Chapter 36 - Conversation between Rāma and Agastya

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Pulastya said:

1. Then the gods went by many aeroplanes. Rāma too quickly went to the penance-grove of Agastya.

2. (He thought:) ‘The revered one, who had formerly come to see me in my assembly, had told me to go to him again.

3. So by the order of gods and for their work I shall go and see that great sage, honoured by gods and demons.

4. And the best one will advise me so that I shall never again be unhappy in this mortal world.

5. My father is Daśaratha and Kausalyā is my mother. I am born in the solar family. Still I am so much unhappy!

6. I had to stay in the forest with my wife and younger brother at the time (when I should have enjoyed) the kingdom. My wife also was abducted by Rāvaṇa.

7-8a. I met Sītā after having crossed the excellent ocean without anybody’s help and having besieged that city (of Lanka) and having destroyed his (i.e. Rāvaṇa’s) family. I abandoned her in front of the gods.

8b-9. They (then) told me that she was pure, so I, full of love, brought her home; but (again) forsook her on account of (an adverse) public opinion. That respectable lady is living in a forest, (while) I am living in the city.

10. I am born in the best family; I am best among the archers; I am suffering from the worst misery; (yet) my heart is not rent.

11. Surely the creator has created me with an adamantine essence. Now following the instruction of a brāhmaṇa, I wander over the surface of the earth.

12. Obeying the words of gods, I have destroyed this sinful śūdra who was practising penance. Again my life has stood still in my heart (i.e. I am very uneasy).

13. I (shall now) see the adorable sage, engaged in the wellbeing of this world, so that by seeing him my grief will soon come to an end.

14. As at the rise of the sun snow melts, in the same way (by seeing him) all the grief that has come to me will completely come to an end.’

15. The revered sage Agastya too, seeing the gods who had come there, and being very well pleased offered them a respectful offering and worshipped them.

16. They too, having talked to the great sage, and being delighted went to heaven with their followers.

17. When they had left, the descendant of Kakutstha (i.e. Rāma) got down from Puṣpaka and went to salute the best sage Agastya.

The king (i.e. Rāma) said:

18. O best sage, I am Daśaratha’s son. I have come to salute you. (Please) look at me with a pleasing eye (i.e. favour me).

19. By seeing you my sins will be shaken off. There is no doubt (about it).

20. Saying this much and saluting the sage again and again, he (enquired after) the welfare of the servants, the beasts and his son (and said:) “After having killed the śūdra (viz. Śambūka) I have come here to see (you) the revered one.”

Agastya said:

21-22. O you best among the Raghus, O you highly lust rous one, (please) accept the respectful offering meant for you. O best among the Raghus, O you who are adorable to the world, O you eternal one, welcome to you. O descendant of Kakutstha, your visit has purified me along with the sages. O you killer of enemies, due to my good luck, you have come here.

23. You are always very much respected due to your many excellent qualities. Therefore you deserve to be honoured. You have always remained in my heart.

24. The gods also proclaim that you, the killer of the śūdra, have come. You have righteously brought the brāhmaṇa’s son back to life.

25. O Rāghava, (please) live with me. O you highly intelligent one, you will go to Ayodhyā in the Puṣpaka (next) morning.

26. O Rāghava, O gentle one, O king of kings, (please) accept this divine ornament well fashioned by Viśvakarman of a divine body and shining with its own lustre.

27. Do what is agreeable to me. It is said that great fruit accrues (to a person) when what is obtained is again given (by him).

28. You are capable of protecting the best gods including Indra. Therefore I shall duly offer (this to you). O best of men, (please) accept it.

29. Then the great warrior of mighty arms (i.e. very powerful) among the Ikṣvākus, remembering his duty, with the palms of his hands joined in obeisance, said:

30. “O revered sir, accepting a gift from you is censurable on my part. O brāhmaṇa, how can a wise kṣatriya accept a gift given by a brāhmaṇa? Please tell (i.e. explain) it to me.

31. I have sons, I am a householder and I am capable (of securing such gifts), O great sage.

32. I am not overcome with a calamity. (Then) how can I accept this gift? My wife has deceased long back: and I have not (taken to) another wife.

33-34a. Here (i.e. if I accept the gift), I shall merely commit an offence. There is no doubt about it. If a kṣatriya accepts a gift when he is reduced to a miserable condition, he does not incur sin. Manu is the authority in this matter.

