Skandapurana 3.1.44
English (machine translation) 3.1.44
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The seers said:
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O knower of the truth of the meaning of all the Vedas! O crosser of the ocean of the Purāṇas!
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O one whose inauspiciousness was dispelled by bowing to the pair of lotus feet of Vyāsa!
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O benefactor of all living beings through instruction in the meaning of the Purāṇas!
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We have indeed been graced by you through the recitation of the Purāṇas.
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Now, especially through the recitation of the Setumāhātmya, O sage,
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we have attained our purpose, O disciple of Vyāsa, O great-minded one!
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How Rāma, the son of Daśaratha, established the liṅga—
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we desire to hear that; tell it to us now.
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The venerable Sūta said:
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The purpose for which the liṅga was installed on Mount Gandhamādana
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by Rāmacandra, O best of brahmins, that I shall now tell you.
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His wife having been taken from the forest by the mighty Rāvaṇa,
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Rāma, resolute and exceedingly powerful, accompanied by an army of monkeys and by Saumitri,
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reached Mount Mahendra and looked upon the ocean.
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Having built a bridge across that shoreless ocean, the scion of Raghu,
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proceeded by it to the city of Laṅkā, which was guarded by Rāvaṇa.
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When the thousand-rayed sun had set on the full moon night, at the onset of evening,
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Rāma, along with his army, O brahmins, climbed Mount Suvela.
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Then, seeing the lord of Laṅkā standing on his palace at night, the mighty
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son of the Sun threw down his diadem to the surface of the earth.
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His diadem shattered, the rākṣasa entered the interior of his house.
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When the lord of Laṅkā had entered the house, Rāma, accompanied by Sugrīva,
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together with his younger brother and his army, descending from the slope of the mountain,
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the heroic Rāma encamped his army near Laṅkā.
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Then, against those monkeys as they were being encamped, the followers of Rāvaṇa,
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of massive bodies, armed, and with their soldiers, advanced:
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Parvaṇa, Pūtana, Jṛmbha, Khara, Krodhavaśa, Hari,
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Prāruja and Āruja, and Prahasta, as well as others.
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Then, as those wicked ones rushed forward invisibly,
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Vibhīṣaṇa struck them down in their state of invisibility.
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Rendered visible, by the powerful monkeys striking from afar,
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they were slain and fell dead on all sides.
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Unable to endure it, Rāvaṇa then marched out with his army;
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having arranged [his forces], he checked all those monkeys with arrows.
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Then Rāghava, having set forth with his troops drawn up in battle array, against the ten-faced one
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fought back with speed; then a single combat took place.
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Then Indrajit, the son of Rāvaṇa, fought with Lakṣmaṇa;
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Sugrīva with Virūpākṣa; and Kharvaṭa with the son of Tārā;
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Nala with Pauṇḍra there, and Panasa with Puṭeśa;
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and other heroic monkeys, having engaged in single combat with the rākṣasas,
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fought a very tumultuous battle that increased the fear of the timid.
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Then the rākṣasas, shattered by the monkeys of terrible valor,
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quickly fled from the battlefield to Laṅkā, ruled by Rāvaṇa.
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When all the armies were broken, urged on indeed by Rāvaṇa,
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by his son Indrajit in battle with exceedingly terrible serpent-missiles
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both those sons of Daśaratha, Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa, were pierced, O brahmins;
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they were freed by the son of Vinatā, the great-souled Garuḍa.
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There Prahasta, swiftly approaching Vibhīṣaṇa,
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struck him with a mace, roaring, harsh in battle.
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Struck by that mace possessed of terrible speed, the wise,
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mighty-armed one did not tremble, firmly situated like the Himālaya.
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Then, seizing a vast spear adorned with eight bells,
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consecrating it with a mantra, Vibhīṣaṇa hurled the great lance towards his head.
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As it fell swiftly like a thunderbolt, the rākṣasa,
his head severed, was seen like a tree broken by the wind.
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Seeing that night-roamer Prahasta slain in battle,
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Dhūmrākṣa rushed with great speed against the monkeys.
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Observing the monkey army fleeing, the son of the Wind
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swiftly struck Dhūmrākṣa with an arrow at the head of battle.
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Seeing Dhūmrākṣa slain, the night-roamers who survived the slaughter
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reported everything that had happened to King Rāvaṇa.
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Then the lord of Laṅkā awakened Kumbhakarṇa, who was sleeping,
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and, once he was awakened, Rāvaṇa dispatched him to battle.
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When Kumbhakarṇa arrived, Lakṣmaṇa, however, with the weapon of Brahmā,
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slew him in battle, enraged; and he fell, bereft of life.
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There, the two younger brothers of Dūṣaṇa, crushing with the swiftness of wind,
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equal to Rāvaṇa, were slain in battle by Hanūmat and Nīla.
