The Ramayana Part 72

Each man was seen in white attire Unstained by spot or speck of mire: None was athirst or hungry there, And none had dust upon his hair.

On every side in woody dells Was milky food in bubbling wells, And there were all-supplying cows And honey dropping from the boughs.

Nor wanted lakes of flower-made drink With piles of meat upon the brink, Boiled, stewed, and roasted, varied cheer, Peachick and jungle-fowl and deer, There was the flesh of kid and boar, And dainty sauce in endless store, With juice of flowers concocted well, And soup that charmed the taste and smell, And pounded fruits of bitter taste, And many a bath was ready placed Down by each river's shelving side There stood great basins well supplied, And laid therein, of dazzling sheen, White brushes for the teeth were seen, And many a covered box wherein Was sandal powdered for the skin.

And mirrors bright with constant care, And piles of new attire were there, And store of sandals and of shoes, Thousands of pairs, for all to choose: Eye-unguents, combs for hair and beard, Umbrellas fair and bows appeared.

Lakes gleamed, that lent digestive aid,(368) And some for pleasant bathing made, With waters fair, and smooth incline For camels, horses, mules, and kine.

There saw they barley heaped on high The countless cattle to supply: The golden grain shone fair and bright As sapphires or the lazulite.

To all the gathered host it seemed As if that magic scene they dreamed, And wonder, as they gazed, increased At Bharadvaja's glorious feast.

Thus in the hermit's grove they spent That night in joy and merriment, Blest as the G.o.ds who take their ease Under the shade of Nandan's trees.

Each minstrel bade the saint adieu, And to his blissful mansion flew, And every stream and heavenly dame Returned as swiftly as she came.

Canto XCII. Bharat's Farewell.

So Bharat with his army spent The watches of the night content, And gladly, with the morning's light Drew near his host the anchorite.

When Bharadvaja saw him stand With hand in reverence joined to hand, When fires of worship had been fed, He looked upon the prince and said: "O blameless son, I pray thee tell, Did the past night content thee well?

Say if the feast my care supplied Thy host of followers gratified."

His hands he joined, his head he bent And spoke in answer reverent To the most high and radiant sage Who issued from his hermitage: "Well have I pa.s.sed the night: thy feast Gave joy to every man and beast; And I, great lord, and every peer Were satisfied with sumptuous cheer, Thy banquet has delighted all From highest chief to meanest thrall, And rich attire and drink and meat Banished the thought of toil and heat.

And now, O Hermit good and great, A boon of thee I supplicate.

To Rama's side my steps I bend: Do thou with friendly eye commend.

O tell me how to guide my feet To virtuous Rama's lone retreat: Great Hermit, I entreat thee, say How far from here and which the way."

Thus by fraternal love inspired The chieftain of the saint inquired: Then thus replied the glorious seer Of matchless might, of vows austere: "Ere the fourth league from here be pa.s.sed, Amid a forest wild and vast, Stands Chitraku?a's mountain tall, Lovely with wood and waterfall.

North of the mountain thou wilt see The beauteous stream Mandakini, Where swarm the waterfowl below, And gay trees on the margin grow.

Then will a leafy cot between The river and the hill be seen: 'Tis Rama's, and the princely pair Of brothers live for certain there.

Hence to the south thine army lead, And then more southward still proceed, So shalt thou find his lone retreat, And there the son of Raghu meet."

Soon as the ordered march they knew, The widows of the monarch flew, Leaving their cars, most meet to ride, And flocked to Bharadvaja's side.

There with the good Sumitra Queen Kausalya, sad and worn, was seen, Caressing, still with sorrow faint, The feet of that ill.u.s.trious saint, Kaikeyi too, her longings crossed, Reproached of all, her object lost, Before the famous hermit came, And clasped his feet, o'erwhelmed with shame.

With circling steps she humbly went Around the saint preeminent, And stood not far from Bharat's side With heart oppressed, and heavy-eyed.

