The Ramayana Part 140

He gazed from every mountain height, He sought each cavern dark as night, And wandered through the bloomy shade By pool and river and cascade, But, though they sought in every place, Of Sita yet they found no trace.

On fruit and woodland berries fed Through many a lonely wild they sped, And reached at last, untouched by fear, A desert terrible and drear: A fruitless waste, a land of gloom Where trees were bare of leaf and bloom, Where every scanty stream was dried, And n.i.g.g.ard earth her roots denied.

No elephants through all the ground, No buffaloes or deer are found.

There roams no tiger, pard, or bear, No creature of the wood is there.

No bird displays his glittering wings, No tree, no shrub, no creeper springs.

There rise no lilies from the flood, Resplendent with their flower and bud, Where the delighted bees may throng About the fragrance with their song.

There lived a hermit Ka?du named, For truth and wealth of penance famed.

Whom fervent zeal and holy rite Had dowered with all-surpa.s.sing might.

His little son, a ten year child- So chanced it-perished in the wild.

His death with fury stirred the sage, Who cursed the forest in his rage, Doomed from that hour to shelter none, A waste for bird and beast to shun.

They searched by every forest edge, They searched each cave and mountain ledge, And thickets whence the water fell Wandering through the tangled dell.

Striving to do Sugriva's will They roamed along each leafy rill.

But vain were all endeavours, vain The careful search, the toil and pain.

Through one dark grove they scarce could wind, So thick were creepers intertwined.

There as they struggled through the wood Before their eyes an Asur(750) stood.

High as a towering hill, his pride The very G.o.ds in heaven defied.

When on the fiend their glances fell Each braced him for the combat well.

The demon raised his arm on high, And rushed upon them with a cry.

Him Angad smote,-for, sure, he thought This was the fiend they long had sought.

From his huge mouth by Angad felled, The blood in rushing torrents welled, As, like a mountain from his base Uptorn, he dropped upon his face.

Thus fell the mighty fiend: and they Through the thick wood pursued their way; Then, weary with the toil, reclined Where leafy boughs to shade them twined.

Canto XLIX. Angad's Speech.

Then Angad spake: "We Vanars well Have searched each valley, cave, and dell, And hill, and brook, and dark recess, And tangled wood, and wilderness.

But all in vain: no eye has seen The robber or the Maithil queen.

A dreary time has pa.s.sed away, And stern is he we all obey.

Come, cast your grief and sloth aside: Again be every effort tried; So haply may our toil attain The sweet success that follows pain.

Laborious effort, toil, and skill, The firm resolve, the constant will Secure at last the ends we seek: Hence, O my friends, I boldly speak.

Once more then, n.o.ble hearts, once more Let us to-day this wood explore, And, languor and despair subdued, Purchase success with toil renewed.

Sugriva is a king austere, And Rama's wrath we needs must fear.

Come, Vanars, ye think it wise, And do the thing that I advise."

Then Gandhamadan thus replied With lips that toil and thirst had dried; "Obey his words, for wise and true Is all that he has counselled you.

Come, let your hosts their toil renew And search each grove and desert through, Each towering hill and forest glade.

By lake and brook and white cascade, Till every spot, as our great lord Commanded, be again explored."

Uprose the Vanars one and all, Obedient to the chieftain's call, And over the southern region sped Where Vindhya's tangled forests spread.

They clomb that hill that towers on high Like a huge cloud in autumn's sky, Where many a cavern yawns, and streaks Of radiant silver deck the peaks.

In eager search they wandered through The forests where the Lodh trees grew, Where the dark leaves were thick and green, But found not Rama's darling queen.

Then faint with toil, their hearts depressed, Descending from the mountain's crest, Their weary limbs a while to ease They lay beneath the spreading trees.

Canto L. The Enchanted Cave.

Angad and Tara by his side, Again rose Hanuman and tried Each mountain cavern, dark and deep, And stony pa.s.s and wooded steep, The lion's and the tiger's home, By rushing torrents white with foam.

Then with new ardour, south and west, O'er Vindhya's height the search they pressed.

The day prescribed was near and they Still wandered on their weary way.

They reached the southern land beset With woody mountains like a net.

At length a mighty cave they spied That opened in a mountain's side.

Where many a verdant creeper grew And o'er the mouth its tendrils threw.

Thence issued crane, and swan, and drake, And trooping birds that love the lake.

The Vanars rushed within to cool Their fevered lips in spring or pool.

Vast was the cavern dark and dread, Where not a ray of light was shed; Yet not the more their eyesight failed, Their courage sank or valour quailed.

On through the gloom the Vanars pressed With hunger, thirst, and toil distressed, Poor helpless wanderers, sad, forlorn, With wasted faces wan and worn.

At length, when life seemed lost for aye, They saw a splendour as of day, A wondrous forest, fair and bright, Where golden trees shot flamy light.

And lotus-covered pools were there With pleasant waters fresh and fair, And streams their rippling currents rolled By seats of silver and of gold.

Fair houses reared their stately height Of burnished gold and lazulite, And glorious was the l.u.s.tre thrown Through lattices of precious stone.

And there were flowers and fruit on stems Of coral decked with rarest gems, And emerald leaves on silver trees, And honeycomb and golden bees.

Then as the Vanars nearer drew, A holy woman met their view, Around her form was duly tied A garment of the blackdeer's hide.(751) Pure votaress she shone with light Of fervent zeal and holy rite.

Then Hanuman before the rest With reverent words the dame addressed: "Who art thou? say: and who is lord Of this vast cave with treasures stored?"

Canto LI. Svayamprabha.

"a.s.sailed by thirst and hunger, dame, Within a gloomy vault we came.

We saw the cavern opening wide, And straight within its depths we hied.

But utterly amazed are we At all the marvels that we see.

Whose are the golden trees that gleam With splendour like the morning's beam?

These cates of n.o.blest sort? these roots?

This wondrous store of rarest fruits?

Whose are these calm and cool retreats, These silver homes and golden seats, And lattices of precious stones?

Who is the happy lord that owns The golden trees, of rarest scent, Neath loads of fruit and blossom bent?

Who, strong in holy zeal, had power To deck the streams with richest dower, And bade the lilies bright with gold The glory of their blooms unfold, Where fish in living gold below The sheen of changing colours show?

Thine is the holy power, I ween, That beautified the wondrous scene; But if another's, lady, deign To tell us, and the whole explain."

To him the lady of the cave In words like these her answer gave: "Skilled Maya framed in days of old This magic wood of growing gold.

The chief artificer in place Was he of all the Danav race.

He, for his wise enchantments famed, This glorious dwelling planned and framed He for a thousand years endured The sternest penance, and secured From Brahma of all boons the best, The knowledge Usanas(752) possessed.

Lord, by that boon, of all his will, He fashioned all with perfect skill; And, with his blissful state content, In this vast grove a season spent.

By Indra's jealous bolt he fell For loving Hema's(753) charms too well.

And Brahma on that nymph bestowed The treasures of this fair abode, Wherein her tranquil days to spend In happiness that ne'er may end.

Sprung of a lineage old and high, Merusavar?i's(754) daughter, I Guard ever for that heavenly dame This home, Svayamprabha(755) my name,- For I have loved the lady long, So skilled in arts of dance and song.

But say what cause your steps has led The mazes of this grove to tread.

How, strangers did ye chance to spy The wood concealed from wanderer's eye?

Tell clearly why ye come: but first Eat of this fruit and quench your thirst."