The Ramayana Part 2

He spoke, and vanished into air, And left Valmiki wondering there.

The pupils of the holy man, Moved by their love of him, began To chant that verse, and ever more They marvelled as they sang it o'er: "Behold, the four-lined balanced rime, Repeated over many a time, In words that from the hermit broke In shock of grief, becomes a sloke."

This measure now Valmiki chose Wherein his story to compose.

In hundreds of such verses, sweet With equal lines and even feet, The saintly poet, lofty-souled, The glorious deeds of Rama told.

Canto III. The Argument.

The hermit thus with watchful heed Received the poem's pregnant seed, And looked with eager thought around If fuller knowledge might be found.

His lips with water first bedewed,(51) He sate, in reverent att.i.tude On holy gra.s.s,(52) the points all bent Together toward the orient;(53) And thus in meditation he Entered the path of poesy.

Then clearly, through his virtue's might, All lay discovered to his sight, Whate'er befell, through all their life, Rama, his brother, and his wife: And Dasaratha and each queen At every time, in every scene: His people too, of every sort; The n.o.bles of his princely court: Whate'er was said, whate'er decreed, Each time they sate each plan and deed: For holy thought and fervent rite Had so refined his keener sight That by his sanct.i.ty his view The present, past, and future knew, And he with mental eye could grasp, Like fruit within his fingers clasp, The life of Rama, great and good, Roaming with Sita in the wood.

He told, with secret-piercing eyes, The tale of Rama's high emprise, Each listening ear that shall entice, A sea of pearls of highest price.

Thus good Valmiki, sage divine, Rehea.r.s.ed the tale of Raghu's line, As Narad, heavenly saint, before Had traced the story's outline o'er.

He sang of Rama's princely birth, His kindness and heroic worth; His love for all, his patient youth, His gentleness and constant truth, And many a tale and legend old By holy Visvamitra told.

How Janak's child he wooed and won, And broke the bow that bent to none.

How he with every virtue fraught His namesake Rama(54) met and fought.

The choice of Rama for the throne; The malice by Kaikeyi shown, Whose evil counsel marred the plan And drove him forth a banisht man.

How the king grieved and groaned, and cried, And swooned away and pining died.

The subjects' woe when thus bereft; And how the following crowds he left: With Guha talked, and firmly stern Ordered his driver to return.

How Ganga's farther sh.o.r.e he gained; By Bharadvaja entertained, By whose advice he journeyed still And came to Chitraku?a's hill.

How there he dwelt and built a cot; How Bharat journeyed to the spot; His earnest supplication made; Drink-offerings to their father paid; The sandals given by Rama's hand, As emblems of his right, to stand: How from his presence Bharat went And years in Nandigrama spent.

How Rama entered Da??ak wood And in Sutikh?a's presence stood.

The favour Anasuya showed, The wondrous balsam she bestowed.

How Sarabhanga's dwelling-place They sought; saw Indra face to face; The meeting with Agastya gained; The heavenly bow from him obtained.

How Rama with Viradha met; Their home in Panchava?a set.

How Surpa?akha underwent The mockery and disfigurement.

Of Trisira's and Khara's fall, Of Rava? roused at vengeance call, Maricha doomed, without escape; The fair Videhan(55) lady's rape.

How Rama wept and raved in vain, And how the Vulture-king was slain.

How Rama fierce Kabandha slew; Then to the side of Pampa drew, Met Hanuman, and her whose vows Were kept beneath the greenwood boughs.

How Raghu's son, the lofty-souled, On Pampa's bank wept uncontrolled, Then journeyed, Rishyamuk to reach, And of Sugriva then had speech.

The friendship made, which both had sought: How Bali and Sugriva fought.

How Bali in the strife was slain, And how Sugriva came to reign.

The treaty, Tara's wild lament; The rainy nights in watching spent.

The wrath of Raghu's lion son; The gathering of the hosts in one.

The sending of the spies about, And all the regions pointed out.

The ring by Rama's hand bestowed; The cave wherein the bear abode.

The fast proposed, their lives to end; Sampati gained to be their friend.

The scaling of the hill, the leap Of Hanuman across the deep.

Ocean's command that bade them seek Mainaka of the lofty peak.

The death of Sinhika, the sight Of Lanka with her palace bright How Hanuman stole in at eve; His plan the giants to deceive.

How through the square he made his way To chambers where the women lay, Within the Asoka garden came And there found Rama's captive dame.

His colloquy with her he sought, And giving of the ring he brought.

How Sita gave a gem o'erjoyed; How Hanuman the grove destroyed.

How giantesses trembling fled, And servant fiends were smitten dead.

How Hanuman was seized; their ire When Lanka blazed with hostile fire.

His leap across the sea once more; The eating of the honey store.

How Rama he consoled, and how He showed the gem from Sita's brow.

With Ocean, Rama's interview; The bridge that Nala o'er it threw.

