Uttara Kanda, Sarga 79

Meaning

“O Śrī Rāma! In the former Tretāyuga there was a forest, extending to hundred Yojanas, where there were neither animals nor birds. (1)

Meaning

“In that forest, uninhabited by men, I practised askesis, which was the best of penances, O gracious one ! I set my foot to know all about the forest. (2)

Meaning

“I could not indeed specify the beauty of that forest with its tasty fruits and roots and groves of various types. (3)

Meaning

“In the midst of the forest was a lake, one Yojana wide; filled with swans and ducks and beautified with Cakrawāka birds. (4)

Meaning

“The lake was full of lotuses and water-lilies with no trace of moss, it was a great wonder, enjoyable and excelled by none, it was clear like crystal and calm and inhabited by innumerable lovely birds. Near that lake there was a strong, brilliant, wonderful hermitage, old and extremely holy; but not inhabited by the ascetics: There O bull among men ! I dwelt one summer night. (5—7)

Meaning

“Rising in the early morning for day-break-duties I reached the lake and then saw there a corpse (dead body) plump and spotless shining in the water. (8)

Meaning

Pondering over it lying with all its beauty inside the lake, I, for a moment, O descendant of Raghu, stood apart and thought: O lord, what could this be. Then all at once I saw a divine and wonderful spacious chariot yoked by swans and having the speed of mind; O scion of Raghus! I saw a denizen of the heaven on that chariot, thousands of divinely ornamented nymphs served him, some were singing, others were melodiously playing on the Mṛdaṅga (drum), lute and Paṇava (symbol), and others were dancing; Some other with lotus-like eyes fanned his face with expensive chowries with gold-handles and the lustre comparable with the rays of the moon; Then raising himself up from the throne, as the sun rises on the summits of Meru mountain, he, the denizen of heaven getting down from the chariot ate up the corpse, while I looked on, O descendant of Raghu. (9—15)

Meaning

“Then having consumed to his satisfaction, the flesh rich in fat, the celestial being, going down the lake performed ablutions. (16)

Meaning

“Having sipped water (in ablution) in the prescribed way that celestial being, O descendant of Raghu, got ready to ascend the excellent chariot. (17)

Meaning

“Seeing him, who was like a god, ascending the chariot, I, on my part, spoke to him these words: ‘O bull among men ! Who are you? O god-like one, O gracious one, You should tell me why you ate this loathsome food, looked down upon by others. (18)

Meaning

“ ‘You possess ethereal beauty. Sir, whose food could be this; therefore, O gracious one, I am wonder-struck. I wish to know the facts. I do not consider this corpse as your food in expediency.’ (19-20)

Meaning

“Thus spoken to out of curiosity and also in well-chosen words, the celestial one, O King, having heard me, narrated all that I had enquired.” (21)