Uttara Kanda — Sarga 79

तदद्भुततमं वाक्यं श्रुत्वागस्त्यस्य राघवः। गौरवाद्विस्मयाच्चैव भूयः प्रष्टुं प्रचक्रमे॥

Hearing the wondrous words of the great saint Kumbhayoni, Rāma, out of great curiosity and importance of the subject, again asked him, saying.

Uttara Kanda 79.1

भगवंस्तद्वनं घोरं तपस्तप्यति यत्र सः। श्वेतो वैदर्भको राजा कथं तदमृगद्विजम्॥

O Brahmana, why was that dense forest, in which the king Sveta of Vidarbha used to perform hard penances, divested of birds and animals?

Uttara Kanda 79.2

तद्वनं स कथ राजा शून्यं मनुजवर्जितम्। तपश्चर्तुं प्रविष्टः स श्रोतुमिच्छामि तत्त्वतः॥

And how did he proceed to that forest devoid of men and animals for undergoing penances? I wish to hear the truth.

Uttara Kanda 79.3

रामस्य वचनं श्रुत्वा कौतूहलसमन्वितम्। वाक्यं परमतेजस्वी वक्तुमेवोपचक्रमे॥

Hearing the words of Rāma stricken with curiosity, the highly effulgent saint Agastya said.

Uttara Kanda 79.4

पुरा कृतयुगे राम मनुर्दण्डधरः प्रभुः। तस्य पुत्रो महानासीदिक्ष्वाकुः कुलनन्दनः॥

O Rāma, formerly in the golden age, Manu was the king. His son was ikṣvāku.

Uttara Kanda 79.5

तं पुत्रं पूर्वकं राज्ये निक्षिप्य भुवि दुर्जयम्। पृथिव्यां राजवंशानां भव कर्तेत्युवाच तम्॥ तथैव च प्रतिज्ञातं पितुः पुत्रेण राघव। ततः परमसंतुष्टो मनुः पुत्रमुवाच ह।७।।

Ha. ing instaned the irrepressible Iksvāku, Manu said: 'By you the lord over creatures.' Saying so be it Ikşvāku accepted the command. There upon greatly delighted Manu said to his son.

Uttara Kanda 79.6

प्रीतोऽस्मि परमोदार कर्ता चासि न संशयः। दण्डेन च प्रजा रक्ष मा च दण्डमकारणे॥

I have been highly pleased with you. For sooth you shall become a very liberal price. You shall govern the subjects meting out proper punishment to them, but do not punish them without any fault.

Uttara Kanda 79.7

अपराधिषु यो दण्डः पात्यते मानवेषु वै। स दण्डो विधिवन्मुक्तः स्वर्ग नयति पार्थिवम्॥

If the punishment, which a king inflicts upon the guilty, be just it becomes the instrumental in taking the giver to heaven.

Uttara Kanda 79.8

तस्माद्दण्डे महाबाहो यत्नवान्भव पुत्रक। धर्मो हि परमो लोके कुर्वतस्ते भविष्यति॥

Therefore, O my son having large arms, be particularly studious as regards punishment for thereby you shall acquire great piety.

Uttara Kanda 79.9

इति तं बहु संदिश्य मनुः पुत्रं समाधिना। जगाम त्रिदिवं हृष्टो ब्रह्मलोकं सनातनम्॥

Having in this wise advised Ikşvāku Manu delightedly repaired to the region Brahmā.

Uttara Kanda 79.10

प्रयाते त्रिदिवे तस्मिन्निक्ष्वाकुरमितप्रभः। जनयिष्ये कथं पुत्रानिति चिन्तापरोऽभवत्॥

After Manu's departure towards the heaven, the effulgent Ikşavku thought of the means for creating progeny.

Uttara Kanda 79.11

कर्मभिर्बहुरूपैश्च तैस्तैर्मनुसुतस्तदा। जनयामास धर्मात्मा शतं देवसुतोपमान्॥ तेषामवरजस्तात सर्वेषां रघुनन्दन। मूढश्चाकृतविद्यश्च न शुश्रूषति पूर्वजान्॥

Thereupon performing many pious rites Manu's son engendered a hundred sons. O descendant of Raghu, the youngest of all those sons became stupid and ignorant and did not respect his elder brothers.

Uttara Kanda 79.12

नाम तस्य च दण्डेति पिता चक्रेऽल्पतेजसः। अवश्यं दण्डपतनं शरीरेऽस्य भविष्यति॥

And thinking that he should therefore be punished he named this son 'Danda.'

Uttara Kanda 79.13

अपश्यमानस्तं देशं घोरं पुत्रस्य राघव। विन्ध्यसैवलयोर्मध्ये राज्यं प्रादादरिंदम॥

Thereupon finding no other province worthy of Danda he allotted the region between Vihdhya and Saivala to him.

Uttara Kanda 79.14

स दण्डस्तत्र राजाभूद्रम्ये पर्वतरोधसि। पुरं चाप्रतिमं राम न्यवेशयदनुत्तमम्॥ पुरस्य चाकरोन्नाम मधुमन्तमिति प्रभो। पुरोहितं तूशनसं वरयामास सुव्रतम्॥

Danda became king of that picturesque valley. And having reared a fine city there he named it as Madhumanta and appointed śukrācārya of firm views as his priest.

Uttara Kanda 79.15

एवं स राजा तद्राज्यमकरोत्सपुरोहितः। प्रहृष्टमनुजाकीर्णं देवराजो यथा दिवि॥

Having thus established his kingdom, Danda, with his priest, began to lord over it filled with healthy and delighted people like to the lord of celestials in their region.

Uttara Kanda 79.16

ततः स राजा मनुजेन्द्रपुत्रः सार्धं च तेनोशनसा तदानीम्। चकार राज्यं सुमहान्महात्मा शक्रो दिवीवोशनसा समेतः॥

O Rāma, like to Mahendra governing his kingdom of heaven under the guidance of Brhaspati, the preceptor of celestials, Danda, the grandson of Manu, governed his own kingdom with the help of Uśanas.

Uttara Kanda 79.17