Ayodhya Kanda: Chapter 32

ततः शासनमाज्ञाय भ्रातुः प्रियकरं हितम्। गत्वा स प्रविवेशासु सुयज्ञस्य निवेशनम्॥ तं विप्रमग्न्यगारस्थं वन्दित्वा लक्ष्मणोऽब्रवीत्। सखेऽभ्यागच्छ पश्यत्वं वेश्म दुष्करकारिणः॥
Receiving this pleasant and beneficial mandate of his brother, Lakşmaņa speedily went to the abode of Sujajña, and finding thai vipra in the chamber where the sacrificial fire was maintained, worshipped him and addressed him, saying; "friend, come and behold the abode of that one of arduous deeds(Răma) renouncing his incoming installation.”

ततः संध्यामुपास्थाय गत्वा सौमित्रिणा सह। ऋद्धं स प्राविशल्लक्ष्म्या रम्यं रामनिवेशनम्॥
Finishing his prayers, Sujajña accompanied Lakşmaņa and arrived at the splendid mansion of Rama, filled with riches.

तमागतं वेदविदं प्राञ्जलि: सीतया सह। सुयज्ञमभिचक्राम राघवोऽग्निमिवार्चितम्॥ जातरूपमयैर्मुख्यैरङ्गदैः कुण्डलैः शुभैः। सहेमसूत्रैमणिभिः केयूरैर्वलयैरपि॥ अन्यैश्च रत्नैर्बहुभिः काकुत्स्थः प्रत्यपूजयत्। सुयज्ञं स तदोवाच रामः सीताप्रचोदितः॥ हारं च हेमसूत्रं च भार्यायै सौम्य हारय। रशनां चाथ सा सीता दातुमिच्छति ते सखी॥
No sooner Rāma found that Brāhmaṇa versed in the Veda (Sujajña) arrive there, shining in effulgence like to the blazing fire, that he roes up from his seat along with Sītā, with clasped hands, and received him as if he had been the sacrificial fire itself, and offered gun excellent golden Angadas shining ear-rings, necklaces of jewels fastened together with golden strings, Keyuras, bracelets, and various other ornaments, and spoke to him, being desired by Sītā, the following words “O my gentle friend! do you by some servant send to your wife this necklace and Hemasutra and Sītā, the friends of your wife, also intends to give this Rasaná to your wife.”

अङ्गदानि च चित्राणि केयूराणि शुभानि च। प्रयच्छति सखी तुभ्यं भार्यायै गच्छती वनम्॥
On the eve of her going to the woods, she presents your self and your wife with Angadas of curious workmanship and elegant Keyuras.

पर्यङ्कमग्र्यास्तरणं नानारत्नविभूषितम्। तमपीच्छति वैदेही प्रतिष्ठापयितुं त्वयि॥
Vaidehi wishes to present you with this fine bed-stead with its coverlet studded with various precious jewels.

नागः शत्रुजयो नाम मातुलोयं ददौ मम। तं ते निष्कसहस्रेण ददामि द्विजपुङ्गव॥
I offer you, o great ascetic, with a thousand gold coins, this excellent elephant, called the destroyer of foes, which had been bestowed upon me by my maternal uncle.

इत्युक्तः स तु रामेण सुयज्ञः प्रतिगृह्य तत्। रामलक्ष्मणसीतानां प्रयुयोजाशिषः शिवाः॥
Being addressed thus by Rāma, Sujajña accepted all those offers, and showered benedictions upon Rāma, Sītā, and Lakşmaņa.

अथ भ्रातरमव्यग्रं प्रियं रामः प्रियंवदम्। सौमित्रिं तमुवाचेदं ब्रह्मेव त्रिदशेश्वरम्॥
Thereupon Rāma spoke to his beloved considerate and fair-speaking brother, the son of Sumitrā, the following pleasant words, like to Brahma addressing the Lord of celestials.

अगस्त्यं कौशिकं चैव तावुभौ ब्राह्मणोत्तमौ। अर्चयाहूय सौमित्रे रत्नैः सस्यमिवाम्बुभिः॥
O son of Sumiträ, do you invite the excellent Brāhmaṇas, Agastya and Viśvāmitra, and adore them, O Raghava, by conferring upon them gems, as people cherish corn with water.

तर्पयस्व महाबाहो गोसहस्रेण राघव। सुवर्णरजतैश्चैव मणिभिश्च महाधनैः॥
And, O mighty armed one, do you worship them, O Raghava, with a thousand cows, gold, silver, and various precious jewels.

