The Ramayana Part 3

Canto V. Ayodhya.

"Ikshvaku's sons from days of old Were ever brave and mighty-souled.

The land their arms had made their own Was bounded by the sea alone.

Their holy works have won them praise, Through countless years, from Manu's days.

Their ancient sire was Sagar, he Whose high command dug out the sea:(61) With sixty thousand sons to throng Around him as he marched along.

From them this glorious tale proceeds: The great Ramayan tells their deeds.

This n.o.ble song whose lines contain Lessons of duty, love, and gain, We two will now at length recite, While good men listen with delight.

On Sarju's(62) bank, of ample size, The happy realm of Kosal lies, With fertile length of fair champaign And flocks and herds and wealth of grain.

There, famous in her old renown, Ayodhya(63) stands, the royal town, In bygone ages built and planned By sainted Manu's(64) princely hand.

Imperial seat! her walls extend Twelve measured leagues from end to end, And three in width from side to side, With square and palace beautified.

Her gates at even distance stand; Her ample roads are wisely planned.

Right glorious is her royal street Where streams allay the dust and heat.

On level ground in even row Her houses rise in goodly show: Terrace and palace, arch and gate The queenly city decorate.

High are her ramparts, strong and vast, By ways at even distance pa.s.sed, With circling moat, both deep and wide, And store of weapons fortified.

King Dasaratha, lofty-souled, That city guarded and controlled, With towering Sal trees belted round,(65) And many a grove and pleasure ground, As royal Indra, throned on high, Rules his fair city in the sky.(66) She seems a painted city, fair With chess-board line and even square.(67) And cool boughs shade the lovely lake Where weary men their thirst may slake.

There gilded chariots gleam and shine, And stately piles the G.o.ds enshrine.

There gay sleek people ever throng To festival and dance and song.

A mine is she of gems and sheen, The darling home of Fortune's Queen.

With n.o.blest sort of drink and meat, The fairest rice and golden wheat, And fragrant with the chaplet's scent With holy oil and incense blent.

With many an elephant and steed, And wains for draught and cars for speed.

With envoys sent by distant kings, And merchants with their precious things With banners o'er her roofs that play, And weapons that a hundred slay;(68) All warlike engines framed by man, And every cla.s.s of artisan.

A city rich beyond compare With bards and minstrels gathered there, And men and damsels who entrance The soul with play and song and dance.

In every street is heard the lute, The drum, the tabret, and the flute, The Veda chanted soft and low, The ringing of the archer's bow; With bands of G.o.dlike heroes skilled In every warlike weapon, filled, And kept by warriors from the foe, As Nagas guard their home below.(69) There wisest Brahmans evermore The flame of worship feed, And versed in all the Vedas' lore, Their lives of virtue lead.

Truthful and pure, they freely give; They keep each sense controlled, And in their holy fervour live Like the great saints of old.

Canto VI. The King.

There reigned a king of name revered, To country and to town endeared, Great Dasaratha, good and sage, Well read in Scripture's holy page: Upon his kingdom's weal intent, Mighty and brave and provident; The pride of old Ikshvaku's seed For lofty thought and righteous deed.

Peer of the saints, for virtues famed, For foes subdued and pa.s.sions tamed: A rival in his wealth untold Of Indra and the Lord of Gold.

Like Manu first of kings, he reigned, And worthily his state maintained.

For firm and just and ever true Love, duty, gain he kept in view, And ruled his city rich and free, Like Indra's Amaravati.

And worthy of so fair a place There dwelt a just and happy race With troops of children blest.

Each man contented sought no more, Nor longed with envy for the store By richer friends possessed.

For poverty was there unknown, And each man counted as his own Kine, steeds, and gold, and grain.

All dressed in raiment bright and clean, And every townsman might be seen With earrings, wreath, or chain.

None deigned to feed on broken fare, And none was false or stingy there.

A piece of gold, the smallest pay, Was earned by labour for a day.

On every arm were bracelets worn, And none was faithless or forsworn, A braggart or unkind.

None lived upon another's wealth, None pined with dread or broken health, Or dark disease of mind.

High-souled were all. The slanderous word, The boastful lie, were never heard.

Each man was constant to his vows, And lived devoted to his spouse.

No other love his fancy knew, And she was tender, kind, and true.

Her dames were fair of form and face, With charm of wit and gentle grace, With modest raiment simply neat, And winning manners soft and sweet.

The twice-born sages, whose delight Was Scripture's page and holy rite, Their calm and settled course pursued, Nor sought the menial mult.i.tude.

In many a Scripture each was versed, And each the flame of worship nursed, And gave with lavish hand.

