Uttara Kanda — Sarga 65

प्रस्थाप्य च बलं सर्वं मासमात्रोषितः पथि। एक एवाशु शत्रुघ्नो जगाम त्वरितं तदा॥

Having thus despatched his army and waited at Ayodhya for a month Śatrughna, the slayer of enemies, proceeded alone.

Uttara Kanda 65.1

द्विरात्रमन्तरे शूर उष्य राघवनन्दनः। वाल्मीकेराश्रमं पुण्यमगच्छद्वासमुत्तमम्॥

Having spent two nights on his way he arrived at the holy and picturesque hermitage of the great ascetic Vālmīki.

Uttara Kanda 65.2

सोऽभिवाद्य महात्मानं वाल्मीकिं मुनिसत्तमम्। कृताञ्जलिरथो भूत्वा वाक्यमेतदुवाच ह॥

And having bowed to that high-souled Muni Vālmīki, he with folded palms, said thus.

Uttara Kanda 65.3

भगवन्वस्तुमिच्छामि गुरोः कृत्यादिहागतः। श्वः प्रभाते गमिष्यामि प्रतीची दारुणां दिशम्॥

"O illustrious Sir, I wish to wait here this day; I have come here for some business of our master Rāma. To-morrow morning I shall proceed to the dreadful West.”

Uttara Kanda 65.4

शत्रुघ्नस्य वचः श्रुत्वा प्रहस्य मुनिपुङ्गवः। प्रत्युवाच महात्मानं स्वागतं ते महायशः॥ स्वमाश्रममिदं सौम्य राघवाणां कुलस्य वै। आसनं पाद्यमयं च निर्विशङ्कः प्रतीच्छ मे॥

Hearing the words of the high-souled Śatrughna, Vālmīki, the foremost of ascetics, replied saying: “O you of great renown, do you wait here without any hesitation. O gentle one, this hermitage belongs to the descendants of the Raghu face. Do you fearlessly take your seat and water to wash your feet.”

Uttara Kanda 65.5

प्रतिगृह्य तदा पूजां फलमूलं च भोजनम्। भक्षयामास काकुत्स्थस्तृप्तिं च परमां गतः॥

Thereupon taking water to wash his feet and feeding upon fruits and roots Satrughna attained to great delight.

Uttara Kanda 65.6

स भुक्त्वा फलमूलं च महर्षि तमुवाच ह। पूर्वा यज्ञविभूतीयं कस्याश्रमसमीपतः।।।।।

After eating the fruits and roots he asked the great ascetic Vālmīki saying: “O great ascetic, to whom belong the articles of sacrifice in the east near this hermitage?”

Uttara Kanda 65.7

तत्तस्य भाषितं श्रुत्वा वाल्मीकिर्वाक्यमब्रवीत्। शत्रुघ्न शृणु यस्येदं बभूवायतनं पुरा ॥

Whereto Vālmīki replied “Satrughna, hear I shall tell you, whose sacrificial ground was this in the days of yore.

Uttara Kanda 65.8

युष्माकं पूर्वको राजा सौदासस्तस्य भूपतेः। पुत्रो वीर्यसहो नाम वीर्यवानतिधार्मिकः॥

There was a king by the name of Saudāsa, one of your ancestors. His son Vīryasaha was a highly powerful and pious king.

Uttara Kanda 65.9

स बाल एव सौदासो मृगयामुपचक्रमे। चञ्चूर्यमाणं ददृशे स शूरो राक्षसद्वयम्॥ शार्दूलरूपिणौ घोरौ मृगान्बहुसहस्रशः। भक्षमाणावसंतुष्टौ पर्याप्ति नैव जग्मतुः॥

The heroic Saudāsa was fond of hunting from his boyhood. Once on a time while a hunting, he espied two Rākṣasas in the forest. He had heard about them many times before: they were in the shape of tigers and of a dreadful figure and were not satisfied with devouring many thousand deer.

