Passage 1
गरुड उवाच— अयोध्यामण्डले कश्चिद्दुष्प्रीतिर्नाम पातकी। जात्यापि खलु चाण्डालो वर्णानामधमोऽन्त्यजः॥१॥
Garuḍa said: Within the circuit of Ayodhyā there was a sinner named Duṣprīti. He was indeed a caṇḍāla by birth, an outcaste lower than the social orders.
Passage 2
स मृतः खलु पूर्वेद्युः सरयूपुलिनाङ्गणे। तत्तोयवातसंस्पृष्टं शरीरं तस्य जम्बुकैः॥२॥
He died the previous day upon a stretch of the Sarayū's sandy bank. His body, touched by the breeze from its water, was then set upon by jackals.
Passage 3
लुञ्छितं लुण्ठितं तावत्खण्डशः कृन्तितं मुहुः। तटान्ते प्रापितं चापि तरङ्गैर्लोलितं मुहुः॥३॥
They plucked at it and rolled it about, repeatedly cutting it into pieces. It was brought to the edge of the bank and repeatedly tossed by the waves.
Passage 4
तं दण्डधर दूतास्ते निन्युः संयमिनीमिमाम्। तदानयनकार्यार्थमहमत्रागतो रुषा॥४॥
Bearer of the rod, your messengers carried him here to Saṃyamanī. I have come here in anger for the purpose of taking him back.
Passage 5
कृतं प्रत्युत दूतैस्तैर्महद्युद्धं मया सह। दुष्प्रीतिर्नाम चाण्डालो न तु तैरुपढौकितः॥५॥
Those messengers instead fought a great battle with me; they would not hand over the caṇḍāla named Duṣprīti.
Passage 6
इह नानेतुमर्होऽयमयोध्यामण्डले मृतः। अहं हि प्रभुणा पूर्वमुक्तोऽस्मि बहुधा यमः॥६॥
He ought not to be brought here, for he died within the circuit of Ayodhyā. The Lord formerly told me this many times, Yama.
Passage 7
य एतस्मिन् महापुर्या मण्डले म्रियते जनः। तस्य त्वं वाहनो भूत्वा प्रापयेथा मदन्तिके॥७॥
“Whoever dies within the circuit of this great city—you must become that person's vehicle and bring that person into my presence.
Passage 8
प्रमोदविपिने तार्क्ष्य नित्यमेव वसाम्यहम्। महावैकुण्ठात्परमिदं विज्ञेयं धाम मामकम्॥८॥
Tārkṣya, I dwell perpetually in Pramoda Forest. Know this abode of mine to be higher than Great Vaikuṇṭha. Printed note (8): पादेऽस्मिन्नक्षराधिक्यमार्षः। — In this quarter the additional syllable belongs to the archaic transmission.
Passage 9
न यत्र कालः प्रभवत्यनन्तो मायाथवा तद्गुणसम्भ्रवाहः। न चापि कर्म व्यभिचारिरूपं न चापि दैवं न मनःप्रवृत्तिः॥९॥
There endless Time has no power, nor does māyā or the surging stream of its qualities; neither errant karma, nor fate, nor the activity of mind has power there.
Passage 10
अथैतन्मण्डलं नित्यं योजनद्वादशात्मकम्। अक्षरं ब्रह्मानन्दसत्प्रेमानन्दमयोजितम्॥१०॥
This eternal circuit extends twelve yojanas. It is imperishable and joined with the bliss of Brahman and the bliss of true love.
Passage 11
न कालकर्ममर्यादाप्यत्र सम्बाधते नृणाम्। नानेन सदृशं तीर्थं नानेन सदृशं तपः॥११॥
No limit imposed by time or karma constrains people here. No sacred place equals it, and no austerity equals it.
Passage 12
नानेन सदृशं क्षेत्रं त्रिषु लोकेषु विद्यते। नानेन सदृशी गङ्गा नानेन सदृशी गया॥१२॥
In the three worlds no sacred field equals it. No Gaṅgā equals it, and no Gayā equals it.