Then the great seer, who never broke One holy vow, to Bharat spoke: "Speak, Raghu's son: I fain would learn The story of each queen in turn."

Obedient to the high request By Bharadvaja thus addressed, His reverent hands together laid, He, skilled in speech, his answer made: "She whom, O Saint, thou seest here A G.o.ddess in her form appear, Was the chief consort of the king, Now worn with fast and sorrowing.

As Aditi in days of yore The all-preserving Vish?u bore, Kausalya bore with happy fate Lord Rama of the lion's gait.

She who, transfixed with torturing pangs, On her left arm so fondly hangs, As when her withering leaves decay Droops by the wood the Ca.s.sia spray, Sumitra, pained with woe, is she, The consort second of the three: Two princely sons the lady bare, Fair as the G.o.ds in heaven are fair.

And she, the wicked dame through whom My brothers' lives are wrapped in gloom, And mourning for his offspring dear, The king has sought his heavenly sphere,- Proud, foolish-hearted, swift to ire, Self-fancied darling of my sire, Kaikeyi, most ambitious queen, Unlovely with her lovely mien, My mother she, whose impious will Is ever bent on deeds of ill, In whom the root and spring I see Of all this woe which crushes me."

Quick breathing like a furious snake, With tears and sobs the hero spake, With reddened eyes aglow with rage.

And Bharadvaja, mighty sage, Supreme in wisdom, calm and grave, In words like these good counsel gave: "O Bharat, hear the words I say; On her the fault thou must not lay: For many a blessing yet will spring From banished Rama's wandering."

And Bharat, with that promise cheered, Went circling round that saint revered, He humbly bade farewell, and then Gave orders to collect his men.

Prompt at the summons thousands flew To cars which n.o.ble coursers drew, Bright-gleaming, glorious to behold, Adorned with wealth of burnished gold.

Then female elephants and male, Gold-girthed, with flags that wooed the gale, Marched with their bright bells' tinkling chime Like clouds when ends the summer time: Some cars were huge and some were light, For heavy draught or rapid flight, Of costly price, of every kind, With clouds of infantry behind.

The dames, Kausalya at their head, Were in the n.o.blest chariots led, And every gentle bosom beat With hope the banished prince to meet.

The royal Bharat, glory-crowned, With all his retinue around, Borne in a beauteous litter rode, Like the young moon and sun that glowed.

The army as it streamed along, Cars, elephants, in endless throng, Showed, marching on its southward way, Like autumn clouds in long array.

Canto XCIII. Chitrakuta In Sight.

As through the woods its way pursued That mighty bannered mult.i.tude, Wild elephants in terror fled With all the startled herds they led, And bears and deer were seen on hill, In forest glade, by every rill.

Wide as the sea from coast to coast, The high-souled Bharat's mighty host Covered the earth as cloudy trains Obscure the sky when fall the rains.

The stately elephants he led, And countless steeds the land o'erspread, So closely crowded that between Their serried ranks no ground was seen.

Then when the host had travelled far, And steeds were worn who drew the car, The glorious Bharat thus addressed Vasish?ha, of his lords the best: "The spot, methinks, we now behold Of which the holy hermit told, For, as his words described, I trace Each several feature of the place: Before us Chitraku?a shows, Mandakini beside us flows: Afar umbrageous woods arise Like darksome clouds that veil the skies.

Now tread these mountain-beasts of mine On Chitraku?a's fair incline.

The trees their rain of blossoms shed On table-lands beneath them spread, As from black clouds the floods descend When the hot days of summer end.

Satrughna, look, the mountain see Where heavenly minstrels wander free, And horses browse beneath the steep, Countless as monsters in the deep.

Scared by my host the mountain deer Starting with tempest speed appear Like the long lines of cloud that fly In autumn through the windy sky.

See, every warrior shows his head With fragrant blooms engarlanded; All look like southern soldiers who Lift up their shields of azure hue.