Uttara Kanda 65.10

स तु तौ राक्षसौ दृष्ट्वा निर्मूगं च वनं कृतम्। क्रोधेन महताविष्टो जधानैकं महेषुणा॥

King Saudāsa saw those two Rākşasas and found the forest divested of all creatures. And enraged in consequence thereof he slew one of them.

Uttara Kanda 65.11

विनिपात्य तमेकं तु सौदासः : पुरुषर्षभः। विज्वरो विगतामर्षो हतं रक्षो छुदैक्षत ॥ निरीक्षमाणं तं दृष्ट्वा सहायं तस्य रक्षसः। संतापमकरोद्धोरं सौदासं चेदमब्रवीत्॥ यस्मादनपराधं तं सहायं मम जनिवान्। तस्मात्तवापि पापिष्ठ प्रदास्यामि प्रतिक्रियाम्॥

Having slain him and here at ease, Saudasa, the foremost of men, began to eye that Rākşasas. His mate, greatly aggrieved, said to him. “O vicious one, you have, without any fault, siain my companion, I shall therefore mete out becoming punishment to you."

Uttara Kanda 65.12

एवमुक्त्वा तु तद्रक्षस्तत्रैवान्तरधीयत। कालपर्याययोगेन राजा मित्रसहोऽभवत्॥

Having said this the Rākşasa vanished therefrom. Thereupon in time the prince Mitrasaha became king.

Uttara Kanda 65.13

राजापि यजते यज्ञमस्याश्रमसमीपतः। अश्वमेधं महायज्ञं तं वसिष्ठोऽप्यपालयत्॥

Saudása engaged in celebrating a mighty horse-sacrifice in the vicinity of this hermitage. Vasiștha officiated as a priest at that sacrifice.

Uttara Kanda 65.14

तत्र यज्ञो महानासीद्बहुवर्षगणायुतः। समृद्धः परया लक्ष्म्या देवयज्ञसमोऽभवत्॥

It continued for many Ayuta years. For immense riches the sacrifice appeared like one performed by the celestials.

Uttara Kanda 65.15

अथावसाने यज्ञस्य पूर्ववैरमनुस्मरन्। वसिष्ठरूपी राजानमिति होवाच राक्षसः॥

Thereupon when the sacrifice was about to be finished the aforesaid Rākşasa, remembering his former enmity, assumed the shape of Vasiştha and said to the king Saudāsa.

Uttara Kanda 65.16

अद्य यज्ञावसानान्ते सामिष भोजनं मम। दीयतामिति शीघ्रं वै नात्र कार्या विचारणा॥

O king, today the sacrifice shall end; do therefore, without any delay, feed me with meat.

Uttara Kanda 65.17

तच्छ्रुत्वा व्याहृतं वाक्यं रक्षसा ब्रह्मरूपिणा। सूदान्संस्कारकुशलानुवाच पृथिवीपतिः॥

Hearing the words of the Rākşasa in the guise of a Brāhmaṇa, the king ordered his expert cooks, saying.

Uttara Kanda 65.18

हविष्यं सामिषं स्वादु यथा भवति भोजनम्। तथा कुरुत शीघ्रं वै परितुष्येद्यथा गुरुः॥

"Do you soon prepare such dishes of meat as may satisfy my preceptor Vasiştha."

Uttara Kanda 65.19

शासनात्पार्थिवेन्द्रस्य सूदः संभ्रान्तमानसः। तच्च रक्षः पुनस्तत्र सूदवेषमथाकरोत्॥ स मानुषमयो मांसं पार्थिवाय न्यवेदयत्। इदं स्वादु हविष्यं च सामिषं चानमाहृतम्॥ स भोजनं वसिष्ठाय पत्न्या सार्धमुपाहरत्। मदयन्त्या नरश्रेष्ठ सामिषं रक्षसा हृतम्॥ ज्ञात्वा तदामिषं विप्रो मानुषं भोजनागतम्। क्रोधेन महताविष्टो व्याहर्तुमुपचक्रमे॥

Having been ordered by the king the cooks reverentially went away and the Rākşasas assuming their shape brought before the king dishes. The king and queen Madayantſ offered those dishes to the ascetic Vasistha, who, after being treated to them, perceived that there was human flesh, terribly enraged and said.

