१.२३.१
ततः प्रभाते विमले कृताह्निकमरिंदमौ । विश्वामित्रं पुरस्कृत्य नद्यास्तीरमुपागतौ ॥
M N Dutt
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.१.२३.२
ते च सर्वे महात्मानो मुनयः संशितव्रताः । उपस्थाप्य शुभां नावं विश्वामित्रमथाब्रुवन् ॥
M N Dutt
And those high-souled ascetics observing vows, having brought an elegant bark, addressed Viśvāmitra, saying.१.२३.३
आरोहतु भवान्नावं राजपुत्रपुरस्कृतः । अरिष्टं गच्छ पन्थानं मा भूत्कालस्य पर्ययः ॥
M N Dutt
Do you ascend the bark, with the princes at your head! May your journey be auspicious: let no delay occur१.२३.४
विश्वामित्रस्तथेत्युक्त्वा तानृषीनभिपूज्य च । ततार सहितस्ताभ्यां सरितं सागरं गमाम् ॥
M N Dutt
Thereupon saying, So be it! and having paid homage to those ascetics, Viśvāmitra set about crossing that river, which had replenished the ocean.१.२३.५
अथ रामः सरिन्मध्ये पप्रच्छ मुनिपुङ्गवम् । वारिणो भिद्यमानस्य किमयं तुमुलो ध्वनिः ॥
M N Dutt
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?१.२३.६
राघवस्य वचः श्रुत्वा कौतूहल समन्वितम् । कथयामास धर्मात्मा तस्य शब्दस्य निश्चयम् ॥
M N Dutt
Hearing Rāghava's words dictated by curiosity, that righteous-souled one spoke, unfolding the true cause of that noise.१.२३.७
कैलासपर्वते राम मनसा निर्मितं सरः । ब्रह्मणा नरशार्दूल तेनेदं मानसं सरः ॥
M N Dutt
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.१.२३.८
तस्मात्सुस्राव सरसः सायोध्यामुपगूहते । सरःप्रवृत्ता सरयूः पुण्या ब्रह्मसरश्च्युता ॥
M N Dutt
And the stream that issues from that liquid lapse, flows through Ayodhyā: the sacred Sarayü issues from that pool of Brahma.१.२३.९
तस्यायमतुलः शब्दो जाह्नवीमभिवर्तते । वारिसंक्षोभजो राम प्रणामं नियतः कुरु ॥
M N Dutt
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.१.२३.१०
ताभ्यां तु तावुभौ कृत्वा प्रणाममतिधार्मिकौ । तीरं दक्षिणमासाद्य जग्मतुर्लघुविक्रमौ ॥
M N Dutt
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.१.२३.११
स वनं घोरसंकाशं दृष्ट्वा नृपवरात्मजः । अविप्रहतमैक्ष्वाकः पप्रच्छ मुनिपुंगवम् ॥
M N Dutt
And beholding a dreadful and trackless. forest, that son of the foremost of men, Ikşvāku's descendant, asked that best of ascetics.१.२३.१५
तमुवाच महातेजा विश्वामित्रो महामुनिः । श्रूयतां वत्स काकुत्स्थ यस्यैतद्दारुणं वनम् ॥
M N Dutt
Him answered thus the mighty ascetic Viśvāmitra endowed with high energy, Do you listen, O Kākutstha, as to whom belong this dreadful forest!१.२३.१६
एतौ जनपदौ स्फीतौ पूर्वमास्तां नरोत्तम । मलदाश्च करूषाश्च देवनिर्माणनिर्मितौ ॥
M N Dutt
Here were formerly, O foremost of men, two flourishing provinces, named Malada, and Karāsa, built by celestial architects.१.२३.१७
पुरा वृत्रवधे राम मलेन समभिप्लुतम् । क्षुधा चैव सहस्राक्षं ब्रह्महत्या यदाविशत् ॥
M N Dutt
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.१.२३.१८
तमिन्द्रं स्नापयन्देवा ऋषयश्च तपोधनाः । कलशैः स्नापयामासुर्मलं चास्य प्रमोचयन् ॥
M N Dutt
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.१.२३.१९
इह भूम्यां मलं दत्त्वा दत्त्वा कारूषमेव च । शरीरजं महेन्द्रस्य ततो हर्षं प्रपेदिरे ॥
M N Dutt
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.१.२३.२२
साधु साध्विति तं देवाः पाकशासनमब्रुवन् । देशस्य पूजां तां दृष्ट्वा कृतां शक्रेण धीमता ॥
M N Dutt
And beholding the land thus honoured by the intelligent Sacra, the deities said to the subduer of Paka,-Well Well!१.२३.२३
एतौ जनपदौ स्थीतौ दीर्घकालमरिंदम । मलदाश्च करूषाश्च मुदितौ धनधान्यतः ॥
M N Dutt
O repressor of foes, these two places, Maladā and Karuṣā, enjoyed prosperity for a long time and were blessed with corn and wealth.१.२३.२४
कस्यचित्त्वथ कालस्य यक्षी वै कामरूपिणी । बलं नागसहस्रस्य धारयन्ती तदा ह्यभूत् ॥
M N Dutt
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.१.२३.२५
ताटका नाम भद्रं ते भार्या सुन्दस्य धीमतः । मारीचो राक्षसः पुत्रो यस्याः शक्रपराक्रमः ॥
M N Dutt
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.१.२३.२६
इमौ जनपदौ नित्यं विनाशयति राघव । मलदांश्च करूषांश्च ताटका दुष्टचारिणी ॥
M N Dutt
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.१.२३.२७
सेयं पन्थानमावार्य वसत्यत्यर्धयोजने । अत एव च गन्तव्यं ताटकाया वनं यतः ॥
M N Dutt
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.१.२३.३०
एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं यथैतद्दरुणं वनम् । यक्ष्या चोत्सादितं सर्वमद्यापि न निवर्तते ॥
M N Dutt
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.
॥ इति रामायणम् — १.२३ ॥