---
title: "Uttara Kanda, Sarga 90"
canonical: "https://ramayana.com/valmiki-ramayana/uttara-kanda/sarga-90"
lang: "en"
---

# Uttara Kanda, Sarga 90

> तां कथामैलसम्बद्धां रामेण समुदीरिताम्।  
> लक्ष्मणो भरतश्चैव श्रुत्वा परमविस्मितौ॥ १॥

Lakṣmaṇa and Bharata were extremely wonderstruck, after hearing the story of Ila, narrated by Śrī Rāma. (1)

> तौ रामं प्राञ्जली भूत्वा तस्य राज्ञो महात्मनः।  
> विस्तरं तस्य भावस्य तदा पप्रच्छतुः पुनः॥ २॥

Both of them again asked Śrī Rāma with folded hands to delineate in detail the story of Ila and also his double form: (2)

> कथं स राजा स्त्रीभूतो वर्तयामास दुर्गतिः।  
> पुरुषः स यदा भूतः कां वृत्तिं वर्तयत्यसौ॥ ३॥

‘Being formed into a woman, how did the king fare in misery, and when he was changed into a male, what was his way of life.’ (3)

> तयोस्तद् भाषितं श्रुत्वा कौतूहलसमन्वितम्।  
> कथयामास काकुत्स्थस्तस्य राज्ञो यथागतम्॥ ४॥

Hearing the words of the two, spoken out of curiosity, Śrī Rāma, the scion of Kakutstha narrated the story of that king as was traditionally handed down: (4)

> तमेव प्रथमं मासं स्त्री भूत्वा लोकसुन्दरी।  
> ताभिः परिवृता स्त्रीभिर्येऽस्य पूर्वं पदानुगाः॥ ५॥

‘Becoming a lady matchlessly beautiful for the first month, (he) was surrounded by those (women), who formerly followed him in their masculine form. (5)

> तत्काननं विगाह्याशु विजह्रे लोकसुन्दरी।  
> द्रुमगुल्मलताकीर्णं पद्भ्यां पद्मदलेक्षणा॥ ६॥

‘The feminine bea She the unparalleled beauty of the worlds having penetrated that forest full of trees, chesters and creepers, roamed on foot, possessed of eyes like lotus-petals. (6)

> वाहनानि च सर्वाणि संत्यक्त्वा वै समन्ततः।  
> पर्वताभोगविवरे तस्मिन् रेमे इला तदा॥ ७॥

‘Leaving aside all carriers, Ilā then sported on in that cavity of the great mountain. (7)

> अथ तस्मिन् वनोद्देशे पर्वतस्याविदूरतः।  
> सरः सुरुचिरप्रख्यं नानापक्षिगणायुतम्॥ ८॥

‘Then in that forest, not far from the mountain, was a pond beautiful in appearance, abided by many groups of birds. (8)

> ददर्श सा इला तस्मिन् बुधं सोमसुतं तदा।  
> ज्वलन्तं स्वेन वपुषा पूर्णं सोममिवोदितम्॥ ९॥  
> तपन्तं च तपस्तीव्रमम्भोमध्ये दुरासदम्।  
> यशस्करं कामकरं तारुण्ये पर्यवस्थितम्॥ १०॥

‘Ilā then saw in that lake Budha, the son of Soma (moon), quite youthful, effulgent with his own brilliant form as if (he was) the moon arisen. He was performing severe penance inside the waters of the lake, producing fame and fulfilling desires. (9-10)

> सा तं जलाशयं सर्वं क्षोभयामास विस्मिता।  
> सह तैः पूर्वपुरुषैः स्त्रीभूतै रघुनन्दन॥ ११॥

‘O descendant of Raghu, fully amazed, she stirred up the entire lake together with those former men changed into women. (11)

> बुधस्तु तां समीक्ष्यैव कामबाणवशं गतः।  
> नोपलेभे तदात्मानं स चचाल तदाम्भसि॥ १२॥

