā, surrounded by women and those who had followed her previously, lived accordingly.
तत्काननं विगाह्वाशु विजह्रे लोकसुन्दरी । द्रुमगुल्मलताकीर्णं पद्भ्यां पद्मदलेक्षणा ।। ७.८८.
She, the beauty of the worlds, wandered swiftly through that forest, filled with trees, bushes, and creepers, her lotus-like eyes moving on foot.
वाहनानि च सर्वाणि सा त्यक्त्वा वै समन्ततः । पर्वताभोगविवरे तस्मिन्रेमे इला तदा ।। ७.८८.
Abandoning all her vehicles completely, Ilā then rested in the mountain caves of that place.
अथ तस्मिन्वनोद्देशे पर्वतस्याविदूरतः । सरः सुरुचिरप्रख्यं नानापक्षिगणैर्युतम् ।। ७.८८.
Then, in that part of the forest, not far from the mountain, there was a lake, shining like a jewel, filled with many kinds of birds.
ददर्श सा त्विला तस्मिन्बुधं सोमसुतं तदा । ज्वलन्तं स्वेन वपुषा पूर्णसोममिवोदितम् ।। ७.८८.
There, Ilā beheld Budha, the son of Soma, shining with his own radiance, like the full moon risen in the sky.
तपन्तं च तपस्तीव्रमम्भोमध्ये दुरासदम् । यशस्करं कामकरं कारुण्ये पर्यवस्थितम् ।। ७.८८.
He was engaged in intense austerity, difficult to approach in the midst of the waters, a source of fame and fulfillment of desires, established in compassion.
सा तं जलाशयं सर्वं क्षोभयामास विस्मिता । सहगैः पूर्वपुरुषैः स्त्रीभूतै रघुनन्दन ।। ७.८८.
Astonished, she agitated the entire lake, together with the women who had become her companions, O descendant of Raghu.
बुधस्तु तां समीक्ष्यैव कामबाणवशं गतः । नोपलेभे तदा ऽ ऽत्मानं सञ्चचाल तदा ऽ ऽम्भसि ।। ७.८८.
Budha, seeing her, was overcome by the arrows of desire; at that moment, he lost awareness of himself and was shaken in the water.
इलां निरीक्षमाणस्तु त्रैलोक्याभ्यधिकां शुभाम् । चिन्तां समभ्यतिक्रामत् का न्वियं देवताधिका ।। ७.८८.
Gazing upon Ilā, surpassing the three worlds in beauty, he was seized by the thought: 'Who is this, greater even than the goddesses?'
न देवीषु न नागीषु नासुरीष्वप्सरःसु च । दृष्टपूर्वा मया काचिद्रूपेणानेन शोभिता ।। ७.८८.
Among goddesses, nāgīs, asurīs, or apsarases, I have never before seen anyone adorned with such beauty.
सदृशीयं मम भवेद्यदि नान्यपरिग्रहः । इति बुद्धिं समास्थाय जलात्कूलमुपागमत् ।। ७.८८.
'She would be a fitting match for me, if she is not already claimed by another,' resolving thus, he went from the water to the shore.
आश्रमं समुपागम्य ततस्ताः प्रमदोत्तमाः । शब्दापयत धर्मात्मा ताश्चैनं च ववन्दिरे ।। ७.८८.
Coming to the hermitage, those excellent women made themselves known with sound, and the righteous Budha was honored by them.
स ताः पप्रच्छ धर्मात्मा कस्यैषा लोकसुन्दरी । किमर्थमागता चैव सर्वमाख्यात मा चिरम् ।। ७.८८.
That righteous one asked them: 'To whom does this beauty of the world belong? For what purpose have you come? Tell me everything without delay.'
शुभं तु तस्य तद्वाक्यं मधुरं मधुराक्षरम् । श्रुत्वा स्त्रियश्च ताः सर्वा ऊचुर्मधुरया गिरा ।। ७.८८.
Hearing his auspicious words, sweet and pleasing in every syllable, all those women replied to him in gentle speech.
अस्माकमेषा सुश्रोणी प्रभुत्वे वर्तते सदा । अपतिः काननान्तेषु सहास्माभिश्चरत्यसौ ।। ७.८८.
'She of lovely hips is always under our authority; she wanders with us at the edge of the forest, without a husband.'
तद्वाक्यमव्यक्तपदं तासां स्त्रीणां निशम्य च । विद्यामावर्तनीं पुण्यामावर्तयत स द्विजः ।। ७.८८.
Hearing the indistinct words of those women, the twice-born Budha recited a sacred incantation for understanding.
सो ऽर्थं विदित्वा सकलं तस्य राज्ञो यथागतम् । सर्वा एव स्त्रियस्ताश्च बभाषे मुनिपुङ्गवः ।। ७.८८.
Having understood everything as it had happened to that king, the eminent sage addressed all those women.
अत्र किम्पुरुषीर्भूत्वा शैलरोधसि वत्स्यथ । आवासस्तु गिरावस्मिञ्छीघ्रमेव विधीयताम् ।। ७.८८.
'Here, having become Kimpuruṣīs, you shall dwell on the slopes of the mountain; let a dwelling be quickly established on this hill.'
मूलपत्रफलैः सर्वा वर्तयिष्यथ नित्यदा । स्त्रियः किम्पुरुषान्नाम भर्तऽन्समुपलप्स्यथ ।। ७.८८.
'You shall always subsist on roots, leaves, and fruits; as women called Kimpuruṣīs, you will obtain a husband.'