Chapter 31

[English text for this chapter is available]

śrīrāma uvāca |
bhagavanyāni tīrthāni sevitāni tvayā vibho |
eteṣāṃ paramaṃ tīrthaṃ tanmamācakṣva mānada || 1 ||
[Analyze grammar]

mayā tu sītāharaṇe nihatā brahmarākṣasāḥ |
tatpāpasya viśudayarthaṃ vada tīrthottamottamam || 2 ||
[Analyze grammar]

vasiṣṭha uvāca |
gaṃgā ca narmadā tāpī yamunā ca sarasvatī |
gaṃḍakī gomatī pūrṇā etā nadyaḥ supāvanāḥ || 3 ||
[Analyze grammar]

etāsāṃ narmadā śreṣṭhā gaṃgā tripathagāminī |
dahate kilbiṣaṃ sarvaṃ darśanādeva rāghava || 4 ||
[Analyze grammar]

dṛṣṭvā janmaśataṃ pāpaṃ gatvā janmaśatatrayam |
snātvā janmasahasraṃ ca haṃti revā kalau yuge || 5 ||
[Analyze grammar]

narmadātīramāśritya śākamūlaphalairapi |
ekasminbhojite vipre koṭi bhojaphalaṃ labheta || 6 ||
[Analyze grammar]

gaṃgā gaṃgeti yo brūyādyojanānāṃ śatairapi |
mucyate sarvapāpebhyo viṣṇulokaṃ sa gacchati || 7 ||
[Analyze grammar]

phālgunāṃte kuhūṃ prāpya tathā prauṣṭhapade'site |
pakṣe gaṃgāmadhi prāpya snānaṃ ca pitṛtarpaṇam || 8 ||
[Analyze grammar]

kurute piṃḍadānāni so'kṣayaṃ phalamaśnute |
śucau māse ca saṃprāpte snānaṃ vāpyāṃ karoti yaḥ || 9 ||
[Analyze grammar]

caturaśītinarakānna paśyati naro nṛpa |
tapatyāḥ smaraṇe rāma mahāpātakināmapi || 10 ||
[Analyze grammar]

uddharetsaptagotrāṇi kulamekottaraṃ śatam |
yamunāyāṃ naraḥ snātvā sarvapāpaiḥ pramucyate || 11 ||
[Analyze grammar]

mahāpātakayukto'pi sa gacchetparamāṃ gatim |
kārttikyāṃ kṛttikāyoge sarasvatyāṃ nimajjayet || 12 ||
[Analyze grammar]

gacchetsa garuḍārūḍhaḥ stūyamānaḥ surottamaiḥ |
snātvā yaḥ kārtike māsi yatra prācī sarasvatī || 13 ||
[Analyze grammar]

prācīṃ mādhavamāstūya sa gacchetparamāṃ gatim |
gaṃḍakīpuṇyatīrthe hi snānaṃ yaḥ kurute naraḥ || 14 ||
[Analyze grammar]

śālagrāmaśilāmarcya na bhūyaḥ stanapo bhavet |
gomatījalakallolairmajjayetkṛṣṇasannidhau || 15 ||
[Analyze grammar]

caturbhujo naro bhūtvā vaikuṇṭhe modate ciram |
carmaṇvatīṃ namaskṛtya apaḥ spṛśati yo naraḥ || 16 ||
[Analyze grammar]

sa tārayati pūrvajāndaśa pūrvāndaśāparān |
dvayośca saṃgamaṃ dṛṣṭvā śrutvā vā sāgaradhvanim || 17 ||
[Analyze grammar]

brahmahatyāyuto vāpi pūto gacchetparāṃ gatim |
māghamāse prayāge tu majjanaṃ kurute naraḥ || 18 ||
[Analyze grammar]

iha loke sukhaṃ bhuktvā ante viṣṇupadaṃ vrajet |
prabhāse ye narā rāma trirātraṃ brahmacāriṇaḥ || 19 ||
[Analyze grammar]

yamalokaṃ na paśyeyuḥ kuṃbhīpākādikaṃ tathā |
naimiṣāraṇyavāsī yo naro devatvamāpnuyāt || 20 ||
[Analyze grammar]

devānāmālayaṃ yasmāttadeva bhuvi durlabham |
kurukṣetre naro rāma grahaṇe candrasūryayoḥ || 21 ||
[Analyze grammar]

