अथ मासे तु सम्पूर्णे पूर्णेन्दुसदृशाननः । प्रजापतिसुतः श्रीमाञ्छयने प्रत्यबुध्यत ।। ७.८९.
When the month was complete, the illustrious son of the Lord of Creatures, whose face was like the full moon, awoke upon his bed.
सो ऽपश्यत्सोमजं तत्र तपन्तं सलिलाशये । ऊर्ध्वबाहुं निरालम्बं तं राजा प्रत्यभाषत ।। ७.८९.
There he saw the son of Soma, arms raised, standing unsupported in the water, shining brightly; and the king spoke to him.
भगवन्पर्वतं दुर्गं प्रविष्टो ऽस्मि सहानुगः । न च पश्यामि तत्सैन्यं क्व नु ते मामका गताः ।। ७.८९.
O venerable one, I entered this difficult mountain with my followers, but I do not see my army; where have my people gone?
तच्छ्रुत्वा तस्य राजर्षेर्नष्टसञ्ज्ञस्य भाषितम् । प्रत्युवाच शुभं वाक्यं सान्त्वयन्परया गिरा ।। ७.८९.
Hearing the words of that royal sage, who had lost consciousness, he replied with gentle words, consoling him with utmost kindness.
अश्मवर्षेण महता भृत्यास्ते विनिपातिताः । त्वं चाश्रमपदे सुप्तो वातवर्षभयार्दितः ।। ७.८९.
Your attendants were struck down by a great hailstorm, and you, tormented by wind and rain, slept in the hermitage.
समाश्वसिहि भद्रं ते निर्भयो विगतज्वरः । फलमूलाशनो वीर निवसेह यथासुखम् ।। ७.८९.
Be comforted, may you be safe, free from fear and distress; O hero, live here as you wish, sustaining yourself on fruits and roots.
स राजा तेन वाक्येन प्रत्याश्वस्तो महामतिः । प्रत्युवाच ततो वाक्यं दीनो भृत्यक्षयाद् भृशम् ।। ७.८९.
Reassured by those words, the wise king, deeply distressed by the loss of his attendants, then replied in a sorrowful voice.
त्यक्ष्याम्यहं स्वकं राज्यं नाहं भृत्यैर्विनाकृतः । वर्तयेयं क्षणं ब्रह्मन्समनुज्ञातुमर्हसि ।। ७.८९.
I will renounce my kingdom; I cannot live without my attendants. O Brahman, permit me to do so, for I cannot endure even a moment.
सुतो धर्मपरो ब्रह्मञ्ज्येष्ठो मम महायशाः । शशबिन्दुरिति ख्यातः स मे राज्यं प्रपत्स्यते ।। ७.८९.
O Brahman, my eldest son, renowned as Shashabindu, is devoted to righteousness; he will inherit my kingdom.
न हि शक्ष्याम्यहं हित्वा भृत्यदारान्सुखान्वितान् । प्रतिवक्तुं महातेजः किञ्चिदप्यशुभं वचः ।। ७.८९.
For I cannot, having abandoned my loyal attendants and wives, utter even a single harsh word, O mighty one.
तथा ब्रुवति राजेन्द्रे बुधः परममद्भुतम् । सान्त्वपूर्वमथोवाच वासस्त इह रोचताम् ।। ७.८९.
As the king thus spoke, Budha, with utmost wonder and gentle words, replied, 'May your dwelling here be pleasing to you.'
न सन्तापस्त्वया कार्यः कार्दमेय महाबल । संवत्सरोषितस्येह कारयिष्यामि ते हितम् ।। ७.८९.
You need not grieve, mighty son of Kardama; for one who has dwelled here a year, I shall bring about what is good for you.
तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा बुधस्याक्लिष्टकर्मणः । वासाय विदधे बुद्धिं यदुक्तं ब्रह्मवादिना ।। ७.८९.
Hearing these words of Budha, whose actions are pure, he resolved to remain as instructed by the knower of Brahman.
मासं स स्त्री तदा भूत्वा रमयत्यनिशं शुदा । मासं पुरुषभावेन धर्मबुद्धिं चकार सः ।। ७.८९.
Then, for one month she became a woman and delighted him constantly; for another month, taking on a male form, he acted with righteousness.
ततः सा नवमे मासि इला सोमसुतात्सुतम् । जनयामास सुश्रोणी पुरूरवसमूर्जितम् ।। ७.८९.
In the ninth month, that lovely-hipped woman, Ilā, bore from the son of Soma a son, Purūravas, endowed with strength.
