Valmiki Ramayana 1.48

1.48.1

aphalas tu tataḥ śakro devān agnipurogamān
abravīt trastavadanaḥ sarṣisaṃghān sacāraṇān

1.48.2

kurvatā tapaso vighnaṃ gautamasya mahātmanaḥ
krodham utpādya hi mayā surakāryam idaṃ kṛtam

1.48.3

aphalo 'smi kṛtas tena krodhāt sā ca nirākṛtā
śāpamokṣeṇa mahatā tapo 'syāpahṛtaṃ mayā

1.48.4

tan māṃ suravarāḥ sarve sarṣisaṃghāḥ sacāraṇāḥ
surasāhyakaraṃ sarve saphalaṃ kartum arhatha

1.48.5

śatakrator vacaḥ śrutvā devāḥ sāgnipurogamāḥ
pitṛdevān upetyāhuḥ saha sarvair marudgaṇaiḥ

1.48.6

ayaṃ meṣaḥ savṛṣaṇaḥ śakro hy avṛṣaṇaḥ kṛtaḥ
meṣasya vṛṣaṇau gṛhya śakrāyāśu prayacchata

1.48.7

aphalas tu kṛto meṣaḥ parāṃ tuṣṭiṃ pradāsyati
bhavatāṃ harṣaṇārthāya ye ca dāsyanti mānavāḥ

1.48.8

agnes tu vacanaṃ śrutvā pitṛdevāḥ samāgatāḥ
utpāṭya meṣavṛṣaṇau sahasrākṣe nyavedayan

1.48.9

tadā prabhṛti kākutstha pitṛdevāḥ samāgatāḥ
aphalān bhuñjate meṣān phalais teṣām ayojayan

1.48.10

indras tu meṣavṛṣaṇas tadā prabhṛti rāghava
gautamasya prabhāvena tapasaś ca mahātmanaḥ

1.48.11

tadāgaccha mahāteja āśramaṃ puṇyakarmaṇaḥ
tārayaināṃ mahābhāgām ahalyāṃ devarūpiṇīm

1.48.12

viśvāmitravacaḥ śrutvā rāghavaḥ sahalakṣmaṇaḥ
viśvāmitraṃ puraskṛtya āśramaṃ praviveśa ha

Then Ráma, following still his guide,
Within the grove, with Lakshman, hied.
Her vows a wondrous light had lent
To that illustrious penitent.
He saw the glorious lady, screened
From eye of man, and God, and fiend,
Like some bright portent which the care
Of Brahmá launches through the air,
Designed by his illusive art
To flash a moment and depart:
Or like the flame that leaps on high
To sink involved in smoke and die:

1.48.13

dadarśa ca mahābhāgāṃ tapasā dyotitaprabhām
lokair api samāgamya durnirīkṣyāṃ surāsuraiḥ

Then Ráma, following still his guide,
Within the grove, with Lakshman, hied.
Her vows a wondrous light had lent
To that illustrious penitent.
He saw the glorious lady, screened
From eye of man, and God, and fiend,
Like some bright portent which the care
Of Brahmá launches through the air,
Designed by his illusive art
To flash a moment and depart:
Or like the flame that leaps on high
To sink involved in smoke and die:

1.48.14

prayatnān nirmitāṃ dhātrā divyāṃ māyāmayīm iva
dhūmenābhiparītāṅgīṃ pūrṇacandraprabhām iva

Then Ráma, following still his guide,
Within the grove, with Lakshman, hied.
Her vows a wondrous light had lent
To that illustrious penitent.
He saw the glorious lady, screened
From eye of man, and God, and fiend,
Like some bright portent which the care
Of Brahmá launches through the air,
Designed by his illusive art
To flash a moment and depart:
Or like the flame that leaps on high
To sink involved in smoke and die:

1.48.15

satuṣārāvṛtāṃ sābhrāṃ pūrṇacandraprabhām iva
madhye 'mbhaso durādharṣāṃ dīptāṃ sūryaprabhām iva

Or like the full moon shining through
The wintry mist, then lost to view:
Or like the sun's reflection, cast
Upon the flood, too bright to last:
So was the glorious dame till then
Removed from Gods' and mortals' ken,
Till--such was Gautam's high decree--
Prince Ráma came to set her free.

