Passage 1
ब्रह्मोवाच— तावशोकवनवल्लिमण्डपे मत्तगुञ्जदलिपुञ्जमञ्जुले। मुक्तकण्ठकलकोकिलाङ्गनाकाकलीमुखरिते विजह्रतुः॥१॥
Brahmā said: The two sported in a lovely vine pavilion within the aśoka grove, resonant with swarms of intoxicated bees and the unrestrained sweet calls of female cuckoos.
Passage 2
वीक्ष्य तां प्रियतमां रघूत्तमः कोटिकामरमणीविजितश्रियाम्। क्लृप्तनव्यवनभूषणान्वितां जानकीं हृदयहारिविभ्रमाम्॥२॥
The best of Raghu's line gazed upon his beloved Jānakī, adorned with newly fashioned forest ornaments, her captivating playfulness surpassing the beauty of ten million lovers.
Passage 3
राघवो व्यमुहदात्मना भृशं तद्विनिर्मितसुवन्यभूषणः। रूपमप्रतिममुत्तमं तयोः कामकेलिमतनोत्परस्परम्॥३॥
Rāghava, who had made those lovely forest ornaments, became deeply enchanted. Their incomparable beauty expanded their mutual play of love.
Passage 4
तत्र चारुनवशाद्वलाञ्चिते कुञ्जसद्मनि मनोहरे स्थले। कापि केलिरभवत्तयोर्मिथः शिञ्जितानुगतहंसशावका॥४॥
There in the enchanting bower, graced with tender new grass, the two shared an indescribable private play, accompanied by young swans following the sound of their ornaments.
Passage 5
तौ विहृत्य निभृतं परस्परं रूपसारभररामणीयकम्। नीलया ददृशतुः परस्परप्रेक्षणानुभवसाक्षिणावुभौ॥५॥
After sporting privately, the two—embodiments of beauty's fullest essence—gazed at one another, each witnessing the other's experience through their mutual glances. The Sages Arrive
Passage 6
आशुशुक्षणिसुतास्तपस्विनस्तत्र ते मुनिवराः समाययुः। आत्मनोऽतिसुचिरं मनोगतं बिभ्रतः कमपि भावमुत्तमम्॥६॥
The ascetic sons of fire, those eminent sages, came there carrying within themselves an exalted feeling long held in their hearts.
Passage 7
रासकेलिरमुना यदा कृता सारे विपुलभासिरोधसि। प्रेमलग्नमनसस्तदावधिप्रेधमानविरहाकुलान्तराः॥७॥
Ever since he had performed the rāsa play upon the bank of the radiant Sarayū, their minds had clung to him in love and their hearts had burned with growing separation.
Passage 8
ते पुरो जनकजां रघूद्वहं कुञ्जसद्मनि परस्परेक्षिणौ। वीक्ष्य तत्र हुतभुक्कुमारका वाडवाः सकलमेव विस्मृताः॥८॥
Seeing before them Janaka's daughter and the scion of Raghu gazing at each other in the bower, the fire-born brāhmaṇas forgot everything else.
Passage 9
के वयं कुत्र इहागताः कथं कुत्र किं जगदिति प्रतीतिः। वर्जिता किमपि मुक्तचेतसो रूपसाररमणीयतावशाः॥९॥
“Who are we? Where have we come? How? Where and what is the world?” Captivated by beauty's essential charm, their liberated minds lost even these ordinary perceptions.
Passage 10
तान् विमुग्धमनसो द्विजन्मनो वीक्ष्य राघव उदारमानसः। वाक्यमुज्ज्वलमुदाजहार वेदैतदान्तरमनीषितैकवित्॥१०॥
Seeing the twice-born sages utterly enchanted, generous-hearted Rāghava—who uniquely knew their inward desire—spoke radiant words.
Passage 11
साधु वो नय उदारभावुका वाडवाः सफलसत्तपोधनाः। यूयमत्र कृपया ममागताः ब्रूत किं नु करवाणि वो बुधाः॥११॥
“Welcome, noble-hearted brāhmaṇas, whose true ascetic wealth has borne fruit. You have graciously come to me; tell me, wise ones, what shall I do for you?
Passage 12
कोटिकल्पकृतपुण्यसम्पदामूर्जिताप्रतिमब्रह्मवर्चसाम्। ब्रूत वः किमिह नाम दुर्लभं स्वर्गिणामुत फलेऽपवर्गिणाम्॥१२॥
“You possess the merit accumulated through millions of ages and incomparable spiritual radiance. Tell me, what could be difficult for you to obtain—whether the fruits enjoyed in heaven or liberation?
