The Ramayana Part 43

Canto XXIV. Kausalya Calmed.

But when Kausalyasaw that he Resolved to keep his sire's decree, While tears and sobs her utterance broke, Her very righteous speech she spoke: "Can he, a stranger yet to pain, Whose pleasant words all hearts enchain, Son of the king and me the queen, Live on the grain his hands may glean; Can he, whose slaves and menials eat The finest cakes of sifted wheat- Can Rama in the forest live On roots and fruit which woodlands give; Who will believe, who will not fear When the sad story smites his ear, That one so dear, so n.o.ble held, Is by the king his sire expelled?

Now surely none may Fate resist, Which orders all as it may list, If, Rama, in thy strength and grace, The woods become thy dwelling-place.

A childless mother long I grieved, And many a sigh for offspring heaved, With wistful longing weak and worn Till thou at last, my son, wast born.

Fanned by the storm of that desire Deep in my soul I felt the fire, Whose offerings flowed from weeping eyes, With fuel fed of groans and sighs, While round the flame the smoke grew hot Of tears because thou camest not.

Now reft of thee, too fiery fierce The flame of woe my heart will pierce, As, when the days of spring return, The sun's hot beams the forest burn.

The mother cow still follows near The wanderings of her youngling dear.

So close to thine my feet shall be, Where'er thou goest following thee."

Rama, the n.o.blest lord of men, Heard his fond mother's speech, and then In soothing words like these replied To the sad queen who wept and sighed: "Nay, by Kaikeyi's art beguiled, When I am banished to the wild, If thou, my mother, also fly, The aged king will surely die.

When wedded dames their lords forsake, Long for the crime their souls shall ache.

Thou must not e'en in thought within Thy bosom frame so dire a sin.

Long as Kakutstha's son, who reigns Lord of the earth, in life remains, Thou must with love his will obey: This duty claims, supreme for aye.

Yes, mother, thou and I must be Submissive to my sire's decree, King, husband, sire is he confessed, The lord of all, the worthiest.

I in the wilds my days will spend Till twice seven years have reached an end, Then with great joy will come again, And faithful to thy hests remain."

Kausalya by her son addressed, With love and pa.s.sion sore distressed, Afflicted, with her eyes bedewed, To Rama thus her speech renewed: "Nay, Rama, but my heart will break If with these queens my home I make.

Lead me too with thee; let me go And wander like a woodland roe."

Then, while no tear the hero shed, Thus to the weeping queen he said: "Mother, while lives the husband, he Is woman's lord and deity.

O dearest lady, thou and I Our lord and king must ne'er deny; The lord of earth himself have we Our guardian wise and friend to be.

And Bharat, true to duty's call, Whose sweet words take the hearts of all, Will serve thee well, and ne'er forget The virtuous path before him set.

Be this, I pray, thine earnest care, That the old king my father ne'er, When I have parted hence, may know, Grieved for his son, a pang of woe.

Let not this grief his soul distress, To kill him with the bitterness.

With duteous care, in every thing, Love, comfort, cheer the aged king.

Though, best of womankind, a spouse Keeps firmly all her fasts and vows, Nor yet her husband's will obeys, She treads in sin's forbidden ways.

She to her husband's will who bends, Goes to high bliss that never ends, Yea, though the G.o.ds have found in her No reverential worshipper.

Bent on his weal, a woman still Must seek to do her husband's will: For Scripture, custom, law uphold This duty Heaven revealed of old.

Honour true Brahmans for my sake, And constant offerings duly make, With fire-oblations and with flowers, To all the host of heavenly powers.

Look to the coming time, and yearn For the glad hour of my return.

And still thy duteous course pursue, Abstemious, humble, kind, and true.

The highest bliss shalt thou obtain When I from exile come again, If, best of those who keep the right, The king my sire still see the light."

The queen, by Rama thus addressed, Still with a mother's grief oppressed, While her long eyes with tears were dim, Began once more and answered him: "Not by my pleading may be stayed The firm resolve thy soul has made.

My hero, thou wilt go; and none The stern commands of Fate may shun.

Go forth, dear child whom naught can bend, And may all bliss thy steps attend.

Thou wilt return, and that dear day Will chase mine every grief away.

Thou wilt return, thy duty done, Thy vows discharged, high glory won; From filial debt wilt thou be free, And sweetest joy will come on me.

My son, the will of mighty Fate At every time must dominate, If now it drives thee hence to stray Heedless of me who bid thee stay.

Go, strong of arm, go forth, my boy, Go forth, again to come with joy, And thine expectant mother cheer With those sweet tones she loves to hear.

O that the blessed hour were nigh When thou shalt glad this anxious eye, With matted hair and hermit dress returning from the wilderness."

Kausalya's conscious soul approved, As her proud glance she bent On Rama constant and unmoved, Resolved on banishment.

Such words, with happy omens fraught To her dear son she said, Invoking with each eager thought A blessing on his head.

Canto XXV. Kausalya's Blessing.

Her grief and woe she cast aside, Her lips with water purified, And thus her benison began That mother of the n.o.blest man: "If thou wilt hear no words of mine, Go forth, thou pride of Raghu's line.

Go, darling, and return with speed, Walking where n.o.ble spirits lead.

May virtue on thy steps attend, And be her faithful lover's friend.