hemadānācca rājeṃdra na bhūyaḥ stanapo bhavet |
śrīsthale darśanaṃ kṛtvā naraḥ pāpātpramucyate || 22 ||
[Analyze grammar]

sarvaduḥkhavināśe ca viṣṇuloke mahīyate |
kāśyapīṃ sparśayedyo gāṃ mānavo bhuvi rāghava || 23 ||
[Analyze grammar]

sarvakāmadughāvāsamṛṣilokaṃ sa gacchati |
ujjayinyāṃ tu vaiśākhe śiprāyāṃ snānamācaret || 24 ||
[Analyze grammar]

mocayedrauravādghorātpūrvajāṃśca sahasraśaḥ |
siṃdhusnānaṃ naro rāma prakaroti dinatrayam || 25 ||
[Analyze grammar]

sarvapāpaviśuddhātmā kailāse modate naraḥ |
koṭitīrthe naraḥ snātvā dṛṣṭvā koṭīśvaraṃ śivam || 26 ||
[Analyze grammar]

brahmahatyādibhiḥ pāpairlipyate na ca sa kvacit |
ajñānāmapi jaṃtūnāṃ mahā'medhye tu gacchatām || 27 ||
[Analyze grammar]

pādodbhūtaṃ payaḥ pītvā sarvapāpaṃ praṇaśyati |
vedavatyāṃ naro yastu snāti sūryodaye śubhe || 28 ||
[Analyze grammar]

sarvarogātpramucyeta paraṃ sukhamavāpnuyāt |
tīrthāni rāma sarvatra snānapānāvagāhanaiḥ || 29 ||
[Analyze grammar]

nāśayaṃti manuṣyāṇāṃ sarvapāpāni līlayā |
tīrthānāṃ paramaṃ tīrthaṃ dharmāraṇyaṃ pracakṣate || 30 ||
[Analyze grammar]

brahmaviṣṇuśivādyairyadādau saṃsthāpitaṃ purā |
araṇyānāṃ ca sarveṣāṃ tīrthānāṃ ca viśeṣataḥ || 31 ||
[Analyze grammar]

dharmāraṇyātparaṃ nāsti bhuktimuktipradāyakam |
svarge devāḥ praśaṃsaṃti dharmāraṇyanivāsinaḥ || 32 ||
[Analyze grammar]

te puṇyāste puṇyakṛto ye vasaṃti kalau narāḥ |
dharmāraṇye rāmadeva sarvakilbiṣanāśane || 33 ||
[Analyze grammar]

brahmahatyādipāpāni sarvasteyakṛtāni ca |
paradāraprasaṃgādi abhakṣyabhakṣaṇādi vai || 34 ||
[Analyze grammar]

agamyāgamanā yāni asparśasparśanādi ca |
bhasmībhavaṃti lokānāṃ dharmāraṇyāvagāhanāt || 35 ||
[Analyze grammar]

brahmaghnaśca kṛtaghnaśca bālaghno'nṛtabhāṣaṇaḥ |
strīgoghnaścaiva grāmaghro dharmāraṇye vimucyate || 36 ||
[Analyze grammar]

nātaḥ paraṃ pāvanaṃ hi pāpināṃ prāṇināṃ bhuvi |
svargyaṃ yaśasyamāyuṣyaṃ vāṃchitārthapradaṃ śubham || 37 ||
[Analyze grammar]

kāmināṃ kāmadaṃ kṣetraṃ yatīnāṃ muktidāyakam |
siddhānāṃ siddhidaṃ proktaṃ dharmāraṇyaṃ yugeyuge || 38 ||
[Analyze grammar]

brahmovāca |
vasiṣṭhavacanaṃ śrutvā rāmo dharmabhṛtāṃ varaḥ |
paraṃ harṣamanuprāpya hṛdayānaṃdakārakam || 39 ||
[Analyze grammar]

protphullahṛdayo rāmo romāciṃtatanūruhaḥ |
gamanāya matiṃ cakre dharmāraṇye śubhavrataḥ || 40 ||
[Analyze grammar]

yasminkīṭapataṃgādimānuṣāḥ paśavastathā |
trirātrasevanenaiva mucyante sarvapātakaiḥ || 41 ||
[Analyze grammar]

kuśasthalī yathā kāśī śūlapāṇiśca bhairavaḥ |
yathā vai muktido rāma dharmāraṇyaṃ tathottamam || 42 ||
[Analyze grammar]

