ततः प्रभाते विमले कृताह्निकमरिन्दमौ। विश्वामित्रं पुरस्कृत्य नद्यास्तीरमुपागतौ॥
Then next morning which happened to be fine, those repressors of their foes, with Viśvāmitra at their head, came to the banks of the river.* Ganga. The legend is that when the saint Agastya had sucked up the ocean, the Ganges replenished it.
ते च सर्वे महात्मानो मुनयः संशितव्रताः। उपस्थाप्य शुभां नावं विश्वामित्रमथाब्रुवन्॥
And those high-souled ascetics observing vows, having brought an elegant bark, addressed Viśvāmitra, saying.
आरोहतु भवान् नावं राजपुत्रपुरस्कृतः। अरिष्टं गच्छ पन्थानं मा भूत् कालस्य पर्ययः॥
Do you ascend the bark, with the princes at your head! May your journey be auspicious: let no delay occur
विश्वामित्रस्तथेत्युक्त्वा तानृषीन् प्रतिपूज्य च। ततार सहितस्ताभ्यां सरितं सागरङ्गमाम्॥
Thereupon saying, So be it! and having paid homage to those ascetics, Viśvāmitra set about crossing that river, which had replenished the ocean.
तत्र शुश्राव वै शब्दं तोयसंरम्भवर्धितम्। मध्यमागम्य तोयस्य तस्य शब्दस्य निश्चयम्॥ ज्ञातुकामो महातेजाः सह रामः कनीयसा।
It came to pass that while thus engaged, they heard a sound augmented by the dashing of the waves. And having come to the middle of the stream, the highly energetic Rāma with his younger brother, became curious to ascertain the cause of that sound.
अथ रामः सरिन्मध्यो पप्रच्छ मुनिपुङ्गवम्॥ वारिणो भिद्यमानस्य किमयं तुमुलो ध्वनिः।
And reaching the middle of the river, Rāma asked that best of ascetics, What is this loud uproar that seem to come riving the waters?
राघवस्य वचः श्रुत्वा कौतूहलसमन्वितम्॥ कथयामास धर्मात्मा तस्य शब्दस्य निश्चयम्।
Hearing Rāghava's words dictated by curiosity, that righteous-souled one spoke, unfolding the true cause of that noise.
कैलासपर्वते राम मनसा निर्मितं परम्॥ ब्रह्मणा नरशार्दूल तेनेदं मानसं सरः।
O Rāma, there is in the Kailāsa mountain an exceedingly beautiful pool, created mentally by Brahma, O foremost of men, and hence this watery expanse go by the name of Mānasa Pool.
तस्मात् सुस्राव सरसः सोयोध्यामुपगूहते॥ सरःप्रवृत्ता सरयू: पुण्या ब्रह्मसरश्च्युता।
And the stream that issues from that liquid lapse, flows through Ayodhyā: the sacred Sarayü issues from that pool of Brahma.
तस्यायमतुलः शब्दो जाह्नवीमभिवर्तते॥ वारिसंक्षीभजो राम प्रणामं नियतः कुरु।
And as the Sarayū meets the Jāhnavī, this tremendous uproar is heard, being produced by the clashing of the waters. Do you, O Rāma, bow down to them with a concentrated mind.
ताभ्यां तु तावुभौ कृत्वा प्रणाममतिधार्मिकौ॥ तीरं दक्षिणमासाद्य जग्मतुर्लघुविक्रमौ।
Thereupon, both of those exceedingly righteous ones, bowed down to those streams; and betaking themselves to the right bank, began to proceed with fleet vigour.
स वनं घोरसंकाशं दृष्ट्वा नरवरात्मजः॥ अविप्रहतमैक्ष्वाकः पप्रच्छ मुनिपुङ्गवम्।
And beholding a dreadful and trackless. forest, that son of the foremost of men, Ikşvāku's descendant, asked that best of ascetics.
अहो वनमिदं दुर्ग झिल्लिकागणसंयुतम्॥ भैरवैः श्वापदैः कीर्णं शकुन्तैर्दारुणारवैः। नानाप्रकारैः शकुनैर्वाश्यद्भिभैरवस्वनैः॥ सिंहव्याघ्रवराहैश्च वारणैश्चापि शोभितम्। धवाश्वकर्णककुभैर्बिल्वतिन्दुकपाटलैः॥ संकीर्णं बदरीभिश्च किं न्विदं दारुणं वनम्।
Ah! deep is this forest abounding in crickets; and filled with terrible ferocious beasts, and various birds possessed of shocking voices and creaming frightfully; and graced by lion, and tigers, and boars, and elephants; and crowded with Dhavas* (Grislea Tomentosa). and Asvas and Karnas (Cassia fistula) and Kakubhas and Vilvas (Aegle marmalos) and Tindukas; (Diospyros glutinosa) and Patalas (Bignonia suave-olens) and Badaris (Fujube). Whence is this dreadful forest?