The crossing, and the sitting down At night round Lanka's royal town.

The treaty with Vibhisha? made: The plan for Rava?'s slaughter laid.

How k.u.mbhakar?a in his pride And Meghanada fought and died.

How Rava? in the fight was slain, And captive Sita brought again.

Vibhisha? set upon the throne; The flying chariot Pushpak shown.

How Brahma and the G.o.ds appeared, And Sita's doubted honour cleared.

How in the flying car they rode To Bharadvaja's cabin abode.

The Wind-G.o.d's son sent on afar; How Bharat met the flying car.

How Rama then was king ordained; The legions their discharge obtained.

How Rama cast his queen away; How grew the people's love each day.

Thus did the saint Valmiki tell Whate'er in Rama's life befell, And in the closing verses all That yet to come will once befall.

Canto IV. The Rhapsodists.

When to the end the tale was brought, Rose in the sage's mind the thought; "Now who throughout this earth will go, And tell it forth that all may know?"

As thus he mused with anxious breast, Behold, in hermit's raiment dressed, Kusa and Lava(56) came to greet Their master and embrace his feet.

The twins he saw, that princely pair Sweet-voiced, who dwelt beside him there None for the task could be more fit, For skilled were they in Holy Writ; And so the great Ramayan, fraught With lore divine, to these he taught: The lay whose verses sweet and clear Take with delight the listening ear, That tell of Sita's n.o.ble life And Rava?'s fall in battle strife.

Great joy to all who hear they bring, Sweet to recite and sweet to sing.

For music's sevenfold notes are there, And triple measure,(57) wrought with care With melody and tone and time, And flavours(58) that enhance the rime; Heroic might has ample place, And loathing of the false and base, With anger, mirth, and terror, blent With tenderness, surprise, content.

When, half the hermit's grace to gain, And half because they loved the strain, The youth within their hearts had stored The poem that his lips outpoured, Valmiki kissed them on the head, As at his feet they bowed, and said; "Recite ye this heroic song In tranquil shades where sages throng: Recite it where the good resort, In lowly home and royal court."

The hermit ceased. The tuneful pair, Like heavenly minstrels sweet and fair, In music's art divinely skilled, Their saintly master's word fulfilled.

Like Rama's self, from whom they came, They showed their sire in face and frame, As though from some fair sculptured stone Two selfsame images had grown.

Sometimes the pair rose up to sing, Surrounded by a holy ring, Where seated on the gra.s.s had met Full many a musing anch.o.r.et.

Then tears bedimmed those gentle eyes, As transport took them and surprise, And as they listened every one Cried in delight, Well done! Well done!

Those sages versed in holy lore Praised the sweet minstrels more and more: And wondered at the singers' skill, And the bard's verses sweeter still, Which laid so clear before the eye The glorious deeds of days gone by.

Thus by the virtuous hermits praised, Inspirited their voice they raised.

Pleased with the song this holy man Would give the youths a water-can; One gave a fair ascetic dress, Or sweet fruit from the wilderness.

One saint a black-deer's hide would bring, And one a sacrificial string: One, a clay pitcher from his h.o.a.rd, And one, a twisted munja cord.(59) One in his joy an axe would find, One braid, their plaited locks to bind.

One gave a sacrificial cup, One rope to tie their f.a.gots up; While fuel at their feet was laid, Or hermit's stool of fig-tree made.

All gave, or if they gave not, none Forgot at least a benison.

Some saints, delighted with their lays, Would promise health and length of days; Others with surest words would add Some boon to make their spirit glad.

In such degree of honour then That song was held by holy men: That living song which life can give, By which shall many a minstrel live.

In seat of kings, in crowded hall, They sang the poem, praised of all.

And Rama chanced to hear their lay, While he the votive steed(60) would slay, And sent fit messengers to bring The minstrel pair before the king.

They came, and found the monarch high Enthroned in gold, his brothers nigh; While many a minister below, And n.o.ble, sate in lengthened row.

The youthful pair awhile he viewed Graceful in modest att.i.tude, And then in words like these addressed His brother Lakshma? and the rest: "Come, listen to the wondrous strain Recited by these G.o.dlike twain, Sweet singers of a story fraught With melody and lofty thought."

The pair, with voices sweet and strong, Rolled the full tide of n.o.ble song, With tone and accent deftly blent To suit the changing argument.

Mid that a.s.sembly loud and clear Rang forth that lay so sweet to hear, That universal rapture stole Through each man's frame and heart and soul.

"These minstrels, blest with every sign That marks a high and princely line, In holy shades who dwell, Enshrined in Saint Valmiki's lay, A monument to live for aye, My deeds in song shall tell."

Thus Rama spoke: their b.r.e.a.s.t.s were fired, And the great tale, as if inspired, The youths began to sing, While every heart with transport swelled, And mute and rapt attention held The concourse and the king.