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Nala, the son of Viśvakarman, completely slew Vajradaṃṣṭra,
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and Kumuda, the bull among monkeys, killed Akaṃpana.
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Defeated on the sixth [day], the king then entered the city.
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And Atikāya was slain by Lakṣmaṇa, as well as Triśiras.
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Devāntaka and Narāntaka were slain in battle by Sugrīva;
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both sons of Kumbhakarṇa were slain in battle by Hanūmat.
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Makarākṣa, the son of Khara, was slain by Vibhīṣaṇa.
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Then Rāvaṇa urged on his son Indrajit.
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Indrajit, having confounded those two brothers, Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa,
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stood in the sky, his mount having been slain with terrible arrows by Aṅgada.
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Together with Kumuda, Aṅgada, Sugrīva, Nala, Jāmbavat, and the others,
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all the monkeys fell down, struck by him.
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Having thus struck down Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa with their army in battle,
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Meghanāda, of great might, then vanished into the sky.
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Then Vibhīṣaṇa, to Rāma, the ornament of the Ikṣvāku lineage,
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spoke with folded hands, bowing down again and again:
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"Taking this water, by the order of the King of Kings,
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a Guhyaka has come to your presence, O Rāma, tamer of foes.
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Kubera offers this water to you, O great king,
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in order to see hidden beings, O scorcher of foes.
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One whose eyes are touched with this will see even hidden beings;
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you will see them, or to whomever you shall give this,
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he too will see beings hidden in the sky."
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Saying 'So be it,' Rāma then took that honored water;
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he washed his eyes, and Lakṣmaṇa of great might [did so],
as well as Sugrīva, Jāmbavat, Hanūmat, and Aṅgada,
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and Mainda, Dvivida, Nīla, and whichever other monkeys there were.
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All of them, their eyes cleansed with the water given by Rāma,
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saw the heroic son of Rāvaṇa concealed in the sky.
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Then the son of Sumitrā ran towards him who had come into sight.
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Then Lakṣmaṇa, enraged, distinguished by auspicious marks,
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his eyes purified by the waters sent by Kubera, struck [him].
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Then a great battle took place between Lakṣmaṇa and Indrajit,
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exceedingly wondrous and marvelous, like that between Śakra and Prahlāda.
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Then on the third day, with great effort, O twice-born,
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Indrajit was slain in battle by the mighty Lakṣmaṇa.
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Then the entire reserve force was destroyed by the wise Rāma.
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Then the ten-necked [Rāvaṇa], enraged when his dear son was struck down,
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mounted his chariot and marched out of the city accompanied by a vast army.
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Rāvaṇa, eager to slay Jānakī, had been restrained by Vindhya.
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Then, with a chariot yoked to bay horses and possessing the splendour of the sun,
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Mātali, the charioteer of Śakra, approached Rāma in battle.
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Ascending the chariot of Indra, Rāma, the foremost of upholders of dharma,
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cut off the heads of the king of the rākṣasas in battle with the Brahmā weapon.
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Then, to Rāma, the son of Daśaratha, who had slain the ten-necked [Rāvaṇa],
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the gods, preceded by the seers, with blessings accompanied by [wishes of] victory,
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praised [him], exceedingly delighted, as did the siddhas and vidyādharas.
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They showered Rāma, whose eyes are like lotus petals, with rains of flowers.
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Rāma, together with those hosts of gods and surrounded by his soldiers,
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along with Sītā and the son of Sumitrā, and having mounted the Puṣpaka [vimāna],
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and having thus consecrated Vibhīṣaṇa as king in Laṅkā,
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surrounded by the monkey army, Rāma went to Gandhamādana.
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And having tested Vaidehī on Mount Gandhamādana,
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to Rāma, whose eyes are like lotus petals, who stood surrounded by the monkeys,
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the hero who had slain the lord of Laṅkā, accompanied by his younger brother and Vibhīṣaṇa,
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with his wife, and attended upon by multitudes of gods and foremost sages,
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the sages dwelling in the Daṇḍaka forest arrived to see him.
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Placing Agastya at their head, they praised the husband of the princess of Mithilā.
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The sages said:
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Homage to you, Rāmacandra, who bestow grace upon the worlds,
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who descended to the earth to rid the world of Rāvaṇa!
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To the destroyer of Tāṭakā's body, the protector of the sacrifice of Gādhi's son,
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homage to you who conquered Mārīca and took the life of Subāhu!
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To the dust of whose lotus feet grants liberation to Ahalyā,
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homage to you who playfully broke the bow of Hara!
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Homage to you who were adorned with the festive marriage to the princess of Mithilā!
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Homage to you who brought about the defeat of the son of Reṇukā!
