राक्षसेन्द्रोऽभिषिक्तस्तु भ्रातृभिः सहितस्तदा। ततः प्रदानं राक्षस्या भगिन्याः समचिन्तयत्॥
The lord of Räkşasas was installed along with his brothers. And then he thought of the giving away in marriage of his Rakşasi sister.
ददौ तां कालकेन्द्राय दानवेन्द्राय राक्षसीम्। स्वसां शूर्पणखां नाम विद्युज्जिह्वाय राक्षसः॥
Then that Raksasa bestowed his sister, the Rākşasī Śūrpanakhā, on that lord of the Dänavas and king of the Kālakeśa Vidyujjihvä.
अथ दत्त्वा स्वयं रक्षो मृगयामटते स्म तत्। तत्रापश्यत्ततो राम मयं नाम दितेः सुतम्॥ कन्यासहायं तं दृष्ट्वा दशग्रीवो निशाचरः। अपृच्छत्को भवानेको निर्मनुष्यमृगे वने॥ अनया मृगशावाक्ष्या किमर्थं सह तिष्ठसि। मयस्तदाब्रवीद्राम पृच्छन्तं तं निशाचरम्॥
Having given her away, the Rākşasa was wandering about for the purpose of hunting, when, o Rāma, he happened to see Diti's son, named Maya. And seeing him accompanied by his daughter, that night-ranger the Ten-necked one asked him, saying, 'Who are you that (wanderest) alone in this first devoid of men as well as deer? And are you accompanied by this one having the eyes of a young deer?' Thereat Maya, O Rama, answered that nightranger, when he had asked this.
श्रूयतां सर्वमाख्यास्ये यथावृत्तमिदं तव। हेमा नामाप्सरास्तत्र श्रुतपूर्वा यदि त्वया ॥ दैवतैर्मम सा दत्ता पौलोमीव शतक्रतोः। तस्यां भक्तमना ह्यासं दशवर्षशतान्यहम्॥ सा च दैवतकार्येण त्रयोदश समा गताः। वर्ष चतुर्दशं चैव ततो हेममयं पुरम्॥ वज्रवैदूर्यचित्रं च मायया निर्मितं मया। तत्राहमवसं दीनस्तया हीनः सुदुःखितः।।।।
'Listen. I shall tell you all about this. You may ere this have heard of an Apsarā named Hemā. She like to the Paulomi of Satakratu was bestowed on me, by the gods. And I passed a thousand years, being devoted her. Thirteen years have passed away since she had gone on a business of the celestials, as also the fourteenth year. Then I through my extraordinary skill constructed a golden palace, adorned with diamond and lapises. There I dwelt, aggrieved and sorrowful on account of her separation.
तस्मात्पुरा दुहितरं गृहीत्वा वनमागतः। इयं ममात्मजा राजंस्तस्याः कुक्षौ विवर्धिता॥
From then, taking my daughter, I have come to this wood. This, O king, is my daughter, grown in her womb.
भर्तारमनया सार्धमस्याः प्राप्तोऽस्मि मार्गितुम्। कन्यापितृत्वं दुःखं हि सर्वेषां मानकाङ्क्षिणाम्॥ कन्या हि द्वे कुले नित्यं संशये स्थाप्य तिष्ठति।
I have come hither with her, seeing of her husband. Verily being father to a daughter is misery to everyone that seekes one's honour. A daughter, forsooth, stayes, ever placing the two lines* in uncertainity. *The lines, namely, of her father and mother. The line of a mother as distinct from that of a father would be impossible under the present economy of Hindu society inasmuch as, as soon as a girl is married, she by that ceremony leaves her father's line and becomes incorporated with that of her husband. But this seems to have been otherwise in ancient times, This opens up an interesting social problem for the research of orientalists.
पुत्रद्वयं ममाप्यस्यां भार्यायां संबभूव ह॥ मायावी प्रथमस्तात दुन्दुभिस्तदनन्तरः।
On this wife of mine I have also beget two sons. The first is Māyāvī and the next Dundubhi.
एवं ते सर्वमाख्यातं यथातथ्येन पृच्छतः॥ त्वामिदानी कथं तात जानीयां को भवानिति।
Thus have I truly related to everything to you that had asked for it. But, my child, how can I know you now? Who are you?
एवमुक्तं तु तद्रक्षो विनीतमिदमब्रवीत्॥ अहं पौलस्त्यतनयो दशग्रीवश्च नामतः। मुनेर्विश्रवसो यस्तु तृतीयो ब्रह्मणोऽभवत्॥
Thus addressed, the Rākşasas humbly said, 'Ten-necked by name, I am the son of ascetic, Paulastya, who was born as the third son of Brahmā.
