अथ तां रजनीं तत्र कृतार्थों रामलक्ष्मणौ। उषतुर्मुदितौ वीरौ प्रहृष्टेनान्तरात्मना॥
Those heroes, Rāma and Laksmana, their interest secured, with glad hearts passed that night there.
प्रभातायां तु शर्वर्यां कृतपौर्वाह्निकक्रियौ। विश्वामित्रमृषींश्चान्यान् सहितावभिजग्मतुः॥
And when the night had passed away and the morning come, they together appeared before the saint, Visvāmitra, and the rest.
अभिवाद्य मुनिश्रेष्ठं ज्वलन्तमिव पावकम्। ऊचतुः परमोदारं वाक्यं मधुरभाषिणौ॥
And having saluted that foremost of ascetics resembling flaming fire, your addressed him in gentle and honied accents.
इमौ स्म मुनिशार्दूल किंकरौ समुपागतौ। आज्ञापय मुनिश्रेष्ठ शासनं करवाव किम्॥
These servants of yours, O best of ascetics, have come before you. Do you command, O chief of anchorites, what command of your are we to execute
एवमुक्ते तयोर्वाक्ये सर्वं एक महर्षयः। विश्वामित्रं पुरस्कृत्य रामं वचनमब्रुवन्।५।।
Thus addressed by them the Maharșis with Viśvāmitra at their head spoke to Rāma, saying,
मैथिलस्य नरश्रेष्ठ जनकस्य भविष्यति। यज्ञः परमधर्मिष्ठस्तत्र यास्यामहे वयम्॥
A highly meritorious sacrifice, O foremost of men, is to be celebrated by Mithila's lord, Janaka. Thither shall we repair.
त्वं चैव नरशार्दूल सहास्माभिर्गमिष्यसि। अद्भुतं च धनूरत्नं तत्र त्वं द्रष्टुमर्हसि ॥
And you, O tiger among men, men, must accompany us, and there behold a wonderful jewel of a bow.
तद्धि पूर्वं नरश्रेष्ठ दत्तं सदसि दैवतैः। अप्रमेयबलं घोरं मखे परमभास्वरम्॥
And formerly this bow of immeasurable energy, and dreadful, and exceedingly effulgent at the sacrifice, had been conferred in court by the celestials (on king Devarata.)8
नास्य देवा न गन्धर्वा नासुरा न च राक्षसाः। कर्तुमारोपणं शक्ता न कथंचन मानुषाः॥
And neither gods nor Gandharvas, neither Asuras nor Rākşasas nor men, can fix the string upon it.
धनुषस्तस्य वीर्यं हि जिज्ञासन्तो महीक्षितः। न शेकुरारोपयितुं राजपुत्रा महाबलाः॥
And desirous of being acquainted with the prowess of this bow, many kings and princes came; but they in spite of their mighty strength, failed in stringing it.
तद्धनुर्नरशार्दूल मैथिलस्य महात्मनः। तत्र द्रक्ष्यसि काकुत्स्थ यज्ञं च परमाद्भुतम्॥
There, O Kākutstha, you will behold that bow belonging to the high-souled king of Mithila, as well as his exceedingly wonderful sacrifice..
तद्धि यज्ञफलं तेन मैथिलेनोत्तमं धनुः। याचितं नरशार्दूल सुनाभं सर्वदैवतैः॥
That rare bow, O foremost of men, furnished with an excellent device for griping it, had been solicited by Mithila's lord as the fruit of his sacrifice; and the celestials conferred it upon him.
आयागभूतं नृपतेस्तस्य वेश्मनि राघव। अर्चितं विविधैर्गन्धैधूपैश्चागुरुगन्धिभिः॥
Now, O descendant of Raghu, in the residence of the king, the bow is worshipped like a deity with agaru dhüpa, and various other incenses.
एवमुक्त्वा मुनिवरः प्रस्थानमकरोत् तदा। सर्षिसङ्घः सकाकुत्स्थ आमन्त्र्य वनदेवताः॥
This having been said, that foremost of ascetics, in company with Kākutstha and the saints, departed.
स्वस्ति वोऽस्तु गमिष्यामि सिद्धः सिद्धाश्रमादहम्। उत्तरे जाह्नवीतीरे हिमवन्तं शिलोच्चयम्॥
And on the eve of setting out, he addressed the sylvan deities, saying, Luck! I will, with my desire obtained, go from forth this Siddhāśrama to the Himavat mountain on the north of the Jahnavi.
इत्युक्त्वा मुनिशार्दूलः कौशिकः स तपोधनः। उत्तरां दिशमुद्दिश्य प्रस्थातुमुपचक्रमे॥
Having said this, that tiger-like ascetic, Kusika's son, along with other anchorets having asceticism for their wealth, set out in a northerly direction.
तं व्रजन्तं मुनिवरमन्वगादनुसारिणाम्। शकटीशतमात्रं तु प्रयाणे ब्रह्मवादिनाम्॥
And as that best of ascetics proceeded, he was followed by Brāhmaṇas, unholding the Veda, carrying the sacrificial necessaries on an hundred cars.
मृगपक्षिगणाश्चैव सिद्धाश्रमनिवासिनः। अनुजग्मुर्महात्मानं विश्वामित्रं तपोधनम्॥
And birds and beasts dwelling in Siddhāśrama followed the high-souled Viśvāmitra having asceticism for wealth.
निवर्तयामास ततः सर्षिसङ्घः स पक्षिणः। ते गत्वा दूरमध्वानं लम्बमाने दिवाकरे॥ वासं चक्रुर्मुनिगणाः शोणाकूले समाहिताः। तेऽस्तं गते दिनकरे स्नात्वा हुतहुताशनाः॥ विश्वामित्रं पुरस्कृत्य निषेदुरमितौजसः। रामोऽपि सहसौमित्रिर्मुनीस्तानभिपूज्य च॥ जग्रतो निषसादाथ विश्वामित्रस्य धीमतः।
Having proceeded a long way, when the sun was sioping down, the ascetics rested on the banks of the Soņa. And when the maker of day had set, having bathed and offered oblations to the fire those ascetics of immeasurable energy, placing Viśvāmitra in their front, sat them down. And Rāma also together with Sumitrā's son, having paid homage to those ascetics, sat him down before the intelligent Viśvāmitra.
अथ रामो महातेजा विश्वामित्रं तपोधनम्॥ पप्रच्छ मुनिशार्दूलं कौतूहलसमन्वितम्। भगवन् को न्वयं देशः समृद्धवनशोभितः॥ श्रोतुमिच्छामि भद्रं ते वक्तुमर्हसि तत्त्वतः।
Then Rama of exceeding energy, influenced by curiosity, asked that foremost of ascetics, Viśvāmitra, having asceticism for his wealth, saying, 'O worshipful one, what country is this, graced with luxuriant woods? I am desirous of hearing this Good betide you, it behove you to tell me this truly.
नोदितो रामवाक्येन कथयामास सुव्रतः। तस्य देशस्य निखिलमृषिमध्ये महातपाः॥
Thus addressed by Rāma, that one of high austerities and excellent vows began in the midst of the saints to describe the opulence of that region.