Each paid to Heaven the offerings due, And none was G.o.dless or untrue In all that holy band.

To Brahmans, as the laws ordain, The Warrior caste were ever fain The reverence due to pay; And these the Vaisyas' peaceful crowd, Who trade and toil for gain, were proud To honour and obey; And all were by the Sudras(70) served, Who never from their duty swerved, Their proper worship all addressed To Brahman, spirits, G.o.d, and guest.

Pure and unmixt their rites remained, Their race's honour ne'er was stained.(71) Cheered by his grandsons, sons, and wife, Each pa.s.sed a long and happy life.

Thus was that famous city held By one who all his race excelled, Blest in his gentle reign, As the whole land aforetime swayed By Manu, prince of men, obeyed Her king from main to main.

And heroes kept her, strong and brave, As lions guard their mountain cave: Fierce as devouring flame they burned, And fought till death, but never turned.

Horses had she of n.o.blest breed, Like Indra's for their form and speed, From Vahli's(72) hills and Sindhu's(73) sand, Vanayu(74) and Kamboja's land.(75) Her n.o.ble elephants had strayed Through Vindhyan and Himalayan shade, Gigantic in their bulk and height, Yet gentle in their matchless might.

They rivalled well the world-spread fame Of the great stock from which they came, Of Vaman, vast of size, Of Mahapadma's glorious line, Thine, Anjan, and, Airavat, thine.(76) Upholders of the skies.

With those, enrolled in fourfold cla.s.s, Who all their mighty kin surpa.s.s, Whom men Matangas name, And Mrigas spotted black and white, And Bhadras of unwearied might, And Mandras hard to tame.(77) Thus, worthy of the name she bore,(78) Ayodhya for a league or more Cast a bright glory round, Where Dasaratha wise and great Governed his fair ancestral state, With every virtue crowned.

Like Indra in the skies he reigned In that good town whose wall contained High domes and turrets proud, With gates and arcs of triumph decked, And st.u.r.dy barriers to protect Her gay and countless crowd.

Canto VII. The Ministers.

Two sages, holy saints, had he, His ministers and priests to be: Vasish?ha, faithful to advise, And Vamadeva, Scripture-wise.

Eight other lords around him stood, All skilled to counsel, wise and good: Jayanta, Vijay, Dhrish?i bold In fight, affairs of war controlled: Siddharth and Arthasadhak true Watched o'er expense and revenue, And Dharmapal and wise Asok Of right and law and justice spoke.

With these the sage Sumantra, skilled To urge the car, high station filled.

All these in knowledge duly trained Each pa.s.sion and each sense restrained: With modest manners, n.o.bly bred Each plan and nod and look they read, Upon their neighbours' good intent, Most active and benevolent: As sit the Vasus(79) round their king, They sate around him counselling.

They ne'er in virtue's loftier pride Another's lowly gifts decried.

In fair and seemly garb arrayed, No weak uncertain plans they made.

Well skilled in business, fair and just, They gained the people's love and trust, And thus without oppression stored The swelling treasury of their lord.

Bound in sweet friendship each to each, They spoke kind thoughts in gentle speech.

They looked alike with equal eye On every caste, on low and high.

Devoted to their king, they sought, Ere his tongue spoke, to learn his thought, And knew, as each occasion rose, To hide their counsel or disclose.

In foreign lands or in their own Whatever pa.s.sed, to them was known.

By secret spies they timely knew What men were doing or would do.

Skilled in the grounds of war and peace They saw the monarch's state increase, Watching his weal with conquering eye That never let occasion by, While nature lent her aid to bless Their labours with unbought success.

Never for anger, l.u.s.t, or gain, Would they their lips with falsehood stain.

Inclined to mercy they could scan The weakness and the strength of man.

They fairly judged both high and low, And ne'er would wrong a guiltless foe; Yet if a fault were proved, each one Would punish e'en his own dear son.

But there and in the kingdom's bound No thief or man impure was found: None of loose life or evil fame, No tempter of another's dame.

Contented with their lot each caste Calm days in blissful quiet pa.s.sed; And, all in fitting tasks employed, Country and town deep rest enjoyed, With these wise lords around his throne The monarch justly reigned, And making every heart his own The love of all men gained.

With trusty agents, as beseems, Each distant realm he scanned, As the sun visits with his beams Each corner of the land.

Ne'er would he on a mightier foe With hostile troops advance, Nor at an equal strike a blow In war's delusive chance.

These lords in council bore their part With ready brain and faithful heart, With skill and knowledge, sense and tact, Good to advise and bold to act.

And high and endless fame he won With these to guide his schemes, As, risen in his might, the sun Wins glory with his beams.

Canto VIII. Sumantra's Speech.