तमुवाच महातेजा विश्वामित्रो महामुनिः॥ श्रूयतां वत्स काकुत्स्थ यस्यैतद् दारुणं वनम्।
Him answered thus the mighty ascetic Viśvāmitra endowed with high energy, Do you listen, O Kākutstha, as to whom belong this dreadful forest!
एतौ जनपदौ स्फीतौ पूर्वमास्तां नरोत्तम॥ मलदाश्च करूषाश्च देवनिर्माणनिर्मितौ।
Here were formerly, O foremost of men, two flourishing provinces, named Malada, and Karāsa, built by celestial architects.
पुरा वृत्रवधे राम मलेन समभिप्लुतम्॥ क्षुधा चैव सहस्राक्षं ब्रह्महत्या समाविशत्।
In days of yore, O Räma, on the occasion of the destruction of Vſtra, the thousand-eyed one came to have hunger, to be besmeared with excreta, and to slay a Brahmana.
तमिन्द्रं मलिनं देवा ऋषयश्च तपोधनाः॥ कलशैः स्नापयामासुर्मलं चास्य प्रमोचयन्।
When Indra had been thus besmeared, the deities, and the saints having asceticism for wealth, washed him here, and cleansed his person from the dirt.
इह भूम्यां मलं दत्त्वा देवाः कारूषमेव च॥ शरीरजं महेन्द्रस्य ततो हर्ष प्रपेदिरे।
And the deities, having renounced here the filth that had clung to the person of the mighty Indra, as well as his hunger, attained exceeding delight.
निर्मलो निष्करूषश्च शुद्ध इन्द्रो यथाभवत्॥ ततो देशस्य सुप्रीतो वरं प्रादादनुत्तमम्। इमौ जनपदौ स्फीतौ ख्याति लोके गमिष्यतः॥ मलदाश्च करूषाश्च ममाङ्गमलधारिणौ।
And thereat Indra becoming purified, attained his former brightness, and looked like to gold. And mightily pleased with this region, he conferred on it an excellent boon, saying, Since these two places have held excreta from my body, the going by the names of Maladā and Kārūsa, shall attain exceeding prosperity and fame among men.
साधुसाध्विति तं देवाः पाकशासनमब्रुवन्॥ देशस्य पूजां तां दृष्ट्वा कृतां शक्रेण धीमता।
And beholding the land thus honoured by the intelligent Sacra, the deities said to the subduer of Paka,-Well Well!
एतौ जनपदौ स्फीतौ दीर्घकालमरिंदम ॥ मलदाश्च करूषाश्च मुदिता धनधान्यतः।
O repressor of foes, these two places, Maladā and Karuṣā, enjoyed prosperity for a long time and were blessed with corn and wealth.
कस्यचित्त्वथ कालस्य यक्षिणी कारूपिणी॥ बलं नागसहस्रस्य धारयन्ती तदा ह्यभूत्।
Then after a space of time, was born a Yakşīņi capable of assuming forms at will, and endowed with the strength of a thousand elephants.
ताटका नाम भद्रं ते भार्यां सुन्दस्य धीमतः॥ मारीचो राक्षसः पुत्रो यस्याः शक्रपराक्रमः। वृत्तबाहुर्महाशीर्षो विपुलास्यतनुर्महान्॥
Her name, good betide you! was Tātakā, and she was the spouse of the intelligent Sundashe whose son is the Rākşasa, Mārīca, possessed of the prowess of Sacra; having round arms, with a huge head, a capacious mouth and a cyclopean body.
राक्षसो भैरवाकारो नित्यं त्रासयते प्रजाः। इमौ जनपदौ नित्यं विनाशयति राघव ॥ मलदांश्च करूषांश्च ताटका दुष्टचारिणी।
And that Rākṣasa of dreadful form daily frightens people. And, O descendant of Raghu, Tātakā of wicked deeds, daily commits havoc upon these countries, Maladã and Karuşă.
सेयं पन्थानमावृत्य वसत्यत्यर्धयोजने॥ अत एव च गन्तव्यं ताटकाया वनं यतः। स्वबाहुबलमाश्रित्य जहीमां दुष्टचारिणीम्॥
And now at the distance of over half a Yojana, she stays, obstructing the way. And since this forest belong to Tāțakā, you should repair there; and, resorting to the might of your own arms, slay this one of wicked deeds.
मन्नियोगादिमं देशं कुरु निष्कण्टकं पुनः। नहि कश्चिदिमं देशं शक्तो ह्यागन्तुमीदृशम्॥
And, by my direction, do you again rid this region of its thorn; for no one dare to approach such a place, infested,
यक्षिण्या घोरया राम उत्सादितमसह्यया। एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं यथैतद् दारुणं वनम्। यक्ष्या चोत्सादितं सर्वमद्यापि न निवर्तते॥
O Rāma, by the dreadful and unbearable Yakşiņi. And now I have related to you all about this fearful forest. And to this day none is capable of letting that Yakşiņi from committing ravages right an left.