34b-35. Manu has said that old parents, a virtuous wife, a young son should be taken care of (by a man) even by doing a hundred evil deeds. (So) O brāhmaṇa sage, I shall not accept the gift offered by you.

36. O you honoured by gods, (please) do not be angry with me.”

Agastya said:

37. O king, there is nothing wrong if kings accept a gift offered to them. O Rāghava, you are able to protect even the three worlds.

38. O Rāma, then protect this brāhmaṇa especially when he is also an ascetic. Therefore I shall duly give (the gift). (Please) accept it, O king.

Rāma said:

39. O brāhmaṇa, please tell me how should a wise kṣat-riya accept what is offered by a brāhmaṇa.

Agastya said:

40. O Rāma, in the old Kṛtayuga, that had become one with Brahman, all the beings were without a king: (only) Indra was (the king) of gods.

41-42. Those beings went to the great lord of gods for (securing) a king. (They said to him:) “Gods have a king viz. Śatakratu (i.e. Indra), the gods of gods. O lord of the worlds, for our well-being make (someone) our king, offering worship to whom men enjoy the earth.”

43. Then Brahmā, the greatest among gods, called the regents of the quarters with Indra, and said to all of them: “Bestow here a part of your lustre.”

44. Then the regents of the quarters (each) gave a quarter of their lustre. Due to that Brahmā became inexhaustible (in lustre), and from (i.e. due to) him the king also became inexhaustible (in lustre).

45. Then Brahmā bestowed the portion(s) of the lustre of the regents of the quarters upon men. Due to that a king is skilled in (looking after) the welfare of these beings.

46. Due to the portion (received) from Indra, the king should order all; and on account of Varuṇa’s portion (that he has in him) he nourishes all men.

47. The king directs (i.e. gives) wealth by means of the portion of Kubera (that he has in him); and the king governs his subjects with the portion of Yama that (he has) in him.

48. O best of Raghus, when such is the case, you are the lord of men due to Indra’s portion (that you have in you) O lord, (please) accept the ornament to protect me.

49. Then Rāma accepted from the hand of the great-souled sage, the divine, bright ornament blazing like the sun.

50-53 a. Rāghava, the killer of the heroes of enemies for a long time examined the ornament and thought again and again, and seeing that it had many bright pearls (big) like the āmalaka-fruits, and it was inlaid with gold, and was well-knit, well-divided and well-fashioned with diamonds, corals, sapphires, rubies, gomedhas^[1], Lapis Lazuli and topaz, by Viśvakarman, he was pleased and again thought thus:

53b-54. ‘I have never (before) seen such gems inlaid for beauty and worth the price of the earth. I have not seen them even in Bibhīṣaṇa’s Laṅkā.’

55. Thinking like this mentally (i.e. in his mind), Rāghava again began to ask the sage about the acquisition of the divine (ornament):

56. “O brāhmaṇa, it is very wonderful, and not obtainable (even) to kings; how did the revered one obtain it? Wherefrom did you obtain it? Who has fashioned it?

57-58a. O you highly intelligent one, I ask you only through

curiosity. If the middle portion of the palm of the hand is illuminated when the gem is put on the palm, then one should know it to be of the lowest (quality), and it is condemned in all treatises.

58b-59. O best of sages, that which illumines the directions, is mediocre. That is said to be the best having three rays shooting up. These are said to be of the best kind by the sages.

60. The revered one is a treasure of many divine marvels.” When the descendant of Kakutstha was speaking like this, the sage said (these) words:

Agastya said:

61. O Rāma, listen to the great ancient account of what formerly took place in Tretayuga, when Dvapara was about to set in, and what I saw in a forest.

62-63a. O descendant of Raghu, O you of mighty arms,

know (i.e. listen to) the great wonder. Formerly in Tretāyuga there was a very extensive forest, measuring a hundred yojanas on all sides, and without beasts and tigers.

63b-64a. With a desire to practise excellent penance in that manless forest I went to the forest to enter it, O gentle one.

64b-65a. The centre of the forest was always full of roots and fruits, vegetables of various shapes, and good groves of many forms.

65b-67a. In the middle of the forest I saw a wonder, viz. a very beautiful lake five yojanas in length, abounding in swans, ducks and adorned with ruddy geese, crowded with large tortoises and full of the rows of cranes.