Passage 13
आन्तरं किमपि भावभावितं प्रेम वो विजयते रसोत्तरम्। यत्फलं खलु ममावलोकनं लब्धमेव हि भवद्भिरञ्जसा॥१३॥
“Some inward feeling has matured within you, and your love, rich in rasa, triumphs. Its fruit—beholding me—has already been directly attained by you.” Their Intimate Request
Passage 14
इत्युदीर्णममुना मनीषिणा तेष्वग्न्यतनया हुतभुजः। ऊचुरुत्प्रणयमानसा द्विजाश्चित्तधैर्यमवलम्ब्य किञ्चन॥१४॥
When the wise Lord had spoken thus, the fire-born brāhmaṇas steadied their minds as best they could and answered with hearts swelling in love.
Passage 15
कोटिपञ्चशररामणीयकस्तेन रूपरुचिसारसम्पदि। वीक्षिते त्वयि रमेश नेतरद्वीक्षणीयमधुना भवेऽस्ति नः॥१५॥
“O Lord of Ramā, now that we have seen you—the concentrated wealth of beauty, surpassing millions of gods of love—nothing else in existence remains worth seeing for us.
Passage 16
एतदेव कुरु राम कामदोऽस्यस्मदीयमिदमत्र कामितम्। यत्तवैव पुरुषस्य कामिनः कामिनीभवितुमस्ति नः स्पृहा॥१६॥
“Grant this alone, O Rāma, giver of desires. This is what we desire: we long to become beloved women of you alone, the supreme lover.
Passage 17
एहि राम करुणारसाब्धितां तावकीनविरहो दुनोति नः। त्राहि पाकुरुतमेनमूर्जितं देहि शुद्धमधरामृतं निजम्॥१७॥
“Come, Rāma, and reveal the ocean of your compassion; separation from you torments us. Protect this intense and mature longing and give us the pure nectar of your lips.
Passage 18
तान्तिमेति हृदयं तपस्विनां तत्र धेहि निजपादपल्लवम्। मोददानममृतैकवर्षणं तावकीनविरहातिभेषजम्॥१८॥
“The ascetics' hearts are wasting away. Place upon them the tender leaves of your feet, which bestow delight, shower singular nectar, and perfectly cure separation from you.
Passage 19
एधते बहुतिथं मनोगतः कोऽपि भाव इति भावितस्त्वयि। तस्य पारमधुना प्रदर्शय श्रीश देहि निजभोगभोजनम्॥१९॥
“For a very long time a certain feeling toward you has grown within our minds. Now reveal its ultimate shore, O Lord of Śrī, and let us partake of intimate enjoyment with you.
Passage 20
नान्यथा भवितुमर्हति स्पृहा कल्पिता त्वयि चिराय राघव। प्रार्थितार्थि गणकल्पशाखिनस्त्वत्प्रभो क इतरोऽस्त्वदोर्पकः॥२०॥
“The longing we have cherished for you so long cannot end otherwise, O Rāghava. You are the wish-fulfilling tree for those who approach in desire; what other lord could grant this?
Passage 21
नाथ नीतिरपि नैव हीयते प्रायशस्तव परा कदाचन। यो यथैव भवतः प्रपत्तिभाक्तं तथैव हि भवान् प्रपद्यते॥२१॥
“Lord, your supreme principle is never diminished: in whatever manner someone approaches you, you approach that person in the same manner.
Passage 22
देव्यसावपि तवातुमन्यतां भागधेयविभवेन नोऽर्थितम्। स्यात्सुदुर्लभमपीदमेतया त्वनुमतं सुलभमेव राघव॥२२॥
“May this goddess of yours also consent to what we have sought through our good fortune. Even something exceedingly difficult becomes easy, O Rāghava, when she approves it.”
Passage 23
इत्थमग्निसुततापसोदितं संनिशम्य रघुवंशचन्द्रमाः। मञ्जुलस्मितमयूखपूरिताखण्डवक्त्रविधुमण्डलोऽब्रवीत्॥२३॥
Hearing the request of the fire-born ascetics, the moon of Raghu's line spoke, the full moon-disk of his face filled with rays from a gentle smile. Rāma's Initial Objection
Passage 24
श्रीराम उवाच— अहो हि यूयं कथमिच्छथैवं स्त्रीभावमाप्तुं पुरुषप्रकाण्डाः। स्त्रीजन्म निन्द्यं मुनयो वदन्ति मानुष्यलोके पुरुषजन्मनोऽस्मिन्॥२४॥
Śrī Rāma said: “How can you, eminent men, wish to assume a woman's condition? The sages call female birth inferior to male birth in the human world.”