May Those to whom thy vows are paid In temple and in holy shade, With all the mighty saints combine To keep that precious life of thine.

The arms wise Visvamitra(292) gave Thy virtuous soul from danger save.

Long be thy life: thy sure defence Shall be thy truthful innocence, And that obedience, naught can tire, To me thy mother and thy sire.

May fanes where holy fires are fed, Altars with gra.s.s and fuel spread, Each sacrificial ground, each tree, Rock, lake, and mountain, prosper thee.

Let old Viraj,(293) and Him who made The universe, combine to aid; Let Indra and each guardian Lord Who keeps the worlds, their help afford, And be thy constant friend the Sun, Lord Pusha, Bhaga, Aryuman.(294) Fortnights and seasons, nights and days, Years, months, and hours, protect thy ways, Vrihaspati shall still be nigh, The War-G.o.d, and the Moon on high, And Narad(295) and the sainted seven(296) Shall watch thee from their starry heaven.

The mountains, and the seas which ring The world, and Varu?a the King, Sky, ether, and the wind, whate'er Moves not or moves, for thee shall care.

Each lunar mansion be benign, With happier light the planets shine; All G.o.ds, each light in heaven that glows, Protect my child where'er he goes.

The twilight hours, the day and night, Keep in the wood thy steps aright.

Watch, minute, instant, as they flee, Shall all bring happiness to thee.

Celestials and the t.i.tan brood Protect thee in thy solitude, And haunt the mighty wood to bless The wanderer in his hermit dress.

Fear not, by mightier guardians screened, The giant or night-roving fiend; Nor let the cruel race who tear Man's flesh for food thy bosom scare.

Far be the ape, the scorpion's sting, Fly, gnat, and worm, and creeping thing.

Thee shall the hungry lion spare, The tiger, elephant, and bear: Safe, from their furious might repose, Safe from the horned buffaloes.

Each savage thing the forests breed, That love on human flesh to feed, Shall for my child its rage abate, When thus its wrath I deprecate.

Blest be thy ways: may sweet success The valour of my darling bless.

To all that Fortune can bestow, Go forth, my child, my Rama, go.

Go forth, O happy in the love Of all the G.o.ds below, above; And in those guardian powers confide Thy paths who keep, thy steps who guide.

May Sukra,(297) Yama, Sun, and Moon, And He who gives each golden boon,(298) Won by mine earnest prayers, be good To thee, my son, in Da??ak wood.

Fire, wind, and smoke, each text and spell From mouths of holy seers that fell, Guard Rama when his limbs he dips, Or with the stream makes pure his lips!

May the great saints and He, the Lord Who made the worlds, by worlds adored, And every G.o.d in heaven beside My banished Rama keep and guide."

Thus with due praise the long-eyed dame, Enn.o.bled by her spotless fame, With wreaths of flowers and precious scent Worshipped the G.o.ds, most reverent.

A high-souled Brahman lit the fire, And offered, at the queen's desire, The holy oil ordained to burn For Rama's weal and safe return.

Kausalya best of dames, with care Set oil, wreaths, fuel, mustard, there.

Then when the rites of fire had ceased, For Rama's bliss and health, the priest, Standing without gave what remained In general offering,(299) as ordained.

Dealing among the twice-horn train Honey, and curds, and oil, and grain, He bade each heart and voice unite To bless the youthful anchorite.

Then Rama's mother, glorious dame Bestowed, to meet the Brahman's claim, A lordly fee for duty done: And thus again addressed her son:

"Such blessings as the G.o.ds o'erjoyed Poured forth, when Vritra(300) was destroyed, On Indra of the thousand eyes, Attend, my child, thine enterprise!

Yea, such as Vinata once gave To King Supar?a(301) swift and brave, Who sought the drink that cheers the skies, Attend, my child, thine enterprise!

Yea, such as, when the Amrit rose,(302) And Indra slew his Daitya foes, The royal Aditi bestowed On Him whose hand with slaughter glowed Of that dire brood of monstrous size, Attend, my child, thine enterprise!

E'en such as peerless Vish?u graced, When with his triple step he paced, Outbursting from the dwarf's disguise,(303) Attend, my child, thine enterprise!

Floods, isles, and seasons as they fly, Worlds, Vedas, quarters of the sky, Combine, O mighty-armed, to bless Thee destined heir of happiness!"

The long-eyed lady ceased: she shed Pure scent and grain upon his head.

And that prized herb whose sovereign power Preserves from dark misfortune's hour, Upon the hero's arm she set, To be his faithful amulet.

While holy texts she murmured low, And spoke glad words though crushed by woe, Concealing with obedient tongue The pangs with which her heart was wrung.

She bent, she kissed his brow, she pressed Her darling to her troubled breast: "Firm in thy purpose, go," she cried, "Go Rama, and may bliss betide.

Attain returning safe and well, Triumphant in Ayodhya, dwell.

Then shall my happy eyes behold The empire by thy will controlled.

Then grief and care shall leave no trace, Joy shall light up thy mother's face, And I shall see my darling reign, In moonlike glory come again.

These eyes shall fondly gaze on thee So faithful to thy sire's decree, When thou the forest wild shalt quit On thine ancestral throne to sit.

Yea, thou shalt turn from exile back, Nor choicest blessings ever lack, Then fill with rapture ever new My bosom and thy consort's too.