tato rāmo maheṣvāso mudā paramayā yutaḥ |
prasthitastīrthayātrāyāṃ sītayā bhrātṛbhiḥ saha || 43 ||
[Analyze grammar]

anujagmustadā rāmaṃ hanumāṃśca kapīśvaraḥ |
kauśalyā ca sumitrā ca kaikeyī ca mudānvitā || 44 ||
[Analyze grammar]

lakṣmaṇo lakṣaṇopeto bharataśca mahāmatiḥ |
śatrughnaḥ sainyasahitopyayodhyāvāsinastathā || 45 ||
[Analyze grammar]

prakṛtayo naravyāghra dharmāraṇye viniryayuḥ |
anujagmustadā rāmaṃ mudā paramayā yutāḥ || 46 ||
[Analyze grammar]

tīrthayātrāvidhiṃ kartuṃ gṛhātpracalito nṛpaḥ |
vasiṣṭhaṃ svakulācāryamidamāha mahīpate || 47 ||
[Analyze grammar]

śrīrāma uvāca |
etadāścaryamatulaṃ kimādi dvārakābhavat |
kiyatkālasamutpannā vasiṣṭhedaṃ vadasva me || 48 ||
[Analyze grammar]

vasiṣṭha uvāca |
na jānāmi mahārāja kiyatkālādabhūdidam |
lomaśo jāṃbavāṃścaiva jānātīti ca kāraṇam || 49 ||
[Analyze grammar]

śarīre yatkṛtaṃ pāpaṃ nānājanmāṃtareṣvapi |
prāyaścitaṃ hi sarveṣāmetatkṣetra paraṃ smṛtam || 50 ||
[Analyze grammar]

śrutveti vacanaṃ tasya rāmaṃ jñānavatāṃ varaḥ |
gantuṃ kṛtamatistīrthaṃ yātrāvidhimathācarat || 51 ||
[Analyze grammar]

vasiṣṭhaṃ cāgrataḥ kṛtvā mahāmāṃḍalikairnṛpaiḥ |
punaścaravidhiṃ kṛtvā prasthitaścottarāṃ diśam || 52 ||
[Analyze grammar]

vasiṣṭhaṃ cāgrataḥ kṛtvā pratasthe paścimāṃ diśam |
grāmādgrāmamatikramya deśāddeśaṃ vanādvanam || 53 ||
[Analyze grammar]

vimucya niryayau rāmaḥ sasainyaḥ saparicchadaḥ |
gajavājisahasraughai rathairyānaiśca koṭibhiḥ || 54 ||
[Analyze grammar]

śibikābhiścāsaṃkhyābhiḥ prayayau rāghavastadā |
gajārūḍhaḥ prapaśyaṃśca deśānvividhasauhṛdān || 55 ||
[Analyze grammar]

śvetātapatraṃ vidhṛtya cāmareṇa śubhena ca |
vījitaśca janaughena rāmastatra samabhyagāt || 56 ||
[Analyze grammar]

vāditrāṇāṃ svanaighorairnṛtyagītapuraḥsaraiḥ |
stūyamānopi sūtaiśca yayau rāmo mudānvitaḥ || 57 ||
[Analyze grammar]

daśame'hani saṃprāptaṃ dharmāraṇyamanuttamam |
adūre hi tato rāmo dṛṣṭvā māṃḍalikaṃ puram || 58 ||
[Analyze grammar]

tatra sthitvā sasainyastu uvāsa niśi tāṃ purīm |
śrutvā tu nirjanaṃ kṣetramudvasaṃ ca bhayānakam || 59 ||
[Analyze grammar]

vyāghrasiṃhākulaṃ tatra yakṣarākṣasasevitam |
śrutvā janamukhādrāmo dharmāraṇyamaraṇyakam |
tacchrutvā rāmadevastu na ciṃtā kriyatāmiti || 60 ||
[Analyze grammar]

tatrasthānvaṇijaḥ śūrāndakṣānsvavyavasāyake || 61 ||
[Analyze grammar]

samarthānhi mahākāyānmahābalaparākramān |
samāhūya tadā kāle vākyametadathābravīt || 62 ||
[Analyze grammar]