एवमुक्तस्तदा राम राक्षसेन्द्रेण दानवः। महर्षेस्तनयं ज्ञात्वा मयो दानवपुङ्गवः॥ दातुं दुहितरं तस्मै रोचयामास तत्र वै।
Thus accosted, O Rama, by that lord of Raks asas, that Dänava and foremost of Dānavas, Maya; learning that he was the son of Maharsi, Paulastya, there desired in his heart to give away his daughter to him.
करेण तु करं तस्या ग्राहयित्वा मयस्तदा॥ प्रहसन्प्राह दैत्येन्द्रो राक्षसेन्द्रमिदं वचः।
Taking her hand with his own, Maya, the lord of Daityas, laughing said to that lord of Raksasas.
इयं ममात्मजा राजन्हेमयाप्सरसा धृता ॥ कन्या मन्दोदरी नाम पल्यर्थं प्रतिगृह्यताम्।
This daughter of mine, O king, O king, borne by the Apsarā, Hemā, this my daughter named Mandodari do you accept as my wife.
बाढमित्येव तं राम दशग्रीवोऽभ्यभाषत ॥ प्रज्वाल्य तत्र चैवाग्निमकरोत्पाणिसंग्रहम्।
'Well' thereupon the Ten-necked answered him, O Rāma. And lighting a fire, he took her hand.
स हि तस्य मयो राम शापाभिज्ञस्तपोधनात्॥ विदित्वा तेन सा दत्ता तस्य पैतामहं कुलम्। अमोघां तस्य शक्तिं च प्रददौ परमाद्भुताम् ॥ परेण तपसा लब्धां जनिवाँल्लक्ष्मणं यया।
O Rāma, Maya knew the curse of the sage touching him.* Knowing this, he gave away his daughter, having regard to the race of Ravana's paternal grand-father; and he also conferred on him an exceedingly wonderful dart acquired through the most rigid austerities, by which he wounded Laksmana. *Respecting his birth.
एवं स कृत्वा दारान्वै लङ्काया ईश्वरः प्रभुः॥ गत्वा तु नगरी भार्ये भ्रातृभ्यां समुपाहरत्।
Having thus wedded, that master-Lankā's lord-going (back) to that city, married his brothers.
वैरोचनस्य दौहित्रीं वज्रज्वालेति नामतः॥ तां भार्यां कुम्भकर्णस्य रावणः समकल्पयत्। गन्धर्वराजस्य सुतां शैलूषस्य महात्मनः॥ सरमां नाम धर्मज्ञां लेभे भार्यां विभीषणः।
Rāvana married the grand-daughter of Virocana (on the maternal side) named Vajrajvālā, to Kumbhakarņa. And Vibhīşaņa obtained for his wife the righteous (damsel) named Saramā-daughter to the high-souled Sailusa-sovereign of the Gandharvas.
तीरे तु सरसो वै तु संजज्ञे मानसस्य हि॥ सरस्तदा मानसं तु ववृधे जलदागमे। मात्रा तु तस्याः कन्यायाः स्नेहेनाक्रन्दितं वचः॥ सरो मा वर्धतेत्युक्तं ततः सा सरमाभवत्।
Saramā was born on the shores of the lake, Mānasa, was swollen with water on the arrival of the rains, her mother, hearing her cries, affectionately said, Saro mā varddhata 'O lake, do not swell,' and from this circumstance, her name became Saramā.
एवं ते कृतदारा वै रेमिरे तत्र राक्षसाः॥ स्वां स्वां भार्यामुपादाय गन्धर्वा इव नन्दने। ततो मन्दोदरी पुत्रं मेघनादमजीजनत्॥ स एष इन्द्रजिन्नाम युष्माभिरभिधीयते।
Having thus wedded, those Rākşasas, taking each his wife, set about sporting there, like to Gandharvas sporting in Nandana. And then was born Mandodari's son-Meghanāda. Him you call Indarjit.
जातमात्रेण हि पुरा तेन रावणसूनुना॥ रुदता सुमहान्मुक्तो नादो जलधरोपमः।
As soon as he was born, Ravana's son, formerly crying, emitted a tremendous roar resembling the rumbling of clouds.
जडीकृता च सा लङ्का तस्य नादेन राघव॥ पिता तस्याकरोन्नाम मेघनाद इति स्वयम्।
O Rāghava, Lankā was petrified at his voice: and (accordingly) his sire himself kept his name, Meghanāda.
सोवर्धत तदा राम रावणान्तःपुरे शुभे ॥ रक्ष्यमाणो वरस्त्रीभिश्छन्नः काष्ठैरिवानलः। मातापित्रोर्हहाहर्ष जनयन्रावणात्मजः॥
O Rāma, remaining hidden like a fire by fuel, Ravana's son, rejoicing (the bosoms of) his father and mother, grew up in Rāvana's elegant inner apartments.