Shloka 17
अध्याय १४९ — हनूमतो महद्रूपदर्शनं तथा धर्म-नीति-उपदेशः
Hanūmān’s Vast Form and Instruction on Dharma–Statecraft
यावद् राम कथेयं ते भवेल्लोकेषु शत्रुहन् । तावज्जीवेयमित्येवं तथास्त्विति च सो5ब्रवीत्,तत्पश्चात् धर्मात्मा, भक्तिमान् तथा भक्तों और सेवकोंपर स्नेह रखनेवाले राक्षसराज विभीषणको लंकाके राज्यपर अभिषिक्त किया और खोयी हुई वैदिकी श्रुतिकी भाँति अपनी पत्नीका वहाँसे उद्धार करके महायशस्वी रघुनन्दन श्रीराम अपनी उस साध्वी पत्नीके साथ ही बड़ी उतावलीके साथ अपनी अयोध्यापुरीमें लौट आये। इसके बाद शत्रुओंको भी वशमें करनेवाले नृपश्रेष्ठ भगवान् श्रीराम अवधके राज्यसिंहासनपर आसीन हो उस अजेय अयोध्यापुरीमें रहने लगे। उस समय मैंने कमलनयन श्रीरामसे यह वर माँगा कि “शत्रुसूदन! जबतक आपकी यह कथा संसारमें प्रचलित रहे तबतक मैं अवश्य जीवित रहूँ"। भगवानने “तथास्तु” कहकर मेरी यह प्रार्थना स्वीकार कर ली
yāvad rāma katheyaṁ te bhavel lokeṣu śatruhan | tāvaj jīveyam ity evaṁ tathāstv iti ca so 'bravīt | tatpaścāt dharmātmā bhaktimān tathā bhaktānāṁ sevakānāṁ ca snehārthī rākṣasarājaṁ vibhīṣaṇaṁ laṅkā-rājye 'bhiṣicya naṣṭāṁ vaidikīṁ śrutiṁ iva bhāryām uddhṛtya mahāyaśasvī raghunandanaḥ śrīrāmaḥ sādhvyā saha patnyā sahitāḥ sahasāyodhyāpurīṁ pratyāgāt | tataḥ paraṁ śatrūn api vaśaṁ nayituṁ samarthaḥ nṛpaśreṣṭho bhagavān śrīrāmo 'jayāyāṁ ayodhyāyāṁ rājya-siṁhāsane niṣaṇṇaḥ samavatsat | tadāhaṁ kamalanayanaṁ śrīrāmaṁ varaṁ yāce—“śatrusūdana! yāvat tava eṣā kathā lokeṣu pracariṣyati tāvad ahaṁ jīviṣyāmī” iti | bhagavān “tathāstu” iti uktvā mama prārthanāṁ pratijagrāha |
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: “O Rāma, so long as your story continues to be told among the worlds, I wish to remain alive.” He replied, “So be it.” Thereafter, the righteous and devoted Rāghava—affectionate toward devotees and attendants—consecrated Vibhīṣaṇa, king of the Rākṣasas, to the sovereignty of Laṅkā. Then, having rescued his wife from there—like recovering a lost Vedic revelation—Śrī Rāma, the illustrious delight of the Raghu line, returned in great haste to Ayodhyā together with his chaste queen. After this, the Lord, the best of kings, capable of bringing even enemies under control, sat upon the royal throne of Ayodhyā and dwelt in that unconquerable city. At that time I asked the lotus-eyed Rāma for this boon: ‘O subduer of foes, as long as this account of yours remains current in the world, may I surely live.’ The Lord accepted my prayer, saying, ‘So be it.’
वैशम्पायन उवाच