The Ramayana Part 70

When Fate has brought the mournful day Which sees my father pa.s.s away, How happy in their lives are they Allowed his funeral rites to pay.

Our exile o'er, with him who ne'er Turns from the oath his lips may swear, May we returning safe and well gain in fair Ayodhya dwell."

Thus Bharat stood with many a sigh Lamenting, and the night went by.

Soon as the morning light shone fair In votive coils both bound their hair.

And then I sent them safely o'er And left them on the farther sh.o.r.e.

With Sita then they onward pa.s.sed, Their coats of bark about them cast, Their locks like hermits' bound, The mighty tamers of the foe, Each with his arrows and his bow, Went over the rugged ground, Proud in their strength and undeterred Like elephants that lead the herd, And gazing oft around."

Canto Lx.x.xVII. Guha's Story.

That speech of Guha Bharat heard With grief and tender pity stirred, And as his ears the story drank, Deep in his thoughtful heart it sank.

His large full eyes in anguish rolled, His trembling limbs grew stiff and cold; Then fell he, like a tree uptorn, In woe too grievous to be borne.

When Guha saw the long-armed chief Whose eye was like a lotus leaf, With lion shoulders strong and fair, High-mettled, prostrate in despair,- Pale, bitterly afflicted, he Reeled as in earthquake reels a tree.

But when Satrughna standing nigh Saw his dear brother helpless lie, Distraught with woe his head he bowed, Embraced him oft and wept aloud.

Then Bharat's mothers came, forlorn Of their dear king, with fasting worn, And stood with weeping eyes around The hero prostrate on the ground.

Kausalya, by her woe oppressed, The senseless Bharat's limbs caressed, As a fond cow in love and fear Caresses oft her youngling dear: Then yielding to her woe she said, Weeping and sore disquieted: "What torments, O my son, are these Of sudden pain or swift disease?

The lives of us and all the line Depend, dear child, on only thine.

Rama and Lakshma? forced to flee, I live by naught but seeing thee: For as the king has past away Thou art my only help to-day.

Hast thou, perchance, heard evil news Of Lakshma?, which thy soul subdues, Or Rama dwelling with his spouse- My all is he-neath forest boughs?"

Then slowly gathering sense and strength The weeping hero rose at length, And words like these to Guha spake, That bade Kausalya comfort take: "Where lodged the prince that night? and where Lakshma? the brave, and Sita fair?

Show me the couch whereon he lay, Tell me the food he ate, I pray."

Then Guha the Nishadas' king Replied to Bharat's questioning: "Of all I had I brought the best To serve my good and honoured guest Food of each varied kind I chose, And every fairest fruit that grows.

Rama the hero truly brave Declined the gift I humbly gave: His Warrior part he ne'er forgot, And what I brought accepted not: "No gifts, my friend, may we accept: Our law is, Give, and must be kept."

The high-souled chief, O Monarch, thus With gracious words persuaded us.

Then calm and still, absorbed in thought, He drank the water Lakshma? brought, And then, obedient to his vows, He fasted with his gentle spouse.

So Lakshma? too from food abstained, And sipped the water that remained: Then with ruled lips, devoutly staid, The three(362) their evening worship paid.

Then Lakshma? with unwearied care Brought heaps of sacred gra.s.s, and there With his own hands he quickly spread, For Rama's rest, a pleasant bed, And faithful Sita's too, where they Reclining each by other lay.

Then Lakshma? bathed their feet, and drew A little distance from the two.

Here stands the tree which lent them shade, Here is the gra.s.s beneath it laid, Where Rama and his consort spent The night together ere they went.

Lakshma?, whose arms the foeman quell, Watched all the night as sentinel, And kept his great bow strung: His hand was gloved, his arm was braced, Two well-filled quivers at his waist, With deadly arrows, hung.

I took my shafts and trusty bow, And with that tamer of the foe Stood ever wakeful near, And with my followers, bow in hand, Behind me ranged, a ready band, Kept watch o'er Indra's peer."

Canto Lx.x.xVIII. The Ingudi Tree.

When Bharat with each friend and peer Had heard that tale so full and clear, They went together to the tree The bed which Rama pressed to see.

Then Bharat to his mothers said: "Behold the high-souled hero's bed: These tumbled heaps of gra.s.s betray Where he that night with Sita lay: Unmeet, the heir of fortune high Thus on the cold bare earth should lie, The monarch's son, in counsel sage, Of old imperial lineage.

That lion-lord whose n.o.ble bed With finest skins of deer was spread,- How can he now endure to press The bare earth, cold and comfortless!

This sudden fall from bliss to grief Appears untrue, beyond belief: My senses are distraught: I seem To view the fancies of a dream.

There is no deity so great, No power in heaven can master Fate, If Rama, Dasaratha's heir, Lay on the ground and slumbered there; And lovely Sita, she who springs From fair Videha's ancient kings, Rama's dear wife, by all adored, Lay on the earth beside her lord.

Here was his couch, upon this heap He tossed and turned in restless sleep: On the hard soil each manly limb Has stamped the gra.s.s with signs of him.