Passage 25
स्त्री नाम वेदानधिकारदुष्टा स्वातन्त्र्यहीनाग्लपितासुरुद्धा। अनेकदुःखानुभवैकपात्रं पुमार्थवर्जा भयभाजनं च॥२५॥
“According to that social view, a woman is denied authority over Vedic study, deprived of independence, constrained in speech, a vessel for many sufferings, excluded from the traditional aims assigned to men, and exposed to fear.
Passage 26
शङ्क्या च शश्वद्व्यभिचारदोषादप्येकजन्मा च्युतसंस्कृतिश्च। को नाम विद्वाननवद्यपुंस्त्वं विहाय योषिज्जनुराद्रियेत॥२६॥
“She is continually suspected of infidelity and, being once born female, is said to lose certain rites. What wise person would abandon faultless manhood and choose birth as a woman?”
Passage 27
अथापि सर्वज्ञतयानपेतप्राग्जन्मसंस्कारगुणा भवन्तः। स्त्रीभूय रन्तुं यदि कामयन्ते तुल्या रतिस्तर्हि न किं नु पुंसाम्॥२७॥
“Yet you are omniscient and retain the qualities and impressions of former births. If you desire to become women for intimate love, would the same delight not be available to men?
Passage 28
अप्येवमभ्यर्थितकामभोगा आरूढपातित्यधरा भवन्तः। भवादृशात्मज्ञगणोपहास्यं तपोव्ययं किं न परामृशन्ति॥२८॥
“In asking for sensual enjoyment in this way, do you not consider the fall it entails, the wasting of austerity, and the ridicule of realized people like yourselves?
Passage 29
न ह्यात्मविज्ञानसुनिश्चितार्थाः प्राप्ताः परानन्दसुधाब्धिभोगम्। भवादृशा ब्रह्मविदां वरेण्यास्तुच्छे फले नैव भवे रमन्ते॥२९॥
“Those firmly established in knowledge of the Self, who have attained the nectar-ocean of supreme bliss, and who, like you, are foremost knowers of Brahman, do not delight in a trivial worldly fruit.
Passage 30
अथाप्यहो ज्ञानकलाप्रभावाद्यूयं सदैवोपरतां प्रयाताः। न पुण्यपापादिफलाङ्कुरार्हा यथेष्टमेव व्यवहारभाजः॥३०॥
“Still, through the power of perfected knowledge, you have always transcended ordinary attachment. No sprouts of merit or sin can bind you, and you may act according to your will.
Passage 31
तथाप्यहं त्वेकवधूप्रसङ्गव्रती विमुक्तान्यवधूप्रसङ्गः। न भर्तृभावं समुपेत्य भोक्तुं युष्माभिरर्हामि यथार्थवाचः॥३१॥
“Even so, I am vowed to intimacy with one wife and free of involvement with any other woman. Speaking honestly, I cannot assume the role of husband and unite with you.
Passage 32
इत्येवमुक्ता मुनयस्तदानीमवाङ्मुखाः शोककदर्थितास्ते। गाढं विनिःश्वस्य पुरः प्रियस्य न किञ्चिदूचुः क्षणमुग्रतापाः॥३२॥
Thus addressed, the sages lowered their faces, tormented by grief. Sighing deeply before their beloved, they said nothing for a moment and suffered intense anguish.
Passage 33
अथ धृतिमवलम्ब्य प्राग्वितीर्णस्मृतार्था मुहुरपचितभावा जातवेदःकुमाराः। दृढमतिपरिपाकादस्खलन्तः कथञ्चिद्व- चनमिदमवोचन्नान्यभावानभिज्ञाः॥३३॥
Then the sons of fire gathered courage, remembering the meaning of a boon granted earlier. Their feeling had matured again and again; steadfast in conviction and knowing no other disposition, they managed to speak the following words without wavering. Thus ends Chapter 133, “The Boon Requested by the Fire-born Sages,” in the dialogue of Brahmā and Bhuśuṇḍi in the Dakṣiṇa-khaṇḍa of the glorious Ādi Rāmāyaṇa.