1.48.16

sa hi gautamavākyena durnirīkṣyā babhūva ha
trayāṇām api lokānāṃ yāvad rāmasya darśanam

Or like the full moon shining through
The wintry mist, then lost to view:
Or like the sun's reflection, cast
Upon the flood, too bright to last:
So was the glorious dame till then
Removed from Gods' and mortals' ken,
Till--such was Gautam's high decree--
Prince Ráma came to set her free.

1.48.17

rāghavau tu tatas tasyāḥ pādau jagṛhatus tadā
smarantī gautamavacaḥ pratijagrāha sā ca tau

Then, with great joy that dame to meet,
The sons of Raghu clapped her feet;
And she, remembering Gautam's oath,
With gentle grace received them both;
Then water for their feet she gave,
Guest-gift, and all that strangers crave.

1.48.18

pādyam arghyaṃ tathātithyaṃ cakāra susamāhitā
pratijagrāha kākutstho vidhidṛṣṭena karmaṇā

Then, with great joy that dame to meet,
The sons of Raghu clapped her feet;
And she, remembering Gautam's oath,
With gentle grace received them both;
Then water for their feet she gave,
Guest-gift, and all that strangers crave.

The prince, of courteous rule aware,
Received, as meet, the lady's care.
Then flowers came down in copious rain,
And moving to the heavenly strain
Of music in the skies that rang.
The nymphs and minstrels danced and sang:
And all the Gods with one glad voice
Praised the great dame, and cried, 'Rejoice!
Through fervid rites no more defiled,
But with thy husband reconciled.'
Gautam, the holy hermit knew--
For naught escaped his godlike view--
That Ráma lodged beneath that shade,
And hasting there his homage paid.
He took Ahalyá to his side.
From sin and folly purified,
And let his new-found consort bear
In his austerities a share.

1.48.19

puṣpavṛṣṭir mahaty āsīd devadundubhinisvanaiḥ
gandharvāpsarasāṃ cāpi mahān āsīt samāgamaḥ

The prince, of courteous rule aware,
Received, as meet, the lady's care.
Then flowers came down in copious rain,
And moving to the heavenly strain
Of music in the skies that rang.
The nymphs and minstrels danced and sang:
And all the Gods with one glad voice
Praised the great dame, and cried, 'Rejoice!
Through fervid rites no more defiled,
But with thy husband reconciled.'
Gautam, the holy hermit knew--
For naught escaped his godlike view--
That Ráma lodged beneath that shade,
And hasting there his homage paid.
He took Ahalyá to his side.
From sin and folly purified,
And let his new-found consort bear
In his austerities a share.

1.48.20

sādhu sādhv iti devās tām ahalyāṃ samapūjayan
tapobalaviśuddhāṅgīṃ gautamasya vaśānugām

The prince, of courteous rule aware,
Received, as meet, the lady's care.
Then flowers came down in copious rain,
And moving to the heavenly strain
Of music in the skies that rang.
The nymphs and minstrels danced and sang:
And all the Gods with one glad voice
Praised the great dame, and cried, 'Rejoice!
Through fervid rites no more defiled,
But with thy husband reconciled.'
Gautam, the holy hermit knew--
For naught escaped his godlike view--
That Ráma lodged beneath that shade,
And hasting there his homage paid.
He took Ahalyá to his side.
From sin and folly purified,
And let his new-found consort bear
In his austerities a share.

1.48.21

gautamo 'pi mahātejā ahalyāsahitaḥ sukhī
rāmaṃ saṃpūjya vidhivat tapas tepe mahātapāḥ

The prince, of courteous rule aware,
Received, as meet, the lady's care.
Then flowers came down in copious rain,
And moving to the heavenly strain
Of music in the skies that rang.
The nymphs and minstrels danced and sang:
And all the Gods with one glad voice
Praised the great dame, and cried, 'Rejoice!
Through fervid rites no more defiled,
But with thy husband reconciled.'
Gautam, the holy hermit knew--
For naught escaped his godlike view--
That Ráma lodged beneath that shade,
And hasting there his homage paid.
He took Ahalyá to his side.
From sin and folly purified,
And let his new-found consort bear
In his austerities a share.

1.48.22

rāmo 'pi paramāṃ pūjāṃ gautamasya mahāmuneḥ
sakāśād vidhivat prāpya jagāma mithilāṃ tataḥ

Then Ráma, pride of Raghu's race,
Welcomed by Gautam, face to face,
Who every highest honour showed,
To Mithilá pursued his road.