लक्ष्मणस्य तु तद्वाक्यं निशम्य परमाद्भुतम्। सुप्रीतश्चाभवद्रामो वाक्यमेतदुवाच ह॥
Hearing those wondrous words of Lakşmaņa Rāma was greatly delighted and said.
दुर्लभस्त्वीदृशो बन्धुरस्मिन्काले विशेषतः। यादृशस्त्वं महाबुद्धिर्मम सौम्य मनोऽनुगः॥
O you having an auspicious look, you are gifted with great intellect and after my heart; a friend like you is rare at such a time.
यच्च मे हृदये किंचिद्वर्तते शुभलक्षण। तन्निशामय च श्रुत्वा कुरुष्व वचनं मम॥
But O beautiful Saumitrī, do you, apprised of my intention, carry out my words.
चत्वारो दिवसाः सौम्य कार्य पौरजनस्य च । अकुर्वाणस्य सौमित्रे तन्मे मर्माणि कृन्तति॥
O gentle son of Sumitrā, for not looking to state business for these days I have been pierced to the very vitals.
आहूयन्तां प्रकृतयः पुरोधा मन्त्रिणस्तथा। कार्यार्थिनश्च पुरुषाः स्त्रियो वा पुरुषर्षभ॥
Do you therefore call here men, or women, priests or councillors who have come for business.
पौरकार्याणि यो राजा न करोति दिने दिने। संवृते नरके घोरे पतितो नात्र संशयः॥
For sooth do a king falls into the dreadful bell where the wind does not blow, who does not daily look into his state affairs.
श्रूयते हि पुरा राजा नृगो नाम महायशाः। बभूव पृथिवीपालो ब्रह्मण्यः सत्यवाक्शुचिः॥
I have heard, O foremost of men, that there lived in the days of yore a highly illustrious, truthful and pure-minded king, ever devoted to the Brahmanas, by the name Nrga.
स कदाचिद्भवां कोटी: सवत्साः स्वर्णभूषिताः। नृदेवो भूमिदेवेभ्यः पुष्करेषु ददौ नृपः॥
Once on a time at the sacred pilgrimage of Puşpaka that king conferred upon the Brāhmaṇas one Koți of kine with calves adorned with golden ornaments.
ततः सङ्गाद्गता धेनुः सवत्सा स्पर्शितानघ। ब्राह्मणस्याहिताग्नेस्तु दरिद्रस्योञ्छवर्तिनः॥
Accidentally on that occasion, a cow with calf belonging to a poor Brāhmaṇa, living upon law means, was given away along with other kine.
नष्टां गां क्षुधातॊ वै अन्विषंस्तत्र तत्र ह। नापश्यत्सर्वराष्ट्रेषु संवत्सरगणान्बूहन्॥
Undergoing hunger and thirst, the master of that cow travelled for a long time in many places in search of it.
ततः कनखलं गत्वा जीर्णवत्सां निरामयाम्। ददृशे तां स्विकां धेनुं ब्राह्मणस्य निवेशने॥
Thereupon having reached the province of Kanakhala he espied his own cow in the house of a Brāhmaṇa. The cow was well kept and the young one was grown up.
अथ तां नामधेयेन स्वकेनोवाच ब्राह्मणः। आगच्छ शबलेत्येवं सा तु शुश्राव गौः स्वरम्॥
Thereupon the Brāhmaṇa called the cow by the name given by him saying “Sabalā, come."
तस्य तं स्वरमाज्ञाय क्षुधार्तस्य द्विजस्य वै। अन्वगात्पृष्ठतः सा गौर्गच्छन्तं पावकोपमम्॥
The cow heard that and recognising the voice of the Brāhmaṇa followed him. And he preceded her burning like fire.
योऽपि पालयते विप्रः सोऽपि गामन्वगाबृतम्। गत्वा च तमृषि चष्टे मम गौरिति सत्वरम्॥ स्पर्शिता राजसिंहेन मम दत्ता नृगेण ह।
And the Brāhmaṇa, in whose house the cow so long remained, speedily pursued her and approaching the ascetic said. “This cow is mine. The king Nrga conferred this upon me.”
तयोर्ब्राह्मणयोर्वादो महानासीद्विपश्चितोः॥ विवदन्तौ ततोऽन्योन्यं दातारमभिजग्मतुः।
So there arose a great quarrel between the two learned Brāhmaṇas. And thus quarrelling they both approached him who had given away the cow.
तौ राजभवनद्वारि न प्राप्तौ नृगशासनम्॥ अहोरात्राण्यनेकानि वसन्तौ क्रोधमीयतुः। ऊचतुश्च महात्मानौ तावुभौ द्विजसत्तमौ। क्रुद्धौ परमसंप्राप्तौ वाक्यं घोराभिसंहतम्॥ अर्थिनां कार्यसिद्ध्यर्थं यस्मात्त्वं नैषि दर्शनम्। अदृश्यः सर्वभूतानां कृकलासो भविष्यसि ॥ बहुवर्षसहस्राणि बहुवर्षशतानि च। श्वभ्रे त्वं कृकलीभूो दीर्घकालं निवत्स्यसि॥
And though they waited for a long time at the gate they did not obtain permission to enter the palace. Thereat both of them were greatly enraged and imprecated dreadful curses, saying Since you have not granted us an interview though we have been waiting here for a long time, you shall, by our curse, remain invisible, being a lizard. You shall in this state live in a den for many hundred and thousand years.
उत्पत्स्यते हि लोकेऽस्मिन्यदूनां कीर्तिवर्धनः। वासुदेव इति ख्यातो विष्णुः पुरुषविग्रहः॥ स ते मोक्षयिता शापाद्राजस्तस्माद्भविष्यसि। कृता च तेन कालेन निष्कृतिस्ते भविष्यति ॥ भारावतरणार्थं हि नरनारायणावुभौ। उत्पत्स्येते महावीरों कलौ युग उपस्थिते॥
When Vişņu assuming a human person shall be born in the Vasudeva family of Yādavas and enhance their glory he shall liberate you from the curse. Immediately before the advent of the Kali Yuga the Rși Nara Nārāyaṇa gifted with great prowess shall descend upon earth to relieve her of the burden.
एवं तौ शापमुत्सृज्य ब्राह्मणौ विगतज्वरौ। तां गां हि दुर्बलां वृद्धां ददतुर्ब्राह्मणाय वै॥
Having thus imprecated the curse upon the king the Rșis became silent. The cow was old and weak so they both, with mutual consent, conferred that upon another Brāhmaṇa.
एवं स राजा तं शापमुपभुङ्क्ते सुदारुणम्। कार्यार्थिनां विमर्दो हि राज्ञां दोषाय कल्पते॥ तच्छीघ्रं दर्शनं मह्यमभिवर्तन्तु कार्यिणः। सुकृतस्य हि कार्यस्य फलं नावैति पार्थिवः। तस्माद्गच्छ प्रतीक्षस्व सौमित्रे कार्यवाञ्जनः॥
O Lakşmaņa, the king Nțga is still suffering from that dreadful curse. It is the king's folly that is manifest from the mutual disagreement of the workers. Do you bring them all speedily to me who have come for business. For, sooth shall the kings profit by the just administration. Do you therefore go in person, O Lakşmaņa and see who has come for business.