कौसल्यां च य आशीर्भिर्भक्तः पर्युपतिष्ठति। आचार्यस्तैत्तिरीयाणामभिरूपश्च वेदवित्॥ तस्य यानं च दासीश्च सौमित्रे सम्प्रदापय। कौशेयानि च वस्त्राणि यावत् तुष्यति स द्विजः॥
Do you confer upon that good Brāhmaṇa, the preceptor of the Tittirīya portion of the Vedas, who crowns Kausalyā with blessings every day, silk cloth, conveyances, maid-servants, and such other things, till the twice-born one is satisfied.

सूतश्चित्ररथश्चार्यः सचिवः सुचिरोषितः। तोषयैनं महाहैश्च रत्नैर्वस्त्रैर्धनैस्तथा॥ पशुकाभिश्च सर्वाभिर्गवां दशशतेन च। ये च मे कठकालापा बहवो दण्डमाणवाः॥ नित्यस्वाध्यायशीलत्वान्नान्यत् कुर्वन्ति किंचन। अलसा: स्वादुकामाश्च महतां चापि सम्मताः॥ तेषामशीतियानानि रत्नपूर्णानि दापय। शालिवाहसहस्रं च द्वे शते भद्रकांस्तथा॥ व्यञ्जनार्थं च सौमित्रे गोसहस्रमुपाकुरु। मेखलीनां महासङ्घः कौसल्यां समुपस्थितः। तेषां सहस्रं सौमित्रे प्रत्येकं सम्प्रदापय॥ अम्बा यथा नो नन्देच्च कौसल्या मम दक्षिणाम्। तथा द्विजातीस्तान् सर्वाल्लक्ष्मणाय सर्वशः॥
Do you propitiate the worshipful Citraratha, who is our charioteer and counsellor and of advanced years, with precious jewels, clothes, wealth, with all kinds of beasts and a thousand cows. Do you confer upon those Brāhmaṇas, O son of Sumitrā, who live under my protection, studying the Katha section of Yajur Veda, with staffs in their hands. a grant of eighty mules loaded with jewels, of a thousand miles of pines, and of a thousand cows, for curd and clarified butter. They are always inactive, being constantly engaged in Vedic studies, and are greatly slothful though having a taste for delicious food, and are always esteemed by great men; to each of all those Brahmanas, who always come to Kausalya, do you, O Laksmana, make a grant of a thousand gold coins, and offer to them all such gifts as may please my mother.

ततः पुरुषशार्दूलस्तद् धनं लक्ष्मणः स्वयम्। यथोक्तं ब्राह्मणेन्द्राणामददाद् धनदो यथा॥
Thereupon Laksmana, that best of men, distributed amongst all these Brāhmaṇas all the entire riches as ordered by Rāma like to the Lord of wealth.

अथाब्रवीद् बाष्पगलांस्तिष्ठतश्चोपजीविनः। स प्रदाय बहुद्रव्यमेकैकस्योपजीवनम्॥ लक्ष्मणस्य च यद् वेश्म गृहं च यदिदं मम। अशून्यं कार्यमेकैकं यावदागमनं मम॥
Seeing his dependants in a wretched plight, shedding tears continually, Rāma proffered to them various articles for their maintenance, and said, Do you occupy in turn until our return my rooms as well as Laksmana's.

इत्युक्त्वा दुःखितं सर्वं जनं तमुपजीविनम्। उवाचेदं धनाध्यक्षं धनमानीयतां मम॥
Having spoken thus to all those dependants who were racked with great sorrow, Rāma ordered the Treasury officer to bring his riches there.

ततोऽस्य धनमाजह्नः सर्व एवोपजीविनः। स राशिः सुमहांस्तत्र दर्शनीयो ह्यदृश्यत ॥
There at, the servants brought all his riches and collected them in great heaps.

ततः स पुरुषव्याघ्रस्तद् धनं सहलक्ष्मणः। द्विजेभ्यो बालवृद्धेभ्यः कृपणेभ्यो ह्यदापयत्॥
Rāma, the best of men, together with Laksmana, distributed them amongst the Brahmanas, boys, the old, and the poor.

तत्रासीत् पिङ्गलो गाय॑स्त्रिजटो नाम वै द्विजः। क्षतवृत्तिर्वने नित्यं फालकुद्दाललाङ्गली॥
There lived in that quarter a Brāhmaṇa of a tawny colour, by name Trijata, descended from the line of Garga, earning his live-hood by digging the earth with spades and ploughs.

