तथा तु करुणं तस्य द्विजस्य परिदेवनम्। शुश्राव राघवः सर्वं दुःखशोकसमन्वितम्॥ स दुःखेन च संतप्तो मन्त्रिणस्तानुपाह्वयत्। वसिष्ठं वामदेवं च भ्रातृ॑श्च सह नैगमान्॥
Hearing those sorrowful words of the Brāhmaṇa, Rāma was greatly sorry and sent for Vasistha, Vamadeva, his brothers, citizens and councillors.
ततो द्विजा वसिष्ठेन सार्धमष्टौ प्रवेशिताः। राजानं देवसंकाशं वर्धस्वेति ततोऽब्रुवन्॥
There upon having entered the apartment in the company of Vasiştha, eight Brāhmaṇas blessed the king Rāma, resembling a celestial, saying 'may victory crown you.'
मार्कण्डेयोऽथ मौद्गल्यो वामदेवश्च काश्यपः। कात्यायनोऽथ जाबालिगौतमो नारदस्तथा॥ एते द्विजर्षभाः सर्वे आसनेषूपवेशिताः। महर्षीन्समनुप्राप्तानभिवाद्य कृताञ्जलिः॥ मन्त्रिणो नैगमाश्चैव यथार्हमनुकूलिताः। तेषां समुपविष्टानां सर्वेषां दीप्ततेजसाम्॥ राघवः सर्वमाचष्टे द्विजोऽयमुपरोधति।
Markandeya, Maudgalya, Vamadeva, Kashyapa, Katyayana, Javali, Gautama, and Nārada, these eight leading Brāhmaṇas having takes their seats, Rāma with folded hands, saluted them. And he showed due civilities towards his minister, citizens, Rșis and all others. There upon all the highly effulgent Rșis being accommodated with seats Råma narrated duly before them the account of the Brāhmaṇa and said. This Brāhmaṇa is waiting at the Palace-gate.
तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा राज्ञो दीनस्य नारदः॥ प्रत्युवाच शुभं वाक्यमृषीणां संनिधौ स्वयम्।
Hearing those words of the poorly king, Narada, in the presence of all other Rsis, replied.
शृणु राजन्यथाकाले प्राप्तो बालस्य संक्षयः॥ श्रुत्वा कर्तव्यतां राजन्कुरुष्वरघुनन्दन।
Hear, o king, why this boy has met with untimely death. And hearing this, O descendant or Raghu, do you settle what you think proper.
पुरा कृतयुगे राजन्ब्राह्मणा वै तपस्विनः।।।। अब्राह्मणस्तदा राजन्न तपस्वी कथंचन।
O king, in the golden age, only the Brahmanas used to engage in asceticism. At that age save the Brāhmaṇas no other caste used to lead the life of an anchoret.
तस्मिन्युगे प्रज्वलिते ब्रह्मभूते त्वनावृते॥ अमृत्यवस्तदा सर्वे जज्ञिरे दीर्घदर्शिनः।
And for this, the Brāhmaṇas were the highest caste, effulgent in asceticism, asceticism, shorn shorn of ignorance, above death and conversant with three ages.
ततस्त्रेतायुगं नाम मानवानां वपुष्मताम्॥ क्षत्रिया यत्र जायन्ते पूर्वेण तपसान्विताः। वीर्येण तपसा चैव तेऽधिकाः पूर्वजन्मनि॥ मानवा ये महात्मानस्तत्र त्रेतायुगे युगे।
There upon at the end of the golden age, Brāhmaṇa's understanding became loose and the Tretā Yuga set in. At this age Kşatriyas, gifted with the power acquired by pristine asceticism, were born. And those men, intent upon austere penances, that were born in the Tretā age, were more powerful and greater devotees than those in the former age.
ब्रह्म क्षत्रं च तत्सर्वं यत्पूर्वमवरं च यत्॥ युगयोरुभयोरासीत्समवीर्यसमन्वितम्।
In the golden age the Brāhmaṇas were more powerful than the Kșatriyas. But in the Tretā age the Brāhmaṇas and the Ksatriyas were equally powerful.
अपश्यन्तस्तु ते सर्वे विशेषमधिकं ततः॥ स्थापनं चक्रिरे तत्र चातुर्वर्ण्यस्य संमतम्।
Thus in the Tretā age, not beholding prominence of the Brāhmaṇas greater than that of the Kşatriyas, Manu and other religious leaders of the time composed the Sastra describing and setting in the four divisions of castes.
तस्मिन्युगे प्रज्वलिते धर्मभूते ह्यनावृते॥ अधर्मः पादमेकं तु पातयत्पृथिवीतले। अधर्मेण हि संयुक्तस्तेजो मन्दं भविष्यति।।१६
In this wise the Tretā age was prolific with virtues of the four Varņas, and many pious sacrifices and was shorn of iniquities. But being attacked a little with iniquity, one portion of sin appeared on earth. And growing impious people of sin appeared on earth. And growing impious people lost their strength.