जातमात्रं तु सुश्रोणी पितुर्हस्ते न्यवेशयत् । बुधस्य समवर्णभमिला पुत्रं महाबलम् ।। ७.८९.
As soon as the child was born, the beautiful-hipped Ilā placed her mighty son, equal in complexion to Budha, into his father's hands.
बुधस्तु पुरुषीभूतं स वै संवत्सरान्तरम् । कथाभी रमयामास धर्मयुक्ताभिरात्मवान् ।। ७.८९.
And Budha, self-controlled, delighted her, who had become male, for a year with stories filled with righteousness.
इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीये आदिकाव्ये श्रीमदुत्तरकाण्डे एकोननवतितमः सर्गः
Thus ends the eighty-ninth sarga in the glorious Uttarakāṇḍa of the ancient and revered Rāmāyaṇa composed by Vālmīki.
तथोक्तवति रामे तु तस्य जन्म तदद्भुतम् । उवाच लक्ष्मणो भूयो भरतश्च महायशाः ।। ७.९०.
When Rāma had spoken thus about that wondrous birth, Lakṣmaṇa and the illustrious Bharata again addressed him.
इला सा सोमपुत्रस्य संवत्सरमथोषिता । अकरोत्किं नरश्रेष्ठ तत्त्वं शंसितुमर्हसि ।। ७.९०.
O best of men, what did Ilā, who had dwelled with the son of Soma for a year, do? You should tell us the truth.
तयोस्तद्वाक्यमाधुर्यं निशम्य परिपृच्छतोः । रामः पुनरुवाचेमां प्रजापतिसुते कथाम् ।। ७.९०.
Hearing their sweet words and their questions, Rāma again recounted this tale of the daughter of Prajāpati.
पुरुषत्वं गते शूरे बुधः परमबुद्धिमान् । संवर्तं परमोदारमाजुहाव महायशाः ।। ७.९०.
When the valiant one regained his manhood, Budha, supremely wise and renowned, summoned the noble Saṃvarta.
च्यवनं भृगुपुत्रं च मुनिं चारिष्टनेमिनम् । प्रमोदनं मोदकरं ततो दुर्वाससं मुनिम् ।। ७.९०.
He also called Cyavana, the son of Bhṛgu, the sage Ariṣṭanemi, Pramodana, Modakara, and then the sage Durvāsas.
एतान्सर्वान्समानीय वाक्यज्ञस्तत्त्वदर्शनः । उवाच सर्वान्सुहृदो धैर्येण सुसमाहितान् ।। ७.९०.
Bringing all of them together—those skilled in words and seers of truth—he addressed his friends, who were calm and attentive, with courage.
अयं राजा महाबाहुः कर्दमस्य इलः सुतः । जानीतैनं यथाभूतं श्रेयो ह्यत्र विधीयताम् ।। ७.९०.
This king, mighty-armed, is Ilā, son of Kardama; know him as he truly is, and let what is best for him be done.
तेषां संवदतामेव तमाश्रममुपागमत् । कर्दमस्तु महातेजा द्विजैः सह महात्मभिः ।। ७.९०.
As they were conversing, Kardama, radiant and accompanied by great sages and twice-born ones, came to that hermitage.
पुलस्त्यश्च क्रतुश्चैव वषट्कारस्तथैव च । ओङ्कारश्च महातेजास्तमाश्रममुपागमत् ।। ७.९०.
Pulastya, Kratu, Vaṣaṭkāra, and the illustrious Oṅkāra also came to that hermitage.
ते सर्वे हृष्टमनसः परस्परसमागमे । हितैषिणो बाल्हिपतेः पृथग्वाक्यान्यथाब्रुवन् ।। ७.९०.
All of them, joyful at meeting one another, spoke various words, each wishing for the welfare of the lord of Bahlika.
कर्दमस्त्वब्रवीद्वाक्यं सुतार्थं परमं हितम् । द्विजाः शृणुत मद्वाक्यं यच्छ्रेयः पार्थिवस्य हि ।। ७.९०.
Then Kardama spoke words of highest benefit for his son: 'O twice-born ones, hear my words, for this is what is best for the king.'
नान्यं पश्यामि भैषज्यमन्तरा वृषभध्वजम् । नाश्वमेधात्परो यज्ञः प्रियश्चैव महात्मनः । तस्माद्यजामहे सर्वे पार्थिवार्थे दुरासदम् ।। ७.९०.
I see no other remedy except the Bull-bannered One; there is no sacrifice greater than the Aśvamedha, and it is dear to the great Lord. Therefore, let us all perform this difficult sacrifice for the sake of the king.