तीर्थमुन्याश्रमश्रेणीं द्रष्टुम् उत्कण्ठितं मनः । रामस्याभूद् भृशं तत्र कदाचिद् गुणशालिनः
At that time, Rama, endowed with virtues, developed a strong longing in his mind to see the holy places and the rows of sages’ hermitages.
राघवश् चिन्तयित्वैवम् उपेत्य चरणौ पितुः । हंसः पद्माव् इव नवौ जग्राह नखकेसरौ
Having reflected thus, Raghava approached and took hold of his father’s feet, as a swan would grasp the fresh filaments of a lotus.
तीर्थानि देवसद्मानि वनान्य् आयतनानि च । द्रष्टुम् उत्कण्ठितं तात ममेदं हि भृशं मनः
Father, my mind is greatly eager to see the holy places, the abodes of the gods, the forests, and the sacred shrines.
तद् एताम् अर्थनां पूर्वां सफलीकर्तुम् अर्हसि । न सो ऽस्ति भुवने तात त्वया यो ऽर्थी विमानितः
Therefore, you ought to fulfill this previous request of mine; father, there is no one in the world who, having asked you, has been disappointed.
इति सम्प्रार्थितो राजा वसिष्ठेन समं तदा । विचार्यामुञ्चद् एवैनं रामं प्रथमम् अर्थिनम्
Thus entreated, the king, after consulting with Vasistha, considered and then granted permission to Rama, who was the first to make the request.
शुभे नक्षत्रदिवसे भ्रातृभ्यां सह राघवः । मङ्गलालङ्कृतवपुः कृतस्वस्त्ययनो द्विजैः
On an auspicious day under a favorable star, Raghava, adorned with auspicious ornaments, having received blessings from the brahmins, set out together with his two brothers.
वसिष्ठप्रहितैर् विप्रैश् शास्त्रतज्ज्ञैस् समन्वितः । स्निग्धैः कतिपयैर् एव राजपुत्रवरैस् सह
Accompanied by learned Brahmins sent by Vasiṣṭha, well-versed in the scriptures, and by a few affectionate, distinguished princes,
अम्बाभिर् विहिताशीर्भिर् आलिङ्ग्यालिङ्ग्य भूषितः । निरगात् स गृहात् तस्मात् तीर्थयात्रार्थम् उद्यतः
Blessed by his mothers, adorned with their embraces and good wishes, he departed from that house, intent on undertaking a pilgrimage.
निर्गतस् स्वपुरात् पौरैस् तूर्यघोषेण वर्धितः । पीयमानः पुरन्ध्रीणां नेत्रैर् भृङ्गौघभङ्गुरैः
Leaving his city, with its citizens raising the sound of musical instruments, he was gazed upon by the women of the city, their eyes like swarms of bees.
ग्रामीणललनालोकहस्तपद्मापवर्जितैः । लाजवर्षैर् विकीर्णात्मा हिमैर् इव हिमाचलः
His path was showered with rice grains by village women, their lotus-like hands extended, his being scattered like a snowy mountain with snowflakes.
आवर्जयन् विप्रगणान् परिशृण्वन् प्रजाशिषः । आलोकयन् दिगन्तांश् च परिचक्राम जङ्गले
He drew the Brahmin groups near, listened to the blessings of the people, gazed at the horizons, and wandered through the wilderness.
अथारभ्य स्वकात् तस्मात् क्रमात् कोसलमण्डलात् । स्नानदानतपोध्यानपूर्वकं स ददर्श ह
Then, proceeding gradually from his own Kosala region, he observed, after bathing, giving, austerity, and study,
नदीस् तीर्थानि पुण्यानि वनान्य् आयतनानि च । जङ्गलानि वनान्तेषु तटान्य् अब्धिमहीभृताम्
Rivers, sacred places, holy forests, shrines, wild lands at the forest's edge, and the banks of oceans and mountains.
मन्दाकिनीम् इन्दुनिभां कालिन्दीं चोत्पलामलाम् । सरस्वतीं शतद्रुं च चन्द्रभागाम् इरावतीम्
He saw the Mandākinī, shining like the moon, the Kālindī, pure as a lotus, the Sarasvatī, the Śatadru, the Candrabhāgā, and the Irāvatī.
वेणां च कृष्णवेणां च निर्विन्ध्यां सरयूं तथा । चर्मण्वतीं वितस्तां च विपाशां बाहुदाम् अपि
He visited the Veṇā, the Kṛṣṇaveṇā, the Nirvindhyā, the Sarayū, the Carmaṇvatī, the Vitastā, the Vipāśā, and also the Bāhudā rivers.
