Uttara Kanda — Sarga 57

तां श्रुत्वा दिव्यसंकाशां कथामद्भुतदर्शनाम्। लक्ष्मणः परमप्रीतो राघवं वाक्यमब्रवीत्॥

Hearing this wonderful and heavenly theme Lakşmaņa was highly gratified and said to Rāma.

Uttara Kanda 57.1

निक्षिप्तदेहौ काकुत्स्थ कथं तौ द्विजपार्थिवौ। पुनर्देहेन संयोग जग्मतुर्देवसंमतौ॥

O Kakuthstha, how did that twice-born one worshipped by the celestials and the king regain their bodies, after being bodiless.

Uttara Kanda 57.2

तस्य तद्भाषितं श्रुत्वा रामः सत्यपराक्रमः। तां कथां कथयामास वसिष्ठस्य महात्मनः॥

Hearing the words of Laksmana, Rama, having truth for his prowess, began to relate the story of Vasiştha.

Uttara Kanda 57.3

यः स कुम्भो रघुश्रेष्ठ तेजःपूर्णो महात्मनोः। तस्मिंस्तेजोमयौ विप्रौ संभूतावृषिसत्तमौ॥

O foremost of Raghus, there sprang up two foremost Brahmin saints from the vital energy discharged by the high-souled Mitra and Varuņa into the pot.

Uttara Kanda 57.4

पूर्व समभवत्तत्र अगस्त्यो भगवानृषिः। नाहं सुतस्तवेत्युक्त्वा मित्रं तस्मादपाक्रमत्॥

At first therefrom rose up the illustrious Rși Agastya and saying 'I am not your son' Varuņa was thrown into the pot Mitra.

Uttara Kanda 57.5

तद्धि तेजस्तु मित्रस्य उर्वश्याः पूर्वमाहितम्। तस्मिन्समभवत्कुम्भे तत्तेजो यत्र वारुणम्॥

Before the vital energy of Varuna was thrown into the pot Mitra discharged his own on Urvasi's account which was the source of Agastya's birth. (Into the pot in which Mitra's energy was discharged Varuņa also put his own and both the energies were mixed up).

Uttara Kanda 57.6

कस्यचित्त्वथ कालस्य मित्रावरुणसंभवः। वसिष्ठस्तेजसा युक्तो जज्ञे इक्ष्वाकुदैवतम्॥

There upon after some time from the energies of both Mitra and Varuņa sprang up the effulgent Vasistha-the priest of Iksvākus.

Uttara Kanda 57.7

तमिक्ष्वाकुर्महातेजा जातमात्रमनिन्दितम्। ववे पुरोधसं सौम्य वंशस्यास्य हिताय नः।।।।।

O gentle one, the highly effulgent Iksavāku appointed that blameless Rși as the priest of our family as soon as he was born.

Uttara Kanda 57.8

एवं त्वपूर्वदेहस्य वसिष्ठस्य महात्मनः। कथितो निर्गमः सौम्य निमेः शृणु यथाभवत्॥

I have thus described to you the story of Vasistha's birth possessing a wonderful body. Hear now what befell the king Nimi.

Uttara Kanda 57.9

दृष्ट्वा विदेहं राजानमृषयः सर्व एव ते। तं च ते याजयामसुर्यज्ञदीक्षां मनीषिणः॥

And beholding the king Nimi bodiless the intelligent Rșis initiated him into the rites of sacrifice.

Uttara Kanda 57.10

तं च देहं नरेन्द्रस्य रक्षन्ति स्म द्विजोत्तमाः। गन्धैर्माल्यैश्च वस्त्रैश्च पौरभृत्यसमन्विताः॥

And those leading twice-born ones, with assembled citizens and servants, began to protect that body with unguents, garlands and clothes.

Uttara Kanda 57.11

ततो यज्ञे समाप्ते तु भृगुस्तत्रेदमब्रवीत्। आनयिष्यामि ते चेतस्तुष्टोऽस्मि तव पार्थिव ॥

There upon at the end of the sacrifice Bhrgu said O king, I am propitiated with you; I shall restore you to senses.

Uttara Kanda 57.12

सुप्रीताश्च सुराः सर्वे निमेश्चेतस्तदाब्रुवन्। वरं वरय राजर्षे क्व ते चेतो निरूप्यताम्॥

There upon the celestials, highly pleased, addressed the consciousness of Nimi saying O royal saint, do you accept boons; where shall we place your consciousness?

Uttara Kanda 57.13

एवमुक्तः सुरैः सर्वैर्निमेश्चेतस्तदाब्रवीत्। नेत्रेषु सर्वभूतानां वसेयं सुरसत्तमाः॥

There upon being addressed by the celestials the consciousness said I may live in the eyes of the celestials.

Uttara Kanda 57.14

बाढमित्येव विबुधा निमेश्चेतस्तदाब्रुवन्। नेत्रेषु सर्वभूतानां वायुभूतश्चरिष्यसि॥

They agreed to it and said ( lord of earth, for you, their eyes shall be influenced within a moment.

Uttara Kanda 57.15

त्वत्कृते च निमिष्यन्ति चढूंषि पृथिवीपते। वायुभूतेन चरता विश्रामार्थं मुहुर्मुहुः॥

The exhaustion, that their their eyes shall experience on account of your moving about as the air, shall be removed within this moment.

Uttara Kanda 57.16

एवमुक्त्वा तु विबुधाः सर्वे जग्मुर्यथागतम्। ऋषयोऽपि महात्मानो निमेहं समाहरन्॥ अरणिं तत्र निक्षिप्य मथनं चक्रुरोजसा। मन्त्रहोमैर्महात्मानः पुत्रहेतोनिमेस्तदा ॥

Having said this the celestials repaired to their respective quarters and the high-souled Rșis having conveyed Nimi's body to the sacrificial ground and dedicated it as an edy began to churn it with great energy accompanied by incantations.

Uttara Kanda 57.17

अरण्यां मध्यमानायं प्रादुर्भूतो महातपाः। मथनान्मिथिरित्याहुर्जननाज्जनकोऽभवत्॥ यस्माद्विदेहात्संभूतो वैदेहस्तु ततः स्मृतः। एवं विदेहराजश्च जनकः पूर्वकोऽभवत्। मिथिर्नाम महातेजास्तेनायं मैथिलोऽभवत्॥

They being thus engaged in churning the edy for the purpose of having a son of Nimi there sprang up a son of devout austerities. He was called Mithi for he originated from Manthana; he was called Janaka for his having sprung up from Janana and Vaideha from having been born from Videha. In this wise Janaka, the first king of Videhas, was born. His other name was Mithi and his family were celebrated as Maithilas.

Uttara Kanda 57.18

इति सर्वमशेषतो मया कथितं संभवकारणं तु सौम्य नृपपुङ्गव शाफ्जं द्विजस्य द्विजशापाच्च यदद्भुतं नृपस्य।

O gentle one, I have thus related to you the wondrous births, in consequence of the curse, of the great ascetic Vasistha and the royal saint Nimi.

Uttara Kanda 57.19