The Ramayana Part 88

"O Rama, great delight I feel, Pleased, Lakshma?, with thy faithful zeal, That you within these shades I see With Sita come to honour me.

But wandering through the rough rude wild Has wearied Janak's gentle child: With labours of the way oppressed The Maithil lady longs for rest.

Young, delicate, and soft, and fair, Such toils as these untrained to bear, Her wifely love the dame has led The forest's troubled ways to tread.

Here, Rama, see that naught annoy Her easy hours of tranquil joy: A glorious task has she a.s.sayed, To follow thee through woodland shade.

Since first from Nature's hand she came, A woman's mood is still the same, When Fortune smiles, her love to show, And leave her lord in want and woe.

No pity then her heart can feel, She arms her soul with warrior's steel, Swift as the storm or Feathered King, Uncertain as the lightning's wing.

Not so thy spouse: her purer mind Shrinks from the faults of womankind; Like chaste Arundhati(441) above, A paragon of faithful love.

Let these blest shades, dear Rama, be A home for Lakshma?, her, and thee."

With raised hands reverently meek He heard the holy hermit speak, And humbly thus addressed the sire Whose glory shone like kindled fire:

"How blest am I, what thanks I owe That our great Master deigns to show His favour, that his heart can be Content with Lakshma?, Sita, me.

Show me, I pray, some spot of ground Where thick trees wave and springs abound, That I may raise my hermit cell And there in tranquil pleasure dwell."

Then thus replied Agastya, best Of hermits, to the chief's request: When for a little he had bent His thoughts, upon that prayer intent:

"Beloved son, four leagues away Is Panchava?i bright and gay: Thronged with its deer, most fair it looks With berries, fruit, and water-brooks.

There build thee with thy brother's aid A cottage in the quiet shade, And faithful to thy sire's behest, Obedient to the sentence, rest.

For well, O sinless chieftain, well I know thy tale, how all befell: Stern penance and the love I bore Thy royal sire supply the lore.

To me long rites and fervid zeal The wish that stirs thy heart reveal, And hence my guest I bade thee be, That this pure grove might shelter thee.

So now, thereafter, thus I speak: The shades of Panchava?i seek; That tranquil spot is bright and fair, And Sita will be happy there.

Not far remote from here it lies, A grove to charm thy loving eyes, G.o.davari's pure stream is nigh: There Sita's days will sweetly fly.

Pure, lovely, rich in many a charm, O hero of the mighty arm, 'Tis gay with every plant and fruit, And throngs of gay buds never mute.

Thou, true to virtue's path, hast might To screen each trusting anchorite, And wilt from thy new home defend The hermits who on thee depend.

Now yonder, Prince, direct thine eyes Where dense Madhuka(442) woods arise: Pierce their dark shade, and issuing forth Turn to a fig-tree on the north: Then onward up a sloping mead Flanked by a hill the way will lead: There Panchava?i, ever gay With ceaseless bloom, thy steps will stay."

The hermit ceased: the princely two With seemly honours bade adieu: With reverential awe each youth Bowed to the saint whose word was truth, And then, dismissed with Sita, they To Panchava?i took their way.

Thus when each royal prince had grasped His warrior's mighty bow, and clasped His quiver to his side, With watchful eyes along the road The glorious saint Agastya showed, Dauntless in fight the brothers strode, And Sita with them hied.

Canto XIV. Jatayus.

Then as the son of Raghu made His way to Panchava?i's shade, A mighty vulture he beheld Of size and strength unparalleled.

The princes, when the bird they saw, Approached with reverence and awe, And as his giant form they eyed, "Tell who thou art," in wonder cried.

The bird, as though their hearts to gain, Addressed them thus in gentlest strain; "In me, dear sons, the friend behold Your royal father loved of old."

He spoke: nor long did Rama wait His sire's dear friend to venerate: He bade the bird declare his name And the high race of which he came.

When Raghu's son had spoken, he Declared his name and pedigree, His words prolonging to disclose How all the things that be arose:

"List while I tell, O Raghu's son, The first-born Fathers, one by one, Great Lords of Life, whence all in earth And all in heaven derive their birth.

First Kardam heads the glorious race Where Vikrit holds the second place, With Sesha, Sansray next in line, And Bahuputra's might divine.

Then Stha?u and Marichi came, Atri, and Kratu's forceful frame.

Pulastya followed, next to him Angiras' name shall ne'er be dim.

Prachetas, Pulah next, and then Daksha, Vivasvat praised of men: Arish?anemi next, and last Kasyap in glory unsurpa.s.sed.

From Daksha,-fame the tale has told-: Three-score bright daughters sprang of old.

Of these fair-waisted nymphs the great Lord Kasyap sought and wedded eight, Aditi, Diti, Kalaka, Tamra, Danu, and a.n.a.la, And Krodhavasa swift to ire, And Manu(443) glorious as her sire.

Then when the mighty Kasyap cried Delighted to each tender bride: "Sons shalt thou bear, to rule the three Great worlds, in might resembling me."

Aditi, Diti, and Danu Obeyed his will as consorts true, And Kalaka; but all the rest Refused to hear their lord's behest.