Uttara Kanda 65.20

यस्मात्त्वं भोजनं राजन्ममैतद्दातुमिच्छसि। तस्माद्भोजनमेतत्ते भविष्यति न संशयः॥

"O king, let this be your food which you have offered me; this shall not prove otherwise."

Uttara Kanda 65.21

ततः क्रुद्धस्तु सौदासस्तोयं जग्राह पाणिना। वसिष्ठं शप्तुमारेभे भार्या चैनमवारयत्॥ राजन्प्रभुर्यतोऽस्माकं वसिष्ठो भगवानृपिः। प्रतिशप्तुं न शक्तस्त्वं देवतुल्यं पुरोधसम्॥

Being enraged on hearing it the king Saudāsa took water in his palms and was about to imprecate Vasiștha, when his queen, preventing him said. “O king, the illustrious great ascetic Vasiştha is our preceptor and priest and so you should not imprecate him."

Uttara Kanda 65.22

ततः क्रोधमयं तोयं तेजोबलसमन्वितम्। व्यसर्जयत धर्मात्मा ततः पादौ सिषेच च॥ तेनास्य राज्ञस्तौ पादौ तदा कल्माषतां गतौ। तदाप्रभृति राजासौ सौदासः सुमहायशाः॥ कल्माषपादः संवृत्तः ख्यातश्चैव तथा नृपः।

Hearing those words of his queen, the king Saudāsa, threw off that powerful water on his own feet which at once became dark. From that time the illustrious king Saudása became also known by the name of Kalmāşapāda.

Uttara Kanda 65.23

स राजा सह पत्न्या वै प्रणिपत्य मुहुर्मुहुः। पुनर्वसिष्ठं प्रोवाच यदुक्तं ब्रह्मरूपिणा॥

Thereupon the king with his spouse again and again bowed to Vasistha's feet and informed him of what the Rākşasa had done under the guise of a Brāhmana.

Uttara Kanda 65.24

तच्छ्रुत्वा पार्थिवेन्द्रस्य रक्षसा विकृतं च तत्। पुनः प्रोवाच राजानं वसिष्ठः पुरुषर्षभम्॥ मया रोषपरीतेन यदिदं व्याहृतं वचः। नैतच्छक्यं वृथा कर्तुं प्रदास्यामि च ते वरम्॥ कालो द्वादश वर्षाणि शापस्यान्तो भविष्यति। मत्प्रासादाच्च राजेन्द्र अतीतं न स्मरिष्यसि॥

Hearing the words of the king and being apprised that this wife vile act had been done by the Rākşasa, Vasiștha said, “O king, even what I have said angrily shall not prove futile. However I confer upon you this boon that after twelve years you shall be freed from this curse, and by my favour you shall cherish no recollection of your condition extending ever those twelve years."

Uttara Kanda 65.25

एवं स राजा तं शापमुपभुज्यारिसूदनः। प्रतिलेभे पुना राज्यं प्रजाश्चैवान्वपालयत्॥

Having thus suffered the consequences of the curse, Saudasa, the slayer of enemies, again obtained his kingdom an governed his subjects.

Uttara Kanda 65.26

तस्य कल्माषपादस्य यज्ञस्यायतनं शुभम्। आश्रमस्य समीपेऽस्मिन्यन्मां पृच्छसि राघव॥

O descendant of Raghu, the sacrificial ground of which you have asked me, belongs to the king Saudasa.

Uttara Kanda 65.27

तस्य तां पार्थिवेन्द्रस्य कथां श्रुत्वा सुदारुणाम्। विवेश पर्णशालायां महर्षिमभिवाद्य च॥

Having thus heard the dreadful; story of the king Saudāsa and saluted the ascetic Vālmīki, Śatrughna entered a thatched cottage.

Uttara Kanda 65.28