जन्मप्रभृति ते वीर सुखदुःखोपसेवनम् । भविष्यदुत्तरं चेह सर्वं वाल्मीकिना कृतम् ।। ७.९८.
From your birth, O hero, the experience of happiness and sorrow, and whatever is yet to come here, has all been composed by Vālmīki.
आदिकाव्यमिदं राम त्वयि सर्वं प्रतिष्ठितम् । नह्यन्यो ऽर्हति काव्यानां यशोभाग्राघवादृते ।। ७.९८.
This is the first poem, Rāma, and everything in it is established upon you; no one else, apart from you, Rāghava, is worthy of the glory of poems.
श्रुतं ते पूर्वमेतद्धि मया सर्वं सुरैः सह । दिव्यमद्भुतरूपं च सत्यवाक्यमनावृतम् ।। ७.९८.
All this has been heard by you before, together with me and the gods; it is divine, wondrous in form, truthful, and unhidden.
स त्वं पुरुषशार्दूल धर्मेण सुसमाहितः । शेषं भविष्यं काकुत्स्थ काव्यं रामायणं शृणु ।। ७.९८.
Therefore, O tiger among men, firmly established in righteousness, listen to the remaining future portion of the poem, the Rāmāyaṇa, O descendant of Kakutstha.
उत्तरं नाम काव्यस्य शेषमत्र महायशः । तच्छृणुष्व महातेज ऋषिभिः सार्धमुत्तमम् ।। ७.९८.
The remaining portion of the poem is called 'Uttara,' O illustrious one; listen to it, O great one, together with the sages, the most excellent.
न खल्वन्येन काकुत्स्थ श्रोतव्यमिदमुत्तमम् । परमम् ऋषिणा वीर त्वयैव रघुनन्दन ।। ७.९८.
Indeed, O Kakutstha, this excellent portion is not to be heard by anyone else; it is supreme, O hero, and meant only for you, O delight of the Raghu lineage.
एतावदुक्त्वा वचनं ब्रह्मा त्रिभुवनेश्वरः । जगाम त्रिदिवं देवो देवैः सह सबान्धवैः ।। ७.९८.
Having spoken thus, Brahmā, lord of the three worlds, departed to heaven, accompanied by the gods and his kin.
ये च तत्र महात्मान ऋषयो ब्राह्मलौकिकाः । ब्रह्मणा समनुज्ञाता न्यवर्तन्त महौजसः । उत्तरं श्रोतुमनसो भविष्यं यच्च राघवे ।। ७.९८.
And those great-souled sages, both divine and worldly, having been permitted by Brahmā, withdrew with their great energy, their minds intent on hearing the future Uttara portion concerning Rāghava.
ततो रामः शुभां वाणीं देवदेवस्य भाषिताम् । श्रुत्वा परमतेजस्वी वाल्मीकिमिदमब्रवीत् ।। ७.९८.
Then Rāma, having heard the auspicious words spoken by the god of gods, addressed Vālmīki, radiant with supreme brilliance.
भगवन् श्रोतुमनस ऋषयो ब्राह्मलौकिकाः । भविष्यदुत्तरं यन्मे श्वोभूते सम्प्रवर्तताम् ।। ७.९८.
O revered one, the sages, both divine and worldly, are eager to hear the future Uttara portion; let it begin for me tomorrow.
एवं विनिश्चयं कृत्वा सम्प्रगृह्य कुशीलवौ । तं जनौघं विसृज्याथ पर्णशालामुपागमत् । तामेव शोचतः सीतां सा व्यतीयाय शर्वरी ।। ७.९८.
Having thus resolved, and taking Kuśa and Lava with him, he dismissed the crowd of people and went to the leaf-hut; as he grieved for Sītā, the night passed.
इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीये आदिकाव्ये श्रीमदुत्तरकाण्डे ऽष्टनवतितमः सर्गः
Thus ends the ninety-eighth sarga in the glorious Uttarakāṇḍa of the divine Rāmāyaṇa, the first poem, composed by Vālmīki.
रजन्यां तु प्रभातायां समानीय महामुनीन् । गीयतामविशङ्काभ्यां रामः पुत्रावुवाच ह ।। ७.९९.
When the night had passed and morning had come, Rāma summoned the great sages and spoke to his sons, telling them to sing without hesitation.
ततः समुपविष्टेषु ब्रह्मर्षिषु महात्मसु । भविष्यदुत्तरं काव्यं जगतुस्तौ कुशीलवौ ।। ७.९९.
Then, when the great-souled Brahmarṣis had taken their seats, Kuśa and Lava recited the future Uttara portion of the poem to the assembled world.