śibikāṃ susuvaṇāṃ me śīghraṃ vāhayatāciram |
yathā kṣaṇena caikena dharmaraṇyaṃ vrajāmyaham || 63 ||
[Analyze grammar]

tatra snātvā ca pītvā ca sarvapāpātpramucyate |
evaṃ te vaṇijaḥ sarvai rāmeṇa preritāstadā || 64 ||
[Analyze grammar]

tathetyuktvā ca te sarve ūhustacchibikāṃ tadā |
kṣetramadhye yadā rāmaḥ praviṣṭaḥ sahasainikaḥ || 65 ||
[Analyze grammar]

tadyānasya gatirmaṃdā saṃjātā kila bhārata |
maṃdaśabdāni vādyāni mātaṃgā maṃdagāminaḥ || 66 ||
[Analyze grammar]

hayāśca tādṛśā jātā rāmo vismaya māgataḥ |
guruṃ papraccha vinayādvaśiṣṭhaṃ munipuṃgavam || 67 ||
[Analyze grammar]

kimetanmaṃdagatayaścitraṃ hṛdi munīśvara |
trikālajño muniḥ prāha dharmakṣetramupāgatam || 68 ||
[Analyze grammar]

tīrthe purātane rāma pādacāreṇa gamyate |
evaṃ kṛte tataḥ paścātsainyasaukhyaṃ bhaviṣyati || 69 ||
[Analyze grammar]

pādacārī tatau rāmaḥ sainyena saha saṃyutaḥ |
madhuvāsanake grāme prāptaḥ paramabhāvanaḥ || 70 ||
[Analyze grammar]

guruṇā coktamārgeṇa mātṝṇāṃ pūjanaṃ kṛtam |
nānopahārairvividhaiḥ pratiṣṭhāvidhipūrvakam || 73 ||
[Analyze grammar]

tato rāmo harikṣetraṃ suvarṇādakṣiṇe taṭe |
nirīkṣya yajñayogyāśca bhūmīrvai bahuśastathā || 72 ||
[Analyze grammar]

kṛtakṛtyaṃ tadātmānaṃ mene rāmo raghūdvahaḥ |
dharmasthānaṃ nirīkṣyātha suvarṇākṣottare taṭe || 73 ||
[Analyze grammar]

sainyasaṃghaṃ samuttīryya babhrāma kṣetramadhyataḥ |
tatra tīrtheṣu sarveṣu devatāyataneṣu ca || 74 ||
[Analyze grammar]

yathoktāni ca karmāṇi rāmaścakre vidhānataḥ |
śrāddhāni vidhivaccakre śraddhayā parayā yutaḥ || 75 ||
[Analyze grammar]

sthāpayāmāsa rāmeśaṃ tathā kāmeśvaraṃ punaḥ |
sthānādvāyupradeśe tu suvarṇo bhayatastaṭe || 76 ||
[Analyze grammar]

kṛtvaivaṃ kṛtakṛtyo'bhūdrāmo daśarathātmajaḥ |
kṛtvā sarvavidhiṃ caiva sabhāyāṃ samupāviśat || 77 ||
[Analyze grammar]

tāṃ niśāṃ sa nadītīre suṣvāpa raghunaṃdanaḥ |
tato'rddharātre saṃjāte rāmo rājīvalocanaḥ || 78 ||
[Analyze grammar]

jāgṛtastu tadā kāla ekākī dharmavatsalaḥ |
aśrauṣīcca kṣaṇe tasminrāmo nārīvirodanam || 79 ||
[Analyze grammar]

niśāyāṃ karuṇairvākyai rudaṃtīṃ kurarīmiva |
cārairvilokayāmāsa rāmastāmatisaṃbhramāt || 80 ||
[Analyze grammar]

dṛṣṭvātivihvalāṃ nārīṃ kraṃdantīṃ karuṇaiḥ svaraiḥ |
pṛṣṭā sā duḥkhitā nārī rāmadūtaistadānagha || 81 ||
[Analyze grammar]

dūtā ūcuḥ |
kāsi tvaṃ subhage nāri devī vā dānavī nu kim |
kena vā trāsitāsi tvaṃ muṣṭaṃ kena dhanaṃ tava || 82 ||
[Analyze grammar]

vikalā dāruṇāñchabdānudgiraṃtī muhurmuhuḥ |
kathayasva yathātathyaṃ rāmo rājābhipṛcchati || 83 ||
[Analyze grammar]

tayoktaṃ svāminaṃ dūtāḥ preṣayadhvaṃ mamāṃtikam |
yathāhaṃ mānasaṃ duḥkhaṃ śāṃtyai tasmai nivedaye || 84 ||
[Analyze grammar]

tathetyuktvā tato dūtā rāmamāgatya cābruvan || 85 ||
[Analyze grammar]