आमिषं यच्च पूर्वेषां राजसं च मलं भृशम्। अनृतं नाम तद्भूतं क्षिप्तेन पृथिवीतले॥ अनृतं पातयित्वा तु पादमेकमधर्मतः। ततः प्रादुष्कृतं पूर्वमायुषः परिनिष्ठितम्॥
And for houses and farms that were the property of the former age, people of the Tretā Yuga were possessed by envy, the outcome of the quality of darkness. And with the treading of impiety on earth during Tretā, the soiled sin of untruth appeared. And this iniquity stretching one footstep, the lease of people's lives, for sins, became limited.
पातिते त्वनृते तस्मिनधर्मेण महीतले। शुभान्येवाचरैल्लोकः सत्यधर्मपरायणः॥
And the sin of untruth descending on earth, people, to a void the extinction of life in consequence thereof, became truthful and engaged in many pious observances.
त्रेतायुगे च वर्तन्ते ब्राह्मणाः क्षत्रियाश्च ये। तपोऽतप्यन्त ते सर्वे शुश्रूषामपरे जनाः॥
During the Tretă age the Brāhmaṇas and Kș atriyas engaged in austere penances and the Vaiśyas and Sūdras engaged in serving them.
स्वधर्मः परमस्तेषां वैश्यशूद्रं तदागमत्। पूजां च सर्ववर्णानां शूद्राश्चनुर्विशेषतः॥
And the greatest piety of the Vaiśyas and Śūdras at that time consisted of serving the Brāhmaṇas and Ksatriyas and specially for the Śūdras the highest religion was to serve people of all Varnas.
एतस्मिन्नन्तरे तेषामधर्मे चानृते च ह। ततः पूर्वे पुनर्वासमगमन्नृपसत्तम॥
O foremost of kings, at the end of the Tretă age, Vaiśyas and Śūdras being fully overpowered by the sin of untruth, the Brāhmaṇas and the Kșatriyas also grew feeble.
ततः पादमधर्मस्य द्वितीयमवतारयत्। ततो द्वापरसंख्या सा युगस्य समजायत॥
And the second foot of impiety being ushered into the world the Dvāpara age set in.
तस्मिन्द्वापरसंख्ये तु वर्तमाने युगक्षये। अधर्मश्चानृतं चैव ववृधे पुरुषर्षभ॥
O foremost of men, during this age two legs of piety being cut off, impiety and untruth multiplies.
अस्मिन्द्वापरसंख्याने तपो वैश्यान्समाविशत्। त्रिभ्यो युगेभ्यस्त्रीन्वर्णान्क्रमाद्वै तप आविशत्॥
And in Yuga named Dvāpara the Vaisyas engaged in devout penances. In this wise in three ages the three Varnas gradually engaged in ascetic performances.
त्रिभ्यो युगेभ्यस्त्रीन्वर्णान्धर्मश्च परिनिष्ठितः। न शूद्रो लभते धर्म युगतस्तु नरर्षभ॥
The piety of asceticism by Yugas gradually became established in three Varmas, But, O foremost of men, in these three Yugas the Sūdras were not entitled to the virtues of devout penances.
हीनवर्णो नृपश्रेष्ठ तप्यते सुमहत्तपः। भविष्यच्छूद्रयोन्यां हि तपश्चर्या कलौ युगे॥
O foremost of men, the degraded caste, the Śūdras, during your rege me, have engaged in austere penances. And in the Kali Yuga asceticism shall be established in the Sūdras.
अधर्मः परमो राजन्द्वापरे शूद्रजन्मनः। स वै विषयपर्यन्ते तव राजन्महातपाः॥ अद्य तप्यति दुर्बुद्धिस्तेन बालवधो ह्ययम्। यो ह्यधर्ममकार्य वा विषये पार्थिवस्य तु॥
O king, even in Davāpara, devout penances for Śūdras were considered as impiety, what to speak of the Tretāage. O king, one Śūdras, under the influence of vicious understanding, has begun devout penances within your kingdom. And for that reason this boy has met with death.
करोति चाश्रीमूलं तत्पुरे वा दुर्मतिर्नरः। क्षिप्रं च नरकं याति स च राजा न संशयः॥
Calamity sets in that kingdom where a vicious-minded person commits an iniquity and that vicious wight and the king forsooth speedily repair to hell.
अधीतस्य च तप्तस्य कर्मणः सुकृतस्य च। षष्ठं भजति भागं तु प्रजा धर्मेण पालयन्॥
The king, who piously govern his subjects, receive the sixth portion of there study asceticism and good actions.
षड्भागस्य च भोक्तासौ रक्षते न प्रजाः कथम्। स त्वं पुरुषशार्दूल मार्गस्व विषयं स्वकम्॥ दुष्कृतं यत्र पश्येथास्तत्र यत्नं समाचर।
While the king is entitled to the sixth portion of everything why should he not fully protect his subjects? Therefore, O chief of men, do you bring all informations of your kingdom. And be then studious to repress vices wherever you shall find them.
एवं चेद्धर्मवृद्धिश्च नृणां चायुर्विवर्धनम्। भविष्यति नरश्रेष्ठ बालस्यास्य च जीवितम्॥
And by that, O foremost of men, the piety of the subjects shall be increased, the lease of their life shall be prolonged and this boy shall regain his life.