67b-68. Formerly I had gone near the lake to practise penance. O best of men, having gone near the auspicious region free from all kinds of violence, I stayed there for one summer night.

69-70a. Having again got up in the morning, I went to that lake; and not far from the lake I saw a dead body not at all touched by decrepitude and lying with great loveliness.

70b-73a. O Rāghava, (I stood) for a while thinking about it: ‘There is no being on the bank of this lake; or who is (i.e. can be) this excellent god? Or can this be (the body of) a sage or a king? But where can there be such a sage or a king (near about)? Or how can there be the possibility (of the dead body being that) of a prince here? If the person died the previous day or night or in the morning, I must certainly know the vital part played by the lake (in bringing about the death).’

73b-74. O best of the Raghus, while I thus stood thinking, in a short while I saw before me a very big divine aeroplane looking wonderful, to which swans were yoked and which had the speed of mind.

75. In the aeroplane a thousand celestial nymphs and an equal number of Gandharvas were amusing an excellent man.

76-77a. (Some) were singing divine songs, others were playing on the musical instruments. O you perpetuator of Raghu’s family, I saw a man getting down from the aeroplane and eating, after having bathed, the flesh of (that) dead body.

77b-78a. Then having eaten a very large (quantity) of the flesh to the satisfaction of his desire, he quickly got down into the lake and then again went up to heaven.

78b-79. (I said to) him who resembled a god, and who was endowed with great loveliness: “O you resident of heaven, O you magnanimous one, I (would like to) ask you: “How is it that your food is (so) condemnable while your position is (so) excellent?

80. If it is not a secret, you may (please) tell it to me today. I have a desire to hear what important words they are (i.e. what important things you have to say).

81. Who are you? (Please) speak (and remove) my doubt. O gentle one, why do you eat this censured food? Where do you stay?

82. Whose lordly condition is created as (i.e. transformed into) a dead body (i.e. who was the mighty person that is transformed into a dead body)? How is it that (you are enjoying) condemned food? I desire to hear the truth.”

83. Hearing (these) words of (i.e. uttered by) me, O Rāma, best among the good, the resident of heaven, replied with the palms of his hands joined in obeisance, O descendant of Raghu:

84. “Today hear, how this, caused by pleasure and pain, happened in my case. O brāhmaṇa, desire is difficult to be resisted; hear (the reply to) what you ask.

85. Formerly there was a king of the Vidarbha country. He, of great fame, was my father known in the three worlds as Vāsudeva and was religious.

86. O brāhmaṇa, he had sons born from two wives. I (the elder one) was known as Sveta, and the younger one was Suratha.

87. When the father expired, the citizens consecrated me (as the king). There I ruled and was well-settled in righteousness.

88. As I was ruling over the kingdom and protecting my subjects in this way, many thousand years passed.

89. O best of brāhmaṇas, that I (i.e. I who lived like that), due to indifference to the world, as a result of some cause, thought of dying and went to the penance-grove.

90. That I (i.e. who thought...etc.) entered this very charming forest, free from birds, (and came) near this lake only.

91-92. Having placed Suratha on the throne as the king, I having come to this lake, practised a very severe penance. Having practised penance for ten thousand years in the great forest, I reached an auspicious residence, viz. the healthy world of Brahmā.

93. O best of brāhmaṇas, hunger and thirst tormented me even when I was in heaven; and my organs of sense were very much afflicted.

94-95. Then I said to the grandsire, the greatest in the three worlds: ‘O revered sir, this heaven is free from hunger and thirst. Of what deed (of mine) is this the result that I am having (i.e. am oppressed by) hunger and thirst? O respectable grandsire, tell me what food I should eat.’

96. Then, O great sage, the grandsire having thought for a long time said (these) words to me: ‘You have no other food than that produced from your own body.

97. You always eat your own flesh. While you were practising excellent penance you have nourished your body.

98-99. O Śveta, note that nothing that is not given springs up (i.e. the fruit of what is given only is obtained by human beings) on the earth. Formerly you never even gave anything as alms to a (human) being pressing (you i.e. entreating you) for it; in your house also you never gave anything to a guest (even) through a mistake (or) ignorance. Therefore hunger and thirst are oppressing you now even though you are staying in heaven.