Passage 13
गङ्गाद्वारादितीर्थानि गङ्गासागरसङ्गमः। मुक्तिक्षेत्रं तथा काशी तथा चामरकण्टकम्॥१३॥
The sacred places beginning with Gaṅgādvāra, the meeting of the Gaṅgā and the ocean, the field of liberation, Kāśī, and Amarakaṇṭaka;
Passage 14
गोदावरी नर्मदा च व्यासगङ्गा सरस्वती। कृष्णा च यमुना चापि कावेरी भीमशाङ्करी॥१४॥
the Godāvarī, Narmadā, Vyāsa-gaṅgā, Sarasvatī, Kṛṣṇā, Yamunā, Kāverī, and Bhīmaśāṅkarī;
Passage 15
चन्द्रभागा शतद्रुश्च वृद्धगङ्गा सुपावनाः। पुष्करादीनि तीर्थानि तीर्थराजस्तथैव च॥१५॥
the Candrabhāgā, Śatadru, and Vṛddha-gaṅgā, all most purifying; the sacred places beginning with Puṣkara and likewise the king of sacred places—
Passage 16
पुरुषोत्तमाख्यं क्षेत्रं क्षेत्राण्येतानि षोडश। तीर्थानि च पवित्राणि यावन्ति धरणीतले॥१६॥
the field named Puruṣottama and these sixteen sacred fields, together with however many holy pilgrimage places exist upon the earth—
Passage 17
तानि सर्वाण्ययोध्यायाः कलां नार्हन्ति षोडशीम्। प्रकटाश्चैव गुप्ताश्च यावन्तस्तीर्थराशयः॥१७॥
all of them do not equal even one sixteenth part of Ayodhyā. However many multitudes of sacred places are manifest or hidden,
Passage 18
तावन्तः सर्व एवैतन्मण्डलं समुपासते। जले चैव स्थले चैव नास्ति भेदोऽत्र कश्चन॥१८॥
all of them attend upon this circuit. Here there is no distinction at all between water and dry land.
Passage 19
स्नानाद्दानाद्विधानाच्च वपनात्पिण्डदानतः। होमाज्जपाद्दीक्षणाच्च यज्ञाद्देवतार्चनात्॥१९॥
Through bathing, giving, prescribed observance, shaving, offering ancestral cakes, fire oblation, recitation, initiation, sacrifice, and worship of a deity;
Passage 20
विवाहाद्व्रतबन्धाच्च यात्रया च प्रदक्षिणात्। निवासाद्दर्शनाच्चैव स्मरणाच्चाभिवन्दनात्॥२०॥
through marriage, investiture with the sacred vow, pilgrimage, circumambulation, residence, sight, remembrance, and reverent salutation;
Passage 21
कथनात्स्तवनाच्चैव मरणाद्दाहनात्तथा। इत्येवं द्वाविंशतिधा ह्ययोध्यामण्डलं नृणाम्॥२१॥
through speaking of it, praising it, dying there, and being cremated there—thus in twenty-two ways the circuit of Ayodhyā
Passage 22
मोचयत्युग्रपापेभ्यो मुक्तिं चापि प्रयच्छति। यद्यद्वाञ्छति तत्सर्वं ददात्यत्र न संशयः॥२२॥
releases people from terrible sins and also grants liberation. Whatever one desires, it grants all of that here; there is no doubt.
Passage 23
प्रतितीर्थमयोध्यायां धनुर्मात्रमिते स्थले। विद्यन्ते कोटितीर्थानि पुष्करादीनि सन्ततम्॥२३॥
At every sacred point in Ayodhyā, within each place measuring a single bow-length, ten million sacred places beginning with Puṣkara are perpetually present.
Passage 24
वक्त्रकोटिशतेनापि जिह्वाकोटिशतेन च। अयोध्यायास्तु माहात्म्यं क्षमो वक्तुं नरः कथम्॥२४॥
Even with a hundred crores of mouths and a hundred crores of tongues, how could a person be capable of telling Ayodhyā's greatness?
Passage 25
तस्मादत्र प्रजातानामागन्तूनां तथान्यतः। मृतानां चापि गरुड सदयस्त्वं वाहनो भव॥२५॥
Therefore, Garuḍa, compassionately become the vehicle of those born here, of those who arrive from elsewhere, and of those who die here.”
Passage 26
इत्येतं भगवान् रामो मां प्रबोधितवान् पुरा। ततश्च मामनादृत्य दूतास्ते रविनन्दन॥२६॥
In this way Bhagavān Rāma instructed me long ago. Yet then your messengers disregarded me, son of the Sun.
Passage 27
आनिन्युस्ते किमिति च मृतं दुष्प्रीतिमन्त्यजम्। अपि चेत्पातकी दुष्टो यावज्जन्मविहिंसकः॥२७॥
Why did they bring here the dead outcaste Duṣprīti? Even if one is a sinner, wicked, and violent throughout life,
Passage 28
दुराचारः क्रूरकर्मा रोऽप्ययोध्यापुरे मृतः। सदयो मत्पृष्ठमारुह्य रामधाम व्रजेन्नरः॥२८॥
even if one is immoral, performs cruel deeds, and is however cruel, a person who dies in the city of Ayodhyā compassionately mounts my back and proceeds to Rāma's abode.
Passage 29
तस्मादेनं विमुञ्च त्वं नाम्ना दुष्प्रीतिमन्त्यजम्। स्मरन् प्रतिज्ञां रामस्य स्वाधिकारं यदीच्छसि॥२९॥
Therefore release this outcaste named Duṣprīti. If you wish to retain your own authority, remember Rāma's promise.
Passage 30
न रामो द्विर्वचो ब्रूते नाभयं द्विर्ददाति च। द्विशरं नाभिसन्धत्ते न द्विरङ्गीकरोति च॥३०॥
Rāma does not speak his word twice, does not grant fearlessness twice, does not set a second arrow, and does not accept someone twice: once is sufficient.