‘Budha on seeing her, came under the influence of the arrow of cupid, he could not control himself and moved in the waters. (12)

> इलां निरीक्षमाणस्तु त्रैलोक्यादधिकां शुभाम्।  
> चित्तं समभ्यतिक्रामत् का न्वियं देवताधिका॥ १३॥

‘Perceiving Ilā, who was more auspicious than any other in the three worlds, it came to his mind: ‘Who indeed is She, lovlier than a goddess. (13)

> न देवीषु न नागीषु नासुरीष्वप्सरःसु च।  
> दृष्टपूर्वा मया काचिद् रूपेणानेन शोभिता॥ १४॥

‘I have not seen formerly any woman possessed of such beauty among the goddesses, the female Nāgas, the wives of Asuras or even the Apsarās. (14)

> सदृशीयं मम भवेद् यदि नान्यपरिग्रहः।  
> इति बुद्धिं समास्थाय जलात् कूलमुपागमत्॥ १५॥

“If not wedded to another, she may be favourable to me. Thus thinking, Budha came out of the waters on the bank of the lake. (15)

> आश्रमं समुपागम्य ततस्ताः प्रमदोत्तमाः।  
> शब्दापयत धर्मात्मा ताश्चैनं च ववन्दिरे॥ १६॥

‘Reaching the hermitage, he, the noble one, called those beautiful women, and they all also saluted him. (16)

> स ताः पप्रच्छ धर्मात्मा कस्यैषा लोकसुन्दरी।  
> किमर्थमागता चैव सर्वमाख्यात मा चिरम्॥ १७॥

‘He, the noble one, then enquired of those women, thus : ‘To whom belongs this faminine beauty of the worlds? Why has she come, please let me know fully without delay?’ (17)

> शुभं तु तस्य तद् वाक्यं मधुरं मधुराक्षरम्।  
> श्रुत्वा स्त्रियश्च ताः सर्वा ऊचुर्मधुरया गिरा॥ १८॥

Hearing those words of his, spoken with sweet syllables, all those women replied in sweet tones: (18)

> अस्माकमेषा सुश्रोणी प्रभुत्वे वर्तते सदा।  
> अपतिः काननान्तेषु सहास्माभिश्चरत्यसौ॥ १९॥

‘This woman of beautiful limbs always commands us, is unmarried and roams about in the forest alongwith us.’ (19)

> तद् वाक्यमाव्यक्तपदं तासां स्त्रीणां निशम्य च।  
> विद्यामावर्तनीं पुण्यामावर्तयत स द्विजः॥ २०॥

‘Having heard the words of unmanifest syllables of those women, that Brāhmaṇa (Budha) recited the holy Āvartanī Vidyā Stotra or chantings. (20)

> सोऽर्थं विदित्वा सकलं तस्य राज्ञो यथा तथा।  
> सर्वा एव स्त्रियस्ताश्च बभाषे मुनिपुङ्गवः॥ २१॥

Having thus known the whole account of that king, as it had happened, the great ascetic then spoke to all those women: (21)

> अत्र किंपुरुषीर्भूत्वा शैलरोधसि वत्स्यथ।  
> आवासस्तु गिरावस्मिन् शीघ्रमेव विधीयताम्॥ २२॥

‘Beside at the foot of this mountain as Kiṁpuruṣīs, find out your residence soon of this mountain. (22)

> मूलपत्रफलैः सर्वा वर्तयिष्यथ नित्यदा।  
> स्त्रियः किंपुरुषान्नाम भर्तृन् समुपलप्स्यथ॥ २३॥

‘Subsist always on roots, leaves and fruits all of you women, and obtain Kiṁpuruṣas as husbands.’ (23)

> ताः श्रुत्वा सोमपुत्रस्य स्त्रियः किंपुरुषीकृताः।  
> उपासांचक्रिरे शैलं वध्वस्ता बहुलास्तदा॥ २४॥

Then those women hearing the words of the son of Soma, changed into Kiṁpuruṣīs, resided near the mountain in a large number. (24)

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

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