---
title: "Uttara Kanda, Sarga 77"
canonical: "https://ramayana.com/valmiki-ramayana/uttara-kanda/sarga-77"
lang: "en"
---

# Uttara Kanda, Sarga 77

> नारदस्य तु तद् वाक्यं श्रुत्वामृतमयं यथा।  
> प्रहर्षमतुलं लेभे लक्ष्मणं चेदमब्रवीत्॥ १॥

Hearing those nectar-like words of Nārada, Śrī Rāma was highly pleased and spoke thus to Lakṣmaṇa: (1)

> गच्छ सौम्य द्विजश्रेष्ठं समाश्वासय सुव्रत।  
> बालस्य च शरीरं तत् तैलद्रोण्यां निधापय॥ २॥

‘O gracious one, go and console the best among Brāhmaṇas, and place the body of the dead child in an oil tub. (2)

> गन्धैश्च परमोदारैस्तैलैश्च सुसुगन्धिभिः।  
> यथा न क्षीयते बालस्तथा सौम्य विधीयताम्॥ ३॥

‘O gracious one, provide it (the tub) with lasting and fragrant oils, so that the body of the child may not decompose. (3)

> यथा शरीरो बालस्य गुप्तः सन् क्लिष्टकर्मणः।  
> विपत्तिः परिभेदो वा न भवेच्च तथा कुरु॥ ४॥

‘Make arrangements to preserve the body of the child, the innocent one, so that it may not get decomposed and the limbs are not disjointed.’ (4)

> एवं संदिश्य काकुत्स्थो लक्ष्मणं शुभलक्षणम्।  
> मनसा पुष्पकं दध्यावागच्छेति महायशाः॥ ५॥

Having thus told the auspicious Lakṣmaṇa, the scion of the Kakutsthas, Śrī Rāma summoned mentally Puṣpaka: ‘Come O famous one.’ (5)

> इङ्गितं स तु विज्ञाय पुष्पको हेमभूषितः।  
> आजगाम मुहूर्तेन समीपे राघवस्य वै॥ ६॥

Puṣpaka, adorned with gold, taking the hint came at once near the descendant of Raghu, Śrī Rāma. (6)

> सोऽब्रवीत् प्रणतो भूत्वा अयमस्मि नराधिप।  
> वश्यस्तव महाबाहो किंकरः समुपस्थितः॥ ७॥

The Puṣpaka spoke bending down, to Śrī Rāma: ‘O King of long arms, here I am, your servant, at your command.’ (7)

> भाषितं रुचिरं श्रुत्वा पुष्पकस्य नराधिपः।  
> अभिवाद्य महर्षीन् स विमानं सोऽध्यरोहत॥ ८॥

Hearing these appealing words of the Puṣpaka, the king, Śrī Rāma, having saluted the great sages, ascended the plane. (8)

> धनुर्गृहीत्वा तूणी च खड्गं च रुचिरप्रभम्।  
> निक्षिप्य नगरे चैतौ सौमित्रिभरतावुभौ॥ ९॥  
> प्रायात् प्रतीचीं हरितं विचिन्वंश्च ततस्ततः।  
> उत्तरामगमच्छ्रीमान् दिशं हिमवतावृताम्॥ १०॥

Taking His bow and quiver and a dazzling sword, and leaving both Lakṣmaṇa and Bharata in the city, He went looking here and there to the western direction full of greenery and then proceeded to the northern direction covered by the snow-clad mountain, Himālaya. (9-10)

> अपश्यमानस्तत्रापि स्वल्पमप्यथ दुष्कृतम्।  
> पूर्वामपि दिशं सर्वामथापश्यन्नराधिपः॥ ११॥

Seeing not the slightest unrighteous thing done there, then He, Śrī Rāma, scanned also the whole eastern region. (11)

> प्रविशुद्धसमाचारामादर्शतलनिर्मलाम्।  
> पुष्पकस्थो महाबाहुस्तदापश्यन्नराधिपः॥ १२॥  
> दक्षिणां दिशमाक्रामत् ततो राजर्षिनन्दनः।  
> शैवलस्योत्तरे पार्श्वे ददर्श सुमहत्सरः॥ १३॥

The King, Śrī Rāma, then seated on the Puṣpaka, saw the southern quarter, where conduct was the purest, and which was as clear as the base of mirror, He saw on the northern side of the Śaivala mountain a great lake. (12-13)

> तस्मिन् सरसि तप्यन्तं तापसं सुमहत्तपः।  
> ददर्श राघवः श्रीमाँल्लम्बमानमधोमुखम्॥ १४॥

In that lake the descendant of Raghu, the noble one, saw an ascetic performing great penances, while suspended with head turned downward. (14)

> राघवस्तमुपागम्य तप्यन्तं तप उत्तमम्।  
> उवाच च नृपो वाक्यं धन्यस्त्वमसि सुव्रत॥ १५॥

The son of Raghu, the kind one, Śrī Rāma, having approached that ascetic, performing great penances, said to him: ‘O performer of vows, you are great. (15)

> कस्यां योन्यां तपोवृद्ध वर्तसे दृढविक्रम।  
> कौतूहलात् त्वां पृच्छामि रामो दाशरथिर्ह्यहम्॥ १६॥

‘O powerful one, aged through penances, to which caste do you belong, I ask you out of curiosity. I am Rāma, son of King Daśaratha. (16)

> कोऽर्थो मनीषितस्तुभ्यं स्वर्गलाभोऽपरोऽथवा।  
> वराश्रयो यदर्थं त्वं तपस्यन्यैः सुदुश्चरम्॥ १७॥

‘What object is desired by you to be obtained as boon, is it the attainment of the heaven or some other object, for which you perform penances, difficult to be performed by others? (17)

> यमाश्रित्य तपस्तप्तं श्रोतुमिच्छामि तापस।  
> ब्राह्मणो वासि भद्रं ते क्षत्रियो वासि दुर्जयः।  
> वैश्यस्तृतीयो वर्णो वा शूद्रो वा सत्यवाग् भव॥ १८॥

‘For which object have you practised penances, that I want to hear, O ascetic? Are you a Brāhmaṇa? O good man, may welfare be with you, are you a Kṣatriya difficult to overcome, or belonging to the third caste, a Vaiśya, or a Śūdra? Please speak out the truth.’ (18)

> इत्येवमुक्तः स नराधिपेन  
> अवाक्शिरा दाशरथाय तस्मै।  
> उवाच जातिं नृपपुङ्गवाय  
> यत्कारणं चैव तपःप्रयत्नः॥ १९॥

Thus enquired by the King, the son of Daśaratha, King of Kings, that ascetic spoke of his own caste and reason for practising the penances.’ (19)

Book: https://ramayana.com/valmiki-ramayana

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