100. O best king, you eat your own body well-nourished with (different kinds of) food. That would give you satisfaction.’

101-102. Thus addressed (by Brahmā), I said to god Brahmā: ‘O lord, when I would have eaten my body, I would not have any food, except boiled rice, that would satiate my hunger. I shall eat my body till it is exhausted. Nothing agreeable comes to me.’

103. Then Brahma again said to me: ‘I have made your body inexhaustible. O Śveta, day by day your dead body (of the previous existence) will be (more and more) fat.

104-105. O king, till hundred years are over, eat your own flesh. When the revered Agastya, of great penance and very inaccessible comes to the Svetāraṇya, you will be free from the calamity; for he is able to protect (i.e. free) gods and demons including even Indra.

106. Then what about this censurable food of you (i.e. he will easily make you get rid of this censurable food)? That great-souled one (i.e. Agastya) has well accomplished a great mission of the gods.

107. Having rendered the ocean waterless (i.e. having emptied the ocean) he destroyed the demons. He also stopped Vindhya who was growing due to his hatred for the Sun.

108. And he also made this dangling earth settled (i.e. steady) with heaviness. The southern direction had gone to the heaven, and the three worlds were in distress.

109-110. Having gone to him with the gods I sent him to the southern direction. O magnanimous one, I said, make the earth well-poised with heaviness (i.e. by making it heavy). O lord of kings, the sage remaining (there) made the entire earth even. It is seen like that even now.’

111. That I (i.e. I who was told like that) having heard the words of the revered lord of gods, am eating this condensable food, this excellent body of mine.

112. Today a hundred years have completed (since) I (have been eating) this censurable food. O brāhmaṇa, it is not getting exhausted, and I ^ fully satisfied.

113. I, who am tormented by this calamity, am thinking about the sage day and night. ‘When will that sage appear before me in (this) forest?’

114-115a. Thinking thus I have passed a hundred years. O brāhmaṇa, that Agastya (alone) will certainly be my refuge. No other brāhmaṇa than the pitcher-born (Agastya) will be my refuge.”

115b-116. O Rāma, hearing these words (of Śveta), and seeing censurable food, I, who was full of great compassion, thought: ‘I shall make that king, going to heaven, an enjoyer of nectar and shall put an end to his abominable food’.

117. And I said to him: “What will Agastya do? I shall destroy this censurable food of yours, O you highly intelligent one.

118-119. Ask your mind for the desired object; (for) the mind is highly agreeable.” Then that resident of heaven said to me: “O sage, how can I falsify the the words of Brahmā. None else but the pitcher-born son of Maitrā-Varuṇa will save me.

120-121a. O brāhmaṇa, even without being asked by me Brahma has told me thus.” I said to that Śveta, who was speaking thus: “Through your good luck, you have seen me, who have come here. There is no doubt about it (i.e. about your good luck).”

121b-122a. Then that resident of heaven, having recognised me, fell (i.e. prostrated himself) on the earth like a staff. Raising him I then said to him: “What can I do for you?”

The king said:

122b-123a. O brāhmaṇa, today protect me from this wicked deed of eating this abominable food, so that by what you will do I shall have inexhaustible heaven (i.e. live in heaven eternally).

123b-124. Then the king, adorable to the world, gave me (this) gift. “You may (please) favour me. (Please) accept this gift. O best and gentle brāhmaṇa, this ornament (I am giving you) for my protection.

125-127a. O brāhmaṇa-sage, accept it. Please favour me. O brāhmaṇa, I offer you these cows, this gold, wealth with garments, articles of food and this ornament satisfying all desires and also (giving) all pleasures. O brāhmaṇa sage, please favour and protect me.”

Agastya said:

127b-128a. O descendant of Raghu, having heard the words of the resident of heaven full of pain and pleasure, I made up my mind to save him and not through greed.

128b-130a. When I accepted the ornament, and when it was in my hand, the former human body of the king was no more. When the body was destroyed, the royal sage, instructed by me, went in the aeroplane to heaven with great joy.

130b-131. He, comparable to Śakra, gave this auspicious ornament to me. For that reason, O Kākutstha, he, of wonderful deeds, gave me the ornament. Then Śveta, the king of Vidarbha became free from sins.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Gomedha—Same as gomeda, for which see note on 1.34.391.