प्रयागं नैमिषं चैव धर्मारण्यं गयां तथा । वाराणसीं श्रीगिरिं च केदारं पुष्करं तथा
He went to Prayāga, Naimiṣa, Dharmāraṇya, Gayā, Vārāṇasī, Śrīgiri, Kedāra, and Puṣkara.
मानसं च क्रमसरस् तथैवोत्तरमानसम् । वडवां मडवां चैव तीर्थवृन्दं ससोदरम्
He visited Mānasā, Kramasaras, Uttaramānasā, Vaḍavā, Maḍavā, and the multitude of sacred places with their hollows.
अग्नितीर्थं महातीर्थम् इन्द्रद्युम्नसरस् तथा । सरांसि सरसीश् चैव तथा वापीह्रदावलीम्
He went to the Agni tīrtha, the great tīrtha, the Indradyumna lake, and also to lakes, ponds, and reservoirs.
स्वामिनं कार्त्तिकेयं च सालिग्रामहरिं तथा । स्थानानि च चतुष्षष्टिं हरस्य गिरिजापतेः
He visited the shrine of Svāmin, Kārttikeya, the Hari at Sāligrāma, and the sixty-four abodes of Hara, the lord of Girijā.
नानाश्चर्यविचित्राणि चतुरब्धितटानि च । विन्ध्यकन्दरकुञ्जांश् च कुलशैलस्थलानि च
He saw various wondrous and marvelous places, the banks of the four oceans, the caves and groves of the Vindhya mountains, and the grounds of the ancestral hills.
राजर्षीणां च महतां ब्रह्मर्षीणां तथैव च । देवानां ब्राह्मणानां च पावनान् आश्रमाञ् शुभान्
He visited the pure and auspicious hermitages of great royal sages, Brahmarṣis, gods, and Brāhmaṇas.
भूयो भूयस् स बभ्राम भ्रातृभ्यां सह मानदः । चतुर्ष्व् अपि दिगन्तेषु सर्वान् एव महीतटान्
Again and again, the honored one wandered with his brothers to all the borders of the earth in all four directions.
अमरकिन्नरमानवमानितस् समवलोक्य महीम् अखिलाम् इमाम् । उपययौ स्वगृहं रघुनन्दनो विहृतदिक् शिवलोकम् इवेश्वरः
Having beheld the entire earth, honored by immortals, kinnaras, and men, the delight of the Raghu line returned to his own home, as the Lord of beings returns to the realm of Shiva after wandering the directions.
लाजपुष्पाञ्जलिव्रातैर् विकीर्णः पौरवासिभिः । स विवेश गृहं श्रीमाञ् जयन्तो विष्टपं यथा
Showered with handfuls of roasted rice and flowers by the city dwellers, the illustrious Jayanta entered his house, as if entering heaven.
प्रणनामाथ पितरं वसिष्ठं मातृबान्धवान् । ब्राह्मणान् गुरुवृद्धांश् च राघवः प्रथमागतः
Then Raghava, who had arrived first, bowed to his father, Vasistha, his mother, relatives, the Brahmins, and the elders and teachers.
सुहृद्भिर् मातृभिश् चैव पित्रा द्विजगणेन च । मुहुरालिङ्गनाचारै राघवो न ममौ तदा
Embraced again and again by his friends, mothers, father, and groups of Brahmins, Raghava did not tire at that time of their affectionate greetings.
तस्मिन् दृढैर् दाशरथौ प्रियप्रकथनैर् मिथः । जुघूर्णुर् मधुरैर् आशा मृदुवंशस्वनैर् इव
There, the two sons of Dasharatha, with firm and loving words to each other, delighted the quarters with their sweet voices, like gentle notes of a melodious flute.
बहून्य् आस दिनान्य् अत्र रामागमनम् उत्सवः । महानन्दे जनान् मुञ्चन् केलिकोलाहलाकुलः
For many days, the festival of Rama's return continued there, filling the people with great joy, overflowing with the clamor of playful celebration.
उवास स सुखं गेहे ततः प्रभृति राघवः । वर्णयन् विविधाचारान् देशाचारान् इतस् ततः
From then on, Raghava dwelled happily at home, recounting various customs and practices of different lands here and there.
प्रातर् उत्थाय रामो ऽसौ कृत्वा सन्ध्यां यथाविधि । सभासंस्थं ददर्शेन्द्रसमं स्वपितरं तदा
Rama, rising early in the morning and performing the Sandhya ritual as prescribed, then saw his father seated in the assembly, equal to Indra.