प्रविष्टायां तु सीतायां भूतलं सत्यसम्पदा । तस्यावसाने यज्ञस्य रामः परमदुर्मनाः ।। ७.९९.
When Sītā, endowed with truthfulness, had entered the earth, at the conclusion of the sacrifice, Rāma was exceedingly distressed.
अपश्यमानो वैदेहीं मेने शून्यमिदं जगत् । शोकेन परमायस्तो न शान्तिं मनसा ऽगमत् ।। ७.९९.
Not seeing Vaidehī, he regarded the world as empty; overwhelmed by deep sorrow, he found no peace in his mind.
विसृज्य पार्थिवान्सर्वानृक्षवानरराक्षसान् । जनौघं विप्रमुख्यानां वित्तपूर्वं विसृज्य च ।। ७.९९.
He dismissed all the kings, the bears, monkeys, and demons, and the multitude of people, foremost among whom were the learned Brahmins, after giving them wealth.
एवं समाप्य यज्ञं तु विधिवत्स तु राघवः । ततो विसृज्य तान्सर्वान्रामो राजीवलोचनः ।। ७.९९.
Thus, having completed the sacrifice according to the prescribed rites, Rāghava, the lotus-eyed Rāma, then dismissed them all.
हृदि कृत्वा तदा सीतामयोध्यां प्रविवेश ह । इष्टयज्ञो नरपतिः पुत्रद्वयसमन्वितः ।। ७.९९.
Holding Sītā in his heart, the king entered Ayodhyā, having performed the desired sacrifices, accompanied by his two sons.
न सीतायाः परां भार्यां वव्रे स रघुनन्दनः । यज्ञे यज्ञे च पत्न्यर्थं जानकी काञ्चनी भवत् ।। ७.९९.
The descendant of Raghu did not choose any wife other than Sītā; and at each sacrifice, for the sake of a wife, a golden image of Jānakī was made.
दशवर्षसहस्राणि वाजिमेघानथाकरोत् । वाजपेयान्दशगुणांस्तथा बहुसुवर्णकान् ।। ७.९९.
For ten thousand years he performed horse sacrifices, and also ten times as many Vājapeya sacrifices, as well as many with abundant gold.
अग्निष्टोमातिरात्राभ्यां गोसवैश्च महाधनैः । ईजे क्रतुभिरन्यैश्च स श्रीमानाप्तदक्षिणैः ।। ७.९९.
He worshipped with Agniṣṭoma and Atirātra sacrifices, with great wealth in cow-sacrifices, and with other rituals, all with ample gifts.
एवं स कालः सुमहान्राज्यस्थस्य महात्मनः । धर्मे प्रयतमानस्य व्यतीयाद्राघवस्य तु ।। ७.९९.
Thus, a very long time passed for the great-souled Rāghava, who was established in the kingdom and devoted to righteousness.
अनुरञ्जन्ति राजानमहन्यहनि राघवम् । ऋक्षवानररक्षांसि स्थिता रामस्य शासने ।। ७.९९.
Day after day, the bears, monkeys, and demons, remaining under Rāma’s rule, delighted the king Rāghava.
काले वर्षति पर्जन्यः सुभिक्षं विमला दिशः । हृष्टपुष्टजनाकीर्णं पुरं जनपदास्तथा ।। ७.९९.
In due season the clouds rained, the directions were clear, and the city and countryside were filled with joyful and prosperous people.
नाकाले म्रियते कश्चिन्न व्याधिः प्राणिनां तथा । नानर्थो विद्यते कश्चिद्रामे राज्यं प्रशासति ।। ७.९९.
No one died before their time, nor did any living being suffer disease; no misfortune was found while Rāma ruled the kingdom.
अथ दीर्घस्य कालस्य राममाता यशस्विनी । पुत्रपौत्रैः परिवृता कालधर्ममुपागमत् ।। ७.९९.
Then, after a long time, Rāma’s illustrious mother, surrounded by her sons and grandsons, reached the destined end.
अन्वियाय सुमित्रा च कैकेयी च यशस्विनी । धर्मं कृत्वा बहुविधं त्रिदिवे पर्यवस्थिता ।। ७.९९.
Sumitrā and the renowned Kaikeyī also followed, having performed many acts of righteousness, and attained the heavenly realm.
सर्वाः प्रमुदिताः स्वर्गे राज्ञा दशरथेन च । समागता महाभागाः सर्वधर्मं च लेभिरे ।। ७.९९.
All those noble women, together with King Daśaratha, rejoiced in heaven, having attained all virtue.
तासां रामो महादानं काले काले प्रयच्छति । मातऽणामविशेषेण ब्राह्मणेषु तपस्विषु ।। ७.९९.
Rāma gave great gifts to the ascetics and Brahmins, especially on behalf of his mothers, at the proper times.