तं वृद्धं तरुणी भार्या बालानादाय दारकान्। अब्रवीद् ब्राह्मणं वाक्यं स्त्रीणां भर्ता हि देवता॥ अपास्य फालं कुद्दालं कुरुष्व वचनं मम। रामं दर्शय धर्मज्ञं यदि किंचिदवाप्स्यसे॥
His young wife with her little children, struggling with poverty, spoke thus to the old Brāhmaṇa. “Throwing aside your spades and ploughs, do you hear my words. Go and see the virtuous-souled Rāma, and you are sure to get something from him now."

सभार्याया वचः श्रुत्वा शाटीमाच्छाद्य दुश्छदाम्। स प्रातिष्ठत पन्थानं यत्र रामनिवेशनम्॥ भृग्वङ्गिरः समं दीप्त्या त्रिजटं जनसंसदि। आपञ्चमायाः कक्ष्याया नैतं कश्चिदवारयत्॥
Hearing these words of his wife. Trijata, shining in effulgence like to Bhſgu and Angirā, covering his body with a torn piece of cloth, proceeded towards Rāma's abode with his wife, and going on in a speedy and uninterrupted course, reached at last the royal abode and spoke to Rama thus:

स राममासाद्य तदा त्रिजटो वाक्यमब्रवीत्। निर्धनो बहुपुत्रोऽस्मि राजपुत्र महाबल॥ क्षतवृत्तिवने नित्यं प्रत्यवेक्षस्व मामिति।
O mighty son of the King! a poor man am I, having a number of children. I maintain my family by digging the earth; do you therefore look upon me mercifully.

तमुवाच ततो रामः परिहाससमन्वितम्॥ गवां सहस्रमप्येकं न च विश्राणितं मया। परिक्षिपसि दण्डेन यावत्तावदवाप्स्यसे॥
Whereupon Rāma replied laughing: "I have not distributed as yet even one thousand of my cows. Do you hurl this rod, and you are the master of all those cows occupying the space at the extremely of which this rod shall fall."

स शाटी परितः कट्यां सम्भ्रान्तः परिवेष्ट्यताम्। आविध्य दण्डं चिक्षेप सर्वप्राणेन वेगतः॥
Upon this, swiftly tightening the cloth around his waist, Trijața firmly grasping the rod hurled it with a mighty force.

स तीर्त्वा सरयूपारं दण्डस्तस्य कराच्च्युतः। गोव्रजे बहुसाहस्र पपातोक्षणसंनिधौ॥
The rod, hurled off his hands, fell on the other side of the river Sarayū in the midst of many thousand bullocks.

तं परिष्वज्य धर्मात्मा आ तस्मात् सरयूतटात्। आनयामास ता गावस्त्रिजटस्याश्रमं प्रति॥ उवाच च तदा रामस्तं गाय॑मभिसान्त्वयन्। मन्युर्न खलु कर्तव्यः परिहासो ह्ययं मम॥
Seeing this, the virtuous-souled Rāma despatched to the hermitage of Trijata all the cows that lay extending up to the banks of the river Sarayū, and consoling him afterwards accosted him with the following words. “Be not offended."

इदं हि तेजस्तव यद् दुरत्ययं तदेव जिज्ञासितुमिच्छता मया। इमं भवानर्थमभिप्रचोदितो वृणीष्व किं चेदपरं व्यवस्यसि॥
I acted thus only as a matter of joke. I asked you to do this only with the object of knowing whether you had the power to hurl this rod. Do you ask of me now anything you like.

ब्रवीमि सत्येन न ते स्म यन्त्रणां धनं हि यद्यन्मम विप्रकारणात्। भवत्सु सम्यकप्रतिपादनेन मयार्जितं चैव यशस्करं भवेत्॥
Truly do I speak that you should not hesitate. I am ready to devote my wealth to the services of the Brāhmanas. And the wealth I have earned will conduce to my favour, if I can apply it to your service.

र्गवामनीकं प्रतिगृह्य मोदितः। स्तदाशिषः प्रत्यवदन्महात्मनः॥
Then Trijata, being pleased with the accession of cows, went away along with his wife, showering happiness and joy.

स चापि रामः प्रतिपूर्णपौरूषो महाधनं धर्मबलैरूपार्जितम्। नियोजयामास सुहृज्जने चिराद् यथार्हसम्मानवचः प्रचोदितः॥ द्विजः सुहृद् भृत्यजनोऽथवातदा दरिद्रभिक्षाचरणश्च यो भवेत्। न तत्र कश्चिन्न बभूव तर्पितो यथार्हसम्माननदानसम्भ्रमैः॥
Rama of great manliness afterwards distributed with proper respect and due welcome all his wealth amassed by righteous means amongst the Brāhmaṇas, friends, servants and the poor, according to the recommendation of his friends.