First Aditi conceived, and she, Mother of thirty G.o.ds and three, The Vasus and adityas bare, Rudras, and Asvins, heavenly pair.

Of Diti sprang the Daityas: fame Delights to laud their ancient name.

In days of yore their empire dread O'er earth and woods and ocean spread.

Danu was mother of a child, O hero, Asvagriva styled, And Narak next and Kalak came Of Kalaka, celestial dame.

Of Tamra, too, five daughters bright In deathless glory sprang to light.

Enn.o.bling fame still keeps alive The t.i.tles of the lovely five: Immortal honour still she claims For Kraunchi, Bhasi, Syeni's names.

And wills not that the world forget Suki or Dhritarashtri yet.

Then Kraunchi bare the crane and owl, And Bhasi tribes of water fowl: Vultures and hawks that race through air With storm-fleet pinions Syeni bare.

All swans and geese on mere and brook Their birth from Dhritarashtri took, And all the river-haunting brood Of ducks, a countless mult.i.tude.

From Suki Nala sprang, who bare Dame Vinata surpa.s.sing fair.

From fiery Krodhavasa, ten Bright daughters sprang, O King of men: Mrigi and Mrigamanda named, Hari and Bhadramada famed, Sarduli, Sveta fair to see, Matangi bright, and Surabhi, Surasa marked with each fair sign, And Kadruma, all maids divine.

Mrigi, O Prince without a peer, Was mother of the herds of deer, The bear, the yak, the mountain roe Their birth to Mrigamanda owe; And Bhadramada joyed to be Mother of fair Iravati, Who bare Airavat,(444) huge of mould, Mid warders of the earth enrolled, From Hari lordly lions trace, With monkeys of the wild, their race.

From the great dame Sarduli styled Sprung pards, Langurs,(445) and tigers wild.

Matangi, Prince, gave birth to all Matangas, elephants strong and tall, And Sveta bore the beasts who stand One at each wind, earth's warder band.(446) Next Surabhi the G.o.ddess bore Two heavenly maids, O Prince, of yore, Gandharvi-dear to fame is she- And her sweet sister Rohi?i.

With kine this daughter filled each mead, And bright Gandharvi bore the steed.(447) Surasa bore the serpents:(448) all The snakes Kadru their mother call.

Then Manu, high-souled Kasyap's(449) wife, To all the race of men gave life, The Brahmans first, the Kshatriya caste, Then Vaisyas, and the Sudras last.

Sprang from her mouth the Brahman race; Her chest the Kshatriyas' natal place: The Vaisyas from her thighs, 'tis said, The Sudras from her feet were bred.

From a.n.a.la all trees that hang Their fair fruit-laden branches sprang.

The child of beauteous Suki bore Vinata, as I taught before: And Surasa and Kadru were Born of one dame, a n.o.ble pair.

Kadru gave birth to countless snakes That roam the earth in woods and brakes.

Aru? and Garu? swift of flight By Vinata were given to light, And sons of Aru? red as morn Sampati first, then I was born, Me then, O tamer of the foe, Ja?ayus, son of Syeni, know.

Thy ready helper will I be, And guard thy house, if thou agree: When thou and Lakshma? urge the chase By Sita's side shall be my place."

With courteous thanks for promised aid, The prince, to rapture stirred, Bent low, and due obeisance paid, Embraced the royal bird.

He often in the days gone by Had heard his father tell How, linked with him in friendship's tie, He loved Ja?ayus well.

He hastened to his trusted friend His darling to confide, And through the wood his steps to bend By strong Ja?ayus' side.

On to the grove, with Lakshma? near, The prince his way pursued To free those pleasant shades from fear And slay the giant brood.

Canto XV. Panchavati.

Arrived at Panchava?i's shade Where silvan life and serpents strayed, Rama in words like these addressed Lakshma? of vigour unrepressed:

"Brother, our home is here: behold The grove of which the hermit told: The bowers of Panchava?i see Made fair by every blooming tree.

Now, brother, bend thine eyes around; With skilful glance survey the ground: Here be some spot selected, best Approved for gentle hermits' rest, Where thou, the Maithil dame, and I May dwell while seasons sweetly fly.

Some pleasant spot be chosen where Pure waters gleam and trees are fair, Some nook where flowers and wood are found And sacred gra.s.s and springs abound."

Then Lakshma?, Sita standing by, Raised reverent hands, and made reply:

"A hundred years shall flee, and still Will I obey my brother's will: Select thyself a pleasant spot; Be mine the care to rear the cot."

The glorious chieftain, pleased to hear That loving speech that soothed his ear, Selected with observant care A spot with every charm most fair.

He stood within that calm retreat, A shade for hermits' home most meet, And thus Sumitra's son addressed, While his dear hand in his he pressed:

"See, see this smooth and lovely glade Which flowery trees encircling shade: Do thou, beloved Lakshma? rear A pleasant cot to lodge us here.

I see beyond that feathery brake The gleaming of a lilied lake, Where flowers in sunlike glory throw Fresh odours from the wave below.

Agastya's words now find we true, He told the charms which here we view: Here are the trees that blossom o'er G.o.davari's most lovely sh.o.r.e.