Yoga Vasistha

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.

कथाभिस् सुविचित्राभिस् स वसिष्ठादिभिस् सह । स्थित्वा दिनचतुर्भागं ज्ञानगर्भाभिर् आदृतः

He spent a quarter of the day with Vasiṣṭha and others, engaged in delightful and varied conversations, honored by those filled with wisdom.

जगाम पित्रनुज्ञातो महत्या सेनयावृतः । वराहमहिषाकीर्णं वनम् आखेटकेच्छया

With his father's permission, surrounded by a great army, he went to a forest teeming with boars and buffaloes, desiring to hunt.

तत आगत्य सदने कृत्वा स्नानादिकं क्रमात् । समित्रबान्धवो भुक्त्वा निनाय ससुहृन् निशाम्

Then, returning home, after performing bathing and other rituals in order, he dined with friends and relatives, and spent the night with his companions.

एवम्प्रायदिनाचारो भ्रातृभ्यां सह राघवः । आगत्य तीर्थयात्रायास् समुवास पितुर् गृहे

In this manner, Rāghava, together with his brothers, followed this daily routine, and after returning from pilgrimage, stayed in his father's house.

नृपतिसंव्यवहारमनोज्ञया सुजनचेतसि चन्द्रिकया तथा । परिनिनाय दिनानि स चेष्टया श्रुतसुधारसपेशलयानघः

He, faultless one, spent his days with such conduct, pleasing the hearts of good people like moonlight, through his noble actions and the nectar of his learned speech.

अथोनषोडशे वर्षे वर्तमाने रघूद्वहे । रामानुयायिनि तथा शत्रुघ्ने लक्ष्मणे ऽपि च

Then, when the scion of Raghu reached his sixteenth year, with Rāma, Śatrughna, and likewise Lakṣmaṇa following him,

भरते संस्थिते नित्यं मातामहगृहे सुखम् । पालयत्य् अवनिं राज्ञि यथावद् अखिलाम् इमाम्

Bharata, always residing happily in his maternal grandfather's house, while the king properly ruled this entire earth,

जन्यत्रार्थं च पुत्राणां प्रत्यहं सह मन्त्रिभिः । कृतमन्त्रे महाप्रज्ञे तज्ज्ञे दशरथे नृपे

For the sake of his sons and the people, the wise king Daśaratha, expert in counsel, daily consulted with his ministers on all matters.

कृतायां तीर्थयात्रायां रामो निजगृहस्थितः । जगामानुदिनं कार्श्यं शरदीवामलं सरः

When the pilgrimage was completed, Rāma remained at his own home, and day by day he grew thin, like a clear lake in autumn.

क्रमाद् अस्य विशालाक्षं पाण्डुतां मुखम् आदधे । पाकफुल्लदलं शुक्लं सालिमालम् इवाम्बुजम्

Gradually, his broad-eyed face took on a pallor, like a white lotus leaf, pale and fully opened by ripening.