This lonely wood beneath the hill, That was so dark and drear and still, Covered with men in endless streams Now like Ayodhya's city seems.

The dust which countless hoofs excite Obscures the sky and veils the light; But see, swift winds those clouds dispel As if they strove to please me well.

See, guided in their swift career By many a skilful charioteer, Those cars by fleetest coursers drawn Race onward over glade and lawn.

Look, startled as the host comes near The lovely peac.o.c.ks fly in fear, Gorgeous as if the fairest blooms Of earth had glorified their plumes.

Look where the sheltering covert shows The trooping deer, both bucks and does, That occupy in countless herds This mountain populous with birds.

Most lovely to my mind appears This place which every charm endears: Fair as the road where tread the Blest; Here holy hermits take their rest.

Then let the army onward press And duly search each green recess For the two lion-lords, till we Rama once more and Lakshma? see."

Thus Bharat spoke: and hero bands Of men with weapons in their hands Entered the tangled forest: then A spire of smoke appeared in ken.

Soon as they saw the rising smoke To Bharat they returned and spoke: "No fire where men are not: 'tis clear That Raghu's sons are dwelling here.

Or if not here those heroes dwell Whose mighty arms their foeman quell, Still other hermits here must be Like Rama, true and good as he."

His ears attentive Bharat lent To their resistless argument, Then to his troops the chief who broke His foe's embattled armies spoke: "Here let the troops in silence stay; One step beyond they must not stray.

Come Dhrish?i and Sumantra, you With me alone the path pursue."

Their leader's speech the warriors heard, And from his place no soldier stirred, And Bharat bent his eager eyes Where curling smoke was seen to rise.

The host his order well obeyed, And halting there in silence stayed Watching where from the thicket's shade They saw the smoke appear.

And joy through all the army ran, "Soon shall we meet," thought every man, "The prince we hold so dear."

Canto XCIV. Chitrakuta.

There long the son of Raghu dwelt And love for hill and wood he felt.

Then his Videhan spouse to please And his own heart of woe to ease, Like some Immortal-Indra so Might Swarga's charms to Sachi show- Drew her sweet eyes to each delight Of Chitraku?a's lovely height: "Though reft of power and kingly sway, Though friends and home are far away, I cannot mourn my altered lot, Enamoured of this charming spot.

Look, darling, on this n.o.ble hill Which sweet birds with their music fill, Bright with a thousand metal dyes His lofty summits cleave the skies.

See, there a silvery sheen is spread, And there like blood the rocks are red.

There shows a streak of emerald green, And pink and yellow glow between.

There where the higher peaks ascend, Crystal and flowers and topaz blend, And others flash their light afar Like mercury or some fair star: With such a store of metals dyed The king of hills is glorified.

There through the wild birds' populous home The harmless bear and tiger roam: Hyaenas range the woody slopes With herds of deer and antelopes.

See, love, the trees that clothe his side All lovely in their summer pride, In richest wealth of leaves arrayed, With flower and fruit and light and shade, Look where the young Rose-apple glows; What loaded boughs the Mango shows; See, waving in the western wind The light leaves of the Tamarind, And mark that giant Peepul through The feathery clump of tall bamboo.(369) Look, on the level lands above, Delighting in successful love In sweet enjoyment many a pair Of heavenly minstrels revels there, While overhanging boughs support Their swords and mantles as they sport: Then see that pleasant shelter where Play the bright Daughters of the Air.(370) The mountain seems with bright cascade And sweet rill bursting from the shade, Like some majestic elephant o'er Whose burning head the torrents pour.

Where breathes the man who would not feel Delicious languor o'er him steal, As the young morning breeze that springs From the cool cave with balmy wings, Breathes round him laden with the scent Of bud and blossom dew-besprent?

If many autumns here I spent With thee, my darling innocent, And Lakshma?, I should never know The torture of the fires of woe, This varied scene so charms my sight, This mount so fills me with delight, Where flowers in wild profusion spring, And ripe fruits glow and sweet birds sing.