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.
कर्दमेनैवमुक्तास्तु सर्व एव द्विजर्षभाः । रोचयन्ति स्म तं यज्ञं रुद्रस्याराधनं प्रति ।। ७.९०.
Thus addressed by Kardama, all the foremost twice-born agreed to that sacrifice for the worship of Rudra.
संवर्तस्य तु राजर्षेः शिष्यः पुरपुरञ्जयः । मरुत्त इति विख्यातस्तं यज्ञं समुपाहरत् ।। ७.९०.
The disciple of the royal sage Saṃvarta, famed as Marutta, brought forth that sacrifice.
ततो यज्ञो महानासीद्बुधाश्रमसमीपतः । रुद्रश्च परमं तोषमाजगाम महायशाः ।। ७.९०.
Then a great sacrifice was performed near the hermitage of Budha, and Rudra, the illustrious one, became supremely pleased.
अथ यज्ञे समाप्ते तु प्रीतः परमया मुदा । उमापतिर्द्विजान्सर्वानुवाच इलसन्निधौ ।। ७.९०.
When the sacrifice was completed, the delighted Lord of Uma spoke to all the Brahmins in the presence of Ila.
प्रीतो ऽस्मि हयमेधेन भक्त्या च द्विजसत्तमाः । अस्य बाह्लिपतेश्चैव किं करोमि प्रियं शुभम् ।। ७.९०.
I am pleased by the Aśvamedha and your devotion, O best of Brahmins. What good and pleasing thing shall I do for this king of Bahlika?
तथा वदति देवेशे द्विजास्ते सुसमाहिताः । प्रसादयन्ति देवेशं यथा स्यात्पुरुषस्त्विला ।। ७.९०.
As the Lord of the gods spoke thus, the Brahmins, with concentrated minds, entreated him so that Ila might become a man.
ततः प्रीतो महादेवः पुरुषत्वं ददौ पुनः । इलायै सुमहातेजा दत्त्वा चान्तरधीयत ।। ७.९०.
Then the greatly radiant Mahadeva, being pleased, restored manhood to Ila and, having granted this, vanished.
निवृत्ते हयमेधे च गतश्चादर्शनं हरः । यथागतं द्विजाः सर्वे ह्यगच्छन्दीर्घदर्शिनः ।। ७.९०.
When the Aśvamedha was concluded and Hara had disappeared, all the far-seeing Brahmins departed as they had come.
राजा तु बाह्लिमुत्सृज्य मध्यदेशे ह्यनुत्तमम् । निवेशयामास पुरं प्रतिष्ठानं यशस्करम् ।। ७.९०.
The king, leaving Bahlika, established the renowned city of Pratiṣṭhāna in the central region.
शशबिन्दुश्च राजर्षिर्बाह्लिं पुरपुरञ्जयः । प्रतिष्ठाने इलो राजा प्रजापतिसुतो बली ।। ७.९०.
The royal sage Śaśabindu ruled Bahlika, and the powerful Ila, son of Prajapati, was king at Pratiṣṭhāna.
स काले प्राप्तवाँल्लोकमिलो ब्राह्ममनुत्तमम् । ऐलः पुरूरवा राजा प्रतिष्ठानमवाप्तवान् ।। ७.९०.
In due course, Ila attained the supreme Brahman world, and King Pururavas, son of Ila, obtained Pratiṣṭhāna.
ईदृशो ह्यश्वमेधस्य प्रभावः पुरुषर्षभौ । स्त्रीभूतः पौरुषं लेभे यच्चान्यदपि दुर्लभम् ।। ७.९०.
Such is the power of the Aśvamedha, O best of men: one who became a woman regained manhood, and also attained other rare blessings.
इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीये आदिकाव्ये श्रीमदुत्तरकाण्डे नवतितमः सर्गः
Thus ends the ninetieth sarga in the glorious Uttarakāṇḍa of the ancient and revered Rāmāyaṇa composed by Vālmīki.
एतदाख्याय काकुत्स्थो भ्रातृभ्याममितप्रभः । लक्ष्मणं पुनरेवाह धर्मयुक्तमिदं वचः ।। ७.९१.
Having related this, the illustrious descendant of Kakutstha, radiant as ever, again spoke these righteous words to Lakṣmaṇa in the presence of his brothers.
वसिष्ठं वामदेवं च जाबालिमथ कश्यपम् । द्विजांश्च सर्वप्रवरानश्वमेधपुरस्कृतान् ।। ७.९१.
Vasiṣṭha, Vāmadeva, Jābāli, Kaśyapa, and all the foremost twice-born who had presided over the Aśvamedha—
एतान्सर्वान्समानीय मन्त्रयित्वा च लक्ष्मण । हयं लक्षणसम्पन्नं विमोक्ष्यामि समाधिना ।। ७.९१.
Gathering all these together and consulting with them, O Lakṣmaṇa, I will release the horse marked with auspicious signs with full concentration.
तद्वाक्यं राघवेणोक्तं श्रुत्वा त्वरितविक्रमः । द्विजान्सर्वान्समाहूय दर्शयामास राघवम् ।। ७.९१.
Hearing these words spoken by Rāghava, swift in action, he summoned all the Brahmins and presented them to Rāghava.
ते दृष्ट्वा देवसङ्काशं कृतपादाभिवन्दनम् । राघवं सुदुराधर्षमाशीर्भिः समपूजयन् ।। ७.९१.
Seeing Rāghava, radiant as the gods and having bowed at their feet, they honored him, who is exceedingly difficult to approach, with blessings.
प्राञ्जलिः स तदा भूत्वा राघवो द्विजसत्तमान् । आचचक्षे ऽश्वमेधस्य ह्यभिप्रायं महायशाः ।। ७.९१.
Then Rāghava, renowned for his great fame, with joined palms, spoke to the foremost of the twice-born about his intention to perform the horse sacrifice.
ते तु रामस्य तच्छ्रुत्वा नमस्कृत्वा वृषध्वजम् । अश्वमेधं द्विजाः सर्वे पूजयन्ति स्म सर्वशः ।। ७.९१.
Hearing this from Rāma, all the twice-born, after bowing to the bull-bannered one, began to worship the horse sacrifice in every way.