That night, it seems, fair Sita spent Arrayed in every ornament, For here and there my eyes behold Small particles of glistering gold.

She laid her outer garment here, For still some silken threads appear, How dear in her devoted eyes Must be the bed where Rama lies, Where she so tender could repose And by his side forget her woes.

Alas, unhappy, guilty me!

For whom the prince was forced to flee, And chief of Raghu's sons and best, A bed like this with Sita pressed.

Son of a royal sire whose hand Ruled paramount o'er every land, Could he who every joy bestows, Whose body like the lotus shows, The friend of all, who charms the sight, Whose flashing eyes are darkly bright, Leave the dear kingdom, his by right, Unmeet for woe, the heir of bliss, And lie upon a bed like this?

Great joy and happy fate are thine, O Lakshma?, marked with each fair sign, Whose faithful footsteps follow still Thy brother in his hour of ill.

And blest is Sita, n.o.bly good, Who dwells with Rama in the wood.

Ours is, alas, a doubtful fate Of Rama reft and desolate.

My royal sire has gained the skies, In woods the high-souled hero lies; The state is wrecked and tempest-tossed, A vessel with her rudder lost.

Yet none in secret thought has planned With hostile might to seize the land: Though forced in distant wilds to dwell, The hero's arm protects it well.

Unguarded, with deserted wall, No elephant or steed in stall, My father's royal city shows Her portals open to her foes, Of bold protectors reft and bare, Defenceless in her dark despair: But still her foes the wish restrain, As men from poisoned cates refrain.

I from this hour my nights will pa.s.s Couched on the earth or gathered gra.s.s, Eat only fruit and roots, and wear A coat of bark, and matted hair.

I in the woods will pa.s.s, content, For him the term of banishment; So shall I still unbroken save The promise which the hero gave.

While I remain for Rama there, Satrughna will my exile share, And Rama in his home again, With Lakshma?, o'er Ayodhya reign, for him, to rule and guard the state, The twice-born men shall consecrate.

O, may the G.o.ds I serve incline To grant this earnest wish of mine!

If when I bow before his feet And with all moving arts entreat, He still deny my prayer, Then with my brother will I live: He must, he must permission give, Roaming in forests there."

Canto Lx.x.xIX. The Pa.s.sage Of Ganga.

That night the son of Raghu lay On Ganga's bank till break of day: Then with the earliest light he woke And thus to brave Satrughna spoke.

"Rise up, Satrughna, from thy bed: Why sleepest thou the night is fled.

See how the sun who chases night Wakes every lotus with his light.

Arise, arise, and first of all The lord of Sringavera call, For he his friendly aid will lend Our army o'er the flood to send."

Thus urged, Satrughna answered: "I, Remembering Rama, sleepless lie."

As thus the brothers, each to each, The lion-mettled, ended speech, Came Guha, the Nishadas' king, And spoke with kindly questioning: "Hast thou in comfort pa.s.sed," he cried, "The night upon the river side?

With thee how fares it? and are these, Thy soldiers, healthy and at ease?"

Thus the Nishadas' lord inquired In gentle words which love inspired, And Bharat, Rama's faithful slave, Thus to the king his answer gave: "The night has sweetly pa.s.sed, and we Are highly honoured, King, by thee.

Now let thy servants boats prepare, Our army o'er the stream to bear."

The speech of Bharat Guha heard, And swift to do his bidding stirred.

Within the town the monarch sped And to his ready kinsmen said: "Awake, each kinsman, rise, each friend!

May every joy your lives attend.

Gather each boat upon the sh.o.r.e And ferry all the army o'er."

Thus Guha spoke: nor they delayed, But, rising quick, their lord obeyed, And soon, from every side secured, Five hundred boats were ready moored.

Some reared aloft the mystic sign,(363) And mighty bells were hung in line: Of firmest build, gay flags they bore, And sailors for the helm and oar.

One such King Guha chose, whereon, Of fair white cloth, an awning shone, And sweet musicians charmed the ear,- And bade his servants urge it near.

Then Bharat swiftly sprang on board, And then Satrughna, famous lord, To whom, with many a royal dame, Kausalya and Sumitra came.

The household priest went first in place, The elders, and the Brahman race, And after them the monarch's train Of women borne in many a wain.

Then high to heaven the shouts of those Who fired the army's huts,(364) arose, With theirs who bathed along the sh.o.r.e, Or to the boats the baggage bore.

Full freighted with that mighty force The boats sped swiftly on their course, By royal Guha's servants manned, And gentle gales the banners fanned.

Some boats a crowd of dames conveyed, In others n.o.ble coursers neighed; Some chariots and their cattle bore, Some precious wealth and golden store.

Across the stream each boat was rowed, There duly disembarked its load, And then returning on its way, Sped here and there in merry play.

Then swimming elephants appeared With flying pennons high upreared.

And as the drivers urged them o'er, The look of winged mountains wore.

Some men in barges reached the strand, Others on rafts came safe to land: Some buoyed with pitchers crossed the tide, And others on their arms relied.

Thus with the help the monarch gave The army crossed pure Ganga's wave: Then in auspicious hour it stood Within Prayaga's famous wood.