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Accompanied by Lakṣmaṇa and Sītā, due to Kaikeyī's two boons,
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homage to you who went to the forest to make true the word of your father!
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To you who gave the pair of sandals at the prayer of Bharata,
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homage to you, the sole cause of Śarabhaṅga's attainment of heaven!
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Homage to the destroyer of Virādha, to you the friend of the king of vultures,
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who tore apart the limbs of the very cruel Mārīca in the form of an illusory deer!
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Who cast off his body in battle against the lord of the world who abducted Sītā—
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having cremated Jaṭāyus, [homage to you] who bestowed isolation upon him!
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Homage to the destroyer of Kabandha, whose feet were worshiped by Śabarī,
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to you who attained the friendship of Sugrīva and brought about the slaying of Vālin!
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Homage to you who built the bridge across the ocean, the abode of Varuṇa,
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the destroyer of all rākṣasas, the taker of Rāvaṇa's life!
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To you whose lotus feet are the boat for crossing over the ocean of worldly existence,
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homage to the remover of the distress of devotees, whose form is being, consciousness, and bliss!
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Homage to you, Rāmabhadra, the cause of the prosperity of the worlds,
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who take away the sins of those who chant your holy names such as Rāma!
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Homage to you who bring about the creation, maintenance, and destruction of all the worlds!
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Homage to you, the embodiment of compassion, consecrated to protecting devotees!
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Homage to you who are with Sītā, who bestow happiness upon Vibhīṣaṇa;
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for by the slaying of the lord of Laṅkā, O Rāma, the world has indeed been protected by you!
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Protect, protect, O Lord of the Universe! Protect us, O lord of Jānakī!
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Having thus praised him, all the sages, the best of brahmins, fell silent.
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Śrī Sūta said:
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Whoever recites this hymn of praise to Rāmacandra uttered by the sages,
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at the three twilights with devotion, attains enjoyment and liberation.
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No fear arises for one who recites it at the time of departure [on a journey].
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By the recitation of this hymn of praise, bhūtas, vetālas, and the like [perish],
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diseases perish, and the accumulation of sin is destroyed.
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One who desires a son obtains a son; an unmarried woman finds a good husband;
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one who desires liberation attains liberation; one who desires wealth attains wealth.
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reciting this hymn with devotion, he obtains all desires. (81)
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Then Rāma, having bowed with folded hands, said to the sages:
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“I should be attained by all men for the sake of purification; (82)
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a creature that enters within the range of my sight becomes a recipient of eternal liberation.
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Even so, O sages, with a mind always filled with devotion, (83)
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I bow down to the virtuous, the greatest friends to all beings, contented in the attainment of their own Self,
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free from egotism, peaceful, whose semen is drawn upwards. (84)
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Since I am the deity benevolent to brahmins, I always honor the brahmins.
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I ask you something; after reflecting upon it, please speak: (85)
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What sin has accrued to me from the slaying of Rāvaṇa, O brahmins—
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tell me an expiation for that [sin] born of the slaying of the descendant of Pulastya,
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by performing which I may be freed from that sin, O foremost of sages.” (86)
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The sages said:
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“O one true to vows, Lord of the world, bearer of the burden of the world's protection! (87)
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For the welfare of all the worlds, O Rāma, perform worship of Śiva.
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Upon this Gandhamādana peak, which is exceedingly auspicious and grants liberation, (88)
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you should perform the consecration of a Śiva-liṅga, wishing for the maintenance of the world's order,
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O Rāma, for the removal of the defect of the slaying of the Ten-necked one. (89)
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Even the four-faced [Brahmā] is unable to describe the merit
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arising from the installation of a liṅga; how much less then, O lord of men! (90)
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The liṅga which will be installed by you on the Gandhamādana mountain,
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the sighting of it by men will yield tenfold millions more fruit
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than the sight of the liṅga of Kāśī; of this there is no doubt. (91)
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And by your name may this liṅga attain renown in the world, (92)
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resembling fire for burning the fuel called merit and sin.
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This liṅga shall become renowned in the world as Rāmeśvara. (93)
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Therefore do not delay in the act of installing the liṅga,
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O highly fortunate Rāmacandra, whose form is full of compassion!” (94)
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The venerable Sūta said:
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Having heard those words of the sages, O chiefs of sages, Rāma,
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the lord of the world, having ascertained the auspicious time of two muhūrtas, (95)
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sent Hanumān to Kailāsa, the abode of Śiva,
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in order to bring a Śiva-liṅga for the purpose of installation, that descendant of Raghu. (96)
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Rāma said:
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“O Hanumān, son of Añjanā, son of the Wind, of great strength,
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go swiftly to Kailāsa and bring a liṅga without delay!” (97)
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Thus commanded by Rāma, the valiant lord of monkeys,
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- Skandapurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit