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Mrs,  P.H,  RuBsell 


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THE 

RAMAYANA 
TULsf  DAS 


TRANSLATED  FROM  TH  B  ORIGINAL  HINDI 
v-^^T>^      BY 

F.  S.'GROWSE,  B.  c.  s.; 

M.A.,   OxoN  ;   C.    I.  E.  ; 

FELLOW  OF  THE  CALCUTTA 
UNIVERSITY. 

SIXTH  EDITION. 

REVISED    AND   CORRECTED. 

"  The  IMnidyan  of  Tulsi  Dds  is  more 
popular  and  more  honoured  by  the 
people  of  the  North-Western  Pro- 
vinces than  the  Bible  is  by  the 
corresponding  classes  in 
England." 

GRIFFITH. 

:M  I  a  ft  a  b  a  d : 
RAM    NARAIN    LAL. 

PUBLISHER  &  BOOKSELLER,- 


^^m 


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©./he'   g  S) 

>  K  /IS  ?^ 


©^•@S*)^*'S^^*' 

^       ^-  t—        t/N 

^  IT    »c  ^ 

8'  luy   »  § 

©  fip  IP  s 


Price  Three  Rupees. 


INTRODUCTION. 


The  Sanskrit  R^m^yana  of  VAlrafki  has  been  published 
more  than  once,  with  all  the  advantages  of  European  edi- 
torial skill  and  tlie  most  luxurious  typography.  It  has  also 
been  translated  both  in  verse  and  prose,  and,  in  part  at  least, 
into  Latin,  as  well  as  into  Italian,  French  and  English. 
The  more  popular  Hindi  presentment  of  the  same  great 
national  Kpic  can  only  be  read  in  lithograph  or  baz^r 
print,  ^  and -with  the  exception  of  a  single  Book— has 
never  till  now  been  translated  in  any  form  into  any 
language  whatever.  Yet  it  is  no  unworthy  rival  of  its 
more  fortunate  predecessor.  There  can,  of  course  be  no 
comparison  between  the  polished  phraseology  of  classical 
Sanskrit  and  the  rough  colloquial  idiom  of  Tulsi  Das's 
vernacular  ;  while  the  antiquity  of  VAltniki's  poem  further 
invests  it  with  an  adventitious  interest  for  the  student  of 
Indian  history.  But,  on  the  other  hand,  the  Hindi  poem 
is  the  best  and  most  trustworthy  guide  to  the  popular 
living  faith  of  the  Hindu  race  at  the  present  day  — a  matter 
of  not  less  practical  interest  than  the  creed  of  their  remote 
ancestors  -and  its  language,  which  in  the  course  of  three 
centuries  has  contracted  a  tinge  of  archaism,  is  a  study  of 
much  importance  to  the  philologist,  as  helping  to  bridge  the 
chasm  between  the  modern  tongue  and  the  meditevai.  It  is 
also  less  wordy  and  diffuse  than  the  Sanskrit  original  and, 
probably  in  consequence  of  its  modern  date,  is  less  dis- 
figured by  wearisome  interpolations  and  repetitions  ;  while, 
if  it  never  soars  so  high  as  Valmlki  in  some  of  his  best 
passages,  it  maintains  a  more  equable  level  of  poetic 
diction,  and  seldom  sinks  with  him  into  such  dreary  depths 
of  unmitigated  prose.  It  must  also  be  noted  that  it  is  in 
no  sense  a  translation  of  the  earlier  work  :  the  general 
plan  and  the  management  of  the  incidents  are  necessarily 
much  the  same,  but  there  is  a  difference  in  the  touch  in 
every  detail  ;  and  the  two  poems  vary  as  widely  as  any  two 
dramas  on  the  same  mythological  subject  by  two  different 
Greek  tragedians.  Even  the  coincidence  of  name  is  an 
accident;    for   Tulsi    Dds    himself   called  his    poem  *  The 


1  A  hanHsotne  edition  of  tiie  text  was  issued  from  the  press  of  the 
Baptist  Mission  in  Calcutta  many  years  ago  :  bur  it  has  long  been  out  of 
print,  and  the  only  copy  I  have  ever  seen  of  it  was  the  one  in  use  at  the 
college  of  Fort  William  in  1861.  I  had  thus  entirely  forgotten  the  fact  till 
reminded  of  it  by  Mr.  Bate,  a  gentleman  who  has  ably  maiutaiiied  the  scholarly 
reputation  of  the  Mission  i^y  his  very  useful  Hindi  Dictionary. 


11  INTRODDOTION. 

Rim-charit-m^naR,'  and  the  shorter  title,  corresponding 
in  character  to  the  '  Iliad  *  or  *  ^^neid,*  has  only  been 
substituted  by  his  admirers  as  a  handier  designation  for  a 
popular  favourite. 

However,  the  opinion  that  the  more  modern  poem  is  a 
close  adaptation,  or  rifnecimento,  of  the  Sanskrit  original  is 
very  widely  entertained,  not  only  by  European  scholars  but 
also  by  Hindus  themselves.  For,  among  the  latter,  an 
orthodox  pandit  is  essentially  homo  unius  lihri^  to  whom 
the  idea  of  comparative  criticism  is  altogether  strange  and 
unintelligible.  Whatever  is  written  in  the  one  book,  to 
which  he  pins  his  faith,  is  for  him  the  absolute  truth,  which 
he  positively  declines  to  weaken  or  obscure  by  a  reference 
to  any  other  authority.  It  he  can  understand  Vdlmiki's 
Sanskrit,  he  despises  Tuisi  Dds  as  a  vulgarian  and  would 
not  condescend  to  read  a  line  of  him  ;  if  he  knows  only 
Hindi,  he  accepts  the  modern  poem  with  as  implicit  faith 
as  if  it  were  an  immemorial  sh^stra,  and  accounts  a 
quotation  from  his  R^mAyana  an  unanswerable  argument 
on  any  disputed  topic.  Thus,  in  all  probability,  the  only 
educated  Hindus  who  liave  much  acquaintance  with  both 
poems  are  the  professors  and  students  of  Government 
colleges,  whose  views  have  been  broadened  by  pjuropean 
influence.  It  may,  therefore,  be  of  interest  to  show  a  little 
more  at  length  how  great  is  the  divergence  between  the  two 
poems. 

In  both,  the  first  Book  brings  the  narrative  precisely  to 
the  sanjp  point,  viz ,  the  marriage  of  R^ma  and  Sita.  With 
Tulsi  Das  this  is  much  the  longest  book  of  the  seven,  and 
fornjs  all  but  a  third  of  the  complete  work  ;  in  the  Sanskrit, 
on  the  contrary, it  is  the  shortest  but  one,  even  after  includ- 
ing the  first  four  cantos,  which  are  obviously  a  late  addi- 
tion. They  give  a  table  of  contents,  and  explain  how 
Vdlmiki  learnt  the  story  from  Ndrad,  and  taught  it  to 
Kusa  and  Lava;  thus  corresponding  in  no  respect,  with 
Tulsi  Das's  introduction.  The  actual  poem  commences  at 
once,  without  any  prelude,  with  a  description  of  Ayodhy4 
and  its  King  Dasarath  and  his  ministers,  and  of  his  long- 
ing for  an  heir ;  and  tells  how  Rishyasring,  Vibhandak's 
son  (whose  previous  adventures  are  recorded  at  length) 
was  invited  from  the  palace  of  his  father-in-law,  LomapAd, 
the  kingof  ('hamp'^,  to  direct  the  ceremonies  of  a  great 
sacrifice,  which  the  childless  Dasarath  resolved  to  celebrate, 
inthe  hope  of  thereby  obtaining  his  desire.  The  gods, 
being  at  that  time  sorely  distressed  by  RAvan*s  persecution, 


INTRODUCTION.  Ill 

had  fled  to  Vishnu  for  succour;  and  he,  in  answer  to 
their  prayer,  became  incarnate  in  the  four  sons  that  were 
born  to  the  king,  while  inferior  divinities  took  birth  as 
bears  and  monkeys.  The  four  princes  are  named  by 
Vasishia.  They  grow  up,  and  the  king  is  thinking  where 
to  find  suitable  brides  for  them,  when  Visvamitra  comes, 
and,  after  a  long  colloquy,  takes  away  with  him  Rdma  and 
Lakshman  to  protect  him  at  the  time  of  sacrifice  fiora  the 
demons  that  persistently  assail  him.  On  the  way  they 
pass  by  the  Anga  hermitage,  where  the  god  of  love  had 
been  reduced  to  ashes  by  Siva  — a  legend  to  which  very 
brief  allusion  is  made,  —  then  though  the  forest  of  T^rakd, 
whom  Rdma  meets  in  battle  and  slays,  but  not  till  her 
genealogy  has  been  fully  recorded.  He  is  then  invested 
by  the  saint  with  certain  heavenly  weapons  and  magical 
powers,  and,  arriving  at  Visvamitra's  hermitage,  he  slays 
the  demons  MAricha  and  Sub^hu.  Being  told  of  Janak's 
bow-sacrifice  he  resolves  to  attend  it ;  and  as  he  crosses  the 
Son  and  the  Ganges  on  Ids  way  thither,  Visvamitra  enter- 
tains him  with  a  prolix  account  of  his  own  descent  from 
King  Kusa,  of  the  birth  of  Ganga,  the  legend  of  the  sons 
of  Sagar  and  his  sacrifice,  and  how  his  descendant  Bhagi- 
rath  brougdt  down  the  Ganges  from  heaven  and  concludes 
with  the  genealogy  of  the  kings  of  Vis^la.  As  they  draw 
near  to  Mithild,  Rima  delivers  Gautam's  wife  Ahaly^, 
whose  legend  is  given  with  all  its  circumstances.  He  is 
welcomed  by  Janak  and  by  Ahalya's  son,  Satananda,  and 
the  latter  makes  a  long  speech  of  eight  hundred  lines,  in 
which  he  gives  a  complete  history  of  the  contention  between 
Visvamitra  and  Vasishta,  with  an  account  of  Trisanku  and 
Sunahsepha  and  Ambarisha  and  of  Visvamitra's  final  pro- 
motion to  Brdhmanical  rank.  Janak  shows  Rdma  the  bow 
in  its  case,  and  he  then  and  there  takes  it  up  and  snaps  it 
in  pieces.  The  royal  suitors  had  all  tried  in  vain,  and 
after  fruitlessly  besieging  the  city,  with  intent  to  carry  off 
Sita  by  force,  had  returned  discomforted  to  their  own 
realms.  Envoys  are  despatched  to  Ayodhya  for  King 
Dasarath  ;  Kusa-dhvaj,  Janak's  brother,  is  also  summoned 
from  Sankasya  :  and  then  in  full  conclave  Vasishta  pro- 
claims Rdma's  pedigree,  after  which  Janak  recites  his  own. 
The  fourfold  nuptials  then  take  place,  a  hundred  thousand 
cows  being  given  to  the  Br^hmans  in  the  name  of  each  of 
the  brides,  and  many  precious  gifts  being  bestowed  in 
dowry.  Dasarath  then  takes  his  way  home  with  his  sons 
and  daughters,  but  is  met  by  Parasur^m  with  Vishnu's 
bow,  which  Rama  strings  at  once,  and    the  son  of    Bhrigu 


IV  INTRODUCTION. 

ackowled^es  his  supremacy.  They  then  reach  Ayodhyd, 
whence  Bharat  soon  departs  with  his  uncle,  Yudhajit,  on  a 
visit  to  his  mother's  father,  Kekaya. 

On  comparing  the  above  sketch  with  my  translation  of 
the  corresponding  portion  of  the  Hindi  poem,  it  will  be 
seen  that  the  two  agree  only  in  the  broadest  outline.  Tlie 
episodes  so  freely  introduced  by  both  poets  are,  for  the 
most  part,  entirely  dissimilar  ;  and  even  in  the  main  narra- 
tive some  of  the  most  important  incidents,  such  as  the  break- 
ing of  the  bow  and  the  contention  with  Parasuram,  are 
differently  placed  and  assume  a  very  altered  complexion. 
In  other  passages  where  the  story  follows  the  same  lines, 
whatever  V^lmiki  has  condensed— as,  for  example,  the 
description  of  the  marriage  festivities— Tulsi  Das  has 
expanded  ;  and  wherever  the  elder  poet  has  lingered 
longest,  his  successor  has  hastened  on  most  rapidly. 

In  the  seventh,  or  last,  Book,  the  divergence  is,  if  any- 
thing, still  more  marked.  It  consists  with  V^lmiki  of  124 
cantos,  the  first  49  of  which  are  occupied  by  a  dialogue  be- 
tween Rama  and  the  Rishi  Agastya,  who  relates  the  story  of 
Ravan's  birth  and  his  conquest  of  the  world.  In  the  50th 
canto  Ruma  dismisses  his  monkey  followers  to  their  homes  : 
and  it  in  only  is  this  one  passage  and  in  occasional  reference 
to  the  glory  and  happiness  of  RAma's  reign  that  there  is  any 
coincidence  with  the  Hindi  'Sequel.'  The  remainder  of 
the  Sanskrit  poem  relates  the  exile  of  Sita  and  the 
Asvamedh  sacrifice;  after  which  Rama  and  his  brothers 
ascend  to  heaven.  All  these  topics  are  totally  omitted  by 
Tulsi  DAs,  who  substitutes  for  them  the  story  of  Kdka- 
bhnsundi  and  a  series  of  laboured  disquisitions  on  the  true 
nature  of  Faith. 

The  earliest  notice  of  our  author,  as,  indeed,  of  all  the 
other  celebrated  Vaishnava  writers  who  flourished  about 
the  same  period,  r/s.,  the  16th  and  17th  century  A.  1).,  is  to 
be  found  in  the  Bhakt-MAl^,  or  '  Legends  of  the  Saints,' 
one  of  the  most  difficult  works  in  the  Hindi  language.  Its 
composition  is  invariably  ascribed  to  N4bh6  J(,  himself  one 
of  the  leaders  of  the  reform  which  had  its  centre  at  Brindii- 
ban  ;  but  the  poem,  as  we  now  have  it,  was  avowedly 
edited,  if  not  entirely  written,  by  one  of  his  disciples 
named  NArdyan  DAs  who  lived  during  the  reign  of  Sh^h- 
jahAn.  A  single  stanza  is  all  that  is  ordinarily  devoted  to 
each  personage,  who  is  panegyrized  with  reference  to  his 
mo8t  salient  characteristics  in  a  style  that  might  be  de- 
scribed as  of  unparalleled  obscurity,  were  it  not  that  each 


INTRODUCTION.  V 

such  separate  portiou  ol'  the  text  is  followed  by  a  iika,  or 
gloss,  written  by  one  Priya  Dds  in  the  sambat  year  1769 
(1713  A.  D.)  in  which  confusion  is  still  worse  confounded 
by  a  series  of  the  most  disjointed  and  inexplicit  allusions  to 
different  legendary  events  in  the  saint's  life.  The  poem 
has  never  been  printed,  and  though  it  is  of  the  very  highest 
repute  among  modern  Vaishnavas,  and  is,  therefore,  not 
rare  in  MS.  either  at  Mathura  or  Brind^-ban,  it  is  utterly 
unintelligible  to  ordinary  native  readers.  The  text  of  the 
passage  referring  to  Tulsi  Dds  is,  therefore,  here  given,  and 
is  followed  by  a  literal  English  translation  :  — 

^ffT  ^wr  ^^  ^ftsr  ^gr  %Tfe  TlT^^^  ii 

?[^  ^^K  ^^f.  c^^^nf^  ^fk  ftR   ^  'TKHR  II 

^^T?:  irqn:  %  tr  'SFt  51m  ^q  ^^  ftr^ft  11 

Translation  of  the  text  of  Nabhd  Ji. 

For  the  redemption  of  mankind  in  this  perverse  Kali  Yug,  VAlmiki  has 
been  born  again  as  Tulsi.  The  verses  of  the  Ramdyana  composed  in  the 
TretaYug  are  a  hundred  crores  in  number  ;  but  a  single  letter  has  redeem- 
ing power,  and  would  work  the  salvation  of  one  who  had  even  committed 
the  murder  of  a  Brahman.  Now  again,  as  a  blessing  to  the  faithful,  has 
he  taken  birth  and  published  the  sportive  actions  of  the  god.  Intoxicated 
with  his  passion  for  Rama's  feet,  he  perseveres  day  and  night  in  the  accom- 
plishment of  his  vow,  and  has  supplied,  as  it  were,  a  boat  for  the  easy 
passage  of  the  boundless  ocean  of  existence.  For  the  redemption  of  man 
in  this  perverse  Kali  Yug,  Valmlki  has  been  born  again  as  Tulsi. 

^  ^  ^^  ^^  ^^  ^  ^Tu:t  II 
^^ ^%  mim  ^k  ftftr  ^fJT^f^  qt 

5ft%   ?m  5Ti  rR  ^Tf  ^m  f  T13:  t  II 


VI  INTRODUCTION. 

55ft  m^  ^m  JTRt  ^^  «Tqt  XTTrT  ^ 

qrd  ifmm  ^sft  ^thIjO  vim:  1 11 
pCTt  <T^T  ^H  snj^  ^^  ^  ar^iTw 

^tT  H ^  ^^  'Tni  ^JfTf  fir^^  ^)^ 

^t^T  giir  m^r  ^gJTR  5j;  ^^'n:  1 11 
^m^  sT«rJT  mi  irnr  ^^n  stcc  1 11 
^^  ^fvi  gnf^T  >sTm  qra  ^q^TO  1 11 

317%  ti^heht:  ^q  vt^^Tt  ii^  m^  t  n 
jrifir  ^'tl^  'iTC  ^ff  ^^  Km  ^  ^q 
^fir^t  ^^q  fsfrr  ^  ^Rfir^ife^  ll 

iot  ^  ^  €?f  ^^  ^fir  ^Tftr^  II 

q^    ^n    STT^    ^?    t^    JR    TTf^ll 

qx®  ^gm^T  ^J^  ^ftS  ^  m^r  <3n^ 

5r^r  ^fi:  firm^ffj    rfk^  ^JTrT  «?t^ 

^  g^  ^m  fir^  ^rft^  ^^t^  ^ 

f^  ^  q^n^  f%^  g:gr  JTT^  ^^  ^  II 

^  n^  qrq  ^TT  ^%  %^  r^r^  qft  n 
qt^  giT  ^^>  f^^  ^^  7f^  ^^>  ^^ 


INTRODUCTION.  VI 

^f%  qt^  ^t^  Tw  JTftmi:  ^^  ^^ 

Wit  5ft  Sd^  ^Ct  ^^  'TT*  f  T^  ^i 

^T§  5JTT  ^TIT  %  STrTT^  TTf^T  ^fm^  II 
i^-t  giT  STTjff  ^hV  ^*  ^^^THi  ^d 

^M  sr^^  q^it  t  §  ^f^  ^fsT^  II 

^TT^f^rg-^^    %T^    ^^    ^^    >515T 

^^  i^m^R  ^t?i  ^Tq  ^?:  ftr^  t  ii 
^r^  Jt^^  ^q  ^^  ^  %^  I II 

^  ^m  ^  5?:^  ^n^^  fiR^*t?:  ^5T 
^  ^fi-  Jt1?T  tI  5ft^  :^ft  ff  ^  t  II 

^t  ^  g^nr  3TT^  ^^  <miH  ^ 
vrt  ^'1  ^ST  ^ST  g^  ^^  f^^  I II 
feft  ^*T  f^sr  ^tn  tfrTtJrr  ^r#  ^  %^ 

5?:^    ?r   ^f^     ftj'TT   ^^  SRTJT   t    II 
^tS  ^f  ^^TIT^-V  TTrat  qfrT  ^T^  ^T^ 

^^  m  fiT^?=r  Tfit  ^^rni  ^t  ?ttt  t  ii 
Tift  rm  ^m  5flf^  ^j  ^fmm  t  ll 
3iT^T  5jra  ^  rit  ?T  ^^  ^crm  ^m  t  ii 

m^  #T  ^pTPft  ^  %  f%5r  ^^TFTt  mf^^  Ii 
tf^%  ^Tf  ^Tt  ^  S'^  ^"t  f^RTf  ^m 
^%  ^5  ft'W  iff  ^^  TT*T    ^Ttf^r^  I) 


VI II  INTRODUCTION. 

^^5%  TTfiT  TTO"   ill^^    XJ^T^    ft'WT 

^t^  ^5cun%  3r»T  ^^mRr  ^ro  m^  f^ 
^^'V  ^  m^T  q:^  THT  ^rf^'STTf^r^  ii 

^  THT  ^^  ^ff  ^f^  f%^  fsR^  f^^ 

irfsf^  ^qr^  ^m^T  :^^T^  d  II 
m^'V  ^fm^  ^rf^  T^  ^ft  ^tft  ^fii  ;t^ 
?»fHf  cTT  ^  ^fk  ^^T  ^  ft^T^  ifr  II 
^t^  ^z  mr  ^T^  f%^  ^  ^  ^ 
?ift%  ^t^T  ?ft^  snfsT  JIRf  xit  mj^  ft  II 

H^Tim  ^PTra  grRf  vt»t  itt^  it  ii 
«iPT  qni  fir^  gn  f^  f IT  str  qrt 
J^^  ^iT^rgf  ^Frrmm  ^5  ^ftfir^  11 

Wnt  ^ftl  n^  «ii'T  cT^  ^iftr  ^t^TT  ^J^T 

^  ^  ^m^  ^"^  ^Pt  ^f  ^>fiT^  II 

^  fffsT  fi[^  ^ftt  ^^?ft  ^%  ^Z  TOT 
^^Tf  •T  ^    ^;3;    ^tS    rTT    ^VflT^  II 

^jp^  ii  ^r^TT  fjfST  ^'tP'K  TT%  vr'tfar^  11 

JT^  'ftTT^RJ^  ^    ^^TT    ^ft    «F% 

^^'V  TTiT  f^  &^  5%  VTT^  qrnV  t  II 
t^Tt  ^T^T  ftpw  ^  ^^  f^^^mr  ?5:t 
TT5T  ?»;T^:q  ^  ^ftr  jft^Tr  ^tWV  1 11 
^rrg  ^^  ^^5^  w^m'ft^  xt^t^  iT^T 
niT  ^^  gf^  ^S  ;Tf?T  ?TgTT^  1 11 

V^^  5^  STT'ft  5^^  ^^T  TTTjft 

infii  ^mt  ?:%  ^^  ?i'ft'  sn'ft  ?  II 


INTRODUCTION.  IX 

Tratislation  of  the  gloss  {or  itujJplemcnt)  by  Prnja  Bas. 

He  had  great  love  for  his  wife  :  without  asking  his  leave  she  went  home 
to  her  father's  :  he  forgot  all  about  himself  and  hastened  there  too.  She 
was  greatly  ashamed,  and  went  away  iri  anger,  saying  :— "  Have  you  no  love 
for  Mraa  ?  My  body  is  but  a  framework  of  skin  and  bone."  When  he 
heard  these  words,  it  was,  as  it  were,  the  daybreak  ;  he  felt  compunction 
and  left  her  and  sped  to  the  city  or  Kasi.  There  he  made  his  abode,  wor- 
suipping  the  lord  publicly,  making  a  rigid  vow,  and  thirsting  exceedingly 
for  a  vision. 

A  certain  ghost,  who  had  secured  the  remainder  of  the  water  he  had 
used  in  washing,!  was  grateful  and  told  him  of  Hanuman.  "A  recitation 
of  the  Ramayana  has  a  special  charna  for  his  ears  ;  he  will  be  disguised  in 
mean  attire,  but  is  always  the  first  to  come  and  the  last  to  leave."  Thus 
recognizing  him  as  he  left,  he  went  with  him  in  full  confidence,  and  in  the 
wood,  knowing  him  to  be  in  truth  the  god,  ran  and  embraced  his  feet, 
crj'ing  with  a  shout  of  joy:— "You  shall  not  escape  me."  Perceiving  his 
intense  devotion,  he  assumed  the  form  in  which  he  is  famous,  and  said  :  — 
"Ask  of  me  what  you  will."  "lam  ever  craving  to  behold  with  my  very 
eyes  the  incomparable  beauty  of  King  Rama."  He  told  him  the  place  for 
meeting.  From  that  day  forth  he  was  longing  till  the  time  came,  thinking  : 
—  'When  shall  I  behold  his  beauty?  Raghunath  came,  and  with  him 
Laksh man,  both  mounted  on  horseback,  in  green  raiment  (like  huntsmen). 
Why  should  he  notice  them  ?  Afterwards  came  Hanuman  and  said  : — 
"  Have  you  seen  your  dear  lord  ?  "  "I  did  not  give  them  even  a  glance  ; 
turn  now  and  speak  to  them  again." 

A  Brahman,  who  had  committed  a  murder,  came  on  a  pilgrimage,  crying 
— "  ITor  the  love  of  Uima  give  an  alms  even  to  me,  a  murderer."  On  hear- 
ing the  delightful  name,  he  called  him  into  his  own  house,  and  gave  him  of 
the  ofEerinys  to  the  god,  and  purified  him  and  sang  the  praises  of  his 
Beloved.  The  Brahmans  met  in  conclave  and  summoned  him  before  them, 
saying  :~"How  has  his  guilt  been  remitted  that  you  could  thus  take  and 
eat  with  him  apart?"  "Read  your  books;  their  real  meaning  has  not 
penetrated  your  heart  ;  therefore  your  faith  is  dud  and  your  blindness  has 
not  been  removed  "  "  We  have  read  and  examined  our  books  ;  the  virtue 
of  the  name  is  truly  as  you  have  said  ;  but  can  a  murderer  be  absolved  1 
Please  explain  that."  "  Tell  me  how  I  may  convince  you."  They  said  : — 
"  If  Siva's  bull  will  eat  from  his  hand,  then  will  we  receive  him  into  our 
company."  He  gave  him  of  the  temple  offerinirs  in  a  dish,  and  they  return- 
ed to  the  place  where  he  had  made  the  vow.  There  he  cried  :  -"  Saturate 
their  souls  with  the  glory  of  thy  name  ;  thou  knowest  how  the  matter 
stands,  what  can  I  say  ?"  On  h'-aring  those  words  lie  graciously  accepted  the 
oflPering  :  there  vvas  «•  joyous  shout  of  Victory  !  Victory  I 

Some  thieves  came  by  night  to  thieve  and  plunder  his  goods,  but  beheld 
a  cloud-dark  form  with  bow  and  arrows  in  his  hand.  Whenever  he  approach- 
ed with  ready  shaft,  they  were  afraid  ;  and  though  they  vvent  round 
and  round,  they  could  not  get  rid  of  this  watchman.  At  daybreak  they  came 
and  asked  him  :— "  Sir.  who  is  this  dark-complexioned  lad  of  yours  ?"  On 
hearing  this  question,  he  remained  silent  and  wept ;  then  gave  away  all  that 
he  had,  knowing  that  Hama  himself  and  been  the  watchman.  They  were 
initiated  and  received  instruction,  and  became  pure  of  heart. 

A  Bitihman  had  died  ;  his  wife  was  following  him  to  the  pyre.  She  saw 
him  at  a  distance  and  made  him  obeisance  He  addressed  her  as  a  happy 
wife.  She  replied  :— "  My  husband  is  dead,  and  I  am  about  to  perish  with 
him."  "  The  word  has  passed  my  lips  ;  I  will  restore  him  to  life  ;  worsihp 
thou  Rama."     Then  he  called  her  kinsfolk  and  said  :— "  But  you  must  adopt 


1  A  ghost  is  supposed  to  suffer  from  perpetual  thirst  and  to  be  glad  to 
secure  even  a  drop  of  water,  however  impure  the  purpose  for  which  it  has 
been  used. 

R-2 


X  INTRODUCTION. 

a  religious  life."  They  hearkened  to  his  word,  and  he  restored  the  man  to 
the  delights  of  life,  they  all  became  saints  when  he  had  taken  away  their 
sinful  frowardness  :  none  can  see  heaven  in  whom  passion  still  lives. 

The  emperor  of  Delhi  sent  at>  officer  to  fetch  him,  explaining,  "  It  is  he, 
you  must  know,  who  brought  the  Brahman  to  life  again."  "  He  is  anxious 
to  see  you,"  they  said,  "so  come;  all  will  be  well."  They  spoke  so 
courteously  that  he  agreed  and  went.  They  arrived  before  the  king,  who 
received  h»m  with  honour,  gave  him  an  exalted  seat,  ami  said  in  gracious 
tones  :—'•  Let  me  see  a  miracle;  it  is  noised  thiougliout  the  world  that  you 
are  master  of  everything  "  He  said  :  -  "  It  is  false  ;  know  that  Rama  is  all 
in  all."  '*  How  i.s  Rinia  to  be  seen?  "  he  said,  and  threw  him  into  prison. 
He  prayed  within  himself  :  "  0  gracious  Hanuman,  have  pity  upon  me." 
That  very  moment  thousands  upon  thousands  of  sturdy  monkeys  spread  all 
over  thep'ace,  clawing  bodies,  and  tearing  clothep,  and  great  was  the  alarm. 
They  broke  open  the  fort,  wounding  the  men,  destroying  everything  ;  where 
could  one  fly  for  safety  ?  it  seemed  as  though  the  end  of  the  world  had  come. 
Then  his  eyes  were  opened  by  this  taste  of  a  sea  of  calamities,  and  he  cried,— 
"  Now  I  wayer  all  my  treasure  it  is  he  only  who  can  save  me."  He  came  and 
clasped  his  feet  :  "  If  you  give  me  life,  I  live  ;  pray  speak  to  them."  "  Bet- 
ter watch  the  miracle  a  little."  The  king  whs  overwhelmed  with  confusion. 
Then  he  stopt  it  all  and  said  :  -  "  Quickly  abandon  this  spot,  for  it  is  the 
abode  of  Udma."  At  th<'  word  he  quitted  the  place  and  went  and  built  a 
new  fort,  and  to  this  day  any  one  who  abides  there  falls  ill  and  dies. 

After  returning  to  Kdsi  he  came  to  Brinda-ban  and  met  Nibha  Jl  and 
heard  his  poetry,  and  his  whole  soul  was  filled  with  delight.  On  visiting  the 
shrine  of  Madan  Gopal  he  said  : — "  Of  a  truth  Rdraa  is  my  special  patron  ; 
1  would  fain  see  him."  Then  appeared  the  god  to  him  in  that  very  form  ; 
and  he  was  glad  on  beholding  his  incomparable  beauty.  It  was  said  to  him ; 
—  "The  Krishna  Avatiir  is  of  greatest  renown;  R^ma  was  only  a  partial 
incarnation."  On  hearing  this  he  said  :  — "  My  soul  was  full  of  love  for  him 
when  I  took  him  only  for  the  son  of  Dasarath  and  admired  his  incomparable 
l)eauty  ;  now  that  you  tell  me  of  his  divinity,  my  love  is  increased  twenty- 
fold." 

Professor  Wilson,  in  his  most  valuable  and  interesting 
"  Essay  on  the  Religious  Sects  of  the  Hindus,"  gives  the 
following  notice  of  Tulsi  Das,  and  adds  that  he  had 
derived  it  from  the  Bhakt  M61A  :— "  Having  been  incited  to 
the  peculiar  adoration  of  Rdma  by  the  remonstrances  of  his 
wife,  to  whom  he  was  passionately  attached,  he  adopted 
a  vagrant  life,  visited  Benares,  and  afterwards  went  to  Chit- 
rakut,  where  he  had  a  personal  interview  with  Hanuni^n, 
from  whom  he  received  his  poetical  inspiration  and  the 
power  of  working  miracles.  His  fame  reached  Delhi,  where 
ShAhjah^n  was  emperor.  The  monarch  sent  for  him  to 
produce  the  person  of  Rima,  which  Tulsi  Dds  refusing  to 
do,  the  king  threw  him  into  confinement.  The  people  of 
the  vicinity,  however,  speedily  petitioned  for  his  liberation, 
as  they  were  alarmed  for  their  own  security:  myriads  of 
monkeys  having  collected  about  the  prison  and  begun  to 
demolish  it  and  the  adjacent  buildings.  Shjihjahdn  set  the 
poet  at  liberty  and  desired  him  to  solicit  some  favour  as  a 
reparation  for  the  indignity  he  had  suffered.  Tulsi  D^s 
accordingly  requested    him  to   quit  ancient  Delhi,   which 


INTRODUCTION.  Kl 

was  the  abode  of  Rjlma  ;  and  in  compliance  with  this  re- 
quest the  emperor  left  it  and  founded  the  new  city,  thence 
named  Shdlijahanab^d.  After  this  Tulsi  Dds  went  to 
Brinda-ban,  where  he  had  an  interview  with  Ndbhd  Ji ; 
he  settled  there  and  strenuously  advocated  the  worship  of 
Sita  Rdma,  in  preference  to  that  of  R^dha- Krishna." 

On  comparing  this  sketch  with  the  literal  translation  of 
the  text  from  which  it  was  derived,  it  will  be  seen  that  it  is 
not  very  closely  in  accord  with  it.  It  omits  many  particulars 
and  adds  others,  and  was  probably  taken  not  from  the 
genuine  Hindi  poem  itself,  but  from  some  prose  adapta- 
tion,i  of  which,  in  consequence  of  the  difficulty  of  the 
original,  there  are  very  many  in  existence. 

It  is  a  curious  illustration  of  the  indifference  to  historical 
truth  and  the  love  for  the  marvellous,  by  which  the  Hindd 
mind  has  always  been  characterised,  that  although  the  tika 
even  of  the  Bahkt-M^ld  was  written  less  than  a  century  after 
the  poet's  death,  it  still  gives  so  little  trustworthy  informa- 
tion about  the  real  incidents  of  his  life  and  supplies  so 
much  that  is  clearly  fictitious.  That  it  was  his  wifo  who 
first  persuaded  him  to  exchange  an  earthly  for  a  divine 
love  and  to  devote  himself  to  the  service  of  R^ma  may  well 
be  accepted  as  a  fact.  As  to  the  other  legends— of  the  ghost 
who  introduced  him  to  Hanuman,  through  whom  he  obtain- 
ed a  vision  of  Rdma  and  Lakshman  :  of  the  murdf^rer  whom 
he  recognized  as  cleansed  of  his  crime  by  the  repetition  of 
the  holy  name ;  of  the  widow  on  her  way  to  the  funeral  pile, 
whose  husband  he  restored  to  life  ;  of  the  emperor's  requir- 
ing him  to  perform  some  miracle  and,  on  his  refusal  to  pro- 
duce the  god  to  whom  he  ascribed  all  his  power,  throwing 
him  into  prison,  from  which  he  was  delivered  by  Hanuman's 
monkey  host;  of  the  emperor's  thereupon  abandoning  a 
spot  which  R^ma  had    made  so  peculiarly  his  own ;  of   the 


1  I  was  afterwards  able  to  verify  this  conjecture,  as  Mr.  Leonard,  the 
Assistant  Secretary  of  "  the  Calcutta  Asiatic  Society,  was  kind  enough  to  lend 
me  his  copy  of  Price's  "  Hindi  and  Hindustani  Selections,"  a  work  to  which 
Professor  Wilson  refers  more  than  once  in  the  course  of  his  essay.  It  was 
published  in  Calcutta  in  1827,  and  has  long  been  out  of  print.  1  find  that 
as  many  as  50  pages  of  it  are  occupied  with  extracts  from  the  Hhakt-Mdla  ; 
but  with  the  exception  of  some  18  stanzas  from  the  mul  of  Ndbha  Ji,  all  the 
rest  is  in  simple  narrative  prose  ;  and  the  compiler  in  his  introduction  spe- 
cially mentions  that  the  work  itself  was  rarely  to  be  met  with  in  the  Lower 
Provinces,  and  that  his  extracts  were  taken  from  a  copy  in  Mr.  Wilson's 
library.  [Sanskrit  and  Hindi  being  two  languages,  as  distinct  as  Latin  and 
Italian,  the  above  remarks  were  never  intended  (as  a  reviewer  wrongly  sup- 
posed) to  detract  in  any  way  from  the  peculiar  merits  of  one  of  the  greatest 
Sanskrit  scholars  that  England  has  ever  produced  and  to  whose  works  no  one 
Is  more  indebted  than  myself.]  ■ 


Xll  INTBODUOTION. 

thieves  who  were  prevented  from  breaking  into  the  poet's 
house  by  Rima  himself  acting  as  watchman;  of  his  visit  to 
Brindi-ban  and  his  interview  withNAbh^Ji;  and  finally 
of  his  persistence  in  preferring  the  worship  of  R^ma  to  that 
of  Krishna,  though  the  latter  assured  him  in  person  that 
there  was  no  difference  between  the  two — all  these  legends, 
as  given  in  the  Bhakt  M4U,  whatever  their  foundation,  are 
still  popularly  accepted  as  verities  and  are  indissolubly 
connected  with  the  poet's  name.  A  few  further  facts  of 
more  prosaic  character  may  be  gathered  from  his  own  works 
and  from  tradition  ;  thus  we  learn  from  the  prologue  to  the 
RAmAyana  that  he  commenced  its  composition  at  Ayodhyi 
in  the  Sambat  year  1631,  corresponding  to  1575.  A.D.,  and 
that  he  had  studied  for  some  length  of  time  at  Soron.  He 
was  by  descent  a  BrAhman  of  the  Kanaujiya  clan,  and  in  the 
Bhakt-Sindhu— a  modern  poem  of  no  great  authority,  the 
writ^lr  when  at  a  loss  for  facts  being  as  it  seems,  in  the 
habit  of  supplying  them  out  of  his  own  imagination — it  is 
stated  that  his  father's  name  was  Atma  Rdm  and  that 
he  was  born  at  Hastinapur.  Others  make  Hdjipur,  near 
Chitrakiit,  the  place  of  his  birth.  The  greater  part  of  his 
life  was  certainly  spent  at  Benares,  though  he  also  passed 
some  years  in  visits  to  Soron,  Ayodhyd,  Chitrakiit,  Allah- 
abad, and  Brind^-ban.  He  died  in  the  Samhat  year  1680 
(1624  A.D.) 

A  complete  copy  of  the  RAmdyana  in  his  own  hand- 
writing was  once  in  existence  at  Rdjapur,  but  it  was  stolen 
about  the  year  1800  by  a  devotee,  who  on  being  pursued 
threw  it  into  the  river.  It  was  eventually  recovered  by  a 
net,  but  not  till  it  had  been  greatly  damaged  by  the  water  ; 
Book  II,  the  AyodhyA,  which  forms  the  centre  of  the  volume, 
being  the  only  part  that  remained  legible.  This  fragment  is 
still  in  the  temple  ;  but  as  every  pilgrim  is  expected  to  make 
an  offering  of  a  cover  for  it,  is  it  now  enveloped  in  some  50 
wraps  and  is  quite  lost  to  sight.  The  MahdrAjaof  Benares  is 
said  to  have  employed  a  copyist  to  consult  it  before  publish- 
ing his  edition,  which  in  that  case  represents  the  standard 
text  ;  and  a  commentary  written  by  Mahant  Rdm  Charan  in 
Hambat  1862,  and  published  by  Naval  Kishore  of  Lucknow, 
professes  to  have  been  undertaken  after  '  handling '  the 
original  MS.,  which  possibly  was  then  complete.  The 
'  handling,'  however,  may  have  been  only  from  a  motive  of 
veneration  and  not  for  critical  purposes. 

In  addition  to  his  great  work  Tulsi  Dds  composed  at 
least  six  other  poems,  all  of  them  having  the  one  object   of 


INTRODUCTION.  Xlll 

popularizing  the  cultusof  his  tutelary  divinity.  They  are  the 
Rdmgitdvali  (which  is  one  of  the  text-books  in  the  Govern- 
ment examination  for  a  Degree  of  Honour),  the  Doh^vali, 
the  Kabit-sambandh,  the  Binay  PatrikA,  the  Satsai  and  the 
Ram  Agyd.  All  of  these  have  been  published,  either  at 
Lucknovv  or  Benares,  within  the  last  few  years,  and  all  now 
for  the  first  time,  excepting  the  Binay  Patrika,  which 
was  printed  in  orood  type  by  Sri  Lallii  JI  for  the  use  of  the 
college  of  Fort  William  as  far  back  as  the  year  1826  ;  but 
copies  of  this  first  edition  are  now  very  scarce.  The  list  is 
not  unfrequently  extended  by  the  addition  of  the  following 
minor  works,  as  to  the  genuineness  of  which  there  is  consid- 
erable doubt,  viz.,  the  Rdma-Salak^,  the  Hanum^n  Bdhuka, 
the  JAnaki  Mangal,  the  Pdrvati  Man  gal,  the  Kark^  Chhand, 
the  Rora  Chhand  and  the  Jhulnd  Chhand.  An  autograph 
MS.  of  the  Rdm  Agyii  was  preserved  in  the  temple  of  Sita* 
Ram  at  Benares,  which  Tulsi  Das  had  himself  founded,  till 
the  Mutiny,  but  was  then  lost.^ 

His  theological  and  metaphysical  views  are  pantheistic  in 
character,  being  based  for  the  most  part  on  the  teaching 
of  the  later  Vedantists  as  formulated  in  the  Vedanta-S^ra 
and  more  elaborately  expounded  in  the  Bhagavad  Gita, 
which  is  the  most  popular  of  all  Sanskrit  didactic  poems. 
The  whole  visible  world,  as  they  maintain,  is  an  unreal 
phantasm,  induced  by  ignorance  or  illusion,  and  it  is  only 
by  a  concession  to  conventional  speech  that  it  can  be  said 
to  exist  at  all.  The  sole  representative  of  true  existence  is 
the  supreme  spirit,  Brahm,  conceived  as  absolute  and 
unchangeable  unity  ;  invisible,  eternal  and  all-pervading, 
but  having  no  relation  to  the  world— since  that  would 
involve  a  notion  of  dualism  —and  for  the  same  reason  void 
of  cognition,  will,  activity  and  all  other  qualities  ;  a  po- 
tentiality, in  the  ordinary  use  of  language,  rather  than  an 
actual  entity.  All  phenomena,  whether  material  or  spiritual, 
including  even  the  gods  of  Vedic  mythology,  are  simply 
fictions  of  the  mind  But  the  worship  of  the  inferior  divi- 
nities and  compliance  with  the  external  ritual  of  religion, 
are  considered  to  purify  and  prepare  the  intellect  for  the 
reception  of  higher  truths.  They  are  therefore  salutary  and 

1  For  the  information  as  to  this  and  the  Rajapur  MS.  I  am  indebted  to 
Pandit  Bhdn  Pratdp,  Tiwari,  of  Chandr,  who  also  tells  me  that  he  has  in  his 
possession  a  manuscript  of  the  poem  which  professes  to  he  copied  from  an 
original  dated  Sanibat  1700  ;  that  is,  only  20  j'ears  after  the  author's  death. 
This  he  would  gladly  lend  for  collation,  if  a  critical  edition  of  the  text — 
which  is  much  required— should  ever  be  undertaken.  At  present  the  best 
edition  is  Ram  Jasan's,  Benares,  1883. 


XIV  INTEODUOTION. 

even  necessary  practices  during  the  early  days  of  the  soul's 
progress  towards  perfection  If  a  man  isoverta!;enby  death 
before  lie  has  advanced  beyond  this  preliminary  stage,  he  is 
bom  again  either  into  this  or  into  a  liigher  world  in  some 
different  form,  the  dignity  of  which  is  determined  by .  the 
aggregate  merit  or  demerit  of  all  his  actions  in  all  his  pre- 
vious births.'  The  highest  reward  for  devotion  to  any  special 
god  is  the  exaltation  of  the  soul  to  his  particular  sphere  in 
heaven.  But  this  blessedness  is  not  of  permanent  duration  ; 
on  the  expiry  of  a  proportionate  period  the  burden  of 
mundane  existence  has  again  to  be  undergone.  It  is  only 
on  the  attainment  of  perfect  knowledge  that  final  emanci- 
pation is  complete  and  the  individual  soul  is  absorbed  for 
ever  into  the  Impersonal  : 

"  A  spiritmil  star  — wrought  in  a  rose 
Of  light  ill  Paradise,  whose  only  self 
Is  consciousness  of  glory  wide  diffused." 

Except  to  a  theosophist,  the  promise  of  such  an  ultimate 
destiny  is  not  a  very  attractive  one,  nor  is  it  conducive  to 
popular  morality.  For  good  deeds  and  evil  deeds  and  the 
god  that  recompenses  them,  all  alike  belong  to  the  unreal,  to 
the  fictitious  duality,  the  world  of  semblances  ;  while  the  so- 
called  Supreme  Being  is  no  proper  object  of  worship,  being 
a  mere  cold  abstraction,  unconscious  of  his  own  existence  or 
of  ours,  and  devoid  of  all  attributes  and  qualities.  To  correct 
this  practical  defect  and  supply  some  intelligible  motive  for 
withstanding  temptation  and  leading;  a  pure  and  holy  life, 
the  supplementary  doctrine  of  Bhakti,  or  Faith,  was 
developed.  Some  one  of  the  recognized  incarnations  of  the 
Hindu  Pantheon  was  no  longer  regarded  as  a  partial  ema- 
nation of  the  divinity,  but  was  exalted  inio  the  complete 
embodimerjt  of  it.  A  loving  devotion  to  his  personality  was 
then  enjoined  as  a  simple  and  certain  method  of  attaining 
to  endless  felicity  ;  not  the  transitory  sensual  delights  of 
Indra's  paradise,  nor  the  mere  unconsciousness  of  utter 
extinction,  but  the  conscious  enjoyment  of  individual  im- 
mortality in  the  immediate  presence  of  the  Beatific  Vision. 

The  late  introduction  of  this  crowning  dogma  of  Faith 
in  an  incarnate  Redeemer  and  its  marked  similarity  to 
Christian  ideas  have  induced  several  scholars  to  surmise  that 
the  BrAhmans  borrowed  it  from  the  early  Christian  commu- 
nities in  Southern  India.     The  notion  is  favoured— if    not, 


1  The  abflcncc  of  all  recollection  of  acta  done  in  former  states  of  exis- 
tence is  not  an  f)bjection  to  the  theory  of  transmigration  ;  for  the  continuity 
is  not  one  of  consciousness,  but  of  that  tendency  or  disposition  which  is  the 
separate  nature  of  each  individual. 


INTRODUOTION.  XV 

indeed,  originated— by  the  fact  that  in  the  Bhagavad  Gita  it 
is  Krishna  who  figures  as  the  embodiment  of  the  Supreme 
Being,  and  both  in  the  name  and  in  the  legends  of  Krishna 
there  is  a  superficial  resemblance  to  the  name  of  Christ  and 
to  some  of  the  incidents  recorded  of  flim  in  the  Gospels.  As 
I  have  shown  more  fully  elsewhere,  there  is  no  historical 
basis  for  the  supposed  connection,  while  the  similarity  of 
name  is  demonstrably  accidental.  The  doctrine  appears  to 
have  grown  up  as  a  natural  sequel  to  the  purely  indigenous 
school  of  thought  in  which  we  find  it  established,  and  an 
exact  parallel  can  be  traced  in  the  history  of  Buddhism, 
where  the  nihilism  of  Nirvana  was  practically  abrogated  by 
the  gradual  deification  of  its  teacher. ^  In  selecting  Rdma 
as  his  ideal  of  the  divine  in  preference  to  Krishna,  Tulsi 
Dds  has  .certainly  improved  upon  the  teaching  of  the 
Bhagavad. 

The  tendency  of  modern  scientific  thought  is  setting 
strongly  in  favour  of  the  Vedantist  theory  ;  as  declaring  the 
existence  from  all  eternity  of  a  personal  God  to  be  simply 
unknowable,  and  referring  all  phenomena  to  a  strange  mys- 
terious energy,  or  will,  that  pervades  all  nature,  that 
produces  all  the  work  done  on  the  face  of  the  earth,  and 
is  probably  at  the  roof  of  life  itself;  invisible  and  insensible, 
and  exhibited  only  in  its  effects.  Such  a  theory — as  we  see 
from  our  author's  own  case— is  by  no  means  incompatible 
with  a  belief  in  a  divine  incarnation  :  the  difficulty  is  to 
establish  by  historical  proof  that  such  and  such  a  character 
— RAma  or  Krishna,  or  whoever  it  may  be — was  really  born 
out  of  the  ordinary  course  of  nature,  really  performed  the 
marvellous  acts  ascribed  to  him  for  the  deliverance  of  the 
saints,  the  overthrow  of  the  wicked  and  the  establishment 
of  righteousness,  and  having  accomplished  them  was  again 
taken  up  into  the  heaven  from  which  he  came.  The  whole 
of  Tulsi  Dds's  Rdmdyana  is  a  passionate  protest  against  the 
virtual  atheism  of  philosophical  Hindii  theology.  The  pro- 
blem that  confronted  him  is  the  very  same  that  now  most 
exercises  the  thought  of  the  nineteenth  century.  If  the 
Supreme  Being  is  a  personal  God,  he  must  be  limited  by 
the  conditions  of  personality,  and  can  neither  be  omniscient 
nor  omnipotent.  If,  on  the  other  hand,  the  Deity  is  an 
omnipresent,  all-pervading  impersonality,  how  can  any 
special   relation   be  developed  between  such  an  abstraction 

1  In  a  Chinese  inscription,  of  the  year  1021  AD,  that  has  been  discov- 
ered at  Buddh  Gaya,  he  is  thus  addressed  :  "O  great  master,  merciful  to  the 
people,  sympathizing  with  all  creatures,  although  thou  dost  not  manifest 
thyself,  still  thou  art  a  most  efficacious  God." 


XVI  INTRODUCTION. 

and  the  individual  soul  ?  The  difficulty  is  one  that  has  its 
root  in  the  nature  of  things  ;  and  no  solution  of  the  mystery 
can  be  found  but  in  the  recognition  of  faith  and  reason  as 
two  distinct  human  faculties,  with  the  infinite  and  the  finite 
asjtheir  separate  provinces.  In  the  words  of  Saint  Ambrose 
non  in  dialect  tea  complacuit  Deo  salvumfacerc  populum  aiium. 
God  would  not  be  adorable  if  he  were  not  incomprehensible  : 
and  a  religion  that  does  not  transcend  man's  understanding 
is  not,  strictly  speaking,  a  religion  at  all.  A  just  discrimina- 
tion of  good  and  evil  and  a  sound  code  of  morality  are  not 
beyond  the  compass  of  natural  intelligence  :  but  the  rites  and 
mysteries  of  religion  can  only  be  learnt  by  a  direct  revela- 
tion from  God  and  through  the  action  of  His  grace.  Their 
acceptance  by  faith,  even  when  they  seem  to  conflict  with 
reason,  is  a  part  of  our  earthly  probation  and  a  meritorious 
confession  of  our  dependence  on  the  Supreme.  The  final 
purpose  of  the  Incarnation,  like  the  idea  of  any  revelation 
whatever  from  God  to  man,  is  above  comprehension.  The 
fact  of  the  divine  message  having  been  sent  may  be 
reasonably  established  by  historical  evidence,  but  the  tenor 
of  the  message  transcends  argumentative  discussion,  and 
demands  nothing  short  of  implicit  and  absolutely  unques- 
tioning submission.  For  the  dogmas  of  revealed  religion 
must,  ex-hypothesi,  be  incompreherjsible  mysteries.  If  they 
were  ascertainable  by  the  ordinary  processes  of  reason  it 
would  not  be  consistent  with  the  economy  of  the  universe 
to  communicate  them  by  the  special  vehicle  of  revelation.  A 
professedly  revealed  religion,  which  is  demonstrable  and 
intelligible  throughout,  stands  self-convicted  as  a  human 
invention. 

The  following  passage  from  Book  VI I  of  the  Bhagavad 
Gita,  as  freely  rendered  by  Mr.  Edwin  Arnold  in  his  *  Song 
Celestial,'  is  a  very  explicit  summary  of  the  accepted 
Vedantic  doctrine  :-- 

"  There  be  those,  too,  whose  knowledge,  turned  aside 
By  this  desire  or  that,  gives  them  to  serve 
Some  lower  gods  with  various  rites  constrained 
By  that  which  mouldeth  them.     Unto  all  such- 
Worship  what  shrine  they  will,  what  shapes  in  faith  — 
'Tis  I  who  give  them  faith.     I  am  content. 
The  heart  thus  asking  favour  from  its  God, 
J>arkened  but  ardent,  hath  the  end  it  craves, 
The  lesser  blessing  ;  but  'tis  I  who  give. 
Yet  soon  is  withered  what  small  fruit  they  reap  : 
Those  men  of  little  minds,  who  worship  so, 
Go  where  they  worship,  passing  with  their  Gods  : 
But  mine  come  unto  me.     Blind  are  the  eyes 
Which  deem  the  Unmauifested  manifest. 


INTRODUCTION.  XVll 

Not  comprehending  Me  in  my  true  self. 
Imperishable,  viewless,  undeclared. 
Hidden  behind  my  magic  vail  of  shows, 
I  am  not  seen  by  all ;  I  am  not  known— 
Unborn  and  changeless— to  the  idle  world. 
But  I,  Arjuna,  know  all  things  which  were, 
And  all  which  are,  and  all  which  are  to  be, 
Albeit  not  one  among  them  knoweth  Me." 

The  words  "  Blind  are  the  eyes  Which  deem  the  Un- 
manifested  manifest  "  emphatically  condemn  the  worship  of 
any  incarnation,  on  the  ground  that  it  involes  an  inadequate 
conception  of  the  Deity.  Tulsi  Dds,  on  the  other  hand,  in- 
sists that  they  derogate  from  the  divine  perfection,  who 
divest  it  of  personality  and  reduce  it  to  an  abstraction. 
Against  such  theologians  he  hotly  protests  as  when  he  cries 
{VII  Ghhand  5)  —  '^  Let  them  preach,  in  their  wisdom  who 
contemplate  thee  as  the  Supreme  Spirit,  the  Uncreate,  in- 
separable from  the  universe,  recognizable  only  by  inference 
and  beyond  the  understanding  ;  but  we,  0  Lord  !  will  ever 
hymn  the  glories  of  thy  incarnation."  Nor  does  he  want 
supporters  even  in  this  nineteenth  century,  who  give  the 
same  answer  to  the  old  question  *  Can  the  attribute  of  Per- 
sonality be  ascribed  to  the  Absolute  ?  Thus  Lotze,  in  his 
Outlines  of  the  Philosophy  of  Religion,  argues  as  follows  :  "  If 
all  the  predicates  of  unconditionateness  are  to  be  valid  for 
the  highest  being  then  one  condition  of  this  validity  lies 
precisely  in  the  addition  of  a  last  formal  predicate,  viz., 
that  of  personal  existence.  All  hindrances  of  perfect 
personality  we  can  imagine  as  not  existent  in  the  Infinite 
Spirit.  On  this  account  we  conclude  with  the  assertion  - 
which  is  exactly  the  opposite  of  the  customary  one — 
that  Perfect  Personality  is  reconcilable  only  with  the 
conception  of  an  Infinite  Being;  for  finite  beings,  only  an 
approximation  to  this  is  attainable." 

The  introductory  portion  of  the  first  Book  of  th'^  Rd,ma- 
yana  is  curious  as  containing  the  author's  vindication  of  his 
literary  style  as  against  his  critics,  the  pedants.  They 
attacked  him  for  lowering  the  dignity  of  his  subject  by 
clothing  it  in  the  vulgar  vernacular.  However  just  his 
defence  may  be,  it  has  not  succeeded  in  converting  the 
opposite  faction  :  and  the  professional  Sanskrit  pandits 
who  are  its  modern  representatives,  still  affect  to  despise 
his  work  as  an  unworthy  concession  to  the  illiterate  masses. 
With  this  small  and  solitary  exception  the  book  is  in  every 
one's  hands,  from  the  court  to  the  cottage,  and  is  read,  or 
heard,  and  appreciated  alike  by  every  class  of  the  Hindu 
community,  whether   high  or  low,   rich   or  poor,  young  or 

R-3 


xviii  INTRODUCTION. 

old.     The    purity   of   its   moral   sentiments   and   the   ab- 
solute avoidance  of  the  slightest  approach  to  any  pruriency 
of  idea— which  the  author  justly  advances  among  his  dis- 
tinctive  merits— render    it  a    singularly    unexceptionable 
text-book  for  native  boys.     For  several  years  I  persistently 
urged  its  adoption  upon  the  Education   Department,  i  and 
— thanks  to  R^ja  Siva  Prasad— extracts  from  it  have  been 
introduced  into  our   primary   schools  ;    while  it  has  always 
been  prescribed  as  the   principal  test  in  the  civil  examina- 
tions for  High  Proficiency  and  a  Degree  of  Honour.     It  is 
equally  well    adapted  for   these    apparently   incongruous 
purposes:  for  a  Hindii  child  generally  grasps  at  once   the 
familiar   idiom,  and  finds  no  great   difficulty  in   even  the 
most  crabbed  passage  ;  while,  on  the  other  hand,  both  the 
terminology  and  the  syntactic  collocation  of  the  words  are  in 
the  highest   degree   perplexing  to   the   European  student, 
and  severely  try  his   knowledge  of   the  language.     As  has 
been  said  of  Spenser  in  the  Faerie  Queene,  Tulsi  Dds  never 
scruples  on   his   own  authority   to  cut  down   or   alter   a 
word,  or  to  adopt  a  mere  corrupt  pronunciation,   to  suit  a 
place   in  his   metre,   or  because   he   wants  a  rhyme.     His 
treatment  of  words,  on   occasions  of  difficulty  to  his  verse, 
is  arbitrary  in  the  extreme.     He  gives  them  any  sense  and 
shape  that  the   case  may  demand.     Sometimes  he   merely 
alters  a  letters  or  two  ;  sometimes  he  twists  o£E  the  head  or 
the  tail  of  the  unfortunate  vocable  altogether.  Such  vagaries, 
being  unconsciously   regulated  by  the  genius  of   the   lan- 
guage, are   no  more   puzzling  to  a  Hindti  than  the  collo- 
quialisms of  Sam  Weller  or  Mrs.  Gamp  are  to  an   English 
reader   of   Dickens.     But   they    would    seem    inexplicable 
mysteries  to  any  Anglo-Indian  official,  who   knew   only  the 
language  of  the   Courts  and  had   never  studied  the  verna- 
cular of  the  people.     For  such  neglect  there   was  formerly 
much   excuse,  in  the   absence   both  of  a  dictionary   and   a 
grammar  ;  but  the  latter  want  was  most  admirably  supplied 
in  1876  by  Mr.  Kellogg,  of  the  Allahabad  American   Pres- 
byterian jSjission,  in  a  work  that  is  to  a  remarkable  degree 
both    lucid  and   exhaustive;   while  Messrs.    Hoernle  and 
Grierson's  new  Comparative  Dictionary  is  not  only  more 
scientific   in  method   and  elaborate  in  execution  than  any 

1  A  writer  in  the   Calcutta  Review  expressed  bis  astonishment  at  my 

f proposal.  But  he  falls  into  the  error  which  has  wrecked  so  many  well- 
Dtentioned  schemes  in  this  country,  that  of  measuring  Indian  tastes  and 
requirements  by  a  purely  English  standard.  Manuals  of  history,  geography 
and  physical  science  are  all  very  well  in  their  way,  but  correct  information 
by  itself  is  really  the  least  part  of  education. 


INTRODUCTION.  XIX 

similar  work  that  has  ever  before  been  attempted  by  Indian 
philologists,  but  it  is  farther  supplemented  by  a  special 
Index  to  the  R^mdyana,  which  exhibits  every  single  word 
in  the  poem,  and  refers  to  all  the  passages  in  which  it 
occurs.  As  yet  only  one  part  of  this  gigantic  work  has 
appeared,  and  some  years  must  elapse  before  it  is  completed. 
Mr.  Bate's  dictionary,  to  which  I  have  already  referred,  is 
scarcely  intended  for  very  advanced  students,  but  it  will 
be  of  much  use  to  beginners,  since  it  gives  in  alphabetical 
order  all  the  archaic  forms  of  inflection,  which  at  the  outset 
are  found  so  perplexing. 

The  second  Book  is  more  generally  read  than  any  other 
part  of  the  poem,  and  is  the  most  admired  by  Hi ndii  critics. 
The  description  of  King  Dasarath's  death  and  the  different 
leave-takings  are  quoted  as  models  of  the  pathetic,  and  in  a 
public  recital  there  is  scarcely  one  in  the  audience  who 
will  not  be  moved  to  tears.  The  sentiments  that  the  poet 
depicts,  and  the  figures  that  he  employs  to  illustrate  them, 
appeal  with  irresistible  force  to  the  Hindii  imagination  ; 
and,  if  for  no  other  reason  than  this,  they  would  be  in- 
teresting to  the  English  student  for  the  insight  they  afford 
into  the  traditional  sympathies  and  antipathies  of  the 
people.  The  constant  repetition  of  a  few  stereotyped 
phrases — such  as  '  lotus  feet,*  '  streaming  eyes,'  '  quiver- 
ingi  frame ' — are  irritating  to  modern  European  taste, 
though  they  find  a  parallel  in  the  stock  epithets  of  the 
Homeric  poems,  and  a  still  more  striking  one  in  Klopstock's 
Messiah,  where  similar  expressions  are  for  ever  recurring 
in  wearisome  reiteration.  Everybody  wonders  and  weeps 
and  smiles  and  embraces  everybody  else  and  dissolves  in 
tears,  while  every  hair  on  their  body  stands  on  end  ;  the  last 
two  performances  being  so  specially  Tulsian,  that  it  ceases 
to  be  an  exaggeration  to  describe  the  eyes  of  his  dramatis 
personce,  in  the  words  of  Orashaw,  as 

Two  walking  baths,  two  weeping  motions, 
Portable  and  compendious  oceans. 

Again,  the  curiously  artificial  similes  derived  from  the — 
frequently  fabulous — habits  of  different  birds  and  plants, 
which  (like  the  oft-repeated  refrain  of  a  popular  song)  never 

1  The  pulak,  which  I  generally  translate  by  '  quivering'  or  '  throbbing, 
means  strictly  the  bristling  of  the  hair  upon  the  body,  which  is  a  sign  of 
violent  mental  agitation.  The  Munshi,  with  whom  I  read  in  Calcutta  some 
twenty  years  ago,  always,  I  remember,  rendered  it  by  '  horripilation  '  ;  a 
frightful  word,  which  would  destroy  all  the  poetic  effect  of  the  most  impres- 
sive passage,  but  which  he  greatly  admired  on  account  of  its  sesquipedalian 
proportions. 


XX  INTRODUCTION. 

fail  to  elicit  the  applause  of  an  appreciative  audience,  only 
repel  a  foreigner  as  frigid  and  unmeaning  conventionalities. 
Such  are  the  perpetual  allusions  to  the  lotus,  that  expands 
in  the  day  and  closes  at  evening  ;  to  the  lily,  that  blossoms 
in  the  night  and  fades  at  sunrise  ;  to  the  rice  crop,  that 
luxuriates  in  the  rain,  and  to  the  jawdsa  plant,  that  is  kill- 
ed by  it ;  to  the  ckakwd,  that  mourns  its  mate  all  through 
the  hours  of  darkness  ;  to  the  chakor^  that  is  never  happy 
except  when  gazing  upon  the  moon  ;  to  the  chdtak,  that 
patiently  endures  all  the  buffeting  of  the  storm,  in  the  con- 
fident expectation  that  the  cloud  will  at  last  let  fall  the  one 
auspicious  drop  for  which  it  thirsts  :  to  the  swan,  that 
knows  how  to  separate  milk  from  the  water  with  which 
it  has  been  mixed  ;  and  to  the  snake,  that  carries  a  precious 
jewel  in  its  head,  of  which  it  is  always  afraid  of  being 
robbed.  In  Shakespear's  time,  who  was  contemporary 
with  Tulsi  Dds,  many  equally  strange  pieces  of  natural 
history  were  popularly  accepted  even  in  Europe,  and  were 
similarly  worked  up  into  poetical  commonplaces.  As,  for 
instance,  the  maternal  affection  of  "  the  kind  life-rendering 
pelican  ;"  the  belief  that  the  chameleon  lives  upon  air  ; 
that  the  adder  is  deaf;  that  the  swan  sings  before  it  dies  ; 
that  crocodiles  weep  when  they  have  done  wrong ;  that 
bear's  cubs  are  born  formless  and  are  licked  into  ursine 
shape  by  their  mother  ;  that  some  snakes  have  stings  in 
their  tail ;  and  that  the  toad  carries  a  jewel  in  its  head 
which  is  an  anidote  to  poison. 

In  spite  of  all  drawbacks,  the  Hindi  Rdm^yana  has 
many  passages  that  are  instinct  with  a  genuine  poetic 
feeling,  which  appeals  to  universal  humanity,  and  which 
it  is  hoped  will  be  dimly  recognized  even  through  the 
ineffectual  medium  of  a  prose  translation.  The  characters 
also  of  the  principal  actors  in  the  drama  are  clearly  and 
consistently  drawn  ;  and  all  may  admire,  though  they  refuse 
to  worship,  the  piety  and  unselfishness  of  Bharat :  the 
enthusiasm  and  high  courage  of  Lakshman  ;  the  affectionate 
devotion  of  Sita,  that  paragon  of  all  wife-like  virtues  ;  and 
the  purity,  meekness,  generosity  and  self-sacrifice  of  Rdma, 
the  model  son,  husband  and  brother,  'the  guileless  king, 
high,  self-contained  and  passionless' — the  Arthur  of  Indian 
chivalry. 

In  the  later  Books  the  narrative  is  generally  more  rapid 
than  in  the  earlier  part  of  the  poem,  and  several  incidents 
are  so  casually  mentioned  that,  without  the  explanatory 
references  to  the  Sanskrit  R^m^yana,  which  I   have  given 


INTRODUCTION.  XXI 

in  the  notes,  a  literal  rendering  would  convey  no  meaning 
to  the  ordinary  reader, ^  It  is  to  some  extent  a  literary 
defect  that  the  role  of  poet  is  so  often  dropt  for  that  of 
theologian ;  and  the  frequent  hymns  to  R6ma,  who  is 
apostrophized  under  every  conceivable  name  that  can  help 
to  realize  to  the  mind  the  mystery  of  incarnate  divinity, 
soon  become  wearisome.  But  the  object  that  Tulsi  D^s 
had  in  view  is  his  sufficient  excuse.  By  the  course  that 
he  has  adopted,  fitting  his  special  doctrines  of  faith, 
individual  immortality  and  the  like  into  the  familiar  frame- 
work of  ancient  legend,  instead  of  inculcating  them  by  a 
more  strictly  didactic  method,  he  has  succeeded  in  popu- 
larizing his  views  to  a  far  greater  extent  than  any  of  the 
rival  Hindu  Reformers,  who  flourished  about  the  same 
period.  It  was  their  object  also  to  simplify  the  complica- 
tions and  correct  the  abuses  of  existing  practice,  but 
the  only  result  of  their  preaching  was  to  establish  yet 
another  element  of  dissension  and  augment  the  disorder 
which  they  hoped  to  remove.  Tulsi  Dds  alone,  though  the 
most  famous  of  them  all,  has  no  disciples  that  are  called 
after  his  name.  There  are  Vallabhachf^ris  and  Rddhd 
Vallabhis  and  Maliik  Dd,sis  and  Prdn  N^this,  and  so  on,  in 
interminable  succession,  but  there  are  no  Tulsi  Ddsis.  Vir- 
tually, however,  the  whole  of  Vaishnava  Hinduism  has 
fallen  under  his  sway  ;  for  the  principles  that  he  expounded 
have  permeated  every  sect  and  explictly  or  implicitly  now 
form  the  nucleus  of  the  popular  faith  as  it  prevails 
throughout  the  whole  of  the  Bengal  Presidency  from 
Hardw^r  to  Calcutta. 

In  the  year  1876,  when  I  published  the  first  instalment 
of  my  translation,  I  was  still  at  Mathur^,  in  a  congenial  at- 
mosphere of  Hindd  associations.  After  my  transfer  to  Bu- 
landshahr  in  1877,  I  laboured  under  the  serious  disadvan- 
tage of  writing  in  a  thoroughly  Muhammadanized  district, 
where  it  was  almost  as  difficult  to  obtain  any  assistance 
on  subjects  connected  with  Hindii  literature  or  scholarship 
as  it  would  have  been  in  England.  But  by  that  time  the 
familiarity  I  had  acquired  with  my  author  was  sufficiently 
long  and  intimate  to  enable  me  to  complete  my  task 
unaided. 

At  the  outset  I  was  under  the  impression  that  as  a 
translator,  there  was  no  one  at  all  in  the  field  before  me  ;  but 

1  Of  the  two  current  recensions  of  the  older  poem,  the  one  generally  fol- 
lowed by  Tulsi  D4s  is  the  Bengal,  which  is  the  text  given  by  Gorresio  in  big 
handsome  edition. 


3adi  INTRODUCTION. 

after  making  some  little  progress  in  the  second  book,  I  dis- 
covered that  there  was  already  in  existence  for  that  particu- 
lar section  of  the  poem  an  English  version,  published  in  187 1, 
by  AdAlat  Kh^n,  a  Muhammadan  Munshi  of  the  College  of 
Fort  William  in  Calcutta.  I  at  once  procured  a  copy  of  it 
and  it  is  only  proper  to  acknowledge  that  it  was  of  consider- 
able assistance  to  me.  It  does  not,  however,  encroach  very 
largely  upon  the  ground  that  I  had  intended  to  occupy. 
The  Munshi  appears  to  have  written  solely  with  a  view  to 
lighten  the  labours  of  his  own  pupils  and  of  others  who,  like 
them,  were  preparing  for  a  special  examination.  Despite 
not  a  few  misapprehensions  of  the  sense,  such  persons  will 
probably  find  it  quite  as  useful  for  their  purpose  as  my 
translation,  if  not  more  so.  But  in  the  attempt  to  secure 
literal  accuracy,  and  also,  no  doubt,  from  the  fact  that 
English  was  not  the  mother-tongue  of  the  translator,  the 
language  employed  is  throughout  so  curiously  unidiomatic 
that  in  many  places  it  is  absolutely  unintelligible  without 
a  reference  to  the  original,  and  this  the  general  reader 
would  not  be  in  a  position  to  make.  As  a  specimen  I  give 
the  ehaupdi  following  dohd  224  (with  which  may  be  com- 
pared my  rendering,  page  132,  volume  II). 

*'  If  he  leaves  me,  knowing  my  mind  wicked,  and 
receives  me,  considering  his  servant,  my  sheltering-place 
then  will  be  in  the  shoes  of  Rama  :  he  is  my  good  master  ; 
but  the  fault  is  in  this  servant.  The  chatdk  and  the  fish 
deserve  the  praise  of  the  world  ;  they  are  sincere  in  their 
usual  vow  and  love.  Thus  having  reflected  in  his  mind, 
be  went  along  the  road,  ashamed  and  overpowered  with  love. 
The  sin  committed  by  his  mother  was  as  if  keeping  him 
back  ;  but  the  Bull  of  patience  was  walking  by  the  power 
of  his  faith,  and  when  he  knew  the  nature  of  Rama,  his 
feet  fell  on  the  ground  hurriedly.  The  state  of  Bharat  at 
that  time  was  such  as  that  of  the  bee  in  a  current  of  water. 
Seeing  the  grief  and  love  of  Bharat,  the  pilot  became 
stupefied  at  that  moment." 

The  uncouthness  of  the  Munshi's  style  will  give  some 
idea  of  what  is  certainly  the  main  difficulty  that  has  to  be 
encountered  in  a  prose  translation  from  Hindi  verse.  No 
one  who  has  not  had  practical  experience  in  the  matter  can 
fully  appreciate  the  amount  of  thought  that  has  to  be 
expended  on  almost  every  sentence  before  the  peculiarities 
of  Oriental  expression  can  be  adapted  to  the  requirements 
of  English  idiom.  Without  the  most  delicate  handling  it 
is   impossible   to  avoid  either  a  sacrifice  of  accuracy  in  the 


INTRODUCTION.  XXlll 

letter,  or  a  misrepresentation  of  the  spirit  by  a  baldness  of 
rendering,  which  susrgests  only  images  of  the  ludicrous 
and  grotesque,  while  the  sentiments  of  the  original  in  their 
native  dress  are  felt  to  be  both  natural  and  pathetic. 

F.  S.  GROWSE. 


Post  script.  Under  the  patronage  of  Mr  Grierson,  an 
enterprising  Publisher  of  Patna  (Babu  R^m  Din  Sinh  of 
the  Kharg  Bilds  Press,  BAnkipore),  has  now  published  a 
text  of  the  Rdm-charit-mdnas,  which  is  an  exact  reproduc- 
tion of  the  original  MSS.  This  must  be  a  work  of  the 
highest  interest  to  all  Hindi  Scholars  ;  but  it  may  be 
surmised  that  the  variations  from  the  received  text  are  of 
more  importance  from  the  philological  than  from  the 
literary  point  of  view. 


THE  RAMAYANA 

OF 

TULSI    DAS. 


BOOK  I. 

CHILDHOOD. 


Sanskrit  Invocation. 

I  REVERENCE  S^radd  and  Ganes,  the  inventors  of  the 
alphabet  and  of  phraseology,  of  the  poetic  modes  and  of 
metre.  I  reverence  Bhav^ni  and  Sankara,  the  incarnations 
of  faith  and  hope,  without  whom  not  even  the  just  can  see 
God,  the  Great  Spirit.  I  reverence,  as  the  incarnation  of 
Sankara,  the  all-wise  Guru,  through  whom  even  the  cres- 
cent moon  is  everywhere  honoured.^  I  reverence  the  king 
of  bards2  and  the  monkey  king,  of  pure  intelligence,  who 
ever  lingered  with  delight  in  the  holy  forest  land  of  Rdma 
and  Sitd's  infinite  perfection.  I  bow  before  Sita,  the 
beloved  of  Rdma  ;  the  queen  of  birth,  of  life  and  death  ; 
the  destroyer  of  sorrow  ;  the  cause  of  happiness. 

I  reverence,  under  his  name  RAMA,  the  lord  Hari  ; 
supreme  over  all  causes  ;  to  whose  illusive  power  are  sub- 
ject the  whole  universe  and  every  supernatural  being  from 
Brahma  downwards ;  by  whose  light  truth  is  made  mani- 
fest, as  when  what  appeared  to  be  a  snake  turns  out  a 
rope  ;  and  by  whose  feet  as  by  a  bark  those  who  will  may 
pass  safely  over  the  ocean  of  existence. 

1.  The  crescent  moon,  being  one  of  Sankara's  (i.  e.  Siva's)  constant 
symbols,  is  honoured  on  his  account,  though  in  itself  imperfect  :  while  the 
full  moon  is  honoured  for  its  own  sake. 

2.  The  king  of  bards,  Valmlki,  the  reputed  author  of  the  Sanskrit  Rama- 
yana.  The  monkey  king  is  of  course  Hanuman,  and  the  two  are  brought 
together  more  on  account  of  the  close  similarity  of  name  than  for  any  other 
reason,  Kavisvara  and  Ka^isvara  differing  only  by  a  single  letter. 

R-4 


2  CHILDHOOD. 

In  accord  with  all  the  Purinas  and  different  sacred 
texts,  and  with  what  has  been  recorded  in  the  Rdm^yana 
(of  VAlmiki)  and  elsewhere,  I,  Ttilsi,  to  gratify  my  own 
heart's  desire,  have  composed  these  lays  of  Raghundth  in 
most  choice  and  elegant  modern  speech.  ^ 

Sorathd  1.  ^  -*  ^ 

0  Ganes,  of  the  grand  elephant  head  ;  the  mention  of 
whose  name  ensures  success,  be  gracious  to  me,  accumula- 
tion of  wisdom,  storehouse  of  all  good  qualities !  Thou,  too, 
by  whose  favour  the  dumb  becomes  eloquent,  and  the  lame 
can  climb  the  vastest  mountain,  be  favourable  to  me,  0 
thou  that  consumest  as  a  fire  all  the  impurities  of  this  iron 
age.  Take  up  thy  abode  also  in  my  heart,  0  thou  that 
slumberest  on  the  milky  ocean,  with  body  dark  as  thfe 
lotus,  and  eyes  bright  as  a  budding  water-lily.  0  spouse 
of  UmA,  clear  of  hue  as  the  jasmine  or  the  moon  ;  home  of 
compassion,  who  showest  pity  to  the  humble;  show  pity 
upon  me,  0  destroyer  of  Kdmadeva.  I  reverence  the  lotus 
feet  of  my  master,  that  ocean  of  benevolence,  Hari  incarn- 
ate, whose  words  are  like  a  flood  of  sunlight  on  the 
darkness  of  ignorance  and  infatuation.^ 

Chaupdi  1. 

1  reverence  the  pollen-like  dust  of  the  lotus  feet  of  my 
master,  bright,  fragrant,  sweet  and  delicious  ;  pure  extract 
of  the  root  of  ambrosia,  potent  to  disperse  all  the  attendant 
ills  of  life  ;  like  the  holy  ashes  on  the  divine  body  of 
Sambhu,  beautiful,  auspicious,  ecstatic.  Applied  to  the 
forehead  as  a  filak,  it  cleanses  from  defilement  the  fair 
mirror  of  the  human  mind  and  gives  it  the  mastery  of  all 
good.  By  recalling  the  lustre  of  the  nails  of  the  reverend 
guru's  feet,  a  divine  splendour  illumines  the  soul,  dispers- 
ing the  shades  of  error  with  its  sun-like  glory.  How  blessed 
he  who  takes  it  to  his  heart !  The  mental  vision  brightens 
and  expands,  the   night   of  the  world  with  sin   and   pain 


1.    The  persons  atldressed  in   this  stanza  are  Ganes,  Sarasvati,  Niiayan, 
Siva,  and  the  poet's  own  spiritual  instructor,  or  guru. 


CHILDHOOD.  O 

fades  away,  the  actions  of  R^ma,^  like  diamonds  and 
rubies,  whether  obvious  or  obscure,  all  alike  become  clear, 
in  whichever  direction  the  mine  is  explored. 

Dohd  1.         4 
By  applying  this  collyrium  as  it  were  to  the  eyes,   the 
student  acquires  both  holiness  and   wisdom,  and  is  able  to 
understand  his  sportive  career  when   on  earth — on    moun- 
tain, or  in  forest— and  all  the  treasures  of  his  grace. 

Ghaupdi  2. 

The  dust  of  the  guru's  feet  is  a  soft  and  charming 
collyrium,  like  ambrosia  for  the  eyes,  to  remove  every 
defect  of  vision.  With  this  having  purified  the  eyes  of  my 
understanding,  I  proceed  to  relate  the  actions  of  Rdma,  the 
redeemer  of  the  world.  First  I  reverence  the  feet  of  the 
great  Brahman  saints,  potent  to  remove  the  doubts  engen- 
dered by  error.  In  my  heart,  as  with  my  voice,  I  rever- 
ence the  whole  body  of  the  faithful,  mines  of  perfection  ; 
whose  good  deeds  resemble  the  produce  of  the  cotton  plant 
in  its  austerity,  purity,  and  manifold  usefulness,  and  in 
its  hiding  the  defects  even  of  those  by  whom  it  has 
been  most  roughly  treated  :  reverence  to  the  saints,  what- 
ever the  age  or  clime  in  which  their  glory  was  consum- 
mated. Their  congregation  is  all  joy  and  felicity,  like  the 
great  tirtha  Prayag  endowed  with  motion  :  for  faith  in 
R^ma  is  as  the  stream  of  the  Ganges  ;  contemplation  on 
Brdhma  as  the  Sarasvati  ;  and  ritual,  dealing  with  precepts 
and  prohibitions  for  the  purification  of  this  iron  age,  as  the 
sun-god's  daughter,  the  Jamuna.  The  united  flood  of  the 
Tribeni  is  represented  by  the  legends  of  Hari  and  of  Hara, 
filling  all  that  hear  with  delight :  the  sacred  fig-tree,  by 
faith  firm  in  its  own  traditions  ;  and  Prayd,g  itself,  by  the 
assembly  of  the  virtuous.  Easy  of  access  to  all,  on  any  day, 
at  any  place,  curing  all  the  ills  of  pious   devotees,   is  this 

1.  The  simple  actions  are  compared  to  rubies,  which  may  be  picked  up 
on  the  surface  of  the  ground  ;  the  mysterious  actions  to  diamonds,  which 
have  to  be  dug  out  of  a  mine. 


4  CHILDHOOD. 

unspeakable,  spiritual  chief  tirtha,  of  manifest  virtue  and 
yielding  immediate  fruit. 

Dohd  2. 

At  this  PrayAg  of  holy  men,  whoever  hears  and  under- 
stands, and  in  spirit  devoutly  bathes,  receives  even  in  this 
life  all  four  rewards.^ 

Chaupdi  3. 

In  an  instant  behold  the  result  of  the  immersion  ;  the  crow 
becomes  a  parrot  and  the  goose  a  swan.  Let  no  one  marvel 
at  hearing  this,  for  the  influence  of  good  company  is  no 
mystery.  Vilmlki,  Narad  and  the  jar-born  Agastya^  have 
told  its  effect  upon  themselves.  Whatever  moves  in  the 
water,  or  on  the  earth,  or  in  the  air  ;  every  creature  in  the 
world,  whether  animate  or  inanimate,  that  has  attained  to 
knowledge,  or  glory,  or  salvation,  or  power,  or  virtue,  by  any 
work,  at  any  time  or  place,  has  triumphed  through  associa- 
tion with  the  good  ;  neither  the  world  nor  the  Veda  knows  of 
any  other  expedient.  Intercourse  with  the  good  is  attainable 
only  by  the  blessing  of  RAma  and  without  it  wisdom  is 
impossible  :  it  is  the  root  of  all  joy  and  felicity  ;  its  flowers 
are  good  works  and  its  fruit  perfection.  By  it  the  wicked 
are  reformed:  as  when  by  the  touch  of  the  philosopher's 
stone  a  vile  metal  becomes  gold.  If  by  mischance  a  good 
man  falls  into  evil  company,  like  the  gem  in  a  serpent's 
head,  he  still  retains  his  virtue.  Brdhma,  Visnu,  MahAdeva, 
the  wisest  of  the   poets,   all   have   failed   to  expound    the 

1.  Tbe  four  rewards  are  kdfiia.  artfui,  dharma,  moksha ;  that  is,  pleasure, 
wealth,  reliRious  merit  and  final  salvation. 

2.  Vilmiki  confessed  to  Rdma  that  he  had  once  been  a  hunter  and  taken 
the  life  of  many  innocent  creatures,  till  he  fell  in  with  the  seven  Rishis,  who 
converted  him  and  taught  him  to  express  his  penitence  by  constantly 
repeating  the  word  nidra,  mdra.  As  this  contains  exactly  the  same  letters 
as  the  name  Rima,  it  acted  as  a  spell  and  advanced  him  to  the  highest 
degree  of  sanctity. 

Similarly  N4rad  confessed  to  VyAsa,  the  author  of  the  Purina,  that  he 
was  by  birth  only  the  son  of  a  poor  slave-girl,  and  had  become  a  saint 
mmply  by  eating  the  fragment*  of  food  left  by  the  holy  men  who  frequented 
bis  master's  bouse. 

Agastya  also  declared  to  Mahadeva  that  by  birth  he  was  the  meanest 
of  mil  creatures,  and  had  only  attained  to  miraculous  powers  by  the  influ- 
ence of  good  company. 


CHILDHOOD.  0 

pre-eminence  of  a  saint  :   for  me  to  tell  it  is,  as  it  were,   for 

a  costermonger  to  expatiate  on  the  merits  of  a  set  of  jewels. 

DoM3--4. 

I  reverence  the   saints  of     equable   temperament,   who 

regard  neither  friend  nor  foe,  like  a  gracious  flower  which 

sheds  its  fragrance   alike   on    both    infolding  hands.^     Ye 

saints,  whose  upright  intention,  whose  catholic  charity,  and 

whose    ready   sympathy   I  acknowledge,  hear  my  child-like 

prayer,  be  gracious  to  me   and  inspire  me  with  devotion  to 

the  feet  of  Rama. 

Ghaupdi  4. 

Again,  T  would  propitiate  those  wretches^  who  with- 
out cause  delight  to  vex  the  righteous  ;  with  whom  a 
neighbour's  loss  is  gain  ;  who  rejoice  in  desolation  and 
weep  over  prosperity  ;  who  are  as  an  eclipse  to  the  full- 
moon  glory  of  Hari  and  Hara  ;  who  become  as  a  giant  with 
a  thousand  arms  to  work  another's  woe ;  who  have  a  thou- 
sand e^^es  to  detect  a  neighbour's  faults  but,  like  flies  on  ghi, 
settle  on  his  good  points  only  to  spoil  them  ;  quick  as  fire, 
implacable  as  the  god  of  hell;  ^  rich  in  crime  and  sin  as 
Kuveris  in  gold  ;  like  an  eclipse  for  the  clouding  of  friend- 
ship, and  as  dead  asleep  as  Kumbha-karn'^  to  everything 
good  ;  if  they  can  do  any  injury,  as  ready  to  sacrifice  them- 
selves as  hailstones,  that  melt  after  destroying  a  crop ; 
spiteful  as  the  great  serpent  with  a  thousand  tongues  ;  and 
like  Prithuraj'^  ,  with  a  thousand  ears,  to  tell  and  hear  of 
of  others'  faults  :  like  the  thousand-eyed  Indra,  too,  ever 
delighting  in  much  strong  drink  and  in  a  voice  of  thunder. 

1.  Though  the  right  hand  is  the  one  by  which  it  has  been  plucked,  and 
the  left  that  in  which  it  is  held  and  preserved. 

2.  In  the  following  lines  the  pot-t  defends  himself  by  anticipation  against 
possible  objections,  and  roundly  abuses  the  whole  army  of  critics. 

3.  Yama,  the  Hindu  Pluto,  is  here  ctilled  Msihishesa,  from  mahisha  a. 
'  buffalo,'  that  being  the  animal  on  which  he  is  represented  as  riding. 

4.  Rivan's  gigantic  brother,  Kumbha-isarn,  obtained  as  a  boon  from 
Brahma,  that  whenever  he  had  satisfied  his  voracious  appetite  the  slumber 
of  repletion  might  be  of  the  longest  and  deepest,  and*  that  he  might  only 
wake  to*  eat  again. 

.5,  It  is  not  related  that  Prithuraj  had  really  ten  thousand  ears,  but  only 
that  he  prayed  that  he  might  be  as  quick  to  hear  whatever  redounded  to 
the  glory  of  God  as  if  his  ears  were  so  many. 


6  CHILDHOOD. 

Dohd  5.  'c 

f  I  know  when  they  hear  of  philosophers,  who  regard 
friend  or  foe  as  friends,  they  are  enraged  ;  but  I  clasp  my 
hands  and  entreat  them  piteously. 
Ghaupdi  5. 
I  have  performed  the  role  of  supplication,  nor  will  they 
forget  their  part.  However  carefully  you  may  bring  up  a 
crow,  it  will  still  be  a  crow  and  a  thief.  I  propitiate  at  once 
the  feet  of  saints  and  sinners,  who  each  give  pain,  but  with 
a  difference  :  for  the  first  kill  by  absence,  while  the  second 
torture  by  their  presence :  as  opposite  as  a  lotus  and  a  leech, 
though  both  alike  are  produced  in  water.  Good  and  bad 
thus  resemble  nectar  and  intoxicating  drink,  which  were 
both  begotten  by  the  one  great  ocean  :^  each  by  its  own  acts 
attains  to  pre-eminence  ;  the  one  in  honour,  the  other  in 
dishonour  ;  compare  with  the  good,  ambrosia,  or  the  moon, 
or  the  Ganges  ;  and  with  the  bad,  poison,  or  fire,  or  the 
river  KarmnasA.  Virtue  and  vice  are  known  to  all ;  but 
whatever  is  to  a  man's  taste  that  seemeth  him  good. 

Dohd  6.     '/ 

The  good  aim  at   goodness,   and    the  vile  at   vileness ; 

ambrosia  is  esteemed  for  giving  immortality,  and  poison  for 

causing  death. 

Chaupdi  6. 

Why  enumerate  the  faults  and  defects  of  the  bad  and 
the  virtues  of  the  good  ?  both  are  a  boundless  and  un- 
fathomable ocean.  Hence  occasionally  virtue  is  reckoned 
as  vice,  improperly  and  from  want  of   discrimination.     For 

1  The  churning  of  the  ocean  is  one  of  the  coranionplaces  of  Hindti 
poetry,  and  the  allusions  to  it  in  the  RAmdvana  are  innumerable.  With 
Mount  Mandara  as  a  churning-stick,  the  great  serpent  VAsuki  as  a  rope, 
and  Nilrdyan  himself  in  tortoise  form  as  the  pivot  on  which  to  work,  the 
jfods  and  demons  combined  to  churn  the  milky  ocean.  Thus  were  produced 
from  its  depth  the  moon  ;  the  sacred  cow,  Surabhi  or  KamAdhenu ;  the 
goddess  of  wine,  Varuni  ;  the  tree  of  paradise,  ParijAta,  or  Kalpa-taru  ;  the 
heavenly  nymphs,  the  ApsarAs ;  the  goddess  of  beauty,  Lakshmi  or  Sri  ;  and 
the  physician  of  the  gods,  Dhanvantari.  The  cup  of  nectar  which  the  latter 
held  in  his  hand  was  seized  and  quaffed  by  the  gods  ;  while  the  poison, 
which  also  was  produced,  was  either  claimed  by  the  snake  gods  or  swallowed 
by  Mahadeva  ;  whence  comes  the  blackness  of  his  throat,  that  gives  him  the 
name  of  Ml-kanth. 


OfeLILDHOOt).  7 

God  hath  created  both,  but  it  is  the  Vada  that  has  distin- 
guished one  from  the  other. i  The  heroic  legends  and  the 
Purdnas  also,  no  less  than  the  Vedas,  recognize  every  kind 
of  good  and  evil  as  creatures  of  the  Creator :  pain  and  plea- 
sure ;  sin  and  religious  merit  ;  night  and  day  ;  saint  and 
sinner  ;  high  caste  and  low  caste  :  demons  and  gods ;  great 
and  small  ;  ambrosia  and  life  ;  poison  and  death;  the  visible 
world  and  the  invisible  God  ;  life  and  the  lord  of  life  ; 
rich  and  poor  ;  the  beggar  and  the  king  ;  K^si  and  Maga- 
dhA  ;2  the  Ganges  and  the  Karamndsd, ;  the  desert  of 
Mdrw^r  and  the  rich  plain  of  M^lwii  ;  the  Brahman  and 
the  butcher  :  heaven  and  hell  ;  sensual  passion  and  as- 
ceticism ;  the  Vedas  and  the  Tantras,  and  every  variety  of 
good  and  evil. 

Doha  7.  !7 

The  Creator  has  made  the  universe  to  consist  of  things 
animate  and  inanimate  ;  good  and  evil  ;  a  saint  like  a  swan 
extracts  the  milk  of  goodness  and  rejects  the  worthless 
water.3 

Chaupdi  7. 

When  the  Creator  gives  men  this  faculty  of  judgment 
they  abandon  error  and  become  enamoured  of  the  truth  ; 
but  conquered  by  time,  temperament,  or  fate,  even  the  good, 
as  a  result  of  their  humanity,  may  err  from  virtue  ;  but 
Hari  takes  their  body  — so  to  speak— and  corrects  it,  and, 
removing  all  sorrow  and  sin,  cleanses  it  and  glorifies  them. 
If  the  bad  through  intercourse  with  the  good  do  good,  their 
inherent  badness  is  not  effaced.  An  impostor  of  fair  out- 
ward show  may  be  honoured  on  account  of  his  garb,  but  in 
the  end  he  is  exposed  and  does  not  succeed,  like  Kdla-nemi, 
or  Ravan,  or  R^hu/*    The  good  are  honoured,  notwithstand- 

1.  •'  I  dill  not  know  sin,  but  by  the  law."  — St.  Paul. 

2.  Mi.gadha  (Bihar)  i>*  taken  as  the  opposite  to  Kasi,  in  conaequence 
of  its  being  the  birthplace  of  Buddhism. 

3.  To  the  swan  (raj-hans)  is  ascribed  th^  fabulous  faculty  of  beinc'  able 
to  separate  milk  from  water,  after  the  two  have  been  mixed  together.    * 

4.  Kala-nemi  by  assuming  the  form  of  an  ascetic  imposed  for  a  lime 
upon  Hanuman,  as  Kavan  did  UDon  8ira  :  and  even  Vishnu,  at  the  churning 
of  the  ocean,  was  at  first  deceived  by  Hahu,  who  appeared  like  one  of  the 
gods. 


ft  OHILDHOOt). 

ing  their  mean  appearance,  like  the  bear  J^mavant  or  the 
monkey  Hanum^n.  Tad  company  is  loss,  and  good  company 
is  gain  ;  this  is  a  trur  recognized  both  by  the  world  and 
the  Veda.  In  company  with  the  wind  the  dust  flies  heaven- 
wards ;  if  it  joins  water,  it  becomes  mud  and  sinks.  Ac- 
cording to  the  character  of  the  house  in  which  a  parrot  or 
maina  is  trained,  it  learns  either  to  repeat  the  name  of 
Rama  or  to  give  abuse.  With  the  ignorant,  soot  is  mere 
refuse  ;  but  it  may  make  good  ink,  and  be  used  even  for 
copying  a  Purina ;  while  water,  fire,  and  air  combined 
become  an  earth-refreshing  rain-cloud. 

Doha  S- II.  ^3-ft 

The  planets,  medicines,  water,  air,  clothes,  all  are  good 
or  bad  things  according  as  their  accompaniments  are  good 
or  bad  ;  and  people  observe  this  distinction.  Both  lunar 
fortnights  are  equal  as  regards  darkness  and  light  ;  but  a 
difference  in  name  has  been  wisely  made,  and  as  the  moon 
waxes  or  wanes  the  fortnight  is  held  in  high  or  low  esteem. 
Knowing  that  the  whole  universe,  whether  animate  or  in- 
animate, is  pervaded  by  the  spirit  of  R^ma,  I  reverence  with 
clasped  hands  the  lotus  feet  of  all  gods,  giants,  men,  ser- 
pents, birds,  ghosts,  departed  ancestors,  Grandharvas, 
Kinnaras,  demons  of  the  night  — 1  pray  ye  all  be  gracious 
to  me. 

Ghaupdi  8. 

By  four  modes  of  birth^  are  produced  84  laks  of  species 
inhabiting  the  air,  the  water  and  the  earth.  With  clasped 
hand  I  perform  an  act  of  adoration,  recognizing  the  whole 
world  as  pervaded  by  the  spirit  of  Sita  and  Rjima.  In  your 
compassion  regard  me  as  your  servant,  and  dissembling  no 
longer,  be  kind  and  affectionate.     I  have   no   confidence  in 


1  The  four  dkaras,  or  modes  of  birth,  are  named  pindaja,  or  viviparous  ; 
andaja,  or  oviparous  ;  swedaja,  born  in  sweat,  like  lice  ;  and  udbhija.  pro- 
duced by  sproutinK  like  a  tree,  rhe  H4  lakhs  of  species  are  (iiv'id.d  as 
follows  :  9  lakhs  of  aquatic  creatures,  27  lakhs  of  those  attached  to  t  he  earth, 
1 1  lakhs  of  inserts,  10  lakhs  of  birds,  23  lakhs  of  quadiu|)e(is.  anJ  I  I;iklis  .)f 
men.  The  literal  meaning  of  akara  being  a  mine,  khan'i,  \v»m,  i,  i, us  the 
same  primary  signification,  is  used  for  it  in  Cliauimi  4i, 


CHILDHOOD.  9 

the  strength  of  my  own  wisdom,  and  therefore  I  supplicate 

you  all.     I  would   narrate   the  great   deeds  of  Raghupati, 

but  my  ability  is  little   and  his   acts  unfathomable.     I  am 

conscious  that  I  have  no  skill  or  capacity  ;   my  intellect  in 

short  is   beggarly,   while   my  ambition  is   imperial  ;  I  am 

thirsting  for  nectar,  when  not  even  skim-milk  is  to  be  had. 

Good  people,  all  pardon  my  presumption  and  listen  to  my 

childish  babbling,    as  a  father  and  mother  delight  to  hear 

the   lisping   prattle   of   their     little   one.     Perverse     and 

malignant  fools   may   laugh,  who  pick  out  faults  in  others 

wherewith   to   adorn  themselves.     Every  one   is    pleased 

with  his  own  rhymes,  whether  they  be  pungent  or  insipid ; 

but    those   who   praise   another's   voice  are  good  men,    of 

whom  there  are  few  in  the  world  ;  there  are  many  enough 

like   the   rivers,    which  on   getting   a  rainfall  swell  out  a 

flood  of  their  own,  but  barely  one  like  the  generous  ocean, 

which  swells  on  beholding  the  fulness  of  the  moon. 

Dohd  12.       '■" 

My  lot  is  low,  my  purpose  high,  but  I  am  confident  of 

one  thing,  that  the  good  will  be  gratified  to  hear  me,  though 

fools  may  laugh. 

Chaupdi  9. 

The  laughter  of  fools  will  be  grateful  to  me  ;  the  crow 
calls  the  koiVs  voice  harsh,  The  goose  ridicules  the  swan, 
and  the  frog  the  chata/c  ;  so  the  low  and  vile  abuse  pure 
verse.  As  they  have  no  taste  for  poetry  nor  love  for  Rdma, 
I  am  glad  that  they  should  laugh.  If  my  homely  speech 
and  poor  wit  are  fit  subjects  for  laughter,  let  them  laugh  ; 
it  is  no  fault  of  mine.  If  they  have  no  understanding  of 
true  devotion  to  Lord,  the  tale  will  seem  insipid  enough  : 
but  to  the  true  and  orthodox  worshippers  of  Hari  and  Hara 
the  story  of  Raghubar  will  be  sweet  as  honey.  The  singer's 
devotion  to  Rdma  will  by  itself  be  sufiicient  embellish- 
ment to  make  the  good  hear  and  praise  the  melody.  Though 
no  poet,  nor  clever,  nor  accomplished  ;  though  unskilled 
in  every  art  and  science  ;   though  all  the  elegant  devices  of 


10  CHILDHOOD. 

letters  and  rhetoric,  the  countless  variations  of  metre,  the 
infinite  divisions  of  sentiment  and  style,  and  all  the 
defects  and  excellences  of  verse,  and  the  gift  to  distinguish 
between  them  are  unknown  to  me.  1  declare  and  record 
it  on  a  fair  white  sheet  — 

Dohd  13.        y, 
That  though  my  style  has  not  a  single  charm  of  its  own, 
it  has  a  charm  known  throughout  the  world,  which  men  of 
discernment  will  ponder  as  they  read— 
Ghaupdi  10. 
The  gracious   name  of  Raghupati ;  all-purifying  essence 
of  the  PurAnas  and  the  Veda,  abode  of  all  that  is  auspicious, 
destroyer   of   all   that  is  inauspicious,   ever  murmured  in 
prayer  by  Umd  and  the  great  Tripur^ri.     The  most  elegant 
composition   of  the  most  talented  poet  has  no  real  beauty 
if  the   name   of   Rdma  is   not  in  it  :   in   the  same  way  as  a 
lovely  woman   adorned   with   the  richest  jewels  is  vile  if 
unclothed.      But  the   most   worthless    production   of   the 
feeblest   versifier,  if  adorned   with   the  name  of  R4ma,  is 
heard  and  repeated  with  reverence  by   the   wise,   who  ex- 
tract what  is  good  in  it,  like  bees  gathering  honey  ;  though 
the   poetry   has   not   a   single  merit,  the  glory  of  Rtoa  is 
manifested  thereby.     This   is  the   confidence   which    has 
possessed  my  soul ;  is  there  anything  which  good  company 
fails  to  exalt  ?  Thus  smoke  forgets  its  natural  pungency  and 
in  incense   yields   a   sweet  scent.     My  language  is   that  in 
vulgar  use,   but   my   subject   is   the  highest,  the  story  of 
Rdma,  enrapturing  the  world. 

Chhand  1.^ 
Though  rapturoas  lays  befit  his  praise,  who  cleansed  a  world  accurst, 
Yet  Tulsi's  rivulet  of  rhyme  may  slake  a  traveller's  thirst. 
How  pure  and  blest  on  Siva's  breast  show  the  vile  stains  of  earth  1 
So  my  poor  song  flows  bright  and  strong  illumed  b^'  Rdma's  worth. 

1  The  chfiands  are  {generally  somewhat  cuthusiastic  outbursts,  in  which 
the  oft-repcHteH  rhyme  i.s  a  little  apt  to  run  away  with  the  sense.  Thp 
better  to  indicate  their  special  character,  one-half  of  the  62  that  occur  in 
this  book  will  be  rendered  metrically.  The  first  line  always  repeats  some 
emphatic  word  from  the  last  line  uf  the  preceding  stanza. 


CHILDHOOD.  11 

DohdU—io.  M'*" 
From  its  connection  with  the  glory  of  Rdma,  my  verse 
will  be  most  grateful  to  every  one.  Any  wood  that  comes 
from  the  Malaya  sandal-groves  is  valued  ;  who  considers 
what  kind  of  wood  it  is?  Though  a  cow  be  black,  its 
milk  is  pure  and  wholesome,  and  all  men  drink  it  ;  and  so, 
though  my  speech  is  rough,  it  tells  the  glory  of  Sita  and 
Rdma,  and  will  therefore  be  heard  and  repeated  with 
pleasure  by  sensible  people. 

Chawpdi  11. 

So  long  as  the  diamond  remains  in  the  serpent's  head, 
the  ruby  on  the  mountain  top,  or  the  pearl  in  its  elephant's 
brow,  they  are  all  without  beauty  ;  but  in  a  king's  diadem 
or  on  a  lovely  woman  they  become  beautiful  exceedingly. 
Similarly,  as  wise  men  tell,  poetry  is  born  of  one  faculty, 
but  beautified  by  another  ;  for  it  is  in  answer  to  pious 
prayer  that  the  Muse  leaves  her  heavenly  abode  and  speeds 
to  earth ;  without  immersion  in  the  fountain  of  Rama's 
deeds  all  labour  and  trouble  count  for  nothing.  An  in- 
telligent poet  understands  this,  and  sings  only  of  Hari,  the 
redeemer,  and  his  virtues.  To  recount  the  doings  of 
common  people  is  mere  idle  beating  of  the  head,  which  the 
Muse  loathes.  Genius  is,  as  it  were,  a  shell  in  the  sea  of 
the  soul,  waiting  for  the  October  rain  of  inspiration  ;  if  a 
gracious  shower  falls,  each  drop  becomes  a  lovely  pearl  of 
poetry. 

Dohd  16.    IJ 

Then  dexterously  pierced  and  strung  together  on  the 
thread  of  Rdma's  adventures,  they  form  a  beautiful  chain 
to  be  worn  on  a  good  man's  breast. 

Chawpdi   12. 

Men  born  in  this  grim  iron  age  are  outwardly  swans, 
but  inwardly  as   black   as  crows  ;  walking   in  evil   paths, 


12  CHILDHOOD. 

abandoning  the  Veda,^  embodiments  of  falsehood,  vessels 
of  impurity,  hypocrites,  professing  devotion  to  Rima,  but 
slaves  of  gold,  of  passion,  and  of  lust.  Among  them  I  give 
the  first  place  to  myself,  a  hypocrite,  alas  !  of  the  very  first 
rank  ;  but  were  I  to  tell  all  my  vices,  the  list  would  so 
grow  that  it  would  have  no  end.  I  have  therefore  said  but 
very  little,  but  a  word  is  enough  for  the  wise.  Let  none  of 
my  hearers  blame  me  for  offering  so  many  apologies  ;  who- 
ever is  troubled  in  mind  by  them  is  more  stupid  and  dull 
of  wit  than  I  am  myself.  Though  I  am  no  poet,  and  have 
no  pretensions  to  cleverness,  I  sing  as  best  I  can  the  virtues 
of  Rdma.  How  unfathomable  his  actions,  how  shallow  my 
poor  world-entangled  intellect !  Before  the  strong  wind 
that  could  uproot  Mount  Meru,  of  what  account  is  such  a 
mere  fleck  of  cotton  as  I  am  ?  When  I  think  of  Rama's 
infinite  majesty  I  tremble  as  I  write. 

Dohd  17.        ^ 
For  Sarasvati,  Sesh-nAg,  Siva  and  Brdhma,  the  Sh^stras, 
the  Veda,  the  PurAnas,  all  are  unceasingly  singing  his  per- 
fection, yet  fail  to  declare  it. 

Ghawpdi  13. 
All  know  the  greetness  of  the  lord  to  be  thus  unutter- 
able, yet  none  can  refrain  from  attempting  to  expound  it. 
For  this  reason  the  Veda  also  has  declared  many  different 
modes  of  effectual  worship.  There  is  one  God,  passionless, 
formless,  uncreated,  the  universal  soul,  the  supreme  spirit, 
the  all-pervading,  whose  shadow  is  the  world  ;  who  has 
become  incarnate  and  does  many  things,  only  for  the  love 
that  he  bears  to  his  faithful  people  ;  all-gracious  and  com- 
passionate to  the  humble  ;  who  in  his  mercy  ever  refrains 
from  anger  against  those  whom  he  loves  and   knows  to  be 

1  By  the  Veda,  to  which  Tulsi  DAs  so  frequently  appeals,  must  be  un- 
derstood not  the  original  Veda  itself,  with  which  he  had  absolutely  nothing 
In  common,  but  only  the  Upanishads,  which  are  also  popularly  quoted  as 
of  Vedic  authority.  They  are  brief  speculative  treatises,  over  200  in  all, 
in  a  discursive  and  rhapsodical  style  and  of  an  ultra- Pantheistic  tendency, 
Though  attached  to  the  end  of  the  Vedas,  they  are  for  the  most  part  of 
nmcb  Uiter  date. 


CHILDHOOD.  13 

his  own  :  restorer  of  the  past ;  protector  of  the  poor  ;i  all- 
good,  all-powerful,  the  lord  Raghur^j.  In  this  belief  the 
wise  sing  the  glory  of  Hari,  and  their  song  thus  becomes 
holy  and  meritorious.  I,  too,  bowing  my  head  to  Rdma's 
feet,  am  emboldened  to  sing  his  fame,  following  a  path 
which  has  been  made  easy  by  the  divine  bards  who  have 
trodden  it  before  me. 

Dohd  18.         i  5 

As  when  once  a  king  has  prepared  a  bridge  over  a  broad 
stream,  an  ant,  insignificant  as  it  is,  is  able  to  cross  with- 
out difficulty. 

Chaupdi  14. 

In  this  manner  re-assuring  myself,  I  undertake  to  recount 
Rdma's  charming  adventures,  as  they  have  been  reverently 
told  by  Vyasa  and  the  other  great  poets,  whose  lofus  feet  I 
adore,  praying,  Fulfil  ye  my  desire.  I  reverence  also  the 
poets  of  these  latter  days,  who  have  sung  of  Raghupati, 
bards  of  high  intelligence,  who  have  written  in  Prakrit  and 
the  vulgar  tongue.  All  who  have  been  in  time  past,  or  who 
now  are,  or  who  hereafter  shall  be,  I  bow  to  all  in  the  ut- 
most good  faith  and  sincerity.  Be  propitious  and  grant  this 
boon,  that  in  assemblies  of  good  men  my  song  may  be  hon- 
oured I  If  the  good  and  wise  will  not  honour  it,  the  silly 
poet  has  had  all  his  labour  in  vain.  The  only  fame,  or  poet- 
ry, or  power,  that  is  of  any  worth,  is  that  which  like  Ganges 
water  is  good  for  all.  The  incongruity  between  Rama's 
glory  and  my  rude  speech  makes  me  hesitate  ;  but  by  your 
favour  all  will  turn  out  well  ;  for  even  coarse  cloth,  if  embroi- 
dered with  silk,  becomes  beautiful.  Be  kind  enough  to  think 
of  this,  and  my  style  will  then  match  the  excellence  of  my 
theme. 

Dohd  19.       -?,      -     ^ 
A  clear  style  and  an  exalted  theme  are  both  commend- 
able ;  and  when  they  are  combined,  an  enemy  even,  forgett- 

1   Qharib  nawdz.     This   is  the  first    Persian   word   that  has  occurred 
in  the  poem. 


14  CHILDHOOD. 

ing  his  natural  hostility,  will  repeat  the  strain.  But  such 
a  combination  is  not  to  be  acquired  without  genius,  and 
genius  I  have  none ;  so  again  and  again  I  beg  of  you  to  bear 
with  me  while  I  sing  the  glory  of  Hari.  The  great  poets 
are  like  the  swans  sporting  in  the  Manasa  lake  of  Hari's 
deeds  ;  look  on  me  as  a  well-meaning  child  and  make  allow- 
ances. .,  .  ^  #  ^ 
Sorathd2.        ^    ;       ' 

I  reverence  the  lotus  feet  of  the  great  sage  who  com- 
posed the  R^m^yana,  smooth  strains  on  rough  topics,  and 
faultless,  though  a  story  of  the  faulty,  i  I  reverence  the 
Vedas  which  are  like  a  boat  in  which  to  cross  the  ocean  of 
existence,  without  ever  dreaming  of  weariness,  while  recount- 
ing Rama's  excellent  glory.  I  reverence  the  dust  on  the  feet 
of  Brdhma,  creator  of  this  ocean-like  world,  from  which  have 
been  produced  men,  good  and  bad  ;  as  of  old  from  the  same 
source  came  at  once  ambrosia,  the  moon,  and  the  cow  Kima- 
dhenu,  and  also  poison  and  intoxicating  liquor 

Dohd  20.     -^  ^ 

Reverencing  with  clasped  hands  gods,  Br^hmans,  phi- 
losophers, and  sages,  I  pray — *  Be  gracious  to  me  and 
accomplish  all  my  fair  desire.' 

Chaupdi  15. 

Again  I  reverence  the  Sarasvati  and  the  Ganges,  both 
holy  and  beautiful  streams  cleansing  sin  by  a  single  draught 
or  immersion,  whose  name  as  soon  as  uttered  or  heard  at 
once  removes  error.  I  adore  as  I  would  my  guru,  or  my 
natural  parents,  Siva  and  Pirvati,  protectors  of  the  humble, 

1  Id  Hindi  poetry  it  is  considered  a  beauty  if  a  phrase  is  so  worded  as 
to  be  capable  of  two  or  more  different  interpretations.  It  is  sufficii-nt  to 
note  this  peculiarity  once  for  all ;  but  there  are  an  immense  number  of 
passages  in  which,  though  the  meaning  which  I  have  adopted  seems  to  me, 
on  the  whole,  the  one  most  appropriate  to  the  context,  it  by  no  means  fol- 
lows that  other  interpretations  are  not,  from  the  grammarian's  point,  of 
view,  equally  correct.  Thus,  the  line  rendered  as  above  would  literally 
stand  thus  — Uough,  soft,  beautiful,  faultless,  full  of  faults.  And  this  con- 
veys the  general  meaning  which  I  have  expressed.  Bnt  there  are  two  plays 
upon  words  ;  for  *aA/wrrt,  ordinarily  'rough,' and  therefore  contrasted  with 
MAomaZ, 'soft,' is  also  intended  to  bear  the  meaning  '  relating  to  the  demon 
Khara' ;  and  similarly  duithan  mhit,  'full  of  faults,' can  be  forced  into 
meaning  '  with  the  demon  Dushan.' 


CHILDHOOD. 


15 


daily  benefactors,  servants  and  courtiers  in  attendance  on 
Sita's  lord  and  in  every  way  Tulsi's  true  friends  ;  who,  in 
their  benevolence  and  considering  the  degeneracy  of  the 
times,  have  themselves  composed  many  spells  in  a  barbarous 
language,  incoherent  syllables  and  unintelligible  mutterings, 
mysterious  revelations  of  the  great  Siva.^  By  his  patronage 
I  may  make  ray  story  an  agreeable  one,  and  by  meditating 
on  Siva  and  Parvati  may  relate  Rama's  adventures  in  a  way 
that  will  give  pleasure.  It  is  only  by  his  favour  that  my 
verse  can  be  beautified,  as  a  dark  night  by  the  moon  and  stars. 
Whoever  in  a  devout  spirit,  with  intelligence  and  attention, 
hears  or  repeats  this  lay  of  mine,  he  shall  become  full  of 
true  love  for  Rama,  and,  cleansed  from  worldly  stains,  shall 
enjoy  heavenly  felicity. 

Dohd  21. 

Whether   I   am   awake  or  dreaming,  if  Siva  and  Gauri 
grant  me  their  favour,  all  that  I  say  shall  come  true   as   to 
the  effect  of  my  song,  though  it  be  in  the  vulgar  tongue. 
Chaupdi  16. 

I  reverence  the  holy  city  of  Ayodhyd,  and  the  river 
Sarjii,  cleansing  from  all  earthly  impurity.  I  salute  also 
the  inhabitants  of  the  city,  for  whom  the  Lord  had  no 
little  affection  ;  seeing  that  he  ignored  all  the  sin  of  Sita's 
calumniator  and  set  men's  minds  at  rest. 2  I  reverence 
Kausalya,  eastern  heaven,  from  which   glory   was    diffused 

1  The  allusion  is  to  the  magic  spells  and  mystical  formularies  of  the 
Tantras,  which  are  for  the  mosc  part  mere  strings  of  uncouth  and  utterly- 
unmeaning  words,  such  as  OM,  AiN,  Hbik  Srin,  and  again  AN,  HUN  Phat, 
two  mantras  recited  during  the  ceremonies  of  the  Durga  Puja.  They  all 
purport  to  have  been  revealed  by  Siva  himself  to  Parvati. 

2  The  calumniator  was  a  washerman,  whose  wife  had  gone  away,  without 
asking  his  permission,  to  her  father's  house  and  had  stayed  there  three  days. 
On  her  return  her  husband  refused  to  take  her  in,  saying  — 'Do  you  think  I 
am  a  Rama,  who  takes  back  his  Slta  after  she  has  been  living  for  eleven 
months  in  another  man's  house  V  When  this  came  to  Rima's  ears,  he  showed 
his  respect  for  the  delicacy  of  his  subjects  by  dismissing  Sita,  and,  instead 
of  punishing  the  washerman,  promoted  him  to  honour.  This  incident  would 
naturally  find  a  place  in  t  he  7th  canto  of  the  poem  ;  and  from  the  allusion  to  it 
here,  it  may  be  presumed  that  Tulsi  D^s  orignally  intended  to  relate  it.  But 
by  the  time  he  had  written  so  far,  the  enthusiasm  of  his  devotion  had 
waxed  too  great  to  allow  of  his  admitting  that  such  an  insinuation  of  evil  had 
ever  been  made  against  the  immaculate  Sita. 


16  CHILDHOOD. 

over  the  whole  world ;  whence  Raghupati  arose  as  a  lovely 
moon,  giving  joy  to  the  world,  but  blighting  like  a  frost 
the  lotus  leaves  of  vice.  To  King  Dasarath  and  all  his] 
queens,  incarnations  of  viriue  and  felicity,  I  make  obeisance 
in  word,  deed  and  heart,  saying  *  Be  gracious  to  me  as  to 
a  servant  of  your  son,  0  parents  of  RAma,  that  come  of 
greatness,  ye  in  whose  creation  the  creator  surpassed 
himself.'  ^  * 

Sorathd  S.      ^^ 

I  reverence  the  King  of  Avadh,  who  had  such  true  love 
for  Rama's  feet  that,  when  parted  from  his  lord,  his  life 
snapped  and  parted  too  like  a  straw. 

Ghaupdi  17. 

I  salute  the  King  of  Videha,  with  all  his  court,  who  Had 
the  greatest  affection  for  Rdma  ;  though  he  concealed  his 
devotion  under  royal  state,  yet  it  broke  out  as  soon  as  he 
saw  him.  Then,  next,  I  throw  myself  at  the  feet  of 
Bharat,  whose  constancy  and  devotion  surpass  description ; 
whose  soul  like  a  bee  thirsting  for  sweets  was  ever  hovering 
round  the  lotus  feet  of  R4ma.  I  reverence  too  the  lotus  feet 
of  Lakshman,  cool,  comely  and  source  of  delight  to  their 
worshippers,  whose  glory  is  as  it  were  the  standard  for  the 
display  of  RAma's  pure  emblazonment.  Thou  who  to 
remove  the  terrors  of  the  world  didst  become  incarnate  in 
the  form  of  the  thousand-headed  serpent  for  the  sake  of  the 
universe,  be  ever  propitious  to  me,  0  son  of  Sumitr^,  ocean 
of  compassion,  storehouse  of  perfection.  I  bow  also  to  Ripu- 
siidan  (i.  c,  Satrughna),  the  generous  hero,  Bharat*s 
constant  companion  ;  and  to  the  conqueror  Hanum^n, 
whose  glory  has  been  told  by  Rdma  himself. 

Sorathd  4. 
The   Son   of   the  Wind,  of  profound  intelligence,  like  a 
consuming   fire  in  the  forest  of  vice,  in  whose  heart  Rdma, 
equipped  with  bow  and  arrows,  has  established  his  home. 


CHILDHOOD.  17 

Chaupdi  18. 
The  monkey  lord,  the  king  of  bears  and  demons,  Angad 
and  all  the  monkey  host,  I  throw  myself  at  the  benign  feet 
of  them  all,  for  though  conteniptible  in  appearance  they  yet 
found  Rdma.  I  worship  all  his  faithful  servants— whether 
birds,  beasts,  gods,  men  or  demons— all  his  unselfish  ad- 
herents. I  worship  Sukadeva,  Sanat-kumara,  Ndrad,  and 
the  other  sages  of  excellent  renown,  putting  my  head  to  the 
ground  and  crying  :  '  My  lords,  be  gracious  to  your  servant.' 
I  propitiate  the  lotus  feet  of  J^nak's  daughter,  JAnki,  mother 
of  the  world,  best  beloved  of  the  Fountain  of  Mercy  ;  by 
whose  grace  I  may  attain  to  unclouded  intelligence.  Again 
in  heart,  in  word  and  deed  I  worship  the  all-worthy  feet  of 
Raghundth  ;  the  glance  of  whose  lotus  eyes,  like  an  arrow 
from  the  bow,  rejoices  his  votaries  by  destroying  all  their 
misfortunes.  ^  »^ 

Doha  22.      - 

As  a  word  and  its   meaning   are   inseparable,  and  as  a 

wave  cannot  be  distinguished  from  the  water  of  which  it  is 

composed,  the  difference  being  only  in  the  name  ;  so  with 

R^ma  and  Sita,  the  refuge  of  the  distressed,  whom  I  adore. 

Chaupdi  19. 

I  adore  the  name  of  RAma  as  borne  by  Raghubar,i  the 
source  of  all  light,  whether  of  the  fire,  or  the  sun,  or  the  moon; 
substance  of  the  triune  god  ;  vital  breath  of  the  Veda ;  the 
passionless  ;  the  incomparable  ;  the  source  of  all  good  ;  the 
great  spell  muttered  by  Mahddeva  and  enjoined  by  him  as 
necessary  to  salvation  even  at  K^si.  By  confessing  its 
power,  Ganes  obtain  the  first  place  among  the  gods  ;2  by  its 

1  For  there  are  two  other  Mmas  besides  Rdma-chandra,  viz.,  Parasurd- 
raa  and  Balarama. 

2  According  to  the  legend,  the  gods  were  disputing  among  themselves  as 
to  which  of  them  should  be  accounted  the  greatest.  Vo  settle  the  matter 
Brdhma  proposed  that  they  all  should  race  round  the  world.  They  started 
accordingly,  each  on  the  animal  which  he  most  delighted  to  ride ;  and 
Ganes  being  mounted,  as  was  his  custom,  on  nothing  better  than  a  rat,  was 
of  course  soon  left  far  behind  In  his  distress  the  sage  Ndrad  appeared  to 
him  and  suggested  that  he  should  write  the  word  Rdma  in  the  dust  and  pace 
round  that,  for  in  it  was  virtually  included  all  creation.  This  he  did,  and 
returned  to  Brihma,  who  at  once  awarded  him  the  prize. 

R-6 


18  CHILDHOOD. 

power,  though  he  muttered  it  backwards,  the  great  poet 
V^lmiki  attained  to  purity  ;  by  its  repetition,  after  she  had 
heard  from  Siva  that  it  was  equal  to  a  thousand  names, 
Bhav^ni  was  able  to  join  her  husband  ;^  while  he,  Maha- 
deva,  in  his  delight  on  beholding  her  simple  faith,  assumed 
the  woman,  making  that  ornament  of  her  sex  the  ornament 
of  his  own  body.  Again,  it  was  by  the  power  of  this  name 
that  the  poison  swallowed  by  Mah^deva  was  converted  into 
ambrosia. 

Dohd2S.    ^'^ 

Devotion  to  Rdma  is  for  the  faithful  Tulsi  DAs  like  the 
rainy  season  for  the  rice-fields  ;  the  two  glorious  conso- 
nants in  Rdraa's  name  are  like  the  months  of  S^wan  and 
Bhadon. 

Ghaupdi  20. 

Two  sweet  and  gracious  syllables,  the  eyes  as  it  were  of 
the  soul,  easy  to  remember,  satisfying  every  wish,  a  gain  in 
this  world  and  felicity  in  the  next ;  most  delightful  to  utter, 
to  hear,  or  to  remember  ;  as  dear  to  Tulsi  as  the  inseparable 
R4ma  and  Lukshman.  My  love  is  inflamed  as  I  speak  of 
these  mystic  syllables,  as  intimately  connected  as  the  univer- 
sal soul  and  the  soul  of  man  ;  twin  brothers  like  Nara  and 
Nir^yan  ;  preservers  of  the  world ;  redeemers  of  the  elect ; 
bright  jewels  in  the  ears  of  beauteous  Faith  ;  pure  and  bene- 
ficent as  the  sun  and  the  moon ;  like  sweetness  and  content- 
ment, the  inseparable  attributes  of  ambrosia  ;  like  the  tor- 
toise and  serpent,  supporters  of  the  world  ;  like  the  bee  and 
lotus  of  a  pious  soul ;  and  as  sweet  to  the  tongue  as  Hari 
and  BalarAma  were  sweet  to  Jasodi. 


1  One  day  when  Siva  had  finished  eating,  be  called  to  his  wife  PArvati 
to  come  and  take  her  food  too  before  it  got  cold.  She  pleaded  that  she  had 
not  yet  finished  repeating,  according  to  her  daily  wont,  the  thousand  names 
of  Vishnu :  whereupon  her  husband  instructed  her  that  it  would  suffice 
If  she  said  the  mere  name  of  R4ma  once,  for  that  had  as  much  virtue  as  all 
the  thousand.  She  at  once  believed  him  and  complied  ;  and  the  god  was  so 
pleased  at  her  ready  faith  that  in  her  honor  he  assumed  the  ArdhanAri, 
or  half  male,  half  female  form. 


CHILDHOOD.  19 

Doha  24.  :    i  V 

Like  a  royal  umbrella  and  jewelled  diadem  over  aU  the 
other  letters  of  the  alphabet  shine  the  two  consonants  in 
Emma's  name.i 

Ghaupdi  21. 
A  name  may  be  regarded  as  equivalent  to  what  is  named, 
the  connection  being  such  as  subsists  between  a  master  and 
servant.  Both  name  and  form  are  shadows  of  the  lord,  who, 
rightly  understood,  is  unspeakable  and  uncreated.  They  are 
sometimes  wrongly  distinguished  as  greater  and  less,  but  the 
wise  will  understand  my  explanation  of  the  difference  be 
tween  them.  See,  now,  the  form  is  subordinate  to  the  name, 
for  without  the  name  you  cannot  come  to  a  knowledge  of  the 
form  ;  if  the  very  form  be  in  your  hand,  still  without  know- 
ing the  name  it  is  not  recognized  ;  but  meditate  on  the  name 
without  seeing  the  form,  and  your  soul  is  filled  with  devo- 
tion.2  The  mystery  of  name  and  form  is  unspeakable  and 
cannot  be  told,  but  delightful  to  those  who  have  intuition 
of  it ;  the  name  acting  as  a  witness  between  the  material 
and  immaterial  form  of  the  deity,  and  being  a  guide  and 
interpreter  to  both. 

Dohd  25. 
Place  the  name  of  RAma  as  a  jewelled  lamp  at  the  door 

1  The  allusion  is  to  the  form  the  letters  /•  and  w  take  when  written 
above  the  line. 

2  To  the  European  reader  all  this  panegyric  of  the  Divine  name  will 
probably  at  first  sight  appear  extravagant  and  absurd.  But  from  the 
Hindu  point  of  view  it  is  reasonable  enough  ,  and  mutatis  mutandis,  may  be 
paralleled  by  many  similar  expressions  in  the  writings  of  Catholic  theolo- 
gians, as  for  example  the  following  :— 

Sancta  oratio,  brevis  ad  legendum,  facilis  ad  tenendum,  dulcis  ad 
cogitandum,  fortis  ad  protegendura.— r/«<'5.  a  Kempis. 

Suo  sanctissimo  nomine,  quod  quinque  Uteris  constat,  confert  quotidie 
veniam  peccatoribus.— /".  Pelhert. 

Noraen  tiium  devote  nominari  non  potest  sine  nominantis  utilitate. — 
S,  Bo7iaventura. 

Nomen  solum  sufficit  ad  raedendum  ;  nam  pestis  tam  efficax  nulla  sic  haeret, 
quae  ad  nomen  non  cedat  continuo. — Ricardus  de  S.  Laurentio. 

Spiritus  maligni  difEugiunt,  audito  nomine,  velut  ab  igne.— 5.  Bridget. 

Omnes  daemones  verentur  hoc  nomen,  et  timent,  qui  audientes  statim 
Irelinquunt  animam  de  unguibus  quibus  tenebant  eam.  — «S.  Bridget. 

Gloriosum  et  admirable  est  nomen  ;  qui  illud  retinent,  non  expavescent  in 
puncto,  mortis. — S.  Bonaventura. 

Nomen  plenum  est  omni  dulcedine  et  suavitate  divina. — Honorius, 


00  CHILDHOOD. 

of  your  lips  and  there  will  be  light,  as  you  will,  both  inside 
and  out. 

Chaupdi  22. 

As  his  tongue  repeats  this  name,  the  ascetic  wakes  to 
life,  his  thoughts  free  from  passion  and  all  detached  from 
the  world;  he  enjoys  the  incomparable  felicity  of  God,  who 
is  unspeakable,  unblemished,  without  either  name  or  form. 
Those  who  would  understand  mysteries,  by  repeating  this 
name  understand  them  ;  the  religious  who  repeat  this  name 
absorbed  in  contemplation,  become  workers  of  miracles^  and 
acquire  the  power  of  rendering  themselves  invisible  and 
the  like  ;  those  who  repeat  it  when  burdened  with  affliction 
are  freed  from  their  troubles  and  become  happy.  Thus 
there  are  in  the  world  four  kinds  of  RAma- worshippers,  all 
four  good,  holy,  and  beneficent ;  but  of  these  four  sages 
they  are  the  most  dear  to  the  lord  who  wisely  rely  upon  his 
name.  His  name  is  great  in  the  four  Vedas  and  in  all  the 
ages  of  the  world,  but  in  this  fourth  age  especially  there  is 
no  other  hope. 

Doha  26. 

Free  from  sensual   passions  and  absorbed   in   devout 
affection  to  RAma,  the  soul  disports  itself  like  a  fish  in   the 
ambrosial  lake  of  his  beloved  name. 
Chaupdi  23. 

The  Supreme  may  be  regarded  either  as  unconditioned 
or  as  incarnate  ;  under  either  aspect  it  is  unspeakable,  un- 
fathomable, without  beginning  and  without  parallel.  To 
my  mind  the  name  is  greater  than  both,  for  it  has  prevailed 

1  The  miracalouB  powers  that  can  be  acquired  by  perfect  saints,  or 
fiddahs,  are  reckoned  as  eight  in  number,  and  are  called  animd^  mahima, 
garitna,  laghhiii,  prdpti,prdkdmya,  igittva,  and  rasittwd.  These  words  denote 
the  faculty  — 1st,  of  becoming  infinitely  small  ;  2nd,  of  becoming  infinitely 
great;  3rd,  of  becoming  infinitely  heavy;  4th,  of  becoming  infinitely  light;  5th, 
of  obtaining  whatever  one  wishes  ;  6th,  of  doing  whatever  one  wishes  ;  7th, 
of  absolute  supremacy  ;  8th,  of  absolute  subjugation.  Compare  the  four  gifts 
of  beatitude  as  enumerated  by  Catholic  theologians  :  viz. — Ist,  Agility,  by 
which  the  soul  can  in  an  instant  descend  from  the  height  of  heaven  to  earth  ; 
2ndly,  Brightness,  by  which  [according  to  8.  Augustine]  each  blessed  soul 
is  so  much  more  luminous  than  the  sun  as  the  sun  is  brighter  than  any  other 
celestial  body  ;  3rdly,  Subtilty,  by  which  the  soul  can  penetrate  a  mountain, 
in  the  same  way  as  a  ray  of  light  passes  through  a  crystal ;  and  4thly, 
Impassibility,  by  which  it  is  exempt  from  suffering,  disease,  or  death. 


CHILDHOOD.  2^1 

to  bring  both  under  its  sway.  My  friends  must  not  take 
this  as  an  exaggeration  on  my  part,  for  I  say  it  confidently 
and  with  sincere  devotion.  This  dual  distinction  of  the  Sup- 
reme is  like  the  two  kinds  of  fire,  which  is  either  potential 
in  the  wood  or  visible  externally ;  each  is  in  itself  unap- 
proachable but  is  easily  approached  by  means  of  the  name; 
and  therefore  I  say  that  the  name  is  greater  than  either 
Brahm  or  R^ma.  For  the  one  immortal,  true,  sentient, 
complete,  and  blissful  Brahm  is  all-pervading  ;  yet  though 
such  an  unchangeable  lord  is  in  our  very  soul,  the  whole 
creation  is  in  slavery  and  wretchedness,  till  he  is  revealed 
in  definite  shape,  and  is  energized  by  the  name  ;  as  a  jewel 
is  not  valued  till  it  is  so  called.  ^  q 

Doha  27.  ^ 

Thus  the  virtue  of  the  name  is  infinite  and  transcends 
the  Supreme,  and  in  my  judgment  is  greater  that  R<ima 
himself. 

Ghaupdi  24. 

From  the  love  that  he  bore  to  his  followers,  R^ma  took 
the  form  of  a  man  and  by  himself  enduring  misery  secured 
their  happiness.  By  incessantly  and  devoutly  repeating 
his  name,  all  the  faithful  may  attain  to  felicity.  R^ma 
himself  redeemed  only  one  woman,  the  ascetic's  wife  ;i  but 
his  name  has  corrected  the  errors  of  millions  of  sinners. 
To  gratify  the  Rishi  Visvamitra,  Rdma  wrought  the  de- 
struction of  Suketu's  daughter  Tdraka  with  her  son  M^rfcha 
and  his  army  ;  but  as  the  sun  puts  an  end  to  night,  so  his 
name  has  scattered  all  crime  and  pain  and  despair.  In 
his  own  person  RAma  broke  the  bow  of  Siva,  but  his 
glorious  name   has   broken  the   fear   of   death  ;2  the  Lord 

1  Ahalyd,  the  wife  of  the  Rishi  Gautama,  bavin sjt  been  seduced  by  the 
god  Tndra,  was  cursed  by  her  indignant  lord,  and  doomed  to  remain  alone 
and  invisible  in  the  forest  for  thousands  of  years,  till  Rdma  should  come 
and  redeem  her 

2  Here  is  a  olay  upon  words  which  cannot  be  preserved  in  the  trans- 
lation, for  in  the  first  half  of  the  couplet  the  word  bhava  is  to  be  taken  as 
a  name  of  Siva,  while  in  the  second  half  it  means  life  or  rather  death,  since, 
according  to  Hindii  ideas,  all  conscious  life  is  merely  a  preparation  for 
inevitable  death.  Compare  Milton's  expression  : — "  This  earthly  load  of 
death  called  life,  which  us  from  life  doth  sever." 


ft  CHILDHOOD. 

himself  restored  to  life  only  the  forest  of  Dandaka,^  but 
his  name  has  sanctified  countless  generations  ;  the  son  of 
Raghu  destroyed  many  demons,  but  his  name  has  destroy- 
ed all  the  evil  of  the  world. 

Dohd  28.      Mr^ 
Raghunith   conferred    immortality   on  Savari   and   the 
vulture  Jat^yu2    and  his  other   faithful   servants ;    but  his 
name,  precious  theme  of  the  Vedas,  has  delivered  innumer- 
able wretches. 

Ghaupdi   25. 

Rama,  as  all  men  know,  extended  his  protection  to 
Sugriva  and  Vibhishana ;  but  his  nime  has  protected 
countless  supplicants,  shining  forth  gloriously  in  the 
world  and  Veda.  R^ma  assembled  a  host  of  bears  and 
monkeys,  and  even  then  had  no  little  trouble  to  build  his 
bridge  ;  his  name  can  dry  up  the  ocean  of  life  ;  meditate 
thereon,  0  ye  faithful.  RAma  killed  in  battle  Ravan  and 
all  his  family,  and  returned  with  Sfta^  to  his  own  city,  a 
king  to  Avadh,  his  capital,  while  gods  and  saints  hymned 
his  praises  ;  but  his  servants,  if  only  they  affectionately 
meditate  on  his  name,  have  no  difficulty  in  vanquishing  the 
whole  army  of  error,  and  absorbed  in  devotion  live  at  ease, 
without  even  a  dream  of  sorrow. 

Dohd  29.      ^\ 

The  name  is  greater  than  either  Brahm  or  R^ma,  and  is 
the  best  gift  of  the  best  giver;  this  Mahddeva  knew  when 
he  selected  it  from  the  hundred  crorea*  of  verses  in  the 
Rdmayan^. 

1  Dandaka  is  the  name  of  the  pathless  forest  near  the  Godavari,  where 
Sfta  was  stolen  away  by  Rivan. 

2  The  bird  JatAyu  stopped  the  chariot  in  which  Slta  was  being  carried 
off  by  R^van  and  was  mortally  wounded  by  the  giant,  but  lived  long  enough 
to  give  R4ma  tidings  of  his  beloved.  In  return  for  his  faithful  services 
R&ma  and  Lakshnian  themselves  performed  his  funeral  rites. 

3  Sugriva,  the  monkey  chief,  as  told  at  full  length  later  on  in  the 
poem,  assisted  R^ma  in  his  search  for  Sita  ;  and  Rdma  rewarded  him  by 
installing  him  as  sovereign  of  KishindhyA  in  the  place  of  his  brother  B6ii. 
Similarly,  Vibhishana  was  made  king  of  Lank^  in  the  room  of  R4van. 

4  Of  these  hundred  crores  it  is  said  that  Siva  distributed  33  crores  to 
each  of  the  three  worlds.  The  one  crbre  that  remained  over  he  similarly 
divided  into  three  sets  of  33  l*khs  each  ;  the  odd  lakh  into  three  sets  of  33 
thousand  each  ;  thn  odd  thousand  again  into  three  sets  of  three  hundred 
each  ;  the  odd  hundred  into  three  sets  of  thirty-three  each,  and  finally  the 
one  remaining  xloka  iuto  three  sets  of  ten  letters  each.  The  two  letters 
that  remained  over,  being  the  two  consonants  in  the  name  of  R^ma,  he  kept 
for  himself,  as  containing  the  gist  of  the  whole  matter. 


CHILDHOOD. 


23 


GJiaupai  26. 

By  the  power  of  this  name  the  blessed  god  of  curst 
attire,  even  the  great  Siva,  acquired  immortality  ;  by  the 
power  of  this  name  Sukadeva,  Sanat-kumdra,  and  all 
saints,  sages,  and  ascetics  have  enjoyed  heavenly  raptures  : 
Ndrad  too  acknowledged  its  power,  himself  as  dear  to  Hara 
and  Hari  as  Hari  is  dear  to  the  world ;  by  repeating  this 
name  PrahUd,  through  the  Lord's  grace,  became  the  crown 
of  the  faithful. 1  Dhruva  in  his  distress  repeated  the  name 
of  Hari,  and  was  rewarded  by  a  fixed  and  incomparable 
station  in  the  heavens  \^  by  meditating  on  his  holy  name 
Hanuman  won  and  kept  the  affection  of  Rama  ;  by  the 
power  of  Hari's  name  Ajdmil-^  and  the  elephant  and  the 
harlot  all  three  obtained  salvation  ;  why  further  extend  the 
list  ?  not  even  the  incarnate  R^ma  could  exhaust  it. 
Doha  30.      tfV 

The  name  of  RAma  is  as  the  tree  of  paradise,  the  centre 
of  all  that  is  good  in   this  wicked  world  ;    and   whoever 

1  Prahlid,  the  pious  son  of  the  impious  Hiranya  Kasipu,  who  was  de- 
stroyed by  Vishnu  in  the  Narsinh  avatar,  was  made  equal  to  Indra  for  life 
and  finally  united  with  Vishnu. 

2  Dhruva,  the  son  of  Uttanapida,  being  slighted  by  his  step-mother,  left 
his  home  with  the  determination  of  winning  himself  a  name  in  the  world. 
By  the  advice  of  the  seven  Rishis,  he  devoted  himself  to  the  service  of 
Vishnu  and  was  finally  exalted  by  the  god  to  the  heavens,  where  he  shines 
as  the  pole-star. 

3  According  to  the  history  given  in  the  6th  Skandha  of  the  Sri  Bhagavat, 
Ajdmil  was  a  Brahman  of  Kanauj,  of  most  dissolute  and  abandoned  life, 
by  a  happy  chance  the  youngest  of  the  ten  sous  whom  he  had  by  a  prostitute 
was  named  Ndrdyan,  and  the  father  when  at  the  point  of  death  happened  to 
summon  him  to  his  side.  But  the  god  Narayan,  thus  casually  invoked,  him- 
self came  in  answer  to  the  call  and  rescued  the  guilty  soul  from  the  demons 
that  were  about  to  carry  it  off  to  hell. 

The  story  of  the  elephant  is  given  in  the  8th  Skandha  of  the  same  Purana. 
An  alligator  bad  seized  him  by  the  foot  while  bathing,  and  though  he  strug- 
gled desperately  for  2,000  years,  he  was  unable  to  rid  himself  on  his  enemy, 
and  at  last  was  deserted  by  all  his  wives  and  children.  He  then  began  to 
give  himself  up  for  lost;  but  reflecting  on  the  pertinacity  of  the  alligator,  he 
came  to  the  conclusion  that  the  creature  must  be  the  embodiment  of  all  the 
sins  he  had  committed  in  previous  existences  and  that  God  alone  could  save 
him.  He  therefore  addressed  a  fervent  prayer  to  N^rdyan,  who  thus  invoked 
by  name  came  down  from  heaven  and  with  his  discus  Sudarsan  cut  off  the 
alligator's  head  and  delivered  the  suppliant. 

The  8th  chapter  of  the  llth  Skandha  gives  the  story  of  the  penitent 
prostitute,  Pingala. 


24  CHILDHOOD. 

meditates  upon  it  becomes  (says  Tulsi  D^s)  transformed  as 
it  were  from  a  vile  heiup-stick  into  a  sweet-smelling  tulsi 
plant. 

Chavpdi  27. 

In  all  four  ages  of  the  world  ;  in  all  time,  past,  present, 
or  future  ;  in  the  three  spheres  of  earth,  heaven  and  hell ; 
any  creature  that  repeats  this  name  becomes  blessed.  This 
is  the  verdict  of  the  Veda,  the  Pur^nas  and  all  the  saints— 
that  love  of  RAma  is  the  fruit  of  all  virtue.  In  the  first  age, 
contemplation  ;  in* the  second  age,  sacrifice  ;  in  the  Dv^par 
age,  temple-worship  was  the  appointed  propitiation  ;  but 
in  this  vile  and  impure  iron  age,  where  the  soul  of  man 
floats  like  a  fish  in  an  ocean  of  sin,  in  these  fearful  times, 
the  name  is  the  only  tree  of  life,  and  by  meditating  on  it  all 
commotion  is  stilled.  In  these  evil  days  neither  good  deeds, 
nor  piety,  nor  spiritual  wisdom  is  of  any  avail,  but  only 
the  name  of  R^ma  :  his  name  is  as  it  were  the  wisdom  and 
the  might  of  Hanum^n  to  expose  and  destroy  the  Kdlanemi- 
like^  wiles  of  the  wicked  world.  ^ 

As  narsinh  was  manifested  to  destroy  the  enemy  of 
heaven,  Hiranya-kasipu,  and  protect  Prahlnd,  so  is  Rama's 
name  for  the  destruction  of  the  world  and  protection  of  the 
pious. 

Chaupai  28 

By  repeating  this  name,  whether  in  joy  or  in  sadness, 
in  action  or  in  repose,  bliss  is  diffused  all  around.  Meditat- 
ing upon  it  and  bowing  my  head  to  Raghun^th,  I  compose 
these  lays  in  his  honour  ;  he  will  correct  all  my  defects, 
whose  mercy  is  mercy  inexhaustible.     Thou   art  my   good 

1  K^lanemi  was  the  uncle  of  K4vaD,  who  commissioned  him  to  kill 
Hanum&n.  Accordingly,  he  assumed  the  garb  of  a  devotee  and  retired  to  a 
magic  hermitage,  where  he  was  soon  after  visited  by  HanumAn.  The  latter 
accepted  the  hospitality  of  the  holy  man  as  he  took  him  to  be,  but  before 
eating  went  to  a  pond  close  by  to  bathe.  As  soon  as  be  put  his  foot  in  the 
water,  it  was  seizt-d  by  a  crocodile,  which,  however,  he  soon  killed  ;  when 
from  its  dead  body  sprung  a  »>eautiful  nymph  long  under  a  curse,  who  in- 
formed him  of  K^lamemTs  true  character.  Hanum^n  thereupon  threw  his 
tail  round  the  demon's  neck  and  strangled  him.  The  incident  is  related  in 
Book  vi,  doh^i  66,  66. 


OBlLDfiOOD.  ^ 

lord,  I  t6y  poor  servant ;  bear  this  in  mind  and  gi'aciously 
protect  me.  The  world  and  scripture  alike  declare  these 
to  be  the  characteristics  of  a  good  master,  that  he  hears 
prayer  and  acknowledges  affection.  Rich  or  poor,  villagei^ 
or  citizen,  learned  or  unlearned,  pure  or  impure,  good  poet 
or  bad  poet,  all  according  to  their  f^bility  extol  their  king- 
as  being  good,  amiable,  and  gracious,  lord  of  incomparable 
compassion  ;  and  he  hears  and  accepts  their  honest  attempts, 
recognizing  in  their  words  both  devotion  and  a  measure  of 
ability.  This  is  the  way  with  earthly  kings,  and  R^ma  is 
their  crown  :  he  is  satisfied  with  simple  piety,  though  in 
one  who  is  duller  and  feebler  of  intellect  even  than  I  am. 
DoTia  32-33.  lA^-ifir 
The  merciful  Rdma  will  regard  the  love  and  zeal  of  his 
poor  servant,  he  who  made  a  ship  out  of  a  rock  and  wise 
ministers  out  of  monkeys  and  bears;  although  I  am  a  byword, 
and  every  one  says  RAma  is  exposed  to  ridicule,  in  that  he, 
being  such  a  lord,  has  such  a  servant  as  Tulsi  DAs. 

Chaupdi  29. 

My  presumption  is  indeed  very  sad  and  villainous 
enough  to  disgust  hell  itself ;  I  am  quite  aware  of  this  and 
tremble  to  think  of  it ;  but  Rdma  never  dreamt  of  taking 
notice.  The  lord  listened  and  with  his  own  eyes  attentive- 
ly considered  my  faith,  and  thereupon  applauded  my 
devout  intention.  Though  my  story  is  spoilt  by  the  telling, 
Rama  is  satisfied  and  accounts  it  good,  since  the  will  is  good. 
The  lord  is  not  mindful  of  a  chance  fault,  but  on  every 
occasion  he  considers  the  heart.  Thus  the  very  crime  for 
which  he  like  a  huntsman  killed  B^li  was  in  turn  the  sin 
of  Sugriva,  and  again  of  Vibhishan  ;  but  in  their  case  Rdma 
did  not  dream  of  censure,  but  honoured  them  both  at  his 
meeting  with  Bharat  and  commended  in  open  court, 

Dohd  34-36.  tfC  -  m  ^Mil^     . 

The  monkeys  too  that  scrambled  up  in  the  boughs  of  the 
tree  under   which  the  lord  sat,  even  these  he  held    d«ar  as 

R-7 


26  CHILDHOOD. 

himself :  says  Tulsi,  there  is  no  master  so  generous  as 
lUma.  0  R^ma,  thy  goodness  is  good  to  all,  and  if  so, 
then  good  to  Tulsi  also.  Thus  declaring  my  merits  and 
defects  and  again  bowing  my  head  to  all,  I  proceed  to  tell 
the  glorious  acts  of  Raghubar,  by  the  sound  of  which  all  the 
sin  of  the  world  is  effaced. 

Ghaupdi  30. 

Now  listen  all  in  friendly  wise  while  I  relate  the  story 
as  I  have  heard  it,  as  it  was  communicated  by  Y^jnavalkya 
to  the  great  sage  Bharadvdja.  It  was  first  of  all  composed 
by  Siva  and  graciously  revealed  to  Uma,  and  again  declared 
to  Kdka-bhusundi,  known  to  be  chief  among  the  votaries  of 
RAma.  From  him  Y^jnavalkya  received  it  and  he  recited 
it  to  Bharadvdja.  These  listeners  and  reciters  were  of 
equal  virtue  and  had  an  equal  insight  into  Hari's  sportive 
actions.  Their  intellect  comprehended  all  time,  as  it  were 
a  plum  in  the  palm  of  the  hand.  Other  intelligent  votaries 
of  Hari  have  also  in  different  ways  heard,  understood  and 
spoken.  , 

Dohd  37-38.      "^^'^ 

As  for  myself,  I  heard  the  story  from  my  master  at 
Sukir-khet  (i.e.,  Soron),^  not  understanding  it,  when  I  was 
quite  a  child  and  had  no  sense.  How  could  such  a  dull 
creature,  being  both  ignorant  and  eaten  up  with  wordly  im- 
purities, understand  so  mysterious  a  legend  and  a  dialogue 
between  such  sage  interlocutors  ? 

Ghaupdi  31. 

But  my  master  repeated  it  time  after  time,  till  at  length 
I  understood  as  much  as  could  be  expected  ;  and  I  now  put 
it  down  in  the  vulgar  tongue  for  the  better  comprehension 
of  my  ideas  ;  with  a  heart  inspired  by  Hari  and  using  all 
the  little  sense,  judgment,  and  ability  that  I   possess.     The 

1  Soron,  the  modern  name,  is  a  corruption  of  Silkara-grdma  (Boar-town). 
The  place  is  still  much  frequented  by  pilgrims,  the  principal  concourse 
being  on  the  festival  of  the  Variha  (or  Boar)  avatAr,  Siikara-grAma-Siiar- 
g&WD  m  Si;iar4D  w  m  Soron. 


CHILDHOOD.  27 

Story  that  I  have  to  tell  clears  my  own  doubts  as  it  does 
every  other  error  and  delusion,  and  is  a  raft  on  which  to 
cross  the  ocean  of  existence.  The  story  of  Rdma  is  a 
resting-place  for  the  intellect  ;  a  universal  delight ;  de- 
stroyer of  wordly  impurity  ;  an  antidote  to  the  venom  of 
passion  ;  a  match  to  enkindle  the  fire  of  wisdom  ;  the  cow  of 
plenty  in  this  iron  age ;  an  elixir  to  make  good  men  immor- 
tal ;  a  terrestrial  stream  of  nectar  ;  a  destroyer  of  death  ;  a 
snake  to  devour  toad-like  error  ;  the  annihilator  of  hell,  like 
as  Pdrvati  on  behalf  of  gods  and  saints  annihilated  the 
army  of  demons  ;  like  as  Lakshmi  was  born  of  the  sea,  so 
conceived  in  the  assembly  of  saints  ;  immoveable  as  the 
earth  that  supports  all  the  weight  of  creation  ;  like  the 
Jamun^,  to  put  to  shame  the  angel  of  death  ;  like  KAsi,  the 
saviour  of  all  living  creatures  ;  as  dear  to  Rdma  as  the  pure 
tulsi ;  as  dear  to  Tulsi  DAs  as  his  own  heart's  desire  ;  as 
dear  to  Siva  as  the  daughter  of  Mount  Mekal  (i.e.,  the 
Narmad^),  bestower  of  all  perfection  and  prosperity  ;  like 
Aditi,  gracious  mother  of  all  the  gods  ;  the  perfect  outcome 
of  love  and  devotion  to  Raghubar. 

Doha  39.    S^l 

The  story  of  Rdma  is  as  the  river  Mand^kini  and  a  good 
intention  like  Mount  Chitrakut,  while   sincere  affection  is 
the  forest  where  RAma  and  Sitd  disported  themselves. 
Ghaupdi  32. 

The  legend  of  Rdma  is  like  the  delectable  wishing 
stone  ;  or  as  a  fair  jewel  for  the  bridal  adornment  of  saint- 
ly wisdom  ;  His  perfection  is  the  joy  of  the  whole  world, 
fraught  with  the  blessings  of  virtue,  wealth,  and  eternal 
salvation  :  a  true  teacher  of  wisdom,  asceticism  and  spiri- 
tual contemplation  ;  like  the  physician  of  the  gods  to  heal 
the  fearful  diseases  of  life  ;  the  very  parent  of  devotion  to 
Sita  and  Rdma ;  the  seed  of  all  holy  vows  and  practices ; 
the  destroyer  of  sin,  of  pain,  and  of  sorrow  ;  our  guardian 
in  this  world  and  the  next ;  the  Prime  Minister  and   the 


*58  CHILDHOOD. 

Greneral  of  Kingly  Counsel;  a  very  Agastya,^  to  drink  up 
the  illimitable  ocean  of  desire ;  a  young  lion  in  the  forest 
of  life  to  attack  the  wild  elephants  of  lust,  anger,  and 
sensual  impurity ;  as  dear  to  Siva  as  the  presence  of  a 
highly  honoured  guest ;  as  an  abundant  shower  to  quench 
the  fire  of  meanness  ;  a  potent  spell  against  the  venom  of 
the  world  ;  effacing  from  the  forehead  the  deep  brand  of 
evil  destiny ;  dispelling  the  darkness  of  error  like  the  rays 
of  the  sun ;  like  a  shower  on  a  rice-field  refreshing  the 
aridity  of  prayer;  like  the  tree  of  paradise  granting  every 
desire  ;  like  Hari  and  Hara,  accessible  and  gracious  to  all 
servants  ;  like  the  stars  in  the  clear  autumn  sky  of  the 
poet's  mind ;  like  the  richness  of  life  enjoyed  by  Rama's 
votaries ;  like  the  perfect  felicity  that  is  the  reward  of 
virtue ;  like  the  assembly  of  the  faithful  in  benevolence 
and  composure ;  like  a  swan  in  the  pure  lake  of  the  be- 
liever's soul ;  like  the  abundant  flood  of  Ganga's  purifying 

stream.  i.v% 

DoTia  40-41.      f'^'*  ^  ' 

Rama's  perfect  merit  is  like  a  strong  fire  to  consume 

the  dry  wood  of   schism  and   heresy,   evil   practices   and 

worldly  deceit,  hypocrisy  and  infidelity.     His  acts  are  like 

the  rays  of  the  full  moon  that  give  pleasure  to  all,  but  are 

specially  consoling  to  the  souls  of  the  pious  like  the  lotus 

and  the  chakor. 

Chaupdi  33. 

All  the  questions   that   Bhavdni  asked,   with  Sankara's 

replies  thereto,  I  now  proceed  to  give  in  substance,  with 

agreeable  diversity  of  style.     No  one  is  to  be  astonished  if 

he  should  happen  not  to  have  beared  any  particular  legend 

before.     A  philosopher,  on  hearing  for  the  first  time  any 

marvellous  acts,  will  feel  no  surprise,  reasoning  thus  with 

himself;  I  know  well  that  there  is  no  limit  in  the  world  to 

the  stories  about  Rima,  for  he  has  in  various  forms  become 

I  As  Agaatya  was  one  day  worshipping  by  the  sea-side,  a  wave  came  and 
wMhed  away  some  of  his  altar  furniture,  thereupon  in  three  draughts  he 
drank  the  whole  ooean  dry. 


CHILDHOOD.  20 

incarnate,  and  verses  of  the  Rdmdyana  are  some  thousand 
millions  in  number  ;  his  glorious  acts  are  of  myriad  diver- 
sity, and  have  been  sung  by  sages  in  countless  ways.^  So  in^ 
dulge  no  doubts,  but  listen  reverently  and  devoutly. 

Doha  ^2.        j-j^t 

Rdma  is  infinite,  his  perfections  infinite,  and  his 
legends  of  immeasureable  expansion  ;  men  of  enlightened 
and  understanding  will  therefore  wonder  at  nothing  they 
hear, 

Chaupdi  34. 

Having  in  this  manner  put  away  all  doubt,  I  place  on 
my  head  the  dust  from  the  lotus  feet  of  my  master,  and 
with  folded  hand-making  a  general  obeisance,  that  no  fault 
may  attach  to  my  telling  of  the  story,  and  bowing  my  head 
reverently  before  Siva,  I  proceed  to  sing  of  Rdma's  excel-. 
lent  glory.  In  this  Sambat  year  of  1631,  I  write  with  my 
head  at  Hari's  feet,  on  Tuseday  the  9th  of  the  sweet  month 
of  Chait,  at  the  city  of  Avadh,  on  the  day  when  the  script- 
ures say  Rama  was  born ;  when  the  spirits  of  all  holy 
places  there  assemble,  with  demons,  serpents,  birds,  men, 
saints,  and  gods,  and  there  offer  homage  to  RaghunAth, 
while  the  enlightened  keep  the  great  birthday  festival  and 
hymn  Rama's  high  glory. 

I  Doha  43. 

Pious  crows  bathe   in   the   all-purifying   stream   of  the 
Sarjd  and  murmur  Rdma's  name,  while  his  dark  and  beau- 
tiful form  is  imprinted  on  their  hearts. 
Chaupdi  35. 

The  Vedas  and  Purdnas  declare  that  sin  is  cleansed  by 
the  mere  sight  or  touch  of  this  holy  stream  as  well  as  by 
bathing  in  or  drinking  of  it.  Its  immeasurable  grandeur 
is  indescribable  even  by  the  pure  intelligence   of  Sarasvati. 

1  "  Truth  has  never  been  grasped  on  all  sides,  nor  has  ever  been 
embraced  entirely  by  the  mind  of  man  ;  and  no  one  can  gaze  attentively  on 
that  truth  which  is  always  old,  without  discovering  there  beauties  that 
are  always  new."  These  words  of  Abp.  Dechamps  express  in  abstract 
form  the  very  same  idea  that  the  Hindii  poet  has  presented  in  the  concrete. 


30  CHILDHOOD. 

The  city,  exalting  to  Rama's  heaven,^  beautiful,  celebrated 
through  all  worlds,  is  so  all-purifying  that  countless  as  is 
the  number  of  animate  species  that  result  from  the  four 
modes  of  birth,  yet  every  individual  that  is  freed  from  the 
body  at  Avadh  is  free  for  ever.  Knowing  it  to  be  in  every 
way  charming,  a  bestower  of  success  and  a  mine  of  auspi- 
ciousness,  I  there  made  a  beginning  of  my  sacred  song, 
which  will  destroy  in  those  who  hear  it  the  mad  phrensy  of 
of  lust ;  its  mere  name— lake  of  Rama's  acts— serves  to 
refresh  the  ear,  while  the  soul  like  an  elephant  escaping 
from  a  forest  on  fire  with  lust,  plunges  into  it  and  gains 
relief  ;  delight  of  the  sages,  as  composed  by  Sambhu,  holy 
and  beautiful ;  consuming  the  three  ill  conditions  of  sin, 
sorrow  and  want  ;  putting  an  end  to  the  evil  practices  and 
impurities  of  the  wicked  world  ;  first  made  by  Mah^deva 
and  buried  in  the  deep  lake  of  his  own  soul  till  at  an  auspi- 
cious moment  he  declared  it  to  Um 6;  thus  vSiva  looking 
into  his  own  soul  and  rejoicing  gave  it  the  excellent  name 
of  Rdm-charit-mdnas.2  And  this  is  the  blessed  legend  that 
I  repeat  :  hear  it,  good  people,  reverently  and  attentively. 

Dohd  44.      i(\j 

Now  meditating  upon  Um^  and  upon  him  who  has  a 
bull  emblazoned  on  his  standard  (i.e.,  Mah^deva)  I  explain 
the  connection,  showing  how  it  is  a  lake  and  in  what  man- 
ner it  is  formed,  and  for  what  reason  it  has  spread  through 
the  world. -^ 

Chavpdi  36. 

By  the  blessing  of  Sambhu  a  bright  idea  has  come  into 
the   poet   Tulsi's   mind   regarding  the   R^m-charit-mdnas, 


1  The  compound  may  also  mean— giving  a  home  to  Rima— and  pro- 
bably both  meanings  are  intended. 

2  From  this  it  will  be  seen  that  the  name  which  Tulsi  DAs  himself  gave 
to  his  poem  was  not  'the  ii^miyana,'  but  the  Rim-chtnit-rainas,'  a  name, 
which  may  be  interpreted  to  mean  either  the  lake  or  the  soul  of  Kama's 
acta.  In  the  ^^tanza  above  translated  the  word  is  first  taken  in  the  one  sense 
and  then  in  the  other,  and  as  there  is  no  English  word  with  the  same  double 
signification,  some  obscurity  is  unavoidable. 

•S  The  words  may  also  bear  the  following  secondary  meaning;  I  relate 
the  whole  history,  showing  how  the  great  soul  became  incarnate,  and  why 
it  dwelt  in  the  world. 


} 


dHILDHOOi).  SI 


which  I  will  state  as  well  as  I  can,  subject  to  the  correctioii 
of  those  good  people  whose  attention  I  invite.  The  heart 
is  as  it  were  a  deep  place  in  a  land  of  good  thoughts,  the 
Vedas  and  Puranas  are  the  sea,  and  the  saints  are  as  clouds, 
which  rain  down  praises  of  Rdma  in  sweet,  grateful  and 
auspicious  showers  ;  the  sportive  actions  related  of  him  are 
like  the  inherent  purity  and  cleansing  power  of  rain-water  ; 
while  devotion,  which  is  beyond  the  power  of  words  to 
describe,  is  its  sweetness  and  coolness.  When  such  a 
shower  falls  on  the  rice-fields  of  virtue,  it  gives  new  life  to 
the  faithful,  and  as  its  holy  drops  fall  to  the  earth  they  are 
collected  in  the  channel  supplied  by  the  ears,  and  flowing 
into  the  lake  of  the  soul  fill  it  and  then  settle  down  perma- 
nently, cool,  beautiful  and  refreshing. 

Doha  45.      n 

This  pure  and  holy    lake  has  four  beautiful    ghats,  viz., 
the  four  charming  dialogues  contrived  by  divine  wisdom. 
Chaupdi  37. 

The  seven  Books  are  its  beautiful  flights  of  steps,  which 
tli^  eyes  of  the  soul  delight  to  look  upon  ;  the  unqualified 
and  unsullied  greatness  of  Raghupati  may  be  described 
as  its  clear  and  deep  expanse ;  the  glory  of  Rdma  and  Sita  as 
its  ambrosial  water ;  the  similes  as  its  pretty  wavelets  ;  the 
stanzas  as  its  beautiful  lotus  beds  ;  the  elegance  of  expres- 
sion as  lovely  mother-of-pearl :  the  chhanda,  aorathas,  and 
couplets  as  many-coloured  lotus  flowers  :  the  incomparable 
sense,  sentiment,  and  language  as  the  pollen,  filaments  and 
fragrance  of  the  lotus ;  the  exalted  action  as  beautiful 
swarms  of  bees  ;  the  sage  moral  reflections  as  swans ;  the 
rhythm,  involutions,  and  other  poetical  artifices  as  diverse 
graceful  kinds  of  fish  ;  the  precepts  regarding  the  four  ends 
of  life,  the  wise  sayings,  the  thoughtful  judgments,  the  nine 
styles    of    composition,!  the    prayers,    penance,  abstraction 

1  The  nine  poetical  styles  (or  Indian  Muses)  are  the  Sringar-ras,  or  erotic ; 
the  Hasyaras,  or  comic;  the  Karuii4-ras,  or  elegiac  ;  the  Bir-ras,  or  heroic;  the 
Raudra-ras,  or  tragic  ;  the  Bhavanak-ras,  or  melancholic  ;  the  Vibhatsa-ras,  or 
satiric:  the  Shant-ras,  or  didactic  :  and  the  Adbhut-ras,  or  sensational. 


3t  OHILDHOOt). 

and  asceticism,  of  which  examples  are  given,  are  all  beauti- 
ful living  creatures  in  the  lake;  eulogies  on  the  faithful, 
the  saints  and  the  holy  name  are  like  flocks  of  water-birds; 
the  religious  audience  are  like  circling  mango  groves,  and 
their  faith  like  the  spring  season  ;  the  expositions  of  all  the 
phases  of  devotion  and  of  tenderness  and  generosity  are 
like  the  trees  and  cannopying  creepers  ;  self-denial  and  holy 
vows  are  their  flowers,  and  wisdom  their  fruit  ;  the  love  for 
Hari's  feet  as  the  sound  of  the  Vedas  :  and  all  other  stories 
and  episodes  as  the  parrots  and  cuckoos  and  many  kinds 
of  birds. 

Dohd  46.     ^^ 

The  hearer's  emotion  is  some  grove,  garden  or  parterre, 
where  sportive  birds  symbolise  his  delight  and  Piety  the 
gardener  pours  a  stream  of  devotion  from  the  water-pot  of 
his  eyes. 

Chaupdi  38. 

Those  who  diligently  recite  these  lays  are  like  the  vigi- 
lant guardians  of  the  lake ;  the  men  and  women  who  rever- 
ently hear  them,  these  excellent  people  are  like  its  owners. 
Sensual  wretches  are  like  the  cranes  and  crows  that  have 
no  part  in  such  a  pond  nor  ever  come  near  it  ;  for  here  are 
no  prurient  and  seductive  stories  like  snails,  frogs  and  scum 
on  the  water,  and  therefore  the  lustful  crow  and  greedy 
crane,  if  they  do  come,  are  disappointed.  There  is  much 
difi&culty  in  getting  to  this  lake,  and  it  is  only  by  the 
favour  of  R4ma  that  any  one  reaches  it.  For  bad  company 
makes  much  steepness  and  difficulty  in  the  road;  their  evil 
sayings  are  so  many  tigers,  lions  and  serpents ;  the  various 
entanglements  of  domestic  affairs  are  vast  insurmountable 
mountains ;  sensual  desires  are  like  a  dense  forest  full  of 
wild  delusion ;  and  unsound  reasoning  is  a  raging  flood. 

Dohd  47.  ^    • 

For  those  who  have  not  the  support  of  faith,  nor  the 
company  of  the  saints,  nor  fervent  love  for  Raghundth,  for 
them  this  lake  is  very  hard  of  access. 


CHILDHOOD.  ,  33 

Chaupdi  39. 

Again,  if  any  one  laboriously  makes  his  way  to  it,  but 
becomes  over- powered  by  sleep  and  feverishness,  strange 
torpor  and  numbness  settle  on  his  soul,  and  though  he  is  on 
the  spot,  the  luckless  wretch  makes  no  ablation.  Having 
neither  bathed  in  the  lake  nor  drunk  of  it  he  goes  away  in 
his  pride,  and  when  some  one  comes  to  inquire  of  him  he 
abuses  it.  But  no  difficulties  deter  those  whom  Rdma  re- 
gards with  affection.  They  reverently  bathe,  are  relieved 
from  the  fierce  flames  of  sin,  sorrow,  and  pain,  and  being 
sincerely  devoted  to  Rima  will  never  abandon  it.  If,  my 
friend,  you  would  bathe  in  this  lake,  be  diligent  to  keep 
company  with  the  good.  As  for  myself,  having  thus  with  the 
mind's  eye  contemplated  it,  my  poetical  faculty  has  become 
clear  and  profound,  my  heart  swells  with  joy  and  rapture 
and  overflows  in  a  torrent  of  ecstatic  devotion.  My  song 
pours  on  like  a  river  flooded  with  Rama's  bright  renown  ; 
like  the  river  Sarju,  fountain  of  bliss,  with  piety  and 
theology  for  its  two  fair  banks  ;  a  holy  stream  rejoicing  the 
pious  soul  {or  born  of  the  Manas  lake,)  sweeping  away  all 
worldly  impurities  like  trees  and  roots  on  its  bank. 
Dohd  48.  \yi) 

The  three  hinds  of  hearers  in  the  assembly  are  like  the 
towns,  villages,  and  hamlets  on  the  river-side  ;  while  the 
saints  are  like  the  incomparable  city  of  Avadh,  full  of  all 
that  is  auspicious. 

Chaupdi  40. 

The  beautiful  Sarju,  as  it  were  the  glory  of  Rd-ma  has 
united  with  the  Ganges  of  devotion  ;  and  the  magnificent 
river  Son,  like  the  warlike  power  of  Rama  and  his  brother, 
has  joined  them  as  a  third.  Between  the  two,  the  Ganges 
stream  of  devotion  shines  clear  in  its  wisdom  and  self-con- 
trol, while  the  combined  flood  destroying  the  triple  curse  of 
humanity  is  absorbed  in  the  mighty  ocean  of  very  Rama. 
The  united  stream  of  the  Manas- born  Sarju  and  the  Ganges 
purifies  the   pious   listener,   while  the   various   tales   and 

R-8 


-o 


84  CHILDHOOD. 

episodes  interspersed  here  and  there  are  the  groves  and 
gardens  on  its  opposite  banks  ;  the  details  of  the  marriage 
and  wedding  procession  of  Um^  and  Siva  are  like  the  in- 
numerable fish  in  the  water;  the  joy  and  gladness  that  at- 
tended Rama's  birth  are  like  beautiful  awa^mft  d^  %ees  and 

the  ripple  of  the  lake. 

Doha  49. 

The  childish  sports   of  the  four   brothers   are  like   the 
goodly  lotus  flowers  ;   the   virtuous   king  and    queen    and 
their  court  like  the  bees  and  water-birds. 
Chaupdi  41. 

The  charming  story  of  Site's  marriage  like  the  bright 
gleam  of  the  flashing  river ;  the  many  ingenious  questions 
like  the  boats  on  the  stream  ;  the  appropriate  and  judicious 
answers  like  the  boatmen  ;  again,  the  argumentative  discus- 
sions show  like  crowding  travellers  ;  the  wrath  of  Bhrigu- 
n6th  like  the  rushing  torrent  ;  Rama's  soft  speech  like  the 
well-arranged  ghats  ;  the  marriage  festivities  of  Rdma  and 
Lakshman  like  the  grateful  swell  of  the  tide  ;  the  thrill  of 
pleasure  that  spreads  through  the  delighted  audience  like 
the  ecstatic  feelings  of  the  virtuous  bathers  ;  the  auspicious 
preparations  for  marking  Rdma's  forehead  with  the  tilak 
like  the  crowds  assembled  on  holidays ;  and  like  fiv^f-mthd 
is  Kaikeyi's  evil  counsel,  the  cause  of  many  calamities. 
Dohd  50. 

Like  prayers  and   sacrifices   effectual  to   remove   every 
misfortune  are   Bharat's  virtuous  acts  ;    while  the   corrup- 
tions of  the  world  and  sinful  men  and   slanderers  are  like 
the  Bcum  on  the  water  and  the  cranes  and  crows. 
Chaupni  42. 

This  river  of  glory  is  beautiful  in  each  of  the  six  seasons, 
bright  and  holy  exceedingly  at  all  times.  The  story  of  the 
marriage  of  Siva  with  the  daughter  of  the  snowy  mountains 
is  like  the  winter  ;  the  glad  rejoicings  at  the  Lord's  birth 
are  like  the  dewy  season  ;  the  account  of  the  preparations 
for  RAma's  wedding  are  like  the  delightful  and   auspicious 


CHILDHOOD.  35 

spring;  Rama's  intolerable  banishment  is  like  the  hot 
weather,  and  story  of  the  rough  journeyings  like  the 
blazing  sun  and  the  wind ;  his  encounters  with  fierce 
demons,  by  which  he  gladdens  the  hosts  of  heaven,  are 
like  the  rains,  that  refresh  the  fields  ;  the  prosperity  of 
his  reign,  his  meekness  and  greatness  are  like  the  clear, 
bountiful  and  lovely  autumn  ;^  the  recital  of  the  virtues  of 
Sfta,  that  jewel  of  faithful  wives,  is  as  the  undefiled  and 
excellent  water  ;  the  amiability  of  Bharat  as  its  unvarying 
coolness.  / 

Doha  51.       If  I 
Their  looks  and  words  at  meeting,  their  mutual  love  and 
laughter,  the  true   fraternal  affection  of  the   four   brothers, 
are  as  the  water's  sweet  odour. 

Chaupdi  43. 

My  suppliant  address  and  self-depreciation  and  modesty 
correspond  to  the  singular  lightness  of  good  water,  which  is 
anything  but  a  defect.  This  marvellous  lymph  works  its 
effect  by  the  mere  hearing,  quenching  the  thirst  of  desire 
and  cleansing  the  soul  of  impurity ;  it  resuscitates  true  love 
to  Rama  and  puts  an  end  to  all  the  sin  and  sorrow  of  the 
world ;  draining  life  of  its  weariness ;  comforting  with 
true  comfort ;  destroying  sin  and  pain  and  poverty  and 
error ;  dispelling  lust  and  passion  and  phrensy  and  in- 
fatuation, and  promoting  pure  intelligence  and  detachment 
from  the  world.  Those  who  reverently  drink  or  bathe  in 
this  stream,  from  their  soul  is  effaced  all  sin  and  distress  ; 
those  who  do  not  cleanse  their  heart  in  it  are  wretches  whom 
the  world  has  ruined,  turning  back,  hapless  creatures, 
like  a  panting  deer  that  has  seen  a  river  in  a  mirage  ! 
Doha  52—54.        ^H  '  ^,-  - 

Thus  I  have  declared  to  the  best  of  my  ability  the  virtues 
of  this  excellent  water,  and  having  plunged  my  own  soul 

1  The  six  Hindu  seasons  to  which  allusion  is  here  made  are  Hemant, 
winter  ;  Sisir,  the  early  spring  ;  Basant,  the  spring ;  Grishm,  the  hot  weather  ; 
V^rsha,  the  rains  ;  and  Sarad,  the  autumn. 


36  CHILDHOOD. 

in  it,  and  ever  remembering  Bhavdni  and  Sankara,  I  pro- 
ceed with  my  delectable  story.  I  will  first  repeat  in  sub- 
stance the  original  conversation,  with  the  questions  put  by 
Bharadv^ja  when  he  found  the  Muni  Y^jnavalkya;  and 
laying  my  soul  at  the  lotus  feet  of  Raghupati  and  thus  se- 
curing his  patronage,  I  will  sing  the  meeting  of  the  two 
great  saints  and  their  auspicious  discourse. 
Ghaupdi  44. 

At  Pray^g  lives  the  saint  Bharadvdja,  devoted  beyond 
measure  to  Rama's  feet,  a  self-restrained  ascetic  full  of  so- 
briety and  benevolence,  supremely  skilled  in  divine  know- 
ledge. In  the  month  of  M4gh,  when  the  sun  enters  the 
sign  of  Capricorn,  every  one  visits  this  chief  of  holy  places ; 
gods,  demi-gods,  kinnars,  and  men  in  troops,  all  devoutly 
bathe  in  the  triple  flood  and  worship  the  lotus  feet  of 
MAdhava  while  they  have  the  happiness  of  touching 
the  imperishable  fig-tree.  At  Bharadv^ja's  hallowed  her- 
mitage—so charming  a  spot  that  even  the  saint  loved  it — 
is  ever  a  concourse  of  seers  and  sages  come  to  bathe  at  the 
holiest  of  all  holy  places  ;  and  having  with  gladness  per- 
formed their  ablutions  at  break  of  day,  they  converse  to- 
gether on  the  glories  of  Hari. 

Doha  55. 

Discussing  the  nature  of  the  deity,  the  kinds  of  religious 
observance  and  the  classification  of  primordial  entities  ; 
and  declaring  faith  in  God  to  be  the  epitome  of  wisdom  and 
spiritual  detachment.^ 

Chaupdi  45. 

After  thus  bathing  every  day  that  the  sun  is  in  Cap- 
ricorn, they  again  return  each  to  his  own  cell,  and  every 
year  there  is  a  similar  rejoicing  when    the  saints  meet  for 

1  This  cuplet  sums  up  the  ch«racteri8tics  of  the  principal  systems  of 
Hindu  philosophy  :  tho  VcdAnta  heinp  chiefly  concerned  with  and  indeed 
defined  as,  Brahma  Jijn'Hta.  'an  inquiry  into  the  nature  of  God  ' ;  the  MimAn«a 
heing  asyRt«'m  of  litualism  and  Vedic  oliservjuiees  ;'  the  SAiil<hya  'a  syriKietic 
enumeration' of  the  primary  ^:t^ims,  or  elt'mtM)t8,  out  of  which  creation  has  been 
evolved  ;  and  the  later  eclectic  Vaishnava  school  declaring  that  the  only  one 
thing  needful  is  hhahti^ '  religious  faith.' 


CHILDHOOD.  37 

the  annual  ablution.  On  one  occasion,  when  the  bathing 
time  was  over,  and  all  the  holy  men  had  left,  Bharadvdja 
clasped  by  the  feet  and  detained  the  supremely  wise  saint 
Ydjnavalkya,  and  having  reverently  laved  his  lotus  feet 
and  seated  him  on  a  pre-eminent  throne,  he  with  religious 
ceremony  extolled  the  saint's  glory,  and  finally  thus  addrest 
him  in  mildest  of  tones,  "  Sir,  I  have  a  great  doubt,  while 
in  your  grasp  are  all  the  mysteries  of  the  Veda ;  I  am 
afraid  and  ashamed  to  speak,  but  if  I  speak  not,  I  lose 
a  great  opportunity. 

Doha  56. 
This,  sir,    is  a  maxim   of  all    the   saints,    and  is  also  de- 
clared by  the  Vedas  and  PurAnas,  that  there  is  no   sound 
wisdom  in  his  breast  who  conceals  aught  from  his  ghostly 
father. 

Ghaupdi  46. 

Remembering  this,  I  lay  bare  my  folly— take  pity,  my 
lord,  on  your  faithful  servant  and  dispel  it.  The  might  of 
Rama's  name  is  immeasurable  ;  so  tell  the  saints,  the 
Purdnas  and  the  Vedic  commentaries  ;  the  immortal  Sam- 
bhu,  who  is  the  Lord  Siva,  the  perfection  of  wisdom  and 
goodness,  is  ever  repeating  it;  though  all  the  four  groups 
of  animate  beings  in  the  world  attain  to  salvation  if  they  die 
in  his  city  K^si,  yet  0  king  of  saints,  it  is  by  the  virtue  of 
Rdma's  name  ;  and  therefore  Siva  in  his  compassion  enjoins 
its  use.  I  ask  of  you,  my  lord,  who  isthisRdma?  be 
gracious  enough  to  instruct  me.  There  is  one  Rdma,  the 
prince  of  Avadh,  whose  acts  are  known  throughout  the 
world  who  suffered  infinite  distress  by  the  loss  of  his  wife, 
and  waxing  wrath  slew  Ravan  in  battle. 
Doha  57. 

Is    it    this  Rama,  my  lord,  or  another,  whose  name  Tri- 
pur^ri  is  ever  repeating  ?     Ponder  the  matter  well  and  tell 
me,  0  wisest  and  most  faitliful  of  men. 
Chaupdi  47. 

Tell  me  the  whole  history  in  full,  my  master,  so  that  my 
overpowering  perplexity  may  be  solved."     Said  Yajnavalkya 


38  CHILDHOOD. 

with  a  smile,—"  All  the  glory  of  Raghupati  is  known  to  you; 
you  are  a  votary  of  his  in  heart,  word  and  deed  ;  I  un  der- 
stand  your  stratagem.  Wishing  to  hear  the  marvellous  tale 
of  Rama's  achievements,  you  have  questioned  me  with  an 
affectation  of  great  simplicity.  Listen  then,  my  son,  with 
devout  attention  while  T  repeat  the  fair  legend,  which  van- 
quishes every  monstrous  error,  as  dread  Devi  vanquished 
the  demon  Mahish^sur,  but  which  is  drunk  in  by  the  saints 
as  the  light  of  the  moon  by  the  ehakor.  When  a  similar 
doubt  was  suggested  by  Bhavdni,  MahAdeva  expounded  the 

matter : 

Doha  58. 

And  I  now,  as  best  I  can,  repeat  their  conversation, 
noting  both  its  time  and  occasion ;  on  hearing  it,  my  friend, 
all  difficulties  vanish. 

Ghaupdi  48. 

Once  upon  a  time,  in  the  second  age  of  the  world,  Sam- 
bhu  visited  the  Rishi  Agastya ;  with  him  went  the  mother 
of  the  world,  the  faithful  BhavAni.  The  hermit  made 
obeisance,  for  he  recognized  them  as  the  sovereigns  of  the 
universe,  and  recited  the  story  of  Rima,  with  which 
Mahddeva  was  delighted.  The  hermit  then  asked  him 
about  true  faith  in  Hari ;  and  Sambhu  instructed  him,  for 
he  saw  him  to  be  deserving.  In  such  converse  the  moun- 
tain-lord Mahadeva  passed  some  days  there,  but  finally 
took  his  leave  and  returned  home  with  the  daughter  of 
Daksha.  Now  at  that  time  there  had  become  incarnate,  in 
the  family  of  Raghu,  Hari  the  detroyer  of  the  burdens  of 
the  world,  who  at  his  father's  word  sorrowfully  left  the 
throne  and  wandered,  immortal  god  though  he  was,  in  the 
Dandaka  forest. 

Dohd  59.      1  ^ 

Siva  kept  pondering  as  he  went,-!— *  How  can  I  obtain  a 
sight  of  him  ?  for  every  one  knows  that  the  lord  has  become 
incarnate  secretly  ;  if  I  visit  him,  every  one  will  know  who 
he  is.* 


CHILDHOOD. 


39 


V 


Sorahtd  5. 

In  Sankara's  heart  was  a  great  tumult,  but  Sati  did  not 
comprehend  the  mystery ;  says  Tulsi,  the  hope  of  an 
interview  filled  his  soul  with  agitation  and  his  eyes  with 
wistfulness. 

Chaupdi  49. 

*  R^van  has  obtained  the  boon  of  death  at  the  hands  of 
man  only  and  the  lord  has  willed  Brdhma's  word  to  come 
true.  If  I  do  not  go  to  meet  him,  I  shall  ever  regret  it :  but 
all  that  he  could  do  he  could  not  hit  upon  a  plan.  At  the 
very  time  that  he  was  thus  lost  in  thought,  the  ten-headed 
Ravan,  taking  with  him  the  vile  Mdricha,  all  at  once 
assumed  the  form  of  a  false  deer  and  treacherously  in  his 
folly  carried  off  Slta,  not  knowing  the  lord's  great  power. 
When  Rdma  returned  with  his  brother  from  the  chase  and 
saw  the  empty  hermitage  his  eyes  filled  with  tears ;  like  a 
mortal  man  distressed  by  the  loss  of  his  mistress,  he 
wanders  through  the  forest  in  search  of  her,  he  and  his 
brother  ;  and  he  who  knows  neither  union  nor  bereavement 
manifested  all  the  pangs  of  separation. 

Dohd  60. 

Rdma's  ways  are  most  mysterious  ;  only  the  supremely 
wise  can  comprehend  them  ;  the  dull  of  soul  and  the  sensual 
imagine  something  quite  different. 
Chaupdi  50. 

Then  it  was  that  Sambhu  saw  Rama,  and  great  joy 
arose  in  his  soul.  His  eyes  were  filled  with  the  vision  of 
the  most  beautiful,  but  it  was  no  fitting  time  to  make  him- 
self known,  and  he  passed  on  exclaming:  'Hail,  Supreme 
Being,  redeemer  of  the  world.'  But  as  he  went  on  his  way 
with  Sati,  his  whole  body  thrilled  with  delight  ;  and  in 
Sati's  soul,  when  she  observed  her  lord's  emotion,  a  great 
doubt  arose,— 'To  Sankara,  the  universally  adored  and 
sovereign  lord,  gods,  men  and  saints  all  bow  the  head;  yet 
he  has  made  obeisance  to  this  prince,  saluting   him   as  the 


40  CHILDHOOD. 

Supreme  God,  and  is  so  enraptured  with  his  beauty  that  it 
is  only  to-day  he  has  felt  what  love  is. 

Dohd  61. 

What!  the  omnipresent  and  unbegotten  God,  the  crea- 
tor, who  has  neither  parts  nor  passions,  and  is  no  respecter 
of  persons,  whom  not  even  the  Veda  can  comprehend, ^ 
has  he  taken  the  form  of  a  man  ? 

Chaupdi  51. 

According  to  what  Siva  says,  though  Vishnu  in  heaven's 
behalf  assumes  a  human  shape,  he  remains  all-wise  :  yet 
here,  as  if  quite  at  a  loss,  he  is  hunting  for  his  wife,  this 
fountain  of  wisdom,  this  lord  of  Lakshnii,  this  vanquisher 
of  demons.  Still  Sambhu's  words  cannot  be  false,  nor  can 
his  knowledge  be  gainsaid.  Thus  an  infinite  doubt  has 
come  into  my  mind,  and  there  is  no  way  of  solving  it.'  Al- 
though Bhav^ni  did  not  speak  out,  Mahddeva  can  read  the 
heart  and  knew  her  thoughts,  and  said, — "  Listen  to  me, 
Sati  ;  you  are  just  like  a  woman,  but  you  should  not  enter- 
tain these  doubts  ;  this  is  that  Rdma,  my  special  patron, 
whose  story  was  sung  by  the  Rishi  Agastya ;  in  whom  I 
exhorted  the  saint  to  have  faith,  and  who  is  ever  worship- 
ped by  seers  and  sages. 

Chhand  2. 
Seers  and  sages,  saints  and  hermits,  fix  on  him  their  reverent  gaze, 
And  in  faint  and  trembling  accents  Holy  Scripture  hymns  his  praise. 
He,  the  omnipresent  spirit,  lord  of  heaven  and  earth  and  hell, 
To  redeem  his  people,  freely  has  vouchsafed  with  men  to  dwell." 

Sorathdd.    ^l*^ 
Though  he  spoke  thus  time  after  time,  his  words  made 
no  impression  upon  her  ;  and   at  last  MahAdeva,  recogniz- 
ing Rama's  deceptive  power,  smiled  and  said  : 

1  The  reference  is  to  such  texts  as  the  following  in  the  UpanishAds  ; 
"From  whom  words  turn  back,  together  with  the  mind,  not  reaching  him" 
( raiuirivii.  II,  9).  ''The  eye  goes  not  thither,  nor  speei-h,  tior  mind"  (Kena, 
I,  r,).  "  Onthi[jknblc,  unapeakiible"  [Mandukya,  7].  The  process  of  ('hris- 
tian  theology  is  simihirly  negative  and  agnostic:  it  sets  forth  what  God  is 
not,  rnther  than  what  He  is  ;  since  it  is  impossible  for  the  lower  nature  to 
know  the  higher. 


CHILDHOOD.  41 

Chaupdi  52. 

"  As  the  doubt  in  your  mind  is  so  great  that  it  will  not 

leave  you  till  you  have  put  the  fact  to  the  test,  I  will  stay 

here  in  the  shade  of  this  fig-tree  till  you  come  back  to  me, 

after  having  evolved  some  device  by  which  to  satisfy  your 

overpowering  doubt."    So  Sati  went  by  Siva's  order,  saying 

to  herself, — '  Come  now,  what  shall  I  do  ?  '    while  Sambhu 

'eflected,  -*'  There  is  mischief  in  store  for  Sati ;  her  doubts 

vill  not  yield  to  my  arguments ;  truly  no  good  can  ever  be 

Drought  about  against  the  will  of  fate  ;  whatever  Rdma  has 

)rdained  will    come  to  pass,  so   why  spin   out  any   longer 

iiscussion  ?  "     So  saying,  he  began  the  repetition  of  Hari's 

lame,  while  Sati  drew  nigh  to  the  Lord  of  grace. 

DohdQ2.     ^^^ 
After  many  an  anxious  thought  she   assumed  the  form 
-f  Sita  and  went  and  stood  in  the  way    where  the   king  of 
leaven  was  coming. 

Chaupdi  53. 
When  Lakshman  saw  her  in  her  disguise,  he  was  much 
stonished   and   perplext.     Wise  as    he  was,  he  could  say 
othing,  but  discreetly  waited  for  the  revelation  of  the  lord, 
le,  the  heavenly  king,    detected  the  deceit  ;  for  he  sees  all 
things  alike  and  knows  the  heart,    the   all-wise  lord  Rama, 
the  mere  thought  of  whom    disperses  error.     Yet  even  him 
Sati    attempted  to   deceive — see   how    inveterate   woman's 
nature  is.     But  Rama,  acknowledging  the  effect  of  his  own 
delusive  power,  with  a  sweet  smile  and  folded  hands  saluted 
her,  mentioning  both  her  own  name  and  that  of  her  father, 
and  added, — '  Where  is  Mah^deva,  and   why  are  you  wan- 
dering alone  in  the  forest  ?  '  . 
Doha  63.      1 
When  she   heard   these   simple  but  profound  words,  a 
great  awe  came  upon  her  and   she  returned  to  Mahddeva, 
full  of  fear  and  distress. 

R-9 


42  CHILDHOOD. 

Ghaupdi,  54. 
*  I  would  not  listen  to  Sankara,  but  must  go  and  expose 
my  folly  to  Rdma  ;  now  what  answer  can  I  give  ?  '  Her  dis- 
tress was  most  grievous.     Then  R^ma,  perceiving  her  vexa- 
tion, manifested  in  part  his  glory,  and  as  Sati  went  on  her 
way  she  beheld  a  marvellous  vision  ;  in  front   of  her   were 
RAma,  Sfta  and  Lakshman  ;  when   again  she   looked   back, 
there  too  she   saw   the  Lord   with  his  brother  and  Sita  in 
beauteous  apparel ;  whichever   way   she   turned   her  eyes, 
there   was   the   lord   enthroned    with  saints   and   learned 
doctors    ministering    to   him.      Innumerable    Sivas     and 
Brdhmas  and  Vishnus,  each  excelling   in   majesty,  bowing 
at  his  feet  and  doing   homage  ;  all  the  host  of  heaven  with 
their  different  attributes. 

Dohd  64.      1  1 
Sati  too  and  Sarasvati  and  Lakshmi  in  marvellous  multi- 
plicity  of   form,   according     to  the   various     appearances 
assumed  by  their  lords,  Brahma,  Vishnu  and  Mah^deva. 

Ghaupdi  55. 
Each  separate  vision  of  R^ma  was  attended  by  all  the 
gods  and  their  wives,  and  by  the  whole  animate  creation 
with  all  its  multitudinous  species.  But  while  the  adoring 
gods  appeared  in  diverse  dresses,  there  was  no  diversity 
of  form  in  R^ma.  Though  she  saw  many  R^mas,  and  with 
him  an  oft-repeated  Sita,  it  was  always  the  same  Rima,  the 
same  Lakshman,  and  the  same  Sita.  Sati  was  awe-striken 
as  she  gazed  ;  with  fluttering  heart  and  unconscious  frame 
she  closed  her  eyes  and  sank  upon  the  ground.  When 
again  she  looked  up,  she  saw  nothing,  and  oft  bowing  her 
head  at  Rdma's  feet,  she  returned  to  the  spot  where  Mah^- 
deva  was  waiting  for  her. 

Dohd  05. 
When  she  drew  near,  he   smiled   and  asked  if  all  were 
well,  saying, — *  Tell  me  now  the  whole   truth,  how  did  you 
put  him  to  the  test  ?' 


CHILDHOOD.  43 

Chaupdi  56. 

Sati  remembered  the  glory  of  the  lord  and  in  her  awe 
concealed  the  truth  from  Siva,  saying  :  *  0  sir,  I  tried  no 
test,  but  like  you  simply  made  obeisance.  I  was  confident 
that  what  you  said  could  not  be  false.'  Then  Sankara 
perceived  by  contemplation  and  understood  all  that  Sati 
had  done,  and  bowed  to  the  might  of  Rama's  delusive  power, 
which  had  been  sent  forth  to  put  a  lying  speech  into  Sati's 
mouth.  '  The  will  of  heaven  and  fate  are  strong  ;'  thus  he 
reflected,  in  great  distress  of  mind  ;  '  as  Sati  has  talxen 
Sita's  form,  if  now  I  treat  her  as  my  wife,  my  past  devotion 
will  be  all  cancelled,  and  it  will  be  a  sin  to  me. 

Doha  66.  ^  -^ 

My  love  is  too  great  to  be  forgotten,  yet  to  indulge  it  is 
criminal.'  He  uttered  not  a  word  aloud,  but  in  his  heart 
was  sore  distress. 

Chaupdi  57. 

At   last,    having  bowed  his    head  at  Rdma's  feet  and 

meditated  on  his  name,  he  thus  resolved  and  made  a  vow  in 

his  mind, — *  So  long  as  Sati  remains  as  she  is    now,  I  will 

never  touch  her.'     With  this  firm  determination  he  turned 

homewards,   repeating   his  Rdma   rosary,   and  as  he  went 

there    was  a   jubilant  cry  in  the  heaven, — '  Glory  to  thee, 

Mahadeva,  for  thy  staunch  devotion  ;    who  other  but  thou, 

0  lord    most   strong   in    faith,   would   make  such  a  vow  ? ' 

Sati  was  troubled  when  she  heard  the   heavenly   voice  and 

tremblingly   asked   Siva,—'  Tell  me,    0  true  and  gracious 

lord,  what  was  the  vow  ?  '     But  though  she  asked  once  and 

again  he  told  her  not.  / 

Doha  67. 

Then  she  guessed  of  herself,—'  The  all-wise  has  dis- 
covered it  all,  though  I  attempted  to  deceive  him  ;  silly  and 
senseless  woman  that  I  am.'  ^ 

Sorathd  7.     '    . 

Water  and  milk  if  mixed  together  are  both  sold  as 
milk  ;  but  see  how  like  the  union  is  to  that   of   lovers  ;   the 


44  CHILDHOOD. 

introduction  of  a  drop  of  acid,  or  of  a  lie,  at  once   causes  a 
separation. 

Chaupdi  58. 
Deep  in  thought  and  reflecting  on  what  she  had  done, 
no  words  could  express  her  infinite  sorrow,  and  she  kept 
saying  to  herself,  — *  The  gracious  but  impenetrable  Siva 
has  not  openly  mentioned  my  offence,  but  my  lord  has 
abandoned  me.'  Thus  disturbed  in  soul  by  Sankara's 
sternness  and  thinking  of  her  sin,  she  could  say  nothing, 
but  all  the  more  smouldered  within  like  a  furnace.  When 
MahAdeva  saw  her  so  sorrowful,  he  began  to  amuse  her 
with  pleasant  tales,  relating  various  legends  all  the  way  till 
he  came  to  KaiUs.  Then  recalling  his  vow,  he  seated 
himself  under  a  fig-tree  in  the  attitude  of  contemplation 
and  by  an  immediate  control  of  all  his  members  passed 
into  a  long  and  unbroken  trance. ^ 

Dohd  68. 

There  Sati  dwelt  in  Kail^s,  sorrowing  grievously;  not 
a  soul  knew  her  secret,  but  each  day  that  she  passed  was 
like  an  age. 

Chaupdi  59. 

Ever  growing  more  sick  at  heart,  "  When  shall  I 
emerge  from  this  sea  of  trouble  ?  I  who  put  a  slight  upon 
Rama  and  took  my  husband's  word  to  be  a  lie.  The  Creator 
has  repaid  me  and  has  done  as  I  deserved.  Now,  0  God, 
think  not  thus  within  thyself  that  I  can  live  without 
Sankara.  The  anguish  of  my  heart  is  beyond  words ;  but 
I  take  comfort  when  I  remember  R^ma,  whom  men  call 
the  lord  of  compassion,   and   whom    the   Vedas  hymn   as 

1  Literally  translated,  the  above  passage  would  stand  thus  :-"  Vrisha- 
ketu,  perceivine  that  Sati  was  distrest,  began  to  amuse  her  with  pleasant 
tales,  relating  various  legends  all  the  way  till  VisavnAth  arrived  at  Kailds. 
Then  recalling  his  vow,  Sambhu  seated  himself  under  a  fig-tree  in  the 
attitude  of  contemplation  arid  by  an  immediate  control  of  all  his  members 
Sankara  passed  into  a  lonjr  and  unbroken  trance."  As  the  use  of  many 
different  names,  Vrisha-ketu,  VisvanAth,  Sambhu,  and  Sankara— all  to 
designate  the  same  uerson,  viz.,  Mahadeva— is  likely  to  perplex  an  English 
reader,  I  have  in  this  and  similar  passages  omitted  them  and  simply  sub- 
stitated  the  personal  pronoun. 


CHILDHOOD.  45 

remover  of  distress.  Him  I  supplicate  with  folded  hands. 
May  this  body  of  mine  be  speedily  dissolved.  As  my  love 
for  Siva  is  unfeigned  in  thought,  word  and  deed,  and  as 
his  word  cannot  fail, 

Doha  69. 

Do  thou,  0  impartial  lord,  hear  my  prayer  and  speedily 
devise  a  plan  by  which  I  may  die  without  pain  and  avoid 
this  intolerable  calamity." 

Ghaupdi  60. 

Thus  sorrowing  and  weighed  down  by  grievous  and  un- 
utterable pain,  the  royal  lady  had  passed  87,000  years, 
when  the  immortal  Sambhu  awoke  from  his  trance  and* 
began  to  repeat  Rdma's  name.  Then  Sati  perceived  that 
he  had  returned  to  consciousness  and*went  and  bowed  her- 
self at  his  feet.  He  gave  her  a  seat  in  his  presence  and 
began  reciting  the  divine  praises.  Now  at  that  time 
Daksha  was  reigning,  and  the  Creator  seeing  him  to  be 
thoroughly  fit  had  made  him  a  king  of  kings.  But  when  he 
had  obtained  great  dominion  he  waxed  exceeding  proud. 
Never  was  a  man  born  into  the  world  whom    kingship    did 

not  intoxicate. 

Doha  70. 

By  the  priests'  suggestion  all  began  preparing   a   great 
sacrifice  for  Daksha,  and    the  gods    who   accept   oblations 
were  all  courteously  invited  to  attend. 
Ghaupdi  61. 

Kinnars,  serpents,  saints,  Gandharvas,  all  the  gods  and 
their  wives,  except  Vishnu,  Brahma  and  Mahadeva,  pro- 
ceeded thither  in  their  chariots.  Sati  saw  the  strangely 
beautiful  procession  going  through  the  sky,  with  the  .heaven- 
ly nymphs  singing  so  melodiously  that  any  saint's  medi- 
tation would  be  broken  by  the  sound  of  it,  and  she  asked 
Siva  its  reason ;  whereupon  he  explained.  Then  was  she 
glad  when  she  heard  of  her  father's  sacrifice  and  thought, 
— "  If  my  lord  will  allow  me,  I  will  make  it  an  excuse  for 
going  to  stay  a  few  days  with  him."     It  was  such  sore  pain 


46  CHILDHOOD. 

to  leave  her  lord,  that  she  long  dare  not  speak,  remember- 
ing her  transgression  ;  but  at  last  with  soft  and  timid  voice, 
overflowing  with  modesty  and  affection,  she  said  : — 
Doha  71. 

'  There  is  great   rejoicing  at  my   father's   house  ;   with 
my  gracious  lord's  permission  I  will  duteously  go  and  see  it.' 
Chaiipdi  62. 

Said  he,  -'  It  would  please  me  well  ;  but  there  is  a  diffi- 
culty, as  you  have  not  been  invited.  Daksha  has  summoned 
all  his  other  daughters,  but  has  left  you  out  on  account  of 
his  quarrel  with  me,  for  he  took  offence  at  my  behaviour  in 
Brdhma's  court,  and  that  is  the  reason  he  slights  me  to-day. 
If  you  go  without  being  asked,  there  will  be  loss  of  temper, 
love  and  honour.  On^  may  go,  no  doubt,  without  an  invita- 
tion to  the  house  of  a  friend,  or  master,  or  father  or  confes- 
sor ;  but  no  good  can  result  from  going  where  an  enemy  is 
present.'  Thus  Sambhu  warned  her  over  and  over  again  ; 
but  fate  was  too  strong,  she  would  not  be  convinced.  Said 
the  lord,—'  To  go  unasked  is  not  right,  as  I  take  it.' 

Doha  72. 

When  Mahadeva  saw  that  no  amount  of  talking  would 
make  her  stay,  he  appointed  his  chief  ministers  as  her  escort 
and  allowed  her  to  depart. 

Ghaupdi  63. 

When  BhavAni  came  to  her  father's  house,  from  fear  of 
Daksha  no  one  greeted  her  ;  only  her  mother  met  her  kindly 
and  her  sisters  received  her  with  a  smile.  Daksha  uttered 
not  a  word  of  salutation  and  burned  with  rage  to  see  her. 
When  Sati  went  to  look  at  the  sacrifice,  she  could  nowhere 
find  anything  for  Sambhu :  then  Sankara's  words  came  back 
into  her  mind,  and  her  heart  so  burned  within  her  at  the 
slight  upon  her  lord,  that  the  former  pain  she  had  felt  was 
not  to  be  compared  to  her  present  emotion.  There  are 
grievous  pains  in  the  world,  but  nothing  so  bad  as  a  family 
slight.  The  more  she  thought  of  it,  the  more  furious  she 
grew,  though  her  mother  tried  hard  to  pacify  her. 


CHILDHOOD.  47 

Dohd  73. 

This  insult  to  Siva  could  not  be  borne  ;  her  soul  refused 
to  be  pacified  :  and  thrusting  away  from  her  the  shrinking 
crowd,  she  cried  in  wild  accents  :  — 
Chaupdi  64. 

"  Hear,  all  ye  elders  of  the  assembly,  who  have  talked 
over  this  slight  upon  Sankara.  Speedily  shall  ye  reap  your 
due  reward,  and  dearly  shall  my  father  rue.  it.  Whenever 
blasphemy  is  spoken  against  the  saints,  or  Sambhu,  or 
Vishnu,  the  ordinance  is  either  to  tear  out  the  blasphemBr's 
tongue,  if  it  is  in  your  power,  or  else  to  close  your  ears  and 
run  away.  The  universal  spirit,  the  great  lord,  Purdri,  the 
father  of  the  world,  the  friend  of  all,  he  it  is  whom  my  be- 
sotted father  has  reviled  Therefore  this  body  of  mine,  be- 
gotten of  his  seed,  I  hasten  to  abandon,  and  impress  on  my 
soul  the  image  of  him  who  bears  the  moon  as  his  crest  and 
a  bull  as  his  device."  As  she  thus  spoke,  the  flames  con- 
sumed her  body  ;  a  gr^at  cry  of  lamentation  went  up  from 

the  whole  assembly. 

Dohd  74. 

When  Sambhu's  attendants  heard  of  Sati's  death,  they 
began  to  destroy  all  the  sacrificial  offerings  ;  but  the  great 
saint  Bhrigu,  seeing  the  destruction,  came  and  saved  them. 
Chaupdi  65. 

When  Sambhu  got  the  news  he  sent  Birbhadra  in  his 
wrath,  who  went  and  scattered  the  sacrifice  and  requited  all 
the  gods  as  they  deserved.  Daksha's  act  is  famous  through- 
out the  world  as  an  example  of  hostility  to  Sambhu  ;  and 
as  the  story  is  so  well  known,  I  have  told  it  in  brief.  Sati 
at  her  death  asked  this  boon  of  Hari,  that  in  every  successive 
birth  she  might  show  her  love  to  Siva.  On  this  account  she 
was  born  in  the  form  of  Pdrvati,  as  the  daughter  of  King 
Himalaya.  From  the  time  that  she  entered  the  house  of  the 
monarch  of  mountains,  it  was  pervaded  by  fortune  and  pros- 
perity, and  hermits  made  their  homes  all  about  it,  in  fit 
places  assigned  them  by  the  king. 


48  CHILDHOOD. 

Dohd  75,      ^\ 
Strange  trees  of  many  kinds,  with  never-failing  flowers 
and   fruits,   appeared   on    the  beautiful  hills,  and   mines  of 
jewels  discoverd  themselves. 

Ghaupdi  66. 

All  the  rivers  flowed  with  the  purest  water  ;  birds,  deer 
and  bees  were  all  equally  joyous  ;  every  animal  forgot  its 
instinctive  antipathies  and  dwelt  lovingly  on  the  mountain, 
which  was  as  glorified  by  Girija's  coming  as  a  man  is  glori- 
fied by  the  spirit  of  faith.  Every  day  was  some  new  delight 
in  the  king's  palace,  and  Briihma  and  all  the  gods  vied  in 
singing  its  praises.  On  hearing  the  news,  Ndrad  went  to 
visit  the  mountain  king,  who  received  him  with  high  honour 
and  bathed  his  feet  and  led  him  to  a  throne.  The  queen 
too  bowed  her  -liead  before  him  and  sprinkled  the  whole 
house  with  the  water  sanctified  by  his  use.  Then  the  king 
told  all  his  good  fortune  and  summoned  his  daughter  also  to 
the  presence  and  said  ;  — 

Dohd  76. 

"  Thou  who  knowest  all  time,  past,  present,  or  future, 
and  who  hast  traversed  the  whole  universe,  tell  me,  best  of 
saints,  after  well  considering  the  matter,  what  there  is  good 
and  what  bad  about  my  daughter." 

Ghaupdi  67. 
The  saint  replied  with  a  smile,  in  soft  but  profound 
words, — "  Your  daughter  is  a  mine  of  perfection,  beautiful, 
amiable  and  intelligent,  whether  she  be  called  Umd,  or  Am- 
biki,  or  Bhav^ni  ;  a  maiden  with  every  quality  that  endears 
a  wife  to  a  husband.  Firm  as  a  rock  her  good  fortune, 
and  in  her  her  parents  are  blessed  ;  she  shall  be  worship- 
ped throughout  the  whole  world,  and  in  her  service  shall  be 
fruition  of  every  desire.  Through  her  name  woman  shall  be 
enabled  to  walk  the  path  of  wifely  duty,  though  it  be  like 
the  edge  of  a  sword.  Such,  0  king,  are  thy  daughter's 
merits  ;  but  you  have  now  to  hear  two  or  three  drawbacks. 


0,0 


CHILDHOOD.  49 

A  person  who  has  neither  beauty  nor  dignity,  without  father 
or  mother,  an  ascetic  with  no  thought  for  any  one, 

Dohd  77.  cj  I 

A  mendicant  recluse  with  matted  hair,  a  celibate  with 
naked  body  and  hideous  accoutrements— such  a  one  shall  be 
her  lord,  as  I  read  by  the  lines  on  her  palm." 

Chaupdi.  68. 

When  the  father  and  mother  heard  the  saint's  words,  and 
knew  they  must  be  true,  they  became  sad  ;  but  UmA  rejoic- 
ed ;  nor  did  Ndrad  even  understand,  for  all  seemed  affected 
alike,  though  the  cause  was  different.^  All  Girijd's  atten- 
dants, and  she  herself  and  her  father  and  her  mother 
Maina,  were  trembling  and  had  their  eyes  full  of  tears  ; 
but  Umd  cherished  the  saint's  words  in  her  heart,  saying, 
— '  They  cannot  be  false  :'  and  her  love  for  Siva's  lotus  feet 
revived  ;  though  the  doubt  remained.  How  difficult  to  find 
him  !  But  as  it  was  no  fitting  time  for  a  disclosure,  she 
suppressed  her  emotion  and  went  back  to  the  bosom  of 
her  playmates.  They  and  the  parents  were  distrest  by  the 
thought  of  the  saint's  infallible  utterance,  and  the  king, 
with  an  effort,  cried  aloud,  —  "  0  sir,  tell  me  what  remedy 
to  devise." 

Dohd-7S. 

Said  the  saint, — "'Hear,  0  Himavant,  what  fate  has 
written  on  the  forehead,  nor  god  nor  demon,  man,  serpent, 
nor  saint,  is  able  to  efface. 

Chaupdi  69. 

Yet  one  mode  of  escape  I  will  tell  you,  which  by  the 
help  of  heaven  may  avail.  Umd's  bridegroom  will  in- 
fallibly be  such  a  one  as  I  have  described  to  you  ;  but  all 
the  bad  points  that  I  have  enumerated  I  find  to  exist  in  Siva. 
If  a  marriage  with  him  can  be  brought  about,  every  one  will 
account  his  vices  as  virtues.  Though  Hari  takes  a  serpent 
for  his  couch,  the  wise  hold  it    no  fault    in    him  ;    though 

I  That  is  to   say,    they   all  shed    tears,  but  the  parents  wept  for  sorrow 
and  Uraa  for  joy. 

R-10 


50  CHILDHOOD. 

fire  and  the  sun  devour  anything  they  come  across,  no  one 
therefore  calls  them  blind;  though  its  stream  flows  in  one 
place  pure  and  in  another  sullied,  no  one  would  call  the 
Ganges  impure.  The  powerful,  my  friend,  are  always 
faultless,  like  the  sun,  fire,  or  the  Ganges. 

DohdlO. 

The  fool  who  in  the  pride  of  knowledge  presumes  to  copy 
them,  saying  *  it  is  the  same  for  a  man  as  for   a  god,'   shall 
be  cast  into  hell  for  as  long  as  the  world  lasts.* 
Chaupdi  70. 

Though  they  know  that  wine  is  made  with  Ganges 
water,  yet  saints  will  never  taste  it ;  but  the  Ganges  itself, 
wherever  found,  is  always  pure  ;  and  herein  is  seen  the 
difference  between  mastery  and  subjections.  The  lord  Sam- 
bhu  is  all-powerful  and  an  alliance  with  him  is  in  every  way 
auspicious.  But  it  is  hard  to  propitiate  him  ;  yet  if  penance 
is  undergone,  he  is  quickly  satisfied.  If,  then,  your 
daughter  will  practise  penance,  Tripuriri  will  be  able  to 
erase  the  lines  of  fate  ;  and  though  there  may  be  many 
bridegrooms  in  the  world,  the  only  one  for  her  is  Siva,  and 
none  else.  He  answers  prayer,  relieves  the  distress  of  the 
faithful,  is  full  of  compassion  and  a  delight  to  his  servants  ; 
unless  he  is  propitiated,  no  one  will  attain  his  heart's  desire, 
though  he  practise  infinite  penance  and  authority." 

1  A  similar  doctrine  is  inculcated  in  the  Xth  Book  of  the  BhAgavata 
PurAna  :  "  The  transgression  of  virtue  and  the  daring  acts  which  are  with- 
nessed  in  superior  beings  must  not  be  charged  as  faults  against  those  glorious 
persons.  Let  no  one  but  a  superior  being  ever  even  in  thought  practise  the 
same.  Seeing,  then,  that  the  saints  are  uncontrolled  and  act  as  they  please, 
how  can  there  be  any  restraint  upon  the  Supreme,  when  he  has  voluntarily 
assumed  a  body."  Granted  those  reasonable  limitations  which  the  Hindu 
mind,  with  its  tendency  to  exaggeration,  was  unfortunately  so  prone  to  neglect, 
the  sentiment  is  essentially  true  and  is  recommended  by  Catholic  theolo- 
gians Thus  Cardinal  Newman  writes. — "  It  never  surprises  me  to  read  any- 
thing unusual  in  the  devotionp  of  a  saint.  Such  men  are  on  a  level  very 
different  from  our  own,  and  we  cannot  understand  them.  I  hold  this  to  be 
an  important  canon  in  the  lives  of  the  saints,  according  to  the  words  of  the 
ai.ostle. -'The  spiritual  man  judges  all  things,  and  he  himself  is  judged  of 
no  >ne.'  But  we  may  refmin  from  judging,  without  proceeding  to  imitate. 
The  sains  are  beyond    ua.  and    we  must   use    them  as  patterns,  not  as  copies. 

2  The  meaning  ig.  wine,  though  made  of  Ganges  water,  is  sfillimpure 
but  the  Ganges  itself  is  always  pure,  even  though  wine  may  have  been 
poured  into  it. 


CHILDHOOD.  51 

Dohd  80. 
So  saying,  and  with   his  thoughts  fixed  on  Hari,  Njlrad 
gave  his  blessing  to  the  king    and   added,—'  Now  fear  not, 
all  will  turn  our  well ' 

Ghaupdi  71. 

Having  thus  spoken,  the  saint  returned  to  Brahma's 
court.  Hear  now  the  end  of  the  story  how  it  came  about. 
Maina  finding  her  husband  alone  said  to  him,—"  My  lord,  I 
do  not  understand  the  saint's  meaning.  If  the  bridegroom 
and  his  position  and  family  are  unobjectionable  and  such  as 
befit  your  daughter,  then  conclude  the  marriage  ;  but  if  not, 
let  her  remain  a  maiden  :  for,  my  lord,  Umd  is  as  dear  to  me 
as  life  If  she  does  not  get  a  husband  worthy  of  her,  every  one 
will  say  the  mountain-king  is  himself  a  mere  block.  Re- 
member this,  and  so  marry  her  that  there  may  be  no  heart- 
burning hereafter."  With  these  words  she  laid  her  head 
at  his  feet.  The  king  affectionately  replied,—"  Sooner  shall 
fire  break  out  in  the  moon  than  Ndrad's  word  be  gainsaid. 
Dohd  81. 

Put  away  all  anxiety,  my  dear,  and  fix  your  thoughts 
on  the  good  God  who  has  created  Pdrvati  and  who  will 
protect  her. 

Ghaupdi  72. 

Now,  if  you  have  any  love  for  your  child,  go  and  thus 
admonish  her, — 'Penance  is  the  means  of  approach  to  Siva, 
and  there  is  no  other  way  of  escaping  sorrow.  N^rad's 
words  are  pregnant  and  full  of  meaning  ;  Mahddeva  is  in 
fact  beautiful  and  accomplished  ;  recognize  this  truth  and 
doubt  not;  he  is  in  every  way  irreproachable.'  "  When  she 
heard  her  husband's  words  she  was  glad  of  heart  and  at 
once  rose  and  went  where  Uma  was.  On  seeing  the  girl  her 
eyes  filled  with  tears,  and  she  affectionately  took  her  in  her 
lap  and  again  and  again  pressed  her  to  her  bosom  ;  but 
could  not  say  a  word  for  the  choking  in  her  throat.     Then 


52  CHILDHOOD. 

the   mother   of  the   universe,    the   all-wise   Bhav^ni,   her 
mother's  delight,  said  softly  :  — 

Dohd  82. 

**  Listen,  mother,  to  the  vision  I  am  about  to  tell  you  ;  a 
fair  and  lovely  Brdhman  prince  has  thus  instructed  me :  - 
Chaupdl  73 . 

Go,  mountain-maid,  and  practise  penance,  reflecting 
that  Ndrad's  words  are  infallibly  true.  Your  parents,  too, 
are  pleased  with  the  idea,  for  penance  is  full  of  peace  and 
puts  an  end  to  pain  and  sin.  By  the  virtue  of  penance  the 
Creator  made  the  world  ;  by  the  virtue  of  penance  Vishnu 
redeems  the  world ;  by  virtue  of  penance  Sambhu  destroys 
it.  It  is  by  the  virtue  of  penance  that  the  Great  Serpent 
supports  the  burden  of  the  earth,  and  in  short  the  whole 
creation,  Bhavdni,  depends  upon  penance ;  do  you  then 
practise  it.'*  On  hearing  these  words  her  mother  was 
astounded,  and  sent  for  the  king  and  declared  to  him  the 
vision.  Then,  after  consoling  her  parents  in  every  possible 
way,  Umd  in  gladness  of  heart  commenced  her  penance  ; 
while  they  and  all  their  loving  dependants  grew  sad  of 
face,  nor  could  speak  a  word. 

Dohd  83. 

Then  came  Vedasiras^  and   instructed   them  all ;   and 
when  they  had  heard  of  Pdrvati's  glory  they  were  comforted. 
Chaupdi  74. 

But  Um/i,  cherishing  in  her  heart  the  feet  of  her  dear 
lord,  went  into  the  forest  and  began  her  penance.  Though 
her  delicate  frame  was  little  fit  for  such  austerities,  she 
abandoned  all  food  and  became  absorbed  in  prayer,  her 
devotion  so  growing  day  by  day  that  all  bodily  wants  were 
forgotten,  and  her  soul  was  wholly  given  to  penance.  For 
a  thousand  years  she  ate  only  roots  and  fruits  ;  for  a 
hundred  years  she  lived  on  vegetables ;  for  some  days  her 
only   sustenance   was   water  and   air,   and   on  some  she 

1  Vedasiras,  a  son  of  Mirkandeya  and  Murdhanya  was,  by  his  wife 
Plvari,  the  Progenitor  of  the  BhArgava  Br^hmans. 


CHILDHOOD.  53 

maintained  a  yet  more  absolute  fast.  For  three  thousand 
years  she  ate  only  dry  leaves  of  the  heU  tree  that  had 
fallen  to  the  ground,  and  at  last  abstained  even  from  dry 
leaves,  whence  she  acquired  the  name  of  aparna  ('  the  leaf- 
less'). At  the  sight  of  her  emaciated  frame,  Br»ihma's 
deep  voice  resounded  through  the  heavens, — 

Doha  84. 
"  Hear,  daughter  of  the  mountain -king  !   your  desire    is 
accomplished  ;    cease    all    these     intolerable     afflictions  : 
Tripur^ri  will  soon  be  yours. 

Chaupdi  75. 

Though  there  have  been  many  saints,  both  resolute  and 
wise,  not  one,  Bhav^ni,  has  performed  such  penance  as  this : 
submit  now  to  my  commands,  knowing  them  to  be  ever 
true  and  ever  good.  When  your  father  comes  to  call  you, 
cease  to  resist  and  go  home  with  him  ;  and  when  the  seven 
sages  meet  you,  know  this  to  be  the  test  of  the  heavenly 
prediction."  When  she  heard  Brdhma's  voice  thus  speak- 
ing from  on  high,  Girija  thrilled  with  delight.  Now  with 
her  we  have  done  for  a  time,  while  we  turn  to  Sambhu. 
From  the  day  when  Sati's  spirit  left  the  body  he  became  a 
rigid  ascetic,  ever  telling  his  beads  in  Rama's  name,  and 
attending  the  public  recitations  in  his  honour  : 

Doha  85. 

Even  he,  Siva,  the  pure  intelligence,  the  abode  of  bliss, 
exempt  from  lust,  frenzy  and  delusion,  wanders  about  on 
earth  with  his  heart  fixed  on  Hari,  the  joy  of  the  whole 
world  ; 

Chaupdi  76. 

Now  instructing  saints  in  wisdom,  now  expounding 
Rdma's  praises,  and  though  himself  the  all-wise  and  pas- 
sionless lord  god,  yet  saddened  by  the  sadness  of  a  bereaved 
disciple.  In  this  way  many  ages  passed,  while  his  love  for 
R^ma  daily  increased.  Then  the  generous  and  merciful 
1  The  bel  tree  (^gle  Marmelos)  is  specially  sacred' to  Siva. 


54  CHILDHOOD. 

god,  full  of  grace  and  benignity,  seeing  his  steadfastness 
and  affection,  and  the  unchangeable  stamp  of  devotion  on 
his  soul,  became  manifest  in  all  his  glory  and  lauded  him 
highly,  for  none  other  had  ever  accomplished  such  a  vow. 
In  diverse  ways  he  instructed  him,  telling  him  of  P^rvati's 
birth  and  of  her  virtuous  deeds,  all  at  full  length,  in  his 
infinite  compassion. 

Dohd  86.     \  ^^ 
*'  Now,    Siva,    if  you    have  any  love  for  me,  listen  to  my 
request  :  go  and  marry  the  mountain-maid    and  do  as  I  ask 
you." 

Chaupdi  77. 
Said  Siva, — "  Though  it  is  not  what  I  approve,  yet  when 
a  master  speaks  he  must  not  be  gainsaid.  I  must  needs 
bow  to  your  order,  for  obedience  is  the  highest  duty.  If  a 
man  would  prosper,  he  must  do,  without  thinking,  as  he  is 
told  by  his  parents,  or  his  confessor,  or  his  superior  ;  you  are 
in  every  way  my  benefactor,  and  I  bow  to  your  commands." 
The  lord  was  pleased  when  he  heard  Sankara's  reply  so  full 
of  faith,  knowledge,  and  religious  feeling,  and  said,— 
"  Hara,  your  vow  has  been  kept ;  attend  bow  to  what  I 
have  told  you."  So  saying  he  vanished,  but  the  vision 
remained  impressed  in  Sankara's  soul.  Then  came  the 
seven  Rishis  to  visit  him,  and  he  addressed  them  thus  in 
pleasant  wise  :  — 

Dohd  87. 
'*  Go  to  Pirvati  and    make  trial  of  her   love,   and    then 
send   her  father   to  fetch   her   home   and   remove  all  his 
doubts." 

Chaupdi  78. 
When  the  Rishis  saw  Gauri,  she  seemed  to  them  like 
Penance  personified,  and  they  cried —Hear,  0  daughter 
of  the  mountain !  Why  practise  such  grievous  self-morti- 
fication ?  Whom  do  you  worship  and  what  do  you  desire  ? 
Tell  us  the  whole  secret  truly."  Wh«n  BhavAni  heard  their 
speech,  she  replied  in  strangely  moving  terms,— "  I  greatly 


CHILDHOOD.  55 

shrink  from  telling  my  secret,  for  you  will  smile  at  my  folly 
when  you  hear  it ;  but  my  soulis  obstinately  set  and  refuses 
to  hear  instruction,  though  I  am  like  one  building  a  house 
upon  the  water,  or  as  one  who  would  fly  without  wings, 
relying  only  on  the  truth  of  Nd.rada's  prophecy.  See,  0 
saints,  the  extent  of  my  madness.  I  long  for  the  unchange- 
able Sankara  as  my  husband." 

Doha  88. 
The  Rishis  smiled  on   hearing  her   speech,  and  said  : — 
"  You  are  a  true  daughter  of  the    parent  rock  ;    but  tell  me 
who  has  ever  listened  to  Ndrada's  advice  and  had  a  home  ? 

Ghaupdi  79 
"  Did  he  not  advise  Daksha's  sons,  and  they  never  saw 
their  father's  house  again  ?  It  was  he,  too,  who  ruined  Chitra- 
ketu's  family,  and  also  Hiranya  kasipu's.i  Whoever  listens 
to  Ndrada's  advice,  be  it  man  or  woman,  is  certain  to  be- 
come a  homeless  beggar.  Seemingly  pious,  but  deceitful  at 
heart,  he  would  make  every  one  like  himself.  And  now  you 
are'led  away  by  his  words,  and  are  longing  to  marry  a  very 
outcast,  a  worthless,  shameless,  tattered  wretch;  with  a 
necklace  of  serpents  and  skulls,  and  without  either  family 
or  house  or  even  clothes.     Tell  me  now  — what  pleasure   is 

I  It  was  by  Narada's  advice  that  the  sons  of  Daksha  were  dissuaded 
from  multiplying  their  race  and  scattered  themselves  all  over  the  world  in 
the  hope  of  acquiring  knowleHge.  Not  one  of  them  ever  returned,  and  the 
unhappy  father,  thus  deserted  by  all  his  children,  denounced  as  a  curse  upon 
Narada  that  he,  too,  should  always  be  a  homeless  wanderer  on  the  face  of 
the  earth. 

King  Chitraketu  was  childless,  though  be  had  a  thousand  wives.  At 
last,  by  the  blessing  of  a  saint,  one  of  them  bore  him  a  son  ;  but  when  it 
was  a  year  old  they  all  conspired  together  and  poisoned  it.  The  king  was 
weeping  sorely  with  the  dead  child  in  his  arms,  when  Narada  came  and 
after  much  persuasion  consented  to  restore  it  to  life  It  at  once  sat  up  and 
began  to  speak,  saying  that  in  a  former  state  of  existence  it  ha  been  a 
king,  who  had  retired  from  the  world  into  a  hermitage.  There  one  day  a 
woman  in  charity  gave  him  a  cake  of  fuel,  which  he  put  on  the  fire  without 
perceiving  that  there  were  in  it  a  thousand  little  ants  These  innocent 
creatures  all  perished  in  the  flames,  but  were  born  again  in  a  more  exalted 
position  as  Chitraketu's  wives  ;  while  the  woman  who  gave  the  fuel,  and  the 
hermit  who  used  it,  became  the  mf)ther  and  trie  child,  whom  inexorable 
fate  had  thus  punishe  i  for  their  former  sinful  inadvertence  -After  finish- 
ing this  explanation  the  child  again  fell  back  dead,  and  Chitraketu, 
giving  up  all  hope  of  au  heir,  abandoned  the  throne  and  began  a  course  of 
penance. 


56  CHILDHOOD. 

to  be  had  from  such  a  bridegroom  as  this  ?  Better  for- 
get the  ravings  of  the  impostor.  For  he  married  Sati  only 
because  other  people  suggested  it,  and  soon  abandoned 
her  and  left  her  to  die. 

Doha  89. 

And  now  he  never  gives  her  a  thought,  but  goes  about 
a-begging,  and  eats  and  sleeps  at  his  ease.  What  respect- 
able woman  could  ever  stay  with  such  a  confirmed  solita- 
ry'  • 

Ghaupdi  80. 

To-day  if  you  will  hear  my  words,  I  have  thought  of  an 
excellent  bridegroom  for  you,  so  beautiful  and  honourable, 
so  pleasant  and  amiable,  that  even  the  Veda  hymns  his 
praise — the  faultless  and  all-perfect  lord  of  Lakshmi,  who 
reigns  at  Vaikuntha.  He  is  the  husband  that  I  will  bring 
you.  "  On  hearing  this  Bhavdni  smiled  and  replied,  —  **  You 
said  true  that  I  inherit  a  rock-nature,  and  would  sooner 
die  than  yield.  Gold,  again,  is  another  product  of  the 
rock  that  cannot  be  changed  by  any  amount  of  burning. 
Nor  will  1  change  my  faith  in  Narada's  word  ;  whether 
my  house  be  full  or  desolate,  I  fear  not  :  whoever  doubts 
the  word  of  his  spiritual  adviser  must  never  dream  of 
obtaining  either  happiness  or  riches. 

Doha  90. 

Mah^deva  is  full  of  faults,  while  Vishnu  is  all-perfect; 
but  the  heart  concerns  itself  only  about  the  object  it 
happens  to  fancy. 

Ghaupdi  81. 

If,  reverend  sirs,  I  had  met  you  sooner,  I  would  have 
submitted  to  your  advice;  but  now  that  I  have  given  my 
life   for  Sambhu,  it  is   too   late   to   weigh  his  merits  and 

When  Kayidhu,  the  wife  of  demon-king  Hiranya-kasipu,  was  about  to 
bring  forth,  she  received  instruction  from  the  sage Narada,  whose  words  reach- 
ed  even  to  the  ear.i  of  tne  child  in  her  womb.  Accordini;iy  from  the  mo- 
ment he  was  born  he  devoted  himself  to  the  service  of  Visbnu,  an<l  thus 
provoked  his  impious  lather  to  the  acts  of  persecution  which  resulted  in  his 
own  destruction  and  the  extinction  of  his  royal  line. 


CHILDHQOJD.  $7 

defects.  If  you  are  firmly  resolved  upon  making  a  match, 
you  need  not  stand  idle  ;  the  world  is  full  of  young  men 
and  maidens  :  but  as  for  me,  though  I  hold  out  for  a  mil- 
lion lives,  I  will  either  wed  Sambhu  or  remain  a  virgin. 
I  will  not  forget  N^rada's  admonition,  even  though  Mah^- 
deva  himself  and  again  told  me  to  do  so.  I,  who  am  styled 
the  mother  of  the  world,  fall  at  your  feet  and  bid  you 
return  home  ;  your  time  is  lost."  When  the  sages  beheld 
her  devotion,  they  cried—"  Glory,  glory,  glory  to  the  great 
mother  Bhav^ni, 

Doha  91. 
United  as  Maya  to  the  god  Siva,  the  parents  of  the  uni- 
verse !"  then   bowing   the   head    at  her  feet  and  thrilling 
with  rapture   they  left, 

Chaupai  82. 

And  sent  King  Himavant,  and  with  many  entreaties 
brought  Girijd  back.  When  they  returned  to  Siva  and  told 
him  Umd's  whole  history,  he  was  delighted  to  hear  of  her 
affection,  and*  they  went  gladly  home.  Then  the  all-wise 
Sambhu,  firmly  directing  his  intention,  began  a  meditation 
on  Rdma.  Now  at  that  time  was  a  demon  T^raka,  of 
gigantic  strength  of  arm  and  high  renown,  who  had  sub- 
dued the  sovereigns  of  every  region  and  robbed  the  gods 
of  all  their  happiness.  Knowing  neither  age  nor  death, 
he  was  invincible  ;  and  the  powers  of  heaven  were  van- 
quished in  innumerable  battles.  At  last  they  all  went  and 
cried  to  the  (creator,  and  he  seeing  them  so  dismayed, 
Dohd  92. 

Re- assured  them,  saying,—"  the  demon  shall  die  when 
a  son  is  born  of  the  seed  of  Sambhu,  who  shall  conquer 
him  in  fight. 

Chaupdi  83. 

Having  heard  what  I  say,  devise  a  plan  by  which  such  a 
lord  may  arise  and  assist  you.  After  Sati  quitted  the  body 
at  Daksha's  sacrifice,  she  was  born  again  as  the  daughter  of 

R-11 


58  CHILDHOOD. 

the  HimaUya,  and  has  been  practising  penance  in  the  hope 
of  obtaining  Sambhu  to  husband.  He,  on  the  other  hand, 
has  left  all  and  sits  absorbed  in  contemplation.  Though  it 
will  be  a  difficult  business,  yet  list  to  what  I  propose.  Send 
Kima,  the  good  of  love,  to  Siva  to  agitate  his  soul,  and  then  I 
will  approach  with  bowed  head  and  arrange  the  marriage, 
and  in  this  way  your  object  will  be  attained."  All  exclaimed 
that  the  plan  was  good,  and  heartily  applauded  it. '  Then 
came  the  god  with  the  five  arrows  and  the  fish-standard  ; 
Dohd  93.  \  Ki^ 
And  they  told  him  their  distress.  He  heard,  and  after 
reflecting  a  little  replied  with  a  smile, — "  Sambhu's  dis- 
pleasure will  work  me  no  good, 

Chaupdi  84. 
Yet  I  will  do  you  this  service.  The  scriptures  say  charity 
is  the  highest  of  virtues,  and  one  who  gives  his  life  for  an- 
other is  ever  the  praise  of  the  saints."  So  saying  he  bowed, 
and  took  his  leave,  he  and  his  attendant,!  with  his  bow  of 
flowers  in  his  hand.  And  as  he  went  he  thought  within  him- 
self,—' Siva's  displeasure  will  surely  be  my  death.'  There- 
fore he  hastened  to  exhibit  his  power,  and  for  a  time  reduc- 
ed to  subjection  the  whole  world.  If  Love  is  provoked,  the 
stepping-stones  of  the  law  are  swept  away  in  a  moment ; 
religious  vows  and  obligations,  self-control,  ceremonial  ob- 
servances, knowledge  and  philosophy,  virtuous  practices, 
prayer,  penance,  self-mortification,  the  whole  spiritual  army, 
is  panic-stricken  and  put  to  flight. 
Chhand  3. 

Virtue's  grand  force  is  routed  in  panic  and  dismay, 

And  in  dark  nooks  of  holy  books  her  champions  skulk  away. 

Great  god  of  fate  !  in  this  dread  state  what  saving  power  is  nigh  ? 

*  Gainst  man's  one  heart  Love's  fivefold  dart  wins  easy  victory. 

DohdU.         Ic^ 
Every  creature  in  the  world,  animate  or  inanimate,  male 
or  female,  forgot  natural   restraint  and   became   subject  to 
love. 

1  K&madeva's  attendant  is  Riturdja,  or  Basanta,  the  spring  season. 


CHILDHOOD.  59 

Ghaupdi  85. 
In  every  heart  was  a  craving  for  love  :  the  tree  bent  its 
boughs  to  kiss  the  creeper  ;  the  overflowing  river  ran  into 
the  arms  of  ocean  ;  lakes  and  ponds  effected  a  meeting. 
And  when  such  was  the  case  with  inanimate  creation,  what 
need  to  speak  of  man  ?  Beasts  on  land  and  birds  in  the  air, 
under  the  influence  of  love,  were  unmindful  of  time  and 
season  ;  all  were  agitated  and  blind  with  desire,  and  the 
swan  regarded  neither  night  nor  day.^  Gods,  demons,  men, 
kinnaras,  serpents,  ghosts,  witches,  goblins  and  imps  were 
all  at  once  enslaved  by  love  ;  even  saints  and  hermits,  sages 
and  ascetics,  became  again  sensual  under  his  influence. 

Chhand  4. 
When  saints  and  hermits  own  his  sway,  why  speak  of  serf  and  thrall, 
God's  whole  creation,  recreant  grown,  swore  love  was  all  in  all  ; 
Each  jocund  dame,  each  amorous  swain,  found  heaven  in  love's  embrace ; 
Two  hours  sped  past,  love  still  stood  fast  and  reigned  in  Brdhma's  place. 

SorathdS.  '0'^ 

None  is  so  bold  but  love  steals  his  heart,  and  only  they 
whom  R^ma  protects  can  then  escape. 
Ghaupdi  86. 
For  two  hours  this  triumph  lasted,  till  Kilmadeva  drew 
nigh  to  Sambhu.  On  seeing  him  Love  trembled,  and  the 
whole  world  returned  to  itself.  Every  living  creature  at  once 
grew  calm,  as  when  a  drunkard  recovers  from  his  drunken- 
ness. When  Love  looked  at  Siva,  the  invincible  and  unap- 
proachable god,  he  feared  ;  then  returned  shame  too  strong 
for  words  and,  resolved  upon  death,  he  formed  his  plan  of 
attack.  Forthwith  lusty  Spring  stepped  forth,  and  every 
tree  broke  into  blossom  ;  wood  and  grove,  lake  and  pond, 
every  quarter  of  the  heaven,  gladdened  and  overflowed  as 
it  were  with  love,  and  even  the  deadest  soul  quickened 
at  the  sight. 

1  The  male  and  female  chakwa  (swan,  or  rather  Brdhmani  duck)  are 
doomed  for  ever  to  nocturnal  separation,  and  are  said  to  pass  the  night  on 
the  opposite  banks  of  a  river,  vainly  calling  to  each  other  to  cross.  During 
Love's  brief  triumph  the  curse  was  for  once  removed. 


db  CHILDHOOD. 

Chhand  5. 

At  love's  touch  the  dead  were  quickened,  blossomed  all  the  wood  so  dark, 
While  a  breeze  soft,  cool  and  fragrant,  fanned  the  love-enkindled  spark. 
Laughs  the  lake  with  many  a  lotus,  hum  the  bees  with  drowsy  sound. 
Swans  and  parrots  chatter  gaily,  gladly  dance  the  nymphs  round. 

Dohd  95. 

Though  he  tried  every  trick  and   manifold  device,  yet 
he  and   his   army   were   defeated  ;  Siva's  unbroken   trance 
still  continued,  and  Love  grew  furious. 
Ghaupdi  87. 

Seeing  a  mango  tree  with  spreading  boughs,  he  in  his 
folly  climbed  up  into  it ;  then  fitted  a  shaft  to  his  flowery 
bow,  and  in  his  great  passion  taking  aim  and  drawing  the 
string  home  to  the  ear,  he  let  fly  and  lodged  the  five  arrows 
in  his  breast.  Then  the  trance  was  broken  and  Sambhu 
awoke.  In  the  lord's  soul  was  great  agitation  ;  he  opened 
his  eyes,  and  looking  all  round  saw  Kdmadeva  in  the  mango 
tree.  At  his  wrath  the  three  worlds  trembled.  Then 
Siva  unclosed  his  third  eye,  and  by  its  flash  K^madeva  was 
reduced  to  ashes.  A  confused  cry  went  up  through  the 
universe  from  the  gods  in  their  dismay,  from  the  demons 
in  exultation ;  the  rich  were  sad  when  they  remembered 
love's  delights,  while  saints  and  hermits  felt  relieved  a  of 
thorn. 1 

Chhand  6. 

The  saints  were  freed  from  torment  :  but  Rati  swooned  for  woe, 
And  in  sad  guise  with  weeping  eyes  at  Siva's  throne  fell  low. 
Sore  wailing  and  lamenting  her  dear  lord's  hapless  fate  : 
Till  quick  to  pardon  spoke  the  god  in  words  compassionate  : 

Dohd  98. 
*'  Henceforth,  Rati,  your  husband's  name  shall  be  called 
Anang  (the     bodiless),   and    thus    etherealized    he   shall 
pervade  all  things.     But  hear  how  you  will  again  find  him 
hereafter. 


I  With  this  whole  narrative  compare  that  in  the  KuMra  Sambhdva  of 


KilidAsa. 


i 


CHILDHOOD.  61 

Ghaupdi  88. 

When  Krishna  becomes  incarnate  in  the  family  of  Jadu 

to  relieve  the  world  of  its  burdens,  your  husband    shall    be 

born  again  as  his  son  (Pradyumna)  ;  this  my  word  shall  not 

fail."     On  hearing  this  prophecy  of  Sankara's,  Rati  retired. 

I  now  turn  to  another   part   of  my   story. '   When    Brdhma 

and  the  other  gods  heard  these    tidings  they   first  went   to 

Viakuntha,  and  thence,  with   Vishnu,    Brahma   and  all  the 

rest,  into  the  presence  of  the   merciful   Siva,  and   each   of 

them     separately   sang   his   praises.      Then   the  gracious 

power  whose  crest  is  the  moon  and  whose  standard  a  bull, 

said, — "  Tell    me,     ye   immortals,    why    ye    have    come." 

Said  Brahma,—"  My  lord,  you  can  read  our  hearts,   but  as 

ordered  I  speak. 

Doha  97. 

In  the  mind  of  all  the  gods  is  one  idea.  Sankara  is 
love-smitten,  and  we  would  fain  with  our  own  eyes  see  his 
marriage. 

Ghaupdi  89. 

0  destroyer  of  the  pride  of  love,  let  us  feast  our  eyes  on 
this  glad  event.  In  granting  a  husband  to  Rati  after 
Kdmadeva  had  been  consumed  you  have  done  well,  0  sea 
of  compassion,  in  punishment  remembering  mercy  ;  the 
great  have  ever  an  easy  temper.  Accept  now  the  inter- 
minable penance  that  Parvati  has  endured."  On  hearing 
Brahma's  speech  and  perceiving  its  purport,  he  exclaimed 
joyfully,  "  So  be  it  !  "  Then  the  gods  sounded  their  kettle- 
drums and  rained  down  flowers,  and  cried,—"  Victory, 
victory  to  the  King  of  heaven  !  "  Then,  perceiving  it  was 
the  proper  time,  the  seven  sages  came  and  were  despatched 
by  Brdhma  to  the  Himalaya  where  first  they  sought 
Bhavdni  and  addressed  her  in  mild  but  deceptive  terms  :  — 

Dohdm.    ]\^ 

*'  You  would  not  listen  to  us,  but  rather  took  Ndrada's 
advice;  now  again  is  your  vow  proved  vain,  for  the  god  of 
love  has  been  consumed  by  Mahsideva." 


6^  CHILDHOOD. 

Chaupdi  90. 

Bhavdni  replied  with  a  smile, — "  0  wisest  of  sages,  you 
have  said  well.  Your  words — *  Love  has  been  consumed 
by  Mahddeva' — imply  a  belief  that  aforetime  Sambhu  was 
liable  to  change.  But  I  know  him  to  be  from  everlasting 
an  ascetic,  faultless,  loveless,  passionless:  and  if,  knowing 
him  to  be  such  as  he  is,  I  have  served  him  devotedly  in 
heart,  word  and  deed,  so  gracious  a  lord  (be  assured,  0 
sages)  will  bring  my  vow  to  accomplishment.  Your  saying 
that  Hara  has  destroyed  Love  betrays  great  want  of  judg- 
ment. Fire,  my  friend,  has  an  unalterable  nature,  and  ice 
cannot  exist  near  it;  brought  near  it  must  inevitably 
perish  ;  and  so  must  Love  in  the  presence  of  Mah^deva."  i 
Doha  99. 

On  hearing  this  speech  and  seeing  her  love  and  confi- 
dence the  sages  were  delighted  and  bowed  the  head  before 
her,  and  went  to  King  Himdchal, 

Chaupdi  91. 

And  told  him  the  whole  history.  When  he  heard  of 
Love's  annihilation  he  was  much  distressed,  but  was  again 
comforted  when  told  of  Rati's  promised  husband.  After 
pondering  on  the  majesty  of  Sambhu,  he  reverently 
summoned  the  wise  men,  and  at  once  had  the  day  fixed 
according  to  Vedic  prescription,  selecting  an  auspicious 
date,  and  planet  and  hour.  Then  he  gave  the  letter  to  the 
seven  sages,  humbly  falling  at  their  feet,  and  they  took  it 
to  Brahma,  who  could  not  contain  himself  for  joy  on  read- 
ing it,  but  at  once  proclaimed  it  aloud.  The  whole  com- 
pany of  heaven  was  delighted  :  there  was  music  and  a 
shower  of  flowers,  and  in  every  quarter  festive  preparations 

were  commenced.  ,  ,  C 

Dohd  100.        V^ 
All   the  gods   began  adorning  the  different  vehicles  on 

1  The  line  thus  translated  stands  in  the  original  AH  ManmLitha 
Mahfim  ko  nai.  There  is  an  entirely  different  reading  in  some  copies  iji/wi 
Sampdthi  nij  paehrh  ganwdi,  'like  as  8«mpdthi  lost  his  wings  ;'  Sarapdthi  was 
the  brother  of  Jat&ju.  and  in  his  pride  flew  so  high  into  the  heaven  that  his 
wings  were  consamed  by  the  heat  of  the  sun.  See  Book  IV,  dohd  27. 


oaiLDHOOD.  63 

which  they  ride  abroad,  the  Muses  sung  for  joy,  and  all  was 
bliss  and  happiness. 

Chaupdi  92. 

Siva's  attendants  began  to  dress  their  lord,  arranging 
his  serpent-crest  and  crown  of  matted  locks  ;  with  snakes 
for  his  earrings  and  bracelets  of  snakes  for  his  wrists  ;  his 
body  smeared  with  ashes,  and  a  lion's  skin  about  his  loins  ; 
the  moon  on  his  brow,  the  lovely  Ganges  on  the  crown  of 
his  head,  his  eyes  three  in  number,  and  a  serpent  for  his 
Brdhmanical  cord  ;  his  throat  black  with  poison  ;  a  wreath 
of  dead  men's  skulls  about  his  breast.  In  such  ghastly 
attire  was  arrayed  the  great  god  Siva.  With  trident  in 
hand  he  advanced  riding  on  a  bull,  while  the  drums  beat 
and  instruments  of  music  were  played.  The  female 
divinities  all  smiled  to  see  him,  and  said,  *'  The  world  has 
no  bride  worthy  of  such  a  lover."  Vishnu  and  Brjihma 
and  all  the  company  of  heaven  followed  in  the  procession, 
each  on  his  own  carriage.  '  The  gods  make  a  fine  sight, 
but  still  the  procession  is  not  worthy  of  the  bridegroom.' 
Doha  101.      '    J 

So  cried  Vishnu  with  a  smile  and  then  commanded  all 
the  heavenly  warders—"  March  separately,  each  one  with 
his  own  retinue, 

Chaupdi  93.  '^ 

Otherwise  on  going  into  a  strange  city  they  will  laugh 
and  say  what  a  sorry  procession  for  such  a  bridegroom." 
The  gods  smiled  to  hear  this  speech,  and  marched  separ- 
ately, each  at  the  head  of  his  own  followers.  Mahddeva 
smiled  too,  not  understanding  Hari's  joke,  but  taking  it  as 
a  most  friendly  suggestion,  and  sent  Bhringi  to  bring  all 
his  attendants.  On  receiving  Siva's  order  they  all  came 
and  bowed  the  head  at  his  lotus  feet.  Then  Siva  laughed  to 
see  the  host  in  their  motley  attire,  riding  every  kind  of 
vehicle ;  some  with  monstrous  heads,  some  with  no  head 
at  all ;  some  with  many  hands  and  feet,  and  some  with 
none  ;  some  with  great  eyes,  some  with  no  eyes  ;  some  very 
stout,  some  very  slim. 


64  CHILDHOOD. 

Ghhand  7. 

All,  stout  or  slim,  or  foul  or  trim,  in  gruesome  panoply, 
With  skulls  for  wine-cups  filled  with  blood,  from  which  they  quaffed  with  glee  ; 
With  head  of  dog,  or  ass,  or  hog,  a  host  no  tongue  can  tell. 
Ghosts,  goblins,  witches,  every  kind  of  denizen  of  hell. 

Sorathd  9.      \\^ 

All  the  demons  went  singing  and  dancing  with  wonder- 
ful contortions,  such  as  never  were  seen,  and  uttering  all 
sorts  of  strange  cries. 

Ghaupdi  94. 

Like   bridegroom,  like    procession — an     extraordinary 

sight  as  it  went  along  the   road.     There   King   Him^chal 

erected    a   canopy  more  splendid  than  words  can  tell  ;  and 

every  hill  in  the  world,  small  and  great,    more    than    man 

can  count,  and  every  wood  and  sea,  river,  stream   and  lake, 

all  were  invited  to  attend  ;  and  assuming  forms  of  exquisite 

beauty,    with  all    their   retinue,    male   and    female,    they 

flocked    to  the  palace  singing  songs  of  gladness.     First  of 

all  the   king   had    built  a  number  of  guest-houses,  and  so 

tastefully  arranged  them,  that,  after  a  glance  at  the  beauty 

of  the  city,  the  Creator  of  the  world  seemed  a  contemptible 

architect. 

Ghharid  8. 

Little  seemed  the  world's  Creator,  and  his  skill  of  nothing  worth  : 
Lake  and  fountain,  tjrove  antl  garden,  shone  more  fair  than  aught  on  earth. 
Wreaths  and  arches,  flags  and  banners,  made  each  house  a  goodly  show  ; 
Qullant  youth  and  lovely  maidens  set  a  saint's  heart  all  aglow. 

Dohd  102.       I !  *? 

The  city  in  which  the  great  mother  had  taken  birth 
surpassed  description  ;  joy,  prosperity  and  abundance 
were  ever  on  the  increase. 

Ghaupdi  95. 

When  it  was  known  that  the  marriage  procession  was 
close  at  hand,  the  stir  in  the  city  and  the  brilliancy  of  the 
decorations  grew  more  and  more.  With  numerous  carriages 
and  all  due  equipment  the  heralds  started  for  the 
formal  reception.     When  they  saw  the  army  of  gods  they 


CHILDHOOD.  65 

were  glad  of  heart,  and  yet  more  so  when  they  beheld  Hari. 
But  when  they  perceived  Siva's  familiars,  every  beast  they 
rode  started  back  in  affright.  Grown  men  summoned  up 
courage  to  stand,  but  the  children  all  ran  for  their  lives 
straight  back  home,  and  when  their  parents  questioned 
them  could  only  reply  trembling  all  over, — "  What  can  we 
say  ?  it  is  beyond  telling  ;  it  is  no  marriage  procession, 
but  the  army  of  Death  ;  the  bridegroom,  a  maniac,  mounted 
on  a  bull  ;  with  snakes  and  skulls  and  ashes  to  adorn  him. 
Ghhand  9.  , 

Skulls  and  snakes  and  streaks  o£  ashes,  matted  locks  and  body  bare, 
Witches,  imps,  and  frightful  goblins,  and  appalling  ghosts  are  there. 
Happy  man  who  sees  such  horrors  nor  dies  at  once  of  fright  !" 
So  from  house  to  house  they  babbled  on  Uma's  wedding  night. 
Doha  103. 
The   fathers   and   mothers  smiled,  for  they  recognized 
Siva's  familiars,  and  reassured  the  children   in   every   pos- 
sible way,  saying, — "  Do  not  be  afraid  ;   there  is   no  cause 
for  fear." 

Ghawpdi  96. 

The  heralds  brought  in  the  procession  and  assigned 
them  all  pleasant  quarters.  And  Maina,  having  prepared 
an  elegant  sacrificial  lamp,  and  lustrous  water  in  a  golden 
bowl,  proceeded  gladly  to  move  it  round  over  Siva's  head 
while  her  attendants  sang  festive  songs.  When  they  saw 
his  terrible  attire,  the  women  feared  greatly  and  ran  inside 
the  house  all  of  a  tremble.  Mahadeva  advanced  to  the 
guest-room  and  Maina,  sorely  grieved  at  heart,  called  her 
daughter,  and  in  the  most  loving  manner  took  her  in  her 
lap,  while  her  lotus  eyes  overflowed  with  tears, — *'  To  think 
that  the  Creator  should  have  made  you  so  beautiful,  and 
then  give  you  such  a  raving  fool  for  a  bridegroom  ! 

Ghhand  10. 

How  can  God  send  such  a  raving  groom  for  such  a  lovely  bride  ? 

What  a  thorn  bush  is  our  wishing- tree,  the  fruit  for  which  we  cried  1 

From  mountain-top,  in  sea  or  Are,  I'll  cast  me  down  with  thee  ; 

Welcome  disgrace,  so  they  be  gone  ;  this  wedding  ne'er  shall  be." 

R— 12 


66  CHILDHOOD. 

Dohd  104.       '  ^ 

All  the  ladies  were  distrest  when  they  saw  the  queen  so 
sad,  who   in  her  deep  affection  for   her  daughter  began  to 
weep  and  make  great  lamentation, — 
Ghaupdi  97. 

•*  What  harm  had  I  done  to  Ndrada  that  he  should  make 
my  home  desolate  and  give  Umd  such  advice,  to  undergo 
penance  for  the  sake  of  a  mad  bridegroom  ?  In  good  sooth 
he  is  fancy  free  and  passionless,  an  ascetic  who  wants  neither 
money,  nor  house,  nor  wife,  and  therefore  in  destroying 
another's  home  he  has  neither  shame  nor  compunction  ;  for 
what  does  a  barren  woman  know  of  the  pangs  of  child- 
birth ?"  When  Bbavdni  saw  her  mother's  distress,  she 
answered  thus  placidly  and  discreetly, — "  Be  not  troubled, 
my  mother,  with  these  thoughts,  for  God's  plans  are  unal- 
terable. If  fate  decrees  me  a  mad  husband,  then  why 
should  any  one  be  blamed  ?  Can  you  blot  out  the  hand- 
writing of  the  Creator  ?  Then  refrain  from  profitless  re- 
proaches. 

Ghhand  11. 
Cease  from  profitless  reproaches,  uor  in  vain  bemoan  my  fate, 
I  must  go  where'er  my  destined  joys  and  sorrows  for  me  wait." 
Hearing  Uma's  pious  answer,  all  her  ladies  felt  surprise. 
Much  they  talked  of  God's  injustice,  while  the  tears  bedewed  their  eyes. 
Dohd   105. 

At  that  time  came  Narada,  and  with  him  the  sages  (for 
they  had  heard  the  news),  and  at  once  betook  themselves  to 
the  king's  palace. 

Chaupdi  98. 

Then  Narada  instructed  them  all,  and  recited  in  full 
the  past  history,  saying,  —  "  Hear,  0  Maina  !  my  words  are 
true  ;  your  daughter  is  Bhavdni,  the  mother  of  the  world, 
the  everlasting  female  energy  ;  without  birth  or  beginning  ; 
Sambhu's  inseparable  half  ;  the  creator,  supporter,  and  des- 
troyer of  the  universe  ;  who  at  will  assumes  the  semblance 
of  human  form.     First  she   was  born    in   Daksha's   house, 


CHILDHOOD.  67 

Sati  by  name,  of  excellent  beauty.  Then  as  Sati  she  married 
Sankara,  and  her  story   is   famous   throughout    the   world, 
how  once,  with  Siva,  she  met  the  sun  of  Raghu's  lotus  line 
(ie.,  R^ma),    and   in    her  infatuation    was  not  obedient  to 
Siva,  but  was  beguiled  into  assuming  the  form  of  Sita. 
Chhand  12. 
For  the  crime  of  this  assumption  she  was  widowed  many  a  day, 
Till  in  the  fire  before  her  sire  her  sins  were  burnt  away. 
Now  born  your  daughter,  for  her  lord  in  penitence  she  stayed  ; 
And  Siva  aye  shall  be  her  lord  ;  know  this,  nor  be  dismayed.  " 
Dohd  106.         "\   ^ 
On  hearing  N^rada's  explanation  the  sadness  of  all  was 
dispersed,   and   in  a  moment   his  words  were  spread  from 
house  to  house  throughout  the  city. 
Chaupdi  99. 
Then  Maina  and  Himavant  were  glad  and  fell  again  and 
again   at  Parvati's   feet.     All  the   people  of  the  city,  what- 
ever their  age,  men  and  women  alike,  were  equally  delight- 
ed.    Songs   of  joy  began   to   sound  in  the  streets ;  golden 
vases  were  displayed  ;  meats  were  dressed  in  various  ways 
according  to  the  rules  of   gastronomic  science.     But   the 
banquet  table  in  the  palace   inhabited  by  the  great  mother 
Bhav^ni  was  altogether  beyond  description.     The  marriage 
guests— Vishnu,   Brdhma   and  all   the   heavenly  orders- 
were  courteously   entreated  and  took  their  seats  line  after 
line.     Then   the  skilful   servers   began   to   serve  and  the 
women,  when  they  found  the  gods  were  sat  down,  began  to 
jest  and  banter  in  pleasant  strain. 
Chhand  13. 
In  pleasant  strain  with  dark  refrain  they  hint  at  love's  delight  ; 
Charmed  with  the  song,  the  gods  sit  long,  nor  heed  the  waning  night , 
With  growing  zest  each  jovial  guest  prolongs  the  festive  hour  : 
At  last  they  rise  ;  each  bids  adieu  and  seeks  his  separate  bovver. 

Dohd  107. 
Again  the   sages  came   and   reminded  Himavant  of  the 
marriage  ;  and  he,   seeing  the  time  was  fit,  sent    and   sum- 
moned all  the  gods, 


68  CHILDHOOD. 

Ghaupdi  100. 
Whom  he  courteously  addressed,  and  assigned  to  each 
an  appropriate  seat.  An  altar  was  prepared  according  to 
Vedic  ritual,  while  the  women  chanted  festal  strains  ;  and  a 
divinely  beautiful  throne  was  erected,  the  handiwork  of  a 
god,  beyond  description.  Then  Siva,  after  bowing  to  the 
Brihmans,  took  his  seat,  remembering  in  his  heart  his  own 
lord,  Rdma.  Then  the  sages  sent  for  Um^,  who  was  brought 
in  by  her  handmaids,  richly  adorned.  All  the  gods  behold- 
ing her  beauty  were  enraptured.  What  poet  in  the  world 
could  describe  such  loveliness !  The  divinities  who  re- 
cognized in  her  the  universal  mother,  the  spouse  of  Mah^- 
deva,  adored  her  in  their  inmost  soul — Bhav^ni,  the  crown 
of  beauty — whose  praises  would  still  be  beyond  me  even 
though  I  had  a  myriad  tongues. 

Chhand  14. 
A  myriad  tongues  were  all  too  few  to  sing  her  matchless  grace  : 
When  gods  and  muses  shrink  abashed,  for  Tulsi's  rhyme  what  place  ? 
With  downcast  eyes  the  glorious  dame  passed  up  the  hall,  and  fell, 
Bee-like,  at  Siva's  lotus  feet,  the  lord  she  loved  so  well. 

Doha  108.  \'>''^ 

At  the  injunction  of  the  priests,  both  Sambhu  and 
BhavAni  paid  divine  honours  to  Ganes.  And  let  no  one  be 
perplexed   on  hearing  this,    but   know  well   that  they  are 

gods  from  everlasting. 

Chawpai  101. 

The  whole  marriage   ceremony   was  performed  by  the 

priests  in  accordance   with   Vedic  ritual,   and   the  father, 

with  Uuia  grass  in  his  hand,  took    the  bride  and  gave  her 

to  Siva.    When  the  two  had  joined   hands,  all  the  gods 

were  glad   of  heart ;  the  chief  priests  uttered  the  scriptural 

formulae,  and  the  cry   went  up  of   "  Glory,  glory,  glory   to 

Sankara  !  "  all  kinds  of  music   began  to  play,  and   flowers 

were  rained  down   from   heaven.     Thus  was  accomplished 

the  marriage  of  Hara  and  GirijA  amidst  general   rejoicing. 

The  dowry   given   defies   description — men-servants   and 

maid-servants,  horses,  carriages,  elephants,  cows,   raiment, 


CHILDHOOD.  69 

jewellery,  things  of  all  sorts,  and  wagouloads   of  grain   and 
golden  vessels. 

Chhand  15. 

Thus  great  and  more  the  dowry's  store  that  King  Himachal  brought  ; 

Yet  falling  low  at  Siva'.s  feet  he  cried  that  all  was  nought. 

The  gracious  lord  cheered  his  sad  sire  in  every  way  most  meet, 

Then  Maina  came,  most  loving  dame,  and  clasped  his  lotus  feet  : 
Doha  109. 
"UmA,  my  lord,  is  dear  to  me  as  my  own  soul ;  take  her 
as  one  of  your  servants,  and  pardon  all  her  offences  :  this  is 
the  boon  I  beg  of  your  favour." 

Chaupdi  102. 
After  Sambhu  had  in  every  possible  way  reassured  his 
wife's  mother,  she  bowed  herself  at  his  feet  and  went  home, 
there  called  for  Umd,  and  taking  her  into  her  lap  gave  her 
this  excellent  instruction,  —  "  Be  ever  obedient  to  Sankara  ; 
to  say  *  My  lord  and  my  god  '  is  the  sum  of  all  wifely  duty." 
At  these  words  her  eyes  filled  with  tears,  and  again  and 
again  she  pressed  her  daughter  to  her  bosom,—"  Why 
has  God  created  woman  in  the  world,  seeing  that  she  is 
always  in  a  state  of  subjection,  and  never  can  even  dream 
of  happiness  ?"  Though  utterly  distracted  by  motherly 
love,  she  knew  it  was  no  time  to  display  it,  and  restrained 
herself.  Running  to  her  again  and  again,  and  falling  on 
the  ground  to  clasp  her  feet,  in  a  transport  of  affection 
beyond  all  words,  Bhavdni  said  adieu  to  all  her  companions, 
and  then  again  went  and  clung  to  her  mother's  breast. 
Chhand  16. 

Still  clinging  to  her  mother's  breast  she  cheered  her  weeping  train, 
Then  with  her  handmaids  sought  her  spouse,  yet  oft  looked  back  again. 
'  Midst  beggar's  blessing,  richly  bought,  forth  rode  the  royal  pair  : 
The  glad  gods  rained  down  flowers,  and  sounds  of  music  filled  the  air 

Dohd  110. 
Then  went  Himavant  most  lovingly  to   escort  them,  till 
with  many  words  of  consolation  Mahddeva  bid  him  return. 
Chaupdi  103. 
Then  he  came  speedily  to  the  palace,  called  all  the  hills 
and  lakes,  entreated  them  courteously  with  words  and  gifts, 


70  CHILDHOOD. 

and  allowed  them  to  depart.  They  proceeded  each  to  his 
own  realm,  and  Sambhu  arrived  at  Kail  Asa.  How  shall  I 
tell  its  delights  when  thus  occupied  by  Sambhu  and  Bha- 
vAni,  the  father  and  mother  of  the  world,  and  their  attend- 
ants ?  They  began  to  indulge  in  sport  and  dalliance,  and 
every  day  was  some  new  pleasure.  Thus  a  length  of  time 
was  passed  and  the  six-headed  child  (Kartikeya)  was  born, 
who  vanquished  in  battle  the  demon  T^raka.  His  birth  is 
sung  by  all  the  sacred  books,  and  his  deeds  are  known 
throughout  the  world. 

Ghhand  17. 
All  the  world  knows  the  story  of  the  birth  and  the  glory 

*  of   Mahddeva's   six-headed   son ; 
And   this  is   the  cause  why  so   briefly  I  pause  on  the 

generous  deeds  he  hath  done . 
Man  or  maid,  who  shall  tell,  or  sing  true  and  well,  how 

Siva  took  UmA  to  wife, 
Shall  be  happily  wed,  and,   with  blessings  bestead,  live 
at  ease  all  the  days  of  his  life. 

Dohd  111. 

The  amorous  doings  of  Girij^  and  her  beloved  are  an 
ocean-like  depth  that  not  even  the  Veda  can  sound  ;  how 
then  can  an  ignorant  clown  such  as  Tulsi  DAs  succeed  in 
describing  them  ? 

Chaupdi  104. 

When  the  sainted  BharadvAja  had  heard  all  this  pleas- 
ant and  delectable  history  of  Sambhu's  doings,  he  was  de- 
lighted and  longed  to  hear  yet  more.  With  overflowing 
eyes  and  every  limb  thrilling,  he  was  so  mastered  by  love 
that  his  tongue  could  not  utter  a  word.  On  seeing  his 
condition  the  great  sage  was  pleased, — *'  Blessed  is  thy 
birth,  to  whom  Gauri's  lord  is  dear  as  life.  He  who  loves 
not  Siva's  lotus  feet  can  never  dream  of  pleasing  Rdma :  a 
guileless  love  for  Siva's  feot  is  the  surest  sign  of  faith  in 
Rdma.  For  who  is  so  faithful  to  R^ma  as  Siva,  who  for 
no  fault  thus  left  his  wife  Sati  and  made  a  vow,  the  pledge 


*4 

her  be 


OHILDHOOt).  71 

of  unswerving  fidelity  ?     And  whom  does  Rdma  hold  more 

dear  than  Siva  ? 

Dohd  112. 

I  have  begun  by  telling  you  of  Siva's  deeds,  knowing 
well  your  secret,  that  you  are  are  a  true  servant  of  Rama, 
without  any  variableness. 

Chaupdi  105. 

I  understand  your  character  and  disposition  ;  listen 
therefore  while  I  proceed  to  recount  Rama's  adventures.  I 
cannot  say  how  glad  I  am  at  this  meeting  with  you  to-day. 
Though  Rama's  deeds  are  beyond  measure,  and  not  a 
myriad  serpent  kings  could  tell  them  all,  yet  I  repeat  the 
tale  as  it  has  been  revealed,  after  fixing  my  thoughts  on 
the  god  with  bow  in  hand,  who  is  the  lord  of  the  queen  of 
speech.  For  Sarasvati  is  as  it  were  but  a  puppet,  and  R^ma 
the  manager  who  plays  the  hidden  strings.  When  he  finds 
a  true  believer,  he  graciouly  sets  her  to  dance  in  the 
courtyard  of  the  poet's  fancy.  To  him,  the  merciful  Ragh- 
un^th,  I  bow  before  commencing  the  recital  of  his  glory.  Of 
all  mountains  the  most  beautiful  was  Kailds,  since  Siva  and 
Umd  had  made  it  their  home  :  — 

Dohd  lis.     ' 

Saints,  hermits  ascetics,  gods,    Hnnaras,  sages,  and   all 

pious  souls  came  there  to  dwell  and   adore  Mahddeva,  the 

root  of  all  good. 

Chaupdi  106. 

But  enemies  of  Hari    and   Hara,    who  had    no   love  for 

virtue,    could  never  even  in  a  dream  find   their  way  to  the 

place.     On  this  mountain  was  an  enormous  bar  tree,  which 

no  time  nor  season  could  rob  of  its  beauty  ;  ever  stirred  by 

soft,  cool,  fragrant   breezes  and  a  shade  from    the   hottest 

sun  ;  the  Vitap  tree  famous  in    sacred  song  as  Mahadeva's 

favourite  haunt.     Once  on  a  time  the  lord  had  gone  under 

it,  and  in  an  excess  of  delight  spread  with    his  own   hands 

his  tiger-skin  on  the  ground  and  there  sat  at  ease :  his  body 

as  fair  in  hue  as  the  jasmine  or  the  moon,  his  arms  of  great 


72  CHILDHOOD, 

length,  a  hermit's  cloth  wrapt  about  his  loins,  his  feet 
like  lotus  blossoms,  and  his  toe-nails  like  gleams  of  light 
to  dispel  the  darkness  of  faithful  souls ;  his  face  more 
splendid  than  the  moon  in  autumn  :  and  his  decorations, 
serpents  and  streaks  of  ashes. 

Dohd  114. 

With  his   twisted   coils   of  hair  for  a  crown ;  with   the 

Ganges  springing  from  his  head  ;  with  full-orbed   eyes  like 

the  lotus,  and   with  the  crescent    moon   on  his  brow ;  the 

dark -throated  god  shone  forth  in  all  his  brilliancy. 

Ghaupdi  107. 

So  sat  the  enemy  of  Love,  as  it  were  Quietism  embodied 
Then  Pdrvati,  who  is  the  great  mother  BhavAni,  approach- 
ed, seeing  her  time.  In  recognition  of  her  love  he  received 
her  most  courteously  and  enthroned  her  on  his  left  side. 
Joyously  she  sat  beside  him  and  recalled  her  former  life  ; 
and  reckoning  on  his  augmented  attachment  she  spoke, 
being  fain  to  hear  the  salutary  tale,  —"0  lord  of  the  world, 
my  lord  Purdri,  your  greatness  is  known  throughout  all 
three  worlds  ;  things  moving  or  motionless,  serpents,  men 
and  gods,  all  do  homage  to  your  lotus  feet. 

Dohd  115.      \W 

You  are  the  lord  of  all  power  and  of  all  knowledge  ;  the 
centre  of  art  and  science  ;  the  great  storehouse  of  medita- 
tion, of  wisdom  and  of  asceticism  ;  and  your  name  is  as  the 
tree  of  life  to  the  afflicted. 

Ghaupdi  108. 

If,  0  blissful  being,  I  have  found  favour  in  your  sight, 
and  you  know  me  to  be  your  own  devoted  slave,  then,  my 
lord,  disperse  my  ignorance  by  reciting  to  me  the  story  of 
Rfima.  How  can  he  who  dwells  beneath  the  tree  of  para- 
dise know  aught  of  sorrow  that  is  born  of  want  ?  Consider, 
0  moon-crowned  god,  and  relieve  my  mind  of  this  per- 
plexity. The  saints,  who  preach  salvation,  declare  that 
Blima  is  the  uncreated  god  ;  SeshnAg,  8arasvati,  the  Veda, 


v 


CHILDHOOD.  73 


» 


the  Pur^nas,  all  sing  his  praises  ;  you  too,  oight  and  day, 
great  conqueror  of  Love,  reverently  repeat  his  name.  Is 
this  R^ma  the  son  of  the  King  of  Avadh,  or  some  other 
uncreated,  passionless,  invisible  Being  ? 

DoM  116.  /3^ 

If  a  king's  son,  and  so  distrest  by  the  loss  of  his  wife, 
then  how  the  Supreme  God  ?  When  I  compare  his  acts 
that  I  see  with  the  eulogies  that  I  hear,  my  mind  is  com- 
pletely distracted. 

Chaupdi  109. 

Instruct  me,  my  lord,  with  regard  to  him  who  is  the 
passionless,  all-pervading,  omnipresent  god.  Be  not  wroth 
at  my  ignorance,  but  take  steps  to  remove  it.  In  the  wood, 
though  I  was  too  awe-stricken  to  tell  you,  I  beheld  the 
majesty  of  RAma,  yet  my  mind  was  so  dull  that  I  did  not 
understand,  and  1  reaped  a  just  reward.  Again  to-day  I 
am  in  doubt,  and  with  clasj)ed  hands  1  beg  of  you  to  com- 
passionate me  :  be  not  angry,  nor  say  you  have  been  taught 
already  ;  the  past  is  past  ;  my  infatuation  is  gone, 
and  I  have  a  hearty  longing  to  hear  the  sacred  story  of 
Rama's  virtuous  deeds.  Declare  it,  0  glory  of  the  serpent 
^ing.  great  lord  of  heaven. 

Dohd  117. 

Laying  my  head  in  the  dust,  I  worship   your  feet,    and 
with  folded  hands  entreat   you  to    tell    me    all  Raghubar's 
excellent  glory,  as  extracted  from  scripture  and  philosophy. 
Chaupdi  110. 

Though  a  woman  is  not  entitled  to  initiation,  yet  I  am 
in  a  special  degree  your  servant ;  further,  the  saints  do  not 
forbid  mystic  instruction  to  a  woman  in  great  distress, 
and  it  is  in  extreme  distress  that  I  call  upon  you,  heavenly 
king,  for  an  account  of  Rdma.  First,  weigh  well  and 
declare  to  me  the  cause  why  the  invisible  Brahm  assumed 
a  visible  body.  Then,  my  lord,  tell  me  of  his  incarnation 
and  his  pretty  actions  when  a  child,  and  how  he  wedded 
Jrtnaki,  and  for  what  fault  he  left  his  father's  kingdom,  and 

E-13 


74  CHILDHOOD. 

what  he  did  when  living  in  the  woods,   and  how   he  slew 
Rivan,  and  how  he  amused  himself  when  he  recovered  the 
throne  ;   tell  me  all  about  him,  most  amiable  Sankara. 
Doha  118. 

Then  tell  me,  gracious  lord,  of  his  marvellous  acts,  and 
how  with  all  his  subjects  the  jewel  of  Raghu's  line  pro- 
ceeded to  his  own  abode. 

Chaupdi  111. 

Next  tell  me,  my  lord  what  it  all  means  ;  explaining  to 
me  in  full  detail  what  is  the  intelligence  that  so  absorbs  the 
wisest  saints  ;  what  is  faith,  and  wisdom,  and  supreme 
knowledge  and  detachment  from  the  world.  Tell  me  also, 
0  lord  of  purest  understanding,  the  many  other  mysteries 
connected  with  Rdma  ;  and  if  there  ]ye  anything  which  I 
have  omitted  to  ask,  be  kind  enough  not  to  suppress  it. 
You,  as  the  Vedas  say,  are  the  great  teacher  of  the  three 
worlds  ;  what  can  other  poor  creatures  know  ?  "  When 
Siva  heard  UmA's  winning  and  guileless  speech  he  was 
glad  ;  the  whole  of  RAma*8  acts  thronged  in  upon  his  soul, 
his  eyes  were  bedewed  with  tears  and  his  very  limbs 
thrilled  with  rapture;  for  the  vision  of  Rdma  filled  his 
heart,  and  his  ecstatic  joy  was  beyond  measure. 

Doha  119. 

For  a  brief  space  MahAdeva  was   lost  in  contemplation  ; 

then  recovered  himself  and  began  with  great  joy  to  tell  the 

tale  of  RAma. 

Chaupdi  112. 

"Not  to  distinguish  between  the  false  and  the  true  'is 
like  mistaking  a  rope  for  a  snake;  while  as  a  dream 
vanishes  away  on  awakening,  so  is  it  with  those  who  look 
well  and  make  sure.  I  reverence  the  child  Rima,  most 
easy  of  access  to  all  who  repeat  his  name.  Come  to  me,  0 
home  of  bliss  and  bane  of  woe,  as  when  thou  usedst  to  sport 
in  Dasarath's  courtyard."  After  thus  paying  homage  to 
Rima,  Tripuriri  began  his  mellifluous  recital, — '*  All  bless- 
ings on  thee,  0  daughter   of  the   mountain-king,   there    is 


CHILDHOOD.  75 

no   such  benefactor   as   thou    art.     Thou    hast   asked    for 
Rdma's  history   as   potent   as  the   Ganges    to  sanctify    tlie 
world  ;  and   it    is  on    the   world's    account    that  thou  hast 
asked,  being  thyself  full  of  love  for  Rama's  feet. 
Doha  120. 

By  the  blessing  of  Rama,  0  P^rvati,  not  even  in  sleep 
can  doubt,  error,  delusion,  or  distress  enter  into  your  mind  ; 
this  1  know  well  : 

Chaupdi  113. 

But  you  have  so  ordered  your  certainty  as  to  benefit  all 
who  speak  or  hear.  For  the  ears  that  hear  not  Rama's 
name  are  mere  snake-holes  ;  the  eyes  that  have  not  seen  his 
true  vision  are  like  the  false  eyes  in  a  peacock's  tail ;  the 
heads  that  have  not  bowed  at  the  feet  of  Bari's  priest  are  of 
no  more  worth  than  bitter  pumpkins.  They  whose  heart 
is  not  inspired  with  faith  in  Hari  are  mere  animated  corp- 
ses ;  those  who  sing  not  his  praises  are  like  croaking  frogs  ; 
and  hard  and  impenetrable  as  a  thunderbolt  is  their  breast 
who  hear  his  deeds  and  take  no  delight  in  them.  Listen  0 
Girija,  to  the  deeds  of  RAma,  which  are  to  gods  a  delight 
and  to  demons  a  delusion  ? 

Dohd  121.       13"] 

Who  is  the  good  man  that  will  not  listen  to  the  story  of 
RAma,  which  is  like  the  heavenly  cow,  that  fulfils  every 
desire  of  the  gods  who  tend  it. 

Ghanpdi  121. 

The  story  of  Rdma  is  like  a  fair  pair  of  cymbals  to 
frighten  away  the  birds  of  doubt,  or  like  an  axe  at  the  root 
of  the  tree  of  sin;  listen  reverently,  0  daughter  of  the  moun- 
tain-king. How  sweet  is  the  name  of  R^ma,  and  his  ways 
and  his  deeds  ;  his  lives  and  his  actions  are  declared  by  the 
scriptures  to  be  beyond  number.  And  as  there  is  no  end 
to  RAma,  so  the  legends  about  him  and  his  glory  are 
endless  :  yet,  seeing  the  greatness  of  your  love,  I  will 
attempt  to  tell  them  to  the  best  of  my  ability  and  as  the 
scriptures  have  revealed.     Your  inquiries,  Umji,  are  most 


76  CHILDHOOD. 

becoming  and  profitable,  such  as  the  saints  approve,  and  I 
too  am  pleased  to  hear:  but  there  was  one  thing  I  did  not 
like,  though  you  spoke  under  the  influence  of  a  delusion  ; 
for  you  said,  — '  Is  there  some  other  Rama  whom  the  Vedas 
sing,  and  whom  sages  love  to  contemplate  ? ' 
Doha  122.      \'5S 

This  is  what  is  said  by  the  vile  wretches  whom  the 
demon  of  delusion  has  in  his  clutch  :  heretics,  who  are  the 
enemies  of  Uari  and  know  no  difference  between  truth  and 
falsehood. 

Ghaupdi  115. 

Ignorant,  unlearned  and  blind  reprobates  ;  the  mirror 
of  whose  mind  is  clouded  by  a  film  of  sensuality  ;  lustful, 
treacherous  and  desperately  perverse,  who  have  never  even 
in  a  dream  attained  to  a  vision  of  true  faith.  They  utter 
doctrines  repugnant  to  the  Veda,  with  no  understanding  of 
loss  or  gain  ;  their  glass  Is  dim,  their  eyes  are  naught :  how 
then  can  such  hapless  wights  see  the  beauty  of  RAma  ? 
Unable  to  distinguish  between  the  material  and  immaterial, 
they  jabber  many  lying  words,  and  under  Hari's  delusive 
influence  go  utterly  astray  in  the  world  ;  for  whom  no 
words  are  too  strong.  Windy,  devilish,  drunken,  they  can 
utter  nothing  to  the  purpose,  and  are  so  intoxicated  with  a 
strong  delusion  that  no  one  should  give  ear  to  their 
ravings.  ..c^^ 

Soarthd  10.      ' 

Being  thus  assured  in  your  heart,  discard  all  doubt  and 
fall  in  adoration  at  Rama's  feet.  Listen,  0  daughter  of  the 
mountain-king,  and  the  sun  of  my  words  shall  disperse  all 
the  mists  from  your  soul. 

Ghaupdi  116. 

There  is  no  difference  between  the  material  and  the 
immaterial  ;  so  declare  saints  and  sages,  the  Veda  and  the 
Purdnas.  The  formless,  invisible  and  uncreated  Immaterial, 
out  of  love  for  the  faithful,  becomes  materialized.  How  can 
this  be  ?  In  the  same  way  as  water  is  crystallized  into  ice- 


CHILDHOOD.  77 

But  how  can  He  be  subject  to  sensual  detusion  whose  very 
name  is  like  the  sun  to  disperse  the  darkness  of  error  ?  In 
Rdma,  who  is  the  Supreme  Being  and  the  sun  of  the  world, 
the  night  of  delusion  can  have  no  part  whatever  ;  and  in 
the  Lord,  who  is  himself  true  light,  there  can  be  no  dawn 
of  understanding  ;  neither  joy  nor  sorrow,  knowledge  nor 
ignorance ;  neither  personal  piety,  nor  the  sins  of  vanity 
and  pride  :  but  Rama  is  the  omnipresent  God,  the  blissful 
Lord  of  all,  the  ancient  of  days  ;  ^  A 

Dohd\2S.         ■ 

The  Great  Spirit,  the  glorious  fount  of  light  ;  the 
Revealed,  the  Incomprehensible,  the  jewel  of  the  family  of 
Raghu,  my  own  lord  :",  and  so  saying  Siva  bowed  the 
head. 

Chaupdi  117. 

"  Fools  do  not  perceive  their  own  error,  but  senselessly 
attribute  delusion  to  the  lord  ;  like  simple  folk,  who,  seeing 
a  clouded  s'?y,  say  that  the  sun  itself  is  dim,  or  who  gaze 
at  the  moon  through  their  finsfers  and  fancy  they  see  it 
doubled.  0  Umel,  delusion  affects  R^ma  in  the  same  way 
as  smoke,  or  a  cloud,  or  dust  affects  the  brightness  of  the 
heavens.  The  five  objects  of  sense,  the  organs  of  sense, 
the  gods  of  sense,  as  well  as  the  soul,  are  all  in  their  degree 
possessed  of  intelligence  ;  ^  but  the  great  enlightener  of 
them  all  is  the  eternal  Rdma,  the  lord  of  Avadh.  Whatever 
in  the  world  is  susceptible  of  enlightenment,  Rama  enligh- 
tens ;  every  delusion  is  subject  to  him  :  in  him  centre  all 
knowledge  and  virtue  ;  and  by  his  truth  the  dulness  of 
material  creation  shines  bright  as  the  Ideal,  the  senses 
contributing  to  the  deception. 

Doha  124:.      /¥' 

Though  false  as  the  gleam  of  a  polished  shell,  or  as  a 
mirage  caused  by  the  sun's  rays,  yet  no  one,  at  any  time, 
past,  present  or  future,  can  rid  himsf^lf  of  the  delusion. 

1  Even  inanimate  nature  has  an  uncons(;i()us  intellifretice  ;  reason. 
'  order  and  activity  pervade  the  material  universe,  the  mineral  as  well 
as  the  animal  and  vegetable  kingdoms. — Mivart. 


78  CHILDHOOD. 

(haupdi  188. 
And  such  is  the  world  in  its  connection  with  Hari  :  yet 
though  unreal  it  can  cause  pain;  in  the  same  way  as  a 
man  who  dreams  that  his  head  is  cut  off,  is  in  pain  till  he 
awakes.  None  can  declare  his  beginning  or  his  end,  though 
holy  scripture  has  hymned  him  as  best  it  could.  He  moves 
without  feet, I  he  hears  without  ears,  and  works  in  manifold 
ways,  yet  without  hands.  Without  a  mouth  lie  enjoys  all 
tastes,  and  without  a  voice  is  the  aptest  of  speakers ;  he  can 
see  without  eyes,  touch  without  limbs,  and  without  a  nose 
catch  every  scent.  His  actions  are  thus  in  every  way 
supernatural,  and  his  greatness  is  utterly  beyond  descrip- 
tion. ^ 
Doha  125.     m^ 

He  whom  Scripture  and  Philosophy  have  thus  sungf,  and 
whom  the  saints  love  to  contemplate  ;    even  the  Lord    GoD  ; 
he  is  the  son  of  Dasarath,  the  beneficent  King  of  Kosala. 
Chaupdi  119. 

By  the  power  of  his  name  I  exalt  to  the  regioris  of  the 
blest  any  creature  whom  I  see  dying  at  K^si  ;  he  is  the 
sovereign  of  all  creation,  animate  and  inanimate,  my  lord 
Raghubar,  who  reads  all  hearts.  By  repeating  his  name 
the  most  abandoned  of  sinners  cancels  the  accumulated 
crimes  of  many  previous  existences  ;  and  by  those  who 
devoutly  meditate  upon  him  the  ocean  of  life  is  as  easily 
crossed  as  a  puddle  in  the  road.  Rama,  0  Bhav<ini,  is  the 
Supreme  Spirit,  and  the  error  to  which  you  gave  utterance 
on  this  point  was  most  improper.  Such  doubt,  when 
entertained  in  the  heart,  destroys  knowledge,  sobriety  and 
every  virtue."  On  hearing  Siva's  luminous  exposition,  the 
whole  structure  of  heresy  fell  to  pieces  ;  her  love  and  devo- 
tion to  Raghupati  grew  strong,  and  her  sore  incredulity 
passed  away. 


1    None  hath  beheM  hini,  none, 
8epn  above  other  goHs  anH  shapes  of  things, 
Swift  without  feet  and  fl/ing  without  wings. 

— Swinburns. 


CHILDHOOD.  7Q 

Dohd  126.     ft^  3 

Again  and  again,  clasping  her  lord's  lotus  feet  and  sup- 
pliantly  folding  her  hands,  her  whole  soul  overflowing  with 
affection,  Girij^  thus  spoke  and  said, — 
Chaupdi  120. 

"  My  grievous  delusion,  like  the  feverish  heat  of  autumn, 
has  yielded  to  the  moon-like  spell  of  your  voice.  In  your 
compassion  you  have  removed  all  my  doubt,  and  1  now 
understand  the  very  Rdma.  By  my  lord's  mercy  my  dis- 
tress is  all  gone,  and  I  am  made  glad  by  his  favour.  Now 
regarding  me  as  your  own  immediate  servant,  though  I 
am  but  a  poor  ignorant  woman,  if  I  have  really  found  grace 
in  your  sight,  reply  to  those  my  former  questions.  If  R^ma 
is  the  invisible  and  immortal  God,  without  parts  and 
passions,  and  whose  temple  is  the  heart,  why  did  he  take 
the  form  of  a  man  ?  Declare  and  explain  this  to  me."  On 
hearing  Umd's  modest  speech,  and  perceiving  her  sincere 
desire  to  be  instructed  in  Rama's  history, 

Ihhd  127.  /^*/ 

The  all-wise  Sankara,  the  destroyer  of  Kdmadeva,  was 
glad  of  heart,  and  with  many  words  of  praise  was  thus 
pleased  to  speak, —  ^ 

Sorathd  11-  13.       ^^>'"''    f^^ 

"  Listen,  Bhavani,  while  1  recite  in  auspicious  strains 
the  Rdm-charit-manas,  or  pure  lake  of  Rdma's  deeds,  as  of 
old  Bhusundi^  declared  it  in  the  hearing  of  Garur,  the  king 
of  the  birds.  First  I  will  relate  the  manner  of  their  exalted 
converse,  after  which  you  shall  hear  of  Rdma's  incarnation 
and  his  all-glorious  and  sinless  deeds.  Hari's  virtues  and 
names  are  infinite,  and  his  history  and  his  manifestation 
beyond  number  or  measure ;  I  tell  them  as  best  I  can; 
listen,  Umd  with  respect. 

1  Kdka-kihnsuiifii,  oiiinuall}^  a  5Su(1ra  of  A.yodhya,  was  by  virtue  of  his 
birth  in  that  bolv  place  and  the  intercession  of  a  saint  of  Ujjain  born  again 
as  a  Bid  man  His  exclusive  demotion  to  H&ma  could  not  suffer  him  to 
lisien  to  the  Hishi  Lonias  whtn  he  made  Brahin  the  theme  of  his  discourse, 
and  the  sage  was  so  annoyed  that  he  cbanfred  him  for  a  time  into  a  crow 
{Adka).     His  story  is  told  at  length  in  Book  VI (. 


80  CHILDHOOD. 

Chaupdi  121. 
Listen,  GirijA,  to  the  grateful  tale  of  Hari's  great  and 
holy  acts,  as  they  liave  been  recorded  in  the  scriptures.  The 
cause  of  Hari's  incarnation  is  not  to  be  dogmatically 
defined  ;  for  to  my  mind,  Bhavdni,  E^ma  is  beyond  the 
grasp  of  intellect,  or  soul,  or  speech  ;  yet,  as  saints  and 
sages,  the  Veda  and  the  Purtinas  have  partly  and  to  the 
extent  of  their  capacity  explained  the  matter,  so  I,  fair 
dame,  will  now  declare  to  you  the  cause  as  I  understand  it. 
Whenever  virtue  decays,  and  evil  spirits,  waxing  strong  in 
pride,  work  iniquity  that  cannot  be  told,  to  the  confusion 
of  Br^hmans,  cows,  gods  and  earth  itself,  the  compassion- 
ate Lord  assumes  some  new  bodily  form  ;  relieves  the 
distress  of  the  faithful  ; 

Dohd  128. 

Destroys  the  evil  spirits  ;  reinstates  the  gods  ;  maintains 
the  way  of  salvation  ;  and  diffuses  the  brightness  of  his 
glory  throughout  the  world.  Such  are  the  motives  of  Rama's 
incarnations. 

Chaupdi  122. 

Singing  his  glory,  the  saints  escape  the  waves  of  life, 
and  it  is  for  their  sake  only  that  the  Compassionate  assumes 
a  body.  The  causes  of  Rtima's  incarnations  have  been 
many  and  various,  each  more  wonderful  than  the  other. 
I  will  relate  one  or  two  of  his  previous  births,  if,  Bhavdni, 
you  are  prepared  to  give  me  your  devout  attention.  Hari 
had  once  two  loving  door-keepers,  the  famous  Jaya  and 
Bijaya  :  both  brothers,  in  consequence  of  a  Brahman's 
curse,  were  born  again  in  the  form  of  the  malignant  demons 
Hiranya-kasipu  and  Hirany^ksha,  who  became  celebrated 
throughout  the  world  as  the  tamers  of  the  pride  of  the  king 
of  heaven.  Incarnate  as  a  Boar,  he  triumphed  in  battle 
over  the  first  illustrious  hero  and  destroyed  him,  and  again, 
in  the  Narsinh  avatAr,  slew  the  second  ;  the  fame  of  the 
laithful  PrahUd  is  widespread. 


If 


CHILDHOOD.  8^1 


Dohd  129. 

Then  the  evil  spirits  went  and  took   birth   as   the  bold 
and  powerful  warriors  Kumbha-karn  and  R^van,    who,  as 
all  the  world  knows,  subdued  even  the  gods. 
Chaupdi  123. 

Though  killed  by  the  deity,  they  did  not  attain  to  salva- 
tion, for  the  Brahman  had  doomed  them  to  three  births. 
They  then  were  once  the  cause  why  the  cherisher  of  the 
faithful  assumed  a  body,  and  at  that  time  his  parents 
Kasyapa  and  Aditi  were  incarnate  as  Dasarath  and 
Kausalya  of  glorious  memory.  Thus  it  was  that  in  that 
age  of  the  world  he  descended  from  heaven  and  wrought 
savingf  deeds  on  earth.  In  another  age,  seeing  the  gods 
distrest  and  waging  ineffectual  battle  with  Jalandhar, 
Sambhu  warred  against  him  times  without  number,  but 
could  not  subdue  the  valiant  giant,  for  the  exceeding  virtue 
of  his  wife  protected  him  against  Pur^ri's  every  attack. 

Dohd  130. 
By  a  stratagem  the  Lord    broke    her   vow  and   effected 
the  will  of  the  gods.     When  she  discovered  the  deception, 
then  in  her  wrath  she  cursed  him. 

Chaupdi  124. 
And  Flari  did  according  to  her  curse  ;  for  though  the 
Lord  God,  he  is  full  of  playfulness  and  of  mercy.  So  Jalan- 
dhar was  born  as  Rdvan,  and  being  killed  in  battle  by  Rdma 
attained  to  high  glory.  This  then  was  the  cause  of  one  birth 
and  the  reason  why  Rama  then  assumed  a  human  form. 
Each  avatiir  has  its  legend,  which  the  poets  have  sung  in 
various  ways  and  according  to  tradition.  *'  On  one  occasion 
it  was  N^rad's  curse  that  caused  him  to  become  incarnate." 
At  this  saying  Girijd  was  astounded,— "  Ndrad  is  a  wise 
saint  and  a  votary  of  Vishnu's  ;  what  was  his  reason  for 
uttering  a  curse  ?  What  offence  had  Lakshmi's  lord  com- 
mitted ?  Tell  me  the  whole  story,  PurAri ;  it  is  passing 
strange  that  a  saint  should  be  subject  to  passion." 

R-14 


^  CHILDHOOD. 

Dohd  131.    irf 

Then  answered  Mahddeva  with  a  smile, — "There  is 
neither  wise  wor  fool ;  man  is  ever  such  as  Raghupati  will 
have  him  to  be. 

Sorathd  14.       I^'^ 

I  sing  the  glory  of  Rima;   listen   devoutly,  0  Bharad- 
v^ja ;  and  do  thou,  0  Tulsi,  put  away    the    intoxication   of 
pride  and  worship  Raghundth,  the  destroyer  of  death. 
Chaupdi  125. 

In  the  Himalaya  mountains  is  a  very  sacred  cave  close 
to  the  holy  Ganges.  Seeing  this  pure  and  delightful  her- 
mitage, the  divine  sage  N^rad  was  greatly  pleased  ;  and  as 
he  gazed  upon  the  beauty  of  the  rocks  and  the  forest  glades 
he  was  filled  with  love  to  God,  and  as  he  thought  upon 
Hari  the  curse  was  broken i  and  his  spotless  soul  fell  all  at 
once  into  a  trance.  When  the  king  of  heaven  saw  the  sage's 
state  he  feared,  and  in  terms  of  high  respect  addressed 
himself  to  Kdmadeva, — "  Go,  I  beg,  with  your  assistant.'* 
He  then,  the  god  of  love,  went  very  gladly  ;  but  in  Indra's 
mind  was  great  alarm,  for  he  thought,—'  The  saint  would 
rob  me  of  my  kingdom.'  All  the  world  over,  a  gallant  or  a 
miser  is  as   much  afraid  of   interference   as  is   a  thievish 

crow. 

Dohd  132. 
Like  a  wretched    dog  that  on  seeing  a  lion  runs  away 
with  the  dry  bone  it  has  in  its   mouth,  for  fear  it  should  be 
taken  from  him,  so  was  Indra  in  his  shamelessness. 

Chaupdi  126. 
.  •  When  Love  reached  the  hermitage,  his  deceptive 
power  created  a  false  spring.  All  the  trees  broke  out  into 
many-coloured  blossoms,  there  was  a  murmuring  of  cuckoos 
and  a  humming  of  bees.  A  delightful  air,  soft,  cool  and 
fragrant,  sprung  up,  fanning  the  flame  of  desire  ;  while 
Rambhd  and  the  other  heavenly  nymphs,  all  well  skilled 
in  the  art  of  love,  began  singing  songs  in  every  variety  of 
1  The  curse  had  been  pronoanced  by  Daksba. 


ri 


CHILDHOOD.  83 


measure  and  disporting  themselves  in  the  dance  with 
waving  hands.  When  Love  saw  himself  so  well  supported, 
he  was  glad  and  again  manifested  his  creative  power  in 
diverse  ways  ;  but  his  devices  had  no  effect  upon  the  saint  ; 
and  guilty  Love  began  to  tremble  for  himself.  Who  dare 
trespass  on  his  bounds  who  has  the  great  Ramapati  for  a 
guardian  ? 

In    dire    dismay  both   Kamadeva    and    his  accomplice 

confessed  themselves  defeated,  and  went   and    clasped    the 

holy  man's  feet,  addressing  him  in  accents  of  the  deepest 
humility. 

Chaupdi  127. 

There  was  no  anger  in  Narad's  soul,  who  in  friendly 
terms  replied  to  KAmadeva  and  reassured  him.  Then,  bow- 
ing the  head  at  his  feet  and  accepting  his  commands,  they 
both  retired,  the  god  and  his  companion  ;  and  repairing  to 
Indra's  court  there  related  all  their  own  doings  and  the 
saint's  clemency.  As  they  listened  to  the  tale  all  were  as- 
tonished, and  bowing  the  head  to  Hari  extolled  the  saint. 
Then  went  N^rad  to  Siva,  greatly  proud  of  his  victory  over 
Love,  and  told  him  all  Love's  doings.  In  acknowledgment 
of  his  affection  Mah*ideva  gave  him  good  advice,—"  0  great 
saint,  again  and  again  I  beg  of  you  never  to  repeat  to  Hari 
this  story  that  you  have  now  told  me  :  should  it  happen  to 
be  brought  forward,  keep  it  as  dark  as  possible." 
Doha  134. 

Good  as  the  advice  was,  it  did  not  please  Ndrad.  0 
Bharadvdja,  listen  to  the  strange  recital  and  see  the  strength 
of  Hari's  will. 

Chaupdi  128. 

What  R^ma  wills  to  have  done  is  done,  and  there  is  no 
one  who  can  alter  it.  As  Sambhu's  words  did  not  please 
the  saint,  he  went  straight  to  Brahma's  court,  and,  to  the 
accompaniment  of  the  famous  lute  that  he  had  in  his  hand, 
sang   right   through  the   excellent  song   of  Hari's  praises. 


84  CHILDHOOD. 

Then  he  passed  on  to  the  milky  ocean,  where  abides  Vishnu, 
the  glory  of  revelation.  The  Lord  ran  to  meet  him  in  great 
joy,  and  side  by  side  they  sat  ogether.  Said  the  sovereign 
of  the  universe  with  a  smile, — *  Reverend  sir,  'tis  long 
since  you  last  did  me  this  honour.'  Then  Ndrad  declared  all 
Love's  doings,  though  Siva  had  beforehand  cautioned  him  ; 
the  deceptive  power  of  Raghupati  is  so  strong  that  there  is 
no  man  living  who  can  resist  it.  i  , 

Dohd  135.    V  ^ 

Then  spoke  the  great  god,  with  an  austere  look,  but  in 
flattering  terms, — *' Seli-delusion  and  the  intoxicating  arro- 
gance of  love  shall  perish  at  the  rmembrance  of  your 
doings.^ 

Ghaupdi  129. 

Know,  0  saint,  that  infatuation  prevails  in  a  soul  that  is 
devoid  of  wisdom  and  self-control;  but  what  pain  can  Love 
cause  to  one  so  steadfast  in  asceticism  as  yourself?  "  Said 
Ndrad  in  his  pride,  —  '  It  is  all  your  favour,  my  Lord.'  The 
Compassionate  saw  into  his  heart  and  thought  within  him- 
self,—** Pride  like  a  huge  tree  has  sprouted  in  his  soul :  I 
must  at  once  tear  it  up  by  the  roots ;  ever  to  relieve  my  ser- 
vants is  the  vow  that  I  have  made.  I  will  surely  contrive 
some  sportive  device  on  behalf  of  the  saint."  Then  Ndrad 
bowed  his  head  at  Hari's  feet  and  took  his  leave,  swelling 
with  pride  ;  while  Vishnu  gave  orders  to  the  spirit  of  delu- 
sion. Listen  now  to  his  strange  contrivance. 
Dohd  136.    .  's^^ 

He  constructed  on  the  road  a  city  a  hundred  leagues  in 
circumference,  with  everything  more  perfect  than  even  in 
Vishnu's  own  capital, 

1  "Siva's  speech  is  so  ambiguously  worded  that  it  really  conveys  a  censure, 
while  Ndrad  interprets  it  as  a  compliment.  The  hidden  meaning  is : 
Hereafter  when  you  Reflect  upon  this  incident  and  all  its  consequences, 
you  will  take  a  lesson  by  it  and  be  more  humble,  remembering  your  weakness; 
but  the  more  obvious  meaning  of  the  words  and  that  in  which  Narad  took 
them  is :  By  meditating  on  your  triumph  over  Love,  other  men  will  triumph 
too. 


CHILDHOOD.  85 

Ghaupdi  130. 

And  inhabitbd  by  such  graceful  men  and  women  that 
you  would  take  tliem  all  to  be  incarnations  of  K^madeva  and 
Rati.  The  king  of  the  city,  by  name  Sila-nidhi,  had  horses, 
elephants  and  troops  beyond  number  ;  his  royal  pomp  like 
that  of  a  hundred  Indras  ;  himself  a  centre  of  power,  policy 
and  magnificence.  His  daughter  Visva-mohaui  was  so 
beautiful  that  even  Lakshmi  would  be  put  to  the  blush  and 
by  Hari's  delusive  power  was  in  every  way  so  exquisite  that 
no  words  could  describe  her.  As  the  princess  was  selecting 
a  husband,  kings  beyond  number  came  as  suitors.  The 
saint,  too,  came  to  the  fairy  city  and  began  making  inquiries 
of  the  people.  When  he  had  heard  all  that  was  going  on,  he 
proceeded  to  the  palace,  where  the  king  most  respectfully 
gave  him  a  seat,  . 

Doha  137.    /  i>^ 

And  then  brought  his  daughter  for  him  to  see,  saying, — 

*  Tell  me,  good  sir,  after  consideration,  all  that  is  good  or  bad 

about  her.' 

Ghaupdi  131. 

When  Ndrad  saw  her  beauty,  he  forgot  his  vow  of  chas- 
tity and  continued  long  gazing  upon  her.  Her  features 
quite  fascinated  him  ;  yet  he  would  not  in  words  express  his 
heart's  delight.  "  Her  bridegroom  must  be  one  of  the  im- 
mortals, invincible  in  battle,  reverenced  by  all  creation ;  such 
a  one  must  Sila-nidhi's  daughter  wed."  But,  though  he 
calculated  her  fortune  thus  correctly,  he  kept  it  to  himself, 
and  after  saying  something  or  other  to  the  king,  to  the  effect 
that  his  daughter  would  be  of  good  fortune,  he  went  away 
full  of  anxiety,  considering,—*'  What  scheme  can  I  devise 
now,  so  as  to  make  her  marry  me?  No  time  is  this  for  prayers 
or  penance  ;  good  God,  how  am  I  to  get  the  girl  ? 
Dohd  138.       C    ' 

I  must  on  this  occasion  make  myself  exceedingly  charm- 
ing and  beautiful,  so  that  the  princess  may  be  pleased 
when  she  sees  me  and  give  me  the  wreath  of  victory. 


86  CHILDHOOD. 

Chaupdi  132. 

I  will  ask  Hari  for  the  gift  of  beauty  ;  in  going  to  him 
there  will  be  much  delay  ;  but  I  have  no  other  such  friend, 
and  this  is  an  opportunity  for  him  to  help  me"  So  he 
offered  up  a  fervent  prayer  and  the  merciful  Lord  appeared 
to  him  in  a  vision.  The  saint's  eyes  brightened  at  the  sight 
and  he  rejoiced  in  heart,  saying,—*  My  object  will  be  accom- 
plished.' He  then  with  the  utmost  humility  told  his  tale, 
and  added, — '*0,  my  Lord,  be  gracious  and  assist  me. 
Bestow  on  me  beauty  equal  to  your  own  ;  for  in  no  other 
way  can  I  get  possession  of  her.  Make  haste  to  accomplish 
my  success  ;  for  lo,  I  am  your  slave."  When  the  Compas- 
sionate saw  the  mighty  influence  of  the  deception  he  had 
wrought,  he  smiled  to  himself  : 

Dohd  139. 

"  Hear,  0  N^rad  ;  I  will  assuredly   bring   about   your 

highest  good— that  and  naught  else;   nor  shall   my    words 

prove  vain. 

Chaupdi  133. 

If  a  sick  man  in  the  weariness  of  disease  ask  for  what 
will  harm,  mark  me,  holy  ascetic,  the  physician  will  not 
grant  it.  In  the  same  way  will  I  act  as  is  best  for  you." 
So  saying  the  Lord  vanished.  The  saint  was  so  demented 
by  the  power  of  the  delusion  that  he  did  not  understand 
Hari's  hidden  meaning,  but  hastened  at  once  to  the  spot 
where  the  marriage  arena  had  been  prepared.  The  R^jas 
were  seated  rank  upon  rank,  each  with  his  retinue  in  grand 
attire.  The  saint  thought  joyfully  within  himself, — *  My 
beauty  is  such  that  she  will  never  leave  me  to  wed  another.* 
But  the  merciful  God,  the  saint's  true  friend,  had  made  him 
hideous  beyond  all  description.  Every  one  recognized  him 
as  N^rad  and  bowed  the  head,  knowing  nothing  of  what  had 
taken  place. 

Doha  140. 

Now  there  were  there  two  of  Siva's  attendants  who 
knew  the  whole  secret.  Dressed  like  Br^hmans,  they  seemed 


II 


CHILDHOOD.  87 


to  be  spectators  of  the   show,   walking  here  and  there  and 

looking  about. 

Chaupdi  134. 
Both  went  and  sat  down  in  the  same  group  with  the  saint 
so  proud  of  his  beauty  ;  and  in  their  Br^hmanical  attire 
they  attracted  no  notice.  They  say  in  jest  so  that  Ndrad 
might  hear,  —  'Hari  has  given  this  man  such  excellent  beauty 
that  the  princess  will  be  charmed  with  his  appearance  and 
will  certainly  wed  him,  taking  him  for  Hari  himself.'  The 
saint  was  so  utterly  subjugated  by  passion  that  Sambhu's 
servants  could  laugh  and  jeer  as  they  liked,  and  though  he 
heard  their  mockery,  his  intellect  was  too  bewildered  to 
understand  it.  No  one  perceived  the  transformation  save 
only  the  princess,  who,  on  beholding  him  just  as  he  was  with 
his  monkey  face  and  deformed  body,  was  quite  disgusted  at 
the  sight, 

Dohd  141. 

And  with  her  handmaids  glided  like  a  swan  through 
the  long  line  of  kings  with  the  wreath  of  victory  in  her 
lotus  hands. 

Chaupdi  135. 

She  would  not  let  her  eyes  rest  for  a  moment  on  the  spot 
where  NArad  was  sitting  in  his  pride.  The  saint  in  his 
anxiety  kept  fidgetting  about,  and  Siva's  attendants  smiled 
to  see  the  state  he  was  in.  Then  entered  the  Compassionate, 
in  form  as  a  king,  and  gladly  the  princess  cast  on  him  the 
garland.  Thus  Lakshmi's  lord  carried  off  the  bride,  to 
the  despair  of  the  assembled  kings.  The  saint  was  much 
disturbed  ;  in  his  infatuation  his  reason  was  quite  gone, 
like  a  diamond  dropt  out  of  a  hole  in  a  bag.  Then  Siva's 
attendants  said  with  a  smile,— 'Get  a  glass  and  look  at 
yourself;  and  having  so  said  both  ran  away  in  great  alarm. 
The  saint  looked  at  his  reflection  in  the  water.  When  he 
saw  himself,  he  was  furious  and  cursed  them  with  a  grievous 
curse  : 


88  CHILDHOOD. 

J  \ 

Dohd  142.      ^'  " 

*  Go  false  and  guilty  pair,  and  take  birth  as  demons  of 
the  night.  Be  this  your  reward  for  mocking  me ;  mock 
again  a  saint,  if  you  dare.' 

Chaupdi  136. 

Looking  again  in  the  water  he  saw  himself  in  his  proper 
form  ;  yet  still  he  was  not  content  at  heart,  but  his  lip 
quivered  with  rage,  and  in  haste  he  betook  himself  to 
Vishnu.  'Shall  I  curse  him  or  kill  myself,  seeing  that  he 
has  made  a  mock  of  me  throughout  the  world  ?'  On  the  way 
the  conqueror  of  demons  met  him,  and  with  him  RAma 
and  the  princess.  With  a  smile  and  in  gentle  tones  he  said, 
— *  Where  goes  the  saint,  like  one  distracted  ?'  On  hearing 
these  words,  his  anger  rose,  and  infatuation  utterly  mas- 
tered his  reason,  -*'  You  never  could  bear  to  look  upon 
another's  prosperity;  your  envy  and  deceit  are  notorious; 
at  the  churning  of  the  ocean  you  drove  Siva  mad  and  made 
the  gods  quafE  the  poisoned  cup.         . 

Dohd  143.   \\r^ 

Intoxicating  liquor  was  the  demon's  share,  and  the 
poison  was  for  Mah^deva  ;  but  for  yourself  Rima  and  the 
Kauatuhha  jewel.  You  have  ever  been  selfish  and  perverse 
and  treacherous  in  your  dealings. 

Chaupdi  137. 

Utterly  self-willed,  with  no  one  over  you,  and  bent  on 
doing  whatever  comes  into  your  mind;  confounding  the 
good  and  exalting  the  bad  ;  with  a  heart  incapable  either  of 
surprise  or  pleasure  ;  trying  every  one  with  your  tricks, 
without  the  slightest  consideration  and  in  mere  lightness  of 
heart.  Neither  good  deeds  nor  bad  in  any  way  affect  you, 
nor  has  any  one  up  to  the  present  ever  succeeded  in  restrain- 
ing you.  Now  for  this  fine  treat  that  you  have  given  me  you 
shall  receive  a  due  return.  Be  born  in  the  form  in  which 
you  have  now  imposed  upon  me ;  this  is  my  curse.  And  as 
you  have  made  me  like  a  monkey,  you  shall  have  monkeys 
for  helpmates ;  and  in  the  same  way   as  you   have   sorely 


CHILDHOOD.  89 

wronged  me,  so  shall  you  be  distrest  by  the  loss  of  your 
wife.'*  A* 

Doha  144.   !  ^'^ 

The  lord  gladly  accepted  the  curse,  thus  working  the 
will  of  the  gods,  and  in  his  compassion  withdrew  the  in- 
fluence of  his  deceptive  power. 

Ghaupdi  138. 

When  this  was  removed,  there  appeared  neither  RamA 
nor  the  princess ;  and  the  saint  fell  in  great  fear  at  the  feet 
of  Hari,  ever  ready  to  heal  the  sorrows  of  a  suppliant,  cry- 
ing,—" May  my  curse  be  made  of  no  effect."  Said  the  gra- 
cious god, — '  It  is  my  will.'  Said  the  saint,—'  I  have  spo- 
ken many  injurious  words  ;  how  shall  my  guilt  be  expiated?' 
"  Go  and  repeat  Sankara's  hundred  names,  and  your  soul 
will  at  once  be  relieved.  There  is  no  one  so  dear  to  me  as 
Siva;  never  let  your  faith  in  this  truth  be  shaken.  He  on 
whom  Siva  will  not  show  mercy  shall  never  know  true  love 
to  me.  Think  on  this  as  you  wander  over  the  earth;  the 
delusion  haunts  you  no  longer."  \  i 

DohdU5.     \V>^ 

Having  thus  reassured  the  saint,  the  lord  disappeared, 
and  N^rad  took  his  way  to  Paradise,  chanting  Rama's  prai- 
ses as  he  went. 

Chaupdi  139. 

Siva's  two  followers  saw  him  on  the  road  rejoicing  and 
in  his  right  mind.  In  great  alarm  they  drew  near,  and 
clasping  his  feet  made  their  supplication  :  "  0  great  saint 
we  are  not  Brdhmans,  but  servants  of  Mah^deva,  and  have 
reaped  the  fruit  of  our  great  sin  :  in  your  mercy  remove  the 
curse."  Said  the  compassionate  Ndrad, — "  You  must  both 
be  born  as  demons  of  vast  power,  majesty  and  strength ; 
but  when  you  have  subdued  the  universe  by  the  might  of 
your  arm,  Vishnu  shall  take  upon  him  human  form,  and 
dying  in  battle  at  his  hands  you  shall  attain  to  salvation, 
nor  ever  be  born  again."  After  bowing  their  head  at  his  feet, 
both  went  their  way  and  in  due  course  were  born  as  demons. 

R-15 


90  CHILDHOOD. 

!i  < 
Doha  146.     1  iJ 

In  one  age  this  was  the  reason  why  the  lord  became  in- 
carnate, to  gladden  the  gods,  to  comfort  the  saints,  and  to 
ease  earth  of  its  burdens. 

Chaiipdi  140. 

Thus  Hari's  births  and  actions  are  many  and  various, 
but  all  of  them  glorious  and  beneficent.  In  every  age  he 
has  manifested  himself  and  wrought  many  excellent  works ; 
and  on  each  occasion  great  saints  have  sung  his  acts  in 
holy  strains  of  choicest  verse,  relating  marvellous  histories 
of  diverse  kinds,  which  the  wise  h^ar  without  any  amaze- 
ment. For  as  Hari  is  without  end,  so  are  there  endless 
verses  about  him,  which  are  heard  and  repeated  by 
scripture  and  the  faithful.  The  delightful  adventures  of 
R^mchandra  could  not  all  be  sung  in  a  myriad  ages.  This 
story  that  I  have  now  told,  Bhavdni  shows  how  Hari's  decep- 
tive power  can  infatuate  even  saints  and  sages.  He,  the 
lord,  is  sportive,  gracious  to  suppliants,  accessible  to  his 
servants,  and  a  remover  of  all  sorrow,  i  o 
Sorathd  15.     ^  v 

There  is  neither  god,  man,  nor  saint  whom  unreality 
has  not  infatuated.  Reflect  upon  this  and  worship  the 
great  master  of  the  unreal. 

Chaupdi  141. 

Hear,  0  daughter  of  the  Himalaya,  a  second  reason, 
which  I  will  proceed  to  relate  at  full  length,  why  the  un- 
created, the  passionless,  the  incomparable  Brahm  became 
King  of  Kosala.  The  lord,  whom  you  saw  roaming  in  the 
forest  with  his  brother  in  hermit's  attire ;  at  whose  doings, 
Bhav^ni,  you  in  Sati's  form  lost  your  senses,  and  still  to 
this  day  have  a  touch  of  disease  ;  the  recital  of  his  adven- 
tures will  heal  all  your  sickness.  All  his  sportive  acts  in 
that  incarnation  I  am  now  about  to  tell  as  best  I  can." 
0  BharadvAja,  on  hearing  Sankara  thus  speak,  the  modest 
and  affectionate  Um^  smiled  for  joy,  while  her  lord  con- 
tinued,— **  the  cause  of  the  incarnation. 


CHILDHOOD.  91 

Dohd  147.    ^  ^  " ' 

I   am    now   about   to  explain  (listen,  great  saint,  with 
attention  to  the  delightful  story  of  Rdma,  which  can  cleanse 
all  the  stains  of  the  world  and  bring  man  to  heaven). 
Chaupdi  142. 

Manu,  the  son  of  the  self-existing,  had  to  wife  Satariipa, 
and  of  them  were  born  the  whole  human  race  ;  even  to  this 
day  the  fame  of  their  wirtue  and  conjugal  fidelity  is  cele- 
brated in  the  scriptures.  Their  son  was  KingUttdnap^da, 
who  begot  Hari's  faithful  client  Dhruva.  The  younger  son, 
by  name  Priya-vrata,  is  mentioned  with  praise  both  by  the 
Vedas  and  Pur^nas.  Their  daughter,  Devahuti,  became 
the  devoted  wife  of  Saint  Kardama,  and  in  her  wpmb  the 
eternal  Lord  God,  in  his  mercy  and  compassion,  planted 
Kapila,  the  author  of  the  S4nkhya  philosophy,  the  divine 
exponent  of  the  theory  of  entities.  This  Manu  reigned  a 
long  while,  keeping  all  God's  commandments. 
Sorathd  16.  |  ^'  t 

But  in  a  palace  complete  detachment  from  the  senses  is 

impracticable.     Old    age   came  upon  him,  and  he  thought 

with  grief, — '  My   life    has   been    spent    without  any  true 

devotion  to  Hari.' 

Chaupdi  143. 

Then   perforce   he  resigned  the  throne  to  his  son,  and 

with  his  queen  repaired  to  the  forest,  to  Naimisha,    famous 

among   all   holy  places   as   specially  sacred  and  liberal  of 

success.     Glad  of  heart.  King  Manu  sought  the  spot  where 

dwelt  the  company  of  saints  and  sages ;  and  as  the  resolute 

IP  P^ir   passed   along  the   way   they  seemed  incarnations  of 

Wisdom  and  Faith.     On  reaching  the  bank  of  the  Gomati, 

they  bathed  with  delight    in    the  clear  stream  ;  and  there 

the  inspired  saints  and  sages  came  to  meet  them,  recognizing 

in   the  king  a   champion  of  religion.     Devoutly  they  took 

them   to  visit  each  different  shrine,  and  with  wasted  body, 

clad  in  hermit's  robes,  they  are  ever  in  the  assembly  of  the 

faithful  listening  to  the  Pur^nas. 


92  CHILDHOOD. 

r » '  ' 

Dohd  148. 

Devoutly   repeating   the   twelve-lettered   charm i  ,  and 
with  their  whole  soul  directed  to  the  lotus  feet  of  V^sudev^. 
Ghawpdi  144. 

Meditating  on  the  Supreme  Brahm,  they  live  on  leaves 
and  fruits  and  roots.  Then  doing  penance  as  before  Hari, 
they  gave  up  roots  and  fruits  for  water  only.  In  heart  an 
endless  craving, — "  0  that  we  might  see  with  our  eyes  the 
very  God,  without  parts  or  passions  ;  without  beginning  or 
end  ;  whom  the  preachers  of  salvation  contemplate  ;  whom 
the  Vedas  define  as  the  unutterable  ;  the  pure  spirit,  with- 
out attributes  and  beyond  all  comparison  ;  as  part  of  vvhom 
are  produced  in  various  forms  the  lords  Sambhu,  Brahma, 
and  Vishnu.  Yet  so  great  a  god  submits  to  his  own 
servants,  and  for  their  sake  assumes  in  sport  a  body.  If 
this  be  true,  as  the  scriptures  have  declared,  our  desire 
will  of  a  surety  be  accomplished."  ^  a 
Dohd  149.     \  I  ^ 

In  this  way  they  spent  six   thousand  years  living   only 
on  water ;  and  then  seven  thousand,  living  only  on  air. 
Ghawpdi  145. 

For  ten  thousand  years  they  gave  up  even  this  and 
remained  both  standing  on  one  leg.  Now  Brdhma,  Hari 
and  Hara  saw  this  interminable  penance  and  repeatedly 
came  near  to  Manu  and  tempted  him,  saying, — '  Ask  your 
boon ;'  but  for  all  their  persuasion  he  was  too  steadfast  to 
move.  Though  his  body  was  reduced  to  a  skeleton,  there 
was  not  the  least  pain  in  his  soul.  Then  the  omniscient 
lord  knew  that  the  king  and  queen  were  his  servants  and 
had  this  single  object  in  practicing  such  austerities.  A 
solemn  voice  full  of  ambrosial  grace  sounded  in  the  sky, 
saying  :  Ask,  ask  ;  a  voice  so  blithe  that  it  would  wake  the 
dead.  As  it  dropped  upon  the  ears  of  their  soul,  their 
bodies  became  again  as  comely  and  stout  as  if  they  had  only 
that  day  left  their  home. 


1  The  twelve-lettered  charm  is  Om  Namo  Bhagavate  VAmderaya. 


CHILDHOOD.  93 

Dohd  150.         I    \ 

As  the   ambrosial  voice   rang  in  their  ears,  their  body 
quivered  and  thrilled  ;  and  falling  on  the  ground  in  an  ir- 
repressible transport  of  love  Manu  thus  spoke, — 
Ghaupdi  146. 

"  Hearken,  0  thou  that  art    as  the  tree   of  paradise   or 

the  sacred  cow  to   thy  servants  ;  the  dust   on  whose  feet  is 

ever  worshipped  by  Brahma,  Hari  and  Hara  ;  accessible  to 

the  faithful ;  bounteous  of  all  good  ;  protector  of  suppliants  ; 

lord  of  all  creation  :  if,    0  friend  of  the   friendless,  I  have 

found  fav^our  in  thy  sight,  then  in  thy  mercy  grant  me  this 

boon  :  Let  me  with  mine  own  eyes  behold  thee  in  that  form 

in  which    thou  dwellest  in    Siva's    breast,  which  the  saints 

desire  to  see  ;  the  swan  in  the  lake  of  Bhiisundi's  soul;  the 

sum  and  the  negation   of  all  attributes  ;  the  theme  of  the 

Veda  :  do  me  this  grace,   0  thou    that  healest   the  woes  of 

every  suppliant."     This  gentle,  submissive  and  affectionate 

speech  of  the  wedded  pair  went  to  the  heart  of  the  generous 

and    merciful   god  ;    and    the   sovereign   of   the   universe 

manifested  himself,  i  ^  /  u 

Dohd  151.      !   /  ^ 

In  hue  as  the  lotus   or   the  sapphire ;  dark   as   a   rain- 
cloud  ;  of  such  lustrous  form  that  a  myriad  Loves  could  not 

be  compared  to  it, 

Ghaupdi  147. 

With  a  face  perfect  in  beauty  like  the  autumnal  moon  ; 

with  lovely  cheeks  and  chin  and  dimpled  neck,  red  lips  and 

gleaming  teeth,  and  a  nose  and  smile  more  radiant  than  a 

moonbeam  ;  eyes  bright   as  a  lotus  bud   and  a  glance   to 

fascinate  the  heart  ;  brows  surpassing  Love's  bow  ;  on  the 

forehead  a  sectarial  mark  and    glistening  star  ;  golden    fish 

in  his  ears  and  a  bright   crown  on  his  head ;   crisp  curling 

hair  like  a  swarm  of  bees ;  on  his  breast  the  Srivatsa   jewel 

and  a  long    wreath    of   sweet    wild  flowers,    and   jewelled 

adornments  about  his   neck  ;  a  waist  like  a  lion,  a  comely 

Brdhmanical  thread,  and  exquisite  clasps  upon  his  arms, 


94  CHILDHOOD. 

long  and  round  as  an  elephant's  trunk  ;   with  a  qUiver  at 
his  side  and  bow  and  arrow  in  his  hand  ; 

Dohd   152.  \'|^ 

His  yellow  apparel  more  lustrous  than  the  lightning  ; 
his  body  charmingly  dimpled,  and  his  navel  like  a  bee 
hovering  over  the  dark  wave  of  the  Jamund  ; 

Ghaupdi  148- 

His  feet  beautiful  beyond  description,  lotus  haunt  of  the 
bee-like  souls  of  the  saints.  On  his  left  side  shines  in 
equal  glory  the  Primal  Energy,  queen  of  beauty,  mother  of 
the  world  ;  of  whose  members  are  born  countless  Umas  and 
R^mas  and  Brihmanis,  all  alike  perfect  ;  by  the  play  of 
whose  eyebrows  a  world  flashes  into  existence,  even  Slta, 
enthroned  at  Rama's  side.  As  Manu  and  8atanipa  beheld 
this  vision  of  Hari  in  all  his  beauty,  gazing  fixedly  with 
open  eyes,  they  adored  his  incomparable  magnificence,  nor 
could  be  satiated  with  the  sight.  Overcome  with  delight 
and  transported  out  of  themselves,  they  fell  flat  on  the 
ground,  clasping  his  feet  in  their  hands.  But  the  gracious 
lord  putting  his  lotus  hand  upon  their  heads  quickly  raised 
them  up,  ^[^ 

Dohd   153.       M 

And  again  said, — "Be  assured  that  you  have  found 
favour  with  me  :  ask  whatever  boon  you  will,  the  largest 
gift  you  can  think  of." 

Ghaupdi  149. 

On  hearing  the  lord's  words  they  clasped  their  hands  in 
prayer,  and  taking  courage  thus  spoke  in  timid  accents, 
— "  0  lord,  we  have  seen  your  lotus  feet,  and  our  every 
object  has  been  accomplished.  Yet  one  longing  remains, 
and  I  know  not  whether  to  describe  it  as  easy  or  difficult  of 
attainment.  It  is  easy,  my  master,  for  you  to  give;  but  so 
far  as  my  meanness  is  concerned,  it  is  difficult.  Like  a 
beggar  who  has  found  the  wishing-tree,  but  trembles  to  ask 
for  too  good  fortune,    not  realizing   its   full   power,  so  my 


CHILDHOOD.  95 

heart  is  troubled  by  doubt.     0  my  god,  you  read  all  hearts 

and  know  what   I  wish  ;  grant  me  my  desire." — "  0  king, 

fear   not,   but  ask   of  me  ;   there   is  nothing  I  would  not 

give  you."  ,  r^  •I 

Doha  15^.    I    j   I 

"  0  gracious  lord,  I  will  declare  honestly  the  crowning 
boon ;  for  what  concealment  can  there  be  ?  I  would  have  a 
son  like  you." 

Ghaupdi  150. 

On  seeing  his  love  and  hearing  his  sincere  words,  said 
the  (Jompassionate,  "  So  be  it.*""^  Where  can  I  go  to  find 
your  equal:  ?^  '**'I  myself,  0  king,  will  be  born  as  your 
son."  Then  seeing  Satariipa  with  her  hands  still  clasped, 
— "  0  lady,  ask  whatever  boon  you  please."  "  0  my  lord,  the 
boon  my  husband  has  wisely  asked  is  what  I  too  should 
most  desire.  But  it  is  great  presumption  ;  though  in  your 
clemency  you  have  confirmed  it.  You  are  father  of  all  the 
gods,  the  lord  of  the  world,  the  supreme  spirit,  the  omnis- 
cient ;  and  therefore  my  mind  doubts  ;  and  yet  the  Lord's 
words  cannot  fail.  0  my  god,  the  bliss  that  is  enjoyed  and 
the  future  state  that  is  attained  by  your  own  servants  — 
Dolici   155. 

In  your  mercy  grant  to  me  even  that  bliss,  that  state, 
that  devotion,  that  love  to  your  feet,  that  knowledge,  and 
that  existence." 

Ghaupdi  151. 

Hearing  this  modest  and  deeply  touching  petition,  the 
Compassionate  gently  replied  :— "  Fear  not;  whatever  your 
mind  desires  that  I  have  granted.  0  mother,  your  super- 
natural wisdom  by  my  favour  shall  never  fail."  Then 
again  spoke  Manu,  bowing  at  his  feet, — "  I  too  have  an- 
other petition,  my  lord.  Is  there  any  one  who  will  not  call 
me  fool  for  devoting  myself  to  your  feet  simply  on  account 
of  a  son  ?  As  a  snake's  hood  without  a  jewel,  or  a  fish 
without  water,  so  is  my  life  dependent  upon  you."  Begging 
this  boon,  he  remained  clasping  his  feet  till  the  All-merciful 


96 


CHILDHOOD. 


said,—"  Be  it  so  :    now,  as  I  order,  go  and  dwell  at  Indra's 
capital. 

Sorathd  18. 

There,* father,  enjoy  yourself  freely  ;  and  again,  when 
some  time  has  passed,  be  born  as  the  King  of  Avadh,  and 
I  will  be  your  son. 

Chaupdi  152. 

Voluntarily  assuming  human  guise,  I  will  manifest 
myself  in  your  house,  father,  and,  with  every  element  of 
my  divinity  incarnate  will  do  great  deeds  for  the  consola- 
tion of  my  people.  Blessed  are  they  who  listen  reverently  ; 
quitting  the  vain  conceits  of  self  they  shall  pass  over  the 
ocean  of  life.  Even  the  Primal  Energy,  by  whom  the 
visible  world  was  created,  that  self-same  shadow  of  me  here 
present,  shall  also  become  incarnate.  I  will  accomplish 
your  desire  ;  true  is  my  promise,  true,  aye !  true."  Again 
and  again  thus  saying,  the  compassionate  lord  vanished 
out  of  sight,  and  the  wedded  pair,  full  of  faith  in  the 
All-merciful,  stayed  for  a  while  at  the  hermitage,  and  then, 
when  their  time  was  come,  passed  painlessly  out  of  the 
body  and  took  up  their  abode  in  Amaravati,  the  city  of  the 
immortals. 

Dohd  156. 

Such  was  the  pious  legend  which  Siva  related  to  Um6. 
Hearken  now,  0  Bharadv^ja,  to  yet  another  motive  for 
Rama's  incarnation. 

Chaupdi  153. 

Listen,  great  saint,  to  the  holy  and  hoary  tale  as  it  was 
repeated  by  Sambhu  to  Girij^.  There  is  a  world-famous 
country  called  Kekaya,  and  Satya-ketu  was  its  king.  A 
champion  of  religion  ;  a  storehouse  of  good  policy  ;  great 
in  glory,  magnificence,  virtue  and  power.  He  had  two 
gallant  sons,  staunch  in  fight,  endowed  with  every  good 
quality.  The  elder  and  the  heir  to  the  kingdom  was  named 
Prat^pabh^nu,  and  the  other  Ari-mardan,  of  unequalled 
strength  of  arm  and  like  a  rock  to  stand  the  brunt  of  battle. 


CHILDHOOD.  97 

The  sympathy  between  brother  and  brother  was  perfect, 
and  their  mutual  affection  without  either  flaw  or  disguise.l 
To  the  elder  son  the  king  resigned  the  realm,  and  with- 
drew into  the  wood  to  devote  himself  to  religion. 

Dohd  157. 
When  Pratrfpa  bhanu  became  king,    proclamation    was 
made  throughout  all  the  land  :  Ufider  a  sovereign  so  skilled 
in  sacred  lore  not  a  speck  of  sin  will  be  allowed  anywhere. 
Chavpdi  154. 

The  prime  minister,  Dharma-ruchi,  a  second  Sukra,2 
was  as  devoted  to  the  king  as  he  was  wise.  With  a 
prudent  counsellor,  valiant  kinsmen,  himself  a  glorious 
leader  in  war,  with  a  countless  host  of  horse  and  foot,  and 
chariots  and  elephants,  and  fighting  men  beyond  number, 
all  eager  for  the  fray,  the  king  might  well  rejoice  as  he 
inspected  his  army  *  mid  the  clash  of  tumultuous  music. 
Having  selected  an  auspicious  day,  he  marched  forth 
with  a  special  force,  bent  on  universal  conquest.  In  all  his 
numerous  battles,  wherever  they  took  place,  the  pride  of 
kings  was  abased  ;  all  the  seven  continents  were  reduced 
by  the  might  of  his  arm,  and  their  princes  escaped  only 
on  payment  of  tribute.  At  that  time  Pratipa-bh^nu  became 
the  sole  monarch  of  the  whole  round  world. 
Doha  158. 

Having  thus  subdued  the  universe  by  the  might   of  his 
arm,  he  re-entered  his  capital  and   devoted  himself  in  turn 
to  business,  duty,  love  and  religion. 
Chaupdi  155. 

The  grateful  earth,  invigorated  by  Pratdpabh^nu*s 
sway,  became  a  very  Kdmadhenu,  and  all  hissubjVcJs,  both 
men  and    women,   happy  and  free  from  all  annoy,  grew  in 

1  I  TRMfJ  thii  nouolet  a.^  follows  :  Bhaihi  hhaihi  param  snniti,  nakal- 
d'uh-hbal-varjita  priti  :  the  penultimate  syllable  ot  samiti  being  lengthened 
vietii  gratia  Such  a  license  is  of  frequent  occurrence  ;  but  in  this  particu- 
lar instance  in  appears  to  have  troubled  the  copyists,  who  have  made  vari- 
ous substitutions  all  more  or  less  injurious  to  the  sense. 

2  The  regent  of  the  planet  Sukra  (Venus)  is  the  preceptor  of  the  Daifcyas. 
or  Titans. 

R-16 


^ 


y»  CHILDHOOD. 

virtue  and  beauty.  The  minister  Dharma-ruchi»  devoted 
servant  oE  Hari,  lovingly  instructed  his  lord  in  state  policy  ; 
nor  did  the  king  ever  fail  in  due  reverence  either  to  his 
spiritual  teacher,  or  the  gods,  or  the  saints,  or  his  departed 
ancestors,  or  the  Brdhmans.  All  the  duties  which  are 
enjoined  upon  kings  in  the  Veda  he  carefully  and  gladly 
performed  ;  every  day  he  made  large  offerings  and  heard 
the  scriptures  read,  both  the  Veda  and  the  Purdnas ;  and 
he  constructed  many  baths  and  wells  and  tanks,  flower 
gardens  and  beautiful  orchards,  handsome  monasteries 
and  temples,  and  also  restored  every  ancient  shrine. 

Dohd  159.    \9r^ 
For  every  single  sacrifice  enjoined  in   the  scriptures  or 
the  Purdna  the  king  in  his  zeal  performed  a  thousand. 

Chaupdi  156. 

In  his  heart  there  was  no  aiming  after  advantage,  but 
such  was  his  supreme  knowledge  and  intelligence  that  he 
dedicated  to  God  the  whole  merit  of  all  his  thoughts,  words, 
and  actions.  One  day  he  mounted  his  gallant  steed  and 
went,  with  his  retinue  equipt  for  the  chase,  into  a  dense 
forest  of  the  Vindhyachal  mountains  and  killed  many  fine 
deer.  As  he  ranged  the  wood,  he  spied  a  wild  boar,  show- 
ing amid  the  foliage  like  RAhu  with  the  moon  in  his  clutch  ; 
its  orb  too  large  to  bo  contained  in  his  mouth,  though  his 
rage  will  not  suffer  him  to  entirely  disgorge  it.  The 
monstrous  boar  with  its  splendid  tusks,  as  I  have  described 
them,  and  its  vast  limbs  of  immeasurable  bulk,  growled 
when  he  heard  the  tramp  of  the  horse  :  it,  too,  at  the  sight 
started  and  pricked  up  its  ears. 

Dohd  160. 


On  seeing  the  huge  boar,  resembling  some  purple  moun- 
tain-peak, the  horse  started  aside,  and  it  was  only  by  much 
'     spurring  and  persuasion  that  the  king  could  prevent  it  from 
breaking  away. 


li 


CHILDHOOD.  99 


Ghaupdi  157. 
When  it  saw  the  horse  coming  on  with  speed,  the  beast 
took  to  flight  swift  as  the  wind,  keeping  close  to  the  ground 
as  it  went,  and  ever  regarding  the  shaft  which  the  king 
had  at  once  fitted  to  his  bow.  Taking  steady  aim  he  let  it 
fly  ;  but  the  boar  saved  himself  by  his  wiliness,  and  rushed 
on  now  well  in  sight,  and  now  altogether  hidden,  while  the 
king  in  much  excitement  followed  closely  on  his  track.  At 
length  it  reached  a  dense  thicket  impenetrable  by  horse  or 
elephant.  Though  alone  in  the  wood  and  distressed  by  his 
exertions,  still  the  king  would  not  abandon  the  chase;  till 
the  boar  seeing  him  so  determined  slunk  away  into  a  deep 
cave.  When  the  king  perceived  that  there  was  no  getting 
near  him,  he  was  quite  sad,  and  moreover  he  had  lost  his 
way  in  this  hunt  through  so  great  a  forest. 

Doha  161.        I  ^ 
Hungry  and   thirsty   and  exhausted   with  fatigue   the 
king  and  his   horse  kept  searching  in  much  distress  for  a 
stream  or  pond,  and  were  half  dead  for  want  of  water. 
Ghaupdi  158. 

As  he  wandered  through  the  forest,  he  spied  a  hermi- 
tage where  dwelt  a  king  in  disguise  of  a  holy  man.  He 
had  been  despoiled  of  his  kingdom  by  Prat^pa-bhAnu,  and 
had  left  his  army  on  the  field  of  battle,  knowing  that  his 
adversary's  star  was  in  the  ascendant  and  his  own  in  the 
decline.  Too  proud  to  meet  the  king,  too  much  mortified 
to  go  home,  nursing  the  rage  in  his  heart,  he  like  a  beggar, 
though  a  prince,  took  up  his  abode  in  the  wood  in  the  garb 
of  an  anchorite.  He  at  once  recognized  King  Pratdpa- 
bh^nu  as  he  drew  near  ;  but  the  latter  was  too  tired  to 
recognize  him,  and  looking  only  at  his  dress  took  him  to 
be  a  holy  man,  and  alighting  from  his  horse  saluted  him  ; 
he  was,  however,  too  astute  to  declare  his  name. 

Doha  162. 
Seeing  the  king  to  be   faint  with    thirst,  he  pointed  out 


100  CHILDHOOD. 

to  him  a  fine  pond,  where  he  bathed   and    drank,   both   he 
and  his  horse,  with  much  ghidness. 

Chaufdi  159. 
All  his  wparinpBs  passed  away  and  he  was  quite  happy 
a^ain.  The  hermit  took  him  to  his  cell  and,  as  the  sun 
had  now  set,  showed  him  where  he  might  rest ;  but  yet  en- 
quired of  him  in  courteous  tones,  — "Who  may  you  be,  and 
why,  thus  young  and  beautiful,  do  you  risk  j^our  life  by 
roaming  alone  in  the  forest?  You  have  all  the  marks  of  a 
great  sovereign,  and  at  the  sight  of  you  I  am  quite  moved  " 
*•  Know  th^n,  reverend  sir,  that  I  am  the  minister  of  King 
Pratdpabhdrju  ;  in  pursuit  of  the  chase  I  have  lost  my  way, 
and  by  great  good  fortune  have  been  brought  into  your 
presence.  To  get  a  sight  of  you  was  no  easy  matter,  and  I 
am  satisfied  that  something  good  is  about  to  befall  me." 
Said  the  hermit,—  "  My  son,  it  is  now  dusk,  and  your  city 
is  seventy  leagues  away.  ^     .  <i^<^ 

Doha  163-4.  lYl  ^ 
The  night  is  dark,  the  forest  dense,  and  the  road  not 
easy  to  find.  Tarry  then  here  for  to-day  and  start  to- 
morrow at  dawn."  Says  Tulsi — Fate  is  furthered  in  its 
own  way ;  either  you  go  to  meet  it,  or  itself  comes  and 
carries  you  off. 

Chaupdi  160. 
"  Very  well,  my  lord,  I  obey  your  command ;  "  and  so 
saying  the  king  tied  up  his  horse  to  a  tree  and  came  and 
sat  down.  With  many  flattering  speeches  he  bowed  at  his 
feet,' extolling  his  own  good  fortune,  and  at  last  in  modest 
and  winning  terms  put  the  question, — "Regarding  you,  my 
lord,  as  a  father,  I  make  bold  and  beg  of  you  to  look  upon 
me  as  your  son  and  servant  and  to  declare  to  me  your 
name."  Now  the  king  did  not  recognize  him,  but  he  re- 
cognized the  king,  and  was  as  false  and  crafty  as  the  king 
was  honest :  moreover,  being  an  enemy,  and  at  the  same 
time  both  a  warrior  by  caste  and  of  royal  birth,  he  was 
bent  on  accomplishing  his  own  ends,  whether  by  fraud   or 


CHILDHOOD.  101 

by  right.  In  his  enmity  he  was  grieved  to  see  the 
king's  prosperity,  and  his  heart  within  him  burned  as 
wiih  the  fire  of  a  furnac^e  ;  but  on  hearing  the  prince's 
simple  words  he  controlled  his  resentment  and  was  glad  at 
heart,  ^^ 

Dohd  165.    1%^ 
and  uttered  yet  another  smooth  but  false  and  artful  speech, 
— "  My  name  is  now  Bhikhari,  a  homeless  beggar." 
Ghaupdi  101. 

Said  the  king,  —  "  Philosophers  like  you,  with  whom  all 
self  consciousness  has  been  extinguished,  ever  conceal  their 
own  personality,  and  are  in  every  way  blessed,  though 
their  outer  garb  be  wretched.  Therefore  the  saints  pro- 
claim aloud  in  men's  ears  that  it  is  the  poor  whom  Hari 
holds  most  dear.  A  poor  and  homeless  beggar,  such  as 
you  are,  is  an  anxiety  to  Brdhma  and  Siva:  at  all  events, 
I  prostrate  myself  at  your  feet  and  beg  of  you  to  grant  me 
your  grace."  When  he  saw  the  king's  simple  affection 
he  waxed  all  the  more  confident,  and  won  him  over  in 
every  way,  using  words  with  a  still  greater  show  of  friend- 
liness,— "  Hearken,  0  king,  while  I  relate  the  truth  of  the 
matter.     I  have  for  a  long  time  dwelt  here, 

Dohd  166.        ^  ^ 
and  till  now  neither  has  any  one  come  to  me,    nor   have   I 
spoken    to   any  one;   for  worldly  honour  is  like  a  fire,  and 
penance  a  forest  for  it  to  consume." 
Sorathd  19. 

Says  Tulsi : — Fools  are  deceived    by    fair   appearances, 
but  not  wise  men  :  though  a  peacock  is  fair    to   look    upon 
and  its  voice  is  pleasant,  i  yet  it  devours  the  snake. 
Chaupdi  162. 

"Therefore  I  live  retired  in  the  world,  and,  save  Hari, 
have  no  care  whatever.     The  Lord  knows  everything  with- 


l  The  peacock's  voice  can  scarcely    be   called    pleasant   in    itself,   but  it 
may  be  so  by  association  as  a  sifjn  of  the  coming  rains      Thus  Cowper  : 
"  Sounds  inharnoonious  in  themselves  and  harsh, 
Yet  heard  in  scenes  where  peace  for  ever  reigns, 
And  only  there,  please  highly  for  their  sake." 


102  OHILDHOOD. 

out  being  told  ;  so  what  is  to  be  gained  by  conciliating  the 
world  ?  But  you  are  so  good  and  sensible  that  I  cannot 
but  love  you  in  return  for  the  faith  and  confidence  you  have 
placed  in  me  :  and  if  I  were  to  send  you  away,  my  son,  it 
would  be  a  very  grievous  sin  on  my  part."  The  more  the 
hermit  talked  of  his  detachment  from  the  world,  the  more 
trustful  grew  the  king  ;  till  at  last  the  false  anchorite,  see- 
ing him  completely  in  his  power,  said, — "My  name, 
brother,  is  Ektanu  "  (one  body).  The  king  bowed  and 
asked  further,— "Tell  me,  I  pray,  the  meaning  of  this 
name,  for  surely  I  am  your  servant." 

Dohd  167.       I  ^/^ 

*'  At  the  first  dawn  of  creation  my  birth  took  place,  and 
my  name  was  Ektanu,  for  this  reason  that  I  have  never 
taken  any  other  body. 

Chaupdi  163. 

"  Marvel  not  in  your  mind,  my  son ;  for  nothing  is  too 
difficult  for  penance.  By  the  power  of  penance  the  Creator 
created  the  world  ;  by  the  power  of  penance  Vishnu  is  the 
great  redeemer;  by  the  power  of  penance  Siva  works  de- 
struction ;  and  to  penance  there  is  nothing  in  the  world  im- 
possible." The  king,  as  he  listened,  was  charmed,  for  he 
commenced  relating  old-world  stories  ;  many  legends  of 
pious  deeds  and  holy  lives ;  examples  of  asceticism  and 
divine  wisdom  ;  tales  of  the  birth,  preservation,  and  des- 
tructi(m  of  the  world,  and  innumerable  other  marvellous 
narratives.  The  king,  as  he  listened,  yielded  completely 
to  his  influence,  and  proceeded  to  tell  him  his  true  name. 
Said  the  hermit, — **  0  king,  I  knew  you  ;  though  you 
tried  to  practise  a  trick  upon  me,  I  took  it  quite  in  good 
part.  . 

Sorathd  20.      V  ^  «^ 

"  Hear,  0  king  ;  it  is  a  political  maxim  that  on  some  oc- 
casions a  king  should  not  declare  his  name  ;  and  when  I 
observed  your  excellent  sagacity  I  conceived  a  great  affec- 
tion for  you. 


pr 


CHILDHOOD.  103 


Chaupdi  164. 
"  Your  name  is  Pratdpa-bh^nu,  and  your  father  is  king 
Satyaketu.  0  sir,  a  spiritual  man  knows  everything,  there 
is  no  need  of  another's  telling.  Ah,  my  son,  when  I  beheld 
your  natural  goodness,  your  faith  and  trustfulness,  and 
your  knowledge  of  state-craft,  there  sprung  up  an  affection 
for  you  in  my  soul,  and  I  told  you  my  own  story  as  you 
asked  me.  Now  I  am  well  pleased  with  you  ;  doubt  not, 
but  ask  whatever  you  will."  On  hearing  these  fair  words 
the  king  was  delighted,  and  clasping  his  feet  entreated 
him  suppliantly,— "  0  merciful  saint,  by  the  sight  of  you 
the  four  objects  of  humaa  d^^sire  have  all  come  within  my 
grasp  Yet,  as  I  see  my  lord  so  gracious,  I  will  ask  an  im- 
possible boon  and  be  happy  for  ever. 

Dohd  168.      \^^ 
May  I  die  of  old  age,   free   from    bodily   pain  ;  may   I 
never  be  conquered  in  battle  :  may  earth  rid  of  every    foe 
be  all  under  my  sole  sway,  and  may  my  empire  last    for  a 
hundred  ages." 

Chaupdi  165. 
Said  the  anchorite,—"  0  king,  so  be  it  ;  there  is,  how- 
ever, one  difficulty  ;  hear  it.  The  age  shall  bow  down  be- 
fore you,  with  the  sole  exception  of  the  Br^hmans.  By  the 
virtue  of  penance  a  BrAhman  is  ever  powerful,  and  there 
is  none  who  can  deliver  from  his  wrath  If  you  can  reduce 
them  to  your  will,  Brahma,  Vishnu  and  Mahddeva  will  also 
be  at  your  command.  But  against  a  Brahman  might  is  of 
no  avail  :  with  both  arms  raised  to  heaven  I  tell  you  this 
solemn  truth.  Hearken,  0  king,  if  you  escape  a  Brdhman's 
curse,  your  destruction  shall  never  be."  On  hearing  his 
promise  the  king  was  glad,—"  Then,  my  lord,  my  destruc- 
tion will  never  be  ;  by  your  favour,  most  gracious  sir,  I 
shall  be  prosperous  for  all  time."  i^ 

Dohd  169.      ^  ^  '^ 
"  Amen,"  said  the  false  hermit,  and  added  with  crafty 


104  CHILDHOOD. 

intent, — *'  If  you  let  any  one  know  of  your  losing  your  way 

and  your  meeting  with  me,  that  will  not  be  my  fault. 

Ghaupdi  166. 

'*  For  I  warn  you,   sir,    that   it  is   most   inexpedient  to 

repeat   the  matter  :    if  it  come  to  a  third  pair  of  ears^  I  tell 

you  true  it  will  be  your  ruin.     If  you  divulge  this  secret,  or 

if  a  Brahman  curse  you,  you  are  undone,  0  Pratdpa-bh^nu. 

When  Hari  and  Hara  are  wroth,  wretched  man  has  no  other 

way  of  escape."     "  True,  my  lord,"   said  the  king:,  clasping 

his  feet ;  "  who  can  deliver  from  the  wrath  of  a  Bi^liman  or 

a   spiritual  director  ?     The  guru   can    save  from  Brahma's 

anger,  but  if  the  guru  himself  be  wroth,  there  is  none  in  the 

world  that  can  save.     If  I  do  not  follow  your  advice,  I  have 

not   the  slightest  doubt   that  I  shall  perish  ;  but  my  soul  is 

disturbed  by  one  fear  ;  the  curse  of  a  Brahman  is  something 

most  terrible.  c 

Doho  170.   " 

"Of   your   great   goodness,    tell  me  in  what  way  I  can 

win  over  the  Brahmans  ;  for  except  you,  my  gracious   lord, 

T  have  no  other  friend." 

Chaupdi  167. 

"Hearken,  0  king,  there  are  diverse  expedients  among 
men,  but  hard  to  put  in  practice  and  of  doubtful  issue. 
There  is,  however,  one  very  simple  plan,  though  even  this 
involves  a  difficulty.  Its  contrivance  depends  upon  me, 
and  for  me  to  go  to  your  capital  is  out  of  the  question ;  for 
to  this  day  from  the  time  I  was  born  I  have  never  entered 
house  or  village.  If  I  do  not  go,  it  will  be  a  misfortune  for 
you  ;  and  thus  I  am  in  a  dilemma."  The  king  replied  in 
gentle  tones, — "  It  is,  my  lord,  a  maxim  of  scripture  that 
the  great  show  kindness  to  the  small ;  thus  mountains  ever 
bear  tiny  grasses  on  their  head  ;  the  fathomless  ocean  bears 
on  its  front  the  floating  foam,  and  earth  on  its  head  bears 
the  dust."  ^ 

Dohd  171.  \°\  '■ 

Thus  saying  and  embracing  his  feet,  the  king  cried, — 


CHILDHOOD.  105 

"  Be  gracious,  0  my  lord,  ever  pitiful  to  the  faithful  in  dis- 
tress, and  take  this  trouble  on  my  behalf." 
Chaupdi  168. 
Perceiving  that  the  king  was  altogether  under  his  influ- 
ence, the  hermit,  the' arch-deceiver,  said, -"  Hearken,  0 
king  ;  I  tell  you  truly  there  is  nothing  in  the  world  I  can- 
not do,  and  as  you  show  yourself  in  thought,  word  and 
action  to  be  devoted  to  me,  I  will  assuredly  accomplish 
your  object  for  you.  The  power  of  magical  devices, 
penance  and  spells  works  only  when  secrecy  is  maintained. 
If,  0  king,  I  act  as  cook  and  serve,  without  any  one  know- 
ing me,  whoever  tastes  the  food  so  prepared  shall  become 
amenable  to  your  orders  ;  and,  further,  any  one  who  eats  in 
their  house  will,  I  tell  you,  be  in  your  power.  Go  now  and 
carry  out  this  scheme :  make  a  vow  for  a  whole  year, 

Dohd  172.      \0^% 
and  every  day  entertain  a  new  set  of  a    hundred   thousand 
Brihmans  with  their  families  ;  while  I,  as  long  as  the  vow 
lasts,  will  provide  the  daily  banquet. 

Chaupdi  169. 
"  In  this  way,  0  king,  there  will  be  very  little  trouble, 
and  all  the  Br^hmans  will  be  in  your  power.  They  again 
will  perform  sacrificial  services,  and  thus  the  gods,  too,  will 
be  easily  won  over.  And  I  will  give  you  a  sign.  I  will  not 
come  in  this  dress,  but  by  my  delusive  power  I  will  bring 
away  your  family  priest,  and  by  the  virtue  of  penance  will 
make  him  look  like  myself  and  keep  him  here  for  the  year  ; 
while  I  in  his  form  will  manage  everything  for  you.  The 
night  is  far  gone,  so  now  take  rest ;  on  the  third  day  we  will 
meet  again.  While  you  are  asleep  I,  by  my  penitential 
power,  will  convey  you  home,  both  you  and  your  horse. 

Dohd  173.       ^  ''   ^ 
"  I  will  then  come  in  the  form  I  have  told  you,  and  you 
will  recognize  me  when  I  call  you  on  one  side  and    remind 
you  of  all  this." 

R— 17 


106  CHILDHOOD. 

Ghaupdi  170. 
The  king,  as  ordered,  retired  to  his  couch,  while  the  arch- 
deceiver  took  his  wonted  seat.  Deep  sleep  came  upon  the 
weary  king;  but  what  sleep  for  the  other,  distraught  with 
care  ?  Then  came  the  demon  Kalaketu,  who  was  the  boar 
that  had  led  the  king  astray,  a  great  friend  of  the  hermit 
king,  and  skilled  in  manifold  ways  of  deceit.  He  had  a 
hundred  sons  and  ten  brothers,  unmatched  in  villainy, 
the  torment  of  the  gods  ;  but  they  had  all  before  this  been 
killed  in  battle  by  the  king,  who  saw  the  distress  they 
had  caused  to  the  Br^hmans,  saints  and  powera  of  heaven. 
The  wretch,  nursing  this  old  quarrel,  combined  with  the 
hermit  king  in  devising  a  plot  for  the  destruction  of  his 
enemy.     The  prince,  overmastered  by  fate,  knew   nothing 

of  it. 

Dohdl74:.   ^ 

A  powerful  foe,  even  though  surprised  alone,  is  not  to  be 
lightly  regarded  ;  to  this  day  Rdhu,  though  he  has  nothing 
left  but  his  head,  is  able  to  annoy  both  sun  and  moon. 
Ghaupdi  171. 

When  the  hermit  king  saw  his  ally,  he  rose  in  great  joy 
to  meet  him,  and  told  his  friend  the  whole  story.  The 
demon  was  glad  and  said, — "  Hear,  0  king,  I  am  ready 
to  settle  your  enemy  if  you  will  take  my  advice.  Free 
yourself  of  all  anxiety  and  sleep  quietly  here  :  without  tak- 
ing any  medicine  God  has  cured  your  complaint.  I  will 
sweep  away  the  enemy,  root  and  branch,  and  in  four  days 
will  be  back  again."  Having  thus  cheered  the  hermit  king, 
the  arch-deceiver  went  away  in  his  wrath,  and  conveyed  to 
tho  palace  Prdtapa-bhdnu  still  asleep,  both  him  and  his 
horse  ;  the  king  he  put  to  bed  beside  his  queen,  and  the 
horse  he  tied  up  in  the  stall, 

Doha  175.     ^ 

Again  he  carried  off  the  king's  family  priest,  and  by 
supernatural  power  depriving  him  of  his  senses,  kept  iiim 
in  a  cave  in  the  mountain, 


r 


CHILDHOOD.  107 


Ghaupdi  172 

While  he  himself  assumed  the  priests  form  and  went 
and  lay  down  on  his  sumptuous  couch.  At  daybreak  the 
king  woke  and  was  astonished  to  find  himself  at  home. 
Much  impressed  with  the  hermit's  power,  he  rose  and  went 
out  unperceived  by  the  queen,  and  mounting  his  horse  rode 
off  to  the  wood  without  any  of  the  people  in  the  city  knowing 
it.  When  it  was  noon  he  returned,  and  in  every  house 
there  was  rejoicing,  with  music  and  singing.  When  he  saw 
the  family  priest,  he  looked  at  him  in  amazement,  remem- 
bering the  work  in  hand.  The  three  days  seemed  likt  an 
age,  so  absorbed  was  he  in  expectation  of  the  false  hermit's 
coming.  When  the  appointed  time  had  come,  the  priest  took 
the  king  and  told  him  the  whole  plot. 

Dohd  176.      ^  ^  '^ 

The  king  was  delighted  to  recognize  the  guru,  and  was 
too  infatuated  to  have  any  sense  left,  but  at  once   sent  and 
invited  a  hundred  thousand  Brdhmans  with  their  families. 
Ghaupdi  173. 

The  priest  superintended  the  cooking,  and  in  accordance 

with  sacred   prescription   concocted  the   six  tastes   in  the 

four  different  ways,i  preparing  a  most  seductive  banquet, 

with  sauces  and  condiments  more  than  any  one  could  count. 

After  dressing  a  great  variety  of  meat,  the  wretch  introduced 

into  the   dish   some  pieces  of  a  Brahman's  flesh.     He  then 

summoned  all  the  Brdhmans  to  the  feast  and  washed    their 

feet  and  politely  showed  them  to  their  places.     But  directly 

they  began  to   touch  the  food,  a  voice  came  from  heaven, — 

"  Up,  up,  all  ye  Brdhmans  and  return  to  your  homes ;  though 

the  loss  be  great,  yet  taste  not  the  food  ;  there  is  Brdhman's 

flesh  in  the  dish."     Up  rose  all  the  holy  men,  believing  the 

heavenly  voice  ;  while  the   king,  distracted   and   out  of  his 

senses,  overmastered  by  fate,  could  not  utter  a  word. 

1  The  six  tastes  are  'the  sweet,'  madhur  ;  'sour,'  amla;  'salt,'  lavana  ; 
'  pungent,'  katu  ; '  bitter,'  tikta  ;  and  '  astringent,'  hashaya.  The  four  ways 
in  which  food  can  be  taken  are  hhakkshya,  by  mastication ;  bhojya  by 
deglutition  ;  chashya,  by  sucking,  and  lehya,  by  lapping. 


108  CHILDHOOD.  ^ 

Dohd  177.       ^ 

Then  cried  the  Br^hmans  in  their  wrath,   regardless  of 
what  must  follow,—"  0  foolish   king,  take  birth  in  demon's 
form,  yourself  and  all  your  family. 
Ghaupdi  174. 

"  0  noble  prince,  you  invited  all  this  BrAhmanical  com- 
pany here  simply  to  destroy  us  ;  God  has  preserved  our  hon- 
our, and  it  is  you  and  your  race  who  are  undone.  You  shall 
perish  in  the  midst  of  your  days,  nor  shall  there  be  one 
left  to  offer  libations  to  your  ghost."  When  the  king  heard 
the  curse  he  was  terror-stricken.  Again  a  voice  came  from 
heaven,— "The  BrAhmans  have  uttered  this  curse  without 
due  consideration,  the  king  has  committed  no  crime."  All 
the  Br^hmans  were  astounded  when  they  heard  the  heaven- 
ly voice.  The  king  hastened  to  the  kitchen ;  there  he  found 
neither  food  nor  Br^hmans  cook,  and  he  turned  away  in 
deep  thought,  declared  the  whole  history  to  the  Br^hmans, 
and  in  his   terror   and    distress    threw   himself   upon  the 

«"""'•  Do..  178.       T«^ 

"  Though  you,  0  king,  are  guiltless,  what  is  fated  fails 

not ;   the   past  is   unalterable  :    a   Brahman's   curse   is  a 

terrible  thing." 

Ghaupdi  175. 

So  saying,  all   the  Br^hmans    went  their  way.     When 

the  people  of   the  city   heard    the  news,  they  were  much 

vexed  and  abused  Fate,   who   had  begun    upon  a  swan  and 

ended  in  making  a  crow.     The  demon  conveyed  the  family 

priest  to  the  palace   and   told   the  hermit  all  the  tidings. 

Then  the  wretch  despatched  letters  in  all  directions ;  a  host 

of  princes   came  in   with  their   troops,   and   with   blast  of 

trumpets  beleagured   the   city.     Day  after  day  there  were 

battles  of  various  kinds  ;   all  his  champions   fell  in   fight, 

after  doing  valorously,  and   the  king   with    his  brother  bit 

the   dust.     Not  one  of    Satyaketu's  family    escaped,   for 

a   Brahman's  curse    can    never  fail   of    accomplishment. 


CHILDHOOD.  109 

Triumphing  over  their  foe,  the  chiefs  refounded  the  city, 
and  then,  crowned  with  victory,  returned  to  their  own 
states.  ^ 

Doha    179.      ^  ^  i 

Hearken,  Bharadv^ja,  vvhoever  incurs  the  anger  of 
heaven,  for  him  a  grain  of  dust  becomes  vast  as  Mount 
Meru,  a  feather  like  the  angel  of  death,  and  every  rope  a 
snake. 

Chaupdi  176. 

Hearken,  reverend  sir  ;  in  due  time  this  Rdja,  with  his 
family,  was  born  as  a  demon  with  ten  heads  and  twenty 
arms,  a  formidable  hero,  by  name  RAvan.  The  king's 
younger  brother,  Ari-mardan,  became  the  valiant  Kumbha- 
karn,  while  the  minister  Dharma-ruchi  became  his  half- 
brother,  the  world-famous  Vibhishan,  the  all-wise  votary 
of  Vishnu.  As  for  the  king's  sons  and  servants,  they  were 
born  a  fierce  demon  crew  ;  wretches,  taking  various  shapes 
at  will  :  wicked,  monstrous  and  devoid  of  knowledge  ; 
merciless,  injurious,  criminal -a  torment  to  all  creation 
beyond  what  words  can  tell. 

Dohci  180.      "  ' 

Though  born  in  the  incomparably  pure  and  holy  family 
of  Pulastya,^  yet  on  account  of  the  Br^hmans'  curse  all 
were  of  hateful  mien. 

Chaupdi  177. 

The  three  brothers  practised  manifold  penitential  obser- 
vances, severe  beyond  all  description  ;  the  Creator  drew 
nigh  to  witness  them,  and  said,  —  "  Son,  I  am  well  pleased, 
ask  a  boon."  The  Ten-headed  suppliantly  clasped  his  feet 
and  cried,—"  Hear,  0  lord  of  earth:  I  would  die  at  the 
hand  of  none  save  man  or  monkey."  Brahma  and  I  grant- 
ed him  his  boon,  saying,—"  So  be  it  ;  you  have  done  great 
penance."  Then  the  lord  went  to  Kumbha-karn,  and  was 
astounded  at  his  appearance, --"  If    this    wretch    is  always 

1  The  patriarch  Pulastya  was  the  father  of  Visravas  ;  and  the  latter,  by 
three  handmaids,  who  had  been  given  him  by  Kuver,  begot  (1)  Rdvan  and 
Kumbha-karn,  (2)  Vibhishan,  and  (3)  Khara  and  Siirpa-nakhd. 


110  CHILDHOOD. 

eating,  the  whole   world    will  be  laid   waste."     So  he  sent 

Sarasvati   to  turn   his  head,  and  he  asked  for  six  months' 

slumber. 

Doha    181. 

Then   he  went    to   Vibhfshan   and  said, —"  Son,  ask  a 

boon  :"  and  he  asked  for  perfect  love  of  God. 

Ghaupdi  178. 
After  granting  these  boons  Brahma  departed,  and  they 
went  home  rejoicing.  Now  Maya  had  a  daughter  by  name 
Mandodari,  of  exceeding  beauty,  a  jewel  of  womankind, 
whom  her  father  brought  and  made  over  to  Rdvan  ;  and  she 
became  the  demon's  head-queen.  Delighted  at  having  ob- 
tained so  good  a  wife,  he  next  went  and  married  his  two 
brothers.  In  the  middle  of  the  ocean  is  a  three- peaked 
mountain,  by  Brdhma's  contrivance  most  difficult  of  access. 
Here  the  demon  Maya  had  constructed  a  vast  palace  of  gold 
and  jewels,  more  beautiful  and  charming  than  Bhogavati, 
the  city  of  the  serpent  kings,  or  Indra's  capital  Amaravati, 
and  called  it  Lankd,  a  name  famous  throughout  the  world. 

Dohd  182-83.  '  >.^  -  ':-n'\ 
The  deep  ocean  was  its  moat,  washing  its  four  sides  ; 
and  its  massive  walls  were  of  gold,  set  with  jewels  in  a  way 
that  defies  description.  In  every  age  the  Demon  King, 
whom  Hari  predestines,  lives  there  with  his  army,  as  a 
mighty  and  puissant  chief. 

Ghaupdi  179. 
There  had  dwelt  great  demon  warriors,  but  all  had  been 
slain  in  battle  by  the  gods  ;  and  now  by  Indra's  commission 
it  was  occupied  by  a  million  guards  of  Kuver's.  RAvan 
happened  to  hear  of  this,  and  at  once  marshalled  his  army 
and  went  and  besieged  the  place.  When  the  Yakshas  saw 
the  vast  host  of  fierce  warriors,  they  all  fled  for  their  lives. 
Thereupon  RAvan  inspected  the  whole  of  the  city,  and  was 
so  highly  pleased  with  it  that  all  his  trouble  was  forgotten. 
Seeing  that  it  was  not  only  a  beautiful,  but  also  a  naturally 
impregnable,  site,  he  fixed  the  capital  there,  and  assigning 


OHILDHOOD,  111 

quarters  to  his  followers  according   to  their  several  deserts, 

made  them  all  quite  happy.     Upon  one  occasion  he  sallied 

forth  against  Kuver,  and  carried  away  his  chariot  of  flowers 

as  a  trophy. 

DohdlS4..  IrlO 

Again,  from  mere  lightness  of  heart,  he  went  and  over- 
threw KaiUs,  and  after  thus  testing  the  prowess  of  his  men 
of  war,  waxed  yet  more  jubilant  than  before. 
Chaupdi  180. 

His  happiness  and  prosperity,  the  number  of  his  sons, 
his  army  and  his  allies,  his  conquests,  his  might  and  his 
superior  wisdom,  all  grew  day  by  day  more  and  more,  in 
the  same  way  as  avarice  grows  with  gain.  Thus,  too,  his 
brother,  the  stalwart  Kumbha-karn,  was  a  champion  with- 
out a  match  in  the  world.  After  drinking  his  fill  he  slept 
for  six  months,  and  at  his  waking  the  three  worlds  trem- 
bled. If  he  had  taken  a  meal  every  day  the  whole  world 
would  soon  have  beenstript  bare  :  so  unspeakably  staunch 
in  fight  was  he  that  no  other  hero  could  be  compared  to  him. 
His  eldest  son  was  Meghndd,  who  held  the  first  place  among 
the  world's  champions  ;  before  whom  none  could  stand  in 
the  battle  ;  who  was  ever  harassing  the  city  of  heaven. 
Dohd  185. 

And  many  other  demons  were  there,  each  by  himself 
able  to  subdue  the  whole  world,  such  as  the  hideous 
Kumukh,  the  dauntless  Akampan,  Kulisa-radd  with  teeth 
like  thunderbolts  the  fiery  Dhumra-ketu,  and  the  huge 
Atikdya ; 

Chaupdi  181. 

Taking  form  at  will,  skilled  in  every  kind  of  fraud, 
without  ever  a  thought  of  piety  or  pity.  One  day  the  Ten- 
headed  was  seated  in  court  and  reviewed  his  innumerable 
retainers,  sons  and  grandsons,  friends  and  servants,  troops 
of  demons,  more  than  any  one  could  count.  On  seeing  the 
host,  he  swelled  with  pride,  and  in  fierce  tones  said, — 
"  Hearken,  all  ye  demon  troops,  the  host   of  heaven  are  my 


\  / 


112  CHILDHOOD. 

enemies,  nor  dare  to  stand  up  in  open  fight,  but  flee  away 
at  the  sight  of  my  great  army.  There  is  one  way  of 
effecting  their  death,  which  I  will  declare ;  now  listen  to 
it.  Go  ye  and  put  a  stop  to  all  feasting  of  Br^hmans,  to 
every  sacrifice,  oblation  and  funeral  rite  ; 

Dohd  186. 
the  forthwith  the  faint  and    hungry  gods  will  come   out  to 
meet  me,  and  whether  1  slay  them  or  let  them  go,  they  will 
be  equally  in  my  power." 

Chaupdi  182. 
Again  he  called  for  Meghnad  and  exhorted  him  to  yet 
greater  courage  and  resentment,—"  The  strong  and  warlike 
gods,  who  venture  to  confront  you,  you  must  vanquish  and 
bring  here  in  chains."  Up  rose  the  son  to  perform  his 
father's  commands.  In  this  manner  he  ordered  all,  and 
himself  sallied  forth,  club  in  hand.  As  he  marched  the 
earth  shook,  the  heaven  thundered,  and  pains  of  premature 
labour  overtook  the  pregnant  spouses  of  the  gods.  The 
gods  themselves,  on  tiearing  of  Rdvan's  wrathful  approach, 
sought  the  caves  of  Mount  Meru.  As  he  approached  in 
turn  each  of  the  eight  quarters  of  the  globe,  he  found  it 
deserted  by  its  guardian.  Again  and  again  he  shouted  the 
challenge  to  battle  and  vehemently  scoffed  at  the  gods,  and 
mad  with  lust  of  blood  traversed  the  whole  universe  in 
search  of  a   foeman,  nor  could  anywhere  discover  one. 

An  interpolation. 
When  N^rad  met  him,  he  said  with  a  smile, — "  Saint, 
where  are  the  gods  ?  show  them  to  me."  N^rad  was  not 
pleased  to  hear  of  his  villainy,  and  forthwith  sent  him  to 
White-land.  When  he  crossed  the  ocean  and  arrived  on  the 
other  side,  he  saw  a  company  of  women,  and  said  to  them, — 
"  Go  tell  your  husbands  that  the  king  of  the  demons  is 
here;  then  I  will  conquer  them  in  battle  and  take  you 
away  to  my  own  home."  On  hearing  this  speech  an  ancient 
dame  waxed  wroth  and  ran  and  seized  him  by  the  feet  and 


CHILDHOOD.  113 

threw   him    up  into  the   air  ;   then  after   going  a  long  way 
scratching   and  clawing,   she  gave  him    a  good   shake  and 
pitched  him  with  great  violence  into  the  middle  of  the  sea. 
Doha  187. 

Senseless,  but  by  the  Brdhman's   blessing  still  alive,  he 
sank  down  into  hell ;  then  with  a  roar  sprang  up  again   all 
unhurt,  with  a  soul  unmoved  either  by  joy  or  sorrow. 
Ghaupdi  183. 

After  taking  and  pillaging  the  Ndgas'  capital,  the  enemy 
of  heaven  passed  on  to  Bali's  realm.  When  the  Dwarf 
heard  of  Rdvan's  coming  and  how  he  had.  scoffed  at  N^rad 
the  gods'  teacher,  the  lord  infused  his  own  strength  into  all 
the  children  playing  in  the  streets,  who  ran  and  seized  him 
and  brought  him  into  the  town,  while  every  man  and  wo- 
man in  the  place  flocked  to  see  the  sight,—"  Where  on 
earth  can  heaven  have  brought  such  a  creature  from,  with 
its  twenty  arms  and  ten  heads  ? "  Though  the  guards 
bound  him  and  vexed  him  sore,  he  would  rather  die  than 
tell  his  name ;  in  the  Dwarf's  presence  he  was  much  con- 
founded, and  the  Merciful  then  had  him  set  at  liberty.  Off 
at  once  rushed  the  demon  king   without  the  least  shame  or 

hesitation. 

Do/ia  188-189. 

Shameless,  pitiless,  and  ever  bent  on  mischief,    the  ten- 
headed    miscreant   thought   to  conquer   Rdma.     Hearken, 
Bharadvaja  ;  if   God    is  wroth   with  a  man,    his   diamonds 
turn  to  bits  of  glass  that  are  not  worth  a  cowry. 
Ghaupdi  184. 

Where  ever  he  found  a  stray  god  or  Brdhman  he  frigh- 
tened him  into  payment  of  ransom,  and  this  is  the  way  he 
went  on  day  and  night,  the  black-hearted  ruffian.  Then  in 
haste  he  came  to  Pampapur,  the  seat  of  the  monkey-king 
Bdli,  and  beheld  the  beautiful  lake  that  would  charm  the 
soul  even  of  the  greatest  saint,  where  the  monkey-king  sat 
absorbed  in  contemplation.  He  smiled  to  see  the  Ten- 
headed,    and    Ravan   shouted   in  a  fury, — "  You  wretched, 

R— 18 


114  CHILDHOOD. 

senseless,  hypocritical   ape,   I   no  sooner  heard  your  name 
then  I  came  at  once  ;    have  done   with  your  cowardice  and 

meet  me  in  battle. 

Doha  190. 

Unless  you  can  vanquish  me    in   combat  your   medita- 
tions are  vain,"  said  the  demon  king,  gnashing  his  320  teeth. 
Ghaupdi  185. 

Said  B^li,— "  Away,  I  want  no  fighting  ;  be  wise  and 
take  your  ten  heads  home.  Your  valour,  friend,  is  undispu- 
ted, for  I  hear  of  your  victories  all  over  the  world.  "  But 
Bali's  reiterated  advice  had  not  the  slightest  effect  ;  and  at 
last  the  monkey-king  sprang  up  in  a  rage  and  seized 
RAvan  and  nipped  him  tight  under  his  arms,  and  then 
forgot  all  about  him  for  the  space  of  ten  months.  One 
day  as  he  raised  his  hands  to  offer  a  libation  to  the  sun, 
RAvan  slipped  out  of  his  clutches  and  ran  away.  Next  he 
went,  being  still  without  either  shame  or  scruple,  to  where 
the  thousand-armed  Sahasrabhuj  was  sporting  in  the  water. 
Doha  191. 

Ocean  was  troubled  at  Rdvan's  might :  the  court  began 

to  sink,  and  Sahasrab-ihu  cried  in  a  rage, — '  What  rival  of 

mine  is  here  to-day  ?  ' 

Ghaupdi  186. 

Then  he  went  and  saw  where  Rdvan  stood,  by  whose 
giant  arms  the  water  was  agitated.  Potent  in  artifice  as  in 
strength  of  limb,  he  with  a  loud  cry  seized  the  king  of 
Lankd  and  kept  him  tied  up  for  some  days  in  his  stable— a 
sight  of  wonder  for  his  wives.  He  was  ashamed  to  tell  his 
name,  though  the  wise  king  was  ever  asking,  and  RambhA 
and  her  companions  danced  about  him  and  set  a  lighted 
torch  to  each  of  his  ten  heads.  The  saint  Pulastya  came 
and  set  him  free.  Next  he  went  and  got  cursed  by  Nala. 
Dohd  192. 

On  the  road  he  spied  a  most  incomparably  beautiful 
damsel,  with  sandal-wood  and  flowers  and  leaves  in  her 
hand,  going  to  worship  TripurAri. 


CHILDHOOD.  115 

Ghawpdi  187. 
Urvasi  was  abashed  at  seeing  him,' but  Ravan  addressed 
her  in  gentle  tones, — '  Who  are  you  lady,  and  where  are  you 
going  ?  '  She  was  too  much  overcome  with  modesty  to  give 
him  an  answer.  Being  mad  with  lust,  he  took  no  heed,  but 
seized  her  by  the  hand,  though  she  was  the  wife  of  Kuver's 
son.  When  he  recognized  her,  there  came  upon  him 
remorse  and  repentance  for  the  evil  deed,i  and  much  trou- 
bled at  heart  the  king  of  LankA  returned  to  his  capital. 
Urvasi  went  sadly  to  Alaka  and  told  Nala  Kiivra.  In  great 
wrath  he  uttered  this  curse,— 'May  the  race  of  Ravan 
perish.'  The  curse  went  to  Lanki,  where  R^van  was 
seated,  and  stood  before  him.  He  trembled  with  dismay 
at  the  sight. 

Doha  193. 

Submitting  to  the  curse,  he  thought  within  himself  that 
he  had  never  taken  any  tribute  from  the  monks  ;  so  in  a  fury, 

Chaupdi  188. 
he  sent  four  messengers  to  a  holy  man's  hermitage, 
who  on  seeing  them  forgot  all  about  the  Supreme  Spirit 
and  asked  them  of  their  welfare,  saying,  -'  Tell  me,  is  all 
well  with  Lanka's  king  ?'  "Reverend  sir,  all  is  well  with 
him,  and  he  wants  your  tribute-money."  On  hearing  this 
speech  he  was  much  alarmed,  and  forgetful  of  his  vow 
began  to  think  within  himself,—'  It  is  ill  going  empty- 
handed  to  a  court  where  justice  is  not,  and  where  a  pack 
of  villains  are  banded  together.'  So  he  gave  them  a  jar, 
which  he  had  filled  with  blood  taken  from  his  own  body, 
and  made  it  over  to  the  messengers,  saying,  —  "  Go  tell  the 

king, 

Dohd  194. 
If  the  jar  is  opened,  death  will  come  upon  you  and  your 
family."     The  messengers  in    haste   took  the   jar    to  the 
king's  court  at  Lank4. 

1  Ravan  and  Kuver  were  both  sons,  by  different  mothers,  of  one  father, 
Visravas,  and  Urvasi  vpas  thus  Rd van's  niece  by  marriage.  Hence  iu  violat- 
ing her  he  had  been  guilty  not  only  of  adultery  but  also  of  incest. 


116  CHILDHOOD. 

Chaupdi  189. 

Rdvan  was  please(l  at  the  sight  of  the  jar,  and  the  Mes- 
sengers then  told  him  what  the  saint  had  said.  On  hear- 
ing the  curse  his  heart  burned  within  him,  and  he  said,  — 
"  Take  the  jar  away  to  the  north  and  carefully  put  it  in  the 
ground  where  no  one  can  find  it."  They  took  it  to  Janak's 
dominions  and  there  buried  it  in  a  field.  There  Janak, 
preparing  for  a  sacrifice,  was  driving  a  golden  plough  :  the 
offspring  of  the  saint's  blood  sprung  up  out  of  the  furrow 
and  was  carried  off  by  Garur.  Her  blessed  name  was  at 
first  Jdnaki,  but  NArad  afterwards  came  and  directed  that  it 
should  be  Sita,^  and  explained  all  the  circumstances  as 
above  related.  The  great  saint  then  left  ;  the  messengers 
also  returned  to  Lank^,  and  Lanka's  lord,  though  worsted 
in  four  places,  still  greatly  troubled  the  gods. 
{Here  ends  the  interpolation). 

The  sun  and  moon  ;  the  wind  ;  Varuna  and  Kuver ;  fire, 
time  and  death,  and  every  divine  power;  Kinnars,  saints, 
men,  gods  and  serpents,  all  were  turned  out  of  their  course. 
From  one  end  of  earth  to  the  other  every  living  creature, 
whether  male  or  female,  was  made  subject  to  Rivan.  All 
in  turn  do  his  bidding  and  crouch  suppliantly  at  his  feet. 

Do7i«  195-196.  ^A'^'V\^ 
By  his  mighty  arm  he  subdued  the  whole  universe  and 
left  not  a  single  soul  independent,  but  acting  on  his  own 
counsel  exercised  dominion  over  the  whole  round  world. 
And  many  were  the  Tovely  dames  he  wedded  after  conquest, 
daughters  of  gods  and  Yakshas  and  Gandharvas  and  men 
and  Kinnars  and  Ndgas. 

Ghaupai  190. 

Whatever  he  told   Indrajit  to  do  was   done  in  less  timel 

than  it  took  to  tell :  hear  now  how  the  other  chiefs  acted  to| 

whom  he  gave  orders.     The  whole  demon  crew,   villainous^ 

at  heart  and  foul  of  aspect,  the  torment  of  heaven,   werej 

1  The  word  Sita  meaoing  •  a  farrow.' 


CHILDHOOD.  117 

ready  for  any  outrage,  disguising  themselves  by  the  assump- 
tion of  various  forms  and  acting  in  every  way  contrary  to 
the  Veda,  in  order  to  eradicate  religion.  Wherever  they 
find  a  cow  or  a  Brdhman,  they  at  once  set  fire  to  the  city, 
town  or  village  ;  pious  observances  are  no  longer  anywhere 
in  existence  ;  no  respect  is  paid  either  to  scripture,  or 
Brdhman,  or  spiritual  instructor  ;  there  is  no  faith  in  Hari, 
no  sacrifice,  no  prayer,  nor  alms-giving,  and  no  one  would 
ever  dream  of  listening  either  to  Veda  or  Purdna. 

Chhand  18. 

At  a  hint  of  prayer  or  of  penance,  of  sacrifice,  vigil  or  fast. 

Not  a  moment's  rest,  but  he   hied  on  its  quest,    with   a 
vow  it  should  be  the  last. 

The  world   was  sunk  in   lawlessness  ;    all  holy  sounds 
were  banned  ; 

To  read  a  sacred  text  was  death,  or  exile  from  the  land. 
Sorathd  21.     -J-fT 

The  fearful  oppression  that  the  demons  wrought  is  be- 
yond description  :  bent  on  mischief,  there  was  no  limit  to 
their  evil-  doing. 

Ghawpdi  191. 

The  wicked  all  throve  ;  such  as  thieves  and  gamblers, 
and  those  who  coveted  their  neighbour's  wife  or  goods,  those 
who  honoured  neither  father  and  mother  nor  the  gods,  and 
those  who  exacted  service  of  better  men  than  themselves. 
For  people  who  act  in  this  way,  Bhdvani,  resemble  demons. 
Seeing  the  general  persecution  of  religion,  earth  was  terror- 
stricken  and  dism.ayed,—'  the  weight  of  mountains,  lakes 
and  seas  is  nothing  so  heavy  as  this  one  tyrant.'  She  saw 
all  faith  perverted,  and  yet  for  fear  of  R^van  could  say 
nothing.  After  some  consideration  she  took  the  form  of  a 
cow  and  went  to  the  spot  where  the  gods  and  saints  were 
gathered  together,  and  with  tears  declared  to  them  her 
distress.  There  was  no  help  to  be  had  from  any  one  of 
them. 


118  CHILDHOOD. 

Ghhand  19. 

Gods  and  saintR  and  heavenly  minstrels,  flocked  they  all 
to  Brahma's  throne  ; 

With   them    Earth,   a   horned   heifer,  making  sad  and 
piteous  moan. 

Pondered  Brahma  in  his    wisdom, — 'All   vain    is   help 
of  mine, 

But  a  lord  immortal  is  thy  Lord,  be  he  my  help  and  thine.' 
Sorathd2?,.        ^  ^'^ 
"Take  courage.  Earth,"  said  Brdhma,  "and  remember 
Hari ;    the  Lord   knows  the  distress  of  his  servants,  and 
will  put  an  end  to  this  cruel  oppression." 
Chaupdi  192. 

All   the  gods  sat  in  counsel,—"  Where  can  we  find  the 

Lord  and  make  our  cry  to  him  ?  Said  one, — '  We  must  go  to 

Vaikunth';  said  another,—*  His  home  is  in  the  ocean.    Nay, 

this  is  the  way  of  the  Lord,  he  is  ever  manifest  to  a  faithful 

and   loving  soul.'  Now,  Girijd,  I  too  was  in  the  assembly 

and    took   occasion   to  say  briefly,—"  Hari  is  omnipresent 

everywhere  alike,  but,  as  I  well  Know,  is  revealed    by  love. 

Tell  me  any  place,  time  or  quarter  of  the  heaven  where  the 

Lord  is  not.     Present  in  all  creation,  animate  or  inanimate, 

passionless  and  unbiased,  he  is  revealed  like   fire  by  love." 

My  words  were  approved  by  all,  and  Brdbma  exclaimed, — 

*  Well  said,  well  said.'  ^ 

Doha   197.     ^\  \ 

The  Creator  was  glad  at  heart  and  thrilled  with  delight, 

while   his  eyes  filled  with  tears,  and  clasping  his  immortal 

hands  he  thus  composedly  and  deliberately  chanted   his 

praises  : 

Chhand  20-21. 
"  To  the   King   of  heaven  be  all  glory  given,  refuge  of 

creation  in  distress  and  care. 
Priests  and  kine  befriending,  boll's  brief  triumph  end- 
ing, best,  beloved  of  Lnkshnii,  Ocean's  daughter  fair. 
Heaven  and  earth's  upholder,  who,  than  all  men  bolder, 
dares  to  scan  the  secret  of  thy  strange  mysterious  way  ? 


CHILDHOOD.  119 

Ever   kind   and   loving,  humble  souls  approving,  may 

thy  gracious  favour  reach  now  to  me,  I  pray. 
Spirit  all-pervading,  fleshly  sense  evading,  hail  Mukund 

immortal,  lord  of  blissfulness  supreme. 
Ever   pure    and  holy,  whom  the  Queen  of  Folly  has  no 

power  to  tangle  in  her  world- deluding  dream. 
Glory,  glory,  glory,  theme    of   endless   story,   sung    by 

saints  and  sages  in  an  ecstasy  of  love. 

Daily,  nightly  gazing  on  the  sight  amazing,  source  of 
every  blessing,  Hari,  lord  of  heav^en  above. 

Triune  incarnation,  who  at  earth's  creation,  wert  alone 
presiding,  and  other  aid  was  none  ; 

Though  in  prayer  unable,  and  my  faith  unstable,  0  great 
sindesiroyer,  hear  our  hapless  moan. 

Life's  alarms  dispelling,  all  disasters  quelling,  comfort  of 
the  faithful,  be  our  succour  now  ; 

All  the  gods  implore  thee,  falling  low  before  thee,  with 
unfeigned  submission  of  body,  soul  and  vow. 

Lord  God  Bhagav^na,  Ved  and  eke  Purana,  Saradd  and 
Seshndg,  and  all  the  saintly  throng. 

Find  the  theme  too  spacious,  only  know  thee  gracious  ; 
hasten  then  to  help  us  in  our  hour  of  wrong. 

In  all  grace  excelling,  Beauty's  chosen  dwelling,  ark  on 
life's  dark  ocean,  home  of  all  most  sweet, 

Gods  and  saints  and  sages,  now  this  tempest  rages,  fly  in 
consternation  to  clasp  thy  lotus  feet." 

Doha  198.  ^].     ' 

Beholding  the  alarm  of  the  gods  and  Earth,  and  hearing 
this  devout  speech,  a  dread  voice  came  from  heaven  that 
removed  all  their  doubt  and  anxiety, — 
Chaupdi  193. 
"  Fear  not,  Indra  and  ye  saints  and  sages  ;  for  your  sake 
I  am  about  to  assume  the  form  of  a  man,  with  every  element 
of  my  divinity  incarnate  in  the  glorious  Solar  race.  For  the 
severe  penance  practiced  by  Kasyapa  and  Aditi  I  granted 
them  the  full  boon  they  asked.  In  the  form  of  Dasarath  and 
KausalyA  they  shall  take  royal  birth  in  the  city  of  Kosala. 
In  their  house  shall  become  incarnate  the  four  brothers,  the 


120  CHILDHOOD. 

pride  of  the  family  of  Raghu.  I  will  fulfil  all  that  Nirad 
predicted,  by  myself  descending  from  heaven  with  my 
eternal  spouse,  and  will  remove  the  whole  of  earth's  burden." 
On  hearing  the  heavenly  voice  in  the  air  the  gods  turned 
and  were  consoled,  and  Brdhma  exhorted  Mother  Earth, 
who  forgot  her  fears  in  hopefulness.  ^ 

Do  h  199.      '^  M 
Then  Brahma  proceeded  to  his  own  realm  after  thus  in- 
structing the  gods,  —  '  Go  and  worship    Hari  upon  earth  in 

form  as  monkeys." 

Chaupdi  194. 

The  gods  went    every  one  to  his  own    abode,  and  with 
Earth  had  rest.     All  the  orders    that  BrAhma   had    given 
they  executed  gladly  and  without  delay.     Taking  birth  on 
earth  as  monkeys  of   incomparable   strength   and    dignity, 
warriors  with  rocks  and  trees  and  claws  for  weapons,  they 
confidently   awaited  Hari's    coming,    swarming    in    every 
mountain  and  forest  and    divided   among   themselves  into 
orderly  troops,  I   have   told    you  of   their  noble  acts,  and 
now  you  must  hear  of  what  was  doing  meanwhile  elsewhere. 
The  king  of  Avadh  was  named  Dasarath,  the   jewel  of  the 
line  of  Raghu,  well  skilled  in  the  Vedas,  virtuous  and  wise, 
a  defender  of  the  faith,  a  sincere  votary  of  Vishnu. 
Dohd  200.  %\^ 
Kausaly^  and  his  other  loving  queens    were  all  of  holy 
life,   faithful   and   affectionate   to   their  lord,  and   full   of 
humble  devotion  to  Hari's  lotus  feet. 
Chaupdi  195. 
One  day  the  king  was  sad  that  he  had  no   son,   and  go- 
ing in  haste  to  his  guru's  abode  fell  at  his  feet  with  many 
entreaties  and  told  him  all  his  joys  and  sorrows.     Vasishta 
in  reply  comforted  him    in    every    way, — "  Take   courage, 
you  will  have  four  sons,  who  will  bo  famous  throughout  the 
three    worlds    and    rid    the   faithful    of   all    their   fears." 
Then  Vasishta  summoned  Saint  Sringi    to  perform  a  sacri- 
fice for  the  birth  of  a  son.     The  saint  devoutly  offered  th 


CHILDHOOD.  121 

oblation,  and  the  firegod  appeared  with  the  offering  in  his 
hand  and  cried  in  gracious  tones, — "I  am  pleased  more 
than  I  can  say  ;  whatever  Vasishta  has  imagined  in  his 
heart  is  all  granted  for  your  good.  Take  this  oblation,  0 
king,  and  divide  it  in  such  proportions  as  is  proper. 
Doha  201.  • 

Then  the  fire  god  vanished,  after  telling  them  all  of  all 
that   had   to   be  done.     The  king   was   transported   with 
ecstasy  and  could  not  contain  himself  for  joy. 
Ghaupdi  196. 

He  at  once  sent  for  his  loving  wives,  and  Kausaly^  and 
the  others  came.  To  Kausalya  he  gave  a  half  share, 
and  of  the  remaining  half  he  made  two  portions,  one  of 
which  he  offered  to  Kaikeyi ;  what  remained  he  again 
divided  into  two,  which  he  placed  in  the  hands  of  KausalyA 
and  Kaikeyi,  and  they  gave  them  to  SumitrA,  to  her  great 
delight.  In  this  manner  all  the  queens  became  pregnant, 
and  they  grew  glad  of  heart  with  exceeding  joy.  From 
the  day  that  Hari  was  conceived  in  their  womb  the  whole 
world  was  fulfilled  with  happiness  and  prosperity,  and 
the  queens  shone  resplendent  in  the  palace,  full  of  beauty, 
virtue  and  glory.  Some  little  time  was  thus  happily 
spent,  till  the  day  arrived  for  the  Lord  to  be  revealed. 
Doha  202. 

Auspicious   was  the  conjunction   of   the  planets  in   an 

auspicious  house ;  auspicious  the  moment ;  auspicious  the 

day  of  the  week  and  of  the  month;  and  full  of  delight  was 

all  creation,  animate  and  inanimate,  when  RdmA,  father  of 

delights,  was  born. 

Ghaupdi  197. 

On  the  ninth  day  of  the  sweet  and  holy  month  of  Chait ; 

in  the  bright  lunar  fortnight ;  under  Abhijit,  his  favourite 

constellation ;    on  a  seasonable   day  neither  hot    nor  cold, 

a  holy  time  of  rest  for  all  ;  with  soft,  cool,  fragrant  breezes 

blowing ;  midst  the  delight  of  gods  and  heartfelt  rapture  of 

the  saints ;    while  the  woods  were  full  of  blossoms  as  the 

R-19 


122  CHILDHOOD. 

hills  with  gems,  and  every  river  flowed  a  stream  of  nectar. 
When  the  Creator  saw  the  time  so  fit,  all  the  gods  had  their 
chariots  equipped  and  came  forth.  The  bright  heaven 
was  crowded  with  the  host  of  them  ;  troops  of  Gandharvas 
chanted  heroic  lays ;  flowers  were  rained  down  by  handfuls  ; 
the  sky  resounded  with  the  beat  of  kettle-drums ;  serpents, 
saints  and  gods  hymned  his  praises,  and  each  in  his  own 
fashion  tendered  him  service. 

Dohci  203. 

Thus  meekly  did  all  the   gods   return  to  their  several 

abodes  when  the  Lord  was  revealed,  who  is   the   abode   of 

the  world,  and  in  whom  all  the  world  finds  rest. 

Chhand  24—27. 

From  Kausalya's  blessed  womb  the  great  god  at  last  has 

come,  im  response  to  a  lost  world's  plaint. 
And  she  gazes  with  what  joy  on  the  face  of  her  dear  boy, 

that  would  rapture  the  soul  of  a  saint. 
A   vision   of  delight,  with  his  eyes  so  large  and   bright, 

and  his  body  as  a  cloud  dark  and  grand. 
By  the  garland  on  his  breast   and   his  four  arms  confest 

Khardri,  with  a  weapon  in  each  hand. 
With  fingers  locked  in  prayer   she   cries, — '*  How    may   I 
dare,  0  lord  god  immortal,  thy  boundless  praise  to  tell. 
Far  above  the  world's  confusion  and  reason's   vain    intru- 
sion, whom  all  the  scripture3  witness  incomprehensible. 
Whom  saints  and  l^oly  sages  have  hymned  through  all  the 
ages,  the  fountain  of  compassion,    the  source   of   every 
grace. 
Who  aye  with  Lakshmi  reignest,  thou,  even   thou,   now 
deignest  to  be  my  son  and  succour  thy  sore-tried  chosen 
race. 
Though  we  know  by  revelation,  heaven  and  earth  and   all 

creation,  in  each  hair  upon  thy  body  may  be  found. 
In  my  arms  thou  sweetly  dreamest,  0  mystery  supremest, 
far  beyond  the  comprehension  of  a  sage  the   most   pro- 
found." 
Smiled  the  lord  at  her' devotion  and  would   fain   have   set 

in  motion  the  magic  that  dazzles  the  crowd. 
Telling  all  he  had  done   and  the   triumphs   he   had   won 
that  his  mother  of  her  son  might  be  proud. 


CHILDHOOD.  123 

But  hurriedly  she  cried, — "  My  soul  is  terrified   by   these 
marvels,  disperse  them  from  my  sight ; 

Let  me  see  thee  as  a  child,  disporting  free   and    wild,   for 
in  this  is  my  greatest  delight," 

She  spoke  and  he  obeyed,  and  at   once   in   fashion    made 
as  an  infant  began  to  cry. 

Know  that  all  who   sing  this  lay,   and    in  faith  to   Hari 
pray,  shall  in  peace  rest  for  ever  when  they  die. 

Doha  204.     •:  : 

For  the  sake  of  Br^hmans,  cows  and  gods  and  saints  he 
took  birth  as  a  man,  in  a  body  formed  at  his   own    will,  he 
who  is  beyond  all  form,  or  quality,  or  perception  of  the  senses. 
Ghaupdi  198. 

On  hearing  the  delightful  sound  of  a  baby's  cries,  all 
the  queens  came  greatly  agitated  ;  their  glad  handmaids 
ran  hither  and  thither  and  all  the  people  of  the  city  were 
drowned  in  joy.  When  Dasarath  knew  he  had  a  son  born, 
his  joy  vvas  like  that  of  the  blest  in  heaven  ;  with  his  soul 
full  of  love  and  his  body  quivering  with  delight  he  sought 
to  rise,  but  could  not  till  he  had  collected  himself, — "  The 
lord,  whose  very  name  it  is  bliss  to  hear,  has  come  to  my 
house."  Thus  rejoicing  at  heart  the  king  sent  for  minstrels 
to  play,  and  next  summoned  the  guru  Vasishta,  who  came 
to  the  court  with  a  train  of  Brdhmans.  He  went  and 
gazed  upon  the  peerless  babe,  but  its  beauty  and  grace 
were  beyond  words  to  tell. 

Doha  205.    ' 

Then   after   performing   the   Ndndi-mukh    Srdddh^   he 
completed    every    caste   observance,    and    the   king    made 
offerings  to  the  Br^hmans  of  gold,  cows,  plate  and  jewels. 
Ghaupdi  199. 

The  city  was  full  of  flags  and  banners  and  festal 
wreaths  arranged   in   a   manner   that    defies    description. 

1  The  Ndndi-mukh  Srdddh  is  a  commemorative  offering  to  the  Manes 
preliminary  to  any  joyous  occasion,  such  as  initiation,  marriage,  &c.,  in 
which  nine  balls  of  meat  are  offered  to  the  deceased  father,  grandfather, 
and  great-grandfather ;  to  the  maternal  grandfather,  great-grandfather, 
and  great-great-grandfather  ;  and  to  the  mother,  paternal  grandmother,  and 
paternal  great  grandmother. — Monier  Williams. 


124  CHILDHOOD. 

Showers  of  flowers  fell  from  heaven  and  every  soul  was  rapt 
in  bliss.  There  was  a  concourse  of  troops  of  women  who 
had  come  running  in  their  ordinary  dress  just  as  they  were 
at  the  time,  with  golden  vases  and  salvers  laden  with 
things  of  good  omen,  singing  as  they  entered  the  king's 
court.  After  passing  their  offerings  round  and  round  over 
the  child's  head,  they  strew  them  on  the  ground,  and  again 
and  again  throw  themselves  at  his  feet,  while  bards  and 
minstrels,  singing  men  and  choristers  chant  the  solemn 
praises  of  Raghundth.  Every  one  made  an  offering  of  all 
that  he  had,  and  no  one  kept  what  was  given  him  ;  while 
musk,  sandal  and  saffron  were  thrown  about  in  such 
profusion  that  the  streets  were  muddy  with  perfumes. 
Dohd  2QQ. 
In  every  house  there  was  music  and  the  jubilant  shout, — 
"  The  fountain  of  joy  has  been  revealed  ;"  and  all  the 
men  and  women  in  the  city  were  rejoicing  everywhere. 

Chaupdi  200. 
Both  Kaikeyi  and  Sumitra  too  gave  birth  to  a  lovely 
boy.  At  that  time  the  joy,  the  auspiciousness,  and  the 
crowds  were  more  than,  Sarasvati  or  the  serpent  king  could 
describe.  The  city  of  Avadh  was  as  resplendent  as  it  were 
7  Night  going  to  meet  her  lord.  The  sun,  abashed  at  the 
vision,  faded  into  twilight,  where  the  dusky  clouds  of  in- 
cense were  shot  through  with  red  gleams  of  ahir  :  the  piles 
of  jewels  in  the  temples  were  like  stars,  and  the  golden 
pinnacle  of  the  palace  as  the  gracious  moon,  while  the 
murmuring  sound  of  the  muttered  Veda  in  the  house  was 
like  the  evening  song  of  garrulous  birds.  Gazing  upon  the 
spectacle  the  sun  forgot  himself,  and  a  whole  month  passed 
without  his  knowing  it.  ^  A 

Dohd  207.  '  ' 
The  day  was  a  month  long,  but  the  marvel  was  noticed 
of  none — while  the  sun  in  his  chariot  stood  still  at   gaze, 
how  could  there  be  any  night  ? 


CHILDHOOD.  125 

Ghaupdi  201. 
There  was  not  one  who  observed  the  strange  event,  and 
at  last  the  sun  set  still  chanting  Rama's  praises.  The  gods, 
saints  and  Ndgas  too,  who  had  witnessed  the  spectacle,  re- 
turned home,  congratulating  themselves  on  their  good  for- 
tune. I  will  even  tell  you  of  a  deception  I  practised  myself ; 
Hearken,  Girijd,  for  I  know  your  steadfast  faith.  Kd,ka- 
bhusundi  and  I  were  there  together  in  human  form,  without 
any  one  knowing  it.  Full  of  rapture,  love  and  delight,  we 
roamed  about  the  streets  in  ecstatic  unconsciousness.  Only 
one  on  whom  rests  the  mercy  of  R^ma  can  attain  to  the 
knowledge  of  these  acts  of  ours.  At  that  time  the  king 
granted  every  one  his  heart's  desire,  whatever  it  might  be 
that  he  had  come  for,  bestowing  on  them  elephants, 
carriages,  horses,  gold,  cows,  jewels  and  all  sorts  of  apparel. 

Doha  20S.    -  ' 
All  were   satisfied  from   their  very   heart  and   invoked 
blessings  upon  him,  saying, — *  May  all  the  boys  live  long,' 
those  lords  of  Tulsi  D^s. 

Chawpdi  202. 
In  this  manner  some  days  were  spent,  without  any  one 
taking  thought  of  noon  or  night,  till  the  king,  knowing  the 
time  had  come  for  naming  the  children,  sent  and  called  the 
wise  seer,  and  after  reverently  greeting  him  thus  spake, — 
"  Holy  father,  be  pleased  to  declare  the  names  upon  which 
you  have  secretly  determined."  "  Their  names  are  many 
and  wonderful  ;  I  will  tell  them,  0  king,  to  the  best  of  my 
ability.  The  store-house  of  delights,  the  ocean  of  joy,  by 
whose  spray  three  worlds  are  gladdened,  the  very  home  of 
bliss,  the  Comforter  of  the  universe,  has  for  his  name  Rama 
(*  delight ').  The  bearer  and  supporter  of  the  world  is 
named  Bharat  ('  the  supporter  '),  while  he  whose  very 
thought  brings  victory  over  the  foe  is  celebrated  in  the 
Veda  by  his  name  Satrughna  ('  destroyer  of  enemies  ')." 


126  CHILDHOOD.  <X 

Dohd  209.     ^ 

For   the  auspicious,   the   beloved  of  R^ma,  the  stay  of 
the  whole  world,  was  reserved  by  Saint  Vasishta  the  noble 
name  of  Lakshman  (*  of  auspicious  appearance  '). 
Chaupdi  203. 

After  naming   them    the   saint   pondered  in  heart  and 

said, — "  0  king,  your  four   sons  are  the  very  Veda  itself  ; 

the  saint's  treasure  ;  the  believer's  all  in  all ;  the  darling  of 

Siva,  who   is  delighted  with  their   childish  sports."     Even 

from  his  earliest    days  Lakshman    knew   his  dear  lord  and 

devoted  himself   to  R^ma  ;    while  the  affection  of  the  two 

other  brothers,  Bharat  and  Satrughna,  grew  also  as  between 

master  and  servant.     In  both   couples   one  was   dark,  the 

other  fair ;  and   their   mother,   as   she   gazed    upon  their 

loveliness,  would  break  a  blade  of  grass  to   avert  the  evil 

eye.     Though  all  four   were  full  of  amiability,   beauty  and 

intellect,  yetRdma  was  a  higher  joy ;  his  kindliness  of  heart 

was  like  the  bright   moon,  which   manifested  itself   in  the 

radiance  of  a  most  winning  smile ;  while  now  in  the  cradle, 

and  now  on  her  lap  his  mother  fondled  him  and  called  him 

her  own  dear  darling.  ^  a  «> 

Dohd  210.  ^  ^ 

The  omnipresent  god,  who  has  neither  passion  nor  qua- 
lity, nor  sensation  of  pleasure,  and  who  is  from  everlasting, 
lay  a  babe  in  Kausalya's  arms,  overcome  by  devout  affection. 
Chaupdi  204. 

With  all  the  beauty  of  a  myriad  loves  ;  dark  of  hue  as 
the  lotus  or  a  heavy  rain-cloud  ;  the  glistening  nails  on  his 
rosy  feet  like  clustered  pearls  on  the  leaves  of  the  lily  ;  the 
print  of  the  thunderbolt,  the  flag  and  the  elephant-goad  dis- 
tinctly to  be  seen  ;  the  tinkling  of  his  anklets  enough  to 
charm  a  saint;  with  girdled  waist  and  dimpled  body  and 
deep  navel,  such  as  no  one  could  believe  who  had  not  seen  ; 
with  long  arms  covered  with  many  jewels  and  lovely  set  of 
tiger's  claws  upon  his  breast  ;  with  necklace  of  gems  and 
sparkling  amulet,  and  soul-ravishing  print  of  the  Brahman's 


CHILDHOOD.  127 

feet^  with  shell-marked  neck  and  exquisite  chin,  and  a 
face  flushed  with  the  beauty  of  all  the  loves  ;  with  well- 
matched  teeth  and  ruddy  lips  and  nose  and  forehead-mark 
beyond  description ;  with  beautiful  ears  and  charming 
cheeks  and  lisping  prattle  most  delightful  to  hear  ;  with 
eyes  dark  and  full  as  the  lotus,  and  heavy  brows  and  a  fair 
pendant  on  his  forehead  ;  with  lustrous  curling  hair  that  his 
mother  was  ever  delighting  to  stroke  ;  with  his  body  clothed 
in  little  yellow  drawers,  crawling  on  knees  and  hands  upon 
the  ground  ;  neither  scripture  nor  Seshnag  could  do  justice 
to  his  beauty,  nor  without  a  vision  could  any  one  imagine  it. 
Dohd   211.    -^31 

The  all-blissful  god,  who  is  above  the  reach  of  delusion 
and  transcends   all  intellect,   speech  and   perception  of  the 
senses,    became   subject   to   the  strong  love  of  his  parents 
and  sported  like  an  innocent  babe. 
Chaupdi  205. 

In  this  way  R^ma,  the  father  of  the  universe,  showed 
himself  the  delight  of  the  people  of  Kosala  ;  and  they  who 
love  their  god,  0  Bhav^ni,  show  themselves  like  his  earthly 
parents.  But  his  enemies,  though  they  struggle  for  ever, 
will  never  extricate  themselves  from  the  bonds  of  existence. 
The  delusive  power  that  has  subdued  all  life,  whether  in 
animate  or  inanimate  creation,  trembles  before  the  Lord, 
who  with  the  play  of  his  eyebrows  forces  it  to  dance  like  a 
puppet.  If  we  leave  such  a  Lord,  whom  else  can  we  suppli- 
cate ?    Neither  in   thought,   word    nor  deed   be  overwise  ; 

I  Rama  is  bere  identified  with  Vishnu,  of  whom  the  following  legend 
is  told  in  the  Bhdgavat  Pur  ana  :— The  patriarch  Bhrigu,  being  in  doubt 
which  of  the  three  gods,  Brdhma,  Vishnu  or  Siva,  was  the  greatest,  deter- 
mined to  put  the  matter  to  the  test.  He  first  went  to  BrAhma  and  entered 
his  court  without  making  any  obeisance,  an  affront  at  which  the  god 
showed  himself  exceedingly  indignant.  He  then  went  to  Siva  and,  treat- 
ing him  with  a  like  want  of  respect,  excited  a  yet  more  furious  storm  of 
passion.  Lastly  he  went  to  Vaikunth,  where  finding  Vishnu  asleep  in  the 
embraces  of  his  spouse  Lakshmi,  he  struck  him  roughly  on  the  breast  with 
his  foot  to  awaken  him.  The  god  started  up,  but  seeing  the  saint,  at  once 
prostrated  himself  before  him,  and  took  and  gently  rubbed  his  foot  with 
his  hands,  hoping  it  had  not  been  hurt  by  striking  against  him.  Thus 
Bhrigu  learnt  that  in  mercy  and  magnanimity,  the  highest  attributes  of  the 
godhead,  there  was  no  other  power  that  could  be  compared  to  Vishnu. 


128  CHILDHOOD. 

god  is  merciful  only  to  those  who  pray.    Thus  the  Lord 
sported  as  a  child,  to  the   delight   of  all  the  people  of  the 
city  ;  and  now  his  mother  would  take  and  dandle  him  in  her 
arms,  and  now  put  him  down  and  rock  him  in  his  cradle. 
Dohd  212.    'l'^'3- 

So  lost  in  love  that  day  and  night  succeeded  one  another 
unobserved,  while  in  her  fondness  for  her  boy  she  kept 
singing  to  him  nursery  songs, 

Ghaupdi  206. 

One  day  his  mother,  after  washing  and  dressing  him, 
put  him  to  sleep  in  his  cradle,  and  prepared  an  offering 
for  presentation  to  her  partron  divinity.  When  the  service 
was  over  and  she  had  made  her  oblation,  she  returned  to 
the  place  where  she  had  dressed  the  food  ;  but  when  she 
came  there  she  beheld  Rtoa  in  the  act  of  eating.  In  a 
great  fright  she  ran  to  the  nursery  and  there  found  the 
child  again  sleeping  ;  but  coming  back  once  more  she  still 
saw  the  boy.  Then  she  trembled  and  was  much  disturbed 
in  mind,  for  she  saw  two  children,  one  here  and  one  there 
and  was  utterly  bewildered  ;  saying,  — 'Are  my  senses  at 
fault,  or  is  this  a  miracle  ? '  When  RAma  saw  his  mother's 
distress,  he  broke  out  into  a  merry  laugh, 
Doha  213.  c*''- 
and  exhibited  to  her  his  whole  marvellous  form ;  with 
a  myriad  worlds  gleaming  on  each   individual  hair   of  his 

body  ; 

Ghaupdi  207. 

With  unnumbered  suns  and  moons,  Sivas  and  Br^hmas ; 

with  many  mountains,  rivers,  oceans,  lands  and  forests; 

with   time,   fate,   merit,   demerit   nature  and  every  power 

there  manifested,  even  though  unknown  by  name.     When 

she  beheld  the  awful  vision  she  stood  terror-stricken,  with 

hands,  clasped  in  prayer  ;  for  she  saw  both  the  life   which 

Mdya  sets  in  motion  and  the  faith  that  sets   it   free.  With 

quivering  body  and  speechless  mouth  she  closed  her  eyes 

and  bowed  her  head  at  his  feet.     Seeing  his   mother  thus 


CHILDHOOD.  129 

overpowered    with  amazement,  R^ma  again   assumed  the 

form  of  a  child.     But   her   terror   left  her    not,    while  she 

hymned    his    praises,   saying, —*  I  have  regarded  the  great 

father  as  my  own  offspring.'  Again  and  again  Hari  exhorted 

his  mother,— 'See,  my  mother,  that  you  tell  this  to  no  one;' 

Dohd2i4:.     '2  3*t 

and    as   often    did   Kausaly^    meekly   reply   with    clasped 

hands,  —  '  See  you  too,  my  lord,  that  the  delusive  power   of 

yours  never  again  visits  me,' 

Chaupdi  208. 

Hari  indulged  in  every  kind  of  childish  amusement,  to 

the  great  delight  of  his  attendants  ;   and  after  a  little   time 

all  the    brothers    grew    to  be  big  boys,  gladdening  every 

one   about  them.     Then   the    guru   came    to   perform  the 

tonsure  and  again  the  Br^hmans  received  large    offerings. 

The  four   lads   run    about  and    divert   themselves    in   all 

sorts  of  pretty  ways  ;  and  the  lord,  whose  thoughts,  works 

and  acts  transcend  every  human  sense,  plays  in  Dasarath's 

court-yard.     If   the  king    when   at    dinner  called  him,  he 

would    not   leave  his  playmates    and  come,  till  Kausalyd 

herself  went   for   him,    when    he  would  toddle  along  with 

her    as   fast  as  he  could.     He  whom  the  scripture  declares 

to   be    incomprehensible,  of  whom  Siva  could  find  no  end, 

is  picked  up  by  his  mother  and  carried  off   in    a   pet,    and 

his  father  with  a  smile  takes  him  in  his  lap,  though  grimy 

all  over  with  dust.  *i  *  <* 

Dohd  215.    -  ^'  '^ 

Quickly  glancing  here  and  there    during   the   meal,  as 
soon  as  he  got  a  chance,  he  would  run  away  with  a   scream 
of  delight,  stuffing  his  mouth  full  of  rice  and  curds. 
Chawpdi  209. 

His  pretty  innocent  childish  sports  have  been  sung  by 
Sarasvati  Seshn^g  Sambhu  and  the  Vedas,  and  he  whose 
soul  does  not  warm  to  them  has  been  brought  into  the  world 
by  God  to  no  purpose.  When  the  brothers  were  all  grown 
up,  the  guru  and  their  father  and  mother  invested  them  with 

R-20 


130  CHILDHOOD. 

the  sacred  thread,  and  Rdma  went  to  his  guru's  house  to 
study.  In  a  short  time  he  mastered  all  knowledge.  The 
four  Vedas  are  but  the  breath  of  his  mouth,  and  for  him  to 
study  was  a  jol^e  indeed.  When  they  were  proficient  in  scho- 
larship and  politeness  and  morality  they  began  to  practise 
all  princely  sports.  With  bow  and  arrow  in  hand  they 
showed  so  fair  that  all  creation  was  ravished  at  the  sight, 
and  as  the  brothers  passed  along  the  road  every  man  and 
woman  stopt  to  gaze  at  them.  { 

Dohd  216.  ^  ■  ■ 

Rdma  was  gracious  to  all ;  and    not  a   soul  in   Kosala, 
man  or  woman,  young  or  old,  but  held  him  dearer  than  life. 
Ghawpdi  210. 

Taking  his  brother  with  him  as  a  companion,  he  would 
go  to  the  forest  to  hunt ;  there  selecting  for  death  the 
noblest  game,  he  every  day  brought  and  showed  it  to  the 
king ;  and  each  beast,  slain  by  his  shaft,  after  death  went 
straight  to  heaven.  Taking  his  meals  in  company  with  his 
younger  brother,  ever  obedient  to  his  parents'  commands,  the 
gracious  god  omitted  nothing  that  could  please  the  people. 
He  gave  his  mind  to  hear  the  Vedas  and  Purdnas  and  then 
himself  taught  his  brother.'^  Rising  at  break  of  day,  he  first 
saluted  his  parents  and  the  priest,  and  then,  after  obtaining 
their  sanction,  busied  himself  with  work  in  the  city.  The 
king  was  glad  of  heart  when  he  saw  his  mode  of  life. 

Doha  211.    ^''^ 
The  all- pervading,  indivisible,  passionless,  eternal  God, 
who  is  without  attributes,  or  name,  or  form,  performs  many 
wonders  for  the  sake  of  his  faithful  people. 

Ghaupdi  211. 

I  have  now  sung  all  these  his  doings  ;  hearken  atten- 
tively to  the  remainder  of  my  story.  The  great  and  wise  saint 
Visvamitra  had  chosen  a  fair  hermitage  in  the  forest,  where 
he  gave  himself  up  to  prayer,  sacrifice  and  meditation.  The 
demons  Maricha  and  SubAhu,  on  beholding  the  preparation! 


CHILDHOOD.  131 

for  sacrifice,  feared  greatly  and  hastened  to  disturb  them. 
The  saintly  son  of  Gadhi  was  pained  and  full  of  thought,— 
'  There  is  no  killing  these  accursed  demons  without  Hari.' 
Then  he  reflected, — "  The  Lord  has  become  incarnate  to  re- 
lieve earth  of  its  burdens.  I  have  now  an  excuse  for  going 
to  visit  him  and  after  entreaty  made  will  bring  back  with 
me  the  two  brothers.  Now  I  will  feast  my  eyes  with  the  sight 
of  him  who  is  the  abode  of  all  knowledge,  piety  and  good- 
ness." p, 
Doha  218.    ?  .:    *■ 

His  manifold  longing  brooked  no  delay  on  the  road,  and 
after  bathing  in  the  stream  of  the  Sarju  he  proceeded  to  the 
king's  court. 

Ghaupai  212. 

When  the  R^ja  heard  of  the  saint's  arrival,  he  went  to 
meet  him  with  a  retinue  of  Brdhmans,  and  prostrating  him- 
self reverently  on  the  ground  before  h'm  took  and  seated 
him  on  his  own  throne  :  then  laved  his  "^eet  and  offered  him 
religious  honours,  saying, — "  There  is  uo  one  so  blest  as  I 
am  to-day;"  and  had  various  kinds  of  food  prepared  for 
him.  The  great  saint  was  highly  pleased.  Next,  the  king 
brought  his  four  sons  into  the  presence.  On  seeing  Rdma 
the  saint  forgot  his  detachment  from  the  world  and  was  as 
enraptured  with  his  lovely  face  as  is  the  ehakor  with  the 
full  moon.  Then  said  the  glad  king, — "  Reverend  sir,  this 
favour  is  unparalleled  ;  what  is  the  cause  of  your  coming  ? 
Tell  me,  and  I  will  not  delay  to  accomplish  it."  "  There 
is  a  crew  of  demons  that  trouble  me,  and  I  am  come  to  you, 
0  king,  with  a  request.  Let  me  have  Raghundth  and  his 
brothers  ;  the  demons'  death  is  all  I  desire. 
Doha  219.     a  ^-  '--^ 

Give  them,  0  king,  gladly,  without  any  selfish  folly ;  for 
you  it  will  be  a  meritorious  and  honourable  act,  and  it  will 
also  turn  out  well  for  them." 

Chaupdi  213. 

When   the  king  heard  this  cruel  request,  his  heart  beat 


132  CHILDHOOD. 

fast  and  all  the  brightness  of  his  face  grew  dim,  —  "  In  my 
old  age  I  have  begotten  four  sons  ;  0  sir,  you  have  spoken 
without  consideration.  Ask  of  me  land,  cattle,  goods  and 
treasure,  and  I  will  gladly  give  you  all  I  have,  at  once. 
Nothing  is  dearer  than  the  life  of  the  body ;  but  even  that 
I  would  give  in  a  minute.  All  ray  sons  are  dear  to  me  as 
my  own  soul  and,  0  sir,  I  cannot  spare  you  Rdma.  What 
is  this  pretty  little  boy  of  mine  against  a  fierce  and  terrible 
demon  ?"  On  hearing  the  king's  word  so  fraught  with  love, 
the  wise  saint  was  glad  of  heart.  Then  Vasishta  much  ex- 
horted him,  and  the  king's  doubts  were  dispelled.  Obedient- 
ly he  sent  for  the  two  boys  and  pressed  them  to  his  heart 
and  fervently  exclaimed, — "  My  two  boys  are  my  very  life  ; 
but  you,  holy  sir,  are  now  their  only  father." 
Dohd  200.      %  W  0 

The  king  consigned    the  boys  to   the  saint,   again   and 
again  blessing   them.     Then   they    went  to  their   mother's 
apartment  and  bowed  the  head  at  her  feet. 
Sorathd  23.     ^  M  ^ 

Glad  to  relieve  the  saint  of  his  alarm,  the  two  lion-heart- 
ed heroes  set  forth,  oceans  of  compassion,  resolute   of   pur- 
pose, the  whole  world's  champions. 
Chaupdi  214. 

Bright-eyed,  broad-chested,  long  of  arm,  dark  of  hue  as 
the  lotus  or  the  taradl  tree  ;  with  quiver  at  side  pendent 
from  a  yellow  sash,  and  in  either  hand  arrows  and  a  comely 
bow,  so  marched  the  two  brothers,  one  dark,  the  other  fair, 
the  treasure  that  Visvamitra  had  acquired, — "  I  recognize 
the  lord  god  Brdhmanya-deva^  in  the  child  who  thus  on  my 
account  has  left  his  own  father."  So  thought  the  saint ; 
and  as  he  went  he  pointed  out  T^rakd,  who  on  hearing  In- 
voice rushed  up  in  a  fury.  With  a  single  arrow  Hari  too!. 
her  life,  but  recognizing  her  submission  gave  her  a  place  in 
his  own  heaven.  Then  the  saint  knew  he  had  found  his 
lord,  but  yet  instructed  him,  the  all-wise.  As  they  travelled 
1  Bribmaaya-deva  is  one  of  the  epithets  of  Vishnu. 


CHILDHOOD.  133 

they  felt  neither  huuger  nor  thirst  ;  such  their  incom- 
parable strength  of  body  and  glorious  vigour. 
Doha  221.  7..  '.  : 
After  taking  the  Lord  to  his  own  hermitage,  he  made 
over  to  him  every  kind  of  weapon,  and  gave  him  herbs  and 
roots  and  fruit  to  eat,  knowing  him  to  be  ever  gracious  to 
men  of    holy  life. 

Ghaupdi  215. 

At  daybreak  Raghurai  said  to  him, — "Go  and  make 
ready  the  sacrifice,  and  fear  not."  The  brotherhood  began 
preparing  the  oblation,  while  he  remaine  i  to  guard  the 
sacrificial  fire.  On  hearing  of  this,  the  demon  M^rlcha 
rushed  up  in  a  fury  with  his  army  to  disturb  the  saint. 
R^ma  smote  him  with  a  headless  shaft,  and  he  fell  a 
hundred  leagues  the  other  side  of  ocean.  Then  he  slew 
Subahu  with  an  arrow  of  fire,  while  his  brother  routed  the 
whole  demon  host.  When  they  had  thus  slain  the  demons 
and  restored  peace  to  the  Brahmans,  the  whole  company 
of  gods  and  saints  began  to  hymn  their  praise.  There 
Rughur^i  then  stayed  a  few  days  and  showed  kindness  to 
the  hermits,  who  devoutly  repeated  to  him  many  legends 
of  the  Purj^nas,  though  he  knew  them  all  before.  Then  the 
saint  respectfully  informed  him, — "  There  is  a  sight,  my 
lord,  which  is  worth  your  going  to  see."  When  Raghundth 
heard  of  the  ordeal  of  the  bow,  he  gladly  accompanied  the 
noble  sage.  On  the  way  he  spied  a  hermitage  without  bird, 
deer,  or  any  living  creature  near  it,  and  observing  a  re- 
markable stone  inquired  of  the  saint  about  it,  who  in  reply 

gave  him  the  whole  history.  ^    /  #  ^ 

Dohd  222.    "  ^-^ 

"  Gautama's  wife    was  by   a  curse  turned    into  a  hard 

rock,  and  is  now  longing  for  the  dust  of  your  lotus  feet :  0 

Raghubir,  show  mercy  upon  her.  " 

Chhand  28-31. 

At  the  touch   so  sweet  of  his  hallowed  feet,    she    awoke 

from  her  long  unrest. 


134  CHILDHOOD. 

And  meekly  adored   her  sovereign   lord,  awaiting   his 

high  behest. 
With  speechless  tongue,   limbs  all   unstrung,  and  eyes 

that  streamed  with  tears, 

She  fell  at  his  feet  in  rapture    meet,  far  blest   above  all 
her  peers. 

Then  bolder  grown  by  the   favour  shown    with  a   faith 
that  himself  had  given. 

She  dared  to  raise  he^  hymn  of   praise,  -*'  Great  Spirit, 
high  lord  of  heaven, 

Save  me,  0    save,  thy  succour  I  crave,  holy  god,    sinful 
wretch  though  I  be, 

Rdvan's  conquering  foe,  joy   of  all  else  below,  who    toil 
upon  life's  troubled  sea. 

Though  the  saint  cursed  me  sore  in  the  ill  days  of  yore, 
now  I  hold  it  a  blessing  most  sweet. 

For  my  own  eyes  have  seen  my    Redeemer,  and  I    ween 
Siva  only  my  rapture  could  mete. 

Witless   and    weak,    one   only  boon  I    seek  ;  as  the  bee 
within  the  lotus  loves  to  stay, 

May  my  soul  upon  thy  feet,  0    my  god,  I   thee  entreat, 
dwell  in  rapture  never  ending  night  and  day  : 

Holy  feet,  the  adoration  of  the   lord  of  all  creation,    and 
source  of  the  stream  divine. 

Which  on  Siva's  head  descended,  this  day  have   condes- 
cended to  rest  and  on  this  vile  head  of  mine." 

Thus  full  of   jubilation,  with   oft-renewed   prostration, 
did  Gautama's  long  lost  bride, 

With   the   boon  she  most  had  craved,    thus   graciously 
vouchsafed,  return  to  her  husband's  side. 
Dohd  223,    ^H-H 
Thus  the  benevolent  lord  Hari  is  compassionate  beyond 
our  deserts,  Worship  him,  says  poor  Tulsi  DAs,   and  cease 
from  all  wrangling  and  hypocrisy. 
Chaupdi  216. 
R^ma   and  Lakshman   accompanied    the  saint    to  the 
world-purifying  Ganges.     Both    the  lord   and  his   younger 
brother  reverently  saluted  it,  and  R^ma  was   delighted    be- 
yond measure,  as  the  son  of   G^dhi   told   him    the   legend 


CHILDHOOD.  135 

how  the  heavenly  stream  had  come  down  upon  earth.  Then 
the  Lord  and  the  hermits  performed  their  ablutions  and  the 
Brdhmans  received  manifold  gifts.  The  hermits'  champion 
went  on  his  way  rejoicing,  and  quickly,  drew  near  to  the 
capital  of  Videha.  When  Rama  beheld  the  beauty  of  the 
city,  he  and  his  brother  were  delighted  at  the  many  ponds 
and  wells  and  rivers  and  streams,  with  water  of  ambrosial 
purity  and  jewelled  flights  of  steps  ;  where  the  hum  of  bees, 
drunk  with  nectar,  made  a  delicious  sound  and  birds  of  all 
kinds  were  softly  cooing :  as  the  lilies  expanded  their 
many-coloured  petals,  and  a  cool,  soft,  fragrant  breeze  was 
ever  delightful. 

Dohd  224. 

On  all  four  sides  the  city    was  bright    with  flower-gar- 
dens, orchards  and  groves,  the  haunt  of  innumerable  birds 
and  full  of  fruit  and  flowers  and  verdure. 
Chaupdi  21  7. 

The  beauty  of  the  city  is  not  to  be  told  ;  wherever  one 
went  there  was  something  to  charm  the  soul.  Handsome 
bazfe  and  gorgeous  balconies  all  studded  with  jewels,  as 
though  the  Creator  had  fashioned  them  with  his  own  hand  ; 
thriving  bankers  and  traders,  very  Kuvers  of  wealth,  sitting 
with  all  their  various  goods  displayed  ;  fine  squares  and 
beautiful  streets,  that  were  constantly  sprinkled  with  frag- 
rant waters  ;  magnificent  temples  to  all  the  gods,  as 
bright  as  if  they  had  been  painted  by  Kamadeva  himself; 
all  the  people  of  the  city,  both  men  and  women,  prosperous, 
well-dressed,  virtuous,  pious,  intelligent  and  accomplished. 
But  Janak's  palace  was  such  a  masterpiece  that  the  gods 
tired  themselves  with  looking  at  it,  and  the  mind  was  quite 
overcome  by  the  sight  of  the  Fort,  for  it  seemed  to  have  ap- 
propriated to  itself  all  that  was  most  beautiful  in  the  world. 
Doha  225.      * 

With  glistening  white  walls  and  doors  of  gold  with  gems 
set  in  different  devices,  the  exquisite  mansion  where  Sita 
lived  was  far  too  lovely  for  words  to  describe. 


136  QHILDHOOD. 

Chaupdi  218. 
All  the  city  gates  were  most  massive  with  panels  of 
adamant,  and  were  thronged  with  princes  and  their  reti- 
nues of  mimists,  bards  and  heralds.  The  vast  and  well-built 
stables  were  at  all  hours  of  the  day  crowded  with  horses, 
elephants  and  chariots  :  and  the  ministers,  generals  and 
warriors  all  had  residences  in  the  same  style  as  the  king. 
Outside  the  city,  by  pool  and  stream,  the  multitudinous 
princes  had  pitched  their  different  camps.  On  seeing  a  fine 
mango  grove,  a  most  agreeable  and  convenient  spot,  the  des- 
cendant of  Kusika  exclaimed, — "  This  is  just  what  I  like,  let 
us  stay  here,  Raghubir."  "Very  well  my  lord,"  answered  the 
gracious  god  ;  and  there  they  alighted  with  all  their  hermit 
train.  When  the  king  of  Mithila  heard  the  news  that  the 
great  saint  Visvamitra  was  come  -  , 

Dohd  226.     '5-  ^  ' 

taking  with  him  his  ministers  and  many  gallant  fighting 
men  and  noble  Br^hmans  and  the  chief  of  his  kinsmen,^ 
in  this  fashion  the  king  went  forth  rejoicing  to  meet  the 
prince  of  sages. 

Chaupdi  219. 
Bowing  to  the  ground,  he  made  obeisance,  and  the 
saint  gladly  gave  him  his  blessing.  Then  the  king  respect- 
fully saluted  all  the  hermit  train  and  congratulated 
himself  on  his  good  fortune.  After  making  many  inquiries 
as  to  his  health  and  welfare,  Visvamitra  led  the  king  to 
a  seat,  and  at  that  very  time  arrived  the  two  brothers  who 
had  gone  to  see  the  garden,  one  dark,  the  other  fair,  in 
childhood's  tender  bloom,  the  joy  of  all  beholder's  ravish- 
ing, the  senses  of  the  whole  world.  When  Ragbupati  came, 
all  rose  and  Visvamitra  seated  him  by  his  side.  All  were 
charmed  at  the  sight  of  the  two  brothers  ;  their  eyes  filled 
with  tears  and  their  body  thrilled    with   rapture,    and    the 

1  The   words   rendered,    '  the   <;hief  of  his  kiusmen,'   may  also  be  taken 
to  mean  '  bi.s  ffuni  (^atdnand)  and  his  kinsmen*. 


CHILDHOOD.  137 

king  especially  was  beside  himself  with  joyi  on  beholding 
their  sweet  and  lovely  appearance. 
Dohd  227. 
Though  feeling  himself  overpowered  with  love,  the  king 
discreetly  restrained  himself,  and  bowing  his  head  at  the 
saint's  feet,  said  in  suppressed  accents  choking  with  emo- 
tion— 

Ghaupdi  220. 

"  Tell  me,  my  lord,  who  are  these  two  lovely  children. 
Are  they  the  glory  of  a  saintly  family,  or  the  bulwarks  of  a 
kingly  line  ?  or  are  they  the  twofold  manifestation  2  of  the 
Supreme  Spirit,  whom  scripture  declares  to  be  unutterable. 
My  mind,  ordinarily  free  from  wordly  attachment,  wearies 
itself  with  gazing  upon  them,  as  the  chakor  in  gazing 
upon  the  moon.  Therefore,  sir,  I  beg  you  to  tell  me  the 
truth  and  to  conceal  nothing.  My  love  grows  with  looking, 
and  my  soul  perforce  is  withdrawn  from  divine  contem- 
plation." Said  the  saint  with  a  smile, — "  You  have  spoken 
well,  0  king  ;  your  word  is  always  true  ;  there  is  not  a 
living  creature  that  does  not  love  these  boys."  Rima 
smiled  to  himself  on  hearing  this.  *'  They  are  the  sons  of 
Dasarath,  the  glory  of  the  line  of  Raghu,  and  the  king  has 
sent  them  to  help  me. 

Dohd  22^.    "^^^ 
Rd-ma  and  Lakshman  by   name,  these  two   brothers,  as 
strong  as  they  are  good  and  beautiful,   with  their  compan- 
ions, protected  my  sacrifice  and  vanquished  all  the  demons 

in  battle." 

Ghaupdi  221. 

Said  the  king,  —  "  0  saint,  when  I  behold   your   feet    I 

cannot  tell  how  richly  I  am  rewarded  for  any  former   good 

deeds.    And  these  pretty  twins  have  conferred  a  happiness 

1  This  line,  Bhaijau  Videha  videha  bisekhi,  contains  a  play  upon  words 
which  cannot  be  preserved  in  a  translation.  A  literal  rendering  would  be  ; 
particular  Videha  (i.  e.,  Janak,  the  king  of  Videha)  became  really  videha 
(i.  ^.,  without  a  body). 

2  The  two  manifestations  are  nirgan  and  aagan,  the  bodiless  and  the 
embodied. 

R-21 


138  CHILDHOOD. 

upon  you,  the  supremely  happy.  Their  innocent  mutual 
affection  is  indescribable  in  words  ;  a  delight  to  the  inmost 
soul.  Hear  me,  sir,  cried  the  king  in  his  rapture,  it  is  like 
the  natural  union  between  the  universal  soul  and  the  soul 
of  man."  Again  and  again  the  king  gazed  upon  the  Lord 
with  quivering  body  and  heart  bursting  with  emotion. 
Then  with  courteous  phrase  and  bowed  head  he  escorted 
the  saint  to  the  city  and  there  assigned  him  apartments, 
which  were  bright  and  cheerful  at  all  times  of  the  day  ;  and 
finally,  after  further  homage  and  proffers  of  service,  the 
king  took  his  leave  and  returned  to  the  palace. 

Dohd  229.   ^   "  - 

r'    *■ 

When  RAma  and  the  hermits  had  taken  food  and  rested 
a  little,  he  went  and  sat  down  by  his  brother's  side :  now 
it  still  wanted  an  hour  to  sunset, 

Ghaupdi  222. 
and  Lakshman  had  at  heart  a  great  longing  to  go  and  see 
Janak's  city  ;  but  again,  for  fear  of  his  brother  and  respect 
for  the  saint,  he  said  nothing  out  loud,  but  was  smiling  to 
himself.  RAma  understood  what  was  passing  in  his  mind, 
and  being  ever  considerate  to  his  followers  was  glad  and, 
with  a  most  modest  and  submissive  smile,  after  begging 
permission  of  his  guru  to  speak,  said, — "  Sir,  Lakshman 
wishes  to  see  the  city,  but  out  of  respect  for  you  is  afraid 
to  speak.  If  you  will  allow  me,  I  will  show  him  the  place 
and  quickly  bring  him  back  again."  The  saint  replied 
most  affectionately,  —  *'  0  RAma  how  can  you  do  aught  but 
good  ;  the  guardian  of  the  bridge  of  religion,  the  loving 
benefactor  of  all  faithful  servants  ? 

Dohd  230.       7-  -^ ' 
Go,  blessed  pair  of  brothers,  and  see   the  city  ;  gladden 
the  eyes  of  all  the  people  by  the  sight  of  your  beauty." 
Chaupdi  223. 
After   bowing  at   the   saint's  feet  they  went,  these  two 
brothers,  the  delight  of  the  eyes  of  the  whole  world.    When 


CHILDHOOD.  139 

the  children  in  the  market-place  saw  their  exceeding  beauty 
their  eyes  and  their  very  soul  fastened  greedily  upon  them. 
Clad  in  yellow  apparel,  with  belt  and  quiver  at  their  side, 
with  graceful  bow  and  arrows  in  hand,  a  lovely  pair,  one 
dark,  the  other  fair  of  hue,  with  sandalwood  tilah  to  match 
their  complexion  ;  with  lion-like  waist  and  long  arms,  and 
breast  adorned  with  strings  of  elephant  pearls,  with  shapely  7 
ears  and  lotus  eyes,  and  moonlike  face  to  assuage  the  three 
kinds  of  pain  ;  with  golden  flowers  for  earrings,  so  beautiful 
as  to  steal  the  heart  of  every  beholder  ;  with  a  bewitching 
glance  and  fair  arched  eyebrows,  and  a  star  on  the  forehead  7 
that  seemed  beauty's  own  stamp  ;  ..■     . 

Dohd  231.        *^ 

With  jaunty  cap  on  comely  head,  with  black  curly  locks 
the  two  brothers  were  all-beautiful  from  head  to  foot  and 
exquisite  in  every  part. 

Ghaupdi  224. 

When  the  citizens  heard  that  the  princes  were  come  to 
see  the  town,  they  all  left  their  business  and  started  off 
like  beggars  to  pillage  a  treasury.  When  they  beheld  the 
easy  grace  of  the  two  brothers  they  were  glad  indeed,  and 
their  eyes  were  rewarded.  The  maidens  peeping  from  the 
windows  of  the  houses  at  once  fell  in  love  with  Rdma's 
beauty,  and  in  amorous  strain  addressed  one  another,— 
"They  surpass  in  beauty  a  thousand  loves  :  neither  among 
gods,  nor  men,  nor  demons,  nor  serpents,  nor  deified  stains 
has  beauty  such  as  theirs  ever  been  heard  of.  As  for 
Vishnu  with  his  four  arms,  Brdhma  with  his  four  heads, 
and  Purdri  with  his  five  faces  and  wondrous  attire,  and  all 
the  other  gods,  there  is  not  one  in  the  whole  universe  whose 
beauty,  my  friend,  can  be  compared  to  theirs. 
Dohd  232.     "  -- 

Of  tender  age,  the  very  home  of  beauty,  equally  lovely 
whether  dark  or  fair,  as  though  a  myriad  loves  had  been 
lavished  on  each  individual  limb  of  their  body. 


140  CHILDHOOD. 

Ghaupdi  225. 
Tell  me,  friend,  is  there  any  one  in  human  form  who 
would  not  be  charmed  at  the  sight  of  such  beauty  ?  "  Said 
one  in  gentle  loving  tones,—*'  Hear,  my  dear,  what  I  have 
been  told.  This  pretty  pair  of  young  cygnets  are  the  two 
sons  of  King  Dasarath.  They  have  protected  the  sacrifice  of 
Saint  Visvamitra  and  slain  in  battle  the  invincible  demons. 
The  lovely  child  with  dark  complexion  and  lotus  eyes,  who 
f  quelled  the  pride  of  Maricha  and  Subdhu  and  bears  the 
bow  and  arrows  in  his  hand,  is  the  sweet  son  of  Kausalyd,  by 
name  RAma.  The  fair  youth  in  gallant  attire,  who  also  has 
bow  and  arrows  in  hand  and  follows  R^ma,  is  named 
Lakshman  and  is  his  younger  brother.  Sumitrd,  you  must 
know,  is  his  mother. 

Dohd  233.     'J-S-^ 
After  befriending  the  Brdhmans,  and  on    the  road    set- 
ting free  the  sage's  wife,  the  two  brothers  have   come  here 
to   see  the   tournament."     On   hearing   this  all  the  ladies 
were  delighted. 

Ghaupdi  226. 
Said  one,  after  regarding  Raima's,  beauty, — "  Here  is  a 
bridegroom  worthy  of  J^naki.  If  the  king  does  but  see  him, 
he  will  abjure  his  vow  and  insist  upon  a  marriage  with 
them."  Said  another,—"  The  king  knows  who  they  are  and 
has  received  both  them  and  the  saint,  with  all  honour.  He 
has  not,  however,  gone  back  from  his  vow,  but  mastered 
by  fate  persists  in  his  folly."  Said  another,— "If  God  is 
good  and  is  certain  to  reward  every  man  according  to  his 
deserts,  then  here  is  the  bridegroom  Jdnaki  will  wed  About 
this,  my  dear,  there  can  be  no  doubt.  When  such  a  union 
is  brought  about  by  destiny,  every  one  will  be  satisfied.  0 
friend,  I  am  deeply  moved  by  the  thought  that  if  this 
marriage  takes  place  he  will  come  again  some  time  ; 

Dohd  23^.     '^s^ 
otherwise  there  is  no  dhance  of  my  seeing  him  ;  it  is  only  a 


CHILDHOOD.  141 

long  accumulation  of  merit  in  previous  existences  that  is  re- 
warded by  such  intercourse." 

Ghaupdi  221 . 

Said  another,  —  *'  Friend,  you  have  spoken  well;  this  is 
a  marriage  that  will  please  every  one."  Said  another,— 
"  Siva's  bow  is  hard  to  bend,  and  this  dark  lad  is  of  delicate 
frame  ;  it  is  really  a  most  unfair  test."  Hearing  this,  an- 
other soft- voiced  maiden  said, — ''I  have  once  and  again 
heard  say  of  them  that  though  slight  in  appearance  their 
strength  is  great.  Touched  by  the  dust  of  his  lotus  feet,  the 
guilty  Ahalya  attained  salvation  :  and  he  will  never  rest 
till  he  has  broken  the  bow  ;  this  is  a  belief  out  of  which  I 
am  no-how  to  be  cheated.  When  the  Creator  fashioned 
Sita,  he  predestined  for  her  this  dark-complexioned  bride- 
groom." On  hearing  these  words  all  were  glad  and  softly 
exclaimed,  —  *'  May  it  indeed  prove  so."        [ 

Doha  235.      ^^ 

In  their  gladness  of  heart  the  bevy  of  fair-faced  bright- 
eyed  dames   shower   down   flowers,  and  wherever   the    two 
brothers  went  there  was  all  the  joy  of  heaven. 
Chaupdi  228. 

Now  they  reached  the  eastern  quarter  of  the  city,  where 
the  lists  had  been  prepared  for  the  tournament.  In  the 
midst  of  a  fair  and  spacious  paved  area  a  spotless  altar  had 
been  gorgeously  adorned,  with  a  broad  golden  paltform  all 
around  for  the  reception  of  the  princes,  and  close  behind 
another  circular  tier  for  the  spectators,  of  somewhat  greater 
height  and  elegantly  decorated,  where  all  tlie  people  of  the 
city  might  come  and  sit.  (/lose  to  this  was  another  large 
and  beautiful  gallery  of  glistening  white,  painted  in  diverse 
colours,  whence  ladies  might  view  the  spectacle  with  due 
decorum,  according  to  their  family  rank.  The  children 
politely  show  the  two  lords  all  the  preparations,  and  with 
pleasant  voice  keep  telling  them  what  this  is  and  that  is  ; 


142  CHILDHOOD.  '^ 

Doha  236.       ^ 
thus,    in  their  affection,  finding   a  pretext    for  frequently 
touching  their  lovely    person  ;    while    they    thrill   all   over 
with  delight  as  again   and    again   they   gaze   on    the    twin 
brothers. 

Chawpdi  229. 
When  they  perceived  that  R^ma  was  won  by  their  de- 
votion, they  lovingly  explain  the  different  places,  each 
according  to  his  own  fancy  calling  away  the  two  brothers, 
who  in  their  kindness  are  ever  ready  to  come.  Rdma  shows 
Lakshman  everything,  still  talking  in  light  and  merry  tone  : 
and  he,  in  obedience  to  whose  fiat  Maya  in  a  moment  of  time 
created  the  entire  universe,  out  of  compassion  to  his  faithful 
people,  feigns  amazement  at  the  sight  of  a  tourney  ground. 
When  they  had  seen  all  the  show,  they  returned  to  their 
guru  in  alarm  at  being  so  late  :  and  he,  by  whose  awe 
Terror  itself  is  dismayed,  thus  manifests  the  transcendant 
virtue  of  devotion.  With  many  kind  and  courteous  phrases 
they  reluctantly  take  have  of  the  children  \yCJ 

Doha  2S7.     ';    ^ 
and   meekly  and  submissively,  with  mingled  awe  and  love, 
they  bow  the  head  at  the  guru's  feet :  nor  sit  down  till  they 

obtain  his  permission. 

Chaupdi  230. 

When  it  was   dusk    the   saint   gave  the  word,    and    all 

performed  their  evening   devotions,   and    in  the   recital  of 

sacred   legends   spent   two    watches  of   the  solemn    night, 

Then  the  saint  retired  to  his   couch,  and  the   two   brothers 

began  to  shampoo  his  feet ;  they  whose  lotus  feet  the  holiest 

of  men  longing  to  behold  practise  all  kinds  of  penance  and 

meditation,  even    they,    these   two  brothers,   mastered    by 

love,   affectionately  shampooed    their  master's   lotus   feet. 

At  last  when  the  saint  had   so  ordered   again   and   again, 

R<ma  himself  retired  to  rest,  while  Lakshman    pressed  his 

feet  to  his  heart  and  reverently  caressed  them  with  emotions 

of  exquisite  delight.     Again  and  again  the  Lord  said,— 


CHILDHOOD.  143 

'  Sleep,  my  brother,'  and  at  last  he  laid  himself   down,    but 
with  the  divine  feet  still  in  his  lap.   ^        - 
Dohd  238.      ]r^^ 

When  the  night  was   spent,  at  the   first  sound  of  cock- 
crow Lakshman  arose ;  and  next,  before  the  saint,  woke  the 
lord  of  the  universe,  the  all-wise  Rdma. 
Ghaupdi  231. 

After  performing  all  the  customary  acts  of  purification 
and  going  to  bathe,  they  bowed  before  the  guru,  and  by  his 
permission  went  out  to  gather  flowers,  as  befitted  the  time. 
As  they  went  they  spied  a  beautiful  garden  of  the  king's, 
where  reigned  perpetual  Spring,  planted  with  ornamental 
trees  of  every  kind,  and  overhung  with  many  coloured  creep- 
ers, so  rich  in  bud  and  fruit  and  flower  that  in  its  abund- 
ance it  put  to  shame  even  the  trees  of  paradise  ;  while  the 
peacocks  danced  responsive  to  the  music  made  by  the  feather- 
ed choir  of  chdtak,  fcoil,  parrot  and  chakor.  In  the  midst 
of  the  garden  a  lovely  lake  shone  bright  with  jewelled  steps 
of  varied  designed  :  its  pure  expanse  gladdened  with  many- 
coloured  lotuses  and  the  cooing  of  water-birds  and  the 
hum  of  bees.  |^ 

Dohd  239.     ^'    - 

Both  the  lord  and  his  brother  were  delighted  at  the 
sight  of  the  lake  and  the  garden.  What  a  charming  pleas- 
ance  must  that  have  been  which  pleased  even  R^ma. 

Ghaupdi  232. 
After  looking  all  about  and  asking  leave  of  the  gardeners 
they  began  in  high  glee  to  gather  leaves  and  flowers. 
At  that  very  time  Sita  too  came  there,  having  been  sent  by 
•her  mother  to  visit  the  shrine  of  Girijd.  With  her  came  all 
her  young  and  lovely  companions,  singing  glad  songs. 
Now  GirijA's  shrine  was  close  to  the  lake,  beautiful  beyond 
description,  the  delight  of  all  beholders.  When  she  and 
her  attendants  had  bathed  in  the  pool,  she  approached  the 
goddess  with  a  glad  heart,  and   after   adoration  paid   with 


144  CHILDHOOD. 

much  devotion  begged  of  her  a  handsome  and  well-matched 
bridegroom.  One" of  her  attendant  damsels,  who  had  strayed 
away  to  look  at  the  garden,  chanced  to  see  the  two  brothers 
and  returned  to  Sita  quite  love-smitten.    / 
Doha  240.       V  ^^ 

When  her  companions  observed  what  a  state  she  was  in, 
her  body  all  in  a  tremble   and  her  eyes  full  of  tears,  they 
asked  in  gentle  tones,—'  Declare  the  cause  of  this  rapture.' 
Chaupdi  233 

"  There  have  come  to  see  the  garden  two  princes  of 
tender  age  and  charming  in  every  way  ;  one  dark  of  hue, 
the  other  fair,  but  how  can  I  describe  them  ?  Voice  is 
sightless  and  eyes  are  dumb."  All  the  damsels  were 
delighted  at  her  speech,  and  perceiving  the  intense  longing 
in  Sita's  bosom,  one  of  them  exclaimed, — *'  My  dear,  they 
must  be  the  king's  sons,  who,  as  I  hear,  arrived  yesterday 
with  the  saint,  who  completely  fascinated  with  their  beauty 
and  stole  away  the  hearts  of  all  the  women  in  the  city. 
Every  one  is  talking  of  their  loveliness  ;  we  really  must  see 
them  ;  they  are  worth  seeing."  These  words  were  most 
grateful  to  Sita,  whose  eyes  were  restless  with  longing. 
With  her  kind  friend  to  lead  the  way,  she  followed,  nor 
did  any  one  know  that  it  was  an  old  love,  y 

Dohd2U.    ^V? 

Remembering  Ndrad's  words,  she  was  filled  with  holy 
devotion,  and  anxiously  turned  her  gaze  on  every  side,  like 
a  startled  fawn. 

Chaupdi  234. 

When  he  heard  the  sound  of  the  golden  bangles  on  her 
hands  and  feet,  Rama  thought  within  himself,  and  then 
said  to  Lakshman,—*' Imagine  Love  triumphant  over  the 
whole  world  to  be  now  sounding  the  kettledrum  of  victory." 
So  saying  he  again  looked  in  that  direction,  and  like  the 
moon  on  the  chakor  flashed  Sita's  face  upon  his  sight.  His 
eyes   became  as   immovably  fixed   as   though   Nimi,   the 


CHILDHOOD.  145 

winking  god,  had  fled  in  confusion  from  his  wonted  post. 
Beholding  her  beauty  he  was  enraptured ;  but  his  admiration 
was  all  within,  and  utterance  failed  him.  As  though  the 
great  Architect,  after  creating  the  world,  had  put  before 
it  in  visible  form  all  the  skill  with  which  he  had  fashioned 
it  ;  or  as  if  the  Beautiful  had  been  beautified  into  a  temple 
of  beauty  and  illuminated  by  a  sudden  flash  of  torchlight  ; 
but  all  the  similes  of  the  poets  are  stale  and  hackneyed  ; 
where  can  I  find  any  likeness  to  Janaki; 

Doha  2i2.     V^^ 

Dwelling  in  heart  on  Sita's  beauty  and  reflecting  on  bis 
own  good  fortune,  the  pure-souled  god  thus  addressed  his 
brother  in  terms  appropriate  to  the  occasion, — 
Chaupdi  235.  ' 

"  Brother,  this  is  the  very  daughter  of  king  Janak  for 
whom  the  tournament  has  been  ordained.  She  has  come 
with  her  attendants  to  worship  Gauri,  and  a  train  of  light 
marks  her  path  through  the  garden.  At  the  sight  of  her 
divine  beauty,  my  ordinarily  placid  bosom  is  agitated  ;  God 
alone  knows  the  cause,  but  of  a  truth,  brother,  my  lucky 
side  is  throbbing  as  though  for  coming  good  fortune.  It 
has  always  been  a  mark  of  the  race  of  Raghu  that  they 
never  set  their  heart  on  evil  courses  ;  and  thus  I  am  confi- 
dently assured  that  all  will  be  well ;  for  T  have  never  even 
in  a  dream  looked  upon  another  man's  wife  to  long  after 
her.  And  rare,  indeed,  in  the  world  are  the  men  who 
neither  turn  their  back  upon  the  foe  in  battle  nor  covert 
their  neighbour's  wife,  and  from  whom  no  beggar  meets  a 

rebuff." 

Dohd  243/ 

Thus  discoursing  to  his   brother,   and  with  his  soul  en- 
amoured of  Sita's  beauty,  like  a  bee  sucking  honey  from  a 
flower,  he  drank  in  the  loveliness  of  her  face. 
Chaupdi  236. 
Sita   kept   looking   anxiously  all   round,  in  doubt  as  to 
where  the  princes  had  gone.     Wherever  fell  her  f^wn-like 

R— 22 


14Q  CHILDHOOD. 

glance,  it  seemed  a  rain  of  glistening  lotus  flowers.  Then 
her  companions  pointed  out  to  her  under  the  shade  of  the 
creepers  the  two  lovely  youths,  the  one  dark,  the  other  fair 
of  hue.  Her  eyes,  on  beholding  their  beauty,  were  filled 
with  longing  and  with  the  gladness  of  one  who  has  found  a 
long-lost  treasure.  Wearied  with  gazing  upon  Rama's 
charms,  her  eyelids  forgot  to  wink,  and  her  whole  frame 
was  fulfilled  with  desire,  as  is  the  partridge  when  it  sees 
the  autumnal  moon.  Receiving  Rdma  into  her  heart  by 
the  pathway  of  vision,  she  craftily  closed  upon  him  the 
doors  of  her  eyelids.  When  her  companions  saw  her  thus 
overcome,  they  were  too  much  abashed  to  utter  a  word. 

Dohd2i4:,  y^" 

Then  emerged  the  twin  brothers  from  the  shade  of   the 
arbour,  like  two  spotless  moons  from  a  riven  cloud. 
Chaupdi  237. 

Two  gallant  champions,  the  perfection  of  beauty,  like  a 
white  lotus  and  a  dark,  with  their  hair  parted  like  a  raven's 
-  wing  on  their  comely  head,  and  here  and  there  bedecked 
with  bunches  of  flower-buds  ;  their  forehead  bright  with 
the  tilak  and  beads  of  perspiration,  and  their  graceful  ears 
adorned  with  ornaments  ;  with  arched  eyebrows  and  curly 
locks,  and  eyes  bright  as  a  lotus  bud,  with  lovely  chin  and 
nose  and  cheeks,  and  a  gracious  smile  enslaving  every  soul — 
such  beauteous  features  as  I  could  never  describe ;  they 
would  put  to  shame  a  myriad  Loves.  With  a  string  of  jewels 
on  his  breast,  with  exquisitely  dimpled  neck,  and  powerful 
arms,  like  the  trunk  of  some  young  elephant  in  whom 
KAmadeva  had  become  incarnate ;  with  the  flowers  and 
cup  of  leaves  in  his  left  hand,  the  dark  prince,  0  my 
friend,  is  beautiful  exceedingly.  m  / 

Do/ia  245.   V^ 

As  her  companions  gazed  upon  the  two  glories  of  the 
Solar  race,  with  their  lion-like  waist  and  bright  yellow 
attire,  very  abodes  of  bliss  and  amiability,  they  lost  all 
self-conaciousness. 


CHILDHOOD. 


147 


Ghaupdi  238. 
Yet  one  summoning  up  courage,  grasped  Sita  by  the 
hand  and  said, — *'  You  can  at  any  time  meditate  upon 
Gauri  ;  why  not  now  look  at  the  princes  ?  "  Then  the 
modest  Sita  unclosed  her  eyes  and  saw  before  her  the  two 
scions  of  Raghu.  As  she  gazed  on  Rdma,  all  beautiful 
from  head  to  foot,  and  remembered  her  father's  vow,  she 
was  greatly  agitated.  When  her  companions  saw  her  thus 
overcome  they  all  cried  as  if  in  alarm,  — "It  is  getting 
late;"  and  one  added  with  a  meaning  smile,—"  We  must 
come  again  at  this  time  to-morrow."  On  hearing  this 
clever  hint  Sfta  was  abashed  and  said,  as  if  in  fear  of  her 
mother, — "  It  is  late,  indeed."  Then  summoning  up  resolu- 
tion, she  fixed  the  image  of  Rdma  in  her  heart  and  turned 
to  go  ;  but  again  she  thought  how  entirely  it  all  depended 
upon  her  sire, 

Dohd  246.     '■ 
and  under  pretence  of  looking  at  a  deer,   or  bird,   or   tree, 
again  and  again  she  turned  her  head,  and   each    time    that 
she  beheld  the  beauteous    Rghubfr  her  love  was  augment- 
ed not  a  little. 

Ghaupdi  239. 
The  thought  of  Siva's  unyielding  bow  made  her  wild 
and  as  she  went  she  kept  in  her  heart  the  image  of  the 
darkhued  swain.  When  the  Lord  perceived  that  she  was 
going,  he  drew  in  his  heart  with  the  indelible  ink  of  love 
a  charming  sketch  of  her  infinite  beauty  and  virtue  and 
blissful  devotion.  Again  she  sought  Bhavani's  shrine,  and 
after  embracing  her  feet,  thus  prayed  with  clasped  hands,  — - 
"  Glory,  glory,  glory  to  thee,  0  daughter  of  the  mountain- 
king,  as  fixed  in  thy  gaze  on  Siva's  face  as  is  the  partridge 
on  the  moon  ;  0  mother  of  Ganes  and  Kartikeya  ;  great 
mother  of  the  world  ;  whose  body  is  lustrous  as  the  light- 
ning ;  of  whom  there  is  neither  beginning  nor  middle  nor 
end  ;  whose  infinite  majesty  is  a  mystery  even  to  the  Veda  ; 
cause  of  the  birth,  continuance,  and   ultimate    destruction 


148  CHILDHOOD. 

of  all  being  ;  enchantress  of  the  universe  ;  delighting  in  thy 
own  supremacy  :  /  > 

Dohd  2^7.   %k^ 
Among  all  faithful  wives  and  true  women,  thy  name,  0 
mother,  holds  the  first  place  ;   thy  immeasurable  grandeur 
is  more  than  a  thousand  SArad^s  and  Seshn^gs  could  tell. 
Chaupdi  240. 
The  four-fold  rewards  of  life  are  easy  of  attainment  by 
thy   servants,    0   granter   of  boons,  beloved  of  Tripur^ri  ; 
and   all,   0   goddess,   who   adore  thy  lotus  feet,  are  made 
happy,   whether    they   be   gods,  or  men,  or  saints.     Thou 
knowest   well   my  heart's  desire,  for   in   the  heart  of  man 
thou  ever  dwellest :  there  is  no  need  that  I  declare  it  aloud 
to  thee."     So  saying,   Sita   embraced    her  feet.     Bhav^ni 
was  moved  by  her  humility  and  devotion  ;  the  image  smiled 
^   and  a  garland  dropt.  Reverently  Sita  cl^asped  to  her  jDpsom 
the   divine   gift,  and  Gauri  herself  with  a  heart  full  of  joy 
thus  spoke,  —  "  Hearken,    Sfta  ;   my  blessing  is  effectual  ; 
your  heart's  desire  shall  be  accomplished.     N^rad's  words 
are   ever  truth  itself  ;    the    bridegroom    upon  whom  your 
soul  is  set  shall,  indeed,  be  yours. 
Chhand  32. 
The  dark-complexioned  youth,  upon  whose  innate  beauty 
your  soul  is  set,  shall  indeed  be   yours.     The  All-merciful 
in  his  wisdom  knows  your  loving  disposition."    On  hearing 
Gauri   pronounce   this  blessing,  Sita   and  her  companions 
^  were  glad  of  heart,  and  in  their  delight  (says  Tulsi)  return- 
-  ed  again  and  again  to  the  temple  to  adore  the  goddess. 

Sorathd  24.    *»   '^  '^ 
Finding  Gauri  so  gracious,  Sita  was  more  glad  of  heart 
than   words   can   tell ;  and  as  an  auspicious  omen,  her  left 
side,  the  seat  of  good  fortune,  began  to  throb. 
Chaiipdi  2'^l. 
The  two   brothers   returned   to   their  guru,    inwardly 
praising  Sita's  loveliness  ;  and  RAma  related  to  him  all  that 
had  taken  place,  being  simplicity  itself  and  utterly  devoid 
of  all  guile.     The  saint  took  the  flowers  and  performed  bis 


CHILDHOOD,  149 

devotions,  and  then  imparted  his  blessing  to  the  two 
brothers,  saying, — "  May  your  desire  be  accomplished." 
R^ma  and  Lakshman  gladdened  at  the  words.  Then,  after 
taking  food,  the  saintly  sage  began  the  recital  of  sacred 
legends.  When  the  day  was  spent,  they  first  asked  his 
permission  and  then  went  out  to  perform  their  evening 
duties.  The  glorious  moon  was  rising  in  the  eastern  sky, 
and  its  orb  reminded  them  of  Sita's  lovely  face  ;  but  after- 
wards they  thus  reasoned  within  themselves, — "  The  queen 
of  night  is  not  to  be  compared  with  Sita  ; 

Doha  248.    ^  ^ 

for   she   was  born  of  the  restless  Ocean,  with  poison  for  a 

brother,   and  by  day  she  is  dim  and  obscure,  how  then  can 

such  a  poor  feeble  creature  be  matched  with  the  lovely  Sita. 

Chanpdi  242. 

She  waxes  and  wanes,  is  the  curse  of  love-sick  maids, 
and  is  devoured  by  Rdhu  whenever  the  appointed  time 
comes  round  ;  she  causes  anguish  to  the  chakwa  and 
whithers  the  lotus  ;  0  moon,  thou  art  full  of  faults.  It  is 
a  great  sin  and  highly  improper  to  compare  Janak's 
daughter  to  thee."  Thus,  finding  in  the  moon  a  pretext  for 
extolling  Sita's  beauty,  they  returned  to  their  guru,  the 
night  being  now  far  advanced,  and  after  bowing  themselves 
at  his  feet  and  obtaining  his  permission  they  retired  to 
rest.  When  the  night  was  over,  Raghun^iyak  arose  and, 
looking  towards  his  brother,  thus  began  to  say, — "  See, 
brother,  the  day  has  dawned  to  the  delight  of  the  lotus, 
the  chakwa  and  all  mankind."  Then  said  Lakshman  in 
gentle  tones  and  with  folded  hands,  declaring  the  glory  of 
the  Lord,—  >.  ^  . 

Dohd2^d.     ?^7 

"  At  the  dawn  of  day  the  lily  fades  and  the  brightness 
of  the  stars  is  dimmed,  so  at  the  news  of  your  coming  all 
the  princes  waxed  faint  ; 

Chaupai  243. 

for   bright   though   they  be  as  the  planets,  they  cannot 


m 


CHILDHOOD. 


master  the  night-black  bow.  The  lotus,  the  ehakwa^  the 
bee,  and  every  bird— all  rejoice  in  night's  defeat  ;  and  so, 
0  lord,  all  your  votaries  will  be  glad  when  the  bow  is 
broken.  Sunrise  is  an  easy  triumph  over  darkness  :  the  con- 
stellations retire  and  light  flashes  upon  the  world.  0 
Raghur^i,  the  sun  in  its  rising  shows  the  chiefs  in  a  figure 
the  majesty  of  their  lord,  and  your  mighty  arms  are  as 
it  were  the  pass  in  the  eastern  mountain  through  which 
is  manifested  the  spectacle  of  thd  broken  bow."  The  Lord 
smiled  to  hear  his  brother's  speech.  The  All-pure  then 
performed  the  daily  rites  of  purification  and  bathed  and, 
after  observance  of  the  prescribed  ceremonies,  presented 
himself  before  the  guru  and  bowed  his  comely  head  at 
his  feet.  Then  Janak  summoned  Satdnand  and  sent  him  in 
haste  to  Visvamitra.  He  came  and  declared  his  sovereign's 
message,  and  also  called  for  the  two  brothers. 
Dohd  250.  •'  C 
After  reverently  saluting  Satdnand,  the  Lord  went  and 
sat   down  by  his  guru,  who  said, — "  Come,  my  son,  Janak 

has  sent  for  you. 

Ghaupdi  244. 

You  must  go  and  see  Sita's  nuptials,  and  who  is  thd 
happy  man  whom  heaven  will  honour."  Said  Lakshman, — 
"  His  will  be  the  glory,  my  lord,  upon  whom  your  favour 
rests."  The  saints  were  glad  to  hear  this  seemly  speech, 
and  all  with  much  effusion  gave  their  blessing.  Then  the 
gracious  god,  attended  by  all  the  saintly  throng,  sallied 
forth  to  witness  the  tournament.  No  sooner  had  they 
reached  the  arena  than  the  news  spread  all  over  the  city, 
and  every  one  put  away  his  work  and  came  thronging  in, 
men  and  women,  young  and  old,  and  even  children  in  arms. 
When  Janak  saw  the  enormous  crowd  he  gave  orders  to 
his  practised  servitors, — "  Go  round  at  once  to  all  the 
people  and  marshal  them  to  their  proper  seats." 
Dohd  251,    v^'b 

With   courteous  phrase   they  respectfully  seated  them 


CHILDHOOD.  151 

all,  both  men  and  women,  according  to  their  respective 
rank,  whether  noble,  burgher  or  churl. 
Ghaupdi  245. 
Then  stept  forth  the  two  princes  like  beauty  beauti- 
fied, graceful  and  accomplished  champions,  one  dark,  the 
other  fair,  but  both  charming :  resplendent  in  the  assembly 
of  princes  like  two  full  moons  in  a  circle  of  stars.  Every 
spectator  seemed  to  see  in  them  an  embodiment  of  his  own 
conception  :  the  princes  beheld  a  gallant  warrior,  as  it 
were  the  Heroic  incarnate  :  the  wicked  kings  trembled 
at  the  sight  of  the  Lord,  as  a  visible  presentment  of  the 
Terrible ;  the  demons  in  their  princely  disguise  thought 
they  saw  the  image  of  Death  :  while  the  citizens  regarded 
the  twin  brothers  as  the  glory  of  manhood,  a  delight  to  the 
eyes.  ,  / 

Dohd  252.     '       ^ 

The  women  with  joy  of  heart  saw  what  each  loved 
most,  as  it  were  a  bright  vision  of  the  Erotic  in  utterly 
incomparable  form. 

Chaupdi  246. 

By  sages  the  Lord  was  seen  in  his  divine  majesty  with 
many  faces  and  hands  and  feet  and  eyes  and  heads.  And 
how  did  he  appear  to  Janak's  family  group  ?  Like  a  noble 
kinsman  and  friend.  The  queen,  no  less  than  the  king, 
regarded  him  with  unspeakable  love  like  a  dear  child  :  to 
mystics  he  shone  forth  as  eternal  Truth,  the  placid  radiance 
of  unruffled  Quietism  ;  while  to  the  pious  the  two  brothers, 
appeared  as  their  own  benignant  patron  saint.  But  as  for 
Sita,  when  she  gazed  on  R^ma,  her  love  and  joy  were  un- 
speakable ;  if  she  could  not  utter  the  emotion  of  her  heart, 
how  can  any  poet  declare  it  ?  Thus  according  to  the  ruling 
passion  of  each  individual  spectator,  were  the  Kosala  prin- 
ces seen  by  each —  a  A  i^ 
Dohd  253.       ^  ! 

Resplendent  in  the  midst  of  the  royal  circle  in  their 
contrasted  beauty,  stealing  the  eyes  of  the  whole  universe. 


162  CHILDHOOD. 

Ghaupdi  247. 

Both  with  such  facile  grace  of  form  that  a  myriad  Loves 

were  all  too  mean  a  comparison  :  with  beaming   face,  that 

would  put  to  shame  the  autumnal  moon,  and  irresistibly 

charming  lotus  eyes  ;  with  a  glance  so  unspeakably  winning 

that  it  would  rob  Love  of  all  his  pride  ;  with  rounded  cheeks 

and  ears  adorned  with  pendulous  gems  ;  with  beautiful  chin 

and  lips  and  sweet   voice  ;  with  a  smile  more  radiant  than 

the  light  of  the  moon,  and  arched  eyebrows  and  delicate 

nose  ;  a  broad  forehead  with  glittering  tilak,  and  clustering 

locks  with  which  no  swarm  of  bees  could  vie  ;  with  yellow 

turban  on  their  shapely   head,  dotted    here  and  there  with 

flower-buds ;   with   exquisite   neck,  marked  with  a   triple 

line,  enclosing  as  it  were  the  bliss  of  the   three  spheres  of 

creation.  ,   ^ 

Dohd  254.    .' 

Adorned  with  a  necklace  of  elephant  pearls^  and  a  tulsi 
garland  on  their  breast ;  with   the  shoulder  of   a  bull   and 
the  gait  of  a  lion,  and  long  arms  very  models  of  strength. 
Chaupdi  248. 

By  their  side  a  quiver  slung  from  a  yellow  brace ;  with 
arrows  in  hand  and  bow  on  their  left  shoulder  ;  with  a 
charming  Brdhmanical  cord,  also  of  yellow  tint,  and,  in 
short,  beautiful  from  head  to  foot,  beauty  all  over.  Every 
one  who  saw  them  was  made  happy,  nor  could  for  a  minute 
take  his  eyes  off  them.  Janak,  too,  rejoiced  to  behold  the 
two  brothers.  Then  went  he  to  the  saint  and  embraced 
his  feet,  and  differentially  related  to  him  all  his  past 
history,  and  showed  the  hermits  the  place  marked  out  for 
the  games.  Whenever  the  two  gallant  princes  turned,  all 
men's  eyes  were  dazzled  ;  each  saw  in  RAma  what  he  him- 
self most  admired,  without  understanding  that  it  was  a 
special  miracle.  The  saint  told  the  king  the  arrangements 
were  perfect,  and  the  king  was  thereby  highly  gratified. 


1  The  kunjara-mani,  as  it  is  hf-re  named,  or  more  commonly  gajamukta, 
is  a  pearl  supposed  to  be  found  in  the  projections  on  the  forehead  of  an 
elephant. 


CHILDHOOD.  ^  ^  153 

Doha  255.  ^ 

There  was  one  tier  of  seats  bright,  spacious  and  beauti- 
ful above  all  the  rest,  and   here  the   R^ja  seated  the  saint 

and  the  two  brothers. 

Chaupdi  249. 
At  the  sight  of  the  Lord  all  the  chiefs  grew  sick  at 
heart,  like  the  stars  at  the  rising  of  the  full  moon ;  for  they 
felt  inwardly  assured  that  beyond  all  doubt  Rdma  would 
succeed  in  bending  the  bow  ;  or  even  if  he  did  not  break 
the  massy  beam,  that  Sita  would  still  bestow  upon  him  the 
garland  of  victory.  And  so  thinking,  sir,  they  turned  ) 
homewards,  abandoning  all  glory  of  victory  and  pride  of 
strength.  There  were  other  kings,  blind  and  insolent  fools, 
who  mocked  at  such  words  and  cried,  —  "  To  break  the  bow 
and  win  the  bride  is  a  difficulty, ^  but  unless  it  be  broken 
how  can  the  bride  be  won  ?  Should  Death  himself  for 
once  come  forth  against  us,  him  too  would  we  conquer  in 
battle  for  Sita's  sake."  Hearing  this  there  were  other  kings 

who  smiled,  good,  pious  and  sensible  men,  and  said, — 
Sorathd  25.      7- '"    / 
jj  R^ma  will  certainly  marry  Sita,  to  the  discomfiture  of 
those   proud    princes  ;    for   who    can    conquer    in    battle 

Dasarath's  gallant  sons  ? 

Chaupdi  250, 

Why  thus  scoff  and  throw  away  your  lives  to  no  purpose  ; 
imagined  sweets  stop  no  man's  hunger.  Listen  to  this  my 
solemn  warning  :  be  inwardly  assured  that  Sita  is  the 
mother,  and  R^ma  the  father  of  the  universe,  and  feast 
your  eyes  to  the  full  on  their  beauty.  These  two  brothers,  so 
lovely,  so  gracious,  so  full  of  every  excellence,  have  their 
home  in  Sambhu's  heart.  Why,  when  you  have  a  sea  of 
ambr6sia  at  hand,  should  you  leave  it  to  run  upon  your 
death  in  pursuit  of  a  mirage  ?  But  do  ye  what  seemeth  you 
good  :  we  have  to-day  reaped  our  life's  reward."  So  saying 

1  The   word   avagdha  in  this   line  is  explained   in   glossaries   by  athdk     ' 
'unfathomable,'   as  if  from    the  root  gdh,  to  dive   into.     Rather,  however,  it 
seems   to   be  for  avagrdha  (as  kohl  for  krodhi),  meaning  an  impediment  or 
difficulty. 

R-23 


154    ,,  OHILDflOOD.    :, 

the  good  kings  turned  to  gaze  with  affection  on  the  picture 
of  incomparable  beauty ;  while  in  heaven  the  gods  mounted 
their  chariots  to  behold  the  spectacle,  and  showered  down 
flowers  and  uttered  songs  of  joy.  ^ 

noM  256.       1^1    f 

Then  seeing  the  fitness  of  the  time,  Janak  sent  and  sum- 
moned Sita  ;  and  obediently  she  came,  with  all  her  lovely 
and  accomplished  attendants. 

Ghaupdi  251. 

Her  beauty  is  not  to  be  told  :  seeing  that  she  is  the 
mother  of  the  world,  the  perfection  of  all  grace  and  good- 
ness, every  comparison  seems  to  me  unworthy  of  her  and 
appropriate  only  to  mortal  woman.  In  describing  Sfta,  to 
what  can  she  be  likened,  or  what  can  the  poet  name  that 
will  not  rather  do  her  dishonour  ?  If  I  should  liken  her  to 
other  women,  where  is  there  on  earth  any  nymph  so  lovable; 
or,  if  I  look  to  the  denizens  of  heaven,  Sarasvati  is  a 
chatterer  ;  Bhavdni  has  only  half  a  body  ;  Rati  is  in  sore 
distress  on  account  of  her  disfleshed  lord ;  and  as  for 
Lakshmi,  the  twinbirth  of  poison  and  strong  drink,  how  can 
Sfta  be  compared  to  her  ?  Even  though  the  ocean  of 
ambrosia  were  the  Beautiful,  and  the  tortoise  Grace,  the 
rope  being  Fascination,  and  Mount  Meru  the  amorous 
sentiment,  while  Love  with  his  own  lotus  hand  played    the 

part  of  churner  ;  ^    rxry 

Dohd  257.        >  o^ 

Even  then,  though  Lakshmi  the  source  of  all  beauty  end 
bliss,  had  thus  been  born,  still  the  poet  would  shrink  from 
saying  that  she  could  be  compared  to  Sita. 
Chaupdi  252. 

She  came,  and  with  her  her  attendant  maids,  singing 
sweet-voiced  songs  :  the  mother  of  creation,  of  incomparable 
beauty  ;  her  delicate  frame  veiled  in  a  fair  white  robe,  and 
with  a  profusion  of  brilliant  and  tasteful  ornaments,  with 
which  her  maidens  had  bedecked  her  every  limb.  When 
she  set  her  foot  within  the  lists,   all   beholders,   men   and 


CHILDHOOD.  '»''155 

women  alike,  were  fascinated  by  her  charms  ;  the  gods  in 
their  delight  sounded  their  kettledrums  and  rained  down 
flowers  midst  the  singing  of  the  aysfarasas.  The  wreath 
of  victory  sparkled  in  her  hands  as  she  cast  a  hurried  glance 
on  the  assembled  kings,  with  anxious  heart  looking  for 
R^ma.  Not  a  king  but  was  love-smitten.  But  by  the  saint 
sat  the  two  brothers  and  on  them  she  fell  with  her  greedy 
eyes  as  upon  a  rich  treasure. 

Doha  258. 

Shrinking  into  herself  from  awe  of  the  reverend  fathers 
and  at  the  sight  vast  assemblage,  she  turned  her  eyes  upon 
her  attendants,  though  at  the  same  time  she  drew  all  Rama 
into  her  soul. 

Chaupdi  253. 

Not  a  man  or  woman,  who  beheld  the  beauty  of  Rdma 
and  the  loveliness  of  Sfta,  could  close  his  eyes  for  a  second: 
but  all  thought  with  dismay  of  the  king's  vow  and  in  their 
heart  made  supplication  to  Brahma, — "  0  God,  quickly 
remove  Janak's  obstinacy  and  make  him  right-minded  as 
myself.  Let  the  king  have  no  hesitation  about  breaking 
his  vow  and  giving  Sita  in  marriage  to  Rdma :  the  world 
will  approve,  and  we  all  shall  be  pleased  ;  but  obstinacy,  if 
persisted  in,  will  at  the  last  be  as  a  consuming  fire  in  his 
bosom."  All  were  absorbed  in  the  same  ardent  desire,  say- 
ing,—"  The  dark  youth  is  the  match  for  Sita."  Then 
Janak  summoned  the  heralds,  who  as  they  came  proclaimed 
his  state  and  dignity,  and  bade  them  go  and  declare  his  vow. 
They  went,  but  in  their  heart  was  little  joy. 
Doha  259.     %^  X~ 

The  heralds  cried  aloud, — "  Hearken,  all  ye  princes  : 
we  announce  to  you  our  sovereign's  vow,  and  with  upraised 
hands  call  heaven  to  witness  it. 

Chaupdi  254. 

Though  your  mighty  arms  be  as  the  moon,  yet  SiVa*s 
famous  bow  is  as  terrible  and  unyielding  as  Rd.hu.  When 
RAvan  and  B^ndsur  saw  it — albeit  sturdy  champions —  they 


156 


CHILDHOOD. 


left  it  and  went  their  way.  Here  is  now  the  great  god's 
massy  beam,  and  whoever  in  this  royal  assembly  shall  to- 
day bend  it  shall  be  renowned  in  hieaven  and  earth  and 
hell,  and  at  once  without  hesitation  shall  receive  in  marriage 
the  hand  of  the  king's  daughter."  When  they  heard  the 
vow,  all  the  kings  were  full  of  eagerness— insolent  warriors, 
savage  of  soul — and  girding  up  their  loins  they  rose  in 
haste,  bowing  their  heads,  ere  they  commenced,  before 
their  patron  god.  With  flushed  face  and  many  a  close 
look,  they  essay  the  divine  bow :  but  though  they  put  forth 
all  their  strength  in  a  thousand  different  ways  they  cannot 
move  it.     Those,  indeed,  who  had  any  sense   at  all  did  not 

go  near  it.  -J 

Doha  260.      - 

After  straining  at  the  bow— those  foolish  kings— with- 
out being  able  to  stir  it,  they  retire  in  confusion,  as  though 
it  had  gathered  strength  by  in  turn  absorbing  the  force  of 
each  successive  warrior. 

Chaupdi  255. 

Next  ten  thousand  kings  all  at  once  attempted  to  raise 
it,  but  it  was  not  to  be  moved  and  yielding  as  little  as  a 
virtuous  wife  at  the  words  of  a  gallant.  All  the  princes 
appeared  as  ridiculous  as  a  hermit  who  has  no  religion. 
Their  mighty  glory  and  renown  and  heroism  were  utterly 
worsted  by  the  bow,  and  with  much  confusion  of  face  and 
sadness  of  heart  they  went  and  took  again  each  his  own 
place  in  the  assembly.  When  Janak  saw  the  kings  thus 
dismayed,  he  cried  aloud  as  it  were  in  anger,—*'  Hearing 
the  vow  that  I  had  made,  many  kings  have  come  from 
diverse  realms,    with   gods  and  demons   in   human  form, 

stalwart  heroes,  staunch  in  fight.  '   ,  , 

Dohd  261. 
A  lovely  bride,  a   grand  triumph  and   splendid  renown 
are  theorize,  but  God,  it  seems,  has  not   created  the  man 
who  can  break  the  bow  and  win  it. 
Chaupdi  256. 
Tell  me  now  who  was  dissatisfied  with  the  guerdon  or. 


CHILDHOOD.  157 

refused  to  try  his  strength  on  Siva's  bow,  but  let  alone  lift- 
ing andibreaking,  sirs,  there  was  not  one  of  you  who  could 
stir  it  even  a  grain's  breadth  from  the  ground.  Now  let  no 
proud  warrior  wax;  wroth  if  I  assert  there  is  not  a  man 
left  on  earth.  Give  up  all  hope  and  turn  your  faces  home- 
wards :  it  is  God's  will  that  Sita  is  not  to  be  married.  If 
I  break  my  vow,  all  my  religious  merit  is  gone  ;  the  girl 
must  remain  a  maid  ;  what  can  I  do  ?  Had  I  known,  sirs, 
that  there  were  no  men  in  the  world,  I  would  not  have 
made  myself  a  laughing-stock  by  recording  such  avow." 
Every  man  and  woman  who  heard  Janak's  words  and  look- 
ed at  J^naki  were  sad  ;  but  Lakshman  was  furious  :  his 
eyes  flashed, 'his  lips  quivered  and  his  brows  were  knit. 
Dohd  262. 
But  for  fear  of  his  brother  he  could  not  speak,  though 
the  taunt  pierced  his  heart  like  an  arrow.  Yet  at  last,  bow- 
ing his  head  at  Rdma'^  lotus  feet,  he  thus  spoke  in  dignified 
tones  :  — 

Chaupdi  257. 
"  May  there  never  be  repeated  in  any  assembly,  where 
even  theUowest  of  the  family  of  ■  Raghu  is  present,  such  a 
scandalous  speech  as  that  now  uttered  by  Janak  in  the  pre- 
sence of  the  greatest  of  the  clan.  Hearken,  thou  sun  of 
the  lotus-like  solar  race  ;  I  state  the  simple  truth,  without 
any  vain  boasting  ;  if  only  I  have  thy  permission,  I  will  lift 
the  round  world  with  as  much  ease  as  a  marble,  and  will 
break  it  in  pieces  like  an  ill-baked  potter's  vessel,  and  tear 
up  Mount  Meru  like  a  potherb.  Before  thy  infinite  majesty, 
0  ray  lord  god,  what  is  this  wretched   old  bow  ?  Only  give 

|me  an  order  and  see  what  an  exhibition  I  will  make.  I 
will  take  up  the  bow  as  though  it  were  a  lotus  stalk,  and 
will  run  a  hundred  leagues  with  it   to  convince  you. 

Dohd  263.      ^yfC  -v 

Inspired.by  thy  presence,   my  lord,   I  will  snap  it  like 

^   thestick  of'anumhrella;  or   ifjiail  I  swear  by  thy   holy 

I  feet  never  to  take  bow  in  hand  again." 


158  CHILDHOOD. 

Ghaupdi  258 

As  Lakshman  thus  spoke  in  his  wrath,  earth  shook  and 
its  elephant  supporters  tottered  ;  the  whole  assembly  and 
all  the  kings  were  struck  with  terror ;  Si ta  was  glad  of 
heart  and  Janak  was  ashamed ;  while  the  saint  and  RArna 
and  all  the  hermits  were  enraptured  and  quivered  all  over 
with  excitement.  Then  RAma  with  a  sign  checked  Laksh- 
man, and  lovingly  made  him  sit  beside  him,  while  Visva- 
mitra,  perceiving  the  fitness  of  the  time,  spoke  in  gentle 
and  affectionate  tones, — "Up,  Rdma,  break  this  bow  of 
Siva's  and  relieve  Janak,  my  son,  of  his  affliction."  On 
hearing  the  guru's  words  he  bowed  his  head  at  his  feet, 
and  without  joy  or  sorrow  in  his  soul  rose  and  stood  up- 
right in  all  his  native  grace,  lordly  in  gait  as  a  young  lion. 
Dohd  264.         ''   C  ^1 

As  Raghubar  ascended  the  stage,  like  the  sun  climbling 
the  mountains  of  the  east,  the  hearts  of  the  saints  expanded 
like  the  lotus,  and  their  eyes  were  glad  as  bees  at  the 
return  of  day. 

Ghaupdi  259. 

The  dark  hopes  of  the  kings  vanished  like  the  night, 
and  like  the  serried  stars  their  vaunts  waxed  feeble  :  the 
arrogant  shrivelled  up  like  the  lilies,  and  the  false  slunk 
away  like  the  owls  ;  saints  and  gods,  like  the  chalcwa,  were 
relieved  of  their  distress  and  rained  down  flowers  in  token 
of  homage.  After  affectionately  reverencing  the  guru's 
feet  and  asking  permission  of  the  holy  fathers,  the  lord  of 
all  creation  quickly  stepped  forth,  with  the  tread  of  a 
majestic  elephant  when  inflamed  with  love.  As  he  moved, 
every  man  and  woman  in  the  city  quivered  all  over  their 
body  with  delight,  worshipping  the  spirits  of  their  an- 
cestors and  the  gods,  and  recalling  their  own  past  gocxi 
deeds,  saying, — **  If  my  virtuous  acts  be  of  any  avail,  0 
father  Ganes,  may  Rdma  snap  the  bow  as  it  were  a  lotus- 
stalk."  il 


OfilLDHOOt).  15^} 

Dohd  265.      I' ' 
After  lovingly  gazing  upon    Rdma,   Sita's  mother   bade.. 

ler  attendants  draw  near,  and  thus  spoke  with   affectionate 

inxiety, — 

Chaupdi  260. 
"  Girls,  every  one  is  bent  on  seeing  the  show,  and  as  for 
e.aying  what  would  be  for  my  good,  there  is  no  one  who  will 
lell  the  king  plainly  :— These  are  two  mere  boys  ;  thisex- 
(jessive  obstinacy  of  yours  is  wrong ;  R^van  and  Banasur 
(3ould  not  touch  the  bow,  and  the  kings  with  all  their  pride 
were  conquered  by  it ;  how  then  give  it  into  the  hands 
of  these  boy-princes  ?  As  well  might  a  cygnet  carry  off 
Mount  Meru.  All  the  king's  good  sense  is  clean  gone  :  Ah, 
girls,  god's  ways  are  inscrutable."  A  sharp-witted  maiden 
gently  answered, — "  0  queen,  the  glorious  are  never  to  be 
lightly  regarded.  Consider  the  weakness  of  Agastya  and 
the  boundlessness  of  ocean  ;  yet  he  drained  it  dry,  and  his 
fame  has  spread  through  the  world.  Again,  the  orb  of  the 
sun  is  small  to  look  at,  but — at  its  rising— darkness  is 
expelled  from  heaven  and  earth  and  hell. 

Dohd2QQ.    "    ^9 

A  charm  is  a  very  little  thing,  yet  it  overpowers  Brahma 
and  Vishnu  and  Mahddeva   and  all   the   gods  ;  and  a  mere 
goad  governs  the  mightiest  and  most  furious  elephant. 
Chaupdi  261. 

Love,  too,  though  his  bow  and  arrows  are  but  of  flowers, 
has  brought  the  whole  world  under  subjection.  Fear  not 
then  lady,  but  hearken  to  me — Rdma  will  assuredly  break 
the  bow."  She  took  heart  at  these  words  of  her  attendant, 
her  despondency  ceased  and  her  desire  was  enlarged.  Then 
Sita,  with  her  eyes  fixed  on  Rfima,  implored  with  anxious 
heart  each  god  in  turn,  praying  to  them  in  her  inward 
soul,  —  "  Be  gracious  to  me,  0  Mahddeva  and  Bhav^ni,  and 
reward  my  service  by  kindly  lightening  the  weight  of  the 
bow  0  divine  Ganes,  granter  of  boons,  it  is  with  a  view  to 


l60  CHILt)HOOD. 

to-day  that  I  have  done  you  service.     Hearken  to  my  oft- 
repeated  supplication,  and  reduce  the  weight  of  the  bow  to 

a  mere  trifle."  ^ 

Doha  267.    ''i.  7  ^  • 

Oft  glancing  at  Raghubir's  form,   and   taking   courage 
from  her  heaven-ward  prayers,  her  eyes  were  filled  with  tears 
of  love,  and  her  whole  body  was  in  a  tremor. 
Ghaupdi  262. 

With  fixed  gaze  she  devoured  his  beauty,  and  then,  as 
she  remembered  her  father's  vow,  her  soul  was  troubled,  — 
"  Alas,  my  father,  for  your  cruel  resolve,  made  without  any 
regard  to  good  or  evil  consequences  ;  not  a  minister  but 
was  afraid  to  give  advice— the  more  the  pity— in  the  grea't 
conclave  of  counsellors.  Here  is  a  bow  as  firm  as  adamant, 
and  here  a  little  dark-hued  prince  of  tender  frame.  0  god, 
how  can  I  maintain  my  faith  ? — Is  it  possible  for  a  delicate 
^siris  flower  to  transpierce  a  diamond  ?  The  judgment  of  the 
whole  assembly  has  gone  astray ;  now,  0  bow  of  Sambhu, 
thou  art  the  only  hope  left  me  ;  impart  thy  own  heaviness 
to  the  crowd,  and  grow  light  thyself  at  once  at  the  sight 
of  Rdma."  8o  great  was  the  agitation  of  Sita's  soul  that 
an  instant  of  time  passed  as  slowly  as  an  age. 
Dohd  268.  /     ^^  \ 

A.S  she  looks,  now  at  the  Lord,  and  now  at  the  ground, 
Jier  tremulous  eyes  so  glisten,  as  it  were  love's  two  fish  dis- 
porting themselves  in  the  orb  of  the  moon. 

Chaupai  263. 
In  her  lotos  mouth  her  bee-like  voice  lies  bound  ;  for 
modesty,  like  night,  allows  it  not.  In  the  corner  of  her  eye 
stood  a  tear-drop,  like  a  miser's  buried  hoard.  Abashed 
by  the  consciousness  of  extreme  excitement,  she  yet  sum- 
moned up  courage  and  confidence,  -"  If  there  is  any  truth 
in  me  at  all  and  I  am  really  enamoured  of  Raghupati's  lotus 
feet,  then  the  Lord  God,  who  knoweth  all  men's  hearts, 
will  make  me  Rdma's  handmaid  ;  for  wherever  there  is  true 
affection  of  soul  to  soul,  union  will  follow  beyond  a  doubt." 


CHILDHOOD.  161 

With  her  eyes  fixed  upon  the  lord  she  recorded  this  lov- 
ing vow  ;  and  he,  the  most  merciful,  comprehended  it  all. 
After  looking  at  Sita  he  cast  a  glance  at  the  bow,  as  Garur 
might  glance  at  a  poor  little  snake.  ^ , 

Dohd  269. 

When  Lakshman  perceived  that  the  glory  of  his   race 
had  his  eye  fixed  upon  the  bow,  he  thrilled    with    emotion, 
and  striking  the  earth  with  his  foot,  cried  thus  aloud, — 
Chaupdi  264. 

"  Ye  elephant  warders,  ye  tortoise,  serpent  and  boar, 
hold  fast  the  earth  with  a  will  that  it  shake  not,  for  Rdma 
is  about  to  break  the  great  bow  ;  hearken  to  my  order  and 
be  ready."  When  Rjima  drew  near  to  the  bow,  the  people 
all  supplicated  the  gods  by  their  past  good  deeds.  The 
doubts  and  errors  of  the  crowd,  the  arrogance  of  the  foolish 
kings  the  proud  pretentions  of  Parasurd.m  the  terror  of  all 
the  gods  and  saints,  the  distress  of  Sita,  the  regrets  of 
Janak,  the  burning  anguish  of  the  queens,  were  all  heaped 
together  on  the  bow  as  on  a  raft,  while  Rama's  strength  of 
arm  was  the  boundless  ocean  that  had  to  be  crossed,  and 
with  no  helmsman  to  essay  it. 

Dohd  270.    7^'^  3' 

R^ma  first  looked  at  the  crowd,  who  all  stood  dumb  and 
still  as  statues  ;  then  the  gracious  Lord  turned  from  them  to 
Sita,  and  perceived  her  yet  deeper  concern  ; 
Chaupdi  265. 

Perceived  her  to  be  so  terribly  agitated  that  a  moment  of 
time  seemed  an  age  in  passing.  If  a  man  die  of  thirst  for 
want  of  water,  when  he  is  once  dead,  of  what  use  to  him  is  a 
lake  of  nectar  ?  What  good  is  the  rain  when  the  crop  is 
dead  ?  or  what  avails  regret  when  a  chance  has  once  been 
lost  ?  Thinking  thus  to  himself  as  he  gazed  at  Jdnaki,  the 
Lord  was  enraptured  at  the  sight  of  her  singular  devotion, 
and  after  making  a  reverential  obeisance  to  his  guru,  he  took 
up  the  bow  with  most  superlative  ease  ;  as  he  grasped  it  in 

R-24 


162  CHILDHOOD. 

his  hand,  it  gleamed  like  a  flash  of  lightning;  and  again  as 
he  bent  it,  it  seemed  like  the  vault  of  heaven.  Though  all 
stood  looking  on,  before  any  one  could  see,  he  had  lifted  it 
from  the  ground  and  raised  it  aloft  and  drawn  it  tight,  and 
in  a  moment  broken  it  in  halves  ;  the  awful  crash  re-echoed 
through  the  world. 

Chhand  33. 
So  awful  a  crash  re-echoed  through  the  world  that  the 
horses  of  the  Sun  started  from   their  course,  the  elephants 
of  the  four  quarters  groaned,  earth  shook,  the  great  serpent, 
the   boar   and   the   tortoise   tottered.     Gods,   demons  and 
saints  put  their  hands  to  their  ears,  and  all  began  anxiously 
to  consider  the  cause  ;  but  when  they  learnt  that  Rdma  had 
broken  the  bow,  they  uttered  shouts  of  Victory. 
Sorathd  26.    ^^^ 
All   the  deluded  crowd   who  had  gone  on   board  *  the 
Siva's  bow'  were  drowned  in  the  waves  of  Rama's  might. 
Chawpdi  266. 
The  Lord  tossed  upon  the  ground  the  two  broken  pieces 
of  the  bow,  and  at  the  sight  the  multitude  rejoiced.  Visva- 
mitra's  love,   like   the   clear   unfathomed   depth  of  ocean, 
swelled  to  the  highest  tide  of  ecstasy   under  the   full  moon 
influence  of  Rama's  presence.     There  was  a  jubilant  noise 
of  music  in  the  sky  ;  the  heavenly  nymphs  danced  and  sang ; 
Brahma  and   all   the   gods   and  deified    saints  and  sages 
praised  and  blessed  the  hero,  and  rained  down  wreaths  of 
many-coloured  flowers  ;  the  kinnara  sung  melodious  strains  ; 
and  the  shout  of  'Victory,  Victory,'  re-echoed  throughout 
the   world.     The  noise  that  followed  the  breaking  of  the 
bow   defies   description.     Everywhere   the  people  in  their 
joy  kept  saying,—'  Rama  has  broken  the  great  bow.' 

DoU  271.   -X    \^^ 
Bards,  minstrels  and  rhapsodists  raise  their  loud-voiced^ 
peeans,   and   all  the  people  lavish  offerings  of  horses,  eh 
phants,  money,  jewels  and  raiment. 


CHILDHOOD.  163 

Chaupdi  267. 

There  was  a  clash  of  cymbals,  tabors,  conches,  clarions, 
sackbuts,  drums,  kettledrums  and  all  kinds  of  music ;  and 
in  every  place  were  choirs  of  women  singing  auspicious 
strains.  The  queen  with  her  attendants  was  as  glad  as  a 
parched  rice-field  at  a  fall  of  rain  ;  Janak  was  as  pleased 
and  free  of  care  as  a  tired  swimmer  on  reaching  a  shallow ; 
the  kings  were  as  confounded  at  the  breaking  of  the  bow 
as  a  lamp  is  dimmed  at  dawn  of  day ;  but  Sita's  gladness 
can  only  be  compared  to  that  of  the  chdtahi^  on  finding  a 
rain-drop  in  October  ;  while  Lakshman  fixed  his  eyes  on 
Rdma  as  the  chakor  on  the  moon.  Then  Sat^nand  gave  the 
word  and  Sfta  advanced  to  Rdma.  /  ^ 

Dohd  272.     "l"^^ 

(graceful  in  motion  as  a  swan,  and  of  infinite  beauty  in 
every  limb ;  and  with  her  came  her  fair  and  sprightly  com- 
panions, who  raise  the  glad  mttrriage  song. 
Ghaupdi  268. 

Resplendent  in  ttieir  midst  as  the  Queen  of  Love  among 
the  loves,  she  held  in  her  lotus  hand  the  fair  wreath  of  vie 
tory,  enriched  as  it  were  with  the  spoils  of  world-wide 
triumph.  With  modest  air,  but  rapture  in  her  soul,  her 
interior  devotion  was  withdrawn  from  sight.  As  she  drew 
near  and  beheld  Rima's  beauty,  she  stood  motionless  like  a 
figure  on  the  wall,  till  a  watchful  attendant  roused  her, 
saying,  — '  Invest  him  with  the  ennobling  wreath.'  At  the 
word  she  raised  the  wreath  with  both  her  hands,  but  was 
too  much  overcome  by  emotion  to  drop  it  ;  till  as  the  lotus, 
flower  and  stalk,  shrinks  at  the  moonlight,  so  her  hand  and 
arm  drooped  in  the  glory  of  his  moon-like  face.  At  the 
sight  of  his  beauty  her  handmaids  break  into  song,  while 
Sita  let  fall  the  wreath  upon  his  breast. 

1  The  chdtaki  {(JacuXas  melanoleucos)  is  fabled  never  to  drink,  except 
it  be  such  drops  of  rain  as  fall  in  the  month  of  October,  when  the  sun  is  in 
the  same  longitude  as  Arcturus,  QSwdti),  a  time  of  the  year  when  a  shower 
is  a  very  rare  occurrence.  The  same  precious  drops  if  they  fall  into  the  sea, 
are  transmuted  into  pearls,  a  belief  to  which  allusion  is  made  in  page  11, 


104  CHILDHOOD.       ^.        , 

y  \ ' 

Sorathd  27. 
When   the   gods   saw   the  wreath  resting  on  his  breast 
they  showered  down  flowers ;  and  the  kings  all  shrunk  into 
nothing,  like  lilies  at  the  rising  of  the  sun. 

Chaupdi  269. 
Both  in  the  city  and  in  heaven  there  were  sounds  of 
music ;  the  bad  were  saddened,  and  the  good  were  glad. 
Gods,  kinnars,  men,  serpents  and  saints  uttered  blessings 
and  shouts  of  victory.  The  heavenly  nymphs  danced  and 
sung,  and  flowers  fell  in  constant  showers.  In  every  place 
were  Brahmans  muttering  Vedic  texts,  and  rhapsodists 
reciting  lays  of  praise.  Earth,  hell  and  heaven  were 
pervaded  with  the  glad  news, — *  R^ma  has  broken  the  bow 
and  will  wed  Sita.'  The  men  and  women  of  the  city  light 
votive  torches  and,  regardless  of  their  substance,  scatter 
gifts  in  profusion.  Sita  by  Raima's  side  was  as  resplendent 
as  if  Beauty  and  Love  had  met  together.  Her  companions 
whisper, — *  Embrace  your  lord's  feet ;'  but  in  excess  of  fear 
she  dares  not  touch  them.  ^ 

Dohd  273.  'I  i  ^ 
She  touches  them  not  with  her  hands,  remembering  the 
fate  of  Gautama's  wife  ;  and  RAma  smiled  inwardly  at  this 
proof  of  her  supernatural  devotion. 
Chaupdi  270. 
Then,  as  they  looked  on  Sita,  the  kings  were  inflamed  with 
desire,  and  waxed  wroth  of  soul  — frantic  degenerate  fools — 
and  sprung  up — the  wretches — and  donned  their  armour 
and  began  a  general  chorus  of  abuse,—"  Come  now,  let  us 
carry  off  Sita  and  overthrow  and  bind  fast  these  two  princes  ; 
though  he  has  broken  the  bow,  he  has  not  yet  gained  his 
end  ;  for  who  shall  marry  Sita  while  we  still  live  ?  If  the 
king  give  them  any  assistance,  we  will  rout  him  in  battle 
as  well  as  the  two  brothers."  When  the  good  kings  heard 
these  words  they  answered  and  put  the  whole  assembly  to 
shame,—"  The  glory  of  your  might  and  greatness  of  your 


CHILDHOOD.  165 

Strength  were  disgraced  for  ever  at  the  breaking  of  the  bow. 
Is  that  the  might  of  which  ye  now  boast,  or  have  ye  since 
acquired  something  new  ?  *  Was  it  not  thus  that  ye  reckoned 
afore,  when  God  so  blackened  your  faces  ? 

Doha  274.  ^  ^  7 

Cease  from  envy  and  arrogance  and  folly  ;  feast  your 
eyes  upon  Rama  ;  and  be  not  like  a  moth  in  the  fierce  flame 
of  Lakshman's  wrath. 

Chaupdi  271. 

Like  a  crow  who  would  rob  the  king  of  the  birds^  of  an 
offering  ;  or  a  rat  who  would  spoil  a  lion  ;  as  a  man  who  is 
passionate  without  cause  and  yet  wishes  for  peace  of  mind  ; 
as  a  reviler  of  Siva  who  wishes  for  happiness  and  prosperi- 
ty ;  as  a  greedy  and  covetous  man  who  wishes  for  fair  fame, 
and  as  a  gallant  who  would  have  no  scandal ;  as  an  enemy 
of  God  who  wishes  to  be  saved  ;  such  is  your  desire,  0  ye 
kings."  When  Sita  heard  the  tumult,  she  was  afraid,  and 
with  her  companions  went  away  to  the  queen,  while  Rdma 
composedly  joined  the  guru,  talking  to  himself  of  Sita's 
affection.  Sita  and  the  queen  were  much  distrest,  saying, — 
"What  is  it  God  would  have  now  ?  "  And  at  the  sound 
of  the  voices  of  the  kings  they  looked  helplessly  up  and 
down.     For  fear  of  R^ma  Lakshman  could  not  speak. 

Doha  275.   ^'-j? 

With  fiery  eyes  and  knitted  brows  he  cast  a  furious  look 
at  the  kings,  like  a  lion's  whelp  watching  to  spring  on  a 
herd  of  wild  elephants. 

Chawpdi  272. 

Seeing  the  tumult,  the  people  were  all  distrest  and 
joined  in  reproaching  the  kings.  Then  it  was  that  the  sun 
of  the  lotus  race  of  Bhrigu  (Parasurdm)  arrived,  for  he  had 
heard  of  the  breaking  of  the  bow.  At  the  sight  of  him  the 
kings  all  cowered  down,  as  a  partridge  shrinking  beneath  the 

1  The   king  of  the  birds — Garur— is  here  called  Vainateya,  that  is  to  say, 
the  son  of  Vinata. 


7 


166  CHILDHOOD. 

swoop  of  a  hawk.  Of  pallid  hue  and  well  bestreaked  with 
ashes  ;  with  the  three  horizontal  lines  sacred  to  Siva  con- 
spicuous on  his  broad  forehead  ;  with  the  hair  on  his  head 
bound  in  a  knot ;  and  his  moon-like  face  flushed  with  the 
furnace  fire  of  smouldering  wrath ;  with  frowning  brows  and 
eyes  inflamed  with  passion ;  he  casts  a  quick  and  furious 
glance  around.  With  bull-like  shoulders  and  mighty  chest 
and  arms ;  with  fair  sacrificial  cord  and  string  of  beads 
and  deerskin  with  an  anchorite's  dress  about  his  loins  and 
two  quivers  slung  by  his  side;  with  bow  and  arrows  in 
hand,  and  his  sharp  axe  upon  his  shoulder. 
Dohd  276.    ^  ,  / 

In  his  saintly  attire  and  savage  mien  a  figure  beyond 
description,  as  though  the  Heroic  had  taken  the  form  of  a 
hermit ;  so  he  drew  near  to  the  kings. 
Chaupdi  273. 

When  they  beheld  his  ghastly  attire,  they  all  rose  in 
consternation,  each  mentioning  his  own  and  his  father's 
name,  and  fell  prostrate  on  the  ground  before  him  ;  and 
even  those  on  whom  he  cast  a  kindly  glance  thought  their 
life  had  come  to  an  end.  Then  came  Janak  and  bowed  his 
head  and  called  for  Sita  also  to  pay  him  homage.  He 
bestowed  upon  her  his  blessing,  and  her  glad  companions 
escorted  her  back  to  her  own  appartments.  Next  came 
Visvamitra  to  salute  him,  and  placed  the  two  boys  at  his 
feet,  saying,—"  These  are  R6ma  and  Lakshman,  Dasarath's 
sons."  He  admired  the  well-matched  pair  and  blessed 
them,  with  his  eyes  long  fixed  upon  Rdma's  incomparable 
beauty,  which  would  humble  the  pride  even  of  Love  him- 
self. <  ^  , 
Dohd  277.  ^^    ^ 

Then   he  turned  and   said   to  Videha,—*' Why  all  this 
crowd?"     xVsking  as   though  he  did  not  know,  while  his 
whole  body  was  bursting  with  passion. 
Chaupdi  274. 

Janak  told  him   the  whole  history  and  the  reason  why 


I 


CHILDHOOD.  167 

the  kings  assembled.  After  hearing  his  reply  he  again 
looked  away  and  spied  the  fragments  of  the  bow  lying  on 
the  ground.  In  a  mighty  passion  he  cried  in  furious  tones,— 
"  Tell  me  now,  Janak,  you  fool  who  has  broken  the  bow  ? 
Show  him  to  me  at  once,  or  this  very  day  I  will  overthrow 
the  whole  of  your  dominion."  In  his  excess  of  fear  the 
king  could  give  no  answer :  the  wicked  suitors  were  glad 
of  heart ;  gods,  saints,  serpents  and  all  the  people  of  the 
city  were  full  of  anxiety  and  profound  alarm  ;  Sita's  mother 
was  lamenting, —"  God  has  now  undone  all  that  had  just 
been  done  so  well;  "  and  Sita  when  she  heard  of  Bhrigu- 
pati's  character  felt  half  a  minute  pass  like  an  age. 
Dohd  278.  ^v  3 
Seeing  the  people's  consternation  and  Jdnaki's  anxiety, 
the  imperturbable  Raghubir  thus  spoke  and  said,  — 
^  Ghaupdi  275. 

"  My  Lord,  the  bow  has  probably  got  broken  by  some 
one  of  your  servants.  What  are  your  orders?  Why  not 
tell  me  ?  "  At  this  the  furious  saint  was  yet  more  incensed 
and  cried,—*'  A  servant  is  one  who  does  service,  but  he  who 
does  the  deeds  of  an  enemy  must  be  fought.  Hearken, 
Rama,  whoever  it  was  who  broke  Siva's  bow  is  as  much 
my  enemy  as  was  Sahasrabihu.  Separate  him  from  among 
the  assembly,  or  else  every  one  of  these  kings  shall  be 
killed."  When  Lakshman  heard  the  saint's  words,  he 
smiled  and  said  to  him  in  a  tone  of  contempt, — "  0  sir,  I 
have  broken  many  a  bow  as  a  child,  and  you  were  never 
before  thus  angry  :  why  were  you  so  fond  of  this  bow  in 
particular?  "     Parasurdm  replied  in  a  fury, — 

Dohd  279.    'l^Cf-  ^ 

*'  Ah  !   death-doomed   prince,  is  there  no  stopping  your      j 
tongue  ?     Would  you  compare  to  a  common  bow  the  great 
bow  of  Siva,  that  is  famous  throughout  the  world  ?  " 
Ghaupdi  276. 
Said  Lakshman  with  a  smile, — ^"  I  thought,  holy  sir,  that 
all  bows  were  alike.     What   gain  or  what  loss  can  there  be 


168 


CHILDHOOD. 


in  the  breaking  of  a  worn-out  bow  ?  Rdma  by  mistake  took 
it  for  a  new  one,  and  directly  he  touched  it,  it  snapped  in 
two :  but  it  was  no  fault  of  his ;  why  then,  reverend  sir,  be 
so  angry  for  no  cause  ?  "  He  answered,  with  a  glance  at 
his  axe,  —  "  Fool,  have  you  never  heard  of  my  temper  ?  I 
do  not  slay  you  because,  as  I  say,  you  are  but  a  child. 
You  in  your  folly  take  me  for  a  mere  recluse  :  and  from  my 
childhood  an  ascetic  I  am,  but  a  fiery  one  and  the  terror  of 
the  whole  Kshatriya  race,  as  is  known  throughout  the  world. 
By  the  might  of  my  arm  I  have  made  earth  kingless,  and 
time  after  time  have  bestowed  her  upon  the  Brdhmans.  See 
here,  you  king's  son,  the  axe  with  which  I  lopped  of  Sahasra- 
bdhu's  thousand  arms.  -       .^ 

Doha  2S0,    ^^^ 

Do  not  bring  distress  upon  your  father  and  mother  :  my 
cruel  axe  has  ripped  up  even  unborn  infants  in  the  womb." 
Chaupdi  277. 

Lakshman  replied  with  a  quiet  smile,—-'*  Ah  !  holy  sir, 
you  think  yourself  a  great  warrior  indeed,  and  keep  bran- 
dishing your  axe  before  me,  as  if  with  a  mere  puff  of  breath 
you  could  blow  away  a  mountain.  But  I  am  not  a  kumhar 
blossom  that  droops  as  soon  as  it  sees  a  finger  raised  against 
it.  When  I  perceived  your  axe  and  quiver  and  arrows,  I 
spoke  a  little  haughtily  ;  but  now  that  I  see  by  your  Bnih- 
manical  thread  that  you  are  of  Bhrigu's  line,  say  what  you 
like  and  I  will  bear  it  patiently.  In  my  family  there  is  no 
waging  battle  against  gods  or  Brdhmans,  or  devotees,  or 
cows  ;  for  to  kill  them  is  a  crime,  and  to  be  overcome  by 
them  a  disgrace  ;  and  therefore  1  must  throw  myself  at  your 
feet,  even  though  you  strike  me.  Your  curse  is  as  awful  as 
a  million  thunderbolts,  and  your  axe  and  bow  and  arrows 
are  unnecessary.  ^      / 

Dohd  2Sl.     >^^t» 

Pardon  me,  great  and  reverend  sage,  for  anything 
improper  that  I  said  when  I  first  saw  you."  The  glory  of 
Bhrigu's  race  cried  furiously  in  his  deep  toned  voice,  — 


CHILDHOOD.  169 

Chaupdi  278. 

"  Hearken,  son  of  Kusika;^  this  child  is  demented  ;  a 
perverse  and  death  doomed  destroyer  of  his  own  house  ;  a 
dark  spot  on  the  moon-like  brightness  of  the  Solar  race  ; 
utterly  ungovernable,  senseless  and  reckless.  Another  mo- 
ment and  he  shall  be  a  mouthful  in  the  jaws  of  death,  and 
I  loudly  protest  it  is  no  fault  of  mine.  Take  him  away,  if 
you  would  save  him,  and  teach  him  my  glory  and  might  and 
the  fierceness  of  my  temper."  Said  Lakshman,— "So  long 
as  you  live,  father,  who  else  can  tell  your  fame  so  well  ? 
With  your  own  mouth  you  have  many  times  and  in  many 
ways  declared  your  own  doings.  If  you  are  not  yet  satisfied, 
tell  them  over  again,  and  do  not  distress  yourself  beyond, 
endurance  by  putting  any  restraint  upon  your  passion. 
But  if  you  are  really  a  resolute  and  dauntless  warrior,  there 
is  no  honour  to  be  got  by  abuse. 

Doha  282. 

Heroes  perform  valiant  deeds  in  fight,  but  do  not  them- 
selves publish  them  :  cowards  finding  a  foe  before  them  in 
the  battle  talk  very  large,  as  you 

Chaupdi  279. 
now  would  terrify  me  with  your  repeated  cries  of  Death." 
On  hearing  Lakshman's  rude  speech  he  closed  his  hand 
upon  his  terrible  axe, — "  After  this  let  no  man  blame  me  ; 
this  sharp-tongued  boy  deserves  his  death.  I  have  spared 
him  long  on  account  of  his  being  a  child,  but  now  of  a 
truth  he  is  as  good  as  dead."  Said  Visvamitra, — "  Pardon 
his  offence ;  the  wise  regard  not  the  faults  or  merits  of 
children."  *'  I  have  axe  in  hand  and  am  pitiless  in  my  wrath  ; 
he  is  moreover  guilty :  and  has  injured  my  guru.  Yet 
though  this  be  my  answer,  I  will  still  spare  his  life,  though 
solely  out  of  regard  for  you,  Visvamitra.  But  for  you  I 
had  cut  him  in  pieces  with  my  terrible  axe,  and  thus  easily 
have  paid  my  guru  his  due."  ^    ^^ 

Do}id2S3.  y^ 

Said  the  son  of  G^dhi,  smiling  to  himself, — "  Everything 

1  The  son,  or  rather  grandson,  of  Kusika  is  Visvamitra. 

R-25 


170  CHILDHOOD. 

looks  green  to  the  saint's  eyes  ;i  though  RAma  has  to-day 
broken  the  bow  as  though  it  were  a  stick  of  sugarcane,  still 
he  has  not  the  sense  to  understand." 
Chaupdi  280. 
Said  Lakshman, — ''  Is  there  any  one,  Father,  ignorant  of 
your  honour  ?  it  is  notorious  throughout  the  wcrld.  You 
have  well  paid  th^  debt  you  owed  to  your  father  and 
mother  ;2  but  it  was  a  great  distress  to  you  to  be  still  in 
debt  to  your  guru.  You  have  now  transferred  the  account 
to  me,  but  the  interest  by  lapse  of  time  has  become  very 
heavy.  So  you  must  bring  forward  the  original  creditor, 
and  then,  sir,  I  will  at  once  open  my  purse."  When  he 
heard  these  bitter  words  he  grasped  his  axe,  and  all  the 
people  cried— Alack,  alack  !  "  0  Bhrigu-bar,  you  still 
keep  showing  me  your  axe,  but,  regicide  as  you  are,  I  only 
spare  you  on  account  of  your  being  a  Brahman.  You  have 
never  yet  met  a  real  staunch  fighting  man,  and,  most  re- 
verend sir,  you  are  a  great  man  only  in  your  own  house." 
They  all  cried  out,  -  '  How  very  wrong  ;'  and  Rama  gave 
Lakshman  a  sign  to  be  quiet. 

Lakshman's  words  were  like  oil  on  the  fire  of  Bhrigupa- 
ti's  wrath  ;  till,  seeing  the  flame  increase,  RAma  quenched 
it  with  the  flood  of  admonition, — 

Chaupdi  281. 

"  My  lord,  have  compassion  on  a  child,  and  wreak  not 
your  wrath  on  such  an  unweaned  infant :  if  he  had  any 
idea  of  your  glorious  power,  how  could  he  be   so  foolish  as 

1  The  allusion  is  to  a  popular  saying,—'  A  man  who  loses  bis  eyesight 
in  the  month  of  S^wan  thinks  everything  is  always  green.'  Hariari,  '  green, 
may  also  be  taken  as  two  words  Zfari  and  ari,  '  an  enemy  to  Vishnu,'  a  light 
in  which  it  would  be  the  height  of  folly  for  ParasurAra  to  regard  Rdma, 
since  R&ma  was  himself  an  incarnation  of  Vishnu,  as  also  was  Parasurdm. 
The  double  interpretation  was  probably  intended  by  the  poet. 

2  Every  Hindu  is  said  to  be  in  debt  by  nature  to  three  persons,  v/2.,  his 
father,  his  mother  and  his  guru.  The  two  first  debts  had  been  paid  by 
Parasurim  in  a  notable  fashion  ;  for  he  had  restored  his  mother  Henuk^ 
to  life  again  after  he  had  first  cut  oflE  her  head  in  obedience  to  his  father 
Jamad-agni's  order  ;  and  again  when  his  father  had  been  slain  by  Sahasra- 
bAhu,  he  avenged  him  by  the  slaughter  of  the  whole  Esbatriya  race.  It 
now  remained  for  him  to  satisfy  his  guru,  Mah&deva,  for  the  outrage  KAma 
bad  done  him  in  breaking  his  bow. 


CHILDHOOD.  171 

to  put  himself  on  an  equality  with  you  ?  When  a  child 
commits  any  naughtiness,  its  guru  and  father  and  mother 
are  in  raptures  at  it.  Have  pity  then  on  the  boy,  who  is 
really  one  of  your  clients ;  for  thus  it  becometh  a  saint,  so 
patient  and  wise  as  yOu  are."  On  hearing  Rama's  words 
he  cooled  down  a  little  but  again  Lakshman  said  some- 
thing with  a  smile,  and  seeing  him  smile  he  flushed  all 
over  with  rage, — "  Rdma,  your  brother  is  too  wicked  ; 
though  fair  in  outward  hue,  he  is  black  at  heart,  and  it  is 
not  mother's  milk  but  poison  that  his  lips  have  sucked. 
Perverse  by  nature,  he  neither  takes  after  you  nor  regards 
me." 

Doha  285.  3  fO 

Said   Lakshman   with   a   smile,—**  Hearken,    0    saint, 
passion  is  the  root  of  sin  ;  those  who  are  under  its  influence 
do  unseemly  things  and  set  themselves  against  every  one. 
Ghaupdi  282. 

lam  one  of  your  followers,  reverend  sir  ;  put  away  your 
wrath  and  show  mercy  upon  me.  Anger  will  not  mend  the 
broken  bow  ;  pray  sit  down,  you  must  be  tired  of  standing. 
If  you  were  so  very  fond  of  it,  devise  a  plan  for  getting  it 
mended  and  call  in  some  skilful  workman."  Janak  was 
frightened  atLakshman's  words,—*  Be  quiet ;  such  froward- 
ness  is  not  right.'  The  citizens  all  shook  and  trembled  : 
to  think  so  small  a  boy  could  be  so  naughty.  As  Bhrigupati 
heard  his  fearless  words  his  whole  body  was  on  fire  with 
rage,  and  he  became  quite  helpless,  and  in  a  tone  of  entreaty 
cried  to  Rdma, — *'  See  if  you  can  manage  this  little  brother 
of  yours ;  so  fair  without  and  foul  within  ;  he  resembles  a 
golden  jar  full  of  poison."  < 

Do}id2S(5.     Of  i 

At  this  Lakshman  smiled,  but  R^ma  gave  him  a  look  of 
reproof  and  submissively  approached  the  guru,  putting 
away  all  petulance  of  speech. 

Ghaupdi  283. 

Clasping  his  two  hands  together  and  speaking  in  most 


172  CHILDHOOD. 

modest,  gentle  and  placid  tones,  he  said,-^"  Hearken,  my 
lord,  you  were  born  a  sage  ;  pay  no  heed  then  to  the  words 
^  of  a  child.  Boys  are  like  gnats :  no  wise  man  will  ever 
trouble  himself  about  them.  Nor  is  it  he  who  has  done 
the  mischief  ;  I,  my  lord,  am  the  offendei:.  Be  pleased,  your 
reverence,  to  visit  everything  on  me,  your  servant,  whether 
it  be  favour  or  anger,  or  death  or  bonds.  Tell  me  quickly 
the  means,  0  king  of  saints,  by  which  your  passion  may  be 
assuaged."  Said  the  saint, — *'  0  Rdma,  how  can  my 
passion  be  assuaged  ?  Your  brother  has  to-day  set  me  at 
nought,  and  yet  I  have  not  struck  off  his  head  with  my  axe  : 
what  then  have  I  done  in  anger  ? 

Doha  287.   V^ 

When  they  heard  of  the  fierce  doings  of  my  axe,  the 
proudest  queens  were  seized  with  untimely  pains  of  labour; 
my  axe  is  still  here,  and  yet  I  see  this  princeling,  my 
enemy,  alive. 

Ghaupdi  284. 

My  hand  moves  not,  though  passion  consumes  my 
breast  my  regicide  axe  has  become  blunted.  Fate  is  against 
me ;  my  nature  is  changed:  for  when  was  I  ever  pitiful 
before  ?  To-day  by  heaven's  will  I  have  suffered  intolerable 
pain."  On  hearing  this,  the  son  of  Sumitri  smiled  and 
bowed  his  head, — "  Even  your  pity  is  like  a  blast  of  wind 
and  the  words  you  speak  would  strip  a  tree  of  its  blossoms. 
If  a  saint's  body  is  thus  parched  even  by  pity,  God  help 
him  when  he  is  angry."  "  See  now,  Janak,  keep  this 
"^  child  away  ;  he  is  bent  in  his  folly  on  visiting  the  realms 
of  death.  Why  do  you  not  at  once  take  him  out  of  my 
sight,  this  little  prince  ;  so  small  to  look  at  and  yet  so 
wicked  ?"  Lakshman  laughed  and  said  to  the  saint, — 
*  Shut  your  eyes  and  you  will  see  nothing.' 
Dohd  2SS.    ^'/"-^^ 

Then  said  parasurAm  in  tones  of  fury  to  Rima, — 
**  Wretch,  after  breaking  Siva's  bow  do  you  now  teach  roe  ? 


CHILDHOOD.  173 

Chaupdi  285. 
It  is  at  your  suggestion  your  brother  utters  these 
sarcasms,  and  your  humility  and  folded  hands  are  a 
mockery.  Give  me  my  satisfaction  in  combat,  or  forswear 
your  name  of  Rjima.  You  enemy  of  Siva,  have  done  with 
your  tricks  and  meet  me  in  battle,  or  I  will  slay  both  you 
and  your  brother  too."  Flushed  with  passion  he  raised 
his  axe  on  high,  but  Rdma  only  smiled  and  bowed, — 
"  Though  the  fault  is  Lakshman's  your  wrath  is  against  me  ; 
it  is  sometimes  a  great  mistake  to  be  good  and  upright  ; 
for  every  one  is  afraid  of  the  crooked,  in  the  same  way  as 
R^hu  does  not  attack  the  crescent  moon.  Cease,  0  great 
saint,  from  your  wrath."  Said  Rdma, — "Your  axe  is  in 
your  hand  and  my  head  is  in  front  of  you  ;  do  anything, 
sir,  that  will  tend  to  pacify  you,  for  I  am  your  servant. 

Dohd  2S9.  ^  (^ 
And  how  can  a  servant  fight  his  master  ?  0  holy   Brdh- 
man,  restrain  your  wrath  ;  whatever  the  boy  may  have  said, 
after  looking  at  your  dress,  he  meant  no  harm  by  it. 

Chaupdi  286. 
For  seeing  you  equipt  with  axe  and  bow  and  arrows,  the 
child  took  you  for  a  knight  and  challenged  you  ;  for  though 
he  knew  your  name,  he  did  not  recognize  your  person,  and 
answered  you  according  to  yowr  lineage.  If  you  had  come 
as  a  Religious,  he  would  have  put  the  dust  of  your  Holi- 
ness's  feet  upon  his  head.  Forgive  the  mistake  of  one  who 
did  not  know  you  ;  a  Brahman's  heart  should  be  all  mercy. 
What  equality,  my  lord,  can  there  be  between  you  and  me  ? 
We  are  as  far  apart  as  head  and  feet.  I  am  called  simply 
Rama.  You  have  the  long  name  of  *  R^ma  of  the  axe.'  I 
have  only  one  string  to  my  bow,  while  you  have  all  the 
holy  nine.^  In  every  way  I  am  your  inferior  :  as  a  Brdh- 
man,  pardon  my  offence." 

1  Gun,  which  is  the  name  for  a  bowstring,  means  also  virtue  ;  and  the 
cardinal  virtues  are  said  to  be  nine  in  number,  though  the  list  is  a 
variable  one. 


174  CHILDHOOD.     K   I  ^ 

Doha  290. 

Again  and  again  did  Rima  intreat  his  namesake, 
addressing  him  by  his  titles  of  *  Saint '  and  '  Holy  Brahman,' 
till  Bhrigupati  exclaimed  in  his  rage : — You  are  as  per- 
verse as  your  brother. 

Chaupdi  287. 

You  persist  in  taking  me  for  a  Brflhman  ;I  will  tell  you 
now  what  kind  of  a  Brdhman  I  am.  My  bow  is  my  sacrifi- 
cial ladle,  my  arrow  the  oblation,  and  my  wrath  the  blaz- 
ing fire  ;  armies  fully  equipt  with  horses  and  chariots  and 
elephants  and  footmen  are  the  fuel,  and  mighty  kings  are 
the  victims  for  oblation  whom  I  have  cut  in  pieces  with 
this  axe  ;  thus  have  I  celebrated  countless  sacrifices  of  war 
all  over  the  world.  To  you  my  glory  is  unknown,  and  you 
address  me  contemptuously,  taking  me  for  a  mere  Brahman. 
Now  that  you  have  broken  the  bow,  your  pride  has  increas- 
ed enormously,  and  you  put  yourself  forward  in  your 
arrogance  as  universal  conqueror,"  Said  R^ma  : — "  0  saint, 
think  before  you  speak ;  your  anger  is  excessive  ;  my 
fault  is  a  trifling  one.  The  old  bow  broke  at  a  touch. 
What  reason  have  I  to  be  proud  ?  ^  i 
Dohd  291.  i  1  P 
Hear  the  truth,  0  Bhrigunith  ;  you  say  I  set  you  at 
nought  when  I  treat  you  with  the  respect  due  to  a  Brah- 
man ;  but  is  there  any  warrior  to  whom  I   would   bow    my 

head  in  fear  ? 

Chaupdi  288. 

Any  god,  demon,  king  or  warrior,  whether  my  equal  in 

strength  or  my  superior,  who  will  challenge  me  to  combat, 

him  would  I  gladly  meet,  or  even  Death  himself.     For  one 

who  is  born  of  warrior  caste  and  yet  shirks  the   battle  is  a 

disgrace  to  his  lineatjo  and  a  contemptible  wretch.     I  state 

what  is  only  a  characteristic  of  my   race  and  make  no  idle 

boast ;  there  is  not  a  descendant  of  Raghu  who  would  fear 

to  meet  in  battle  even  Death  himself  ;   but  so  great  is    the 

power  of  Br^hmauical  descent  that  he  fears  you,  ^o  fears 


CHILDHOOD.  175 

nought  else."  On  hearing  this  calm  and  profound  speech 
of  Rima's,  the  eyes  of  the  soul  of  the  axe-bearer  were 
opened  : — '*  0  Rdma,  take  and  draw  this  bow  of  Vishnu's 
and  let  my  doubts  be  ended."  As  he  gave  it,  the  bow 
strung  itself  of  its  own  accord  ;  then  was  Parasurdm  amaz- 
ed at  heart.  '  ^  - 
D6hd  292.  y  /  7 

He  acknowledged  the  power  of  Rama  ;  his  whole  frame 
quivered  with   excitement  ;   and  his   heart   bursting    with 
love,  he  thus  spake  with  clasped  hands  :  — 
Chaupdi  289. 

"  Glory  to  the  Sun  of  the  lotus  race  of  Raghu,  to  the 
fire  that  consumes  the  serried  ranks  of  the  demons  ;  glory 
to  the  friend  of  gods,  Brdhmans  and  kine  ;  glory  to  the 
dispeller  of  the  delusions  induced  by  pride,  ignorance  and 
passion  ;  glory  to  him  whose  piety,  amiability,  and  com- 
passion are  fathomless  as  ocean ;  glory  to  him  who  is 
unrivalled  in  the  art  of  speech,  the  rewarder  of  service,  the 
all-beautiful  of  form,  more  gracious  of  person  than  a 
myriad  Loves.  How  can  I  with  one  tongue  declare  his 
praise,  who  is  as  it  were  the  divine  swan  in  the  hyperboreal 
lake  of  Mahddeva's  soul  ?  In  my  ignorance  I  have  said 
much  that  was  unseemly  ;  but  pardon  me,  yet  twin  brothers, 
mercy's  shrine."  Still  repeating  as  he  went : — '  Glory, 
glory,  glory,  to  the  mighty  R^ma,'  Bhrigupati  withdrew  to 
the  forest  to  practise  penance.  The  wicked  kings  were  self- 
dismayed  and  trembled,  and  fled — the  cowards — in  all 
directions,  without  a  word.  j     .^ 

Dohd  293.  ^  '  V 

The  gods  sounded  their  kettledrums  and  rained  down 
flowers  on  the  Lord  ;  and  all  the  people  of  the  city  rejoiced, 
now  that  the  thorn  of  fear  and  error  had  been  extracted 
from  their  heart. 

Chaupdi  290. 

There  was  a  tumultuous  clash  of  instruments  of  music 
and  a  display  of  all  things  pleasant  and  auspicious.  Troops 
of  fair  faced,  bright-eyed  maidens  joined  in  song  with  voices 


176 


CHILDHOOD. 


of  exquisite  melody.  Janak's  delight  was  beyond  description, 

as  that  of  a  born  beggar  who  has  found  a  treasure  :  and  Slta 

relieved  of  her  fears,  was  as  glad  as  a  young  partridge  at  the 

rising  of  the  moon.    The  king  made  obeisance  before  Visva- 

mitra,  saying  :— "  It  is  by  my  lord's  favour   that  R^ma  has 

broken  the  bow.     These  two  brothers  have  gained   me  my 

purpose  ;  tell  me  now,  reverend  sir,  what  is  becomes  me  to 

do."     Said  the  saint :— "  Hearken,  wise  king  ;  the  marriage 

was  dependent  on  the  bow,  and  took  effect  directly  the  bow 

broke  ;  this  is  well  known  to  every  one,  whether  god,  man 

orNiiga.  o   /3v 

.      Dohd2M.      on 

Still,  go  and  perform  according  to  family  usage  what- 
ever practices  are  prescribed  in  the  Veda,  after  consultation 
with  the  Brdhmans  and  elders  and  your  own  guru  ; 

Chaupdi  291. 
and  despatch  a  herald  to  Avadh  to  invite  king  Dasarath" 
Vjuo-^The  pria^e^  responded  gladly  : — "  Tis  well,  gracious  sir," 
and  sent  a  messenger  to  Avadh  that  very  moment.  Then 
he  summoned  all  the  burghers,  who  came  every  one  of  them, 
and  humbly  bowing  before  him  received  the  order  :  — 
"  Decorate  all  the  markets  and  streets  and  temples  and 
shrines  in  all  four  quarters  of  the  city."  They  returned 
in  joy,  each  to  his  own  house.  Then  he  called  up  his  own 
servants  and  instructed  them  :  — "  Have  all  kinds  of  pavi- 
lions made  and  erected."  They  obeyed  in  all  gladness  and 
sent  word  to  the  different  artificers  who  were  skilful  in  the 
construction  of  canopies  and  triumphal  arches  ;  and  they, 
after  invoking  Brdhma,  set  to  work  and  made  pillars  of 
gold  in  the  shape  of  plantain  trees,  .j-ys 
Dohd  295.  -^^ 
with  leaves  and  fruit  of  emeralds  and  ruby  flowers  ;  such  a  ;* 
gorgeous  show  that  the  Creator  was  quite  disconcerted  at  I 
the  sight. 

Chaupdi  292.  ^ 

The  rods  all  encrusted  with  emeralds,  and  so  like  in  form  ^i 


CHILDHOOD.  177 

and  colour,!  that  no  one  could  tell  them  from  real,  with 
betel  leaves  fashioned  in  gold  so  bright  and  glisten- 
ing that  no  one  could  look  at  them.  Then  they  worked  up 
the  leaves  into  wreaths,  with  strings  of  beautiful  perals 
inserted  here  and  there,  and  after  much  cutting  and  grav- 
ing and  in  laying  made  lotuses  of  mosaic  with  rubies, 
emeralds,  diamonds  and  turquoises.  Bees,  too,  they  made 
and  birds  of  varied  plumage,  which  buzzed  and  whistled 
in  the  rustling  breeze;  and  on  the  pillars  they  sculptured 
figures  of  the  gods  all  standing  erect  with  things  of  good 
omen  in  their  hands.  Squares  were  drawn  on  the  ground 
and  filled  in  with  diverse  devices  made  of  elephant  pearls^ 
of  exquisite  beauty.  '3-Y  / 

Dohd  296.        ^  •^'^ 

There   were   also   made   most  lovely   mango-boughs  of 
graven  sapphires  with   blossoms  of  gold,   while  clusters   of 
emerald  fruit  glistened  on  silken  cords. 
Chaupdi  293. 

Next  they  made  charming  festoons  as  it  were  Love's 
own  nooses  and  many  golden  vases  with  silken  flags  and 
banners  and  waving  chauris  and  elegant  lamps  all  studded 
with  gems.  It  is  impossible  to  describe  the  various  pavi- 
lions and  in  particular  the  one  intended  for  the  royal  bride  ; 
what  poet  would  have  the  hardihood  to  attempt  its  descrip- 
tion ?  while  the  canopy  for  Rama,  the  bridegroom,  the 
centre  of  all  beauty  and  perfection,  flashed  its  radiance 
through  all  three  worlds.  In  every  house  throughout  the 
city  there  was  the  same  splendour  as  in  Janak's  palace ; 
any  one  who  then  saw  Tirhut  there  was  nothing  in  the 
fourteen  spheres^  to  compare   with  it,  and    the    prosperous 


1  Another  reading,  instead  of  sa-ras,  saharna,  is  sural  sa-parva,  'straight 
and  knotted.' 

2  F'tr  sindfmr,  'an  elephant.'  another  reading  is  dndw,  '  vermilion,'  but 
this  canni)t  oe  corrct,  sinoe  the  chauks  or  squares,  to  which  reference  is 
here  made,  are  always  marised  out  witti  some  whit-i  material,  ordinarily 
flour,  though  in  a  king's  palace  strings  of  pearls  might  be  substituted. 

3  The  fourteen  spheres  are  as  follows,  viz,  first,  seven  above  the  earth— 
Bhur-lok,  Bhuvar-lok,  Swar-lok,  Mahar-lok,  Jan-lok  Tap-lok.  and  Satya-lok  ; 
and  seven  beneath  the  earth  -Atal,  Bital,  Sutal,  Rasdtal,  Mahdtal,  Taldtal, 
and  Fital. 

R-26 


1 


178  CHILDHOOD. 

appearance  of   the   very   meanest   house   was  enough    to 
fascinate  even  the  king  of  heaven. 

Doha  2d7.    S'X^ 

For  the  magnificence  of  the  city  wherein  dwelt  the  god- 
dess Lakshmi,  in  disguise  as  a  woman,  was  more  than  even 
S^rad^  or  Seshndg  could  tell. 

Chaupdi  294. 

When  the  heralds  arrived  at  Rama's  sacred  birthplace, 
they  rejoiced  to  see  the  beauty  of  the  city.  At  the  royal 
gate  they  sent  in  word,  and  King  Dasarath  at  once  sum- 
moned them  to  his  presence.  With  a  profound  salutation 
they  delivered  the  letter,  and  the  king  in  his  joy  rose  to 
receive  it.  As  he  read  it  his  eyes  filled  with  tears,  his 
body  quivered  all  over,  and  his  heart  seemed  bursting. 
With  R^ma  and  Lakshman  in  his  soul  and  their  dear 
letter  in  his  hand,  he  could  not  utter  a  word  either  good 
or  bad.  At  last,  taking  courage,  he  read  the  letter,  and 
all  the  court  rejoiced  to  hear  the  certain  news.  Now  Bharat 
was  playing  about,  and  on  hearing  the  tidings  he,  nay, 
the  two  brothers,  came  and  with  the  utmost  modesty  and 
affection  asked  : — "  Father,  where  has  the  letter  come  from. 
Dohd  298.  5  7  - 

Is  all  well  with  my  two  dear  brothers  ?  Tell  me  what 
country  they  are  in."  On  hearing  these  loving  words  the 
king  again  read  the  letter. 

Ghaupdi  295. 

On  hearing  it  the  two  brothers  trembled  all  over  with 
irrepressible  joy,  and  the  whole  court  was  charmed  to 
see  Bharat's  ^holy  devotion.  Then  the  king  seated  the 
messengers  close  by  him  and  said  in  sweet  and  winning 
tones  : — **  Tell  me,  friend,  are  the  two  boys  well  ?  Have 
you  really  seen  them  with  your  own  eyes  ? "  ''  One  is 
dark,  the  other  fair  ;  both  are  equipt  with  bow  and  quiver, 
and  are  of  tender  age,  and  with  them  is  Saint  Visvamitra." 
Said  the  king  again  and  again  in  his  overpowering  love  :  — 
You   know  them,  it  is  clear  ;  tell  me  now   of   their  state  ; 


CHILDHOOD.  179 

for   from  the   day  that  the  saint  took  them  away  till  now  I       ^ 
have   had    no   definite  news  of  them.     Tell  me  how  Janak 
knew    them."      At   these    fond    words     the    messengers 
smiled  :—  ^aj  fuf- 

Dohd  299.     ^^ 

"  Hearken,    0   jewel   and  crown  of  kings  ;  there  is  no 
man  so  blest  as  you,  who  have  for  sons  Rdma   and   Laksh- 
man,  who  are  the  glory  of  the  whole  world. 
Chaupdi  296. 

There  is  no  need  to  ask  your  sons  who  they  are  ;  lion- 
hearted  heroes  who  irradiate  the  three  spheres.  Before 
their  glory  and  renown  the  moon  is  dim  and  the  sun  is 
cold.  Why  say,  my  lord,  how  they  were  recognized  ? 
Does  one  take  a  lamp  in  his  hand  in  order  to  see  the  sun  ? 
The  countless  kings  at  Sita's  marriage,  great  warriors  as 
they  were,  all  shrunk  away  one  after  the  other  ;  for  not 
one  of  them  could  stir  Sambhu's  bow,  but  all  failed,  those 
mighty  princes.  The  power  of  the  haughtiest  champions 
in  the  three  worlds  was  crushed  by  it.  Though  Ban^sur  / 
could  uproot  Mount  Meru,  even  he  confessed  himself 
beaten,  and  retired  after  pacing  around  it  ;  and  he  who  in 
sport  uplifted  KaiUs  (i.  e.,  Ravan)  was  worsted  in  this 
assembly.  ^  ^    .  _ 

Dohd  SOO.  -^ '"^ 

Then  R^ma,   the  jewel  of  Raghu's   line  (hearken,  0 
sovereign  lord),  snapped  the  bow  with  as  little  effort  as  an 
elephant  would  put  forth  in  breaking  the  stalk  of  a  lotus. 
Chaupdi  297. 

At  these  tidings  Parasuram  came  in  a  fury,  and  after 
much  brow-beating  gave  Rdma  his  own  bow  to  test  his 
strength,  then  suppliantly  withdrew  to  the  woods.  Nor  is 
RAma  more  conspicuous  in  his  unequalled  might  than  is  the 
all-glorious  Lakshman,  at  sight  of  whom  the  kings  tremble, 
as  an  elephant  before  a  young  lion.  No  one  who  sees  your 
two  sons,  sir,  can  regard  anything  else  on  earth."  At  this 
eloquent  and  affectionate  speech  of  the  heralds,  so  loving, 


180  CHILDHOOD. 

grand  and  heroic,  the  king  and  his  court  were  much  moved, 

and  began  to  offer  them  lavish  gifts  ;    but  they  closed  their 

ears,  crying, — "  Not   so,  not  so  ;  "  and  all  were  charmed  to 

see  their  integrity.  *2  n  L 

Do?irf  301.    ^^^ 

Then   the    king   rose   and    went   and  gave  the  letter  to 
Vasishta,   and   after   relating   all  the  circumstances  to  the 
guru  sent  courteously  for  the  envoys. 
Chaupdi  298. 

After  hearing  them  the  saint  was  highly  pleased  and 
said  :— "  To  a  good  man  the  world  is  full  of  happiness.  As 
rivers  run  into  the  sea,  though  it  has  no  greed  for  them,  so 
joy  and  prosperity  come  unasked  and  of  their  own  accord 
to  a  virtuous  soul.  Strict  in  the  performance  of  your  duties 
to  your  guru  and  to  Br^hmans  and  kine  and  gods,  and  your 
queen  Kausalyd  no  less  devout  than  yourself  ;  you  have  no 
equals  for  piety  in  the  whole  world,  either  now  or  in  the 
past,  nor  hereafter  shall  have.  Who,  0  king,  can  be  more 
blest  than  you,  who  have  a  son  like  R^raa  ;  nay,  four  heroic 
sons,  all  equally  obedient,  religious  and  amiable.  Happy, 
indeed,  are  you  for  all  time.  Prepare  the  marriage  proces- 
sion to  sound  of  music.  ?  T,'/ 

Dohd  302.     ^    / 

Go  quickly."  On  hearing  the  saint's  commands  the 
king  bowed  in  assent,  and  hastened  to  the  palace,  after 
assigning  quarters  to  the  heralds. 

Chaupdi  299. 

Then  he  called  all  the  ladies  of  the  seraglio  and  read 
^  aloud  to  them  Janak's  letter— all  rejoiced  greatly  at  the 
news.  He  then  told  them  all  the  verbal  message  ;  and  both 
himself  and  the  queens  were  as  enraptured  with  delight  as  a 
peacock  at  the  sound  of  approaching:  rain.  The  guru's  wives 
in  their  joy  invoked  the  blessings  of  heaven,  and  the  queen- 
mother  was  completely  overwhelmed  with  ecstasy.  They 
t  ake  the  dear  letter  from  one  another,  and  press  it  to  their 
bosom  to  cool  as  it  were  their  burning  heart.     Again  and 


CHILDHOOD.  181 

again  ere  he  turned  to  the  door,  the  king  repeated  the  glory 
and  the  exploits  both  of  Rdma  and  Lakshman,  adding, — 
"  It  is  all  by  the  saint's  good  favour."  Then  the  ladies 
sent  for  the  Brdhmans  and  joyfully  made  them  offerings, 
for  which  the  holy  men  returned  their  blessings. 
Soratha  28.       "^^  2  /" 

Next  they  called  together  the  beggars  and  lavished  every 
kind  of  gift  upon  them  :— "  May  the  four  sons  of  the  Em- 
peror Dasarath  live  for  ever  :" 

Ghaupdi   300- 

Thus  they  shouted  as  they  left,  attired  in  raiment  of 
many  colours.  There  was  a  jubilant  clamour  of  music  and 
in  every  house,  as  the  news  spread  among  the  people, 
there  were  joyous  congratulations.  The  fourteen  spheres 
were  fulfilled  with  delight  at  the  marriage  of  Raghubfr 
with  the  daughter  of  Janak.  When  they  heard  the  glad 
tidings,  the  citizens  were  enraptured  and  began  decorating 
the  roads  and  houses  and  streets  ;  for  although  Avadh  in 
itself  was  a  charming  place,  and  clean  and  pure  as  being 
RAma's  home,  yet  as  the  natural  outcome  of  its  love  it 
garnished  and  adorned  itself  still  more  with  festal  decora- 
tions. Silken  flags  and  banners  and  graceful  chauria 
crested  the  gay  bazar  ;  and  at  every  turn  were  golden  jars 
and  festoons  of  netted  pearls  and  heaps  of  turmeric,  dij(>h 
grass,  curds,  rice,  and  garlands  of  flowers. 
Dohd  303.r  S'  ^^ 

Every  one  decorated  his  house  ;  the  streets  were  duly 
watered,  and  every  square  was  filled  in  with  some  tasteful 
design. 

Ghaupdi  301. 

Troops  of  girls  assembled  at  different  places,  who  had 
practised  all  the  sixteen  kinds  of  female  adornment,^  brilliant 

1  The  sixteen  sringar,   or  modes   of   female  adornment,   are   specified  in 
the  following  rhymes  : — 

Hrathama  ana:-snchi  ek  bidhi  -  Majjan  dutiva  bakhani, 
Amal  basan  uanirau  tritiya  -Yh  ak  chari  sujdni. 
Panchama  kes-sanvAriyo  — Shashtahin  mdng-sindtr. 


1 


182  CHILDHOOD. 

as  the  lightning,  with  moon-like  face  and  fawn-like  eyes, 
and  beauty  enough  to  rob  even  Love  of  his  pride  ;  singing 
auspicious  strains  with  voice  so  melodious  that  the  cuckoo 
was  put  to  shame  on  hearing  the  sweet  sound.  How  is  the 
king's  palace  to  be  described  ?  The  pavilion  they  set  up 
would  dazzle  the  world.  Everything  beautiful  and  of  fair 
omen  was  displayed,  and  every  kind  of  music  was  heard. 
Here  were  rhapsodists  chanting  songs  of  praise  ;  liere  were 
Brdhmans  muttering  Vedic  spells ;  while  lovely  women 
carolled  joyous  songs,  ever  dwelling  on  the  names  of  R^ma 
and  Sita.  The  joy  was  so  great  that  the  palace  was  too 
small  for  it,  and  it  overflowed  on  all  four  sides. 

Dohd  304.    5  ^ 

What  poet  can  describe  in  full  the  magnificence  of  the 
palace  of  Dasarath,  in  which  Rtlma,  the  glory  of  highest 
heaven,  had  taken  birth  ? 

Ghaupdi  302. 

The  king  next  called  Bharat :— "  Go  and  prepare  horses 
and  elephants  and  chariots  and  start  at  once  for  Raghubir's 
marriage  procession."  When  they  heard  this  order,  both 
brothers  were  full  of  excitoment.  Bharat  sent  for  all  the 
chief  officers  and  issued  his  commands,  and  they  rose  in 
joy  and  haste  to  perform  them.  First  they  made  gorgeous 
trappings  for  the  horses.  Of  different  colours  were  the 
gallant  steeds,  but  all  well-proportioned  and  mettlesome, 
touching  the  ground  with  their  feet  as  lightly  as  though 
it  were  red-hot  iron.  I  cannot  tell  all  the  various  breeds  ; 
they  would  race  the  wind  and  outstrip  it.  The  princes 
who  mounted  them  were  all  like  Bharat,  graceful,  and  gor- 
geously attired,  with  bow  and  arrows  in  hand  and  well- 
filled  quiver  at  their  side. 


BhAl-khauri  saptama  kahat— Ashtam  chibiik  til  pur. 
Mehndi  kar  pad  rachan  nava—  Dasma  argaja  ang. 
Gjdrah  bhiikhan  nag-jatit— B6rah  pushp  prasang. 
Bdsrdg  mukh  terahi— Chaudah  rangiyo  dint. 
Adhar-rig  gani  panchadasa— Eajjal  shodas  bh&nt. 


CHILDHOOD.  183 

Doha  305.      ^  -^  ^ 
Slim,  elegant  and  lithesome  youths,  bat  expert  warriors 
all  ;   and   with  each  knight  were  two  footmen  well  skilled 
in  sword-play. 

Chaupdi  303. 

Full  of  high  resolve,  the  warriors  staunch  in  fight  sal- 
lied forth  and  halted  outside  the  city,  putting  their  well- 
trained  steeds  through  all  their  paces  and  rejoicing  in  the 
clash  of  tabor  and  drum.  The  charioteers  had  made  their 
cars  equally  gorgeous  with  flags  and  banners  and  jewelled 
adornments,  with  elegant  chauris  and  tinkling  bells,  so  as 
to  outdo  in  splendour  the  chariot  of  the  Sun.  Innumer- 
able were  the  black-eared  horses, ^  which  the  grooms  yoked 
to  these  chariots,  and  all  were  so  beautiful  and  richly  capa- 
risoned that  even  a  saint  would  be  enraptured  at  the  sight  ; 
skimming  the  surface  of  the  water  like  dry  lapd,  nor 
sinking  even  hoof-deep,  so  marvellous  their  speed.  After 
completing  their  equipment  of  armour  and  weapons,  the 
charioteers  gave  word  to  their  masters, 

Dohd  306.  3  V  >- 

who  all  mounted  in  turn,  and  the  procession  began  to  form 
outside  the  city  ;  all,   whatever    the  object  on    which  they 
were  bent,  were  met  by  auspicious  omens. 
Chaupdi  304. 

On  the  magnificent  elephants  were  splendid  canopies, 
wrought  in  a  manner  beyond  all  description.  As  the  mighty 
elephants  moved,  the  bells  clanged  like  the  thunder  from 
the  clouds  in  the  grateful  month  of  S^wan.  And  other 
vehicles  were  there  of  many  kinds  ;  elegant  pdlkis  and 
sedans  and  coaches,  wherein  were  seated  companies  of 
noble  Brdhmans,  incarnations  as  it  were  of  all  the  hymns  of 
the  Veda.  The  genealogists  and  bards  and  minstrels  and 
rhapsodists  were  mounted  on  other  cars  according  to  their 
rank  ;  while  mules  and  camels  and  oxen  of  every  breed 
were  laden  with  all  sorts  of  baggage  ;  there  were 
I   A  horse  to  be  fit  for  sacrifice  must  have  black  ears. 


184  CHILDHOOD. 

also  millions  of  porters  with  burdens  slung  across  their 
shoulders  ;  but  who  could  enumerate  such  an  endless 
list  of  things  and  the  crowd  of  servants,  each  with  his  own 
set  of  appliances  ? 

Doha  307.     ?3  3 
All  were  glad  and  fearless    of  heart,    and  were   quiver- 
ing with  excitement  in  every  limb,  saying  :— "  When  shall 
we  feast  our  eyps  with  the   sight  of   the  two  heroes,    Rima 

and  Lakshman  ?" 

Chaup'i  305. 

The  elephants'  bells  clanged  with  a  fearful  din  :  on  all 
sides  there  was  a  creaking  of  wheels  and  a  neighing  of 
horses  ;  the  drums  would  drown  a  tempest's  roar,  and  no 
one  could  hear  himself  speak  or  any  one  else.  At  the 
king's  gate  was  such  an  enormous  crowd  that  the  stone 
pavement  was  all  trodden  into  dust.  Women  mounted  on 
the  upper  story  viewed  the  sight,  with  festal  torches  and 
salvers  in  their  hands,  and  carolled  melodious  songs  in  an 
ecstasy  of  joy  beyond  description.  Then  Sumanta  made 
ready  two  chariots  and  yoked  them  with  steeds  that  would 
outrun  the  horses  of  the  Sun,  and  brought  them  in  all  their 
beauty  before  the  king— not  S^radA  herself  could  do  them 
justice— the  one  was  for  the  royal  retinue,  but  the  other 
was  still  more  splendid.  iX  U 

Doha  308.   -'  ^ 

This  the  king  first  caused  Vasishta  to  mount,  and  then 
himself  ascended,  with  his  thoughts  fixed  upon  Hara,  his 
guru,  Gauri,  and  Ganes. 

Chaupdi  306. 

By  Vasishta's  side  the  king  shone  forth  as  Purandara 
beside  Vrihaspati.  After  perfurming  every  ceremony  pre- 
scribed either  by  family  usage  or  the  Veda,  and  inspecting 
whatever  had  been  done,  he  sallied  forth  to  the  blast  of 
the  conch  shell,  after  obtaining  the  permission  of  hi«  guru, 
and  with  his  thoughts  fixed  on  Rma.  The  beneficent 
gods  rejoiced  to  see  the  procession  and  rained  down  flowers. 


CHILDHOOD.  185 

There  was  a   confused  uproar,    horses  neighing,   elephants 
trumpeting,  and  drums  beating,  both  in  the  sky  and  on  the 
line  of  march.     Women  and  goddesses  alike    broke  out  in  J" 
songs  of  joy,  while  tuneful  clarions  played  in  sweet  accord. 

There  was  an  indescribable  clamour  of  bells,  both  great 
and   small.     The  foot   soldiers   leaped    and    danced    as   if 
challenging    attack  ;    the   jesters    practised    all    kinds    of 
buffoonery,  provoking  laughter  with  facetious  songs. 
Dohd^OQ.    ^^..r 

Gallant  youths  make  their  steeds  curvet  to  the    measur- 
ed beat  of  tabors  and    kettledrums  ;  accomplished    dancers 
note  with  surprise  that  they  never  make  a  step  out  of  time. 
Chaupdi  307. 

But  it  is  useless  attempting  to  describe  the  procession. 
Every  omen  that  occurred  was  fair  and  auspicious.  On 
the  left  side  a  blue-necked  jay  was  picking  up  food  as  if  to 
announce  the  very  highest  good  fortune  ;  on  a  fair  field  on 
the  right  were  a  crow  and  a  manglis  in  the  sight  of  all ; 
a  grateful  breeze  breathed  soft  and  cool  and  fragrant  ;  a 
«■  woman  was  seen  with  a  pitcher  and  child  ;  a  fox  showed 
himself  winding  about  ;  and  in  front  a  cow  was  suckling 
its  calf ;  a  herd  of  deer  came  out  on  the  right,  an  indication 
of  everything  good  ;  a  Brdhmani-kite  pronnsed  all  success  : 
also  a  sydma  bird  perched  on  a  tree  to  the  left  ;  a  man  was 
met  bearing  curds  and  fish  ;  and  two  learned  Brdhmans 
with  books  in  their  hands. 

Dohd   310.     i  ^^ 

Every  good  and  auspicious  omen,  and  every  bestower  of 

desired  reward,  seemed  all  to  have  met  at  once  as  if  to  verify 

themselves. 

Chaupdi  308. 

Every  good  and  auspicious  omen  was  ready  at  hand  for 
him  whose  glorious  son  was  the  incarnate  God,  a  bride- 
groom like  Rdma,  matched  with  such  a  bride  as  Sita,  and 
with  the  pious  Dasarath  and  Janak  for  the  two  parents. 
When  they  heard  of   the   marriage,    all    the    good    omens 

R— 27 


136  CHILDHOOD. 

began   to   dance   and  say  :-'*  Now  at  last  the  Creator  has 
really  made  us  to  be   what   our   name    denotes."     In    this 
manner  the  procession  set  forth,  with  noise  of   horses   and 
elephants  and  beat   of   drums.     When   Janak,    the   glory 
of  the  Solar  race,  heard  of    its    approach,    he   had    all   the 
rivers  bridged,   and   at   different   stages   had   convenient 
rest-houses   erected,   which    vied   in   splendour  with    the 
city  of   heaven   and    were   supplied    everything   that   one 
could    desire -beds,    food    and    linen.      Ever    discovering 
some  new  charm,  all  the  travellers  forgot  their  own  home. 
DohdSn.  '3  5'^ 
When  it  was  known  that  the   procession   was   close   at 
^    hand,  and  the  beating  of  the  drums  was  heard,    a    deputa- 
^  tion  went  out  to  meet  it,  with  elephants  and   chariots   and 

foot  and  horse. 

Chaupdi  309. 
Beautiful  golden  vases  and  trays  and  salvers  and  costly 
dishes!  of  every  "kind,  laden  with  cakes  as  sweet  as    nectar 
and  of  indescribable  variety,  with  much  luscious  fruit  and, 
in  short,  everyihing.of  the  best,  did  the  king  in    his   glad- 
ness send  as    an    offering.     Ornaments,    wearing  apparel, 
jewels  of  all  kinds,  birds,  deer,  horses,  elephants,  carriages 
of  every    description,    well-omened    spices,    delicious    per- 
fumes, these,  too,    did    the    king  send,   and   there   was   a 
train   of   porters   with    their    baskets    full   of   curds   and 
"     parched  rice  and  other  light  entremets.    When  the  deputa- 
tion saw  the  wedding  guests,  their  soul  was  full  of  rapture 
and    their    body   quivered    with    excitement ;    while   the 
guests  were  no  less   charmed   by   the   preparations   made 
for  their  reception  and  beat  their  drums. 
Dohd  312.  2'^ 
For  a  little  they  joined  their  ranks  and  marched  in  their 
joy  as  one  body  for  the  sake   of   company  ;  like  two  oceans 
of  bliss  that  had  burst  their  bounds  and  come  together. 

1  For  hhajan,  '  dislics,'  some   copies   read  hhojan,  '  food,'  but  incorrectly, 
as  the  context  shows. 


CHILDHOOD.  187 

Ghaupdi  310. 
The  nymphs  of  heaven  rained  down  flowers  and  sang, 
the  glad  gods  beat  their  drams.  The  offerings  were  all 
set  out  before  the  king,  with  a  humble  and  affectionate 
address.  The  king  graciously  accepted  them  and  bestowed 
them  in  charity  on  the  poor.  Then  with  religious  honours 
and  hymns  of  praise  they  conducted  him  to  the  guest- 
chambers.  The  cloths  spread  as  carpets  for  King  Dasarath 
to  tread  upon  were  so  gorgeous  tliat  the  god  of  wealth  on 
seeing  them  could  boast  no  longer.  The  gods  rained  down 
flowers  and  shouted  Victory,  Victory.  The  apartments 
assigned  were  most  beautiful  and  supplied  with  every  kind 
of  comfort.  When  Sita  knew  that  the  procession  had 
arrived  in  the  city,  she  manifested  her  greatness  to  a  slight 
extent,  and  with  thoughtful  heart  called  up  the  eight 
Siddhis,  or  wonder-working  spirits,  and  sent  them  to 
arrange  for  the  king's  reception. 

Doha  SIS.    T^"^^ 

Obedient  to  her  command,  they  repaired   to    the   recep- 
tionhall,  taking  with  them  every  kind  of  luxury    and    com- 
fort and  all  the  joys  and  delights  of  heaven. 
Ghaupdi  311. 

Each  guest  on  going  to  see  his  apartment  found  it  a 
veritable  paradise ;  no,  one,  however,  had  an  inkling  of  the 
mysterious  power  that  had  been  exerted,  but  took  it  all  as 
Janak's  doing.  Rdma  alone  recognized  the  influence  of 
8{ta  and  rejoiced  at  this  proof  of  her  love.  When  the  two 
brothers  heard  of  their  father's  arrival  they  could  not  con- 
tain themselves  for  joy,  but  were  too  modest  to  speak  to 
their  guru,  though  they  longed  greatly  to  see  their  sire 
again  Visvamitra  perceived  their  humility,  which  filled 
his  soul  with  contentment,  and  took  the  two  brothers  to 
his  bosom  with  quivering  body  and  eyes  bedewed  with 
tears.  They  went  then  to  Dasarath's  mansion,  like  thirst- 
ing travellers  who  have  spied  a  pool. 


188  CHILDHOOD. 

Doha  314.     ' 
When  the  king  saw  the  saint  coming  with  the  two  boys, 
he  rose  in  joy  and  advanced  to  meet  them,  like   one   who 
feels  his  footing  in  a  deep  flood  of  bliss. 
Ghaupdi  312. 
He  prostrated  himself  before  the  saint,  again  and  again 
sprinkling  on  his  head   the  dust  of  his  feet.     Visvamitra 
took  him  to  his  bosom  and  blessed  him  and  enquired  after 
his  welfare.     Then  the  two  brothers  prostrated  themselves. 
The  king  on  seeing  them  could  not  contain  himself  for  joy, 
but   took   his   boys   to  his  heart,  and  forgetting  the  intoler- 
able pain   of  the  past  seemed  like  a  dead  man  restored  to 
life.     Then  they   bowed  their  head  at  Vasistha's  feet,   who 
also  embraced   them   most  affectionately ;  and  in  turn  they 
saluted  all  the  Brahmans  and  received  their  welcome  bless- 
ings.    They  greeted   Bharat   too  and  his  younger  brother 
1      Satrughna,  who  at  once  raised  up  R^ma  and  embraced  him, 
^    and  no  less  rejoiced  to  see  Lakshman  again.     Thus  they  all 
met  together  with  a  display  of  the  utmost  affection. 

Dohd  sio.  ^m 

The  all-merciful  and  gracious  lord  had  an  appropriate 
greeting  for  all,  whether  citizens,  or  attendants,  or  kinsmen, 
beggars,  or  ministers,  or  friends. 

Chaupdi  313. 

At  the  sight  of  RAma  the  wedding  guests  were  repaid 
for  their  toilsome  journey,  and  their  demonstrations  of  love 
were  beyond  all  telling  Beside  their  royal  father  the  four 
boys  seemed  as  incarnations  of  the  four  great  ends  of  life. 
All  the  people  of  the  city  were  delighted  beyond  measure 
at  the  sight  of  Dasarath  and  his  sons  ;  the  gods  rained  down 
flowers  and  beat  their  drums  ;  the  nymphs  of  heaven  danced 
and  sang.  Satinand  with  the  Brahmans  and  ministois  -f 
state  and  the  rhapsodists  and  bards  and  players  and  minst- 
rels, who  had  come  in  deputation,  after  duly  reverencing  the 
king  and  the  marriage  guests,  received  permission  to  return. 


CHILDHOOD.  189 

The  whole  city  was  exceedingly  delighted  that  the  proces- 
sion had  come  before  the  day  fixed  for  the  wedding,  and 
were  supremely  happy,  praying  God  to  lengthen  the  days 
and  nights  :  — 

Doh    316.    J^>^ 
"  R^ma  and  Sita  are   the   perfection  of  beauty,  and  the 
two  kings  the  perfection  of  virtue  :"  thus  would  say  all  the 
people  of  the  city  whenever  they  happened  to  meet  :  - 

Chaupdi  314. 
"  Sita  is  the  incarnation  of  Janak's  merit  and  Rdma  of 
Dasarath's  :  no  one  has  equalled  them  in  devotion  to  Sita, 
nor  has  any  one  obtained  such  a  reward  as  they  have.  And 
all  we  must  be  everything  that  is  good,  seeing  that  we 
have  been  born  into  the  world  as  Janak's  citizens  and  have 
beheld  the  beauty  of  Jd-naki  and  Rd.ma  ;  who  is  so  super- 
latively blest  as  we  are  ?  and  we  have  yet  to  see  Rd-ma's 
wedding,  of  all  sights  the  best  worth  seeing."  So,  too, 
sweet-voiced  maidens  whispered  to  one  another  : — "  This 
marriafje,  my  dear,  will  be  a  great  treat.  God  has  brought 
about  an  event  of  signal  felicity  in  lodging  those  two  bro- 
thers in  the  guest-chambers    of  our  eyes. 

Dohdsn.    ::%?. 

Many  and  many  a  time  will  Janak  lovingly  send  for 
Sita,  and  the  two  brothers,  beautiful  as  a  myriad  Loves,  will 
come  to  fetch  her. 

Chaupdi  315. 

There  will  be  all  kinds  of  hospitable  entertainments; 
who,  dear  girl,  would  not  rejoice  in  such  a  father-in-law  ? 
Every  one  in  the  place  will  be  delighted  at  the  sight  of  R^ma 
and  Lakshman  ;  and  now  two  other  lads,  my  friends,  have 
come  with  the  king,  who  are  a  match  even  for  them  ;  one 
dark,  the  other  fair,  but  beautiful  in  every  limb,  so  says 
every  one  who  has  seen  them  "  Said  one  in  reply  :  "  I  saw 
them  to-day,  and  thought  God  must  have  made  them  with 
his  own  hands.     Rjima  and  Bharat  are  so  much  alike    that 


190  CHILDHOOD. 

neither  man  nor  woman  could  without  looking  close  tell 
one  from  the  other  ;  while  again  Lakshman  and  Satrughna 
are  also  one  in  appearance,  perfectly  beautiful  in  every 
limb  from  head  to  foot ;  the  soul  would  fain  express  its 
rapture,  but  language  fails  it,  for  there  is  nothing  com- 
parable to  them  in  all  the  three  spheres  of  creation." 

Ohhand  34. 

No  poet,  however  ingenious,  says  Tulsi  Dis,  could  find 
aught  comparable  to  them  ;  for  so  unbounded  is  their 
strength,  their  courtesy,  their  knowledge,  their  amiability 
and  their  beauty,  that  they  have  no  peers  but  themselves. 
All  the  women  in  the  city,  spreading  out  their  garments, 
made  prayer  to  Brahma, — *'  May  all  four  brothers  be  married 
here,  and  may  we  sing  their  wedding  song." 

Sorathd  29.     ^^  (^ 

Said  the  damsels  to  one  another  with  streaming  eyes 
and  quivering  body  : — '*  Friends,  the  two  kings  are  of  such 
boundless  religious  merit  that  for  their  sake  Mahadevawill 
bring  it  all  about." 

Chaupdi  316. 

In  like  manner  they  all  expressed  their  desire,  while 
their  full  heart  overflowed  with  rapture.  Wlieii  the  kings, 
who  had  come  as  Sita's  suitors,  saw  the  brothers,  they  all 
rejoiced  and  returned  to  their  own  homes,  extolling  Rama's 
high  and  spotless  fame.  In  this  fashion  several  days  were 
spent,  to  the  joy  alike  of  citizens  and  guests.  At  length 
the  auspicious,  day  arrived,  in  the  cold  season,  in  the 
pleasant  month  of  Aghan.  The  Creator  himself  had  care- 
fully fixed  the  date,  when  the  sign  of  the  zodiac,  the  age 
of  the  moon,  the  conjunction  of  the  stars  and  the  day  of 
the  week  were  one  and  all  propitious.  Of  this  he  sent 
word  through  N^rad,  and  it  was  the  very  same  that  Janak's 
wise  men  had  calculated.  All  the  people  on  hearing  this 
fact  declared  their  astrologers  to  be  very  gods. 


CHILDHOOD.  191 

Dohd  SIS.     ^H^ 

It  was  towards  sunset, i  the  clearest  and  most  delightful 
hour  of  the  day,  that  the  Brdhmans  apprized  Videha's  king 
that  the  auspicious  time  had  arrived. 
Ghaupdi  3.1.7. 

The  monarch  cried  to  the  family  priest :  —  "  What  is 
now  the  cause  of  delay  ?  At  once  Sat^nand  summoned  the 
ministers,  who  all  came  bearing  festal  vases :  conches, 
drums,  and  tabors  sounded;  all  decked  their  vases  in 
auspicious  wise  :  graceful  damsels  sang  songs,  and  holy 
Brdhmans  murmured  Vedic  texts.  In  this  manner  they 
went  with  all  ceremony  to  the  visitors'  camp,  and  on  be- 
holding the  king  of  kosala's  retinue  it  seemed  to  them 
that  Indra  was  of  much  less  glory.  "  The  hour  has  come, 
be  pleased  to  start."  At  this  the  drums  gave  a  thundering 
beat.  After  consulting  his  guru  and  performing  the  family 
rites,  the  king  and  the  saint  sallied  forth  with  all  their  host. 
Doha    319.      yr/ ^ 

Brdhma  and  all  the  other  gods,  on  beholding  the  pomp 
and  magnificence  of  Avadh's  king,  began  to  extol  him  with 
a  thousand  tongues  and  declare  their  own  life  to  have 
been  wasted. 

Ghaupdi  318. 

Seeing  the  auspiciousness  of  the  time,  the  deities  rained 
down  flowers  and  beat  their  drums.  Siva  and  Brdhma  and 
all  the  host  of  heaven  mounted  their  chariots  and   came   in 

1  The  word  dheim-dhull  stands  for  the    more    common    go-dh'iili—iov   go 

and  <i/i^?iM  are  identical  in   meaning — and   denotes   the    unfortunately   very 

brief  period  of  the  day  during  which  the   Indian    climate   is   thoroiighly    en- 

1     joyable.     Professor  Monier  Williams  in  his  Sanskrit  dictionary   explains   the 

V    words  as  follows  :  "  '  dust  of  the    earth  '  ;  a    period    of   the   day    in    the    hot 

^     season  when  the  sun  is  half  risen  ;  in  the  cold  and    dewy    seasons   when    the 

jl   '  sun  is  full  but  mild  ;  and  in  the    three  other   seasons,    sunset  ;    originally,    a 

time  at  which  tnist  seems  to  rise   from    the   earth."     1    have    Hlways  myself 

considered  that  the  first  part  of  the  compound    was  used  in  its  more  ordinary 

sense  of  '  a  cow,'  and  that  go-dhuli  would  be   literally  rendered  dust  of  cows,' 

not  '  dust  of  the  earth.'     The  word  is  still  current  in    village  use,  and  when  I 

have  been  moving  about  iu  the  district  in  the  cold  weather    I    have    heard  it 

applied  by  the  country-people  to  the  hour  of  sunset,    when    the    cattle    were 

all  coming  home  from  pasture,  and  raising  dense    clouds   of   dust    alonir    the 

narrow  lanes  ;  a  fact   to    which    the   speaker   was   evidently   referring,   and 

which,  I  think,  is  the  more  correct  explanation  of  the  etymology. 


192  CHILDHOOD. 

crowds  to  see  Rdma's  wedding,  their  heart  and  every  limb 
throbbing  and  quivering  with  excess  of  love.  They  were  so 
charmed  with  Janak's  capital  that  their  own  realms  seemed 
to  them  as  nothing  worth.  They  gaze  with  astonishment  at 
the  pavilions  and  all  the  marvellous  decorations  ;  at  the 
men  and  women  so  beautiful  and  w^ll-formed,  so  good  and 
amiable  and  intelligent,  before  whom  all  the  gods  and  god- 
desses seemed  like  the  stars  at  the  rising  of  the  full  moon. 
Above  all  was  Brahma  astounded  at  finding  his  own  handi- 
work nowhere.  '^  ^  c7 
Dohd  320.      "^   "^  / 

But  Siva  admonished  them  all : — *•'  Do  not  give  way    to 
such  surprise  ;  recover  yourselves  and  reflect    that    this    is 
the  marriage  of  Sita  and  Raghubir. 
Chaupdi  319. 

The  mere  mention  of  whose  name  destroys  all  that  is 
evil  in  the  world  ;  in  whose  hand  are  the  four  great  ends 
of  human  life  ;  such  are  Sita  and  Rjma,  says  Love's  des- 
troyer." When  Sambhu  had  thus  admonished  the  gods,  he 
again  urged  on  his  noble  bull.  Beholding  Dasarath  march 
forth,  their  soul  was  full  of  joy  and  their  limbs  trembled. 
The  crowd  of  saints  and  Brdlimans  who  accompanied  him 
seemed  like  incarnate  gods  ministering  to  him.  In  the 
midst  shone  forth  the  beautiful  boys  as  it  were  final  Beati- 
tude manifested  in  its  four  phases. ^  As  they  gazed  on  the 
pair,  of  golden  and  sapphire  hue,  the  gods  were  moved 
with  violent  love,  and  especially  were  they  delighted  at  the 
sight  of  Rama,  and   glorified    the    king   and   rained   down 

flowers.  -4  '  -  "^ 

Uohd  321.    I)"^^ 

Again  and  again  as  UmA  and  Mahfldeva  fixed  their  gaze 
upon  Rrtma,  all-perfect  in  beauty  from  head  to  foot,  their 
body  trembled  and  their  eyes  filled  with  tears. 


1    Phe   four   grades   or    ph  is".h   of   apirarga,  i    /»..    final    beatitude,   are 
*\  salokafd,  residence  in  the  same  heaven    as   f;od  ;  san'ipatd  boing  in  the   same 

form  as  god  ;  *o«/rt/;yrtfa,  being  in  actual  cont«ct    with   god;   and    myujyatd, 
complete  absorption  into  god. 


CHILDHOOD.  103 

Ghaupdi  320. 

On  his  body,  dark  as  a  peacock's  glistening  neck  his 
bright  raiment  outshone  the  lightning  ;  his  wedding  adorn- 
ments of  every  kind  were  most  exquisitely  fashioned  ;  his 
face  more  lustrous  than  a  cloudless  autumn  moon  ;  his  eyes 
more  brilliant  than  the  lotus  ;  his  beauty,  in  short,  so 
marvellous  that  no  words  can  describe  how  it  moved  the 
soul.  By  his  side  shone  forth  his  charming  brother,  mak- 
ing his  mettlesome  steed  plunge  and  bound  on  the  way,  as 
also  did  all  the  attendant  princes  ;  while  the  family  bards 
recited  the  glories  of  their  line.  As  the  king  of  the  birds 
noted  the  action  of  the  horse  that  Rdma  bestrode,  he  blush- 
ed for  shame  ;  for  its  beauty  was  beyond  all  telling,  as  it 
might  be  Kamadeva  himself  in  equine  disguise. 
Ghhand  35. 

As  though  Kamadeva  himself  in  his  love  for  Rdma  had 

assumed  an  equine  disguise,  of  such  resplendent  beauty  as 

to  charm  all  creation  with  his  youth  and  vigour    and  form 

and  points  and  paces.     A  saddle  flashed  its  splendours  on 

his  back,  thick  set  with  pearls  and  rubies ;  bridle    too  and 

band  gleamed  bright  with  jewels  that  dazzled  the   gaze   of 

men,  saints  and  gods. 

Dohd  322.      - 

Obedient  in  every  movement  to  the  will  of  its  lord,  the 
gallant  steed  was  as  beautiful  as  a  peacock,    that  dances  in 
response  to  a  thunder-cloud,  whose  dark  mass  is  irradiated 
by  the  stars  of  heaven  and  the  fitful  lightning. 
Ghaupdi  321. 

But  not  Sarad^  herself  could  do  justice  to  the  noble 
steed  on  which  R^ma  rode.  Sankara  was  enchanted  with 
his  beauty,  and  congratulated  himself  on  having  fifteen 
eyes.  When  Hari  affectionately  gazed  on  Rdma  he  and 
Lakshmi  were  both  equally  charmed  ;  while  Brdhma  rejoic- 
ed to  behold  his  beauty,  and  regretted  that  he  had  only  eight 
eyes.  Kdrtikeya  exulted  greatly  that  in  the  matter  of  eyes 
he  was  half  as  well  off  again  as  Brahma.  When   wise   Indra 

R— 28 


194 


CHILDHOOD. 


looked  at  Kama,  he  thought  Gautam's  curse  a  great  blessing  ; 
and  all  the  gods  broke  out  in  Indra's  praise,  saying  :  — 
*  To-day  there  is  no  one  like  him.'i  All  heaven  was  delighted 
at  the  sight  of  R^ma,  and  there  was  joy  above  measure  in 
the  court  of  both  the  kings. 

Chhand   36. 

There  was  exceeding  joy  in  both  royal  courts  ;  the  wel- 
hin  resounded  with  multitudinous  kettledrums  ;  the  gods 
rained  down  flowers  and  shouted  in  their  joy, — Glory, 
glory,  glory  to  Raghu's  noble  son."  In  this  manner  when 
they  learnt  that  the  procession  was  approaching,  all  sorts 
of  music  began  to  play,  and  the  queen  gave  orders  to  her 
handmaids  to  prepare  the  auspicious  materials  for  the 
lustral  rite.  ^ 

Dohd  323.     y\  0 

With  many  lights  and  torches  and  festal  preparations 
of  every  kind,  a  bevy  of  graceful  dames  proceeded  joyously 
to  celebrate  the  lustral  rite. 

Chaupdi   322 

With  fawn-like  eyes  and    face  of  moonlike  brightness, 
each   one  was  beautiful  enough   to  rob  Rati  of  all  self-con- 
ceit.     Attired   in  costly    garments    of  different    colours,       i 
covered  all  over  with  ornaments  and  rendered  beautiful  in 
every  limb,  they  sang  more    melodiously    than    the   koil  to 
the  music  of  the  bells   on  their   wrists  and   waist  and  feet, 
as    they    moved,    with  all    the  undulating  grace  of  a  wild       ^ 
elephant.     All    kinds   of   music   played,   and    there   were      ,, 
rejoicings  both  in  heaven  and  in  the  city.  IndrAni,  Siirad^,      ; 
Lakshmi   and    Bhavdni    the    wisests  of  all   the   queens  of 
heaven,  assumed  the  disguise  of  woman's  form,  and  flocked 
to  the    king's   seraglio,    singing   delightfully    with    divine 
voice  ;  and  for  joy  there  was  no  one  who  recognized  them.    ^  ^ 
Chhand   37. 

In  their  ecstatic  joy  as  they   went  to  receive  the  bride- 
groom with   melodious  song   and  sweet  music,  who  could 
I  The  reason  being  that  Indra  has  a  thousand  eyes. 


CHILDHOOD.  195 

tell  who  was  who  ?  the  gods  showered  down  flowers  and 
everything  was  delightful.  As  they  gazed  upon  the 
bridegroom,  the  source  of  bliss,  they  were  all  glad  of  heart, 
their  lotus  eyes  overflowed  with  tears  and  their  every  limb 
quivered  with  rapture.  ^     „,  i 

Doha   324.      -^ 

The  joy  of  Si ta's  mother  on  the  beholding  Rdma's  gal- 
lant appearance  was    more    than   a  thousand    S^radas  and 
Seshndgs  could  tell  in  a  hundred  ages. 
Chaupdi  323. 

Restraining  her  tears  out  of  regard  for  the  suspicious- 
ness of  the  event,  the  queen  with  gladness  of  heart  perform- 
ed the  lustral  rite,  and  deligently  completed  the  entire 
ceremony  in  accordance  with  Vedic  prescription  and  family 
usage.  The  five  kinds  of  music  ^  were  accompanied  by 
festal  chanting,  and  rich  carpets  of  different  sorts  were 
spread  upon  the  ground.  After  the  lustral  rite  and  the 
oblation  RAma  proceeded  to  the  pavilion.  So  great  was 
the  splendour  and  magnificence  of  Dasarath  and  his  retinue 
that  Indra  was  put  to  shame  by  it.  From  time  to  time  the 
gods  rained  down  flowers,  while  the  Brdhmans  repeated 
the  appropriate  propitiatory  texts. 2  There  was  much  jubi- 
lation on  the  earth  and  in  heaven  that  no  one  could  hear 
himself  speak,  much  less  any  one  else.  In  this  manner 
Rfima  entered  the  pavilion,  where  tlie  libation  was  offered 
and  he  was  conducted  to  his  throne. 
Ckhand   38. 

When  the  bridegroom  was  seated  on  the  throne  and 
the  lustral  rite  was  performed,  all  rejoiced  at  the  sight, 
scattering  around  him  jewels    and  raiment  and  ornaments 


1  The  five  kinds  of  music  are  as  follows  ;  the  tanfri  or  8it.ara  ;  the  tdl  ; 
the  jhanjh,  or  cymbals  ;  the  nakdra,  or  kettledram  ;  and  fifthly,  the  trum- 
pet, fife  or  other  wind  instrument. 

2  The  prayer,  or  propitiatory  text,  ordinarily  knownijby  the  name  of 
santi  is  as  follows  :  Oin.  Sanno  Mitrxh  sam  Varun^ih  sanno  hhavatvaryama 
xanna  Indro  Vrihaspat\h  sanno  Vishmir  iirukramah  namo  J-vahmane  na 
waste  Vayo  twaneva  pratyaksham  Brahmdsitivam  era  pratyalisham  Brah- 
ma vadishyami  ritam  radiskydini  satyam  vadishyknii  tan  mam  avatti  tad 
t'ahtar  am  avatvavatu    mam  avatu    vaktarnm.     Om..     Sdntis  sdntis  sdntih. 


196 


CHILDHOOD. 


in  profusion,  while  women  sang  festal  songs.  Brdhma  and 
all  the  other  gods  disguised  as  noble  Brdhmans  witnessed 
the  spectacle,  and  as  they  gazed  on  the  glorious  sun  of  the 
lotus  race  of  Raghu,  reckoned  it  the  happiest  moment  of 
their  life. 

Dohd  325.  •  V 
The  barber  and  torch-maker  and  singers  and  dancers, 
who  gathered  up  theofEerings  that  had  been  scattered  about 
R'ima,  1  bowed  their  head  and  invoked  blessings  upon  him 
Jrom  a  heart  that  was  bursting  with  joy. 
Ghaupdi  324. 
Janak  and  Dasarath  joined  most  affectionately  in  the 
observance  of  every  custom,  whether  religious  or  secular  ; 
and  the  royal  pair  were  so  glorious  a  sight  that  the  poet, 
searching  whereto  to  liken  them  and  finding  nothing,  must 
acknowledge  himself  defeated  and  admit  that  they  were 
comparable  only  to  themselves.  The  gods  beheld  with 
delight  the  two  fathers  and  rained  down  flowers  and  sang 
their  praises  : — *  Since  Brdhma  first  created  the  world,  we 
have  seen  and  heard  of  many  marriages,  but  never  till  this 
day  have  we  seen  a  match  so  perfect  in  all  respects,  and  two 
such  wellmatched  fathers."  At  the  sound  of  this  voice  from 
heaven  so  gracious  and  yet  so  true,  there  was  on  both  sides  a 
marvellous  access  of  love.  Janak  led  the  way  with  due 
honours  to  the  pavilion,  offering  libations  and  unrolling  a 
carpet  as  he  went. 

1  The  custom  of  distributing  pieces  of  money  among  the  crowd  is  still 
kept  up  by  rich  Muhammadan  families  at  wedding  festivals,  and  special 
coins  for  the  purpose  were  struck  by  Jahdngir  and  others  of  the  Delhi  Em- 
perors. These  are  called  nindr,  while  the  word  used  by  Tulsi  Dks  here  and 
in  many  other  places,  is  nivhharari.  The  resemblance  is  so  close  that  the 
Hindi  might  easily  be  a  corruption  of  the  Arabic.  Hut  it  seems  improba- 
ble that  such  a  thoroughly  Indian  custom  should  not  have  an  intligenous 
name  ;  and  further,  the  derivation  of  niohharari  would  appear  to  l)e  from 
the  Sanskrit  root  A^f/^/j;;,  '  to  throw,'  with  the  prefix  nt,  'down.'  Mr.  Bate, 
in  his  Hindi  Dictionary  forms  it  from  niyam  phi^  hxhay  jybix  rar  ;  but  this 
can  scarcely  be  ac(repted  as  a  very  plausible  explanation.  Anyhow  the  word 
does  not  look  like  a  foreign  importation.  As  to  the  etymology  of  7iimr,  I 
must  leave  Arabic  scholars  to  speak  ;  but  if  there  is  no  connection  between 
the  two  words,  the  coincidence  in  sound  and  meaning  is  at  least  curious. 
Should  there  be  no  earlier  authority  than  Tulsi  Dis  for  niehhdvari  it  might 
be  a  mere  adaptation,  such  as  has  converted  intikal  into  ant  kal ;  hit  ijmdl 
into  Brij  tnal,  and  has  helped  to  popularize  many  other  unintelligible  terms 
of  legal  pharaseology. 


CHILDHOOD.  197 

Ghhand  39. 
Beholding  the  beauty  of  the  manifold  decorations  of  the 
pavilion,  even  the  saints  were  astonished ;  but  the  wise 
Janak  with  his  own  hands  conducted  them  all  to  their  seats. 
Paying  the  same  honour  and  respect  to  Vasishta  as  to  his 
own  patron  divinity,  he  received  his  blessing  ;  but  the 
supreme  devotion  with  which  he  greeted  Visvamitra  was 
of  a  kind  that  surpasses  description. 

Do/ia  326.     ^ft 

With  great  joy  the  king  did  homage  to  Vdmadeva  too 
and  the  other  saints,  and  gave  them  all  exalted  thrones  and 
received  their  blessing. 

Chaupdi  325. 

Again  he  did  homage  to  the  lord  of  Kosala,  taking  him 
to  be  the  peer  of  Mahddeva,  yea,  none  other  ;  with  clasped 
hands  and  in  humble  phrase  extolling  him  and  enlarging  on 
his  own  marvellous  good  fortune.  Then  to  all  the  wedding- 
guests  he  paid  the  same  homage  in  every  respect  as  to  the 
bridegroom's  father,  and  assigned  them  all  appropriate  seats. 
How  can  I  with  my  one  tongue  describe  all  the  pageant. 
With  gifts  and  compliments  and  profuse  apologies  Janak 
did  the  honours  to  all  his  guests.  Brdhma,  Vishnu,  Maha- 
deva,  tlie  eight  guardians  of  the  world ^  and  the  god  of  day, 
who  knew  Raghubir's  glory,  disguised  themselves  as 
learned  Br^hmans  and  were  delighted  spectators  of  the 
festivities  Janak,  though  he  recognized  them  not,  paid 
them  homage  as  gods  and  led  them  to  exalted  seats. 

Ghhand  40. 
Who  could  tell  who  was  who,  when  there  was  no  one    who 
could  answer  even  for  himself.     As  they  gazed  on  the  bride- 
groom, the  root  of  joy,  joy  was  diffused  on  all  sides.    When 

1  The  guardians  of  the  eight  quarters  of  the  world  are  Indra,  of  the  east ; 
Agni,  of  the  south-east  ;  Yama,  of  the  south  ;  Nirriti,  of  the  south-west  ; 
Varraa  of  the  west  ;  Vaya  or  Marnt,  of  the  north-west  ;  Kuvera,  of  tbenorth  ; 
Isana,  or  Siva,  of  the  north-east.  Some  lists  substitute  Svirya,  'the  son,'  and 
or  Soma,  '  the  Moon,' for  Nirriti  and  Isana  :  others  again  give  the  Snn  and 
Ch^-ncira  Moon  and  the  Six  Planets.— iWowJ^r  Williams. 


198  CHILDHOOD. 

he  saw  the  gods,  the  all-wise   R^ma   assigned   them   what 
seats  they  fancied  ;  and  the  heavenly  powers  were  delighted 
to  behold  the  gracious  manner  of  their  lord. 
Dohd  327.    "■    '^ 

As  the  partridge  drinks  in  the  light  of  the  moon,  so 
their  eyes  reverently  drank  in  the  beauty  of  Rama's  face 
with  the  utmost  rapture. 

Chaupdi  326. 

Perceiving  that  the  time  had  arrived,  Vasishta  called, 
and  Sat^nand  came  with  ready  obedience.  "  Go  now  and 
quickly  bring  the  bride."  On  receiving  this  order  the  saint 
went  gladly,  and  on  hearing  his  message  the  queen  with  all 
her  attendants  was  delighted,  and  sent  for  the  Brahman 
ladies  and  the  elders  of  the  tribe,  and  with  songs  of  joy 
performed  all  the  family  rites.  The  goddesses,  who  were 
disguised  as  women,  were  all  so  amiable  and  lovely,  in  the 
first  bloom  of  their  youth,  '  that  the  ladies  were  charmed 
to  see  them,  and,  though  not  recognizing  them,  held  them 
more  dear  than  life.  Again  and  again  the  queen  did  them 
honour  accounting  them  equals  of  Uma,  RSma  and  Sarada. 
After  dressing  vSita  and  forming  in  procession  they  joyously 
conducted  her  to  the  pavilion. 

Chhand  ^i:[. 

Reverently   and   with    auspicious    pomp  her  attendant 

ladies   conducted  S(ta,   each   of   them    of  lovely  form  and 

superbly  adorned,  moving  with  the  voluptuous  grace   of   a 

young   elephant.     At  the  sound  of  their  melodious   strains 

the   saints   forgot  their    meditations,    the  god  of  love  and 

the  koil  were  abashed  ;  while  the  bells  on  their  anklets  and 

gleaming  girdles^  rang  out  with  the  cymbals   a    delightful 

accompaniment  as  they  moved. 

1  Hindus  of  the  olden  time  had  a  perfect  mania  for  ch\88ifyiDg  and  de- 
fining, and  have  invented  divisions  and  sub-divisions  of  every  conceivable 
group  of  objects,  with  a  definite  technical  name  for  each  variety.  Thus 
the  wor'Vi  in  the  text,  here  translated  *  in  the  bloom  of  youth,'  is  xyatm'i 
wliich  is^strictly  defined  '  as  a  woman  from  eiiiht  to  sixteen  years  of  age, 
resembling  in  complexion  the  blossom  of  Friyangu  and  its  slender  stalk  in 
shape.'  There  are  many  other  varieties  of  the  sex,  that  have  their  distinc- 
tive marks  specified  with  equal  minuteness. 


OHILDHOOD.  ^  199 

DohvmS.    ^^  ^ 

Among  her  maidens  Sita  shines  forth  in    native  loveli- 
ness, like  Bliss  personified  among  the  Graces. 
Chaupui  S27 . 

Her  beauty  is  indescribable,  so  great  is  it  and  so  little 
my  wit.  When  the  wedding  guests  saw  her  approach,  so 
exquisitely  charming  and  every  way  divine,  they  all  did 
homage  to  her  from  their  inmost  soul.  At  the  sight  of  her, 
Rama  was  filled  with  love,  and  Dasarath  and  his  sons  were 
glad  of  heart  beyond  all  telling.  The  gods  did  homage 
and  rained  down  flowers  ;  the  saints  gave  their  blessings 
in  auspicious  wise  ;  there  was  a  confused  noise  of  singing 
and  playing  and  general  rejoicing  throughout  the  city.  In 
this  manner  Sita  arrived  at  the  pavilion,  while  the  great 
saints  joyously  recited  the  set  forms  of  prayer  and  the 
two  family  gurus  performed  all  the  due  rites  and  cere- 
monies. 

Ghhand  42-43. 

After  the  ceremonies  the  gurus  directed  the  glad  Brah- 
mans  to  worship  Gauri  and  Ganes  :  the  gods  in  visible  form 
accepted  the  homage  and  gave  their  blessing,  which  they 
received  with  joy.  Whatever  dainty  dish  or  condiment 
any  holy  man  fancied  at  any  time  was  at  once  supplied 
him  by  the  table  attendants  in  plates  and  bowls  of  gold. 
Having  reverently  and  dutifully  performed  all  family  rites 
in  accordance  with  the  Sun-god's  prescription,  and  offered 
homage  to  the  gods,  they  conducted  Sita  to  her  glorious 
throne.  The  mutual  love  with  which  Sita  and  Rama 
regarded  each  other  was  too  much  to  look  upon  ;  it  exceeds 
all  sense,  or  intelligence,  or  speech,  or  perception  ;  how 
then  can  the  poet  express  it  ?  -.  L  ' 

Dohd329.     ^^ 

At  the  time  of  the  burnt  sacrifice,  the  Fire-god  in 
person  most  graciously  accepted  the  oblation,  and  all  the 
Vedas  in  the  guise  of  Br^hmans  uttered  the  marriage 
formularies. 


200  CHILDnOOD. 

Chaupdi  328 
What  words  can  describe  Janak's  illustrious  queen- 
consort,  Sita's  mother,  in  whose  composition  the  Creator 
had  combined  the  perfection  of  glory,  piety,  happiness  and 
beauty  ?  At  the  due  time  the  saints  called  her,  and  she 
came   responsive    to   the   summons   with   her     attendant 

C?  maidens.  Then  shone  forth  Sunayana  at  Janak's  left 
hand,  as  Maina  beside  Himalaya.  With  their  own  hands 
the  glad  king  and  queen  take  and  place  before  Rama 
golden  vases  and  costly  jewelled  trays  full  of  holy  water 
and  delicious  perfumes.  The  saints  with  auspicious  voice 
recite  the  Veda,  and  at  the  proper  time   the   heaven    rains 

-^  flowers,  while  the  father  and  mother  of  the  bride  look  on  in 

*    rapture  and  begin  to  wash  the  holy  feet. 

Chhand  44—47. 

Their  whole  frame  quivering  with  excess  of  love,    they 

,  began  to  lave  the  lotus  feet  ;  while  both   in  heaven   and  in 

the  city  there  were  singing  and  music  and  shouts  of  victory 

bursting  forth  and  overflowing  in  all  directions.     The  lotus 

feet  that  ever   gleam  in    the   lake   of   Siva's   bosom  ;    by 

*^  meditating  upon  which  for  a  single  moment  every  impurity 
of  the  soul  and  defilement  of  this  wicked  world  is  removed  ; 
by  whose  touch  the  sage's  guilty  wife  attait)ed  salvation  ; 
7  whose  honeyed  fragrance,  as  the  gods  declare,  is  ever  present 
on  Sambhu's  head  ;  on  which  the  bee-like  soul  of  saints 
and  ascetics  ever  dwells  ere  they  reach  the  heaven  of  their 
desire ;  these  holy    feet  are    bathed    by  Janak,    'midst  the 

"  glad  acclaim  of  all.  The  two  family  priests  join  the  ^^fljids 
of  the  bride  and  bridegroom  and  recite  their  descent.  The 
mystic  union  is  completed,  and  at  the  sight  Brdhma  and 
all  gods  and  men  and  saints  were  full  of  joy.  As  the 
bride's  parents  gazed  on  the  gracious  bridegroom,  both 
their  soul  and  body  were  raptured  with  delight;  and 
having  completed  every  family  and  scriptural  observance, 
the  glorious  monarch  gave  his  daughter  to  her  lord.  As 
Himalaya  gave  Girij^  to   MahAdeva,   and   as  Ocean  gave 


CHILDHOOD.  201 

Lakshmi  to  Vishnu,  in  like  manner  did  Janak  bestow  Sita 
on  R^ma,  and  creation  was  glorified  anew.  After  stationing 
the  happy  pair  on  one  spot  (the  bride  so  fair  of  hue,  the 
groom  so  dark)  and  performing  the  sacrifice  with  all  due 
rite,  and  tying  the  knot,  the  circumambulation  commenced. 
Dohd  SSO.    \  ^1 

At  the  sound  of  the  huzzas  and  minstrelsy  and  the  reci- 
tation of  the  Veda  and  the  auspicious  chanting  and  the 
music,  the  all-wise  gods  were  delighted  and  rained  down 
flowers  from  the  tree  of  paradise. 

Ghaupdi22%.       • 

The  bride  and  bridegroom  with  measured  paces  per- 
formed the  circumambulation,  while  all  present  feasted 
their  adoring  gaze  on  the  spectacle.  The  beauty  of  the 
happy  pair  is  not  to  be  described  ;  whatever  comparison 
might  be  suggested  would  fall  short  of  the  reality.  The 
lovely  images  of  Rdma  and  Sfta  were  reflected  in  the 
jewelled  pillars,  and  sparkled  like  incarnations  of  K^ma- 
deva  and  Rati,  who  had  come  to  witness  Rama's  glorious 
wedding  and,  from  mingled  curiosity  and  bashfulness,  at 
one  moment  showed  themselves  openly  and  at  another 
retired  out  of  sight.  All  the  spectators  were  enraptured 
and  like  Janak  forgot  all  about  themselves.  Joyously  the 
saints  bade  them  pace  the  circle  round ;  the  rite  was 
accomplished  and  the  marriage  offerings  made.  Rdma 
applied  the  vermilion  to  Sita's  forehead,  brilliant  beyond 
all  description  ;  and  his  arm  seemed  like  a  serpent  thirs- 
ting for  ambrosia,  as  it  decorated  her  moonlike  face  with 
the  red  powder  that  filled  his  lotus  hand.  Then  by 
Vasishta's  direction  the  bride  and  bridegroom  took  their 
seat  together. 

Ghhand  ^S-5l. 

When  Rdma  and  Janak i  took  their  seat,  Dasarath's  soul 
wis  rejoiced  and  his  frame  quivered  with  emotion,  as  again 
and  again  he  fixed  his  gaze  upon  them  and  saw  as  it  were 
his  own  virtue   like  the  tree  of  paradise  blossoming  anew. 

R-29 


202  CHILDHOOD. 

There  was  rejoicing  all  over  the  world  at  the  news  of  Rama's 
wedding,  how  can  it  be  described  ?  I  have  but  one  tongue  in 
my  head,  while  the  joy  had  no  bounds.  Then  Janak,  having 
received  Vasishta's  order,  provided  all  things  necessary  for 
the  marriage  ceremonial,  and  summoned  the  three  maidens, 
MAndavi,  Srutiklrti,  and  Urmild.  After  affectionately  per- 
forming every  rite,  the  king  gave  first  to  Bharat  in 
marriage  the  beautiful  and  accomplished  daughter  of 
Kusaketu.  Then  next  with  all  honour  Janak  bestowed  upon 
Lakshman  Janaki's  lovely  younger  sister  ;  and  finally  gave 
away  to  Ripu-siidan  the  bright-eyed  and  charming  Sruti- 
klrti, no  less  amiable  than  beautiful.  As  bride  and  bride- 
groom modestly  gazed  on  each  other  and  noticed  the 
contrast.^  they  were  glad  of  heart ;  while  every  one  delight- 
edly applauded  the  beauty  of  the  scene,  and  the  gods  rained 
down  flowers.  All  eqi  ally  beautiful,  though  diverse  in  hue, 
they  shone  resplendent  in  the  pavilion,  as  though  the  four 
states  of  life  with  their  several  lords  had  met  in  one 
living  soul. 

Dohd  331.      ^'i^ 

The  king  of  Avadh  gazed  with  delight  on  his  four  sons 
and  their  brides  ;  as  though  that  jewel  of  monarchs  had  in 
them  realized  the  four  methods  of  religion  and  the  four 
cognate  ends  of  life.^ 

Ghaupdi  330. 

All  the  princes  were  married  with  the  same  rites  as  I 
have  described  for  RAma.  The  enormous  dowry  was  be- 
yond description  ;  the  whole  pavilion  was  full  of  gold  and 
jewels.  Shawls,  robes  and  silks  of  kinds  in  the  greatest 
profusion   and    of    immense   value  ;    elephants,   chariots, 

1  Hdma  and  Bharat  being  dark  were  married  to  Jdnaki  and  Miudavi 
who  were  fair  ;  while  the  fair  bridegrooms,  Lakshman  and  Satrughna  were 
wedded  to  the  dark  brides,  Urmiliaand  Sruti-klrti 

2  I^Q  char  plial,  i.e ,  the  four  fruits  or  ends  of  life,  are,  as  has  been 
before  explained,  Dharma^  Artha,  Kama  and  Alohsha,  which  are  here  com- 
pared to  Uasarath's  four  sons.  The  four  brides  are  likened  to  the  chdrkriya, 
or  four  methods  of  religion,  which  are  either  Scvd  Sraddha,  Tajjasya  ann 
Jthakti,  that  is  to  say,  obedience,  piety,  penance  and  faith  ;  or  according 
to  another  enumeration,  rt«w/(/<//ta«a,  religious  ceremonial ;  ndyog,  diligence; 
roti  love  ;  and  tirati,  detachment  from  the  world. 


CHILDHOOD.  203 

horses,  menservants,  and  cows  with  gilded  horns  and  hoofs, 
as  beautiful  as  the  cow  of  plenty  ;  things    so  many    that   no 
one  could  count  them,  nor  credit  their  number  if  he  had  not 
seen  them.     At  the  sight  the  guardians  of  the  world    broke 
out  into  praises  of  the   dowry,  and  Avadh's  king  received  it 
all  most  graciously.  To  every  one  who  asked  was  given  what- 
ever he  desired,  and   what   remained  over  was  taken  to  the 
guests'  quarters.    Then  with  folded  hands  and  bated  breath 
Janak  courteously  entreated  all  the  bridegroom's  party. 
Ghhand  52-55. 
After  courteously    entreating  all    the  marriage   guests 
with  high  ceremony,    gifts,  apologies    and  compliments,  he 
joyfully   proceeded  with  much   devotion  to    do  his   humble 
homage  to  the  saintly    throng.     With  bowed  head    he  pro- 
pitiated   the  gods,  and  thus,  with  hands  clasped  in  prayer, 
addressed  them  all,  "  Gods  and  saints  desire    only    a    good 
will ;  can  Ocean's  wants  be  satisfied  by  a  libation  of  a   few 
drops  ?"  1  Again  with  clasped  hands  Janak  and  his  brother 
spoke  to  the  king  of   Kosala,  with    winning  words  full   of 
love  and  amiability :  -"  0  king,  I  am  greatly   ennobled  by 
your  alliance  ;  know   that  my    realm  and  all  that  I  have  is 
freely  yours  to    command.     Take  these  girls  as  your  hand- 
maidens and  graciously    protect  them,  and    pardon  me    my 
sin  and  presumption  in    inviting  you."     The    glory  of    the 
Solar  race  in  turn  addressed   his   royal   cousin  in  terms  of 
highest  honour  ;    their    courtesy    was    past  all   telling,  and 
the  love  that  overflowed   their  hearts.     The    deities    rained 
down    flowers    as    the    monarch   proceeded    to    the   guest- 
chamber,    midst  the    crash   of   kettledrums,    the   muttered 
recitation  of  the  Veda,  and  glad   rejoicings   both   on  earth 
and  in  heaven.     Then  by  the  saint's  command  and  singing 
auspicious  strains  as  they  went,  the  fair  ladies  of  the  court 
conducted  to  the   marriage   pavilion  the  bridegrooms  and 
their  brides. 

1  Yet  though  it  derives  no   benefit  from  a   such   scanty  offering,  it   botb 
demands  and  accepts  it, 


^ 


204  CHILDHOOD. 

DoU  332.       *^  ^ 
Again  and  again  did  Sita  gaze  upon  R^ma  with  modest 
^  mien,  but  full  of  confidence  at  heart ;  and  her  eyes  athirst 
r    with  love  outshone  the  fish  in  K4madfiYa!s  blazon. 

Ghaupdi  331. 
Dark  in  hue  and  fall  of  untaught  grace,  his  beauty  put 
to  shame  a  myriad  Loves  ;  his  lac-stained  feet  gleamed  like 
some  lotus,  the  haunt  of  bee-like  saintly  souls  ;  his  pure  and 
lustrous  yellow  robe  outshone  the  rising  sun  or  lightning- 
flash  ;  and  the  little  bells  on  his  waistbelt  made  delicious 
tinkling;  long  were  his  arms  and  clasped  with  glittering 
bangles ;  his  yellow  janeo  set  him  off  to  perfection  ;  his 
signet  ring  would  ravish  all  hearts  ;  lustrous  were  all  his 
many  wedding  adornments  and  the  stars  and  collars  on  his 
^  broad  breast ;  across  his  shoulders  a  yellow  scraf  with 
fringe  of  gems  and  pearls ;  with  lotus  eyes  and  bright 
pendants  from  his  ears  and  a  face  the  very  store-house  of 
beauty  ;  lovely  brows  and  charming  nose  and  on  his  fore- 
head a  most  bewitching  spot,  while  on  his  head  the  auspi- 
cious marriage-crown  shone  glorious    with   knotted  pearls 

and  gems. 

Chhand  56—59. 

The  knotted  gems  and  the  crown  and  his  comely  person 

ravished  all  hearts  ;  and  not  a  woman  or  goddess  in  heaven 

or  earth  who  did  not    break  a  blade  of  grass^  at  the  sight 

of  his  beauty.     After  scattering  round    about   him  jewels 

and  raiment  and  adornments  they  perform  the  lustral  rite, 

singing  auspicious  songs,  while  the  gods  rain  down  flowers, 

and  bards,    minstrels  and   rhaposdists   declare  his   glory. 

When    the   bride   and    bridegroom    entered  the   marriage 

pavilion,  great  was  the  joy   of  the   attendants,   who   with 

festive  songs  and  in  most  lovingwise  began  to  perform  the 

accustomed    observances.     Gauri    herself    taught    Rfima, 

and  S^radA  told  Sita  how  to  manage  the  mess  of  rice-milk  ; 

1  Either  involuntarily  from  agitation  and  bash  fulness,  or  as  a  charm  to 
avert  the  evil  eye,  or  to  show  how  little  they  valued  anything  in  the  world 
in  comparison  with  his  beauty. 


CHILDHOOD.  205 

and  all  the  ladies  of  the  seraglio  were  so  taken  with  the 
merry  sport  that  they  reckoned  it  the  happiest  moment  of 
their  lives.  When  J^naki  saw  in  the  gems  on  her  fingers 
the  reflection  of  the  all-beautiful,  she  dared  not  move  her 
eyes  or  lithesome  arm  for  fear  of  losing  his  presence.  The 
rapture  of  delight,  the  ecstasy  of  love  surpassed  all  telling  ; 
only  those  happy  dames  could  comprehend  it  who  escorted 
the  bride  and  bridegroom  to  the  guest-house.  Then  might 
be  heard  on  all  sides  blessings  and  great  exultation  in 
heaven  and  on  earth  and  a  universal  shout  of  joy  :  — '  Long 
life  to  the  four  happy  couples.' 

Hermits,  saints  and  sages,  the  gods  too  on  beholding 
their  lord,  sounded  their  kettledrums  and  returned  in  glad- 
ness, each  to  his  own  realm,  raining  down  flowers  and  cry- 
ing '  Victory.'  Then  the  four  princes  with  their  brides 
approached  their  father,  and  such  was  the  glory,  the  feli- 
city and  the  rapture  that  it  seemed  to  overflow  the  court 
like  a  torrent. 

Chaupdi  332. 

Again    there    was    a    magnificient   banquet,    to   which 

Janak  sent  and  invited  all  the  visitors.     Carpets  of  richest 

stuff  were  spread  as  the   king   sallied    forth  with    his  sons. 

After  reverently  washing  his  guests'  feet,   he   seated   them 

all  according  to  their  rank.     First  Janak  bathed  the  feet  of 

Avadh's    lord    with    a    loving    devotion    past    all    telling  ; 

then  he  bathed    Rdma's   lotus  feet,  feet  ever   enshrined    in 

Mahddeva's  heart ;  and,  also  with  his  own  hands,  bathed  the 

feet  of  the  three  brothers,  regarding  them  as  Rama's  peers. 

To  all  the  king  assigned  appropriate  seats,    and   then  gave 

his  orders  to  the  cooks,  who  with  due  ceremony  set  out  the 

dishes,  made    all  of  jewels  instead  of  leaves,   and    stitched 

with  golden  pins.  _:  / 

Doha  334.  ^  *y 

The  quick  and   obsequious   waiting-men   passed  round, 

and  in  a  moment  every  guest  was   supplied   with    rice   and 

condiments  and  fragrant   butter,    and   everything    luscious 

and  savoury  and  nice. 


206  CHILDHOOD. 

Ghaupdi  333. 

After  making  the  five  oblations,^  they  began  to  eat 
listening  with  delight  the  while  to  allusive  songs.  There 
were  confections  of  many  kinds,  sweeter  than  nectar  or  than 
words  can  tell,  which  the  well-trained  waiters  handed 
round,  and  such  an  infinite  variety  of  sauces  that  no  one 
could  remember  all  their  names,  with  food  of  the  four  i^inds 
mentioned  in  the  sacred  books  and  an  indescribable 
variety  of  each  kind,  and  seasoning  of  the  six  flavours,  and 
each  flavour  exhibited  in  a  countless  number  of  dishes. 
As  the  banquet  proceeded,  jests  were  bandied  about  in 
pleasant  wise,  and  not  a  man  or  woman  but  heard  his 
name  brought  in.  Louder  and  broader  grew  the  raillery 
of  the  festive  hour,  and  the  king  and  the  whole  assembly 
were  moved  to  laughter  as  they  listened.  In  this  manner 
they  all  feasted,  then  punctiliously  rinsed  out  the  mouth  : 
Dohd3S5.   3  -"^ 

And  Janak  in  due  form  presented  Dasarath  and  all  his 
guests  with  pdn,  and  the  glorious  king  then  retired  to  his 
own  apartment. 

Ghaupdi  334. 

There  was  ever  some  new  rejoicing  in  the  city,  and  the 
whole  day  and  night  seemed  gone  like  a  minute.  At  early 
dawn  the  best  of  monarchs  woke,  and  mendicants  began  to 
chant  his  praises.  As  he  gazed  upon  the  gallant  princes 
and  their  brides,  the  rapture  of  his  soul  was  beyond  all  tell- 
ing. After  performing  his  morning  devotions  he  went  to  his 
gurUj  with  his  heart  full  of  love  and  exultation  and  clasping 
his  hands  in  prayer  bowed  before  him  and  said  with  a  voice 
of  mellifluous  sweetness  : — *'  Hearken,  king  of  saints  ;  it  is 
by  your  favour  that  to-day  my  toils  have  been  rewarded. 
Now  holy  father,  summon  the  BrAhmans  and  present  them 
all  with  cows  with  costly  adornments."  On  hearing  these 
words  the  guru  much  applauded  the  king,  and  sent  to  sum- 
mon the  whole  saintly  throng. 

1  The   five   vital  airs  to  which   oblations  are   made   are  jfrann,   itpana, 
S7nd?ia,  vydna  and  udana. 


I 


CHILDHOOD.  207 

DoJid  336.  JA^  ^ 

Then    came   Vamadeva  and  Ndrad    and    Vdlmlki    and 

Jtibdli  and  Visvamitra  and  all  the  other   great   saints  and 

ascetics, 

Ghaupdl  335. 

The  king  threw    himself  upon   the  ground  before  them 

all  and  worshipped  them,  and  then  conducted  them  to  seats 

of  honour.     Next   he   sent  for  4,00,000  cows,   all  as    gentle 

and  beautiful    as  the  cow  of  paradise,    and  after  decorating 

them  in  every  possible   way    bestowed  them  with  great  joy 

upon  the  saints,  with  many  a  phrase  of   studied    humility, 

declaring  it  to  be  the  happiest  day  of  his  whole  life.     On 

receiving  their   blessing   the  king,    the  pride   of  the   solar 

race,  rejoiced,  and  next  sent  for  all  the   begging   fraternity 

and  gave  them,  according  as  each  desired,  gold,  or  apparel, 

or  jewels,  or  horses,  or  elephants,  or  chariots.  They  all  left 

loudly  telling  and  singing  his  praises  : — '  glory,  glory,  glory, 

to  the  lord  of  the  Sun-gods*s  race.'   Such  were  the  rejoicings 

at  Rdma's  wedding  ;  beyond  all  that  could  be  told  even  had 

I  a  thousand  tongues.  ^    /    ±/ 

Dohd  337.  a.  b  ^ 

Again  and  again  the  lord  bowed  his  head  at  Visvamitra's 
feet  : — "  All  this  happiness,  0  king  of  saints,  is  the  result  of 
your  benignant  regard." 

Chaupdi  336. 

King  Dasarath  spent  the  whole  night  extolling  Janak's 
affection^  and  amiability  and  magnificence  ;  every  day  on 
rising  he  asked  permission  to  return  home,  but  Janak  would 
lovingly  detain  him.  There  was  constantly  some  new  fete 
in  his  honour,  and  every  day  a  thousand  different  kinds  of 
entertainment.  The  rejoicings  in  the  city  never  flagged,  and 
no  one  liked  to  think  of  Dasarath's  departure.  In  this  man- 
ner many  days  were  spent,  and  the  guests  were  fast  bound 
by  the  cords  of  love,  till  Visvamitra  and  Sat^nand  went  and 
told  Videha's  lord  : — "You  must  now  let  Dasarath  take  his 

1  The    line,    which    I  translate,   stands  thus :    nr/jJ  sab  rati   sarahat   biti 
Another  reading  is  nrih  mb  bhdnti  sardh  bibhuti. 


208  CHILDHOOD. 

leave,  even  though  you  cannot  part  with  your  love  for  him." 
The  king  replied  : — '  It   is  well,'  and   summoned  his  min- 
isters,   who  came  and  bowed  the  head  crying :— '  All  hail !' 
Dohd  338.    "  f :  " 

"  Make  it  known  in  the  palace  that  Avadh's  lord  wishes 
to  depart."  At  these  words  the  ministers,  Brihmans,  coun- 
sellers  and  princes  were  greatly  moved. 
Ghaupdi  337. 

When  it  was  noised  in  the  city  that  the  guests  were 
leaving,  every  one  anxiously  asked  his  neighbour  if  it  were 
a  fact.  When  they  heard  they  were  actually  going  all  were 
as  unhappy  as  a  lotus  that  fades  in  the  evening.  Every 
place  where  the  visitors  had  put  up  on  their  arrival  was 
crowded  with  parting  presents, i  fruits  and  confections  of 
every  kind,  and  dishes  too  various  for  description.  A 
multitude  of  porters  laden  with  wearing  apparel'^  and  cooks 
beyond  number  were  sent  by  Janak  with  1,00,000  horses 
and  25,000  chariots  all  exquisitely  finished  throughout, 
with  10,000  powerful  elephants  duly  caparisoned,  at  sight 
of  which  earth's  guardian  elephants  would  feel  ashamed  of 
themselves,  besides  wagons  full  of  gold  and  raiment  and 
jewels;  buffaloes  also  and  cows,  and  things  of  all  kinds. 

Doha  339.        '^  '^ 

The  dowry,  moreover,  given  by  Videha's  king  was  im- 
measurable and  beyond  all  telling  ;  and  Indra,  had  he  seen 
it,  would  have  thought  the  riches  of  the  universe  as  nothing 
in  comparison. 

Chaupdi  338. 

When  the  whole  equipage  had  been  thus  arranged, 
Janak  despatched  it  to  Avadh.  On  hearing  that  the  guests 
were  about  to  start,  all  the  queens  were  as  unhappy  as 
fish  when  water  falls.  Again  and  again  they  clasped  Sita 
to  their    bosom    and    blessed  and    exhorted    her,    saying: 

1  The  word  sid/i  probably  stands  for  ffidhija  'auspicious,'  though  it  might 
be  for  Midhu,  wine. 

2  For  hamn  '  wearing  apparel,'  some  copies  read  haaah^  'oxen.' 


CfllLDHOOt).  209 

*'  May  you  ever  be  beloved  by  your  husband,  and  with  him 
live  a  long  and  happy  life ;  this  is  my  blessing.  Be 
obedient  to  your  new  father  and  mother  and  guru,  and 
regarding  your  lord's  displeasure^  do  as  he  bids."  Her 
sweet-voiced  companions,  too,  in  their  overpowering  affec- 
tion reminded  her  of  woman's  crowning  duty.  Again  and 
again  after  thus  duly  admonishing  them  the  queens  clasped 
the  four  brides  to  their  bosom,  and  time  after  time,  in  the 
midst  of  their  maternal  embraces,  exclaimed  :  — '  Why  has 
God  made  women  ?'  /  n 

Doha  340.  -  ^7 
Then  came  the  joyous  Rama,  the  glory  of  the  Solar  race, 
with  his  brothers,  to  Janak's  palace  to  take  leave. 
Chaupdi  339. 
Ail  the  people  of  the  city,  whether  men  or  women,  ran 
to  see  the  four  brothers  so  lovely  and  so  unaffected.  Said 
one  :— *  To-day  they  have  made  up  their  mind  to  go,  and 
Janak  has  completed  all  the  preparations  for  their  depar- 
ture; so  feast  your  eyes  on  their  beauty  for  the  last  time. 
All  four  princes  have  been  most  welcome  visitors  ;  who  can 
say  ;  friend,  what  we  have  done  to  deserve  that  god  should 
bring  our  eyes  such  guests.  Like  a  man  at  the  point  of 
death  who  is  given  ambrosia ;  or  as  one  who  has  been 
hungry  all  his  life  and  discovers  the  tree  of  paradise ;  or  as 
one  of  the  damned  in  hell  who  approaches  Hari's  feet,  so  am 
I  after  seeing  them.  Gaze  upon  RAma's  beauty  and  treasure 
his  image  in  your  heart,  as  it  were  the  jewel  in  a  serpent's 
hood."  In  this  manner  the  princes  gladdened  the  eyes 
of  all  as  they  proceeded  to  the  palace. 

Doha  Sil.    1-% 
The  ladies  all  rose  in  their  joy  as  they  beheld  their  ex- 
quisite  beauty  ;  and  the  mothers  of  the  brides,  in  token  of 
their  delight,  pass  the  lustral  lamp  around  their  heads  and 
scatter  gifts. 

1   lathis   line   rukh   may  be  the  Persian  word    meaning  '  face  ;'  but  it  la 
more  probably  the  Sanskrit  7'ush,  'displeasure.' 

R-30 


210  CHILDHOOD. 

Chaupdi  340. 

Full  of  love  at  the  vision  of  Rama's  beauty,  they  affec- 
tionately fall  at  his  feet  again  and  again,  nor  are  conscious  of 
shame,  so  rapt  is  their  soul  in  devotion  and  an  involuntary 
attachment  beyond  all  description.  After  bathing  him  and 
his  brothers  and  rubbing  his  body  with  cosmetics,  they 
lovingly  entertain  him  at  a  banquet  of  the  six  flavours. 
Then  seeing  that  the  time  had  come,  Ri^ma  said  to  them  in 
the  most  amiable,  loving  and  modest  tone  :  "  The  king  is 
desirous  of  starting  for  Avadh  and  has  sent  us  to  take  leave 
of  you.  0  mother,  be  pleased  to  give  me  your  commands 
and  ever  regard  me  with  affection  as  your  own  child."  At 
these  words  the  queens  grieved  sore  and  were  too  overcome 
by  love  to  speak  a  word,  but  clasped  their  daughters  to 
their  bosom  and  then  meekly  gave  them  to  their  lords. 

Chhand  60. 

Meekly  her  mother  surrendered  Sfta  to  Rdma,  crying 
again  and  again  with  hands  clasped  in  prayer:  —  "  Ah,  my 
son,  you,  T  ween,  are  all-wise,  and  to  you  are  apparent  the 
thought  of  all  men.  Know  well  that  Sita  is  dear  as  life  to 
the  king  and  myself,  nay,  to  all  her  kinsfolk  and  all  the 
people  of  the  city  ;  consider  her  amiability  and  her  affection 
and  accept  her  as  your  own  servant. 

Sorafhd  30.   l^J 

You  are  the  fullness  of  desire,    the  crown  of  wisdom,  the 
beloved    of  the   universe,  quick  to   recognize  merit  in  your 
votaries,  destroyer  of  evil,  Rdma  the  all  merciful." 
Chaupdi  341. 

So  saying,  the  queens  still  clung  to  his  feet  and  their 
voice  seemed  lost  as  it  were  in  the  quicksands  of  love.  On 
hearing  their  most  affectionate  address,  Rdma  showed  them 
the  highest  honour,  and  with  clasped  hands  bejrged  his^ 
conge  again  and  again  making  them  obeisance.  When  h< 
had  received  their  blessing,  he  bowed  once  more  and  thenj 
with  his  brothers  took  his  leave.  Treasuring  up  his  sweet 
and   gracious   image    in    their  heart,   the   queens  at   first 


CHILDHOOD.  211 

seemed    paralyzed  by  excess  of  love  :   but   summoning  up 

courage  they  called  their  daughters  and  again  and  again  gave 

them  a  maternal  embrace  :   then  leading   them  a  few    steps 

would  take  them  to  their  arms  yet  again  with  ever-growing 

mutual  love.     Time  after    time  they    left    their    attendants 

for  yet  one  more  last    embrace,  as  a   heifer  not   yet  weaned 

from  the  cow.  m 

Do}idU2.   Tf^ 

Every  one  in  the  palace,  attendant  and  all,  were  so  over- 
powered by  emotion  that  it  seemed  as  though  tliey  had 
made  the  city  of  Videha  the  very  home  of  piteousness  and 
lovers'  partings. 

Chaupdi  342. 

The  pet  parrots  and  mainas,  that  JAnaki  had  kept  in 
golden  cages  and  taught  to  speak,  cry  in  their  agitation  :  — 
'  Where  is  the  princes'?  '  and,  on  hearing,  which  of  them  was 
not  robbed  of  all  peace  of  mind  ?  When  birds  and  beasts 
were  thus  distrest,  how  can  the  feelings  of  the  people  be 
told  ?  Then  came  Janak  with  his  brother  (Kusa-dhvaja) 
overflowing  with  love  and  his  eyes  full  of  tears.  As  he 
gazed  upon  Sita,  all  his  courage  deserted  him  and  his 
eminent  asceticism  lasted  but  in  name.  As  he  clasped 
Jdnaki  to  his  bosom  the  stronghold  of  his  stern  philosophy 
was  broken  down.  All  his  wise  counsellors  admonished 
him  ;  and  seeing  the  unfitness  of  the  time  he  recovered  him- 
self, and  again  and  again  taking  his  daughter  to  his  heart 
he  ordered  a  gorgeous  palky  to  be  got  ready. 
Doha  343.  \n{ 

The  whole  court  was  overpowered  with  emotion,  when 
the  king,  perceiving  that  the  auspicious  moment  had  arrived, 
seated  the  bride  in  the  p^lki,  with  his  thoughts  intent  upon 
Ganes,  the  author  of  success. 

Chaupdi  343. 

The  monarch  gave  his  daughter  much  advice  and  in- 
structed her  in  the  whole  duty  of  women  and  in  family 
customs.     He  bestowed  upon  her  many    men-servants  and 


212  CHILDHOOD. 

maid-servants  and  all  her  own  favourite  attendants.  As 
she  went  on  her  way  the  citizens  were  in  distress,  but  all 
good  signs  and  auspicious  omens  were  forthcoming.  Brah- 
man's and  ministers  with  all  their  retinue  joined  company 
to  escort  the  RAja.  The  wedding-guests  made  ready  their 
chariots  and  elephants  and  horses,  and  there  was  a 
tumultuous  noise  of  music.  Then  Dasarath  called  up  all  the 
Brdhmans  and  gratified  them  with  gifts  and  compliments, 
and  putting  the  dust  of  their  lotus  feet  upon  his  head 
rejoiced— great  ting  as  he  was — to  obtain  their  benison. 
As  he  set  forth  on  his  way  with  his  thoughts  on  Ganes, 
every  omen  of  good  occurred.  ^   >   y 

Doha  344.      ^7 

The  gods  rained    down  flowers,  the   heavenly   nymphs 
sang  for  joy,  as  the  king  of  Avadh  set  forth  for  his  capital 
'midst  the  clash  of  jubilant  music. 
Chaupdi  344. 

Courteously  the  king(]ismissed  the  burghers  and  rever- 
ently bade  all  the  mendicants  approach  and  bestowed  upon 
them  ornaments  and  clothes  and  horses  and  elephants,  and 
affectionately  cherishing  them  made  them  stand  up  before 
him.  After  again  and  again  reciting  his  praises  they  turned 
home  with  R^ma  in  their  heart.  Though  Kosala's  lord 
spoke  time  after  time,  Janak  in  his  exceeding  love  would 
not  turn  back.  Once  more  said  the  king  in  gracious  tones 
•J  beg  you  to  turn  back,  sire  ;  you  have  come  a  great 
distance.'  At  last  he  dismounted  and  remained  standing,  his 
eyes  overflowing  with  love's  torrent.  Then  said  Vidoha's  lord 
with  folded  hands  and  in  a  voice  fraught  with  the  ambrosif 
of  affection  :— "  How  can  I  fitly  express  my  unworthiness^ 
on  whom  my  lord  has  conferred  such  high  honour  r  " 
Dohd  Si5.    I 

Kosala's  king  in  return  showed  the  profoundest  respect 
to  the  father  of  the  bride  and  his  retinue  ;  and  as  they  em- 
braced with  mutual  courtesy  their  heart  could  not  contaii 
the  love  they  felt, 


CHILDHOOD.  213 

Chaupdi  345. 
Janak  bowed  his  head  to   the  throng  of   saints   and  re- 
ceived a  blessing  from   all.     Next  he  reverently  saluted  his 
sons-in-law,    the    four  brothers,  each    a  treasure  of  beauty, 
amiability  and  accomplishments  :   and  clasping  his  gracious 
lotus  hands  he  cried  in  accents  begotten  of  love  :  — "  0  Rfima 
^  how   can   I   tell  thy  praise  ;  swan  of  the  Mdnas  lake  of  the 
saints  and  Mah^deva's  souls  ;  for  whose  sake  ascetics  prac- 
tise   their  asceticism;   devoid  of  anger,  infatuation,  selfish- 
ness and  pride  ;  the  all-pervading  Brahm,  the  invisible,  the 
immortal,  the  supreme  spirit,  at  once  the  sum  and  negation 
of  all  qualities;  whom  neither  words  nor  fancy  can  pourtray ; 
whom  all  philosophy  fails  to  expound  ;  whose  greatness  the 
divine  oracles  declare   unutterable,  and    who  remainest  the 
selfsame  in  all  time,  past,  present,  or  future  ? 
Doha  346.      V^ 
_        Source  of   every    joy,  thou    hast  revealed  thyself  to  my 
^  material   vision  ;    for    nothing   in  the  world    is  beyond  the 
reach  of  him  to  whom  God  is  propitious. 

Chaupdi  346. 

Thou  hast  magnified  me  in  every  way,  and  recognizing 
me  as  one  of  thy  servants  hast  made  me  thy  very  own.  Not 
ten  thousand  Siiradas  and  Seshnags,  though  they  kept  up 
their  count  for  a  myriad  ages,  could  tell  all  my  good  fortune 
or  thy  perfections  ;  know  this,  0  Raghunath;  yet  I  have 
somewhat  to  say  -  for  I  have  this  ground  of  confidence  that 
thou  art  easily  appeased  by  the  slightest  evidence  of  affec- 
tion—and therefore  time  after  time  I  implore  with  clasped 
hands  that  never  may  my  soul  be  deluded  into  deserting 
thy  feet."  On  hearing  these  excellent  sentiments,  the  true 
birth  of  devotion,  even  Rdma,  in  whom  all  pleasure  ever 
dwells,  was  pleased  and  with  much  courtesy  saluted  his 
father-in-law,  holding  him  equal  to  his  own  sire,  or  Visva- 
mitra,  or  Vasishta.  Next  he  bowed  himself  before  Bharat 
and  affectionately  embraced  him  and  gave  him  his  blessing. 


214  CHILDHOOD. 

Doha  347. 
Then  the  king  embraced    and    blessed  both    Lakshman 
and  Satrughna,  and  all  again  and  again    bowed    the  head, 
being  overpowered  with  mutual  love. 

Ghaupdi  347. 
At  last,  after  many  courtesies  and  flattering  speeches, 
Rdma  and  his  brothers  proceeded  on  their  way.  Then 
went  Janak  and  clasped  Visvamitra  by  the  feet  and  put  the 
dust  of  his  feet  on  his  head  and  eyes :-"  Hearken,  0 
greatest  of  saints  ;  now  that  I  have  seen  you,  I  am  persuaded 
that  nothing  is  beyond  my  attainment.  Such  bliss  and  glory 
as  the  sovereigns  of  the  universe  might  desire,  though  they 
would  be  ashamed  to  express  their  longing,  has  all,  my 
lord,  been  brought  within  my  reach,  for  all  prosperity 
follows  upon  seeing  you."  After  again  and  again  humbly 
bowing  the  head,  the  king  received  his  blessing  and  took 
leave  The  marriage  procession  set  forth  to  the  sound  of 
music,  and  the  whole  populace,  great  and  small,  were  all 
enraptured  and,  as  they  gazed  upon  Rdma  and  feasted  their 
eyes  upon  him,  were  happy  for  life.  y 

Dohd  348.    V    ^ 

Halting  at  convenient  stages  on  the  road,  to  the  great 
delight  of  the  people,  the  procession,  on  an  auspicious  day 
drew  near  to  Avadh. 

Ghaupdi  348. 

'Midst  the  beat  of  kettledrums  and  noise  of  many  tabors 
and  sackbuts  and  conches,  and  a  din  of  horses  and  elephants, 
and  clash  of  cymbals  and  drums  and  sweet-tuned  clarions, 
when  the  citizens  heard  the  procession  coming,  they  were 
all  in  a  tremor  of  delight,  and  every  one  began  to  decorate 
his  own  house  and  the  markets  and  streets  and  squares  and 
gates  of  the  city.  The  whole  roadway  was  watered  with 
perfumes  ;  on  every  side  were  festal  squares  filled  in  with 
elegant  devices ;  the  show  in  the  bdzar  was  beyond  all 
telling,  with  wreaths  and  flags  and   banners   and  canopies. 


CHILDHOOD.  215 

Trees  of  the  areca-nut  and  the  plantain  and  the  mango, 
the  mdlsari,  the  kadamb  and  the  tamdla,  were  transplanted 
all  laden  with  fruit,  and  grew  into  fine  trees  as  soon  as 
they  touched  the  soil,  being  set  in  jewelled  screens  of 
exquisite  workmanship. 

Doha  349.  ■  ^ 

In  house  after    house  festal   vases   of  every    kind  were 
ranged  in  order,    and  Brdhma    and  all  the    gods    were   de- 
lighted as  they  gazed  upon  the  city  of  Rdma. 
Chaupdi  349. 

At  that  time  the  king's  palace  was  so  resplendent  that 
the  god  of  love  was  distracted  by  the  sight  of  such  magni- 
ficence. It  was  as  though  everything  auspicious  and  of 
good  omen  and  all  beauty,  all  plenteousness  and  prosperity 
and  joy  and  felicity  and  gladness  had  come  in  bodily  form 
to  visit  King  Dasarath.  There  was  a  universal  longing  to 
get  a  sight  of  R^ma  and  JAnaki.  Troops  of  fair  women 
were  crowding  together,  each  exceeding  in  loveliness  the 
Lovegod's  queen,  all  with  festal  offerings  and  torches  and 
singing,  as  it  were  so  many  Saras vatis.  The  rejoicings  in 
the  palace  at  that  glad  time  are  beyond  all  description. 
Rd.m's  mother  Kausaly^  and  the  other  queens  were  too  ^ 
overcome  with  love  to  think  about  themselves. 

Doha  S50.     J  7^ 
They  bestowed  large  gifts   upon   the   Br^hmans,    after 
worshipping  Ganes  and  Mahadeva,  and  were  as  rejoiced  as 
Poverty  would  be  on  finding  the  four  great  prizes  of  life. 

Chaupdi  350. 
Each  roj^al  mother  was  so  overcome  with  love  and  de- 
light that  her  feet  refused  to  walk  and  the  whole  body  was 
paralyzed.  Greatly  longing  for  a  sight  of  Rama,  they  all 
began  preparing  the  lustral  lamps.  Instruments  of  music 
were  played  in  various  modes,  as  the  gjlad  Sumitr^  arranged 
her  auspicious  offering  of  turmeric,  d'^b  grass,  curds,  sprigs 
and  flowers,    pdn^   betelnut  and    well-favoured   roots,  rice. 


216  CHILDHtJOD. 

blades  of  wheat,  yellow  pigment,  parched  grain,  and 
bunches  of  the  graceful  tuls'i  in  embossed  golden  vases, 
so  exquisitely  beautiful  that  they  seemed  like  nests  made 
for  Love's  own  birdlings.  The  auspicious  offerings  and 
the  perfumes  were  beyond  all  telling  ;  there  was  nothing 
of  good  omen  which  each  one  of  the  queens  had  not 
prepared.  With  lustral  lights  arranged  in  various  devices 
they  sing  for  joy  melodious  festal  strains. 

Dohd  351.     ^'\^ 
With  golden   salvers  in  their  lotus    hands,  laden    with 
their   offerings,    and    their  body    quivering  with  etnotion, 
the  queens  go  forth  with  joy  to  perform  the  lustration. 

Ghaiip(^i  351. 
The  heaven  was  darkened  with  the  fumes  of  incense,  as 
though  overhung  with  Sevan's  densest  thunderclouds  :  the 
gods   rained    down    garlands   of    flowers   from  the  tree  of 
"T  paradise  which  seemed  to  the  beholders  as  cranes  in  grace- 
ful flight  ;    the   lustrous  jewelled   festoons  resembled  the 
rainbow  ;  the  maidens  on  the  house-tops,  now  in  sight  and 
now  out  of  sight,  were  like  tlie  fitful  flashes    of   lightning; 
the   beat  of   the   drums  was  as  the  crash  of  thunder  ;  the 
^   beggars   as   clamorous,   as    the   cuckoos  and  the  frogs  and 
peacocks  ;   the   sweet  perfumes  were  as  copious  showers  of 
rain,   and  all   the    people  of  the   city    like  the  freshened 
pastures.  Seeing  that  the  time  had  arrived,  the    yuru   gave 
the  word,  and  the  glory  of  Rughu's   line    made    his    entry 
into  the  city,  mindful  at  heart    of   Sambhu   and  Girja  and 
Ganes,  and  exulting  greatly,  he  and  all  his  retinue. 
Dohd  352.    3  ^  ^ 
Every  omen  was  auspicious  ;  the  gods  beat  their  drums 
and    rained    down    flowers,   while    the    heavenly    nymphs 
danced  for  joy  and  sang  jubilant  songs  of  triumph, 
Chaupdi  352. 
.    Bards,    minstrels,    rhapsodists,     mimes     and    players 
chanted  his   glory  that  irradiates  the  three  spheres.     In  all 


I 


CHILDHOOD.  217 

ten  regions  of  the  heaven  might  be  heard  loud  shouts  of 
victory  intermingled  with  the  religious  intoning  of  the 
Veda.  All  kinds  of  music  played,  and  gods  in  heaven  and 
men  on  earth  were  alike  enraptured.  The  magnificence 
of  the  procession  was  past  all  telling,  and  the  joy  was 
more  than  heart  could  contain.  The  citizens  made  a  pro- 
found obeisance  to  the  king,  and  then  were  gladdened  by 
a  sight  of  R^ma.  They  scatter  around  him  jewels  and 
vestments,  with  their  eyes  full  of  tears  and  their  body  all 
tremulous  with  excitement.  Their  wives  move  over  his 
head  the  lustral  lights  and  rejoice  greatly  to  behold  the 
four  noble  princes  ;  but  when  they  lifted  the  curtain  of 
the  well-appointed    pd.lki  and  saw   the  brides,  they   were 

still  more  glad.  ^  ^    , 

Dohd  S53.       ,S    1 

In   this   manner,    to  the   delight  of  all,  they  arrived  at 
the  gate   of   the  palace,  where  the  glad  queens  waved  the 
lustral  lights  over  the  princes  and  their  brides. 
Ghaupdi  353. 

Time  after  time  they  perform  the  ceremony  in  a  rapture 

of  love  that  is  beyond  all  words.     They  scatter   around   in 

boundless  profusion  gold  and  silver  ornaments  and  gems 

and   silks  of  every  kind,    and    as  they  gaze    on  their  four 

sons  and  their  brides,  are  overwhelmed   with   the    bliss   of 

heaven.     Again   and   again    as  they   regard  the  beauty  of 

Rdma   and    Slta,    they     think    with   joy   that   this  is  the 

happiest  moment  of  their  life.     As  her   companions   look 

again  and  again  into  Sita's  face  they  sing   and   exult  over 

their  good  fortune.     Every   moment  the  gods  rain  down 

flowers,  midst  dancing  and  singing  and  obsequious  homage. 

Seeing  four  such   charming   couples,     S^rada  looked  up 

all  her  similes,  but  not  one  would  do,  all  seemed  unworthy, 

and  she   could   only  stand   at  gaze   enchanted  with  their 

loveliness.  ^c^y 

Dohd  354.    ,1?^  ^ 

After  performing  all  the  rites  prescribed  by  the  Veda  or 

family  usage,  they  conduct  their  sons  and  their  brides  to  the 

R-31 


218  CHILDHOOD. 

palace;  sprinkling   lustral  water,  spreading  carpets  in  the 
way,  and  waving  torches. 

Chaupdi  354. 
After  seating  the  brides  and  their  grooms  on  four 
thrones  so  magnificent  that  they  seemed  as  if  made  by 
Love's  own  hands,  they  proceeded  reverently  to  lave  their 
sacred  feet  and  to  do  them  homage —all  holy  as  they  were  — 
with  incense  and  lights  and  oblations  in  accordance  with 
Vedic  ritual.  Time  after  time  they  pass  the  torch  around 
and  wave  over  their  head  gorgeous  fans  and  chauria  and 
scatter  profuse  gifts  ;  for  each  royal  mother  was  as  full  of 
exultation  as  a  devotee  who  has  obtained  beatitude  ;  or  a 
man  sick  all  his  life  who  has  gotten  an  elixir  ;  or  a  born 
beggar  who  has  found  the  philosopher's  stone  ;  or  a  blind 
man  restored  to  sight ;  or  a  dumb  man  endued  with  elo- 
quence ;  or  a  warrior  who  has  triumphed  in  battle. 
DohdS55-5Q.  3^^;  ^^ 
Greater  by  a  hundred  million  times  than  their  joy  was 
the  rapture  of  the  queens,  when  R^ma  and  his  brothers 
returned  home  married.  As  the  royal  matrons  performed 
the  accustomed  ceremonies,  the  brides  and  their  grooms 
were  much  confused,  but  R^ma  smiled  to  himself  on  be- 
holding their  joy  and  delight. 

Chaupdi  355. 
In  due  fashion  they  did  homage  to  the  gods  and  the 
spirits  of  their  ancestors,  and  every  imagination  of  the  heart 
was  satisfied.  Humbly  they  begged  of  all  the  highest  boon, 
namely,  the  prosperity  of  Rama  and  his  brothers,  and  the 
gods  unseen  conferred  their  blessing.  The  matrons  in  their 
joy  took  them  to  their  bosom,  while  the  king  sent  for  all 
who  had  joined  in  the  procession  and  gave  them  carriages 
and  raiment  and  jewels  and  ornaments.  Then,  on  receiv- 
ing permission,  and  still  cherishing  the  image  of  RAma  in 
their  heart,  they  returned  in  joy  each  to  his  own  abode. 
All  the  people  of  the  city,  both  men  and  women,  were  clad 
in  festal  attire,  and  in  every   home  was  a   noise  of  jubilant 


I 


CHILDHOOD.  219 

music.      Anything    that   a   beggar   begged    was   at   once 

bestowed  upon  him  by  the  glad  king,  and    every  attendant 

and  every  minstrel  band  was    overwhelmed  with   gifts  and 

compliments.  /_  ^  .^ 

DohdS57.    i>V^ 

All  profoundly  bowing  invoke  blessings  upon  him  and 
sing  his  praises,  as  the  king  with  his  guru  and  the  Brdh- 
mans  proceeded  to  the  palace. 

Chaupdi  356. 

Under  Vasishta's  directions  he  reverently  performed 
every  ceremony  prescribed  either  by  usage  or  the  Veda.  The 
queens,  on  seeing  the  throng  of  Br^hmans,  thought  them- 
selves most  highly  favoured  and  rose  to  greet  them.  After 
bathing  their  feet  and  doing  them  all  due  homage,  the  king 
feasted  them  at  a  banquet  and  loaded  them  with  affection- 
ate civilities  and  gifts.  Greatful  at  heart,  they  blessed 
him  at  parting.  To  the  son  of  G^dhi  he  paid  special 
homage,  saying  : — *  My  lord,  there  is  no  man  in  the  world 
so  blest  as  I  am  ;'  and  with  many  other  flattering  speeches 
both  he  and  his  queens  took  of  the  dust  of  his  feet.  Next 
he  assigned  him  a  splendid  apartment  within  the  palace ; 
the  king  and  his  royal  consorts  alike  watching  his  every 
wish.  Again  he  adored  his  lotus  feet  with  the  greatest 
humility  and  devotion.  , 

Dohd  35S.   ln> 

The  princes   and  their   brides,   the  king  and  his  royal 
consorts,  again  and  again   did    reverence  to  the  guru's  feet 
and  received  the  holy  man's  blessing. 
Chaupdi  357. 

With  humility  of  heart  and  deep  devotion  he  placed 
before  him  his  sons  and  everything  that  he  possessed.  But 
the  great  saint  asked  only  for  the  accustomed  offering,  and 
invoking  upon  him  every  blessing  set  out  with  joy  on  his 
homeward  way,  with  the  image  of  Rdma  and  Sita  impressed 
upon  his  heart.  Then  were  summoned  the  Brahman  dames 
and  the  elders  of  the  tribe  and  invested  with  fair  robes  and 


220 


CHILDHOOD. 


*?  ornaments  ;  and  next  the  younger  ladies  of  the  house,l  who 
too  were  presented  with  dresses  such  as  each  most  fancied. 
Every  person  with  any  claim  to  be  remembered  received 
from  the  jewel  of  kings  suitable  remembrance  according  to 
his  taste,  while  more  dear  and  honoured  friends  were  over- 
whelmed with  courtesies.  The  gods,  who  witnessed  Raghu- 
bir's  marriage,  rained  down  flowers  as  they  applauded  the 
spectacle,  ->  o-^ 

Doha  359.     J^  I 
and  with  beat  of  drum  returned  each  to  his  own  realm  ;  all 
highly  delighted   and    talking  to   one  another  of  RAma's 
glory  with  irrepressible  rapture. 

Chaupdi  358. 

The  king  showed  every  one  all  possible  honour,  and 
with  a  heart  full  to  overflowing  of  gladness  proceeded  to 
the  private  apartments,  and  then  gazing  upon  the  princes 
and  their  brides  took  them  to  his  bosom  in  a  rapturous 
embrace  and  with  a  joy  beyond  all  telling.  Seating  his 
little  daughters  in  his  lap  in  a  most  affectionate  manner,  he 
again  and  again  caressed  them  with  gladness  of  heart.  All 
the  ladies  of  the  harem  were  charmed  at  the  sight,  and 
their  soul  was  filled  with  happiness  and  exultation,  while 
they  listened  with  delight  to  the  king's  account  of  the 
marriage  and  his  praises  of  King  Janak's  virtue  and 
amiability,  and  the  kindness  of  his  reception  and  his 
generous  magnificence.  The  king  told  it  all  like  a  hired 
encomiast,  and  the  queens  were  enraptured  when  they 
heard  of  all  that  had  been  done.  ^ 

Dohd  ZQO. '^^^ 

After   bathing   with   his  sons   the  king  summoned  his 
guru's   kinsmen   and  entertained    them   at    a  sumptuous 
banquet  till  five  hours  of  the  night  were  spent. 
Chaupdi  359. 

Lovely  women  sang  joyous   songs,  and  the  night  was 


^^  1  The  tuoiini  in  a  Hindu  marriage   take  much  the  same   place  as  a 

'  bridesmaid  in   the  west ;   «nd   the  word  might  be  bo    translated,  were  it  not 
V  that  It  is  essential  for  the  suasini  to  be  herself  married  and  with  her  husband 
alive. 


CHILDHOOD.  221 

one  of  exquisite  happiness.  As  they  rose  from  their  seats, 
all  were  presented  with  pan  and  decorated  with  beautiful 
and  sweet-scented  garlands  ;  then  after  one  more  look  at 
Rdraa  and  bowing  the  head  they  received  the  royal  per- 
mission to  retire  each  to  his  own  abode.  The  display  of 
love  and  rapturous  delight  and  the  beauty  of  the  court  at 
that  time  was  more  than  could  be  told  by  a  hundred 
SArad^s  or  Seshn^gs  or  by  the  Veda,  or  Brdhma,  or  Mah6- 
deva,  or  Ganes  :  how  then  can  I  tell  it,  any  more  than  an 
earthly  serpent  could  support  the  world  on  its  head  ?  After 
showing  every  one  the  highest  honour,  the  king  in  gentle 
tones  addressed  the  queens  :  -"  The  brides  are  but  children, 
and  have  come  to  a  strange  house  ;  watch  over  them  as 
closely  as  the  eyelid  guards  the  eye. 

DohdSQl.     l^ 

Go  and  put  them  to  bed,  for  they  are  tired  and  sleepy." 
And  so  saying  he  retired  to  his  own  couch  with  his 
thoughts  intent  on  Rdma's  feet. 

Ghaupdi  360. 

On  hearing  the  king's  kind  words,  they  made  ready  the 
bed,  which  was  of  gold  and  set  with  gems,  with  various 
rich  coverings  as  soft  and  white  as  the  froth  of  milk,  and 
pillows  finer  than  words  can  tell.  In  the  jewelled  chamber 
were  sweet-scented  garlands,  and  a  beautiful  canopy  flash- 
ing with  lustrous  gems  which  defied  description ;  no  one 
who  had  not  seen  it  could  imagine  it.  When  they  had 
prepared  this  exquisite  couch,  they  took  up  R^ma  and 
lovingly  laid  him  down  upon  it,  who  again  and  again  had 
to  tell  his  brothers  to  leave  him  before  they  too  retired 
to  rest.  On  seeing  his  dark  little  body,  so  soft  and  delicate, 
the  fond  mothers  cried  :— "  0  my  son,  how  could  you  kill 
on  the  way  the  terrible  monster  Tarak^  ? 
Doha  362.     •:, 

How  were  you  able  to  slay  those  savage  demons,  those 
ferocious  warriors,  who  in  battle  held  no  man  of  any 
account,  the  vile  M^richa  and  Subdhu  and  all  their  host  ? 


222  CHILDHOOD. 

Chaupdi  361. 

It  was  by  the  saint's  favour,  I  vow,  my  son,  that  God 

averted  from  you  countless  calamities,  while  you  and  your 

brother  guarded  the  sacrifice  ;  and  by  your  guru's  blessing 

you  acquired  all    knowledge.     At  the  touch  of   the  dust  of 

your  feet  the  hermit's  wife  attained  to  salvation  :  the  whole 

/      //^  world  is  filled  with  your  glory  :  in  the  assembly    of  princes 

you  broke  Siva's  bow,  though  ■lord    oa  a   tortoise-shell  or  a 

thunderbolt  ;    you  have  won    universal   glory  and    renown 

and  J^naki  for  your  bride,  and  have  now  with  your  brothers 

returned  home    married.     All   your    actions  are  more  than 

human  ;  it  is   only  by    Visvamitra's   good    favour  that   you 

have  prospered.    To-day  my  birth  into  the  world  has  borne 

fruit,  now  that  I  see  your  moon-like  face,  my  son.  The  days 

that  were  spent  without  seeing  you,  God  ought  not  to   take 

into  account  at  all." 

Doha  363.  -1  ;  / 

K^main  most  modest  phrase  reassured  the  royal  dames, 
and  meditating  on  the  feet  of  Sambhu  and  his  guru  and  all 
Brdhmans,  he  closed  his  eyes  in  sleep. 
Chaupdi  362. 

As  he  slept,  his  pretty  and  piquant  little  mouth  gleamed 
like  a  red  lotus,  half  closed  at  eventide.  In  every  house 
women  kept  vigil  and  jested  with  one  another  in  auspicious 
wise.  The  city  was  so  brilliant,  nay,  so  brilliant  the  night 
itself  that,  the  queens  cried  "  See,  girls,  see."  The  matrons 
slept  with  the  beauteous  brides  enfolded  in  their  arms,  as 
lovingly  as  a  serpent  would  clasp  to  his  bosom  the  precious 
jewel  from  inside  its  head.  At  the  holy  hour  of  dawn  the 
lord  awoke,  ere  Chanticleer  had  well  begun  to  crow.  Mins- 
trels and  bards,  proclaimed  his  praises  and  the  citizens 
flocked  to  the  gate  to  do  him  homage.  The  four  brothers 
saluted  the  BrAhmans,  the  gods,  their  guru,  and  their 
father  and  mother,  and  gladly  received  their  blessing  and 
while  the  queens  reverentially  gazed  upon  their  face 
advanced  with  the  king  to  the  door. 


CHILDHOOD.  223 

Pure  though  they  were  in  themselves,  they  performed 
all  the  customary  ablutions  and  bathed  in  the  holy  river 
and  completed  their  morning  devotions  ere  they  returned 
to  their  sire. 

Ghaupdi  363. 

The  king  on  seeing  them  took  them  to  his  bosom.  Then 
at  his  command  they  gladly  seated  themselves.  The  whole 
court  was  rejoiced  at  the  sight  of  R^ma,  and  accounted 
their  eyes  supremely  blest.  Then  came  saints  Vasishta 
and  Visvamitra  and  were  conducted  to  exalted  thrones. 
Father  and  sons  reverently  adored  their  feet,  and  both  the 
holy  men  rejoiced  as  they  gazed  on  Rdma.  Vasishta  recited 
sacred  legends,  while  the  monarch  and  his  queens  listen- 
ed. He  told  with  joy  in  diffuse  strain  of  all  the  doings  of 
Gadhi's  son  which  surpass  even  the  imagination  of  the 
saints.  Cried  Vamadeva  : — "  The  tale  is  true  ;  its  fame 
has  become  renowned  through  the  three  worlds."  All  who 
heard  were  glad,  but  in  Rima  and  Lakshman's  heart  there 
was  exceeding  joy. 

Doha  365.  2^  5? 

Thus  passed  the    days  in   perpetual   delight,  happiness 
and  festivity  ;  and  the  whole  of  Avadh  was  full  to  overflow- 
ing with  bliss  that  was  ever  on  the  increase. 
Ghaupdi  364. 

After  calculating  an  auspicious  day,  they  loosened  the 
string  on  the  wrist^  with  no  little  solemnity  and  rejoicing. 
The  gods,  beholding  the  constant  succession  of  delight, 
were  in  raptures  and  begged  of  Brdhma  that  they  might 
be  born  at  Avadh.  Visvamitra  was  always  wishing  to  take 
leave,  but  was  persuaded  by  Rama's  affectionate  entreaties 
to  stay  on.  Day  after  day,  seeing  the  king's  devotion  and 
the  excellence  of  his   nature,  the   great  saint   was  loud   in 

1  A  few  days  before  marriage  the  wrist  is  bound  round  with  a  piece  of 
cloth  containing  particles  of  difiEerrnt  things  that  are  supposed  to  possess  a 
hidden  virtue ;  and  this  is  not  taken  off  again  till  after  the  marriage  is 
completed. 


224  CHILDHOOD. 

his  praises.  When  he  asked  permission  to  go,  the  king 
was  greatly  moved  and  with  his  sons  stood  before  him  in 
the  way,  saying:—"  My  lord,  all  that  I  have  is  yours,  and  I, 
my  sons,  and  my  wives  are  your  servants;  be  ever  gracious 
to  these  boys  and  allow  met  to  see  you."  So  saying  the 
king  with  his  sons  and  his  queens  fell  at  his  feet,  and 
speech  failed  his  tongue.  The  Brahman  invoked  upon 
him  every  kind  of  blessing  and  set  forth  amidst  a  display 
of  affection  that  is  past  all  telling,  R^ma  and  his  brothers 
lovingly  escorting  him  till  they  received  orders  to  return. 
Dohd  366.     ^  ^ty 

The  moon  of  Gfidhi's    race    went  onr  his    way    rejoicing 
and  praising  to  himself  the  beauty  of  Rdma,    the    piety  of 
the  king  and  the  magnificence  of  the  marriage  festivities. 
Chaupdi  365. 

The  VAmadeva,  the  learned  guru  of  the  house  of  Raghu, 
again  told  the  story  of  GAdhi's  son.  As  he  listened  to  the 
saint's  high  fame,  the  king  thought  to  himself  how  effica- 
cious his  own  good  deeds  had  been.  At  his  command  the 
crowd  dispersed,  while  the  king  and  his  sons  entered  the 
palace.  Everywhere  the  glory  of  Rama's  wedding  was 
sung,  and  his  holy  fame  was  diffused  through  the  three 
worlds.  From  the  day  that  R4ma  brought  his  wife  home, 
all  delight  made  its  home  at  Avadh.  The  rejoicings 
attendant  on  the  lord's  marriage  were  more  than  the 
tongue  of  the  serpent  king  could  tell,  but  knowing  the 
praises  of  RAma  and  Sita  to  be  a  mine  of  auspiciousness 
and  the  very  life  and  salvation  of  the  race  of  poets,  I  too 
have  tried  to  sing  them,  in  the  hope  of  thus  sanctifying 
my  song. 

Ghhand  61-62. 

For  the  purpose  of  sanctifying  his  song  has  Tulsi  told 
of  Rima's  glory  ;  but  the  acts  of  Raghubir  are  a  boundless 
ocean  that  no  poet  can  traverse.  All  pious  souls,  that 
devoutly  hear  or  recite  the  auspicious  festivities  that 
accompanied   RAma's   investiture   with  the  sacred  thread 


CHILDHOOD.  225 

and  his  marriage,  shall  by  his  and  Vaidehi's  favour  attain 
to  everlasting  felicity.  ^Blessing  on  the  lord  of  Himalaya's 
daughter,  from  whom  have  learnt  my  song  :  all  who  hearken 
to  Hari's  deeds  acquire  a  constant  access  of  devotion  and 
incomparable  faith.  The  love  of  Raghubir's  feet,  like  a 
flood,  extinguishes  at  once  the  fire  of  covetousness  ;  and  in 
this  assurance  Tulsi  Dds  devotes  his  every  thought  and 
word  and  act  to  Hari's  praise.  ? 

Doha  367. 

(  The  times  are  evil ;  the  body  is  stained  vvitlj  filth  ;  there 
is  but  one  remedy  ;  he  only  is  wise  who  so  thinketh  and  in 
faith  meditates  upon  Hari. 

Sorathd  31     32. 

(  Have  a  hearty  love  for  Hari's  feet,  discarding  all  vanities  ; 
much  time  has  been  spent  in  sleep  ;  awake  from    the  dark-  ^ 

ness    of    delusion.)     Whoever    with    love    and    reverence  -^  ^^ 
listens  to  the    tale  of  Rama    and    S'ta's  marriagre    shall    be 
happy  for  ever,  for  Rama's  praises  are  an  unfailing  joy. 


{^TJiiis  endeth  the  booh  entitled  childhood,  composed  hy 
Tulsi  Dds  for  the  bestowed  of  pure  wisdom^  continence  and 
contentednfss  :  being  the  first,  descent  into  '  the  holy  lake  of 
Rdma^s  deed^s^  that  clemses  from,  every  defilement  of  the 
world.'] 


R-32 


BOOK  II. 

AYODHYA. 


AYODHYA.  229 

AYODHYa. 


Sanskrit  Invocation. 

May  he  on  whose  left  side  shines  resplendent  the  daugh- 
ter of  the  mountain-king  ;  on  whose  head  is  the  river  of  the 
gods;  on  whose  brow  the  crescent  moon  ;  on  whose  throat 
the  poison-stain  ;  on  whose  breast  a  huge  snake  ;  whose 
adornments  are  streaks  of  ashes  ;  the  chief  of  divinities  ; 
the  eternal  lord  of  all  ;  the  complete,  the  omnipresent,  the 
moon-like  Siva,  the  holy  Sankara ;  may  he  protect  me. 

May  he  who  neither  rejoiced  when  anointed  king,  nor 
was  saddened  by  painful  exile  in  the  woods  ;  the  holy  son 
of  Raghu  of  the  lotus  face;  may  he  ever  vouchsafe*  to  me 
success  and  prosperity.  Him  I  adore,  with  his  body  dark 
and  soft  as  the  lotus,  with  Sita  erjthroned  on  his  left  side, 
with  graceful  bow  and  arrows  in  hand,  even  Rama,  the 
lord  of  the  race  nf  Raghu. 

Doha   I. 

Cleansing  the  mirror  of  my  soul  with  the  sand  from  the 
lotus  feet  of  the  holy  guru,  I  sing  Rama's  sp  otless  fame,  the 
giver  of  all  good  things. 

Chaup^i. 

From  the  time  that  Rama  returned  home  with  his  bride 
there  was  a  constant  succession  of  joys  and  delights.  Thn 
fourteen  spheres  were  like  the  great  mountains,  where  clouds 
of  virtue  fall  in  showers  of  happiness  ;  wealth,  affluence  and 
prosperity  were  bounteous  rivers,  which  overflowed  into 
Avadh  as  into  the  ocean  ;  while  the  noble  citizens,  men  and 
women  alike,  were  its  brilliant  pearls,  all  precious  and  of 
perfect  beauty  The  magnificence  of  the  capital  was  beyond 
description,  it  seemed  the  chief  d^muvre  of  the  Creator.  Ga- 
zing on  Rdmchandra's  moon-like  face,  the  people  were  per- 
fectly happy  ;  the  queens  and  all  their  attendants  were 
enraptured  to  see  their  heart's  desire  bear  fruit  ;  and  still 
more  enraptured  was  the  king,  as  he  heard  tell  and  saw  for 


230  AYODHYA. 

himself  lUma's   beauty     and   accomplishmeuts   and    ami- 
ability. 

Doha  2. 

In  every  heart  was  one  desire,  which  they  expressed  in 
their  prayers  to  MahAdeva  :  "  0  that  the  king  in  his  own 
lifetime  would  entrust  Rama  with  the  regency." 

Chaupni. 

One  day  the  monarch  sat  enthroned  in  court  with  all  his 
nobles.  Himself  the  incarnation  of  every  Virtue,  he  was 
delighted  beyond  measure  to  hear  of  RAma's  renown.  All 
kings  were  solicitous  for  his  patronage,  and  the  very  gods 
desired  his  friendship.  No  man  so  blest  as  Dasarath  in  the 
three  spheres  of  the  universe,  or  in  all  time  — past,  present 
or  to  come.  Words  fail  to  describe  his  blessecbiess,  who 
had  for  his  son  RAma,  the  source  of  every  bliss.  The  king 
happened  to  take  a  mirror  in  his  hand,  and  looking  at  his 
face  in  it  set  his  crown  straight.  Close  to  his  ear  was  a 
white  hair  like  old  age  whispering :  —  "  0  king,  make 
Rima  regent,  and  thus  accomplishment  the  purpose  of 
your  life." 

Doha   3. 

Having  thus  considered  and  settled  it  in  his  mind,  the 
king  on  an  auspicious  day  and  at  a  fitting  time,  his  body 
quivering  with  emotion  and  liis  soul  full  of  joy,  went  and 
declared  his  purpose  to  his  guru. 

Ghaupdi. 

Said  the  king  :  Hearken,  great  saint  ;  Rdma  is  now  per- 
fect in  every  accomplishment.  Servants,  ministers,  the  whole 
body  of  citizens,  whether  my  enemies  or  friends  or  indif- 
ferent to  me,  all  hold  Rima  as  dear  as  even  I  do,  and 
regard  him  as  a  glorious  incarnation  of  my  lord's  blessing. 
The  Br^hmans  and  their  families,  reverend  sir,  have  the 
same  love  for  him  as  you  have.  They,  who  put  on  their 
head  the  dust  from  the  feet  of  their  spiritual  father,  obtain 
as  it  were  the  mastery  over  all  dominion.  There  is  no  man 
^  ,my  equal  ;  but  all  that  I  have  flows   from    the    worship  of 


AYODHYA.  231 

your  holy  feet.  I  have  now  a  desire  at  heart ;  it  can  only 
be  accomplished,  my  lord,  by  your  good  favour."  The 
saint  was  pleased  to  witness  his  sincere  devotion  and 
said  :  "  0  king  give  me  your  commands. 

Doha   4. 

Your  name  and  glory,  sire,  provide  for  every  wish  ;  on 
every  desire  of  your  soul,  0  jewel  of  kings,  success  follows 
naturally." 

Chaupdi. 

When  he  saw  the  guru  so  amiably  disposed,  the  king 
replied  smilingly  in  gentle  tones  :  "  My  lord,  invest  R^ma 
with  regal  powers ;  be  pleased  to  direct  tlie  necessary 
arrangements  to  be  made.  Let  this  happy  event  take  place 
in  my  lifetime,  that  the  eyes  of  all  people  may  be  gladdened 
by  the  sight.  By  my  lord's  blessing  Siva  has  brought 
everything  happily  to  pass,  but  I  have  still  this  one  desire 
at  heart.  It  will  then  be  a  matter  of  no  concern  whether 
I  remain  in  the  body  or  depart  hence,  if  I  have  nothing  on 
this  score  whereof,  to  repent"'  When  the  saint  heard 
Dasarath's  noble  words,  he  experienced  the  greatest  delight : 
"  Hearken,  0  king  ;  the  lord  whose  averted  face  all  crea- 
tures lament,  and  to  whom  one  mast  pray  for  removal  of  all  \ 
distress,  has  been  born  your  son  even  the  holy  and  com- 
passionate Rama. 

Doha  5. 

Quick,  0  king,  let  there  be  no  delay,  but  at  once  Uiake 
all  the  preparations  :  happy  and  auspicious  indeed  the  day 
when  Rdma  is  proclaimed  regent." 

Chaupdi. 
The  glad  king  proceeded  to  the  palace  and  summoned 
his  servant,  the  minister  Sumanta.  He  bowed  the  head, 
crying  '  All  hail,'  and  the  king  then  declared  to  him  the 
glad  news  :  "  To-day  to  my  great  joy  the  guru  has  charged 
me  to  install  R^ma  as  heir  to  the  throne.  If  the  proposal 
seems  good  to  the  council,  prepare  with  gladness  to  impress 


232  AYODHYA. 

the  royal  mark  on  Rdrna's  brow."  The  minister  was 
rejoiced  to  hear  these  gracious  words,  which  fell  like  a 
shower  of  rain  on  the  young  plant  of  his  desire  With 
clasped  hands  he  made  his  petition :  "  0  lord  of  the  world, 
live  for  ever  ;  the  deed  you  propose  is  good  and  beneficent  ; 
haste,  my  lord,  let  us  have  no  delay."  The  king  was 
deliglited  by  his  minister's  assent,  like  a  creeper  that 
spreads  apace  when  it  has  once  clasped  a  strong  bough. 

Dohd  6. 
Said  the  king  :     "  Whatever  orders  "the  saint  may  give 
with   regard    to    Rdma's    coronation,    see  that  you  perform 
with  all  speed." 

Ghaupdi. 

In  gentle  accents  the  glad  saint  spoke  and  said  :  "  Bring 
water  from  all  holy  places,  and  all  kirids  of  herbs,  roots, 
fruits  and  flowers  fenumerating  by  name  every  auspicious 
variety)  with  chauriea  of  different  sizes  apparel  of  all  sorts, 
both  of  wool  and  silk  and  every  other  material,  with  jewels 
and  all  the  auspicious  things  tliat  there  are  in  the  world, 
that  are  fit  for  a  king's  installation."  Then  after  repeating 
all  the  forms  prescribed  in  the  Veda,  he  said  :  "  Erect  in 
the  city  a  number  of  pavilions,  and  plant  the  streets  in 
every  quarter  with  fruit-bearing^  mangoes  and  trees  of 
betel-nut  and  plantains,  and  fashion  bright  and  beautiful 
jewelled  squares,  and  have  all  the  bazdrs  speedily  decorated, 
and  do  reverence  to  Ganes  and  your  guru  and  your  family 
god,  and  diligently  serve  the  BrAhmans. 

Dohd  7. 

Make  ready  flags  and  banners  and  wreaths  and  vases, 
horses  too,  and  chariots  and  elephants."  All  were  obedient, 
to  the  holy  sage's  words  and  busied  themselves  each  in  his 
own  special  work. 

Chaupdi 

Whatever  the  order  that  any  one  had  been  given  by 
the   saint,  that  he  regarded   as  the  very  first  thing  to  be 

1  For  .m-p/mi,  '  fruit-bearing,' somn    M*^^.    read  panas,   'the   jaok-fruit 
or  Artocarpus  integrifolia ' 


AYODHYA.  233 

done.  The  king  worships  Br^hmans,  saints  and  gods,  and 
does  everything  to  promote  Rama's  prosperity.  On  hearing 
the  glad  news  of  Rama's  installation,  all  Avadh  resounded 
with  songs  of  jubilee.  Good  omens  declared  themselves 
in  the  body,  both  of  R^ma  and  Sita  by  a  sudden  quiver  of 
the  lucky  side,  and  they  said  affectionately  to  one  another  : 
"  This  betoken,  Bharat's  return.  We  have  greatly  missed 
him  for  many  a  long  day.  This  good  sign  assures  us  of 
a  friend's  approach,  and  in  the  whole  world  there  is  no 
friend  so  dear  to  us  as  Bharat  :  this  good  omen  can  have 
but  one  meaning."  Every  day  Rdma  is  as  lovingly  anxious 
about  his  brother  as  a  turtle  for  its  eggs  in  the  sand  far 
away. 

Dohd  8. 

At  that  time  the  ladies  of  the  court  were  as  delighted 
to  hear  these  most  glad  tidings  as  the  waves  of  ocean 
swell  with  joy  on  beholding  the  moon  in  its  glory. 

Chaupdi. 

First  they  took  care  that  those  who  brought  the  news 
were  richly  guerdoned  with  jewels  and  robes;  then  with 
a  body  all  quivering  with  emotion  and  soul  full  of  love, 
they  proceeded  to  make  all  festal  preparations.  Samitra 
filled  in  a  lovely  square  with  exquisite  gems  of  every  kind  ; 
Rama's  mother,  drowned  in  joy,  sent  for  a  crowd  of 
Brdhmans  and  loaded  them  with  gifts  ;  then  worshipped 
the  local  divinity  and  the  gods  and  the  serpents,  and  vowed 
them  future  sacrifices,  praying  ;  "In  your  mercy  grant  me 
this  boon,  that  Rdma  prosper."  Auspicious  strains  are 
chanted  by  moonfaced,  fawneyed  damsels,  with  voice 
sweet  as  that  of  the  koil. 

Dohd  9. 
On  hearing   of   Rdma's    installation,    all   good    women 
were  glad  of  heart    and  began  diligently    to   make  festal 
preparations,  thinking  God  to  be  gracious  to  them . 

R— 33 


234  AYODHVl.. 

Ghaupdi. 

Then  the  monarch  summoned  Vasishtha  and  sent  him 
to  Rama's  apartments  to  inform  him  of  the  coming  event. 
When  RaghunAth  heard  of  the  gurus  approach,  he  came  to 
the  door  and  bowed  his  head  at  his  feet,  and  after  reverent- 
ly sprinkling  lustral  water,  conducted  him  in  and  paid 
him  honour  in  the  sixteen^  prescribed  modes.  Then 
after  again  with  Sita  clasping  his  feet,  Rdma  thus  spoke 
his  lotus  hands  folded  in  prayer  :  "  For  a  lord  to  visit  his 
servant's  house  is  a  source  of  great  joy,  a  cure  for  all 
distress  ;  yet  it  had  been  more  fitting,  sir,  and  more  in 
accordance  with  custom,  had  you  kindly  sent  to  say  you 
wanted  me.  Since  my  lord  has  graciously  waived  his 
prerogative,  my  house  has  to-day  become  highly  blest. 
Let  me  know,  holy  father,  what  are  your  orders  ;  it  is  for 
a  servant  to  do  his  master  service. 
Dohd  10. 

On  hearing  these  afEectionate  words  the  saint  extolled 
Raghubir  :  "  0  Rdma,  glory  of  the  Solar  race,  it  is  like  you 
to  speak  thus" 

Ghaupdi. 

After  eulogizing  R4ma's  high  qualifications  and  ami- 
able character,  the  great  saint  with  much  emotion  explain- 
ed :  "  The  king  has  prepared  for  a  royal  installation,  and 
wishes  to  confer  upon  you  the  dignity  of  regent.  To-day, 
R^ma,  you  should  devote  yourself  to  practices  of  devotion, 
that  God  may  bring  the  matter  to  a  happy  issue."     Having 

1  The  16  modes  of  showing  honour  are  as  follows  :  (I)  a«/;t.  a  seat  ; 
(2)  (ii'gha,  lustral  water  ;  (3)  pAdya,  water  for  the  feet  ;  (4)  sndn,  a  bath  ; 
(5)  drhamaii,  water  for  rinsing  the  mouth  ;  (6)  gandhdkxhat,  perfumes 
and  rice,  the  former  only  being  offered  to  Vishnu,  tiie  latter  to  Mahsideva  ; 
(7)  vastra,  raiment;  (8)  d  hup,  incense  ;  {9)  dtp,  lights;  (\0)  naivedya, 
temple  offerings;  (11)  mukhahasta-jal,  water  for  the  face  and  han<l8  ; 
(12)  tdnihida,  betel-leaf  ;  (I'A) puga-pkal,  betel-nut  ;  (14)  dakth'md  :  a  gift  ; 
(15)  pradakxfiim,  circumamhulation  ;  and  (16)  nirdjdn,  lustration.  As 
some  of  these  ceremonies  take  place  at  the  reception  of  a  guest  and  some 
at  his  departure,  they  would  never  be  all  performed  at  once.  But  here,  as 
in  many  other  paralled  phrases,  a  difinite  number,  the  highest  that  couJd 
under  any  circumstances  be  predicated  of  the  subject,  is  used  to  express, 
merely  the  general  idea  of  completeness. 


1 


AYODHYA.  2d5 

thus  admonished  him,  the  guru  returned  to  the  king ; 
while  Rama's  heart  was  all  amazement  :  "  My  brothers 
and  I  were  all  born  together,  and  together  have  we  ate  and 
slept  and  played  in  childhood  ;  the  piercing  of  our  ears, 
the  investiture  with  the  sacred  thread,  our  marriage,  in 
short  all  our  rejoicings  have  taken  place  together.  This  is 
the  one  flaw  in  a  spotless  line  that  the  eldest  only  should 
be  enthroned  without  his  younger  brothers."  These 
gracious  regrets  on  the  part  of  the  lord  remove  all  unworthy 
suspicion  from  the  mind  of  his  votaries. i 

Doha  11. 

Then  came  Lakshman,  full  of  love  and  joy,  and  was 
welcomed  with  words  of  affection  by  the  moon  of  the  lily- 
like Solar  race. 

Ghaupdi. 

There  was  a  noise  of  music  of  every  kind,  and  the  de- 
light of  the  city  was  beyond  description.  All  prayed  for 
Bharat's  return,  that  he  might  come  quickly  and  like  them 
enjoy  the  spectacle.  In  every  street  and  lane  and  house 
and  market  and  place  of  resort,  men  and  women  were  say- 
ing to  one  another  :  **  When  will  to-morrow  come  and  the 
auspicious  moment  in  which  God  will  accomplish  our 
desire ;  when,  with  Sfta  by  his  side,  R^ma  will  take  his 
seat  on  the  golden  throne  and  all  our  wises  be  gratified." 
They  were  all  saying :  "  Whe  will  to-morrow  come  ?  " 
But  the  envious  gods  prayed  that  difficulties  might  arise ;  ^ 
the  rejoicings  at  Avadh  pleased  t  em  as  little  as  a  moonlight 
night  pleases  a  thief.  So  they  humbly  called  in  Sdradd  and  • 
again  and  again  threw  themselves  at  her  feet : 

Dohd  12. 

*'  0  mother,  regard  our  great  distress  and  make  haste 
to  relieve  it.  It  Rdma  refuses  the  throne  and  retires  into 
the  forest,  all  will  be  well  with  us." 


1  If  R^ma  bad  at  once  and  gladly  accepted  the  proffered  dignity,  it 
might  have  been  urged  by  objectors  that  he  had  taken  an  unfair  advantage 
of  his  brother  Bharat's  absence. 


236  AYODHYA. 

Ghaupdi. 
On  hearing  this  prayer  of  the  gods,  she  stood  still 
thinking  sadly  :  "  I  am  like  a  winter's  night  to  a  bed  of 
lotuses."  The  gods  seeing  her  hesitate  cried  yet  once 
more  :  **  0  mother,  not  the  least  blame  will  attach  to  you  ; 
for  Raghu-rdo — you  know  his  nature  well — is  exempt  from 
sorrow  as  from  joy  ;  and  (as  for  his  people)  they,  like  all 
other  creatures,  have  their  share  in  pain  or  pleasure,  under 
the  law  of  necessity  :  go  therefore  to  Avadh  and  befriend  us 
gods."  Time  after  time  they  clasped  her  feet,  till  she 
yielded  and  went,  though  still  thinking  to  herself  :  "  the 
gods  are  raeanspirited  crew  ;  though  they  dwell  on  high, 
their  acts  are  low  ;  and  they  cannot  endure  to  see  another's 
prosperity."  Again  reflecting  on  the  future,  that  the  ablest 
poets  would  do  her  will,^  she  became  cheerful  of  heart  and 
flew  to  the  city  of  Dasarath,  as  it  were  some  intolerably 
inauspicious  aspect  of  the  placets. 

Dohd  13. 

Now  Kaikeyi    had  a  wicked  handmaid,   by  name   Man- 
thard.     Her  ideas  S^radd    first  distorted   and   made  her  a 
very  storehouse  of  meanness  and  then  went  her  way. 
Chaupdi. 

When  MantharA  saw  the  preparations  in  the  city,  the 
joyous  festivities,  the  music  and  the  singing,  she  asked  the 
people :  "  What  mean  these  rejoicings  ?  "  When  she  heard  of 
Rama's  inauguration,  her  soul  was  afire  and  she  plotted, 
wicked  wretch  that  she  was,  how  that  very  night  to  defeat 
it  ;  like  a  crafty  hillworaan,  who  has  spied  a  honeycomb 
hanging  from  a  tree  and  schemes  how  to  get  hold  of  it.  So 
she  went  crying  to  Bharat's  mother.  "  What  is  wrong 
now  ?  "  the  queen  smiled  and  said.  She  gave  no  answer, 
but  drew  a  deep  sigh  and,  like  a  woman,  began  shedding  a 

I  If  Rimagoes  into  exile,  his  adventures  will  form  an  iDexbaustible  theme 
for  the  poets  of  all  time,  who  will  therefore  be  always  invoking  my  aid  and 
propitiatinp  my  good  will. 


AYODHYA..  237 

flood  of  tears.  Said  the  queen  laughing  :  "You  were  always 
an  impudent  girl,  and  Lakshman,  I  suspect,  has  been  giving 
you  a  lesson."  Still  the  wicked  handmaid  said  not  a  word, 
but  breathed  hard  like  some  venomous  serpent. 

Doha  14. 

Said  the  queen  with  a  nervous  smile  ;  "Is  Rdma  not 
well,  or  the  king,  or  Bharat,  or  Lakshman,  or  Satrughna  ?  " 
These  words  tortured  the  heart  of  the  hump  backed  girl.^ 

Ohaupdi. 

"  Why,  0  lady,  should  any  one  give  me  a  lesson,  and 
who  is  there  to  encourage  me  in  any  impudence?  With 
whom  again  is  it  well  to-day  if  not  with  Rdma,  whom  the 
king  is  now  associating  with  himself  on  the  throne  ?  God 
has  been  very  gracious  to  Kausalyfi ;  and  after  seeing  her, 
who  else  can  have  any  pride  left  ?  Why  not  go  and  see  all 
the  magnificence,  the  sight  of  which  has  so  agitated  me  ? 
Your  son  is  away  and  you  take  no  heed,  making  sure  of 
your  influence  with  the  king,  and  not  observing  his  trea- 
chery and  wiliness  so  drowsy  are  you  and  so  anxious  for 
your  bed  and  pillow."  On  hearing  this  affectionate  address, 
the  queen — who  knew  well  her  froward  mind— cried  : 
"  Peace,  have  done.  If  you  speak  to  me  again  in  this  way, 
you  mischief-maker,  I  will  have  your  tongue  pulled  out." 
Dohd  15. 

But  remembering  that  the  one-eyed,  the  lame  and  the 
hump-backed  are  ever  vicious  and  vile,  more  especially  if 
they  be  women  to  boot,  and  slaves,  Bharat's  mother  smiled 
and  added  : 

Ghaupdi. 

"  I   have   only   given  you  kind  advice   and  am  not  the 
least  bit  angry.     If  what  you  say  is  true,  it  is  the  best  and    -. 
happiest  of  days.    It  has  ever  been  the  custom  in  the  Solar 

1  Because  the  fact  that  the  queen  asked  first  of  all  about  Rdma's  wel- 
fare showed  ^er  intense  love  for  him. 


238  ATQDHTA. 

race  that  the  eldest- born  should  be  the  lord,  and  the  young- 
er brothers  his  servants.  II  R^ma  is  really  to  be  crowned 
to-morrow,  ask  of  me,  girl,  what  you  will  and  I  will  give  it 
you.  There  is  no  difference  between  KausalyA  and  the 
other  royal  mothers.  Rdma  is  equally  fond  of  all :  in  fact 
he  has  a  special  affection  for  me,  as  I  have  often  tested.  If 
I  am  born  again,  God  in  his  goodness  grant  that  R^ma  and 
Sita  be  again  my  son  and  daughter  !  Rdma  is  dearer  to  me 
than  life;  why  then  should  you  be  troubled  at  his  being 
crowned  king  ? 

Doha  16. 

I  adjure  you  in  Bharat's  name,  tell  me  the  truth  without 
any  fraud  or  concealment  ;  declare  to  me  the  reason  why 
you  are  in  distress  at  such  a  time  of  gladness." 

Chaupdi. 

*'  I  have  been  satisfied  once  already  ;  have  I  a  second 
tongue  that  I  should  speak  again  ?  I  deserve  to  have  my 
head  broken  on  the  funeral  pile,  wretch  that  I  am,  since  I 
pain  you  by  my  well-meant  words.  Those  who  make  the 
false  appear  true  are  the  people  who  please  you,  my  lady  ; 
while  I  offend  you.  Henceforth  I  too  will  speak  only  as 
my  mistress  pleases,  or  else  will  remain  silent  day  and 
night.  God  has  given  me  a  deformed  body  and  made  me 
a  slave  :  we  must  all  reap  as  we  have  sown  and  take  as  we 
have  given.  Whoever  is  king,  what  do  I  lose  ?  Shall  I 
cease  to  be  a  servant  and  become  a  queen  ?  It  is  only  my 
worthless  character  that  I  cannot  bear  to  see  your  disgrace, 
and  hence  I  gave  utterance  to  a  word  or  two  ;  but  p&rdon 
me,  mistress,  it  was  a  great  fault  on  my  part. 

Dohd  17. 

On  hearing  these  affectionate  words,  so  deep  and  crafty, 
the  queen,  being  only  a  weak-minded  woman  and  under 
the  influence  of  a  divine  delusion,  really  believed  her  enemy 
to  be  a  friend. 


AVODHYA.  239 

Chawpdi. 

Again  and  again  in  kindly  terms  she  questioned  her, 
like  a  fawn  bewitched  by  the  song  of  a  huntress.  Her 
reason  veered  as  fate  would  have  it  so  ;  and  the  slave-girl 
rejoiced  at  the  success  of  her  scheme  :  "  You  ask,  but  I  am 
afraid  to  reply,  now  that  you  have  given  me  the  name  of 
mischief-maker  ;"  thus  spoke  the  malignant  star^  of  Avadh, 
trimming  and  fashioning  her  speech  in  every  way  to  win 
confidence  :  "  You  spoke,  0  queen,  of  Sita  and  Rama  as 
your  friends  ;  and  true  enough  Rama  did  love  you  once,  but 
now  those  days  are  past;  in  time  friends  become  foes.  The 
sun  invigorates  the  lotus,  but  burns  it  to  ashes  if  it  have 
no  water :  the  rival  queen  would  tear  you  up  by  the  root : 
take  care  of  your  garden  and  hedge   it  about. 

Doha  18. 

Thinking  yourself  the  king's  favourite  and  that  he  is 
quite  in  your  power,  you  notice  nothing  ;  but  however  fair 
his  words,  his  heart  is  black ;  but  you  are  so  good-natured. 

Chaupdi. 

Rdma's  mother,  on  the  contrary,  is  deep  and  crafty  ;  and 
having  found  the  means  has  played  her  own  game.  The 
king  has  sent  away  Bharat  to  his  grandmother's  by  her 
suggestion,  and  because  he  is  your  son ;  for  she  said  all  the 
other  queens  are  well  disposed  to  me,  but  Bharat's  mother 
presumes  on  her  influence  with  her  lord.  You,  lady,  are  the 
thorn  in  Kausalyd's  side  ;  she  is  too  deep  and  crafty  for  you 
to  fathoui  ;  the  king  has  greater  love  for  you  than  for  any 
one  else,  and  like  a  rival  she  cannot  bear  to  see  it.  For  her 
own  ends  she  has  worked  upon  the  king  and  got  him  to  fix 
a  day  for  Rama's  inauguration.  Now  Rama's  promotion  is 
a  good  thing  for  the  family  :  all  are  pleased  at  it,  and  I  too 
like  it  well.  But  I  am  alarmed  when  I  consider  the  conse- 
quences ;  heaven  make  them  recoil  on  her  own  head  !" 

I  Sdr/i-sdti,  literally  '  7|,'  is  a  name  for  the  malignant  star  Saturn, 
one  of  wbose  revolutions  occupies  a  period  of  7J  years. 


240  AYODHTA. 

Dohd  19. 
With  innumerable  crafty  devices  she  planned  her   cun- 
ning tale,  telling  story  after  story  of  jealous  wives,  whereby 
to  increase  her  resentment. 

Ghaupdi. 

Overmastered  by  fate,  the  queen  was  persuaded  at  heart, 
and  adjured  her  by  the  love  she  bore  her  to  speak  out. 
"  What  is  it  you  would  ask  ?  still  do  you  not  understand  : 
even  the  brute  beasts  know  what  is  good  or  bad  for  them. 
For  the  last  fortnight  the  preparations  have  been  going  on, 
and  it  is  only  to-day  that  you  learn  the  news  from  me.  I  am 
clothed  and  fed  in  your  service,  and  I  must  therefore  speak 
the  truth  at  any  cost.  If  I  invent  a  word  of  falsehood,  may 
God  repay  me  for  it  !  Should  RAma  be  crowned  to-morrow, 
God  will  have  sown  you  a  crop  of  misfortunes.  I  draw  this 
line  on  the  ground,  0  lady,  and  declare  most  emphatically 
that  you  will  be  like  a  fly  in  a  milkbowl.  If  you  and  your 
son  will  submit  to  be  servants,  you  will  be  able  to  stay  ;  but 
on  no  other  conditions. 

Dohd  20. 

As  Kadru  tormented  Binat^*  so  will  Kausalya  treat  you 
Bharat  will  be  a  slave  in  bonds,  under  Rima  and  Lakshmar^. 

Ghaupdi. 
When  she  heard  these  cutting  words,  — Kekaya's^  daugh- 
ter could  say  nothing;  she  was  all  in  a  fever  for  fear :  her  limb, 
were  bathed   with  perspiration ;  and   she  trembled  like  a 


1  Kadru  ancJ  Binata  were  the  two  wives  of  the  patriarch  Kanyapa.  the 
fiirmftr  beinj;  the  mother  of  the  serpent  race  and  the  latter  of  the  birds.  A 
discussion  arose  between  them  regarding  the  colour  of^he  horses  of  the  sun, 
Binata  insisting  that  it  was  white,  and  Kadru  that  it  was  black.  It  whs 
agreed  that  whichever  of  the  two  was  proved  to  be  in  the  wrong  should 
become  the  servant  of  the  other.  Kadru  then  contrived  to  fasten  one  of  lier 
black  snakes  on  to  the  horse's  back  and  Binatu,  taking  it  to  be  the  animal's 
real  tail,  admitted  herself  defeated. 

2  The  name  of  Kaikeyi's  father  was  Asva-pati,  but  he  is  often  called 
Kekaya  from  the  country  over  which  he  ruled,  supposed  to  be  part  of  the 
Hanjab.  The  Brdhmana  of  the  white  Yajur  VedA  mentions  Asva-pati,  king 
of  Kekaya.  as  nearly  contemporary  with  Sita's  father,  Janak  :  an  interesting 
act  noted  by  Prof.  Monier  Williams. 


AYODHYA.  241 

plantaia  stalk.  Then  Humpback  bit  her  tongue^  and  with 
innumerable  crafty  speeches  kept  consoling  the  queen  say- 
ing *  courage,'  courage,'  till  with  her  ill-teaching  she 
warped  her  like  a  seasoned  plank,  which  there  is  no  bend- 
ing straight  again. ^  By  a  turn  of  fate  the  vile  became  a 
favourite,  as  though  a  beautiful  flamingo  should  flatter  an 
ugly  crane.  "  Hearken,  Manthara,  your  words  are  true  ;  my 
right  eye  is  always  throbbing  and  every  night  I  have  some 
ill  dream  ;  but  in  my  folly  I  did  not  tell  you.  What  can  I 
do,  friend  ?  I  am  such  an  innocent  that  I  cannot  myself  tell 

right  from  left. 

Doha   21. 

Up  to  this  day  I  have  never  of  my  own  accord  done  an 
unkindness  to  any  one  :  for  what  offence  has  heaven  all  at 
once  put  me  to  such  intolerable  distress  ? 

Chaup  i. 

Rather  would  I  go  and  spend  all  my  days  in  my  father's 
house  than  live  a  servant  of  a  rival  wife.  Whomever  God 
creates  the  dependent  of  an  enemy,  it  is  good  for  him  to  die 
rather  than  live."  Many  such  lamentable  speeches  did  the 
queen  utter,  and  Humpback,  on  hearing  them,  formed  a 
^^  thorough  woman's  device :  "  Why  speak  thus,  as  though 
patient  of  disgrace  ?  Your  honour  and  wedded  joy  shall 
yet  increase  daily,  and  may  he  who  has  plotted  you  this 
misfortune  in  the  end  reap  the  fruit  of  it  himself  ?  Since 
your  servant,  my  lady,  first  heard  the  bad  news,  I  could 
neither  eat  by  day  or  sleep  at  night.  I  consulted  the 
astrologers  and  they  declared  positively  :  *  Bharat  shall 
be  king,  this  much  is  certain.'  If,  madam,  you  will  only 
act  upon  it,  I  can  tell  you  a  way  :    for  the  king  is  under  an 

obligation  to  you." 

Doha  22. 
"  I  would   throw   myself  down  a  well  if  you  told  me  to 
do  so,  or  even  abandon  my  husband  and  son.    Speak,  then  : 

1  Meaning   proHably     to    remind   iierself   that   she   must   be  careful   in 
what  she  said. 

2  This  couplet  appears   to   he  an   interpolation,  as  it  is  said  not  to  be  in 
the  Rijapur  MS. 

R-34 


242  AYODHTA. 

you  see  how   great  is    my   distress  :   why  should  I  not  do 
what  will  be  for  my  good  ?" 

Chaupdi. 
Taking  Kaikeyi  as  a  victim  for  the  slaughter,  the  Hump- 
back whetted  the  knife  of  treachery  on  her  heart  of  stone  ; 
and  the  queen,  like  a  sacrificial  beast  that  nibbles  the  green 
sward,  saw  not  the  approaching  danger.  Pleasant  to  hear, 
but  disastrous  in  their  results,  her  words  were  like  honey 
mingled  with  deadly  poison.  Says  the  handmaid  :  "  Do 
you  or  do  you  not,  my  lady,  remember  the  story  you  once 
told  me  of  the  two  boons  promised  you  by  the  king  ?i  Ask 
for  them  now  and  relieve  your  soul  :  the  kingdom  for  your 
son,  banishment  to  the  woods  for  RAma  ;  thus  shall  you 
triumph  over  all  your  rivals.  But  ask  not  till  the  king  has 
sworn  by  R^ma,  so  that  he  may  not  go  back  from  his  word. 
If  you  let  this  night  pass  it  will  be  too  late  ;  give  heed  to 
my  words  with  all  your  heart." 

Dohd   23. 
Said  the  wretch,  having  fully  contrived  her  abominable 
design  :   "  Go  to  the  sulking-room  ;    make  all  your  arrange- 
ments circumspectly,  and  do  not  yield  too  readily." 

Chaupdi. 

The  queen  thought  Humpback  her  best  friend,  and  again 
and  again  extolled  her  cleverness,  saying  :  "  I  have  no  such 
friend  as  you  in  the  whole  world  :  I  had  been  swept  away 
by  the  flood  but  for  your  support.  To-morrow  if  God  will 
fulfil  my  desire  I  will  cherish  you,  my  dear,  as  the  apple  of 
mine  eye."  Thus  lavishing  every  term  of  endearment  on  her 
handmaid,  Kaikeyi  went  to  the  dark  room  ;  her  evil  temper 
being  the  soil  in  which  the  servant-girl,  like  the  rains,    had 

1  Aforetime  Dasarath  had  marched  into  the  south  to  Vijayanta,  a  city 
in  the  Dandaka  forest,  to  wage  war  against  its  king  Timi-dhwaja,  or  Sarabara, 
who  had  revolted  against  Indra.  The  battle  lasted  till  night,  and  Dasarath, 
wounded  and  senseless,  would  have  been  left  for  dead  on  the  field,  had  not 
Kaikeyi  taken  him  up  into  her  chariot,  inserting  her  own  arm  in  the  place 
of  its  broken  axle-tree,  and  speedily  driven  him  away  out  of  reach  of  the 
enemy.  The  gratefid  monarch,  thus  restored  to  life  by  his  wife's  devotion, 
promised  to  grunt  her  any  two  boons  she  might  ask  ;  and  she  had  prudently 
reserved  them  both  till  such  time  as  she  might  require  them. 


AYODHYA.  243 

sown  the  seed  of  calamity,  which,  watered  by  treachery,  took 
root  and  sprouted  with  the  two  boons  as  its  leaves,  and  in 
the  end  ruin  for  its  fruit.  Gathering  about  her  every 
token  of  resentment,  she  undid  her  reign  by  her  evil 
counsel.  But  meanwhile  palace  and  city  were  given|over  to 
rejoicing,  for  no  one  knew  of  these  wicked  practices. 

Doha  24. 

All  the  citizens  in  their  delight  were  busied  with  fes- 
tive preparations,  and  the  royal  hall  of  audience  was  crowd- 
ed with  a  continuous  stream  of  people  passing  in  and  out. 

Ghaupdi. 

Delighted  at  the  news,  not  a  few  of  Rama's  boyish 
friends  went  to  congratulate  him,  and  the  Lord,  sensible  of 
their  affection,  received  them  graciously  and  politely  asked 
of  their  welfare.  At  his  permission  they  roam  through  the 
palace  discussing  his  praises  :  "  Is  there  anyone  in  the 
whole  world  so  kind  and  amiable  as  Raghubir?  What- 
ever future  births  fate  has  in  store  for  us,  God  only  grant 
us  this,  that  we  may  always  be  the  servants  of  Sita's  lordly 
spouse  :  we  ask  for  nothing  more.''  This  was  the  desire 
of  every  one  in  the  city  ;  only  Kaikeyi's  heart  was  in  a 
flame;  for  who  is  not  spoiled  by  evil  communications? 
There  is  no  profit  in  taking  counsel  with  the  vile. 
Doha  25. 

A.t  eventide  the  happy  king  repaired  to  Kaikeyi's  apart- 
ments, as  it  were  Love  incarnate  visiting  Obduracy. 

Chaupdi. 

He  was  dismayed  when  he  heard  of  the  chamber  of 
wrath  and  could  scarcely  put  his  feet  to  the  ground  for  fear. 
He,  under  whose  mighty  arm  the  Lord  of  heaven  dwells 
secure,  and  upon  whose  favor  all  monarchs  wait,  was  in  a 
fever  at  hearing  of  an  angry  woman  ;  see  how  great  is  the 
power  of  love.  The  bearers  of  trident,  thunderbolt,  and 
sword  are  slain  by  the  flowery  shafts  of  Uati's  spouse. 
Anxiously  the  king  approached  his  beloved  and  was  terrib- 
ly distressed  to  see  her  condition,  lying   on  the   ground   in 


244  lYODHTA. 

old  and  coarse  attire  with  all  her  personal  adornments  cast 
away  :  her  wretched  appearance  according  with  her  wretch- 
ed design,  as  if  in  mourning  for  her  instant  widowhood. 
The  king  drew  near  and  asked  in  gentle  tones  :  "  Why  are 
you  angry,  my  heart's  delight  ? 

Ghhand  1. 

Why  so  angy,  my  queen  ?  "  and  touched  her  with  his 
hands.  She  put  away  her  lord  and  flashed  upon  him  a 
furious  glance  like  an  enraged  serpent,  with  her  two  wishes 
for  its  double  tongue,  and  the  boons  for  fangs,  spying  out 
a  vulnerable  point.  Under  the  influence  of  fate,  says 
Tulsi,  the  king  took  H  all  as  one  of  love's  devices. 
Sorathd  1.      /y  W 

Again  and  again  the  king  cried  :  "  Tell  me  the  cause  of 
your  anger,  0  beautiful,  bright-eyed  dame,  with  voice  as 
melodious  as  the  koil,  and  gait  as  valuptuous  as  the 
elephant. 

Chaupdi. 

Who  is  it,  my  dear,  who  has  vexed  you  ?  Who  is  it  with 
a  head  to  spare  and  so  enamoured  of  death  ?  Tell  me  what 
begger  I  should  make  a  king,  or  what  king  I  should  banish 
from  his  realm.  I  could  slay  even  an  immortal,  were  he 
your  enemy  ;  of  what  account  then  are  any  poor  worms  of 
men  and  women  ?  0  my  love,  you  know  my  sentiments 
and  how  my  eyes  ever  turn  to  your  face  as  the  partridge  to 
the  moon.  0  my  beloved  !  my  life,  my  sOn,  and  everything 
that  I  own,  my  palace,  my  subjects  are  all  at  your  disposal. 
Could  I  tell  you  a  word  of  untruth,  lady,  at  least  an  oath  by 
RAma  must  be  binding.  Ask  with  a  smile  whatever  you 
desire ;  adorn  your  lovely  person  with  jewels;  consider 
within  yourself  what  an  hour  of  torture  this  is  for  me,  and 
at  once,  my  darling,  put  away  this  unseemly  attire." 

Dohd  26.   ,' 

On  hearing  this  and  considering  the  greatness  of  the 
oath,  the  wicked  queen  arose  with  a  smile  and  resumed  heti 
royal  attire,  like  a  huntress  who  sets  the  snare  on  marking' 
the  chase, 


AYODHYA.  245 

Ghaupdi. 
Thinking  her  reconciled,  the  king  spoke  again  in  soft 
and  winning  accents,  his  whole  body  quivering  with  love; 
"  Your  heart's  desire,  lady,  has  come  to  pass  ;  there  is  joy 
and  gladness  in  every  house  in  the  city;  to-morrow  I  give 
R^ma  the  rank  of  Regent  ;  so,  my  love,  make  ready  for  the 
festival."  At  the  sound  of  these  untoward  words  she  sprang 
up  with  a  bound,  like  an  over-ripe^gourd  that  bursts  at  a 
touch  ;  with  a  smile  on  her  lips,  but  with  such  secret  pain 
at  heart  as  a  thief's  wife  who  dare  not  cry  openly. ^  The 
king  could  not  penetrate  her  crafty  schemes,  for  she  had 
been  tutored  in  every  villainy  by  a  master  ;  and  skilled  as 
he  was  in  statesmanship,  the  abyss  of  woman's  ways  was 
more  than  he  could  fathom.  Again  she  cried  with  a  further 
show  of  hypocritical  affection  and  a  forced  smile  in  her  eyes 
and  on  her  lips  :  r 

Dohd  27.  y^ 

'•  Ask,  ask,  indeed  ;  but  tell  me,  sir,  when  has  it  come  to 
giving  and  taking?  you  once  promised  me  two  boons,  and 
yet  I  doubt  my  gettinor  them." 

Chaupdi. 

The  king  replied  with  a  smile  :  "  I  see  what  you  niean, 
you  are  very  fond  of  a  little  quarrel.  You  kept  my  promise 
in  reserve  and  asked  for  nothing,  and  as  my  way  is,  I 
forgot  all  about  it.  Do  not  tax  me  with  the  guilt  of  a  lie, 
but  for  two  requests  make  four  and  you  shall  have  them.  It 
is  an  immemorial  rule  in  the  Raghu  family  to  lose  life 
rather  than  break  a  promise.  No  number  of  sins  is  eqaul 
to  a  lie  ;  in  the  same  way  as  myriads  of  ghunehi  seeds  will 
not  make  a  mountain.  Truth  is  the  foundation  of  all  merit 
and  virtue,  as  the  Vedas  and  Puranas  declare  and  as  Manu2 

1  On  seeing  her  husband  suffer  punishment,  lest  she  too  should  be 
made  to  suffer  with  him.  Such  at  least  seems  to  me  the  most  obvious 
meaning  of  the  comparison,  though  some  of  the  Hindu  commentators  explain 
it  differently. 

2  Some  manuscri-pt  for  Manu  read  Miini,  "  the  saints  ;  "bnt  the  former' 
may  well  stand,  as  the  great  lawgiver  in  many  passages  of  hi-*  Code  insists 
very  strongly  on  the  merit  of  truth.  Thus  in  VIII.,  81-83—"  A  witness,  who 
states  the  truth  in  evideuce,  obtains  a  high  place  in   heaven  and    the   grea- 


246  AYODHYA. 

has  expounded.  Moreover  I  have  sworn  by  R^ma,  the 
chief  of  our  house,  the  perfection  of  all  that  is  good  and 
amiable."  When  she  had  thus  bound  him  to  his  word,  the 
wicked  queen  smiled  and  cried  — loosing  as  it  were  the 
bandage  from  the  eyes  of  her  hawk-like  plot. 

Doha  2^.   '(' 

The  King's  desire  being   as  a  pleasent   forest,  and   the 
general  happiness  as  a  flock  of  birds,  at  which  as  a  huntress 
she  sent  forth  the  cruel  falcon  of  her  speech  ; 
Chaupdi. 

"  Hear,  my  beloved,  what  is  the  desire  of  my  heart. 
Grant  me  for  one  boon  Bharat's  installation  ;  and  for  the  se- 
cond (I  beg  with  clasped  hands,  0  my  lord,  accomplish  my 
desire)  may  Rdma  be  banished  to  the  woods  for  14  years 
there  to  dwell  in  the  penitential  garb  of  a  hermit."  At 
these  words  of  the  queen  the  king's  heart  grew  faint,  as  the 
chakwa  is  troubled  by  the  rays  of  the  moon  :  he  trembled 
all  over,  nor  could  he  utter  a  sound,  like  a  partridge  in  the 
wood  at  the  swoop  of  a  falcon  ;  the  mighty  monarch  was  as 
crestfallen  as  a  palm-tree  struck  by  lightning ;  with  his 
hands  to  his  forehead  and  closing  both  his  eyes,  as  it  were 
Grief  personified,  he  began  his  moan  :  "  My  desire,  that 
had  blossomed  like  the  tree  of  paradise,  has  been  stricken 
and  uprooted  as  it  were  by  an  elephant  at  the  time  of  bear- 
ing. Kaikeyi  has  desolated  Avadh  and  laid  the  foundation 
of  everlasting  calamity. 

Dohd2d.  \^ 

What  a  thing  to  happen  at  such  a  time  ?  1  am  undone 
by  putting  trust  in  a  woman  ;  as  at  the  time  of  heavenly 
reward  for  penance  an  ascetic  is  destroyed  by  ignorance." 

(^haupdi. 

I  In  this  manner  the  king  burned  within  himsf^lf,  and  the 

^ , _ 

tpst  rpputation  on  earth  :  t»u«h  a  statement  ia  held  in  reverence  even  by 
Brihma  himself  By  truth  a  witness  is  purific'l  from  sin  ;  by  truth  jus- 
tice is  arlvancPfl  ;  therefore  the  trutii  should  be  spoken  by  witnesses  of 
every  caste."  I  have  often  thought  that  if  these  four  lines  were  printed 
or  engraved  in  bold  characters  in  ttie  Sanskrit  original  and  set  up  in  our 
courts  of  justice  they  might  have  a  wholesome  effect. 


AYODHYA.  247 

wicked  womau,  seeing  his  evil  plight,  thus  began  :  "  What, 
then,  is  Bharat  not  your  son  too,  but  a  slave  even  as  I  am, 
bought  for  a  price  r  If  my  words,  thus  like  arrows,  pierce 
you  to  the  heart,  why  did  you  not  think  before  you  spoke  ? 
Answer  now,  say  either  yes  or  no,  most  truthful  lord  of 
Raghu's  truthful  line.  Refuse  me  the  boon  you  promis- 
ed, break  your  word  and  be  publicly  disgraced.  When  you 
engaged  to  grant  the  boon,  you  were  loud  in  your  praises 
of  truth,  imagining,  no  doubt,  that  I  should  ask  for  a  hand- 
ful of  parched  grain.  When  Sivi,'  Dadhichi^  and  Bali,^ 
made  a  promise  ;  they  gave  life  and  wealth  to  keep  their 
word."  Kaikeyi's  speech  was  as  stinging  as  salt  applied 
to  a  burn. 

Dohd  30.       Si 

The    righteous    king  took  courage  and  opened  his  eyes, 

1  King  Sivi  (or  Saivya),  the  son  of  Usinara,  had  already  offered  92 
great  sacrifices,  and  was  hoping  to  complete  the  full  number  of  a  hundred, 
a  feat  which  would  have  exalted  him  to  the  highest  dignity  in  heaven, 
when  Indra,  jealous  of  his  own  supremacy,  determined  to  prevent  him. 
Himself  assuming  the  form  of  a  hawk  and  changing  Agni,  the  god  of  fire, 
into  a  dove,  he  chased  it  through  the  air  till  it  flew  into  the  temple  and 
took  shelter  in  Sivi's  bosom,  who  thereupon  promised  that  he  would  protect 
it  from  all  harm.  The  hawk  followed  close  behind  and  protested  that  the 
dove  was  his  lavvful  spoil,  and  that  it  was  unjust  of  the  king  to  rob  him  of 
food  which  \w  had  fairly  won,  and  without  which  he  would  die  of  starvation. 
The  king  offered  him  anything  else  that  he  liked  to  name  ;  but  the  hawk 
would  be  Satisfied  with  nothing  bu.;  an  equal  weight  of  the  king's  own 
flesh.  Scales  were  brought,  the  dove  was  put  in  the  one  balance,  and  the 
monarch  began  to  hack  and  hew  pieces  of  his  own  body  and  cast  in  the 
other  ;  but  still  the  dove  weighed  heavier.  At  last,  when  all  had  been 
cut  avvay  and  only  his  bones  were  left,  he  threw  himself  in.  The  gods  then 
came  and  restored  him  to  life  and  bore  him  off  in  triumph  to  heaven. 

2  VVhen  Indra  and  the  other  gods  were  hard  pressed  by  the  demon 
Vriira,  Vishnu  told  them  that  there  was  a  gr  at  saint  named  Dadhichi 
practising  penance  in  the  Naimisha  forest,  and  that  if  he  would  let  them 
have  bis  bones  they  C'uld  be  made  into  weapons,  before  which  no  enemy 
could  stand  Dadhichi,  as  soon  as  he  heard  what  they  wanted,  at  once 
devoted  himself  to  death,  and  out  of  his  bones  the  gods  made  thunder- 
bolts, with  which  they  won  an  easy  victory. 

3  King  Bali,  the  son  of  Virochana,  had  so  extended  his  empire  that  he 
had  acquired  dominion  over  the  three  worlds.  Indra,  to  i id  himself  of  so 
dangerous  a  rival,  applied  to  Vishnu  who  asssuming  the  form  of  a  dwarf,  as 
the  son  of  Kasyapa,  appeared  before  Bali  and  begged  an  alms.  The  king 
promised  to  give  him  wha'ever  he  asked  He  said  he  only  want<  d  as  much 
land  as  he  could  pace  in  three  steps  This  modest  requ<  st  was  granted 
without  hesitation  ;  whereupon  he  at  once  developed  himself  into  a  giant, 
and  with  the  first  stride  covered  the  whole  earth,  and  with  the  second  the 
heaven.  For  the  third  step  he  planted  his  foot  on  Bali's  head  and  crushed 
him  down  into  the  infernal  regions,  of  which  he  became  the  sovereign. 


248  AYODHYA. 

and  beating  his  head  gasped  out  :  "  She  has  pierced  me  in 

the  most  vital  part  " 

Ghaupdi, 

He  saw  her  standing  before  him  burning  with  passion, 
as  it  were  Fury's  own  sword  dniwn  from  the  sheath,  with 
ill-counsel  for  its  hilt  and  cruelty  for  its  sharp  edge 
whetted  on  the  Humpback  grindstone.  The  monarch  saw 
her  stern  and  terrible  :  "  She  will  rob  me  either  of  life  or 
honour ;  "  but  stilling  his  heart  he  cried  in  suppliant  tones 
which  she  regarded  not  :  "  Bharat  and  Rdma  are  as  my 
two  eyes.  I  tell  you  truly  and  call  Siva  as  my  witness. 
0  my  beloved,  what  is  this  ill  word  that  you  have  uttered, 
destructive  of  all  order,  confidence  and  afEection  ?  I  will 
not  fail  to  despatch  a  messenger  at  daybreak  and  as  soon 
as  they  hear  the  news  both  brothers  will  come.  Then  after 
fixing  an.  auspicious  day  and  making  all  due  preparation.  I 
will  solemnly  confer  the  kingdom  on  Bharat. 

Doha  31.  ^^ 

RjJma  has  no  greed  of  empire  ana  is  devotedly  attached 
to  Bharat  :  I  made  my  plans  according  to  royal  usage, 
thinking  only  of  their  respective  ages. 

ChaupcH. 

I  swear  by  R^ma  that  I  tell  you  true  of  his  mother,  that 
she  never  said  a  word  to  me.  I  arranged  it  all  without 
asking  you,  and  this  is  how  my  scheme  has  failed.  Put 
away  your  displeasure,  assume  a  festal  garb  ;  yet  a  few 
days  and  Bharat  shall  be  Regent.  There  was  only  one 
thing  that  pained  me,  your  second  petition,  really  an 
unreasonable  request.  To-day  your  bosom  burns  with 
unwonted  fire  ;  is  it  anger,  or  do  you  jest,  or  is  it  all  really 
true  ?  Tell  me  calmly  Rama's  offence.  Every  one  says 
that  he  is  amiability  itself.  Even  you  used  to  praise  and 
caress  him,  and  I  am  quite  perplexed  at  what  I  now  hear. 
His  pleasant  ways  would  charm  even  an  enemy ;  how 
then  can  he  have  vexed  his  own  mother  ? 
Dohd32.   '^%^ 

Have  done,  my   beloved,   with    tnis,   be   it  raillery   or 


AYODHYA.  249 

displeasure  ;  make  a  just  and  reasonable  request,  that  I  may 
rejoice  in  the    sight  of  Bharat's  installation, 

Chaupdi. 
Rather  might  a  fish  live  out  of  the  water,  or  a  wretched 
serpent  live  without  its  head-jewel— I  tell  you  my  true  case 
without  any  deception  — but  there  is  no  life  for  me  without 
Rama.  Consider  well,  my  dear,  my  prudent  wife,  my  very 
existence  depends  upon  my  seeing  Rama."  On  hearing  this 
soft  sppech  the  wicked  woman  blazed  up  like  the  fire  on 
which  has  fallen  an  oblation  of  ghi  :  "  You  may  devise  and 
carry  out  any  number  of  plans,  but  your  subterfuges  will 
not  avail  with  me.  Either  grant  my  request,  or  refuse  me 
and  be  disgraced  ;  I  do  not  want  any  long  discussion. 
R^ma  is  good,  you  too  are  good  and  wise,  and  Rdma's 
mother,  as  you  have  discovered,  is  also  good.  The  benefit 
that  Kaasalya  devised  for  me  is  the  only  fruit  that  I   now 

in  turn  give  her.  ^ 

Doha  33.      yy 

At  daybreak,  if  Rama  does  not  assume  the  hermit's  dress 
and  go  out  into  the  woods,  my  death  will  ensue,  0  king, 
and  your  disgrace  ;  be  well  assured  of  this  " 

Chaupdi. 

So  saying,  the  wretch  rose  and  stood  erect,  as  it  were  a 
swollen  flood  of  wrath  that  had  risen  in  the  mountains  of 
sin,  turgid  with  streams  of  passion,  terrible  to  behold,  with 
the  two  boons  for  its  banks,  her  stern  obduracy  for  its 
current,  and  her  voluble  speech  for  its  eddies,  overthrow- 
ing the  king  like  some  tree  torn  up  by  the  roots,  as  it 
rushed  on  to  the  ocean  of  calamity.  The  king  perceived 
that  it  was  all  true,  and  that  death,  in  fashion  as  a  woman, 
was  dancing  in  triumph  on  his  head.  Humblj'^  he  clasped 
her  by  the  feet  and  begged  her  to  be  seated,  cryirjg  :  "  Be 
not  an  axe  at  the  root  of  the  Solar  race.  Demand  of  me 
my  head  and  I  will  give  it  at  once,  but  do  not  kill  me  by 
the  loss  of  Rdma,  be  it  in  any  way  you  will,  or  your  heart 
will  be  ill  at  ease  all  your  life  long." 

R-35 


250  AYODHYA. 


^< 


Dohd  34. 

Y  Seeing   that  Ws    disease   was  incurable,    the  king  fell 

upon  the  ground  and  beat  his  head,  sobbing   out    in    most 
lamentable  tones,  '*  0  Rdma,  Rama," 

Chaupdi. 

The  king's  whole  body  was  so  broken  down  by  distress 
that  he  seemed  like  the  tree  of  paradise  that  some  elephant 
had  uprooted.  His  throat  was  dry,  speech  failed  his  lips, 
like  some  poor  fish  deprived  of  water.  Again  Kaikeyi  plied 
him  with  biting  taunts,  infusing  as  it  were  poison  into 
his  wounds  :  "  If  yuu  meant  to  act  thus  in  the  end,  what 
compulsion  was  there  to  say,  ask,  ask  ?  Is  it  possible,  sir^,  to 
be  two  things  at  once  ''  To  laugh  and  jest  and  at  the  same 
time  mourn  ;  to  be  called  the  munificent,  and  yet  be 
miserly  ;  to  live  without  anxiety,  and  yet  be  a  king  ?  Either 
break  your  wor/d  or  show  more  fortitude,  do  not,  like  a 
•  woman,  ^^jieal  to  compassion.  Il  is  said  that  life,  wife, 
7^  sons,  home,  wealth,  nay  the  whole  world,  all  are  but  as  a 
straw  compared  to  the  Qoean  of  truth." 

Dohd  35.  S^^ 

On  hearing  these  fatal  words  the  king  exclaimed  :  "  It 
is  no  fault  of  yours  ;  my  evil  destiny,  like  some  demo- 
niacal delusion,  has  possessed  you  and  bids  you  speak. 

Chaupdi. 

Bharat  has  never  dreamed  of  desiring  the  royal  dignity 
I  but  by  the  de^-ee  of  fate  evil  counsel  has  lodged  in  your 
breast.  All  this  is  the  result  of  my  sins  ,  I  can  do  nothing  ;  'J 
God  is  against  me.  Hereafter  beautiful  Avadh  shall  flourish 
again  under  the  sway  of  the  all-perfect  RAma  ;  all  his  bre- 
thren shall  do  him  service  and  his  glory  shall  spread  through 
the  three  spheres  of  creation  ;  your  disgrace  also  and  my 
remorse,  though  we  die,  shall  never  be  eflFaced  or  forgotten. 
Now  do  whatever  seemeth  you  good  ;  only  stay  out  of  my 
sight  and  let  your  face  be  veiled  :  with  clasped  hands  I  ask 
but  this,  speak  not  to  me  again  so  long  as  I  live.     You  too 


AYODHYA.  251 

will  repent  at  the  last,  0  miserable  woman,  who  ^aimm^jat  7 
the  tiger-ha¥#-4hus  «ha^-4ea4-t4re  cow . " 

Dohd  36.   'a/I 
The  king;  fell   to    the    ground  crying  again  and    again  : 
"  Why  have  you  wrought  this  ruin  ?  "     But   the  perfidious 
queen  spoke  not  a  word,    like  a   funeral    pile    that  is    ever  'y 
burning. 

Chaupdi. 

The  king  in  his  distress  sobbing  out  *'  R^ma,  Rdma," 
was  like  some  luckless  bird  clipped  of  its  wings.  In  his 
heart  he  was  praying  :  "  May  the  day  never  break  nor  any 
one  go  and  tell  Rama.  Rise  not  great  patriarch  of  the  Solar 
race,  for  at  the  sight  of  Avadh  your  breast  will  be  consumed  t-^ 
with  anguish."  The  king's  affection  and  Kaikeyi's  cruelty 
were  both  the  most  extreme  that  God  could  make.  While 
the  monarch  was  yet  lamenting,  day  broke  and  the  music 
of  lute  and  pipe  and  conch  resounded  at  his  gate.  Bards 
recited  his  titles,  minstrels  sung  his  praises ;  but  like  arrows 
they  wounded  the  king,  as  he  heard  them.  All  tokens  of 
rejoicing  pleased  him  as  little  as  the  adornment  of  a  widow 
who  ascends  the  funeral  pile.  That  night  no  one  had  slept, 
from  the  joyous  anticipation  of  beholding  Raina. 
Doha  37.'V^\ 

At  the  gate   was   a   crowd   of   servants    and   ministers, 
who  exclaimed  as  they  beheld  the  risen  sun  :     "  What  can 
be  the  reason  why  to-day  of  all  days  our  lord  awaketh  not  ? 
Chaupdi. 

He  was  always  wont  to  wake  at  the  last  watch  ;  to-day 
it  strikes  us  as  very  strange.  Go  Sumanta,  and  rouse  him 
and  obtain  the  royal  order  to  commence  the  work."  Suman- 
ta entered  the  palace,  but  as  he  passed  on  was  struck  with 
awe  and  dismay  at  its  appearance,  as  though  some  terrible 
monster  were  about  to  spring  upon  him  and  devour  him  ; 
it  seemed  the  very  home  of  calamity  and  distress.  Asking, 
but  with  no  one  to  answer  him,  he  came  to  the  apartment 
where   were   the   king   and   Kaikeyi ;  with   the   salutation 


252  AYODHYA. 

"  Live  for  ever  "  he  bowed  the  head  and  sat  down.  On  be- 
holding the  king's  condition  he  was  much  distressed,  for 
he  was  fallen  on  the  ground  crushed  and  colourless,  like  a 
lotus  broken  ofE  from  its  root.  The  terrified  minister  could 
ask  no  question  ;  but  she,  full  of  evil  and  void  of  all  good, 
answered  and  said  : 

Dohd  38.  "  /'' 
"  The  king  has  not   slept  all  night :    God    knows   why. 
He  has  done  nothing  but  mutter   '  RAma,  Rdma,'  even    till 
daybreak  ;  but  he  has  not  told  me  the  reason. 

Chaupdi. 
Go  at  once  and  send  R^ma  here,  and  when  you  come 
back  you  can  ask  what  the  matter  is  "  Perceiving  it  to  be 
the  king's  wish,  Sumanta  went ;  but  he  saw  that  the  queen 
had  formed  some  evil  design.  So  anxious  was  he  that  his 
feet  scarcely  touched  the  ground  as  he  wondered  to  himself : 
'  What  will  the  king  have  to  say  to  R^ina  ?  '  Composing 
himself  as  he  reached  the  gate,  when  all  observed  his  sad- 
ness and  asked  the  cause,  he  reassured  them  and  proceeded 
to  the  prince's  abode.  When  Rdma  saw  Sumanta  coming, 
he  received  him  with  the  same  honour  that  he  would  have 
shown  to  his  own  father.  Looking  him  in  the  face,  he 
declared  the  ki!\g's  commands  and  returned  with  him. 
Remarking  the  state  of  disorder  in  which  R^ma  accompani- 
ed the  minister,  the  people  began  to  be  a  little  anxious. 

Dohd  39.  •/  ^' 
When  the  jewel  of  Raghu's  race   had  come   and  beheld 
the  king's  miserable   condition,   like  some   aged  and   pain- 4 
stricken  elephant  in  the  power  of  a  tigress,rnis  lips  became fK 
parched  and  his  body  all  aflame,  like  a  poor  snake  that  has 
been  robbed  of  the  jewel  in  its   head.     Seeing   the  furious 
Kaikeyi  near,  like  death  counting  the   minutes,  the  pitiful 
and  amiable  Raghundth,  though  he  now  for  the    first  time 
saw  sorrow,  and  had  never  before  heard  its  name  even,  com- 
posed himself  as  the  occasion  required  and  in  pleasant  tones 


AYODHYA.  253 

asked  his  mother  :  "  Tell  me,  mother,  the  cause  of  my 
father's  distress,  that  I  may  endeavour  to  put  an  end  to  it." 
"  Listen,  Rdma  :  the  sole  cause  is  this  :  the  king  is  very 
fond  of  you  ;  he  has  promised  to  grant  me  two  requests, 
and  I  have  asked  for  what  I  wanted  ;  but  he  is  disturbed 
on  hearing  them  and  cannot  get   rid   of  a  scruple   on   your 

account.  ,  /  , 

Doha  40.        ' 
On  the  one  side  is  his  love  for  his  son  ;  in  the  other  his 
promise  ;  he  is  thus  in  a  strait.    If  it  lies  in  your  power,  be 
obedient  to  his  commands  and  so  terminate  his  misery." 

Chaupdi. 
She  sat  and  spoke  stinging  words  so  composedly  that 
Cruelty  itself  was  disturbed  to  hear  her.  From  the  bow  of 
her  tongue  she  shot  forth  the  arrows  of  her  speech  against 
the  king  as  it  were  some  yielding  target ;  as  though  Obdura- 
cy had  taken  form  and  become  a  bold  and  practised  archer. 
Sitting  like  the  very  incarnation  of  heartlessness,  she  ex- 
pounded to  Raghupati  the  whole  history.  R^ma,  the  sun  of 
the  Solar  race,  the  fountain  of -every- joy,  smiled  inwardly 
and  replied  in  guileless  terms,  so  soft  and  gracious  that  they 
seemed  the  very  jewels  of  the  goddess  of  speech  :  "  Hearken, 
mother  ;  blessed  is  the  son  who  obeys  his  parent's  com- 
mands ;  a  son  who  cherishes  his  father  and  mother  is  not, 
often  found  in  the  world. 

Doha  41.     ^ 

I  have  a  particular  wish  to  join  the  hermits  in  the 
woods  and  now  there  is  also  my  father's  order  and  your 
approval,  mother. 

Chaupdi. 
Bharat,  moreover,  whom  I  love  as  myself,  will  obtain 
the  kingdom  ;  in  every  way  God  favours  me  to-day.  If  I 
go  not  to  the  woods  under  these  circumstances,  then  reckon 
me  first  in  any  assembly  of  fools.  They  who  desert  the  tree 
of  paradise  to  tend  a  castor-oil  plant,  or  refuse  ambrosia  to 
ask  for  poison,  having  once  lost  their  chance,  will  never  get 


254  AYODHYA. 

it    apfaiu  ;   see,   mother,    and    ponder  this   in   your   heart. 

One   special    anxiety    still    remains,    when    I  see   the  king 

so  exof^edin^ly  disturbed.  I  cann  )t  niid»^rstand.  mother,  how 

my  faihnr  can  be  so  much  pained  by  such  a  trifling  matter. 

He  is  stout-hearted  and  a  fathomless  ocean  of  piety'  :  there 

must  have  been  some  great  offence  on  my  part,  that  he  will 

not  say  a  word  to  me  :  I  adjure  you  to  tell  me  the  truth." 

Dohd  42.   Lf  3 

Though    Raghubar's    words  were  as  straightforward  as 

possible,  the  wicked  queen    gave  them    a   perverse  twist  ;2 

like  a  leech,  which  must  always    move  crookedly,  however 

smooth  the  water  be. 

Chaupdi. 

Seeing  RAma's  readiness,  the  queen  smiled  and  said 
with  much  show  of  false  affection  :  "  I  swear  by  yoursf^lf 
and  Bharat,  there  is  no  other  cause  that  I  know  of.  There 
is  no  room  for  fault  in  you,  my  son,  who  confer  such  happi- 
ness both  on  your  parents  and  your  brother.  All  that  you 
say,  R^ma,  is  true  ;  you  are  devoted  to  the  wishes  of  your 
father  and  mother.  Remonstrate,  then,  solemnly  with  your 
sire,  that  he  incur  not  sin  and  disgrace  in  his  old  age. 
Having  been  blest  with  a  son  like  you,  he  cannot  properly 
disregard  your  advice  "  These  fair  words  in  her  false 
mouth  were  like  Gaya  and  the  other  holy  places  that  are  in 
Magadha  :  but  Rama  took  his  mother's  spee:)h  in  good 
part,   like   the   Ganges,  which   in  its   course   receives  and 

hallows  any  stream.  /  jj 

Dohd  43.    *^  ^ 

At  the   remembrance   of   Rama,    the  king's  swoon  left 

him  and  he  turned   on  his  side.     Taking/   advantage  of  the'! 

opportunity,  the  minister  huuibly   informed  him  of  RAma's 

arrival. 


1  Being  8<)  stout  of  heart,  why  should  he  be  thus  dismayed  a«- the  mere 
thoutjhr  ot  losing  me  ?  And  bfiiiif  so  oioiis,  ho^v  is  it  pos^^ioie  that  he  can 
hesitate  for  a  moment  about  keeping  his  wrd  r  There  mu**!  be  something 
else  in  ihe  b«cksironnd.     I  fear  1  n^v  done  A-nmj^  an  •  displeaseti  him. 

2  The  queen  rhouvfht  t)  h-Tg^lf  :  P.y  his  prai-^es  of  a  hermir'n  life  he 
hopes  I  may  t>e  persuaded  to  send  Bnarai  to  i  he  woods  insteid  of  himself,  or 
by  his  ready  compliance,  he  hopes  to  wheedle  me  out  of  my  resolve. 


AYODHYA.  255 

Chaupdi. 

When  the  kinpj  heard  that  RAma  had  come,  he  summon- 
ed up  courage  and  opened  his  nyes.  The  minister  support- 
ed his  sovereign  to  a  seat,  where  the  king  saw  Rama  falling 
at  his  feet.  In  an  agony  of  affection,  he  clasped  him  to  his 
bosom,  like  some  snake  that  has  recovered  the  jewel  it  had 
lost.  As  the  monarch  continued  gazing  upon  Rdma,  a  flood 
of  tears  came  info  his  eyes,  nor  in  his  sore  distress  could  he 
utter  a  word,  but  again  and  again  he  pressed  him  to  his 
heart.  Inwardly  he  was  praying  God  that  Raghunfith 
might  not  be  banished  to  the  woods  ;  and  remembering 
Mahddeva  humbly  begged  :  "  Immortal  Siva,  hear  my 
petition  ;  thou  art  easily  satisfied,  compassionate  and 
generous  ;  recognize  then  in  me  a  poor  suppliant  and  re- 
move my  distress.  u^  <  ^ 

Doha  54.     ^^ 

As  thou  directest  the  hearts  of  all,  give  Rama  the  sense 
to  disregard  my  words  and  stay  at  home,  forgetful  for  once 
of  his  filial  affection. 

Chaupdi. 

Welcome  disgrace  and  perish  my  good  name  ;  may  I 
sink  into  Hell  rather  than  mount  to  Heaven;  be  it  mine  to 
support  the  most  intolerable  pain  rather  than  have  Rdma 
taken  from  my  sight"  Thinking  thus  to  himself,  the  king 
spoke  not  a  word,  while  his  soul  quivered  liue  a  pip'd  leat. 
Perceiving  his  father  to  be  thus  overpowered  with  love, 
Raghupati  spoke  again  with  a  view  to  his  mother,  in 
modest  and  thoughtful  phrase,  as  the  place,  the  time,  and 
the  circumstances  demanded  :  "  Father,  if  I  speak  a  little 
wilfully,  forgive  the  offence  by  reason  of  my  childish  years. 
You  are  troubled  about  a  very  little  matter  ;  why  did  you 
not  speak  and  let  me  know  of  this  at  the  first  ?  After 
seeing  you,  sire,  I  questioned  my  mother,  and  on  hearing 
"]    her  explanation  my  fear  subsided.  / 

Dohd4:5.    ^i 
Put  away,    father,  the    anxiety    which  at    this    time   of 
rejoicing  your  affection  has  caused    you,  and  give   me  your 


256  AYODHYA. 

commands  :  "  so  spoke  the  Lord    with  heartfelt   joy  and  a 
body  quivering  with  emotion. 

Chaupdi. 
"  Blessed  is  his  birth  into  the  world  whose  father  is 
rejoiced  to  hear  of  his  doings.  He  has  in  his  hand  all  the 
four  rewards  of  life,  who  holds  his  parents  dear  as  his  own 
life.  By  obeying  your  orders,  I  attain  the  end  of  my 
existence.  If  then  it  be  your  command,  I  can  soon  come 
back,  and  after  taking  leave  of  my  mother,  I  will  throw  my- 
self once  more  at  your  feet  and  then  start  for  the  woods." 
Having  thus  spoken,  Rama  departed,  while  the  king  in  his 
anguish  answered  not  a  word.  The  bitter  news  spread 
through  the  city,  like  the  sting  of  a  scorpion  that  at  once 
affects  the  whole  body.  Every  man  or  woman  that  heard  it 
was  as  distrest  as  the  creepers  and  bushes  when  a  forest  is 
on  fire.  Wlierever  it  was  told,  every  one  beat  his  head,  and 
the  grief  was  too  great  to  be  endured. 

Dohd  46.       l^  7 
Their  lips  were  parched,  their  eyes  streamed,  their  heart 
could  not  contain   their  sorrow  ;  it  seemed    as  though   the 
Pathetic,  in  battle  array  and  with  beat  of  drum,  had  march- 
ed into  Avadh  and  taken  up  quarters  there. 

Choupdi 
"It  was  a  well-contrived  plan,  but  God  has  spoilt  it." 
In  this  fashion  they  kept  abusing  Kaikeyi  :  *'  What  could 
this  wicked  woman  mean  by  thus  setting  fire  to  a  new-thatch- 
ed house  ;  who  tears  out,  her  eyes  with  her  own  hands,  and 
yet  wishes  to  see  ;  who  throws  away  ambrosia  and  prefers 
the  taste  of  poison  ;  cruel  stubborn,  demented  wretch,  a  very 
fire  among  the  reeds  of  Raghu's  line  ;  who  sitting  on  a 
branch  of  the  tree  has  hacked  down  the  stem  ;  and  in  the 
midst  of  joy  has  introduced  this  tragedy  ?  Rama  used 
ever  to  be  dear  to  her  as  life  ;  for  what  reason  has  she  now 
taken  to  such  perversity  ?  The  poets  say  truly  that  a  wo- 
man's  mind  is  altogether   inscrutable,  unfathomable   and 


AYODHYA.  257 

beyond   comprehension.     Sooner  may  a  man  catch  his  own 
shadow  in  the  glass  than  grasp  the  ways  of  a  woman. 
Doha  ^7.    .^rt 

What  is  there  that  fire  will  not  burn ;  what  is  there  that 
ocean  cannot  contain  ;  what  cannot  a  woman  do  in  her 
strength ;  or  what  is  there  in  the  world  that  death  does  not 
devour  ? 

Ghaupcii. 

God  first  ordained  one  thing,  but  now  ordains  some- 
thing quite  different,  and  what  he  would  show  us  now  is 
the  very  reverse  of  what  he  showed  us  then."  Said  one  : 
"  The  king  has  not  done  well,  and  without  consideration 
has  granted  the  wicked  woman  her  request.  He  has 
wilfully  brought  all  this  misery  upon  himself,  and  in  yield- 
ing to  a  woman  has  lost  all  good  sense  and  discretion." 
Another  wisely  recognized  the  king's  supreme  virtue  and 
would  not  blame  him,  as  they  repeated  to  one  another  the 
legends  of  Sivi,  Dadhichi,  and  Harischandra.i  One  suggest- 
ed Bharat's  connivance,  another  was  distressed  at  the  men- 
tion of  such  a  thing  ;  while  a  third  stopping  his  ears  with 
his  hands  and  biting  his  tongue  exclaimed  :  "  Such  words 
are  false  ;  you  damn  yourself  by  saying  such  things. 
Bharat  is  Rdma's  dearest  friend. 

Dohd  48.     ^"  I 

Sooner  shall  the  moon  rain  sparks  of  fire,  or  ambrosia 
have  the  same  effect  as  poison,  than  Bharat  ever  dream  of 
doing  anything  to  injure  Rdma." 

1  For  the  legends  of  Sivi  and  DADHiCHisee  notes  to  page  19. 

Habischandra,  the  son  of  Trisanku,  was  king  of  Ayodhya  and  the 
twenty-eighth  in  descent  from  Ikshvaku,  the  founder  of  the  solar  dynasty. 
In  order  to  satisfy  the  claims  of  Visvamitra.  who  wanted  to  make  trial  of 
his  integrity,  he  sold  his  kingdom  and  all  that  he  had,  together  with  his 
wife  Satyavati  and  his  only  son,  and  hired  himself  out  as  the  servant  of  a 
man  who  kept  a  burning  ghat.  Whenever  a  corpse  was  brought,  ha  had  to 
take  the  fee  and  make  it  over  to  his  master.  One  day  a  woman  brought 
her  dead  child  and  he  recognized  them  as  his  own  wife  and  son.  She  had 
no  money  and  he  was  so  zealous  in  his  employer's  interests  that  he  would 
not  allow  the  body  to  be  burnt  till  the  regular  fee  was  paid.  As  the  only 
way  to  satisfy  his  demand,  she  was  stripping  off  the  one  poor  rag  that  cov- 
ered her  nakedness,  when  the  gods  interposed  and  restored  the  king  to  his 
throne  and  all  his  former  prosperity. 

R-36 


^,58  AYODflYA. 

Ghaupdi. 

One  reproached  the  Creator,  who  had  promised  ambro- 
sia but  given  poison.  The  whole  city  was  agitated  and 
every  one  so  sad  that  the  intolerable  pain  in  their  heart 
utterly  effaced  all  the  previous  rejoicing.  The  venerable  and 
highborn  Brdhman  matrons,  who  were  Kaikeyi's  chief 
friends,  began  to  give  her  advice  and  praise  her  good 
disposition  ;  but  their  words  pierced  her  like  arrows  :  You 
have  always  said,  as  every  one  knows,  that  Bharat  was 
not  so  dear  to  you  as  RAma  :  show  him,  then,  your  wonted 
affection ;  for  what  offence  do  you  now  banish  him  to  the 
woods  ?  You  have  never  shown  any  jealousy  of  the  rival 
queens ;  your  love  and  confidence  in  them  were  known 
throughout  the  land.  What  has  KausalyA  done  wrong  now 
that  you  should  launch  this  thunderbolt  against  the  city  ? 

Dohd  49.     £lj 

What  1  willSita  desert  her  spouse,  or  Lakshman  remain 
here  at  home  ?  Will  Bharat  enjoy  the  dominion  of  the 
state,  or  the  king  survive  without  R^ma. 

(haupdi. 

Reflect  upon  this  and  expel  passion  from  your  breast, 
nor  make  yourself  a  stronghold  of  remorse  and  disgrace. 
By  all  means  make  Bharat  the  king's  coadjutor;  but  what 
need  is  there  for  Rdma  to  be  banished  to  the  woods  ? 
Rdma  is  not  greedy  of  royal  power ;  he  is  righteous  and 
averse  to  sensual  pleasures.  Let  him  leave  the  palace  and 
go  and  live  with  his  guru  ;  ask  this  of  the  king  as  your 
second  petition.  A  son  like  Rdmadoes  not  deserve  banish- 
ment ;  what  will  people  say  to  you  when  they  hear  of  it  ? 
If  you  do  not  agree  to  what  1  tell  you,  nothing  will  prosper 
in  your  hands.  If  this  is  only  some  jest  of  yours,  speak  out 
clearly  and  let  me  know.  Up  quickly  and  devise  a  plan  to 
avert  future  remorse  and  disgrace. 
Chhand  2. 

Devise  a  plan  to  avert  remorse  and  disgrace  and  save 
your  family.     Be  instant  in  diverting  R^ma  from   going  to 


AYODHYA. 


^59 


the  woods,  and  labour  for  nothing  else.  As  the  day  with- 
out the  sun,  as  the  body  without  life,  as  the  night  without 
the  moon,  so  (says  Tulsi  T>is)  is  Avadh  without  its  lord  ;  I 
beg  you,  lady,  to  consider  this." 

Sorathd  2.    J^^ 

Pleasant  to  hear  and  b^nefietat-in  result  was  the    advice 
her  friends   gave  ;  but  she  paid  no  heed  to  it,  having   been 
tutored  in  villainy  by  Humpback. 
Ghaupdi. 

She  answered  not  a  word,  but  raged  with  irrepressible 
fury  like  a  hungry  tigress  that  has  spied  a  deer.  Perceiving 
her  disease  to  be  incurable,  they  left  her,  saying  as  they 
went :  '  Demented  wretch  !  Fate  has  destroyed  her  in  her 
pride  ;  she  has  acted  ia  such-«-i^yay  as  no  one  has  ever  acted 
before."  Thus  all  the  men  and  women  of  the  city  were 
lamenting  and  heaping  countless  abuse  on  the  wicked 
queen.  Burning  with  intolerable  fever  they  sob  out  :  "  What 
hope  of  life  is  there  without  R^ma?  "  Agonized  by  his  loss, 
the  people  were  as  miserable  as  creatures  of  the  deep  when 
/^watel' fails.  Great  was  the  distress  of  all,  whether  man  or 
woman  :  but  the  saintly  RAma  went  to  his  mother,  with 
joy  in  his  face  and  fourfold  joy  in  his  soul,  fearing  only 
that  the  king  might  detain  him.  ,<-   y 

Doha  50.    ^  "^ 

The  Glory  of  Raghu's  line  resembled  some  young  ele- 
phant with  kingship  for  its  chain  :  the  news  of  banishment 
was  as  its  breaking  :  at  which  he  rejoices  exceedingly.  ^ 

Ghaupdi. 

With  folded  hands  the  Crown  of  Raghu's  line  bowed 
his  head  blithely  at  his  mother's  feet.  She  gave  him  her 
blessing  and  clasped  him  to  her  bosom,  and  scattered  ^ 
around  him  gifts  of  jewels  and  raiment.  Again  and  again 
she  kissed  his  face,  with  tears  of  joy  in  her  eyes  and  her 
body  all  quivering  with  emotion.  Then  seating  him  in 
her  lap,  she  pressed  him  once  more  to  her  heart,  while 
drops  of  affection  trickled  from   her  comely   breasts.     Her 


^ 


260  AYODHYA. 

rapture  of  love  was  past  all  telling,  like  that  of  a  beggar 
made  all  at  once  rich  as  Kuver.  Tenderly  regarding  his 
lovely  features,  his  mother  thus  addressed  him  in  sweetest 
tones:  "  Tell  me,  my  son,  I  adjure  you  as  your  mother, 
when  is  the  happy  moment  to  be  ;  you  are  such  an  exquisite 
paragon  of  piety,  amiability  and  good  fortune,  that  in  you 
Avadh  has  reaped  the  full  fruition  of  its  existence : 

Dohd  51.    i"  3 

For  whom  the  people  long  as  anxiously  as  a  pair  of 
thirsting  chdtaks,  in  the  season  of  autumn,  for  the  rainfall 
of  Arcturus. 

Chaupdi. 

Go  at  once,  my  darling,  I  beg  of  you,  and  bathe  and 
take  something  nice  to  eat,  such  as  you  like,  and  then,  dear 
boy  approach  your  father :  I,  your  mother,  protest  there 
has  been  too  much  delay.'  On  hearing  his  mother's  most 
loving  speech,  which  seemed  as  the  flower  of  the  paradisal 
tree  of  affection  laden  with  the  fragrance  of  delight  and 
produced  from  the  stem  of  prosperity,  Rdma's  bee-like  soul 
was  not  distracted  by  the  sight,  but  in  his  righteousness 
he  distinguished  the  path  of  virtue,  and  thus  in  honeyed 
tones  addressed  his  mother:  "  My  father  has  assigned  me 
the  woods  for  my  realm,  where  I  shall  have  much  in  every 
way  to  do.  Give  me  your  orders,  mother,  with  a  cheerful 
heart,  that  I  too  may  cheerfully  and  in  auspicious  wise  set 
out  for  the  forest.  Do  not  in  your  affection  give  way  to 
causeless  alarm  ;  my  happiness,  mother,  depends  on  your 
consent.  ^  . 

Dohd  52.     ^n 

After  staying  fourteen  years  in  the   woods,  in  obedience 
to  my  sire's  command, ^  I  will  come  back  and  again  behold 
your  feet ;  make  not  your  mind  uneasy." 
Chaupdi. 
Raghubar's  sweet  and  dutiful  words  pierced  like  arrows 
through  his  mother's  heart.     At   the  sound  of   his  chilling 
1   Or,  and  thus  making  good  noy  father's  vow. 


AYODHYA.  261 

speech   she   withered    and    drooped    like  the  jawdsa^  at  a 
shower  in  the  rains.     The  anguish  of    her   soul   was    past 
telling,   as    when    an    ^lepfenrt-  shrinks    at    the    roar  of  a  T 
tiger.     Her   eyes    filled    with  tears  and  her  body  trembled 
all   over,    like   a  fish   overtaken   by  the  scour  of  a  flooded  ^ 
river .2    Summing  up  courage,  she  looked   her  son    in    the 
face   and    thus    spoke,    in  faltering  accents  :"  My  son,  you 
are  your  father's  darling  and  it  is  a  constant  delight  to  him 
to  watch  your  doings.     He    had    fixed   an    auspicious    day 
for  giving  you  the  sceptre  ;  for  what   offence    does  he  now 
banish  you  to  the  woods  ?     Tell  me  my  boy,  the  upshot  of 
it  all  ;  who  is  the  destroying  fire  of  the  Sun-god's  line  ?  " 
Doha  53.   S'  =  ^ 

After  a  look  at  Rama's  face  the  minister's  son  explained 
to  her  the  reason.     On  hearing  his  account  she  was  struck 
dumb  :  words  fail  to  describe  her  condition. 
Chaupdi. 

She  could  neither  detain  him,  nor  yet  say  Go  ;  either  way 
her  heart  was  distraught  with  cruel  pain:  as  though  for 
'  moon'  one  had  written  '  eclipse ':  God's  hand  is  ever 
against  us  all.  Duty  and  affection  both  laid  siege  to  her 
soul ;  her  dilemma  was  like  that  of  a  snake  with  a  musk-rat. ^ 
"If  I  keep  my  son,  it  will  be  a  sin  ;  my  past  virtue  will  go  for 
nothing  and  my  friends  will  abhor  me.  If  I  order  him 
into  exile,  it  will  be  a  sad  loss."  In  this  distressing  strait 
the  queen  was  sore  tried.  Again  reflectingdiscreetly  on  her 
wifely  duty  and  remembering  that  Rdma  and  Bharat  were 
both    equally!  her  sons,  the  queen  in  the  sweetness  of  her 

1  A  popular  Flindi  couplet  says  that  every  creature  in  the  world  rejoices 
at  the  coming  of  the  rains,  except  four,  viz.,  the  dk  and  jawasa  plants, 
which  flourish  only  on  dry  soil,  and  the  saltpetre  manufacturer  and  the 
carter,  who  cannot  ply|their  trade  : 

Ak,  jawasa,  agara,  chauthe  gariwdn, 

Jyon  jyon  chamake  bijli,  tyon  tyon  tajepran. 

2  the  line,  as  I  translate  it,  stands  thus  :  Manja  Manahun  min  kalian 
vyapi.  As  to  the  meaning  of  the  word  mdnjd  see  the  note  on  page  86  ;  the 
Commentators  explain  it^as  a  sickness  that  prevails  at  the  beginning  of  the 
rains  ;  or,  as  the  scum  raised  on  the  water  when  the  rains  first  bre«k  ;  or,^  as 
the  juice  of  a  plant.  Another  reading  is  Mdnjd-hi  Mai  minjanu  mdpi, 
whfre  mdpi  would  be  for  mdti,    drunk." 

.3  If  it  swallows  the  rate,  it  dies  ;  if  it  disgorges  it,  it  goes  blind  ;  such  is 
the  popular  belief. 


262  AYODHYA. 

disposition  summoned  up  courage  and,  spoke  these  vvoful 
words  :  "  May  I  die,  my  son,  but  you  have  done  well  ;  a 
father's  command  is  the  most  paramo^unt  duty. 

Do/ia  54.  i> 

Though  he  promised  you  the  kingdom  :  and  now 
banishes  you  to  the  woods  I  am  not  the  least  sad  or  sorry  : 
but,  without  you,  Bharat  and  the  king  and  the  people  will 
all  be  put  to  terrible  distress. 

Chaupdi. 

Yet,  boy,  if  it  is  only  your  father's  order,  then  go  not  ; 
hold  your  mother  still  greater.^  If  both  father  and  mother 
bid  you  go,  the  forest  will  be  a  hundred  times  l)etter  than 
Avadh,  with  its  god  for  your  father,  its  goddess  for  your 
mother  and  birds  and  deer  to  wait  upon  your  lotus  feet.  At 
the  end  of  life  retirement  to  the  woods  is  the  proper  thing 
for  a  king,  but  I  am  troubled  at  heart  when  I  consider  your 
tender  age.  How  blest  the  forest  and  how  wretched  Avadh 
if  you  abandon  it,  you,  the  crown  of  Raghu's  line.  If,  child, 
I  say  '  take  me  with  you,'  there  may  be  some  hesitation  in 
your  mind  ;  0  my  son,  all  hold  you  most  dear,  life  of  our 
life  ;  if  you  say  '  mother,  I  go  alone  to  the  woods,'  on  hearing 
your  words  I  sink  down  in  despair. 

Dohd5r).  ry 

Being  thus  minded  I  do  not  press  niy  suit  with  a  show 
of  love  beyond  what   I    really  feel  ;  agree    to  your  mother's 

request ;  or  if  you  go  alone,  at  least  I  pray  you  not  to  forget 
me. 

Chaupdi . 

May  all  the  gods  and  the  spirits  of  your  ancestors  guard 
you,  noble  boy,  as  closely  as  the  eyelids  guard  the  eyes.  The 
term  of  banishment  is  like  the  water  of  a  lake  in  which  the 
fish  are  your  friends  and  relations  ;  you  are  all-merciful  and 
righteous  ;  remember  then  to  make  your  plans  so  that  you 
may  find  them  all  alive  when  you  come  again.  Go  in  peace 
to  the  woods — ah  !  woe  is  me  !  —leaving  your  servants,  your 


I   For  jdni   hari   mdtd,  the  words  that  I  translate,  some  copies  reaii  Jdi 
bdl  m&td. 


AYODHYA.  263 

relatives,  the  whole  city  in  bereavement ;  to-day  the  fruit 
of  all  their  past  good  deeds  has  gone,  and  awful  death  con- 
fronts them."  Thus  with  many  mournful  meanings  she 
clung  to  his  feet,  accounting  herself  the  most  hapless  of 
women.  Cruel  and  intolerable  pangs  pierced  her  heart 
through  and  through,  and  the  burden  of  her  misery  was 
past  all  telling.  Rdma  raised  his  mother  and  took  her  to 
his  bosom  and  consoled  her  with  many  soothing  words. 

Doha  56.      ;.  7 

At  that  moment  Sita,  who  had  heard  the  news,  rose  in 
great  agitation,  and  having  reverenced  her  mother's  lotus 
feet,  bowed  her  head  and  sat  down. 

Chaupdi. 

In  tender  accents  her  mother  gave  her  her  blessing,  and 
at  the  sight  of  her  delicate  frame  was  more  distressed  than 
ever.  With  drooping  eyes  Sita,  the  perfection  of  beauty, 
model  of  wifely  devotion,  sat  and  thought :  "  The  lord  of 
my  life  would  go  to  the  woods,  how  can  I  merit  to  accom- 
pany him  ?  Whether  in  the  body  or  only  in  the  soul,  go  I 
must ;  but  God's  doings  are  inscrutable."  With  her  lovely 
toe-nails  she  wrote  upon  the  ground,  while  the  music  of 
her  anklets,  like  the  poet's  honeyed  song,  rang  out  the 
passionate  prayer  :  '  Never  may  we  be  torn  from  Sita's  feet.' 
Seeing  her  let  fall  a  flood  of  tears  from  her  lovely  eyes, 
Rdma's  mother  cried  :  "  Hearken,  my  son  ;  Sita  is  very 
delicate  ;  she  is  the  darling  of  your  father  and  mother  and 
all  your  kindred.  ^ 

Do/id  57.   ^7 

Her  own  father  is  Janak,  jewel  of  kings  ;  her  father-in- 
law  is  the  Phoebus  of  the  solar  race  ;  her  lord,  the  perfection 
of  beauty  and  virtue,  is  as  it  were  the  moon  of  the  lily-like 
progeny  of  the  sun-god  ; 

Chaup'H. 

I  again  have  found  in  her  a  dear  daughter,  amiable, 
beautiful  and  accomplished.  She  is  like  the  apple  of  my 
eye  and    my  affection  has  so  grown  that  it  is  only  in  Jdnaki 


264  AYODHYA. 

that  I  have  my  being. i  I  have  tended  her  as  carefully  as 
the  tree  of  paradise  and  watered  her  growth  with  streams  of 
affection.  When  she  should  have  blossomed  and  borne  fruit, 
God  has  turned  against  me,  and  there  is  no  knowing  what 
will  be  the  end.  Or  ever  she  left  her  bed  or  seat,  I  cradled 
her  in  my  lap,  and  never  has  Sita  set  her  foot  on  the  hard 
ground.  I  cherished  her  as  the  very  source  of  my  life,  and 
never  bade  her  so  much  as  even  to  trim  the  wick  of  a  lamp. 
And  this  is  the  Sita  who  would  follow  you  to  the  woods; 
what  are  your  orders,  0  Raghun^th  ?  Can  the  partridge, 
that  drinks  in  with  delight  the  rays  of  the  moon,  endure  to 
fix  its  gaze  on  the  orb  of  the  sun  ?     ■' 

Dohd5S.    ^ 
Elephants,  lions,  goblins,  and  many  fierce  animals  roam 
the  wood  :  ah,  my  son,    is   the  charming   trea  of  life  fit  to 
set  in  such  a  deadly  pasture  ? 

Chaupdi. 
God  has  created  for  the  forest  Kol  and  Kiriit  women, 
who  care  not  for  bodily  delights.  Of  nature  as  hard  as  the 
stone  insect,  the  woods  are  no  trial  to  them.  A  hermit's 
wife  again  is  fit  for  the  woods,  who  for  the  sake  of  penance 
has  renounced  all  pleasures.  But  how,  my  son,  can  Sfta 
live  in  the  woods,  who  would  be  frightened  by  even  the 
picture  of  a  monkey  ?  Can  the  cygnet  that  has  sported  in 
the  lovely  lotus-beds  of  the  Ganges  find  fit  abode  in  a 
muddy  puddle  ?  First  ponder  this,  and  then,  as  you  order, 
I  will  instruct  Janaki.  If  she  remain  at  home  fend  call  me 
mother^she  will  be  the  support  of  my  life."  Raghubir  on 
hearing  his  mother's  speech,  which  was  drenched  as  it 
were  with  the  ambrosia  of  grace  anc^  affection, 

Dohd59.    y\ 
replied  in  tender  and  discreet  terms  for  his  mother's  conso- 
lation,  and    began  to    set  clearly    before  Janaki    all    the 
pleasures  and  troubles  of  forest  life, 

1  Ii)  the  original  is  a  play  upon  words  which  it  is  impossible  to  pre- 
serve in  a  translation  ;  jdn  FrAn,  the  ordinary  expression  for  the  '  breath 
of  life,'  being  presented  to  the  eye  by  the  conjunction  of  prdn  with  the  first 
syllable  of  Slta's  name  Janaki. 


AYOPHYA.  265 

:  Chaupdi. 

speaking  diffidently  as  in  the  presence  of  his  mother, 
and  considering  well  within  himself  the  requirements  of 
the  time  :  '*  Hearken,  lady,  to  my  instructions  ;  nor  from 
any  different  fancies  in  your  mind.  If  you  desire  your  own 
good  and  mine,  agree  to  what  I  say  and  remain  at  home. 
My  order  is  this  :  the  service  of  a  mother-in-law  is  in 
A,  every  way,  madam,  a  blessing  to  a  family.  There  is  no 
other  duty  so  paramount  as  reverential  submission  to  a 
husband's  parents.  Whenever  my  mother  recalls  me  to 
mind  and  is  distracted  by  affectionate  solicitude,  do  you,  my 
love,  console  her  with  old-world  tales  and  tender  speeches. 
I  speak  from  my  heart  and  confirm  it  with  a  hundred 
Oaths  :  it  is  for  my  mother's  sake,  beloved,  I  leave  you  here. 

Dohd  60.      /'Z 
The  reward  of  virtue  can   be   obtained  without   trouble 
by  submission   to  Scripture   and  one's   spiritual   director; 
through  their  obstinacy   Galava^  and  king  Nahusha^  were 
subjected  to  all  sorts  of  trouble. 

Chaupdi. 
I  shall  soon  fulfil  my  father's  words  and  come  back 
again  ;  hearken,  fair  and  sensible  dame.  The  days  will 
quickly  pass  away  ;  listen,  love,  to  my  advice.  If,  my 
spouse,  you  persist  in  your  affectionate  obstinacy,  you  will 
rue  it  in  the  end.  The  forest  is  exceedingly  toilsome  and 
terrible,  with  awful  heat  and  cold  and  rain  and  wind  ;  the 
path  is  beset  with  prickly   grass  and  stones,  and   you  will 

1  Galava  was  a  pupil  of  Visvamitra's.  When  he  bad  completed  his 
studies,  he  asked  his  tutor  what  fee  he  ought  to  pay.  He  was  told  there 
was  no  fee.  However,  he  still  persisted  in  asking,  till  at  last  Visvamitra 
was  annoyed  and,  to  get  rid  of  him,  said  he  would  be  satisfied  with  nothing 
less  than  a  thousand  black-eared  horses.  After  a  long  search  and  many 
inquiries,  Galava  discovered  three  childless  rajas  who  had  each  200  horses 
of  the  kind  that  he  required,  and  they  agreed  to  let  him  have  them,  but 
only  on  this  condition,  that  he  got  each  of  them  a  son.  Galava  then  went 
to  Yaydti,  whose  daughter  had  the  miraculous  gift  of  bearing  a  son  for  any 
one  she  wished,  and  yet  herself  remaining  a  virgin.  By  her  means  each 
of  the  three  kings  became  a  father.  The  600  horses  were  made  over  to 
Galava,  and  he  presented  them  to  Visvamitra,  who  as  an  equivalent  for  the 
other  400  horses,  wanting  to  make  up  the  thousand,  bad  himself  two  sons  by 
the  same  mysterious  birde. 

2  For  the  legend  of  king  Nahusha. 

R~37 


266  AYODHYA. 

have  to  walk  without  protection  for  yonr  feet :  and  your 
lotus  feet  are  so  soft  and  pretty,  while  the  road  is  most 
difficult :  and  there  are  huge  mountains,  chasms  and 
precipices,  streams,  rivers  and  torrents,  deep  and  impass- 
able, terrible  to  behold  ;  while  bears  and  tigers,  wolves, 
lions  and  elephants  make  such  a  roaring  that  the  boldest 
is  dismayed.  t  x 

Dohd  61.  9^ 

1  The  ground  will  be  your  couch,  the  bark  of  trees  your 
raiment,  and  your  food  bulbs,  wild    fruits  and   roots  ;   nor, 
think  that  even  they  will  be  always  forthcoming  every  day, 
but  only  when  they  are  in  season. 
Ghaupdi. 

There  are  man-eating  demons  who  assume  all  sorts  of 
deceptive  forms  ;  the  rainfall  on  the  hills  is  excessive,  and 
in  short  the  hardships  of  the  forest  are  past  all  telling. 
There  are  terrible  serpents  and  fierce  wild  birds  and 
gangs  of  goblins  that  steal  both  man  and  woman.  The 
bravest  shudders  at  the  thought  of  the  dense  forest  ;  while 
you,  my  fawneyed  wife,  are  timid  by  nature.  Ah  !  delicate 
dame,  you  are  not  fit  for  the  woods  ;  people  will  revile  me 
on  hearing  of  such  a  thing.  Can  the  swan  that  has  been 
nurtured  in  the  ambrosial  flood  of  the  M4nas  lake  exist  in 
the  salt  sea  ?  Can  the  feoii,  that  roves  with  delight  through 
the  luxuriant  mango  groves,  take  pleasure  in  a  jungle  of 
UaHl,  bushes  ?  Ponder  this,  my  fair  bride,  and  stay  at 
home  ;  the  hardships  of  the  forest  ^re  too  great. 

Do?irf  62.  n' 

Whoever  with  a  view  to  her  own  good  does  not  at  once 
accept  the  advice  given  by  a  friend,  or  a  guru^  or  her  husband 
shall  assuredly  have  a  surfeit  of  repentance  and  gain  no 
good." 

1  Yet  take  good  hede,  for  ever  I  drede  that  yecoude  not  sustain 
The  t homey  wayes,  the  deep  valleys,  the  snow,  the  frost,  the  rain, 
The  cold,  the  hete,  for  dry  or  were,  we  must  lodge  on  the  plain, 
And  us  above,  none  other  roof,  but  a  brake,  bush  or  twayne, 
For  ye  must  there  in  your  hande  bere  a  bowe  ready  to  drawc, 
And  as  a  thief,  thus  must  ye  lyve,  ever  in  drede  and  awe. 

The  Ntit'browne  maid. 


AYODHYA.  267 

Chaup  i. 

On  hearing  the  tender  and  winning  words  of  her  hus- 
band, Sita's  lotus  eyes  filled  with  tears,  and  his  soothing 
advice  caused  her  as  burning  pain  as  the  autumn  moon 
causes  the  ehakwi.  In  her  distress  no  answer  came  to  her 
lips :  '  So  great  is  his  love  that  he  would  leave  me  behind.' 
Perforce  restraining  her  tears  and  summing  up  courage, 
Earth's  daughter  embraced  her  mother's  feet,  and  with  fold- 
ed hands  thus  spake:  ''  Pardon  me,  lady,  my  great  presump- 
tion :  my  dear  lord  has  tliaught  me  what  is  all  for  my  own 
good  ;  but  I  look  to  my  feelings,  and  conclude  that  no  sorrow 
in  the  world  is  so  great  as  separation  from  one's  beloved. 

Doha  63. 

0  my    dear  lord,  most  comprissionate,  beautiful,    boun- 
teous  and    wise,  the  moon  of  the  lilies  of  the  Raghu  race, 
heaven  without  you  would  be  very  hell. 
Ghaupdi. 

Dear  are  father  and  mother,  sisters  and  brothers  ;  dear 
are^my  companions  and  my  many  friends  ;  but  father-in- 
law  and  mother-in-law,  spiritual  director,  generous  asso- 
ciates, and  even  sons,  however,  beautiful,  amiable  and 
affectionate,  nay,  my  lord,  all  love  and  every  tie  of  kindred, 
to  a  woman  without  her  husband,  are  a  greater  distress 
than  the  sun's  most  burning  heat.  Life,  wealth,  house, 
land,  city  and  empire  are  but  accumulated  misery  to  a 
woman  bereft  of  her  lord.  Ease  is  disease,  her  jewels  a 
burden,  and  the  world  like  the  torments  of  hell.  Without 
you,  0  lord  of  my  soul,  there  is  nothing  in  the  whole  world 
that  could  give  me  any  comfort.  As  the  body  without  a 
soul,  as  a  river  without  water,  so,  my  lord,  is  a  woman 
without  her  husband.  With  you,  my  lord,  are  all  delights, 
as  long   as  I  can  behold  your  face  that  vies  in  brightness 

with  the  autumn  moon. 

Doha  64.   '^ 
The   birds   and   deer  will  be  my  attendants,  the  forest 
my  city,  and  strips  of  bark  my  glistening  robes  ;   with  my 
lord  a  hut  of  grass  will  be  as  the  palace   of  the  gods,  and 
all  will  be  well. 


268  AYODHYA. 

Ghaupdi. 
The  sylvan  nymphs  and  gods  will  of  their  grace  protect 
me  like  my  own  lord's  parents  ;  my  simple  litter  of  grass 
and  twigs  will  with  my  lord  become  a  sumptuous  marriage- 
couch  ;  bulbs,  roots-  and  fruits  will  form  an  ambrosial 
repast,  and  the  mountains  resemble  the  stately  halls  of 
Avadh.  Every  moment  I  gaze  on  my  lord's  lotus  feet,  I 
shall  be  as  glad  as  the  chakwi  at  the  dawn.  You  have 
recounted,  my  lord,  the  numerous  hardships  of  the  forest, 
its  terrors,  annoyances  and  many  discomforts  ;  but,  0 
fountain  of  mercy,  all  these  united  will  not  be  comparable 
to  the  pain  of  bereavement.  Consider  this,  0  jewel  of 
wisdom,  and  take  me  with  you,  abandon  me  not.  Why 
make  long   supplication  ?    my   lord   is  full  of  compassion 

and  knoweth  the  heart.  / /v 

Dohd  65.     ^  I 
Do  you  think,  if  you  keep  me  at  Avadh,  that  I  can  sur- 
vive till  the  end  of  your  exile  ?  0  most  beautiful,  help  of  the 
helpless,  fountain  of  grace  and  of  love, 

Ghaupdi. 
as  I  go  along  the  road  I  shall  never  weary,  every 
moment  beholding  your  lotus  feet.  In  every  way  I  shall 
minister  to  my  beloved,  and  relieve  him  of  all  the  toil 
of  the  march.  Seated  in  the  shade  of  some  tree,  I  shall  lave 
your  feet  and  rapturously  fan  you,  and  gazing  on  your 
body  stained  with  sweat  and  blackened  by  the  sun,  what 
thought,  my  dearest  lord,  shall  I  have  for  my  own  hard 
times?  Spreading  grass  and  leaves  on  the  level  ground, 
your  slave  will  all  night  shampoo  your  feet,  and  ever  gazing 
on  your  gracious  form,  nor  heat  nor  wind  will  ever  vex  me. 
Who  will  look  at  me  when  I  am  with  my  lord,  except  as  a 
hare  or  jackal  furtively  regards  a  lioness  ?  Am  I  to  be 
dainty  and  delicate,  while  my  lord  roams  the  woods  ?  Is 
penance  to  be  your  portion  and  enjoyment  mine  ? 

Dohdm.       / 
My  heart  will  burst  at  the  mere  sound  of  so  cruel  a  sen- 
tence,  and  never   will  my  miserable  existence  survive  the 
anguish  and  torture  of  bereavement." 


AYODH¥A.  269 

Ghaupdi. 

So  saying,  Slta  was  ovei  whelmed  with  distress,  nor 
could  endure  the  word  '  separation.'  On  seeing  her  con- 
dition, Rdma  made  sure,  '  If  I  insist  upon  leaving  her,  I 
leave  her  dead.'  Then  said  the  compassionate  lord  of  the 
Solar  race  :  "  Have  done  with  lamentation  and  come  with 
me  to  the  woods.  There  is  no  time  now  for  weeping;  at 
once  make  your  preparations  for  the  journey."  Having 
consoled  his  beloved  with  these  tender  words,  he  embraced 
his  mother's  feet  an  d  received  her  blessing :  "  Return 
quickly  and  relieve  your  subjects'  distress,  nor  forget  me 
your  hard-hearted  mother. i  Who  knows  but  God  may  "^ 
change  my  lot,  and  my  eyes  may  see  you  both  again.  Ah  ! 
my  son,  when  will  arrive  the  happy  day  and  moment  that 
I  shall  live  to  see  your  moon-like  face  once  more  ? 

DohdQl.    M 

When  again  shall  I  call   you    *  my  child,'  '  my  darling' 

'  noblest   and   best   of   Raghu's   line,'  '  my  own  son,'  and 
fondly  bid  you  come  to  my  arms  that  I  may  gaze  upon  your 

features  ?  " 

Chaupdi. 
Seeing  that  his  mother  was  so  agitated  by  affection  that 
she  could  not  speak  and  was  utterly  overwhelnied  with  dis- 
tress, Rdtna  did  everything  to  console  her,  and  the  pathos 
of  the  scene  was  beyond  description.  Then  JAnaki  embraced 
her  mother's  feet :  "  Hearken,  mother,  I  am  of  all  women 
most  miserable.  At  the  time  when  I  should  have  been 
doing  you  service,  fate  has  banished  me  to  the  woods  and 
has  denied  me  my  desire.  Cease  to  sorrow,  but  cease  not 
to  love  me;  Fate  is  cruel,  I  am  blameless."  On  hearing 
Sita's  words  her  mother  was  so  afflicted  that  her  state  was 
past  all  telling.  Again  and  again  she  took  her  to  her 
breast  and  summoning  up  courage  thus  blest  and  admonish- 
ed her :  ''  May  your  prosperity  be  as  enduring  as  the  streams 
of  GangA  and  Jamuna  !  "  y\  -; 

Dohdm.    y- 

When  her  mother  had  repeatedly  blessed  and  admonished 
1  That  is  to  say,  I  must  be  hard-hearted,  for,  if  not,  I  should  die  at  once. 


270  AYODHYA. 

S(fa,  she  took  her  leave,  after   again  and   again   affection- 
ately bowing  her  head  at  her  lotus  feet. 

Chaupdi. 

When  Lakshman  heard  the  news,  he  started  up  in  dis- 
may with  a  doleful  face,  his  body  all  of  a  tremble  and  his 
eyes  full  of  tears,  and  ran  and  clasped  his  feet  in  an  agony 
of  affection.  He  could  not  speak,  but  stood  and  s'ared 
aghast,  like  some  poor  fish  drawn  out  of  the  water,  thinking 
within  himself:  "  G')od  G  »d.  what  will  happen  ?  All  my 
happiness  and  past  good  deeds  are  gone  for  ever.  What 
will  Righunnth  tell  m^  to  do?  Will  he  k»^ep  me  here,  or 
take  me  with  him?"  When  Rama  saw  his  brother  with 
folded  hands  renouncing  life  and  home  and  all,  he  address 
him  thus— the  all-righteous  R4ma,  fountain  of  grace,  love, 
and  perfect  bliss  :  "  Brother,  do  not  afflict  yourself  with 
love,  but  reflect  that  all  will  be  well  in  the  end. 

Dohd  69.    ^  i 

They  who  submit  without    reserve  to  the   commands  of 

their  father  and   mother,    their   spiritual  director  or  their 

lord,  or   born    into  the  world   to  some  purpose  :  otherwise 

their  birth  is  in  vain. 

Chaupdi. 

Consider  this,  brother,  and  hearken  to  my  advice  ,  wait 
upon  the  feet  of  your  father  and  mother.  Neither  Bharat 
is  at  home,  nor  Ripu-sddan  ;  the  king  is  old  and  sorrowing 
for  me.  If  I  go  to  the  woods  and  take  you  with  me,  Avadh 
be  completely  masterless,  and  an  intolerable  weight  of  afflic- 
tion will  fall  upon  priest  and  parents,  subjects,  family  and 
all.  Stay  then  to  comfort  them  ;  if  not,  brother,  it  will  be 
a  great  sin.  The  king,  whose  faithful  subj^^cts  endure  dis- 
tress, is  of  a  truth  a  prince  of  hell.  This  is  sound  doctrine, 
brother;  ponder  it  and  stay."  Lakshman  was  grievously 
distrest  on  hearing  this,  and  his  body  became  as  dead  and 
shrivelled  as  a  lotus  that  has  been  touched  by  the  frost. 

Dohd  70    A  ^K 

Overmastered   by  love,  he  could  not  answer,  but  clung 


AYODHYA.  271 

in  anguish  to  his  feet :  "  0  ray  lord,  I   am  your   slave  and 
you  my  master  :     leave   me,  then    what  cau  1    do  ? 
Chaupdi. 

You  have  given  me,  good  sir,  excellent  advice  ;  biit  in 
my  confusion  I  find  it  impracticable.  Valiant  leaders  of 
men  and  champions  of  the  faith  can  master  such  abstruse 
doctrine,  but  1  am  a  mere  child,  nurtured  by  your  affection ; 
can  a  cygnet  uplift  Mount  Mandar  or  Meru  'f  I  know  no 
guru,  nor  father,  nor  mother?  believe  me,  my  lord,  I  speak 
from  my  heart :  all  the  love  iu  the  world,  all  claims  of 
kin,  all  affection,  sympathy,  wisdom  and  skill  are  for  me 
centred  in  you,  my  lord,  the  protector  of  the  humble,  the 
reader  of  the  heart.  Expound  questions  of  theology  to  one 
who  aims  at  fame  and  glory  and  high  estate;  lam  in  heart, 
word  and  deed  devoted  only  to  your  feet ;  and  am  I,  gra- 
cious lord,  to  be  discarded  ?  "  j 
Dohd  71,    ^  '^ 

The  compassionate  lord,  on  hearing  the  tender  and 
modest  words  of  his  good  brother,  took  him  to  his  bosom, 
and  seeing  him  so  affectionately  dejected  thus  consoled  him  : 

Ghauf'di. 

'*  Go,  brother,  and  take  leave  of  your  mother,  and  then 
come  and  set  out  for  the  woods."  On  hearing  Raghubar 
thus  speak,  he  was  overjoyed  ;  his  triumph  was  great,  his 
sorrow  all  gone.  He  approached  his  mother  as  glad  of 
heart  as  a  blind  man  who  has  recovered  his  sight,  and 
while  he  bowed  his  head  at  her  feet,  his  heart  was  away 
with  Raghunandan  and  Jdtiaki  S^^eing  his  agitation  his 
mother  inquired  the  cause,  and  Lakshman  told  her  the 
whole  history.  On  hearing  his  cruel  speech  she  trembled 
like  a  fawn  that  sees  the  forest  on  fire  all  around  it. 
Lakshman  reflected  :  "  Everything  gfoes  wrong  to-day  :  her 
very  love  will  work  me  harm."  Timidly  and  hesitatingly 
he  asked  her  permission  to  go,  thinking  "  Good  God,  will 
she  let  me  go  or  not  ?"  /\ .  > 

Dohd  72.  ^\^ 

After  reflecting  on  the  beauty   and  amiable   disposition 


212  AYODHYA. 

of  Rdma  and   Sfta  and   considering  the   king's   affection, 
Sumitra  beat  her   head  and   exclaimed :     "  That   wicked 
woman  is  at  the  bottom  of  this  bad  business." 
Chaupdi. 

But  perceiving  the  time  to  be  untoward,  she  took 
patience  and  in  her  kindness  of  heart  answered  gently  : 
"  Your  mother,  child,  is  Vaidehi,  and  Rama  is  your  most 
loving  father  ;  where  Rdma  dwells,  there  is  Avadh  ;  and 
wherever  is  the  light  of  the  sun,  there  is  day.  If  R4ma 
and  Sita  go  to  the  woods,  you  have  no  business  at  Avadb. 
A  guru,  a  father  and  mother,  brethren,  the  gods  and  our 
master  are  all  to  be  tended  as  our  own  life;  but  Rama  is 
dearer  than  life,  is  the  soul  of  our  soul,  and  the  disinterest- 
ed friend  of  all ;  our  dearest  and  most  honoured  friends  are 
to  be  accounted  those  of  Rama's  household.  Thinking 
thus  to  yourself,  go  with  them  to  the  woods,  and  receive, 
my  son,  the  fruition  of  your  existence.  ^ 

Dohd73.   '    i 

You  have  become  the  receptacle  of  the  highest  good  for- 
tune, and  I  too — ah,  woe  is  me  !  -  if  from  an  unfeigned 
heart  you  have  made  RAma's  feet  your  home. 

Chaupdi. 

A  mother  indeed  is  she  who  has  a  son  devoted  to  Raghu- 
bar  ;  if  not,  it  is  better  to  be  barren,  she  has  given  birth 
invain  ;  a  son  who  is  Rama's  enemy  is  a  curse.  It  is  your 
good  fortune  that  Rama  goes  to  the  woods ;  and  other 
reason  is  there  none  ;  this,  my  son,  is  the  highest  reward 
for  all  good  deeds,  to  have  a  sincere  affection  for  the  feet 
of  Rdma  and  Sita.  Never  give  way  even  in  thought  to 
lust,  or  passion,  or  envy,  or  pride,  or  delusion  ;  but  put 
aside  all  changeableness  and  serve  them  in  heart,  word 
and  deed  For  you  the  poorest  is  a  place  of  joy,  since  R^ma 
and  Sita  your  father  and  mother,  will  be  there  with  you. 
Take  heed,  my  son,  that  RAma  be  put  to  no  trouble  ;  this 
is  my  admonition. 

Chhand  3. 

This  is  my  admonition,  my  son  ;  see  that  R4ma  and  Sita 


ATODHYA.  273 

live  at  ease  and  in  the  woods  forget  to  remember  their 
father  and  mother,  their  friends  and  relations  and  all  the 
pleasures  of  the  city."  Having^  given  her  son  such  instruc- 
tion and  commands  (says  Tulsi)  she  again  invoked  upon 
him  her  blessing  :  "  May  your  love  for  Sita  and  Raghubfr 
be  constant  and  unsullied  and  ever  renewed  !  " 
Sorathd  3.  r'  1^ 

Having  bowed  his  head  at  his  mother's  feet,  he  left  in 
haste  with  trepidation  of  heart,  as  flies  a  hapless  deer  that 
has  burst   a   perilous  snare. 

Ghaupdi, 

He  went  to  Jdnaki's  lord,  and  his  soul  rejoiced  to  re- 
cover his  dear  society.  After  reverencing  Rdma  and  Sita's 
gracious  feet,  he  proceeded  with  them  to  the  king's  palace. 
The  citizens  say  to  one  another  :  "  How  goodly  a  plan  God 
made  and  now  has  marred  !  "  With  wasted  frame,  sad 
soul  and  doleful  face,  they  were  in  as  great  distress  as 
bees  robbed  of  their  honey  ;  wringing  their  hands,  beat- 
ing their  heads  and  lamenting,  like  wretched  birds  that 
have  been  dipt  of  their  wings.  There  was  a  great  crowd  in 
the  royal  hall :  grief  immeasurable,  beyond  all  telling. 
The  minister  raised  the  king  and  seated  him,  as  R^ma 
advanced  with  loving  address.  When  he  saw  Sita  and  his 
two  sons,  the  king's  agitation  was  profound. 

Doha  74.  r\  '\ 

Again  and  again  turning  his  troubled  gaze  on  Sfta  and 
his  two  fair  sons,  he  clasped  them  to  his  bosom  time  after 
time  in  an  agony  of  love. 

Ghaupdi. 

In  his  agitation  he  could  not  speak  ;  grief  overmastered 
him  and  wild  anguish  of  heart.  After  most  affectionately 
bowing  his  head  at  his  feet,  Raghundth  arose  and  begged 
permission  to  depart:  "Father,  give  me  your  blessing  and 
commands  ;  why  so  dismayed  at  this  time  of  rejoicing  ?  ^ 
From  excessive  attachment,  sire,  to  any  beloved  object,  *" 
honour  is  lost  and  disgrace  incurred."   At  this  the  love-sick 

R-38 


274  ATODHTA. 

king  arose  and  taking  Ragbupati  by  the  arm  made 
him  sit  down  :  "  Hearken,  my  son  ;  the  sages  say  that 
RAma  is  the  lord  of  all  creation,  animate  or  inanimate; 
that  God,  after  weighing  good  and  bad  actions  and  mentally 
considering  them,  apportions  their  reward,  and  the  doer 
reaps  the  fruit  of  his  own  doirjgs  :  this  is  the  doctrine  of 
the  Scriptures  and  the  verdict  of  mankind. 

Doha  75.   y  t 

But  for  one  to  sin  and  another  to  reap  its  reward — the 
ways  of  God  are  most  mysterious ;  who  is  there  in  the 
world  who  can  comprehend  them  ? 
Chaupdi. 
\  The  king  in  his  anxiety  to  detain  R^ma  tried  every 
honest  expedient,  but  when  he  saw  that  he  was  bent  on 
going— righteous,  brave  and  wise  as  he  was — he  took  and 
pressed  Sita  to  his  bosom  and  gave  her  much  most  affec- 
tionate advice,  telling  her  of  all  the  intolerable  hardships  of 
the  forest,  and  reminding  her  of  the  happiness  she  might 
enjoy  with  her  parents-in-law  or  at  her  father's  house. 
But  Rita's  heart  was  set  on  Rima's  feet,  and  neither  home 
seemed  to  her  attractive  nor  the  wo^ds  repulsive.  Every 
one  else  too  warned  her  with  stories  of  all  the  many 
miseries  of  the  desert.  The  minister's  wife  and  the  guru^s 
— prudent  dames— affectionately  urged  her  in  gentle  tones  : 
*'  He  has  not  sent  you  into  exile.  You  should  do  as  you 
are  told  by  your  parents  and  your  guruV 

Doha  76.    7  Oj 

This  advice,  friendly  and  kind  and  tender  and  judicious 
as  it  was,  was  not  pleasinar  to  Sita  to  hear ;  in  the  same  way 
as  the  chakwi  is  distrest  by  the  rays  of  the  autumn  moon. 

Chaupdi. 

She  was,  however,  too  modest  to  reply  ;   but  Kaikeyi  on 

hearing  them  started  up  in  excitement  and,  bringing  a  box 

of  anchorite's  dresses  and   ornaments,   placed  it  before  her 

and  said  in  whispered  tones :  Raghubir,  you  are  dearer  than 

*.     life  to  the  king ;  he  cannot  rid  himself  of  his  too  great  kind- 

(   ness  and  love,  and  will  never  tell  you  to  go,  though  he  forfeit 


AYODHYl.  275 

his  virtue,  his   honour  and  his  hope  of  heaven.     Think  of 

this   and   act  as   seems  to  you  good"     Rdma  was  glad  to 

hear   his    mother's   suggestion,   bur,  her  words  pierced  the 

king   like   arrows  :  *  Will    my   miserable    life  never  leave 

me?'     In   his   distress    he   fainted    outright,  and    no  one 

knew  what  to  do.    But  Rdma  quickly  assumed  the  hermit's 

dress  and  bowing  his  head  to  his  father  and  mother  went 

forth. 

Dohd  77. 

Having  completed  his  full  equipment  for  the  woods,  the 
lord  set  forth  with  his  wife  and  brother,  after  reverencing 
the  feet  of  the  Brdhmans  and  his  guru,  and  leaving  them 
all  in  bewilderment. 

Chaupdi. 

He  came  out  and  stood  at  Vasistha's  gate  ;  the  beholders 
were  consumed  as  with  fire  by  the  anguish  of  parting.  With 
kindly  words  Raghubir  consoled  thetn  all  and,  summoning 
the  Br^hmarts,  begged  his  ^uru  to  give  them  a  year's  main- 
tenance. Many  gifts  he  bestowed  with  respectful  courtesy, 
satisfying  the  mendicants  with  largesse  and  civilities,  and 
his  personal  friends  with  demonstrations  of  affection.  Next 
he  called  up  his  men-servants  and  maid-servants  and  made 
them  over  to  his  guru,  saying  with  clasped  hands  :  "  0  sir, 
be  to  them  as  their  own  father  and  mother,  and  cherish 
them  all  ."  Again  and  again  did  R4ma  with  clasped  hands 
and  in  gentle  tones  address  each  one  of  them  :  '*  He  is  my 
best  friend  in  whom  the  kins  finds  comfort. 
Dohd  78.      r  / 

So  act,  all  thoughtful  and  considerate  citizens,  that  my 
mother  be  not  distrest  by  my  absence." 
Chaupdi, 

When  Rdma  had  thus  exhorted  them  all,  he  cheerfully 
bowed  his  head  at  his  guru's  lotus  feet,  and  invoking 
Ganes,  Gauri,  and  Mah^dev,  and  receiving  their  blessing, 
sallied  forth.  As  he  went,  there  was  great  lamentation 
and  a  mournful  wailing  throughout  the  city,  terrible  to  hear. 


276  ATODHYl. 

In  Lanka  omens  of  ill,  in  Avadh  exceeding  distress  :  while 
mingled  joy  and  sorrow  possessed  the  hosts  of  heaven. 
When  his  swoon  had  passed,  the  king  awoke  and  sent  for 
Sumanta  and  thus  began  :  *'  RAma  has  gone  to  the  woods, 
and  yet  my  life  flits  not  ;  what  good  does  it  hope  to  get  by 
still  remaining  in  my  body  ?  "  What  more  grievous  tor- 
tures can  there  be,  to  force  it  from  my  frame  ?  Again 
taking  patience,  he  added  :  '*  friend,  take  you  the  chariot 
and  go ; 

Dohd  79.      ^*^' 
the  two  boys  are  young  and  delicate,  and  Janak's  daughter 
a  delicate  girl ;  take  them  up   into    the   chariot  and  show 
them  the  forest,  and  come  back  in  a  day  or  two. 

Ghaupdi. 
Both  brothers  are  brave,  and  RaghuMi  is  the  very  ocean 
of  truth  and  staunch  to  his  word ;  if  they  will  not  turn,  do 
you  with  clasped  hands  humbly  entreat  him  :  *  Send  back, 
my  lord,  the  daughter  of  Mithila's  king.'  When  Sita  is 
alarmed  by  the  sight  of  the  forest,  take  the  opportunity  of 
telling  her  my  instructions,  saying  :  *  This  is  the  message 
sent  by  your  father-in-law  and  mother-in-law ;  come  back, 
daughter  ;  there  are  many  perils  in  the  desert.  You  can 
stay  at  your  pleasure  now  with  your  own  father,  now  with 
your  husband's  parents*  In  this  manner  try  every  way  you 
can ;  if  she  comes  back,  it  will  be  the  succour  of  my  life  ;  if 
not,  it  will  end  in  my  death  ;  what  can  I  do  ?  God  is  against 
me."  So  saying,  the  king  fainted  and  fell  to  the  ground, 
crying  :  "  0  that  you  could  bring  them  back  to  me,  R^ma, 
Lakshman  and  Sita  !  "  ^  /) 

Dohd  SO.      ^  ■" 
Having   received    the  king's  commands,  he  bowed  his 
head  and  in  haste  made  ready  the  chariot,  and  went  to  the 
place  outside  the  city  where  were  Sita  and  the  two  brothers. 

Chaupdi. 
There  Sumanta  declared  to  them  the  king's  message  and 
respectfully  made  RAma  ascend  the  chariot.  When  Sita  and 


ilYODHYA.  277 

the  two  brothers  had  mounted  and  drove  away,  they  mental- 
ly bowed  the  head  to  Avadh.  As  the  bf»reaved  city  saw  Rd- 
ma  depart,  all  the  people  began  confusedly  to  follow  him. 
The  gracious  lord  said  everything  to  console  them,  and  they 
turned  homewards,  but  again  came  back  overmastered  by 
their  affection.  Avadh  appeared  to  them  as  gloomy  and  op- 
pressive as  the  dark  night  of  death  ;  the  citizens  looked 
with  trembling  at  one  another  like  so  many  wild  beasts  : 
their  home  seemed  like  the  grave,  their  retainers  like 
ghosts,  and  their  sons,  friends  and  neighbours  as  the  angels 
of  death.  The  trees  and  creepers  in  the  gardens  all  wither- 
ed ;  the  streams  and  ponds  were  fearful  to  behold. 

Dohd  81.  '  Y*^ 

All  the  horses,  elephants  and  tame  de«r,  the  town- 
cattle,  the  cuckoos  and  the  peacocks,  the  koila^  swans,  parrots, 
mainas,  herons,  flapaingoes  and  partridges, 

Chaupdi. 

All  stood  aghast  at  Rdma's  departure,  dumb  and  mo- 
tionless as  statues.  The  whole  city  resembled  some  dense 
forest  in  which  the  agitated  people  were  as  the  birds  and 
deer,  while  Kaikeyi  had  been  fashioned  by  God  as  some 
wild  woman  of  the  woods,  who  had  set  all  in  a  fierce  blaze. 
Unable  to  endure  the  burnir»g  pain  of  Rama's  departure, 
the  people  all  flocked  after  him  in  their  bewilderment,  each 
one  thinking  to  himself  :  "  There  is  no  happiness  apart 
from  Rdma,  Lakshman  and  Sita.  Everything  can  be  had 
where  RAma  is,  and  Avadh  without  Raghubir  is  of  no 
account."  With  this  settled  idea  they  bore  him  company, 
abandoning  halls  of  delight  that  the  gods  might  envy.  For 
what  influence  can  the  pleasures  of  sense  have  upon  men 
who  are  devoted  to  Rdma's  lotus  feet  ?  ^ 
Dohd  82.  ^ 

Young  and  old,  all  left  their  homes  and  followed  him  ; 
and  on  the  bank  of  the  Tamas^  R^ma  made  his  first  day's 
halt. 


278  AYODHYl. 

Chaupdi. 
When  Ragbupati  saw  bis  people  overpowered  with  love, 
his  kind  heart  was  greatly  troubled.  The  merciful  lord 
Raghunath,  being  quickly  touched  by  the  grief  of  others, 
spoke  to  them  matiy  words  of  tenderness  and  affection  and 
did  his  best  to  comfort  them,  admonishing  them  much  of 
their  religious  duty.  But  in  their  fotidness  they  could  not 
tear  themselves  away.  As  there  was  no  means  of  overcom- 
ing their  innate  affection,  Raghurdi  was  reduced  to  per- 
plexity. Worn  out  with  grief  and  toil  the  people  fell  asleep 
—a  divine  delusion  helping  to  beguile  them —and  when 
two  watches  of  the  night  were  spent  R^ ma  affectionately 
addressed  his  Minister :  *'  Father  drive  the  chariot  so  as  to 
efface  the  tracks  of  the  wheels  ;  there  is  no  other  way  of 
settling  the  business."  />/ 

DohdSS.    Oif 
Rdma,  Lakshman  and  Sita  then  mounted  the  car,  after 
bowing  the  head  toSambhu's  f^et,  and  the  minister   drove 
it  speedily  hither  and  thither,  confusing  the  tracks. 

Chaupdi, 
At  day  break  the  people  all  woke,  and  there  was  a  great 
cry,  that  Raghubir  had  gone.  They  could  no  how  distin- 
guish the  tracks  of  the  chariot,  though  they  ran  in  all 
directions,  crying  Rima,  RAma,  like  as  when  a  ship  is 
sinking  at  sea  all  the  merchants  are  in  terror.  One  suggest- 
ed to  another  :  R^ma  left  us  on  seeing  our  distress.' 
They  revile  themselves  and  envy  the  fish'  crying  :  "  A 
curse  on  our  life  away  from  Rnghubfr  :  as  god  has  robbed 
us  of  our  Beloved,  why  has  he  not  graiited  us  our  prayer 
to  die?"  With  many  such  lamentations  they  relumed  to 
Avadh  full  of  heaviness  :  the  anguish  of  parting  was 
beyond  description,  and  it  was  only  the  hope  of  his  return 
kept  them  alive.  c  ^'\ 

Doha  84.      ^     I 
-7  Men  and  women  alike  began  to  fast  and  make    vows  to 

secure  his  return,  like  the  poor  chakwd  and  the  lotus  when 
bereft  of  the  sun. 


1  That  die  at  once  when  withdrawn  from  their  natural  element. 


ATODHYA.  279 

Chaupdi. 
Sita  with  the  Minister  and  thp  two  brothers  arrived  on 
their  way  at  the  city  of  Sringavera.  On  beholding  the 
river  of  the  gods,  Rama  alighted  and  with  much  joy  made 
it  his  obeisance.  The  Minister,  Lakshman  and  Sita  saluted 
it  also,  atjd  Rama  was  as  glad  as  any  of  them  ;  for  the 
Ganges  is  the  source  of  all  bliss  and  beatitude,  the  author 
of  all  happiness,  the  destroyer  of  every  sorrow.  Many  were 
the  stories  and  legerids  that  R^ma  repeated  as  he  gazed 
upon  its  flood,  instructing  the  Minister,  his  younger 
brother,  and  his  bride  in  the  majesty  and  grandeur  of  the 
heavenly  stream.  They  bathed  and  all  the  fatigue  of  the 
march  was  removed  ;  they  drank  of  the  holy  water  and  their 
soul  was  gladd^^ned.  It  is  only  in  vulgar  phrase  that 
fatigue  is  ascribed  to  him  by  whose  remembrance  all  the 
burdens  of  the  world  are  lightened. 

Dohd  85       9  ^ 
R^ma,  the  champion  of  the  S'»lar  race,  is    the  holy  God 
of  supreme  wisdom  and  bliss,  the  bridge  over  the  ocean   of 
existence,^  though  he  acts  like  an  ordinary  man. 

Chaupdi. 
When  Guha,  the  Nishdd,  heard  the  news,  he  was  glad 
and  called  together  his  friends  and  r^^lafions,  and  taking  a 
great  quantity  of  fruits  and  vegetables  as  a  present,  went 
out  to  meet  him  with  infinite  joy  of  heart.  With  a  pro- 
found obeisance  he  put  down  his  offering  before  him  and 
gMzed  upon  the  lord  with  the  utmost  devotion.  Raghur^i 
with  his  natural  kindliness  asked  him  of  his  health  and 
seated  him  by  his  side.  **  The  sight  of  your  lotus  feet, 
sire,  is  health  indeed  ;  I    am  most    highly   favoured,  as   all 

1  Sansi'lti-sagarii-Hetii  :  The  ' tran-^inigiar ions '-.«a«.vri^»"  — through  which 
the  soul  lias  t'>  pass  would  be  enrlless,  a  limitless  ocean  [sagara)  from  which 
none  ci'ul<1  escape,  weie  it  I'Ot  that  Hama  hus  giver)  himself  to  be  the  bridge, 
sehi,  over  the  abjss.  Amihaiat  here  irn  ans  simply  'like.'  It  is  almost 
impossible  to  translate  this  anfi  similar  phrases  at  once  liierally,  concisely 
and  intelli^rihly  ;  for  birth  and  life,  which  we  are  tauijht  to  regard  as 
blessings,  are  to  the  Hindu  ihenlogian  a  curse.  (Jompare  Milton's — 
.  .  .  .  "This  earthly  load 
Of  death  called  life,  which  us  from  life  doth  sever." 


^ 


280  kYODntA, 

will  admit.  My  land,  my  house,  ray  fortune  are  yours, 
my  lord  ;  land  mine  are  your  poor  vassals  Do  me  the 
favour  of  entering:  my  abedtT;  treat  me  as  one  of  yf>ur 
servants  and  I  shall  be  the  envy  of  all  men."  *'  Ail  that 
you  say,  my  good  friend,  is  very  true  ;  but  my  father  has 
given  me  other  commands. 

Dohd  86.       S"  ^ 

For  fourteen  years  I  must  dwell  in  the  woods  and  adopt 
the  rules,  the  dress,  and  the  diet  of  a  hermit  ;  to  stay  in  a 
village  is  forbidden."  On  hearing  this,  Guha  was  much 
grieved. 

Chaupdi. 

Seeing  R^ma,  Lakshman  and  Sita  to  be  so  beautiful, 
the  citizens  affectionately  protested  :  "  What  kind  of 
parents  can  they  be,  friend,  who  have  banished  such 
children  to  the  woods  ?  "  Said  one  :  '*  The  king  has  done 
well  to  give  our  eyes  such  a  treat."  Then  the  Nishdd  chief 
on  reflection  decided  upon  a  beautiful  sinsapa^  tree,  and 
took  RaghunAth  and  showed  him  the  place,  who  declared 
it  to  be  most  excellent.  The  citizens  after  paying  him 
their  respects  went  home,  and  Rdina  proceeded  to  the  per- 
formance of  his  ev<^ning  devotions.  Guha  made  and  spread 
for  him  a  charming  bed  of  grass  and  soft  leaves,  and  brought 
him  leaf-made  bowls  filled  with  all  such  fruits  and  veget- 
ables as  he  knew  to  be  sweet  and  wholesome  and  good. 

Dohd  S7.   fa 

After  he  had  partaken   of   the   fruits   and   herbs   with 
the  Minister  and  Sita  and  his  brother,  the  jewel  of  Raghu's 
line  lay  down  to  sleep,  while  Lakshman  shampooed  his  feet. 
Chaupdi, 

When  he  l<new  his  lord  to  be  asleep,  he  arose  and  softly 
bade  Sumanta  take  rest,  while  he  himself  fitted  an  arrow 
to  his  bow  and  took  up  the  position  of  a  marksman  at  a 
little  distance,  there  to  watch.  The  affectionate  Guha, 
having  summoned  trusty  sentinels  and  stationed  them 
1  The  sinsapa  is  cither  the  asoka,  or  the  shisbam  tree.- 


i 


AYODHYA.  281 

rounH  about,  went  himself  and  sat  down  by  Lakshraan, 
with  his  quiver  at  his  back  and  an  arrow  fitted  to  his  bow. 
When  the  Nishdd  saw  Rdma  asleep,  his  soul  was  troubled 
with  excess  of  love,  his  body  tlirilled  with  emotion,  his  eyes 
flowed  with  tears,  and  he  thus  in  tender  accents  addressed 
Lakshman  :  "  The  king's  palace  is  altogether  beautiful, 
nor  can  the  courts  of  heaven  be  compared  to  it  ;  its  charm- 
ing pavilions,  inlaid  with  precious  stones,  seem  to  have 
been  adorned  by  Love's  own  hands. 

Dohd  88.      ^/ 
Rich   and   luxurious   are  its   beds,   sweet  with  odorous 
flowers  and  perfumes,  with  jewelled  lamps  and   appliances 

of  every  description, 

Chaupdi. 

with  all  kinds  of  coverlets  and  pillows,  and  matresses  as 
soft  and  white  as  the  froth  of  milk,  where  Slta  and  Rdma 
reposed  at  night  and  put  to  shame  with  their  beauty  both 
Rati  and  K4madev,  who  now  sleep  on  a  pallet,  weary  and 
naked,  pitiful  to  behold.  The  Rdma  whom  his  father  and 
mother,  his  own  family  and  all  the  people  of  the  city,  his 
companions  and  associates,  his  men-servants  and  maid- 
servants, all  cherished  as  tenderly  as  their  own  life,  is 
now  sleeping  on  the  bare  ground.  The  Sita,  whose  father 
is  Janak  of  world-wide  fame  ;  whose  father-in-law  is 
Dasarath,  the  friend  of  the  King  of  heaven ;  whose  spouse 
is  R^mchandra ;  is  now  sleeping  on  the  ground  ;  is  not 
God  against  us  all?  Are  Sita  and  R^ma  fit-  dwellers  of  the 
desert  ?  Well  do  men  say,  *  Fate  is  supreme.' 
Dohd  89.  ij  > 
The  foolish  daughter  of  Kekay^  has  wrought  sad  mis- 
chief by  bringing  this  trouble  on  Rdma  and  J^naki  on  their 

day  of  rejoicing. 

Chaupdi. 

She  has  become  the  axe  at  the  root  of  the  tree  of  the  Solar 

race,  and  through    her  wickedness  has   plunged  the    whole 

world  in  woe."     Seeing   Rdma  and   Sita  asleep  upon   the 

R-39 


282  AYODHYA. 

ground,  the  NishiCd  became  sad  exceedingly  ;  but  Lakshman 
addressed  him  in  sweet  and  gentle  tones  that  were  full  of 
the  essence  of  wisdom,  sobriety  and  faith  :  **  No  man  is  the 
cause  of  another's  joy  or  sorrow  ;  all  is  the  fruit  of  one's 
own  actions,  brother.  Union  and  separation,  pleasure,  good 
and  evil,  friendship,  enmity  and  neutrality  are  snares  of 
delusion.  Birth,  death,  all  the  entanglements  of  the  world 
prosperity  and  adversity,  fortune  and  destiny,  earth,  home, 
wealth,  city  and  family,  heaven,  hell  and  all  human  affairs  ; 
all  that  you  can  see,  or  hear,  or  imagine  in  your  mind,  all  is 
delusive  and  unreal. 

Dohdgo.    f3 
In  a  dream  a  beggar   becomes  asking,  and  the  lord    of 
heaven  a  pauper ;  but  on  waking  the  one  is   no  gainer,  nor 
the  other  a  loser  ;  this  is  the  way  in  which  you  should  regard 

the  world. 

Chaupdi. 

Reasoning  thus,  be  not  angry  with  any  one,  nor  vainly 
attribute  blame  to  any.  All  are  sleepers  in  a  night  of 
delusion  and  see  many  kinds  of  dreams  ;  in  this  world  of 
darkness  they  only  are  awake  who  detach  themselves  from 
the  material,  and  are  absorbed  in  ccmtemplation  of  the 
Supreme;  nor  can  any  soul  be  regarded  as  aroused  from 
slumber  till  it  has  renounced  every  sensual  enjoyment. 
Then  ensues  spiritual  enlightenment  and  escape  from  the 
errors  of  delusion,  and  finally  devotion  to  Rima.  This, 
friend,  is  man's  highest  good,  to  be  devoted  to  R^ma  in 
thought,  word  and  deed.  RAma  is  God,  the  totality  of 
good,  imperishable,  invisible,  uncreated,  incomparable, 
void  of  all  change,  indivisible,  whom  the  Veda  declares 
that  it  cannot  define. 

Dohd  91./V 

In  his  mercy  he  has  taken  the  form  of  a  man  and  per- 
forms human  actions,  out  of  the  love  he  bears  to  his  faithful 
people  and  to  Earth  and  Br^hmans  and  cows  and  gods.  On 
hearing  them,  the  snares  of  the  world  broken  asunder. 


AYODHYA.  283 

Chaupdi. 

Haviog  thus  reflected,  friend,  give  no  place  to  deceits, 
but  fix  your  affections  on  Sita  and  Rdma's  feet."  While  he 
was  yet  speaking  of  Rama's  virtues,  the  day  dawned  and 
the  joy  of  the  world  awoke.  After  performing  every  puri- 
ficatory rite  he  bathed,  the  all-pure  and  wise,  and  called 
for  some  milk  of  the  bar  tree,  and  bound  up  the  hair  of  his 
head  into  a  knot,  as  did  also  his  brother.  On  seeing  this, 
Sumanta's  eyes  filled  with  tears.  Sore  pained  at  heart, 
with  doleful  face  and  clasped  hands  he  made  this  humble 
speech  :  "  The  king  of  Kosala,  my  lord,  thus  enjoined  me  : 
'  Take  the  chariot  and  go  with  Rdma  ;  let  them  see  the 
forest  and  bathe  in  the  Ganges,  and  then  speedily  bring 
them  home  again,  both  the  brothers,  Lakshman  and  Rama 
and  Sita  too,  bring  them  back,  settling  all  their  doubts  and 
scruples.'  _^ 

Do}id92.    1^ 

Thus  spoke  the  king,  sire  ;  but  woe  is  me  !  I  can  do 
only  as  you  tell  me."  He  fell  in  supplication  at  his  feet 
weeping  helplessly  as  a  child. 

Chaupdi. 

"  Have  pity,  my  son,  and  so  act  that  Avadh  be  not  left 
a  widow."  Rd,ma  raised  the  Minister  and  thus  exhorted 
him  :  "  Father,  you  know  the  path  of  virtue.  Sivi, 
Dadhichi  and  king  Harischandra,  for  the  sake  of  their  reli- 
gion, endured  countless  afflictions.  Rantideva^  and  wise 
king  Bali  kept  their  faith  through  many  trials.  There  is 
no  virtue  equal  to  truth,  as  the  Vedas,  Sh^stras,  and 
Purdnas  declare.  I  have  reached  this  virtue  by  an  easy 
road  :  if  I  abandon  it,  my  disgrace  will  be  published  in 
earth,  heaven  and  hell  :  and  disgrace  to  a  man  of  honour 
is  pain  as  grievous  as  a  million  deaths.  But  why  say  all 
this  to  you,  father  ?  I  only  incur  sin  by,  answering  you. 
Do/ia  93.    ^-i 

Fall  humbly  at  my  father's  feet  and  with  clasped  hands 

beg  of  him  not  to  distress  himself  in  any  way  on  my  account. 

1  Rantideva,  the  son  of  Sanskrit!,  was  a  king  famous  for  his  great 
liberality.  He  offered  so  many  cattle  in  sacrifice  th£|.t  their  l?lood  formed 
a  river,  said  to  be  the  Chambii,!. 


284  AYODHYA. 

Ghaupdi, 
You,  again,  are  equally  dear  to  me  as  my  father,  and 
I  implore  you,  sire,  to  do  everything  that  will  prevent 
the  king  from  grieving  about  me."  On  hearing  this 
conversation  between  Raghun4th  and  the  Minister,  the 
Nishdd  and  his  people  were  sad  and  Lakshman  spoke  a 
little  angrily.  But  the  lord  stopt  him,  knowing  it  to  be 
altogether  out  of  place,  and  nervously  adjured  Sumanta,  f 
by  the  love  he  bore  him,  not  to  repeat  his  words.  Sumanta 
then  proceeded  with  the  king's  message  :  Sita  is  not  able 
to  bear  the  hardships  of  the  desert  ;  you  should  try  and 
persuade  her  to  return  to  Avadh,  otherwise  I  shall  have  no 
prop  left,  and  must  die  as  inevitably  as  a  fish  out  of  water. 

Doha  94.     "^  /"' 
She  has  a  happy  home  both  with  her  own   mother  and 
with    her   husband's   parents,  and  she  can  live  when  she 
pleases  at  either,  till  these  troubles  are  overpast. 

Chaupdi. 
The  piteousness  of  the  king's  entreaties  and  the  earnest- 
ness of  his  affection  are  more  than  I  can  express.  On  hear- 
ing his  father's  message,  the  All-merciful  tried  in  every 
way  to  persuade  Sita  :  '*  Only  return  ;  and  the  affliction 
of  your  parents,  your  guru,  and  all  your  friends  and  re- 
lations will  be  at  an  end"  Replied  Vaidehi  to  her  hus- 
band's words  :  Hearken  most  dear  and  loving  lord,  full  of 
compassion  and  infinite  wisdom  ;  can  a  shadow  exist  apart 
from  its  substance  ?  Where  is  the  sunlight  without  the 
sun,  or  the  radiance  of  the  moon  when  the  moon  is  not  ?  " 
Having  uttered  this  affectionate  prayer  to  her  husband, 
she  turned  to  the  Minister  with  these  winning  words  : 
"  You  are  as  much  my  benefactor  as  my  own  father  or  my 
father-in-law,  and  if  I  answer  you,  it  is  the  height  of 
impropriety.  ^  ^ 

Dohd95.      ^    ^ 

Yet,  sire,  take  it  not  ill  of  me  if  in  my  grief  I  withstand 
you  :  away  from  the  lotus  feet  of  my  lord's  son  all  my 
kindred  are  nought- 


AYODHYA.  285 

Cliaupdi. 
I  have  seen  my  father's  luxury  and  magnificence  and 
his  foot-stool  thronged  with  the  jewelled  crowns  of  kings, 
yet  though  his  palace  be  such  a  blissful  abode,  I  have  no 
pleasure  there  without  my  spouse.  My  Imperial  father-in- 
law,  the  sovereign  of  Kosala,  is  of  such  glorious  renown 
throughout  the  fourteen  spheres  that  the  king  of  heaven 
would  advance  to  meet  him  and  cede  him  half  his  throne  ; 
yet  though  he  be  so  great  and  Avadh  his  home,  and  though 
the  whole  of  his  family  be  dear  to  me  and  my  mother-in- 
law  as  my  own  mother,  I  could  not  find  pleasure  in  a  single 
thing  for  a  moment,  away  from  the  lotus  flowers  of  Rdma's 
feet.  Though  the  forest  road  be  rough,  and  the  country 
mountainous,  full  of  elephants  and  tigers,  boundless,  lakes 
and  streams,  wild  Kols  and  KirAts,  and  beasts,  and  birds  ; 
all  is  delightful,  if  my  dear  lord  be  with  me. 

Do/ia  96.     ^Cf 

Fall  at  the  feet  of  my  father-in-law  and  my  mother-in- 
law  and  tell  them  humbly  from  me  not  to  grieve  on  my  ac- 
count, for  I  am  perfectly  happy  in  the  woods. 

Chaupdi, 

With  the  sovereign  of  my  soul  and  my  dear  brother, 
stoutest  of  champions,  bearing  bow  and  quiver,  the  toilsome 
wanderings  of  the  march  will  not  trouble  me  at  all  ;  be  not 
then  the  least  anxious  about  me."  On  hearing  Sita's  chilling 
speech,  Sumanta  became  as  distressed  as  a  serpent  at  the 
loss  of  its  headjevvel.  With  eyes  that  saw  not  and  ears  that 
heard  not,  and  unable  to  utter  a  word,  he  was  completely 
confounded.  Rdma  said  everything  to  console  him,  but  his 
heart  refused  to  be  comforted.  Earnestly  he  begged  that 
he  too  might  accompany  him  ;  but  Raghunandan  returned 
an  appropriate  answer  to  all  he  urged.  "  Rdma's  commands 
cannot  be  withstood  ;  Fate  is  against  me,  I  can  do  nothing." 
Bowing  his  head  at  the  feet  of  R^ma,  Lakshman  and  Sita, 
he  turned  away  like  a  merchant  who  has  lost  his  all. 


286 


AYODHYA. 


Dohdd7.     [^ 

The  very  horses  of  his  chariot,  as  he  drove,  continued 
whinnying  and  looking  back  upon  RAma  ;  and  the  Nish^d 
at  the  sight  gave  way  to  his  grief  and  beat  his  head  and 
moaned  . 

Ghaupdi. 

"  When  even  brute  beasts  are  so  distrest  at  his  loss, 
how  can  his  subjects  and  his  father  and  mother  exist  with- 
out him  ?  "  Having  thus  perforce  dismissed  Sumanta,  Rima 
went  on  his  way  and  came  to  the  bank  of  the  Ganges. 
When  he  called  for  the  boat,  the  ferryman  would  not  bring 
it,  saying  :  "  I  know  your  magic  power  :  every  one  says 
that  the  dust  of  your  lotus  feet  is  a  charm  for  making  man. 
A  rock  on  which  it  fell  became  a  beautiful  woman,  and 
wood  is  not  so  hard  as  stone.  Should  my  boat  in  like 
manner  be  turned  into  a  saint's  wife,  the  ferry  will  be  closed 
and  the  boat  lost,  which  is  the  support  of  my  whole  family. 
I  have  no  other  means  of  living.  If,  my  lord,  you  are  bent 
on  crossing,  you  must  allow  me  first  to  wash  your  feet. 
Chhand  4. 

After  bathing  your  lotus  feet  I  will  take  you  on  board 
but  I  will  not  accept  any  toll.  I  tell  you  the  truth,  0 
Rdma,  swearing  by  yourself  and  Dasarath — Lakshman  may 
shoot  me  with  his  arrows,  but  I  will  not  take  you  across, 
gracious  lord,  until  I  have  bathed  your  feet." 

Sorathd.     \J\ 

On  hearing  the  ferryman's  rude  but  loving  speech,  the 
All-merciful  smiled'  and  looked  at  Janaki  and  Lakshman  ; 

Chawpdi. 
then  gaily  cried  :  "  Do  anything  to  save  your  boat,  bring 
water  at  once  and  bathe  my  feet ;  time  has  been  lost  ;  take 
me  across."  The  gracious  lord  thus  made  request  of  a 
boatman  ;  even  he  by  one  thought  on  whose  name  mankind 
is  transported  across  the  boundless  ocean  of  existence,  and  for 

1  As  much  as  to  say  :  We  thought  the  NishAd  king  a  pattern  of  piety, 
but  even  he  is  outdone  by  this  rude  ferryman, 


AYODHYA.  287 

whose  three  strides  the  whole  universe  did  not  suffice. i  The 
Gauges  rejoiced  on  beholding  his  toe-nails,2  and  the  sound     *L 
of  his    words    was   relieved  of   all  anxiety.     On    receiving 
Rama's   commands,  the  ferryman  brought  a  basin    full   of 
water  and  in  an  ecstacy  of  joy    and  love  proceeded  to  bathe 
his  lotus  feet.   All  the  gods  rained  down  flowers  and  uttered 
their   congratulations  :  "  Never   was    any    one    so    merito- 
rious !"  <    ^  / 
Doha   98.    '7 
After  laving  his  feet,   and  drinking   of  the   water,  both 
himself  and  his  family,  and  thus  redeeming  the  souls  of  his 
fathers,  he  joyfully  conveyed  his  lord    across    to   the  other 
side. 

Chaupdi. 

They  landed  and  stood  on  the  sands  of  the  Ganges,  Sita, 
R^ma  Lakshman  and  Guha.  The  ferryman  landed  too  and 
made  his  obeisance.  The  lord  was  ashamed  that  he  had 
nothing  to  give  him.  Sita  knew  what  was  passing  in  the 
mind  of  her  beloved  and  cheerfully  drew  a  jewelled  ring  from 
off  herfinger.  Said  the  All-merciful  :  "  Take  your  toll."  The 
ferryman  in  distress  clasped  his  feet  :  '*  What  have  1  not 
already  received,  my  lord  ?  sin,  sorrow,  poverty  and  all 
their  attendant  ills  have  been  removed  I  have  laboured  for  . 
a  length  of  years,  but  today  God  has  given  me  my  wages 
in  full.  Now,  gracious  lord,  I  ask  for  nothing  but  your 
favour  ;  at  the  time  of  your  return,  whatever  you  bestow 
upon  me  I  will  thankfully  accept."  ,  ^>, 

Doha  99.     .  ' 
Lakshman  and  the  lord  botti  pressed  him  much,  but  the 
ferryman  would  take  nothing;  the  All-merciful  then  dismiss- 
ed him  with  the  gift  of  unclouded  faith,  best  of  all  boons. 

Chaupdi. 

Then  the  lord  of  Raghu's  line  bathed    and    bowed   his 
head  in  adoration  to  Mahadeva  :'^  while    Sita  with   clasped 


1  Rama  is  here  indentifie  1  with  Vishna  who  in  the  form  of  a  dwarf  out- 
witted king  Bali  :  see  note  to  page  19,  Volume  II. 

2  From  beneath  which  it  had  issued  at  its  birth. 

3  The  word  in  the  text  is  Fdrathi,  or  in  some  manuscripts  Pdrthita, 
a  derivative  of  prlthi,  '  the  earth,'  meaning  '  a  king,'  and  here -it  would 
seem— denoting  Mahadeva. 


288  AYODHYA. 

hands  thus  addressed  the  sacred  stream :  "  0  mother, 
accomplish  my  desire  that  I  may  return  in  safety  with  my 
husband  and  his  brother  and  again  adore  you."  On  hear- 
ing Sita's  humble  and  affectionate  speech,  a  favourable  res- 
ponse came  from  the  holy  flood  :  "  Hearken,  Vaidehi  best  be- 
loved of  Raghublr  ;  who  is  there  in  the  world  who  knows  not 
your  glory  ?  they  who  behold  you  become  as  the  sovereigns 
of  the  spheres,  and  all  the  powers  of  magic  meekly  do  you 
service.  In  the  petition  that  you  have  deigned  to  address 
to  me,  you  have  graciously  paid  me  all  too  high  an  honour ; 
yet,  lady,  unworthy  as  I  am,  I  bestow  upon  you  my  bles- 
sing, in  order  to  prove  my  utterances  true. 

Dohd   100.  iO»f 

You  shall  return  in  safety  to  Kosala  with  your  beloved 
and  his  brother;  your  every  wish  shall  be  accomplished, 
and  your  renown  shall  be  spread  throughout  the  world." 

Chaupdi. 

On  hearing  Gauge's  gracious  speech,  Sita  was  delighted 
to  find  it  so  propitious.  Then  said  the  lord  to  Guha  : 
"  Return  home."  At  this  his  face  grew  wa»»  and  his  bosom 
burned,  and  with  clasped  hands  and  in  suppliant  tones  he 
cried  :  *'  Noblest  of  the  sons  of  Raghu,  hearken  to  my 
prayer.  Let  me  remain  with  my  lord  to  show  the  road  and 
do  him  service  for  a  day  or  two,  and  make  a  shapely  hut 
of  twigs  for  him  in  the  wood  where  he  goes  to  stay.  After 
that  I  swear  by  Raghu bir  to  do  as  he  shall  command  me." 
Seeing  his  unfeigned  affection,  he  took  him  with  him,  to 
Guhas  delight,  who  there  upon  called  all  his  kinsmen  and 
dismissed  them  with  kind  assurances.  ^ 
Dohd  lOl.    \<J^ 

Then  directing    his   intention  to  Ganes  and  Siva,   and 
bowing  his   head  to    the   Ganges,   the   lord    with  his  com- 
panion and  his  brother  and  Slta  took  his  way  to  the  woods. 
Chaupdi. 

That  day  he  halted  under  a  tree,  and  Lakshman  and  his 
attendant  supplied  all  his  necessities.    At  dawn,  having 


AYODHYA.  289 

performed  his  morning  ablutions  he  proceeded  to  visit  the 
king  of  Sanctuaries.  A  king  with  Truth  for  his  minister, 
Faith  for  his  cherished  consort,  the  god  fM^dhava^  for 
his  friend  and  favourite  ;  his  treasury  stored  with  the  four 
great  prizes  of  life,  and  all  holy  places  for  his  fair  dominion  ; 
with  an  impregnable  -domain  and  magnificent  forts,  so 
strong  that  no  enemy  could  ever  dream  of  taking  them  ; 
with  an  army  of  shrines  of  such  virtue  and  power  as  to 
rout  the  whole  army  of  Sin  ;  with  the  meeting  of  the  rivers 
for  his  glorious  throne  and  the  Akhaya-bat  for  his  royal 
umbrella,  dazzling  even  the  soul,  of  a  saint  ;  with  the 
waves  of  the  Ganga  and  Jamund  for  his  chauries,  a  vision 
to  disperse  all  sorrow  and  distress  :        . 

Doha  102.   K  P 

His   attendants  pure  and   holy  anchorites,   guerdoned 
with  all  they  desire  :   his  heralds,  the  Vedas  and    Purdns, 
to  declare  his  immaculate  virtue. 
Chaupdi. 

Who  can  tell  the  power  of  Praydg,  a  lion  to  destroy  the 
elephantine  monster  Sin?  On  beholding  the  beauty  of  this 
"ing  of  sanctuaries,  Raghubar,  the  ocean  of  delight,  was 
delighted,  and  with  his  holy  mouth  he  discoursed  on  its 
greatness  toSita,  his  brother  and  his  companion.  After  mak- 
ing it  an  obeisance  he  visited  the  woods  and  groves,  dilating 
on  their  virtue  with  the  utmost  devotion.  So  he  came  lo 
the  Tribeni  -  the  mere  thought  of  which  confers  all  happi- 
ness—and after  gazing  upon  it,  rapturously  bathed  and 
paid  homage  to  Siva  and  to  the  divinity  of  the  spot  in  all 
due  form.  Then  came  the  lord  to  Bharadvaja  ;  as  he 
prostrated  himself  at  his  feet,  the  saint  took  him  to  his 
breast  in  an  ecstacy  of  joy  past  all  telling,  as  though  he  had 
realized  the  perfect  bliss  of  heaven. 

Dohd  103.  idl 

The  patriarch  gave  him  his  blessing  with  as  much  joy 
of  heart  as  though  God  had  set  before  him  in  visible  form 
the  reward  of  his  virtue. 

1    Veni-Madhava  is   the   name   of  the  god    worshipped   as  the  tutelary 
divinity  of  the  Tribeni,  the  confluence  of  the  three  streams,  at  Prayag. 

R-40 


290  lYODHtA. 

Ghaupdi. 

After  enquiring  of  his  welfare,  he  conducted  him  to  a 

seat  and  indulged  his  affection  in  doing  him  honour.  Then 

he  brought  and  presented  roots,  fruits  and  herbs,  all  sweet 

as  ambrosia,  of  which  Rdma,  with  Sita,  Lakshman  and  their 

attendant,  partook  with  much  pleasure  and  content.  Rdma 

was  refreshed  and  all  his  fatigue  forgotten.  Then  cried  Bha- 

radvija  in  complacent  tones  :  "  This  day  my  penance,   my 

pilgrimages,   and   my   vigils    have   been   rewarded  ;    my 

prayers  my  meditations  and  my  detachment  from  the  world 

have  to-day  borne  fruit  ;  yea,  all  my   pious  practices  have 

to-day,  Rdma,  been  rewarded  by  the  sight  of  you.  This  and 

nought  else  is  the  height  of  gain,  the  height  of  happiness  ; 

in  beholding  you  my  every  desire  is  satisfied.  Now  of  your 

favour  grant  me  this  one  boon,  a  life-long  devotion  to  your 

lotus  feet.  .     n 

Dohd  10^,     \^^ 

Until  a  man  in  heart,  word  and  deed,  and  without  re- 
serve, becomes  wholly  yours,  he  cannot  even  dream  of 
happiness,  despite  all  that  he  may  do." 

Ghaupdi. 

On  hearing  the  saint's  words,  Rdma  was  confused,  yet 
revelled  with  delight  in  so  exquisite  a  display  of  faith.  Then 
proceeded  he  to  declare  unto  them  all  in  countless  ways  the 
saints  illustrious  renown  :  "  Great  indeed  and  highly 
endowed  is  he.  Holy  Father,  whom  you  are  pleased  to 
honour."  Thus  they  bowed  to  one  another,  the  saint  and 
Raghubir,  and  were  filled  as  they  conversed  with  indescrib- 
able happiness.  When  the  people  of  Pray^g  heArd  the 
news,  all  the  religious  students,  ascetics,  monks,  hermits 
and  anchorites  flocked  to  BharadvAja's  cell  to  see  the  glorious 
son  of  Dasarath.  All  made  their  obeisance  and  rejoiced 
that  their  eyes  had  been  so  highly  favoured.  They  blessed 
him  and  returned  with  exceeding  joy,  extolling  his  beauty. 

Doha  105.   \cA  i 

Rfima   rested  for  the  night.      At  daybreak  he    bathed 

at  Pray^g,  and  then,   after  bowing  his  head   to   the  saint 


ATODHYA.  291 

proceeded  joyfully  on  his  way  with  Sita,  Lakshman  and  his 

attendant. 

Chaup  i. 

Rdma  had  affectionately  asked  the  saint  :  "  Tell  me,  my 

lord,  by  what  road  we  shall  go."     The  saint  replied  with  a 

smile  :  "  All  ways  are  easy  to  you,"  but  called  his  disciples 

to  go  with  him.  They  came  with  joy,  some  fifty  in  number, 

all   in  their  boundless  love  for  Rdma  declaring   that   they 

knew  the  road.     The  saint  selected  four  students,    who  in 

many  previous  existences  had  done  many  good  deeds.  Then 

having  bowed  to  the  saint  and   received  his  permission  to 

depart,   Raghurdi  went  forth    rejoicing.     When  they  had 

come  out  near  to  the   village,  the  men  and   women  who  all 

flocked  to  see   them  found  in  the   sight   of  their  lord  the 

fruition   of  their  life,  and  sadly   turning   home,  sent   their 

heart  after  him. 

Doha  106.  U^ 

Courteously  Rdma  dismissed  the  disciples,  who  return- 
ed with  their  heart's    desire  obtained  ;  then   alighted   and 
bathed  in  the  stream  of  Jaraun^,  dark  as  his  own  body. 
Chaupdi. 

The  dwellers  on  the  bank,  when  they  heard  of  his  arri- 
val, left  whatever  they  were  doing  and  ran  to  see  him.  On 
beholding  the  beauty  of  Lakshman,  Rdma  and  Sita,  they 
congratulated  themselves  on  their  good  fortune,  and  all 
with  longing  heart  began  diffidently  to  ask  their  name  and 
home.  The  sage  elders  of  the  party  had  wit  enough  to 
recognize  R^ma,  and  related  his  whole  history,  and  how 
he  had  come  into  the  desert  by  his  father's  order.  At  this, 
they  were  all  sad  and  complained  :  *  The  king  and  queen 
have  done  ill.'i  Men  and  women  alike,  on  beholding  the 
beauty  of  R^ma,  Lakshman  and  Sfta,  were  agitated  with  love 
and  pity  :  "  What  kind  of  father  and  mother  must  they  be, 
friend,  who  have  sent  such  children  into  the  wood  ?  " 

1  Here  in  some  copies  is  found  a  whole  additional  stanza,  which  is  said 
to  exist  also  in  the  Rdjapur  MS.  It  may,  therefore,  have  been  written  by 
Tulsi  Das :  but  if  so,  was  probably  afterwards  cancelled  by  him.  The  lines 
contain  nothing  of  any  interest,  and  they  fit  in  very  awkwardly  with  the 
context,   I  therefore,   like  most  of  the  native  editors,  prefer  to  omit  then^, 


292  AYODHYA. 

Dohd  107.  \  V 

Then  Raghubir  urgently  exhorted  his  guide,  who  in 
submission  to  his  commands  took  his  way  home. 

Chawpdi. 

Again  with  clasped  hands  Sita,  Rdma  and  Lakshman 
made  renewed  obeisance  to  the  Jamuna,  and  as  they  went 
on  their  way  their  talk  was  all  of  the  daughter  of  the  Sun 
and  her  glory.  Many  travellers  met  them  on  the  way,  and 
exclaimed,  after  gazing  with  affection  at  the  two  brothers : 
"  You  have  all  the  marks  of  royalty  on  your  person  ;  on 
seeing  them  we  are  troubled  at  heart,  for  you  go  your  way 
on  foot,  and  the  astrologers  methinks  are  false.  The  road  is 
difficult  ;  the  mountains  and  forests  are  very  great ;  yet  you 
have  with  you  a  delicate  girl.  Elephants  and  tigers  make 
the  woods  too  terrible  to  contemplate  ;  with  your  permission, 
we  will  accompany  you,  will  escort  you  as  far  as  you  please, 
and  then  make  our  bow  and  return." 

Bohd  108.  ^'  '^ 

As  they  proffered  this  request,  their  body  trembled  all 
over  with  excess  of  love,  and  their  eyes  filled  with  tears  ; 
but  the  All-merciful  gently  and  courteously  dismissed  them. 

Chaupdi. 

All  the  towns  and  villages  along  the  road  wnere  the 
envy  of  the  cities  of  the  Serpents  and  the  Gods :  *  At  what 
an  auspicious  moment  and  by  what  a  holy  man  must  they 
have  been  founded,  to  be  so  happy  and  blessed  and  alto- 
gether highly  favoured  ! '  Whatever  spot  was  trodden  by 
noma's  feet  Paradise  was  not  to  be  compared  to  it.  The 
dwellers  by  the  wayside,  of  high  desert,  w^ere  the  praise  of 
the  denizens  of  heaven,  as  they  feasted  their  eyes  on  Sita 
and  Lakshman  and  RAma  dark  of  hue  as  a  storm-cloud.  The 
ponds  and  river  in  which  Rima  bathed  were  the  envy  of  the 
lake  and  river  of  heaven  ;  the  trees  under  which  the  Lord 
sat  were  magnified  by  the  tree  of  life  ;  and  Earth,  touched 
by  the  dust  of  Rdma's  lotus  feet,  thought  her  good  fortune 
complete. 


AYODHYA.  293 

Dohd  109.  ^^^ 

The  clouds  gave  him  shade,  the  exultant  hosts  of  heaven 
rained  down  flowers,  as  RAma  proceeded    on  his  way  look- 
ing at  the  rocks  and  woods  and  birds  and  deer. 
Chaupdi. 

Whenever  Sfta,  Lakshman  and  Raghur^i  came  out  near 
a  village  on  the  way,  every  one,— young  and  old  ;  man  and 
woman— came  directly  they  heard  the  news,  forgetting  their 
own  private  affairs,  and  as  they  gazed  on  their  beauty  ob- 
tained the  fruition  of  their  eyes  and  were  made  happy  for 
ever.  At  the  sight  of  the  two  heroes  their  eyes  filled  witli 
tears,  their  body  quivered  with  emotion,  and  they  became 
all-enraptured,  their  state  of  mind  as  indescribable  as 
though  a  beggar  had  discovered  a  pile  of  heavenly  jewels. 
Every  one  was  telling  his  neighbour  :  "  Now  is  the  time 
to  prove  the  value  of  sight."  One  in  his  delight  to  see 
RAma  would  go  with  him,  gazing  as  he  went  ;  another, 
drawing  his  beautiful  image  into  his  heart  by  the  way  of 
his  eyes,  was  utterly  overpowered  in  body,  soul  and  speech. 

Doha  no.  \ij^ 

One,  seeing   a  fine  shady  fig-tree,  would  spread  under 

it  soft  grass  and  leaves  and  cry  ;  "  Rest  a  little  after  your 
fatigue,  and  proceed  again  either  at  once  or  at  daybreak." 

Chaupdi. 
Another  brought  a  jar  full  of  water  and  tenderly  besought 
him  'Drink  '  my  lord."  On  hearing,  their  affectionate 
speech  and  seeing  their  great  devotion,  the  compassionate 
and  most  amiable  R^ma,  who  moreover  perceived  that  Si'ta 
was  wearied,  rested  for  a  while  in  the  shade  of  the  fig-tree. 
All  were  enraptured  with  his  beauty— men  and  women 
alike— and  their  soul  was  enamoured  of  his  incomparable 
loveliness.  Like  a  circle  of  partridges  about  his  moon-like 
face,  so  fixed  was  their  gaze.  At  the  sight  of  his  body,  dark 
in  hue  as  a  young  tamdl  tree,  a  myriad  Loves  were  fascin- 
ated ;  while  >Lakshman,  all  comely  from  head  to  foot, 
charmed  the  soul   with  his  fair  limbs,  bright  as  the  light- 


294  lYODHTA. 

ning ;  in  his  anchorite's  dress,  with  his  tightly-fitted  quiver 

and  bow,  and  arrows  gleaming  in  his  lotus  hand. 

Doha  111.    '  f  r 

With  their  hair  done  up  in  a  knot  as  a  crown  upon  their 

graceful  heads,  with  broad  chest,  strong  arms,  and  large  deep 

eyes,  with  face  like  the  autumnal  full  moon,  glistening  with 

beads  of  moisture, 

Chaupdi. 

the  loveliness  of  the  two  brothers  is  past  all  telling  ;    it   is 

boundless,  and  my  wit  is  scant.  With  every  faculty  of  mind 

and  soul,  they  all  gaze  upon  the  beauteous   trio;   m^n  and 

woman  thirsting  and  faint  with  love,  like  deer   dazed  by  a 

'  light.     The  village  women  drew  near  Sfta  with  tender  and 

bashful  enquiries,  and  again  embracing  her  feet,    in   their 

simplicity  whispered  the  question  : — "  Noble  lady,  we  have 

a  petition,  but,  like  women,  are  afraid  to   make  it.  Pardon 

our  presumption,    madam,   and   be   not   offended    by   our 

country  manners.  These  two  charming  young  princes,  from 

whom  emerald  and  gold  might  borrow  splendour, 

Doha    112.     '7 

the  one  dark,  the  other  fair,  but  both  beautiful  and  homes 

of  delight,  with  face  like  the  autumn    moon,   and  eyes  like 

the  lotuses  of  autumn, 

Chaupdi. 
that  would  put  to  shame  a  myriad  loves,  say,  fair  lady,  how 
stand  they  to  you."  On  hearing  their   pleasant  and   loving 
speech,  Sita  smiled  in  modest  confusion,  and  looking  first  at 
them  and  then  at  the  earth  was  abashed  — the  pretty  maid — 
with  a  double  abashment.  But  drooping  her  fawn-like  eyes, 
and  with  a  voice  sweet  as  the  koiVs,  she   lovingly   replied  : 
"  The  fair  youth,  so  easy  and  graceful,  is  by   name   Laksh- 
man,  my  younger  brother-in-law  ;  while   he,  the  dark  com- 
plexioned,  with  the  large  eyes  and  arms,    the   all-beautiful    J 
with  the  gentle   voice  :"  here   veiling   her   moon-like   face     * 
with  the  border  of  her  robe  she  looked  towards  her  husband, 
and  her  eyebrows  with  a  side-long  glance  like   a  pretty 


AtODHYA.  295 

khanjarO-  thus  by  signs  indicated  to  them  her  lord.  All 
the  village  women  were  as  delighted  as  beggars  who  have 
robbed  a  pile  of  jewels.  /> 

Dohd  113. 

Falling  at  Sitas  feet  in  their  great  affection,  they  invok- 
ed upon  her  every  blessing  :   May  your  happy  wedded   life 
last  as  long  as  Earth  rests  on  the  serpent's  head. 
Chaupdi. 

May   you    be    as    dear    to  your  lord  as  Parvati  to  Siva. 

Yet,  lady,  cease  not  to  have  some  regard  for  us  :  again  and 

again  with  clasped  hands  we  beseech  you,  if  you  return  by 

this  road,  remember  us  your  servants,  and  allow  us  to   see 

you."  Finding  them  all  so  athirst  with   love,  Sita  comforted 

them   with  many  soothing  words,  as  the  lily  is  cheered  by 

the  moonlight.     Then    Lakshman,  perceiving    Raghubir's 

wish,  gently  asked  the  people  the  way.     At  his  words  they 

became   sad,  their   limbs   trembled,  their  eyes  filled  with 

tears,  their  joy  was  extinguished,  and  they  were  troubled  at 

heart :  "  God  has  given  us  a  treasure  only  to  take  it  away 

again  I"     Then  reflecting  on  the  ways  of  Fate   and  taking 

courage,  they  fixed  upon  the  easiest  road  and  explained  it 

to  them. 

DohdlU.     \/ 

Raghundth    took  his    way    to  the  woods,  and  with  him 
Lakshman  and  Janaki  ;   and    they  all  returned  home,  but 
with  many  fond  speeches,  and  in  heart  accompanied  them. 
Chaupdi. 

Men  and  women  alike  on  their  way  back  lamented  ex- 
ceedingly and  imputed  blame  to  Fate,  saying  sadly  to  one 
another  :  *'  God's  doings  are  all  perverse.  He  is  utterly 
uncontrollable,  cruel  and  remorseless  ;  who  has  made  the 
moon  sickly  and  spotted,  the  tree  of  paradise  a  lifeless 
block,  and  the  ocean  all  salt,  and  who  now  has  sent  these 
princely  boys  into  the  wilderness.  If  the  woods  are  their 
proper  abode,  then  for  whom  has  he  intended  ease  and 
pleasure  ?  If  they  are  to  wander  on  their  way  barefooted, 
it  is  to  no  purpose  that  he  has  invented  so  many    kinds   of 

1  The  kkavjan  is  a  species  of  wagtail. 


296  AYODHtA. 

carriages.  If  they  are  to  lie  on  the  ground  littered  only 
with  grass  and  leaves,  for  whom  has  God  created  comfort- 
able couches  ?  If  he  makes  them  live  under  the  trees,  why 
has  he  taken  such  pains  to  erect  splendid  palaces  ? 

Dohd  115.  y\p 

If  such  lovely  and  delicate  children  wear  the  rough  dress 
and  matted  locks  of  anchorites,  it  is  to  no  purpose  that  the 
great  artificer  has  made  so  many  kinds  of  dress  and  orna- 
ment. 

Ghaupdi. 
If  they  are  to  eat  only  fruits  and  herbs,  all  the  delicacies 
of  the  world  are  thrown  away"  Said  one  :  "  They  are  so 
beautiful,  they  must  have  been  spontaneously  produced  and 
not  made  by  God  at  all.  In  all  the  works  of  God  of  which 
the  Vedas  speak,  that  either  the  ears  can  hear,  or  the  eyes  see, 
or  the  mind  imagine,  or  the  tongue  tell --search  and  examine 
the  whole  fourteen  spheres — where  is  there  such  a  man,  and 
where  such  a  woman?  When  he  saw  them,  God  was  so 
pleased  that  he  essayed  to  make  their  match  :  but  after 
much  labour,  nothing  came  of  it,  an  1  thus  in  spite  he  has 
sent  and  buried  them  in  the  woods  "  Said  another  :  *'  I 
am  no  great  scholar,  but  I  account  myself  supremely  happy  , 
nay,  blessed  are  all,  in  my  opinion,  who  see  him,  or  have 
seen  him,  or  shall  see  him."  \ 

Dohd  116.      y  ■  ^ 
With  such  affectionate  discourse  their  eyes   filled    with 
tears  :     "  How  can  they,    who  are  so  delicate,  traverse  so 
difficult  a  road." 

Ghaupdi. 

All  the  women  were  made  as  uneasy  by  their  love  as  is 
the  chakwi  at  evening  time.  As  they  thought  upon  their 
tender  lotus  feet  and  the  liardness  of  the  road,  they  were 
distrest  at  heart  and  cried  in  plaintive  tones  :  "  At  the  touch 
of  their  soft  and  rosy  feet,  the  very  earth  shrinks,  as  shrinks 
our  heart.  If  the  great  God  must  send  them  to  the  woods, 
why  did  he  not  strew  their  path  with  flowers  ?  If  there  be 
one  boon  that  we  may  ask  of  Heaven  and   obtain,  let  it   be. 


AYODHYA.  2D7 

friend,  that  we  keep  them  ever  in  our  eyes."  All  the  peo- 
ple who  had  not  come  in  time,  and  thus  had  missed  seeing 
Sita  and  Rdma,  when  they  heard  of  their  beauty,  asked  anx- 
iouly  '  How  far,  brother,  will  they  have  got  by  this  time  ?  ' 
They  who  were  strong  ran  on  and  saw  them,  and  returned 
with  joy,  having  obtained  the  fruition  of  their  eyesr.  I 

Doha  117.     I  V'-^ 
The   women   and   children  and  the  aged   wrung   their 
hands  and  lamented.  In  this  manner,  wherever  Rama  went, 
the  people  were  smitten  with  love. 

Chaupdi. 
In  every  village  was  similar  rejoicing  at  the  sight  of  the 
moon  of  the  lilylike  solar  race.  Some  who  had  learnt  by  hear- 
say of  what  had  been  going  on  imputed  blame  to  the  king 
and  queen.  One  said  :  "It  was  very  good  of  the  king  to  give 
our  eyes  such  a  treat."  Said  others  among  themselves  in 
simple  and  loving  phrase  :  "  Happy  the  father  and  mother 
who  gave  them  birth  and  happy  the  city  from  whence  they 
came  ?  Happy  the  hills,  and  plains,  and  woods,  and  towns, 
and  every  spot  which  they  visit.  Even  the  Creator  who 
made  them  is  pleased — nay,  is  absolutely  in  love  with  them." 
The  delightful  history  of  Rdma,  Lakshman  and  Sita  thus 
spread  over  every  road  and  forest.       ^  -n  ^R 

Doha  118.      \   ^ 
In  this  manner  the  Sun  of  the  lotus-like  solar  race  glad- 
dened the  people  on   the  road,  as   with  Sita  and   the  son  of 
Sumitra  he  proceeded  on  his  travels  through  the  woods, 

Ghaupdi. 
Rdma  walked  in  front  and  Lakshman  behind,  con- 
spicuous in  the  hermit's  dress  they  wore  ;  and  between  the 
two  Sita  shone  resplendent  as  Mayd  who  connects  the  life 
of  God  with  the  life  of  the  world.  Or,  to  describe  her  beauty 
by  another  fancy,  she  seemed  like  Rati  between  Spring 
and  Love  ;  or,  to  ransack  my  mind  for  yet  another  simile, 
like  the  constellation  Rohinii  between  Budha  and  the  Moon. 

I  Rohini   is   the   ninth   lunar   asterism    personified    as    the   daughter  of 
Daksha  and  the  favourite  wife  of  the  Moou.     Budha  is  the  planet  Mercury. 

R-41 


298  lYODHYA. 

As  she  went  along  the  way,  Sita  carefully  planted  her  feet 
between  the  footprints  of  her  lord  ;  while  Lakshman,  avoid- 
ing the  footprints  of  them  both,  set  his  feet  as  he  went  to 
their  right  and  left.  The  charming  affection  of  all  three  was 
beyond  all  telling;  how  can  I  declare  it  ?  Birds  and  deer 
were  fascinated  at  the  sight  of  their  beauty,  and  R^ma  the 
wayfarer  stole  their  heart.  L 

Dohd  119.     '  ^ 
All  who  beheld    the  dear  travellers,  Sfta  and  the   two 
brothers,  joyously   and  without  faligue   arrived  at  once   at 
the  end  of  the  toilsome  journey  of  life. 

Chaupdi. 
And  to  this  day  any  soul  in  which  the  vision  of  the  way- 
farers, RAma,  Sita  and  Lakshman  abides,  finds  the  path 
that  leads  to  RAma's  home,  path  that  scarce  a  saint  may 
find.  Then  Haghubi'r,  knowing  that  Sita  was  tired,  and 
observing  a  fig  tree  close  at  hand  and  cool  water,  there  rest- 
ed and  took  some  roots  and  fruits  to  eat,  and  after  bathing 
at  dawn  again  went  on  his  way.  Admiring  the  beauty  of  the 
woods  and  lakes  and  rocks,  he  arrived  at  V^lraiki's  hermit- 
age. He  found  the  saint's  dwelling  a  charming  spot,  a 
lovely  wooded  hill  with  a  spring  of  clear  water,  lotuses  in 
the  pond,  the  forest  trees  all  in  flower,  with  a  delightful  hum 
of  bees  drunk  with  sweets,  and  a  joyous  clamour  of  birds 
and  beasts  feeding  happily  and  in  peace  togetjier. 

Dohd  120.  \  VS 

The  Lotus-eyed  was  glad  as   he  gazea  upon  the  bright 

and  fair   retreat,    and   the  saint   on  hearing  of  his   arrival 

came  forth  to  meet  him. 

Chaupdi. 

Rdma  prostrated  himself   before  him,  as    the  holy    man 

gave  him  his  blessing.     At  the  sight  of  Rima's  beauty,  his 

eyes  were  rejoiced  and  he  conducted  him  with  all  honour  to 

his  cell  ;  there  gave  him  a   choice  seat    as  a  guest    dear   to 

him  as  his  own  life,  and  sent  for  herbs  and  sweet  fruits,  of 

which  Sita,  Lakshman  and  Rima  ate.     Great  was  the   joy 


AYODHTA.  299 

of  Vdlmiki's  soul  as  his  eyes  beheld  the  image  of  bliss. 
Then  folding  his  lotus  hands,  Rdma  thus  spoke  in  words 
to  charm  his  ears  :  "  King  of  sages,  all  time,  past,  present 
and  future,  is  in  your  ken,  and  the  universe  is  like  a  little 
plum  in  the  pahn  of  your  hand."  So  saying,  the  lord 
related  to  him  the  whole  history  and  how  the  queen  had 
banished  him.  / 

Dohd  121.  iP^ 

"  My  father's  promise,  my  mother's  schemes,  my  brother 
Bharat's  coronation,  and  my  own  meeting  with  you,  my  lord, 
are  all  blessings  that  only  past  merit  can  have  won  for  me. 

Chaupdi. 

In  beholding  your  feet,  holy  sir,  all  my  good  deeds  are 
rewarded.  Now,  wherever  it  may  be  your  order,  and  no  an-^ 
chorite  be  troubled— for  those  monarchs  burn,  even  though 
there  be  no  fire,  who  vex  either  saint  or  ascetic  :  the  satisfac- 
tion of  a  Brahman  is  the  root  of  all  happiness,  while  his 
wrath  consumes  a  thousand  generations— tell  me  then  some 
place  to  which  I  can  go  with  Slta  and  Sumitr^'s  son,  and 
there  build  a  prety  hut  of  grass  and  twigs  and  rest  awhile, 
kind  sir."  On  hearing  his  ingenious  speech,  the  allwise, 
seer  exclaimed  :  "  True,  true  !  It  is  only  natural  for  you 
so  to  speak,  pride  of  the  Raghu  line,  guardian  of  the  eternal 

bridge  of  Revelation. 

Ghhand  4. 
Guardian  of  the  bridge  of  Revelation,  you,  0  Rima,  are 
the  lord  of  the  universe,  and  J^naki  is  Mayd,  who  at  your 
gracious  will  creates,  preserves,  or  destroys  the  world.  And 
Lakshman  is  the  thousand-headed  serpent  lord,  the  support- 
er of  the  world  with  all  that  it  contains,  living  or  lifeless, 
who  in  behalf  of  the  gods  has  taken  a  kingly  form  and  goes 
forth  to  rout  the  demon  host. 


1 


Sorathd  4.     |  r 
Your  semblance,  0  Rdma,  transcends  speech  and  is  be- 
yond  conception,    all-pervading,    unutterable,   illimitable, 
undefinable  even  by  the  Scriptures. 


300  AYODHYA. 

Chaupdi. 
You  look  on  at  the  drama  of  life,  and  Brahma,  Hari  and 
Sambhu  are  your  puppets.  Even  they  know  not  your 
secret,  and  who  else  could  discover  you  ?  He  only  knows 
you  to  whom  you  have  vouchsafed  knowledge  ;  and  he  who 
knows  you  becomes  one  with  you.  It  is  by  your  grace,  0 
Raghunandan,  that  your  votaries  learn  to  know  you,  soothing 
sandal-wood  of  the  devout  soul.  Your  body  is  pure  intelli- 
gence and  bliss,  devoid  of  change,  as  they  know  who  have 
found  you.  In  behalf  of  the  saints  and  the  gods  you  have 
taken  a  human  body  and  speak  and  act  like  an  ordinary 
king.  Fools  are  bewildered,  but  the  wise  rejoice,  as  they 
see  or  hear  of  your  doings  ;  whatever  you  say  or  do  is  true, 
and  we  can  only  play  such  parts  as  you  set  us. 

Doha  122.     )  yi 

You  ask  of  me  '  Where  can  I  stay  ?  '  but  I  ask  with 
trembling,  tell  me  where  are  you  not,  there  will  I  assign 
you  a  place." 

Chaupdi. 

On  hearing  the  sage's  affectionate  words,  Rdma  was 
abashed  and  smiled  to  himself.  Again  V^lmiki  cried  gaily 
in  tones  of  honeyed  sweetness  :  "  Hearken,  Rdma  ;  I  will  now 
tell  you  the  places  where  you  and  Sita  and  Lakshman  should 
abide.  They  whose  ears  are  like  the  ocean  to  catch  the 
blessed  streams  of  your  traditions,  and  though  ever  replen- 
ished are  never  filled  to  the  full,  their  heart  shall  be  your 
chosen  abode.  They  whose  eyes  long  for  your  presence,  as 
passionately  as  the  chdtak  for  the  rain-cloud,  and  scorning 
the  water  of  river,  lake  or  sea,  quench  their  thirst  only  in 
your  beauty,  their  hearts  are  your  glorious  mansion  ;  there 
abide,  0  Raghun^yak,'with  Lakshman  and  Sfta. 
Dohd  12Z.       \'^'l 

Whose  tongue,  like  the  swan  in  the  clear  hyperboreal 
lake  of  your  renown  gathers  up  the  pearls  of  your  perfec- 
tions ;  in  his  heart,  RAma,  fix  your  home. 


AYODHYA.  301 

Chaupdi. 
They  whoever  reverentle  inhale  the  sweet  and  blessed 
odour  of  the  offerings  to  their  lord  ;  who  feed  upon  what  has 
been  offered  to  you  ;  who  wear  only  raiment  and  adornments 
first  offered  to  you  ;  who  bow  their  heads  when  they  see  a 
god,  a  guru,  or  a  Brahman,  and  treat  them  with  all  honour 
and  affection ;  whose  hands  are  ever  engaged  in  paying 
R4ma  worship  ;  who  have  no  other  hope  but  R^ma  in  their 
heart ;  and  whose  feet  ever  bear  them  to  his  shrines  ;  be  their 
soul,  Rama,  your  dwelling-place.  They  who  are  ever  repeat- 
ing your  holy  name,  and  adoring  you  with  their  family; 
who  perform  the  varied  rites  of  oblation  and  sacrifice  ;  who 
feast  Br^hmans,  and  give  them  liberal  donations  ;  who  re- 
gard their  own  guru  even  more  than  you,  and  serve  him 
with  all    honour  and  affection,  2 

Doha  124.     '^  ^^ 
who  ask  of  all   one  only  boon,    devotion  to  Rdma  ;  be  their 
heart  your  temple  wherein  to   abide,  0  Sita  and   yoa    two 

brothers. 

Chaupdi. 

Who  so  is  unmoved  by  lust,  anger,  pride  or  arrogance, 
and  is  without  covetousness,  excitement,  partiality  or  malice 
without  fraud,  hypocrisy  or  heretical  delusion  ;  dwell  in  his 
heart,  Raghuriya.  They  who  are  all  men's  friends,  and  are 
friendlyto  all  ;  to  whom  pleasure  and  pain,  praise  and  abuse 
are  alike  ;  who  are  careful  to  say  what  is  both  true  and 
kind  ;  who,  whether  sleeping  or  waking,  place  themselves 
under  your  protection  and  have  no  other  way  of  salvation 
but  you  ;  in  their  heart,  R^ma,  abide.  They  who  look  upon 
another  man's  wife  as  their  own  mother,  and  another  man's 
wealth  as  the  deadliest  poison,  who  rejoice  to  see  a  neigh- 
bour's prosperity  and  are  grieved  for  his  misfortunes  ;  and 
to  whom  you,  0  R^ma,  are  dear  as  their  own  life  :  be  their 
heart  your  auspicious  abode.  ,  'i  ■ 

Doha  125.   /  '  ' 

To  whom,  my  son,  you  are  at  once  master  and  companion, 


302  AYODHYA. 

father,  mother  and  spiritual  guide  ;   be   their   heart  your 
temple,  ye  brothers  twain,  wherein  with  Sita  to  abide. 
(hiupdi. 

They  who  pick  out  all  men's  good  points  and  leave  their 
bad  ;  who  endure  troubles  on  behalf  of  Brdhmans  and  kine  ; 
and  who  are  of  note  in  the  world  for  soundness  of  doctrine  ; 
in  their  heart  be  your  chosen  home.  They  who  understand 
your  righteousness  and  their  own  defects  and  fix  all  their 
hopes  on  you,  and  have  an  affection  for  all  your  worship- 
pers ;  in  their  heart  dwell,  you  and  Sita.  He  who  has  left 
all  tribe,  sect,  wealth,  hereditary  religion,  worldly  advance- 
ment, friend,  relations,  home  and  all,  and  given  himself 
wholly  to  you;  in  his  heart  take  up  your  abode,  Raghurai. 
To  whom  heaven  and  hell  and  release  from  trjinsmigration 
are  all  alike,  if  only  they  can  behold  the  god  with  his  bow 
and  arrows  ;  and  who  in  heart,  word  and  deed  are  your 
faithful  slaves  ;  be  their  heart,  RAma,  your  tabernacle. 
Dohd  126.     /  '^  V 

They  who  never  ask  for  anything  but  simply  love  you  ; 
in  their  heart  abide  for  ever,  for  that  is  your  very  home." 

Chaupai. 

Such  were  the  dwelling-places  the  sage  indicated,  and 
his  loving  speech  pleased  Raima's  soul.  The  paint  continued  : 
Hearken,  lord  of  the  solar  race  ;  I  will  tell  you  a  hermitage 
suitable  for  your  present  wants.  Take  up  your  abode  on  the 
hill  of  Chitra-k6t;*  there  you  will  have  every  convenience.  It 
is  a  beautiful  hill  finely   wooded,    the   haunt   of  elephants, 

1  The  sacred  hill  of  Ohitra-kiit  is  one  of  a  small  group  that  forms  the 
last  Bpurofthe  great  VinHhyan  range.  It  isHimafndin  the  rao<lern  dis- 
trict of  Bjlfidn,  close  to  the  town  of  ITarwi  and  ahout  6<i  miU-s  from  Pray^g 
(Allahabad).  A  river  flows  at  its  hasn,  now  called  the  ^'aisuni  (the  "Sanskrit 
Payoshni ;  '  warm  as  milk'),  which  has  some  fine  waterfalls  before  it  joins 
the  Jamiind.  The  MundAkini.  so  frequently  mentioned,  is  only  a  small 
tributary  stream  which  enters  the  Haisuni  near  the  villhgc  of  Sitipur, 
where  are  a  number  of  handsome  temples  The  hill  is  about  three  miles  in 
circumference,  antl  a  narrow  paved  path  runs  the  whole  way  round.  This 
was  constructed  about  laO  years  ago  by  one  of  the  Mdj^s  of  the  neighbouring 
stale  of  Panna  for  the  convenience  of  pilgrims  pertorming  the  ceremony  of 
circumambulation.  The  two  principal  fe'e  days  are  the  K^m-navmi 
(Kama's  birthday)  in  the  mor)th  of  Chait,  and  th^-  Diw&li  in  Kartik,  About 
20  miles  from  Chitra-kiit  on  the  bank  of  the  JamunA  is  the  town  of  Kdja- 
pur,  which  was  founded  by  Tulsi  Das,  where  he   lived   for  several  years,   and 


1 


AYODfiYA.  303 

tigers,  deer  and  birds.  It  has  a  sacred  river  mentioned  in 
the  Puranas,  wliich  the  wife  of  Atri  brought  there  by  the 
power  of  penance. ^  It  is  called  the  Mandikini,  and  is  a 
branch  of  the  Ganges,  as  quick  to  drown  sin  as  a  witch  to 
strangle  and  infant.  Atri  and  other  sages  live  there,  en- 
gaged in  meditation  and  prayer  and  wasting  their  body 
with  penance.  Go  and  bless  their  labours,  Rdma,  and 
confer  dignity  on  the  mountain." 

Dvhd  127.      /  3  2? 

All  the  glories  of  Chitra-ktit  did  the  great  saint  tell  and 
declare.  The  two  brothers  and  SIta  proceeded  to  bathe  in 
the  sacred  stream. 

Chaupdi. 

Said  Ragubar,  "  It  is  a  good  place,  Lakshman  ;  now 
make  arrangements  for  our  stopping  somewhere  here." 
Lakshman  then  spied  out  the  north  bank  :  "  The  ravine 
bends  round  it  like  a  bow,  with  the  river  for  its  string, 
asceticism  and  charity  for  its  arrows,  and  all  the  sins  of 
this  evil  age  for  its  quarry,  while  Mount  Chitra-k\it  is  the 
huntsman  of  unerring  aim  striking:  at  close  quarters."  So 
saying,  Lakshman  showed  the  spot;  when  he  had  seen  it, 
Raghupati  was  pleased.  The  gods  learnt  that  Rdma  was 
well  content,  and  came  with  Indra  at  their  head.  In  the 
garb  of  Kols  and  Kirats  they  came  and  put  up  neat  huts  of 
boughs  and  grass,  two  of  them  ;  both  prettier  than  words 
can  tell,  the  one  of  larger  sizf»,  the  other  a  nice  little  cottage. 
Doha  128.    (  Vl^ 

In  his  rustic  cell  the  Lord,  attended    by  Lakshman  and 


where  a  manuscript  of  the  Rdmayana  in  his  own  handwriting  is  still  pre- 
served. He  imposed  some  curious  rf^sirictions  upon  the  inhabitants  of  the 
place,  which  are  still  to  tliis  day  reliyiou-ly  obsfived  No  private  houses, 
however  wpalthy  the  owners  msiy  be,  are  allowed  to  be  built  of  any  mateual 
but  mud  and  wood,  stone  bpinjr  reserved  exclusively  foi  the  temples  :  and  no 
barber,  potter  or  dancing-yirl  may  live  within  the  limits  of  the  town  ;  when 
their  services  are  required,  they  have  to  be  called  in  fr<m  some  other  village. 

1  Ansftya,  the  wife  of  Atri,  was  one  of  Daksha's  24  daughters.  She 
practise*!  severe  penance  for  ten  thousand  years,  and  by  virtue  of  the  religi- 
ous merit  that  she  had  thus  acquired  she  created  tlie  river  Mandakini,  and  by 
its  waters  maintained  the  fertility  of  the  country  through  a  ten  years 
drought. 


304:  AYODHYA. 

Janaki,  shone  forth  as  beautiful  as  Love  in  the  dress  of  a 
hermit  between  Ratii  and  Spring. 

Chawpdi. 
Then  flocked  to  Chitra-kiit  gods,  serpents,  Kinnars  and 
Digpdls.  All  the  immortals  bowed  low  before  Rama  and 
gazed  with  joy  on  that  most  longed-for  vision.  Showering 
down  flowers  and  exclaiming  "  At  length,  0  Lord,  we  have 
found  our  Lord,"  the  heavenly  host  in  piteous  wise  declared 
their  intolerable  distress,  and  joyfully  started  for  their 
several  homes.  As  soon  as  they  heard  the  news  of 
Raghunandan's  stay  at  Chitra-kdt,  the  saints  sallied  forth  ; 
seeing  the  holy  company  draw  near,  Rima  prostrated  him- 
self before  them  :  but  they  all  took  him  to  their  bosom,  and 
invoked  upon  him  blessings,2  knowing  that  they  would  be 
accomplished.  As  they  beheld  the  beauty  of  R6ma  and 
S'ta  and  Sumitra's  son,  they  accounted  all  their  good  deeds 
to  have  been  well  rewarded.  .  o  L 

Dohd  129.      '  ^ 
After  ail  due   honours  paid,    the   Lord  dismissed    the 
saintly   throng  to  practise  contemplation,   prayer,  sacrifice 
and  penance  at  pleasure  in   their  own  retreats. 

Ghaupdi. 
When  the  Kols  and  Kir^tsgotthe  tidings,  they  were  as 
glad  as  if  the  nine  treasures^  had  come  to  their  house. 
With  leaf  platters  full  of  herbs,  roots  and  fruits,  they  ran 
like  beggars  scrambling  for  gold.  Those  among  them  who 
had  already  seen  the  two  brothers  were  questioned  about 
them  by  the  others  on  the  road.  Telling  and  hearing  Rdma's 
perfections,  all  came  and  saw  him.  Laying  their  offering 
before  him  and  making  obeisance,  their  love  increased  ex- 
ceedingly   as   they  gazed  upon  their  Lord.     Motionless  as 

1  RAti  is  the  Indian  Venus, 

2  Their  blessing  coald  do  R^ma  no  jjood,  but  its  fulfilment  would  re- 
dound to  their  own  credit,  as  showing  them  to  be  true  prophets. 

3  The  nine  JVidkis  or  heavenly  treasures  of  Kuvera,  the  god  uf  wealth, 
are  thus  enumerated  :  the  Padma,  Mahd-padma,  Sanklia,  makara,  Mach- 
chhapa,  Makunda.  Nlla,  Nanda  and  Kharba  ;  but  their  nature  is  not  exactlj' 
defined,  though  some  of  tliem  appear  to  be  precious  gems.  According  to  the 
Tdntrik  system  they  are  personified  and  witrshippcd  as  demi-gods,  attendant 
either  upon  Kuvera,  who  is  sometimes  called  Nidhlnhin  Adkipah,  '  lord  of 
the  Nidhis,'  or  upon  Lakshrai,  the  goddess  of  prosperity.— TF?7;ta?;w. 


AYODHYA.  305 

figures  in  a  picture  they  stood  about  aayfeew,  their  body 
thrilling  with  emotion  and  their  eyes  filled  with  tears. 
Rdma,  perceiving  that  they  were  overwhelmed  with  affec- 
tion, spoke  to  them  words  of  kindness  and  received  them 
with  honour.  Again  and  again  bowing  low  before  the  Lord, 
the  addressed  him  in  humble  strain  with  iolded  hands  : 
Doha  130.       j  y  0 

"Now  at  length  that  we  have  seen  our  Lord's  feet,  we 
have  all  found  a  protector  :  0  prince  of  Kosala,  what  a  bles- 
sing for  us  is  your  arrival. 

Ghaupdi. 

Happy  land  and  forest  and  road  and  hill,  where  thou, 
my  lord,  hast  planted  thy  foot ;  happy  the  birds  and  deer  and 
beasts  of  the  forest,  whose  life  has  been  crowned  by  thy 
sight ;  happy  we  and  all  our  kin,  who  have  filled  our  eyes 
with  thy  vision.  Thou  hast  chosen  an  excellent  spot 
whereon  to  take  up  thy  abode  ;  here  at  all  seasons  of  the 
year  thou  wilt  live  at  ease.  We  will  do  thee  service  in 
every  way,  by  driving  away  elephants,  lions,  snakes  and 
tigers.  The  thickets,  ravines,  mountains,  chasms  and  caves 
have  all,  my  lord,  been  explored  by  us  foot  by  foot;  we  will  ' 
take  you  to  the  different  haunts  ol  game,  and  point  out  to 
you  the  lakes  and  waterfalls  and  every  other  place.  We  and 
our  people  are    thy  servants  ;  do   not  hesitate  to  command 

Doha  131.      I  ^  ; 

The  lord,  whom  the  Veda  cannot  utter  nor  the  saints 
comprehend,  in  his  infinite  compassion  listened  to  the 
words  of  the  Kirats,  as  a  father  to  the  vice  of  a  child. 

Ghaupdi. 

It  is  only  love  that  Rdma  loves  ;  understand  this,  ye  who 
are  men  of  understanding.  He  charmed  all  the  foresters  by 
his  tender  loving^  speeches.  Having  taking,  leave  and 
bowed  the  head,  they  set  forth,  and  discoursing  on  the  way  of 
their  Lord's  perfections  they  reached  their  homes.     In    this 

I  Parlpo-she,  '  abounding  with,'  *  frauglit  with,'  is  for  the  Sanskrit 
[taripushta. 

R-42 


306  AYODHYA. 

fashion  the  two  brothers  and  Sita  dwelt  in  the  forest,  delight- 
ing gods  and  saints.  From  the  time  that  Raghu-n^yak 
took  his  up  his  abode  there,  the  wood  became  bounteous 
in  blessing ;  every  kind  of  tree  blossomed  and  bore  fruit ; 
luxuriant  creepers  formed  pleasant  and  beautiful  canopies  ; 
as  though  the  tree  of  paradise  in  all  its  native  loveliness  had 
abandoned  the  groves  of  heavan.  Strings  of  bees  made  a 
greatful  buzzing,  and  a  delicious  air  breathed  soft,  cool  and 

fragrant.  pC 

Dohd  132.        !  '  ^ 
Jays,  cuckoos,  parrots,  chdtaks,  chakwds,  chakors,   and 
birds  of  every  description  charmed  the   ear   and    ravished 
the  soul  with  their  notes. 

(haupdi. 

Elephants,  lions,  monkeys,  boars  and  deer  forgot  their 
animosity  and  sported  together.  Enraptured  above  all  were 
the  herds  of  deer  who  beheld  the  beauty  of  RAma  as  he 
tracked  the  chase.  All  the  forests  of  the  gods  that  there 
are  in  the  world  were  envious  at  the  sight  of  Rdma's  forest. 
The  Ganges,  the  Sarasvati,  the  sunborn  Jamun^,  the  Nar- 
mada,  daughter  of  Mount  Mekal,  and  the  sacred  Godjivari, 
every  river,  stream  and  torrent  discoursed  of  the  Mandii- 
kini.  The  mountains  of  the  rising  and  the  setting  sun, 
Kail^s,  Mandar,  Meru,  home  of  all  the  gods,  the  crags  of 
Himalaya,  and  all  the  hills  there  be,  sang  the  glory  of 
Chitra-kiit.  The  delight  of  the  gods  was  more  than  their 
soul  could  contain,  to  think  it  had  won  such  renown  with- 
out an  effort.  .  #v  <A 
Dohd  133.   \^\ 

"  Of  highest  merit  and  blessed  indeed  are  all  the  birds, 
deer,  creepers,  trees  and  grasses  of  Chitra-ktit,"  so  day  and 
night  cried  the  gods. 

Chaupdi. 

All  creatures  with  eyes,  who  looked  on  RAma,  felt  wiih 
delight  that  now  they  had  lived  to  some  purpose.  Things 
without  life,  touched  by  the  dust  of  his  feet,  were  gladdened 
by  promotion  to  the  highest  sphere.  The  woods  and  rocks, 
all  charming  in  themselves,  were  so  blissful,  so  entirely  the 


AYODHYA.  307 

holiest  of  the  holy,  that  how  can  I  declare  their  glory,  when 
they  became  the  abode  of  the  infinitely  blessed,  and  when 
leaving  the  Milky  Ocean^  and  deserting  Avadh,  Sita,  RAma, 
and  Lakshman  came  there  to  dwell  ?  The  delights  of  the 
forest  would  be  past  telling  even  by  a  hundred  thousand 
Seshn^gs.  How  then  can  I  describe  them,  any  more  than  a 
common  hole  tortoise  could  uplift  Mount  Mandar  ?  In  every 
thought,  word  and  act  Lakshman  does  him  service,  with  an 
amiability  and  devotion  more  than  can  be  told. 

DoU  134.     /  K^ 

For  ever  gazing  on  the  feet  of  Sltaand   Rdma  and    con- 
scious of  their  love  for  him,  not  even  in  his  sleep  did  Laksh- 
man dream  of  absent  kindred,  or  father  or  mother,  or  home. 
Ghawpdi. 

In  Rama's  company  Sita  lived  so  happy  that  she  lost  all 
memory  of  city,  family  and  home.  Ever  watching  the 
moonlike  face  of  her  beloved,  she  rejoiced  like  the  partridge 
at  night,  and  seeing  her  lords  affection  daily  increase  she 
was  as  happy  as  the  cuckoo  by  day.  Her  heart  was  so 
enamoured  of  him  that  the  forest  was  a  thousand  times  as 
dear  to  her  as  Avadh  ;  dear  was  the  cottage  with  her  love's 
society,  dear  were  the  fawns  and  birds,  now  her  only  atten- 
dants :  like  her  husband's  father  and  mother  were  the  her- 
mits and  their  wives,  and  sweet  as  ambrosia  the  wild  fruits 
and  roots.  Shared  with  her  lord,  a  litter  of  leaves2  was  a 
hundredfold  more  delightful  than  Cupid's  own  couch.  How 
can  material  delights  beguile  him,  the  mere  sight  of  whom 
confers  the  sovereignty  of  the  spheres  ? 

DoU  135.      '  M  ' 
Remembering  RAma,  men  discard  as  no  more  worth  than 
a  blade  of  grass  all  the  pleasures  of  sense  ;  no  wonder  then 
in  Sita's  case,  Rdma's  own  beloved,  the  mother  of  the  world . 

1  Here  Sita,  Rdma,  and  Lakshman  are  all  three  regarded  as   incarnations 
of  Vishnu,  whose  eternal  home  is  the  Milky  Ocean. 

2  Sdthari  is   for  the    Sanskrit    Sastara,    '  made   by   strewing,'  a  bed    of 
leav2s, 


308  AYODHYA. 

Chaupdi. 
Anything  that  would  please  Sita  and  Lakshman,  that 
would  Raghunath  do,  exactly  as  they  suggested.  He  would 
recite  legends  and  tales  of  olden  times,  in  the  hearing  of 
which  Lakshman  and  Sita  took  great  delight.  If  ever  he 
made  mention  of  Avadh,  his  eyes  filled  with  tears  ;  as  he 
called  to  mind  his  father  and  mother,  his  family  and  his 
brother,  with  all  Bharat's  affection  and  amiable  attention, 
the  compassionate  Lord  grew  most  sad,  but  restrained  him- 
self knowing  that  the  time  was  out  of  joint.  At  the  sight 
Sita  and  Lakshman  became  distressed  also,  like  the  shadow 
that  follows  a  man.  When  Raghunandan  noticed  the  emo- 
tion of  his  spouse  and  his  brother,  being  self-restrained 
and  tender  and  as  soothing  to  his  votaries  as  sandal-wood 
when  applied  to  the  breast,  he  would  begin  to  relate  some 
sacred  story  to  divert  them.  ,  n 

Doha  136  .      l^ 
R4ma  and  Lakshman    with  Sita  in  their  leafy  hut  were 
as  resplendent   as   Indra  in   the   city  of   heaven  with    his 
spouse  Sachi  and  their  son  Jayanta. 

Chaupdi. 
The  liord  was  as  watchful  over  Sita  and  his  younger 
brother  as  the  eyelids  over  the  pupil  of  the  eye  ;  while 
Lakshman  was  as  careful  of  Sita  and  Raghubir  as  a  fool  of 
his  own  body.  Thus  happily  the  Lord  lived  in  the  woods, 
gratify  alike  birds  beasts  and  pious  ascetics.  I  have  now 
told  the  story  of  Rdma's  excile  to  the  woods  ;  here  how  Su- 
manta  reached  Avadh.  TheNishdd  returned  after  escorting 
his  Lord,  and  came  in  sight  of  the  Minister  and  the  chariot. 
No  words  can  tell  the  distress  with  which  he  found  the  Mi- 
nister to  be  agonized.  Crying  out  **  R^ma,  RAma,  Sita, 
Lakshman,"  he  had  fallen  to  the  ground  utterly  overpower- 
ed, while  the  horses  kept  on  looking  to  the  south^  and 
neighing  as  piteously  as  a  bird  that  has  lost  its  wings. 

1  Hoping,  as  Rima  had   gone  to  the  sooth,  to  get  the  first  glimpse  of 
him  coming  back  again  from  that  direction. 


1 


AYODHYA.  %  309 

DohdlSl.       ^     ' 

They  would  neither  eat  grass  nor  drink  water,  and  their 
eyes  shed  tears.  At  the  sight  of  RAma's  horses  all  the  Ni- 
shdds  were  deeply  grieved. 

Ghaupdi. 

At  length  summoning  up  courage  the  Nishad  said:  "now, 
Sumanta,  cease  mourning ;  you  are  a  learned  man  and  a 
philosopher,  submit  patiently  to  adverse  fortune."  With 
such  kindly  expostulations  he  made  him  mount  the  chariot, 
whether  he  would  or  no  ;  but  he  was  so  unstrung  by  grief 
that  he  could  not  drive,  his  heart  ached  so  grievously  for 
Rama's  loss.  The  horses  reared  and  would  not  go  ;  you  would 
think  they  were  wild  deer  put  in  harness,  jibbing,  lying 
down  and  turning  to  look  behind  them,  being  overcome  by 
sore  pain  for  RAma's  loss.  If  any  one  mentioned  the  name  of 
Rama,  Lakshman,  or  Sita,  the  horses  would  at  once  neigh 
and  look  at  him  ;the  way  in  which  they  declared  their  grief 
is  not  to  be  described,  like  a  snake  that  has  lost  its  head- 
jewel.  I  i>l^ 
Dohd  138.      ' 

The  sight  of  the  Minister  and  the  horses  made  the  Nishifd 
very  sad.  He  told  off  four  trusty  grooms  and  with  them  a 
charioteer. 

Chaupdi. 

After  making  over  the  charioteer,  Guha  returned  home, 
more  sorry  at  leaving  than  words  can  tell.  The  Nishdd's 
drove  off  to  Avadh  ;  sunk  every  moment  in  deeper  distress, 
Sumanta,  tortured  by  regrets,  a  prey  to  woe,  cried  :  "  A 
curse  for  life  without  Raghu-bir  !  This  vile  body  must  per- 
ish at  last  ;  it  lost  all  glory  when  bereft  of  Raghu-bir  and 
became  a  sink  of  infamy  and  crime  ;  why  does  it  not  take 
its  departure  ?  Ah  !  fool  that  it  is,  it  missed  its  opportunity, 
seeing  that  to-day  my  heart  has  not  broken  in  twain," 
Wringing  his  hands  and  beating  his  head  in  his  remorse  he 
went  his  way  like  a  miser  robbed  of  his  pelf,  or  like  a 
warrior  of  high  renown,  some  famous  champion,  who  has 
had  to  flee  from  the  battle-field. 


310  AYODHYA.  J 

Do/lrf  139.         ^^ 

The  Minister's  grief  was  like  that  of  some  learned  Brah- 
man well  read  in  the  Vedas,  a  man  of  good  repute,  of  integ- 
rity and  birth,  who  has  been  entrapped  into  drinking. 

Or  like  some  well-born,  virtuous  and  discreet  lady,  who 
is  entirely  devoted  to  her  lord,  but  whom  Fate  has  forced  to 
desert  him  ;  such  was  the  cruel  torture  that  racked  the  Min- 
ister's heart.  His  eyes  so  full  of  tears  that  he  could  scarce- 
ly see ;  his  ears  deaf,  his  senses  all  confused,  his  lips  dry  his 
tongue  cleaving  to  his  palate,  the  breath  of  life  only  restrain- 
ed by  the  bar  of  Rama's  promise  to  return  ;  all  the  colour 
gone  from  his  face,  he  looked  like  one  who  had  murdered 
his  father  and  mother.  His  soul  was  so  possessed  with  the 
greatness  of  his  loss  and  his  remorse  that  he  might  be  some 
grievous  sinner  trembling  at  the  gate  of  death.  Words  would 
not  come,  but  to  himself  he  moaned  :  "  How  can  I  look 
Avadh  in  the  face  ;  when  they  see  the  chariot  and  no  Rdma 
in  it,  they  will  turn  in  bewilderment  to  me. 
Dohd  140.     I  (>  U 

When   the  agitated  citizens    run  to  question  me  and  I 

have  to  answer  them,  my  heart  will  be  cleft  asunder  as  by  a 

thunderbolt. 

Ghaupdi. 

When  the  piteous  queen-mothers  ask  of  me,  Good  God  ! 
what  shall  I  say  to  them  ?  When  Lakshman's  mother  ques- 
tions me,  what  good  news  can  I  tell  her  ?  When  Rama's 
mother  comes  running,  like  a  cow  mindful  of  its  now  weaned 
calf,  and  questions  me,  I  can  only  answer,  *  Rima,  Laksh- 
man  and  Slta  have  gone  into  the  forest.'  Whoever  asks,  I 
must  answer  so  :  this  is  the  treat  I  shall  have  at  Avadh. 
When  the  sorrowful  king,  whose  life  hangs  upon  Rrima, 
questions  me,  with  what  face  can  I  answer  him,  *  I  have 
seen  the  princes  safe  to  their  journey's  end  and  have  come 
back.'  When  the  king  hears  the  news  of  Lakshman,  Sita 
and  R^ma,  he  will  discard  his  life  as  not  worth  a  straw. 


AYODHYA.  /I  311 

DoU  141.      ' 
My  heart  bereft    of    its    beloved  is  like  clay    drained    of 
water,  but  it  cracks  not  :  now  I  know  how  capable  of  torture 
is  this  body  that  God  has  given  me." 

Ghaupdi. 
Thus  bemoaning  himself  as  he  went,  he  quickly  arrived 
in  his  chariot  at  the  bank  of  Tamasa.  There  he  courte- 
ously dismissed  the  Nishads,  who  after  falling  at  his  feet 
turned  sorrowfully  away.  The  Minister  was  as  downcast  on 
entering  the  city  as  one  who  had  killed  his  own  spiritual 
guide  or  a  Brahman,  or  cow.  He  passed  the  day  sitting 
under  a  tree,  and  at  eventide  took  the  opportunity  to  enter 
Avadh  in  the  dark.  He  slunk  into  his  house,  leaving  the 
chariot  at  the  gate.  All  who  heard  the  tidings  came  to  the 
king's  door  to  see  the  chariot,  and  having  recognized  it 
and  observed  the  distress  of  the  horses,  their  body  melted 
away  like  hail  in  the  sun.  All  the  citizens  were  as  woe- 
begone as  fish  when  the  waters  are  dried  up. 

DohdU2.        ic^% 
When  they  heard  of  the  Minister's  arrival,  all  the  ladies 
of  the  court  were  agitated.     The  palace  struck  him  with  as 
much  dread  as  a  haunted  chamber. 

Ghaupdi. 
All  the  queens  questioned  him  in  great  excitement  ;  no 
answer  came,  his  voice  was  all  broken.  With  no  ears  to  hear, 
nor  eyes  to  see,  he  could  only  ask  every  one  he  met,  '  Tell 
me  where  is  the  king.'  Seeing  his  confusion,  the  handmai- 
dens conducted  him  to  Kausalya's  apartments.  On  entering, 
Sumanta  found  the  king  in  such  state  as  the  moon  shows 
when  all  its  lustre  has  waned.  Fasting,  sleepless,  stript  of 
every  adornment,  he  lay  on  the  ground  in  utter  wretched- 
ness,  sighing   as    piteously    as   Yay^ti^  after  he  had  been 


1  Yayati  as  a  reward  for  his  many  sacrifices  was  exalted  to  heaven. 
There  Indra  met  him,  ceremoniously  conducted  him  to  the  throne,  and  then 
craftily  drew  him  out  to  speak  of  all  the  meritorius  acts  he  had  done. 
The  more  he  boasted,  the  more  his  virtue  evaporated,  till  at  last  he  was  left 
without  any  merit  at  all.  The  gods  then  turned  him  out  of  heaven  and 
Indra  was  able  to  resume  the  vacant  throne. 


312  AYODHYA. 

hurled  from  heaven,  his  heart  every  moment  bursting  with 
grief,  like  Sampdti^  falling  with  singed  wings,  fondly  cry- 
ing *Rdma,  R4ma,Rdma',  and  again  'Rdma  Lakshman,  Slta.' 
Doha  143.     liJ  Oj 

The  Minister  on  seeing  him  cried  '  All  hail !'  and  bowed 
to  the  ground.     At  the  sound  of  his  voice  the  king   started 
up  hurriedly  and  exclaimed  '0   Siimanta,  where  is  Rdma  ?' 
Ghaupdi. 

The  king  clasped  Somant  to  his  bosom,  like  a  drowning 
man  who  has  caught  hold  of  some  support.  He  seated  him 
affectionately  by  his  side,  and  with  his  eyes  full  of  tears  ask- 
ed: "Tell  me,  kind  friend,  of  Rama's  welfare  :  where  are 
Raghun6th,  Lakshman  and  Sita  ?  Have  you  brought 
them  back,  or  have  they  sought  the  forest  ?  "  At  these 
words  the  Minister's  eyes  streamed  with  tears.  Overpower- 
ed by  anxiety,  the  king  asked  again  :  '*  give  me  tidings  of 
8ita,  R6ma  and  Lakshman."  Calling  to  mind  Rdma's 
beauty  and  amiability,  he  sorrowed  yet  more  :  "  I  promised 
him  the  kingdom  and  then  imposed  exile;  he  obeyed  with 
soul  unmoved  either  by  joy  or  sorrow.  Breft  of  such  a  son 
I  yet  can  live :  who  so  guilty  a  monster  as  I  ? 

Dohd]U.     1*)"^ 

Take  me,  my  friend,  to  the  place  where  Rima,  Sita  and 

Lakshman   are.  If    not,    I   tell  you  the  very  truth,  my  soul 

will  take  flight  at  once." 

Chaupdi. 

Again  and  again  he  implored  him  :  "Friend,  tell  me  of 
my  son.  fleariven,  comrade ;  contrive  some  means  for  speed- 
ily showing  me  RAma,  Lakshman  and  Sita."  Summoning 
up  courage  the  Minister  gently  replied  :  *'  Sire,  your  majesty 
is  a  scholar  and  philosopher,  a  model  of  courage  and  end- 
urance, and  a  constranr,  attendant  of  holy  assemblies.  Life 
and  death  ;  pleasure,  pain  and  all  enjoyments;  loss  and  gain  ; 
the  society  of  friends  and  their  bereavement;  all,  sir,  are  gov- 
erned by  time  and  fate  as  unalterably  as  the  succession  of 
night  and  day.  Fools  triumph  in  prosperity,  and  are  downcast 
1  See  ('haup&i  of  Kishkindhya  after  Dohk  26. 


AYODHYA.  313 

in  adversity  ;  wise  men  account  both  alike.  Consider  the 
matter  wisely  and  take  courage  ;  the  good  of  all  depends 
upon  you  ;  cease  vain  regrets. 

Dohd]4:5.    ^S'' 

Their  first  halt  was  at  the  TamasA  ;  their  second  on  the 
bank  of  the  Ganges,  where  the  two  heroes  and  Sfta  bathed 
and  stayed  to  drink  water. 

Chaupdi. 

The  boatmen  showed  them  great  courtesy  and  they 
passed  the  night  at  Sringavera.  At  daybreak  they  called  for 
milk  of  the  fig-tree  and  fastened  up  the  hair  of  their  head 
into  a  crown-like  top-knot.  Then  Rdma's  friend  called  for 
the  boat,  and  after  putting  his  beloved  on  board,  R^ma 
himself  followed,  and  after  him  by  his  Lord's  permission, 
Lakshman  too  claimed  the  boat  equipt  with  bow  and  arrows. 
Seeing  my  distress,  Raghu-bir  restrained  his  emotion  and 
addressed  me  thus  kindly  :  *  Father,  give  my  salutation  to 
my  father,  and  again  and  again  embrace  his  lotus  feet. 
There  at  his  feet  entreat  him  with  all  humility,  saying, 
Father,  mourn  not  for  me  ;  my  banishment  to  the  forest  is 
pleasant  and  profitable  to  myself,  and  on  your  part  is  a 
grace,  a  favour,  and  a  meritorious  deed. 
Ghhand  5. 

By  your  favour,  father,  I  go  to  the  forest,  there  to  enjoy 
complete  happiness.  After  fulfiling  your  command,  I  shall 
return  again  in  safety  to  behold  your  feet.'  Next  falling  at 
the  feet  of  each  of  the  queen  mothers,  console  and  implore 
them  to  make  every  effort  that  Kosala's  king  may  live  happy. 
Sorathd  5.      ;  A'  ">' 

Again  and  again  clasping  the  lotus  feet  of  my  spiritual 
instructor,  give  him  this  my  message  :  '  So  exhort  the  king 
that  he  may  cease  to  sorrow  on  my  account.' 

Chaupdi. 

Bowing  down  before  all  the  citizens  and  the  people  of 
the  court  make  known  to  them,  sir,  this  my  petition  :  *  He  is 
my  best  friend  who  ensures  the  king's  happiness.'     Say  to 

R-43 


314  AYQDHYA. 

Bharat,  too,  when  he  comes,'  Now  that  you  have  obtained 
the  royal  dignity,  forget  not  sound  polity.  Cherish  your 
subjects  in  word,  thought  and  deed,  and  be  obedient  to  all 
the  queen-mothers  without  partiality.  Fulfil  your  duty, 
brother,  as  a  brother,  and  in  dutifulness  to  father,  mother 
and  kindred,  and  take  such  care  of  the  king,  sir,  that  he  may 
never  regret  me.  'Lakshman  gave  vent  to  some  angry  words, 
but  Rdma  checked  him,  and  begged  of  me  again  and  again, 
adjuring  me  by  himself,  not  to  mention  his  childishness. 
Doha  146.     /  5"^ 

Sita  sent  her  reverence,  and  would  have  said  more,  but 
was  unable ;  her  voice  faltered,  her  eyes  filled  with  tears, 
and  her  body  quivered  with  emotion. 

Chaupdi. 

Then  it  was  that  at  a  sign  from  Rahugbar  the  boatman 
propelled  the  boat  to  the  opposite  side.  In  this  manner  the 
Glory  of  Raghu's  line  went  his  way,  and  I  stood  looking  on 
with  a  heart  as  of  adamant.  How  can  I  describe  my  own 
anguish,  who  have  come  back  alive,  bearing  Rama's  mess- 
age?' With  these  words  the  Minister  stopped  speaking, 
being  overpowered  by  affection,  remorse  and  distress.  When 
he  had  heard  Sumanta's  speech,  the  king  fell  to  the  ground, 
heartbroken  with  grief,  and  in  a  wild  phrenzy  of  soul 
writhed  like  a  fish  in  the  scour  of  a  turbid  stream. ^  All  the 
queens  wept  and  made  lamentation ;  how  can  I  describe  so 
great  a  calamity  ?  at  the  sound  of  their  wailings.  Sorrow  it- 
self grew  sorrowful  and  Endurance  could  no  more  endure. 

1  This  simile,  as  noted  at  page  33  has  puzzled  many  of  the  commentators, 
who  are  ordinarily  grammarians  rather  than  observers  of  nature.  It  is  well 
illustrated  and  explained  by  a  letter  in  the  Pioneer  of  August  5th,  1878, 
from  a  correspondent  at  Mirzapur.  He  writes  as  follows  : — "  We  observed 
a  curious  phenomenon  here  which  seems  worth  recording.  Early  on  Friday 
morning  huge  quantitcs  of  fish  of  every  description  were  seen  coming  to  the 
surface   all   along   both    banks  of  the  river  gasping  and  dying.     The  people 

living  near  the  sides  flocked  down  and  clubbed  and  secured  very  many 

Before  many  hours  all  the  fish  susceptible  to  whatever  influence  was  at 
work  seem  to  have  perished  and  in  the  afternoon  they  rose  to  the  surface 
and  floated  past  in  a  stnte  of  decomposition.  The  river  is  in  high  but  not 
full  flood.  The  water,  probably  on  account  of  the  prolonged  drought,  is 
intensely  and  abnormally  turbid.  It  is  to  this  peculiarity  I  attribute  the 
death  of  the  fish.  The  particles  of  earth  held  in  suspense  have  impregnated 
the  gills  and  »t<ipped  breathing." 


AYODHYA.  315 

Dohd  147.       I   ^  '^ 

Avadh  was  in  a  tumult  at  the  sound  of  the  outcry  in  the 
king's   palace  :   as   whea  a  cruel  thunderbolt  has  fallen  at 
night  in  some  dense  forest  full  of  birds. 
,  Chaupdi. 

The  breath  of  life  flickered  at  the  king's  mouth,  forlorn 
as  a  snake  robbed  of  its  jewel  ;  all  his  senses  as  heavy- 
smitten  as  the  lotuses  in  a  lake  that  has  been  drained  of  its 
water.  When  Kausalya  saw  the  king's  misery— the  Sun  of 
the  solar  race  setting  as  it  were  at  noon— Rdma's  mother 
summoned  up  courage  and  spoke  in  words  befitting  the 
occasion  :  "  Consider,  my  lord,  and  reflect  that  Rdma's 
exile  is  like  the  vast  ocean,  you  are  the  helmsman  of  the 
good  ship  Avadh,  and  your  friends  are  the  merchants,  its 
passengers  ;  if  you  have  courage  you  will  get  across :  if  not 
the  whole  family  will  be  drowned.  Take  to  heart  this  en- 
treaty of  mine,  my  spouse,  and  you  will  yet  see  again 
Rdma,  Lakshman  and  Slta.  ^.^ 

Dohd  148.    /  ^'^'^ 

Hearing  these  tender  words  from  his  beloved,  the  king 
opened  his  eyes  and  looked  up,  writhing  like  some  hapless 
fish  when  sprinkled  with  cold  water. 
Chaupdi. 

The  king  with  an  effort  sat  up  :  *'  Tell  me,  Sumanta, 
where  is  my  generous  Rdma  ?  Where  is  Lakshman  ? 
Where  my  loving  Rdma  ?  Where  my  dear  daughter-in- 
law,  the  princess  of  Videha  ?  "  Thus  miserably  moaning, 
the  night  seemed  an  age  long  and  as  though  it  never  would 
end.     The  blind  hermit's   curse^  came   back  to   his  mind, 

1  The  incident  to  which  such  brief  allusion  is  here  made  is  told  at  full 
length  in  the  Sanskrit  Ramayana,  where  it  occupies  nearly  200  lines.  One 
day,  when  Dasarath  was  still  a  youth,  he  was  out  shooting,  and  had  taken 
up  a  position  near  the  bank  of  the  Sarju,  where  he  hoped  to  get  a  shot  at 
some  tiger  or  buffalo  as  it  came  down  in  the  evening  to  the  river  to  drink. 
Hearing  a  splash  in  the  water,  he  left  fly  an  arrow.  From  the  cry  that 
followed,  he  learnt  to  his  dismay  that  he  had  shot  a  young  hermit,  who  had 
been  filling  his  pitcher  for  the  use  of  his  blind  and  aged  parents.  His  dying 
words  were  to  implore  the  king  that  he  would  carry  the  warer  to  the  hermit- 
age and  inform  the  bereaved  couple  of  their  son's  sad  fate.  He  did  so,  and 
was  told  that  as  a  punishment  for  his  crime  he.  too,  should  hereafter  die  of 
grief  for  the  loss  of  a  son.  The  time  should  be  far  distant,  because  the  blow 
was  dealt  unwittingly,  and  his  confession  had  further  lightened  his  guilt  : 
had  he  concealed  the  deed,  he  and  the  whole  of  his  line  had  perished  for  evef* 


316  AYODHTA. 

and  he  told  the  whole  story  to  Kausaly^.  As  he  related  the 
circumstances  his  agitation  increased  :  "  Bereft  as  I  am  of 
RAma,  I  have  done  with  life  and  hope  ;  why  should  I  cherish 
a  body  that  has  failed  to  fulfil  my  love's  engagement?  Ah 
Raghunandan,  dearer  to  me  than  life,  already  I  have  lived 
too  long  without  you.  Ah,  Jdnaki  and  Lakshman  !  Ah, 
Raghubar  the  raincloud  of  a  fond  father's  ehatak-Vike  heart." 
DohdUd.    lb'%P 

Crying  *  R^ma,  R^ma  ! '  and  again  '  Rdma  ! '  and  yet 
once  more  *  R^ma,  Rdma,  RAma  !,'  the  king's  soul,  bereft 
of  Raghubar,  quitted  his  body  and  entered  heaven. 

Ghawpai. 

Thus  Dasarath  reaped  his  reward  both  in  life  and  death, 
and  his  spotless  fame  has  spread  through  countless  cycles 
of  creation.  In  life  he  saw  Rama's  moon-like  face,  and 
dying  for  his  loss  had  a  glorious  death.  All  the  queens 
bewept  him  in  an  agony  of  grief,  and  spoke  of  his  beauty, 
his  amiability,  his  power  and  majesty.  They  made  manifold 
lamentation,  throwing  themselves  upon  the  ground  again 
and  again.  Men-servants  and  maid-servants  sadly  bemoaned 
him  ;  and  there  was  weeping  in  every  house  throughout 
the  city  :  '*  To-day  has  set  the  sun  of  the  solar  race,  the 
perfection  of  justice,  the  treasury  of  all  good  qualities."  All 
reviled  Kaikeyi,  who  had  robbed  the  world  of  its  very  eyes. 
In  this  manner  the  night  was  spent  in  lamentations  till 
all  the  great  and  learned  sages  arrived. 

BdhdlbO,     /6"| 

Then  the  holy  Vasishtha  recited  many  legends  befitting 
the  time,  and  checked  their  grief  by  the  wisdom  that  he 
displayed. 

Ghauydi. 

After  filling  a  boat  with  oil  and  putting  the  king's  body 
in  it,  he  summoned  messengers  and  thus  addressed  them  : 
"  Hasten  with  all  speed  to  Bharat,  and  say  nothing  to  any- 
body about  the  king ;  only  tell  Bharat  when  you  arrive.  '  The 
guru  has  sent   for  you  two  brothers.'  "     On  receiving  the 


AYODHYA. 


317 


saint's  orders,  they  ran  off  at  once  with  speed  that    would 

shame  the  fleetest  of  horses.     Directly  these    troubles   had 

begun  at  Avadh,  Bharat  was  visited  with  evil  omens  ;  he  saw 

fearful  visions  in  his  sleep  by  night,  and  on  awaking  formed 

all  sorts  of  ill  conjectures.    He  daily  feasted  Brdhmans  and 

gave  alms,  and  with  elaborate  ritual  poured  water  over  the 

emblem  of  MahAdev,  and  with  heartfelt  prayers  implored  the 

god  for  the  prosperity  of  his  parents,  his  family  and  his 

brethren.  ,^ 

Doha  151,    ^^ 

In  this  state  of  anxiety  was  Bharat  found  by  the  heralds 
on  their  arrival.     As  soon  as  he  had  heard  his  guru's  com- 
mands he  offered  up  a  prayer  to  Ganes  and  started. 
Chaupdi' 

They  went  with  the  speed  of  the  wind,  urging  on  their 
horses  over  rivers,  rocks  and  trackless  forests.  So  great  was 
his  distress  of  mind  that  nothing  pleased  him  ;  he  thought 
to  himself,  '  0  that  I  had  wings  to  fly  !'  A  moment  seemed 
like  a  year.  In  this  manner  Bharat  drew  near  to  the  city. 
On  entering  he  was  met  by  evil  omens.  Gruesome  noises 
sounded  in  uncanny  places,  asses  and  jackals  uttered  pres- 
ages of  ill,  which  pierced  him  to  the  heart  as  he  listened. 
Even  the  lakes  and  rivers,  groves  and  gardens,  seemed 
forlorn  ;  while  the  city  struck  him  as  more  melancholy  still. 
Birds,  deer,  horses  and  elephants  were  painful  to  look  at,  as 
though  the  loss  of  R^ma  were  some  dreadful  disease  that 
had  destroyed  them.  The  citizens  were  as  downcast  as  if 
they  had  all  lost  everything  they  had  in  the  world. 
Dohd  152.      I  ^ 

The  people  who  met  him  did  not  speak,  but  bowed  and 
passed  on.  For  the  fear  and  dismay  in  his  mind  Bharat 
could  not  ask  *  Is  all  well  ?  ' 

Ghaupdi. 
The  market-places  and  streets  were  as  dreary  as  though 
the  city  had  been  the  prey  of  a  general  conflagration.  When 
Kaikeyi  heard  of  her  son's  approach,  the  moon  of  the  lotus- 


318  AYODHYA. 

like  solar  race  rejoiced.  She  sprang  up  gladly  and  ran  with 
lamp  in  hand  and  met  him  at  the  door  and  brought  him  in. 
Bharat  saw  all  the  household  as  woe-begone  as  a  bed  of 
lotuses  when  smitten  by  the  frost,  his  mother  as  jubilant  as 
a  wild  hill-woman  who  has  set  the  forest  in  a  blaze.  Seeing 
her  son  sad  and  distressed,  she  asked  '  Is  all  well  in  my 
mother's  house?  '  Bharat  assured  her  that  all  was  well,  and 
then  asked  after  the  welfare  of  his  own  family  :  "  Say,  where 
is  my  father  and  where  the  other  queen-mothers  ?  where  is 
Sita  and  my  dear  brothers,  RAma  and  Lakshman  ?  " 
Doha  153. 

On  hearing  her  son's  loving  speech,  the  guilty  woman*8 
eyes  filled  with  false  tears,  and  she  replied  in  words  that 
pierced  Bharat's  ears  and  soul  : 

Cha7ipdi. 

"  My  son,  I  had  arranged  everything  with  the  help  of 
poor^  Manthar^,  but  God  somehow  spoilt  my  plan  half-way. 
The  king  has  gone  to  heaven."  On  hearing  this  Bharat  was 
overcome  with  distress,  like  an  elephant  at  the  roar  of  a  lion. 
Crying  "My  father,  my  father,  alas,  my  father  I  "  he  fell 
upon  the  ground  in  grievous  affliction.  "  I  could  not  see  you 
ere  you  left,  nor  did  you  my  father,  commend  me  to  R^ma." 
Again,  with  an  effort,  he  collected  himself  and  got  up  : 
"Tell  me,  mother,  the  cause  of  my  father's  death."  On  hear- 
ing her  son's  words  Kaikeyi  replied,  as  one  who  drops  poison 
into  a  wound,  and  with  a  glad  heart,  vile  wretch  that  she 
was, recounted  all  that  she  had  done  from  the  very  beginning. 
Dohd  154. 

Bharat  forgot  his  father's  death  when  he  heard  of  Rama's 
banishment,  and    knowing   himself  to  be  the  cause  he  was 
staggered  and  remained  speechless. 
Ghaupdi. 

Seeing  her  son's  distress  she  comforted  him,  in  such  a 
manner  as  when  one  applies  salt  to  a  burn  :  "  The  king,  my 

1    nichari    is   here   for   the    Persian    word   hechara.    The  Hindu    com- 
mentator explains  it  by  chara  rahita  ? 


AYODHYA.  319 

boy,  is  no  fit  subject  for  lamentation  ;  he  won  glory  and 
renown  and  lived  happily.  In  his  life  he  reaped  all  life's 
rewards,  and  in  the  end  has  entered  the  court  of  heaven. 
Regard  the  matter  in  this  light  and  banish  grief ;  in  state 
assume  the  sovereignty  of  the  realm."  The  prince  shrunk 
exceedingly  at  her  words,  as  though  cautery  had  been 
applied  to  a  festered  wound  ;  then  collecting  himself  he 
gave  a  deep  sigh  :  Wretched  woman,  the  ruin  of  us  all !  if 
this  was  your  vile  desire,  why  did  you  not  kill  me  at  my 
birth?  After  cutting  down  a  tree  you  water  the  branches 
and  drain  a  pond  to  keep  the  fish  alive. 
Doha  155. 

Born  of  the  solar  race,  with  Dasarath  for  my  father  and 
Rdma  and   Lakshman    for   my  brothers,  I    have  had    you, 
mother,  for  a  mother  :  what  can  be  done  against  Fate  ? 
Chaupdi. 

Wretch  !  when  you  formed  such  an  evil  design  in  your 
mind,  how  was  it  your  heart  did  not  break  in  pieces  '•*  When 
you  asked  the  boon,  your  soul  felt  no  pain,  your  tongue  did 
not  burn,  nor  your  mouth  fester?  How  could  the  king  trust 
you  ?  his  hour  of  death  had  come,  and  God  had  robbed  him 
of  his  senses  Not  even  God  knows  the  ways  of  a  woman's 
heart  ;  such  a  mine  is  it  of  all  deceit,  crime  and  sin.  The 
king  was  so  simple,  good  and  pious,  what  did  he  know  of 
woman's  nature  ?  Is  there  any  living  creature  in  the  world 
who  loves  not  Raghuniith  like  himself  ?  Yet  he  was  your 
special  enemy.  Tell  me  the  truth,  what  are  you  ?  What- 
ever you  may  be,  you  have  blackened   your  own  face  ;    up, 

hence  out  of  my  sight, 

Dohd  156. 
God  has   created  me    out  of  a  womb    hostile  to  R^ma; 
who  so  guilty  a  wretch  as  I  ?  but  it  is  useless  for  me  to  say 
anything  to  you." 

Chaupdi. 

When  Satrughna  heard  of  his  mother's  wickedness  he 
burned  all  over,  his  anger  was  beyond  control.  At  that  very 
moment  Humpback  came  up,  dressed  out  in  fine  attire  and 


320  AY0DHY4. 

many  jewels.  On  seeing  her,  Lakshman's  young  brother 
was  filled  with  passion,  like  fire  upon  which  butter  has  been 
poured.  He  sprung  forward  and  struck  her  such  a  blow 
on  her  hump  that  she  fell  flat  on  her  face  and  screamed 
aloud.  Her  hump  was  smashed,  her  head  split,  her  teeth 
broken,  and  her  mouth  streamed  with  blood.  "  Ah  !  my  God  ! 
what  harm  have  I  done  ?  this  is  an  ill  reward  for  all  my 
services  !  "  Then  Satrughna,  seeing  her  so  all  vile  from 
head  to  foot,  seized  her  by  the  hair  of  the  head  and  began 
dragging  her  about,  till  the  merciful  Bharat  rescued  her. 
Both  brothers  then  went  to  KausalyA. 

Dohd  157. 
In  sordid  attire,  pale,  agitated,  with  wasted   frame   and 
soul  opprest  with  woe,  she  seemed   some  lovely  creeper  or 
golden  lotus  smitten  by  the  frost. 

Ghaupdi 
When  the  queen  saw  Bharat  she  sprang  up  in  haste,  but 
fell  swooning  to  the  ground  overtaken  with  giddiness.  At 
this  sight  Bharat  was  grievously  distrest,  and  threw  himself 
at  her  feet,  forgetting  his  own  condition  :  **  Mother,  let  me 
see  my  father ;  where  is  Sita,  and  where  Rdma  and  Laksh- 
man,  my  two  brothers  ?  Why  was  Kaikeyi  born  into  the 
world  ?  or  if  born,  why  was  she  not  barren  instead  of  bear- 
ing me  to  disgrace  the  family,  a  very  sink  of  infamy,  the 
curse  of  my  home  ?  Who  in  the  three  spheres  is  so 
wretched  as  I  am,  on  whose  account,  mother,  you  have  been 
brought  to  this  plight  ?  My  father  dead,  R6ma  banished, 
and  I  alone  the  cause  of  all  this  calamity  !  Woe  is  me,  a 
very  fire  amongst  the  reeds,  fraught  with  intolerable  tor- 
ment, anguish  and  offence." 

Dohd  158. 
Hearing  Bharat  speak   so   tenderly,   his   mother   again 
took  courage  and  arose  and  lifted  him  up  and  clasped    him 
to  her  bosom,  while  she  wiped  the  tears  from  his  eyes. 

Chaupdi, 
Simple  and  kind,  she  took  him  to  her  heart  as   lovingly 


I 


AYODHYA.  321 

as  though  R^ma  himself  had  conie  back.  Then  Laksh man's 
young  brother  was  also  embraced,  while  her  soul  overflowed 
with  sorrow  and  affection.  All  who  witnessed  her  kindness 
said  :  "  She  is  Rama's  mother,  it  is  natural  to  her."  Seat- 
ing Bharat  in  her  lap  she  wiped  away  her  tears  and  said 
soothingly;  Now,  my  child,  I  adjure  you  to  compose  your- 
self ;  reflect  that  the  times  are  evil  and  cease  to  lament. 
Think  no  more  of  your  loss  and  vexation  ;  remember  that 
the  course  of  time  and  fate  is  unalterable.  Do  not  attach 
blame  to  any  one  my  son  :  it  is  God  who  has  set  himself 
against  me.  He  has  made  me  live  through  such  distress  : 
who  knows  what  may  be  his  pleasure  with  me  now  ? 

Doha  159. 
At  his  father's  command  Raghubi'r  put  aside  his  orna- 
ments and  ordinary  attire  and  assumed  the  bark  dress 
without  either  dismay  or  exultation. 
Chaupdi. 
With  a  cheerful  countenance  and  a  soul  unmoved  by 
anger  or  attachment,  he  did  all  in  his  power  to  comfort  us. 
Sita  hearing  he  was  off  to  the  forest,  went  too  ;  in  her  devo- 
tion to  Rdma's  feet  she  could  not  stay.  Lakshman  also, 
when  he  heard  the  news,  rose  up  to  accompany  him,  and 
for  all  Rama's  persuasions  would  not  remain  behind.  Then 
Raghupati  bowed  his  head  to  all  in  turn  and  set  out  ac- 
companied  by  Slta  and  his  younger  brother.  RAma,  Laksh- 
man and  Sita  went  thus  into  exile.  I  neither  joined  them 
nor  sent  my  spirit  after  them.  All  this  took  place  before 
my  eyes,  and  yet — wretch  that  I  am  -  life  did  not  leave  my 
body.  I  felt  no  shame,  for  all  my  love,  with  such  a  sou,  as 
B4ma  and  myself  his  mother.  The  king  knew  well  the 
time  to  live  and  the  time  to  die  ,  but  my  heart  is  a  hundred- 
fold harder  than  adamant."  . 

Doha  160.       \V\ 

Hearing  Kausaly^'s  words,   Bharat  and  all  the    seraglio 

made  woeful  lamentation  ;  the  palace  seemed  the  very  home 

of  affliction. 

R-44 


322  AYODHVA. 

Ghaupdi. 

Bharat,  nay,  both  brothers,  wept  piteously.  Kausalya 
clasped  them  to  her  bosom,  and  comforted  Bharat  in  every 
way  with  words  of  excellent  wisdom.  With  appropriate 
maxims  from  the  Purdnas  and  Vedasall  the  queens  reason- 
ed with  Bharat.  And  he,  pure,  guileless  and  sincere,  made 
fitting  answer  thus  with  clasped  hands  :  "  The  crime  of  slay- 
ing father,  mother  or  guru  ;  of  burning  cows  in  their  stalls 
or  a  city  of  BrAhmans ;  the  crime  of  murdering  wife  or 
child  ;  of  poisoning  a  friend  or  a  king  ;  every  mortal  or 
venial  sin,  of  thought,  word  and  deed,  as  enumerated  by 
the  seers  ;  may  all  these  sins  be  mine,  0  God,  if  this, 
mother,  was  a  plot  of  mine. 

Doha  i^L  lU 

May  God  award  me  the  fate  of  those  who  forsake  the 
feet  of  Hari  and  Hara  and  worship  abominable  demons,  if, 
mother,  this  was  any  plot  of  mine. 

Ghaupdi, 

Those  who  sell  the  Veda  and  trade  on  piety ;  backbiters, 
who  talk  of  others'  faults  ;  the  treacherous,  the  perverse,  the 
litigious,  the  violent ;  the  revilers  of  the  Veda,  the  enemies 
of  all  creation  ;  the  covetous,  the  lecherous,  the  fickle,  the 
boastful,^  who  covet  their  neighbour's  wealth  or  their 
neighbour's  wife  ;  may  I  come  to  a  like  ill  end  with  them  if, 
mother,  this  plot  had  my  consent.  The  wretches  who  have 
no  regard  for  the  example  of  the  good,  who  reject  the  way 
of  salvation,  who  worship  not  the  incarnation  of  Hari  and 
take  no  delight  in  the  glory  of  Hari  and  Hara,  who  abandon 
the  path  of  Scripture  and  follow  a  contrary  road,  who  by 
knavish  disguise  impose  upon  the  world  ;  may  Sankara 
allot  me  a  fate  like  theirs  if,  mother,  I  knew  of  this  plot. 

Ghhand  6. 

Hearken,  mother  ;  in  all  my  thoughts,  word  and  deeds  I 
am  the  slave  of  the  All-merciful.  The  omniscient  Rdma 
dwells  in  my   heart  and   discerns    perfectly    between    true 

1  For  the  two  words  iyW,  ZawdM,  it  would  seem  preferable  to  read, 
lol%pawara^  if  there  were  any  manascript  to  support  it. 


AYODHYA.  323 

affection  and  feigned."  As  he  thus  spoke,  his  eyes  streamed 
with  tears,  his  body  quivered,  and  his  toes  drew  lines  upon 
the  ground.  Again  his  mother  took  and  clasped  him  to  her 
bosom,  knowing  him  to  be  indeed  a  votary  of  Rdma's 
Doha  162.  •'>'^; 

Hearing  Bharat's  true  and  honest  and  generous  words, 
his  mother  exclaimed  :  *'  Son,  you  have  ever  in  thought, 
word  and  deed  been  Rama's  friend. 

Chaupdi. 

Rama  is  the  very  life  of  your  life,  and  you  are  dearer 
than  life  to  him.  The  moon  may  drop  poison,  ice  distil  fire, 
fish  avoid  water,  a  sage  persist  in  folly  ;  but  you  could 
never  become  Rama's  enemy.  If  any  one  in  the  world  says 
this  was  of  your  contriving,  he  shall  never  even  in  his 
sleep  have  any  peace  or  happiness."  With  these  words  his 
mother  took  Bharat  to  her  arms  while  her  breasts  dropped 
milk  and  her  eyes  filled  with  tears.  As  they  sat  and  made 
such  long  lamentation,  the  whole  night  was  spent.  Saints 
Vamadeva  and  Vasishtha  came  and  summoned  all  the 
Ministers  and  nobles  and  did  everything  to  console  Bharat 
by  appropriate  discourse  on  religious  topics. 

Doha  IQ3.  \^^ 

"  Son,  take  heart  and  perform  the  duties  of  the  day." 
Bharat  arose  at  the  guru's  command  and  ordered  every- 
thing to  be  done. 

Ghaupdi. 

As  directed  in  the  Veda,  he  had  the  body  of  the  king 
washed  and  a  sumptuous  funeral  car  prepared.  Then  clasp- 
ing the  feet  of  each  of  the  queens  he  bid  them  stay.i  They 
stayed  in  the  hope  of  seeing  Rama.  Many  loads  of  sandal- 
wood and  aloes  were  brought  and  immense  quantities  of 
sweetscented  spices.  The  pile  was  raised  on  the  bank  of  the 
Sarju  like  a  fair  ladder  reaching  to  heaven.  So  all  the  rites 
of  cremation  were   accomplished  ;  the   prescribed  bathing, 

1  That  is  to  say,  he  would  not  allow  them  to  ascend  the  funeral  pile  with 
the  body  of  the  king  and  perish  with  him  as  Saitig. 


324  lYODHYA. 

the  oblation  of  sesanuun  seeds,  tlie  ceremony  of  the  ten  balls 
of  rice,*  which  Bharat  performed  after  due  study  of  the  Ve- 
das,  the  Puranas  and  the  Code  or  Ritual.  Whatever  order 
was  given  at  any  time  by  the  great  sage  was  thereupon 
executed  accordingly  a  thousand  times  over.  For  his  puri- 
fication he  gave  abundant  gifts ;  cows,  horses,  elephants,  all 
kinds  of  carriages, 

Dohd  164.     I'^J 
thrones,  jewels,  robes,  grain,  lands,  money,  and  houses  did 
Bharat  take  and  present  to  the  Brdhmans :  their  every  wish 

was  gratified. 

Ghaupdi. 

All  the  ceremonies  that  Bharat  performed  on  his  father's 
account  were  more  than  a  million  tongues  could  tell.  Then 
came  the  great  sages,  after  determining  an  auspicious  day, 
and  summoned  all  the  nobles  and  ministers,  who  went  and 
sat  down  in  the  royal  council  chamber,  where  they  sent  and 
summoned  Bharat  and  his  brother.  Vasishtha  seated  Bahart 
by  his  side  and  addressed  him  in  words  full  of  wisdom  and 
piety.  First  the  holy  man  repeated  the  whole  history  of 
Kaikeyi's  monstrous  doing  and  extolled  the  king  for  his 
piety  and  faithfulness  to  his  promise,  who  by  his  death  had 
manifested  his  love.  As  he  spoke  of  Rima's  good  qualities 
and  amiable  disposition  the  saint's  eyes  filled  with  tears 
and  his  body  quivered  with  emotion.  As  he  went  on  to 
tell  of  the  affection  shown  by  Lakshman  and  Sita,  the 
ascetic  sage  was  drowned  in  love  and  grief. 
Dohd  165 

'*  Hearken,  Bharat"— thus  sadly  spoke  the  prince  of 
sages—'*  Fate  is  overstrong  ;  loss  and  gain,  life  and  death, 
honour  and  dishonour  are  in  God's  hands. 

Ghaupdi. 

Having  so  considered,  why  blame  any  one,  or  why  be 
angry  with  any  without  cause  ?     Ponder  this  in  your  heart, 

1  One  ball  is  offered  on   the  first  day,  two  on   the  second,  and  so  on  till 
the  tenth,  when  the  ceremony  is  complete. 


I 


ATODHYA.  325 

my  son  ;  king  Dasarath  is  not  to  be  pitied.  Pitiable  the 
Brahman  who  is  ignorant  of  the  Veda  and  has  abandoned 
his  faith  and  become  absorbed  in  the  delights  of  sense ; 
pitiable  the  king  who  knows  not  the  principles  of  govern- 
ment and  to  whom  his  subjects  are  noi  as  dear  as  his  own 
life  ;  pitiable  the  merchant,  miserly  and  rich,  who  regards 
not  the  duties  of  hospitality  nor  the  service  of  Mahddev  ; 
pitiable  the  Siidra  who  insults  a  Brahman,  who  is  boastful, 
ambitious  and  proud  of  his  knowledge  ;  pitiable  again  the 
wife  who  deceives  her  own  husband,  and  who  is  perverse, 
quarrelsome  and  self-willed  ;  pitiable  the  religious  student 
who  breaks  his  vows  and  obeys  not  the    commands   of   his 

gurut 

Dohd  166. 
pitiable  the  householder  who,  overcome  by    delusion,    for- 
sakes  the   path   of   religion  ;  pitiable  the   ascetic  who  is 
enamoured  of  the  world  and  has  lost  his  judgment  and  self- 
governance  , 

Chaupdi. 

pitiable  the  anchorite  who  has  given  up  penance  and  takes 
delight  in  pleasure  ;  pitiable  the  backbiter  ajid  the  angry 
without  a  cause,  the  enemies  of  their  own  parents,  their 
spiritual  guide  and  their  kinsmen;  pitiable  in  every  way 
is  the  malevolent  who  cherishes  self  and  is  utterly  merci- 
less ;  pitiable  in  every  way  is  he  who  does  not  eschew  guile 
and  become  a  follower  of  Hari ;  but  the  king  of  Kosala  is 
not  to  be  pitied  ;  his  glory  is  spread  abroad  through  the 
fourteen  spheres.  Their  neither  has  been,  nor  is  now,  nor 
shall  be  hereafter,  a  king  like  your  father,  Bharat.  Brdhma, 
Vishnu,  Siva,  Indra  and  all  the  Regents  of  the  air  sing  the 

virtues  of  Dasarath. 

Dohd  167. 
Tell  me,  my  son,  in  what  way  can  any  one  magnify  him, 
who  has  such  noble  sons   as   Rdma,   Lakshman,  you   and 
Satrughna  ? 

Chaupdi. 

The  king  is  altogether  fortunate ;  it  is  vain  to  lament  on 


326  AYODHYA. 

his  accouQt.  Thus  hearing  and  considering,  cease  from 
grief  ;  obediently  submit  to  the  royal  commands.  The  king 
has  given  you  the  throne,  and  you  must  needs  fulfil  your 
father's  word.  The  monarch  who  for  the  sal«e  of  his  word 
abandoned  R4ma,  though  in  the  anguish  of  separation  from 
Rdma  he  lost  his  life,  and  thus  held  his  word  dearer  than 
life,  is  a  father,  my  son,  whose  word  must  be  obeyed.  Bow 
your  head  to  the  royal  command  ;  it  will  be  in  every  way  for 
your  good.  ParasurAra,  to  obey  his  father's  order,  slew  his 
own  mother,  as  all  the  world  bears  witness ;  and  Yaj^Ati, 
son  gave  him  up  his  youth  ;i  in  a  father's  order  there  can 
be  no  sin  nor  disgrace. 

Dohd  168. 

They  who  cherish  their  father's  words,  without  discuss- 
ing right  or  wrong,  they  are  vessels  of  honour  and  glory  and 
dwell  in  the  palace  of  the  king  of  heaven. 
Chaupdi. 

You  must  certainly  make  good  the  king's  word  ;  cherish 
your  subjects  and  cease  to  grieve.  He  will  receive  comfort 
in  heaven  ;  for  you  it  will  be  a  merit  and  an  honour,  and  no 
fault.  It  is  laid  down  in  the  Veda,  and  approved  by  all  men, 
that  he  takes  the  crown  to  whom  the  father  gives  it.  Reign 
then,  nor  further  distress  yourself,  but  accept  my  advice  as 
the  best  for  you.  RAma  and  Sita  will  rejoice  when  they  hear 
of  it  and  no  wise  man  will  call  it  wrong.  Kausalyfl  and  all  the 
queens  will  be  happy  in  the  happiness  of  the  people.  R«Cma 
knows  your  secret  thoughts  and    will   take  it  quite  in  good 

1  The  legend  of  YayAti  is  thus  given  in  the  Vishnu  Purdna,  IV.,  10  :  — 
He  was  the  second  son  of  king  Nahusha,  and  succeeded  to  his  father's 
throne.  He  had  two  wives,  DevayAni,  the  daughter  of  Usanas  (also  called 
Sukrachdrya,  the  preceptor  of  the  Daityas),  and  Sarmishtha,  the  daughter 
of  Vrishaparvan,  king  of  the  Oanavas.  Having  been  cursed  by  Usanas, 
whose  daughter  had  complained  to  him  of  her  husband's  infidelity,  he  became 
old  and  infirm  before  his  time,  but  was  allDwed  to  transfer  his  di-crepitude 
to  any  one  who  would  consent  to  take  it.  Four  of  liis  sons,  to  whom  he  suc- 
cessively applied  for  relief,  refused  to  grant  it,  and  received  in  consequence 
their  father's  curse,  that  none  of  their  posterity  should  possess  dominion. 
But  when  he  made  the  same  request  of  his  fifth  and  youngest  son,  Puru,  be 
at  once  consented  to  give  up  his  youth  and  receive  in  exchange  his  father's 
infirmities.  After  some  years  of  enjoyment  Yaydti  himself  withdrew  to  a 
hermitage  in  the  woods  and  resigned  the  throne  to  Puru,  whom  he  appointed 
supreme  monarch  of  the  world,  making  his  elder  brothers  his  viceroys  under 
him. 


AYODHYA.  327 

part  ;  on  his  return  you  can  deliver  up  the  throne  and  serve 
him  with  cheerful  affection."  / 

Dohd  169.      (  1  ^ 
The   ministers   with  clasped  hands  exclaimed  :    "  You 
must  needs  obey  your  guru's  command  :  when   Raghupati 
returns,  you  can  then  do  as  shall  seem  good." 

Chaupdi 
Kausalyd  took  courage  and  cried  :  "  My  son,  you  have 
your  father's  aad  your  guru's  commands,  which  you  must 
respect  and  affectionately  carry  out.  Cease  to  lament,  know- 
ing it  to  be  the  will  of  Fate  that  R^ma  is  in  banishment, 
the  king  in  heaven,  and  you  in  such  perplexity.  You,  my 
son,"  continued  his  mother,  "  are  the  sole  refuge  of  your 
family,  your  people  and  the  ministers  of  state.  Seeing  God 
against  us  and  the  fates  untoward,  summon  up  resolution. 
I,  your  mother,  adjure  you,  obediently  comply  with  your 
guru's  command  ;  cherish  your  people,  relieve  the  affliction 
of  your  family  "  The  guru's  speech  and  the  ministers' 
approval  had  been  as  grateful  to  Bharat's  hearing  as  sandal 
perfumes,  but  when  he  heard  his  mother's  tender  appeal 
fraught  with  the  pathos  of  sincere  affection  — 

Chhand  7. 
when  he  heard  his  mother's  pathetic  appeal,  Bharat  was 
overcome  ;  his  lotus  eyes  rained  with  tears  that  bedewed  the 
fresh  shoots  of  desolation  in  his  soul.  All  who  then  beheld  his 
condition  entirely  forgot  about  themselves— ah,  Tulsi!— and 
reverently  extolled  him  as  the  very  perfection  of  true  love. 
SorathdQ.  y\^^ 

Clasping  his  lotus  hands,  Bharat,  the  champion  of 
honour,  stoutly  made  answer  to  them  all  in  noble  words 
that  seemed  as  if  dipped  in  nectar. 
Chaupdi. 
"  The  guru  has  given  me  good  advice,  which  has  been 
approved  by  ministers,  people,  and  all.  My  mother,  too,  has 
given  me  proper  commands,  and  I  must  needs  bow  and  obey. 
The  injunctions  of  a  guru,  a  father  or  mother,  or  master,  or 


328  ATODHTA. 

friend,  should  be  cheerfully  performed  as  soon  as  heard, 
and  as  all  for  the  best  ;  to  deliberate  whether  they  are  right 
or  wrong  is  a  failure  of  duty  and  involves  grievous  sin.  You 
have  now  given  me  honest  advice,  which  it  will  be  good  for 
me  to  follow  ;  yet,  though  I  understand  this  clearly,  my 
soul  is  still  discontent.  Hearken  then  to  my  prayer,  and 
according  to  my  circumstances  so  instruct  me,  forgiving 
my  presumption  in  answering  you  :  when  a  man  is  in  dis 
tress  good  people  do  not  reckon  up  his  merits  and  demerits. 
Doha  no.       II  S 

My  father  is  in  heaven,  and  Sita  and  R^ma  in  exile,  and 
you  tell  me  to  be  king  ;  is  it  my  gain  or  your  own  advantage 
that  you  expect  to  result  from  this  ? 

Ghaupdi. 

My  gain  is  to  serve  Sita's  lord,  and  of  this  I  have  been 
robbed  by  my  mother's  wickedness.  After  reflecting  and 
searching  my  thoughts  1  find  no  other  way  of  happiness  than 
this.  Of  what  account  is  a  throne  with  all  its  cares,  if  I  can- 
not see  the  feet  of  Lakshman,  Rama  and  Sita?  Without 
clothes  a  mass  of  jewels  is  of  no  use  ;  of  no  use  is  asceticism 
without  divine  meditation  ;  of  no  use  is  any  enjoyment  to  a 
diseased  body;  prayer  and  penance  go  for  nought  without 
faith  in  Hari ;  without  life,  beauty  of  body  is  nought  ;  and 
all  is  nought  to  me  without  Rdtna.  Permit  me  to  join  RAma  ; 
this  is  one  word  is  my  only  happiness.  If  'gain  in  making 
me  king  it  is  your  own  advantage*  that  you  desire,  you 
speak  under  the  influence  of  foolish  affection. 
Dohd  171. 

In  your  infatuation  you  hope  for  happiness  ivoiu  th« 
reign  of  such  a  wretch  as  I,  Kaikeyi's  son,  of  wicked  nature, 
RAma's  enemy,  and  lost  to  shame. 

Ghaupdi 

I  speak  the  truth;  hearken  all  and  believe  ;  in  a  king 
is  required  a  righteous  disposition.  If  you  persist  in  giving 
the  crown  to  me,  earth  will  sink  into  hell.  What  guilty 
wretch  is  equal  to  me,  for  whom   Sita  and  RAma  liave  been 


AYODHYA,  329 

exiled  ?  The  king  banished  Rdma,  but  died  in  losing  him. 
I,  the  miserable  cause  of  all  this  wrongdoing,  sit  and  listen 
to  it  all  unmoved.  I  see  the  palace  with  no  Rama  there, 
yet  live  to  endure  the  world's  jeers.  Holy  R^ma  eschews 
all  pleasures  of  sense,  and  I,  a  greedy  king,  am  hungering 
after  enjoyment.  In  what  words  can  I  tell  the  hardness  of 
my  heart,  which  surpasses  even  adamant  ? 
Doha  172. 

That  every  result  is  harder  than  its  cause  is  no  fault  of 
mine  ;  the  thunderbolt  is  harder  than  bone,i  and  iron  more 
stiff  and  unbending  than  the  rock  from  which  it  is  quarried. 
Chaupdi. 

If  my  worthless  life  can  cling  to  a  body  born  of  Kaikeyi 
it  will  have  a  surfeit  of  misery  :  if,  bereaved  of  my  beloved, 
life  is  still  dear  to  me,  I  shall  have  much  hereafter  to  see  and 
hear,  Kaikeyi  has  banished  Lakshman,  R^ma  and  Sita,  and 
for  her  own  advantage  has  caused  the  death  of  the  king  ; 
she  has  taken  upon  herself  widowhood  and  disgrace  and  has 
caused  the  people  sorrow  and  affliction,  has  allotted  me 
glory  and  honour  and  dominion  and  has  settled  everybody's 
business.  What  good  is  this  now  to  me  ?  and  yet  you  too 
cry  out  to  make  me  a  king.  I  have  been  born  into  the 
world  from  Kaikeyi's  womb,  and  all  this  is  only  my  due  ; 
God  has  fashioned  all  my  destiny  ;  but  why  should  my 
people  combine  to  give  a  helping  hand  ? 
Dohd  173. 

Stricken  as  I  am  by  fate,  overcome  by  organic  disease,^ 
and  then  stung  by  a  scorpion,  you  give  me  wine  to  drink  ; 
tell  me,  tell  me  what  kind  of  treatment  is  this  ? 

1  The  thunderbolt  is  said  to  be  made  from  the  bones  of  the  Rishi  Dadhl- 
chi,  who  devoted  himself  to  death  iu  order  that  the  gods  might  be  supplied 
with  arms  against  the  Kalakeya  Asuras,  by  whom  they  were  oppressed.  When 
his  bones  had  been  fashioned  ioto  thuaderbolts  by  Tvashtri  (the  Vedic 
Vulcan)  Indra  hurled  them  against  his  enemies  and  slew  their  leader,  the 
cloud  demon  Vritra. 

2  According  to  Hindu  physicians  all  organic  disorders  of  the  human 
frame  arise  from  derangements  of  the  blood  or  one  of  the  three  humors  of  the 
body,  kapha,  phlegm,  vciyu,  wind,  ov  pitta,  bile.  The  vitiated  humor  which 
is  specified  in  the  text  is  wind,  hat. 

R-45 


330  AYODHTl. 

Chaupdi. 

The  wise  Creator  has  ordained  for  me  everything  that 
befits  a  son  of  Kuikeyi.  That  I  am  also  Dasarath's  son  and 
Rama's  younger  brother  is  an  honor  which  God  has  bestow- 
ed upon  me  to  no  purpose.  You  all  tell  me  to  allow  my- 
self to  be  crowned,  for  kingly  power  is  desired  by  all  men. 
How  and  whom  shall  I  answer  ?  You  talk  at  random  as 
the  fancy  takes  you.  Apart  from  myself  and  my  unhappy 
mother,  tell  me  who  will  say  that  I  have  acted  rightly  ? 
excepting  myself,  who  else  is  there  in  the  whole  animate  or 
inanimate  creation  that  does  not  love  Sita  and  RAma  as  their 
own  life  ?  That  a  universal  calamity  should  be  my  great 
gain,  thisis  my  illfortune  and  no  blame  to  any  one.  You 
are  moved  by  anxiety,  kindness  and  affection,  and  anything 
you  say  is  all  for  the  best.  y 

Dohd  17^.      \^^ 

Rama's  mother  is  so  utterly  guileless  and  bears  me 
such  great  love  that  she  speaks  from  natural  amiability,  on 
seeing  my  remorse. 

Chaupdi. 

The  guru,  as  all  the  world  knows,  is  an  ocean  of  wisdom, 
and  the  universe  is  like  a  plum  in  the  palm  of  his  hand.  He 
too  is  making  ready  for  my  coronation  :  when  God  is  against 
me,  every  one  is  against  me.  Except  RAma  and  Sita  there 
is  not  any  one  in  the  whole  world  who  will  not  say  this  was 
a  scheme  of  mine,  and  I  must  listen  and  bear  it  patiently  : 
wherever  there  is  water,  thereat  last  will  be  mud.  I  am  not 
afraid  of  the  world  calling  me  vile  ;  I  have  no  thought  for 
heaven  :  the  one  great  intolerable  anguish  of  soul  is  this, 
that  through  me  Sita  and  R^ma  have  been  rendered  un- 
happy. Well  has  Lakshman  reaped  his  life's  j-eward  who 
left  all  and  clave  toR^ma  ;  while  my  birth  has  been  the 
cause  of  Rdma's  banishment.  Wretch  that  I  am,  why  thus 
lament  in  vain. 

Dohd  175. 

I  declare  before  you  ail  my  grievous  distress  ;  unless  I 
see  Rima's  feet,  the  fire  in  my  soul  cannot  be  quenched. 


I 


AYODHYA.  331 

Chaupdi. 

No  other  remedy  can  I  discover  :  without  Raghubar 
what  care  I  for  life  ?  This  wish  alone  is  stamped  upon  my 
soul ;  at  daybreak  let  me  follow  my  lord.  Although  T  am  a 
guilty  wretch,  and  all  his  trouble  is  on  my  account,  still 
when  he  sees  my  suppliant  mien  he  will  in  his  great  mercy 
forgive  me  all.  Raghurdo  is  so  meek  and  utterly  guileless  of 
disposition,  such  a  home  of  mercy  and  tenderness,  that  he 
would  never  injure  even  an  enemy  :  while  I,  bad  as  I  am, 
am  his  son  and  his  servant.  Be  pleased,  sirs,  then  to  give 
me  your  blessing  and  permit  me  to  depart,  knowing  it  to 
be  for  my  good  ;  so  Rdma  will  come  again  to  his  kingdom, 
after  hearing  my  prayers  and  considering  my  devotion. 

Dohd  17Q.  :      ;     ) 

Though  born  of  a  wicked  mother,  and  myself  evil  and 
ever  doing  wrong,  still  I  am  confident  of  Raghubir  that  he 
will  know  me  for  his  own,  and  not  abandon  me." 

Chaupdi. 

Bharat's  words  pleased  all,  imbued  as  they  were  with 
the  nectar  of  piety.  The  people  suffering  from  the  baneful 
poison  of  separation  revived  as  if  at  the  sound  of  a  healing 
charm.  The  queen-mothers,  the  ministers,  the  guru  and 
all  the  men  and  women  in  the  city  were  agitated  by  the 
vehemence  of  their  affection  and  kept  on  telling  Bharat's 
praises  :  '  His  body  is  the  very  personification  of  devotion 
to  Rdma ;  ah,  my  lord  Bharat,  how  can  we  say  otherwise, 
seeing  that  Rdma  is  as  precious  to  you  as  your  life  ?  If  any 
churl  in  his  folly  ascribe  to  you  your  mother's  sin,  the 
wretch,  with  all  who  are  his  from  generation  to  generation, 
shall  have  their  abode  in  hell  for  hundreds  of  ages.  The 
jewel  is  not  infected  with  the  guilt  and  villany  of  the 
serpent  (in  whose  head  it  is  found),  but  is  an  antidote  to 
poison  and  subdues  pain  and  poverty. 
Dohd  177. 

By  all  means  let  us  follow  Rdma  to  the  woods  ;  Bharat 


332  AYODHYA. 

has  given  good  advice  ;  sinking   as  we  all  were  in  an  ocean 
of  despair,  you  have  held  out  help  to  us.' 

Chaupdi. 

There  was  as  great  joy  in  the  hearts  of  all  as  when  the 
chdtak  and  peacock  hear  the  sound  of  thunder.  To  start 
to-morrow  seemed  an  excellent  resolution  ;  Bharat  was  to 
every  one  dear  as  his  own  life.  After  reverencing  the  sage 
and  bowing  the  head  to  Bharat,  they  all  took  leave  and 
went  to  their  several  homes,  praising  as  they  went  his 
affectionate  disposition,  whose  life  was  a  blessing  to  the 
whole  world.  Exclaiming  to  one  another,  '  what  a  glorious 
idea  I '  they  all  went  to  make  their  preparations.  Whoever 
was  left  with  orders  to  keep  watch  at  home  felt  it  like  his 
death-stroke,  and  one  would  cry  :  "  No  one  ought  to  be  told 
to  stay :  who  does  not  desire  life's  best  reward  ? 
Dohd  J  78. 

Perish  property,  house,  fortune,   friends,  parents,  kins- 
men and  all,  that  does  not  help  to  bring  one  to  R^ma." 

Chaupdi. 

In  every  house  carriages  of  all  kinds  were  making  ready, 
and  the  start  to-morrow  was  a  heart-felt  joy.  Bharat  pon- 
dered on  going  home  :  '  The  city,  with  its  horses,  elephants 
palaces  and  treasuries,  and  all  its  wealth,  is  Rtoa's.  If  I 
recklessly  go  and  leave  it,  in  the  end  it  will  not  be  good  for 
me  ;  to  injure^  one's  own  lord  is  a  crowning  sin.  A  good 
servant  acts  for  his  master's  interests,  however  much  others 
may  abuse  him."  So  thinking,  he  called  such  faithful 
servants  as  would  never  dream  of  failing  in  their  duty,  and 
after  declaring  to  them  his  intention  and  instructing  them 
in  their  work,  he  told  them  off  for  the  posts  for  which  they 
were  severally  fit.  When  he  had  thus  diligently  posted  the 
guards  he  proceeded  to  visit  Rdma's  mother. 
Dohd  179. 

Understanding  the  ways  of  love,  he  sympathized  with  a 

1  Dohdi  here  would  seem   to  be  not  for  dnhai,   •  lamentation,'  but  for 
droha,  '  injury.' 


AYODHYA.  333 

mother's   anxiety  and  ordered  to   be  got   ready  convenient 

palanquins  and  seated  carriages. 

Chaupdi. 

The  men  and   women    of  the  city  like  the    ehahwa    and 

chakwi  were  anxious  at  heart  for  the  dawn,  when  they  might 

start.     The  whole  night  had  been  spent  in  watching,  when 

Bharat  summoned    his  wise  counsellors  and  said  to  them  : 

*'  Take  all    materials  for   the  coronation,  and  there    in    the 

forest,  sirs,    invest    Rdma  with  the   sovereignty  :    start    at 

once."     At  his  word    they  bowed   and  speedily  made  ready 

horses,  carriages  and  elephants.  The  king  of  sages  (Vasish- 

tha)  first  mounted    his  chariot  and  led   the  way    with    his 

spouse  Arundhati  and  all    the   materials   for    sacrifice.     A 

host  of  Brahmans  renowned   for  their  asceticism,  followed 

in  vehicles  of  different  kinds,  and  next  the  citizens  on  their 

own  conveyances  all  set  forth  for  Chitra-kiit.  The  elegance 

of  the  palanquins  in  which  the  different   R^nis  were  seated 

is  beyond  description.  ^^ 

Doha  180.  I  ^ 

After  making  over  the  city  to  his  faithful  servants  and 
ceremoniously  starting  the  procession,  Bharat  himself  with 
his  brother  started  too,  his  thoughts  fixed  on  Rdma  and 
Sita. 

Chaupdi. 

All  the  people  were  as  eager  for  a  sight  of  Rdma  as 
when  a  herd  of  elephants  makes  a  rush  for  a  stream  Re- 
flecting within  themselves  that  Sita  and  Rjima  were  in 
exile,  Bharat  and  his  brother  went  on  foot.  The  people 
were  moved  by  their  affection  and  themselves  dismounted 
and  left  horses,  elephants  and  carriages.  But  Rdma's 
mother  stopped  her  palanquin  by  his  side  and  softly  said  : 
"  My  son  I  entreat  you  to  mount  your  chariot,  or  all  your 
people  will  be  sufferers  ;  if  you  walk,  they  will  all  walk,  and 
they  are  so  wasted  with  sorrow  that  they  are  not  fit  for  the 
journey."  Obedient  to  her  commands  he  bowed  his  head 
to  her  feet,  and  with  his  brother  mounted  the  chariot.  They 


334 


AYODHYA. 


halted  the  first  day  at   the  Tamasd,^  and  the  second  on  the 
bank  of  theGomati.2 

Doha  181. 
Out   of  devotion  to   Rdma,   some  vowed    to  drink  only 
water,   some  to  eat  nothing  but  fruit,  others  to   make  otily 
one  meal  and  that  at  night,  and  they  forswore  ail  luxuries 
of  dress  and  food. 

Chaupdi. 
After  resting  at  the  Sai^  they  started  at  dawn  and  drew 
near  to  the  city  of  Sringavera.**  When  the  Nishad  heard 
the  news  he  thought  sadly  to  himself :  "  For  what  reason 
is  Bharat  going  to  the  forest?  he  has  some  evil  design  at 
heart.  If  he  had  no  wrong  intention,  why  should  he  bring 
an  army  with  him  ?  He  thinks  to  kill  Rdma  and  his  bro- 
ther, and  then  to  reign  in  ease  and  security.  Bharat  has 
not  taken  to  heart  the  maxims  of  sound  polity  ;  there  was 
disgrace  already,  and  now  there  will  be  loss  of  life.  If  all 
the  gods  and  demons  were  to  combine  to  fight,  they  would 
never  conquer  Rdma  in  battle.  What  wonder  that  Bharat 
should  act  thus  ;  fruits  of  ambrosia  do  not  grow  from  a 
poison  stock." 

Dohd  182. 
Having  thus  reflected,  Guha  cried  to  his  kinsmen  :  "  Be 
on  the  alert,  up  and  sink  the  boat  and  close  the  ferry. 
Chaupdi. 
Make  ready  and   blockade  the   pass,   equip    yourselves 
with  every   instrument  of   death.     Take  up   arms  ag(iinst 
Bharat,  and  never  let  him  cross   the  Ganges  alive.     To  die 
in  the  battle  and  on  the  Gauges  bank  ;  in  Rdma's  cause  to 
lay  down  this  frail  body  ;    and  mean  as  I  am  to  join  battle 


1  The  Tamasd,  '  the  dark-coloured '  (more  commonly  spelt  Tons)  is  a 
branch  of  the  Qhogra  (the  Sanskrit  Gharghara,  '  the  roaring'),  which  leaves 
that  river  about  10  miles  a*  ove  Ayodhya,  and  after  passing  the  town  of 
Azamgarh  falls  into  the  Sarjn  [Sarayu]. 

2  The  Gomati  [the  name  meaning  '  rich  in  cattle  ']  rises  in  a  lake  near 
Pilibhit,  and  after  a  course  of  482  miles,  in  which  it  passes  the  cities  of  Lakh- 
nau,  Sultdnpur  and  Jaunpur,  falls  into  the  Ganges. 

.3  The  Sai  is  a  river  in  Audh,  which  rises  about  midway  between  the 
Gomati  and  the  Ganges,  and  after  a  course  of  some  2.']0  miles  falls  into  the 
former,  10  miles  below  the  city  of  Jaunpur. 

4  The  site  of  the  ancient  Sringavera  is  marked  by  a  village  bearing  the 
same  name,  under  the  modernized  form  Sangraur,  22  miles  to  the  north-west 
of  Allahabad,  The  river  has  changed  its  course,  and  only  a  small  branch 
now  flows  through  the  old  channel. 


AYODHYA.  335 

with  a  king  like  Bharat ;  all  this  is  a  great  gain  for  me, 
even  if  I  meet  my  death.  If  I  war  and  fight  on  my  lord's 
behalf,  I  reap  brilliant  renown  throughout  the  fourteen 
spheres.  If  I  lose  my  life  for  Ragundth,  I  shall  have  both 
hands  full  of  luscious  sweets.  Whoever  is  not  numbered 
among  the  just,  nor  counted  among  Rama's  votaries,  is  all 
the  time  that  he  lives  only  a  burden  to  earth,  and  an  axe  at 
he  foot  of  the  tree  of  his  mother's  youth." 
Doha  183. 

The  Nish^d  king   thus  fearlessly  excited  the  ardour   of 
his  followers,  and   mindful   of   Rjima   called    in   haste  for 
quiver  and  bow  and  coat  of  mail. 
Ghaupdi. 

"  Hasten,  brethren,  to  complete  your  equipment,  and 
after  hearing  my  command  let  no  one  hesitate."  All  cheer- 
fully responded,  !'  'Tis  well,  my  lord,"  and  mutually  en- 
couraged each  other's  zeal.  Bowing  again  and  again  before 
the  Nish^d  all  the  gallant  warriors,  eager  for  the  fray, 
invoking  the  sandals  of  Rama's  lotus  feet,  girt  themselves 
with  quiver,  slung  on  the  bow,  donned  their  coats  of  mail, 
put  helmet  on  head,  and  furbished  up  axe  and  bludgeon  and 
spear -some  so  expert  in  the  use  of  shield  and  sword  that 
they  seemed  when  they  sprung  into  the  air  as  though  they 
had  left  the  earth  for  good.  When  each  and  all  had  com- 
pleted their  full  arrangements,  they  went  and  bowed  before 
king  Guha  Seeing  his  gallant  warriors  so  fit  and  ready, 
he  addressed  them  each  by  name  with  courteous  phrase. 
Dohd  184. 

"  Do  not  play  me  false,  my  brethren  ;  this  is  a  great 
day's  work  for  me."  At  this  they  cried  with  vehemence, 
"  Fear  not,  captain. 

Ghaupdi 

By  RAma's  favour  and  your  might,  my  lord,  we  will 
leave  the  enemy  without  a  single  fighting-man  or  horse. 
While  life  lasts,  we  will  never  draw  back  our  foot,  and  will 
make  the  earth  one  heap  of  corpses  and  skulls."  When  the 
Nisluid  lord  had  inspected  his  gallant  band  he  cried  "  Beat 


336  AYODHYA. 

the  drum  for  the  onset."  When  he  had  so  said,  some  one 
sneezed  on  the  left.  The  soothsayers  exclaimed,  '*  A  pros- 
perous issue  to  the  battle  !"  One  old  man  thought  over  the 
omen  and  said  "  Bharat  must  be  met,  but  there  will  be  no 
fighting.  He  is  going  to  make  entreaty  to  Rdma,  the  omen 
says  thus  ;  there  will  be  no  battle"  On  hearing  this,  Guha 
said  :  "  The  elder  has  spoken  well  ;  fools  act  in  haste  and 
repent.  Unless  we  ascertain  Bharat's  temper  and  disposi- 
tion, we  may  do  ourselves  harm  by  fighting  without  know- 
ledge 

Dohd  185. 
Close  up,  my  men,  and  stop  the  pass,  and  all  join  to  dis- 
cover the  mystery.     When  we  know  whether  he  is  a  friend, 
an  enemy,  or  a  neutral,  we  can    then  lay  our  plans   accor- 
dingly. 

Chaupdi. 

We  shall  soon  test  his  devotion  and  honest  intent ;  hat- 
red and  love  are  not  to  be  concealed."  So  saying,  he  began 
to  make  ready  a  present,  and  sent  for  bulbs,  roots  and  fruits, 
birds  and  beasts,  with  the  finest  of  fish,  large  pdthinSf^ 
which  were  brought  by  the  fishermen  in  basketsful.  When 
everything  was  arranged  they  went  out  to  meet  him,  and 
had  the  most  auspicious  omens  of  good  fortune.  As  soon 
as  he  saw  the  great  sage  afar  off,  he  declared  his  nanie  and 
prostrated  himself  before  him.  Vasishtha,  knowing  him 
to  be  a  friend  of  Rama's,  gave  him  his  blessing,  and  told 
Bharat  about  him.  He,  on  hearing  that  he  was  Rama's 
friend,  left  his  chariot  and  advanced  on  foot  to  meet  him 
with  exuberant  affection.  Guha  declared  his  home  and 
race  and  name,  and  making  obeisance  laid  his  forehead  to 
the  ground. 

Dohd  186. 

But  Bharat,  seeing  him  about  to  prostrate  himself,  took 
him  to  his  bosom  with  as  much  uncontrollable  rapture  as 
though  it  were  Lakshman  he  had  met. 

Chdupdi. 

Bharat  received  him  with    the  very  greatest   affection, 

1  The  pkthin  is  a  kinct  of  she-li^h,  the  Silurut  Pelorim  or  Bualis. 


AYODHYA.  337 

and  the  people  extolled  the  manner  of  his  love.  There  was 
a  jubilant  cry  of  '  Glory,  Glory',  as  the  gods  applauded  and 
rained  down  flowers  upon  him.  "  Though  this  man  is  in 
every  way  vile,  both  by  custom  of  the  world  and  by  scrip- 
tural prescription,  so  that  contact  with  his  shadow  requires 
ablution,  yet  Rama's  brother  has  embraced  him  in  his  arms 
and  thrilled  all  over  with  delight  at  meeting  him.  One  who 
cries  *  Riima,  R'ima,'  even  in  a  yawn,  a  multitude  of  sins 
will  not  rise  up  against  him.  Hero  is  one  whom  Rdma  had 
clasped  to  his  bosom  and  thereby  purified  him  and  all  his 
family.  If  water  of  the  Karmnrisa  falls  into  the  Ganges,  tell 
me  who  will  refuse  to  reverence  it  ?  again,  it  is  known 
throughout  the  world  that  Valmiki  was  made  equal  to 
Brahma  simply  for  repeating  RAma's  name  backwards. 
Doha  187. 

Even  a  Chandal,!  a  Savara,  a  Khasiya,  a  stupid  foreigner, 
an  outcast,  a  Kol,  or  a  Kirat,  by  repeating  the  name  of  Rdma 
becomes  most  holy  and  renowned  throughout  the  world. 
Ghaupdi. 

It  is  no  wonder,  it  has  been  so  for  ages  ;  who  is  there 
whom  Raghubir  cannot  exalt  ?  "  As  the  gods  told  the  great- 
ness of  Rdma's  name,  the  people  of  Avadh  listened  and 
were  glad.  Bharat  affectionately  greeted  Rama's  friend  and 
asked  him  of  his  health  and  welfare.  At  the  sight  of  Bha- 
rat's  affectionate  disposition,  the  Nishad  was  at  once  utterly 
overpowered  ;  so  great  was  his  confusion,  his  love  and  his 
delight,  that  he  could  only  stand  and  stare  at  Bharat.  Col- 
lecting, himself,  he  again  embraced  his  feet  and  with  clasp- 
ed hands  made  this  loving  speech  :  "  When  I  beheld  his 
blessed  lotus  feet  I  accounted  myself  blessed  for  ever.  Now, 
my  lord,  by  your  high  favour  my  prosperity  is  secured  for 
thousands  of  generations. 

1  The  word  translated  '  Chandal  '  is  in  the  original  Swa-pach  literally  '  a 
dog-cooker,'  i.e.,  either  one  who  feeds  on  dog's  flesh,  or  who  cooks  food  for 
dogs  '  a  dog-keeper.'  A  Savara  is  a  wild  mountaineer.  The  Khasiya  is  a  native 
of  Khasa,  a  hill  tract  in  Northern  India.  The  word  for  '  foreigner  '  is  Jaman, 
i.e.,  Yavan,  which  originally  denoted  specially  a  Greek,  an  Ionian,  and 
then  came  to  mean  any  foreign  barbarian.  Accustomed  as  our  ears  are  to 
the  division  of  mankind  into  Greeks,  and  Barbarians,  it  is  a  little  strange  to 
find  the  Greek  selected  as  the  typical  barbarian. 

R-46 


338  AYODHYA. 

Dohd  IHS. 
Reflecting  on  my  past  deeds  and  ray  descent  and  again 
considering  the  greatness  of  the  Lord,  any  man  in  the  world 
who  adores  not  the  feet  of  Raghubir  must  be   under  super- 
natural delusion. 

Chaupdi. 

False,  cowardly,  low-minded  and  low-born  as  I  am,  an 
utter  outcast  by  the  laws  both  of  God  and  society ;  since 
the  time  that  R^ma  took  me  for  his  own,  I  have  become  the 
glory  of  the  world."  After  witnessing  his  devotion  and 
hearing  his  graceful  humility  Lakshman's  younger  brother 
next  embraced  him.  Then  the  Nishild  introduced  himself 
by  name  and  respectfully  saluted  the  royal  dames,  who 
received  him  even  as  they  would  Lakshman  and  gave  him 
their  blessing :  "  May  you  live  happily  for  millions  of 
years."  The  citizens  too  were  as  glad  to  see  him  as  if  he 
had  been  Lakshman  and  cried  :  "  Here  is  one  who  has 
lived  to  some  purpose  ;  whom  Rama's  our  brother  has  taken 
to  his  arms  and  embraced."  When  the  Nishad  heard 
them  thus  magnify  his  good  fortune,  he  was  glad  at  heart 
as  he  showed  them  the  way. 

Doha  189. 

At  a  signal  all  his  attendants,  having  learnt  their  mas- 
ter's will,  went  on  and  made  ready  tents  under  the  trees 
and  rest-houses  by  the  ponds,  gardens  and  groves. 

Chaupdi. 

When  Bharat  beheld  the  city  of  Sri nga vera,  he  was 
overcome  by  emotion  and  was  unnerved  in  very  limb.  As 
he  leant  upon  the  Nishiid,  it  was  as  goodly  a  sight  as  though 
embodied  Humility  and  Love  had  met  together.  In  this 
manner  Bharat  with  all  his  army  went  to  see  the  earth- 
purifying  stream  of  the  Ganges.  As  he  made  his  obeisance 
to  the  ford  where  Rdma  had  crossed,  he  was  as  entranced 
as  though  he  had  met  Rama  himself.  The  citizens  bowing 
low  gazed  upon  the  divine  stream  with  rapture,  and  after 
bathing  prayed  with  clasped  hands ;  "  May  our  love  to 
R^mchandra's  feet  never   grow   less."     Bharat  exclaimed  : 


AYODHYA.  339 

"  Thy  sands,  0  Gangd,  are  the  bestowers  of  all  happiness, 
the  very  cow  of  plenty  to  thy  votaries :  with  folded  hands  I 
beg  this  boon,  unalterable  devotion  to  Sita  and  Rama." 
Doha   190. 

When  Bharat  had  thus  bathed  and  knew  that  all  his 
mothers  had  bathed  too,  he  received  the  guriCs  permission 
and  took  them  to  their  tents. 

Chaupdi. 

Wherever  the  people  had  pitched  their  tents,  Bharat 
took  every  care  of  them  all.  A.fter  paying  homage  to  the 
guru  and  obtaining  his  permission,  the  two  brothers  went 
to  Rama's  mother.  Then  Bharat,  after  kissing  their  feet, 
with  many  tender  phrases  did  reverence  to  all  the  queens, 
and  having  left  them  to  the  dutiful  care  of  his  brother, 
went  away  with  the  NishAd.  Hand-in-hand  they  went,  his 
body  fainting  with  excess  of  love,  as  he  begged  his  compa- 
nion to  show  him  the  sp^t — that  the  fierce  longing  of  his 
eyes  and  soul  might  be  a  little  assuaged — where  Sita,  Rdma 
and  Lakshman  had  spent  the  night.  As  he  spoke,  his  eyes 
overflowed  with  tears,  and  the  Nishad  in  great  distress  at 
his  speech  led  him  at  once  to  the  place, 

Doha    191. 
where  Raghubar  had  rested   under  the  sacred  sin.sipa  tree. 
With  great  reverence  and  devotion  Bharat  postrated  himself. 

Ghauydi. 

When  he  spied  the  delectable  grassy  couch,  he  again 
made  obeisance  and  reverently  paced  round  it.  He  put 
upon  his  eyes  the  dust  of  the  foot-prints,  with  an  enthu- 
siasm of  devotion  beyond  all  telling.  And  seeing  two  or 
three  golden  spangles,  he  placed  them  upon  his  head  as 
relics  of  Sita.  With  streaming  eyes  and  aching  heart  he 
thus  in  gentle  tones  addressed  his  companion  :  "  They  are 
dim  and  lustreless  through  Sita's  absence,  and  all  the 
people  of  Avadh  are  equally  woe-begone.  To  whom  can  I 
compare  her  father,  Janak,  who  was  conversant  at  once 
with  all  life's  pleasures  and  all  philosophy  ?  Her  father- in- 


340  AYODHYA. 

law,  the  sun-like  monarch  of  the  solar  race,  was  the  envy 

of  even  the  lord  of   heaven.     Her  husband  is    the   beloved 

Raghundth,  by  whose  greatness  alone   it  is   that  any  one  is 

great. 

Doha    192.         Vt^ 

I  gaze  on  the  couch  of  Sita,  that  devoted  wife,  that  jewel 
of  good  women,  and  my  heart  brealis  not  with  agitation  ; 
surely  it  is  harder  than  a  thunderbolt. 

Ghaupdi. 

Lakshman  so  young  and  comely  and  made  to  be  fondled  ; 
never  was  there  such  a  brother,  nor  is  there,  nor  will  be  :  so 
beloved  by  the  people,  the  darling  of  his  father  and  mother, 
and  dear  as  their  own  life  to  R^ma  and  Sita  ;  the  picture  of 
delicacy,  the  daintiest  of  striplings,  whose  body  has  never 
been  exposed  to  the  hot  wind,  how  can  he  bear  the  hard- 
ships of  the  forest  ?  0  ray  heart  would  shame  for  hardness 
a  million  thunderbolts  !  Rdma  at  his  birth  was  the  light  of 
the  world,  an  ocean  of  beauty,  of  virtue,  and  all  good  quali- 
ties. Rama's  amiability  was  the  delight  of  his  subjects, 
his  household,  his  guru^  his  father  and  mother,  and  all. 
Even  enemies  would  praise  R^ma :  his  courtesy  of  speech 
and  manner  stole  every  heart.  Not  a  million  Sarasvatis, 
not  a  hundred  million  Seshn^gs,  could  reckon  up  all  my 
»  lord's  virtues. 

Dohd  193.    O^cf 

The  image  of  bliss,  the  jewel  of  the  family  of  Raghu,  the 
storehouse  of  all  auspicious  delights,  slept  on  the  ground  on 
this  littered  grass  :  how  wonderful  are  the  ways  of  Provi- 
dence ! 

Ghaupdi. 

Rimahad  never  heard  mention  of  pain,  the  king  cherish- 
ed him  like  the  tree  of  life,  and  day  and  night  all  his  mothers 
guarded  him  as  the  eyelids  guard  the  eyes,  and  as  a  serpent 
guards  the  jewel  in  its  head.  And  now  he  is  roaming  on  foot 
through  the  woods,  with  nothing  to  eat  but  wild  roots  and 
fruits.     A.  curse  on  thee,  Kaikeyi,  root  of  all  evil,  thou  hast 


AYODHYA.  341 

undone  my  best  beloved  :  cursed  be  my  wretched  self,  that 
ocean  of  iniquity,  on  whose  account  all  these  calamities 
have  come  to  pass.  God  created  me  to  disgrace  my  family, 
and  my  wicked  mother  has  made  me  the  ruin  of  my  lord." 
Hearing  these  words  the  Nishad  affectionately  implored 
him  ;  "  Why,  my  lord,  make  these  vain  laments  ?  Rdma  is 
dear  to  you,  and  you  are  dear  to  Rdma ;  even  she  is  blame- 
less :  the  blame  rests  with  adverse  fate. 
Ghhand  8. 

The  ways  of  adverse  fate  are  cruel ;  it  has  made  your 
mother  mad.  That  ^very  night  R4ma  again  and  again  broke 
out  into  respectful  praise  of  you.  There  is  no  one  so  dearly 
beloved  by  R^raa  as  you.  I  declare  this  on  oath  :  be  assured 
that  all  will  be  well  in  the  end,  and  ta'«e  comfort  to  your  soul. 
Sorathd  1-  yijV 

Rdma  is   omniscient,  full  of  meekness,  tenderness  and 
compassion  ;  of  this  make  firm  assurance  in  your  heart ;  and 

come,  take  rest." 

Chaupdl. 
Hearing  his  companion's  speech  he  took  comfort  and 
with  his  thoughts  directed  to  Raghubir  went  to  his  tent. 
When  the  citizens  were  informed,  heavy  with  woe  they  too 
came  to  see.  Having  reverently  paced  around,  they  made 
obeisance  and  cursed  Kaikeyi  to  their  hearts'  content.  Their 
eyes  streamed  with  tears  as  they  reproached  the  cruelty  of 
fate.  One  would  praise  Bharat  for  his  devotion,  another 
would  say  the  king  had  sown  the  greatest  love  ;  they  re- 
proached themselves  and  praised  the  Nishad  :  who  can  des- 
cribe their  agitation  and  distress  ?  In  this  manner  they  all 
kept  watch  throughout  the  night  and  at  daybreak  began 
the  passage.  First  the  guru  was  put  on  a  fine  handsome 
boat,  and  then  all  the  queens  on  another  boat  newly  built. 
In  an  hour  and  a  half  all  had  crossed  over  ;  as  they  came 
to  land  Bharat  took  count  of  them  all. 

Doha  194.       V^ 
After  performing  his  morning  rites  and  reverencing  his 


342  AYODHYA. 

mother's  feet  and  bowing  the  head  to  the  guru,  he  sent  the 
Nishdds  on  ahead  and  started  the  host. 

Chaupdi. 
He  made  the  Nishdd  king  lead  the  van  and  started  all 
the  queens  in  their  palanquins.  He  charged  his  younger 
brother  with  their  escort,  and  made  the  guru  go  with  the 
Brdhmans.  He  himself  bowed  reverently  to  the  Ganges,  and 
invoking  Rama,  Sita  and  Lakshman,  set  forth  on  foot,  while 
his  horse  was  led  by  the  bridle.  Again  and  again  his 
faithful  servants  cried:  "  Be  pleased,  my  lord,  to  mount 
your  horse."  "  RAma,"  he  answered,  "  has  gone  on  foot,  and 
are  chariots,  elephants  and  horses  made  for  me  ?  It  would 
be  right  for  me  to  walk  on  my  head  ;  a  servant's  work  should 
always  be  the  hardest."  When  they  saw  his  behaviour  and 
heard  his  tender  speech,  all  his  servants  melted  away  for 

pity. 

Dohd  195. 

At  the  third  watch  of  the  day  Bharat  entered  Praydg, 
crying  '  0  Rdma,  Sfta  ;  Rdma,  Sita !  '  with  irrepressible 
affection. 

Chaupdi. 

The  blisters  on  his  feet  glistened  like  drops  of  dew  on  a 
lotus  bud.  The  whole  company  were  distressed,  when  they 
heard  that  Bharat  had  made  the  day's  march  on  foot.  After 
ascertaining  that  all  the  people  had  bathed,  he  went  and 
did  homage  to  the  threefold  stream.  All  who  had  dipped  in 
the  parti-coloured  flood  gave  alms  and  did  honour  to  the 
Brdhmans.  As  Bharat  gazed  on  the  commingling  of  the 
dark  and  white  waves,  his  body  throbbed  with  emotion  and 
he  clasped  his  hands  in  prayer  :  "  0  queen  of  the  holy 
places,  bounteous  of  every  blessing,  whose  power  is  declared 
in  the  Vedas  and  renowned  throughout  the  world,  I  aban- 
don my  proper  calling  and  make  myself  a  beggar  :  is  there 
anything  so  vile  that  a  man  in  distress  will  not  do  it  ?  As  I 
know  you  to  be  all-wise  and  beneficent,  accomplish  the 
'>.    prayer  of  thy  suppliant. 


AYODHYA.  343 

Doha  196. 

I  crave  not  wealth  nor  religious  merit,  nor  voluptuous 
delights,  nor  deliverance  from  transmigration ;  but  only 
that  in  every  new  birth  I  may  persevere  in  love  to  R^ma  ; 
this  is  the  boon  I  beg,  and  nought  else. 

Ghmipdi. 

Rdma  knows  my  wickedness ;  the  people  call  me  the 
ruin  of  my  lord  and  master  ;  through  your  favour  may  my 
devotion  to  the  feet  of  Sita  and  Rama  increase  more  and 
more  every  day.  Though  the  cloud  neglects  her  all  her 
life,  and  while  she  begs  for  rain,  casts  down  upon  her 
thunder  and  hail,  yet  were  the  chatalc  to  cease  her  impor- 
tunity, she  would  be  despised  ;  she  perseveres  in  her 
affection,  and  is  much  honoured.  Again,  as  the  quality  of 
gold  is  refined  by  the  fire,  so  may  my  vow  to  the  feet  of  my 
beloved  endure  through  all  tribulation."  In  answer  to 
Bharat's  speech  there  came  a  soft  and  auspicious  voice  from 
the  midst  of  the  Tribeni :  "  Son  Bharat,  you  are  altogether 
upright ;  your  love  to  Rdma's  feet  is  unfathomable  ;  you 
distress  yourself  without  cause  ;  there   is  no  one  so   dear  to 

R^ma  as  you  are." 

Dohd  197.      ^b 

As  he  heard  the  river's  gracious    speech,  Bharat's  body 

quivered   with    heartfelt  gladness;  the    heaven  resounded 

with  shouts  of  applause,  and  the  gods  rained  down  flowers. 

Chaupdi, 

The  inhabitants  of  Pray^g,  aged  anchorites  and  boy 
students,  householders  and  celibates,  were  all  enraptured 
and  said  to  one  another  as  they  met  in  groups  :  "  Bharat's 
affection  and  amiability  are  thoroughly  genuine."  Still 
hearing  of  Rama's  many  charming  qualities,  Bharat  ap- 
proached the  great  saint  Bharadv^j.  When  the  saint  saw 
him  prostrate  himself  upon  the  ground,  he  looked  upon 
him  as  his  own  good  angel  incarnate,  and  ran  and  raised 
him  up  and  took  him  to  his  arms  and  gave  him  the  blessing 
he  desired,  and  made  him   sit  down.     He  bowed  his  head 


344  AYODHYA. 

and  sat,  shrinking  into  the  inmost  recesses  of  shame- 
facedness  ;  greatly  distrest  lest  the  saint  should  ask  any 
question.  Seeing  his  confusion  the  saint  said  :  "  Hearken, 
Bharat  ;  I  have  heard  everything ;  God's  doings  are  beyond 
our  power. 

Doha  198.  ^^7 

Be  not  distrest  at  heart  by  the  thought  of  what  your 
mother  has  done.  Son,  it  is  no  fault  of  Kaikeyi's ;  it  was 
Sarasvati  who  stole  away  her  senses. 

Ghaupdi 

If  you  say  thus,  '  No  one  will  excuse  me  ;  *  I  reply, 
Scripture  and  the  practice  of  the  world  are  both  accepted 
as  authorities  by  the  wise  ;  and  your  glory,  my  son, 
will  be  sung  unsullied,  while  the  Veda  and  custom  will 
both  be  honoured,  for  every  one  admits  that  this  is  accord- 
ingiboth  to  custom  and  the  Veda  that  he  takes  the  throne 
to  whom  his  father  gives  it.  The  truthful  king  summoned 
you  to  confer  upon  you  the  honour  of  sovereignty  and  its 
higher  duties.  Rdma's  banishment  is  a  monstrous  wrong, 
which  the  whole  world  is  grieved  to  hear  of  :  but  the  queen 
was  demented  by  the  power  of  Fate,  and  in  the  end  she  has 
repented  of  the  evil  she  has  done.  You  are  not  the  least 
in  fault  ;  whoever  says  you  are  is  a  vile  and  ignorant 
wretch.  Had  you  reigned,  it  would  have  been  no  sin,  and 
Rtoa  would  have  been  pleased  to  hear  of  it. 

Doha  199. 

But  now,  Bharat,  you  have  done    still  better  ;  your  pre- 
sent purpose  is  excellent ;   devotion  to  the  feet  of  Raghubar 
is  the  root  of  every  blessing  in  the  world. 
^  Ghaupdi. 

This  is  your  wealth  and  the  very  breath  of  your  life  ;  is 
there  any  one  with  good  fortune  equal  to  yours  ? Nor, my  son, 
is  it  strange  that  you  should  act  thus  ;  you  are  a  son  of  Das- 
arath's  and  Rama's  own  brother.  Hearken,  Bharat ;  in  Ra- 
ghupati's  heart  there  is  no  one  upon  whom  so  much  love  is 
lavished  as  upon  you.  Lakshman,  RAma  and  Slta  are  all  most 


AYODHYA.  345 

fond  of  you  ;  they  spent  the  whole  night  in  your  praises. 
I  learnt  their  secret  when  they  came  here  to  Pray^g  to  bathe ; 
they  were  overwhelmed  with  love  for  you.  Raguhbar  has 
as  great  affection  for  you  as  a  fool  has  for  a  life  of  pleasure. 
And  this  is  no  great  credit  to  Raghurdi,  who  cherishes  all 
his  suppliants  and  their  kin  ;  while  you,  Bharat,  as  it  seems 
to  me,  are  the  very  incarnation  of  love  to  him. 

Dohd  200. 
That  which  seems  a  reproach i  to  you,  Bharat,  is  a  lesson 
to  all  of  us  ;  it  is  an  event  which  inaugurates  a  new  flood  of 
passionate  devotion. 

Chaupdi. 

Your  glory,  my  son,  is  a  newly  created  and  spotless 
moon  ;  its  lotuses  and  partridges  are  Rdma's  servants  ;  it  is 
ever  rising  and  never  sets,  nor  wanes  in  the  world  its  heaven, 
but  increases  day  by  day  ;  the  three  spheres,  like  the  ehak- 
was  are  exceedingly  enamoured  of  it,  and  the  sun  of  Rdma's 
majesty  never  robs  it  of  splendour,  but  by  day  as  well  as 
night  it  is  ever  bountiful  to  all,  and  Kai key's  evil  deeds 
cannot  eclipse  it.  Full  of  the  nectar  of  devotion  to  Rama, 
and  unsullied  by  any  stain  for  wrong  done  to  the  guru,'^  you 
are  saturated  with  the  nectar  of  faith,  and  have  brought 
this   nectar   within  the   reach   of  the    whokt  world.     |Cing 

1  Your  disobedience  to  thevvishesof  your  mother  and  the  commands 
of  your  guru  in  refusing  to  accept  the  throne. 

2  There  is  a  popular  legend  that  Vrihaspati,  the  guru  of  the  gods,  on 
one  occasion  when  he  returned  from  his  bath  in  the  Ganges,  found  his 
wife  in  the  embraces  of  the  Moon-god.  He  was  not  able  to  seize  the 
adulterer,  but  threw  his  dripping  bathing  robe  at  him  and  hit  him  in  the 
face,  thus  causing  the  spots  that  are  still  to  be  seen  there.  Throughout  this 
stanza  Bharat's  glory  is  compared  to  a  newly-created  moon,  which  is  in 
every  respect  superior  to  the  ordinary  moon  which  we  see  in  the  heavens. 
The  one  sets  and  wanes,  the  other  is  always  on  the  increase  ;  the  one  mainly 
delights  only  lotuses  and  partridges,  the  other  is  the  joy  of  Rama's  faithful 
servants;  the  one  shines  only  by  night,  the  other  by  day  as  well  ;  the  one 
yields  nectar,  it  is  true,  but  none  can  get  at  it ;  the  other  is  impregnated 
with  the  nectar  of  faith,  which  is  brought  within  the  reach  of  all ,  the  one  is 
branded  with  the  marks  of  Vrihaspati's  indignation,  the  other  is  spotless  ; 
though  Bharat  too  offended  his /7M?'%  by  refusing  to  reign  at  his  command, 
the  one  is  stamped  only  with  the  figure  of  a  hare  [the  man  in  the  moon  of 
European  nurseries],  the  other  is  inscribed  with  love  to  Rama. 

R-47 


346  AYODHYA. 

Bhagiratha  brought  down  the  Ganges,!  whose  invocation  is 

a  mine  of  all  prosperity;  but  Dasarath's  virtues  are  past  all 

telling  ;  why  say  more  ?     He  has  no  equal  in  the  world. 

Dohd  201. 

Through   his   devotion   and  humility   RAma  was   made 

manifest,  whom  the  eyes  of  Siva's  heart  are   never    wearied 

of  beholding. 

Chaupdi. 

You  have  created   an   incomparable   moon  of  glory,   in 

which  for  the  figure  of   the  hare  is  stamped  love  to   Rima. 

Cease,   ray   son,  from  lamentation  ;  you  have     found   the 

philosopher's  stone  and  yet  fear  poverty  !  Hearken,  Bharat ; 

I  tell  no  falsehood  ;  a   hermit  and   ascetic   dwelling  in  the 

forest,  I  obtained  a  glorious  reward  for  all   my  good   deeds 

when  I  beheld  R^ma,  Sita  and  Lakshman  ;  the  fruit  of  that 

fruit  is  the  sight  of  you  :     Praydg  and   I  are  both  highly 

favoured.     Bharat,  I   congratulate  you  ;   you  have  achieved 

universal  renown."     So  saying  the  saint  was   overwhelmed 

with  emotion.     As   they  hearkened  to  his  words,  the  whole 

assembly  rejoiced  ;  the  gods  applauded   his   goodness   and 

rained  down  flowers.     Shouts  of  '  Glory,  Glory,'    resounded 

in  heaven  and  in  Prayflg  ;  Bharat  was  lost  in  rapture  at  the 

sound. 

Dohd  202.  V' 

With  quivering  body,  with  his  heart  full  of  Rdma  and 
Sita,  and  his  lotus  eyes  flowing  with  tears,  he  bowed  to  the 
saintly  assembly  and  thus  spoke  in  faltering  accents : 

Ghaupdi. 

**  In  a  conclave  of  saints  and  in  this  so  holy  a  place, 
truth  must  needs  be  spoken  ;  any  oath  is  superfluous  and 
vain  if  in  such  a  spot  I  were  to  say  anything  false,  no 
sin  or  vileness   would  equal  mine.     You  are  all-wise,  and 

I  BhHgiratba,  the  son  of  king  Dilipa,  after  a  thousand  years  spent  in 
austerities,  brought  down  the  Ganges  from  heaven  to  earth,  and  with  its 
vivifying  flood  watered  and  restored  to  life  the  ashes  of  the  sixty  thousand 
8f)ns  of  his  great-grandfather,  Sagara,  who  had  been  destroyed  by  the  Hishi 
Kapila.  This  was  a  great  achievement,  but  Dasarath's  was  a  greater,  by 
whom  Kama  was  begotten  into  the  world. 


AYODHYA.  347 

therefore  I  speak  honestly  ;  R^ma,  too,  knows  the  secrets 
of  the  heart.  I  am  not  grieved  for  what  my  mother  has 
done,  nor  pained  at  heart  lest  the  world  deem  me  caitiff. 
I  have  no  dread  of  the  loss  of  heaven,  no  sorrow  for  my 
father's  death,  whose  good  deeds  and  renown  are  glorious 
all  the  world  over,  who  had  such  sons  as  Lakshman  and 
R^ma,  and  who,  as  soon  as  he  lost  Rdma  dropt  his  fragile 
body ;  why  make  long  mourning  for  the  king  ?  But  R^ma, 
Lakshman  and  Sita,  without  shoes  to  their  feet,  in  heimit's 
dress,  are  wandering  from  wood  to  wood  ; 

Doha  203. 
clad  in  deer-skins,  feeding  on  wild  fruits,  sleeping  on  the 
ground  on  a  litter  of  grass  and  leaves,  under  trees,  ever  ex- 
posed to  the  inclemency  of  cold  and  heat  and  rain  and  wind. 

Ghawpdi. 
This  is  the  burning  pain  that  is  ever  consuming  my 
breast,  so  that  I  cannot  eat  by  day  nor  sleep  by  night.  For 
this  sore  disease  there  is  no  remedy  ;  I  have  searched  in 
mind  the  whole  world  over.  My  mother's  evil  counsel,  the 
root  of  all  calamity,  like  a  carpenter  fashioned  an  axe  out  of 
my  advantage,  made  a  handle  of  the  ill-wood  of  Resentment, 
and  fixed  the  term  of  banishment  as  it  were  a  horrible  spell. 
To  me  she  applied  this  infamous  contrivance  and  has  hurled 
me  down  in  wide-spreading  ruin.  These  disasters  will  cease 
when  Rdma  returns  to  live  in  Avadh  ;  there  is  no  other 
remedy."  When  the  saints  heard  Bharat's  speech,  they  were 
glad  and  all  gave  him  high  praise  :  *'  Son,  grieve  not  so  sore- 
ly :  at  the  sight  of  Rama's  feet  all  sorrow  will  pass  away." 

Doha  204. 
The  great  saints  comforted  him  and  said  :  "  Be  our  wel- 
come guest  :  accept  such  herbs  and  roots  and   fruits  as  we 
can  offer,  and  be  content.  " 

Chawpdi. 
On  hearing  the  saints'  words   Bharat   was  troubled   at 
heart :  the  time  was   not  one  for  feasting,  and  yet  he  was 


348  At6DHYA. 

very  loth  to  decline.  At  last,  reflecting  that  a  guru's  com- 
mand is  imperative,  he  kissed  his  feet  and  replied  with 
clasped  hands  :  **  I  must  needs  bow  to  your  behest,  for  this, 
my  lord,  is  my  highest  duty."  The  great  saint  was  pleased  at 
Bharat's  words  and  called  up  all  his  trusty  servants  :  "  An 
entertainment  must  be  provided  for  Bharat :  go  and  gather 
herbs,  roots  and  fruits  "  They  bowed  the  head  and  said 
'Certainly,  my  lord,'  and  gladly  set  about  each  his  own  work. 
But  the  saint  thought  to  himself  :  "  I  have  invited  a  distin- 
guished guest,  who  should  be  treated  like  a  god."  At  his 
command  Anim^  and  the  other  good  Fairies  came :  "  What 
are  your  orders,  master,  and  we  obey." 

Dohd  205. 

**  Bharat  and  his  brother  and  all  their  host  are  distrest 
by  the  loss  of  Rdma  ;  show  them  hospitality  and  ease  them 
of  their  toil  ;"  thus  cheerily  spoke  the  great  saint. 

Chaupdi. 

The  Fairies  bowed  to  his  commands  and  thought  them- 
selves most  highly  favoured,  saying  one  to  another  :  Rama's 
brother  is  indeed  a  guest  beyond  compare."  Then  kissing 
the  saint's  feet,  "  To-day  we  will  do  such  things  that  the 
whole  of  the  king's  party  shall  be  pleased."  So  saying,  a 
number  of  such  charming  pavilions  were  erected,  that  the 
equipages  of  the  gods  were  put  out  of  countenance  at  the 
sigh  of  them.  They  were  furnished  with  so  much  luxury 
and  magnificence  that  the  immortals  beheld  them  longingly. 
Men-servants  and  maid-servants  with  every  appliance  were 
in  attendance  and  gave  their  whole  mind  to  their  work. 
In  an  instant  of  time  the  Fairies  completed  all  the  arrange- 
ments though  no  dream  of  heaven  was  ever  so  beautiful. 
First  the  people  were  assigned  their  quarters,  all  bright 
and  pleasant  and  in  accordance  with  their  taste. 
Dohd  206. 

Then,  as  the  saint  had  ordered,  Bharat  and  his  family 
had  theirs  assigned  them,  which  astonished  even  the  Creator 


AYODHYA.  349 

by   their  magnificence  ;    so   great    the  power   of  the  holy 

ascetic's  penance. 

Ohaupdi. 

When  Bharat  beheld  the  saint's  power,  the  realms  of  all 
the  rulers  of  the  spheres  seem  to  him  as  trifles.  The  luxu- 
ries that  had  been  prepared  cannot  be  described ;  any 
philosopher  would  forget  his  self-restraint  on  seeing  them. 
Thrones,  couches,  drapery  and  canopies  ;  groves  and 
gardens  ;  birds  and  beasts  ;  sweet-scented  flowers,  fruits 
like  nectar,  and  many  a  lake  of  limpid  water;  with  luscious 
food  and  drinks  of  innumerable  kinds,  so  that  the  people 
were  quite  put  out  of  countenance  by  what  they  saw,  as 
though  they  had  been  ascetics.  Each  one  had  as  it  were 
his  own  cow  of  plenty  and  tree  of  paradise.  Indra  and 
Sachi  grew  covetous  at  the  sight.  The  season,  spring  ;  the 
air  soft,  cool,  and  fragrant ;  all  the  great  objects  of  life 
ready  at  hand  :  garlands,  perfumes,  dancing-girls  and 
delights  of  every  kind  to  charm  and  astonish  the  spectator. 
Doha  207. 
Affluence,  like  the  chakwi,^  and  Bharat  as  her  mate,  by 
compulsion  of  the  saint's  order  were  prisoned  together  that 
night,  as  by  a  fowler,  in  the  cage  of  the  hermitage,  till 
dawn  broke. 

Chaupdi. 
Then  he  bathed  at  the  holy  place  and  with  his  host 
botved  the  head  to  the  sage.  Having  submissively  received 
his  commands  and  blessing,  he  prostrated  himself  and 
made  much  supplication.  Then  taking  guides  well 
acquainted  with  the  road,  he  set  out  resolutely  for  Chitra- 
kiU  ;  supported  on  the  arm  of  Rdma's  friend,  he  seemed,  as 

1  According  to  Hindu  belief  the  chakioa  and  his  female  mate,  the  chakwi, 
»re  doomed  for  ever  to  nocturnal  separation.  Even  though  they  may  be 
caught  and  imprisoned  together  in  one  cage  they  cannot  enjoy  each  other's 
society  till  the  break  of  day.  In  the  same  way  Bharat,  though  detained  for 
the  night  by  the  saint's  order  at  the  hermitage  in  the  midst  of  luxury,  could 
not  enjoy  it  by  reason  of  his  vow.  Valmiki  represents  him  as  less  abste- 
mious, and,  in  describing  the  banquet,  maltes  mention  of  wine  and  flesh 
meat  of  various  kinds— venison,  wild  boar,  peafowl  and  partriilges  -  all  of 
which  Tulsi  D4s  has  omitted  in  concession  to  modern  prejudices. 


350  AYODHYA. 

he  went,  the  very  incarnation  of  Love.  With  no  shoes  and 
no  shelter  for  his  head,  in  the  fulfilment  of  his  loving  vow 
and  his  unfeigned  intagrity,  he  asked  his  companion  for  a 
history  of  the  wanderings  of  Rdma,  Sita  and  Lakshman.  In 
soothing  accents  he  told  it.  When  he  saw  the  tree  where 
R^ma  had  rested,  his  heart  could  not  contain  its  emotion. 
At  the  sight  of  his  condition,  the  gods  rained  down  flowers, 
and  the  path  that  he  trod  grew  smooth  and  pleasant. 
Dohd  208. 
'*  The  clouds  afford  him  shade  and  the  air  breathes  soft 
and  refreshingly  :  Rama's   road  was   not  thus,  as  it  is  now 

for  Bharat. 

Chaupdi. 

All  created  things,  whether  living  or  lifeless,  that  saw 
the  Lord,  or  were  seen  by  him,  were  rendered  fit  for  salva- 
tion, and  the  sight  of  Bharat  has  now  healed  them  of  the 
curse  of  transmigration  !  This  is  no  great  thing  for  Bharat, 
whom  Rdma  is  mindful  to  remember.  A  single  mention 
of  the  name  of  Rima  on  earth  makes  a  man  safe  and  a 
saviour  of  others  But  Bharat  is  Rama's  beloved  and  own 
brother ;  why  should  he  not  bring  a  blessing  on  the  road  he 
treads  ?  As  saints,  sages  and  hermits  thus  reasoned  and 
gazed  upon  Bharat,  they  rejoiced  at  heart.  Indra  was 
troubled  by  the  sight  of  his  power  :  "  In  the  world  things 
turn  out  well  for  the  good  and  badly  for  the  bad."  Then 
turning  to  his  guru  (Vrihaspati),  "Something  must  be  done, 
sir,  to  prevent  the  meeting  between  R^ma  and  Bharat. 
Dohd  209. 

Rdma  is  so   modest  and   sympathetic,  and  Bharat  such 
an  ocean  of  affection  ;  our  scheme  threatens  to  be  spoilt ;  we 
must  bestir  ourselves  and  devise  some  new  stratagem." 
Chaupdi. 

Hearing  the  speech,  the  teacher  of  the  gods  smiled,  to  find 
the  thousand-eyed  so  blind,  and  said  :  *'  Leave  tricks  alone; 
it  will  be  all  trouble  in  vain  ;  any  deception  here  would  be 
absurd.  0  king  of  heaven,  any  delusion  practised  on  a  servant 


AYODHYA.  351 

of  the  lord  of  delusion  must  recoil  on  the  contriver.  I  inter- 
fered once,  knowing  it  was  Rama's  wish,  but  any  under- 
hand work  now  would  only  do  harm.  Listen,  0  king  :  it 
is  Rama's  nature  never  to  be  angry  at  any  sin  against  him- 
self, but  whoever  sins  against  one  of  his  servants  is  con- 
sumed in  the  fire  of  his  wrath.  Popular  tradition  and  the 
Vedas  abound  in  such  legends  ;  Durvdsas^  knows  well 
this  great  trait  in  his  character.  And  is  there  any  one  so 
faithful  to  Rd.ma  as  Bharat,  who  is  ever  repeating  Rdma's 
name  and  R^ma  his  ? 

Dohd  210.  T-^  ^ 

Think  not,  lord  of  the  immortals,  to  injure  any  servant 
of  Raghubar's,  unless  you  would  suffer  the  pain  of  disgrace 
in  this  world,  sorrow  in  the  next,  and  a  daily  increasing 
burden  of  regret. 

Ghauydi. 

Hearken  to  my  advice,  king  of  the  gods  :  Rama  has  the 
greatest  love  for  his  servants ;  he  is  pleased  at  any  service 
done  to  a  servant,  while  enmity  to  a  servant  is  the  height  of 
enmity  to  himself.  Although  he  is  ever  the  same,  without 
either  passion  or  anger,  and  contracts  neither  sin  nor  merit, 
virtue  nor  defect;  and  though  he  has  made  fate  the  sove- 
reign of  the  universe,  and  every  one  has  to  taste  the  fruit 
of  his  own  actions,  still  he  plays  at  variations  according 
as  hearts  are  faithful  or  unfaithful.  Though  without  attri- 
butes or  form,  illimitable  and  impossible,  Rama  has  yielded 
to  the  love  of  his  followers  and  taken  a  material  form.  He 
has  always  regarded  the  wishes  of  his  servants,  as  the  Vedas 
and  Pur^nas  and  gods  and  saints  bear  witness.  Knowing 
this,  refrain  from  naughtiness  and  show  fitting  devotion. 
Dohd  2il. 

Any  worshipper  of  R^ma  is   zealous   for    the   good   of 
others,  sorrows  with  the  sorrowful,  and  is  full  of  compassion ; 

1  King  Ambarisha  was  a  devout  worshipper  of  Vishnu  [with  whom  Rama 
is  here  identified]  and  thereby  excited  the  jealousy  of  the  irascible  sage 
Durvasas,  the  most  intolerant  of  all  the  adherents  of  Siva.  On  some  trivial 
pretext  he  cursed  the  king,  who  at,  once  fell  s^-nseless  to  the  ground,  but 
Vishnu  was  ready  at  hand  to  succour  his  faithful  follower  and  sent  his  fiery 
(iiscus  upon  Uurvas:is,  which  chased  him  all  over  the  world  and  up  into  hea- 
ven, where  the  gods  said  nothing  could  be  done  for  him  till  he  went  back 
and  humbly  begged  pardon  of  Ambarisha. 


352  AYPDHYA. 

then  fear  not  Bharat,  0  king,  who  is  the  crown  of  worship- 
pers. 

Ghaupdi. 

The  lord  is  an  ocean  of  truth  and  a  well-wisher  of  the 
gods,  and  Bharat  obeys  his  orders.  You  are  troubled  by 
your  own  selfishness  ;  there  is  no  fault  in  Bharat  :  it  is  a 
delusion  on  your  part.'  "  When  the  great  god  heard  the 
words  of  the  heavenly  preceptor  he  got  understanding  and 
his  anxiety  passed  away.  In  his  joy  he  rained  down  flowers 
and  began  to  extol  Bharat's  good  qualities.  In  this  manner 
Bharat  went  on  his  way,  while  saints  and  sages  looked  and 
praised.  Whenever  he  sighed  Rdma's  name,  it  seemed  like 
the  bubbling  over  of  love.  Thunderbolts  and  stones  melted 
at  his  words  ;  as  for  the  people,  their  emotion  is  beyond 
description.  Encamping  half-way,  he  came  to  the  Jamuna, 
and  as  he  gazed  on  its  water  his  eyes  filled  with  tears. 
Dohd  212. 

A.S  he  and  his  retinue  gazed  on  the  lovely   stream,   the 
colour  of  Raima's  body,  he  was  plunged  into  a  sea  of  desola- 
tion, till  he  climbed  the  boat  of  discretion. 
Chaupdi. 

That  day  he  halted  on  the  bank  of  the  JamunA,  giving 
every  one  time  for  what  they  had  to  do.  In  the  night  boats 
came  from  all  the  gh^ts  in  greater  number  than  could  be 
counted.  At  daybreak  all  crossed  in  a  single  trip.  The 
good  service  of  Rdma's  companion  pleased  him  greatly. 
After  bathing  and  bowing  to  the  river,  he  again  set  forth 
with  the  Nishdd  king  and  Satrughna.  First  of  all  in  his 
glorious  car  went  the  great  saint,  followed  by  all  the  royal 
host ;  after  them  the  two  brothers  on  foot;  their  dress, 
apparel  and  ornaments  all  of  the  very  simplest.  With 
them  tlieir  servants  and  friend  and  the  Minister's  son, 
invoking  Lakshman,  Sita  and  Rfima.  Any  spot  wherever 
R^nia  had  encamped  or  rested  they  lovingly  saluted. 


1  In  the  Sanskrit  poem  there  is  nothing  that  corresponds  to  this  colic 
quy  between  Indra  and  Vrihaspati.  It  is  introduced  by  Tulsi  DAs  a  peg  ot 
which  to  hang  a  theological  exposition. 


AYQDHYA.  353 

Doha  213. 

At  the  news,  the  dwellers  by  the  roadside  left  their 
household  work  and  ran  after  them  ;  seeing  his  form,  they 
were  overcome  with  love  and  joy  and  had  their  life's  reward. 

Chaupdi. 

Lovingly  one  said  to  another  :    "  Friend,  are  they  Rama 

and    Lakshman,  or  not  ?    In  age,    figure,   complexion    and 

beauty  they  are  the  same,  dear  girl,  and    resemble  them  in 

an  equally  affectionate  disposition.     But  their  dress  is   not 

the  same,  friend,  nor  is  Sita  with  them,   and   before    them 

marches   a   vast  host   of   horse    and   foot,    elephants    and 

chariots.  Nor  are  they  glad  of  countenance,  but  have   some 

sorrow  at  heart  ;  from  this  difference,  friend,  a  doubt  arises." 

The  women    were   persuaded  by  her  arguments  and  cried  : 

"  There  is  no  one  so  clever  as  you."    After  praising  her  and 

admiring  the  truth  of  her  remarks,   another  woman  spoke 

in    winning  tones,  and  lovingly  related  the   whole   history, 

how  R^ma  had   lost  the  delights  of  empire;  and  again  set 

to  praising  Bharat  for  his  affectionate  disposition  and  happy 

nature. 

Doha  214. 

*'  He  travels   on  foot,  feeding  only  on    wild   fruits,  and 

abandoning  the   crown  given  him  by  his  father,  is  going  to 

Rdma  to  persuade   him  to  return  ;  is  there   any  one  at  the 

present  day  like  Bharat  ? 

Chaupdi. 

To  tell  and  hear  of  Bharat's  brotherly  devotion  and  his 
course  of  action  dispels  all  sin  and  sorrow.  Anything  that 
lean  say,  friend,  is  all  too  little;  he  is  Rama's  brother; 
how  could  he  be  different  from  what  he  is  ?  All  of  us 
who  have  seen  him  and  Satrughna  have  truly  become 
blessed  among  women."  Hearing  his  virtues  and  seeing 
his  forlorn  state  they  lamented  :  "  He  is  not  a  fit  son 
for  such  a  mother  as  Kaikeyi."  One  said  :  "  It  is  no 
blame  to  the  queen  that  God  has  been  so  kind  to  us.  What 
are  we,  outcasts  from  the  world  and  the  Veda,  women 
of  low  birth  and  mean  livelihood,  whose  home  is  a  wretched 

R-48 


354  AYODHTA. 

hovel  in  some  poor  village  of  this   miserable  country,  that 

we  should  have  such   a  vision,   a  sufficient   reward  for  the 

highest   religious  merit  ?  "     There    was   the  same  delight 

and  wonder  in  every  town,   as  though  the   tree  of  paradise 

had  sprung  up  in  the  desert. 

Dohd  215. 

At  the  sight  of  Bharat,  the  good  fortune  of  the   people 

by  the  wayside  manifested  itself  in  like  manner,  as  though 

by  the  will  of  providence  Pray^g  had  been  made  accessible 

to  the  people  of  LankA. 

Chaupdi. 

Hearing  these  praises  of  his  own  and  Rama's  many  vir- 
tues, he  went  on  his  way,  ever  mindful  of  Raghunith. 
Whenever  he  spied  any  holy  place,  or  hermitage,  or  temple, 
he  bathed  and  reverently  saluted  it,  praying  in  his  heart 
of  hearts  for  this  one  boon,  perseverance  in  devotion  to  the 
feet  of  Sita  and  Rima.  If  there  met  him  a  Kirit,  or  Kol, 
or  other  dweller  in  the  woods,  anchorite  or  student,  hermit 
or  ascetic,  whoever  he  might  be,  he  saluted  him  and  asked 
in  what  part  of  the  forest  were  Lakshman,  RAma  and  the 
Videhan  princess.  They  told  him  all  the  news  of  the  lord, 
and  at  the  sight  of  Bharat  reaped  their  life's  reward.  If 
any  person  said  *  We  have  seen  them  well,'  they  were 
counted  as  dear  as  R^ma  and  Lakshman  themselves.  In 
this  manner  asking  courteously  of  every  one,  he  heard  the 
whole  story  of  RAma's  forest  life. 
Dohd  216. 

Halting  that  day,  Bharat  started  again  at  dawn,  invoking 
Raghun^th  :  all  who  were  with  him  being  equally  desirous 
with  himself  for  a  sight  of  R^ma. 
Chaupdi. 

Every  one  had  auspicious  omens  ;  lucky  throbbings  in 
the  eyes  and  arm  ;  Bharat  and  the  host  rejoiced,  "  R^ma  will 
be  found  and  our  sore  distress  will  be  at  an  end."  Each  in- 
dulged his  own  fancy,  and  as  they  marched  all  seemed  intoxi- 
cated with  the  wiue  of  love,  their  limbs  relaxed,  their  feet 


AYODHYA.  355 

unsteady  on  the  ground,  and  the  accents  of  their  voice  in- 
articulate from  excess  of  emotion.  Then  was  the  time  that 
Rama's  guide  pointed  out  the  monarch  of  mountains  in 
all  its  beauty,  near  which  on  the  river's  bank  the  two  he- 
roes and  Sita  were  dwelling.  All  at  the  sight  fell  to  the 
ground  with  cries  of  '  Glory  to  Rama,  the  life  of  J^naki  !  ' 
The  royal  host  was  as  overwhelmed  with  emotion  as  though 
Rdma  had  come  back   to  Avadh. 

Doha  217. 
Bharat's  love  at  that  time  was  such   that  not  Seshndg 
could  describe  it :  it  is  as  far  beyond  the  poet  as  the  bliss  of 
heaven  is  beyond  a  man  stained  by  selfishness  and  sensuality. 

Chaupdi. 

Being  all  unmanned  by  their  love  for  Raghubar,  they 
had  gone  but  two  kos  by  the  close  of  day,  then  scanning  land 
and  water  they  halted.  When  the  night  was  past,  the  be- 
loved of  Raghuu^th  sallied  forth  again.  On  the  other  hand 
R^ma  while  it  was  yet  dark,  awoke,  and  Sita  told  him  what 
she  had  seen  in  a  dream  :  "  Methought  Bharat  had  come 
with  an  army,  being  tortured  in  body  by  the  fever  of  separ- 
ation from  his  lord ;  all  were  sad,  wretched  and  downcast, 
and  the  queens  consort  were  greatly  altered."  On  hearing 
Sita's  dream,  the  healer  of  sorrows  grew  sorrowful  and  his 
eyes  filled  with  tears  :  "  This  dream,  Lakshman,  bodes  no 
good  :  we  shall  hear  of  something  that  we  by  no  means 
wished."  So  saying,  he  and  his  brother  bathed,  worshipped 
Purdiri  and  propitiated  the  saints. 

Chhand  9.  'V^j 

After  propitiating  the  gods  and  reverencing  the  saints, 
the  lord  went  and  sat  down  with  his  gaze  to  the  north.  The 
dust  in  the  air  and  the  many  birds  and  deer  taking  to  flight 
disquieted  him  and  he  returned  to  the  hermitage.  He  stood 
up  and  looked,  anxious  in  mind  as  to  the  cause.  Then  came 
Kir^ts  and  Kols  and  told  him  all  the  news. 
Sorathd  7. 

When  he  heard  the  glad  tidings  his  heart  was  full  of  joy 
and  his  body  quivered  all  over  :  white  his  eyes,  like  the 
autumnal  lotus,  were  filled  with  the  moisture  of  affection, 


356  AYODHYA. 

Chaupdi. 

Again  Sita's  lord  became  anxious  :  *  What  can  be  the 
cause  of  Bharat's  coming  ? '  Then  came  one  and  said  :  *  There 
is  with  him  no  small  army  in  full  equipment.'  Hearing  this, 
R^ma  was  greatly  disturbed ;  on  the  one  hand  was  his 
father's  injunction,  on  the  other  his  regard  for  his  brother. 
Thinking  to  himself  over  Bharat's  disposition,  the  lord's 
mind  found  no  sure  standing-point ;  but  at  last  he  calmed 
himself  with  the  reflection  :  '  Bharat  is  said  to  be  good  and 
sensible.'  Lakshman  saw  that  his  lord  was  troubled  at  heart, 
and  spoke  out  as  he  thought  the  occasion  demanded  :  '*  I 
speak,  sire,  before  I  am  asked  ;  but  sometimes  impertinence 
in  a  servant  is  not  impertinent.  You,  master,  are  the  crown 
of  the  wise ;  I  a  mere  retainer,  but  I  say  what  I  think. 
Dohd  218.        T.'X.^, 

You,  my  lord,  are  kind  and  easy,  a  storehouse  of  ami- 
ability ;  you  love  and  trust  every  one,  and  think  them  all 
like  yourself. 

Chaupdi. 

A  worldly  man,  who  has  got  power,  becomes  mad  and 
infatuated  and  so  betrays  himself.  Bharat  was  well-taught, 
good  and  clever,  and,  as  every  one  knew,  was  devoted  to  his 
lord's  feet ;  but  now  that  he  has  become  king,  he  breaks 
down  in  his  course  all  the  bounds  of  duty.  A  wicked  and 
ill-disposed  brother  having  spied  out  his  time,  and  knowing 
that  R^ma  is  alone  in  the  forest,  he  has  taken  evil  counsel 
and  equipt  an  army,  and  has  come  to  make  his  sovereignty 
secure.  After  plotting  all  sorts  of  wicked  schemes,  the  two 
brothers  have  assembled  their  army  and  come.  If  he  had 
no  treacherous  malpractice  at  heart,  why  should  he  affect 
chariots  and  horses  and  elephants  ?  But  why  reproach 
Bharat  ?  all  the  world  goes  mad  on  getting  dominion. 
Dohd  219. 

The  Moon-god    debauched   his   guru's  wife  :  Nahusha 

mounted  a  palanquin  borne  by  Br^hmans  ;  and  who  fell  so 
low  as  Vena,  the  enemy  of  established  usage  and  the  Veda  ? 


I 


AYODHYA.  357 

Chaupdi. 
Sahasra-bdhu,  Indra,  Trisanku  ;  all  were  brought  to 
disgrace  by  the  intoxication  of  kingly  power. ^  Bharat  has 
planned  this  clever  scheme,  so  as  not  to  leave  himself  a 
single  enemy  in  the  field  ;  but  in  one  point  he  has  made  a 
mistake,  in  despising  Rdma  as  if  he  had  no  friends  ;  he 
will  discover  this  to-day  with  a  vengeance,  when  he  sees 
Rdma's  indignant  face  in  the  battle."  So  saying,  he  forgot 
all  prudence,  and  his  whole  body,  so  to  speak,  bristled  with 
pugnacity.  Falling  at  his  lord's  feet  and  putting  the  dust 
of  them  upon  his  head,  he  cried  in  tones  of  natural  and 
honest  vehemence  :  "My  lord,  think  it  not  wrong  of  me  ; 
Bharat  has  tried  me  not  a  little;  how  long  shall  I  endure 
to  remain  quiet,  my  lord  being  with  me  and  my  bow  in  my 
hand? 

1  The  pride  of  kings  and  its  ruinous  results  are  here  Illustrated  by  re- 
ference to  six  famous  mythological  personages.  The  first  is  the  great  Moon- 
god,  who  in  the  wantonness  of  power  robbed  his  own  spiritual  instructor, 
Vrihaspati,  of  his  bride  Tara,  and  had  by  her  a  son  named  Budha,  the  regent 
of  the  planet  Mercury.  Of  this  legend  mention  has  already  been  made  in  a 
note  after  dohd  201.  For  punishment,  he  bears  for  ever  in  his  face  the 
marks  of  the  brand  set  upon  him  by  the  injured  husband. 

Nahusha  was  the  grandson  of  Hurii-ravas,  the  founder  of  the  lunar 
race  of  kinss,  who  reigned  at  Pratishthana  on  the  Ganges  opposite  Frayag. 
When  Indra  had  temporarily  abdicated  his  throne  in  heaven  Nahusha  was 
selected  to  fill  it.  But  not  satisfied  with  this  dignity,  he  demanded  also 
Indra's  queen.  She  agreed  to  receive  him,  if  he  came  to  her  in  a  palki  borne 
by  Brahmans.  At  his  request  the  seven  great  Rishis  agreed  to  do  him  this 
service.  But  he  was  so  inflamed  with  arrogance  and  lust  that  they  could 
not  walk  fast  enough  for  him,  and  at  last,  disgusted  with  his  violence  and 
abuse,  they  threw  down  the  p^lki  and  cursed  him  and  he  was  turned  into 
a  serpent. 

Vena,  the  son  of  Anga,  as  soon  as  he  had  been  proclaimed  monarch  of 
the  whole  worlfl,  forbade  any  gifts  to  be  given  to  Brahmans  or  sacrifice 
offered  to  the  gods,  for  that  he  was  sole  lord  of  all  and  none  else  was  entitled 
to  worship.  The  holy  sages  implored  him  to  desist  trom  such  impiety,  but 
he  would  not  listen  to  them.  They  then  struck  him  with  the  light  blades 
of  grass  that  had  been  consecrated  by  their  prayers,  and  he  immediately  fell 
dead. 

Kartavibya  was  a  mighty  conqueror,  who,  among  other  boons  granted 
him  by  the  sage  Dattatreya,  obtained  also  this  one,  that  he  should  have  a 
thousand  arms  ;  whence  he  is  here  called  Sahasra-bahu.  One  day,  when  out 
hunting  in  the  woods,  he  was  hospitably  entertained  by  Jamadagni  in  his  her- 
mitage. But  instead  of  making  any  proper  return  for  this  kindness,  he  car- 
ried off  his  host's  sacrificial  cow.  Jamadagni's  son,  Parasuram,  was  away 
at  the  time,  but  when  he  returned  and  heani  of  what  had  been  done,  he 
followed  after  kartavirya  and  cut  off  his  thousand  arms  and  slew  him.  The 
king's  sons,  to  avenge  their  father's  death,  attacked  Jamadagni  in  his  her- 
mitage ;  and  in  consequence  of  this,  Parasurdm  made  his  famous  vow  to 
extirpate  the  whole  Kshatriya  race. 

Indra,   the  king   of  heaven,    became   enamoured   of  Ahalya,   the  wife  of 


358 


AYODHYA. 


Dohd  220. 

Am  I  not  of  warrior  descent,  a  scion  of  the  house  of 
Raghu,  and  known  throughout  the  world  as  RAma's  brother? 
What  is  so  low  as  the  dust  ?  Yet  if  stirred  by  a  kick  it 
rises  and  falls  upon  your  head."  i 

Ghaupdi, 

As  he  stood  with  clasped  hands  and  sought  permission, 
he  seemed  like  Heroism  itself  aroused  from  slumber,  bind- 
ing up  his  hair  in  a  knot,  girding  on  his  quiver  by  his  side, 
trimming  his  bow,  and  taking  arrows  in  hand.  "To-day 
I  shall  distinguish  myself  as  Rama's  servant  and  will  give 
Bharat  a  lesson  in  fighting.  Reaping  the  fruit  of  their 
contempt  for  R^ma,  both  brothers  shall  sleep  on  the  couch 
of  battle.  It  is  well  that  the  whole  host  has  come  ;  to-day 
I  shall  manifest  my  wrath  and  have  done  with  it.  As  a 
lion  tears  in  pieces  a  herd  of  elephants,  or  as  a  hawk 
clutches  and  carries  off  a  quail,  so  will  I  lightly  overthrow 
upon  the  field  Bharat  and  his  brother  and  all  their  host. 
If  Siva  himself  should  come  to  their  aid,  in  Rama's  name  I 
would  worst  him  in  battle." 

Dohd  22  i. 

Lakshman   spoke  so  furiously   that  the  regents  of  the 

the  sage  Gautama,  an^l  visited  her  disguised  as  her  husband.  The  sage  saw 
him  as  he  left  her  room  and  cursed  him  with  perpetual  loss  of  vlrilitj. 
Ahalyi  was  changed  into  a  stone  till  Rima  should  come  and  deliver  her, 
see  Book  I.     pp.  21,  145. 

Teisanku  was  a  king  of  Ayodhvi,  who  in  his  pride  aspired  to  celebrato 
a  great  sacrifice  and  by  its  merit  ascend  to  heaven  in  person.  He  first  re- 
quested Vasishtha  to  conduct  the  ceremony  ;  but  the  saint  saw  through  his 
motives  anl  refused  him.  He  then  applied  to  Vasishtha's  sons,  but  they, 
thinking  that  he  only  wished  to  bring  about  a  (juarrel  between  them  and 
their  father,  cursed  him,  so  that  he  became  a  ChandiU.  While  in  this  low 
estate  he  killed  Vasishtha's  cow  ;  and  for  these  three  sins,  pride,  mischief- 
making,  and  cow-killing,  three  great  horns  grew  out  of  his  forehead.  Ho 
then  put  himself  under  the  protection  of  Visvamitra,  who  engaged  to  perform 
the  sacrifice  and  invited  all  the  gods  to  it  They,  however,  declined  to  come; 
whereupon  Visvamitra  created  new  gods,  completed  the  sacrifice,  nnd  trans- 
lated Trisanku  to  the  skies.  But  no  sooner  had  he  arrived  there  than  the 
gods  hurled  him  down  again  :  and  falling  headlong  he  was  suspended 
midway,  where  he  is  still  to  be  seen,  as  the  constellation  in  the  southern 
hemisphere  called  Trisanku.  T.he  saliva  that  dropped  from  his  mouth  forms 
the  river  Karmnas^,  which  flows  between  Banaras  and  Hihhr  and  which  it  is 
considered  a  pollution  to  touch. 

1  The  general  meaning  of  the  passage  would  seem  to  be  :  Bharat  has 
given  such  provocation  that  the  meanest  creature  in  the  world  would  resent 
it  ;  much  more  should  I,  who  am  a  warrior  by  birth. 


AYODHYA.  359 

spheres,  beholding  and  hearing  his  solemn  oath,  looked    on 
in  terror  and  longed  to  flee  away. 
Chaupdi. 
The  world  was  entranced  ;  a  voice  was  heard  in  the  air, 
declaring  the  mighty  power  of  Lakshman's  arm  :  "  Son,  who 
can  tell,  or  who  can  understand  your  might  and  majesty?  but 
any  business,  whether  right  or  wrong,  should  be  done   deli- 
berately ;  so  every  one  agrees.  They  who  act  rashly  and  af- 
terwards repent,  the  Vedas  say  are  anything  but  wise."  On 
hearing  this  voice  from  heaven  Lakshman  was  abashed,  and 
both   Rdma   and    Sita  addressed  him  courteously  :  "  What 
you  have  said,  brother,  is  sound  wisdom  :  the  intoxication  of 
power  is  the  worst  of  all  ;  the  merest  taste  of  it  maddens  any 
king  who  has  not  been  trained  in  the  school  of  philosophy. 
But  hearken,  Lakshman  ;  in  the  whole  of  God's  creation   I 
have  never  seen  nor  heard  of  any  one  so  good  as  Bharat. 
Doha  222. 
He  would  never  be  intoxicated  with  power,  even  though 
he   sat   upon    the    throne  of  Brahman,  Vishnu    and   Siva. 
What  !  can  a  few  drops  of  kdnji  curdle  the  milky  ocean  ? 
Chaupdi. 
The  sun  may  grow  dim  at  midday ;  yea,  sooner  may  the 
pure  ether  be  absorbed  in  cloud  ;   sooner  may  Agastya^  be 
drowned  in  the  puddle  of  a  cow's  footprint,  or  earth  forget  to 
be  long-suffering  ;  sooner  may  the  buzz  of  a  mosquito   puff 
away   Mount    Meru,    than    kingly  pride,  my  brother,  touch 
Bharat.     0  Lakshman,  I  swear  by  you  and  by  our  father, 
there  is  none  so  true  a  brother  as  Bharat.    The  Creator  has 
fashioned  the  world  by  mixing  the  milk  of  goodness  with  the 
water  of  evil  ;  Bharat  is  the  swan  in  the  lake  of    the    Solar 
race,  who  from  the  day  of  his  birth   has   known    to  distin- 
guish between  the  good  and  the  evil  ;  choosing  the  milk  of 
goodness  and  discarding  the  water  of  evil,  he  has  illumined 
the  whole  world  with  his  glory."    As  Raghurai  thus  recited 
Bharat's    virtues    and    amiable    disposition,      he     became 
drowned  in  a  sea  of  love. 

1    Who  swallowed  up  the  ocean. 


360  AYODHYl. 

Dohd  223. 
The   gods,   hearing  his  speech  and  seeing  his  affection 
for   Bharat,   all   applauded  Rdma,  saying  :  *'  Who  so  com- 
passionate as  the  Lord  ? 

Ghaupdi. 

If  Bharat  had  not  been  born  into  the  world,  who  was 
there  on  earth  to  be  the  champion  of  all  right  ?  Bharat's 
good  qualities  are  more  than  all  the  poets  could  describe  ; 
who  save  you,  Raghunath,  could  comprehend  them  ? " 
When  Lakshman,  Rdma  and  Sita  heard  these  words  of  the 
gods  they  were  more  glad  than  can  be  told.  Now  Bharat 
and  all  his  host  bathed  in  the  sacred  Manddkini.  Then 
leaving  the  people  on  the  bank  and  having  asked  permis- 
sion from  his  mother,  his  guru  and  the  Minister,  he  set  out 
to  visit  Ska  and  Raghurai  with  the  Nish^d  king  and  his 
brother.  As  he  thought  upon  his  mother's  deeds  he  was 
abashed,  and  formed  a  thousand  ill-conjectuies  in  his  mind  : 
"  What  if  R.^ma,  Lakshman  and  Sita,  on  hearing  my  name, 
should  leave  the  place  and  go  elsewhere  ? 
Doha  22^.        -L^H 

Taking  me  to  be  my  mother's  accomplice,  nothing  that 
he  might  do  would  be  too  much.  If,  again,  he  overlooks  my 
sin  and  folly,  and  receives  me  kindly  as  his  well-wisher  ; 

Ghaupdi. 
whether  he  spurns  me  as  a  black-hearted  wretch,  or  wel- 
comes me  as  his  servant,  my  only  refuge  is  at  llAma's  feet ; 
he  is  the  best  of  masters,  the  fault  is  all  his  servants.  The 
chdtak  and  the  fish  are  celebrated  throughout  the  world  for 
the  thoroughness  and  constancy  of  their  vows  of  love."  With 
these  thoughts  in  his  mind  he  went  on  his  way,  his  whole 
body  rendered  powerless  by  excessive  love  and  trepidation  ; 
his  mother's  sin,  as  it  were,  turning  him  back,  while  his 
strong  faith,  like  some  sturdy  bull,  dragged  him  forward. 
Whenever  he  thought  of  Rdma's  good  nature,  his  feet  moved 
swiftly  along  the  way  ;  his  course  was  like  that  of  a  water- 
fly  carried  about  by  the  stream.  Seeing  Bharat's  anxiety 
and  affection,  the  Nish^d  was  transported  out  of  himself. 


AtODHYA.  361 

Doha  225. 

Auspicious  omens  began  to  occur,  and  the  Nishnd  after 

hearing  them  and  making  a  calculation  said  :  "  Sorrow  will 

pass  away,  joy   will  succeed  ;    but  in  the  end  there  will  be 

distress  again." 

Chaupdi. 

Knowing  his  servant's  words  to  be  all  true,  he  went  on 
and  drew  near  to  the  hermitage.  When  Bharat  saw  the  vast 
woods  and  rocks,  he  was  as  glad  as  a  hungry  wretch  on 
getting  a  good  meal.  Like  people  afflicted  by  every  calami- 
ty,i  worn  out  with  troubles,^  ill-fortune  and  pestilence, 
who  rejoice  on  escaping  to  a  prosperous  and  well-governed 
country,  so  were  Bharat's  feelings.  The  forest  where  R^ma 
dwelt  was  as  bright  and  happy  as  people  are  happy  who 
have  got  a  good  king  ;  with  Asceticism  for  King  Wisdom's 
Minister  of  State ;  with  the  beautiful  and  sacred  groves  for 
his  realm  ;  with  Continence  and  Faithfulness  for  champions, 
and  the  rocks  for  his  capital  ;  with  Peace  and  Goodwill  for 
his  virtuous  and  lovely  queens ;  a  king  perfect  at  all  points  ; 
a  suppliant  at  Rama's  feet,  and  therefore  easy  in  mind, 

J^ohd  226. 
Royal  Wisdom,  having   conquered  King  Delusion  with  all 
his  host,  held  undisputed  sway  in  his  capital  :    all  was  joy, 
happiness,  and  prosperity. 

Chaupdi. 

The  frequent  hermits'  cells  about  the  woods  were  his 
cities,  towns,  villages  and  hamlets  ;  the  many  birds  and 
beasts  of  all  descriptions  were  his  innumerable  subjects. 
The  hares,  elephants,  lions,  tigers,  boars,  buffaloes  and 
wolves,  a  wonder  to  behold,  forgetting  their  .antipathies, 
grazed  together,  like  a  duly  marshalled  army  complete  in 
all  its  parts.  The  roar  of  the  mountain  torrents  and  the 
cries  of  mad  elephants  were  like  the    din  of  kettle  drums  ; 

1  Public  calamities,  or  visitations  of  God,  rti,  are  reckoned  as  seven  in 
number,  viz.,  droughts,  floods,  locusts,  rats,  parrots,  tyranny,  and  invasion. 

2  Trouble  {tap)  is  of  three  kinds,  specified  in  Book  Vll.  doha  21  as 
daihika,  daicika,  and  bhautika,  physical,  casual  and  spiritual. 

R-49 


362  AYODHYA. 

the  chakwas,  chakora^  chataks,  parrots  and  cuckoos  made  a 
delightful  concert  ;  swans  were  in  their  glory  ;  the  bees 
buzzed  and  the  peacocks  danced  like  the  festive  erdourage 
of  some  Raja,  while  the  creepers,  trees  and  grasses,  with 
the  flowers  and  fruits,  formed  his  brilliant  court. 

Doha  227. 

Beholding  the  beauty  of  Rdma's  hill,  Bharat's  heart  was 
overpowered  with  love,  like  as  an  ascetic  is  overjoyed  when 
he  completes  his  vow  and  reaps  the  fruit  of  his  penance. 

Chawpdi, 

Then  the  pilot  mounted  a  height  and  reaching  out  his 
hand  cried  to  Bharat  :  "  See,  my  lord,  those  huge  trees 
pa/car,  jdman,  mango  and  tamdld,i  in  the  midst  of  which  is 
conspicuous  a  bar  tree,  so  beautilul  and  grand  that  the  soul 
is  charmed  at  the  sight,  with  dense  dark  shoots  and  red 
fruit,  affording  a  pleasant  shade  in  all  seasons  of  the  year,  a 
mass  of  black  and  purple,  as  if  God  had  brought  together 
all  that  was  lovely  to  make  it.  Under  this  tree,  near  tiie 
river,  sir,  where  Rama  has  roofed  in  his  sylvan  hut,  are 
many  graceful  shrubs  of  Tulsi,  planted,  some  by  Sita'^kiB^d 
and  some  by  Lakshman,  and  in  the  shade  of  the  bar  tree 
Sita  with  her  own  lotus  hands  has  reared  a  charming  altar. 

Dohd  228. 

There  the  well-instructed  Sfta  and  Rama  are  ever  wont 
to  sit  in  the  midst  of  the  hermits,  listening  while  sacred 
legends  are  read  and  all  the  Vedas,  Sh^stras  and  PurAnas,";. 

Ghaupdi. 

As  he  listened  to  his  friend's  speech  and  gazed  upon  tl 
tree,  Bharat's  eyes  overflowed  with  tears.  The  two  brothel 
advanced  reverently  ;  Sirad>i  would  fail  to  do  justice  to  thai 
love.  When  they  saw  the  prints  of  Rama's  feet  they  rejoi< 
ed  like  some  beggar  on  finding  the  philosopher's  stone,  an( 
applied  the  dust  to  their  head,  heart  and  eyes,  with  as  mucl 

1  The  PflAr  is  the  Ficus  venosa ;  the^rt//m«,  the  Eugenia  jambolaui 
the /ttwtaZrt,  the  Xanthochymus  pictorius ;  the  bar,  or  banyan,  the  Fit 
Bengalensis. 


AYODHYA.  363 

delight  as  if  they  had  found  Rdma  himself.  Seeing  Bharat's 
utterly  indescribable  condition,  birds,  beasts  and  all  created 
things,  whether  animate,  or  inanimate,  were  absorbed  in 
devotion.  The  guide  in  his  excitement  lost  the  way,  but  the 
gods  showed  it  to  him  and  rained  down  flowers.  Saints  and 
sages  gazed  in  rapture  and  burst  out  into  praises  of  his 
sincere  affection  :  '  Who  in  all  the  world  is  like  Bharat,  who  ( 
makes  fools  wise  and  the  wise  fools  ?  ' 
DoU  229. 

Raghu-bir,  the  ocean  of  compassion,  after  churning  the 
depths  of  Bharat's  soul  with  the  Mount  Meru  of  bereave- 
ment, brought  out  from  it  the  nectar  of  love. 

Chawpdi. 

The  two  fair  brothers  and  their  guide  were  not  visible 
to  Lakshman,  by  reason  of  the  dense  shade  of  the  forest; 
but  Bharat  could  see  his  lord's  sacred  hermitage,  the  charm- 
ing home  of  everything  delightful.  As  he  entered  it  his 
burning  grief  was  assuaged,  as  when  an  ascetic  is  rewarded 
with  salvation.  He  saw  before  him  Lakshman  affectionately 
conversing  with  his  lord,  his  hair  fastened  in  a  knot,  a 
hermit's  robe  girt  about  his  loins,  his  quiver  slung,  arrows 
in  his  hand,  and  his  bow  on  his  shoulder.  By  the  altar  an 
assembly  of  saints  and  sages,  among  whom  Sita  and  R^ma 
were  conspicuous  in  hermit's  attire,  with  matted  hair  and 
body  darkened  by  exposure  ;  like  Rati  and  Kamadeva  in 
saint's  disguise.  He,  who  with  one  smiling  glance  can 
dispel  every  angnish  of  soul,  had  bow  and  arrows  ready  in 

his  lobl^  hands.i 

Bohd  230. 
In    the   midst  of   the  circle   of   saints,  Sita  and  Rama 
shone  forth  as  fair  as  Faith  and  the  Supreme  Spirit   incar- 
nate in  the  council  chamber  of  wisdom. 
Ghawpdi. 
He,  his  brother  and  their   guide  were  so  absorbed   that 

1  The  idea  would  seem  to  be  that  Rdma,  though  the  benefactor  of  the 
whole  world,  was  obliged  in  the  forest  to  go  armed,  to  protect  himself  agair^st 
attack. 


r\ 


364  AYODHYA. 

joy  and  sorrow,  pleasure  and  pain  were  all  forgotten.  Cry- 
ing '  Mercy,  mercy,  0  lord  and  master  ! '  he  fell  flat  on  the 
ground,  like  a  log.  Lakshman  recognized  his  loving  cry 
and  made  obeisance,  knowing  that  it  must  be  Bharat.  On 
the  one  hand  he  was  moved  by  brotherly  affection,  but  on 
the  other  was  the  stronger  claim  of  obedience  to  his  lord. 
Unable  to  embrace  him  and  yet  loth  to  refrain  ;  what  poet 
could  describe  Lakshman's  state  of  mind  ?  Though  obedi- 
ence was  the  weightier,  and  therefore  he  stayed,  he  was 
like  a  child  pulling  against  a  kite  high  in  the  air.  Bowing 
his  head  to  the  ground,  he  said  affectionately  :  "  It  is  Bharat, 
0  Raghun^th,  who  greets  you."  On  hearing  this,  Rdma 
started  up  in  loving  agitation,  his  robe  flying  in  one  direc- 
tion and  his  quiver  and  bow  and  arrows  in  another. 

Dohd  231. 

Whether  he  would  or  no,  the  All-compassionate  took 
and  raised  him  up  and  clasped  him  to  his  bosom.  Those 
who  witnessed  the  meeting  of  Bharat  and  Rama  lost  all 
self-consciousness. 

Ghaupdi. 

How  can  such  an  affectionate  meeting  be  described  ? 
Their  thoughts,  words  and  actions  were  beyond  any  poet. 
Both  brothers  were  filled  with  the  utmost  love  ;  self,  reason, 
knowledge  and  understanding  were  all  forgotten.  Tell  me 
who  can  pourtray  such  perfect  love  ?  by  what  shadow  can 
the  poet's  mind  attain  to  it  ?  If  the  poet  has  a  model,  he 
can  work  out  his  meaning  by  the  force  of  words,  and  players 
dance  when  they  have  an  accompaniment ;  but  the  love  of 
Rima  and  Bharat  is  unapproachable,  beyond  the  conception! 
even  of  Brahma,  Vishnu  and  Siva;  how  then  can  I  describe 
it  ?  If  an  instrument  is  only  strung  with  grass,^  can  it  mak< 
sweet  music?  When  the  gods  saw  the  meeting  of  Bharatj 
and  Raghubar  they  were  alarmed  and  trembled  all  over ;  but] 

1  I  know  no  other  instance  of  the  use  of  the  word  gddari  in  the  sense 
"grass,"  which  is  the  meaning  that  the  best  Hindn  commentators  give 
here.     It  ordinarily  means  '  a  sheep.' 


AYODHYA.  365 

when  Vrihaspati  had   spoken    to    them,    they  awoke  from 
their  folly  and  rained  down  flowers  and  applauded. 
Doha  232. 
After  affectionately  embracing  Satrughna,  Rdma  greet- 
ed the  pilot  ;  and  then  Lakshman    too  as  a    brotlier   conrte- 

ously  greeted  Bharat. 

Chaupdi. 

When  he  had  fondly  embraced  his  younger  brother, 
Lakshman  next  took  the  Nishdd  to  his  bosom.  Then  the  two 
brothers,  Bharat  and  Satrughna,  after  reverencing  all  the 
saints  and  joyfully  receiving  from  them  the  desired  blessing 
in  a  rapture  of  love,  placed  on  their  head  the  dust  of  Sita's 
lotus  feet.  As  they  again  and  again  prostrated  themselves 
she  raised  them  up,  and  with  a  touch  of  her  lotus  hands  mo- 
tioned them  to  be  seated  ;  in  her  heart  invoking  a  blessing 
upon  them,  and  so  absorbed  in  affection  as  to  lose  all  self- 
consciousness.  When  he  saw  Sita5o  thoroughly  propitious, 
he  became  free  from  anxiety  and  all  fear  passed  away.  No 
one  made  any  remark  nor  asked  any  question ;  the  soul  was 
so  full  of  love  that  it  ceased  to  act.  Then  the  pilot  took  cour- 
age and  bowing  with  clasped  hands  made  humble  petition  : 

Doha  233. 

"  Distressed  by  your  absence,  my  lord,  there  have  come 
with  the  great  sage  your  mothers  and  all  the  people  of  the 
city,  your  servants,  captains  and  ministers." 

Chaupdi. 

When  the  Ocean  of  amiability  heard  the  guru  had  come, 
he  left  Satrughna  with  Sita  and  went  off  in  haste  that 
very  minute  ;  he  Rdma,  the  steadfast,  the  righteous,  the  all- 
merciful.  On  seeing  the  guru,  he  and  his  brother  were 
delighted  and  fell  oq  their  faces  to  the  ground.  The  holy 
man  ran  and  raised  them  up  and  embraced  them,  and 
greeted  both  brothers  with  the  utmost  affection.  The  pilot, 
quivering  with  emotion,  gave  his  name  and  prostrated 
himself  afar  off  ;  but  the  Rishi  must  needs  greet  him  as  a 
friend  of  Rdma's,  as    though    love  had  been  spilt  upon  the 


366  AYODHYA. 

ground  and  he  stopped  to  pick  it  up.  Faith  in  Rdma  is 
the  root  of  all  goods ;  in  heaven  the  gods  applauding  rained 
down  flowers  :  '*  There  is  no  one  so  utterly  vile  as  he,  nor 
any  one  in  the  world  equal  to  the  great  Vasishtha  : 

Doha  234. 
yet  the  king  of  saints  on    seeing   him    was    overjoyed    and 
embraced    him    before    Lakshman ;    so    glorious    in    their 
manifestation  are  the  effects  of  faith  in  Sita's  lord." 

Chaiipdi. 

Finding  all  the  people  sad,  R'ima,  the  all-merciful  and 
all-wise  God,  gave  every  one  his  wish  in  the  way  he  most 
desired  :  in  an  instant  he  and  his  brothei  embraced  them  all 
and  at  once  removed  the  sore  anguish  of  their  pain.  This 
was  no  such  great  thing  for  Rima  to  do ;  similarly  the  sun 
is  reflected  at  once  in  a  thousand  water-jars.  All  the 
citizens  with  rapturous  affection  embraced  the  pilot  and 
praised  his  good  fortune.  Seeing  his  mothers  as  woe- 
begone as  the  sf)rays  of  some  delicate  creeper  smitten  by 
the  frost,  Rdma  first  of  all  saluted  Keikeyi,  softening  her 
will  by  his  gentleness  and  piety.  Falling  at  her  feet  he 
soothed  her  with  many  words,  attributing  all  the  blame  to 
Fate,  Destiny  and  Providence. 

Dohd  235.       . 

Raghubar  embraced  all  his  mothers  and  consoled  them, 

saying  :  *  Mother,  the  world  is  subject  to  God  ;    there  is  no 

one  to  blame.' 

CJiaupdi. 

The  two  brothers  l<issed  the  feet  of  their  gurus  wife;  as 
also  of  the  BrAhman  ladies  who  had  accompanied  her,  pay- 
ing the  same  honour  to  them  as  to  Ganga  and  Gauri  ;  and 
they  with  gentle  voice  gladly  gave  them  their  blessing. 
When  he  embraced  SumitrA,  after  clasping  her  feet,  he  was 
like  a  beggar  who  has  picked  up  a  fortune.  Then  both 
brothers  fell  at  the  feet  of  queen  Kausalyd  and  their  whole 
body  was  convulsed  with  love ;  the  mother  took  them 
tenderly  to  her  bosom  and  bathed  them  with  tears  of 
affection.     Hovsr  can  any  poet  describe  the  mingled  joy  and 


AtODHYA.  367 

grief  of  such  a  time,  any  more  than  a  dumb  man  can 
express  the  sweetness  that  he  tastes?  After  embracing 
their  mother,  Rdma  and  his  brother  requested  the  guru  to 
accompany  them,  and  at  his  command  the  citizens  crossed 
over,  admiring  the  scenery  as  they  went. 
Doha  236. 

Taking  with  them  the  Brahmans,  the  Minister,  the 
quens,  the  guru^  and  some  others  chosen  out  of  the  people, 
Bharat,  Lakshman  and  Raghun^th  proceeded  to  the  holy 
hermitage. 

Chaupdi. 

Sita  came  and  embraced  the  saint's  feet  and  received 
the  precious  blessing  that  her  soul  desired.  The  affectionate 
manner  in  which  she  greeted  the  guru's  wife  and  the  Brah- 
man ladies  is  beyond  description.  Again  and  again  she 
kissed  all  their  feet  and  received  their  benediction  rejoic- 
ing her  heart.  When  the  queen-mothers  looked  at  Sita, 
they  closed  their  eyes  and  shuddered  to  see  her  so  delicate, 
like  some  cygnet  fallen  into  the  clutch  of  a  fowler  ;  what  a 
cruel  thing  God  has  done  !  As  they  gazed  at  her,  they 
became  distrest  beyond  measure,  that  she  should  have  to 
bear  all  that  Fate  had  put  upon  her.  Then  Janak's  daughter 
summoning  up  courage,  while  her  dark  lotus  eyes  were 
suffused  with  tears,  went  and  embraced  all  her  mothers-in- 
law  ;  and  that  moment  Earth  reeked  with  piteousness. 
Doha  237. 

Again  and  again  kissing  all  their  feet,  Sita  most  tender- 
ly embraced  them  :  and  from  their  heart  came  the  loving 
benediction  *  May  you  long  live  a  happy  wife  ! ' 

Chaupdi. 

Sita  and  the  queens  being  thus  agitated  by  emotion,  the 
learned  guru  bade  them  all  be  seated.  First  he  expound- 
ed to  them  the  instability  of  the  world  and  spoke  a  little 
of  the  joys  of  heaven,  and  then  announced  the  king's  death. 
At  the  news  Raghunjith  was  grievously  distrest ;  thinking 
he  had  died  out  of  love  for  him,  the  firmest  of  the  firm    was 


368  AYODHYl. 

sore  shaken.  On  hearing  the  sad  tidings,  which  fell  upon 
them  like  a  thunderbolt,  Lakshman,  8ita  and  all  the  queens 
broke  out  into  lamentations,  and  the  whole  assembly  was 
as  much  agitated  as  if  the  king  had  died  only  that  very  day. 
Then  the  great  sage  exhorted  lUma  and  directed  him  and  all 
the  people  to  bathe  in  the  sacred  stream.  All  that  day  the 
lord  fasted  even  from  water;  and  though  the  saint  allowed 
them,  no  one  else  would  drink  either. 
Dohd  238. 

At  daybreak,  according  to  the  order  given  him  by  the 
saint,  the  lord  Raghunandan  reverently  and  devoutly  per- 
formed his  father's  funeral  obsequies. 

Ghaupdi 

Having  celebrated  every  rite  as  prescribed  in  the  Veda, 
he  became  pure,  even  he,  the  Sun  to  annihilate  the  night 
of  sin,  whose  name,  is  a  fire  that  consumes  the  cotton  of 
wickedness,  and  which  if  merely  invoked  is  the  source  of 
all  prosperity.  He  became  pure,  in  liKe  manner  as,  theo- 
logians say,  a  bather  in  the  Ganges  who  invokes  other  tiraths 
is  purified. •  After  his  purification,  when  two  days  had 
passed,  Rama  said  affectionately  to  the  guru  :  "  My  lord,  all 
the  people  are  much  inconvenienced  by  having  nothing  to 
take  but  water  and  the  wild  produce  of  the  woods.  When 
I  look  at  Bharat  and  his  brothers,  the  Minister  and  ail  the 
queens,  a  minute  seems  to  me  like  an  age.  Return,  I  pray, 
with  all  of  them  to  the  city  :  for  you  are  here,  the  king  is 
in  heaven,  and  there  is  no  one  left  at  Ayodhya.  I  have  said 
too  much  and  have  presumed  greatly  :    but  do,  sir,   as   you 

think  best." 

Doha  239. 
"0  Rdma,  bulwark  of  righteousness,  home  of  compas- 
sion, it  is  but  natural  for  you  to  speak  thus  :  the  people  are 
wearied,  let  them  rest  for  two  days  and  enjoy  your  presence." 


1  In  till*  Ganges  are  concentrated  the  virtues  of  all  holy  places  :  any  one 
who  bathes  in  it  is  purified,  and  it  is  therefore  a  work  of  8U[)ereri)gation  for 
him  to  invoke  any  other  power.  He  cannot  make  himself  downer  than  he 
had  become  already  ;  nor  could  Uama,  the  all-pure,  become  purer  by  any 
net  of  ceremonial  purification. 


AYODHYA.  369 

Ghauydi. 

On  hearing  Rdma's  words,  the  assembly  was  in  dismay, 
like  a  ship  tossed  on  the  ocean  ;  but  when  they  heard  the 
saint's  auspicious  speech,  it  was  as  if  the  wind  had  turned 
in  their  favour.  At  the  three  set  titnes  they  bathed  in  the 
sacred  stream,  the  mere  sight  of  which  destroys  any  mul- 
titude of  sins  ;  and  ever  feasting  their  eyes  ')n  the  incarna- 
tion of  blessedness,  and  again  and  again  prostrating  them- 
selves before  him,  they  looked  and  rejoiced.  Then  they  went 
to  see  Rdma'shill  and  wood  where  all  was  good  and  nought 
evil :  the  torrents  flowing  with  streams  of  nectar  ;  the  air 
so  soft,  cool  and  fragrant  that  it  soothed  every  pain  of  mind 
or  body  ;  the  trees,  creepers  and  grasses  of  infinite  variety  ; 
the  many  kinds  of  fruits,  flowers  and  sprays ;  the  magnificent 
rocks  and  the  pleasant  shade  under  the  trees,  all  made  the 
forest  beautiful  beyond  description. 
Dohd  240 

The  ponds  were  gay  with  lotuses,  the  haunt  of  cooing 
waterfowl  and  buzzing  bees,  while  forgetful  of  mutual  anti- 
pathies,  beasts  roamed   in  the   forest  and  birds  of  varied 

plumage. 

Ghauydi . 

The  Kols,  Kirats  and  Bhfls,  the  inhabitants  of  the 
woods,  brought  delicious  honey  sweet  as  nectar,  and  piled  up 
leafy  bowls  with  herbs,  roots,  fruits  and  flowers  daintily 
arranged.  With  humble  salutations  they  offered  them  to 
all  telling  the  taste,  character,  quality  and  name  of  each. 
The  people  offered  a  liberal  price,  but  they  would  not 
accept  it,  and  begged  them  for  Rama's  sake  to  take  it  back, 
saying  in  gentle  tones  in  the  depth  of  their  affection  : 
"  The  good  accept  what  they  know  to  be  of  love.  You  are 
holy,  and  we  low  Nishdds;  by  Rama's  favour  we  have  been 
admitted  into  your  presence,an  honour  as  difficult  of  attain- 
ment for  us  as  for  the  desert  of  M^ru  to  be  watered  by  the 
Ganges.  Rama  is  merciful  and  the  Nish>«ds'  patron  ;  as  is 
the  king,  so  should  be  his  family  and  subjects. 

R-50 


3?0  AYODHYA. 

Doha  241. 

Consider  this  in  your  mind,  and  without  more  demur  recog- 
nize our  affection  and  make   friends  with  us  ;    accept  these 
fruits  and  herbs  and  flowers  and  so  render  us  happy. 
Chaupdi. 

You  have  come  to  the  forest  as  our  welcome  guests, 
though  we  are  all  unworthy  to  do  you  service.  And  what  is 
it,  sirs,  that  we  offer  you  ?  Fuel  and  fodder  are  a  Kir^t's 
tokens  of  friendship,  and  our  greatest  service  is  not  to  steal 
and  run  off  with  your  clothes  and  dishes.  We  are  a  rude 
people,  often  taking  life,  of  vile  nature  and  vile  pursuits, 
low-minded  and  low-born,  who  day  and  night  commit  sin, 
without  either  clothes  for  the  body  or  food  to  satisfy  the 
belly ;  how  could  we  possibly  have  ever  dreamt  of  the  know- 
ledge of  virtue,  but  for  the  effectual  apparition  of  Rama? 
Since  we  beheld  our  lord's  lotus  feet,  our  sore  distress  and 
sin  have  both  been  removed."'  On  hearing  this  speech, 
the  citizens  were  much  affected  and  broke  out  into  praises 
of  their  good  fortune. 

Ghhand  10. 

All  began  to  praise  their  good  fortune  and  addressed 
them  in  loving  terms,  being  delighted  to  find  in  their  speech 
and  attitude  such  devotion  to  the  feet  of  Sita  and  Rjima. 
Every  one,  man  or  woman,  thought  little  of  his  own  devo- 
tion, on  hearing  the  language  of  the  Kols  and  Bhils  ; 
through  the  mercy  of  the  jewel  of  Raghu's  line  (saysTulsi) 
a  boat  floats,  even  though  laden  with  iron. 

Sorathi  9.       ^  t^%^ 

Day  after  day  all  the  people  felt  as  great  delight,  as  they 

roamed   through  every  part  of  the   forest,  as  the   frogs  andi 

peacocks  when  invigorated  by  a  shower  at  the  beginning  oi 

the  rains. 

Chaupdi. 

The  citizens  of  Ayodhy/C  were  so  absorbed   in  excess  ofi 

love  that  a  day   was  gone  in  a  minute.     Sita,  assuming  asi 

many  forms  as  she   had   mothers-in-law,  waited  reverently] 


AYODHYA.  371 

upon  tliern  all  witli  equal  attention.  -  No  one  but  Rima 
noticed  the  miracle  ;  for  Sita  is  the  very  power  of  delusion, 
and  he  Delusion's  lord.  Sita  won  over  all  the  queens  by 
her  services,  and  they  being  pleased  gave  her  both  instruc- 
tioa  and  benediction.  Looking  at  Si'ta  and  the  two  noble 
brothers,  the  wicked  queen  repented  bitterly  :  and  Kaikeyi 
now  prays  in  her  heart :  "  Is  there  no  escape  for  me  ?  Does  1 
God  refuse  me  even  death  ?  as  it  is  declared  in  the  Vedas 
and  by  popular  tradition,  and  as  the  poets  also  have  sung, 
that  if  Rdma  be  against  you,  not  even  in  hell  can  you  find 
a  restingplace."  Now  this  was  the  question  in  ev^ery  one's 
mind  :  "  Good  God,  will  Rama  return  to  Avadh  or  not  ?  " 

Doha  24:2.  ' 

Bharat  was  so  anxious  and  sorely  perplext  that  he  could 
neither  sleep  by  night  nor  eat  by  day,  like  as  a  fish  sunk  in 
the  last  of  the  mud  is  in  trouble  about  water.^ 

Chaupdi. 
"  It  was  Fate  in  my  mother's  f()rm  that  did  me  this 
injury,  as  when  a  ricefield  ripening  for  the  harvest  is  smit- 
ten by  hail.  In  what  manner  can  Rama's  coronation  be 
secured  r  There  is  nothing  now  left  for  me  to  do.  He 
would  certainly  return  in  obedience  to  an  order  of  the  guru; 
but  then  the  saint  will  only  order  what  he  knows  Rflma  to 
wish.  At  his  mother's  bidding,  too,  he  would  return,  but 
Kausalyd,  would  never  insist  upon  anything.  Of  what  ac- 
count am  I,  who  am  only  his  vassal,  and  am  fallen  upon  evil 
times,  and  have  God  against  me.  If  1  resist  him,  it  would  be 
a  grievous  sin  ;  for  the  duty  of  a  servant  to  his  master  out- 
weighs KaiWs."  Without  being  able  to  settle  a  single  plan 
in  his  mind,  Bharat  spent  the  whole  night  in  thought.  At 
daybreak  he  bathed,  bowed  his  head  to  his  lord,  and  was 
sitting  down  when  he  was  sent  for  by  the  Rishi. 

1  The  fish  thinks  to  himself,  '  There  is  novv  only  a  little  mud  lefr,  in 
which  I  can  just  manage  to  live  ;  if  that  too  dries  up,  what  on  earth  am  I 
to  do  for  water  ? '  In  like  manner  Bharat  was  thinking  '  The  two  days  are 
now  nearly  over  ;  when  they  are  gone  and  1  am  left  without  Rama,  how  shall 
I  be  able  to  survive  ? 


372  AYODHYA. 

Doha  243. 

After  saluting  the  guru's  lotus  feet  and  receiving  his  per- 
mission, he  took  his  seat  :  while  all  ihe  Brdhmans,  nobles 
and  ministers  of  state  came  and  assembled  in  council. 

Chaupdi. 

The  great  sage  addressed  them  in  words  appropriate  to 
the  occasion :  '*  Hearken,  ye  counsellor,  and  you,  wise 
Bharat.  The  champion  of  righteousness,  the  sun  of  the 
Solar  race,  king  Rima,  the  autocratic,  the  lord  God,  the 
ocean  of  truth,  the  protector,  the  bulwark  of  scripture,  has 
taken  birth  for  the  benefit  of  the  whole  world.  Obedient 
to  the  word  of  his  guru  and  his  father  and  mother  ;  destroy- 
ing the  armies  of  the  wicked  and  befriending  the  gods  ;  in 
policy  and  devotion,  in  all  things  that  pertain  to  this  life  or 
ihe  next,  there  is  no  one  equal  to  RAma  in  the  knowledge 
of  what  is  right.  Brdhma,  Vishnu  and  Siva  ;  the  sun,  the 
moon,  the  guardians  of  the  spheres  ,  Delusion,  life,  Fate,  and 
this  Iron  age  ;  the  sovereigns  of  hell,  the  sovereigns  of  earth 
and  all  the  powers  tliat  be ;  magic  and  sorcery  and  every 
spell  in  the  Vedas  and  the  Tantras— ponder  it  in  your  heart 
and  consider  well— all  are  obedient  to  Rdma's  commands. 

Dohd  244. 

If  we  observe  RAma's  pleasure  and  commands,  it  will 
be  well  for  us  all ;  now,  wise  sirs,  think  it  over,  and  all  re- 
solve to  do  whatever  may  be  decided. 

Chaupdi. 

Rtima's  coronation  will  be  agreeable  to  all,  as  a  sure 
source  of  happiness  and  tlie  one  way  to  felicity.  How  is  he 
to  be  brought  back  to  Avadh  ?  Think  before  you  speak, 
and  upon  that  plan  we  will  act.*'  All  listened  respectfully 
to  Vasishtha's  speech,  full  as  it  was  of  justice,  religion  andj 
worldly  wisdom  ;  but  no  answer  was  forthcoming:  every  one! 
was  dumbfounded,  till  with  bowed  head  and  clasped  handaj 
Bharat  spoke  :  '*  In  the  Solar  race  there  have  been  manyj 
kings,  each  one  greater  than  the  other  ;  all  owed  their  birti 
to  their  parents,  but  their  good  or  ill  fortune  was  the  gift 


AYODHYA.  373 

of  God.  And,  as  all  the  world  knows,  it  was  through  your 
blessing  that  they  triumphed  over  sorrow  and  attained 
complete  prosperity  ;  whatever  the  course  of  fate  that  you, 
sir,  marked  out  for  them,  none  could  alter  it  ;  it  was  fixed 
immoveably. 

Doha  245. 
And    yet  now  you    ask    advice   of    me  :  such  is  my  ill 
fate."     When  the  guru  heard  this  affectionate  speech,  love 
sprung  up  in  his  heart. 

Ghawpdi. 

"  My  son,  this  is  a  true  saying,  it  is  all  Rd,ma's  mercy ; 
without  R^ma  no  one  can  ever  dream  of  happiness.  There 
is  one  way,  my  son,  thougli  I  am  ashamed  to  propose  it  ; 
but  a  wise  man  will  sacrifice  the  half  when  he  sees  the 
whole  going  ;  do  you  two  brothers  go  into  exile,  then 
Lakshman,  Sita  and  RAma  will  come  back."  On  hearing 
this  favourable  speech,  the  two  brothers  rejoiced  and  their 
whole  body  thrilled  with  excitement  ;  they  were  as  pleased 
at  heart  and  as  radiant  all  over  as  if  king  Dasarath  had 
been  restored  to  life  and  Rdma  were  already  enthroried. 
The  people  gained  much  and  sacrificed  little ;  but  the 
queens  all  wept,  for  their  pain  was  equal  to  their  joy.i 
Said  Bharat  :  "  What  the  saint  has  proposed  is  already 
as  good  as  done  ;  he  has  granted  me  the  one  thing  above  all 
others  that  I  most  desired.  I  will  stay  all  my  life  in  the 
forest  ;  there  is  nothing  I  should  like  better. 
Doha  246. 

Rama  and  Sita  know  my  heart  and  you  are  full  of 
knowledge  and  wisdom  ;  if,  my  lord,  you  mean  what  you 
say,  make  your  word  good." 

Chaupdi. 

Hearing  Bharat's  words  and  seeing  his  love,  the  saint 
and  the  whole  assembly  were  transported  out  of  themselves. 
Bharat's  vast  generosity  was  like  a  sheet  of  water  and  the 
saint's  proposal  like  a  woman  standing  on  its  brink,  anxious 
to  cross  and  trying  different  ways,  but  unable  to  find  either 

I  For,  though  they  recovered  two  of  their  sons,  they  lost  the  other  two. 


374  AYODHYA. 

ship,  boat,  or  raft.  Who  can  describe  Bharai's  magnani- 
mity ?  Can  the  ocean  be  contained  in  a  river-shell  ?  The 
saint  was  inwardly  at  heart  charmed  with  Bharat,  and 
accompanied  by  the  assembly  went  to  R^ma.  The  lord 
saluted  him  and  led  him  to  a  seat  of  honour  and  on  receiv- 
ing the  saint's  permission  all  sat  down.  Then  spoke 
Vasishtha  in  well-considered  words,  according  to  the  cir- 
cumstances of  the  place  and  time:  "Hearken,  R6ma ; 
you  are  omniscient  and  wise,  a  store-house  of  piety, 
prudence,  virtue  and  intelligence  ; 

DoU  247. 
you  dwell  in  the  hearts  of  all  and    know  what    they  really 
wish  or  do  not  wish  :  now  advise  what  will  be  best  for  your 
subjects,  your  mothers  and  Bharat. 

Chaupdi. 
A  man  in  pain  talks  wildly,  and  a  gambler  watches  only 
his  own  play."^  *'  On  hearing  the  saint's  speech,  Raghur^i 
replied  :  "  My  lord,  the  remedy  is  in  your  own  hands.  To 
attend  to  your  wishes  will  be  best  for  all.  Only  give  the 
order,  and  cheerfully,  I  assure  you,  whatever  you  com- 
mands may  be,  I  answer  for  myself  in  the  first  place,  those 
instructions  I  will  dutifully  obey  ;  and  after  me,  each,  as 
he  has  his  orders,  will  hasten  to  do  his  service."  Said  the 
saint :  Rdma,  you  say  truly  ;  but  Bharat's  affection  has 
disturbed  calculation  ;  therefore  I  say  again  and  again  my 
judgment  is  overcome  by  Bharat's  piety  ;  in  my  opinion, 
Siva  be  my  witness,  whatever  will  please  Bharat  is  the 
best  thing  to  be  done. 

Doha  248. 
Listen   respectfully  to   Bharat's  prayer  ;  reconsider  the 
matter;  and  after  weighing    well  the  duties  of  a  king  and 
the  texts  of   Scripture,    take  the  advice   given  you  both  by 
philosophers  and  men  of  the  world." 

Chaupdi. 
Seeing  the  guru's  love  for  Bharat,  Riraa's  heart  rejoiced 

1  Therefore  we  come    for    advice   to  you,    being  too  much  excited  an 
having  too  great  a  personal    interest   in  the   matter   to   judge  for   oiirscilvus 
calmly  and  impartially, 


AYODHYA.  375 

exceedingly,  for  he  knew  Bharat  to  be  a  champion  of 
righteousness,  and  in  thought,  word  and  deed  his  own 
faithful  servant.  In  obedience  to  the  guru's  commands,  he 
made  this  sweet,  gentle  and  excellent  reply  :  "  I  swear  by 
you,  my  lord,  and  by  my  father's  feet  that  in  all  the  world 
there  has  been  no  brother  like  Bharat.  All  who  love  the 
lotus  feet  of  their  guru  are  highly  blessed  :  so  say  both  the 
world  and  the  Veda.  But  who  can  tell  Bharat's  blessedness, 
to  whom  such  love  has  been  shown  by  you  ?  When  I  look 
at  him,  my  younger  brother,  my  senses  are  abashed,  as  I 
thus  praise  him  to  his  face.  Whatever  Bharat  says,  that  will 
be  good  for  us  to  do."  Having  so  said  Rdma  remained  silent. 
Doha  249. 

Then  the  saint  said  to  Bharat.  "  Put  aside  all  diffidence, 
my  son,  and  tell  the  Ocean    of  mercy,  your  own  dear  bro- 
ther, what  you  really  have  at  heart." 
Ghaupdi, 

Hearing  the  saint's  address,  and  having  already  receiv- 
ed Rdma's  consent,  he  was  satisfied  of  the  good-will  both  of 
his  guru  and  his  master  ;  but  seeing  the  weight  of  the  whole 
business  put  upon  his  head,  he  could  say  nothing  and  re- 
mained lost  in  thought,  as  he  stood  in  the  assembly, 
quivering  all  over  his  body,  and  his  lotus  eyes  filled  with 
the  moisture  of  affection  :  "  The  king  of  saints  has  already 
spoken  for  me  :  what  more  is  there  for  me  to  say  ?  I  know 
my  lord's  amiable  disposition,  that  he  never  shows  displea- 
sure even  to  the  guilty  ;  and  for  me  he  has  a  special  tender- 
ness and  love  ;  even  in  play  he  never  gave  me  an  angry  look. 
From  a  child  1  have  never  left  him,  and  never  at  any 
time  has  he  wounded  my  feelings.  I  have  observed  my 
lord's  gracious  ways ;  when   beating  me   in  any  game  he 

would  allow  me  to  win. 

Doha  250. 

I  am    too  much    overcome  by    affection  and  modesty  to 

say  a  word  before  him  ;    to  this  day  my  eyes,  thirsting  for 

his  love,  have  not  been  satiated  with  the  sight  of  him. 


376  AIODHYA. 

Chaupdi. 

God  could  not  endure  my  fondness,  and  cruelly  inter- 
posed an  obstacle  by  means  of  my  mother.  In  saying  this 
now  I  do  myself  no  honour.  Who  is  made  good  by  his  own 
good  estimation  ?  To  get  into  my  mind  that  my  mother  is 
a  wretch  and  I  myself  good  and  upright  is  a  thousand  times 
worse.  Can  rice  be  produced  from  stalks  of  kodo,^  or  the 
shells  of  a  pond  sweat  pearls  ?  Not  a  shadow  of  blame  or 
wrong-doing  attaches  to  any  one  ;  it  is  my  ilHuck,  like  some 
fathomless  ocean.  Not  perceiving  that  it  is  the  fruit  of  my 
own  sins,  I  revile  my  mother,  to  my  own  undoing.  I  search 
my  heart,  but  am  beaten  all  round.  In  one  matter  only  am 
I  really  fortunate  ;  with  Vasishtha  for  my  guru  and  Sita  and 
Rama  for  my  masters,  things  must  come  right  in  the  end. 

Dohd25i. 

In  this  honourable  assemblage,  in  the  presence  of  my 
lord  and  my  guru  and  in  this  holy  place,  I  speak  my  true 
sentiments  ;  the  saint  and  Rdma  know  whether  my  affection 
is  sincere  or  feigned,  and  my  words  true  or  false. 

Ghaupdi, 

The  whole  world  is  witness  to  the  king's  death,  the 
result  of  his  uncompromising  love,  and  to  my  mother's 
wickedness  ;  the  queens  are  so  woe-begone  that  I  cannot 
bear  to  look  at  them  ;  the  citizens  are  consumed  by  intoler- 
able anguish  ;  and  I  am  the  cause  of  all  their  troubles ;  and 
yet  though  I  hear  and  feel  all  this,  I  can  still  endure  the 
torment.  When  I  heard  that  Raghunath  had  taken  with 
him  Lakshman  and  Sita,  and  in  pilgrim's  weeds  had  set  out 
for  the  woods,  without  shoes  and  walking  on  foot,  be  Sun- 
kara  my  witness,  how  I  survived  the  misery.  Again,  when  I 
saw  the  Nishnd's  devotion,  my  heart  must  have  been  harder 
than  adamant  not  to  break.  A.nd  now  I  have  come  and  with 
my  own  eyes  have  seen  everything  ;  surely  in  this  life  my 
wretched  soul  has  borne  all  that  can  be  borne.  The  serpents 

1  The  kodo  (Sanskrit  ko/lrava  is  \hv  Paspalum  fnimcntareum  or  .u-rohi- 
CHla  tuin,  which  bears  a  small  grain  of  inferior  quality, eaten  only  \>y  the  boor. 


AYODHYA.  377 

and  scorpioDs  on  the  road  at  the  sight  of  them  forget  their 
virulent  venom  and  savage  viciousness  ; 

Doha  252. 
but  to  her  Rama,  Lakshman  and  Sita  appeared  as  enemies  ; 
and  how    can  God   spare  her  son,  or    on  whom    would  he 
rather  inflict  intolerable  pain  ? 

Chaupdi. 

On  hearing  these  lamentable  words  of  Bharat's,  fraught 
with  distress  and  love,  humility  and  discretion,  the  whole 
assembl}^  was  lost  in  sorrow  and  anxiety,  as  when  the  frost 
smites  a  bed  of  lotuses.  The  learned  sage  comforted  Bharat 
by  reference  to  various  ancient  legends,  and  Rama,  the 
moon  of  the  liles  of  the  solar  race,  spoke  thus  in  seemly 
wise  ;  "  Brother,  grieve  not  your  heart  in  vain  ;  know  that 
the  ways  of  life  are  in  God's  hands,  To  my  mind,  brother, 
all  the  men  of  highest  renown  for  virtue  in  all  time,  past, 
present  or  future,  and  in  the  three  spheres  of  creation,  fall 
short  of  you  Whoever  even  imagines  wickedness  in  you 
shall  perish  both  in  this  life  and  in  the  next.  It  is  only 
fools,  who  have  never  studied  in  the  school  of  philosophy 
and  religion,  who  ascribe  blame  to  your  mother. 
Doha  253. 

Sin,  Delusion  and  the  burden  of  every  ill   are  destroyed 
by  the  invocation  of  your    name,  glory  is  own  in  this  world 
and  eternal  happiness  in  the  world  to  come. 
Chaupdi. 

Be  Siva  my  witness  ;  I  state  the  fact  truly  :  the  world, 
Bharat,  exists  by  your  support.  Do  not,  brother,  entertain 
evil  surmises  to  no  purpose  ;  love  and  hatred  cannot  be  hid  : 
birds  and  beasts  come  up  close  to  a  saints,  but  flee  at  the 
sight  of  a  fowler,  though  he  tries  to  stop  them.  If  beasts 
and  birds  can  distinguish  between  friends  and  enemies, 
how  much  more  man,  whose  body  is  a  vessel  of  virtue  and 
intelligence.  I  know  you  thoroughly,  brother  ;  how  can  I 
do  anything  that  would  be  discordant  with  your  spirit  ? 
The  king,  to  keep  his  word,  abandoned  me  and,  to  keep  his 

R-5I 


378  AYODHYA. 

VOW  of  love,  discarded  life  ;  if  I  now  break  his  word,  I  shall 
be  heartily  grieved  ;  and  yet  my  respect  for  you  is  greater  ; 
the  guru  moreover  has  given  me   his  commands  ;  in   short, 
whatever  you  say,  that  I  am  ready  to  do. 
Dohd  254. 

Set  your  mind  at    ease  ;  cease  this  timidity  and   speak 
out;  I  will   do  it  at    once."     When  they  heard  Rama,    the 
ocean  of  truth,  speak  thus,  the  assembly  rejoiced. 
Ghaupdi. 

But  the  king  of  heaven  and  all  the  gods  were  alarmed 
and  began  to  think  '  Things  will  all  go  wrong.'  Though  they 
took  counsel  together,  nothing  came  of  it  ;  mentally^  all 
had  recourse  to  Ritma  for  protection.  After  again  consider- 
ing, they  said  to  one  another  :  R^ma  is  moved  by  the  faith 
of  the  faithful  "  Remembering  the  story  of  Ambarisha  and 
Durvdsas,  Tndra  and  the  gods  were  greatly  dejected.  *  Long 
time  the  gods  endured  distress,  till  at  last  PrahlAd  revealed 
Narsingha.'^  They  beat  their  heads  and  whispered  in  the 
ear  :  *'  Now  our  only  chance  lies  with  Bharat  there  is  no 
other  plan,  sir,  that  I  can  see.  R6ma  accepts  service  done 
to  one  of  his  servants;  do  you  all  with  loving  heart  do 
service  to   Bharat,    and  he  will  subdue  Rdma  to  his  own 

temper." 

Bohd  255. 
When  the  guru  of  t  he  gods  heard  this  their  plan,  he  said : 
Well  done,  you  are  in  great  good  fortune  ;  devotion  to  Bha- 
rat's  feet  is  the  source  of  every  good  in  the  world. 
Ghaupdi. 
The  service  of   the  servant  of  Sita's  lord  is  as  good  as  a 
thousand  Kdmadhenus.     Now  that  you  are  resolved  to  put 
faith  in  Bharat,  cease  to  have  any  anxiety  ;  God  has  provided 


1  If  they  had  pone  to  him  in  person  their  whole  scheme  would  have 
been  frustraJed,  for  Rdvan  woald  have  heard  of  it  and  thus  have  become 
aware  of  RAma's  divinity. 

2  The  legends  of  Ambarisha  and  Prahlad  show  how  ready  Vishnu  (j.^., 
RAma)  has  always  been  to  hear  the  prayers  of  his  followers,  and  how  fierce  is 
his  indignation  against  those  who  persecute  them  ;  it  was  therefore  useless  for 
the  gods  to  think  of  opposing  Bharat ;  their  only  plan  was  to  win  him  ovt  r 
to  their  side. 


AYODHYA. 


37D 


a  way.  See,  Indra,  the  extent  of  Bharat's  power  ;  he  has 
subdued  R^ma  with  the  greatest  ease.  Make  your  mind  easy, 
sir,  never  fear,  knowing  that  Bharat  is  Rama's  shadow." 
the  Lord,  who  knows  the  heart,  was  disturbed  when  he 
heard  the  plans  and  fears  of  Vrihaspati  and  the  other  gods. 
Bharat,  knowing  that  the  whole  responsibility  rested  upon 
him,  was  raising  a  thousand  different  arguments  in  his 
mind.  After  much  deliberation,  he  came  to  the  conclusion 
that  his  happiness  consisted  in  obeying  Rdma.  "He  is 
breaking  his  own  vow  in  order  to  satisfy  me,  and  in  this  is 
showing  me  no  little  love  and  affection. 

Doha  256. 

Sita's  lord  has  in  every  way  done  me  great  and  unboun- 
ded favour."  Then  l)owing  low,  and  with  his  lotus  hands 
clasped  in  supplication,  Bharat  thus  spoke  : 

Ghaupdi. 

"  All-merciful  and  omniscient  lord,  what  now  can  I  say 
myself  or  have  others  to  say  for  me  ?  My  guru  is  pleased 
and  my  master  kind  :  the  imaginary  torments  of  my  trou- 
bled soul  are  all  over.  I  feared  disgrace,  but  my  fear  was 
unreasonable  ;  it  is  no  fault  of  the  sun's  sir,  if  a  man  mis- 
take the  points  of  the  compass.^  My  ill-luck,  my  mother's 
wickedness,  God's  adverse  action,  and  the  malignity  of  fate 
set  themselves  firm  and  combined  to  overthrow  me  ;  but  the 
protector  of  suppliants  has  maintained  his  character  This  is 
no  strange  procedure  of  his  ;  it  is  declared  both  by  Scrip- 
ture and  tradition,  and  is  no  secret.  The  world  is  evil ; 
the  Lord  only  is  good;  tell  me  by  whose  goodness  is  he 
good  save  by  his  own  ?  Your  attributes,  sire,  are  those  of 
the  tree   of   paradise,   which  is  never  either  for  or  against 

any  one  in  particular. 

Doha  257. 

All  who   draw   near   and    acknowledge   that  its  shade 

1  Your  mercy  is  as  sure  as  the  course  of  the  sun  ;  but  even  with  sun  for 
his  guide,  a  man  may  lose  his  way  by  mistaking  the  points  of  the  compass  : 
in  like  manner  1  was  alarmed  through  my  ignorance  of  the  course  that  your 
mercy  was  taking. 


380  AYODHYA. 

^  relieves  every  sorrow,  high  or  low,  rich  or  poor,  ask  and 
obtain  the  fruit  that  they  desire. 
Chaupdi. 
Now  that  I  have  seen  the  affection  of  my  guru  and  iny 
master,  my  anxiety  is  gone  :  my  mind  is  freed  from  doubt. 
Now,  0  Mine  of  compassion,  do  whatever  will  be  for  the 
good  of  your  servant^  without  being  a  trouble  to  the  soul  of 
my  lord.  The  servant  who  worries  his  master  and  seeks 
only  his  own  advantage  is  a  base-minded  varlet.  A  servant's 
gain  is  to  do  his  master's  service,  to  get  him  every  comfort, 
and  not  be  greedy.  If  my  lord  returns  to  Ayodhya,  every 
one  will  be  a  gainer  ;  but  obedience  to  orders  will  be  a 
thousand  times  greater  gain  ;  it  is  the  highest  good  in  this 
world,  and  in  the  next  it  is  the  fruit  of  all  well-doing  and 
the  ornament  of  beatitude.  Listen,  sire,  to  this  my  one 
request,  and  then  do  as  you  think  proper.  I  have  brought 
with  me  all  the  requisites  for  the  coronation  ;  if  you  approve, 
my  lord,  have  them  brought  into  use. 
Doha  258. 
Send  me  and  my  brother  into  the  woods,  and  give  the 
people  back  their  king  ;  or  else  let  Lakshman  and  Satrugh- 
na  return  and  let  me  accompany  you  : 

Chaupdi. 
or  all  three  brothers  go  into  the  woods,  and  only  you  and 
Sita  return.  0  most  merciful  lord,  do  whatever  is  most 
pleasing  to  yourself.  You  have  cast  the  whole  burden  upon 
me,  sire,  v^rho am  unversed  both  in  politics  and  theology;  I 
make  all  my  proposals  on  the  ground  of  worldly  interest  : 
but  when  a  man  is  in  distress  he  cannot  reason.  A  servant 
who  hears  his  master's  orders  and  answers  him  is  one  that 
Shame  herself  would  be  ashamed  to  look  at :  and  yet  though 
I  do  this  and  am  a  fathomless  ocean  of  faultiness,  still  my 
master  in  his  kindness  praises  me  as  good.  Now,  0  merci- 
ful one,  that  plan  best  pleases  me  which  will  cause  my 
lord's  soul  the  least  vexation.  By  my  lord's  feet  I  swear 
that  I  speak  the  truth  ;  there  is  only  one  scheme  for  secur- 
ing the  world's  happiness. 


AYODHYA.  381 

Doha  259. 

If  my  lord  cheerfully    and  without    reserve    will  only  give 

each  one  of  us  his  orders,  they  will  be    reverently  obeyed, 

and  all  this  trouble  and  perplexity,^  will  be  at  an  end." 

Ghaupdi. 

On  hearing  Bharat's  guileless  speech  the  gods  were  glad 
of  heart  and  extolled  his  generosity  and  rained  down  flowers; 
the  people  of  Avadh  were  overwhelmed  with  uncertainty, 
and  the  hermits  and  all  the  dwellers  in  the  woods  were 
greatly  rejoiced.  Raghundth  maintained  an  anxious  silence. 
Seeing  his  state,  the  whole  assembly  became  disturbed. 
At  that  very  moment  arrived  messengers  from  Janak^  . 
Saint  Vasishtha  on  hearing  of  it  sent  for  them  at  once. 
They  made  obeisance  and  looked  towards  Rama.  At  the 
sight  of  his  attire  they  were  exceedingly  grieved.  The 
great  saint  asked  the  embassy  the  news  :  '  Tell  me  is  all 
well  with  the  king  of  Videha  ?'  At  this  question  the  noble 
heralds  with  a  deprecating  air  bowed  their  heads  to  the 
ground  and  with  clasped  hands  replied  :  "  Your  courteous 
enquiry,  sire,  makes  all  well  ; 

Doha  260. 
otherwise,  my  lord,   welfare  died    with  the  king  of  Kosala ; 
the  whole  world  is  in    bereavement,    but  especially  Mithila 
and  Avadh. 

ChoMpdi. 

When  Janak  and  his  court  heard  of  king  Dasarath's 
death,  every  one  was  mad  with  excess  of  grief.  All  who  at 
that  time  saw  Videha  thought  that  name  a  truly  appropriate 
one^  .  As  he  listened  to  the  tale  of  the  queen's  wickedness, 
the  monarch  became  as  helpless  as  a  serpent  without  its 
headjewel.     Bharat  king,  and  Rdraa  in  exile  !  Janak's  soul 

1  Avarera,  which  I  translate  '  perplexity,'  is  explained  by  the  Hindu 
oonomentators  as  meaning  the  same  as  f/hdt  or  j)ench  The  word  is  not 
given  in  Dr.  Fallon's  or  any  other  Hindustani-English  Dictionary  that  I 
have  seen.     A»at  is  for  ant. 

2  Janak's  visit  and  the  long  discussions  that  follow  it,  which  occupy 
almost  all  the  remaindi  r  of  this  book,  are  the  invention  of  Tulsi  Dds,  and 
find  no  counterpart  in  the  Sanscrit  poem. 

3  Videha,  meaning  literally  '  out  of  the  body,'  and  Janak  being  out  of 
his  mind,  beside  himself,  as  we  should  say,  for  grief, 


382  AYODHYA. 

was  sore  distrest.  He  enquired  of  all  liis  wist  men  and 
ministers,  'Consider  and  tell  me  what  ought  now  to  be 
done.'  Reflecting  on  the  state  of  Avadh  and  the  double 
difficulty,  if  he  went  or  if  he  stayed,  no  one  gave  any  answer. 
After  reasoning  with  himself,  the  king  resolved  to  send 
four  clever  spies  to  Avadh,  to  discover  whether  Bharat 
meant  well  or  ill,  and  return  in  haste  without  being  seen. 
Dohd  2QI. 

The  spies  went  to  Avadh,  ascertained  Bharat's  move- 
ments and  saw  what  he  was  doing,  that  he  had  started  for 
Chitra-kdt,  and  then  went  back  to  Tirhut. 

Chaupni. 

On  their  arrival,  they  announced  in  Janak's  court  to  the 
best  of  their  ability  all  Bharat's  doings.  The  guru,  the  citi- 
zens, the  ministers  and  the  king  were  all  agitated  with  grief 
and  love  at  the  report.  Restraining  his  emotion  and  glori- 
fying Bharat,  he  summoned  his  warriors,  and  captains, i 
and  having  stationed  guards  for  the  palace,  city,  and  realm 
and  made  ready  horses,  elephants,  chariots  and  conveyances 
of  every  description,  all  in  less  than  an  hour,  the  king  set 
out  and  halted  nowhere  on  the  road,  but  this  morning  at 
daybreak  bathed  at  Prayelg.  The  host  has  begun  to  cross 
the  Jamund  and  we,  my  lord,  have  been  sent  on  ahead  for 
news."  So  saying,  they  bowed  the  h^-ad  to  the  ground. 
The  saint  at  once  gave  them  an  escort  of  six  or  seven 
KirAts  and  allowed  them  to  take  leave. 
Dohd  262. 

The  people  of  Avadh  were  all  delighted  to  hear  of  Ja- 
nak's arrival  ;  but  Raghunandan  was  greatly  disquieted 
and  Indra  overwhelmed  with  alarm  : 

Chaupdi. 
the  wicked  Kaikeyi  was  sinking  with  remorse,  *to  whom  shall 
I  be  able  to  speak  or  whom  can  I  blame  ?*  while  the  people 
were  delighted  with  the  thought  that   now   they  had   got 

1  Sdfuini,   which    I    translate  '  captains,'   is  a   word   not  given    in  any 
dictionarv. 


AYODHYA.  383 

another  day  or  two  to  stay.  In  this  manner  the  day  was 
spent.  On  the  morrow  all  bathed  and  after  their  ablutions 
worshipped  Ganes,  Gauri,  Siva  and  the  Sun;  then  rever- 
enced the  feet  of  Lakshman's  lord  and  offered  up  their  pray- 
ers, the  men^  raising  their  joined  hands,  the  women  hold- 
ing out  the  skirt  of  their  dress  :  "  With  Rama  our  king  and 
Jdnaki  our  queen,  may  Avadh,  our  capital,  the  centre  of  all 
delights,  be  gloriously  re-peopled,  court  and  all,  and  Rdma 
install  Bharat  as  heir-apparent.  Revive  us  all,  0  lord, 
with  this  ambrosial  bliss  and  grant  the  world  its  life's  desire. 
Doha  263. 

May  RAma  sway  the  state,  assisted  by  his  guru,  the  coun- 
cil and  his  brothers ;  and  may  we  die  with  Rjima  still 
Avadh's  king."     This  was  the  universal   prayer. 

Chaupdi. 

When  they  heard  the  citizens'  loving  words,  the  wisest 
saints  thought  little  of  their  own  penance  and  austerities. 
When  the  people  had  in  this  manner  performed  their  daily 
devotions,  with  much  joy  they  went  and  saluted  Rama. 
High  and  low  and  of  middle  estate,  men  and  women,  all 
looked  up  to  him  as  their  own  special  patron,  and  he  dis- 
creetly received  them  all  with  due  honour.  Every  one 
extolled  his  inexhaustible  generosity  :  *'  From  a  child  it 
was  said  of  Raghubar  that  he  cherishes  all  in  whom  he  re- 
cognizes sincerity  and  affection  ;  with  his  bright  face,  bright 
eyes  and  guileless  ways,  he  is  a  very  ocean  of  amiability 
and  gentleness."  Thus  affectionately  telling  Rdma's  good 
qualities,  all  began  to  magnify  their  own  good  fortune. 
'*  There  are  few  people  in  the  world  who  can  have  been 
so  meritorious  as  we,  whom  R4ma  has  thus  accepted  for 
his  own." 

Dohd  2QL  tfi 

At  the  time  when  all  were  thus  absorbed  in  love,  they  heard 

of  the  approach  of  the  king  of  Mithila:  the  Sun  of  the  lotuses 

of  the  Solar  race  rose  in  haste,  he  and  the  whole  assembly. 

1  That  is  to  say,  in  the  attitude  of  beggars  ;  tlie  women  holding  out  the 
skirt  of  their  dress  to  catch  whatever  may  be  thrown  into  it,  the  men  holding 
out  their  hancis. 


384  ATObHYA. 

Chaupdi. 

Raghundth  led  the  way,  accompanied  b}^  his  brothers, 
the  guru,  the  Minister  and  the  people.  As  soon  as  king 
Janak  saw  the  holy  hill,  he  dismounted  from  his  chariot  and 
saluted  it.  lu  their  eagerness  and  excitement  to  see  R6ma, 
no  one  felt  the  slightest  fatigue  from  the  toilsome  journey, 
for  their  soul  was  with  R^ma  and  Sita  ;  and  who  without  a 
soul  can  be  conscious  of  bodily  pain  or  pleasure  ?  In  this 
manner  Janak  and  his  host  advanced,  drunken  with  the 
drunkenness  of  love.  When  they  came  near  and  in  sight, 
they  lovingly  and  reverentially  began  mutul  salutations. 
Janak  kissed  the  feet  of  the  hermits,  and  R^ma  with  his 
brothers,  having  first  reverenced  the  king's  spiritual  advisers, 
embraced  him,  and  led  the  way  for  him  and  his  army. 
Dohd  265. 

Rdma  conducted  the  host  to  the  hermitage,  as  it  were  a 
river  of   pitifulness    flowing  into  an    ocean  full  of  the  pure 

water  of  tranquillity  ; 

Chaupdi. 
flooding  the  banks  of  wisdom  and  asceticism  :  with  sorrowful 
speeches  for  its  tributary  streams  and  torrents  ;  with  sighs 
and  lamentations  for  the  wind  and  waves  that  break  the 
stout  trees  of  Resolution  on  its  bank  ;  with  grievous  an- 
guish for  its  rapid  current,  and  terror  and  delusion  for  its 
many  eddies  and  whirlpools  ;  with  sages  for  ferrymen  and 
wisdom  for  tlie  huge  boat,  which  can  no-how  be  got  across ; 
while  the  poor  Kols  and  Kir^ts  of  the  woods  are  the  forlorn 
travellers  wearied  with  waiting  When  it  reached  the  her- 
mitage, it  was  as  though  ocean  had  been  agitated  with  a 
sudden  rush  of  waters.  The  two  royal-hosts  were  so  over- 
come with  grief  that  they  had  no  sense,  courage  or  shame 
left.  Extolling  king  D  isarath's  majesty,  virtue  and  ami- 
ability, they  sorrowed  like  men  drowned  in  a  sea  of  sorrow. 
Chhand  11. 
Drowned  in  a  sea  sorrow,  they  sorrowed,  men  and  women 
alike,  in  utter  bewilderment,  all  angrily  and   reproachfully 


aYodhya.  385 

exclaiming.  *  What  is  this  that  cruel  fate  has  done  ?'  Gods, 
saints,  anchorites,  ascetics  and  sages  witnessed  Janak's 
condition,  but  his  love — says  Tulsi--was  like  a  broad  river 
that  no  one  could  get  over. 

Sorathd  10.         ^1'^. 
When  all  the  people  and  the  great  sages  had  exhausted 
ever  topic  of  consolation,  Vasishtha  thus   addrest  Videha  : 
"  King  of  men,  be  comforted. 

Ghaupdi. 
By  the  sun  of  your  wisdom  the  darkness  of  the  world  is  dis- 
pelled, and  in  the  light  of  your  speech  saints  expand  like  the 
lotus  :  how  then  can  the  power  of  delusion  affect  you  ? 
This  is  the  marvellous  result  of  love  for  Sita  and  Rdma. 
There  are  three  classes  of  beings,  whom  the  Vedas  term 
wise  in  their  generation,  the  sensual,  the  sorcerer  and  the 
saint :  amongst  the  pious  the  highest  honour  is  for  him 
whose  soul  is  full  of  love  for  Rama  :  but  without  knowledge 
love  for  R^ma  is  imperfect,  like  a  boat  without  a  helmsman." 
When  the  saint  had  finished  his  exhortation  to  the  king,  all 
the  people  bathed  at  the  Ramgh^t.  Every  one,  men  and 
women  alike,  were  so  agitated  with  grief  that  they  spent 
the  day  without  drinking  water  :  even  the  cattle,  birds 
and  deer  would  eat  nothing  ;  much  less  would  his  own 
kindred  think  of  doing  so. 

Dohd  266. 

At  daybreak  the  royal  sou  of  Nimi^  and  the  royal  son  of 
Ragu  having  bathed  with  all  their  retinue  went  and  sat  un- 
der the  har  tree,  sad  at  heart  and  wasted  in  body. 

Chaupdi. 

The  Brdhmans  from  AyodhyA,  as  also  those  from  the 
capital  of  the  king  of  MithiU  :  Vasishtha,  the  guru  of  the  So- 
lar race,  and  Sat^nand,  Janak's  family  priest,  who  while  on 
earth  had  explored  the  path  of  heaven,  began  long  exhorta- 
tions full  of  religion,  morality,  asceticism  and  philosophy. 
Then  Visvamitra  eloquently  admonished  the  assembly  with 


Ninil  was  a  former  king  of  Videha  and  one  of  Janak's  ancestors. 

R-52 


386  AYUDHYA. 

many  a  reference  to  ancient  legend  ;  till  Raghunath  sugges- 
ted to  him  :  *'  Sire,  every  one  sirjce  yesterday  has  gone  with- 
out water."  Said  the  saint :  "  R^nia  has  spoken  in  season  ; 
two-and-a-half  watches  of  the  day  are  now  spent."  Under- 
standing the  saint's  pleasure  the  king  of  Tirhiit  replied  ; 
"  It  is  not  good  for  us  to  eat  bread  here."i  The  king's  word 
pleased  every  one,  and  having  obtained  his  permission  they 
went  to  bathe. 

Doha  267. 

At  that  very  moment  arrived  the  people  of  the  woods, 
bringing  large  baskets  laden  with  fruits,  flowers,  leaves  and 
roots  of  every  description. 

Ghaupdi. 

By  Rama's  favour  the  mountain  had  become  a  granter 
of  desires  :  merely  to  look  at  it  removed  sorrow.  The  ponds, 
streams  and  glades  were  bursting  as  it  were  with  joy  and 
love ;  all  the  creepers  and  trees  broke  out  into  blossom  and 
fruit :  the  birds  and  beasts  made  a  most  melodious  concert. 
In  short,  the  gladsomeness  of  the  forest  was  surpassing  ;  the 
air,  soft,  cool  and  fragrant,  was  delightful  to  every  one  ;  and 
the  beauty  of  the  scene  was  beyond  description,  as  though 
Earth  herself  had  prepared  Janak's  reception.  When  each 
and  all  of  the  people  had  finished  bathing  and  had  received 
permission  from  R^ma,  Janak  and  the  saint,  they  gazed 
with  rapture  on  the  magnificent  trees  and  threw  themselves 
down  here  and  there;  while  leaves  and  fruits,  flowers  and 
roots  of  every  kind,  fresh  and  fair,  and  sweet  as  nectar, 

Dohd  268. 
were  courteously  sent   to  all,    in   baskets   full,  by   RAma's 
guru  ;  on  which  they  made    their  repast,  after   reverencing 
their  ancestors,  the  gods,  their  guests  and  the  guru. 
'  -  Chaupdi. 

In  this  manner  four  days  were  spent,  in  which  the 
people  saw  R^ma  and  were  happy.  In  both  camps  there  was 

1  This  refers  to  the  custom  which  forbids  a    Hindu  ever  to   take   food  in 
the  house  of  his  son-in-law. 


AYODHYA.  387 

this  desire  at  heart  :  "  It  is  not  good  for  us  to  return  without 
SIta  and  Rdma.  Life  in  the  woods  in  their  society  is  a  thou- 
sand times  better  than  heaven.  If  any  one,  in  his  longing 
for  home,  would  desert  Lakshman,  Rdma  and  Sita,  his  fate 
is  an  unlucky  one  :  it  is  the  height  of  good  fortune  for  us 
all  to  dwell  in  the  forest  near  Rdma,  bathing  three  times  a 
day  in  the  Manddkini,  seeing  R^ma,  which  will  be  a  constant 
delight,  rambling  about  on  the  sacred  hill  and  among  the 
hermitages  in  the  wood,  and  feeding  on  sweet  herbs  and 
roots  and  fruits,  so  contentedly  that  the  fourteen  years  will 
pass  like  a  minute,  without  our  knowing  how  they  go.  y 

l)ohd2Q9. 

We  are  not  worthy  of  so  great  happiness"  they  all  ex- 
claimed. "What  luck  can  be  like  it  ?"  Such  was  the 
spontaneous  devotion  to  Rdma's  feet  in  both  camps. 

Ghaiipdi. 

In  this  manner  as  nil  were  expressing  their  hearts'  desire 
in  afPectionate  words,  which  it  ravished  the  soul  to  hear, 
SIta's  mother  sent  a  handmaid,  who  ascertained  that  it  was 
a  convenient  time  and  returned.  On  learning  that  Sita's 
mothers-in-law  were  at  leisure,  Janak's  queen  and  her 
attendants  came  to  visit  them.  Kausalya  received  them 
with  due  honour  and  gave  them  such  seats  as  circumstances 
allowed.  On  both  sides  there  was  such  love  and  tender- 
ness, that  the  most  rigid  thunderbolt  would  have  melted, 
could  it  have  seen  and  heard.  Their  body  quivering  and 
unnerved,  their  eyes  full  of  tears,  and  all  lost  in  grief, 
they  drew  lines  with  their  toes  on  the  ground,  each  a 
separate  incarnation  of  love  to  Sita  and  Rdma,  or  as  it 
were  tearful  Sympathy  repeated  in  many  forms.  Said  Sita's 
mother :  "God's  judgment  has  gone  astray,  using  the 
thunderbolt  for  a  chisel  to  break  up  foam  ! 
Doha  270. 

We  hear  of  ambrosia  but  see  only  venom  ;  all  his  doings 
are  hard  ;  crows,  owls  and  cranes  are  everywhere,  but 
swans  only  in  the  inaccessible  Mdnas  lake," 


38^  AYODHYA. 

Chaupni 
Upon  this,  queen  Sumitrd  said  sadly  :  '*  God's  ways  are 
contrary  and  unaccoutitable.  He  creates  and  cherishes,  and 
then  destroys  :  his  purposes  are  as  idle  as  child's  play." 
Said  Kausalyd  :  "  It  is  no  one's  fault  ;  pain  and  pleasure, 
loss  and  gain  are  governed  by  actions:  the  effects  of  action 
are  inscrutable;  God  only  knows  them,  who  awards  its  own 
fruit  to  every  act,  whether  it  be  good  or  bad.  The  Lord's 
decree  dominates  over  all,  whether  for  rising,  staying  or 
falling,  whether  for  poison  or  ambrosia.  It  is  vain,  madam, 
to  give  way  to  sorrow  ;  God's  schemes  are,  as  I  have  said, 
unchangeable  and  from  everlasting.  Consider  the  question 
of  the  king's  life  or  death;  look  now,  friend,  and  think 
whether  it  was  a  loss  to  him  or  gain."  Sita's  mother 
replied  :  "  Noblest  of  noble  women,  consort  of  Avadh's 
kings,  your  eloquent  words  are  true. 
Dohd  271. 
If  Lakshman,  R^ma  and  Sita  stay  in  exile,  all  will  be 
right  in  the  end  and  no  harm  done."  "But"  (said  Kausalyd 
with  a  troubled  heart)     "  I  am  anxious  about  Bharat. 

Chaupdi. 
By  God's  favour  and  your  blessing,  my  son  and  his 
wifei  are  both  pure  as  Ganges  water.  Though  I  have 
never  yet  sworn  by  R^ma,  I  now  invoke  him  to  witness, 
friend,  that  I  speak  truly.  The  greatness  of  Bharat's  genero- 
sity, goodness  and  humility,  his  brotherly  affection,  faith, 
hope  and  charity,  even  Sarasvati's  eloquence  would  fail  to 
declare  ;  can  the  ocean  be  ladled  out  with  a  shell  ?  I  have 
always  known  that  Bharat  was  the  glory  of  his  house,  and 
the  king  repeatedly  told  me  so.  Gold  is  known  by  assay 
and  precious  stones  by  the  test ;  a  man's  temper  is  tried 
by  fortune.  It  is  not  right  forme  now  to  have  spoken 
thus;  but  sorrow  and  love  have  left  me  little  reason."  On 
hearing  these  words,  as  pure  as  Ganges  stream,  all  the 
queens  were  overcome  with  emotion. 


1  For  suta-badhii,   '  a  son's   wife,'   might  be  better   to  read  su-bandhu, 
^  good  brother.' 


AYODHYA. 


389 


Doha  272. 
Kausaly^  continued  :    "  Hearken  to  me,  queen  of  Mithi- 
la,  and  take  courage.  Who  is  able  to  advise  you,  the  consort 

of  the  wisest,  of  men  ? 

Chnupdi. 
Having  found  a  fitting  opportunity,  speak,  madam,  to 
the  king  as  if  of  yourself,  and  suggest  that  he  should  stop 
Lakshman  and  let  Bharat  go  to  the  forest.  If  the  king 
agrees  to  this  proposal,  I  will  then  devise  and  carry  out 
soine  proper  plan.  I  am  greatly  disturbed  about  Bharat, 
for  his  love  is  so  profound  that  if  he  stays  I  surmise  evil." 
When  they  saw  her  generosity  and  heard  her  frank  appeal, 
they  were  all  overpowered  with  sympathy.  There  was  a 
shower  of  flowers  from  heaven  with  cries  of  Glory  '  Glory  ;' 
saints,  ascetics  and  sages  grew  faint  with  love.  The  queens, 
despite  their  fatigue,  still  looked  and  waited  ;  till  Suraitr«l 
made  bold  to  say  :  *'  Madam  nearly  an  hour  of  the  night  is 
gone."    At  this  Kausaly^  rose  and  affectionately 

Doha  273. 
said,  "  Pray  return  at  once  to   your    tent ;  of   a    truth    now 
our  help  is  in  God  and  the  king  of  MithiU." 

Chaupdi. 
Seeing  her  affection  and  hearing  her  modest  speech, 
Jauak's  queen  clasped  her  holy  feet  :  "  Madam,  this  modes- 
ty on  your  part  is  only  natural,  since  you  are  Dasarath's 
wife  and  Rama's  mother.  Monarchs  give  honour  to  the 
lowest  of  their  servants;  in  the  same  way  ns  fire  tops  itself 
with  smoke  and  a  hill  with  grass.  King  Janak  is  your 
servant  in  thought  word  and  deed,  and  Mah^dev  and  Bha- 
vflni  are  your  constant  auxiliaries.  Who  is  there  on  earth 
who  can  act  as  your  supplement  ?  Does  the  sun  shine  by 
the  help  of  a  torch  ?  After  going  into  exile  and  assisting 
the  gods,  Rama  will  hold  undisputed  sway  at  Ayodhy^. 
Through  the  might  of  his  arm  gods,  serpents  and  men  will 
all  dwell  in  peace,  each  in  his  own  place.  This  has  all  been 
foretold  by  Yajnavalkya  ;  and  the  words  of  a  saint,  madam, 
can  never  be  false," 


390 


AYODHYA. 


Dohd  274. 

So  saying,  she  fell  at  her  feet  and  affectionately  made 
request  for  Sita  ;  permission  was  accorded  and  Sita  set  out 
with  her  mother. 

Chaupdi. 

Sita  embraced  all  her  old  domestics  in  such  manner  as 
in  eaoh  case  was  most  befitting.  When  they  saw  her  in  her- 
mit's dress,  they  were  all  distrest  with  exceeding  sorrow 
Janak,  on  receiving  the  permission  of  Rdma  and  the  guru^ 
came  to  the  tent  to  see  his  daughier  and  clasped  her  to  his 
bosom,  the  sanctifying  guest  of  the  soul  of  love.  His  bosom 
swelled  with  a  flood  of  affection  and  his  royal  soul  resemb- 
led Prayag ;  with  his  love  for  Sita  conspicuous  as  the  spread- 
ing bar  tree,  on  which  devotion  to  Rdma  appeared  like  the 
child,  clutched  for  support  by  the  king's  bewildered  senses 
as  by  the  sage  Chiranjlv  when  on  the  point  of  drowning.' 
Videha  was  so  overwhelmed  by  his  feelings  that  he  had  no 
sense  left ;  such  is  the  power  of  love  for  Sita  and  Raghubar. 
Dohd  275. 

Sita  could  not  bear  to  see  her  father  and  mother  so  over- 
come by  affection,  but  calling  to  mind  both  the  time  and 
her  own  duty,  Earth's  daughter  summoned  up  courage. 

Chaupdi. 

When  Janak  looked  at  her  in  her  anchorite's  dress,  he 
was  filled  with  love  and  consolation  :  "  Daughter,  you  have 
sanctified  both  families  ;  everybody  in  the  world  proclaims 
your  brilliant  renown.  The  stream  of  your  fame  excels  the 
Ganges  and  has  spread  over  millions  of  universes.  The  Gan- 
ges has  only  three  great  sites^  on  earth,  but  the  congrega- 
tions of  saints  that  have  been  made  by  you  are  innumerable." 
At  her  father's  sincere  and  loving  eloquence  Sita  was  abashed 
and  shrank  into  herself.  Again   her  father  and  mother  took 

1  The  sage  Markundoya  had  the  presumption  to  ask  NArAyan  to  show 
him  a  specimen  of  his  delusive  power  The  ffod  in  answer  to  his  prayer 
drowned  the  whole  world  in  a  su'lden  flood.  Only  tne  Akhay-bar,  or  im- 
perishable fie-tree  at  PrayAg,  raised  its  head  above  the  waters,  with  a  little 
child  seated  on  one  of  its  topmost  boughs,  thaf  put  out  its  hand  and  rescued 
the  terrified  saint  as  he  was  on  the  point  of  sinking. 

2  Thev  are  Hari-dw^r.  Prayig,  and  SAgar. 


AYODHYA.  391 

her  to  their  anus  and  gave  her  kiud  instructions  and  in- 
voked rich  blessings  upon  her.  Sita  could  not  speak  out, 
but  was  anxious  at  heart :  '*  It  is  not  well  for  me  to  spend 
the  night  here."  The  queen  saw  her  wish  and  explained 
it  to  the  king,  inwardly  praising  the  excellence  of  her  dis- 
position. 

Dohd  276. 

After  again  and  again  embracing  her,  they  graciously 
gave  her  leave  to  depart.  Having  now  an  excellent  oppor- 
tunity, the  discreet  queen  adroitly  mentioned  Bharat's  going. 

Ghaupni. 

When  the  king  heard  of  Bharat's  conduct,  brilliant  as 
gold,  refreshing  as  sweet  perfumes,  consolatory  as  ambrosia 
or  the  soft  light  of  the  moon,  he  closed  his  tearful  eyes  and 
his  body  thrilled  with  rapture,  as  he  broke  out  into  ecstatic 
praises  of  his  glory.  "  Mark  me  well,  fair- faced  and  bright- 
eyed  dame,  the  legend  of  Bharat  is  effectual  to  loosen  the 
bands  of  existence.  According  to  my  ability,  I  too  have  mas- 
tered somewhat  of  theology,  statecraft  and  spiritual  medita- 
tion; but  whatever  my  ability,  if  I  would  tell  Bharat's  great- 
ness, I  cannot  make  a  pretence  of  reaching  even  its  shadow. 
Briihma,  Ganes,  SeshnAg,  Siva,  Sarasvati,  the  inspired 
poets  and  the  sages  most  renowned  for  wisdom,  when  they 
hear  or  meditate  upon  Bharat's  doings,  his  glory,  his  vigour, 
his  piety,  his  temper,  his  virtues  aiid  his  spotless  dignity, 
all  are  enraptured  ;  it  has  a  flavour  of  purity  like  the 
Ganges,  surpassing  ambrosia, 

Dohd  277. 

His  perfection  is  limitless  ;  he  is  the  incomparable  pro- 
toplasm ;  I  know  none  like  Bharat  but  himself.  Can 
Mount  Meru  be  weighed  in  any  balance  ?  The  wit  of  the 
whole  race  of  poets  is  at  fault. 

Chaupdi. 

He  is,  fair  dame,  as  impossible  to  describe  as  it  is  im- 
possible for  a  fish  to  walk  on  dry  land.  Hearken,  lady; 
Rama  knows,  but  even  he  cannot  describe  Bharat's  illimit- 
able greatness.  If  Lakshman  returns  and  Bharat  goes  to  the 


392  AYODHVA. 

forest,  every  one  will  imagine  it  to  be  good  for  all :  but, 
madam,  Bharat's  love  and  confidence  in  Rama  are  past  all 
telling.  Bharat  is  the  perfection  of  love  and  devoted  attach- 
ment, butRima  is  the  lord  of  impartiality.  Bharat's  mind 
has  never  even  dreamt,  of  all  the  felicities  of  this  world  and 
the  next;  only  his  love  for  RAma's  feet  has  brought  him  suc- 
cess.    This,  as  I  consider,  is  Bharat's  belief. 

Doha  278. 

He  would  never  be  beguiled  into  thwarting  an  order  of 
Rdma's  ;  do  not  then  in  your  affection  give  way  to  sorrow  ;  " 
said  the  king,  and  sighed  as  he  spoke. 

Chaupdi. 

As  the  wedded  pair  thus  affectionately  discoursed  of 
Bharat's  excellences,  the  night  passed  like  a  minute.  At 
daybreak  both  the  royal  camps  awoke  and  bathed  and  wor- 
shipped the  gods.  After  bathing,  R'una  approached  his 
guru,  embraced  his  feet,  and  on  receiving  permission  spoke 
thus  :  "  My  lord,  Bharat  and  the  people  and  my  mothers 
ai'e  distresr  and  incnnveni<^nced  by  their  sojourn  in  the 
woods.  The  king  of  MithiU  too  and  his  retinue  have  been 
enduring  hardships  for  many  days;  be  pleased  to  do,  my 
lord,  as  seems  to  you  good  ;  the  happiness  of  all  is  in  your 
hands."  So  saying,  Rdma  was  greatly  abashed.  The  saint 
thrilled  with  delight  on  seeing  his  disposition.  '*  Without 
you,  RAma,  the  greatest  bliss  would  seem   to   both  camps 

like  hell. 

Dohd  279. 

0  Rdma,  you  are  the  soul  of  their  soul,  the  life  of  their 
life,  the  joy  of  their  joy.  Any  one,  my  son,  who  would 
desert  you  for  the  sake  of  the  pleasure  of  home  has  destiny 
against  him. 

Chaupdi. 

Perish  the  happiness,  life  and  religion,  in  which  is  no 
love  for  Rdma's  lotus  feet  !  That  piety  be  impiety,  and 
wisdom  unwisdom,  in  which  love  for  Rdma  is  not  supreme  ! 
Through  you  men  are  made  happy,  and  without  you  they 


AYODHYA.  6\)6 

are  unhappy  ;  you  know  the  heart  of  every  one.  Your  com- 
mands rule  all,  and  every  motion  is  thoroughly  manifest  to 
your  benignity.  Return  now  to  the  hermitage."  The  king  of 
saints  was  over-powered  with  love.  When  Rdma  had  bowed 
and  retired,  the  guru  composed  himself  and  went  to  Janak, 
and  repeated  to  him  what  Rdma  had  said,  enlarging  upon 
his  amiability,  affection  and  excellent  disposition  :  "Now, 
sire,  do  what-ever  will  be  for  the  advantage  of  all  without 
prejudice  to  religion. 

Dohd  280. 

0  king  of  men,  you  are  the  wisest  among  the  most 
wise,  the  champion  of  true  piety  ;  who  save  you  can  at  this 
time  end  these  troubles  ?" 

Ghaupai. 

Janak  was  so  moved  by  the  saint's  address  and  by  the 
sight  of  his  agitation  that  all  his  philosophy  and  asceticism 
were  forgotten.  Faint  with  love,  he  reasoned  to  himself  : 
"  I  have  not  done  well  in  coming  here.  Dasarath  ordered 
Rdma  into  exile,  but  himself  gave  the  best  proof  of  his 
affection  ;  I  have  now  sent  him  from  one  wood  to  another 
and  return  in  triumph  forsooth  with  increased  reputation 
for  wisdom."  Seeing  the  agitation  of  the  anchorites,  saints 
and  Br^hmans,  the  king  was  still  more  overcome  with 
emotion  ;  but  considering  the  circumstances  he  made  an 
eSort,  and  with  his  retinue  set  forth  to  visit  Bharat.  Bharat 
advanced  to  meet  him  and  gave  him  the  best  seat  the  time 
allowed.  "Son  Bharat,"  said  the  king  of  Tirhiit,  "you 
are  well  acquainted  with  Rima's  character. 
Dohd  2S{. 

He  is  devoted  to  truth,  a  zealot  in  religion  ;  out  of  kind- 
ness, he  endures  inconvenience  without  murmuring;  but  if 
you  have  any  orders  to  give,  speak." 
Ghaupdi. 

At  this  Bharat's  whole  frame  quivered  and  his  eyes 
filled  with  tears;  but  putting  a  strong  restraint  upon  him- 
self he  replied  :  "  My  lord,  I  love  and  revere  you  as  my 
father,  and  hold  you  as  dear  as  my  own  family  guru ;  father 

R-53 


394 


AYODHYA. 


and  mother  I  have  none.  Here  are  Visvamitra  and  the 
other  sages,  and  all  this  assembly  ;  you  too  yourself,  an 
ocean  of  wisdom  ;  I  am  your  obedient  son  and  servant  : 
regard  me  in  this  light,  my  lord,  and  instruct  me.  In  this 
assembly  and  at  this  holy  place  you  enquire  of  me,  and  I 
am  to  answer,  though  besmirched  of  soul  and  demented. 
Can  I  speak  great  words  out  of  my  little  mouth  ?  Pardon 
rae,  father  ;  the  fates  are  against  me.  It  is  declared  in  the 
Vedas,  Tantras  and  PurAnas,  and  all  the  world  knows,  that 
loyal  service  is  difficult.  Duty  to  a  master  conQicts  with 
self-interest;  the  deaf  and  blind  cannot  show  their  love. 

Doha  282. 

Have  regard  to  Rdma's   wishes,   so   pious  as  he  is,  and 
remember  tliat  I  am  but  a  servant  ;  do  as  all  approve    and 
as  will  be  best  for  all,  but  forget  not  their  love." 
Chaupdi. 

When  the  king  heard  Bharat's  speech  and  witnessed 
his  generosity,  he  and  his  court  burst  out  into  praises. 
Simple  but  profound ;  soft  and  delicate  but  severe  ; 
pregnant  with  meaning  in  a  small  compass  ;  his  speech 
was  as  mysterious  as  the  shadow  of  a  face  in  a  glass,  which 
no  hand  can  grasp.  The  king,  Bharat,  the  saint,  and  all 
the  venerable  assembly  went  to  RAma,  by  whom  the  gods 
were  made  as  glad  as  the  lilies  by  the  moon.  On  hearing 
the  news  all  the  people  were  as  diatrest  as  fish  in  un- 
accustomed waters.  The  gods,  seeing  first  the  emotion  of 
the  family  guru,  and  then  Janak's  exceeding  affection,  and 
Bharat  so  full  of  devotion  to  RAma,  were  sorely  anxious  and 
began  to  despond  in  their  relfishness.  The  sight  of 
Rdma's  kindness  made  the  company  of  heaven  unspeakably 
dismayed. 

Dohd  283. 

Indra  cried  sadly  :  '*  Rama  is  overcome  by  love  and 
modesty  :  we  must  combine  to  devise  some  scheme,  or  else 
we  shall  be  undone." 

Chaupdi. 

The  gods  invoked  SArad^  in  flattering  terms  :  "  Protect, 


AYODHYA.  395 

0  goddess,  the  gods  your  suppliants.  Exert  your  power  of 
delusion  and  change  Bharat's  purpose;  by  some  deceptive 
artifice  rescue  the  host  of  heaven."  When  the  wise  goddess 
heard  their  prayer,  she  understood  their  stupid  selfishness 
and  said  :  "  You  tell  me  to  change  Bharat's  purpose  ;  you 
have^  thousand  eyes  and  yet  cannot  see  Mount  Meru.  The 
delusive  power  of  Brahma,  Vishnu  and  Siva  is  exceedingly 
great,  but  it  cannot  see  through  Bharat's  purpose,  and  yet 
you  tell  me  to  pervert  it.  What  !  can  the  moonlight  rob  the 
moon  ?  Bharat's  heart  inhabited  by  Sita  and  Rdma  ;  can 
darkness  invade  the  splendour  of  the  sun  ?  "  So  saying,  S»i- 
rada  withdrew  to  Brdhma's  heaven,  and  the  ^ods  were  as 
downcast  as  the  chakwa  at  the  approach  of  night. 
Dohd  284. 

The  self-seeking  gods  were  troubled  at  heart  and  devis- 
ed evil  projects  and  schemes,  creating  by   strong   delusion 
artifices  of  fear,  error,  sorrow  and  vexation. 
Chaupdi. 

Indra  practised  this  villainy,  thinking  "  Success  or  de- 
feat is  all  in  Bharat's  hands."  When  Janak  approached 
R^ma,  the  glory  of  Raghu's  line  received  them  all  with 
honour.  Then  spoke  Vasishta  in  terms  appropriate  to  the 
time,  the  assembly  and  the  principles  of  religion,  mention- 
ing the  conversation  between  Janak  and  Bharat  and  elo- 
quently repeating  all  that  Bharat  had  urged.  "  Son  Rdma, 
any  order  that  you  may  give,  all  will  obey  ;  this  is  my  con- 
clusion "  Upon  this  Raghundth,  clasping  his  hands,  made 
truthful  and  guileless  reply  in  gentle  tones  :  In  the  pre- 
sence of  yourself,  sir,  and  the  king  of  Mithild,  for  me  to 
speak  is  altogether  out  of  place.  Whatever  command  you 
may  be  pleased  to  give  I  swear  by  yourself  I  am  ready  to 
comply." 

Dohd  285. 

On  hearing  RAma's  oath,  the  saint  and  Janak  and  the 
whole  assembly  were  confounded  :  and  fixed  their  eyes  on 
Bharat's  face  helplessly  and  without  power  to  answer. 


396  AYODIIYA. 

Chaupdi. 
Bharat  saw  the  distress  of  the  assembly,  and  bein«  Ra- 
ma's brother,  put  a  strong  restraint  upon  himself.  Seeing 
the  unfitness  of  the  time,  he  subdued  his  emotion,  in  the 
same  way  as  Agastya  bowed  down  the  Vindhya  mountain.^ 
Grief  like  Hiranyaksha  carried  away  his  soul  as  it  were  the 
Earth  ;  but  at  once  from  his  spotless  perfection  like  the 
womb  of  the  universe  came  forth  the  mighty  Boar^  of  dis- 
cretion and  wrought  immediate  deliverance.  Clasping  his 
hands,  he  bowed  reverentially  to  all,  to  R4ma,  the  king,  the 
guru,  and  the  saints  :  "  Pardon  me  if  to  day  I  act  most  un- 
becomingly and  with  the  tongue  of  a  child  speak  stubborn 
words."  As  he  mentally  invoked  the  gracious  Sdrada,  from 
the  depths  of  his  soul  there  came  to  his  lotus  mouth  a 
swan-like  strain  fraught  with   pure    intelligence,  piety  and 

righteousness. 

Oohd  286. 

With  the  eyes  of  his  mind,  Bharat  saw  that  the  assembly 
was  faint  with  love  ;  bowing  low  and  invoking  Sita  and 
Rdma  he  thus  spoke  ; 

Chaupdi, 

**  My  lord  is  my  father  and  mother,  my  friend,  my  guru 
and  my  master  ;  object  of  my  adoration,  my  best  bene- 
factor, reader  of  my  heart ;  the  kindest  of  patrons,  the  per- 
fection of  amibility,  the  protector  of  the  humble  ;  the  all- 
learned,  the  all-wise ;  the  powerful  befriender  of  suppliants  ; 
quick  to  appreciate  merit  and  to  ignore  demerit  and  wici^ed- 
ness  ;  my  sovereign,  my  god-like  God  ;  while  no  servant 
can  be  so  bad  as  I  am.  In  my  infatuation  I  have  come  here 
at  the  head  of  an  army,  in  defiance  of  the  commands  of  my 
lord  and  my  father.  In  the  world  there  are  good  and  vile, 
high  and  low,  ambrosia  and  heaven,  poison  and  death  ;  but 

1  Agastya  is  said  to  have  compelled  the   Vindhya  mountains  to  prostrate  jJ 
tlieraselvea  before  him  ;  and  when  once  down,  they  were   never  able   to   rise  M 
again.    This  he  did  to  oblige  » he  sun,  who  found  the  range  so   high  that  he 
could  with  difficulty  climb  it  in  his  daily  passage  from  east  to  west. 

2  The  allusion  is  to  the  third  Avatir,  when  Vishnu  in  the  form  of  a 
Bnar  rescued  the  earth,  which  had  been  seized  by  the  demon  Hiranyaksha 
and  carried  off  into  the  depths  of  the  ocean. 


AYODHYA.  397 

never  have  I  seen  or  beard  of  any  one  who  even  in  thought 
could  cancel  an  order  of  Rdma's.  Yet  I  have  been  thus 
contumacious,  and  my  lord  in  his  kindness  has  taken  it  as 
service. 

Doha  287. 

Out  of  his   own    mercy   and  goodness  he  has  made  me 
good  ;  my  errors  have    become   adornments   and   my   fair 
fame  has  been  spread  all  around. 
Chaupdi. 

Your  mode  of  procedure,  your  gracious  speech,  and 
generosity  are  known  throughout  the  world;  they  are  sung 
in  the  Vedas  and  Tantras.  The  cruel,  the  perverse,  the  vile, 
the  low-minded,  the  outcast,  the  base,  the  ill-conditioned, 
the  godless,  the  reckless,  so  soon  as  you  hear  that  they  have 
come  before  you  as  suppliants  and  have  made  a  single  pros- 
tration, are  all  reckoned  as  friends.  Though  you  see  faults, 
you  never  take  them  to  heart ;  and  if  you  but  hear  of  virtues 
you  proclaim  them  in  the  assembly  of  the  saints.  What 
other  master  is  there  so  kind  to  his  servants,  so  perfect  in  all 
points,  who  never  dreams  of  reckoning  up  what  he  has  done 
himself,  and  is  heartily  vexed  at  any  embarrassment  of  his 
servants.  He  is  my  sovereign  lord,  and  there  is  none  other, 
with  arms  upraised,  I  declare  on  oath.  A  beast  may  dance 
and  a  parrot  be  a  clever  talker  ;  but  all  depends  upon  the 
music  of  the  dancing-master  and  the  method  of  the  teacher, 

Dohd  288. 
who  now  has  corrected   his  servant  and  treated  him   with 
honour,  and  made  him  the  crown  of  the  head   of    the   just. 
Who  is  there,  save  the  all-merciful,  who,  whether   we    will 
or  no,  maintains  our  fair  fame  ? 

Chaupdi. 

Whether  it  was  from  grief  and  affection  or  from  mere 
childishness  that  I  came  here  in  despite  of  your  commands, 
you  in  your  compassion  have  looked  upon  me  as  a  friend 
and  in  every  way  taken  it  in  good  part.  Seeing  your  blessed 
feet  and  knowing  my  lord's  natural  benignity,  I  look  upon 


398 


AYODHYA. 


this  great  assembly  as  a  piece  of  good  fortune,  and  my  great 
sin  as  evidence  of  my  lord's  kindness  ;'  for  by  his  gracious 
favour  he  has  satisfied  my  whole  being  and  his  compassion 
has  exceeded  everything.  Out  of  the  goodness  of  his  own 
disposition  my  good  lord  has  made  sure  of  my  fidelity.  I 
have  now  displayed  great  audacity  in  discarding  respect 
for  this  august  assembly  and  speaking  boldly  or  humbly, 
just  as  the  fancy  movt^d  me ;  but  pardon  me,  sire,  for  I  am 
in  grievous  perplexity. 

Doha  289. 

It  is  a  great  mistake  to  say  too  much  to  a  true  friend  or 
really  wise  man  or  good  master.     Be  pleased,  sire,   to  give 
your  commands  and  set  me  all  right. 
Ghaupdi. 

I  swear  by  the  dust  of  my  lord's  lotus  feet,  the  glorious 
consummation  of  truth,  virtue  and  happiness  ;  with  an  oath 
I  protest  that  the  desire  of  my  soul,  whether  waking,  sleep- 
ing or  dreaming,  is  to  serve  my  lord  with  spontaneous 
devotion,  without  any  regard  to  self-interest,  fraud,  or  my 
owr>  ends  in  this  life  or  the  next.  There  is  no  duty  so 
imperative  as  submission  ;  let  your  servant,  sire,  obtain 
this  favour."^  So  saying  he  was  utterly  overwhelmed  with 
emotion;  his  body  quivered,  his  eyes  filled  with  tears,  and 
in  great  agitation  he  clasped  his  lord's  lotus  feet.  So 
pathetic  a  scene  defies  description.  The  Ocean  of  com- 
passion honoured  him  with  gracious  words  and  took  him 
hy  the  hand  and  seated  him  by  his  side  ;  while  himself 
and  all  the  assembly  were  faint  with  love,  after  hearing] 
Bharat's  prayer  and  seeing  his  noble  nature. 
Ghhand  12. 

Raghurao  himself,  the  august  assembly,  the  saint,  the 
king  of  MithiU,  all  were  faint  with  love,  and  mentally 
applauded  the  exceeding  greatness  of  Bharat's  brotherly 

1  The  meaninof  would  seem  tn  be  :  the  greater  my  sin,  the  grenter  hia ; 
kindness  in  forpiving  it  ,  and  the  greater  tlie  assembly,  the  greater  my 
glory  in  having  so  many  vvitnesses  to  his  love.  ' 

2  That  is  to  say,  favour  him  with  some  order,  that  he  may  show  how 
good  a  servant  he  is,  by  his  immediate  submission  to  it. 


AYOEVBYA.  39^ 

affection  and  devotedness.  The  gods  too  commended  Bharat 
and  ranied  down  flowers,  though  with  a  heavy  heart.  Every 
one,  says  Tulsi,  was  as  distrest  by  what  he    had    heard,  as 
the  lotus  that  withers  at  the  approach  of  night. 
Sorathd  11.      ?c»;l 

Seeing  every   man    and    woman   in    both   assemblies  so 
grieved    and    downcast,    Indra,i    vile  wretch,    still  sought 
his  own  happiness,  killing  as  it  were  the  already  dead. 
Chaupdi. 

Though  king  of  the  gods,  there  is  no  limit  to  his  deceit- 
fulness  and  villainy  ;  he  loves  another's  loss  and  his  own 
gain  ;  Pjikaripu's^  ways  are  like  those  of  a  crow — crafty, 
disreputable  and  with  no  faith  in  any  one.  Having  in  the 
first  instance  formed  an  evil  design  and  accumulated 
deceits,  he  piled  up  trouble  on  the  heads  of  all.  Every 
one  was  infatuated  by  the  god's  delusive  power;  their  love 
for  R^ ma  was  so  violent  that  they  would  not  be  separated 
from  him.  They  were  all  distracted  ;  with  nothing  settled 
in  their  mind  ;  at  o»ie  moment  longing  for  the  woods,  at 
another   anxious    to   return    home.     The    people    in    their 

1  Though  Tulsi  Das  constantly  appeals  to  the  authority  of  the  Vedas, 
it  is  clear  that  like  999  out  of  1,000  of  the  most  educated  of  liis  counrryoQeii 
at  the  present  day,  lie  had  not  the  faintest  idea  of  their  contents  ;  othei- 
vvise  he  wouhl  not  have  spoken  thus  disrespectfully  of  Indra,  who  is  one  of 
the  principal  Vedic  divinites,  while  Siva,  whom  he  places  in  a  much  higher 
sphere  and  regards  ns  one  of  the  manifestations  of  the  Supremo  Spirit - 
while  Indra  and  the  other**  are  mere  demi-go  is— is  a  power  for  whose  cultus 
the  Vedas,  though  searched  from  beginning  to  end,  would  fail  to  supply 
any  authority.  [faKrahman  were  now  to  set  up  a  temple  at  Muthuraor 
Bandras  to  Indra,  or  Mitra,  or  Varuna,  or  any  other  Vedic  divinity,  he  would 
be  thought  as  eccen'ric  as  an  Englishman  who  should  rededicate  a  shrine 
to  Diana  in  the  precincts  of  St  Paul's  churchyard  in  the  city  of  London. 
Perhaps  more  so  ;  for  the  characters  of  the  old  Greek  and  Roman  Pantheon 
are  still  thoroughly  familiar  to  modern  Europeans  and  have  considerable 
influence  upon  art  and  literature  :  while  the  Vedic  mythology  has  utterly 
perishtnl,  and  scarcely  a  single  name  in  it  would  be  recognized  by 
any  native  of  India  except  a  professed  Pau-Ht.  Nor  is  this  very  surpris- 
ing, inasmuch  as  the  Vedas  were  not  really  composed  by  Hindus,  nor  have 
Hindus  in  any  past  time  ever  adopted  them  as  a  religious  standard.  To 
regard  them  in  that  light  now  is— as  the  founders  of  the  Biahma  Samaj 
soon  discovered— an  impracticable  absurdity.  Dating  from  a  time  when 
neither  Englishman  nor  Hindu  had  yet  come  into  existence,  they  are  the 
common  inheritance  of  all  nations  of  Aryan  descent.  Their  intrinsic  value 
is  nil  ;  the  only  interest  tiiey  possess  is  due  to  the  fact  that  they  are  the 
earliest  surviving  record  of  the  first  semi-inarticulate  utterances  of  nascent 
humanity 

2  Pdkaripu,  '''aka's  enemy.'  is  one  of  Indra's  names,  in  consequence 
of  his  having  destroyed  a  demon  called  f  aka. 


400  AYODHYA. 

distress  had  the  current  of  their  ideas  as  divided  as  the 
water  at  the  confluence  of  a  river  with  the  sea.  Thus 
wavering  in  mind  they  got  no  comfort  in  any  quarter  ; 
no  one  told  another  his  secret  thoughts.  Seeing  this, 
the,  Ocean  of  compassion  smiled  to  himself  and  said  : 
**  Indra  is  like  a  dog  in  his  ways." 

Dohd  290.        V*- 
Excepting  Bharat,  Janak,  the   saints,  the  ministers  and 
the  more  intelligent    nobles,  the  heaven  sent  delusion  took 
effect  upon  all,    according    to  the    circumstances  of  the  in- 
dividual. 

Chaupdi 

The  Ocean  of  compassion  saw  tlie  people  distrest  by 
their  love  and  by  Indra's  potent  deception  ;  the  assembly, 
the  king,  the  guru,  the  Brdhmans  and  the  ministers,  all 
with  their  hearts  under  the  spell  of  Bharat's  devotion  ; 
motionless  as  pictures,  gazing  upon  R-^ma,  nervously 
uttering  words  which  they  seemed  to  have  learnt  by  rote. 
The  eulogy  of  Bharat's  affection  and  constant  humility  is 
delightful  to  hear,  but  difficult  to  pronounce.  Seeing  only 
the  tiniest  morsel  of  his  devotion,  the  saints  and  the  king 
of  MithilA  were  absorbed  in  love;  how  then  can  I,  Tulsi, 
tell  its  greatness  ?  It  is  only  by  the  blessing  of  faith  that 
the  ambitious  design  of  my  heart  has  prospered.  I  am 
little  ;  I  know  the  enormous  greatness  of  my  subject,  and  I 
shrink  in  confusion  before  a  crowd  of  other  poets  ;  unable 
to  utter  the  vehemence  of  my  passionate  love  for  his  per- 
fection, the  motions  of  my  fancy  are  like  the  stam- 
merings of  a  childJ 

Dohd  291. 

Bharat's  bright  fame  is  as  the  bri^^ht  moon  rising  in 
the  bright  sky  of  a  faithful  heart,  ever  intently  watched  by 
my  daring  fancy  as  by  an  unfledged  partridge. 

I  Most  rea<lersof  the  original  will  agree  with  the  poet  that  his  powprs  of 
expressi'in  have  here  been  scarcely  ariequate  to  the  intensity  of  his  feelings 
All  this  part  of  I  he  poem  ahoun'is  with  obscure  and  in  vol  veH  passages,  the 
precise  interpretation  of  which  is  often  rery  Hifticult  to  dotenninc,  and  I 
cannot  flatter  myself  that  I  have  invariably  succeeded  in  liitting  upon  !•. 


AYODHYA.  401 

Ghaupdi. 
Bharat's  generosity  is  scarce  fathomable  by  the  Vedas  ; 
pardon,  ye  poets,  the  frivolities  of  my  poor  wit.  Who,  that 
hears  or  tells  of  B Iiarat's  perfect  nature,  does  not  become 
enamoured  of  the  feet  of  Sita  and  Rdna  ?  Whoever  invokes 
Bharat  and  still  finds  bve  for  Rdma  a  difficult  matter  is  a 
monster  without  a  parallel.  Seeing  the  state  that  every  one 
was  in,  the  merciful  and  all-wise  Riima,  who  knows  their 
devotion  to  him,  being  the  staunch  champion  of  religion,  a 
master  of  policy,  an  ocean  of  truth  and  love  and  amiability 
and  everything  good,  having  considered  the  place  and  cir- 
cumstances, the  time  and  assembly,  Raghurdj,  the  main- 
tainor of  justice  and  affection,  delivered  a  speech,  the 
quintessence  of  eloquence,  grateful  as  ambrosia  at  the  time 
of  hearing,  and  salutary  also  in  the  end  :  "  Brother  Bharat, 
you  are  the  champion  of  righteousness,  perfectly  conversant 
with  all  the  laws  of  the  world  and  the  Vedas  ; 

Dohd  292.       3t?  V 
for  purity  of  thought,  word  and  act,  your  only  equal,  bro- 
ther, is  yourself.     In  this  venerable  assembly  and  in  such 
distressing   circumstances  how  can    all  the  virtues   of  my 

younger  brother  be  told  ? 

Chaupdi. 
Brother,  you  know  the  custom  of  the  Solar  race  and  the 
renown  and  the  affection  of  our  father,  that  ocean  of  truth  ; 
the  circumstances  of  the  time  and  of  this  assembly,  the  re- 
verence due  to  these  venerable  personages,  and  the  secret 
thoughts  of  all  men,  whether  they  be  indifferent,  or  friends, 
or  unfriends,  are  understood  by  you,  as  also  your  own  high- 
est gain  and  mine  and  the  requirements  of  religion.  I  have 
entire  confidence  in  you  and  yet  I  speak  as  the  circumstan- 
ces suggest.  My  words,  brother,  in  the  absence  of  my 
father,  have  been  kept  straight  only  by  the  favour  of  our 
guru;  otherwise  all  my  subjects,  together  with  the  citizens, 
the  people  of  the  palace  and  myself,  would  have  been 
undone.     If  the  lord  of  day  sets  at  the  wrong  time,  tell  me, 

R-54 


402  AVODUYA. 

will  not  the  whole  world  be  in  confusion  ?  Such  trouble, 
brother,  fate  had  ordained  ;  but  the  saint  and  the  king  of 
i^lithiU  have  averted  it. 

Doha  293. 

The   State  ;  our   honour  and  fair  name  ;  Religion;  our 
land,   wealth   and  homes ;    all  have   been  defended  by  the 
power  of  the  guru  ;  and  everything  will  be  well  in  the  end. 
Ghaupdi. 

My  followers  and  yours,  the  palace  and  the  forest,  are 
both  protected  by  his  favour.  The  order  of  a  father  or 
mother,  a  guru  or  a  master,  is  like  Seshnig,  the  supporter 
of  a  whole  world  of  righteousness.  Obey  it  yourself,  bro- 
ther, and  let  me  obey  it,  and  thus  become  a  protector  of  all 
the  Solar  race.  Obedience  is  the  one  means  for  the  attain- 
ment of  every  success,  a  triple  flood  of  Glory,  Salvation  and 
Power.  Having  thus  reflected,  endure  the  grievous  burden 
and  make  your  people  and  family  happy.  I  have  distributed 
my  afflictions  amongst  you  all  ;  but  upon  you  is  the  full 
weight  of  the  greatest  difiiculty.  I  know  your  tenderness, 
though  I  speak  so  harshly  ;  the  times,  brother,  are  out  of 
joint ;  the  fault  is  not  mine.  In  an  emergency  a  brother  is 
used  for  a  shield,  in  the  same  way  as  the  stroke  of  a  sword 

is  parried  by  the  hand." 

Dohd  294. 

A  servant  is  like  a   hand,   or  foot,  or  eye  ;   a  master  is 
like  the  head.     Hearing  this  description  of  love,  say  Tulsi, 
the  greatest  poets  are  full  of  admiration. 
Ghaupdi. 

When  they  heard  Raghubar's  speech,  imbued  as  it  were 
with  the  nectar  of  an  ocean  of  tenderness,  the  whole  assem- 
bly became  lost  in  an  overpowering  trance  of  love.  Sdrad^ 
herself  was  8trucl<  dumb  at  the  sight  of  them.  Bharat  was 
immensely  consoled  by  the  graciousness  of  his  lord  and  his 
putting  away  of  every  trouble  and  wrong-doing.  Cheerful 
of  aspect  and  with  the  grief  of  his  soul  effaced,  he  seemed 
like  a  dumb  man  who  has  received  the  gift  of  speech.  Affec- 


AYODHYA.  403 

tionately  bowing  again  and  again  and  folding  his  lotus 
hands,  he  thus  spoke  :  "  My  lord,  I  am  as  happy  as  if  I  had 
gone  with  you  ;  I  have  reaped  the  reward  of  being  born 
into  the  world.  Now,  0  merciful  sire,  whatever  may  be 
your  order,  that  will  1  dutifully  and  reverently  obey.  But, 
sire,  grant  me  some  support,  by  the  help  of  which  I  may 
struggle  on  to  the  end  of  the  time.  ^ 

Doha  295.       ^* 
In  compliance  with  the  guru's  command,    sire,    I    have 
brought  here  water  from  all  holy  places  for  the  purpose  of 
your  royal  inauguration  :  what  are  your  orders   concerning 
it? 

Chaupdi. 
I  have  one  great  desire  at  heart,  but  for  fear  and  shame 
I  canijot  tell  it,"  "  Tell  me  what  it  is,  brother,"  Upon   this 
his  lord's  command,  he  replied  in  affectionate  and  winning 
terms :  "  With  your  permission  I  would  go  and  see  Chitra- 
kiit  with  all  its  hermitages,  shrines  and  woods,  its  birds  and 
beasts,  its  ponds  and  streams,  its  waterfals   and  rocks,  and 
the  spoti  so  specially  marked  with  the  prints   of  my   lord's 
feet."  "  Certainly,  brother  :  only  obtain  Atri's   permission, 
and  then  wander  without  fear  through  the  woods.    It  is  the 
saint's  blessing,  brother,  that  makes  the  forest  so  auspicious, 
holy  and  exquisitely  beautiful.    In  whatever  place  the  king 
of   sages   may   direct,   there    deposit  the  holy  water."     On 
liearing  his  lord's    words,    Bharat  was   glad    and    joyfully 
bowed  his  head  to  the  saint's  lotus  feet. 
Dohd  296. 
The  selfish  gods,  when  they  heard  this  most    delightful 
conversation  between  Bharat  and  Rama,  praised   the  whole 
family  and  rapturously  showered  down  flowers  upon  them. 
Chaupdi. 
*'  Blessed  be  Bharat  and  glory  to  our  lord  Rdma."  cried 


1  One  of  the  temples  of  Chitra-kilt  Dears  the  name  of  Charan-paduka, 
and  has  been  erected  over  a  rock  which  is  said  to  bear  the  impression  of 
Rama's  foot.  Supposing  there  were  any  truth  in  the  legend,  it  would  seem 
rather  from  the  name  that  it  ought  to  commemorate  the  place  where  Rama 
gave  Bharat  his  sandals, 


404  AYODHYA. 

the  gods  in  their  irrepressible  delight.  The  saint,  the  king 
of  Mithild  and  every  one  in  the  assembly  rejoiced  on  hear- 
ing Bharat's  speech.  King  Videha  broke  out  into  ecstatic 
praises  of  the  many  virtues  and  the  affection  both  of  Bharat 
and  Rama  ;  master  and  servant  of  equally  charming  dis- 
position, their  fidelity  and  love  the  purest  of  the  pure.  The 
ministers  too  and  all  the  spectators  effectionately  extolled 
them,  as  each  best  could.  In  both  camps  there  was  blended 
joy  and  sorrow,  when  they  heard  the  conversation  between 
Rdma,  Bharat  and  the  saint.  Rama's  mother,  feeling  plea- 
sure and  pain  equally  balanced,  exhorted  the  queens, 
reckoning  up  both  good  and  evil.  One  would  magnify 
Rdma,  another  would  praise  Bharat's  amiability. 

Doha  297. 

Then  said  Atri  to  Bharat :  *'  There  is  a  fine  well  near 
the  hill ;  there  deposit  the  holy  water,  pure,  unsullied,  in- 
comparable." 

Chaupdi. 

On  receiving  Atri's  command,  Bharat  despatched  all 
the  water  vessels,  and  himself  with  Satrnghna,  the  saint 
and  elders,  went  to  the  deep  wellJ  There  he  poured  out  the 
holy  water  on  that  sacred  spot  ;  and  Atri  in  a  rapture  of 
affection  thus  spoke :  "Son,  this  has  been  a  holy  place 
from  all  eternity ;  but  time  had  obscured  it,  and  it  was 
known  to  no  one,  till  my  servants,  seeing  the  spot  to  be  a 
desirable  one,  made  this  great  well  for  the  sake  of  a  good 
supply  of  water.  By  the  decree  of  fate  the  whole  universe 
has  been  benefited,  and  a  merit  most  difficult  to  compass 
has  been  rendered  easy.  People  will  now  call  it  Bharat's 
well,  hallowed  in  a  special  degree  by  the  combination  in  it 
of  the  water  of  all  holy  places.  Every  one  who  lovingly 
and  religiously  bathes  in  it,  will  be  made  pure  in  thought, 
word  and  act." 

1  VAlmiki  makes  no  mention  of  this  well.  Under  the  name  of  'the 
Bharat-ki'ip',  it  is  now  one  of  the  seven  principal  stations  visited  by  the 
pilgrims  to  Ohitra-kiit. 


AYODHYA.  405 

Doha  298. 

All   then    went   to  Raghunath,  telling  the  virtue  of  the 

well;  and  Atri  explained  to  him  the  blessed  efficacy  of  holy 

places. 

Chawpdi. 

The  night  was  pleasantly^pent  in  loving  discourse  on 
matters  of  religion  and  sacred  legends  until  it  was  dawn. 
After  performing  their  daily  duties,  Bharat  and  his  brother, 
having  received  permission  from  Rama  and  Saint  Atri,  at- 
tended by  all  their  retinue  in  simple  attire,  proceeded  on 
foot  to  visit  Rama's  wood.  Earth,  in  confusion  of  heart  at 
being  trodden  by  their  delicate  and  unshod  feet,  smoothen- 
ed  herself,  and  cleared  away  all  tlie  spiky  grass  and  thorns 
and  stones  and  ruts  and  everything  rough  and  unpleasant. 
Earth  made  the  way  delightfully  easy  for  them  ;  they  were 
refreshed  by  soft,  cool  and  fragrant  breezes  ;  the  gods  rained 
down  flowers  ;  the  clouds  afforded  shade  ;  the  trees  gave 
blossom  and  fruit  ;  the  grass  made  a  soft  carpet ;  the  deer 
with  their  timid  glances,  and  the  birds  with  their  sweet 
song,  all  recognized  Rama's  friends  and  did  them  homage. 
Dohd  299. 

And  what  great  matter  is  this  for  Bharat,  Rama's  dear- 
est friend  ?  when  any  ordinary  person  finds  the  highest  suc- 
cess easy  of  attainment,  if  he  merely  repeats  Raima's  name 

when  he  yawns. 

Ghanpfii. 

In  this  manner  Bharat  roamed  the  woods,  and  the  saints, 
who  saw  his  faith  and  love,  were  abashed.  Seeing  all  so 
divine,  he  asked  about  the  sacred  ponds  and  various  locali- 
ties, the  birds  and  deer,  the  trees  and  grasses,  the  hills, 
woods  and  orchards,  beautiful  and  varied  and  pre-eminent- 
ly holy ;  and  in  reply  the  great  saint  with  gladness  of 
heart  gave  him  the  history  of  each,  with  its  name,  virtues 
and  spiritual  efficacy.  Bathing  at  one  place,  prostrating 
himself  at  another  ;  here  admiring  the  beauty  of  the  wood, 
here  sitting  down  to  rest  as  the  saint  directed,  he   medjta- 


406  AYODHYA. 

ted  on  Slta  and  the  two  brothers.  Seeing  the  goodness  of 
his  disposition,  his  love  and  faithfulness  in  service,  the 
gods  of  the  wood  were  charmed  and  gave  him  their  bles- 
sing. The  third  watch  of  the  day  was  half  spent  when  he 
returned  to  gaze  upon  the  lotus  feet  of  his  lord. 
Dohd  300. 
In  five  days  Bharat  visited  every  shrine  and  holy  place. 
The  day  was  spent  in  discourse  on  the  glory  of  Hari  and 
Hara  until  the  evening. 

Chauptii. 

On  the  morrow,  after  bathing,  the  whole  assembly  was 
gathered  together— Bharat,  the  Brdhmans  and  the  king  of 
Tirhdt.  Rdma  new  at  heart  that  the  day  was  an  auspicious 
one,  but  in  his  kindness  hesitated  to  say  so.  He  looked  at 
the  guru,  the  king,  Bharat,  and  the  assembly,  and  then  in 
confusion  turned  his  eyes  to  the  ground.  All  the  spectators 
admired  his  generosity,  thinking.  *  Never  was  there  a  mas- 
ter so  considerate  as  Reima  is ! '  Bharat  in  his  wisdom  un- 
derstood Rama's  wish.  He  stood  up  and,  lovingly  putting 
the  greatest  restraint  upon  himself,  bowed  low,  and  with 
clasped  hands  thus  spoke  :  "  My  lord  has  granted  my  every 
desire.  For  me  he  has  borne,  every  affliction  and  has 
himself  experienced  every  kind  of  trouble.  Now,  sire,  give 
me  your  royal  permission  to  go  and  serve  at  Avadh  till   the 

appointed  time. 

Dohd  301. 

But,  0  merciful  and  compassionate  king  of  Kosahi. 
teach  me  some  way  by  which  your  servant  may  see  your  feet 
again  when  the  time  is  over. 

Chaupdi. 

Your  citizens,  your  kinsmen,  and  all  your  subjects,  sire, 
are  true  and  real,  and  bound  to  you  by  ties  of  affection. 
The  sorrows  of  this  miserable  life,  borne  by  your  command 
are  a  delight  ;  without  my  lord,  highest  heaven  is  a  worth- 
less gain.  The  all  wise  master  knows  th«  fancies,  the 
desires,  the  habit  of  mind  of  all  his  servants  ;  the  protector, 


AYODHiA.  d07 

of  suppliants  will  be  our  protector,  and  both  in  this  world 
and  the  next  will  secure  our  deliverance.  I  have  thus  the 
most  perfect  confidence  ;  not  a  particle  of  anxiety  disturbs 
my  calculations.  My  own  distress  and  my  lord's  forbearance 
have  combined  to  make  me  thus  presumptuous.  Pardon, 
my  lord,  this  my  great  offence,  and  shrink  not  from  instruct- 
ing your  servant  what  to  do."  All  who  heard  Bharat's 
prayer  applauded  it  ;  like  a  swan  it  had  separated  the  milk 
of  truth  from  the  water  of  error. 

Dohd  302. 

The  all-wise  Rama,  the  brother  of  the  meek,  on  hearing 
his  brother's  meek  and  guilelss  speech,  replied  in  terms  ap- 
l^ropriate  to  the  place,  the  circumstances  and  the  time  : 

Chaupdi. 

"  The  guim  and  the  king,  brother,  take  thought  for  you, 
for  me  and  our  people,  whether  at  home  or  in  the  forest.  So 
long  as  Visvamitra,  Vasishtha,  and  Janak  direct  us,  neither 
you  nor  I  can  dream  of  trouble.  For  us  two  brothers,  both 
for  me  and  you,  obedience  to  our  father's  command  is  the 
highest  object  we  can  have,  our  greatest  gain,  our  glory, 
our  duty  and  our  salvation.  A  king's  good  is  a  good  thing 
both  in  the  Vedas  and  in  the  estimation  of  the  world. 
Whoever  observes  the  injunctions  of  guru  or  father  and 
mother,  or  master  treads  an  easy  path  and  never  stumbles. 
Remember  this,  and  putting  aside  all  regrets,  go  and  reign 
at  Avadh  for  the  appointed  time.  The  burden  of  the  realm, 
the  treasury,  the  people  and  the  family  will  weigh  no  heavier 
than  the  dust  of  the  guriCs  feet.  Observe  the  instructions 
of  the  saint  your  mother  and  the  Minister,  and  protect  your 
country,  your  subjects  and  your  capital." 
Bohd  303. 

A  chief  should  be  like  the  mouth,  which  alone  (says 
Tulsi)  does  all  the  eating  and  drinking,  and  yet  supports 
and  nourishes  to  a  nicety  each  separate  member  of  the  body. 


408  AVODHVA. 

Chaupdi. 

A  king's  duty  includes  everything,  in  the  same  way  as 
every  latent  desire  exists  potentially  in  the  mind.  In  various 
ways  he  consoled  his  brother  ;  but  without  some  memento 
his  mind  would  not  be  satisfied  nor  at  rest.  The  guru,  the 
minister  and  the  whole  assembly  were  like-minded  with 
Bharat ;  and  Rdma  overpowered  with  modesty  and  affection, 
took  compassion  upon  him  and  gave  him  his  sandals,  which 
Bharat  reverently  received  and  placed  upon  his  head.  Not 
these  the  mere  foot-gear  of  the  All-merciful,  but  rather  twin 
guardians  of  his  people's  life  ;  a  casket  to  contain  the  jewel 
of  Bharat's  love  ;  the  two  letters^  of  the  alphabet  for  which 
the  soul  struggles  ;  the  folding-doors  that  guard  the  house ; 
the  hands  for  holy  work ;  the  pure  eyes  of  service  and 
righteousness  Bharat  was  as  glad  to  receive  this  memento 
as  if  Rdma  and  Sita  had  themselves  stayed. 
Dohd  304. 

As  he  bowed  and  begged  permission  to  depart,  Rama 
took  and  clasped  him  to  his  bosom.  Wicked  Indra  finding 
a  sad  opportunity  made  the  people  weary. 

Chaupdi. 

But  his  villainy  was  a  good  thing  for  all;  the  hope  that 
the  time  of  exile  would  soon  be  over  was  the  life  of  their 
life.  Otherwise  the  separation  from  Lakshman,  Sita  and 
R^ma  would  have  been  such  a  blow  that  all  would  have 
died  of  it.  The  mercy  of  Rd ma  solved  this  diffi(3ulty,  and 
the  hostile  gods  became  serviceable  allies.  R4ma  closed  his 
arms  around  Bharat  with  a  burst  of  affection  that  cannot 
be  described.  Body,  soul  and  speech  overflowed  with 
love  ;  the  firmest  of  the  firm  lost  all  firmness,  and  his  lotus 
eyes  streamed  with  tears.  The  assembled  gods  were 
grieved  to  see  his  condition  :  the  saints  and  gurus  who  were 
as  firm  as  Janak,  the  gold  of  whose  soul  had  been  tested 
by  the  fire  of  wisdom,  and  whom  the  Creator  had  created 
as  unimpressionable  by  the  world  as  the  leaves  of  the 
lotus  by  the  water  ; 


I  The  lw<j  letters  are  the  consonants  in  the  name  KAma  :  for   a  paueKyric 
on  which  see  Doha  24,  Book  t,  page  18. 


AtODHYA.  409 

Dohd  305. 
even  they,  seeing  the  unparalleled  and  boundless   affection 
of  R^ma  and  Bharat,  were  overwhelmed  in  body,  soul  and 
speech,  lost  all  reason  and  restraint. 

Ghaupdi. 
If  Janak  and  Vasishtha  were  dumbfounded,  the  emotion 
of  ordinary  persons  is  not  worth  speaking  about.  People 
would  think  any  poet  harsh  when  they  heard  him  describe 
the  parting  of  Rdima  and  Bharat  ;  Eloquence  herself,  re- 
membering the  unspeakable  pathos  of  the  scene,  would  be 
struck  dumb  with  confusion.  Raghubar  first  embraced 
and  consoled  Bharat  and  then  rejoiced  to  take  Satrughna 
to  his  arms.  Knowing  Bharat's  wishes,  his  servants  and 
ministers  began  each  to  set  about  his  own  work.  In  both 
camps  there  was  sore  distress  at  the  news,  as  they  com- 
menced their  preparations  for  the  march.  The  two  brothers, 
after  reverencing  their  lord's  lotus  feet  and  submissively 
receiving  his  commands,  set  out  on  the  way,  bowing  to  the 
saints,  the  hermits  and  forest  gods  and  again  and  again 
showing  them  respect. 

Dohd  306. 
Lakshman,  too,  they  embraced,  and  making  obeisance, 
placed  on  their  head  the    dust  of  Sfta's   feet,  and  received 
her  affectionate  blessing,  the  source  of  happiness. 

Ghaupdi. 
Rama  and  his  brother  bowed  the  head  to  the  king  with 
many  expressions  of  modesty  and  praise  :  "  In  your  kind- 
ness, sire,  you  have  suffered  great  inconvenience,  you  and 
your  retinue,  by  coming  to  the  forest ;  now  grant  me  your 
blessing  and  return  to  the  city."  The  monarch  mastered 
his  emotion  and  went.  After  reverencing  the  saints,  Brdh- 
mans  and  nobles,  and  taking  leave  of  them  as  though  they 
were  the  equals  of  Hari  and  Hara,  the  two  brothers  ap- 
proached their  mother-in-law,  and  came  back  after  kissing 
her  feet  and  obtaining  her  blessing.    Then  they  took  leave 

R-55 


410  AYODHYA. 

of  Visvamitra,  Vamadeva  and  J^bdli  ;i  the  people  of  the 
court,  the  citizens,  the  good  ministers  and  all ;  with  courte- 
ous speech  and  address,  as  was  most  befitting.  The  Ocean 
of  compassion  respectfully  dismissed  them  all,  men  and 
women,  high,  middle-class  and  low. 
Dohd  307. 

With  sincere  affection  the  Lord  kissed  the  feet  of 
Bharat's  mother  and  embraced  her,  and  escorting  her  to  the 
p^lki  that  he  had  in  readiness,  effaced  all  her  alarm  and 
distress. 

Ghaupdi. 

After  saluting  her  father  and  mother  and  the  court,  Sita 
came  back  purified  by  the  love  of  her  beloved.  Reverently 
she  embraced  all  her  mothers-in-law,  with  an  affection 
which  the  poet's  soul  shrinks  from  describing.  Hearkening 
to  their  instruction  and  receiving  the  blessing  she  desired 
of  them,  Sfta  stood  burdened  with  conflicting  love.  Having 
sent  for  elegant  pdlkis,  Rdma  with  words  of  consolation 
escorted  each  of  his  mothers  to  their  carriage.  Again  and 
again  both  brothers  embraced  them  and  led  each  by  the 
hand  with  equal  affection.  When  the  horses,  elephants  and 
different  vehicles  were  ready,  the  king  and  Bharat  started 
the  host.  Their  hearts  full  of  Rflma,  Sita  and  Lakshman,  all 
the  people  went  disconsolate ;  even  the  bullocks,  horses, 
elephants  and  cattle  were  out  of  heart  and  went  only  by 
force  and  against  their  will. 

Dohd  308. 

The  Lord  with  Sita  and  Lakshman  kissed  the  feet  of  the 
guru  and  the  guru's  wife,  and  turned  and  came  back  to 
their  leafy  hut  with  mingled  pleasure  and  amazement. 

Ghaupai. 

The  Nishjid  was  dismissed  with  honour  and  departed  ; 
sorely  grieved  at   heart  to  leave.     The   Kols,  KirAts  and 

Tli^the  Sanskrit  Riimayana  Jkbali  is  represented  as  being,  or  profcss- 
ing  to  be,  an  atheist.  In  this  character  he  alone  openly  advised  KAma  tn 
return  to  Ayodhya  as  king  ;  for  as  there  was  no  life  after  death,  the  wisest 
plan  was  to  get  as  much  enjoyment  as  possible  out  of  the  present  lite  whiu 
it  lasted. 


AYODHYA.  411 

Bhfls,  the  people  of  the  woods,  turned  again  and  again, 
after  they  had  been  dismissed,  to  make  yet  one  more  obei- 
sance. The  lord  with  Sita  and  Lakshman  sat  under  the 
shade  of  the  fig-tree  and  sorrowed  for  the  loss  of  their  dear 
friends.  R^ma,  overpowered  with  affection,  discoursed  to 
his  spouse  and  brother  in  eloquent  terras  on  Bharat's  love 
and  generosity,  and  with  his  own  blessed  mouth  declared 
that  faith  and  devotion  were  in  his  every  thought,  word 
and  deed.  At  that  time  the  birds,  deer  and  fish,  every 
creature  at  Chitra-kiit,  whether  animate  or  inanimate,  were 
all  woe-begone.  The  gods,  seeing  Raghubar's  state,  rained 
down  flowers  and  told  him  of  what  was  doing  in  their 
several  spheres.  The  lord  bowed  and  reassured  them  ;  they 
went  away  glad,. without  a  particle  of  anxiety  in  their  mind. 
Dohd  309. 

With  Sita  and  his  brother  the  Lord  shone  forth  in  the 
leafy  hut  as  resplendent  as  Faith,  wisdom  and  Ascetism 
incarnate. 

Chaupdi. 

Vasishtha,  the  Br^hmans  and  Visvamitra,  Bharat  and 
the  king  were  all  in  evil  case  at  leaving  R^ma  and  paced 
the  road  in  silence,  counting  up  in  their  mind  all  Rama's 
virtues.  After  crossing  the  Jamun^  they  passed  that 
whole  day  without  food.  The  next  day  they  crossed  the 
Ganges,  where  Rama's  friend  made  every  arrangement  for 
them.  Then  they  crossed  the  Sai,  bathed  in  the  Gomati, 
and  on  the  fourth  day  reached  Ayodhy^.  Janak  stayed 
four  days  in  the  city,  settled  the  entire  administration  of 
the  state,  committed  the  government  to  the  Minister,  the 
guru  and  Bharat,  and  then  with  all  his  retinue  set  out  for 
Tirhiit.  All  the  people,  in  compliance  with  the  guru^s 
directions,  settled  down  quietly  in  Rama's  capital, 

Dohd  310. 
fasting  and  praying  to  see  him  once   again,  discarding  all 
personal  adornments,  pleasure  and  enjoyment,  and  living 
only  in  the  hope  of  his  return. 


412  AYODHYA. 

Ghaupdi. 
Bharat  exhorted  his  ministers  and  trusty  servants,  and 
they  executed  his  orders,  each  in  their  appointed  sphere. 
Then  he  spoke  and  gave  instructions  to  his  younger  brother, 
and  entrusted  to  him  the  care  of  the  dowager  queens.  He 
also  with  folded  hands  spoke  to  the  Br^hmans,  bowing  low 
and  using  humble  supplication  :  "  Give  your  orders  and 
hesitate  not,  to  high  or  to  low,  in  great  matters  or  in  small." 
Next  he  summoned  the  people  of  the  palace,  of  the  city,  and 
all  his  subjects,  and  set  their  minds  at  rest  and  appointed 
them  places  to  live  in.  After  this  he,  with  his  brother, 
went  to  the  guru's  house,  and  after  prostrating  himself  and 
joining  his  hands  in  prayer  said  thus  :  "  With  your  per- 
mission I  will  now  live  a  life  of  penance."  The  saint 
thrilled  with  rapturous  affection  and  replied :  "  Whatever 
you  think,  or  say,  or  do,  is  always  best." 
Doha  311, 

On  receiving  his  command  and  his  blessing,  he  sent  for 
a  great  astrologer  and  fixed  the  day,  and  then  devoutly 
placed  upon  the  throne  his  lord's  sandals. 

Ghaupfii. 

After  bowing  his  head   at  the  feet  of   Rdma's  mother 
and  the  guru,  and   receiving  the  commands  of  his  lord's 
sandals,  the  champion  of  righteousness   made   for  himself 
a  hut  of  leaves  at  NandigrAma,  ^  and  there  abode,  with  his 
hair  gathered  up  into  a  knot  on  his  head,  attired  in  hermit's 
dress,  and  his  couch  of  grass  spread  in  a  cave  in  the  earth, 
lovingly  practising  the  austerities  of  religious   life  in  food, 
^       dress,  posture,  fasting  and   prayer  ;  discarding  in  thought, 
word  and  deed,  as  of  no  more  value  than  a  broken  blade  of  j 
grass,  all  clothes   and  adornments  and   every  luxury  and; 
enjoyment.     The   city    of   heaven   envied   the    capital   of] 
Avadh,  and  the  god-of  riches  was  confounded  at  the  sight  of 

1  Nandigr&ma,  now  contracted    to     Nandg^nw,   is  a  few   miles   froi 
Ayodhy^. 


AYODHYA. 


413 


Dasarath's  wealth  ;  yet  in  that  city  Bharat  dwelt  as  in- 
different as  a  bee  in  a  garden  of  champa  trees. ^  A  man 
so  highly  blest  as  to  be  enamoured  of  Rdma  spurns  like 
vomit  all  Lakshmi's  delights. 

DohdS{2. 

This  is  no  such  great  achievement  for  Bharat,  the  very 
shrine  of  the  love  of  R^ma ;  even  the  chdfak  and  the  swan 
are  models  in  their  way,  the  one  of  marvellous  constancy, 
the  other  of  discrimination. 

Chaupdi. 

Day  by  day  his  body  grew  thinner,  but  his  lustre  and 
vigour  were  not  diminished,  and  the  beauty  of  his  face  "» 
remained  the  same.  Nourished  by  an  ever-increasing  devo- 
tion, his  virtue  waxed  stronger  and  his  soul  was  unclouded  : 
as  the  waters  decrease  in  the  brightness  of  the  autumn,  but 
the  reeds  spring  up  and  the  lotuses  blossom.  His  tran- 
quillity, self-control,  piety,  fasting  and  prayer  were  like  stars 
in  the  pure  heaven  of  Bharat's  soul :  his  faith  like  the 
pole-star,  the  return  from  exile  as  the  full  moon,  his  con- 
stant remembrance  of  the  Lord  as  the  glistening  milk-way, 
his  devotion  a  fixed  and  unsullied  moon  shining  ever  clear 
amidst  a  galaxy  of  stars.  All  the  greatest  of  poets  would 
fail  to  describe  Bharat's  composure,  wisdom  and  magnanim- 
ity, his  faith,  his  impassibility,  and  the  perfect  splendour 
of  his  virtues ;  not  even  Seshnag,  Ganes  and  Sarasvati 
could  attain  to  them. 

Dohd  313. 
Paying  daily  homage  to  his  lord's  sandals,  his  affection 
was  greater   than  his    heart  could    contain  :  he  constantly 
referred  to  them  in  the  disposal  of  all  matters  of  state, 

Chaupdi. 
his  body  quivering  with  emotion,    Sita  and  Rdma    in   his 
heart,  their  names  upon  his  tongue,   and  with  tears  in   his 
eyes.     R^ma,  Lakshman  and  Sita  dwelt  in  the  forest,    but 

1  Though  the  champa  bears  a  very  sweet-scented  flower,   it  is  said  that 
no  bee  ever  sucks  it. 


414  AYODHYA. 

Bharat  dwelling  in  the  palace  endured  the  bodily  penance. 
Every  one  after  considering  both  sides  said  that  Bharat  was 
in  every  way  praiseworthy.  The  religious  were  abashed 
who  heard  of  his  fasting  and  penance ;  the  king  of  saints, 
who  saw  his  condition,  was  put  to  shame.  Bharat's  mode 
of  life  was  utterly  holy,  sweet  and  charming,  and  the  cause 
of  every  blessing  ;  it  removes  the  grievous  distress  of  this 
sinful  age :  is  the  sun  to  disperse  the  darkness  of  the  great 
delusion  ;  the  lion  to  quell  the  elephant  host  of  sin  :  the 
pacifier  of  every  kind  of  affliction  ;  the  joy  of  the  faithful : 
the  liberator  from  the  burden  of  existence  the  essence  of 
the  ambrosia  of  Rama's  love. 

Ghhand  13. 
If  Bharat  had  never  been  born,  full  of  the  ambrosia  of 
devotion  to  Rdma  and  Sita  who  would  have  practised  such 
self-restraint  and  penance,  such  composure,  patience  and 
rigorous  fasting,  transcending  every  imagination  of  the 
saints  ?  Who  in  legendary  disguise  would  have  removed 
our  burning  sorrows  and  poverty,  our  arrogance  and  sin  ? 
What  poor  wretch  like  Tulsi  now  in  this  iron  age  would 
have  ventured  to  set  RAma  before  you  ?       -t  ^  m 

Sorathd  12.  ^       \ 

All,  says  Tulsi,  who  make  a  vow  and  listen  with  rever- 
ence to  Bharat's  acts  shall  assuredly  acquire  a  great  devotion 
to  the  feet  of  Sita  and  R^ma  and  a  distaste  for  the  pleasures 
of  life. 


[Thus  endeth  the  hook  entitled  Ayodhya,  composed  by 
Tulsi  Dds  for  the  bestowal  of  pure  wisdom  and  continence 
being  the  second  descent  '  into  the  holy  lake  of  Rama's  deedsj' 
that  cleanses  from  every  defilement  of  the  world.] 


BOOK  III. 

THE   FOKEST. 


THE    FOREST.  417 

THE  FOREST. 


Sanskrit  Invocation. 

I  REVERENCE  the  Brdhmanic  race  ;  the  very  root  of  the 
tree  of  piety;  the  full  moon  of  the  sea  of  intelligence  ;  the 
joygiver  ;  the  sun  of  the  lotus  of  asceticism  ;  the  destroyer 
of  sin  ;  the  dispeller  of  darkness  ;  the  healer  of  distress  ; 
the  most  auspicious  conjunction  in  the  high  heaven  of 
wisdom,  which  scatters  the  thick  clouds  of  delusion  ;  the 
sin  cleansing ;  the  beloved  of  king  Rama. 

I  worship  him,  whose  body  resembles  a  cloud  teeming 
with  abundant  delights;  the  yellow-apparelled  ;  the  beauti- 
ful; the  hero  with  bow  and  arrows  in  hand  and  well-fitted 
quiver  gleaming  by  his  side;  with  the  large  lotus  eyes  ; 
the  long  tresses  of  whose  hair  are  bound  into  a  knot  on  his 
liead,  all  glorious  to  behold  ;  the  way-farer  accompanied  by 
Sita  and  Lakshman,  the  charmer  of  charmers. 

ISorathd  1. 
0  Uma,  the  saints,  who  are  learned  in  Rdma's  mysteri- 
..     ous  qualities,  enjoy  peace  of  mind  ;  but  fools,  wJk^ave  Hari's 
enemies  and  have  no  love  for  religion,  reap  only  delusion. 

Chaupai. 
I  have  sung  to  the  best  of  my  ability  the  incomparable 
and  charming  affection  shown  by  the  citizens  and  Bharat : 
hearken  now  to  the  all-holy  acts  of  the  Lord,  that  he 
wrought  in  the  forest,  to  the  delight  of  gods,  men  and 
saints.  Once  upon  a  time  Rama  picked  some  lovely  flowers 
and  with  his  own  hands  made  a  wreath,  with  which  he 
reverently  decked  Sita.  As  she  sat  in  her  glory  on  the 
crystal  rock,  the  son  of  the  king  of  the  gods^  took  the  form 
of  a  crow  and  wickedly  thought  to  make  trial  of  Raima's 
might,  like  an  ant  so  imbecile  of  mind  as  to  attempt  to 
sound  the  depths  of  ocean.  With  its  beak  it  bit  Sita  in 
the  foot  and  flew  away,  the  foolish  crow,  in  its  utter 
I  Jayanta,  the  son  of  Indra. 

R-oG 


418  THE   FOREST. 

Stupidity.     The   blood   flowed ;    Raghundyak  saw   it   and 
made  ready  his  bow  and  arrow,  fashioned  merely  of  reeds.^ 

Doha  1.        -jl 

The  All-merciful  R^ma,  ever  full  of  compassion  for  the 
poor,  even  he  it  was  upon  whom  the  wicked  wretch  came 
and  played  this  trick. 

Ghaupdi. 

The  divine  arrow,  winged  with  a  charm,  sped  forth  ; 
the  crow  in  terror  took  to  flight  and  assuming  his  proper 
form  went  to  his  father,  who  would  not  shelter  him,  as  he 
was  Rdma's  enemy.  He  was  in  despair,  and  as  panicstricken 
in  soul  as  was  the  Rishi  DurvAsas  by  the  terror  of  Vishnu's 
discus.  Weary  and  worn  with  fear  and  remorse,  he 
traversed  the  realm  of  Brdhma,  the  city  of  Siva  and  every 
other  sphere;  but  no  one  even  asked  him  to  sit  down  ;  who 
can  befriend  an  enemy  of  Rama's  ?  Hearken  Garur  :  his 
own  mother  becomes  his  death ;  his  father  is  changed  as 
it  were  into  the  king  of  the  infernal  regions  ;2  ambrosia 
turns  to  poison ;  a  friend  does  him  all  the  harm  of  a 
hundred  enemies  ;  the  Ganges  is  converted  into  the  Vaitar- 
ani,3  and  all  the  world  burns  hotter  than  fire— mark  me, 
brother  — when  a  man  opposes  Rjima.  When  N^rad  saw 
Jayanta's  distress,  being  tender-hearted  and  good,  he  took  j 
pity  on  him  and  sent  him  straight  to  RAma.  There  he 
cried  'Save  me,  0  thou  that  art  the  suppliant's  friend  !' 
In  terror  and  confusion  he  went  and  clasped  his  feet, 
crying  *'  Quarter,  quarter,  0  merciful  Raghurdi !  Thy  might 
is  immeasurable,  and  immeasurable  thy  majesty;  ia 
ignorance  of  mind,  I  Knew  thee  not.  I  have  reaped  thi 
fruit  of  my  own  actions  ;  now  my  Lord,  succour  me,  for 
thee  I  have  come  for  refuge."     When   the   Merciful   hear< 

1  In  the  Sanskrit  R^mavana  this  incident  of  the  crow  forms  the  sal 
ject  of  the  105th  cnnto  of  the  Ayodriya  Kind,  Gorresio's  edition. 

2  SanninUy  *  the  destMver,'  here  denotes  Yaraa,  the  Indian  Pluto. 

3  The  Vaiiararu  is  the  Hindu  htyx,  or  river  of  hell,  which  the  dea 
have  to  cross  before  entering  the  infernal  regions.  It  is  represented  as  i 
impetuous  and  filthy  torrent,  full  of  blood,  hair  and  bones  and  every  kit 
of  impurity. 


THE    FOREST.  419 

this  most  piteous  appeal,  he  dismissed  him,  Bhavdni,  with 

the  loss  of  one  eye.  , 

Sorothd  2.      ^ 

Although  in  his  infatuation  he  had  committed  such  an 
offence  that  death  was  his  due,  the  Lord  had  compassion 
upon  him  and  set  him  free  ;  who  is  so  merciful  as  Baghubir? 

Ghaupdi 

R4raa  stayed  on  at  Chitra-kut  and  performed  many  acts 
that  were  like  the  scriptures  or  ambrosia  for  excellence. 
At  last,  he  thought  to  himself —"  There  will  be  a  crowd 
here,  now  that  every  one  knows  of  me."  So  the  two, 
brothers  with  Sita  took  leave  of  all  the  saints  and  went  on 
their  way.  When  the  Lord  drew  near  to  Atri's  hermitage, 
the  holy  man  was  rejoiced  at  the  news,  and  quivering  in 
every  limb  he  sprang  up  and  ran  to  meet  him.  On  seeing 
him,  R4ma  advanced  hurriedly  and  was  falling  to  the 
ground  before  him,  but  the  saint  took  him  to  his  bosom. 
Both  wept  tears  of  affection.  At  the  sight  of  Rama's 
beauty,  his  eyes  were  gladdened  and  he  reverently  con- 
ducted him  to  his  cell,  where  doing  him  every  honour  he 
addressed  him  in  gracious  terms  and  offered  him  roots  and 
fruits  such  as  his  soul  relished.  ^^ 

Sorathd  3.       i 

As  the  Lord  took    his  seat,  the   great   saint   supremely 
wise,  gazed  with  streaming  eyes  upon  his  beauty,  and  join- 
ing his  hands  in  supplication  he  thus  hymned  his  praise  :  — 
Chhand  1. 

'*  I  reverence  thee,  the  lover  of  the  devout ;  the  merciful, 
the  tender-hearted  ;  I  worship  thy  lotus  feet,  which  bestow 
upon  the  unsensual  thine  own  abode  in  heaven.  I  adore 
thee,  the  wonderously  dark  and  beautiful ;  the  mount 
Mandar  to  churn  the  ocean  of  existence  ;  with  eyes  like  the 
full  blown  lotus  ;  the  dispeller  of  pride  and  every  other 
vice ;  the  long-armed  hero  of  immeasurable  power  and 
glory  ;  the  mighty  Lord  of  the  three  spheres,  equipped  with 
quiver  and  bow  and  arrows  ;  the  ornament  of  the  Solar 


420  THE   FOREST. 

race  ;  the  breaker  of  Siva's  bow  ;  the  delight  of  the  greatest 
sages  and  saints  ;  the  destroyer  of  all  the  enemies  of  the 
gods  ;  the  adored  of  K^madev's  foe  (i.  e.,  of  Siva)  ;  the 
reverenced  of  Brahma  and  the  other  divinities  ;  the  home 
of  enlightened  intelligence  ;  the  dispeller  of  all  error  : 
Lakshmi's  lord  ;  the  mine  of  felicity  ;  the  salvation  of  the 
saints.  I  worship  thee  with  thy  spouse  and  thy  brother, 
thyself  the  beloved  younger  brother  of  Sachi's  lord.^  Men, 
who  unselfishly  worship  thy  holy  feet,  sink  not  in  the  ocean 
of  existence,  tost  with  the  billows  of  controversy.  They 
who  in  the  hope  of  salvation,  with  subdued  passions,  ever 
delightedly^  worship  thee,  having  discarded  every  object 
of  sense,  are  advanced  to  thy  own  sphere  in  heaven.  I 
worship  thee,  the  one,  the  mysterious  Lord,  the  unchange- 
able and  omnipresent  power,  the  eternal  governor  of  the 
world,  the  one  absolute  and  universal  spirit  ;  the  joy  of  all 
men  day  after  day.  I  reverently  adore  thee,  the  king  of 
incomparable  beauty,  the  lord  of  the  earth-born  Sfta  ;  be 
gracious  to  me  and  grant  me  devotion  to  thy  lotus  feet" 
They  who  reverently  repeat  this  hymn,  full  of  faith  in  thee, 
will  undoubtedly  attain  to  thy  heaven.  3 

Dohd  2.  "p 

Again  with  bowed  head  and  folded  hands  the  saint 
made  supplication  and  cried,  '  Never,  0  Lord,  may  my  soul 

abandon  thy  lotus  feet. 

Chaupdi. 

The  amiable  and  modest  Sita  clasped  Anasiiya*  by  the 

feet  with  frequent  embraces      The  soul  of  the  Rishi's  wife 

was  filled  with  joy  ;  she  gave  her  her   blessing  and  seated 

her  by  her  side.     Then  arrayed  her  in   heavenly  robes  and 

1  This  epithet  is  «  peculiar  one  ;  but  it  would  seem  to  be  intended  simply 
as  a  periphrasis  for  Upendra,  '  the  lesser  Indra,'  a  well-known  title  of  Vish- 
nu, who,  in  the  dwarf  incarn  ttion,  was  born  as  a  son  of  Kasyapa  ;  Indra. 
here  called  '  Sachi's  lord,'  being  ncconnted  the  eldest  of  Kasyapa's  sons. 

2  Mudd  is  here  the  instrumental  case  of  mud,  *  delight.' 

3  The  whole  of  this  Ohhand  is  in  loose  and  occasionally  ungrammatical 
Sanskrit,  like  the  language  of  the  GAthas  in  Buddhist  literature. 

4  The  interview  with  Atri  and  Anasi\vA  is  narrated  at  the  end  of  the 
AyodbyA  KAnd  in  one  recension  of  the  Sanskrit  Rimayana. 


THE    FOREST.  >^  421 

jewels  which  remained  ever  bright  and  beautiful.  In  simple 
and  affectionate  phrase  the  saintly  dame  spoke  and  instruct- 
ed her  in  matters  of  wifely  duty.    "  Hearken,    royal    lady  ; 
mother,    father,    brethren    and    friends    are   all   good  in  a 
limited  degree  ;  but  a  husband,    Vaidehi,    is    an  unlimited 
blessing  ;    and    vile    is    the  woman  who  worships  him  not. 
Courage,  virtue,  a  friend  and  a  woman  are  four  things  that 
are   tried    in    time   of  adversity.     Though  her  lord  be   old, 
diseased,   impotent  and    poor,    blind,  deaf,  passionate  and 
utterly  vile,  yet   even   so    the    wife    who    treats   him    with 
disrespect   shall    suffer   many   torments    in  hell.     Her  one 
duty,  her  one  fast  and  penance  consist  in  a  devotion  of  body, 
word   and   thought  to  her   husband's  feet.    There  are  four  " 
kinds  of  faithful  wife  in  the  world,  as  the  Vedas,    Pur^nas    o 
and    saints   all   say.     The  best    is    so   firmly     settled     in 
mind  that  she  could  not  even    dream    of  there   being   any 
other   man  living  :   the   next  regards  another's  husband  as 
her  own  brother  or  father,  or  son  ;  she  who  is  restrained  by 
thought  of  duty  and   consideration  for  her  family  is  said  in 
the  scriptures  to  be  a  woman  of  low  character  ;  but  reckon 
her  the  very  lowest  of  all,  who  is  restrained  only  by  fear  and 
want  of  opportunity.     She  who  deceives  her  husband  and 
carries  on  an  intrigue  with  another  man  shall  be  cast  for  a 
hundred   ages    into  the  hell  called  the  terrible.     Who  such 
a  wretch  as  she,  who  for  a  moment's  pleasure  considers  not 
the    torment    that  shall  endure  through  a  hundred  million 
lives?  Without  any  difficulty  a  woman  attains  to  salvation, 
if  only    without  guile  she  adhere  to  her  duty  as  a  faithful 
wife  ;  while  she,  who  lives  to  despite  her  spouse,    becomes 
a  widow  while  still  a  girl. 

Sorathd  4. 
An    utterly    wicked    woman  who  is  faithful  to  her  hus-   ^ 
band  has  a  happy    fate    when   she    dies ;    so  sing  the  four     I 
Vedas  and  so  too  in  these    days    sings    Hari's   poor   friend, 
Tulsi.     Hearken,   Sita  ;    a   woman  will  be  kept  faithful,  if  | 
she    invoke    your   name  ;  for  you  love  Rdma  like  your  own   ' 
life  ;  these  words  that  I  say  are  for  the  good  of  the  world." 


422  THE    FOREST. 

Chaupdi. 

On  hearing  this  Jdnaki  was  overjoyed  and  reverently 
bowed  her  head  at  her  feet  Then  the  All-nierciful  said  to 
the  saint,  "  With  your  permission  I  would  go  to  some  other 
wood.  Continue  to  be  ever  gracious  to  me  and  knowing 
me  to  be  your  servant,  cease  not  your  kindness.'  On  hearing 
this  speech  of  the  Lord,  the  champion  of  righteousness,  the 
wise  saint  affectionately  replied  :  "  0  Rdma,  you  are  lie 
whose  favour  is  desired  by  Bidhma,  Siva,  Sanat-kumara, 
and  the  other  gods  and  by  all  the  preachers  of  salvation  ; 
the  passionless,  the  kindly,  the  friend  of  the  helpless,  who 
thus  modestly  be  speak  me.  N  )W  I  understand  the  clever- 
ness of  Lakshmi  who  lias  left  every  other  god  and  worships 
you  alone.  Of  a  truih  there  is  none  your  equal ;  how  then 
could  your  goodness  be  other  than  it  is  ?  H  >w  can  I,  my 
lord,  tell  you  what  wood  to  visit  ?  Say,  master,  for  you  read 
the  heart."  Having  thus  spoken,  the  saint  strong-minded 
as  he  was,  trembled  in  every  limb  and  his  eyes  streamed 
with  tears  as  he   gazed  upon  the  Lord. 

Chhand  2. 

Trembling  exceedingly  in  every  limb  he  fixed  his  loving 
eyes  upon  his  lotus  face  :  "  It  is  the  reward  of  prayer  and 
penance  that  1  have  beheld  the  L  )rd,  who  transcends  the 
senses  and  every  faculty  of  thought  and  reason."  By  prayer 
and  meditation  and  religious  observances,  men  attain  to 
the  crowning  virtue  of  faith  ;  therefore  day  and  night  Tulsi 
Dds  sings  the  holy  acts  of  Raghubir. 

Dohd  3.         // 

Rama's   praises   remove   the   pollution    of  this  wicked 
age,  subdue  the   soul,    are    the   source  of  beatitude  ;  and 
RAma  continues  gracious  to  all  who  reverently  hear   them. 
Sorathd  5.      f  >- 

Grievous  is  the  burden  of  the  sin  of  the  world  ;  nor 
religion,  nor  knowledge,  nor  meditation,  nor  penance 
avails  against  it  ;  they  are  wise  who  dLicard  trust  in  all 
else  and  worship  RAma  only. 


THE   FOREST.  423 

Ghaupdi. 

The  Lord  of  gods  and  men  and  saints,  after  bowing  his 
head  at  the  lotus  feet  of  the  sage,  proceeded  to  the  wood. 
R^ma  first  and  after  him  his  brother,  in  the  garb  of  hermits 
all  full  and  complete.  Between  the  two  the  incarnation  of 
Lakshmi  shone  forth  like  Mdya  between  God  and  the  soul. 
The  rivers  and  thickets  and  precipitous  and  mountain- 
passes  all  recognized  their  lord  and  made  the  way  smooth 
for  him.  Wherever  the  divine  Raghur^i  passed,  the  clouds 
made  a  canopy  in  the  heaven.  As  they  went  along  the 
road  the  demon  Viradha  met  them.  While  he  was  yet 
coming  Raghubir  overthrew  him,  then  at  once  he  assumed 
beauteous  lorm  ;  and  Rama  seeing  him  sorrowful  dismissed 
him  to  his  own  sphere.  1  Then  ttie  AU-beautiful  with  his 
brother  and  J^naki  visited  the  sage  Sarabhauga. 

Doha  4.  ;  t 

At  the  sight  of  Rama's  lotus  face  the  bee-like  eyes  of  the 
saint  reverently  drank  thereof  ;  blessed  indeed  was  Sara- 
bhanga  to  have  been  born 

Chaupdi. 

Said  the  saint  :  "  Hearken,  gracious  Raghubir,  the  swan 
of  Sanuara's  lake.  I  had  taken  my  departure  to  the  halls  of 
the  Creator, 2  but  1  heard  say  that  Rauia  is  coming  into  the 
forest.  Day  and  night  I  have  been  watching  the  road  ;  now 
I  have  seen  my  lord  and  my  heart  is  at  rest.  I  am  deficient 
my  lord,  in  all  that  is  good,  but  you  have  graciously  ac- 
knowledged me  as  your  humble  servant.  Now,  sire,  I  have 
no  request  to  make ;  I  have  accomplished  my  vow,  0 
ravisher  of  the  soul  of  the  faiihful,  to  wait  in  expectation  of 
the  suppliant's  friend  till  I  saw  you  and  then  to  discard  my 
body.  I  have  practised  meditation,  sacrifice,  prayers, 
penance  and  fasting,  and  have  received  the  gift  of  faith  as 
a  boon  of  the  lord.  In  this  manner  with  his  funeral  pile  all 


1  The  eiicountt^r    with    Vira  iha,    which  is  l-ere  so  very    baldly  told,   oc- 
cupies more  than  a  hundred  liiit-s  in  Valmiki's  poem. 

2  Valmiki  represents  Indra  as  having  come  with    his  chariot  and   horses 
to  carry  off  tne  hage  to  Branma's  sphere  at  the  very  time  of  Rama's  arrival. 


424  THE   FOREST. 

ready  prepared,  saint  Sarabhanga  has  sat  and  waited,  with 
a  heart  freed  from  every  attachment. 

Doha  5.        \  "^ 

May  the  Lord,  whose  body  is  dark  of  hue  as  a  sombre 
raincloud,  incarnate  in  form  as  the  divine  RAma,  dwell  for 
ever  in  my  soul  together  with  Sita  and  his  brother  !" 

Chaupai. 

When  he  had  thus  said,  the  fire  of  his  devotion  consum- 
ed his  body,  and  by  RAma's  favour  he  ascended  to  Vaikunth.^ 
The  saint  was  not  absorbed  into  the  divinity  for  this  reason, 
that  he  had  already  received  the  mysterious  gift  of  faith.^ 
When  the  assembled  Rishis  saw  the  great  saint's  transla- 
tion, they  were  mightily  rejoiced  at  heart  and  all  broke 
forth  into  hymns  of  praise,  '  Glory  to  the  champion  of  the 
humble,  the  fountuin  of  mercy.'  Then  RnghunAth  went  on 
further  into  the  forest,  and  a  great  company  of  holy  men 
with  him.  Seeing  a  heap  of  bones,  he  asked  the  saints 
about  them  and  was  moved  with  much  compassion.  *'  I 
know,  but  why  ask.  Master  ?  You  are  all-seeing  and  know 
even  our  thoughts.  These  are  all  saints  whom  the  demon 
hosts  have  devoured."     On  hearing   this,    Raghubir's  eyes 

filled  with  tears. 

Doha  6.       J  % 
He  raised  his  arms  and  vowed  to  rid  the  earth  of  demons  : 
then  gladdened  the  saints  by  visiting  them   all  in    turn   at 

their  hermitages. 

Chaupai. 

Saint  Agasiya  had  a  learned  disciple,  by  name  Sutikshna 

devoted  to  God  ;  in  thought,  word  and  deed  one  of  Rama's 

faithful  servants,  who  had  never  even  dreamt  of  any  other 

hope  or  divinity.     When  he   heard  of  the  Lord's  approach, 

he  rushed  out  hurriedly,  full   of  longing  desire :    "  0  God, 


1  According  to  VAlmlkl  it  was  not  Vaikunth,  but  Brahma's  sphere,  to 
which  he  was  translated      III    9.  36. 

2  The  reward  of  faith  (hhakti)\a  the  admipsion  to  the  actual  presence 
of  the  divinity  in  the  sphere  where  he  specially  reigns  Absorption  into  the 
divinity  implies  the  extinction  of  indivi'  ual  ixistence  and  individual  con- 
sciousness, iin<l  therefore,  though  the  Kummuin  bonuin  of  mnny  Hindu  sects, 
it  is  not  so  of  tliose  who  cherisn  a  personal  love  for  any  particular  incarna- 
tion a  love  which  can  only  be  satisAed  by  a  consciousDess  of  the  presence  of 
tbe  beloved. 


i 


THE  FOREST.  425 

the  compassionate  Raguhrdri  will  be  gracious  to  even  a 
wretch  like  me.  The  holy  Rdma  and  his  brother  will 
receive  me  as  their  own  servant.  I  have  no  assured  con- 
fidence of  heart,  no  faith,  nor  command  over  self,  nor 
wisdom  of  intellect ;  no  communion  with  saints,  no  prac- 
tice in  meditation,  prayer,  or  vigil,  and  no  steadfast  devotion 
to  his  lotus  feet ;  only  the  promise  of  the  All-merciful :  '  He  ^ 
is  my  friend  who    goeth  to    none  other.'     To-day  my  eyes  / 

will  be  blest  with  the  sight  of  the  lotus-faced,  the  deliverer 
from  the  bondage  of  existence."     The  saint,  philosopher  as 
he  was,  was  so   utterly   overwhelmed    with  love   that    his 
state,  Bhavani,  was  beyond  all  discription.     He  could   not 
see  his  way  either  in  this  direction  or  in  that,  nor  remember 
who  he  was,  or  where  he  was  going  ;  at  one  time  he  would 
turn   and  go  back,   at  another  would  dance  and  sing  songs 
of  praise.     The  saint's  love  and  faith  waxed  yet  more  vehe- 
ment as  the  Lord  watched  him  stealthily  from  behind  a  tree. 
Then  Raghubir,  who  removes  all  the  troubles  of  the  world, 
after  witnessing  his  exceeding  devotion,  manifested  himself 
in   liis    soul.      The   saint   was   struck    motionless   in    the 
middle  of  the  road,  and  his  body  bristled  like  the  jack-fruit 
with  every  hair  on  end.     Then  Raghundth  drew  near,   re- 
joicing to  witness  the  emotion  of  his  servant,  and  tried  many 
ways  to  rouse  him  ;  but  he  neither   awoke  nor    derived  any 
happiness  from  the  vision  ;  till  R*ima  doffed  his  kingly  guise 
and  mentally  revealed  himself  as  the  four- armed  god.     The 
saint  thereupon  started  up  in  alarm,  like  a  poor  snake  that 
has  been  robbed  of  its   jewel;  but   seeing  before   him  the 
dark-hued  Rdma   with  Sita  and   his  younger  brother,  the 
abode  of  delight,  he  fell  like  a  log  at    his  feet,    drowned    in 
love  and  supremely  happy.     With  his  strong    arms  he  took 
and  lifted    him  and  clasped   him    to   his   bosom   with   the 
utmost  affection.   As  he  embraced  the  saint,  the  All-merciful 
showed  forth  like  a  tamdla  tree    clasped  by  a  tree  of  gold  : 
and  the  saint  as  he  gazed  on  Rama's  face  stood  so  still  that 
you  would  take  him  for  a  figure  painted  in  a  picture. 

R-57 


426  THE   FOREST. 

Doha  7.        X<^ 

At  last  the  saint  growing  bolder   at  heart,  after  again 
and  again  clasping  his  feet,  conducted  the  Lord  to  his  her- 
mitage and  did  everything  in  his  honour. 
Ghaupdi. 

Said  the  saint :  "  Hearken,  Lord,  to  ray  supplication  ; 
but  how  can  I  hymn  thy  praise  ?  Thy  greatness  is  immea- 
surable and  my  wit  is  scant,  as  ineffectual  as  a  fire-fly  in  the 
presence  of  the  sun,  I  adore  without  ceasing  the  divine 
Raghubir,  with  body  dark  of  hue  as  a  string  of  lotuses,  with 
his  knotted  hair  for  a  crown  and  an  anchorite's  dress  for 
his  robe,  with  bow  and  arrows  in  hand  and  quiver  by  his  side. 
A  fire  to  consume  the  dense  forest  of  delusion,  a  sun  to  ani- 
mate lotus  growth  of  the  saints,  a  lion  against  the  elephant 
herd  of  demons,  hawk  to  scatter  the  birds  of  metempsychosis, 
may  he  ever  protect  us  with  eyes  bright  as  the  lotus  ;  appa- 
relled with  glory;  the  moon  of  Sita's  partridge-like  eyes;  the 
swan  in  the  lake  of  Siva's  soul  ;  the  broad-chested,  strong- 
armed  R^ma,  him  I  adore.  A  Garur  to  devour  the  serpents 
of  doubt  ;  the  queller  of  violence,  wrangling  and  pain  ;  the 
conqueror  of  death  ;  the  delight  of  the  company  of  heaven  : 
the  home  of  compassion,  may  he  ever  protect  us.  At  once 
bodiless  and  embodied,  like  and  unlike,  endowed  with  form 
and  formless  ;  transcending  all  thought,  speech  and  percep- 
tion ;  pure,  all-pervading,  faultless,  illimitable,  RAma,  the 
loosener  of  earth's,  burdens,  him  I  adore.  A  forest  of 
trees  of  Paradise  for  his  faithful  people  ;  the  dispeller  of 
passion,  avarice,  pride  and  lust ;  the  All-beautiful  ; 
the  bridge  to  cross  the  ocean  of  life,  the  champion  of 
the  Solar  race,  may  he  ever  protect  us.  With  unlimited 
might  of  arm,  the  home  of  strength  ;  the  true  disperser  of 
the  manifold  impurities  of  this  iron  age  ;  the  shield  of 
righteousness  ;  the  giver  of  delights,  the  assemblage  of  all 
good  qualities;  may  he,  my  Rama,  ever  grant  us  prosperity. 
Though  he  be  passionless,  all-pervading,  eternal,  and  ever 
dwelleth  in  the  hearts  of  all  ;  yet  in  his  character  of  thr 
wood-roaming  conqueror  of  Khara,  with   his  brother  and 


THE    FOREST.  427 

bride,  mayhe  abide  in  my  thoughts.  They  who  understand, 
know  him  to  be  the  Lord,  though  embodied,  the  bodiless 
ruler  of  the  soul,  the  lotus-eyed  sovereign  of  Kosala  ;  then 
make  thy  abode  in  my  heart,  0  Rcima.  Never  be  this 
sentiment  forgotten  ;  I  am  his  servant  and  Raghupati  is 
my  Lord."  R^ma  was  pleased  at  heart  on  hearing  the 
sain't  speech,  and  in  his  delight  pressed  him  again  to  his 
bosom  :  "  Know,  0  Saint,  that  I  am  highly  gratified  :  ask 
any  boon  and  I  will  grant  it  you."  Said  the  saint  :  "  I 
have  never  begged  a  boon,  nor  can  I  discern  between  true 
and  false.  Whatever  seems  good  to  you,  0  Raghurdi,  that 
bestow  upon  me,  for  you  are  your  servant's  benefactor." 
"  I  give  you  steadfast  faith,  self-control,  and  wisdom,  and 
make  you  a  storehouse  of  all  virtue  and  knowledge."  "  I 
have  received,  my  lord,  the  boon  that  you  have  given,  now 
grant  me  my  own  wish. 

DohdS.      %% 

0  my  lord  Rama,  with   your  brother  and  Janaki,  your- 
self equipt  with   bow  and   arrows,  for  ever  abide  like  the 
moon  in  the  heaven  of  my  soul."^ 
Chaupdi. 

'So  be  it,'  said  Lakshmi's  lord,  as  he  joyously  started  on 
his  visit  to  the  Rishi  Agastya.  "  It  is  a  long  time  since 
I  last  saw  my  guru,  and  since  I  came  to  live  in  this  hermit- 
age ;  now,  my  lord,  I  will  go  and  see  him  with  you ;  I  am 
not  putting  you  under  any  obligation."     The   Fountain  of 


1  Tulai  Das's  theory  as  the  principal  tliat  should  regulate  man's  prayers 
to  Heaven  is  enforced  by  the  example  of  the  famous  sages  and  ascetics, 
whom  he  so  frequently  brings  before  his  readers  and  whose  aspirations  refer 
exclusively  to  spiritual  blessings.  An  exact  parallel  is  afforded  by  the 
teaching  of  the  great  English  moralist  of  the  last  century  as  incnk-ated  in 
the  following  lines  :  — 

"  Yet  when  the  scene  of  sacred  presence  fires, 
And  strong  devotion  to  the  skies  aspires, 
Pour  forth  thy  fervour  lor  a  healthful  mind, 
Obedient  passions  an<l  a  will  resigned, 
For  love  which  scarce  collective  man  can  fill, 
For  patience,  sovereign  o'er  transmuted  ill, 
For  faith,  that— panting  for  a  happier  seat — 
Counts  death  kind  nature's  signal  of  retreat," 
Detachment   from  the   world,   subjugation   of  the   passions,   love  for  thn 
divinity,  patience  under  suffering,  and,    to  crown   all,  an    unhesitating  faith 
are  the   hisjhest   boons   that  man   can  secure  ;   the  last  being  followed  after 
death  by  the  beatific  vision   of  the   godhead,  a  joy  for  all  eternity,  an  ever- 
lasting harmony,  in  which  God  will  know  Himself,  and  all  will  know  God, 


428  THE   FOREST. 

mercy  saw  through  the  saint's  craftiness,  and  both  brothers 
smiled  as  they  took  him  with  them.  Discoursing  on  the 
excellence  of  faith  in  himself,  the  king  of  the  gods  arrived 
f^  ^t  the  saint's  hermitage.  Sutfkshna  at  once  went  to  the 
guru  and  after  prostrating  himself  thus  addressed  him  : 
*'  My  lord,  the  son  of  the  sovereign  of  Kosala,  the  refuge  of 
the  world,  has  come  to  see  you,  even  RAma,  with  his 
brother  and  Vaidehi,  to  whom,  sir,  you  make  your  prayer 
night  and  day."  As  soon  as  he  heard  this,  Agastya  started 
up  and  ran,  and  at  the  sight  of  Hari,  his  eyes  filled  with 
tears.  The  two  brothers  fell  at  the  saint's  holy  feet,  but 
he  took  and  clasped  them  to  his  bosom  with  the  utmost 
affection.  After  courteously  enquiring  of  their  welfare, 
the  holy  sage  conducted  them  to  a  seat  and  then  again 
did  all  homage  to  his  lord,  saying  :  '  There  is  no  other 
man  so  blessed  as  I  am.'  So  long  as  the  other  hermits 
stayed,   their  delight  was  to  gaze  upon  the  root  of  joy. 

Do/ia  9.       V^- 

As  he  sat  in  their  midst  with  their  eyes  all  fastened 
upon  his  person,  they  seemed  like  a  bevy  of  partridges 
gazing  on  the  autumnal  moon. 

Qhawpdi. 

Then  said  Raghubir  to  the  saint  :     "  My  lord,  nothing 

is  hid  from  you  ;  you  know  why  I  have  come,  and  there- 
fore, sire,  there  is  no  need  to  inform  you.  Give  me  now 
some  charm  by  which  I  may  destroy  the  persecutors  of  the 
saints."  The  sage  smiled  when  he  heard  the  lord's 
speech  :  "You  ask  me,  sire  ;  but  what  do  I  know  ?  By 
virtue  of  my  devotion  to  you,  0  destroyer  of  sin,  I  under- 
stand a  little  of  your  greatness.  Your  delusive  power  is  a 
vast  fig^  tree,  its  clustering  fruit  the  countless  multitude 
of  worlds,  while  all  things  animate  and  inanimate  are 
like  the  insects  that  dwell  inside,  and  think  their  own 
particular  fig  the  only  one  in  existence.  This  fruit  is 
devoured    by    harsh    and    inexorable   fate,   but   even   he 

1  The  word  in  the  text  is  d,unri  which  represents  the  Sanskrit  udumhara^ 
tht  ficus  glomerata.  It  bears  large  clusters  of  fruit,  and  every  single  fig  in 
every  clqster  is  always  fall  of  insects, 


THE   FOREST.  429 

trembles  in  fear  of  you.  You,  sire,  are  the  sovereign  of  all 
the  spheres,  and  you  ask  of  me,  as  though  you  were  only  a 
man.  0  fountain  of  mercy,  I  beg  this  boon;  dwell  in  my 
heart  Lakshmi  and  your  brother,  and  grant  me  steadfast 
faith,  pity,  fellowship  with  the  saints,  and  unbroken  love 
for  your  lotus  feet.  Though  you  are  supreme  spirit,  indivis- 
ible and  eternal,  beyond  the  reach  of  perception,  the 
adoration  of  the  saints,  yet  I  declare  and  recognize  your 
incarnation,  and  aojain  and  again  adore  the  embodiment  of 
Brahm  and  Rati.  You  always  exalt  your  own  servants,  and 
this,  Raghur^i,  is  the  reason  why  you  consult  me.  There  is, 
my  lord,  a  very  charming  and  holy  spot  called  Panchavati. 
Sanctify  the  whole  Dandaka  forest,  in  which  it  is,  and  relieve 
it  of  the  saint's  grievous  curse,i  by  taking  up  your  abode 
there,  Rh ma  ;  and  thus  show  mercy  to  all  the  saints." 
On  receiving  his  permission,  R^ma  set  out  and  quickly 
arrived  at  Panchavati. 

Doha  10.        %y 

After   meeting   the   hing  of  the  vultures  2  and   warnrdy 
renewing  old  friendship,  Rama  stayed  near  the   GodAvari, 
where  he  made  himself  a  thatched  cottage. 
Chaupdi. 

From  the  time  that  Rama  took  up  his  abode   there,  the 

saints  lived  happily  and  without  fear.  The  mountains,  woods, 
rivers  and  lakes  were  suffused  with  beauty  and  day  by  day 
grew  yet  more  exceedingly  lovely.  The  many  birds  and  deer 
were  full  of  joy  and  the  bees  added  a  charm  by  their  sweet 
buzzing.  Not  even  the  serpent-king  would  be  able  to 
describe  the  forest,  in  which  the  glorious  Rdma  had 
manifested  himself.  One  day,  as  the  Lord  was  sitting  at 
ease,  Lakshman  most  humbly  addressed  him  thus  :  "  Sover- 
eign   of   ffods,    men   and    saints,    and  of   all  animate  and 

1  The  curse  had  been  pronounced  by  Bhdrgava,  whose  daughter  Abja 
had  been  violated  by  Danda,  son  of  Ikshaviu,  who  was  then  king  of  coun- 
try. His  populous  realm  at  once  became  a  wild  forest  waste,  inhabited  only 
by  wild  beasts  and  demons. 

2  The  interview  with  the  vulture-king  Jatayu,  thus  briefly  despatched 
in  two  lines,  occupies  the  whole  of  the  20th  canto  in  the  Sanskrit  Aranya- 
kand.  It  was  on  this  occasion  that  he  made  the  promise  to  protect  Sita 
which  subsequently  co»t  him  bis  life. 


430  THE   FOREST. 

inanimate  creation,  I  have  a  question  to  ask  of  you  as  of 
my  own  special  master.  Speak,  sire,  and  answer  it  for  me, 
for  I  have  left  all  to  serve  the  dust  of  your  feet.  Explain 
to  me  knowledge,  self-governance,  and  the  delusion  of 
Maya  ;  tell  me  what  is  that  faith  to  which  you  extend  mercy. 

Dohdll. 
Instruct  me,  my  lord,  in  all  the  difference  between  God 
and   the  soul,  that  I   may  be  entirely  devoted  to  your  feet 
and  free  from  grief,  ignorance  and  error." 
Ghaupdi. 
**  I   will  explain    the   whole    matter  in  brief ;  hearken, 

brother,  with  attention  of  mind  and  soul.  It  is  from  ego- 
ism and  distinctions  between  mine  and  thine,  that  the 
illusion  is  produced  which  has  subjugated  all  classes  of 
existence.  The  senses  and  the  objects  of  the  senses,  as 
far  as  the  mind  can  reach,  are  all  a  delusion,  brother ; 
understand  that.  Now  learn  its  divisions  :  they  are  two,  viz., 
knowledge  and  ignorance  ;  the  one  utterly  bad  and  calami- 
tous, which  forces  the  principle  of  life  down  into  the  pit 
of  transmigration ;  the  other,  the  power  by  virtue  of  which 
the  world  is  created,  being  sent  by  God,  and  having  no 
strength  of  itself.  Knowledge,  in  which  there  is  no  particle 
of  self-consciousness,  sees  the  supreme  spirit  equally  in 
all  things;  and  he,  brother,  is  to  be  reckoned  chief  of  stoics, 
who  abandons  fortune,  and  the  three  elements  of  whit'h  the 
universe,  is  composed  as  if  of  no  more  account  than  a  blade 

of  grass.  ^  ry 

Doha  12.       ^   I 
That  is  to  be  called  soul    which,  through    the    power  of 

delusion,  does  not  recognize  itself  as  being  really    God  ;  ^ 
God   the   giver  of  bondage  and  of  deliverance,  the  head  of 
all  things,  the  sender  forth  of  delusion,  the  one  goal. 
Chmifidi. 
After    piety,    asceticism  ;    and    after  ascetio  meditation 
knowledge  :  and  knowledge,  as   the  Vedas   declare,  is  the 


1  Or  it  may  be  thus  translated  :   *That  is  to  be  called  soul,  which  doubts 
regarding  itself  whether  it  be  a  delusive  manifestation  or  really  God.' 


THE    FOREST. 

i33 

giver  of  salvatioa.     But  that  at  which  Imelt  more  quickly, 

brother,  is  faith,  which  is  the  blessing  of  ray  votaries  ;  it 
stands  by  itself  without  other  support,  and  is  above  all 
knowledge  whether  spiritual  or  profane.  Faith,  brother, 
is  an  incomparable  s)urceof  happiness,  and  only  to  be 
acquired  by  the  favour  of  a  saint.  But  I  will  explain  the 
means  towards  it,  the  easy  path  by  which  men  may  find 
me.  In  the  first  place,  an  exceeding  devotion  to  Brjihmans 
and  in  every  action  a  close  adherence  to  scriptural  pres- 
cription. Secondly,  the  fruit  of  this  will  be  detachment 
from  the  world,  and  then  will  spring  up  a  delight  in  my 
worship.  The  nine  kinds  of  faith  as  exercised  by  the  ears, 
&c  ,  will  strengthen  ;  there  will  be  an  exceeding  love  in  the 
soul  for  my  manifestations,  a  great  affection  for  the  lotus 
feet  of  the  saints,  a  persistency  in  prayer— in  deed  and  in 
heart  as  well  as  in  tongue  —and  faithfulness  in  service 
done  to  one's  guru,  or  father  and  mother,  or  family,  or 
loads  and  masters,  knowing  it  to  be  really  done  to  me. 
While  singing  my  praises  the  body  quivers,  the  voice 
trembles,  the  eyes  flow  with  tears  ;  and  neither  lust,  pride, 
nor  deceit,  finds  a  place  in  the  soul  ;  I  am  ever,  brother,  at 
the  command  of  such  a  one  as  this. 

Dohd  13.      it 
1  take  up  my  abode   for  ever  in  the  lotus  heart  of  those 
who  in  thought,    word  and  deed  make  their  fervent  prayer 
to  ray  incarnation. 

Chaupdi. 

On  heai'ing  the  doctrine  of  faith  and  devotion,^  thus  ex- 
pounded, Lakshman  was  greatly  rejoiced  and  bowed  his 
head  at  his  lojd's  feet.  In  this  manner  several  days  were 
spent   in    discourses   on  asceticism,    wisdom,   virtue  and 


1  Toga,  the  word  here  rendered  '  devotion,'  is  one  of  the  system  of 
Hindu  philosophy.  Its  chief  aim  is  to  teach  the  means  by  which  the  hu- 
mau  soul  may  attain  complete  union  with  the  Supreme  Being.  It  is  defin- 
ed by  Patanjali,  the  founder  of  the  school,  as  '  the  prevention'  of  the  modi- 
iications  of  thought  by  the  practice  of  self-mortification  and  by  keeping 
the  mind  constantly  unaflEected  by  all  external  influence.'  The  final  beati- 
tude, which  is  held  out  as  the  reward  of  such  devotion,  consists  in  the  cessa- 
tion of  all  idea  of  self  and  of  any  distinction  between  matter  and  spirit. 


432  THE  FOKEST. 

morality.  One  day  Rdvan's  sister,  Surpa-nakh^,  foul- 
hearted  and  venomous  as  a  serpent,  came  to  Panchavati 
and  was  excited  by  the  sight  of  the  two  princes.  A  woman, 
Gariir,  must  needs  look  after  a  handsome  man,  whether  he 
be  brother,  father  or  son  J  In  her  excitement  she  could 
not  contain    herself,  life  the  sun-stone   that   melts   at  the 

rf^^sight  of  the  sun.  Having  assumed  a  beautiful  form,  she 
went  to  the  Lord  and  with  many  smiles  thus  addressed 
him  :  "  There  is  not  another  man  like  you,  nor  a  woman 
like  me  ;  here  is  a  match  that  God  has  taken  some  pains  to 
make.  I  have  searched  the  three  spheres,  but  have  not 
found  anywhere  in  the  world  a  man  with  beauty  to  equal 
mine.  And  for  this  reason  I  have  till  now  remained  a 
virgin,  but  now  that  I  have  seen  you  I  am  fairly  satisfied." 
The  Lord  looked  at  Sita  and  said  in  reply  :  "  My  younger 
brother  is  a  bachelor."  The  demon's  sister  took  the  hint 
and  went  to  Lakshman.  He  looked  to  his  lord  and  said  in 
gentle  tones  :  "  Hearken,  fair  lady,  I  am  his  servant ;  it 
is  not  right  that  you  should  be  in  subjection  to  any  one. 
My  lord  is  the   mighty  king  of   Kosala,   and    whatever  he 

'^'^vodoes  is  all  done  at  his  own  pleasure.  A  servant  who 
expects  to  take  his  ease,  a  beggar  who  expects  honour,  a 
spendthrift  who  hopes  for  wealth,  a  profligate  who  hopes 
for  heaven,  or  an  avaricious  man  who  expects  renown, 
these  are  four  dreamers,  men  who  would  expect  milk  from 
milking  the  air  "  Again  she  turned  and  came  to  Rdma,  but 
he  sent  her  back  once  more  to  Lakshman.  Said  Lakshman, 
**  The  bridegroom  for  you  must  be  a  man  lost  to  all  sense 
of  shame."  Then  in  a  fury  she  went  to  Rdma,  revealing 
herself  in  a  shape  of  terror.  Raghurdi,  seeing  that  Sita 
was  frightened,  made  a  sign  to  his  brother  ; 

Doha  14.       l\ 
And  Lakshman   with  the   greatest   ease  struck   off  her 
nose2  and  ears  :  her  hands  he  sent  to  Ravan  in  defiance. 


1  That  i.s  to  say  apparently,  whatever  his  age  may  be,  whether  he  be  of 
the  same  age  or  nlH  enough  to  be  a  fHther,  or  young  enough  to  be  a  son. 

2  The  traditionary  scene  of  this  event  is  laid  at  NtVsik,  which  is  sup- 
posed to  derive  its  name  from  Nnsika,  '  a  nose.'  The  suburb  on  the  Opposite 
bank  of  the  river  Ooduvari  is  still  called  Panchavati. 


THE  TOREST.  433 

Chaupdi. 
Without  nose  and  ears  she  was  as  hideous  to  look  upon 
as  a  mountain  flowing  with  torents  of  red  ochre.  She  went 
moaning  to  Khara  and  Ddshan  ;  "A  curse,  a  curse,  I  say, 
on  your  manhood  and  strength,  brother,"  They  questioned 
and  she  told  them  all.  When  they  heard,  the  demons 
gathered  an  army,  and  m  swarming  multitude  of  fiends 
rushed  forth  like  so  many  winged  mountains  of  darkness, 
on  diverse  vehicles,  of  diverse  shapes,  armed  with  diverse 
weapons,  terrible  and  beyond  number.  At  the  head  went 
Siirpa-nakh^  in  hideous  guise,  without  ears  and  nose.  Mani^3*^ 
fearful  omens  of  ill  occurred,  but  the  host  heeded  them  not, 
being  all  death-doomed.  They  shouted,  they  defied  the 
enemy,  they  leaped  in  the  air,  their  captains  inspected  the 
ranks  and  rejoiced  exceedingly.  Said  one,  *  Capture  the 
two  brothers  alive  and  then  take  and  kill  them  and  carry  off 
the  bride.'  The  vault  of  heaven  was  filled  with  the  dust  of 
them.  Rdma  called  his  brother  and  said:  "  Take  Jdnaki 
away  to  some  mountain-cave  ;  a  terrible  array  of  demons  has 
come;  remain  on  your  guard."  Obedient  to  his  lord's 
command  he  took  his  bow  and  arrows  in  hand  and  led  Sua 
away.  When  Rdma  saw  that  the  hostile  force  had  drawn 
near,  he  smiled  as  he  strung  his  massive  bow. 

Ghhand  3. 
As  he  strung  his  massive  bow  and  bound  up  his  long 
hair  in  a  knot  on  his  head,  he  seemed  as  it  were  a  sapphire 
rock  encircled  with  flushes  of  lightning  and  with  two 
snakes  entwining  its  summit.  As  the  Lord  girded  up  his 
quiver  by  his  side  and  clasped  the  bow  in  his  mighty  arm 
and  fitted  the  arrow  to  the  string,  he  glared  with  the  glance 
of  a  lion  on  a  herd  of  elephants. 

Sorathd  6.  ^  ' 

The  warriors  came  on  with  a  rush,  shouting  '  seize  him, 
seize  him,'  for  they  saw  that  he  was  alone:  the  demons 
closed  round  upon  him,  but  he  stood  as  the  rising  sun, 

Chaupdi. 
and  at  the  sight  of  his  majesty    they    could  not    discharge 

R-58 


434'  THE   FOREST. 

their  arrows;  the  whole  demon  host  became  powerless. 
Khara  and  DAshan  summoned  their  ministers  and  said: 
"  This  ornament  of  the  human  race  must  be  some  king's 
son.  Ndgas,  demons,  gods,  men  and  saints  of  all  sorts  I 
have  seen,  conquered  and  slain;  but  in  the  whole  of  my 
life— mark  me  my  brethren  all— I  have  never  seen  such 
beauty.  Though  he  has  disfigured  my  sister,  so  incompar- 
able a  hero  is  not  worthy  of  death.  *  At  once  put  away  and 
surrender  your  bride  and  return  home  alive,  you  and  your 
v^   brother.'     Declare  to  him  this  that  I  have  said  and  quickly 

^  come  back  with  his  answer."     The   heralds  went  and  told 

Rdma.  He  smiled  to  hear  them  and  said  :  ''  I  am  a  warrior 
by  caste  and  am  hunting  this  wood  ;  wretches  like  you  are 
the  game  that  I  am  tracking.  I  am  not  dismayed  at  the 
sight  of  the  enemy's  strength,  but  am  ready  to  do  combat 
with  death  himself.  Though  a  man,  I  am  the  exterminator 
of  the  race  of  demons ;  and  though  a  mere  child  I  am  the 
protector  of  the  saints  and  the  destroyer  of  the  wicked.  If 
there  is  no  strength  in  you,  turn  and  go  home  ;  I  will  never 
turn  my  back  upon  the  battle.  If  you  have  come  up  to 
fight,  show  now  your  cunning  and  dexterity  ;  mercy  to  an 
enemy  is  the  height  of  weakness."  The  heralds  immediate- 
ly went  and  repeated  all  this  :  Khara  and  Dushan's  heart 
was  on  fire  when  they  heard  it. 

Chhand  4. 

Their  heart  was  on  fire  and  they  cried  :  *'  Rush  upon 
him  and  seize  him,  ye  mighty  demon  warriors,  with  your 
bows  and  arrows,  clubs,  pikes,  spears,  scymetars,  maces 
and  axes."  The  lord  gave  his  bow  one  twang;  in  a  mo- 
ment, at  the  awful  and  terrible  sound  the  demons  were 
deafened  and  dismayed,  they  had  no*  sense  left  in  them. 

Doha  15.        ^<'  >^ 

When  they  had  recovered  themselves  they  made  a  rush, 
for  they  knew  the  strength  of  their  foe  ;  and  shafts  and  wea- 
pons of  all  kinds  began  to  rain  upon  R^ma.  But  Raghubir 
cleft  them  in  twain,  making  them  of  no  more  account  than  so 


THE    FOREST.  435 

many    sesaraum  seeds,  and  then  drawing  rhe  bowstring  to 
his  ear  he  let  fly  his  own  arrows. 

Chhand  5-6.  "; 

Then  the  terrible  arrows  sped  forth,  hissing  like  many 
serpents.  The  holy  Rama  waxed  wrath  in  battle  ;  his 
arrows  flew  of  exceeding  sharpness.  When  they  saw  his 
shafts  so  keen,  the  demon  leaders  turned  to  flight  ;  but  the 
three  brothers  became  furious  :  '  Whoever  runs  from  the 
field  I  will  slay  with  my  own  hand  ;  let  him  stay  then  and 
make  up  his  mind  to  die.'  Weapons  of  diverse  kinds  beat 
upon  him  from  the  front,  and  the  Lord  perceiving  that  the 
foe  was  exceedingly  furious  fitted  an  arrow  to  his  bow. 
He  let  fly  the  huge  bolts  ;  the  hideous  demons  were  cut 
to  pieces  ;  bodies,  heads,  arms,  hands  and  feet  were  scat- 
tered about  all  over  the  ground.  The  shrill  arrows  struck  ; 
like  mountains  the  bodies  fall.  The  leaders  had  their 
frames  cut  into  a  hundred  pieces,  yet  they  stood  up  again 
by  power  of  magic.  Many  arms  and  heads  flew  through 
the  air  and  headless  trunks  ran  to  and  fro.  Kites,  crows 
and  Jackals  made  an  awful  and  horrible  wrangling. 
Chhand  7. 

Jackals  wrangled  ;  ghosts,  goblins  and  demons  made 
cups  of  the  skulls  ;  more  warlike  devils  clashed  skulls 
together  for  music,  and  witche'^  danced.  Raghubir's 
mighty  arrows  smote  off  the  leaders*  bodies,  arms  and  heads; 
they  fell  on  every  side,  but  stood  up  again  to  fight  with 
terrible  cries  of  'strike,  strike.'  Vultures  flew  away  with 
men's  entrails  in  their  claws,  goblins  scampered  off  with 
hands  that  they  had  seized  ;  one  might  fancy  all  the  children 
of  Battle-town  were  flying  kites.  The  mighty  champions ]ay 
dead  and  vanquished,  witli  mangled  bodies.  Seeing  their 
army  routed,  Khara  and  Diishan,  with  Trisira  and  the 
other  champions,  stood  at  bay,  and  all  at  once  demons  innu- 
merable hurled  furiously  against  Raghubir  arrow  and 
spear,  clnb,  axe,  javelin  and  dagger.  In  the  twinkling  of 
an   eye  the  Lord  had  warded  off  all  his  enemies'  missiles 


436  THE    FOREST. 

and  sent  forth  his  own  arrows,  slaying  all  the  demon  leaders 
with  ten  shafts  planted  in  the  breast  of  each  of  them. 
Though  they  fell  to  the  ground,  they  rose  again  in  their 
valour  and  joined  in  the  fray,  and  would  not  die,  but  made 
the  strangest  sight.  The  gods  feared,  when  they  saw  the 
demons  fourteen  thousand  in  number,  and  the  king  of  Avadh 
alone  ;  till  the  Lord  perceiving  alarm  of  goods  and  saints, 
and  having  power  over  all  illusion,  wrought  a  prodigy,  and 
while  they  were  yet  looking  at  one  another  he  finished  the 
battle,  and  the  army  of  the  enemy  all  perished  fighting, 

Dohdm.  ^"^ 
crying  '  R^ma,  Rama,*  as  their  soul  left  their  body ; 
they  thus  attained  beatitude.  In  a  moment  the  Fountain 
of  mercy  slew  all  his  enemies  by  magic.  The  gods  in  their 
joy  rained  down  flowers,  instruments  of  music  sounded  in 
the  6ir,  and  with  cries  of  *  Glory,  glory,'  they  all  departed, 
each  in  his  own  splendid  carriage. 

Chaupdi. 
When  Raghuiiith  had  vanquished  his  foes  in  the  battle, 
gods,  men  and  saints  were  all  relieved  from  fear.  Lakshman 
then  brought  back  Sita.  As  she  fell  at  her  lord's  feet,  he 
took  and  rapturously  clasped  her  to  his  bosDm,  and  she 
fixed  her  gaze  upon  his  dark  and  delicate  form,  but  so 
vehement  was  her  love  that  her  eyes  could  never  be  satis- 
fied. Thus  the  blessed  R6ma  stayed  at  Panchavati,  delight- 
ing gods  and  saints  by  the  deeds  that  he  did.  But  S6rpa- 
nakhd,  when  she  saw  the  death  of  Khara  and  Diishan, 
went  and  called  RAvan.  In  tones  full  of  fury  she  cried  : 
"  You  have  lost  all  thought  <^f  realm  and  treasure ;  yon 
drink  and  sleep  day  and  night  and  do  not  consider 
that  the  enemy  is  at  your  gate.  A  kingdom  without 
policy,  wealth  without  religion,  good  works  without  con- 
secration to  Hari,  knowledge  without  discretion,  these 
all  bring  no  fruit  save  trouble  to  the  student,  the  doer, 
or  the  possessor.  An  ascetic  is  quickly  undone  by  attach- 
ment, a  king  by  ill-counsel,  wisdom  by  conceit,  modesty  by 


THE   FOREST.  437 

drinking,    friendship    by  want  of   consideration,  and  good 
sense  by  pride  ;  so  goes  the  saying. 

Sorathd  7.       ^*^ 

An  enemy,  sickness,  fire,  sin,  a  master  and  a  serpent 
are  never  to  be  accounted  trifles."  So  saying  and  with 
much  lamentation  beside  she  set  to  weeping. 

Doha  17.  xA  o 

In  her  distress    she  threw  herself  down  in  the  midst  of  the 
assembly  with    many  tears  and  cries,    "0  Rdvan,  to  think 
that  you  should  live  and  see  me  thus  treated  !  " 
Chawpdi. 

When  they  heard  this,  the  assembly  rose  in  confusion 
and  took  her  by  the  hand  and  lifted  her  up  and  consoled 
her.  Said  the  king  of  Lankd  :  "  Why  do  you  not  tell  me 
what  has  happened  ?  who  has  cut  off  your  nose  and  ears  ?  " 
"  The  sons  of  Dasarath,  the  lord  of  Avadh,  very  lions  of 
men,  have  come  to  hunt  the  forest.  I  understood  what 
they  were  about  ;  they  would  rid  the  earth  of  demons. 
Relying  on  the  might  of  their  arm,  0  Ravan,  the  saints 
roam  the  woods  without  any  fear.  They  are  children  to 
look  at,  but  in  fact  resistless  as  Death  himself,  the  most 
intrepid  of  archers,  with  many  strings  to  their  bow.^  Both 
brothers  are  glorious  with  incomparable  might,  and  have 
devoted  themselves  to  the  extermination  of  the  wicked  and 
the  relief  of  gods  and  saints.  Rama — for  such  is  his  name 
— is  the  very  perfection  of  beauty,  and  with  him  is  a 
young  girl,  whom  the  Creator  has  made  the  loveliest  of 
the  sex  :  a  hundred  million  Ratis  would  be  no  match  for 
her.  It  is  his  younger  brother  who  cut  off  my  ears  and 
nose  and  made  a  mock  of  me,  when  he  heard  I  was  your 
sister.  When  Khara  and  Dtishan  were  told  of  this,  they 
gave  him  challenge  ;  but  in  an  instant  he  slew  the  whole 
of  their  army."  When  he  heard  of  the  defeat  of  Khara, 
Diishan  and  Trisira,  the  Ten-headed  was  on  fire  ail  over. 

In   thfi  word   guna-naiia^  gnna  is   intended    to  he  understood    in  its  two 
senses  of,  1st,  a  virtue,  2ndly  a  bowstring. 


438  THE   FOREST. 

Dohd  1«. 

After  consoling  SArpa-nakhA  and  forcing  himself  to  say 
much  to  her,  he  went  to  his  palace  in  a  great  state  of 
anxiety  and  had  no  sleep  all  night. 

Ghaupdi. 

"  Among  gods,  men  and  demons,  serpents  and  birds, 
there  is  none  who  can  withstand  my  servants  ;  and  Khara 
and  Diishan  were  my  own  equals  in  strength  ;  who  can 
have  killed  them,  unless  it  be  God  himself  ?  If  God  has 
become  incarnate,  in  order  to  rejoice  the  saints  and  relieve 
earth  of  its  burden,  then  if  I  go  and  fight  against  him  and 
lose  my  life  by  an  arrow  of  the  Lord's,  I  shall  escape  further 
transmigration  ;  prayer  will  not  do  for  one  like  me  of 
demon  form  ;  this  is  the  plan  upon  which  I  am  absolutely 
determined.  If  he  is  only  some  earthly  king's  son,  I  shall 
conquer  them  both  in  battle  and  carry  ofE  the  bride."  He 
mounted  his  chariot  and  went  off  alone  to  the  spot  where 
M^richa  was  living  by  the  sea-shore.  Hearken  now,  Um4, 
to  the  delectable  account  of  the  device  that  Rdma  invented. 
Dohd  19.         14% 

When  Lakshman  had  gone  into  the  wood  to  gather 
roots,  fruits  and  herbs,  the  gentle  and  joyous  god  said  with 
a  smile  to  Janak's  daughter  : 

Chaupdi, 

"  Hearken,  most  lovely  and  amiable  of  faithful  wives,  I 
am  going  to  act  a  fantastic  human  part.  Be  you  absorbed 
into  fire  until  I  have  completed  the  destruction  of  the 
demons."  As  soon  as  Rdma  had  finished  speaking  she 
pressed  her  lord's  feet  to  her  heart  and  entered  into  the 
fire,  leaving  only  an  image  of  herself,  of  exactly  the  same 
appearance  and  the  same  amiable  and  gentle  disposition. 
Lakshman  did  not  know  this  mystery  or  that  the  god  had 
taken  any  action.  The  Ten-headed  approached  Mdricha 
and  bowed  his  head,  the  selfish  and  contemptible  wretch. 
When  a  mean  creature  bends,  it  is  only  to  give  more  pain, 
like  an  elephant-goad,  a  bow.  a  snake,  or  a  cat;  the  friendly 
speech  of  a  churl  is  as  portentous,  Bhav^ni,  as  flowers  that 
blossom  out  of  season, 


THE   FOREST.  439 

Doha  20. 

After  doing  him  homage,  Mdricha  respectfully  enquired 
of  him  his  business  :  "  What  is  the  cause,  my  son,  that  you 
have  come  so  disturbed  in  mind  and  all  alone  ?  " 
Chaupdi. 

Ravan  put  the  whole  matter  before  him  and  added 
presumptuously-  the  wretch—"  Do  you  for  the  purpose  of 
deception  assume  the  form  of  a  deer,  and  by  this  means,  I 
shall  be  able  to  carry  off  the  princess"  He  replied  : — 
*'  Hearken,  Rivan ;  though  in  form  as  a  man,  this  is  the 
lord  of  all  animate  and  inanimate  creation  ;  there  is  no 
fighting  against  him,  my  son  ;  if  he  kills,  you  die  ;  and  if 
you  live,  it  is  he  who  gives  you  life.  He  is  the  prince 
Raghupati,  who  when  he  went  to  protect  the  saint's  sacri- 
fice, smote  me  with  a  pointless  arrow,  and  in  an  instant 
I  was  driven  a  distance  of  a  hundred  leagues  :1  it  is  not 
well  to  quarrel  with  him.  Wherever  I  look,  I  see  these 
two  brothers,  and  my  senses  are  utterly  bewildered  like 
a  fly  fascinated  by  a  spider.  Even  if  he  be  only  a  man  my 
son,  he  is  a  tremendous  hero,  and  opposition  to  him  will 
do  no  good. 

Doha  21. 

But  can  he  possibly  be  a  man,  who  was  strong  enough 
to  vanquish  Tdraka  and  Sub^hu,  who  broke  Siva's  bow  and 
slew  Khara,  Dushan  and  Trisira  ? 

Ghaupdi.  ' 

Consider  the  welfareof  your  family  and  go  home."  When 
he  heard  this,  he  was  furious  and  abused  him  soundly: 
"You  fool,  you  take  upon  yourself  to  teach  me,  as  if  you 
,were  my  master  !  Tell  me  where  is  there  in  the  world  any 
warrior  my  equal  ?  "  Maricha  then  thought  to  himself: 
"There  are  nine  whom  it  is  not  good  to  make  enemies;  an 
armed  man,  an  accomplice,  a  king,  a  man  without  princi- 
ple, a  rich  man,  a  physician,  a  panegyrist,  poet  or  any 
person  of  special  ability."  Either  way  he  saw  he  must  die; 
but  he  reflected  that  R I  ma  would  be  his  sanctuary.  So 
he  answered  :  "  You  will  be  the  death  of  me,  poor  wretch  ; 

I  See  Book  I,  chaupai  211. 


440  THE  FOREST. 

for  how  can  I  escape  when  smitten  by  Raghupati's  shaft  ?" 
With  these  thoughts  at  heart,  he  accompanied  Rivan, 
staunch  in  his  devotion  to  R4ma's  feet  and  with  an  exceed- 
ing gladness  of  heart  that  he  would  not  show  ;  "  To-day 
I  shall  behold  my  best  beloved. 

Chhand  8. 

My  eyes  will  be  rewarded  with  the  sight  of  my  best  be- 
loved, and  I  shall  be  happy.  I  shall  imprint  upon  my 
soul  the  feet  of  the  All-merciful  with  Sita  too  and  his 
brother.  Hari,  the  ocean  of  beatitude,  whose  very  wrath 
confers  salvation,  who  gives  himself  up  entirely  to  the 
will  of  his  worshippers,  will  with  his  own  hands  fit  an 
arrow  to  the  string  and  slay  me.  • 

Dohd  22.      ^^ 

As  he  runs  after  me  to  seize  me  with  his  bow  and 
arrows,  I  shall  ever  and  again  turn  and  get  a  sight  of  my 
lord :  there  is  none  else  so  blessed  as  I  am." 

Chaupdi. 

When  the  Ten-headed  drew  near  to  the  wood,  Mdrfcha 
took  the  form  of  a  deer,  so  beautifully  spotted  as  to  defy 
description,  with  a  body  of  gold,  all  bespangled  with  jewels. 
When  Sita  saw  the  wonderously  beautiful  creature  clothed 
with  loveliness  in  its  every  limb,  she  cried  :  *'  0  Raghubir, 
hearken,  kind  sir,  this  deer  has  a  most  charming  skin; 
I  pray  you,  shoot  it,  most  amiable  lord,  and  bring  me 
the  hide."  Thereupon  RAma,  who  understood  the  meaning 
of  it  all,  arose  with  joy  to  execute  the  purpose  of  the  gods, 
Having  marked  the  deer,  he  girded  up  his  waistbelt,  took 
his  bow  in  his  hand  and  trimmed  his  shapely  arrows.  Then 
the  lord  cautioned  Lakshman  :  "  Many  demons,  brother, 
roam  the  forest;  take  care  of  Sita  with  all  thought  and 
consideration  and  with  force  too,  if  occasion  require  it." 
The  deer  seeing  the  Lord,  took  to  flight  :  RAma  pursued 
with  ready  bow :  even  he,  to  whom  the  Veda  cannot  attain, 
nor  Siva  is  able  to  contemplate,  hastened  in  pursuit  of  a 
mimic  deer.     Now  close  at  hand,  now  fleeing  at  a  distance, 


THE    FOK^fclibT.  441 

atone  time  in  sight,  at  another  hid,  alternately  showing.and 
concealing  itself  and  practising  every  kind  of  wile,  in  this 
manner  it  took  the  Lord  far  away.  At  last  Rdma  aimed 
and  let  fly  the  fatal  shaft ;  the  deer  fell  to  the  ground  with  a 
terrible  cry,  first  calling  aloud  to  Lakshman,  but  afterwards 
mentally  invoking  Rdma.  As  life  ebbed,  he  resumed  his 
natural  form  and  devoutly  repeated  the  name  of  Rdma,  who 
in  his  wisdom  recognizing  his  inward  love,  gave  him  such  a 
place  in  heaven  as  saints  can  scarcely  attain  to. 

Dolid22>.  U"^ 

The  gods  rained  down  abundant  flowers  and  hymned  the 
Lord's  high  virtue  :  "  Raghundth,  the  suppliant's  friend, 
raises  to  his  own  sphere  even  a  demon  !  " 

Chaupdi. 
As  soon  as  he  had  slain  the  monster,  Raghubir  returned; 
the  bow  gleaming  in  his  hand  and  the  quiver  by  his  side. 
When  Sita  heard  the  agonizing  cry,  she  called  to  Laksh- 
man in  the  greatest  alarm  :  "  Go  in  haste,  your  brother  is 
in  some  sad  strait/'  Lakshman  answered  with  a  smile. 
"  Hearken,  mother  ;  he,  by  the  play  of  whose  eyebrows  the 
world  is  annihilated,  cannot  be  imagined  as  having  fallen 
into  any  difficulty."  But  when  Sita  urged  him  with  taunt- 
ing words,  Lakshman's  resolution  -f'»rsuch  was  Hari's  will 
—  was  shaken  ;  he  made  over  cliarge  of  everything  to  the 
forest  and  its  gods,  and  went  after  the  R-^hu  of  the  moon^  (p^ 
like  Rdvan.  When  the  Ten-headed  saw  the  ground  vacant 
he  drew  near  in  the  guise  of  an  anchorite.  He,  for  fear  of 
whom  gods  and  demons  trembled  and  could  neither  sleep 
by  night  nor  eat  food  by  day,  even  that  Ravan  came  looking 
this  side  and  that,  as  furtively  as  a  cur  bent  on  thieving.; 
After  he  had  turned  his  steps,  GarAr,  to  this  vile  course,  not 
a  particle  of  his  majesty,  or  intellect,  or  strength  of  bodj__,  ^n 
was  left  in  him.  After  repeating  a  variety  of  legends  and 
moral  sentiments,  he  had  recourse  to  threats  and  blandish- 
ments. Said  Sita,  "  Hearken,  reverend  F.iiher  ;  what  you 
say  is  hateful  to  me."     Then  Rdv  in  showed  himself  in   his 

R-59 


%° 


•142  THE  rOREST. 

proper  form  ;  and  she  was  terror-strickea  when  he  declared 
his  name.  But  plucking  up  all  her  courage  she  said : 
"Wretch,  stay  as  you  are;  my  lord  is  at  hand.  Like 
as  a  hare  that  would  wed  a  lioness,  so  have  you  wooed 
your  own  destruction,  0  demon  king."  On  hearing  this 
speech  the  Ten-headed  was  furious,  though  in  his  heart 
he  delighted  to  adore  her  feet. 

Dohci  24. 

RAvan  angrily  seized  her  and  seated  her  in  his  chariot. 
As  he  took  his  way  through  the  air,  he  was  so  agitated  with 
fear  that  he  could  scarcely  drive. 

Chaupdi 

"  Ah  !  gallant  Raghur^i,  sovereign  of  the  universe,  for 
what  fault  of  mine  have  you  forgotten  mercy?  Ah  !  reliever 
of  distress,  health-giving  sanctuary,  sun  of  the  lotuses  of 
the  Raghu  race.  Ah  I  Lakshman  !  this  is  no  fault  of  yours  ; 
I  have  reaped  the  fruit  of  the  temper  I  showed."  Manifold 
were  the  lamentations  that  she  uttered.  **  My  affectionate 
and  loving  lord  is  far  away;  who  will  tell  him  of  my  calami- 
ty;  that  an  ass  is  devouring  the  oblation  intended  for  the 
()  \  gods!"  At  the  sound  of  Slta's  woeful  lament  every  created 
being,  whether  animate  or  inanimate,  was  made  sad.  The 
vulture-king,  too,  heard  her  piteous  cry  and  recognized  the 
wife  of  the  glory  of  Raghu's  line,  whom  the  vile  demon  was 
carrying  away,  as  it  were  the  famous  dun  cow  that  had  fal- 
len into  the  hands  of  some  savage.  '*  Fear  not,  Sita  my 
daughter,  I  will  annihilate  this  monster."  The  bird  darted 
forth  in  its  fury,  like  a  thunderbolt  launched  against  a 
mountain.  *'  Stop  you  villain,  how  dare  you  go  on  thus  and 
take  no  heed  of  me."  Seeing  him  bearing  down  upon  him 
like  the  angel  of  death,  R^van  paused  and  considered  :  "  Is 
it  mount  Maindka'  or  the  king  of  the  birds  !  anyhow  they 
both  know  my  might,  as  also   do  their   lords. "2      When  he 

1  Mainaka  is  tlic  only  peak  which  is  said  to  have  retained  its  wings 
when  In<lra  clipped  those  of  the  other  mountains. 

2  Mainika's  lord  is  the  Ocean,  which  R4 van  and  the  other  demons  had 
chiirne  I  ;  and  Garur,  '  tlic  king  of  the  birds,'  has  Vishnu  for  his  lord,  with 
whom  Uavan  had  always  been  at  war. 


THE   FORFST.  443 

perceived  that  it  was  poor  old  Jatayu,  he  cried,  "  he  j-l 
shall  leave  his  body  at  the  shrine  of  my  hands. "^  At  this, 
the  vulture  rushed  on  in  a  fury,  crying  :  "  Hearken, 
Rdvan,  to  my  advice ;  surrender  Janaki  and  go  home 
in  peace ;  if  not,  despite  your  many  arms,  it  will  turn 
out  thus  ;  Rama's  wrath  is  like  a  fierce  flame,  and  your 
whole  house  will  be  consumed  in  it  like  a  moth."  The 
warrior  demon  gave  no  answer.  Then  the  vulture  rushed 
wildly  on  and  clutched  him  by  the  hair  and  dragged 
him  from  his  chariot  so  that  he  fell  to  the  ground.  Again, 
having  sheltered  Sita,  the  vulture  turned  and  with  his  beak  ■  '. 
tore  and  rent  his  body.  For  nearly  half  an  hour  the  demon 
was  in  a  swoon,  then  gnashed  his  teeth  with  rage  and  drew 
his  monstrous  sword  and  cut  off  Jatityu's  wings.  The  bird 
fell  to  the  ground,  calling  upon  Rima,  and  doing  marvellous 
feats  of  courage.  Then  R^van  again  seated  Sita  in  the 
chariot  and  drove  off  in  haste  in  no  little  alarm.  Sfta  was 
borne  through  the  air  lamenting,  like  a  frightened  fawn  in 
the  power  of  a  huntsman.  Seeing  the  monkeys  sitting  on 
the  rocks,  she  cried  out  Hari's  name  and  dropt  her  scarf. 
In  this  manner  he  went  off  with  Sita  and  put  her  down  in 
the  Asoka  forest. 

Doha  25.     S'-f  '  S  S 

Though  he  tried  every  kind  of  threat  and  blandishment, 
the  monster  could  not  succeed,  and  at  last  after  exhausting 
all  his  devices  he  left  her  under  the  Asoka  tree.  With 
Rdma*s  beauteous  form  impressed  upon  her  heart,  as  he 
appeared  when  pursuing  the  mimic  deer.  Sfta  was  inces- 
santly invoking  his  name,  0  Hari,  Hari  !  " 
Chaupdi. 

When  Raghupati  saw  his  brother  coming,  he  was  seized 
with  a  new  and  greater  fear  :  "  0  brother,  have  you  left  Sita 
alone  and  come  here  against  my  order,  though  so  many 
demons  roam  the  forest?  My  mind  misgives  me  that  Sita 
is  not  at  the  hermitage."  Lakshman  clasped  his  lotus  feet 
and  cried  with  folded  hands  :     "  Hearken,  my  lord,  it  is  no 

1  That  i8  to  say,  'as  a  man  groes  to  a  place  of  pilgrimage  in  order  to  die 
there,  so  has  he  come  to  me  to  die  by  my  hand' 


444  THE    FOREST. 

fault  of  mine."     When  be  found  the   hermitage  bereft   of 
^/         Sita,    he  was   as  agitated  as   any  commom  man.     "Alas! 
■^  JAnaki,  my  precious   Site,  so   beautiful  and  amiable,  so  di- 

vinely pious  and  devoted  !  "  Lukshman  did  all  he  could  to 
comfort  him.  As  he  went  along,  he  questioned  all  the  trees 
and  flowers  by  the  way  :  "  0  ye  birds  and  deer,  O  ye 
swarms  of  bees,  have  you  seen  the  fawn-eyed  Sita  ?  The 
wagtails,  parrots,  and  pigeons  ;  the  deer  and  fish  ;  swarm- 
ing bees  and  clever  cuckoos  :  the  jasmine  and  pomegranate 
flowers;  the  lightning,  the  lotus,  the  autumn  moon  ;  the 
gliding  serpent ;  the  meshes  of  Varuna,  the  bow  of  Kdma- 
deva;  the  swan,  the  elephant  and  the  lion  can  now  hear 
themselves  praised  ;  the  cocoannt,  the  champa,  and  the 
plantain  can  now  rejoice,  without  any  doubt  or  misgiving 
at  heart.i  Hearken,  J^naki,  now  that  you  are  away,  they 
are  all  as  glad  as  if  they  had  gotten  a  kingdom.  How  can  I 
endure  this  cruelty  at  your  hands  ;  why  do  you  not  at  once 
l^*^  disclose  yourself,  my  beloved  ?  "  In  this  manner  the  lord 
\  searched  and  lamented,  like  a  fond  lover  distressed  by 
separation.  Rdma  who  has  no  wish  unsatisfied,  the  per- 
fection of  bliss,  the  uncreated  and  the  everlasting,  acted  the 
part  of  a  man.  Further  on  he  saw  the  vulture-king 
lying,  with  his  thoughts  fixed  on  the  prints  of  Rama's  feet. 

T)nlid2C).    r^ 
The  compassionate  Ra^hubir  laid  his  lotus  hands  upon 
his  head.     At  the  sight  of  Rima's  lovely  face  all  his  pain 
was  forgotten, 

Ghaupdi, 
and  the  vulture  recovered    himself  and  spoke  as  follows  . 
"  Hearken  Rdma,  remover  of  life's  troubles.  My  lord,  this  is 
RA van's  doing;  he  is  the  wretch,  who  has  carried  off  Jaufik's 
daughter.    He  took  her  away,  sire,  to  the  south,  crying  as 

1  The  different  objects  here  mentionerl  from  the  Hindu  poet's  stock  in 
trade  upon  which  he  invariably  draws  for  comparisons  when  he  wishes  to 
describe  the  charms  of  a  lovely  woman  :  with  clustering  hair  like  swarms  of 
bees,  teeth  white  as  buds  of  jasmine,  lips  like  the  pomegranate,  eyes  brip:hf  as 
flashes  of  lightniner,  breasts  swelling  like  coconniUs,  waist  like  a  lion's,  «  gaitj 
like  an  elephant's  <&c.,  &c.  Now  that  Sita  is  gone,  who  excelled  each  of  them 
in  the  very  point  on  which  they  most  prided  themselves,  they  may  again 
bear  themselves  quoted  as  perfect. 


THE   FOREST.  445 

piteously  as  an  osprey.  I  have  kept  alive,  my  lord,  only  to 
see  you  ;  now,  0  most  merciful,  I  would  depart."  Said 
R^ma :  "  Remain  alive,  father."  He  smiled  and  answered  : 
"He,  by  the  repetition  of  whose  name  at  the  hour  of  death 
the  vilest  sinner,  as  the  scriptures  declare,  attains  salvation, 
has  come  in  bodily  form  before  my  eyes  ;  what  need  is 
there,  sire,  for  me  to  live  any  longer  ?"  Raghurai's  eyes 
filled  with  tears  as  he  replied  :  "  Father,  it  is  your  own 
good,  deeds  that  have  saved  you.  There  is  nothing  in  the 
world  beyond  the  reach  of  those  who  devote  their  soul  to 
the  good  of  others  When  you  pass  out  of  the  body,  father, 
ascend  to  my  sphere  in  heaven.  What  more  can  I  give 
you  ?  your  every  wish  is  gratified."  Dropping  the  form  of 
a  vulture,  he  appeared  in  all  the  beauty  of  Hari,  bedecked 
with  jewels  and  in  gorgeous  yellow  attire,  with  dark-hued 
body  and  four  mighty  arms,  and  with  his  eyes  full  of  tears 
he  chanted  this  hymn  of  praise  : 

Ghhand  9. 
"  Glory  to  R^ma  of  incomparably  beauty  ;  the  bodiless, 
the  embodied  ;  the  veritable  source  of  every  bodily  element ; 
who  with  mighty  arrows  has  broken  the  might  of  the  arm 
of  the  ten-headed  demon  ;  the  ornament  of  the  earth  With 
his  body  dark  as  a  rain-cloud,  with  his  lotus  face  and  his 
eyes  large  as  the  lotus  flower,  I  unceasingly  worship  R^ma 
the  merciful,  the  mighty-armed,  the  dispeller  of  all  life's 
terrors;  of  immeasurable  strength  ;  without  beginning  and 
unborn  ;  the  indivisible  ;  the  one  ;  beyond  the  reach  of  all 
the  senses ;  the  incarnate  Govinda ;  the  annihilator  of 
duality  ;  the  profound  in  wisdom  ;  the  supporter  of  the 
earth  ;  an  everlasting  delight  to  the  soul  of  the  saints,  who 
practise  the  spell  of  Rdma's  name.  I  unceasingly  worship 
Rdma,  the  friend  of  the  unsensual,  the  destroyer  of  lust  and 
every  other  wickedness.  He,  whom  the  scriptures  hymn  un- 
der the  name  of  the  passionless  Brahm,  the  all-pervading, 
the  supreme  spirit,  the  unbegotten  ;  to  whom  the  saints 
attain  after  infinite  study  and  contemplation,  penance  and 
abstraction  ;  he  the  all-merciful,  the  all-radiant,  the  un- 
approachable, has  Tiow  becon^e   manifest  for  the   delight  of 


446  THE    FOREST. 

the  world.  He  who  is  at  once  iaacc^ssible  aad  accessible, 
like  and  unlike,  the  essentially  pure,  the  unfailing  com- 
forter, whom  ascetics  behold  only  when  they  have  laborious- 
ly subdued  their  mind  and  senses;  even  R^ma,  the  spouse 
of  LaUshmi,  who  is  ever  at  the  command  of  his  servants, 
though  the  lord  of  the  three  spheres,  may  he  abide  in  my 
heart,  the  terminator  of  transmigration,  whose  praises  make 

pure."  / 

Doha  27.       [^ 

After  asking  the  boon  of  perfect  faith,  the  vulture  de- 
parted for  Hari's  sphere.  Rama  with  his  own  hands  perform- 
ed his  funeral  rites  with  all  due  ceremony. 

Ghaupdi. 

The  tender-hearted  and  compassionate  RAghun^th,  who 
shows  mercy  even  on  the  undeserving,  bestowed  upon  a  vul- 
ture, an  unclean  flesh-eating  bird,  such  a  place  in  heaven 
as  the  greatest  ascetics  desire.  Hearken,  Uma  ;  the  most 
miserable  of  men  are  they  who  abandon  Hari  and  become 
attached  to  objects  of  sense. 

The  two  brothers  in  their  search  for  Sita  visited  and  exa- 
mined many  woods,  tangled  with  creepers,  dense  with  trees, 
and  swarming  with  birds,  deer,  elephants  and  lions.  As 
they  went  on  their  way  they  overthrew  Kabandha,  who 
declared  the  whole  history  of  the  curso.  '*  DurvAsas^ 
cursed  me,  but  now  that  I  have  seen  my  lord's  feet,  my 
sin  has  been  blotted  out."  Hearken,  Gandharva  ;  those 
who  trouble  Brihmans  are  displeasing  to  me. 

Dohd  28. 

They  who  without  guile  in    thought,  word  and  deed   do 

1  The  reference  to  Durvnaas  is  obscure.  Accordingto  the  legernt  as 
told  by  Viilmiki,  Kabandha  had  been  a  beautiful  youth  by  name  Danu,  who 
as  a  reward  for  penance  abtained  from  heaven  the  boon  of  a  lonjj  life.  On 
the  strength  of  this  promise  lie  ventured  to  rhallenp;e  Irulra  to  battle,  who 
lannohed  his  thunderbolt  apainst  him  and  dn^vo  his  head  and  shouldt^rs 
down  into  his  body,  which  was  thus  made  a  horrible  headless  shapeless 
trunk.  To  keep  him  from  starving,  since  he  needs  must  live,  his  arms  were 
made  a  league  long  :  and  a  huge  month  was  openetl  in  his  belly  In  the  text 
as  translated  by  Griffith,  there  is  mention  of  a  sage  Sthiila-Siras  (Great-head) 
who  l>a<l  bc^en  annoyed  by  Drinu  and  therefore  cursed  him  :  but  the  passage 
has  rather  the  air  of  an  interpolation,  and  does  not  appear  in  Gorrosio's  edi- 
tion.    The  meaning  of  the  word  hnhandhn  is  '  a  headless  trunk.' 


i   THE  FOREST.  447 

service  to  the  gods  of  earth,^  subdue  unto  themselves 
Brahma,  Siva,  myself  and  every  other  divinity. 
Ghaupdi. 
A  Brdhmao,  though  he  curse,  beat  and  abuse  you,  is 
still  an  object  of  reverence  ;  so  declare  the  saints.  A  Brdh- 
man  must  be  honoured,  though  devoid  of  every  virtue  and 
merit;  but  a  Sddra  never,  though  distinguished  for  all 
virtue  and  learning."  So  saying,  he  instructed  him  in  his 
doctrine  and  was  pleased  to  see  his  devotion  to  his  feet. 
When  the  beneficent  Rama  had  given  him  beatitude,  he 
passed  on  to  the  hermitage  of  SavariJ  When  she  saw  that 
Rdma  had  come  to  her  abode,  she  remembered  the  saint's 
promise  and  was  glad  of  heart.  With  lotus  eyes,  mighty 
arms,  hair  fastened  up  in  a  knot  on  their  head,  and  a 
garland  of  wild  flowers  upon  their  breast,  one  dark  of  hue, 
the  other  fair,  stood  the  two  brothers.  Savari  fell  and 
embraced  their  feet.  She  was  so  drowned  in  love  that 
no  speech  came  to  her  lips,  but  again  and  again  she  bowed 
her  head  at  their  lotus  feet,  then  reverently  brought  water 
and  laved  their  feet  and  finally  conducted  them  to  a  seat 
of  honour. 

Doha  29. 

Then  she  brought  and  presented  to  RiSma  the  most 
delicious  fruits  and  herbs  and  roots,  and  the  lord  graciously 
ate  of  them,  again  and  again  thanking  her. 

Chaiipdi. 

She  stood  before  him  with  folded  hands  and  as  she 
gazed  upon  the  Lord  her  love  waxed  yet  more  vehement. 
"  How  can  I  hymn  thy  praises,  seeing  that  I  am  of  meanest 
descent  and  of  dullest  wit  :  the  lowest  of  the  low  and  a 
woman  to  boot  ;  nay  among  the  lowest  of  woman  the  one 
who  is  of  all  most  ignorant,  0  sinless  god."  Said  Raghupa- 
ti  :  *'  Hearken,  lady,  to  my  words  :  I  recognize  no  kinsman- 
ship   save    that   of  faith  ;  neither  lineage,  family,  religion, 


1  SavUra,  is  the  feminine  savari,  is,  strictly  speaking,  not  the  distinc- 
tive name  of  any  one  particular  person,  but  of  a  whole  savage  tribe.  The 
worri  is  probably  connected  with  mm,   '  a  corpse. ' 


448  THE  FOKEST. 

rank,  wealth,  power,  connections,   virtue,  nor  ability.     A 

man    without   faith   is   of   no   more   account  than  a  cloud 

without  water.     I   will   explain    to  you  the  nine  kinds  of 

faith  ;    hearken  attentively  and  lay  them  up  in  your  mind. 

The  first  step  in  faith  is  communion  with  the   saints  ;   the 

second  a  love  for  the  legends  relating  to  me  ; 

Doha  30.        io^ 

The  third,— an  incalculable  step  — devotion  to  the  lotus 

feet   of  the   guru;    the   fourth,  singing  my  i)raises  with  a 

guileless  purpose. 

Ghaupdi. 

The  fifth,  as  the  Vedas  have  expounded,  prayer  and  the 
repetition,  with  an  assured  confidence,  of  mystic  spells  : 
the  sixth,  self-governance,  kindness,  detachment  from  the 
world  and  in  every  action  a  loving  and  persevering  piety  ; 
the  seventh,  seeing  the  whole  world  full  of  me,  and  holding 
the  saints  in  yet  greater  account  than  myself;  the  eighth, 
contentment  with  what  one  has,  without  ever  a  thought  of 
spying  out  fault  in  others ;  the  ninth,  a  guileless  simplicity 
towards  all,  and  a  hearty  confidence  in  me  without  either 
exultation  or  dejection.  Verily,  lady,  whoever  possesses 
any  one  of  these,  whether  he  be  man  or  woman,  rational 
or  irrational,  is  my  friend  ;  and  you  have  them  all  in  the 
highest  degree.  The  heavenly  prize,  which  the  greatest 
ascetics  scarcely  win,  is  to-day  within  your  easy  reach.  The 
.  result   of   seeing  me  is  something  most  marvellous  ;  every 

w  ""^-^.jyeature  at  once  attains  its  j^roper  consummation.  But 
lady,  have  you  any  tidings  of  JAnaki ;  tell  me,  fair  dame,  all 
that  you  know."  "  Go,  Raghurai,  to  the  lake  Pampd  ;  there 
make  friends  wiih  Sugriva;*  he  will  tell  you  all.  You 
know  it  already  my  god  Raghubi'r,  yet  have  the  patience 
to  ask  him."  After  again  and  again  bowing  her  head  at 
the  Lord's  feet,  she  lovingly  repeated  the  whole  story. 
Ghhand  10. 
After  repeating  the  whole  story,  as  she  gazed  on  Hari's 

1  Accordin;^   to   the   Sanskrit    H.^raAyaua    it  was  not  Savari,  but  Kaban* 
(tha,  who  directctl  Kama  to  apply  to  Sugriva. 


IHE   FOREST.  449 

face  and  imprinted  his  lotus  feet  on  her  heart,  she  left 
her  body  in  the  sacrificial  fire  and  became  absorbed  in 
Hari's  feet  beyond  return.  0  men,  abandon  all  your  re- 
ligious observances,  which  are  unrighteousness,  and  your 
many  sects,  which  yield  only  sorrow,  and  with  all  confi- 
dence (says  Tulsi  Dds)  lovingly  embrace  the  feet  of  Rama. 
Dohd  31.  ;' 
He  gave  salvation  to  a  woman  of  such  low  descent  and 
so  altogether  born  in  sin  as  even  this  Savari  was :  foolish 
indeed  are  they  who  desire   peace  of  mind   after  forgetting 

such  a  lord. 

Chaupdi. 

When  they  had  left  this  wood,  they  went  on  their  way 
R^raa  and  his  brother,  two  lions  among  men,  of  immeasur- 
able strength.  The  Lord,  like  a  bereaved  lover,  kept 
making  lamentation  and  turning  his  discourse  to  many 
topics  :  *'  Observe,  Lakshman,  the  beauty  of  the  forest  ; 
whose  heart  is  not  moved  to  see  it  ?  The  birds  and  deer, 
all  accompanied  by  their  mates,  seem  to  laugh  and  jeer 
at  me.  When  the  deer  see  me  and  would  scamper  away, 
he  does  cry  ;  '  Have  no  fear,  enjoy  yourselves,  for  you 
are  genuine  deer,  and  it  is  only  a  golden  deer  that  these 
people  have  come  to  look  for.'  The  female  elephants,  as 
they  take  aside  their  lords,  seem  to  be  giving  me  this 
caution  ;  '  The  scriptures,  however  well  studied,  must  be 
read  over  and  over  again  ;  a  king,  however  well  served,  is 
never  to  be  depended  upon  ;  and  a  woman  like  the  scrip- 
tures and  the  king,  though  you  cherish  her  in  your  bosom, 
is  never  thoroughly  mastered.'  See,  brother,  how  beautiful 
the  spring  is  ;  yet  to  me  without  my  beloved  it  is  frightful. 

Dohd  ^2.     |,l»-  ^'X 

Love,  finding  me  tortured  by  separation,  powerless  and 
absolutely  alone,  has  made  a  raid  upon  me  with  the  bees 
and  birds  of  the  forest.  His  spy  has  seen  me  with  only  my 
brother,  and  on  his  report  the  amorous  god  has,  as  it  were, 
resolutely  encamped  against  me  with  his  army. 

R-60 


460  THE  FOREST. 

Chaupdi. 

The  huge  trees  and  tangled  creepers  are  as  it  were  the 
divei*se  pavillioas  that  he  has  spread  ;  the  plantains  and 
stately  palms  his  pennons  and  standards,  that  none  but  the 
stoutest  could  see  without  amazement ;  the  many  kinds  of 
different  flowering  shrubs  are  his  warriors,  arrayed  in  all 
their  various  kinds  of  panoply;  the  magnificent  forest-trees, 
that  stand  here  and  there,  are  the  separate  encampments 
of  warrior  chiefs  ;  the  murmuring  cuckoos  are  his  infuria- 
ted elephants,  and  the  herons  his  bulls,  camels  and  mules  ; 
the  peacocks,  chakors  and  parrots  are  his  war  horses  ;  the 
pigeons  and  swans  his  Arab  steeds  ;  the  partridges  and 
quails  his  foot  soldiers  ;  but  there  is  no  describing  the 
whole  of  Love's  host.  The  mountains  and  rocks  are  his 
chariots,  the  waterfalls  his  kettle-drums,  the  chataks  the 
bards  that  sing  his  praises,  the  garrulous  bees  are  his 
trumpets  and  clarions,  and  the  three  kinds  of  wind  his 
scouts.  With  an  army  complete  in  all  its  four  branches,  he 
goes  about  and  exhorts  every  one.  0  Lakshmau,  they  who 
can  see  Love's  battle-array  and  stand  firm,  they  are  men  of 
mark  in  the  world.  His  greatest  strength  lies  in  woman  ; 
any  one  who  can  escape  her  is  a  mighty  champion  indeed. 
VohdSS,    ^>^.b' 

Brother,  there  are  three  evils  of  surpassing  strength, 
love,  anger,  and  greed  :  in  an  instant  they  upset  the  souls 
of  the  wisest  philosopher.  The  weapons  of  greed  are  desire 
and  pride  ;  of  love,  nothing  but  woman  ;  while  anger's 
weapon  is  harsh  speech ;  so  thoughtful  sages  have  declared." 

Chaupdi. 

0  Uma,  Rdma  is  without  attributes,  the  lord  of  all 
animate  and  inanimate  creation,  and  knows  all  secrets  ;  yet 
he  exhibited  all  the  distress  of  a  lover  no  less  than  the 
detachment  and  steadfastness  of  a  philosopher.  Anger,  love, 
greed,  pride,  delusion,  all  are  dissipated  by  the  grace  of 
lUma,  and  the  only  man  superior  to  all  this  jugglery  is  he 
to  whom  the  great  conjuror  has  shown  favour.^    I  tell  you, 

I  That  is  to  say,  whom  he  has  taken  behind  the  scenes. 


THE   FOREST.  451 

Umd,  what  is  my  conclusion  ;  the  worship  of  Hari   is  real 
and  all  the  world  is  a  dream. 

The  Lord  went  on  from  there  to  the  shore  of  the  deep 
and  beautiful  lake  called  Pamp^  ;  its  water  as  clear  as  the 
soul  of  the  saints  ;  with  charming  flights  of  steps  on  each 
of  its  four  sides  ;  where  beasts  of  different  kinds  came  as 
they  listed,  to  drink  of  the  flood,  like  crowds  of  beggars  at 
a  good  man's  gate .  . 

Doha  34.       y  0  '   I  ^ 

Under  its  cover  of  dense  lotus  leaves  the  water  was  as 
difficult  to  distinguish  as  is  the  unembodied  supreme  spirit 
under  the  veil  of  delusive  phenomena.  The  happy  fish  were 
all  in  placid  repose  at  the  bottom  of  the  deep  pool,  like  the 
days  of  the  righteous  that  are  passed  in  peace. 
Ghaupdi. 

Lotuses  of  many  colours  displayed  their  flowers  ;  there 
was  a  buzzing  of  garrulous  bees,  both  honey-makers  and 
humble-bees  ;  while  swans  and  waterfowl  were  so  noisy 
you  would  think  they  had  recognized  the  Lord  and  were 
telling  his  praises.  The  geese  and  cranes  and  other  birds 
were  so  numerous  that  only  seeing  would  be  believing,  no 
words  could  describe  them.  The  delighted  voice  of  so  many 
beautiful  birds  seemed  as  an  invitation  to  the  wayfarers. 
The  saints  had  built  themselves  a  house  near  the  lake  with 
magnificent  forest-trees  all  round,  the  ehampa,  the  mdlsari, 
the  kadamh  and  tamdla,  the  pdtala,  the  kathal,  the  dhdk 
and  the  mango.i  Every  tree  had  put  forth  its  new  leaves 
and  flowers  and  was  resonant  with  swarms  of  bees.  A 
delightful  air,  soft,  cool  and  fragrant,  was  ever  in  delicious 
motion,  and  the  cooing  of  the  cuckoos  was  so  pleasant  to 
hear  that  a  saint's  meditation  would  be  broken  by  it. 

Dohd'35,         A^ 


wio 


The  trees  laden  with  fruit  bowed  low  lo  the  ground  ;  like 

1  The  Champa,  or  champaka,    i?    the    Michelia   champaka,    a    handsome 
tree  with  sweet-scented  golden  flowers, 


452  THE   FOREST. 

a  generous  soul  whom  every  increase  of   fortune  renders 
only  more  humble  than  before. 

Chaupdi. 

When  Rdma  saw  this  most  beautiful  lake,  he  bathed  in 
it  with  great  delight,  and  then  with  his  brother  sat  down  in 
the  shade  of  the  magnificent  trees.  There  all  the  gods  and 
saints  came  once  more  to  hymn  his  praises  and  then  re- 
turned each  to  his  own  home.  The  All-merciful  rested  in 
supreme  content  and  addressed  his  brother  in  edifying 
discoui-se.  When  Narad  saw  the  Lord  God  thus  sorrowing 
for  the  loss  of  his  beloved,  his  soul  was  much  disturbed. 
"  In  submission  to  my  curse^  Rdma  endures  all  this  weight 
of  woe.  I  must  go  and  visit  so  noble  a  lord,  for  I  may 
never  have  such  an  opportunity  again."  Having  thus  re- 
flected, Ndrad  with  his  lute  in  his  hand,2  approached  the 
spot  where  the  lord  was  sitting  at  ease.  In  dulcet  tones  he 
sang  his  acts,  affectionately  dwelling  upon  them  in  all 
detail.  As  he  prostrated  himself,  R^ma  took  and  lifted 
him  up,  and  again  aod  again  clasped  him  to  his  bosom  and 
asked  him  of  his  welfare  and  seated  him  by  his  side.  Then 
Lakshman  reverently  laved  his  feet.       . 

Dohd  36.       1^ 

Perceiving  that  his  lord  was  well  pleased,  Nsirad  made 
much  supplication  and  clasping  his  lotus  hands  addressed 
him  in  these  words  : 


The  malmri,  called  in  the  text  by  another  of  its  Sanskrit  names,  rakula, 
is  the  Mimusops  elengi.  Its  fragrant  star-shaped  flowers  are  much  used  by 
Hindus  for  garlands  and  supply  the  native  silversmiths  with  a  very  favourite 
pattern. 

The  kadamh  is  the  Nauclca  cadainba,  a  large  and  handsome  forest  tree, 
which  grows  wilfl  in  the  Matliura  district  and  figures  in  many  of  Krishna's 
pastoral  adventuf&s. 

The  tamala  is  a  tree  with  dark  bark  and  white  blossoms. 

They^a^aZa  is  the  Hignonia  or   Stcreospermum   suaveolens,   a   large   tr 
common  in  South  India,  with  dark  dull-crimson,  exquisitely  fragrant  flowei 

The   kathnl^  called    in   the  text    by   its   Sanskrit   name  imnam,   is   tl 
Artocarpns  integrifolia,  or  jack-tree.    The  fruit   is  an   important  article 
food  in  South  India  and  Ceylon. 

The  dhdk,  called  in  the  text  by  ifs  Sanskrit   name  palana^  is  the  But 
frondosa,  a  tree  with  scarlet  flowers,  which  precede  the  new  leaves,  and  whe 
in  full  bloom  make  a  striking  sight,  like  a  fire   on   the   horizon      Hence   th^ 
vernacular  name,  dhak,  from  the  Sanskrit  dagha,  '  on  fire.' 

1  For  the  explanation  of  NArad's  curse  see  Book  1,  chaupai  143. 

2  N^rad  is  th^  reputed  inventor  of  the  v^na,  or  India  lute. 


THE   FOREST.  453 

Chaupdi. 
"  Hearken,  most  generous  Raghu-ndiyak,  beautiful  and 
beneficent,  at  once  unapproachable  and  easy  of  approach, 
grant  me,  my  lord,  the  one  boon  that  I  ask  ;  though  you 
know  it  without  my  asking,  since  you  know  the  secrets  of 
all  hearts."  "  Reverend  father,  you  understand  my  character ; 
can  1  ever  turn  away  my  face  from  any  one  of  my  worship- 
pers? There  is  nothing  I  hold  so  dear  that  you,  most  excel- 
lent of  saints,  may  not  ask  it  of  me.  There  is  nothing  of 
mine  that  I  would  refuse  to  a  believer  ;  never  allow  yourself 
to  abandon  this  confidence  in  me."  Then  Ndrad  was  glad 
and  said  :  *'  This  is  the  boon  that  I  presume  to  ask.  Though 
my  lord  has  many  names,  each  more  glorious  than  the 
other,  as  declared  in  the  scriptures,  may  the  name  Rama, 
sire,  surpass  all  names,  exterminating  the  whole  brood  of 
sin,  as  when  a  fowler  ensnares  an  entire  flock  of  birds. 

nohd37.  ^t^'  -  ;\' 
May  your  name  Rama  be  as  the  moon  in  the  bright  night  of 
cloudless  faith,  and  your  other  names  as  brilliant  stars  in 
the  heaven  of  the  believer's  soul."  Raghun^th,  the  ocean 
of  mercy,  said  to  the  saint, '  so  be  it.'  Then  was  NArad's 
soul  rejoiced   exceedingly   and  he    bowed  his  head   at   his 

lord's  feet. 

Chavpdi. 

Seeing  Raghundth  so  gracious,  N^rad   spoke   again   in 

winning  tones:     "0    Rama,    when   you    sent  forth   your 

delusive  power  and  infatuated  me  — hearken,  0  Raghurdi  — 

I  was  anxious  to  accomplish  a    marriage,   why  was    it,  my 

lord,  that  you  did  not  allow  me  to  do   so?"     *'  Hearken,  0 

saint,  and  I  will  tell  you,  if  you  will  not  be  angry  :  If  men 

will  abandon  all  other  hope  and  worship  me  only,  I    always 

keep  watch  over  them  as  a  mother  over  her  infant  child.  If 

an  infant  child   run   to  lay  hold  of   the  fire  or  a  snake,  the 

mother  at  once  rescues  it ;  when  her  son  has  grown  up,  the 

mother  does  not  show  her  affection  to  him  in  the  same  way 

^8  before.    The  wise  are,  as  it   were,   my   grown    up   sons 


454  THE   FOREST. 

and  humble  worshippers  my  infant  children.  The  latter  are 

protected  by  my  strength,  the   former  by    their   own,    and 

both  have  to  fight  against   love   and   anger.     Philosophers 

know  this  and  worship  me,  and  though  they  have  acquired 

wisdom,  still  they  do  not  discard  faith. 

Doha  38. 

Lust,  anger,  greed  and  all  other  violent  passion   form  a 

rushing  torrent  of  deception ;  but  among  them  all  the  most 

formidable  and  the  most  calamitous  is   that  incarnation  of 

vanity,  woman. 

Chaupdi. 

Hearken,  0  saint,  to  the  teaching  of  the  Pur^nas,  the 
Vedas  and  the  saints  :  Woman  is  like  the  season  of  spring  to 
the  forest  of  infatuation  ;  like  the  heat  of  summer  to  dry  up 
the  pools  and  waterfalls  of  prayer,  penance  and  devotional 
exercises  ;  like  the  rains  to  rejoice  the  gnats^  and  frogs  of 
lust,  anger  and  pride  ;  like  the  autumn  to  revive  the  lily- 
like growth  of  evil  propensities  ;  like  the  winter  to  distress 
and  deaden  all  the  lotus  beds  of  piety;  and  lastly,  like  the 
dewy  season^  to  foster  the  jawdsa  weeds  of  selfishness. 
Woman,  again,  is  like  a  dark  and  murky  night,  in  which 
owls  and  deeds  of  darkness  delight,  or  like  a  hook  to  catch 
the  fish  of  sense  and  strength  and    honour  and    truth  ;   so 

say  the  wise. 

Doha  39. 

Wanton  woman  is  the  root  of  all  evil,  a  source   of   tor- 
ment, a  mine  of  all  unhappiness  ;  therefore,  0  saint,  know- 
ing all  this,  I  prevented  your  marriage." 
Ghaupdi. 

As  the  saint  listened  to  Raghupati's  delightful  discourse, 
his  body  quivered  with  emotion  and  his  eyes  filled  with 
tears.  '*  Tell  me,  is  there  any  other  lord,  whose  wont  it  is  to 
be  so  kind  and  considerate  to  his  servants  ?     All,   who  will 

1  Matsara^  translated  '   gnats,'    also    means   '  selfishness,'   and    may  be 
intended  in  that  sense  here,  as  both  meanings  suit  the  context  equally  well. 

2  Sisira,   '  the  dewy  season,'  consists  of  the  months,  M^gh  and    Ph^lgun, 
that  come  between  the  winter  and  the  spring. 


tHE  FOREST.  455 

not  abandon  their  errors,  nor  worship  such  a  lord  as  this, 
are  indeed  dull  and  witless  fools."  N^rad  the  sage  rever- 
entially enquired  further  :  *'  Hearken  Rdnia,  versed  in  all 
wisdom  :  tell  me,  my  lord  Raghubir,  lightener  of  earth's 
burdens,  what  are  the  marks  of  a  saint?"  Listen,  reverend 
sir,  and  I  will  tell  you  what  are  the  qualities  of  the  saints, 
by  virtue  of  which  they  hold  me  in  their  power.  They  have 
overcome  the  six  disturbing  influence^  ;  are  sinless,  pas- 
sionless, and  imperturbable  ;  have  no  worldly  goods,  but 
live  a  life  of  chastity  and  contentedness  ;  their  wisdom  is 
immeasurable  ;  they  are  without  desires  and  temperate  in 
enjoyment ;  oceans  of  truth,  inspired  bards,  practised  in 
meditation ;  circumspect  ;  void  of  pride  and  arrogance  ; 
persevering  and  eminently  wise  in  the  mystery  of  salvation  : 

Doha  40. 
Mines  of  virtue,  free  from  the  troubles  of  the  world   and 
with  all  their  doubts  solved  ;  who,  rather  than  abandon  my 
lotus  feet,  account  neither  life  nor  home  precious  ; 

Chaupdi. 
Who  are  abashed  when  they  hear  themselves  praised, 
and  exceedingly  glad  to  hear  the  praises  of  others  ;  who  are 
always  equable  and  calm,  consistent  in  virtuous  practice  ; 
honest  and  kindly  disposed  to  all  men  ;  distinguished  for 
prayer,  penance,  religious  observances,  temperance,  self- 
denial,  and  performance  of  pious  vows  ;  for  devotion  to 
their  guru,  to  Gobinda  and  to  Brahmans  ;  for  faith,  forbear- 
ance, charitableness  and  compassion  ;  for  a  rapturous  love  of 
my  feet ;  a  superiority  to  all  material  delusions  ;  an  absolute 
composure,  discrimination,  huniility  and  knowledge  ;  and 
for  doctrine  in  strict  accordance  with  the  Vedas  and  Pur^- 
nas ;  who  never  display,  ostentation,  arrogance,  or  pride, 
nor  ever  by  any  chance  set  their  foot  on  the  way  of   wicked- 

1  According  to  the  Sankhya  philosophy  there  is  an  original  eternal 
germ,  or  primal  source  of  all  things,  except  soul,  which  is  called  Hrakriti. 
From  it  are  evolved  certain  vikdras,  or  productive  products,  or  modifications, 
which  occasion  all  the  diversity  of  material  phenomena,  and  which  may 
therefore  be  designated  '  disturbing  influences.' 


466  THE   FOREST. 


;  who  are  always  either  hearing  or  singing  my 
acts  and  have  no  selfish  object,  but  are  devoted  to  the 
good  of  others  ;  in  short,  reverend  sir,  the  characteristics  of 
the  saints  are  so  numerous  that  not  even  S^rada  or  the 
scriptures  could  tell  them  all. 

Chhand  11. 

Not  Sdrad^  nor  Sheshndg  could  tell  them."  Hearing 
this,  NArad  clasped  his  lotus  feet,  crying,  "  Thus  the  friend 
of  the  suppliant,  the  all-merciful,  has  with  his  own  mouth 
declared  the  characteristics  of  his  worshippers."  After 
again  and  again  bowing  his  head  at  his  feet,  Narad  returned 
to  the  city  of  Brahma.  Blessed,  says  Tulsi  D^s,  are  all  they 
who  abandon  other  hope  and  attach  themselves  to  Hari. 

Dohdii. 

People  who  hear  or  recite  the  sanctifying  praises  of 
Rdvan's  foe,  even  without  asceticism,  prayer  and  medita- 
tion, are  rewarded  with  steadfast  faith  in  R-^'ma.  Woman 
is  like  the  flame  of  a  candle ;  let  not  your  soul  be  as  the 
moth,  but  discard  love  and  intoxication,  worship  R^ma  and 
hold  communion  with  the  saints. 


[Thus  endeth  the  book  entitled  "  the  forest"  composed 
by  Tulsi  Dda  for  the  bestowal  of  pure  wisdom  and  continence ; 
being  the  third  descent  *  into  the  holy  lake  of  Rdma^s  dceds^ 
that  cleanses  from  every  defilement  of  the  loorld]. 


BOOK  IV. 

K  I S  H  K 1  N  D  H  Y  A 


R-61 


KISHKINDHYA.  459 

KISHKINDHYA. 


Sanskrit  Invocation. 

BEA.UTIFUL  as  the  jasmine  or  the  lotus,  of  surpassing 
strength,  store-houses  of  wisdom,  all  glorious  and  accom- 
plished bowmen,  hymned  by  the  Vedas,  benefactors  of  cows 
and  Brdhmans,  may  they  who  appeared  in  the  form  of 
mortal  men  as  the  two  noble  sons  of  Raghu,  the  champions 
of  true  religion,  the  wayfarers  intent  on  their  search  for 
Sfta,  may  they  grant  us  faith. 

Blessed  are  the  pious  souls,  who  ever  imbibe  the  nectar 
of  holy  Rdma's  name  ;  nectar,  the  product  of  no  ocean,  but 
of  Brahm  himself,  the  utter  exterminator  of  all  the  im- 
purities of  this  sinful  age,  the  imperishable,  the  quintes- 
sence of  the  beauty  of  blessed  Sambhu's  moonlike  face,  the 
ever  glorious,  the  remedy  for  all  the  diseases  of  life,  the 
exquisitely  sweet,  the  life  of  blessed  Jiinaki. 
Sorathd  1.         \  -  a 

How  is  it  possible  not  to  reverence  Kasi,  the  home  of 
Sambhu  and  Bhav^ni,  knowing  it  to  be  the  earthly  birth- 
place of  salvation,  a  treasury  of  knowledge  and  the  des- 
troyer of  sin.  Dull  indeed  of  soul  is  the  man  who  worships 
not  him,  who  when  all  the  hosts  of  heaven  were  in  distress, 
drank  up  the  deadly  poison;  who  is  so  merciful  as  Sankara? 
Chaupdi. 

R^ma  again  proceeded  on  his  way  and  drew  near  to  the 
mountain  Rishyamdka.^  There  Sugriva  dwelt  with  his 
ministers,  who,  seeing  them  approach  in  all  their  immeasur- 
able strength,  was  exceedingly  alarmed  and  cried  :  *'  Hear- 
ken, Hanumfin  ;  take  the  form  of  a  young  Brdhman  student 
and  go  and  see  who  these  two  heroes  are,  of  such  remark- 
able strength  and  beauty,  and  when  you  have  ascertained 
make  some  sign  by  which  I  may  know  also.  If  that  wretch 
BAli  has  sent  them,  I  must  leave  the  hill  and  flee  at  once." 

1  The   mountain    Rishyamiika   derives  its   name   from  Bishya,   a  kind 
of  antelope. 


460  KISHKINDHYA. 

The  monkey  assumed  the  form  of  a  Brtfhman  and  went  to 
the  place  ;  there  bowed  his  head  and  thus  questioned  them: 
"  Who  are  you  two  knights  of  warrior  mien,  who  roam  this 
wood,  one  dark  of  hue,  the  other  fair?  The  ground  is 
rough  for  your  soft  feet  to  tread.  What  is  the  reason,  my 
masters,  that  you  visit  this  forest  ?  Your  body  is  too 
delicate  and  exquisitely  beautiful  to  be  exposed  to  the 
intolerable  sun  and  wind  of  these  wild  regions  Who  are 
you  ?  A  Person  of  the  Trinity  ;  or  the  two  great  gods  Nara 
and  NarAyan  ?i 

Dohd  1.      3 
Or  has  the  lord  of  all  the   spheres  become  incarnate  in 
your  human  form,  for  the   good  of  the  woild,  to  bridge  the 
ocean  of  existence  and  relieve  earth  of  its  burdens?" 

Ghaupdi, 

*'  We  are  the  sons  of  Dasarath,  the  king  of  Kosala,  and 
have  come  into  the  forest  in  obedience  to  our  father's  com- 
mand ;  Rama,  the  name  of  one  brother,  and  liakshman  of 
the  other.  With  us  was  my  young  and  beautiful  bride,  the 
daughter  of  the  king  of  Videha.  But  some  demon  here  has 
stolen  her  away  ;  and  it  is  she,  0  BrAhman,  whom  we  are 
trying  to  find.  We  have  told  you  our  affairs,  tell  us  now 
your  own  story."  He  recognized  his  lord  and  fell  and  clasp- 
ed his  feet  with  a  joy,  UmA,  beyond  all  description.  His 
body  thrilled  with  emotion  and  all  words  failed  his  tongue, 
as  fhe  gazed   upon  the  fashion  of  their  ravishing  disguise. 

1  Nam,  the  original  or  eternal  Man,  the  divine  imperishable  spirit  that 
pervades  the  universe,  is  always  nssociated  with  NarAyana,  which,  as  u 
patronymic  from  Nara,  means  '  the  Son  of  the  original  Man.'  In  Manu,  1. 
10,  Nara  is  apparently  identified  with  NArdyana:  the  waters,  it  is  said,  V>eing 
called  NArA,  as  produced  from  Nar«,  the  eternal  Spirit,  or  PnramAtmsi. 
which  is  also  styled  N4rAyann,  as  having  its  first  place  of  motion  on  thr 
waters.  In  the  more  systematic  theology  Nara  and  NdrAyana  are  distinct, 
the  former  being  regarded  as  a  sage  or  patriarch,  while  the  laUer  is  a  god. 
In  epic  poetry  they  are  the  sons  of  Dharma  by  Murti,  or  AhinsA,  and  are 
emanations  of  Vishnu,  Arjuna  b«-ing  identified  with  Nara,  and  Krishna 
with  NArAyflna.  In  some  places  Nara  and  Ndrayana  are  called  devau,  '  tlu^ 
two  gods';  or  jmrva-deran  '  the  two  original  gods';  or  rishi,  '  the  two  sages'; 
or  pit ranav  rislii— tat faniau,  '  the  two  most  ancient  and  best  of  sages  ;  or 
tapamn  '  the  two  ascetics  ;  or  maha-muyii,  '  the  two  great  munis.— J/om'V/- 
WilUamn,  sub  verbo, 


KISHKINDHYA.  401 

At  last  he  collected  himself  and  burst  forth  into  a  hymn 
of  praise,  with  great  joy  of  heart,  for  he  had  found  his  lord. 
"  I  asked,  sire,  in  my  ignorance ;  but  why  should  you  ask, 
as  though  you  were  a  mere  man.  Under  the  influence  of 
your  delusive  power  I  wandered  in  error,  and  therefore  I 
did  not  at  once  recognize  my  lord. 

Doha  2.         ^ 
In  the  first  place  I  was  a  bewildered    dullard,   ignorant 
and  perverse  of  soul,  and  then  my  gracious  Lord  God  him- 
self led  me  astray. 

Ghaupdi. 

Although,  sire,  my  faults  are  many,  yet  a  servant  can- 
not anyhow  be  above  his  master.  All  created  things  are 
first  fettered  by  your  delusive  power  and  then  again  set 
free  by  your  grace.  Therefore  I  make  my  cry  to  Raghu- 
bir,  and  know  no  other  saving  mode  of  prayer.  As  a 
servant  has  confidence  in  his  master,  or  a  child  in  its 
mother,  so  all  dwell  secure  under  the  protection  of  the 
Lord."  So  saying,  he  fell  in  much  agitation  at  his  feet, 
and  the  love  that  filled  his  soul  showed  itself  in  every  part 
of  his  body.  Then  Raghupati  raised  him  up  and  took 
him  to  his  bosom,  while  his  own  eyes  were  flooded  with 
tears  of  joy.  "  Bearken,  0  monkey  ;  do  not  account  your- 
self vile;  you  are  second  to  Lakshman  only  in  my  affection  ; 
every  one  says  that  I  have  no  respect  of  persons ;  any 
servant  is  beloved  of  me,  and  has  a  rank   in  heaven  second 

to  none.  ^ 

Doha  3.      *? 

For  he,  Hanumdn,  is  second  to  none  who  never  wavers 
in  this  faith,  that  he  is  the  servant  of  the  Lord  God  who  is 
manifested  in  creation." 

Ghaupdi. 

When  the  Son  of  the  Wind  (i.e.,  Hanumdn)  saw  his 
lord  so  gracious,  he  rejoiced  at  heart,  and  every  anxiety 
was  at  an  end.  "  The  king  of  the  monkeys,  sire,  lives  on 
this  rock,  Sugriva  by  name,  a  servant  of  yours.     In  return 


462  KISHKINDHYA. 

for  his  submission  you  should  make  friends  with  him  and 
set  his  mind  at  rest.  He  will  have  Sita  tracked  ;  for  he 
will  despatch  millions  of  monkeys  in  every  direction."  In 
this  manner  he  told  them  all  the  particulars  and  took  them 
both  with  him  and  gave  them  stools  to  sit  upon.  When 
Sugrfvasaw  Rima,  he  thought  it  a  great  blessing  to  have 
been  born.  He  reverentially  advanced  to  meet  him  and 
bowed  his  head  at  his  feet ;  and  RaghunAth  and  his  bro- 
ther returned  his  courtesy.  The  monkey's  mind  was  occu- 
pied with  this  thought,  '  If  God  would  only  give  me  such 
allies !'  # 

Dohd  4.  l» 
Hanuman  then  explained  the  circumstances    of    both 
sides  ;    holy   fire    was   made  a  witness,  and  a  firm   alliance 
concluded. 

Chaupdi. 

When  the  alliance  had  been  concluded,  nothing  was 
kept  in  reserve  ;  Rdtna  and  Lakshman  told  all  their  adven- 
tures. Sugriva's  eyes  were  full  of  tears  as  he  replied  — 
*' The  daughter  of  the  king  of  MithiU  will  be  recovered. 
One  day  when  I  was  sitting  here  with  my  ministers  deep 
in  thought,  I  saw  some  one  flying  through  the  air,  with  a 
woman  in  his  power,  who  was  weeping  piteously  and  crying 
'  R^ima,  Rama,0  my  R4ma  !  '  When  she  saw  me,  she  drop- 
ped her  scarf."  Rama  at  once  asked  for  it ;  he  gave  it  him  ; 
he  pressed  the  scarf  to  his  bosom  in  the  deepest  distress. 
Said  Sugriva  ;  "  Hearken,  Raghubir  ;  be  not  so  distressed  ; 
take   courage.     I  will  do  all  in  my  power  to  serve  you  and 

recover  Janaki." 

Dohd  5. 
The  All-merciful   and    Almighty    rejoiced    to  hear  liis 
friend's   speech.   **  Tell   me,  Sugriva,  the  reason  why  yon 

are  living  in  this  forest." 

Chaupdi, 

"  My  lord,  BAli   and  I   are  two  brothers ;  our  mutual 

love  was  past  all   telling.     The  son  of   Maya,    MayAvi    by 

name  came  to  our  town.     In  the  middle  of  the  night  he 


KISHKINDHYA.  403 

shouted  at  the  city-gate.  B^li  endures  no  enemy  to  set  him 
at  defiance  and  sallied  forth.  Seeing  this  he  fled.  Now  I 
too  accompanied  my  brother,  and  when  he  had  gone 
into  one  of  the  caves  of  the  mountain,  Bill  said  to  me  : 
•  Wait  for  me  a  fortnight,  and  if  I  do  not  come  then,  con- 
clude that  I  have  been  killed.  I  stayed  there  a  whole 
month,  Khardri  ;  a  tremendous  stream  of  blood  then  flowed 
out  ;  I  made  sure  that  Bali  had  been  defeated  and  that  the 
enemy  would  come  and  kill  me  too.  I  therefore  closed  the 
mouth  of  tlie  cave  with  a  rock  and  fled  away.  When  the 
ministers  of  state  saw  the  city  without  a  master,  they 
forced  the  government  upon  me,  whether  I  would  or  no. 
When  Bdli,  who  had  slain  the  foe,  came  home  and  saw  me, 
he  was  greatly  set  against  me  and  gave  me  a  severe  beating, 
as  he  would  an  enemy,  and  took  from  me  everything  that 
I  had,  together  with  my  wife.  For  fear  of  him,  0  merciful 
Raghubir,  I  wander  forlorn  all  over  the  world.  The  curse^ 
prevents  him  from  coming  here,  and  yet  I  am  ill  at  ease  in 
mind.''  When  the  friend  of  the  suppliant  heard  of  his 
servant's  troubles,  his  two  mighty  arms  were  uplifted 
with  a  convulsive  motion. 

Dohd  6. 

"  Hearken,  Sugriva  ;  I  will  slay  Bali  with  a  single 
arrow  ;  though  he  take  refuge  with  Brahma  even,  or  Rudra, 
he  shall  not  escape  with  his  life. 

Chawpdl. 

They,  who  are  not  distressed  at  the  sight  of  a  friend's 
distress,  are  guilty  of  grievous  sin.  They,  who  do  not 
think  it  the  most  natural  thing  possible  to  regard 
as  a  mere  grain  of  sand  their  own  mountain-like  troubles, 
while  a  friend's  trouble,  though  really  no  bigger  than 
a  grain  of  sand,  seems  to  them  as  weighty  as  mount 
Meru  ;   such   men   are   churls,    upon    whom    it    is  useless 


1  When  Bali  had  slain  the  demon  Dundubhi,  who  had  attacked  him  in 
the  form  of  a  bull,  he  hurled  tl)e  body  away,  and  a  drop  of  blood  fell  in  the 
hermitage  of  the  iiishi  Matanga,  who  thereupon  pronounced  a  curse  upon 
Bali,  that  if  ever  he  came  that  way  he  should  at  once  die. 


464  KISHKINDHYA. 

to  press  frieudship.    To  restrain  from   evil  paths  and   to 
direct  in  the  path  of  virtue  ;  to  publish  all  good  qualities 
and  conceal  the  bad  ;  to  give  and  take  without  any  distrust 
of  mind  ;  to  be  always  ready  to  assist  with  all  one's  power, 
and,  in   time  of  misfortune   to  be  a   hundred  times   more 
affectionate  than  ever ;  such  the  scriptures  declare  to  be  the 
properties  of  a  true  friend.     But  one  who  speaks  you  fairly 
to  your  face,  but  behind  your   back   is  an   enemy    in   the 
viciousness  of  his  soul,  whose  mind,  brother,  is  as  tortuous 
ay  the  movements  of  a  snake,   such  a  man  is  a  bad  friend, 
whom  it  is  well  to  let  alone.    A  dishonest  servant,  a  miserly 
king,  a  false  wife,  and  a  treacherous  friend,  are  four  things 
as  bad  as  the  stake.  Cease  to  distress  yourself,  friend  ;  I  will 
put  forth   all  my   strength    to  do  your   business  for  you." 
Said  Sugriva  :    "  Hearken,   Raghubir  ;    B^li  is  very  strong 
and  most  resolute  in  battle,"   and  he  showed   him  Dundu- 
bhi's    bones   and   the     palm-trees. ^      Without    an    effort, 
Raghubfr  tossed  them  away.     At  this  exhibition  of  bound- 
less strength  the  affection  of  the  monkey  king  was  increased 
and  he  made   sure  of   killing  B41i.     Again  and   again  he 
bowed  his  head  at   his  feet,  in  the  greatest   delight,  know- 
ing him  to  be  the  Lord.    Knowledge  sprung  up  in  his  soul, 
and   he   spoke   and   said  :      "  By    my    lord's    favour   my 
mind  is   set   at   rest  ;   I  will   abandon   pleasure,   fortune, 
home,  grandeur  and  all,   to  do   you    service  ;  for  all  these 
things  are  hindrances  to  faith  in  RfimA,  as  the  saints  declare 
who  are  devoted  to  the  worship^  of  your  feet.  All  the  friends 
and  enemies,  joys  and  sorrows  of  the  world,  are  effects  of 

1  This   mention  of  '  palm-trees'    would  not  be  intelligible  without  a  r* 
ferencc  to  the   Sanskrit    Kamiiyana.     There   it  is  told  how  after  IIAtna  by  ;i 
slight  touch  of  liis   foot  had   sent  Hying  a  hundred    leagues   through  the  air 
the  giant    Dundubhi's   enormous  skeleton,  Sugiiva  still  doubted  whether  li 
were  a  raateh  in  strength  for  Kali.    wIjo  had    liurled   the  bo<ly    an  cjual  ili 
tancc,  while   it  was   still    clothed  with    llesh  and   therefore  of  much  grcatci 
weight.     To  convince  him,  Udma  shot  an  arrow  from  his,  wliich  cleft  seven 
palm-trees  that  stood   in  a  line   one  after  the  other,   pierectl   the  hill    behind 
them  anil  sped  downwards  to  the    nethermost  hell,  wlience  again  it  returned 
and  dropt  into  the  <iuivcr  at  Kama's  side,  from  which  it  had  been  taken. 

2  Aran'ulhak,  '  a  worshipper,'  '\^h)V  avail k,ik,  from  I  lie  root  rad/i,  '  {■• 
propitiate,'  with  the  intensive  prefix  a.  In  tin;  Hindi  glassary  it  is  ex 
plained  by  Mctxfk,  'a  servant,'  as  if  connected  with  arara. 


KlStlKINDHVA.  ^65 

delusion,  and  are  not  eternal  realities.  Bdli  is  my  greatest 
friend,  by  whose  favour  I  have  met  you,  0  RAma,  destroyer 
of  all  sorrow;  as  when  a  man  dreams  that  he  has  been  fight- 
ing some  one,  and  on  wakin^i  and  coming  to  his  senses  is 
ashamed  of  his  illusion.  Now,  my  lord,  do  me  this  favour, 
that  T  may  leave  all  and  worship  you,  night  and  day."  When 
Rama  heard  the  monkey's  devout  speech,  he  smiled  and 
said,  with  his  bow  in  his  hand  :  **  Whatever  I  have  said  is 
all  true  ;  my  words,  friend,  cannot  fail."  0  Clardr,  Rdma, 
as  the  scriptures  say,  is  the  juggler  who  makes  us  all  dance 
like  so  many  monkeys.  Sugriva  then  took  Raghundth 
away  with  him,  who  went  with  bow  and  arrows  in  hand. 
Afterwards  he  sent  Sugriva  on  ahead,  who  went  up  close 
and  roared  with  all  his  might.  Bdli  on  hearing  him,  sprang 
up  in  a  fury,  but  his  wife  clasped  his  feet  in  her  hands  and 
warned  him  :  "  Hearken,  my  lord,  Sugriva's  allies  are  two 
brothers  of  unapproachable  majesty  and  might,  the  sons  of 
the  king  of  Kosala,  Lakshman  and  Rdma,  who  would  con- 
quer in  battle  even  Death  himself." 

DoU  7. 
Said  Bali :    "  Hearken,  timorous  dame  ;   Raghundlh    is 
kind  and  the  same  to  all  ;  even  if  he  kill   me,    he    will  still 
be  my  lord." 

Chaupdi. 

So  saying,  he  sallied  forth  in  all  his  pride,  thinking  no 
more  of  Sugriva  than  of  a  blade  of  grass.  The  two  joined 
combat ;  and  Bdli  with  a  furious  leap  struck  him  a  blow 
with  his  list,  which  resounded  like  a  clap  of  thunder.  Sug- 
riva at  once  fled  in  dismay ;  the  stroke  of  his  fist  had  fallen 
upon  him  as  a  bolt  from  heaven,  "  What  did  I  say,  0  merci- 
ful Raghubir  ;  this  is  no  brother  of  mine  but  Death  him- 
self." "You  two  brothers  are  so  much  alike  that  for  fear 
of  mistake  I  did  not  shoot  him."  He  then  stroked  Sugriva's 
body  with  his  hands  and  his  frame  became  as  of  adamant, 
and  all  his  pain  was  gone.  N^ext  he  put  on  his  neck  a 
wreath  of  flowers  and  sent  him  back  with  a  large  increase  of 

R-G2 


460  KISUKIiJDUi'A. 

strength.    Again  they  fought   ia   every  kind  of  way,  while 
Rimii  watched  them  from  behind  a  tree. 

Doha  8.         /c) 
When  Sugriva  had  tried  every  trick  and  put   forth   all 
his  strength  and  had  given  up  in  despair,    Rtoa   drew  an 
arrow  and  struck  Bdli  in  the  heart. 

Chaupdi. 
Struck  by  the  shaft,  he  fell  in  dismay  to  the  ground. 
Again  he  sat  up  and  saw  the  Lord  standing  before  liini, 
dark  of  hue,  with  his  hair  fastened  up  in  a  knot  on  his 
head,  and  his  eyes  inflamed  as  they  were  when  he  fitted  the 
arrow  to  his  bowstring.  Again  and  again  as  he  gaz^d  upon 
him,  he  laid  his  soul  at  his  feet  and  accounted  his  life  bless- 
ed :  for  he  recognized  his  lord.  Though  his  heart  was  full 
of  affection,  the  words  of  his  mouth  were  harsh,  as  he  look- 
ed towards  R^ma  and  said  :  *'  You  have  become  incarnate, 
sire,  for  the  advancement  of  religion,  and  yet  you  take  my 
life,  as  a  huntsman  would  that  of  a  wild  beast.  I,  forsooth, 
am  an  enemy  and  Sugriva  a  friend  ;  yet  for  what  fault 
have  you  killed  me,  my  lord  ?"  "  Hearken,  wretch  ;  a 
younger  brother's  wife,  a  sister,  a  daughter-in-law  and  an 
unwedded  maid  are  all  alike  :  whoever  looks  upon  one  of 
them  witli  an  evil  eye  may  be  slain  without  any  sin. 
Fool,  in  your  extravagant  pride  you  paid  no  heed  to  your 
wife's  warning.  You  knew  that  he  had  taken  refuge  under 
the  might  of  my  arm,  and  yet  in  your  wicked  pride  you 
wished  to  kill  him." 

Doha  9. 
**  Hearken  Rdma  ;  I  dealt  craftily  with  my  lord  ;  to-day, 
guilty  as  1  am,  1  obtain,  sire,  at  my  death  a  place  in  heaven." 

Chaupdi. 
When  RAma  heard  this  most  tender  speech,  he   touched 
Bali's  head  with  his  hands:     "  I  restore    the  soundness  of 
your  body  ;    retain  your  life."     Said  B^li  ;  "  Hearken,  All 
merciful  ;  the  saints  are  born    again   and  again  and   labour 
throughout  their  life,  and  yet  even  to  the  last   Rama   never 


KISHKINDHYA.  467 

comes  near  them.     But  he,  the  everlasting,  by   the   virtue 
of  whose  name  Sankara  at  K^si  bestows  heaven    upon    all 
alike,  has  come  in  visible   form    before   my   very  eyes  ;  can 
I  ever,  my  lord,  have  such  a  chance  again  ? 
Ghhctnd  1. 

He  has  become  visible  to  my  eyes,  whose  praises  the 
scriptures  are  all  unequal  to  declare,  to  whom  scarcely  the 
saints  attain  after  profound  contemplation  accompanied  by 
laborious  suppression  of  the  breath, ^  abstraction  of  soul, 
and  control  of  the  senses.  Seeing  me  the  victim  of  exces- 
sive pride,  the  Lord  has  told  me  to  retain  my  body.  But 
who  would  be  such  a  fool  as  to  insist  upon  cutting  down 
the  tree  of  paradise  and  watering  a  wild  babul  tree  ?  Now, 
my  lord,  look  upon  me  with  compassion  and  grant  me  the 
boon  I  l)eg;  whatever  the  womb,  in  which  it  be  my  fate  to 
be  born,  may  I  ever  cherish  a  special  devotion  to  the  feet  of 
RAma.  0  my  lord,  take  this  my  son  Angad  and  grant  him 
like  discretion,  power  and  prosperity  ;  grasp  him  by  the 
hand.  0  king  of  gods  and  men,  and  make  him  your 
servant." 

Doha  10. 

After  making  a  fervent  act  of  devotion  to  Rama's  feet, 
Bali's  soul  left  the  body  ;  as  placidly  as  when  a  wreath  of 
flowers  drops  from  an  elephant's  neck  without  his  knowing 
it; 

Chaupdi. 

and  Rdma  dismissed  him  to  his  own  heavenly  mansion. 
All  the  people  of  the  city  ran  together  in  dismay,  and  Tdrd 
with  dishevelled  hair  and  tottering  frame  broke  out  into 
wild  lamentation.  When  Raghurdi  saw  her  distress,  he 
imparted  to  her  wisdom  and  dispersed  her  delusion.  "  The 

1  The  eight  means  of  mental  concentration  (according  to  Patanjali,  the 
founder  of  the  Yog*i  system  of  philosophy)  are  Yania,  '  forbearance,'  '  res- 
traint.' ;  37  yaw.';/, '  religious  Observances'  ;  Asana,  'postures'  ;  Prdnaydnia, 
suppression  of  the  breath',  or  '  breathing  in  a  peculiar  way  ;  Pratydhdra 
'  restraint  of  the  senses  ';  Dhdmiia,  'steadying  of  the  mind  '  ;  Dhydna,  '  con- 
templation ;  and  Sdmddhi,  'profound  meditation,'  or  rather,  a  state  of  reli- 
gions trance. ~-3foni(!)'  Williayns. 


468  KISIIKINDHYA. 

bod}^  which  is  composed  of  the  elements,  earth,  water,  fire, 
air  and  ether,  '  is  of  no  v^lue.  The  mortal  frame,  which 
you  see  before  you,  sleeps  ;  but  the  soul  is  eternal  ;  why 
then  do  you  weep  ?"  True  understanding  sprung  up  in 
her  mind  ;  she  embraced  his  feet  and  received  the  boon 
that  she  asked,  a  perfect  faith.  0,  Uma,  the  lord  R^ma 
dances  us  all  up  and  down  like  so  many  puppets.  Then 
he  gave  orders  to  Sugriva  and  he  performed  all  the  funeral 
rites  with  due  ceremony.  Rama  next  directed  his  brother 
to  go  and  celebrate  Sugriva's  installation.  He  bowed  his 
head  at  Raghupati's  feet  and  went  forth,  he  and  all  whom 
Rilma  had  commissioned  to  accompany  him. 
Dohd  11. 

Lakshman  immediately  summoned  the  citizens  and  the 
council  of  Brahmans,  and  invested  Sugriva  with  the  sover- 
eignty and  appointed  Angad  Prince  Imperial. 

Chaupdi. 

0,  UmA,  there  is  no  such  friend  as  Rdma  in  the  world, 
neither  guru,  nor  father,  nor  mother,  nor  kinsman,  nor 
lord.  It  is  the  way  with  all  other  gods,  men  and  saints,  to 
make  friends  for  selfish  purposes  ;  but  the  generous 
Raghubir,  from  mere  natural  kindness,  made  Sugriva  king 
of  the  monlvcys,  when  he  was  trembling  all  day  and  all 
night  in  such  fear  of  Bili  that  there  was  no  colour  left  in 
his  face  and  his  heart  was  burnt  up  with  anxiety.  I  know 
this,  that  any  man,  who  deserts  such  a  lord,  must  needs 
be  caught  in  the  meshes  of  calamity.  Rama  then  sent  for 
Sugriva  and  instructed  him  in  all  the  principles  of  state- 
craft, and  added  :  "  Hearken,  Sugriva,  lord  of  the  monkey 
race  ;  I  may  not  enter  a  city  for  fourteen  years.  The  hot 
weather  is  now  over  and  the  rains  have  set  in.  I  will 
encamp  on  the  hills  close  by.  Do  you  with  Angad  reign 
in  royal  state  ;  but  remain  ever  mindful  of  my  interests." 

1  Akasa,  'ether.'  is  the  subtle  ancJ  ethereal  fluid,  supposed  to  fill  and 
pervade  the  universe  and  to  be  the  peculiar  vehicle  of  life  and  of  sound  — 
Monirr  Willinmn. 


KISHKINDHYA.  469 

Sugriva  then  returned  to  the  palace,  while  Rdma  remained 
in  camp  on  mount  BravarshanaJ 

Doha  12.    I  Mr 

The  gods  had  beforehand  made  and  kept  for  him  a 
charming  cave  in  the  mountain,  knowing  that  the  all-merci- 
ful R^ma  would  come  and  stay  there  for  some  days. 

Ghaiipdi. 

The  magnificent  forest  was  a  most  charming  sight,  with 
the  trees  all  in  flower  and  the  swarms  of  buzzing  bees 
gathering  honey.  From  the  time  that  the  Lord  came,  every 
plant  and  fruit  and  every  kind  of  agreeable  foliage  was 
forthcoming  in  profusion.  Seeing  the  incomparable  beauty 
of  the  hill,  the  Lord  and  his  brother  rested  there.  In  the 
form  of  bees,  birds  and  deer,  the  gods,  saints  and  seers 
came  and  did  service  to  their  lord.  From  the  time  that 
Lakshmi's  spouse  took  up  his  abode  in  it,  the  forest  became 
a  picture  of  felicity.  There  the  two  brothers  sat  at  ease  on 
the  bright  and  glistening  crystal  rock,  and  the  younger 
was  told  many  a  tale  inculcating  faith,  self-governance, 
statecraft  and  wisdom.  What  with  clouds  that  ever  cano- 
pied the  heavens  and  the  frequent  thunder,  the  season  of 
the  rains  seemed  a  most  delightful  time. 

Doha  13. 

"  See,  Lakshman,  how  the  peacocks  dance  at  the  sight 
of  the  clouds,  like  a  householder,  enamoured  of  asceticism, 
who  rejoices  when  he  finds  a  true  believer  in  Vishnu. 

Ghaiipdi. 

Clouds  gather  in  the  sky  and  thunders  roar  ;  but  my 
darling  is  gone  and  my  soul  is  in  distress.2  The  lightning 
flashes  fitfully  amid  the  darkness,  like  the  friendship  of  the 
vile  which  never  lasts.     The  pouring  clouds  cleave  close  to 

1  In  the  Sanskrit  Raraayana  the  hill  is  called  Prasravnna  ;  but  >he  two 
words  bear  much  the  same  meaninp:.  The  text  might  also  be  translated, 
■  remained  on  thp  hill  during  the  early  rains.' 

2  In  England  a  cloudy  sky  is  associated  with  gloomy  ideas,  and  the 
bright  sunshine  with  everything  that  is  cheerful.  But  in  India  it  is  the 
reverse.  When  the  clouds  gather  and  thunder  is  heard,  every  one  rejoices 
at  the  prospect  of  rain. 


470  KTSIIKIXDIIYA. 

the  ground,  as  sages  stoop  beneath  accumulated  lore.  The 
mountain  endures  the  buffeting  of  the  storm,  as  the  vir- 
tuous bear  the  abuse  of  the  wicked.  The  flooded  stream- 
lets rush  proudly  along,  like  mean  men  puffed  up  with  a 
little  wealth.  The  water  by  its  contact  with  the  earth 
becomes  as  muddy  as  the  soul  when  environed  by  delusion. 
The  lakes  swell  gradually  and  imperceptibly,  like  as  when 
the  quality  of  goodness  developes  .  in  a  good  man  ;  and  the 
rivers  flow  into  the  bosom  of  the  ocean,  like  as  the  soul, 
that  has  found  Hari,  is  at  rest  for  ever. 

Doha  14.       ( 4> 
The  green  earth  is  so  choked    with  grass  that  the  paths 
can  no  longer  be  distinguished,   like  holy   books  obscured 
by  the  wrangling  of  heretics,  '^n^ 

Chaupdi. 

On  all  sides  there  is  a  lively  croaking  of  frogs,  like  a 
party  of  Rrdhman  students  repeating  the  Vedas.  All  the 
trees  put  fortii  thoir  new  leaves,  like  pious  souls  that  have 
come  to  matured  wisdom.  The  alt  and  jawdsa  plants  lose 
their  leaves  :  as  in  a  well-governed  realm  the  scliemes  of 
tlie  wicked  come  to  nought.  Search  as  you  like,  the  dusty 
footpath  is  no  longer  to  be  traced  ;  like  as  when  religion 
is  put  out  of  sight  by  passion.  The  earth  rich  with  crops 
makes  as  goodly  a  show  as  the  prosperity  of  benevolent. 
The  fire  flies  glitter  in  the  darkness  of  the  cloudy  night, 
like  a  mustered  band  of  hypocritical  pretenders.  The 
ridges  of  the  fields  are  broken  down  by  the  heavy  rains, 
like  women  ruined  by  too  much  license  The  diligent 
cultivators  weed  their  lands,  like  philosophers  who  root  up 
ignorance,  vanity  and  pride.  The  chakwd  and  other  birds 
are  nowhere  to  be  seen,  like  virtue  that  fled  at  the  coming 
of  the  iron  age.  However  much  it  may  rain,  no  grass 
springs  upon  barren  ground  ;  so  lust  takes  no  root  in  the 
heart  of  Hari's  worshippers.  The  earth  gleams  with 
swarms  of  living  creatures   of  every   kind  ;  so  the  people 


klSHKlNDUYA.  471 

multiply  under  good  government.  Here  and  there  weary 
wayfarers  stay  and  rest,  like  a  mau's  bodily  senses  after  the 
attainment  of  wisdom.  ^ 

Doha  15.    ^    ' 
At  times  a  strong  wind  disperses  the  clouds  in  all  direc- 
tions, like  the  birth  of  a  bad  son,  who  destroys  all  the  pious       /  ^ 

j)ractices  of  his  family. 

Chaupdi. 

Now  the  rains  are  over  and  the  season  of  autumn  has 
returned  ;  see  Lakshman,  how  exquisitely  beautiful  every- 
thing is.  The  whole  earth  is  covered  with  the  flowering 
kdns  grass,  as  though  the  rains  had  exposed  its  old  age. 
The  rising  of  Canopus^  has  dried  up  the  water  on  the  roads, 
like  as  greed  is  dried  up  by  contentment.  The  surface  of 
every  river  and  lake  is  as  pure  and  bright  as  is  the  soul  of 
the  saints  devoid  of  all  vanity  and  delusion  ;  drop  by  drop 
their  depths  are  diminished,  like  as  the  enlightened 
gradually  lose  all  notions  of  self.  The  wagtails  know  the 
autumn  season  and  come  out  once  more,  like  virtuous  deeds 
in  an  auspicious  time.  There  is  neither  mud  nor  dust  ; 
the  earth  is  as  brilliant  as  the  administration  of  a  king  who 
is  well  versed  in  state  policy.  The  fish  are  distressed  by 
the  shrinking  of  the  water,  like  improvident  men  of  family 
by  the  loss  of  money.  The  unclouded  sky  shines  as  bright 
as  a  worshipper  of  Hari,  who  has  discarded  every  other 
patron.  Here  and  there  is  a  slight  autumn  shower,  like  the 
faith  of  one  who  is  not  yet  fully  persuaded. 

Dohd  16. 

King  and  ascetics,  merchants  and  mendicants,  leave  the 
city  and  go  their  way  with  joy,  like  men  in  any  of  the  four 
stages  of  life,2  who  cease  to  labour  when  they  have  once 
attained  to  faith  in  Hari. 

1  The  heliacal  rising  of  t  he  constellation  Agastya,  ?"  <?.,  C'anopus,  takes 
place  on  the  seventh  day  after  the  new  moon  of  Bhadon,  in  the  rain}' season. 

2  The  four  stages  of  life,  through  which  every  Brahman  should  pass, 
are  1st,  that  of  the  Brahmachari,  or  student  ,  2nd,  that  of  the  Griha-stha, 
or  householder  ;  3rd,  that  of  the  Vanaprastha.  or  anchorite  ;  and  4(h,  that 
of  the  Hhikshu,  or  mendicant. 


472  KISHKINDHYA. 

Chaupdi. 

Where  the  water  is  deep,  the  fish  are  as  glad  as  men 
who  have  taken  refuge  with  Elari  aad  have  not  a  single 
trouble  The  lakes,  with  their  flowering  lotuses,  are  as 
beautiful  as  tlie  immaterial  Supreme  Spirit  when  clothed 
with  a  material  form.  The  garrulous  bees  make  a  wonder- 
ful buzzing,  and  the  birds  a  charming  concert  of  diverse 
sounds  ;  but  the  cliakwd  is  as  sad  of  soul  to  see  the  night, 
as  a  bad  man  at  the  sight  of  another's  prosperity.  The 
chAtak  cries  out  from  excess  of  thirst,  like  a  rebel  against 
Mahddev,  who  knows  no  rest.  The  moon  by  night  subdues 
the  autumnal  heat  of  the  sun,  like  as  the  sight  of  a  saint 
expels  sin.  Flocks  of  partridges  fix  their  gaze  upon  the 
moon,  as  Hari's  worshippers  look  only  to  Hari.  Mosquitoes 
and  gadflies  are  driven  away  by  the  terrors  of  winter,  like 
as  a  family  is  destroyed  by  the  sin  of  persecuting  BrAhmans. 

Dohd  17. 

Under  the  influence  of  the  autumn,  eartli  is  rid  of  its 
insect  swarms,  as  a  man,  who  has  found  a  go^d  teacher,  is 
relieved  from  all  doubt  and  error. 

Ghaupni 

The  rains  are  over  and  the  clear  season  has  come,  but  I 
have  had  no  news,  brother,  of  Sita.  If  1  could  only  once 
anyhow  get  tidings  of  her,  I  would  in  an  instant  recover 
her  out  of  the  hands  of  even  Death  himself.  Wherever  she 
may  bo,  if  only  she  still  liv^es,  brother,  1  would  make  an 
effort  to  rescue  her.  Sugriva  has  forgotten  all  about  me, 
now  that  he  has  got  back  his  kingdom  and  treasure,  his 
city  and  his  queen.  Fool  that  he  is,  I  will  to-morrow  slay 
him  with  the  selfsam'?  arrow  with  which  I  slew  B^li."  lie, 
by  whose  favour,  Um4,  pride  and  delusion  are  dissipated, 
could  never  even  dream  of  being  angry.  Only  enlightened 
saints  can  understand  these  actions  of  his,  who  have  a  hearty 
devotion  to  the  feet  of  Raghubir.  Likshman  believed  his 
lord  was  angry,  and  strung  his  bow  and  took  his  arrows  in 
his  hands. 


KISHKINDHYA.  473 

Doha  18. 
Then  the  all-merciful  Ragliupati  iristructed  his  brother, 
saying  :  "  Frighten  our  friend  Sugriva  and  bring  him  here." 

Chaiip'ii. 

Now  the  Son  of  the  Wind  also  had  thought  to  himself, 
'Sugriva  has  forgotten  all  about  Rama.'  So  he  went  near 
and  bowed  his  head  at  his  feet  and  reminded  him  of  the  four 
modes  of  making  war.^  As  Sugriva  listened,  he  became  much 
alarmed  :  "  Sensual  pleasures  have  robbed  me  of  all  my 
understanding.  Now,  0  Hanumdn,  despatch  a  multitude  of 
spies,  legions  of  monkeys,  in  every  direction,  and  tell  them 
that  any  one  who  is  not  back  in  a  fortnight  shall  meet  his 
death  at  my  hands."  lianum^n  then  summoned  envoys, 
and  showed  them  all  special  honour,  making  use  of  threats, 
blandishments  and  motives  of  policy.  They  all  bowed 
their  head  at  his  feet  and  set  forth.  At  that  very  time 
Lakshman  entered  the  city.  Seeing  him  to  be  angry, 
(he  monkeys  all  ran  away. 

Doha  19. 

He  twanged  his  bow  and  cried  '  I  will  burn  the  city    to 

ashes  '     Then  came  Bdli's  son,  seeing  the    distress   of    the 

people, 

Chaupdi. 

and  bowed  his  head  at  his  feet  and  made  humble   petition, 

till  Lakshman  assured  him  he  had  nought  to    fear.     When 

the  monkey  king  heard  tell  of  Lakshman's  wrath,   he    was 

terribly  alarmed  :  "  Hearken,   Hanumdn  ;  take    Tdra    with 

you   and    with    suppliant    prayers    appease    the    prince." 

Hanumdn  ;  went  with  Tdra  and  fell  at  his  feet,    and    after 

hymning  his  lord's  praises,  respectfully  conducted    him    to 

the  palace  and  bathed  his  feet  and  seated  him  on  a    couch. 

The   monkey    king  also    bowed    his    head    at  his  feet,  but 

Lakshman   took    him    by    the    hand    and    embraced    him. 

''  There  is  nothing,  my  lord,  so    intoxicating   as    pleasure  ; 

I  The    four  upayas,    or  modes  of   making  war,    are.   sowing    dissension 
negotiation,  bribery  and  open  force. 

R-63 


414:  KISHKlNDHYA. 

in  a  single  moment  it  infatuates  even  the  soul  of  a  saint." 

On    hearing   this    humble  speech,  Lakshman  was  glad  and 

said  everything  to  reassure  him,  while  Hanum^n  told    hiui 

all  that  had  been  done  and  how  a  multitude  of   spies   had 

already  started. 

Dohd  20. 

Then  Sngriva  with  Angad  and  the  other  monkeys  went 

forth  with  joy,    preceded    by   Lakshman,   and    arrived    in 

RAma's  presence. 

Chaupdi. 

With  folded  hands  he  bowed  his  head  at  his  feet  and 
cried  :  "  My  lord,  it  has  been  no  fault  of  mine.  Your 
delusive  power,  sire,  is  so  strong  that  only  Rima's  favour 
can  disperse  it.  Gods  and  men,  saints  and  kings  are 
mastered  by  their  senses  ;  and  I  am  but  a  poor  brute  beast, 
a  monkey,  one  of  the  most  libidinous  of  animals.  A  man 
who  is  invulnerable  by  the  arrow  of  a  woman's  eye,  who 
remains  wakeful  through  the  dark  night  of  angry  passion, 
and  whose  neck  has  never  been  bound  by  the  halter  of 
covetousness,  is  your  equal,  0  RaghurAi.  It  is  a  virtue  not 
attainable  by  any  religious  observance  ;  it  is  only  by  yonr 
grace  that  one  here  and  one  there  can  accomplish  it."  Then 
Raghupati  smiled  and  said  :  "  You  are  as  dear  to  me  a» 
my  own  brother  Bharat.  Now  take  thought  and  make  an 
effort  to  get  tidings  of  Slta." 

Dohd  21. 

While  they  were  yet  thus  speaking,  the  troops  of  mon- 
keys arrived  of  all  colours  and  from  all  parts  of  the  world,  a 
monkey  host  marvellous  to  behold. 

Chaupdi. 

I,  Uma,  saw  this  army  of  monkeys  ;  only  a  fool  would 
try  to  count  them.  They  came  and  bowed  the  h^ad  at 
RAma's  feet  and  gazing  upon  his  face  found  in  him  tlieir 
true  lord.  In  the  whole  host  there  was  not  a  single  monkey 
to  whom  Rdma  did  not  give  separate  greeting.  This  is  nc 
great  miracle  for  the  lord    Raghur^i,    who  is    omniprespni 


KISHKINDHYA.  475 

and  all  pervading.  They  all  stood  as  they  were  told,  rank 
after  rank,  while  Sugriva  thus  spoke  and  instructed  them: 
"  In  Rama's  behoof  and  at  my  request,  go  forth  ye  monkey 
host  in  every  direction.  Make  search  for  Janak's  daughter, 
my  brethren,  and  return  within  a  month.  Whoever  comes 
back  at  the  end  of  the  time  without  any  news  shall  die  at 
my  hands." 

Dohd  22. 

No  sooner  had  they  heard  this  speech  than  all  the  mon- 
keys started   at   once   in   every   direction.     Sugriva   then 
called  Angad,  Nila  and  Hanum^n  : 
Ghaupai. 

"  Hearken,  Nila,  Angad  and  Hanumdn,  and  you,  0 
staunch  and  sagacious  Jdmbavan  ;  go  ye  together,  all  ye 
gallant  warriors,  to  the  south,  and  ask  every  one  for  news  of 
Sita.  Strain  every  faculty  to  devise  some  way  of  accomplish- 
ing Rama's  object.  The  sun  is  content  with  back  service  and 
the  fire  with  front,  but  a  master  must  be  served  back  and 
front  alike,  without  any  subterfuges. i  Discard  the  unreali- 
ties of  the  world  and  consider  the  future  ;  so  shall  all  the 
troubles  connected  with  existence  be  destroyed.  This  is 
the  end,  brother,  for  which  we  were  born,  to  worship 
Rdma  without  any  desire  for  self.  He  only  is  truly  discrimi- 
native, he  only  is  greatly  blessed,  who  is  enamoured  of  the 
feet  of  Raghubir."  After  begging  permission  to  depart 
and  bowing  the  head  at  his  feet  they  set  out  with  joy, 
invoking  Raghur^i.  The  last  to  make  obeisance  was 
Hanuman.  The  lord,  knowing  what  would  happen,  called 
him  near  and  with  his  lotus  hands  touched  Iiis  head  and 
gave  him  his  ring  off  his  finger  for  he  knew  his  devotion  : 
"  Say  everything  to  comfort  Sita,  telling  her  of  my  might 
and  my  constancy,  and  come  quickly."     Hanumdn  thought 

I  In  this  line  there  is  no  diflEerence  of  reading  in  any  of  the  MSS.,  but 
the  precise  meaning  of  the  words  is  obscure  and  the  Pandits  interpret  them 
in  as  many  as  22  different  ways.  The  translation  given  above  exactly  pre- 
serves the  vagueness  of  the  original.  One  of  the  alternative  renderings  is, 
'  as  the  flint  nourishes  fire  in  its  bosom  so  should  one  serve  a  master  ; '  but 
I  do  not  know  of  any  parallelled  passage  where  bhdnu  pith  is  used  in  the 
sense  of  '  a  flint.' 


476  KISHKINDHYA. 

himself  happy  to  have  been  born  and  set  forth,  with  the 
image  of  the  all-mercifiil  impressed  npon  his  heart. 
Although  the  Lord  knows  everything,  he  observes  the  rules 
of  statecraft  in  his  character  as  the  champion  of  the  gods. 

Dohd  23. 
They  went  forth  searching    every  wood,  river,  lake,  and 
mountain  cave,  with  their  soul  so  absorbed   in  Rdma's  con- 
cerns that  they  forgot  all  about  their  own  bodily  wants. 

Chaupdi. 
Wherever  it  might  be  that  they  came  across  a  demon, 
they  took  his  life  with  a  single  blow.  They  looked  into 
every  recess  of  forest  and  hill,  and  if  they  met  any  hermit 
they  all  surrounded  him.  Overcome  by  thirst  they  were 
dreadfully  distrest,  and  losing  their  way  in  the  dense 
jungle,  could  find  no  water.  HanumAn  thought  to  himself 
"  without  water  to  drink  we  shall  all  die.  He  climbed  a 
mountain  peak  and  looking  all  round  about,  spied  a  strange 
opening  in  the  ground  ;  with  geese,  herons  and  swans  on 
the  wing  and  all  kinds  of  birds  making  their  way  into  it. 
Then  Hanumin  came  down  from  the  mountain  and  took 
them  all  and  showed  them  this  cavern,  and  with  him  to 
lead  the  way  they  lost  no  time,  but  entered  the  chasm. 

Dohd  2^. 
A  grove  and  beautiful  lake  came  in    sight,    with  mnnyj 
flowering  lotuses   and  a  magnificent    temple,  where  a  holy 
woman^  was  sitting, 

Chaupdi. 
From  a  distance  they  all  bowed  the  head  before  her  and 
made  enquiry  and  explained  their  circumstances.  She  then 
said  :  "  Take  water  to  drink  and  eat  at  will  of  this  luscious 
and  beautiful  fruit."  They  bathed  and  ate  of  the  sweet  fruit 
and  then  all  came  and  drew  near  to  her,  and  told  hor  all 
their  adventures.  *'  T  will  now  go  to  RaghiirAi  ;  close  your 
eyes  and  so  leave  thf*  cave  ;  you  will  recover  Sita,  do  not 
fear."     The   warriors   closed    their   eyes,    and    when  the> 

1  In  the  Sanskrit  RAmkyana  her  name  is  given  as  Swayamprabha,   ♦  Hi 

self-»hinlne  ' 


KISHKINHDYA.  477 

again  opened  them  they  \vf>re  all  standing  on  the  shore  of 
the  ocean.  But  she  went  to  Raghun^th  and  came  and 
bowed  her  head  at  his  lotus  feet,  and  made  much  supplica- 
tion.    The  lord  bestowed  upon  her  imperishable  faith. 

Doha  25. 

In  obedience  to  the  Lord's  commands  she  went  to  the 
Badri  forest,  cherishing  in  her  heart  Rama's  feet,  the 
adoration  of  the  eternal  Siva. 

Ghaupdi. 

Now  tlie  monkeys  were  thinking  to  themselves  :  "  The 
appointed  time  has  passed  and  nothing  has  been  done."  So 
theyjall  came  together  and  asked  one  another,  "  there  is  no 
news,  brother  ;  what  are  we  to  do  ?  "  Angad's  eyes  were 
full  of  tears  as  he  replied  :  "  It  is  death  for  us  either  way. 
Here  we  have  failed  to  get  tidings  of  Sita,  and  if  we  go  home 
our  king  will  slay  us.  After  my  father's  death  he  would 
have  killed  me,  had  not  Rdma  protected  me,  no  thanks  to 
him."  Again  and  again  Angad  told  th?m  all  :  "  It  is  a  case 
of  death  without  a  doubt."  When  the  monkey  chiefs  heard 
Angad's  words,  th^^y  could  make  no  answer,  tears  streamed 
from  their  eyes.  For  a  moment  they  were  overwhelmed 
with  despair,  but  at  last  they  all  spoke  and  said  "  unless 
we  get  news  of  Sita  we  will  not  return,  0  sagacious  prince." 
So  saying  the  monkeys  all  went  to  the  seashore,  where  they 
spread  beds  of  husa  grass  and  sat  down.  But  Jdmbavan, 
seeing  Angad's  distress,  addressed  him  with  a  discourse  of 
appropriate  admonition  :  *'  My  son,  do  not  imagine  R^ma 
to  be  a  man  :  know  that  he  is  the  invisible  god,  unconquer- 
able and  from  everlasting.  All  we  who  are  his  servants  are 
most  highly  blessed  in    our  love   for  the   eternal   God  thus 

made    incarnate. 

Dohd2Q. 

Of  his  own  free  will  the  Lord  has  manifested  himself  on 

behalf  o£  gods,  Br^hmans,  cows  and  Earth,  and  remains   in 

bodily  form  among  his  worshippers,  having  abandoned   all 

the  joys  of  heaven." 


478  KISHKINDHYA. 

Chaiipdi. 

He  exhorted  him  in  this  wise  at  great  length,  and  Sam- 
pAti  from  his  cave  in  the  mountain  heard  him.  When  he 
came  out  and  saw  the  multitude  of  monkeys,  he  cried  : 
"  God  has  provided  me  with  a  feast.  I  will  eat  them  all  up 
at  once;  I  am  dying  for  want  of  a  meal  these  many  days 
past.  I  have  never  yet  had  a  good  bellyful,  but  to-day 
God  has  supplied  me  for  once  and  all."  The  monkeys 
trembled  to  hear  the  valture's  words,  *  we  were  right  in 
saying  to  day  we  must  die.'  At  the  sight  of  him  they  all 
rose  up,  and  J^mbavAn  was  mightly  disturbed  at  heart ; 
but  Angad,  after  thinking  to  himself,  exclaimed  :  Glory  to 
Jatdyu,  there  is  none  like  him,  who  gave  up  his  life  in 
RAma's  service  and,  blessed  beyond  measure,  has  been 
translated  to  Hari's  sphere  in  heaven."  When  the  bird  heard 
these  words  of  mingled  joy  and  sadness,  he  drew  near  to 
the  monkeys  in  alarm  and  after  assuring  them  of  snfety 
began  to  question  them.  They  told  him  tlie  whole  history. 
When  SampAti  heard  of  his  brother's  doings,  he  gave  great 
glory  to  Raghnpati. 

Dohd  27. 

"  Take  me  to  the  sea-shore  and  make  him  an  offering  of 
sesamum  seeds;  with  the  help  of  my  instructions  you  shall 
recover  her  whom  you  seek." 

Chaupdi. 

When  he  had  completed  the  funeral  rites  for  his  brother 
on  the  seashore,  he  told  them  his  own  history.  **  Hearken, 
monkey  chiefs.  We  two  brothers  in  our  first  youth  mount- 
ed into  the  heaven,  winging  our  way  towards  the  sun.  He 
could  not  endure  its  splendour  and  turned  back,  but  I  in 
my  pride  went  closer.  My  wings  were  scorched  by  the 
excessive  heat,  and  I  fell  to  the  earth  uttering  fearful  cries. 
A  saint,  by  name  Chandrama,'  was  moved  with  compassion 
when  he  saw  me,  and  instructed  me  in  all  kinds  of  knowledge 
and  rid  me  of  my  inveterate  pride.     "  In  the  Treta'age  Goci 

I  In  the   Sanskrit    Rdm^yana  he  is  called  Nis4kara,  the  night-raakei. 
which  also,  like  Chandrama,  is  a  name  for  the  moon. 


KISHKINDHYA.  479 

will  take  the  form  of  a  man,  and  his  spouse  will  be  carried 
ofE  by  the  king  of  the  demons.  The  Lord  will  send  out 
spies  to  search  for  her,  and  if  you  join  them  you  will  be 
purified.  Your  wings  will  sprout  again,  fear  not,  when  you 
have  found  them  Sita."  The  saint's  prophecy  has  come  true 
to-day.  Hearken  to  my  words  and  set  about  your  lord's 
business.  On  the  top  of  mount  Triktit  is  the  city  of  Lank^  ; 
there  lives  R-Wan  in  absolute  security,  and  there,  in  a 
grove  of  Asoka  trees,  sits  Sita,  a  prey  to  grief. 

Dohd  28. 
I  see  her,  though  you  cannot  ;  a  vulture's  sight  has  no 
bounds.  I  am  now  old,  or  else  I  would  have  given  you  some 
assistance. 

Chaupdi. 

If  any  one  of  you  can  leap  over  a  hundred  leagues  of  sea, 
he  will  do  Rdma's  business  for  him  very  cleverly.  Look  at 
me  reassure  yourselves  ;  see  how  my  body  has  been  restored 
by  Rama's  favour.  Any  wretch,  who  invokes  his  name,  is 
able  to  cross  the  vast  and  boundless  ocean  of  existence,  and 
you  are  his  messengers;  have  then  no  fear,  but  with  Rama's 
image  impressed  upon  your  soul,  concert  your  plans."  So 
saying,  Gariir,  the  vulture,  left  ibem,  and  their  soul  was  in 
the  greatest  amazement.  Each  one  vaunted  his  own  strength, 
but  doubted  whether  he  could  leap  across-  Said  the  king  of 
the  bears,  "  I  am  now  too  old  and  not  a  particle  of  my  former 
strength  is  left  in  my  body  ;  when  Khardri  took  his  three 
strides,^  then  I  was  young  and  full  of  vigour. 

Dohd  29. 
As  he  fettered  Bili,  the  lord  insreased  in   stature  to   an 
indescribable  size,  but  in  less  than  an  hour  Iran  round  him 
seven  times." 

Chaupdi. 

Angad  said  :  "  I  will  leap  across  ;  but  I  am  rather 
doubtful  about  getting  back  again."  Then  said  Jdmbavdn  : 
You  are  quite  competent;    but  why    should    we   send    our 

1  The  allusion    is  to   Vishnu's  incarnation  as  a   dwarf,  which    was   the 
fifth  in  order,  that  as  Rama  being  the  seventh. 


480  KISHKINDHYA. 

leader  ?  Hearken,  HanumAn,"  added  the  king  of  the  bears, 
"  why  is  our  champion  so  silent  ?  You  are  the  son  of  the 
wind  and  strong  as  your  sire,  a  storehouse  of  good  sense, 
discretion  and  knowledge  :  in  all  the  world  what  undertak- 
ing is  there  so  difficult  that  you,  my  son,  cannot  accomplish 
it  ?  and  it  is  on  Rama's  account  that  you  have  come  down 
upon  earth."  On  hearing  this  he  swelled  to  the  size  of  a 
mountain,  with  a  body  of  golden  hue  and  of  dazzling 
splendour,  as  though  a  very  monarch  of  mountains,  and 
roaring  again  and  again  as  it  were  a  lion,  he  cried  '*  I  can 
easily  spring  across  the  salt  abyss,  and  slay  Rivan  with 
all  his  army,  and  uproot  Trikdt  and  bring  it  here.  But  I 
ask  you,  JdmbavAn,  what  I  ought  to  do;  give  me  proper  in- 
structions." **  All  that  you  have  to  do,  my  son,  is  to  go  and 
see  Sita  and  comeback  with  the  news.  Then  the  lotus-eyed, 
by  the  might  of  his  own  arm,  taking  with  him  merely  for  a 
show  his  hosts  of  monkeys. 

Chhand  2. 

With  his  hosts  of  monkeys  Rama  will  destroy  the  de- 
mons and  recover  Sita  ;  and  gods  and  saints  and  Narad  and 
all  will  declare  his  glory,  that  sanctifies  the  three  spheres." 
Any  man  attains  the  highest  beatitude  who  hears,  sings,  tells 
or  meditates  upon  the  feet  of  Raghubir,  lotus  flowers  which, 
like  the  bee,  Tulsi  DAs  is  ever  singing. 

DohdSO.  p7 

If  any  man  or  woman  will  study  the  glories  of  Raghu 
u6th,  the  panacea  for  all  the  ills  of  life,  Siva  will  make  him 
to  prosper  in  everything  that  he  desires. 

SoratM  2.        ^  W\ 

Hearken  then  to  his  praises,  with  his  body  dark  of  hut- 
as  the  lotus,  with  more  than  all  the  beauty  of  a  myriad  Loves, 
the  fowler  who  sweeps  into  his  net  all  kinds  of  sin  as  it  were 
so  many  birds. 

[Thus  endeth  the  hook  entitled  "  Kishkindhya,"  composed 
by  TuUi  Ddsfor  the  hestoroal  of  pure  wisdom  and  continence  ; 
being  the  fourth  descent  '  into  the  holy  lake  of  Hdmaa 
deeds,'  that  cleanses  from  every  defilement  of  the  world.] 


BOOK  V. 

THE   BEAUTIFUL 


11-64 


THE    BEAUTIFUL.  483 

THE  BEAUTIFUL. 


Sanskrit  Invocation. 
y  I  ADORE,  under  his  name  Rama,  the  passionless,  the 
eternal,  the  immeasurable,  the  sinless  ;  the  bestower  of  the 
peace  of  final  emancipation  ;  the  lord,  whom  Brahma, 
Sambhu,  and  the  Serpent-king  incessantly  worship;  the 
theme  of  the  VedAnta;  the  sovereign  of  the  universe  ;  the 
preceptor  of  the  gods;  Hari  in  the  delusive  form  of  man  : 
the  All-merciful ;  the  princely  son  of  R^ghu  ;  the  jewel  of 
kings. 
V'  0  Raghupati,  there  is  no  other  desire  in  my  soul  — I 
speak  the  truth  and  you  know  all  my  inmost  thoughts  — 
grant  me,  0  Raghu  king,  a  vehement  faith,  and  make  my 
heart  clean  of  lust  and  every  other  sin. 
'^  I  reverence  the  home  of  immeasurable  strength,  with 
his  body  resembling  a  mountain  of  gold  ;  the  fire  that  con- 
sumed the  demons  as  it  were  the  trees  of  a  forest ;  the 
first  name  in  the  list  of  the  truly  wise  :  the  store-house  of 
all  good  qualities  ;  the  monkey  chief ;  Raghupati's  iioble 
messenger,  the  Son  of  the  Wind. 

Chaupdi. 

\^  On  hearing  J^mbavAn  speak  so  cheerfully,  Hanumdn 
was  greatly  rejoiced  at  heart.  "  Wait  for  me  here,  my 
friends,  however  great  your  discomfort,    with  only  roots, 

fl  herbs,  and  fruits  for  your  food,  till  I  return  after  seeing 
Sita  ;  the  task  is  one  I  am  most  pleased  to  undertake."  So 
saying  he  bowed  his  head  to  them  all  and  went  forth  with 
joy,  having  the   image    of  Raghnndth  impressed  upon  his 

1  heart.  There  was  a  majestic  rock  by  the  seashore;  he  light- 
ly sprung  on  to  the  top  of  it ;  then,  again  and  again  invok- 
ing Raghubir,  the  Son  of  the  Wind  leaped  with  all  his 
might.  .  The  mountain  on  which  he  had  planted  his  foot 
sank  down  immediately  into  the  depths  of  hell.  Like 
Rdma's  own  unerring  shaft,  so  sped  Hanuman  on  his  way. 


484  THE   BEAUTIFUL. 

^^  Ocean  had  regard  for  Rami's  envoy  and  told  Main^ka  to 
ease  his  toil.i 

Dohd  1. 

[.  But  HanumAn  merely  touched  him  with  his  hand,  then 
bowed  and  said, '  I  can  stop  nowhere  till  I  have  done  Rama's 
business.' 

Chaupdi. 

\>  The  gods  saw  Hanuraan  on  his  way  and  wished  to  make 
special  trial  of  his  strength  and  sagacity.  So  they  sent  the 
mother  of  the  serpent-race,  Surasd  by  name,  who  came  and 

0- cried:  r' To-day  the  gods  have  provided  me  a  meal.'  On 
hearing  these  words,  the  Son  of  the  Wind  replied  :  "  When 
I  have  performed  Rdma's  commission  and  have  come  back, 

l^^and  have  given  my  lord  the  news  about  Sita,  then  I  will 
put  myself  into  your  mouth  :  I  tell  you  the  truth,  mother, 
only  let  me  go  now."  But,  however  much  he  tried,  she 
would   not  let   him   go,  till  at  last  he   said  :  *  You  cannot 

O^.get  me  into  your  mouth.'.  She  opened  her  jaws  a  league 
wide  ;  the  monkey  made  nis  body  twice  that  size.  Then 
she  stretched   her   mouth   sixteen  leagues.     Hanuman  at 

•^once  became  thirty-two.  ^^  However  much  Suras^  expanded 
her  jaws,  the  monkey  made  his  frame  twice  as  large  again. 
When  she  had   made  her  mouth  a  hundred  leagues  wide, 

Lhe  reduced  himself  to  a  very  minute  form  and  went  into 
her  mouth  and  came  out  again  :  then  bowed  and  asked 
permission  to  proceed.  "  The  purpose  for  which  the  gods 
sent  me,  namely,  to  make  trial  of  j^our  wisdom  and 
strength,  I  have  now  accomplished. 

Dohd  2. 

^^  Your  wisdom  and  strength  are  perfect ;  yon  will  do  all 
that  RAma  requires  of  you."  She  then  gave  him  her  bless- 
ing and  departed,  and  Hanuman  went  on  his  way  rejoicing. 

Chaupdi. 
^•    A  female   demon^  dwelt   in   the  ocean,  who  by   magic 

1  Mainaka  is  a  rock  in  the  narrow  strait  between  Lankii  and  the  main 
land. 

2  In  the  Sanskrit  R&m&yana  her  name  is  given   as  Sinhik^,   the   mother 
of  R^hu. 


THE   BEAUTIFUL.  485 

caught  the  birds  of  the  air.  All  living  creatures  that  fly  in 
the  air  as  they  look  down  upon  the  water  cast  a  shadow 
upon  it^and  she  was  able  to  catch  the  shadow,  so  that  they  ' 
could  not  fly  away;  and  in  this  manner  she  always  had  birds 
to  eat.  She  played  this  name  trick  on  HanumAn  ;  but  the 
monkey  at  once  saw  through  her  crafty  and  slew  her,  hero  ' 
as  he  was,  and  all  undismayed  crossed  over  to  the  opposite 
shore.  Arriving  there,  he  marked  the  beauty  of  the  wood, 
with  the  bees  buzzing  in  their  search  for  honey ^^  the  diverse  Ui 
trees  all  resplendent  with  simultaneous  flower  and  fruit,  and 
multitudes  of  birds  and  deer  delightful  to  behold.  Seeing  a 
huge  rock  further  on,  he  fearlessly  sprang  on  to  the  top  of 
it.  But,  Uma,  this  was  not  at  all  the  monkey's  own  strength, 
but  the  gift  of  the  Lord,  who  devours  even  Death  himself. 
^Mounted  on  the  height,  he  surveyed  Lank^  a  magnificent  J*^ 
fortress  that  defies  description,^ with  the  deep  sea  on  all  4»  / 
four  sides  around  its  golden  walls  of  dazzling  splendour. 
Chhand  1. 
Its  golden  walls  studded  with  all  kinds  of  jewels,  a  mar- 
vellously beautiful  sight,  with  market-places,  bazars,  quaj^s, 
and  streets,  and  all  the  other  accessories  of  a  fine  city. 
Who  could  count  the  multitude  of  elephants,  horses  and 
mules,  the  crowds  of  footmen  and  chariots,  and  the  troops 
of  demons  of  every  shape,  a  formidable  host  beyond  all 
description.  The  woods,  gardens,  groves,  and  pastures, 
the  ponds,  wells  and  tanks  were  all  superb  :  and  the  soul 
of  a  saint  would  be  ravished  at  the  sight  of  the  fair 
daughters,  both  of  men  and  Ndgas,  of  gods  and  Gandharvas. 
Here  wrestlers,  of  monstrous  stature  like  mountains,  were 
thundering  with  mighty  voice  and  grappling  with  one 
another  in  the  different  courts,  with  shouts  of  mutual 
defiance.  Thousands  of  warriors  of  huge  bulk  were 
sedulously  guarding  the  city  on  all  four  sides  ;  elsewhere 
horrid  demons  were  banqueting  in  the  form  of  buffaloes, 
men,  oxen,  asses  and  goats.  Tulsi  D^s  for  this  reason 
gives  them  a  few  words  of  mention,  because  they  lost  their 


486  THE   BEAUTIFUL. 

life  by  Rama's   hallowed  shafts   anil  thus   became  assured 
of  entrance  into  heaven. 

Dohd  3. 
Seeing  the  number  of  the  city  guards,  the  monkey  thought 
to  himself,  *  I  must  make   myself    very  small  and  slip  into 

the  town  by  night.' 

Ghaupdi. 
i-       Thereupon  he  assumed  the  form  of  a  gnat^  and  entered 
Lankii  after  invoking  Vishnu.^  The  female  demon,  by  name 
Lankini,  accosted  him  :    "  How  dare  you  come  here  in  con- 
/;,^tempt  of  me  ?^   Fool,  do   you  not   know  my    practice,    that 
every  thief  in    Lankd   becomes  my  prey  ?  "     The    monkey 
struck  her  one  such  a  blow  with  his  fist  that  she  fell  to  the 
"i"  ground  vomiting  blood..  Recovering  herself  again,  she  stood 
up  and  with   clasped  hands  made  this   confident  petition  : 
"  When  Brdhma  granted  R^van's  prayer,  the  Creator  gave 
ij.me  a  sign    before  he  left, ^  '  When  worsted  by  a  monkey, 
know  then  that  it  is  all  over  with  the  demons.'    My  merito- 
rious deeds,  my  son,  must  have  been  very  many  that  I  have 
been  rewarded  with  the  sight  of  Rama's  messenger. 

Dohd  4. 
In  one  scale  of  the    balance  put  the  bliss  of  heaven  and 
the  final  emancipation  of  the  soul  from  the  body,  but  it  will 
be  altogether   outweighed  by    a  fraction    of  the   joy   that 
results  from  communion  with  the  saints, 

Ghaupdi. 
j.       Enter  the  city  and  accomplish  your  task,   ever  mindful 
at  heart  of  the  lord  of   KosaU.     Deadly  poison  becomes  as 

1  The  word  inaJtak^  which  I  translate  'gnat,'  never,  so  far  as  I  am  aw^ie, 
bears  any  other  meariinK.  But  in  one  glossary,  with  reference  to  this  partic- 
ular passage,  it  is  explained  by  bdnr,  'a  cat,'  only— as  it  wouH  seem  — 
because  that  is  the  animal  mentioned  in  the  Sanskrit  Rdrntiyana.  In  botli 
cises  the  poet  has  no  sooner  stated  the  transformation  than  he  forgets  all 
a»)out  it  ;  for  all  FTaniim&n's  subsequent  actions  are  described  as  if  perform- 
ed by  him  in  his  natural  8haf)e.  He  may  be  supposed  to  have  resumed  it  as 
soon  as  he  had  passed  the  guard  ;  or  the  words  may  be  taken  to  mean,  "  he 
made  himself  att  small  ns  a  gnat."  This  latter  view  is  confirmed  by  what 
follows  on  page  .S.'i,  Vol.  III.- 

2  Nara-hari  stands  for  the  more  common  Nar-sinha  — //rt/v  and  stinha 
both  meaning  'a  lion' — and  here  denotes  not  that  particular  incarnation, 
but  Vishnu  generally. 


v 


THE   BEAUTIFUL.  487 


ambrosia,  foes  turn  friends,  ocean  shrinks  to  a  mere  puddle, 
fire  gives  out  cold- and  huge  Sumeru  is  of  no  more  account  ^' 
than  a  grain  of  sand  for  him  whom  Rama  deigns  to  regard 
with  favour."     In  the  tiny   form  that  he  had  assumed,  Ha- 
numAn  entered  the  city   with  a  prayer  to  God.     Carefully   -. 
inspecting   every   separate   palace,    he   found    everywhere 
warriors    innumerable.     When   he   had    come    to   R^van's 
court,  its  magnificence   was  past  all  telling.  ^The  monkey  <p 
saw  him  in  bed   asleep,  but  no  trace   of  Sita    in  the    room. 
He  then  noticed  another   splendid  building,  with  a  temple 
of   Hari  standing  apart,  its-^walk^  brilliantly  illuminated 
with  Rama's  nam^^  too  beautiful-  feo-describe,  it  fascinated 
every  belK)Ider. 

Doha  5/ 
The   beauty  of  the  chamber  emblazzoned    with  Rama's 
insignia  was   indescribable.     At    the  sight  of  some   fresh 
springs  of  tulsi,  the  monkey  chief  was  enraptured- 

Chaupdi. 
"Lankfi   is  the  abode  of  a  gang  of  demons,  how  can  the  /. 
pious  have  any  home  here  ?  "     While  the  monkey  was  thus 
reasoning  within    himself,    Vibhishan    awoke^and    at  once    r    ♦ 
began  to  repeat  Rjima's  name  in  prayer.     The  monkey  was 
delighted  to  find  a  true   believer.     '"  Shall    I  at  once   make 
myself  known  to  him?     A  good  man  will  never  spoil  any 
undertaking.''  Assuming  the  form  of  a  Brdhman,  he  raised  w'^- 
his  voice  in  speech.     As  soon  as  Vibhishan   heard  him,  he 
rose  to  meet  him,  and  bowing  low,  asked  after  his  welfare, 
saying,   "Tell   me,   reverend   Sir,    who   you   may  be  ;  Jf  a    tf-^i 
servant  of  Hari,  you  have  my   hearty  affection  ;  if  a  loving 
follower  of  R»ima,  your  visit  is  a  great  honour  for  me  " 

Doha  6 

Hanuman  then  told  him  Rdma's  whole  history  and  his 
own  name.  At  the  recital  and  the  recollection  of  his 
infinite  virtues,  both  quivered  all  over  the  body,  while  their 
soul  was  drowned  in  joy. 


488  THE   BEAUTIFUL. 

Chaupdi. 

"Hearken,  Son  of  the  Wind  ;  my  condition  here  is  like 
that  of  the  poor  tongue  between  the  teeth.  Yet  do  not  sup- 
pose, Father,  that  I  am  friendless  :  the  Lord  of  the  Solar 
race  will  show  me  favour.^  The  sinful  body  is  of  no  avail, 
if  the  soul  has  no  love  for  his  lotus  feet.  But  now,  llanu- 
mdn,  I  have  gained  confidence  :  for  it  is  only  by  Hari's 
favour  that  one  meets  a  good  man,  and  it  is  the  result  of 
his  kindness  that  you  have  so  readily  revealed  yourself  to 
me."'  "  Listen,  Vibhishan,  to  my  experience  of  the  Lord  ; 
he  is  ever  affectionate  to  his  servants.^  Say  who  am  I  and 
of  what  noble  descent  ;  a  wanton  monkey,  of  no  merit  what- 
ever, a  creature  the  mention  of  whose  name  in  the  early 
morning  makes  a  man  go  fasting  for  the  whole  day. 

Doha  7. 

So  mean  am  I  ;  yet  hearken,  friend  ;  Raghubir  has 
shown  favour  even  to  me."  His  eyes  filled  with  tears  as  he 
recalled  his  perfection. 

Chaupdi. 

'*  I  know  of  a  truth  that  any  who  turns  aside  in  forget- 
fulness  of  such  a  lord  may  well  be  miserable."  As  he  thus 
discoursed  on  Rdma's  excellences,  he  felt  an  unspeakable 
calm.  Vibhishan  then  told  him  of  all  that  had  been  going 
on  and  of  Sita's  mode  of  life,  till  Hanum^n  cried  ;  "  Hear- 
ken, brother;  I  would  fain  see  the  august  Sita."  Vibhishan 
explained  to  him  the  whole  mode  of  procedure,  and  the  Son 
of  the  Wind  then  took  his  leave  and  proceeded  on  his  way. 
Assuming  the  same  form  as  at  first  he  went  to  the  Asoka 
grove,  where  S'ta  dwelt.  As  soon  ashe  saw  her,  mentally 
prostrated  himself  in  her  presence.  She  had  spent  the 
first  watch  of  the  night  sitting  up,  haggard  in  appearance, 
her  hair  knotted  in  a  single  braid  on  her  head,l  repeating 
to  herself  the  list  of  Raghupati's  perfections. 

1  To  twibt  tho   hair  in  a  single   braid  is  a  sign   of  niouring   for  an  absent 
husband. 


THE   BEAUTIFUL.  489 

Doha  8. 

Her  eyes  fastened  on  her  own  feet,  but  with  her  soul 
absorbed  in  the  contemplation  of  the  feet  of  her  lord. 
Hanuman  was  mightly  distrest  to  see  her  so  sad. 

Ghaupdi. 

Concealing  himself  behind  the  branches  of  a  tree,  he 
mused  within  himself  ;  "  Come,  sir,  what  ought  I  to  do  ?" 
At  that  very  moment  Rdvan  drew  near,  with  a  troop  of 
women  in  various  attire.  The  wretch  tried  in  every  way 
to  talk  Sita  over,  by  blandishments,  bribes,  threats 
and  misrepresentations.  "  Hearken,  fair  dame,"  he  cried," 
I  will  make  Mandodari  and  all  my  other  queens  your  hand- 
maids, I  swear  it,  if  you  only  give  me  one  look."  Sita 
plucked  a  blade  of  grass,  and  with  averted  face,  fondly 
remembering  her  own  dear  lord,  replied  :  '*  Hearken, 
Bavan :  will  the  lotus  expand  at  the  light  of  a  glowworm  ? 
Ponder  this  at  heart,"  cried  J^naki  :  *'  Wretch,  have  you 
no  fear  of  Rdma's  shafts  ?  Even  though  absent,  Hari  will 
rescue  me.     Shameless  monster,  have  you  no  shame  ? 

Doha  9. 

I  tell  you,  you  are  but  a  glowworm,  while  the  very  sun 
is   only  an  image  of  Rdma."     On  hearing  this  bold  speech 
he  drew  his  sword  and  cried  in  the  utmost  fury  : 
Ghaupdi. 

"Sita,  you  have  outraged  me  ;  I  will  cut  off  your  head 
with  this  bitting  blade.  If  you  do  not  at  once  obey  my 
words,  you  will  lose  your  life,  my  lady."  *'  My  lord's  arms, 
!R6van,  are  beautiful  as  a  string  of  dark  lotuses  and  mighty 
as  an  elephant's  trunk  ;  either  they  shall  have  my  neck, 
or  if  not,  then  your  cruel  sword.  Hearken,  wretch,  to  this 
my  solemn  vow.  With  your  gleaming  scimitar^  put  an 
end  to  my  distress,  and  let  the  fiery  anguish  that  T  endure 
for  Rdma's  loss  be  quenched  in  night  by  the  sharp  blade 
of  your  sword  :  rid  me,  cried  Sita,  "  of  my  burden  of  pain." 

1   The  word  translated   'gleaming,  scimitar'  is  chandra-hds,  which  means 
literally  'deriding  the  moon,'  by  reason,  that  is,  of  itsown  greater  brilliancy. 

R-65 


490  THE   BEAUTIFUL. 

On  hearing   these  words   he  again  rushed  forward  to  kill 

her  ;  but  the  daughter  of  Maya  restrained  him  with    words 

of  admonition.     He  then  summoned  all  the  female  demons 

and  ordered  them  to  go  and  intimidate  Sfta  :    '  if  she  does 

not   mind    what   I   say  in  a  month's  time,  I  will  draw  my 

sword  and  slay  her.' 

Dohd  10.       I  \ 

R4van  then  returned  to  the  palace,  while  the  demones- 
ses,  assuming  every   kind  of  hideous  form,  proceeded  to 

terrify  Sita. 

Chaupdi. 

One  of  them,  by  name  Trijati,  was  devoted  to  Rdma's 
service,  prudent  and  wise.  She  declared  to  them  all  a  dream, 
how  that  they  for  their  own  sake  ought  to  show  Sita  rever- 
ence. "  In  my  dr^^am  a  monkey  set  fire  to  Lanka,  and  put 
to  death  the  whole  demon  army,  and  set  RAvan  on  an  ass, 
naked,  with  his  head^  shorn  and  his  twenty  arms  hacked 
off.  In  this  fashion  he  went  away  towards  the  south, ^ 
while  Vibhfshan  succeeded  to  the  throne  of  LankA.  The 
city  resounded  with  cries  for  mercy  in  Rdma's  name,  till 
the  Lord  sent  Sita  among  them.  I  deliberately  warn  you 
that  four  days  hence  this  dream  will  be  accomplished." 
Upon  hearing  her  words  they  were  all  dismayed  and  went 
and  threw  themselves  at  Sita's  feet, 

DohdU, 

after  which  they  dispersed  in  every  direction.  But  Sita 
was  troubled  at  heart  :  '  At  the  end  of  a  month^  this  vilej 
monster  will  slay  me.' 

Chaupdi . 

With  clasped  hands  she  cried  toTrijatA  :  "  Mother,  you] 
are  my  helper  in  distress  ;  quickly  devise  some  plan  that  I 
may   be   rid  of  life,  for  this  intolerable  bereavement  is  noj 

1  The  realm  of  Yama,  the  god  of  Death,  is  supposed  to  be  in  the  soutl 
For  this  reason  a  Hindu  will  never,  when  it  is  possible  to  avoid  it,  have  th« 
door  of  his  house  in  that  dirpction.  Muhararaadans  even,  at  the  present 
day.  are  much  influenced  by  the  same  superstition. 

2  As  appears  from  what  follows,  it  is  not  death  that  she  dreads,  but  the 
long  interval  of  a  mouth,  which  has  to  elapse  before  her  death  takes  place. 


THE   BEAUTIFUL  491 

longer  to  be  endured.  Bring  wood  and  erect  my  funeral  pyre 
and  then  set  fire  to  it.  My  affection,  reverend  dame,  will 
thus  be  attested."  Wht)  could  bear  to  listen  to  such  an 
agonizing  cry  ?  When  she  heard  her  speech  she  clasped 
her  feet  and  would  fain  comfort  her  by  reciting  the  majesty 
and  might  and  glory  of  her  lord.  "  Hearken,  fair  lady  ;  there 
is  no  fire  to  be  had  at  night  ;'*  and  so  saying  she  went  away 
home.  Slta  exclaimed  :  *'  Heaven  is  unkind  ;  without  fire 
my  pain  cannot  be  cured.  I  see  the  heaven  all  bright  with 
sparks,  but  not  a  single  star  drops  to  the  earth.  The  moon 
is  all  ablaze,  but  no  fire  comes  from  it,  as  if  it  knew  what 
a  poor  wretch  I  am.  Ye  Asoka  trees, ^  that  hear  my  prayer, 
answer  to  your  name  and  rid  me  of  my  pain  ;  and  you 
flame-coloured  opening  buds,  supply  me  with  fire  to  con- 
sume my  body."  A  single  moment  seemed  like  an  age  to 
the  monkey,  as  he  beheld  Sita  thus  piteously  lamenting  her 
bereavement. 

Dohd  12. 

After  taking  thought  within  himself  he  threw  down  the 
signet  ring,  as  though  a  spark  had  fallen  from  the  Asoka. 
She  started  up  with  joy  and  clasped  it  in  her  hand. 

Chaupdi. 

When  she  had  looked  at  the  lovely  ring,  beautifully  en- 
graved with  Rdma's  name,  she  was  all  astonishment,  for 
she  recognized  it,  and  her  heart  fluttered  with  mingled  joy 
and  sorrow.  "  Who  can  conquer  the  unconquerable  Raghu- 
riii  ?  This  cannot  be  any  trick  of  Maya."  All  sorts  of 
fancies  passed  through  her  mind,  till  Hanumdn  spoke  in 
honeyed  accents  and  began  to  recount  R^mchandra's  praises. 
As  Sita  listened,  her  grief  took  flight.  Intently  she  heaikened 
with  all  her  soul  as  well  as  her  ears,  while  he  related  the 
whole  story  from  the  very  beginning.  "  The  tale  you  tell  is 
so  grateful  to  my  ears;  why  do  you  not  show  yourself,  friend? 
Then  Hanum^n  advanced  and  drew  near.     She  turned  and 

1  The  name    Asoka  is   derived  from  a   '  without '  and  soka   '  pain.'     The 
conceit  cannot  be  preseiTcd  in  au  English  translation, 


492  THE   BEAUTIFUL. 

sunk  to  the  ground    in    bewilderment.     *'  Noble  J^naki,    I 

am   RAma's    messenger;  the   Fountain   of  mercy   himself 

attests  my  truth  I    have   brought   this   ring,   lady,   which 

Rdma  gave  me  for   you  as  a   token."     "  Tell  me   how  can 

monkeys   consort   with    man?"     He   then  explained  how 

they  had  come  together. 

Doha  13. 

On  hearing  the  monkey's  affectionate   speech,  her   soul 

trusted  him,  and  she  recognized  him  as  a  faithful   follower 

of  the  All-merciful. 

Ghaupdi. 

On  perceiving  him  to  be  one  of  Hari's  worshippers,  she 
felt  an  intense  affection  for  him  ;  her  eyes  filled  with  tears, 
her  body  quivered  with  emotion.  "  0  Hanum^n,  I  was  sink- 
ing in  the  ocean  of  bereavement ;  but  in  you,  my  friend,  I 
have  found  a  ship.  Tell  me  now  of  their  welfare,  I  adjure 
you  ;  how  is  the  blessed  Khar^ri  and  how  is  his  brother  ? 
Raghurdi  is  tender-hearted  and  merciful,  why,  0  monkey, 
should  he  affect  such  cruelty  ?  The  mere- sound  of  his  voice 
is  a  delight  to  his  servants.  Does  he  ever  deign  to  remem- 
ber me  ?  Will  my  eyes,  friend,  be  ever  gladdened  by  the 
sight  of  his  dark  and  delicate  body  ?  "  Words  failed,  her 
eyes  swam  with  tears.  *'  Alas  !  my  lord  has  entirely  forgot- 
ten me."  Seeing  S  ta  thus  distracted  by  her  bereavement, 
the  monkey  replied  in  gentle  and  respectful  tones:  "  Lady, 
your  lord  and  his  brother  are  both  well,  save  that  the  All- 
merciful  sorrows  for  your  sorrow.  Do  not  imagine,  madam, 
that  RAma's  affection  is  a  whit  less  than  your  own. 

Dohd  14. 

Take  courage  now  and  listen  to  R4ma's  message."     So 

saying,  the  monkey's  voice  failed  him   and   his  eyes  filled 

with  tears. 

Chaupdi. 

Then  he  proceeded  to  tell  her  of  Rdma's  forlorn  condi- 
tion **  Every  thing — says  he--i8  changed  into  its  opposite. 
The  fresh  buds  upon  the  trees   burn  like  fire  ;  night  seems 


THE   BEAUTIFUL.  493 

as  the  night  of  death,  and  the  moon  scorches  like  the  sun. 
A  bed  of  lotuses  seems  a  prickly  brake,  and  the  rain-clouds 
drop  bcnling  oil.  The  trees  only  add  to  my  pain,  and  the 
softest  and  most  fragrant  breeze  is  like  the  breath  of  a 
serpent.  Nothing  relieves  my  torture,  and  to  whom  can  I 
declare  it  ?  for  there  is  no  one  who  will  understand.  The 
essence  of  such  love  as  yours  and  mine,  my  beloved,  only 
my  own  soul  can  comprehend,  and  this  my  soul  is  always 
with  you.  Know  such  to  be  the  profundity  of  my  love."  As 
the  Videhan  princess  listened  to  Rdma's  message,  she  be- 
came so  absorbed  in  love  as  to  have  no  thought  for  herself. 
Said  the  monkey:  "  Lady,  compose  yourself,  remembering 
that  Rjima  is  a  benefactor  to  all  who  serve  him.  Reflect 
upon  his  might  and,  as  you  listen  to  my  speech,  discard  all 
anxiety. 

Dohd  15. 

The     demon   crew   are  like   moths  and     Raghupati's 
arrows   as  a  flame  ;  be    stout   of  heart,   madam,    and  rest 
assured  that  they  will  all  be  consumed. 
Chaupdi. 

If  Raghubir  only  knew,  he  would  make  no  delay. 
Rdma's  shafts,  like  the  rays  of  the  rising  sun,  will  scatter 
the  darkling  demon  host.  I  would  hftr^carri^^  you  away 
at  once  myself,  but,  I  swear  to  you  by  Rnma,  that  I  have  not 
received  his  order  to  do  so.  Wait  patiently,  madam,  for  a 
few  days,  and  he  will  arrive  with  his  monkeys,  will 
slaughter  the  demons,  and  take  you  away,  so  that  Ndrad 
and  the  other  seers  will  glorify  him  in  all  the  three  spheres 
of  creation."  *'  Are  all  the  monkeys,  my  son,  like  you  ?  the 
demon  warriors  are  very  powerful,  and  my  soul  is  sorely 
disquieted."  On  hearing  this,  the  monkey  showed  himself 
in  his  natural  form,  his  body  in  bulk  like  a  mountain  of 
gold,  terrible  in  battle,  and  of  vast  strength  ;  then  Sita 
took  comfort  at  heart,  and  he  again  resumed  a  diminutive 
appearance. 


494  THE   BEAUTIFUL. 

Dohd  16.        \  T 

"  Hearken,  lady  ;  the  monkeys  have  no   great   strength 
or  wit  of  their  own,  but  by  the  Lord's  favour  even  a  snake, 
small  as  it  is,  might  swallow  GarAr." 
Chaupdi. 

As  she  hearkened  to  the  monkey's  speech,  so  full  of 
glorious  faith  and  noble  confidence,  her  mind  became  easy, 
she  recognized  his  love  for  Rdma  and  gave  him  her  bless- 
ing :  '*  May  you  abound,  my  son,  in  all  strength  and 
virtue ;  may  neither  age  nor  death  affect  your  good  qualities, 
and  may  you  be  ever  constant  in  your  devotion  to  Rdma, 
and  may  the  Lord  be  gracious  to  you."  Hearing  these 
words,  Hanumdn  became  utterly  overwhelmed  with  emo- 
tion ;  again  and  again  he  bowed  his  head  at  her  feet,  and 
with  clasped  hands  spoke  thus  :  *'  Now,  lady,  I  am  fully 
rewarded  ;  for  your  blessing  is  known  to  be  effectual.  But 
hearken,  madam,  I  am  frightfully  hungry  and  I  see  the 
trees  laden  with  delicious  fruit."  "  Know,  my  son,  that 
this  grove  is  guarded  by  most  valiant  and  formidable 
demons."  '"  I  am  not  afraid  of  them,  mother,  if  only  you 
will  keep  your  mind  eas\\ 

Dohd  17. 

Seeing  the  monkey  so  strong  and  sagacious,  JAnaki 
said  :  "  Go,  my  son,  and  eat  of  this  pleasant  fruit,  with 
your  heart  fixed  on  Hari's  feet. 

Chaupdi. 

He  bowed  his  head  and  went  and  entered  the  garden 
and  having  eaten  of  the  fruit  began  breaking  down  the 
trees.  A  number  of  stalwart  watchmen  were  posted  there  ; 
some  he  killed,  the  others  went  and  called  for  help  :  '*  My 
lord,  an  enormous  monkey  has  come  and  rooted  up  the 
Asoka grove;  he  has  eaten  the  fruit  and  broken  down  the 
trees,  and  with  many  a  blow  laid  the  watchmen  on  the 
ground."  On  hearing  this,  RAvan  despatched  a  number  of 
his  champions.  At  the  sight  of  them  Hanum4n  roared 
like  thunder  and  overthrew  the  whole  demon  host ;  a   few. 


THE   BEAUTIFUL.  495 

more  dead  than  alive,  ran  off  shrieking.  He  then  sent  the 
young  prince  Aksha,  who  took  with  him  an  immense  num- 
ber of  his  best  warriors.  Seeing  them  approach  he  seized 
a  tree,  which  he  brandished  and  with  an  awful  roar  swept 
them  down  with  it. 

Dohd  18. 

Some  be  hacked,  some  he  crushed,  some  he  laid  low  in 
the  dust  ;  some  got  back  and  cried  '*  My  lord,  this  monkey 
is  too  strong  for  us." 

Ghaupdi. 

When  he  heard  of  his  son's  death,  the  king  of  Lanki  was 
furious  and  he  sent  the  valiant  Meghn^d.  "  Do  not  kill  him, 
my  son,  but  bind  him  ;  I  would  fain  see  this  monkey  and 
where  he  has  come  from."  Indrajit^  sallied  forth,  a  peerless 
champion,  full  of  fury  at  the  tidings  of  his  brother's  death. 
When  the  monkey  saw  this  formidable  warrior  draw  near,  he 
ground  his  teeth,  and  with  a  roar  rushed  forward  and  tore 
up  a  tree  of  enormous  size,  with  which  he  swept  the  prince 
of  Lank^  from  his  car.  As  for  the  mighty  men  of  war  who 
accompanied  him,  he  seized  them  one  by  one  and  crushed 
them  by  his  weight.  Having  finished  them  off,  he  closed 
with  their  leader.  It  was  like  the  encounter  of  two  lordly 
elephants.  After  striking  him  a  blow  with  his  fist,  he  went 
and  climbed  a  tree,  while  for  a  moment  a  swoon  came  over 
his  antagonist.  But  again  he  arose  and  practised  many 
enchantments  ;  still  the  Wind  god's  son  was  not  to  be 
vanquished. 

Dohd  19. 

On  his  making  ready  Brahma's  magical  weapon,^  the 
monkey  thought  within  himself,  "  Tf  I  do  not  submit  to 
Brjihma's  shaft,  its  infinite  virtue  will  have  failed." 

1  Meghn^d's  name  was  changed  by  Brahma  to  Indrajit.,  after  his  vic- 
tory over  Indra. 

2  The  weapon  had  been  given  to  Meghn^d  by  Brahma  with  a  promise 
that  it  should  never  fail.  Hanuman  therefore  submits  to  it  in  order  that 
Brahma's  promise  might  not  be  falsified. 


496  tHE  BEAUTIFUL. 

Ghaupdi. 
He  launched  the  magic  dart  against  the  monkey,  who 
overthrew  a  host  as  he  fell.  When  he  saw  that  he  had 
swooned,  he  bound  him  with  a  running  noose  and  carried 
him  off.  Observe,  Bhavani  ;  the  messenger  of  the  god,  by 
the  repetition  of  whose  name  wise  men  cut  the  bonds  of 
existence,  himself  came  under  bondage,  or  rather  in  his 
lord's  service  submitted  to  be  bound.  When  the  demons 
heard  that  tlie  monkey  had  been  bound,  they  all  rushed  to 
the  palace  to  see  the  sight.  The  majesiy  of  Rdvau's  court 
on  the  monkey's  arrival  there  struck  him  as  being  beyond 
all  description.  The  gods  and  regents  of  the  air,  standing 
humbly  with  clasped  hands,  were  all  in  dismay,  if  they 
saw  him  frown  But  the  monkey's  soul  was  no  more 
disturbed  at  the  sight  of  his  majesty  than  Gardr  would  be 
friglitened  by  any  number  of  snakes. 

Dohd  20. 

When  R^van  saw    the  monkey,    he  laughed    aloud  and 

mocked  him  ;  then    again  he   remembered  his  son's  death 

and  his  soul  grew  sad. 

Ghaupdi. 

Said  the  King  of  LankA  :  "  Who  are  you,  monkey,  and 
by  whose  might  have  you  wrought  the  destruction  of  the 
grove  ?  What,  do  not  you  hear  me  ?  I  see  you  are  an  un- 
commonly bold  varlet.  For  what  offence  did  you  put  the 
demons  to  death  ?  Speak,  wretch  ;  as  you  value  your  life." 
**  Hearken,  Rivan  ;  He  by  whose  might  Maya  creates  this 
universal  sphere ;  by  whose  might  Brdhma,  Vishnu,  and 
Siva  produce,  maintain  and  destroy  the  world  ;  by  whose 
might  the  thousand-headed  serpent  supports  on  his  pate 
the  mundane  egg  with  its  mountains  and  forests  ;  who 
assumes  various  forms  in  order  to  befriend  the  gods.and  to 
give  a  lesson  to  wretches  like  you  ;  ^vho  broke  Siva's 
stubborn  b.)w  and  crushed  your  pride  and  that  of  the 
assembled  kings  :  who  slew  Khara  and  Diishan  and  Trisira 
and  BAli,  in  spite  of  their  matchless  strength  : 


tHE    BEAUTIFUL.  497 

Doha  21. 

By  the  slightest  exercise  of  whose  might  the  entire 
mass  of  creation ,  animate  and  inanimate,  exists  ;  he  it  is 
whose  messenger  I  am,  and  it  is  his  beloved  spouse  whom 
you  have  stolen  away. 

Ghaupdi. 

I  know  your  power;  you  had  a  fight  with  8ahasra-bhuj, 
and  also  gained  renown  in  your  conflict  with  Bali."  He 
heard  what  the  monkey  said,  but  smiled  as  though  he 
heard  not.  "  I  ate  the  fruit,  my  lord,  because  I  was 
hungry,  and  then  like  a  monkey  began  breaking  the 
boughs.  Every  one,  master,  loves  his  life  more  than  aught 
else  ;  those  good-for-nothing  fellows  fell  upon  me,  and  I 
gave  them  blow  for  blow.  Thereupon  your  son  put  me  in 
bonds— bonds  that  lam  in  no  way  ashamed  of —for  my 
only  object  is  to  accomplish  my  master's  business.  R^van, 
I  implore  you  with  folded  hands,  abandon  your  pride 
and  attend  to  my  advice.  Have  some  consideration  for 
your  own  family ;  cease  to  go  astray  and  adore  him, 
who  relieves  his  worshippers  from  every  anxiety.  Never 
fight  against  him,  for  fear  of  vVhom  Death  trembles  exceed- 
ingly ;  even  Death,  who  devours  all  else,  gods  and  demons, 
animate  and  inanimate  creation  alike.  Give  up  Sita,  as  I 
tell  you. 

Doha  22. 
R^ma  is  the  protector  of  suppliants  ;    Kharari  is  a  very 
ocean  of  compassion  ;  turn  to  him   for  protection,    and    the 
Lord  will  forget  your  offences  and  will  shelter  you. 

Chaupdi. 

Take  Rama's  lotus  feet  to  your  heart  and  reign  f(n'  ever 
at  Lanka.  The  glory  of  saint  Pulastya^  is  stainless  as  the 
moon  ;  do  not  make  yourself  a  spot  on  its  brightness.  Un- 
less Rdma's  name  be  in  it,  no  speech  has  any  charm  : 
Think  and  see  for  yourself,  apart  from  pride  and  vanity. 
1  Pulastya  was  Ravan's  grandfather. 

R— 66 


498  tHE   BEAUTIFUL. 

Without  her  clothes,  RAvan,  a  modest  woman,  however  rich- 
ly adorned  with  jewels,  is  a  shameful  sight ;  and  so  is 
wealth,  or  dominion,  without  Rdma,  gone  at  once,  gotten 
as  if  not  gotten  at  all.  Those  rivers,  that  have  no  peren- 
nial source,  flow  only  after  rain  and  then  soon  dry  up  again. 
Hearken,  R^van  ;  I  tell  you  on  my  oath,  if  Rama  is  against 
you,  there  is  none  who  can  save  you.  Siva,  Seshnig, 
Vishnu  and  BrAhma  cannot  protect  you,  if  you  are   R4ma's 

enemy. 

Doha  23. 

Arrogance  is  a  root   fruitful  of  many    thorns;  abandon 
violence   and  pride,   and  worship  R^ma,    the  prince  of  the 
Raghu  race,  the  Ocean  of   Compassion,  the  Lord  God." 
Ghaupi'i. 

Though  the  monkey  bespoke  him  in  such  friendly  wise, 
in  words  full  of  faith  and  discretion,  piety  and  sound  judg- 
ment, he  laughed  and  replied  with  the  highest  disdain  : 
''  What  a  sage  adviser  I  have  found,  and  in  a  monkey  too  ! 
Wretch,  you  have  come  within  an  inch  of  death  for  daring 
to  give  me  such  vile  counsel."  ''  It  will  be  contrariwise  " 
said  Hanuman  ;  **  you  will  acknowledge  the  error  of  your 
soul,  I  know  well."  On  hearing  the  monkey's  words,  he 
ground  his  teeih  in  a  fury.  "  Quick,  some  of  you,  and  put  an 
end  to  this  fool's  life."  The  demons  obeyed  and  rushed  for- 
ward to  slay  him,  but  Vibhlshan  and  his  ministers  advanced 
and  bowing  the  head  made  humble  petition:  "  It  is  against 
all  statecraft :  an  ambassador  must  not  be  killed.  Punish 
him  in  some  other  way,  Sire."  All  exclaimed  to  one  an- 
other, '  this  is  sound  counsel,  friend,*  RAvau  on  hearing  it, 
replied  with  a  laugh  :  '  Let  the  monkey  go  then,  but  multi- 
late  him  first. 

Dohd  24. 

A  monkey  is  proud  of  his  tail  **   (so  he  went   on  to  say)] 

"  bind  it  with    rags  steeped  in  oil  and  then  set  fire  to  them.] 

Chaupai. 

The  poor  tailless  wretch  can  then  go  back  and  fetch  his 


THE    BEAUTIFUL.  499 

master,  and  I  shall  have  an  opportunity  of  seeing  his  might, 
whom  he  has  so  extravagantly  exalted."  The  monkey 
smiled  to  himself  to  hear  this.  '  Sdrad,  I  know,  will  help 
me.'  Obedient  to  Rdvan's  command  the  demons  began 
making  their  foolish  preparations.  Not  a  rag  was  left  in 
the  city  nor  a  drop  of  ghi  or  oil,  to  such  a  length  the  tail 
had  grown.  Then  they  made  sport  of  him.  The  citizens 
crowded  to  see  the  sight,  and  struck  him  with  their  feet 
and  jeered  him  greatly,  and  with  beating  of  drums  and 
clapping  of  hands  they  took  him  through  the  city  and  set 
fire  to  his  tail.  When  Hanuman  saw  the  fire  blazing,  he  at 
once  reduced  himself  to  a  very  diminutive  size,  and  slip- 
ping out  of  his  bonds  sprang  on  to  the  upper  story  of  the 
gilded  palace,  to  the  dismay  of  the  giants'  wives. 

Doha  25. 

That  instant  the  forty-nine  winds, ^  whom  Hari  had  sent, 
began  to  blow  ;  the  monkey  shouted  with  roars  of  laughter 
and  swelled  so  big  that  he  touched  the  sky. 

Ghaupdi. 

Of  enormous  stature  and  yet  marvellous  agility,  he 
leaped  and  ran  from  palace  to  palace.  As  the  city  was  thus 
set  on  fire,  the  people  were  at  their  wits'  end  ;  for  the 
terrible  flames  burst  forth  in  countless  millions  of  plnces. 
*'  Alas  !  father  and  mother,  hearken  to  my  cry  :  who  will 
save  us  now  -^  As  I  said,  this  is  no  monkey,  but  some  god 
in  monkey  form.  This  is  the  result  of  not  taking  a  good 
man's  advice;  our  city  is  burnt  down  as  though  it  had 
no  protector."  The  city  was  consumed  in  an  instant  of 
time,   save  only   Vibhishan's    house ;  the   reason    why    it 

1  In  the  Veda,  the  Maruts,  or  winds,  are  said  to  be  sixt.y-three  in  num- 
ber, forming  nine  Ganas,  or  troops,  of  seven  each.  In  post-Vedic  literature 
they  are  described  as  the  children  of  Diti,  either  seven,  or  seven  times  seven 
in  number.  After  Diti's  elder  sons,  the  Asuras,  had  been  subdued  by  India, 
their  mother  implored  her  husband  Kasyapa,  the  son  of  Marichi,  to  bestow- 
on  her  an  Indra-destroying  son.  Her  request  was  granted  ;  but  Indra,  with 
his  weapon  Vajra,  divided  the  child,  with  which  she  was  pregnant,  into  forty- 
nine  pieces,  which  commenced  uttering  grievous  cries,  till  Indra  in  com- 
passion transformed  them  into  the  Maruts,  or  Winds,— .Vr'wirr  WiUinmi 
sub-verbo, 


500  THE    BEAUTIFUL. 

escaped,  Bhavdni,  was  that  he  who  sent  the  messenger  had 
also  created  the  fire.  After  the  whole  of  Lankd  had  been 
turned  upside  down  and  given  over  to  the  flames,  he  threw 
himself  into  the  middle  of  the  sea. 

Dohd  26. 

After  extinguishing   his  tail   and  recovering   from    his 
fatigue,  he  assumed  his  old  diminutive  form  and  went  and 
stood  before  Jdnaki,  with  hands  clasped  in  prayer. 
Ghaupdi . 

"  Be  pleased,  madam,  to  give  me  some  token,  such  as 
R<ima  gave  me,"  She  unfastened  the  jewel  in  her  hair  and 
gave  it  him.i  The  Son  of  the  Wind  received  it  gladly.  "  Salute 
him  respectfully  for  me,  my  son,  with  these  words  :  '  my 
lord,  you  never  fail  to  fulfil  desire  and  are  renowned  as  the 
suppliant's  friend ;  relieve  me  then  from  my  grievous  dis- 
tress.* Repeat  to  him,  friend,  the  story  of  Indra's  son,2 
and  remind  my  lord  of  the  might  of  his  arrows.  If  he  does 
not  come  within  a  month,  he  will  never  find  me  alive.  Tell 
me,  monkey,  how  can  I  keep  myself  alive  ;  for  you  now,  my 
son,  speak  of  going,  and  it  is  only  the  sight  of  you  that  has 
given  me  any  comfort  :  henceforth  day  and  night  will  seem 
tome  both  alike." 

Dohd  27. 

He  did  everything  he  could  to  console  Sfta  and  inspire 
her  with  confidence,  and  then  bowed  his  head  at  her  lotus 
feet  and  set  forth  to  rejoin  RAma. 

Ghaupdi. 
As  he  went,  he  roared  aloud  with  such  a  terrible  noise 
that  the  wives  of  the  demons,  who  heard  it,  were  overtaken 
by  premature  childbirth.  Crossing  the  sea  with  a  bound, 
he  arrived  on  this  side  and  uttered  a  cry  of  joy  for  the 
monkeys  to  hear.     At  the  sight  of  Hanumdn,  they  were  as 

1  In  both  recensions  of  the  Sanskrit  R^mAyana,  Sita  gives  Hanuman 
the  jewel  before  he  destroys  the  grove  and  sets  the  city  on  fire.  The  seconti 
interview  is  not  mentioned  at  all  in  the  up-country  text. 

2  The  son  of  Indra,  to  whom  allusion  is  here  made,  is  Jayanta.  who  had 
attj^cked  Slta  in  the  form  of  a  crow.     See  page  190,  Vol  2. 


THE    BEAUTIFUL.  501 

delighted  as  if  they  have  been  given  a  new  spell  of  life. 
"  Your  face  is  so  glad  and  your  whole  body  so  radiant  that 
you  cannot  but  have  accomplished  Rdma's  commission." 
All  greeted  him  with  as  much  delight  as  an  expiring  fish 
feels  when  it  gets  back  into  the  water  ;  and  they  set  out 
with  joy  to  rejoin  Rima,  talking  as  they  vvent  of  all  that 
had  lately  occurred.  When  they  had  reached  the  Madhu- 
ban,  with  Angad's  constent  they  began  eating  the  luscious 
fruit ;  the  watchmen  tried  to  stop  them,  but  were  beaten 
off  with  fisticuffs.  They  then  fled, 
Dohd  28. 
crying  out  that  the  prince  had  laid  waste  the  garden.  Sug- 
riva  rejoiced  at  the  news:  "  The  monkey  must  have  return- 
ed, after  successfully  completing  his  master's  business. 

Chaupdi. 

Tf  they  had  not  got  news  of  Si'ta,  they  would  never  have 
eaten  the  fruit  of  the  Madhu-ban."  While  the  king  was  thus 
reasoning  within  himself,  Hanumdn  and  his  party  arrived. 
They  at  once  bowed  the  head  at  his  feet,  and  he  received 
them  with  all  possible  cordiality  and  asked  of  their  welfare. 
"  It  is  well  with  us  now  that  we  have  seen  your  feet.  By 
Rdma's  favour  the  business  has  turned  out  excellently. 
Hanuman  has  accomplished  his  lord's  purpose  and  has 
saved  the  life  of  us  all."  On  hearing  this,  Sugriva  again 
embraced  him  and  then  went  on  with  the  monkeys  to  where 
R6ma  was.  When  Rama  saw  them  coming,  he  was  greatly 
delighted  at  the  completion  of  the  business.  The  two 
brothers  were  seated  on  a  crystal  rock  and  all  the  monkeys 
went  and  fell  at  their  feet." 

Dohd  29. 

Raghupati  in  his  infinite    tenderness    greeted  them  all 
with  much  affection  and  asked  of  their  welfare.    "  All  is  well 
with  us,  my  lord,  now  that  we  have  seen  your  lotus  feet." 
Chaupdi. 

Said  J^mavant  ;  ''  Hearken,  Raghu-riiya  ;  anyone,  my 
lord  on  whom  you  show   favour  will   always  be  prosperous 


502  THK    REAUTIFUL. 

for  ever  ;  gods,  men  and  saints  will  be  gracious  to  him  ; 
though  victorious  he  will  still  remain  modest  and  amiable, 
and  his  glory  will  irradiate  all  the  three  spheres  of  creation. 
By  my  lord's  favour  the  task  has  been  accomplished,  and 
to-day  we  may  well  say  that  our  life  has  been  worth  living. 
My  lord,  to  tell  the  whole  of  Elanum^n's  doings  would  be 
too  much  for  a  thousand  tongues  "  Jdmavant  then  proceed- 
ed to  inform.  Rama  of  Hanumdn's  principal  exploits.  The 
All-merciful  was  charmed  by  the  recital  and  again  in  his 
joy  clasped  HanumAn  to  his  bosom.  "  Tell  me,  my  son, 
how  Jdnaki  is  and  how  she  keeps  life  in  her  body." 

Doha  30. 
"  Your  name  is  sentinel  over  her  by  night  and  day  ;  her 
contemplation  of  you    is  as  a  prison-gate  ;  her  eyes  are  the 
fetters  for  her  feet  ;  how  then    is  it   possible   for  her  life  to 

flit  away  ? 

Ghaupdi. 

When  I  was  leaving,  she  gave  me  this  jewel  from  her 
hair."  Raghupati  took  and  clasped  it  to  his  heart,  while 
his  eyes  overflowed  with  tears.  "  And  did  Sita  send  any 
message  also  ?  "  *' Embrace  the  feet  of  my  lord  and  his 
brother,  crying,  0  friend  of  the  poor,  reliever  of  the 
suppliant's  distress  ;  in  heart,  word  and  deed,  I  am  devoted 
to  your  service;  for  what  offence,  my  lord,  have  you  deserted 
me  ?  Of  one  fault  I  am  myself  conscious,  in  that  I  still 
continue  to  live,  though  separated  from  yon.  But  this,  my 
lord,  is  tlie  fault  of  my  eyes,  which  prevent  my  soul  from 
taking  flight.  In  this  furnace  of  bereavement  which  is 
fanned  by  my  sighs,  my  body  is  as  it  were  a  heap  of  cotton 
and  would  be  consumed  in  a  moment,  but  my  eyes  drop 
such  a  flood  in  self-commiseration  that  it  cannot  catch  fire. 
Sita's  distress  is  so  utterly  everwhelming  and  you  are  so 
pitiful  that  it  is  better  not  to  describe  it. 
Dohd  31. 

0  fountain  of  mercy,  each  single  moment  seems  an  age 
fM-e  it  passes.  Set  out  at  once,  my  lord,  and  with  your 
mighty  arm  vanquish  the  miscreant  crew  and  deliver  her." 


THE    BEAUTI^'UL.  503 

Ghaupdi. 

On  hearing  of  Sita's  distress,  the  lotus  eyes  of  the  Lord, 
the  abode  of  bliss,  overflowed  with  tears.  "  When  in 
thought,  word  and  deed,  a  believer  follows  in  my  steps, 
what  ought  he  to  know  of  misfortune  ?  "  Said  Hanumdn  : 
*'  There  is  no  misfortune,  my  lord,  except  to  forget  you  and 
your  worship.  Of  what  account  are  the  demons  to  my 
lord,  who  can  rout  them  at  once  and  recover  Sita."  "  Hear- 
ken, 0  monkey  ;  neither  god,  nor  man,  nor  saint  that  has 
ever  been  born  into  this  world,  has  been  such  a  benefactor 
to  me  as  you.  What  return  can  I  make  you  ?  There  is 
none  that  occurs  to  my  mind.  Mark  me,  my  son  ;  I  am 
not  free  from  my  obligation  to  you  ;  I  will  think  and  see 
what  I  can  do."  Again  and  again  as  the  deliverer  of  the 
gods  gazed  upon  the  monkey,  his  eyes  filled  with  tears  and 
his  whole  body  quivered  with  emotion. 
Dohd  32. 

As  lie  listened  to  his  lord's  words  and  looked  upon  his 
face,  Hanuman  was  enraptured,  and  in  an  ecstasy  of  love 
fell  at  his  feet,  crying,  '  save  me,  save  me,  0  my  Lord  God.' 

Ghaupdi. 

Again  and  again  his  lord  sought  to  raise  him  up,  but  he 
was  so  absorbed  in  devotion  that  he  would  not  rise.  (As 
he  called  to  mind  the  Lord  with  his  lotus  hands  thus  placed 
on  the  monkey's  head,  Siva  himself  was  overcome  with 
emotion  ;  but  again,  restraining  his  feelings,  he  proceeded 
with  the  charming  narrative).  After  raising  the  monkey, 
the  Lord  embraced  him  and  took  him  by  the  hand  and 
seated  him  close  by  his  side  :  "  Tell  me,  0  monkey,  about 
Rdvan's  stronghold  of  Lank^,  and  how  you  were  able  in 
such  an  off  hand  way  to  burn  down  his  fort."  Seeing  his 
lord  so  gracious,  Hanumdn  replied  in  terms  of  singular 
modesty  :  "  A  monkey  forsooth  is  a  creature  of  singular 
prowess  to  skip  about  as  he  does  from  bough  to  bough. 
When  I  leaped  across  the  sea,  burnt  down  the  golden  city, 
routed  the  demon  host  and  laid    waste  the  grove,  it  was  all 


504  THE   BEAUTIFUL. 

done  through  your  power,  Raghurdi  ;  it  was  uo  strength  of 

mine,  my  lord. 

Doha  33. 

Nothing  is  difficult  for  him  to  whom  you  are  propitious; 
a  mere  shred  of  cottou,  were  it  your  pleasure,  could  burn 
up  the  whole  submarine  fire."^ 

Chaupdi. 

The  Lord  smiled  much  to  hear  these  words,  and  recog- 
nized him  as  iudeed  a  loving  servant.  "  Ask  of  me  a  boon 
my  son,  some  choice  blessing  ;  to-day  I  will  make  you 
happy  for  ever."  '•  Faith,  my  lord,  is  the  greatest  of 
blessings  ;  of  your  favour  grant  me  this  else  unattainable 
boon."  On  hearing  the  monkey's  pious  request,  the  Lord, 
Bhav6ni,  responded  :  '  So  be  it.'  0  Umd,  he  who  knows 
Rama's  true  nature  caii  take  ple;«sure  in  nothing  but  his 
worship  :  and  he  who  takes  this  truth  to  heart  has  attained 
to  the  virtue  of  faith  in  Rdma.  When  the  assembled 
monkeys  heard  the  Lord's  reply,  they  cried  '  glory,  glory, 
glory  to  the  All  merciful,  the  All-blessed.'  Raghupati  then 
summoned  the  monkey  chief  and  told  him  to  make  prepara- 
tions for  the  march  :  "  What  need  now  for  any  delay  ?  At 
once  issue  orders  to  the  monkeys."  The  gods,  who  had 
witnessed  the  spectacle,  rained  down  many  flowers  and 
returned  with  joy  from  the  lower  air  to  their  own  celestial 
spheres. 

Dohd  34. 

In  obedience  to  Sugriva's  summons  all  his  hosts  of  cap- 
tains came  in,  differing  in    colour,    but  all    unequalled   in 
strength,  a  vast  multitude  of  monkeys  and  bears. 
Chaupdi. 

They  i)owed  the  head  at  the  Lord's  lotus  feet,  those 
roaring  bears  and  gigantic  monkeys.  Rdua  beheld  all  the 
monkey  host,  and  turned  upon  them  the  gracious  glance  of 
his  lotus  eyes.  Each  monkey  chief  was  as  much  embolden- 
ed by  his  favour  as    Sumeru    would    be  by  the   recovery  of 

1  Hadaranala,  tlio  subuiaiiiie  tire,  is  represented  in  raytliology  as  a  being 
with  a  body  of  Hauic.  l)Ut  the  head  of  a  mace  (badava)  which  sprang  from 
the  thighs  f)f  tlic  patriarcli  Urvaanct  fell  into  the  ocean. 


THE   BEAUTIFUt.  505 

his  wings.i  RAma  then  sallied  forth  exulting,  and  many- 
were  the  glad  and  auspicious  omens  that  befell  him.  It 
was  only  befitting  that  his  march  should  be  attended  by 
favourable  omens,  since  in  him  abide  all  glory  and  aus- 
piciousness.  Jdnaki  knew  of  his  departure,  for  her  left 
side  throbbed  as  if  to  tell  her.  Every  good  omen  that 
befell  her  was  converted  into  an  omen  of  ill  for  Rdvan. 
Who  could  adequately  describe  the  army  on  the  road,  with 
the  terrible  roaring  of  the  monkeys  and  the  bears,  how  they 
marched,  brandishing  rocks  and  trees  and  with  their  talons 
for  weapons,  now  in  the  heaven  and  now  on  earth,  as  the 
fancy  moved  them.  They  bellowed  as  if  with  the  voice  of 
a  tiger ;  earth  shook  and  the  elephants  of  the  eight  quarters 
trembled. 

Ghhand  1--2. 

The  elephants  of  the  eight  quarters  trembled,  the  earth 
reeled,  the  mountains  tottered,  and  the  ocean  was  agitated  ; 
the  sun  and  the  moon,  gods,  saints,  Ndgas,  and  Kinnars,  all 
rejoiced  to  know  that  their  troubles  were  over.  Myriads 
upon  myriads  of  enormous  fighting  monkeys  pressed  on- 
wards, snapping,  and  snarling,  singing  glory  to  Rama's 
conquering  might  and  hymning  the  praises  of  Kosala's 
lord.  The  huge  serpent  king  could  not  support  the  burden  ; 
he  staggered  again  and  again,  but  each  time  saved  himself 
by  clutching  in  his  jaws  the  hard  shell  of  the  tortoise  ;  as 
though  he  had  mastered  the  stupendous  theme  of  Raghubir's 
glorious  expedition,  and  were  inscribing  it  on  the  tortoise's 
back  as  the  most  imperishable  material  to  be  had. 

Doha  35.      ^  ^ 

In  such  wise  the  All-merciful  marched  onwards,  till  he 
arrived  at  the  seashore,  where  the  host  of  bears  and  fight- 
ing monkeys  began  to  devour  all  the   fruit  they  found. 

1  This  conceit  has  a  very  unmeaning  sound  when  expressed  in  English. 
The  allusion  is  to  tlie  legend  which  represents  all  the  mountains  as  once 
having  had  wings,  till  they  were  clipped  by  Indra  ;  while  the  word pakska 
which  primarily  means  '  a  wing  '  has  also  the  secondary  signification  of 
favour. 

R-67 


500  THE   BEAUTIFUL. 

Ghaupdi 
On  the  other  hand,  the  demons  had  been  living  in  great 
fear,  ever  since  the  time  the  monkey  had  left,  after  burning 
down  the  city.  Every  one  kept  at  home,  thinking  to  him- 
self :  "There  is  no  hope  of  safety  for  the  demon  race  ;  if 
his  messenger  was  so  unspeakably  powerful,  how  can  the 
city  escape  when  he  comes  himself  ?  "  When  Mandodari 
was  informed  of  what  the  people  were  saying,  she  was 
still  more  distrest,  and  with  clasped  hands  fell  at  her  lord's 
feet  and  thus  besought  him,  in  words  full  of  sound  judg- 
ment :  *'0  my  husband,  cease  to  contend  against  Hari  : 
take  my  words  to  your  heart  as  most  wholesome  advice. 
His  mere  messenger  did  such  deeds  that  our  matrans,  on 
hearing  them,  were  overtaken  by  premature  labour  ;  if  then 
you  desire  your  own  welfare,  call  your  ministers  and  send 
him  back  his  wife.  As  a  frosty  night  comes  upon  a 
bed  of  lotuses,  so  has  Sita  come  for  the  ruin  of  your  race. 
Hearken,  my  lord  ;  unless  you  give  up  Sita,  neither  Sambhu 
nor  Brdhma  can  help  you. 

Doha  36. 
Rama's  arrows  are  like  serpents,  and  the  demon  host  so 
many  frogs  ;  delay  not,  but  do  the  best  you  can  before  they 
have  snapped  you  up." 

Ghaupdi. 

The  monster  heard  her  prayer  and  laughed  aloud  ;  his 
arrogance  is  known  throughout  the  world.  "  A  woman  is 
naturally  cast  in  a  timorous  mould,  and  even  in  prosperity 
has  a  mind  ill  at  ease.  If  the  monkey  army  comes,  the  poor 
wretches  will  all  be  eaten  up  by  the  demons.  The  very 
guardians  of  the  spheres  trembled  for  fear  of  me  ;  it  is  quite 
absurd  for  my  wife  to  be  afraid."  So  saying  he  laughed 
and  embraced  her,  and  then  full  of  inordinate  conceit  pro- 
ceeded to  the  council-chamber.  But  Mandodari  was  sore 
troubled  at  heart,  saying,  '  Heaven  is  against  my  lord.' 
While  he  was  sitting  in  court,  he  received  intelligence  that 
the  whole  army  had  crossed  the  sea.     Then  he  enquired  of 


THE   BEAUTIFUL.  507 

his  ministers,  '  Tell  me  what  you  think  best  to  be  done.' 
They  all  laughed  and  replied,  *'  Remain  quiet.  You  have 
conquered  gods  and  demons  without  any  trouble  ;  of  what 
account  can  men  and  monkeys  be  ?" 

Vohd  37. 

When  these  three,  a  minister,  a  physician  and  a  spiritual 
adviser,  use  fair  words,  either  from  fear  or  hope  of  reward  ; 
dominion,  religion  and  health  are  all  three  quickly  destroyed. 

Ghaupoi. 

This  was  all  the  help  that  Rivan  got ;  they  did  nothing 

but  sound  his  praises.     Perceiving  his  opportunity,  Vibhi- 

shan  came  and  bowed  his  head  at  his  brother's  feet,  then 

again  bowing  took  his  seat  on  his  throne  and  after  obtaining 

permission  spoke  thus  :     "  As  you  graciously  ask  of  me  my 

opinion,  I  declare  it.  Sire,  to  the  best  of  my  ability.     If  you 

desire  your  own  welfare  and  glory,  with  a   reputation  for 

wisdom,  a  prosperous  issue  and  every  other  happiness,  turn 

away  from  the  face  of  another  man's  wife  as  from  the  moon 

on  its  fourth  day.i  Though  a  man  were  lord  of  the  fourteen 

spheres,   he   cannot   set  himself  to   oppose  the   Universal. 

However  amiable  and    accomplished  a  person   may  be,    no 

one  will  speak  well  of  him  if  he  shows   even  the   slightest 

covetousness. 

Doha  38. 

Lust,  passion,  vanity,  and  covetousness  are  all  paths  that 

lead  to  hell :  adjure  them  and  worship  Raghubir,  whom  all 

the  saints  worship. 

Chaupdi, 

Rama,  my  brother,  is  no  mortal  king,  but  the  sovereign 

of  the  universe,  the  Fate  of  Fate  itself,  the  Supreme  Spirit, 

the  imperishable  and  uncreated  God,  the  benefactor  of  cows 

and  of  Brdhmans,  of  the  earth  and  of  the  gods  :  who  in  his 

infinite  mercy  has  assumed  the  form  of  humanity,  to  rejoice 

his  votaries  and  to   break   the   ranks  of  the   impious  ;    the 

1  It  is  a  Hindu   superstition  that  it  is  unlucky  to   see  the  moon   on  the 
fourth  day.     Hence  the  proverb  :— 

"  Jo  dekh  chauthe  ka  chanda,  Bdt  chalet,  ld»e  pharphanda," 


508  THE   BEAUTIFUL. 

champion  of  the  Veda  and  true  religion,  the  saviour  of  the 
immortals.  Cease  to  fight  against  him  and  humbly  bow 
the  head.  Raghun^th  relieves  the  distress  of  every  sup- 
pliant. 0  my  lord,  give  him  back  Sita  and  worship  him 
with  disinterested  affection.  The  lord  has  never  abandoned 
any  one  who  has  fled  to  him  for  protection,  though  he  were 
guilty  of  having  ruined  the  whole  world.  Know  of  a  truth, 
Rdvan,  that  it  is  the  lord,  he  who  has  for  name  '  the  saviour 
from  every  calamity,'  who  has  now  appeared  among  us. 

Doha  39. 

Again  and  again  I  lay  my  head  at  your  feet  and  utter 
this  my  prayer  :  have  done  with  pride,  arrogance  and  con- 
ceit, and  worship  Rdma.  These  are  the  words  which  Saint 
Pulastya  sent  in  a  message  to  me,  and  I  have  at  once  taken 
this  opportunity  of  repeating  them  to  you,  Sire." 
Ghaupdi. 

One  of  his  wisest  counsellors  M^lyavdn,  was  greatly 
rejoiced  to  hear  this  speech.  "  Take  to  heart,  my  son,  this 
admirable  counsel  which  your  brother  Vibhishan  has  given 
you."'  "  These  two  villains  who  thus  magnify  my  enemies, 
is  there  no  one  here  who  will  rid  me  of  them  ?  "  MAlyav^n 
thereupon  returned  home,  but  Vibhishan  with  clasped 
hands  spoke  yet  again  :  "  In  every  one's  breast,  my  lord, 
so  the  Vedas  and  Pur^nas  declare,  either  wisdom  or  un- 
wisdom finds  a  dwelling.  Where  wisdom  dwells,  there  too 
is  every  kind  of  prosperity  :  and  where  unwisdom,  there  is 
final  destruction.  In  your  breast  malignant  unwisdom  has 
established  herself ;  you  take  your  friends  for  enemies  and 
your  greatest  enemy  for  a  friend,  being  thus  extravagantly 
enamoured  of  this  Sita,  who  is  the  very  night  of  Death  for 
the  whole  demon  race. 

Dohd  40. 

My  brother,  I  clasp  your  feet  and  implore  you  to  take 
my  words  in  good  part  :  restore  Sita  to  Rdma  ;  it  will  be 
much  to  your  advantage." 


THE   BEAUTIFUL.  509 

Ghaupdi. 

Though  the  words  that  Vibhishan  spoke  were  wise  and 
prudent,  and  supported  by  the  authority  of  the  Vedas  and 
Pur^nas,  the  Ten-headed  rose  in  a  fury  at  hearing  them  : 
"  Wretch,  you  are  within  an  inch  of  your  death.  It  is  all 
owing  to  me,  you  villain,  that  you  have  been  able  to  live  at 
all  ;  and  yet,  fool  as  you  are,  you  take  the  side  of  my 
enemies.  Can  you  tell  me,  wretch,  of  any  one  in  the  whole 
world,  whom  I  have  not  conquered  by  the  might  of  my  arm. 
You  live  in  my  capital,  but  are  in  love  with  hermits ;  you 
had  better  go  to  them,  if  you  want  to  preach."  So  saying, 
he  spurned  him  with  a  kick  ;  but  he  still  continued  to  clasp 
him  by  the  feet.  "  You  are  as  it  were  my  father ;  kill  me, 
if  you  think  proper ;  but,  0  my  lord,  to  worship  R^ma 
would  be  far  better  for  you."  This  is  the  virtue  of  the 
saints,  Um^,  that  they  return  good  for  evil.  Taking  his 
ministers  with  him,  he  went  his  way  through  the  air,  pro- 
claiming aloud  to  them  all  : 

Doha  41. 

"  Rama  is  the  very  soul  of    truth  ;  your   courtiers,    my 
lord,  are  overpowered  by  fate ;  I  will  now  take  refuge  with, 
Raghubir  ;  lay  no  blame  to  me." 
Ghaupdi. 

After  Vibhishan  had  left  with  these  words,  it  was  all 
over  with  everyone  of  them.  Disrespect  to  a  saint,  Bhav^ni, 
brings  speedy  ruin  on  the  most  prosperous  undertaking.  As 
soon  as  Vibhishan  had  left,  Ravan  lost  all  his  glory  and  good 
fortune.  But  he  rejoiced  as  he  went  to  meet  Rdma,  and 
revolved  in  his  mind  many  agreeable  anticipation  :  "  I  am 
about  to  behold  his  lotus  feet,  so  roseate,  so  soft,  so  benefi- 
cent to  all  who  wait  upon  them  ;  at  whose  touch  the  Rishi's 
wife  was  delivered  from  the  cure,  and  the  Dandaka  forest 
was  sanctified  ;  feet  that  Sfta  cherished  in  her  bosom,  even 
while  they  ran  to  seize  the  delusive  deer  ;  lotus  feet  in 
Siva's  lake-like  heart  ;  how  blest  am  I  who  am  now  about 
to  see  them  ! 


510  THE    BEAUTIFUL. 

Dohd  42. 

"  With  these  very  eyes  shall  t  this  day  behold   the  feet, 
whose  shoes  even  Bharat  clasped  to  his  heart." 
Chaupdi. 

With  such  loving  fancies  to  occupy  his  mind,  he  quickly 
arrived  on  this  side  the  ocean.  When  the  monkeys  saw 
Vibhfshan  coming,  they  took  him  to  be  some  special  envoy. 
So  they  stopt  him  and  went  to  their  chief  and  told  him  all 
the  circumstances.  Said  Sugriva  :  '*  Hearken,  Raghurdi  ; 
Ravan's  brother  has  come  to  see  you."  The  lord  replied  : 
"  What  do  you  advise,  friend  ?  "  The  monkey  king  rejoined  : 
'*  Mark  my  words,  Sire  ;  the  craft  of  these  demons  is  past 
all  telling.  Why  should  he  come  thus  of  his  own  accord  ? 
The  villain's  object  is  to  spy  out  our  secrets.  My  idea  is 
that  we  ought  to  keep  him  prisoner."  "  Friend,  you  have 
reasoned  with  much  wordly  wisdom  ;  but  I  have  a  vow  to 
befriend  all  suppliants.  "  Hanuman  was  delighted  to  hear 
these  words  from  the  Lord,  the  God  who  shows  compassion 

on  all  who  flee  to  him. 

Dohd  43. 

"  The  men  who   abandon  a  suppliant,    from   suspicion 
that   he  may   be   an  enemy,  are   vile   and   criminal,  and 
misfortune  will  keep  her  eye  upon  them. 
Chaupdi. 

I  would  not  abimdon  any  one  who  had  fled  to  me  for 
protection,  even  though  he  had  been  guilty  of  the  murder  of 
a  million  Bn\hmans  Directly  any  creature  appears  before 
me,  I  blot  out  the  sins  of  all  his  past  lives.  No  one  who  is 
essentially  wicked  can  delight  in  my  service  ;  if  he  is 
really  bad  at  heart,  how  can  he  come  into  my  presence  ? 
Only  a  man  of  pure  soul  can  find  me ;  I  take  no  pleasure  in 
hypocrisy,  deceit  and  vice.  Rivan  may  have  sent  him  as  a 
spy  ;  but  even  so,  0  king,  we  need  not  fear  any  loss.  All 
the  demons,  my  friend,  that  the  whole  world  contains, 
Lakshman  could  rout  in  a  single  moment.  If  he  has  come 
out  of  fear,  to  sue  for  mercy,  I  will  protect  him  as  I  would 
mv  own  life. 


THE    BEAUTIFUL.  5ll 

Dohd  44. 
In  either  case  bring   him    here."     Thus  spake  the  All- 
merciful  with  a  smile.    '*  Glory  to  the  lord  of  mercy  "  cried 
the   monkey   as   he   went,    taking   with    him    Angad  and 

Hanumdn. 

Chaupdi. 

The  monkeys  respectfully  escorted  him  into  the  presence 
of  the  all-merciful  Rama.  He  beheld  from  a  distance  the 
two  brothers,  the  delight  of  all  men's  eyes,  the  givers  of  every 
blessing  ;  then  looking  again  upon  Rdma's  perfect  beauty, 
he  stood  stock  still,  with  all  his  gaze  intently  fixed  upon  the 
long  arms,  the  lotus  eyes  and  dark-hued  body  of  the  sup- 
pliant's friend,  his  lion-like  shoulders  and  magnificent  broad 
chest  and  his  charming  face,  that  would  ravish  the  soul  of 
K^madeva  himself.  With  streaming  eyes  and  trembling 
limbs  he  at  last  made  bold  to  speak  in  accents  mild.  "  My 
lord,  I  am  Rdvan's  brother  ;  Champion  of  heaven,  I  have 
been  born  of  demon  race,  with  a  savage  temperament,  as 
naturally  prone  to  evil  as  an  owl  is  partial  to  the  night. 
Dohd  45. 

I  have  heard  with  my  ears  of  your  glory  and  have  come  ; 
0  my  lord,  save  me,  save  me  ;  you  who  are  the  deliverer 
from  all  life's  troubles,  the  remover  of  distress,  the  friend 
of  the  suppliant,  Raghubir. 

Chaupdi. 

So  saying  he  prostrated  himself ;  but  at  the  sight  the 
Lord  arose  in  haste  with  much  delight,  being  pleased  to 
hear  his  humble  address,  and  took  him  in  his  mighty  arms 
and  clasped  him  to  his  breast ;  then  with  his  brother  seated 
him  by  his  side,  and  to  calm  his  votary's  fears  spake  thus  : 
"  Tell  me,  prince  of  Lanka,  is  it  all  well  with  you  and  your 
family  ?  Your  home  is  in  an  ill  place.  How,  my  friend, 
can  one  practise  the  duties  of  religion,  when  encompassed 
day  and  night  by  wicked  men  ?  I  know  all  your  circum- 
stances, your  proficiency  in  virtue,  your  aversion  to  evil. 
God  keep  us  from  evil  communications  :    'twere  better,  my 


512  THE   BEAUTIFUL. 

son,  to  live  in  hell.'  "  Now  that  I  have  seen  your  feet,  0 
R^ma,  it  is  all  well  with  me,  since  you  have  recognized  me 
as  one  of  your  worshippers  and  have  shown  mercy  upon  me. 

DohdAQ. 
No  creature  can   be  happy,  or  even  dream  of  rest  to  his 
soul,  till  he    worship   R^ma,    after   forswearing   lust,  that 
fountain  of  remorse. 

Chaupdi. 
"  So  long  as  the  heart  is  peopled  by  that  villainous  crew, 
avarice,  sensuality,  selfishness,  arrogance  and  pride,  there 
is  no  room  there  for  Raghundth,  with  his  bow  and  arrows 
and  quiver  by  his  side.  The  intensely  dark  night  of  selfish- 
ness, so  agreeable  to  the  owl-like  passions  of  love  and  hate, 
abides  in  the  soul  only  until  the  rising  of  the  sun-like  lord. 
Now  I  am  well,  and  all  my  fears  are  over,  in  that  I  have 
beheld  your  lotus  feet.  None  of  the  threefold  torments  of 
life  has  any  effect  upon  him,  to  whom  you  in  your  mercy 
show  favour.  1  am  a  demon,  utterly  vile  of  nature,  who 
have  never  observed  any  pious  practices,  and  yet  the  lord, 
to  whose  vision  even  the  saints  have  not  attained,  for  all 
their  profound  meditation  has  been  pleased  to  take  me  to 
his  heart. 

Doha  47. 

"  Surely  I  am   blessed  beyond   measure,   and  RAma's 
grace  is  most   beneficent,   in  that  I  behold   with    my  eyes 
those  lotus  feet,  which  even  BrAhma  and  Siva  adore." 
Chaupdi. 

*'  Hearken,  friend  ;  I  will  declare  to  you  my  characteris- 
tics, as  known  by  Bhusundi,  Sambhu  and  Umd.  If  a  man 
who  has  been  the  curse  of  the  whole  world  comes  trembling 
and  looks  to  me  for  protection,  if  he  abjures  all  his  pride 
and  sensuality  without  guile  or  subterfuge  ;  I  make  him  at 
once  like  one  of  the  saints.  Father  and  mother  ;  kinsfolk, 
children  and  wife  ;  life  and  property  ;  home,  friends  and 
establishment ;  in  short,  every  object  of  natural  affection  is 
gathered  up  as  the  strands  of  a  rope  wherewith  to  attach  his 


THE   BEAUTIFUL.  5l3 

soul  to  my  feet.  He  regards  all  things  as  alike,  without 
any  preference,  and  with  a  soul  unmoved  either  by  joy, 
sorrow,  or  fear.  A  saint  like  this  is  as  fixed  in  my  soul  as 
money  is  in  the  heart  of  a  miser.  Good  men  like  you  are 
my  friends,  and  it  is  only  for  their  benefit  that  I  have 
become  incarnate. 

Doha  48. 
"  Virtuous  and  devoted   believers,  who  are  steadfast  in 
uprightness,  strict  in  pious  observances,  and  who  love  and 
revere  Br^hmans,   are  the  men   whom  I  regard  as  my  own 
soul. 

Ghaupdi. 

*'  Hearken,  Prince  of  Lank^  ;  ail  these  good  qualities 
are  yours,  and  you  are  therefore  very  dear  to  me."  On 
hearing  Rdma's  speech,  all  the  assembled  monkeys  ex- 
claimed, '  Glory  to  the  All-merciful !  '  But  Vibhishan,  on 
hearing  such  ambrosial  sounds,  could  not  contain  himself  : 
time  after  time  he  clasped  his  lotus  feet,  his  heart  bursting 
with  boundless  joy.  "  Hearken,  my  God,  lord  of  all  creation, 
friend  of  the  suppliant,  reader  of  men's  thoughts  ;  I  had  at 
first  another  wish  in  my  mind  ;  but  devotion  to  my  lord's 
feet  has  come  upon  me  like  a^  torrent  and  swept  it  away  : 
now  in  your  mercy  grant  me  such  pure  faith  as  that  which 
ever  gladdens  Siva's  soul."  '  So  be  it,'  said  the  Lord,  the 
valiant  in  fight,  and  then  at  once  called  for  water  from 
the  sea.  "It  was  not  part  of  your  wish,  friend,  but  the  sight 
of  me  brings  reward  with  it  all  over  the  world."  So  saying 
Rdma  marked  his  forehead  with  the  royal  tilak  :  an  infinite 
shower  of  flowers  rained  from  heaven. 

Doha  ^9.        i^l'   ^ 

Thus  did  Raghundth  protect  the  humble  Vibhishan 
from  R^van's  fiery  wrath,  fanned  by  the  strong  blast  of  his 
breath,  and  gave  him  secure  dominion  and  all  the  good 
fortune  which  Siva  had  formerly  bestowed  upon  the  ten- 
headed  Rdlvan. 

•      R-68 


514  THE    BEAUTIFUL. 

Chaupdi. 
Men  who  forsake  such  a  lord  to  worship  any  other  are 
mere  beasts  without  the  tails  and  horns.  All  the  monkeys 
were  charmed  with  the  Lord's  amiability,  who  had  recog- 
nized a  servant  and  claimed  him  for  his  own.  Then  the  All- 
wise,  who  dwelleth  in  the  hearts  of  all,  assuming  any  form 
at  will,  though  himself  formless  and  passionless,  the  cham- 
pion of  religion,  the  friend  of  men,  and  the  destroyer  of  all 
the  demon  race,  spoke  and  said  :  "  Hearken  monkey-king, 
valiant  monarch  of  Lank^  ;  how  are  we  to  cross  the  deep 
ocean,  full  of  alligators,  serpents  and  different  kinds 
of  sea  monsters,  of  fathomless  profundity  and  absolutely 
impassible."  Vibhishan  replied  :  "  Hearken,  Rahu-ndyak  ; 
your  arrows  could  burn  up  a  thousand  seas,  but  still  it 
would  be  better  policy  to  go  and  make  petition  to  the   god 

of  ocean. 

Doha  50. 

For   being   your   family    priest,'  my  lord,  he  will  take 

thought   and  suggest  some  scheme,  by  which  the  whole  host 

of  bears  and   monkeys    may  cross    the  deep   without  any 

trouble." 

Ghaupdi. 

"Friend,  you  have  suggested  a  good  idea  ;  let  us  try  it 
and  may  fortune  be  with  us."  This  invocation  did  not  please 
Lakshman  ;  he  was  much  annoyed  at  Rama's  words.  '*  Why 
trust  fortune,  my  lord  ?  give  vent  to  your  indignation  and 
dry  up  the  ocean.  It  is  the  one  resource  of  a  coward  in  soul 
to  sit  still  and  pray  fortune  to  help  him."  Raghu-bir  laughed 
to  hear  this  and  said  :  "  I  shall  do  it  all  the  same  ;  but  never 
you  mind."  So  saying  he  went  to  the  shore  of  the  salt  sea 
and  there  took  his  seat  on  grass  that  he  had  strewn.  Now 
after  Vibhfshan  had  joined  RAma,  Rivan  sent  spies  of  his 
own, 

Dohd  51. 

who   disguised    themselves  as   monkeys,   and   so   saw   all 

1    King   Sagara,    by    whose  sons   the  bed  of  the  ocean  was  dug,  which  is 
thence  called  SAgar,  was  one  ot  Rama's  ancestors. 


THE   BEAUTIFUL.  515 

that   was  going  on.     In  their  profound  admiration  of  the 
Lord's  generosity  and  his  tenderness  to  suppliants, 

Chaupdi 
they  loudly  extolled  his  magnanimity  and  in  the 
intensity  of  their  devotion  forgot  their  disguise.  When 
the  monkeys  perceived  them  to  be  spies  from  the  enemy, 
they  seized  them  and  took  them  to  their  chief.  Said  Sugriva. 
"Hearken,  all  you  monkeys:  just  mutilate  them  and  let 
them  go."  On  receiving  this  command,  the  monkeys  ran 
and  paraded  them  in  bonds  all  through  the  camp,  ill-treating 
them  in  every  possible  way  and  refusing  to  let  them  go  for 
all  their  prayers  for  mercy,  till  they  cried  :  '  We  adjure 
you  by  R^ma  not  to  rob  us  of  our  nose  and  ears.'  When 
Lakshman  heard  this,  he  called  them  all  to  him,  and, 
being  moved  with  compassion,  smiled  and  had  them  at 
once  set  free  :  "  Give  this  missive  into  Rdvan's  hands  "  and 
say  '  Read,  destroyer  of  your  race,  what  Lakshman  says. 

Doha  52. 

Tell  the  fool  also  by  word  of  mouth  my  emphatic  com- 
mand—' Surrender  Sita  and  submit  yourself,  or  it  will  be 
your  death.' 

Chaupdi . 

The  spies  bowed  the  head  at  Lakshma's  feet  and  set 
out  at  once,  praising  his  generosity.  Still  repeating 
Rdma's  praises,  they  arrived  at  Lank^  and  prostrated 
themselves  before  R^van.  The  Ten-headed  with  a  smile 
asked  them  the  news  :  *'  Tell  me,  Suka,  I  pray,  of  your 
own  welfare,  and  then  let  me  hear  about  Vibhishan,  to 
whom  death  has  drawn  very  nigh.  The  fool  left  Lankd 
where  he  was  a  king  ;  but  now  the  wretched  weevil  must 
be  crushed  with  the  wheat.  Tell  me  next  what  force  these 
bears  and  monkeys  muster,  who  have  come  here  by  com- 
mand of  their  evil  destiny  though  the  poor  old  sea  has  been 
soft-hearted  enough  to  spare  their  lives.  Tell  me  finally 
about  the  hermits,  whose  soul  trembles  for  fear  of  me. 


516  THE   BEAUTIFUL. 

Dohd  53. 

"  Did  he  meet  you  as  a  suppliant,  or  did  he  take  to 
flight  on  hearing  the  report  of  my  renown  ?  Will  you  tell 
me  nothing  about  the  enemy's  might  and  magnificence  ? 
Your  wits  seem  utterly  dazed." 

Chaupdi. 

"  Of  your  grace,  my  lord,  be  not  wroth,  but  take  a  blunt 
reply  to  a  blunt  question.  As  soon  as  your  younger  brother 
joined  him,  Rdma  bestowed  upon  him  the  mark  of  sover- 
eignty. The  monkeys,  who  had  heard  that  we  were  your 
spies,  put  us  in  bonds  and  abused  us  shamefully.  They 
were  about  to  cut  off  our  ears  and  nose,  when  we  invoked 
the  name  of  Rtoa  and  they  let  us  go.  You  ask,  my  lord, 
of  Rtoa's  army  ;  a  myriad  tongues  would  fail  to  tell  it  : 
such  a  host  of  bears  and  monkeys  of  diverse  hue  and  grue- 
some visage,  huge  and  terrible— the  one  who  set  fire  to  the 
city  and  slew  your  son  is  the  very  weakest  of  them  all  — 
champions  with  innumerable  names,  fierce  and  unyielding 
monsters  of  vast   bulk,  with  the  strength  of   unnumbered 

elephants. 

Dohd  54. 

'*  Dwivid  and  Mayand,  Nda  and  Nala,  Angad  and  Gada 
of  the    mighty    sword,    Dadhi-mukha    and    Kehari,    the 
malignant  Nisatha  and  the  powerful  J^mbavdn. 
Chaupdi. 

**  Each  of  these  monkeys  is  equal  to  Sugrfva,  and  who 
could  count  all  the  myriads  like  them  ?  By  Rdma's  favour 
their  strength  is  unbounded  ;  they  reckon  the  three  spheres 
of  creation  as  of  no  more  account  than  a  blade  of  grass.  I 
have  heard  say,  0  R&van,  that  the  monkey  chiefs  number 
eighteen  thousand  billions  ;  and  in  the  whole  of  the  army, 
my  lord,  there  is  not  a  single  monkey  who  would  not  con- 
quer you  in  battle.  They  are  all  wringing  their  hands  in 
excess  of  passion  :  '  Why  does  not  Rdma  give  us  some 
order,  either  to  swallow  the  ocean  with  all  its  fish  and  ser- 
pents, or  at  least  to  fill  it  up  with  piles  of  trees  and  mighty 


I 


THE    BEAUTIFUL  517 

mountains,  and  then  crush  RAvan  and   lay  him  low  in    the 

dust.'     This  is  the  language   that   all   the   monkeys    hold. 

Utterly  devoid  of  fear,  they  shout  and  leap  about  as  if  they 

would  make  Lankd  a  mere  mouthful. 

Doha  55. 

"  All  the  bears  and   monkeys  are   born    warriors,    and, 

moreover,  they  have  the  lord  Rdma  at  their  head.    0  Rdvan, 

they  could  conquer  in  battle  even  Death  himself,  a  myriad 

times  over. 

Chaupdi 

"  A  hundred  thousand   Seshn^gs  would  fail  to   declare 

all  Raima's  glory  and   power   and  wisdom.     With  a    single 

shaft  he  could  burn  up  a  hundred  seas,  yet  so  prudent  is  he 

that  he  took  advice  of  your  brother  and,  on  hearing  his  reply, 

went  to  the  sea  and  humbly  asked  the  favor  of  a  passage." 

On  hearing    this,    the    Ten-headed    smiled  :     *'  Truly   he 

showed  as  much  sense  then  as   when  he  took   monkeys   for 

his  allies.     He  has  put    faith  in  the   words  of  that    arrant 

coward,  my  brother,  and,  like  a  spoiled  child,  begs  of  ocean 

what  he  will  never  get.     Fool,  you  have   been    extolling   a 

mere  impostor  :  I  have  sounded  the    depth  of  my  enemy's 

strength  and  skill.     Where  in   the  world    could    any   one 

achieve  the  glory  of  a  triun)ph,  who  had   such   a   .cowardly 

counsellor  as  Vibhlshan."     The  envoy  waxed  wroth  at    the 

wretch's  speech,  and  thought  it  a  good  time  to  produce  the 

letter.     "  Rdma's  brother  gave  me  this  letter  :  have  it  read, 

my  lord,  and  much  good  may  it  do   you."     Ravan   smiled 

and  took  it  with  his  left  hand    and    told    his  minister,   the 

wretch,  to  read  it  out. 

Dohd  56. 
"  Fool,  submit  your  soul  to  advice,  and  do  not  bring 
destruction  upon  all  your  race ;  you  cannot  escape  from 
Rama's  displeasure,  even  though  Vishnu,  Brahma  and  Siva 
be  your  protectors.  Abandon  your  pride,  and,  like  your 
younger  brother,  fly  like  a  bee  to  the  lotus  feet  of  the  lord, 
or  like  a  moth  you  will  be  consumed  in  your  wickedness, 
you  and  all  your  family,  by  Rama's  arrows  of  fire." 


518  THK    RRAUTIFUL. 

Chaupdi. 

The  Ten-headed,  as  he  listened,  was  terror-stricken  at 
heart,  but  smiled  with  his  lips  and  cried  aloud  for  all  to 
hear:  "  Me  who  stretches  oat  his  hands  to  clutch  the  sky 
only  falls  to  the  ground  ;  a  devotee's  idle  talk  is  of  small 
acount."  Said  Suka  :  "  My  lord,  every  word  is  true  ;  be 
wise  and  abandon  your  natural  arrogance.  Cease  from 
wrath  and  hearken  to  my  advice  ;  make  an  end,  Sire,  of 
your  feud  with  Riima.  Raghubir  is  exceedingly  mild  in 
disposition,  though  he  is  thp  sovereign  of  all  the  world. 
The  Lord  will  be  gracious  to  yon  directly  you  approach  him, 
and  will  not  remember  even  one  of  your  offences  Restore 
to  him  Janak's  daughter  ;  this.  Sire,  is  all  I  ask  of  you  ; 
do  it "  When  he  spoke  to  him  of  giving  up  Sita,  the 
wretch  spurned  him  with  his  foot;  but  he  bowed  his  head 
to  the  ground  before  him  and  then  went  to  join  the  all- 
merciful  RAma,  and  after  due  obeisance  told  him  all  that 
had  happened.  By  Rama's  grace,  he  recovered  his  proper 
rank  ;  for  it  was  by  the  Rishi  Agastyds  curse,  Bhavfini, 
that  he  had  become  a  demon,  though  still  retaining  the 
intelligence  of  a  saint.  Now,  once  more  in  the  form  of  a 
saint,  after  again  and  again  prostrating  himself  at  Rama's 
feet,  he  went  his  way  to  his  own  hermitage. 

Dohd  57. 

Dullard  Ocean  made  no  answer  to  prayer,  though   three 
days  had  been  spent ;  then  cried  R4ma    in  a  fnry:     "    He 
will  do  me  no  kindness,  unless  he  frightened. 
Chaupdi. 

"  Lakshman  bring  me  my  bow  and  arrows  :  with  my 
fiery  darts  T  will  dry  up  the  deep.  To  use  entreaties  to  a 
churl,  to  lavish  affection  upon  a  rogue,  to  deal  liberally 
with  a  born  miser,  to  discourse  of  divine  wisdom  with  a 
man  devoted  to  self,  to  speak  of  detachment  from  the  world 
to  the  covetous,  to  tell  of  Hari  to  a  man  under  the  influence 
of  passion  or  love,  is  all  the  same  as  sowing  the  sand  in 
hope  of  a  harvest."     So  saying,    RAma   strung  his  bow,  a 


I 


THE    BEAUTIFUL.  519 

proceeding  that  pleased  Lakshman  mightily.  The  Lord 
let  fly  the  terrible  shaft  ;  a  burning  pain  ensued  in  the 
bosom  of  ocean;  the  crocodiles,  serpents  and  fish  were  all 
sore  distrest.  When  Ocean  perceived  that  these  creatures 
were  burning,  he  filled  a  golden  dish  with  all  kinds  of  jewels 
and  humbly  presented  himself  in  the  form  of  a  Brahman. 

Doha  58. 

Though  you  may  take  infinite  trouble  in  watering  it,  a 
plantain  will  not  bear  fruit,  until  it  has  been  well  trimmed  ; 
similarly,  mark  me,  Garur,  a  mean  upstart  heeds  neither 
prayers  nor  compliments,  but  requires  rougher  treatment. 

Ghaupdi 

Terrified  Ocean  clasped  the  Lord's  feet  :  Pardon  me, 
Sire,  all  my  offences.  Air,  wind,  fire,  water  and  earth  are 
all,  ray  lord,  naturally  dull  and  slow  to  change.  They  have 
been  produced  by  the  delusive  power  that  you  sent  forth 
with  a  view  to  creation  -  so  all  the  scriptures  declare  — and 
as  each  has  been  fixed  by  the  Lord's  command,  so  it  must 
remain,  to  secure  its  own  happiness.  My  lord  has  done  well 
in  giving  me  this  lesson  ;  but  still  it  was  you  who  first  fixed 
my  bounds.  A  drum,  a  clown,  a  churl,  a  beast,  and  a  woman 
are  all  fit  subjects  for  beating.  By  my  lord's  favor,  I  shall 
be  dried  up,  the  army  will  cross  over,  and  my  glory  will  be 
at  an  end  ;  the  scriptures  declare  the  word  of  the  Lord  to  be 
unchangeable  ;  do  then  at  (mce  what  seemeth  you  good  " 

Dohd  59. 

The  Lord  smiled  to  hear  this  exceedingly  humble  speech, 

and  said,    "  Tell  me,  father,  some  device,  how    the  monkey 

host  may  cross  over  ?  " 

Ghaupdi. 

"  My  lord,  there    are   two   monkey    brothers,    Nila  and 

Nala,  who  from  childhood  have   been  instructed   by  a  sage. 

The  mightiest    mountains    touched  by   them  will  by    your 

favor    float   upon    the    waves.     I    too,    remembering    your 

majesty,  will  assist  to  the  best  of  my  power.  In  this  manner, 

my  lord,  you  will  bridge  the  sea  and  the  glorious  deed  will 


520  T«K   BEAUTIFUL. 

be  sung  in  earth,  heaven  and  hell.  With  this  arrow,  Sire, 
slay  the  dwellers  on  my  mothern  shore,  who  are  vile 
criminals."  The  All-merciful,  on  hearing  Ocean's  grievance, 
at  once  removed  it,  the  valiant  Rdma.^  At  the  sight  of  his 
mighty  vigour  Ocean  rejoiced  and  became  easy  of  mind, 
and  af;er  telling  liim  all  that  had  taken  place,  bowed  at  his 
feet  and  look  his  leave. 

Ghhind  8. 

Ocean  returned  home  and  Ri^ma  approved  his  counsel. 
These  his  acts,  which  remove  all  the  impurities  of  this  sin- 
ful age,  has  Tulsi  Dds  sung  to  the  best  of  his  ability.  The 
excellences  of  Raghupati  are  a  treasure  of  delight,  a  panacea 
for  all  doubt,  a  purge  for  every  sorrow,  and  they  who  are 
wise  of  heart  will  abandon  all  other  hope  and  confidence 
and  be  ever  singing  them  or  hearing  them  sung. 
Dohd  60. 

The  virtues  of  Raghu-nayak  are  the  source  of  every 
blessing,  and  those  who  reverently  hear  their  recital  cross 
the  ocean  of  existence  without  any  need  for  a  boat. 

1  Id  the  Sanskrit  Kdnodyana  this  curious  incident  is  related  rather  more 
intelligibly.  Ocean  complains  that  the  Abhiras  of  the  north  are  such  an 
impure  race  that  he  cannot  bear  to  receive  into  his  bosom  any  si  ream  of 
which  they  have  drunk.  Thereupon,  Rama  with  his  fiery  arrow  dries  up 
every  river  in  their  land,  but  creates  instead  a  deep  chasm  in  the  ground, 
wiih  a  constant  supply  of  water,  and  blesses  the  riverless  re^iion  with 
exemption  from  disease. 


[  Thus  cndeth  the  hook  entitled  '  the  Beautiful,'  composed 
by  Tulsi  Das,  being  the  fifth  descent  into  '  the  holy  lake  of 
Rdma*8  deeds.'] 


BOOK  VI 

LANKA . 


R-69 


LANKA.  583 

lanKa. 


Sanskrit  Invocation. 

I  Worship  RAMA  ;  the  adored  of  Love's  enemy  ;  the 
dispeller  of  all  the  terrors  of  existence ;  the  lion  to  destroy 
the  mad  elephant,  Death  ;  the  lord  of  ascetics  ;  accessible 
only  by  contemplation ;  the  store-house  of  all  good  qualities ; 
the  invincible  ;  the  passionless  ;  the  unchangeable  ;  above 
the  influence  of  May^ ;  the  sovereign  of  the  gods  :  the 
implacable  destroyer  of  the  wicked  ;  the  one  god  over 
Brihma  and  all  his  fellows ;  the  god  incarnate  in  the  form 
of  an  earthly  king,  lotus-eyed  and  lustrous  as  the  jasmine. 

I  glorify  the  divine  SANKARA  ;  as  glistening  in  hue  as 
the  conch  shell  or  the  moon;  the  all-beautiful  in  person, 
robed  in  tiger's  skin  ;  bedecked  with  horrible  black  snakes 
for  ornaments,  attended  by  the  Ganges  and  the  moon  ;  the 
lord  of  K^si ;  the  subduer  of  the  flood  of  pollution  that 
distinguishes  this  sinful  age ;  a  tree  of  Paradise  to  yield 
fruits  of  prosperity  ;  the  ever  adorable  lord  of  Pdrvati  ;  the 
store-house  of  good  qualities  ;  the  vanquisher  of  Love. 

May  Sambhu,  who  rewards  the  saints  with  eternal  beati- 
tude, difficult  even  for  them  to  obtain,  and  who  punishes 
the  guilty ;  may  that  same  Sankara  grant  me  prosperity. 

Dohdl. 

0  my   soul,    why   dost  thou  not  worship  B,ima,  whose 

bow  is  Death  and  whose  arrows  are  sharp,  with  whom  the 

merest  instant  of  time  counts  the  same  as  an  age  and  whose 

year  is  a  cycle. 

Sorathd  1. 

After  hearing  Ocean's  speech,  the  lord  Rdma  spoke  and 

said  to  his  ministers :  "  Why  now  delay  ?  make  the  bridge, 

that  the  army  may  pass  over."  J^mbav^n  clasped  h^s  hands 

and  replied  :  "  Hearken,  pride  of  the  solar  race  ;  your  name, 

my  lord,  is  the  bridge,  by  aid  of  which  men  cross  the  ocean 

of  life. 


524  LANKA. 

Chaupdi. 

"  What  trouble  then  can  there  be  about  crossing  this 
little  stream  ?  "  Hearing  this,  the  Son  of  the  Wind  added  : 
"  By  ray  lord's  favour  a  fierce  subterranean  fire  had  before 
now  dried  up  the  depths  of  the  sea,  but  it  was  filled  again 
by  the  floods  of  tears  shed  by  the  widows  of  his  foes,  and 
that  is  what  makes  it  salt."  On  hearing  Hanuman's  in- 
genious speech,  the  monkeys  gazed  with  rapture  on  RAma's 
person.  Then  J^mbavrtn  spoke  to  the  two  brothers  Nala 
and  Nila  and  explained  to  them  all  the  circumstances  : 
"  Keep  your  thoughts  fixed  on  Rama's  power  and  begin 
building  the  bridge  ;  you  will  find  no  difficulty."  Again  he 
addressed  himself  to  the  whole  monkey  host :  "  Hearken, 
all  of  you  ;  I  have  one  request  to  make ;  only  impress  upon 
your  soul  Rama's  lotus  feet ;  and  then  you  bears  and  mon- 
keys will  find  the  task  a  mere  pastime.  Away  with  you,  ray 
sturdy  raonkey  troops,  and  bring  hither  heaps  of  trees  and 
rocks."  On  hearing  this,  the  raonkeys  and  bears  set  forth 
hurrahing.    '  Glory  to  R^ma  and  all  his  might !  ' 

Dohd  2.        M^ 

They   plucked   up   and   carried  off  in  sport  the  biggest 
mountains   and    trees  and  brought  them  to  Nala  and  Nila, 
who  set  to  work  to  build  the  bridge. 
Chaupdi . 

The  enormous  rocks,  which  the  monkeys  brought  and 
gave  them,  were  handled  by  Nala  and  Nila  like  mere  pellets. 
When  the  AU-raerciful  saw  the  charraing  construction  of  the 
bridge,  he  smiled  and  said  :  *'  This  is  a  most  exceedingly 
delightful  spot :  no  words  can  tell  its  immeasureable  dignity. 
I  will  set  up  here  an  image  of  Sambhu:  I  have  a  great  desire 
at  heart  to  do  so."  On  hearing  this,  the  monkey  king  sent 
a  nuraber  of  messengers  to  summon  and  fetch  all  the  great 
saints.  After  moulding  a  lingam  in  the  prescribed  manner 
and  worshipping  it,  "  there  is  none  other,"  he  cried,  "  so 
dear  to  me  as  Siva.  No  man,  though  he  call  hiraself  a  votary 
of  mine,  if  he  offend  Siva,  can  ever  dream  of  really  finding 


LANKA. 


525 


me.     If  he  desire  to   serve  me,  in  antagonism  to   Siva,  his 
doom  is  hell ;  he  is  a  fool  of  no  understanding. 

Doha  3.        i" 

They  who  either  out  of  attachment  to  Siva  dishonor  me, 
or  who  serve  me  but  dishonor  Siva,  shall  have  their  abode 
in  the  deepest  hell  till  the  end  of  the  world. 

Ghawpdi. 

All  who  make  a  pilgrimage  to  Ramesvar  will,  on 
quitting  the  body,  go  direct  to  my  sphere  in  heaven.  Any 
one  who  takes  and  offers  Ganges  water  there  will  be  absorb- 
ed into  the  divine  essence.  To  all  who  serve  me  unselfishly 
and  without  guile  Siva  will  grant  the  boon  of  faith.  Who- 
ever makes  a  pilgrimage  to  the  bridge  that  I  have  built  will 
without  any  trouble  cross  the  ocean  of  existence."  Rama's 
words  gladdened  the  hearts  of  all,  and  the  saints  thereupon 
returned  to  their  hermitages.  This,  Pdrvati,  is  Rama's  way; 
he  is  always  gracious  to  the  humble.  Nila  and  Nala  built 
the  bridge  so  cleverly  that  by  Rama's  favour  they  acquired 
brilliant  renown.  The  rocks,  which  naturally  sink  them- 
selves and  cause  other  things  to  sink  also,  were  like  so 
many  rafts  ;  nor  is  this  to  be,  ascribed  to  the  power  of  the 
sea,  or  the  virtue  of  the  stone,  or  the  action  of  the  monkeys; 

Do7ia4. 

it  was  by  the  might  of  the   blessed   Rama    that  the    rocks 

made  a  way  across  the  sea.     How  dull  of  soul  then  are  they 

who  leave  Rdma  to  worship  any  other  lord. 

Ghaupai. 

When  they  had  completed  the  bridge  and  made  it  tho- 
roughly secure,  the  All-merciful  was  glad  of  heart  at  the 
sight.  The  passage  of  the  host  was  beyond  all  telling,  with 
the  clamour  of  the  multitude  of  warlike  monkeys.  The 
gracious  R^ma  mounted  a  spot  near  the  bridge  and  gazed 
upon  the  mighty  deep.  Then  all  the  creatures  of  the  sea 
showed  themselves,  in  their  anxiety  to  behold  the  lord  of 
compassion  ;  every   kind  of  crocodile,    alligator,  fish,   and 


526  LANKA. 

serpent,  with  bodies  a  hundred  leagues  in  length  and  enor- 
mous bulk.  After  them  were  others,  such  that  a  single  one 
could  devour  all  the  first  swarm  ;  while  they  again  trembled 
no  less  before  one  of  the  swarm  that  followed  them.  They 
could  not  take  their  eyes  off  the  Lord,  and  in  the  general 
gladness  of  heart  all  were  happy  together.  You  could  not 
see  the  water,  so  thickly  they  covered  it,  as  they  gazed  in 
delight  on  the  vision  of  Hari.  At  their  lord's  command  the 
army  marched  on  ;  who  can  describe    the  magnitude  of  the 

monkey  host  ?  n 

Doha  5.    ( 

The  bridge  was  so  thronged    with  the  crowd  that  some 
of  the  monkeys  took  to  flying  through  the  air,  while  others 
crossed  over  on  the  backs  of  sea  monsters. 
Chaupdi. 

When  the  two  brothers  had  gazed  awhile  at  the  specta- 
cle, the  gracious  Rdma  smilingly  advanced  and  crossed 
over  with  the  host.  The  throng  of  monkey  chiefs  was  more 
than  I  can  describe  On  the  opposite  shore  the  Lord 
pitched  his  tent,  and  told  all  the  monkeys  that  they  might 
go  and  feast  on  the  goodly  fruit  and  roots.  On  hearing 
this  the  bears  and  monkeys  ran  off  in  all  directions.  To 
please  RAma  every  tree  was  laden  with  fruit,  whether  it 
was  in  season  or  out  of  season,  without  any  regard  to  the 
time  of  year.  They  devour  the  sweet  fruit  and  shake  the 
trees,  and  hurl  masses  of  rock  at  the  city  of  Lanki.  If  ever 
they  found  a  straggling  demon,  they  all  hemmed  him  in 
and  led  him  a  pretty  dance,  and  finally  bit  off  his  nose  and 
ears  with  their  teeth  and  so  let  him  go,  after  making  him 
hear  of  their  lord's  great  deeds.  Those  who  had  lost  their 
nose  and  ears  went  and  told  all  to  RAvan.  When  he  heard 
of  the  bridging  of  the  sea,  the  Ten-headed  started  up  and 
cried  in  consternation  : 

Dohd  6.      % 

"  What  !  he  has  bridged  the  sea,  with  all  the  springs 
and  streams'  that   fall  therein,    the  great  deep    with  all  its 


LANKA.  527 

waters.  Can  it  be  true  that  ocean  trembles,  the  lord  of  rivers, 

the  store-house  of  the  waters,  the  receptacle  of  the  floods!" 

Chaupdi. 

Then  becoming  conscious  of  the  agitation  he  had 
displayed  he  turned  with  a  smile  to  the  palace,  full  of  frantic 
imaginations.  When  Mandodari  heard  that  the  Lord  had 
arrived  and  had  made  nothing  of  bridging  the  sea,  she  took 
her  spouse  by  the  hand  and  led  him  to  her  own  apartment, 
and  besought  him  in  these  humble  and  winning  words, 
bowing  her  head  at  his  feet  and  holding  up  the  hem  of  her 
mantle  2  : — "  Be  not  angry,  my  beloved,  but  hearken  to  my 
speech.  You  should  fight,  my  lord,  with  one  whom  you 
may  be  able  to  subdue  either  by  wit  or  strength.  But  the 
difference  between  you  and  Rdma  is  like  that  between  a 
poor  little  fire-fly  and  the  sun.  He  who  slew  the  monsters 
Madhu  and  Kaitabha,  who  worsted  Dit's  valiant  son, 
Hirany^ksha,  who  put  Bali  in  bonds  and  slew  Sahasra- 
bd,hu,  he  it  is  who  has  now  become  incarnate  to  relieve 
earth  of  its  burdens.  0  my  lord,  do  not  fight  against  him, 
in  whose  hands  are  Death  and  fate  and  our  very  life. 

Dohd  7.  ^'^ 

Bow  your  head  at  Rdma's  lotus  feet  and  give  him  back 
Sita  ;  then  resign  your  throne  to  your    son  and  retire   into 
the  woods  and  there  worship  Raghunath. 
Chaupdi. 

He  is  pitiful  to  the  humble,  like  a  tiger,  who  will  not 
devour  a  man  who  comes  to  meet  him.  All  that  you  had  to 
do  you  have  done  long  ago  ;  you  have  vanquished  gods  and 
demons  and  all  creation.  The  saints,  0  Ravan,  have  laid 
down  this  rule,  that  a  king  in  his  old  age  should  retire  to 
the  forest.  There,  0  my  spouse,  make  your  prayers  to  him, 
who  is  the   creator,    preserver   and  destroyer,    even  Rdma, 

1  Vana,  which  ordinarily  means  'a  forest,'  must  be  taken  here  in  its  very 
unusual  signification  of  a  stream. 

2  This  with  women  is  a  sign  of  the  greatest  humility.  The  correspond- 
ing action  amongst  men  is  to  tie  a  cloth  round  their  neck. 


528  LANKA. 

ever  gracious  to  the  humble  ;  put  away  your  selflove  and 
pride,  my  lord,  and  worship  him.  He  for  whom  the  greatest 
saints  perform  all  their  labours,  for  whom  kings  leave  their 
throne  to  become  hermits,  is  this  very  king  of  Kosala,  this 
R^ma,  who  has  come  here  to  show  mercy  upon  you.  Only 
submit  to  my  advice,  and  the  glory  of  your  renown  shall 
spread  through  the  three  spheres." 

DohdS.       )0 

So  saying  she  clasped   him  by  the   feet,  her  eyes  full  of 
tears  and   trembling  in  every    limb.     "0  my  lord,  worship 
RAma,  and  your  prosperity  shall  never  be  shaken." 
Chaupdi. 

R^van  raised  the  daughter  of  May^  from  the  ground 
and  began,  the  fool,  to  boast  of  his  own  might.  "Hearken, 
my  beloved,  you  are  disturbed  by  idle  fears  ;  is  there  any 
warrior  in  the  world  my  equal?  Varuna,  Kuver,  the  Wind- 
god,  Yama,  and  Fate,  and  all  the  regents  of  the  eight 
quarters,  have  been  subdued  by  the  might  of  my  arm. 
Gods,  demons  and  kinnars  are  all  in  my  power  :  what 
cause  can  have  arisen  for  these  fears  of  yours  ?"  Having 
thus  said  everything  that  he  could  to  comfort  her,  he  again 
went  and  took  his  seat  in  the  council.  But  Mandodari 
knew  at  heart  that  his  arrogance  was  doomed  to  destroy 
him.  In  the  council  he  enquired  of  his  ministers  :  "  In 
what  way  shall  we  fight  the  enemy? "  They  replied  : 
**  Hearken,  demon-king  ;  why  question  us  thus  again  and 
again  ?  Consider  now  and  say  what  there  is  to  be  afraid 
of  ;  men,  monkeys  and  bears  are  our  natural  food." 

DohdQ.     // 

But  Prahasta,   after   listening   to  all  they  said,  clasped 
his  hands  and   cried—"  Do  not,   my  lord,  act   contrary  to 
sound  judgment ;  your  counsellors  have  mighty  little  sense. 
Chaupdi. 

They  have  all  spoken  simply  to  please  their  master  ;  but 
good   results   do  not  come  in  that  way.     A  single  monkey 


LANKA.  520 

leaped  the  ocean  aad  came  hither  ;  what  he  did  you  all 
know  by  heart.  What  !  were  none  of  you  hungry  then,  that 
you  did  not  seize  and  devour  him  when  he  set  fire  to  the 
city  ?  Pleasant  to  hear  but  fraught  with  future  trouble  is 
the  advice  which  your  counsellors  have  given  their  lord. 
Come,  sire,  tell  me  now,  is  he  a  mere  man  that  we  can 
devour,  who  has  bridged  the  sea  without  any  trouble,  and 
has  crossed  over  to  Suvela  with  all  his  army  ?  What  they 
say  is  all  idle  boasting.  Hearken,  sire,  with  due  respect  to 
my  prayer,  and  do  not  in  your  arrogance  account  me  a 
coward.  There  are  plenty  of  people  in  the  world  who  are 
ready  to  make  or  listen  to  pleasant  speeches  ;  but  few,  my 
lord,  who  care  either  to  hear  or  to  give  wholesome  advice, 
if  it  sounds  unpleasant.  Hearken  now  to  wise  counsel  ; 
first  send  an  envoy  and,  when  you  have  restored  Sita,  do 
your  best  to  make  friends  with  him. 

Doha  10. 
If  he  withdraws  after  recovering  his  wife,  there  will  be 
no  need  of  any  further  dispute  ;  if  otherwise,  then,  sire,  face 
to  face  in  the  battle  prepare  for  resolute  encounter. 

Ghaupdi. 

In  either  case,  my  lord,  if  you  accept  my  advice,  you 
will  have  glory  in  the  world."  The  Ten-headed  answered 
his  son  in  a  fury  :  "  Wretch,  who  has  taught  you  to  give 
such  advice  as  this  ?  From  this  time  I  have  a  doubt  in  my 
mind ;  can  a  bamboo  root  have  produced  such  a  mere  reed  ?  " 
On  hearing  his  father's  brutal  and  violent  speech,  he  turned 
home,  saying  these  bitter  words  :  "  Good  advice  is  as  much , 
thrown  away  upon  him  as  medicine  on  a  man  doomed  to 
die."  Seeing  that  it  was  now  evening,  Rdvan  proceeded  to 
the  palace,  glancing  with  pride  at  his  twenty  arms.  On  the 
top  of  the  Lanki  rock  was  a  hall  with  handsome  court-yard, 
where  he  went  and  took  his  seat.  A  number  of  kinnars 
began  to  sing  to  the  accompaniment  of  cymbals,  drum  and 
lute,  while  beauteous  nymphs  danced  before  him. 

R-70 


530  LANKA. 

Doha  11.      ^ 
The  delights  that  he  here  enjoyed  exceeded  a  hundred- 
fold those  of  ludra  :  the  most  powerful  enemy  might  threa- 
ten, but  no  fear  nor  anxiety  could  disturb  his  repose. 
Chaupdi. 
Now  the  valiant  R^ma  had  crossed  over  with  his   army 
to  mount  Suveld.     There  having  noted  one   specially  lofty 
peak,    beautiful   and  bright   above   all  others,   Lakshman 
with  his  own   hands  spread  a  couch  of  lovely   flowers   and 
fresh  twigs,  which  he  covered  with  a  fine  soft    deer's  skin  ; 
and  here  the  All-merciful  took  his  seat.     The  Lord's   head 
rested  in  the  lap  of  the  monkey-king  ;  to  right  and  left  of 
him  were  his   bow   and    quiver  ;  with   his  lotus  hands  he 
trimmed  his  arrows,  while  the  prince  of  Lankd  whispered 
texts  of  scripture  in  his  ear.     The  highly   favoured  Angad 
and  Hanumdn  caressed  his   lotus  feet,   while   behind  him 
Lakshman  kept  watch  as  a  sentinel,   with  quiver  by  his 
side  and  bow  and  arrows  in  his  hands. 

Dohd  12.  yu^^^^ 
Thus  sat  RAma,  a  very  store-house  of  benignity,  beauty 
and  all  perfection.  Blessed  are  they  who  with  profound 
devotion  ever  contemplate  him  under  this  form.^  As  he 
looked  towards  the  east,  the  Lord  observed  the  risen  moon 
and  cried  to  them  all :  *'  See  the  moon,  like  some  dauntless 
lion, 

Chaupdi. 
that  has  its  dwelling  in  a  cave  of  the  eastern  range,  pre- 
eminent in  might,  majesty  and  strength,  rends  asunder  the 
darkness  as  it  were  the  head  of  a  wild  elephant,  and  paces 
the  plain  of  heaven,  a  lion-like  moon.  The  stars  scattered 
about  the  sky  like  pearls  are  the  jewels  of  beauteous  night. 
•'  But,"  said  the  Ijord,  *'  tell  me,  my  friends,  each  one  of  you, 
your  opinion  as  to  the  spots  on  the  moon."     Said  Sugriva : 


1  This  8cenfi  affonls  a  very  favourite  subject  for  Hindu  painters  ;  partly, 
no  doubt,  on  account  of  the  blessing  which  Tulsi  Das  here  promises  to  those 
who  contemplate  it. 


LANKA.  531 

Hearken,  R^ma,  it  is  only  the  shadow  of  the  earth  that  is 

seen  in  the  moon."     Another  said  :  "  When  Rdhu  attacked 

the  moon,    its  bosom  became  thus  discoloured."     A  third 

suggested  :  "  When  Brdhma  fashioned  Rati's  face,  he  stole 

from  the  moon  a   part  of  its   essence,   and  this   is  the  hole 

that  you  see  in  the  moon's  surface  showing   the  shadow  of 

the  sky."     Said  the  Lord  :     "  The  moon  has  a  great  liking 

for  poison,  and  has  given  it  a  home  in  its  very  heart ;  thence 

darting  abroad  innumerable   empoisoned   rays,  it  tortures 

parted  lovers."  i\    i<i 

VohdlS,       /b'' I 

But  Hanuman   cried  :   "  Hear  me,  my  Lord  ;  the  moon 

is  your  devoted  slave,  and  it  is  your  image  enshrined  in  the 

moon's   bosom   that   causes   the   darkness,"     The  all- wise 

RAma  smiled  to  hear  the  speech  of  the  Son  of  the  Wind  ; 

then   turning   towards   the  south,  the    All-merciful  spoke 

again. 

Chaupni. 

"  Look  Vibhishan,  to  the  southern  quarter — to  the 
gathering  clouds  and  the  flashes  of  lightning.  A  pleasant 
sound  of  distant  thunder  is  heard  amidst  the  gloom  ;  there 
will  be  some  rain,  think  you,  or  a  storm  of  hail  ? '  Vibhishan, 
replied  :  "  Mark  me,  Sire,  there  is  neither  lightning  nor 
gathered  cloud.  On  the  top  of  the  Lankd  hill  there  is  a 
palace,  where  Rdvan  witnesses  the  sports  of  the  arena  :  the 
royal  umbrella  held  above  his  head  presents  the  appearance 
of  a  mighty  mass  of  cloud  :  the  jewelled  ornament  in 
Mandodari's  ears  emits  the  flashes,  ray  lord,  that  you  take 
for  lightning ;  while  the  incomparable  music  of  the 
cymbals  and  drums  is  the  pleasant  sound  that  you  hear,  0 
king  of  the  gods."  The  Lord  smiled  and,  perceiving  his 
arrogance,  strung  his  bow  and  fitted  an  arrow  to  the  string. 
Dohd]4:.  1%-f^ 

A  single  shaft  struck  umbrella,  crown  and  ear-drop  ;  in 
the  sight  of  all  they  fell  to  the  ground,  and  none  could  ex- 
plain the  mystery.     Having  performed  this  startling  feat. 


532  LANKA. 

Rdma*8  arrows  returned  and   dropt  into  the  quiver.     But 
Ravan  and  the  whole  assembly  were  niuch  disturbed  when 
they  saw  this  interruption  to  their  revel. 
Chaupdi. 
"  There  was  no  earthquake,  nor  wind  to  speak  of,  nor 
did  we  see  a  missile  of  any  kind,"  thus  they  pondered  each 
to  himself.     "  It  is  certainly   a  most   alarming  ill  omen." 
When  R^van  perceived  that  the  assembly  had  taken  fright, 
he  smiled  and  invented  an  ingenious  answer  :  "Even  when 
I  lost  my  heads,  I  came  to  no  harm  ;  now,  only  my  crowns 
have  dropt  off  ;  what  ill-luck  is  there  in  that  ?  Go  home  all 
of  you  and  go  to  sleep."     They  bowed   and  took  their  leave. 
But  anxiety  had  settled  in  Mandodari's  bosom  the  moment 
the  jewel  had  dropt  from  her  ear  to  the  ground.     With 
streaming  eyes  and  hands  clasped  in  prayer,  she  cried  :  "  0 
lord  of  my  life,   hearken  to  my   petition.     0  my  husband, 
give  over  fighting  against  RAma,  and   do  not  indulge  your 
pride  with  the  idea  that  he  is  a  mere  man. 

Dohd  15.  ^ 

The  jewel  of  the  line  of  Raghu,  believe   what  I  say,  is 
the  omnipresent  God,  in   whose  every   limb,  as  the  Vedas 
declare,  is  the  fabric  of  a  world. 
Chaupdi. 

His  feet  are  the  infernal  regions,  his  head  the  abode  of 
Brahma,  and  in  every  limb  subsists  some  separate  sphere  ; 
the  play  of  his  brows  is  the  doom  of  fate,  his  eyes  are  the 
sun,  his  hair  the  dark  thunder-cloud,  his  nostrils  are  the 
twin  sons  of  Asvini,  and  the  constant  winking  of  his  eyes 
the  cause  of  day  and  night.  His  ears,  as  the  Vedas  declare, 
are  the  ten  quarters  of  the  heaven,  his  breath  is  the  wind, 
and  his  articulate  voice  the  scripture.  His  lips  are  greed 
and  his  teeth  the  terrors  of  death  ;  his  smile  is  Mayd  ;  his 
arms  the  regents  of  the  quarters  ;  his  face  is  the  element 
of  fire;  his  tongue,  water  ;  and  his  movements  the  creation, 
preservation  and   destruction   of  the  universe.     The   hairs 


LANKA. 


533 


on  his   body  are  the  trees   and  bushes   that   grow   on  the 
earth  ;  his   bones  the   mountains,   and  the   net-work  of  his 
veins   the   rivers  ;    his  belly  the  sea,  and  his  hinder  parts* 
hell.     Everything  may  be   called  a   manifestation   of   the 
omnipresent  Lord, 

DoJid  16.  ^^^  ^ 
who  has  Siva  for  his  self-consciousness,  Brdhma  for  his  in- 
telligence, the  moon  for  his  mind,  and  the  great  First  Prin- 
ciple for  his  soul ;  who  not  only  indwells  in  man,  but  also 
assumes  the  form  of  any  animate  or  inanimate  creature,  the 
Lord  God.  i  Hearken,  my  beloved,  ponder  upon  this  and 
cease  to  contend  against  the  Lord  ;  cherish  a  devotion  to 
Rdma's  feet,  and  then  my  happy  estate  shall  never  fail." 

1  The  terminology  here  employed  is  that  of  the  Sankhya  philosophy 
according  to  which  everything  is  evolved  or  produced  from  an  original 
primordial  tattra,  or  eternally  existing  esFcnce,  called  Prakriti.  From  it 
proceed  seven  productions,  which  are  also  producers,  and  thence  sixteen 
other  principles,  which  are  productions  only,  not  producers.  Soul  pvrusha, 
the  twenty-fifth  essence,  is  neither  a  production  nor  a  producer.  The  first 
production  of  Prakriti  is  Buddhi,  commonly  called  intellect  or  intellectual 
perception,  and  variously  termed  Mafiaf,  from  its  being  the  Great  source, 
of  the  two  other  internal  faculties,  Ahanliara,  '  self-consciousness',  and 
JUayi  as  or  'mind'.  Third  in  order  comes  this  Ahankara,  the  'I-making 
faculty,  that  is,  self- consciousness,  or  the  sense  of  individuality  [sometimes 
conveniently  termed  ego-ism]  which  produces  the  next  five  principles,  called 
Tan-matras,  or  subtle  elementary  paiticles,  out  of  which  the  grosser  ele- 
ments [Mahd-bhuta]  are  evolved.  Th(se  are  dkasa,  ether  ;  arayv,  air  ;  tejas 
or  jyotis,  fire  or  light  ;  dpas,  water  ;  and  prkthivi  or  Ihumi,  earth,  in  addi- 
tion to  the  five  tan-mdtras,  the  third  producer,  Ahankara,  produces  also 
the  eleven  organs  viz.,  the  five  organs  of  sense,  Mdhindriyam,  the  ear,  skin, 
eye,  nose  and  tongue  ;  the  five  organs  of  action,  Tiarviendriydm,  the  larynx, 
hand,  foot  and  the  excretory  and  generative  organs  ;  and  an  eleventh  organ 
standing  between  these  two  sets,  called  matias  '  the  mind,'  which  is  an  internal 
organ  of  perception,  volition,  and  action.  Thus  the  eight  producers,  f?c , 
Prakriti,  Buddhi,  Ahankara,  and  the  five  tan-matras,  with  the  five  grosser 
elements  and  the  eleven  organs,  constitute  the  true  elements  of  the  phenomenal 
world  ;  the  most  important— after  the  mere  unintelligent  original  germ, 
Prakriti — being  Ahanhara.  (See  Monier  Williams'  Indian  Wisdom). 
It  is  tolerably  clear  that  these  categories  were  in  the  mind  of  Tulsi  Das 
at  the  time  of  writing,  but  he  has  employed  them  in  a  loose  and  popular 
way.  Thus  niakan,  which  is  strictly  a  synonym  for  Ahankara,  seems  in 
the  text  to  stand  rather  for  Prakriti.  In  Rjlma  Jasan's  edition  of  the  text 
the  words  are  wrongly  divided.  As  is  frequently  the  case  with  native 
Sanskrit  scholars  when  commenting  on  Hindi  literature,  the  editor  would 
seem  to  have  read  the  passage  too  exclusively  by  the  light  of  Sanskrit 
authorities.  Prakriti  may  be  explained  as  non-extended  energy ;  unconscious 
life  moving  on  towards  consciousness  ;  a  latent  ego  destined  to  put  forth  con- 
scious thought  when  the  conditions  of  the  environment  allow  of  it.  With  in- 
crease of  power  there  comes  an  increased  ahankara,  self-consciousness,  or 
development  of  the  ego  into  a  personage,  individual,  self-balanced,  mq,ster  of 
its  resources,  characteristic,  sui  generis^  himself. 


534  LANKA. 

Chaupdi. 
He  laughed  when  he  heard  his  wife's  speech.  "  Won- 
•derful,  indeed,  is  the  power  of  infatuation.  The  poets  have 
truly  described  woman's  nature.  There  are  eight  faults 
from  which  she  is  never  free  at  heart  ;  imprudence,  false- 
hood, fickleness,  infatuation,  timidity,  want  of  judgment, 
impurity,  and  illiberality.  You  have  declared  all  the  mani- 
festations of  the  enemy  and  told  me  a  most  alarming  story; 
but,  my  dear,  I  see  through  it  at  once  and  perfectly  un- 
derstand your  kindness.  I  recognize  your  cleverness,  my 
dear,  for  in  this  way  you  have  exalted  my  power.  Your 
words,  fair  dame,  are  obscure  ;  but  they  are  auspicious 
when  understood,  though  they  sound  alarming.^  "  Then 
Mandodari  perceived  that  her  husband's  infatuation  was 
the  fated  forerunner  of  his  ruin. 

Dohd  17.      O-*^ 
In  such  diverse  ways  did  RAvan  amuse  himself  until  the 
dawn  appeared,  when  the  lord  of  Lankd,  fearless  by  nature 
and  further  blinded  by  pride,  entered  the  council  chamber. 
Sorathd  2.      r)iJ^ 
Though  the  clouds  rain  ambrosia  upon  it,  the    bamboo 
neither  flowers  nor  fruits  ;  so  the  soul  of  a  fool  never  learns, 
though  he  have  BrAhma  and  Siva  for  his  teachers. 
Ghawpdi. 
Now  Rima  woke  at  break  of   day   and   summoned   his 
ministers,  to  take  counsel  of  them.     "Quick,   tell  me  what 
course  should  be  adopted."     Jjimbavd,n  bowed  his  head   at 
his  feet  and  said  :  '*  Hearken,   omniscient    observer  of   all 
men's  hearts,  perfection  of  wisdom,  power,  majesty,  justice 
and  every  good  quality.     I  thus  advise  you  to  the  best   of 
my  ability  :  send  the  son  of  Bili  as  an  ambassador."  Every 
one  heartily  approved    this  good  suggestion,  and  the   All- 
merciful  said  to  Angad  :   "  Son   of   B^ili,  wise,   strong   and 

1  The  word  Dhaymocluini  would  seem  to  be  here  itself  used  in  an  ob- 
scure, sense  as  an  illustration  of  the  ambiguous  language  to  which  the 
speaker  refers.  Its  ordinary  signification  would  be  ♦  delivering  from  fear  ;'  but 
it  may  also  Iw  interpreted  as  '  letting  loose,'  that  is,  'causing'  fear,  'alarming.' 


LANKA.  535 

virtuous,  go  to  Lank^,  my  son,  in  my  service.  Why  should 
I  give  you  any  lengthy  instructions  ?  I  am  aware  of  your 
distinguished  ability.  Frame  your  address  to  the  enemy 
in  such  a  way  that  he  will  agree  to  my  requirements." 
Soraihd  3.  'p,  $  -  ^  'o 
Obedient  to  his  lord's  command  and  bowing  at  his  feet 
Angad  arose,  crying  :  "  0,  R^ma,  any  one  on  whom  you 
show  favour  becomes  possessed  of  every  virtue.  You  have 
graciously  granted  me,  my  lord,  your  own  good  fortune 
for  the  accomplishment  of  this  task  of  yours."  At  this 
thought  the  young  prince  exulted  at  heart  and  his  whole 
body  quivered  with  excitement. 

Chawpdi. 
After  prostrating  himself  at  his  feet  and  imprinting  the 
image  of  his  majesty  on  his  soul,  Angad  bowed  to  the  assem- 
bly and  went  forth,  the  delighter  in  battle,  the  gallant  son 
of  Bdli,  dauntless  by  nature  and  his  heart  all  a  glow  with  the 
might  of  his  lord.  As  he  entered  the  city,  he  came  across 
Rdvan's  son,  who  was  playing  there.  From  words  they  pro- 
ceeded to  a  struggle;  both  of  unequalled  strength  and  in 
the  prime  of  their  youth  to  boot.  He  raised  his  foot  to  kick 
Angad,  who  at  once  seized  him  b}^  it  and  swung  him  round 
and  dashed  him  to  the  ground.  All  the  demons,  even  the 
stoutest  warriors  among  them,  who  saw  the  deed,  dispersed 
hither  and  thither,  but  dared  not  give  the  alarm  ;  they  did 
not  even  whisper  to  one  another,  but  remained  silent,  when 
they  saw  his  death.  A  rumour,  however,  was  noised  through 
the  city  :  "  The  monkey  who  set  Lanka  on  fire  has  come 
again  ;  what  has  God  in  store  for  us  now  ?"  Thus  they  all 
pondered  in  excessive  dismay.  Without  being  asked  they 
showed  him  the  road  :  if  he  but  looked  at  any  one  he  wit- 
hered away. 

Bohd  18. 

Then  with  his  thoughts  fixed  on  Rama's  lotus  feet  he 
entered  the  Council  Hall,  with  the  gait  of  a  lion,  glancing 
on  this  side  and  that,  a  bold  and  stalwart  hero. 


536  LANKA. 

One  of  the  demons  was  immediately  despatched  to 
report  the  news  to  RAvan.  On  hearing  it,  the  Ten-headed 
cried  with  a  laugh  :  "  Go  and  bring  this  strange  monkey 
here."  On  receiving  this  order,  a  number  of  his  messen- 
gers ran  and  fetched  the  monkey-chief.  In  Angad's  eyes 
the  Ten-headed  appeared  like  the  Black  mountain  endued 
with  life ;  his  arms  like  trees,  his  head  a  rocky  peak,  the 
hair  on  his  body  as  it  were  all  kinds  of  creepers,  and  his 
mouth,  nose,  eyes  and  ears  like  caves  and  chasms  in  the 
rock.  Without  the  slightest  trepidation  of  heart  he  entered 
the  Court,  the  son  of  Bali  ;  most  dauntless  of  heroes-  The 
assembly  rose  at  the  sight  of  the  monkey  ;  but  in  R^ van's 
heart  was  ungovernable  fury. 

Dohd  19.  ^<^ 

As  when  a  lion  enters  among  a  herd  of  mad  elephants, 
so  after  bowing  to  the  assembly  he  took  his  seat,  his  thoughts 
ever  fixed  on  Rdma's  power. 

Chaupdi. 

Rdvan  asked  :  "  Monkey,  who  are  you  ?"  "  I  am  an  am- 
bassador from  Rdma,  Rivan.  There  was  friendship  between 
you  and  my  father  ;  and  on  that  account,  brother,  I  have 
come  to  you  to  do  you  a  service.  Of  high  descent,  the 
grandson  of  Pulastya,  you  duly  worshipped  Siva  and 
Brahma,  obtained  your  prayer  of  them  accomplished  all  you 
undertook  and  conquered  the  guardians  of  the  eight  quarters 
and  every  earthly  sovereign.  Now  under  the  influence  of 
royal  arrogance  or  some  delusion  you  have  carried  off  Sita, 
the  mother  of  the  world.  Yet  hearken  to  my  friendly  ad- 
voice  and  the  Lord  will  still  pardon  you.  Put  a  straw  be- 
tween your  teeth  and  an  axe  to  your  throat,  and  with  all 
your  family  and  your  own  wife  and  with  Janak's  daughter 
placed  respectfully  at  your  head,  go  all  of  you  in  this  wise 
without  any  alarm, 

Dohd  20.      /^ 
crying,   '  0  jewel  of  the  race  of   Raghu,   defender  of   the 


LANKA.  537 

suppliant,  save  now  me,  even  me,'  and  when  he  hears  your 
piteous  cry  the  Lord  will  set  your  mind  at  rest." 

Ghaupdi. 
"  Ah,  you  wretched  monkey,  take  care  what  you  are 
saying.  Fool,  do  you  not  know  that  I  am  the  declared  ene- 
my of  the  gods  ?  Tell  me  your  own  name  and  your  father's, 
friend,  and  through  what  relation  you  claim  alliance." 
"  My  name  is  Angad  ;  I  am  the  son  of  B^li,  with  whom  you 
once  were  on  terms  of  friendship."  On  hearing  Angad's 
reply,  he  was  confused.  "  I  admit,  monkey,  that  it  was  so 
with  Bdli  :  but  if  Angad  is  that  Bali's  son,  he  has  been 
born  as  a  fire-brand  for  the  destruction  of  his  race.  The 
womb  that  bare  you,  forsooth,  was  not  pregnant  for  nothing; 
who  with  your  own  mouth  confess  yourself  a  liermit's  envoy. 
Tell  me  now,  is  all  well  with  B^li  ?  "  Angad  laughed  and 
replied  :  "  Ten  days  hence  go  to  B<jli  and  embrace  your 
old  friend  and  ask  him  yourself  of  his  welfare.  He  will  tell 
you  the  kind  of  welfare  that  results  from  fighting  against 
Rtoa.  Hearken,  fool  ;  he  is  a  man  divided  against  himself 
whose  heart  is  closed  to  the  divine  Raghubir. 

Dohd  21.     io 
I,    forsooth,   am   the   destroyer   of  my  race,  while  you,  Rd- 
van,  are  the  preserver  of  yours.     Who  can  say  that  you  are    I 
blind  or  deaf  while  you  have  twenty  eyes  and  twenty  ears  ? 

Ghaupdi. 
What !  I  disgrace  my  family  by  acting  as  his  ambassador 
whose  feet  Siva  and  BrAhma  and  all  the  gods  and  saints  de- 
sire to  serve  :  your  heart  should  burst  asunder  for  entertain- 
ing such  an  idea."  When  he  heard  the  monkey's  fierce  re- 
joinder, R^van  glared  at  him  and  cried  :  "  Wretch,  I  suffer 
all  your  abuse  because  I  understand  the  maxims  of  state- 
craft and  religion."  Said  the  monkey  :  "  I  have  heard  of 
the  piety  and  virtue  you  showed  in  stealing  away  another 
man's  wife  ;  and  how  you  were  so  good  and  patient  that 
you  did  not  drown  yourself  at  the  sight  of  your  messengers 

R-71 


538  LANKA. 

and  watchmen,  and  from  pious  motives  forgave  the  wrong 
when  you  saw   your  sister   with  her  nose  and   ears  cut  off. 
Your  piety  and  virtue  are  renowned  throughout  the  world  ; 
I  am  most  fortunate  in  being  able  to  see  you." 
Dohd  22.    i\'l% 

"Prate  no  more,  you  stupid  brute,  but  look  at  my  arms, 
you  impudent  monkey,  very  Rahus  as  they  have  proved  to 
eclipse  the  full-moon-like  might  of  the  Lokp^ls  :  while 
Sambhu  and  KaiMs  in  the  palm  of  my  lotus  hand  were  but 
as  the  stately  swan  in  the  heavenly  lake. 
Ghaupdi . 

Hearken,  Angad  ;  tell  me  what  champion  there  is  in  all 
your  army  who  is  a  match  for  me.  Your  lord  has  lost 
strength  through  pining  for  his  bride;  his  younger  brother 
too  is  all  sad  and  forlorn  ;  you  and  Sugriva  are  each  the 
curse  of  your  family  ;  while  my  brother  is  an  utter  coward. 
Your  counsellor,  Jambavan,  is  so  stricken  in  years  that  he 
can  no  longer  enter  the  field  of  battle.  Nala  and  Nila  are 
good  architects,  and  there  is  one  monkey,  no  doubt,  of 
exceptional  strength,  he  who  came  first  and  set  fire  to  the 
city."  On  hearing  this  Angad  replied  :  *'  Tell  me  the  truth 
now,  0  demon  king  ;  is  it  a  fact  that  a  monkey  burnt  down 
your  city  ?  A  poor  little  monkey  set  Rd van's  capital  on 
fire  I  Who,  on  hearing  this  said,  could  believe  it  true  ? 
He,  RAvan,  whom  you  extol  as  so  distinguished  a  cham- 
pion, is  only  one  of  Sugriva's  inferior  runners.  He  is  a  good 
one  to  go,  but  no  fighter  :  we  only   sent  him  to  get  news. 

Dohd  23.      J3''3i 

Is  it  true  that  a  monkey  set  fire  to  the  city  without  any 
order  from  his  lord  ?  This  is  why  he  did  not  go  back  to 
Sugriva,  but  kept  himself  out  of  sight  for  fear.  All  that 
you  have  said,  Ktivan,  is  quite  true,  and  I  am  not  in  the 
least  angry  at  hearing  it,  :  there  is  not  any  one  in  our  army 
who  would  be  a  fair  match  for  you.  Take  your  friends  and 
enemies  from  among  your  equals  is  a  good  sound  maxim  : 
if  a  lion  kills  a  frog,    who  thinks   it  a  fine  deed  ?     Though 


LANKA. 


5^ 


I 


it  is  no  glory  to  RAma  to  kill  you,  however  great  your 
offence,  still,  mark  nae,  Rdvan,  the  fury  of  the  Kshatriya 
clan  is  hard  to  withstand."  The  monkey  foe  set  his  heart 
on  fire  with  the  arrows  of  speech  shot  forth  from  the  bow 
of  sarcastic  eloquence,  and  it  was,  so  to  speak,  only  with  a 
pair  of  pincers  that  the  dauntless  Rdvan  could  get  out  a 
rejoinder.  At  last  he  laughed  and  cried  :  "  A  monkey  has, 
at  all  events,  one  good  quality  ;  he  will  do  anything  to  serve 
the  man  who  feeds  him. 

Ghaupdi. 

Bravo  for  a  monkey  who,  regardless  of  shame,  skips  up 
and  down  in  his  master's  service  :  dancing  and  jumping 
about  to  amuse  the  people,  he  does  his  duty  by  his  employer 
right  well.  All  of  your  race,  Angad,  are  devoted  to  their 
lord  ;  it  is  quite  natural  for  you  to  speak  of  your  master's 
good  qualities  in  the  way  you  do.  But  I  am  too  sagacious 
in  appreciating  merit  to  pay  any  attention  to  your  insolent 
tirade."  Said  the  monkey  ;  "  Hanuman  gave  me  a  very 
true  account  of  your  generosity.  Though  he  had  laid  waste 
your  garden,  killed  your  son  and  set  fire  to  your  city,  still 
you  would  not  do  him  any  harm.  It  was  in  reliance  upon 
your  magnanimity,  R^van,  that  I  have  been  thus  outspoken. 
Now  that  I  am  here,  I  see  that  whatever  a  monkey  may  say 
will  neither  put  you  to  shame  nor  excite  you  to  anger  or 
resentment."  Your  cleverness,  monkey,  is  so  great  that  it 
might  well  be  the  death  of  your  father."  So  cried  the 
Ten-headed  and  burst  into  a  laugh.  "  After  being  the 
death  of  my  father,  I  would  now  be  the  death  of  you  too, 
had  I  not  just  thought  of  something.  I  look  upon  you  as  a 
monument  of  Bali's  honour  and  renown,  and  that  is  why  I 
do  not  slay  you,  you  wretched  braggart.  Come,  Rav^n, 
tell  me  how  many  R.4vans  there  are  in  the  world,  or  listen 
while  I  tell  you  how  many  I  have  heard  of.  One  went  down 
into  hell  to  conquer  Bali,  where  the  children  tied  him  up 
in  the  stable  and  made  sport  of  him  and  buffeted  him,  till 
Bali  took  pity  on  him  and  let  him  go.     Another   again  was 


540  LANKA. 

discovered  by  Sahasra-b^hu,  who  ran  and  secured  him  as  a 
curiosity  and  took  him  home  for  a  show,  till  Saint  Pulastya 
came  and  rescued  him. 

Doha  24.  i^ 

Another,  as  I  am  ashamed  to  say,  was  held  tight  under 
Bali's  arm.  Do  not  be  angry,^  Rdvan,  but  tell  me  the  truth, 
which  of  all  these  are  you  ?" 

Chaupdi. 

"  Hearken,  fool  ;  I  am  that  mighty  Rdvan,  the  action 
of  whose  arms  is  well-known  by  KaiUs  and  his  valour  by 
Siva  ;  for  him  1  worshipped  not  with  flowers  but  with  my 
own  heads,  which  I  took  off  with  my  own  lotus  hands  times 
innumerable,  when  I  worshipped  Tripurari.  The  guardians 
of  the  eight  quarters  know  the  might  of  my  arms  ;  in  their 
heart,  you  fool,  is  sore  distress  to-day.  The  elephants  who 
support  the  world  learnt  also  the  hardness  of  my  chest 
whenever  I  closed  with  them  in  conflict  ;  their  mighty 
tusks,  though  never  broken  before,  snapt  o£E  like  radishes 
when  they  struck  against  my  front.  As  I  moved,  earth 
quivered  like  a  small  boat  when  a  wild  elephant  steps  into 
it.  I  am  that  glorious  and  renowned  R^van  ;  have  you  no 
ears  to  hear,  you  lying  chatterer  ? 

Dohd  25.    \\C 

This  is  the  Rdvan  of  whom  you  make  light,  while  you 
exalt  a  mere  man.  Ah  vile  monkey,  infamous  wretch,  are 
you  at  last  beginning   to  understand  ?" 

Chaupdi. 

On  hearing  this,  Angad  replied  indignantly:  "Give  over 
talking,  you  pitiful  boaster.  He,  whose  axe  was  like  a  fire 
to  consume  Sahasra-bdhu's  mighty  forest  of  arms ;  whose 
sword  was  like  the  tide  of  the  salt  sea,  in  which  kings  in- 
numerable have  been  drowned  time  after  time;  and  at  the 
sight  of  whose  majesty  every  one  took  to  flight,  how  can 
he  be  accounted  a  man,   you    wretched  R4van  ?     How    can 

1  A/dnkk  here  stands  for  mAsh,  which  occurs  elsewhere  in  the  poem 
with  the  sense  of  '  anger.' 


LANKA.  541 

Rdma  be  a  mere  man,  you  arrogant  fool  ?  Is  Kdmadeva  an 
ordinary  archer ;  is  the  Ganges  merely  a  river  :  the  cow  of 
plenty  only  a  cow  ;  the  tree  of  Paradise  only  a  tree  ;  is  cha- 
rity only  so  much  grain ;  is  ambrosia  any  liquid  ;  Gardr  a 
mere  bird  ;  Seshndg  a  serpent,  and  the  philosopher's  stone, 
R^van,  only  a  stone  ?  Hearken,  0  dull  of  understanding  ; 
is  Vaikunth  an  ordinary  world,  or  absolute  faith  in  Rdmaa 

common  blessing. 

Doha  2^.       1^1 

Fool,  how  was  it  that  the  monkey  Hanumdn  escaped, 
after  trampling  on  the  pride  of  you  and  your  army,  laying 
waste  your  garden,  setting  fire  to  your  city  and  slaying  your 
son  ? 

Ghaupdi. 
Hearken,  R^van  ;  have  done  with  conceit  and  worship 
R^ma,  the  all-merciful.  If  you  are  foolish  enough  to  pro- 
voke Rdma,  neither  Brahma  nor  Rudra  has  the  power  to 
protect  you.  Do  not  puff  yourself  out  with  vain  delusions  ; 
if  you  fight  against  Rilma,  this  will  be  your  fate  :  smitten 
by  Rdma's  arrows,  your  many  heads  will  fall  to  the  ground, 
in  front  of  the  monkeys,  and  they  and  the  bears  will  play 
polo  with  them,  as  if  they  were  so  many  balls.  When 
R^ma  waxes  wroth  in  battle,  his  arrows  fly  quick  and 
terrible.  Will  you  then  persist  in  your  vain  boasting  and 
not  rather  be  wise  and  adore  his  clemency  ?"  On  hearing 
these  words  Rdvan  flared  up  afresh,  like  a  blazing  fire  upon 
which  butter  has  been  cast. 

Doha  27. 
"  Have  you  never   heard   of  my  brother    Kumbha-karn 
and  my    renowned    son    Indrajit   and    my  own    valour,  by 
which  I  have  conquered  the  whole  universe  ? 

Ghawpdi. 
Fool,  with  the  help  of  his  monkey  friends  he  has  bridged 
the   sea,  but  what   is   that   to   be   proud   of  ?     Birds   in- 
numerable traverse  the  ocean,  yet  they  are  no  heroes.     Now 
mark  me,  monkey  :    my  arms  are  like  a   sea   filled  with  a 


542  LANKA. 

fl(X)d  of  strength,  beneath  which  many  gods,  nien  and 
heroes  have  been  drowned.  Who  is  there  so  strong  that 
he  can  overcome  these  twenty  unfathomable  and  boundless 
oceans  ?  I  even  made  the  Dig-pals  draw  water  for  me. 
You  have  told  me,  poor  wretch,  of  your  king's  renown,  but 
if  your  lord  is  so  valiant  in  battle  as  one  would  judge  from 
the  way  in  which  you  harp  on  his  achievements,  then  why 
does  he  send  an  ambassador  ?  Is  he  not  ashamed  to  make 
terms  with  an  enemy  ?  Look  at  my  arms,  which  could 
treat  mount  Kailas  as  a  mere  churningstic!?,  and  then, 
foolish  monkey,  sing,  if  you  will,  the  praises  of  your  lord. 
Dohd  28.      u/^ 

What  hero  is  there  equal  to  R  ivan,   who,   with  his  own 
hands,  cut  off  his  own  heads,   and    delighted  to  cast  them 
into  the  fire,  time  after  time,  as  Siva  is  witness. 
Chaupdi. 

When  I  saw  the  skull  burning,  with  the  letters  traced 
on  my  forehead  by  the  Creator,  and  read  that  my  death 
was  to  be  at  the  hands  of  a  man,  I  laughed,  for  I  knew  the 
divine  prophecy  to  be  untrue.  When  I  remember  this,  I 
have  no  fear  :  Brahma  must  have  written  when  he  was  old 
and  stupid.  Are  you  not  then  ashamed,  you  fool,  to  keep 
boasting  of  any  warrior's  strength  as  compared  with  mine?" 
Angad  replied  :  "  There  is  no  one  in  the  whole  world, 
Rdvan,  so  shamefaced  as  you.  Your  modesty  is  so  innate 
that  you  never  speak  of  your  own  merits.  You  are  always 
thinking  of  the  old  story  of  your  heads  and  the  mountain, ^ 
and  that  is  the  reason  why  you  tell  it  me  twenty  times  over. 
Bury  deep  in  your  heart  the  remembrance  of  that  strength 
of  arm  by  which  you  overcame  Sahasra-b^hu  and  Bali  and 
Bali  ;  but  hearken,  0  dull  of  soul,  make  the  business  com- 
plete ;  if  a  man  who  cuts  off  his  head  is  a  hero,  what  a  hero 
a  juggler  must  be.  who  with  his  own  hands  cuts  his  whole 
body  to  pieces. 

1  That  i8  to  say.   of  how  you  cut  off  your  ten  heads  as  a  sacrifice  to  Siva 
and  how  you  uprooted  mount  KailAs. 


LANKA.  543 

Dohd  29.     ^    ' 

A  moth  is  infatuated  enough  to  burn  itself  to  death, 
and  an  ass  bears  any  burden,  but  they  are  not  called 
heroes  :  look,  stupid,  and  understand. 

Chaupdi. 

Boast  no  more  in  arrogant  speech,  but  listen  modestly 
to  my  advice.  I  have  not  come,  Rdvan,  as  an  envoy  to  pro- 
pose terms,  but  Raghubir  has  sent  me  from  another  motive. 
In  his  mercy  he  has  said  again  and  again,  '  It  is  no  honour 
for  a  lion  to  kill  a  jackal.'  Pondering  at  heart  on  my  lord's 
words,  I  have  submitted,  wretch,  to  your  injurious  speech  ; 
otherwise,  I  would  have  broken  your  head  and  carried  off 
Sita,  the  fair  bride.  I  know  all  about  your  strength,  vile 
enemy  of  heaven,  how  in  Hari's  absence  you  robbed  him  of 
his  wife.  Your  pride,  demon  l^ing,  is  great,  but  T  am  the 
messenger  of  Rdma's  servants,  and  if  I  were  not  afraid  of 
displeasing  him,  I  would  as  soon  as  look  at  you  make  you 
a  perfect  spectacle.  , 

Dohd  30.    -' 

After  dashing  you  to  the  ground  and  routing  your  army 
and  destroying  your  city,  I  would  have  carried  off  Sita  with 
all  the  ladies  of  your  household. 

Chaupdi. 

If  I  had  done  so,  it  would  still  be  no  great  matter;  there 
is  no  valour  shown  in  slaying  the  slain.  Now  an  outcast,  a 
man  mad  with  lust,  a  miser,  a  destitute  beggar,  a  man  in 
disgrace,  a  man  in  extreme  old  age,  one  who  is  always  ill  or 
always  in  a  passion,  a  rebel  against  Vishnu,  a  hater  of  reli- 
gion and  the  saints,  a  man  who  thinks  only  of  his  own  body, 
a  scandal-monger  and  a  man  thoroughly  vicious,  these 
twelve  even  while  they  live  are  no  better  than  corpses.  On 
this  account,  wretch,  I  do  not  slay  you,  but  do  not  provoke 
me  further."  On  hearing  this,  the  demon  king  cried  in  a 
fury  :—"  Though  small  of  stature,  you  have  spoken  big 
words.  0  foolish  monkey,  he  of  whose  might  you  vaunt  so 
fiercely,  has  no  might,  or  sense,  or  glory  at  all. 


544  LANitA. 

Dohd  31.  ^4  -  ^1 
Seeing  him  to  be  of  no  worth  or  dignity,  his  father 
banished  him,  and  this  is  a  sorrow  to  him,  as  also  is  the 
loss  of  his  wife  ;  while  his  terror  of  me  oppresses  him  night 
and  day.  Proud  as  you  are  of  his  might,  there  are  thou- 
sand of  men  like  him,  whom  my  demons  devour  every  day 
and  night.  Cease  your  perverseness,  fool,  and  come  to 
your  senses." 

Ghaupdi. 
When  he  thus  abused  RAma,  the  monkey  prince  waxed 
wroth.  Those  who  open  their  ears  to  attacks  upon  Hari  and 
Hara  are  as  guilty  as  if  they  had  killed  a  cow.  The  huge 
monkey  gnashed  his  teeth  and  taking  him  in  his  two  arms 
hurled  him  furiously  to  the  ground.  The  earth  shook,  the 
assembly  quaked  and  took  to  flight  as  if  driven  by  a  hurri- 
cane of  terror.  Rdvan  raised  himself  from  his  fall  and  sat 
up,  but  his  magnificent  diadems  had  fallen  to  tlie  ground  ; 
part  he  took  and  re-arranged  on  his  heads,  part  Angad  des- 
patched to  his  lord.  When  the  monkeys  saw  the  crowns 
coming,  they  ran  away,  crying  "Good  God,  here  are  stars 
falling  in  the  day  time,  or  R^van  in  his  fury  has  sent  forth 
four  thunderbolts  that  come  with  rushing  speed."  The 
Lord  smiled  and  said  :— ''Fear  not  at  heart;  here  is  no  star, 
nor  sword,  nor  either  Ketu  or  BAhu  ;  those  are  RAvan's 
crowns,  which  come  as  despatched  by  the  son  of  BAli  " 

Dohd  32.  [L% 

The  son  of  the  Wind  sprang  forward  and  caught  them 
in  his  hand  and  brought  and  laid  them  at  his  lord's  feet  : 
the  bears  and  monkeys  gazed  in  astonishment  at  the  sight, 
for  their  brilliancy  was  like  that  of  the  sun.  On  the  other 
hand,  Rivan  in  his  wrath  cried  furiously  to  one  and  all  — 
"  Seize  the  monkey,  seize  him  and  kill  him."  Angad  heard 
and  smiled. 

Chaupdi. 
"  In  like  manner  sally  forth  in  haste,  all  ye  mighty  men, 
and  devour  every  bear  and  monkey  wherever  ye  find  one- 


I 


LANKA.  545 

Go  and  leave  not  a  single  monkey  in  the  whole  world,  but 
take  alive  the  tvvo  hermit  brothers."  The  prince  replied  in- 
dignantly :— "  Are  you  not  ashamed  to  bluster  like  this. 
Cut  your  throat  and  die,  you  reckless  destroyer  of  your  own 
family  ;  does  not  your  heart  crack  at  the  sight  of  his  power. 
Ah  !  villainous  woman-stealer,  compound  of  all  that  is  mean 
and  Impure,  sensual  dullard,  though  at  death's  door,  you  still 
babble  abuse  ;  Fate  has  you  in  his  toils,  wretched  cannibal. 
Hereafter  you  shall  reap  the  fruit  of  this,  when  the  bears 
and  monkeys  belabour  you  :  but  when  you  thus  speak  of 
Rdma  as  a  man,  I  wonder  your  proud  tongue  does  not  drop 
off :  and  beyond  a  doubt  it  will  drop  off  to  the  ground,  head 

and  all,  in  the  battle. 

Soraihd  4.     ^   ^ -  /' cr 

How  can  he  be  a  mere  man,  Rivan,  who  slew  B^li  with 
a  single  arrow  ?  you  are  blind  with  all  your  twenty  eyes  ; 
a  curse  on  your  birth,  you  baseborn  fool.  RAma's  arrows 
are  all  athirst  to  drink  your  blood  :  for  fear  of  him  I  spare 
you,  insolent  boaster,  contemptible  demon. 

Ghaupdi. 

I  am  quite  able  to  smash  your  jaws,  but  Rdma  has  given 
me  no  order  ;  otherwise  I  am  so  enraged  that  I  would  cleave 
asunder  your  ten  heads  and  take  up  Lanki  and  drop  it  in 
the  sea.  Your  Lanka  is  like  a  fig  on  a  gdlar  tree,  and  you 
the  unsuspecting  insect  that  lives  in  it.  I,  like  a  monkey, 
would  lose  no  time  in  eating  the  fruit,  but  the  gracious 
R^ma  has  given  me  no  order."  On  hearing  this  simile, 
Ravan  smiled  :  -"  Fool,  where  did  you  learn  to  tell  such 
lies  ;  B^li  never  blustered  like  this  ;  intercourse  with  the 
hermits  has  made  you  such  a  boaster."  "  If  I  do  not  tear 
out  your  ten  tongues.  Twenty-arms,  of  a  truth,  I  am  a  mere 
boaster."  As  he  thought  on  Rdma's  power,  the  monkey 
waxed  wroth  ;  he  planted  his  foot  firm  and  offered  the 
assembly  this  wager:  -"If  you  can  stir  my  foot,  you 
wretch,  Rdma  will  take  to  flight  and  I  lose  Sf  ta."  "  Hearken, 
champions  all,"  cried  Rdvan,  "  seize  this  monkey  by  the  leg 

R-72 


5^  LANKA. 

and  throw  him  to  the  ground."  Indrajit  and  the  other  men 
of  valour  in  their  different  ranks  all  rose  with  joy,  but 
though  they  fell  upon  him  with  their  full  strength  and  with 
many  a  trick,  his  foot  did  not  stir,  and  they  bowed  their 
head  and  sat  down  again.  Again  the  enemy  of  the  gods 
rose  to  the  contest ;  but  the  monkey's  foot  moved  no  more, 
Garur,  than  the  standard  of  selfishness  planted  in  the  soul 
of  a  hypocrite,  which  there  is  no  shaking. 

Dohd  33.  !f  ki^'^ 
Millions  of  warriors,  Meghndd*s  peers,  arose  with  joy  and 
essayed  the  wrestle  ;  but  the  monkey's  foot  did  not  stir,  and 
they  bowed  the  head  and  sat  down  again.  The  pride  of  the 
enemy  was  broken  when  they  saw  that  the  monkey's  foot 
was  moved  from  the  ground  as  little  as  the  soul  of  a  saint 
abandons  the  maxims  of  morality,  though  assailed  by  a 
thousand  difficulties. 

Chaupai. 

When  they  saw  the  monkey's  strength,  they  were  all 
discomforted  at  heart,  till  he  himself  arose  to  try  the  test. 
On  his  grasping  his  foot,  Bali's  son  cried  :— "  There  is  no 
safety  in  clinging  to  my  feet  !  why,  fool,  do  you  not  go  and 
clasp  Rama's  feet  ?  "  On  hearing  this,  he  turned  away  full 
sorry  at  heart,  robbed  of  all  his  dignity,  and  his  majesty 
clean  gone  from  him,  as  when  the  moon  shows  faintly  in 
the  day-time.  With  bowed  head  he  took  his  seat  on  his 
throne,  like  one  despoiled  of  all  his  possessions.  How  can 
there  be  any  rest  for  an  enemy  of  RAma,  the  soul  of  the 
world,  the  lord  of  life  ?  0  Umd,  the  play  of  Rama's  eye- 
brows now  creates  a  universe  and  now  again  destroys  it. 
He  makes  a  blade  of  grass  into  a  thunderbolt  and  again  a 
thunderbolt  into  a  blade  of  grass  ;  how  could  his  messenger 
fail  in  his  challenge  ?  Again  the  monkey  urged  upon  him 
sound  advice  in  every  possible  way ;  but  he  would  not  listen ; 
his  time  had  drawn  near.  When  he  had  sufficiently  tram- 
pled on  the  pride  of  the  enemy  and  exalted  his  master's 
fame,  the  son  of   king  Bdli   left,  saying    "  Why   should   I 


( 


LANKA.  547 

trouble  myself  any  more  about  you  now  ;  T  shall  have  the 
pleasure  of  killing  you  on  the  field."  Rd,van  was  despond- 
ent from  the  very  first  when  he  heard  that  the  monkey  had 
killed  his  son  :  but  the  demons,  when  they  witnessed 
Angad's  challenge,  were  all  still  more  disturbed. 

DohdZi.    yi*i> 

Having  crushed  the  power  of  the  enemy,  the  mighty 
monkey,  the  son  of  B^li,  his  body  quivering  with  emotion 
and  his  eyes  full  of  tears,  clasped  in  delight  Rama's  lotus 
feet.  When  he  saw  it  was  evening,  Rdvan  returned  sadly 
to  the  palace,  where  Mandodari  again  spoke  and  advised 
him  : 

Ghaupdi. 

"  Reflect,  my  husband,  and  abandon  ill  counsel ;  it  is 
not  well  for  you  to  fight  against  RAma.  His  younger  bro- 
ther drew  a  little  line,i  and  even  this  you  could  not  cross  : 
such  is  your  strength  ?  My  beloved,  you  will  never  con- 
quer him  in  battle,  whose  simple  messenger  has  done  such 
great  acts.  Having  lightly  leaped  across  the  sea,  the 
monkey  like  a  dauntless  lion  entered  your  Ldnka,  killed 
your  watchmen,  laid  waste  your  garden,  slew  Achha  as 
soon  as  he  looked  at  him,  and  then  set  fire  to  the  whole  of 
the  city  and  reduced  it  to  ashes.  What  place  is  now  left 
you  for  pride  of  power  ?  Cease,  my  spouse,  from  idle 
vaunts  and  take  my  words  a  little  to  heart.  Do  not  suppose 
that  Rdma  is  a  mere  earthly  king,  but  recognize  in  him 
the  lord  of  all  animate  and  inanimate  creation,  of  infinite 
power.  Mdricha  confessed  the  force  of  his  arrows  ;  you, 
miserable  wretch,  regard  not  his  voice.  Janak's  court  was 
crowded  with  kings,  you  too  were  there  in  all  your  valour  ; 
but  it  was  he  who  broke  the  bow  and  wedded  Sita  ?  why 
did  you  not  conquer  him  in  battle  then  ?  The  son  of  Indra 
felt  a  little  of  his  might  when  he  had  his  life  spared   but 

1  This  line  was  drawn  round  Slta,  as  a  barrier  against  the  demons.  The 
circumstance  is  told  in  the  Sanskrit  RdmAyana,  and  Talsi  Dds,  who  refers 
to  it  here,  forgets  that  he  had  omitted  to  mention  it  in  his  own  poem. 


548  LANKA. 

lost  one  of  his  eyes  ;  and  you  have  yourself  seen  Surpana- 
kha*8  condition:  yet  still  your  heart  continues  absolutely 
uncowed  ; 

Dohd  35. 
Know,  Rdvan,  that   this  is  he   who  slew   Virddha   and 
Khara  and   Ddshan  ;  who   with   the   greatest    ease   killed 
Kabandh  and  disposed  of  B^li  with  a  single  arrow  ; 

Chaupdi. 
who  bridged  the  ocean  as  a  mere  pastime  and  with  all  his 
army  crossed  over  to  Suvela.  But  the  Glory  of  the  Solar 
race  is  full  of  compassion,  and  out  of  regard  to  you  sent 
first  an  envoy  ;  and  even  he  in  the  very  midst  of  your 
court  trampled  on  your  power,  like  a  lion  let  loose  upon  a 
herd  of  elephants.  Seeing  that  Angad  and  Hanum^n  are 
his  servants,  such  brave  and  lusty  leaders  of  the  fray,  how 
can  you,  my  spouse,  persist  in  calling  him  a  man  ;  you  are 
bewildered  by  the  intoxication  of  pride  and  self-conceit. 
0  my  husband,  when  the  quarrel  is  against  R^ma,  fate 
prevents  reasc^n  from  working  in  the  soul.  It  is  not  with 
uplifted  club  that  fate  strikes,  but  by  robbing  a  man  of 
his  religion,  his  strength,  and  his  faculty  of  reason.  When- 
ever, Sir,  a  man's  fate  is  near  at  hand,  he  becomes  infatu- 
ated, as  you  are  now. 

Dohd  36. 
He  has  slain   your  two  sons   and  set  your  city   on  fire  ; 
to-day,  0  my  husband,   let  him  have   your  answer.     0  my 
lord,  adore  the  mercy  of  Rdma   and  thus  win  for   yourself 
the  highest  renown." 

Chaupdi. 
He  heard  out  his  wife's  speech  though  it  pierced  like 
an  arrow,  and  then  arose  and  went  into  the  council-cham- 
ber, for  it  was  now  dawn.  Ashe  took  his  seat  on  his 
throne,  he  swelled  with  excess  of  pride  ;  all  his  terror  was 
forgotten.  On  the  other  side,  Rdma  summoned  Angad,  who 
came  and  bowed  his  head  at  his  lotus  feet,  but  he,  with 
the  utmost  courtesy,  seated  him  by  his  side  and  then  said, 


LANKA.  549 

with  a  smile,  the  gracious  Kharari  : — "  0  son  of  BAli,  I  am 
full  of  curiosity,  answer  truly,  my  son,  to  what  I  ask  you. 
Ravan  is  the  chief  of  all  the  demon  race,  and  the  unbound- 
ed might  of  his  arm  is  famous  throughout  the  world— how 
then  did  you  send  me  four  of  his  crowns  ?  Tell  me,  my  son, 
by  what  device  you  secured  them  ?"  "  Hearken,  all-wise 
protector  of  the  humble,  they  were  not  crowns,  but  the 
four  prerogatives  of  a  king — conciliation  concession,  sub- 
jugation, and  division,  which,  as  the  Vedas  say,  abide  in  a 
king's  soul.  Having  recognized  the  gracious  feet  of  kingly 
polity  and  religion,  they  came  of  themselves  to  their 
sovereign. 

Doha  37. 

Leaving  the  impious  Rdvan,  the  rebel  against  his  lord, 
the  death-doomed,  his  kingly  prerogatives — mark  me,  mo- 
narch of  Kosala — have  come  to  you."  On  hearing  this  most 
ingenious  fancy,  the  gracious  Rima  smiled,  and  the  son  of 
B^li  then  proceeded  to  give  him  all  the  news  from  the  fort. 
Chaupdi. 

When  Rdma  had  heard  his  report  of  the  enemy,  he 
called  all  his  ministers  to  him.  "  Take  counsel  as  to  how 
we  should  attack  the  four  great  gates  of  Lankd."  Then  the 
king  of  the  monkeys  and  the  king  of  the  bears  and  Vibhi- 
shan,  with  their  hearts  fixed  on  the  Glory  of  the  Solar  race, 
took  counsel  and  settled  a  plan  and  divided  the  monkey 
army  into  four  companies.  After  exalting  their  lord's 
power,  they  issued  their  orders  ;  and  the  monkeys  no  sooner 
heard  them  than  they  rushed  forward,  roaring  like  lions. 
First  they  bowed  their  head  with  joy  at  Rdma's  feet  and 
then  the  heroes  sallied  forth,  with  peaks  of  mountains  in 
their  hands,  roaring  and  leaping,  bears  and  monkeys  alike, 
and  shouting  '  Glory  to  Raghubir,  the  sovereign  of  Kosala!' 
Though  they  knew  that  Lank^  was  a  most  formidable 
stronghold,  they  went  on  undismayed,  in  the  strength  of 
their  lord,  spreading  like  a  cloud  over  the  whole  horizon, 
and  with  trumpets  at  their  mouth  making  loud  music, 


550  LANKA. 

Dohd  38.     S^ 
**  Glory  to  Rdma,  glory  to  Lakshman,  glory  to  the  mon- 
key chief,    Sugriva  !  "  such  was  the   lion -roar  of  the  great 
and  valiant  monkeys  and  bears. 

Chaupdi. 
Lanki  was  full  of  the  utmost  confusion  ;  but  Rdvan 
heard  the  news  with  his  wonted  arrogance.  *'  See  the 
impudence  of  these  monkeys,"  he  said  with  a  smile  and 
summoned  his  demon  host.  "  These  monkeys  have  come 
by  the  decree  of  fate  ;  my  demons  wanted  a  meal  "--so 
saying  the  wretch  burst  into  a  loud  laugh—'  and  God  has 
provided  them  with  one,  without  their  going  abroad  to  seek 
it.  Sally  forth  in  every  direction,  my  warriors  all,  and 
seize  these  bears  and  monkeys  and  devour  them."  0  Umii, 
Rivan's  conceit  was  as  great  as  that  of  the  sandpiper, 
when  it  goes  to  sleep  with  its  legs  in  the  air.'  On  receiving 
their  orders,  the  demons,  sallied  forth,  armed  with  slings 
and  mighty  javelins,  clubs,  maces  and  trenchant  axes, 
pikes,  swords,  bludgeons  and  masses  of  rock.  Like  foul 
carnivorous  birds  that  swoop  down  upon  a  heap  of  rubies 
which  they  have  espied,  and  after  breaking  their  beaks 
upon  them  find  out  their  mistake,  so  these  man-eating 
monsters  rushed  forth  in  their  folly. 

Dohd  39. 

Taking  bow  and  arrows   and  weapons  of  every  descrip- 
tion, myriads  upon  myriads  of  the  stoutest  and  most  valiant 
demons  climbed  up  to  the  battlements  of  the  fort. 
Chaupdi. 

The  battlements  of  the  fort  looked  like  the  peaks  of 
Meru  amidst  dense  clouds  Drums  and  other  instruments 
of  music  sounded  for  the  fray,  and  the  soul  of  the  warriors 
was  stirred  by  their  crash.  The  trumpets  and  clarions 
brayed  so  fiercely  that  even  a  coward  on  hearing  them 
would  forget  his  fear.     The  throng  of  monkeys  could  not 


I  And  thiDks  that  they  help  to  support  the  sky. 


Lanka.  551 

be  seen  for  the  mighty  stature  of  the  warrior  bears.  They 
rush  on,  making  no  account  of  the  most  precipitous  passes, 
but  tearing  down  the  rocks  and  so  clearing  a  way  for  them- 
selves. Grinding  their  teeth  and  biting  their  lips  in  their 
excess  of  fury,  myriads  of  warriors  shout  aloud,  there 
calling  upon  R^van  and  here  upon  RAma.  '  Glory  and 
victory,  the  battle  has  begun.'  If  the  demons  cast  down 
any  mountain  crag,  the  monkeys  with  a  bound  would  seize 

it  and  hurl  it  back. 

Chhand  1. 

The  furious  monkeys  and  bears  lay  hold  of  the  moun- 
tain crags  and  hurl  them  against  the  fort.  They  join  in 
closer  struggle,  seizing  an  antagonist  by  one  leg  and 
dashing  him  to  the  ground,  and  if  he  takes  to  Hight 
challenging  him  again  to  the  combat.  With  a  bold  dash 
and  a  vigorous  spring  they  bound  up  the  heights  of  the 
fort  ;and  every  palace,  into  which  the  bears  and  monkeys 
penetrated,  resounds  with  songs  in  Rama's  praise. 

Dohd  40. 

Again,  taking  each  a  demon  in  his  clutch,  the  monkeys 
ran  off  and  then  dropt  to  the  ground  with  the  enemy 
beneath  and  themselves  on  the  top 

Chaupdi. 

Strong  in  the  power  of  Rdma,  the  monkey  host  over- 
came the  throng  of  demon  warriors,  and  having  climbed 
the  fort,  made  it  ring  all  over  with  shouts  of  glory  to 
Raghubir,  the  sun  of  majesty  !  The  demons  fled  headlong, 
like  thunder-clouds  driven  by  a  strong  wind.  There  was  a 
grievous  wailing  throughout  the  city,  children  crying  and 
women  in  dire  distress.  All  agreed  in  abusing  Ravan  the 
king,  who  had  thus  invited  ruin.  When  he  heard  that  his 
forces  had  been  routed,  the  Lord  of  Lankd  indignantly 
rallied  his  captains  :  "  If  I  hear  of  any  one  turning  his 
back  in  battle,  I  will  slay  him  myself  with  my  terrible 
sword.  After  devouring  all  my  substance  and  feasting  as 
you  pleased,  you  now  on  the  field  of  battle  think  of  nothing 


552  LANKA 

but  your  own  safety."  Oti  hearing  these  stern  words,  the 
chiefs  were  all  frightened  and  ashamed.  Working  them- 
selves into  a  fury  they  sallied  forth  again  crying  :  *  It  is 
the  glory  of  a  warrior  to  die  with  his  face  to  the  foe,'  and 
all  desire  to  live  entirely  left  them. 

Dohd  41. 

Arniii)g  themselves  with  weapons  of  every  description, 
the  gallant  chiefs  pressed  forward  to  the  fray,  challenging 
the  enemy  one  after  the  other,  and  so  wielding  mace  and 
javelin  that  they  sorely  discomfited  the  bears  and  monkeys. 

Chaupdi. 

Overcome  with  terror,  the  monkeys  began  to  fly,  al- 
though, Umd,  they  had  already  won  the  victory.  Said  one: 
"  Where  are  Angad  and  Hanumdn  ?  where  Nala  and  Nila 
and  the  stalwart  Dwivid?  "Hanum^n  heard  that  his  troops 
were  in  distress,  but  the  hero  was  kept  at  the  western  gate. 
There  Meghn^d  led  the  defence,  nor  was  it  possible  to  force 
the  gate,  so  groat  was  its  strength.  Then  the  Son  of  the 
Wind  waxed  exceeding  wroth  of  soul  ;  with  a  terrible  roar, 
as  though  the  end  of  the  world  had  come,  the  hero  made  a 
bound  and  sprang  upon  the  top  of  LinkA  ;  then  seizing  a 
rock  he  rushed  upon  Meghtidd,  shattered  his  chariot,  hurled 
its  driver  to  the  ground,  and  struck  the  prince  himself  with 
his  foot  in  the  c!iest.  Another  charioteer,  seeirig  him 
senseless,  threw  him  on  to  his  car  and  brought  him  home 
with  speed. 

Dohd  42. 

When  Angad  heard  that   Hanum^n    had  made  his  way 
into  the  fort  alone,  he  too,  the  adventurous  warrior,  bound- 
ed forward  to  join  in  his  monkey  sports. 
Chaupdi, 

Maddened  by  the  battle  and  full  of  fury,  the  two  mon- 
keys, mindful  at  heart  of  lUma's  glory,  rushed  upon 
Rdvan's  palace,  and  shouting,  *  The  king  of  Kosala  to  the 
rescue  !  '  overthrew  the  whole  building,  so  that  not  a 
pinnacle   was  left   standing.     When    the  demon  chief  saw 


LANKi 


5Bi 


this,  he  was  dismayed  ;  while  the  women  all  struck  their 
breasts  crying,  '  Now  two  of  these  pestilent  monkeys 
have  come.'  After  terrifying  them  with  their  monkey 
tricks,  and  proclaiming  the  praises  of  Rdmchandra,  they 
grasped  each  a  golden  pillar  in  their  hand  and  cried,  '  Let 
us  now  make  a  beginning  of  destruction  '  With  a  roar, 
they  rushed  into  the  midst  of  the  enemy's  army,  and  began 
laying  them  low  with  mighty  strength  of  arm,  here  a  kick 
and  there  a  blow  ;  crying  '  Worship  Rima  or  take  the 
consequences.' 

Dohd  43. 
Overthrowing  one  after   another   they   strike  off  their 
heads  and  hurl  them  away,  so  that  they  fall  at  R4van's  feet 
smashed  in  pieces  like  so  many  earthen  pots. 

Ghaupdi. 

Whenever  they  caught  any  great  chief,  they  seized  him 
by  the  leg  and  threw  him  to  their  lord.  Vibhishan  men- 
tioned their  names  and  R^ma  assigned  them  his  own 
sphere  in  heaven.  Thus,  man-eating  monsters  who  had 
devoured  even  the  flesh  of  a  Brahman,  obtain  a  translation 
such  as  even  devotees  desire.  0  Umd,  R^ma  is  tender-hearted 
and  full  of  compassion  and  bestowed  salvation  upon  them 
for  this  reason,  that  the  demons  had  taken  his  name  albeit 
in  a  spirit  of  enmity.  Tell  me,  Bhav^ni,  who  else  would  be 
so  merciful.  Dull  of  heart  indeed  and  utterly  wretched 
are  the  men  who,  on  hearing  of  such  a  lord,  do  not  abandon 
their  errors  and  worship  him.  Angad  and  Hanum^n — 
thus  cried  the  lord  of  Avadh  -  have  forced  their  way  into 
the  fort  and  Lank^  with  the  two  monkeys  makes  a  sight 
like  the  sea  churned  by  two  Mount  Merus. 

DohdU.  i^^ 

After  crushing  the  host  of  the  enemy  with  the  might  of 
their  arm,  they  perceived  that  it  was  now  the  close  of  day, 
and  forgetting  all  their  fatigue  they  both  came  bounding 
into  the  presence  of  their  lord. 

R-73 


554  LANKA. 

Ghaupdi. 
They  bowed  the   head  at  their  lord's  lotus  feet,  and  he 
was  glad  at  heart  to  see  his  champions  again.     Graciously 
he  looked  upon  them  both,  and  at  once  their  fatigue  passed 
away  and  they   were  completely   refreshed.     On   learning 
that  Angad  and  Hanuraan  had  gone,  many  warriors  among 
the  bears  and  monkeys    turned   from    the  field  ;  while    the 
demons,   recovering   their   strength  at   nightfall,   made   a 
fresh  onset,  crying  'Ravdn  to  the  rescue  !'  At  the  sight  of  the 
demon  army,  the  monkeys  turned  again  ;    there  was  every- 
where gnashing  of   teeth  as  the   heroes  closed   in  the   fray. 
In  both  gallant  armies,  the  leaders  impatiently  challenged 
the  foe,  and  fought  as  those  who  will  not  hear  of  defeat. 
The  valiant  demons  were  all  black  of  hue  ;  the  huge  monkeys 
of  many   different   colours.     Both   armies    were    equal  in 
strength,  with  equally   matched    champions,   the   passion 
with  which  they  fought  was  a  sight  to  see  ;  as    when  in  the 
rains,  or  the  autumn,  masses  of   cloud   are  driven   against 
one  another  by  the  force  of  the  wind.  When  the  line  began 
to  break,  the  chiefs  AUampan  and  Atik^ya  had  recourse    to 
jugglery,  and  all  in  a  minute  it    became  pitch   dark,   and 
there  was  a  shower  of  blood,  stones  and  dust. 
Dohd  45.         lr)L 
Seeing  the  dense  darkness  all  round,  the   monkey    host 
became  perplexed  ;  it  was  impossible  to  see  one   another  ; 
there  was  everywhere  a  great  shouting. 
Ghaupdi. 
R4ma  understood  the  secret   of  it  all  and  called  to  An- 
gad and  Hanumdn  and  explained  to  them  what  was  going 
on.     The  mighty  monkeys  had  no  sooner  heard  than    they 
rushed  forth  in  a  fury  ;  but  the    All-merciful  with   a  smile 
drew  his  bow  and  at  once  let  fly  a  fiery  arrow.   Light  shone 
forth,  and  there  was  no  darkness  anywhere  ;  as  when  at  the 
dawn   of   intelligence  all   doubts   disappear.     Having   re- 
covered the  light,  the  bears  and  monkeys  forgot   all  their 
fatigue  and  alarm  and  pressed  on  exultingly.     HanumAn 


LANKA.  555 

and  Angad  thundered  aloud  on  the  field  of  battle,  and  at 
the  sound  of  their  roaring  the  demons  fled  ;  but  the  bears 
and  monkeys,  seizing  them  in  their  flight,  dashed  them  to 
the  ground,  performing  prodigies  of  valour,  or  catching 
them  by  the  leg  hurled  them  into  the  sea,  where  alligators, 
serpents,  and  fish  snapped  them  up  and  devoured  them. 
Dohd  46.        ^^ 

Some  were  killed  outright,  some  were  wounded,  some 
fled  back  to  the  fort  ;  the  bears  and  monkeys  shouted  for 
joy  over  the  rout  of  the  enemy's  strong  force. 

Chaupdi. 

Seeing  that  it  was  now  night,  the  four  divisions  of  the 
monkey  host  returned  to  the  lord  of  Kosala.  As  soon  as 
Rdma  cast  his  gracious  glance  upon  them,  all  their  fatigue 
was  at  once  forgotton.  On  the  other  hand,  Ravdo  summon- 
ed his  ministers  and  told  them  all  how  his  champions  had 
been  killed  ;  "  the  monkeys  have  destroyed  half  my  army ; 
tell  me  at  once  what  counsel  should  be  adopted."  There- 
upon MAlyav^n  a  very  aged  demon,  who  had  been  the 
sagacious  adviser  of  Raven's  father  and  mother,  delivered 
himself  of  a  speech  of  the  soundest  policy  :  "  Hearken,  my 
son,  to  a  few  words  of  instruction  from  me.  Ever  since 
you  carried  off  Slta  and  brought  her  here,  there  have  been 
omens  of  ill,  more  than  I  can  tell.  No  advantage  can  be 
gained  by  opposing  him,  whose  glory  is  the  theme  both  of 

Veda  and   Purina.  / -,    /a 

Dohd  4:7.    b^'^7 

He  is  the  incarnation  of  the  compassionate  Lord  God, 
who  slew  Hiranydksha,  with  his  brother  Hiranya-kasipu, 
and  Madhu  and  the  monster  Kaitabha.  Who  can  fight 
against  him  whom  Siva  and  Brdhma  adore,  full  of  all  grace 
and  wisdom,  but  like  the  angel  of  death,  a  very  fire  to 
consume  the  forest  of  wickedness  ? 

Ghaupdi. 

Have  done  with  quarrelling  ;  give  back  Sita  and  wor- 
ship the  All-merciful  with  loving  devotion,"     His  words 


556  LANKA. 

Stung  like  arrows  :  "  Away,  wretch,  with  your  abominable 
suggestions  ;  if  it  were  not  for  your  age,  I  would  have  killed 
you  ;  but  do  not  appear  in  my  sight  again."  He  thought 
within  himself,  *He  wishes  to  be  killed  by  the  All-merciful,' 
and  so  rose  and  departed,  uttering  words  of  reproof.  Then 
MeghnAd  cried  in  a  fury  :  "  See  what  a  sight  I  will  show  you 
to-morrow  ;  though  I  do  not  say  much,  I  do  a  great  deal." 
On  hearing  his  son's  speech  Ravdn's  confidence  returned 
and  he  took  him  lovingly  into  his  lap.  While  they  were 
still  consulting,  the  day  broke,  the  monkeys  again  assailed 
the  four  gates  and  fiercely  encompassed  the  precipitous 
citadel.  There  was  a  confused  noise  in  every  part  of  the 
town,  as  the  demons  snatched  up  their  weapons  of  every 
description  and  hurried  forward  and  began  hurling  down 
masses  of  rock  from  the  ramparts. 
Chhand  2. 

Thousands  of  them  hurl  down  masses  of  rock  :  missiles 
of  every  kind  are  sent  flying  ;  the  shock  is  as  when  a  bolt 
falls  from  heaven  and  the  thunderous  noise  like  that  of  the 
clouds  on  the  last  day.  The  monstrous  monkeys  join  in 
close  combat;  their  bodies  are  hacked  in  pieces,  but 
though  mangled  they  faint  not ;  they  seize  the  rocks  and 
hurl  them  against  the  fort  wherever  the  demons  are. 
Dohd  48.       '^  o 

When  MeghnAd  heard  that  they  had  again  come  and 
seized  the  fort,  he  gallantly  left  his  stronghold  and  sallied 
forth  with  beat  of  drum  to  meet  the  enemy  face  to  face. 

Chaupdi. 

"  Where  are  the  two  brother  princes  of  Kosala,  those 
archers  so  famous  throughout  the  universe  ?  Where  are 
Nala  and  Nila,  Dwivid  and  Sugriva,  Angad  and  Hanum^n, 
most  powerful  of  all  ?  Where  is  Vibhfshan,  his  brother's 
curse,  that  I  may  slay  the  wretch  at  once,  this  very  day  ?  " 
So  saying,  he  made  ready  his  terrible  arrows,  and  in  vehe- 
mence of  passion  drew  the  string  to  his  ear.  The  multitudi- 
nous shafts  that  he  left  fly  sped  forth  like  so  many  winged 


LANKA.  557 

serpents.  Everywhere  you  might  see  monkeys  falling  to 
the  ground  ;  at  that  time  there  was  not  one  that  dared  to 
face  him.  Everywhere  bears  and  monkeys  were  taking  to 
flight,  and  every  wish  to  fight  was  clean  forgotten.  Not  a 
bear  or  a  monkey  was  to  be  seen  on  the  field  but  those  who 
had  left  their  life  there. 

Dohd  49.         7'' 

At  each  flight  he  sent  forth  ten  arrows ;  the  warriors  all 
bit  the  dust  :  with  the  roar  as  of  a  lion,   Meghndd   shouted 
aloud  in  the  strength  of  his  might. 
Ghaupdi. 

When  Hanumdn  saw  the  distress  of  the  army,  he  rushed 
forth  terrible  as  death  and  quickly  tearing  up  an  enormous 
rock,  hurled  it  at  Meghndd  with  the  utmost  fury.  Seeing 
it  come,  he  mounted  up  into  the  air  ;  chariot,  driver,  and 
horses  were  all  lost  to  sight.  Again  and  again  Hanuman 
defied  him  to  combat  ;  but  he  came  no  nearer  and  he  then 
understood  the  mystery.  Meghn^d  had  approached  R^ma, 
and  after  assailing  him  with  every  kind  of  abuse,  aimed  at 
him  weapens  and  missiles  of  every  description  ;  but  the 
Lord  with  the  utmost  ease  snapped  them  asunder  and 
stopt  them.  On  seeing  this  display  of  power  the  fool  was 
sore  vexed  and  began  to  put  in  practice  all  kinds  of  magic  ; 
as  if  a  poor  little  snakeling  were  to  mock  Garur  and  frighten 
him  by  snapping  at  him. 

Dohd  50.      7^ 

The  demon  in  the  foolishness  of  his  soul  displayed  his 
supernatural  powers  before  him  whose  mighty  magic  sub- 
dues Siva  and  Brdhma  and  all  both  great  and  small. 

Ghaupdi. 

Mounting  up  into  the  air,  he  rained  down  a  shower  of 
firebrands  while  floods  of  water  broke  out  from  the  earth. 
Goblins  and  witches  of  diverse  form  danced  with  uproari- 
ous shouts  of  "  kill  him,  tear  him  in  pieces."  Now  a 
shower  of  excrement,  pus,  blood,  hair  and  bones,   and  now 


558  LANKA. 

an  overwhelming  downfall  of  stones  and  ashes.  The  dust- 
storm  made  it  so  dark  that  if  you  held  out  your  own  hand 
you  could  not  see  it.  The  monkeys  were  dismayed  at  the 
sight  of  these  apparitions  and  thought  *  at  this  rate  we 
must  all  of  us  perish.'  But  R^ma  smiled  at  the  idle 
show  ;  seeing,  however,  that  all  the  monkeys  were  alarmed, 
he  with  a  single  arrow  cleft  asunder  the  delusion,  as  when 
the  sun  disperses  the  thick  darkness.  With  a  glance  of 
compassion,  he  looked  upon  the  bears  and  monkeys  ;  at  once 
they  waxed  so  strong  that  there  was  no  holding  them  back 
from  the  field  of  battle. 

Dohd6L      ^^ 

Having  obtained  Rama's  permission,  Lakshraan,  taking 
with  him  Angad  and  the  other  monkeys,  marched   forth  in 
fury,  with  bow  and  arrows  in  hand  — 
Ghaupdi. 

With  blood-shot  eyes^  and  mighty  chest  and  arms  and 
his  body  of  reddish  hue  like  Mount  Himalaya.  On  the 
other  side  Ravan  sent  out  his  champions,  who  took  up  their 
armour  and  their  weapons^  and  hastened  forth.  With 
mountains  and  huge  trees  for  missiles,  the  monkeys  rushed 
to  meet  them,  shouting  *  victory  to  RAma.'  They  all  closed 
in  the  fray,  equally  matched  one  with  another,  and  both 
equally  sanguine  of  success.  After  hurling  the  rocks  and 
mountains  at  the  foe,  the  monkeys  next  fell  upon  them 
with  blows  of  the  fist  and  kicks,  and  rendings  of  the 
teeth  :  *  seize,  seize,  seize,  kill,  kill,  kill,  strike  off  his  head, 
rend  off  his  arm,'  such  were  the  cries  which  filled  the  nine 
continents  of  the  world,  while  headless  bodies  still  full  of 
fury  kept  running  to  and  fro.     From  the  heaven  above,  the 

1  In  RAm  Jasan's  eHition,  the  one  I  habitually  use,  the  reading  is 
chhatajatuiyan,  which  may  be  translated  '  with  blood-shot  eyes,'  an  epithet 
which  appenrs  appropriate  to  the  context.  In  other  editions  is  substituted 
the  more  common  expression  jalaja-nayan,  with  lotus  eyes.' 

2  Here  the  reading  that  I  translate  is  giri-xila,  '  the  rocks  and  moun- 
tains '  mentioned  above  as  the  monkeys' missiles.  Rim  Jasan  readajaya- 
tila,  which  would  mean  'triumphant,' 


LANKA.  §69 

gods   beheld  the  spectacle  now  in   dismay   and    now  in 

rapture.  ^ 

Doha  52.      /  ^ 

Every  hollow  in  the  ground  was  filled  full  of  blood,  with 
clouds  of  dust  overhead,  like  as  when  the  smoke  of  a  burn- 
ing corpse  spreads  over  the  ashes  of  a  pyre  : 

Chaupdi. 
while  the  wounded  heroes  resembled  so  many  dhdk  trees  in 
flower.  The  two  champions  Lakshman  and  Meghnjid  grap- 
pled with  one  another  in  excess  of  fury.  Neither  could 
singly  conquer  the  other  ;  the  demon  by  force  and  by  feint 
showing  himself  so  wicked.  At  last  the  incarnation  of 
Seshnag  became  mad  with  rage,  and  with  one  blow  he 
crushed  both  the  chariot  and  its  driver.  He  so  smote  him 
in  various  ways  that  the  demon  was  left  barely  alive.  Then 
the  son  of  Rdvan  thought  within  himself -'I  am  in  a 
strait,  he  will  take  my  life,'  and  he  let  fly  his  spear,  the 
destroyer  of  heroes,  which  struck  Lakshman  in  the  breast 
with  full  force.  80  great  was  the  shock  that  he  swooned 
away.     Then  he  went  and  drew  near,  no  longer  afraid. 

Dohd  53. 

A  hundred  myriad  warriors  like   Meghndd    essayed    to 
lift  him  ;  but  how  could  Seshnag  the  supporter  of  the  world 
be  thus  lifted  ?     they  retired  in  dudgeon. 
Chaupdi. 

Hearken,  Bhavdni  ;  who  can  conquer  him  in  battle,  the 
fire  of  whose  wrath  would  consume  in  a  moment  the  four- 
teen spheres  of  creation,  whom  gods  and  men  and  all  things 
animate  and  inanimate  adore?  Only  he  can  understand 
this  mystery,  on  whom  rests  the  favour  of  Rdma.  As  it 
was  now  evening,  both  armies  left  the  field  and  began  to 
muster  their  several  forces.  The  All-merciful,  the  ubiquit- 
ous Supreme  Spirit,  the  invincible  lord  of  the  universe, 
asked  '  Where  is  Lakshman  ?  '  Hanumdn  then  brought 
him  forward.  When  the  Lord  saw  his  younger  brother, 
he  was  much  distrest.     JAmbav^n   said  :     "  The  physician 


560  laKKa 

Sushena  is  at  Lank^,  send  some  one  to  fetch  him."  Hanu- 
m^n  at  once  assumed  a  diminutive  form  and  went  and 
brought  him,  house  and  all. 

Doha  54. 

Sushena  came  and  bowed  his  head  at  Rdma's  lotus  feet 
and  told  HanumJin  to  go  and  bring  herbs  from  a  certain 
mountain  that  he  mentioned. 

Chaupdi. 

With  Rama's  lotus  feet  impressed  upon  his  heart,  the 
Son  of  the  Wind  started  in  confident  assurance.  On  the 
other  side,  a  spy  gave  information.  So  R^van  went  to  the 
house  of  Kdla-nemi  and  told  him.  When  he  had  heard 
the  news,  K^la-nemi  beat  his  head  again  and  again,  crying, 
"  Who  can  stop  his  path  who  burnt  your  city  before  your 
very  eyes.  Have  come  regard  for  your  own  welfare  and 
worship  R4ma  and  desist,  sire,  from  henceforth  from  these 
vain  endeavours.  Cherish  in  your  heart  the  delight  of  all 
eyes,  whose  body  is  dark  and  beautiful  as  the  blue  lotus. 
Have  done  with  pride,  conceit,  and  arrogance,  and  rouse 
yourself  from  this  slumber  in  a  niglit  of  delusion.  Ts  it 
possible  that  any  one  should  ever  dream  of  conquering  him 
for  whom  the  serpent.  Time,  is  mere  food  to  devour?  " 
Doha  55. 

When  the  Ten-headed    heard  this,    he   was  exceedingly 
wroth  and    KaU-nemi    reasoned    to  himself:     *' It    will  be 
better  for  me  to  die  at  the  hands  of  Rama's  messenger,  and 
not  for  this  wretch   to  kill    me." 
Ghaupdi. 

So  saying  he  went  and  by  the  power  of  magic  construc- 
ted on  the  wayside  a  lake,  temple  and  fine  garden.  Uanu- 
niAn  espied  the  charming  spot  and  thougiit  to  himself. 
*  After  asking  the  holy  man's  leave,  I  will  drink  of  the 
water  and  rest.'  For  the  demon  showed  himself  in  a  false 
attire,  and  sought  to  delude  the  messenger  even  of  the  king 
of  delusion.  So  the  son  of  the  wind  went  and  bowed  the 
head  before  him  ;  and  he   began    to  recite  Rama's   praises. 


Lanka.  5(J1 

saying  —  "  A  great  battle  is  raging  between  Rdvan  and 
RAma,  but  R^ma  will  win  the  day;  of  this  there  is  no 
doubt.  Though  I  have  not  moved  from  here,  I  have  seen 
it  all,  my  friend ;  my  intelligence  is  remarkably  clear- 
sighted." On  his  asking  for  water,  he  gave  him  some  in 
a  cup;  the  monkey  said  —  "  That  is  not  enough  to  satisfy 
me."  "  Go  then  and  bathe  in  the  tank  and  quickly 
come  back,  and  I  will  then  bestow  upon  you  a  gift,  by 
which  you  may  attain  to  understanding." 

Doha  56. 

As  he  stepped  into  the  tank,  a  fish  seized  the  monkey 
by  the  foot.  In  his  alarm  he  killed  it.  Whereupon  it 
assumed  a  divine  form,  and  mounting  a  chariot  ascended 
into  the  heaven. 

Chaupdi. 

"  By  the  sight  of  you,  0  monkey,  I  have  become  freed 
from  guilt,  and  the  curse  of  the  great  saint  has  been  re- 
moved. This  is  no  hermit,  but  a  fierce  demon  ;  doubt  not 
the  truth  of  my  words."  So  saying,  the  heavenly  nymph 
went  her  way,  and  the  monkey  at  once  returned  to  the 
demon.  Said  the  monkey — "  Holy  sir,  first  receive  my 
offering  and  after  that  tell  me  the  charm."  He  then  twisted 
his  tail  round  his  head  and  threw  him  down.  At  the 
moment  of  his  Death  he  appeared  in  his  proper  form,  and 
with  a  cry  of  Rdma,  Rdma  !"  breathed  his  last.  On  hear- 
ing this  Hanum^n  went  on  his  way,  glad  of  heart.  He 
found  the  mountain,  but  could  not  recognize  the  herbs  ; 
so  without  any  hesitation  he  tore  up  the  hill  by  the  root 
and  went  off  with  it.  As  he  rushed  through  the  night  air 
with  the  mountain  in  his  grasp,  he  passed  over  the  city  of 
Avadh. 

Dohd  57. 

Bharat  saw  him,  and  thinking  him  to  be  some  most 
monstrous  demon,  drew  his  bow  to  his  ear  and  shot  him 
with  a  headless  arrow. 

R-74 


56:^  LANlCA. 

Ghaupdi. 

Struck  by  the  dart  he  fell  in  a  swoon  to  the  earth,  cry- 
ing '  0  Rdma,  Rdma,  prince  of  Raghu's  line  !  "  On  hear- 
ing this  grateful  sound,  Bharat  started  up  and  ran,  and 
in  the  utmost  haste  drew  nigh  to  the  monkey.  Seeing  him 
wounded,  he  clasped  him  to  his  bosom  and  tried  in  every 
way  to  revive  him,  but  without  success.  With  a  disconso- 
late face  and  sore  grief  at  heart  he  made  this  prayer  while 
his  eyes  streamed  with  tears  :  *'  God  who  made  me  Rama's 
enemy,  has  now  caused  me 'this  additional  distress  If  in 
thought,  word  and  deed,  I  have  a  sincere  affection  for 
Rama's  lotus  feet,  and  if  Rdma  is  kindly  disposed  to  me, 
may  your  pain  and  fatigue,  0  monkey,  all  pass  away."  At 
the  sound  of  these  words,  the  monkey  chief  arose  and  sat 
up,'  crying,  "  glory,  glory  to  the  king  of  Kosala." 
Sorathd  5.      %0 

With  quivering  limbs   and  eyes   full  of  tears,  he  took 
and  clasped  the  monkey  to  his  bosom,   invoking  R^ma,  the 
crown  of   the  line   of   Raghu,  in  a  transport   of  affection, 
which  was  more  than  his  soul  could  contain. 
Ghaupdi. 

"  Tell  me  friend,  is  all  well  with  the  Fountain  of  joy 
and  with  his  brother  and  the  revered  J^naki."  The  mon- 
key told  him  in  brief  all  that  had  taken  place.  He  became 
sad  of  heart  and  began  to  lament  :  Alas,  my  fate,  why  was 
I  born  into  the  world,  if  in  nothing  I  can  help  my  lord." 
But  seeing  the  unfitness  of  the  time  he  mastered  his 
feelings  the  gallant  prince,  and  again  addressed  the 
monkey  :  *'  Sir,  yOu  will  be  delayed  in  your  journey,  and 
your  task  will  come  to  nought,  for  the  day  is  now  breaking. 
Mount  my  arrow,  mountain  and  all,  and  I  will  send  you 
straight  into  the  presence  of  the  all-merciful."  On  hear- 
ing this,  the  monkey's  pride  was  aroused  :  "  How  can  his 
arrow  fly  with  my  weight  ?  "  But  again  reflecting  on 
Rima's  power,  he  bowed  at  his  feet  and  cried  with  clasped 
hands  : 


LANKA.  563 

/ 


Doha  58. 

"  0  my  lord,  I  have  only  to  cherish  the  thought  of  your 
majesty  in  my  soul  in  order  to  travel  quickly."  So  saying, 
Hanumdn  took  leave  and  after  bowing  at  his  feet  set  forth. 
Ashe  went,  the  Son  of  the  Wind  again  and  again  extolled 
to  himself  the  mighty  arm  and  the  amiable  disposition  of 
Bharat  and  his  boundless  devotion  tn  his  lord's  feet. 

Ghaupdi. 

Meanwhile,  R^ma  was  watching  Lakshman  and  using 
language  after  the  fashion  of  a  man.  When  half  the  night 
was  spent,  and  still  the  monkey  had  not  returned,  Rdma 
raised  his  brother  and  clasped  him  to  his  heart.  "  0  my 
brother,  once  you  could  not  endure  to  see  me  in  sorrow, 
your  disposition  was  ever  so  affectionate.  On  my  account, 
you  left  father  and  mother  and  exposed  yourself  to 
the  forest,  the  cold,  the  heat  and  the  wind.  But  where 
is  now  your  old  love,  my  brother,  that  you  do  not 
stir  in  response  to  my  distress  ?  If  I  had  known  that 
exile  involved  the  loss  of  my  brother,  I  would  never 
have  obeyed  my  father's  commands  i  Sons,  riches,  wives, 
house  and  kinsfolk  come  again  time  after  time  in  a  life,  but 
a  real  brother  is  not  so  to  be  had  ;  remember  this,  brother, 
and  awake  to  life.  Asa  bird  is  utterly  wretched  without 
wings,  a  serpent  without  its  head-jewel,  or  an  elephant 
without  its  trunk,  so  is  my  life  without  you,  my  brother. 
If  cruel  fate  preserves  me  alive,  with  what  face  can  I  show 
myself  at  Avadh,  after  sacrificing  a  dear  brother  for  the 
sake  of   a  woman.     I  would  rather  have  endured  the  social 

I  This  lament  over  his  want  of  foreknowledge  and  other  similar 
passages,  in  which  Rama  is  represented  as  subject  to  human  infirmities,  are 
frequently  quoted  in  Missionary  polemics  as  fatal  to  the  idea  of  his  being 
a  divine  person  and  as  clear  evidences,  even  on  the  showing  of  the  Hindu 
narrative  itself,  that  he  was  only  an  ordinary  human  being.  Hut  it  is  very 
unwise  to  adopt  such  a  line  of  argument,  which  might  be  retorted  with 
equal  force  against  the  inspired  records  of  Christianity.  From  the  Hindu 
point  of  view,  the  answer  given  by  Tulsi  Dis  sufficiently  covers  the  difficulty 
and  corresponds  precisely  with  the  explanation  of  S.  Jerome  :  "  Non  quod 
personam  Domini  separemns,  sed  qnod  opera  ejus  inter  Deum  hominemque 
divjsa  sint," 


564  LANKA. 

disgrace  ;  for,  after  all,  the  loss  of  a  wife  is  no  such  great 
matter,  and  my  heart  is  so  hard  and  unfeeling  that  it  can 
bear  the  sight  even  of  this  your  anguish.  Your  mother's 
only  son,  my  brother,  you  are  the  sole  support  of  her  life, 
but  she  took  you  by  the  hand  and  entrusted  you  to  me, 
knowing  what  a  comfort  and  what  a  friend  I  should  find 
you.  What  answer  can  I  go  and  give  her  ?  Why  do  you 
not  rise  and  advise  me,  brother  ?  "  Thus  grievously  sorrow- 
ed the  healer  of  sorrow  and  his  lotus  eyes  streamed  with 
tears ;  but  Umii,  R4ma  is  one  and  unchangeable,  and  it 
was  only  in  compassion  to  his  worshippers  that  he  exhibited 

the  manners  of  a  man. 

Sorathd  6.      *6-^ 

All  the  monkeys  were  in  distress  on  hearing  their  lord's 

lamentation,  till  Hanum^n  arrived,  like  an  heroic  strain  in 

the  midst  of  an  elegy. 

Chaupdi. 

Rdma  received  him  with  exceeding  joy,  for  the  Lord  is 

most   grateful   and    supremely   wise.     Then   quickly   the 

physician  concocted    his  remedies,    and   Lakshman  gaily 

arose  and  sat   up.     The   Lord  affectionately   clasped   his 

brother  to  his  heart   and  all  the  bears   and   monkey  were 

rejoiced.     The  physician  was  then   conveyed  home   again 

in  the  same  manner  as  he  had  been  brought  away.     When 

R^van  heard  of  these  proceedings,  he  was  greatly  disturbed 

and  began  beating  himself  on  the  head.     In  his   agitation, 

he  went  to  Kumbhakarn  and  with  much  trouble  succeeded 

in  waking  him    When  the  monster  was  roused,  he  showed 

like  Death    itself   in  visible   form.     He   asked,  *'  Tell  me, 

brother,  why  is  your  face  so  sad."     He  told    him  the  whole 

history  of  how  in  his  pride  he  had  carried  off  Sita.  "  Brother, 

the  monkeys  have   killed    all  the  demons   and   routed    my 

stoutest  warriors,  Durmukha  and  the  man-devouring  Sura- 

ripu  ;    Atikaya   and    Akampan,    those    mighty  champions, 

together  with  Maliodara  and  other  valiant  heroes,  who  have 

fallen  on  the  field  of  battle." 


LANKA. 


565 


DoU  59. 
On  hearing  Rdvan's   report,   Kumbha-karn  cried   out; 
"  Wretch,  you  have   carried  off  the  mother  of  the   universe 
and  yet  expect  to  prosper ! 

Ghaupdi. 
You  have  done  ill,  0  demon  king  ;  and  now  why  have 
you  come  and  awakened  me  ?  At  once,  brother,  abandon 
your  pride  and  worship  Rama  ;  so  shall  you  prosper.  How, 
Ten-heads,  can  R^ma  be  a  man,  when  he  has  such  a  ser- 
vant as  Hanumdn.  Alas,  brother,  you  have  acted  foolishly  ; 
why  did  you  not  come  and  wake  me  before  ?  You  have 
rebelled  against  the  god  who  is  adored  by  Siva  and  Brahma 
and  every  other  divinity.  The  knowledge  which  the  sage 
Ndrad  imparted  to  me,  I  now  declare  to  you  ;  for  the  time 
has  come.  Embrace  me,  my  brother,  for  I  go  to  rejoice  my 
eyes  with  the  sight  of  the  dark  hued,  the  lotus-eyed,  the 
healer  of  every  sorrow  !  " 

Doha  60. 
As  he  contemplated   Rama's  beauty  and  perfection,  he 
was  for  a  moment  unconscious,  then  demanded    of  RAvan  a 
million  jars  of  wine  and  a  whole  herd  of  buffaloes. 

Ghaupdi. 
After  he  had  eaten  the  buffaloes  and  drunk  the  wine,  he 
roared  aloud  with  a  voice  of  thunder  and  sallied  forth  from 
the  fort  without  any  escort,  maddened  with  drink,  the  war- 
loving  Kumbha-karn.  Vibhishan,  on  seeing  him,  came 
forward  and  fell  at  his  feet  and  said  who  he  was.  He  raised 
his  brother  and  took  him  to  his  heart,  delighted  to  find  him 
a  worshipper  of  Rdma.  "  Brother,  that  wretch  R^van 
struck  me  with  his  foot  for  giving  him  the  best  possible 
advice.  Resenting  such  treatment,  I  came  to  R^ma,  and  the 
Lord  was  glad  at  heart  to  see  me  his  servant."  "  Mark 
me,  brother,  R^van  is  under  the  influence  of  fate  and  will 
listen  to  no  advice,  however  good.  Thrice  blessed  are  you, 
Vibhishan,  the  glory  of  all  the  demon  race  ;  you  have  shed 


560  LANKA. 

a  lustre  on  all  your  kinsfolk  by  your  worship  of  Rdma,  that 
ocean  of  beauty  and  felicity. 

Doha  61. 
You  have  guilelessly    worshipped  the    heroic  Rdma   in 
thought,  word  and  deed.     But  go,  I  cannot  distinguish  here 
between  friend  and  foe."  The  warror's  death  was  doomed. 

Chaupdi 
On  hearing  his  brother's  words,  Vibhlshan  turned  and 
presented  himself  before  the  Glory  of  the  three  spheres 
"  My  lord,  Kumbha-karn  approaches  ;  a  warrior  huge  of 
stature  as  a  mountain."  The  monkeys  waited  to  hear  no 
more,  but  ran  off  jabbering,  the  stoutest  of  them,  and  pluck- 
ed up  trees  and  rocks,  which  they  hurled  against  him, 
gnashing  their  teeth  the  while.  Millions  upon  millions  of 
mountain  peaks  did  the  bears  and  monkeys  cast  upon  him 
one  after  another  ;  but  neither  did  his  courage  fail,  nor  did 
he  stir  from  his  position  ;  like  an  elephant  pelted  with 
flower-seeds.  At  last  the  Son  of  the  Wind  struck  him  with 
his  fist;  he  fell  to  the  ground  and  beat  his  head  in  dismay. 
Rising  again,  he  gave  Hanumdn  such  a  blow  that  he  spun 
round  and  fell  at  once  to  the  earth.  Next  he  overthrew 
upon  the  plain  Nala  and  Nila  and  dashed  down  the  chiefs, 
hurling  them  this  side  and  that.  The  monkey  host  scatter- 
ed and  fled  in  an  utter  panic,  nor  were  there  any  to  rally. 

DoliciQ2.    %^ 
Having  rendered  insensible  Angad  and  the   other  mon- 
keys and  Sugrivaas  well,  he  clapped  the  king  of  the  mon- 
keys under  his  arm  and  went  off,  in  his  illimitable  might. 

Chaupdi 
0  Umd,  when  R^ma  plays  the  part  of  a  man,  it  is  like 
Garur  sporting  in  company  with  snakes.  If  he  but  knit  his 
brows,  he  annihilates  Death  himself,  how  then  can  he  con- 
descend to  such  a  combat  as  this  ?  The  answer  is  that  the 
fame  of  it,  when  spread  abroad,  tends  to  the  redemption  of 
the  world,  and   mortals,   who  make   it  their  song,   emerge 


LAKKA.  567 

safely  from  the  ocean  of  existence.  When  his  swoon  had 
passed  off,  the  Son  of  the  Wind  awoke  and  began  at  once 
to  look  for  Sugriva.  But  he,  on  recovering  from  his  swoon, 
slipped  out  of  Kumbha-karn's  clutches,  who  had  taken  him 
for  dead.  Having  bitten  off  his  nose  and  ears,  he  with  a 
shout  ascended  into  the  air  ;  but  the  giant  saw  him  and 
caught  him  by  the  foot  and  dashed  him  to  the  ground. 
With  wonderful  agility  he  rose  and  struck  him  back  and 
then  betook  himself — the  hero— to  the  presence  of  his  lord, 
crying,  '  Glory,  glory,  glory  to  the  Fountain  of  Mercy.'  But 
he,  when  he  became  sensible  of  his  mutilated  nose  and  ears, 
turned  in  a  fury  and  with  sore  distress  of  soul.  The  mon- 
key host  were  horrorstricken  when  they  saw  the  terrible 
warrior  thus  earless  and  noseless. 

Doha  63. 

Raising  a  shout  of  '  victory  to  Rama,'  the  monkeys 
rushed  forward,  and  all  at  once  hurled  upon  him  a  volley  of 
rocks  and  trees. 

Chaupdi. 

Maddened  with  the  rage  of  battle,  Kumbha-karn  ad- 
vanced, awful  as  Death,  and  seized  and  devoured  myriads  of 
the  monkeys,  like  locusts  swallowed  up  in  a  mountain  cave  ; 
myriads  of  others  he  crushed  with  his  body,  and  myriads  he 
ground  to  powder  between  his  hands.  But  many  of  the 
bears  and  monkeys  escaped,  by  the  passage  of  his  mouth, 
or  nostrils  or  ears.  Drunk  with  the  madness  of  battle,  the 
demon  was  as  boastful  as  though  the  whole  universe  had 
been  made  over  to  him  to  ravage.  Every  champion  took  to 
flight,  and  there  was  no  turning  them  back  ;  they  could 
neither  see  with  their  eyes  nor  hear  any  cry.  When  they 
learnt  that  Kumbha-karn  had  routed  the  monkey  host,  the 
demons  all  rallied.  But  Rdma  saw  his  army  in  distress 
and  the  forces  of  the  enemy  coming  on  in  full  array. 

Dohd  64. 

"  Hearken,  Sugriva  and  Vibhishan,  and  you  my  brother, 


568  LANKA. 

collect  your  troops  and  let  me  test  the  might  of  these   mis- 
creants :  "  thus  cried  the  lotus  eyed. 
Chaupui. 

With  bow  in  hand  and  quiver  fitted  to  his  side,  Raghu- 
n^th  went  forth  to  scatter  the  ranks  of  the  enemy.  The 
ly^rd  gave  his  bow  a  preliminary  twang  ;  the  hosts  of  the 
foe  were  deafened  by  the  din.  Then  he  let  fly  a  million  of 
arrows,  he,  the  god  ever  faithful  to  his  promise  ;  the  wing- 
ed shafts  sped  like  serpents  of  death.  The  terrible  bolts 
flew  in  all  directions;  the  mighty  demon  warriors  were  cut 
to  pieces.  Feet,  trunk,  head,  and  arms  were  shorn  away  : 
many  a  hero  was  cut  into  a  hundred  pieces  The  wounded 
reel  and  fall  to  the  ground,  but  gallantly  recover  themselves 
and  rise  again  to  renew  the  fight.  The  arrows  as  they 
strike  give  a  thud  like  thunder  :  many  fled  when  they  saw 
how  terrible  they  were.  Headless  bodies  rush  madly  on ; 
the  cry  resounds,  *  Seize,  seize,  kill,  kill.' 
Doha  Q5. 

In  a  moment  the  lord  Raghubir's  arrows   cut  to  pieces 

the  terrible  demons  ;  and  they  his  shafts  all  came  back  into 

the  quiver. 

Ghaupdi. 

When  Kumbha-karn  saw  and  perceived  that  the  demon 

host    had  been    routed  in    a  minute,  the   mighty  warrior 

waxed  exceeding  wroth  and  roared  aloud    with  the  voice  of 

a  lion.     In  his  fary,  he  tore   up  mountains  by  the  root  and 

hurled  them  upon  the  throng  of  monkey  chiefs.     The  lord 

saw   the   monstrous   rocks  coming  and    with   his  arrows 

shattered  them  into  dust.     Again  RaghunAyak  indignantly 

strung  his  bow  and  let  fly  a    volley   of  his   terrible   shafts. 

As  they  entered  and  passed  through  his  body,  they   seemed 

like  flashes  of  lightning   stored  in  a   dense  thunder-cloud. 

The  streams  of  blood  on  his  black  frame   resembled   rivers 

of  red  ochre  on  a  mountain  of  soot.    Perceiving  his  distress, 

the  bears  and  monkeys  rushed  forward  ;  he  laughed  when 

he  saw  them  draw  near. 


UilfeA.  569 

Doha  66. 

Roariog  aloud  with  a  terrible  voice,  he  seized   myriads 
and   myriads  of   the   monkeys,   and   dashed    them  to  the 
ground  like  a  lion,  invoking  the  name  of  R^van. 
Ghaupdi. 

The  bears  and  monkeys  all  fled,  like  a  flock  of  sheep  at 
the  sight  of  a  wolf  ;  and  in  their  flight,  BhavAni,  they  cried 
aloud  in  their  distress  with  a  piteous  voice  :  "  This  demon 
is  for  the  monkey  race  like  a  sore  famine  that  threatens  to 
devastate  a  whole  country.  0  R^ma,  KharAri,  rain-cloud 
of  mercy,  ever  ready  to  relieve  the  distress  of  the  suppliant, 
have  mercy  upon  us,  have  mercy  upon  us."  When  the 
Lord  God  heard  their  piteous  cry,  he  took  his  bow  and 
arrows  and  went  forth.  His  army  he  checked  in  the  rear 
and  went  forth  in  his  own  might,  full  of  indignation.  He 
drew  his  bow  and  fitted  a  hundred  arrows  to  the  string  ; 
they  flew  forth  and  entered  into  his  body.  At  their  stroke 
he  rushed  forth  in  a  fury  — the  mountains  reeled,  the  earth 
staggered-  and  tore  up  a  rock,  but  R^ma  shot  away  his 
arm.  Again  he  rushed  on,  with  a  rock  in  his  left  hand  ; 
but  that  arm  too  Rdma  cut  off,  and  it  fell  to  the  ground. 
The  monster  thus  robbed  of  his  arms  resembled  mount  Man- 
dara  without  its  wings.  With  savage  eyes  he  glared  upon 
the  Lord,  as  though  ready  to  devour  the  whole  universe. 
Dohd  67. 

With  a  most  terrible  shriek  he  rushed  forward  with  open 

mouth.     The   saints  and    gods    above   cried  out    in    their 

terror,  *  alas,  alas,  alas.' 

Ghaupdi. 

When  the  All-merciful  saw  the  alarm  of  the  gods,  he 
drew  his  bow  with  its  string  to  his  ear.  The  flight  of 
arrows  filled  the  demon's  mouth,  yet  he  was  so  strong  that 
he  did  not  fall  to  the  ground.  With  his  mouth  full  of  ar- 
rows he  still  rushed  upon  the  foe,  like  a  living  quiver  of 
death.  Then  the  Lord  in  his  wrath  took  his  sharpest  arrow 
and  struck  his  head  right  off  his  body.     The    head  fell  at 

R-75 


570  LANKA. 

the  feet  of  Rdvan,  who  was  as  dismayed  at  the  sight  as  a 
snake  that  has  dropt  its  crest  jewel.  The  ground  sunk 
beneath  the  weight  of  the  trunk,  as  it  still  ran  madly  on  : 
till  the  Lord  cut  it  in  two.  Then  it  fell  to  the  earth  like  a 
mountain  from  the  sky,  crushing  beneath  it  monkeys,  bears, 
and  demons.  His  soul  entered  the  Lord's  mouth,  to  the 
astonishment  of  gods,  saints,  and  all.  The  gods  in  their 
delight  sound  the  kettle-drum  and  hymn  his  praise,  and 
rain  down  flowers  in  abundance.  After  paying  homage, 
all  the  gods  went  their  way.  At  that  titoe  came  also  the 
divine  sage,  NArad,  and  extolled  above  the  heaven  Hari's 
infinite  perfection.  The  Lord's  soul  was  pleased  by  his 
stirring  heroic  strain.  '  Make  haste  to  destroy  these  mis- 
creants' were  the  saint's  words  as  he  left.  Rdma  remained 
in  his  glory  on  the  field  of  battle. 

Chhand  3. 
All-glorious  shone  forth  Raghupati  on  the  field  of  battle, 
in  his  immeasurable  might  and  manifold  beauty,  with  the 
drops  of  toil  on  his  lotus  face,  with  his  lovely  eyes  and  his 
body  specked  with  blood,  while  in  both  hands  he  brand- 
ished his  bow  and  arrows,  with  the  bears  and  monkeys 
grouped  all  around  him.  NotSeshndg  with  his  many  ton- 
gues could  tell  all  his  beauty,  so  says  Tulsi  DAs. 

Dohd  68. 
Though  the  demons  were  so  vile  and  very  mines  of   im- 
purity, he  translated  them  to  his  own  sphere.     0  Umi,  how 
dull  of  understanding  are  the  men  who  do  not  worship    the 
divine  RAma. 

Ghaupdi. 
At  the  close  of  the  day  both  armies  retired  ;  the  battle 
had  thoroughly  exhausted  the  stoutest  warriors.  But  by 
Rama's  favour  the  monkey  host  gathered  fresh  strength, 
like  as  a  fire  blazes  up  when  fed  with  straw  ;  while  the 
demons  wasted  away  day  and  night,  like  the  merit  of  a 
man's   good   deeds   when  he   tells    them  himself.     R^van 


LANKA,  571 

made  great  lamentation,  again  and  again  taking  his  bro- 
ther's head  in  his  lap.  His  wives  also  wept  and  beat  their 
breast  with  their  hands,  while  they  told  of  his  pre-eminent 
majesty  and  strength.  At  this  juncture  MeghnAd  arrived 
and  with  many  words  consoled  his  father  :  '*  Be  witness 
to-morrow  of  my  prowess  ;  what  need  now  of  boastful  speech- 
es? I  have  received  from  my  patron  divinity  a  chariot 
of  strength,  the  virtue  of  which  I  have  never  yet  shown 
you,  father."  While  they  were  thus  talking,  the  day  broke 
and  swarms  of  monkeys  assailed  the  four  gates.  On  the 
one  side  were  the  bears,  and  monkeys  terrible  as  death ; 
on  the  other  the  demons  ;  fiercest  of  warriors.  Valiantly 
they  fight,  each  thirsting  for  victory  ;  the  battle,  Gariir, 
baffles  all  description. 

Dohd  69. 

Meghn^d  mounted  his  magic  car  and  ascended  into  the 
air  with  a  laugh  like  the  roar  of  thunder,  which  struck  the 
monkey  army  with  terror. 

Ghaupdi. 

Spears,  lances,  swords,  and  scymetars  were  plied,  with 
weapons  and  missiles  of  every  description  ;  axes,  hatchets, 
clubs  and  stones,  and  then  a  shower  of  innumerable  arrows. 
The  heaven  was  as  dark  all  round  with  arrows  as  when  the 
constellation  Magha^  pours  down  its  torrents.  '  Seize,  seize, 
kill,  kill,'  were  the  cries  that  sounded  in  their  ears,  but  none 
could  tell  who  it  was  that  struck  them.  Snatching  up  rocks 
and  trees,  the  monkeys  sprang  into  the  air ;  but  they  could 
not  see  him  and  returned  disappointed.  Ravines,  gorges, 
roads,  and  mountain-caves  were  turned  by  his  magic  power 
into  arrowy  cages.  The  monkeys  were  confounded  and 
knew  not  where  to  turn,  and  fell  to  the  ground  like  the 
mountains  fallen  in  bondage  to  Indra.2     Hanuman,  Angad, 

1  Maghnd  is  reckoned  as  the  tenth  of  the  Nakshatras  and  is  in  the  as- 
cendant in  the  month  of  Bhddon,  at  the  height  of  the  rains.  Hence  the 
saying  mata  ie  parase  aur  Magha  ke  barase. 

2  Indra,  the  wielder  of  the  thunderbolt,  is  represented  as  the  i mountains' 
master,  or  jailor.  The  word  bandi  here  is  not  the  participle  of  the  verb  '  to 
reverence,'  but  the  noun  meaning  a  captive  or  '  slave.' 


472  LANKA. 

Nala,  Nlla,  and  every  other  warrior  he  sorely  distressed  ; 
then  he  assailed  with  his  shafts  Lakshman,  Sugriva  and 
Vibhishan,  piercing  their  bodies  through  and  through  again. 
Lastly  he  joined  in  combat  with  R^ma  himself  and  let  fly  his 
arrows,  which  as  they  struck  turned  to  snakes.  Khardri  was 
rendered  powerless  by  the  serpents'  coils,  he  the  great  free 
agent,  the  everlasting,  the  one  unchangeable,  who  like  a 
juggler  performs  all  sorts  of  delusive  actions,  but  is  ever 
his  own  master,  Rdma,  our  Lord.  It  was  only  to  enhance 
the  glory  of  the  battle  that  he  allowed  himself  to  be  bound 
by  the  serpents'  coils  ;  but  the  gods  were  in  a  panic. 

Dohd  70.     Oi  tf 
0  Umd,  is  it  possible  for  him  to  bi  brought  into   bond- 
age, by  whose  name  when   repeated   in   prayer   the   saints 
free  themselves  from  the  bonds  of   existence ;  who   is   the 
omnipresent  centre  of  the  universe  ? 

Chaupdi. 

0  Bhaviini,  the  actions  of  the  incarnate  R^ma  are  beyond 

the  range  of  thought,  or  human  strength,  or   speech.     This 

is   the   reason    why   the  wisest  ascetics  discard  theological 

speculations  and  simply  adore.     Having  thus   thrown  the 

army  into  confusion,  Meghnad  at  last  manifested  himself 

with  words   of   reviling.     JambavAn   shouted:    'Wretch, 

keep   your  place.'     On    hearing   this,  his  fury  waxed  still 

greater.     '  Fool,  I  only  spared  you  on  account  of  your   age. 

I  think  scorn  of  your  challenge.'     So  saying,  he  let   fly   his 

terrible  trident ;  Jkmbav^n  caught  it  in  his  hand  and  then 

rushed   on   and   gave   MeghnAd   such  a  blow  on  the  chest 

that  he,  the  scourge  of  heaven,  fell  swooning  to  the  ground. 

Then  in  his  wrath  he  caught  him  by  the   foot   and   swung 

him  round  and  dashed  him  on  the  earth  as  a  display  of  his 

strength.     But  he  by  virtue  of  the  divine   boon    died   not 

for  all  his  killing ;  so   he  took   him  by  the  foot  and  tossed 

him  into  Lankfi,  while  the  gods  and  saints  sent  Gariir,  who 

came  in  haste  to  RAma, 


LANKA.  573 

Dohd  71.  f^'^-f^ 
and  seized  and  devoured  the  whole  swarm  of  false  serpents. 
The  delusion  was  dispelled,  and  all  the  monkey  host  rejoiced 
again.  Tearing  up  with  their  claws  the  trees  and  rocks  of 
the  mountain,  they  rushed  forward,  while  the  demons  fled 
in  utter  confusion  and  climbed  up  into  the  fort. 

Chaupdi. 

When  Meghnad  recovered  from  his  swoon,  he  was 
greatly  ashamed  to  look  his  father  in  the  face,  and  arose 
and  went  in  haste  to  a  cave  in  the  mountain,  intending  to 
perform  a  sacrifice  that  would  ensure  victory.  But  Vib- 
hfshan  gave  the  caution  :  "  Hearken,  0  king  of  unbounded 
might  and  generosity,  Meghndd  is  preparing  an  unholy 
sacrifice — wretched  sorcerer  and  scourge  of  heaven  as  he 
is — and  if  he  bring  it  to  completion.  Sire,  it  will  not  be 
easy  to  conquer  him."  On  hearing  this,  Raghupati  was 
highly  pleased  and  said  to  Angad  and  the  other  monkeys  : 
"  Go,  my  brothers,  you  and  Lakshman,  and  put  a  stop  to 
his  sacrifice.  It  is  for  you,  Lakshman,  to  fight  and  slay 
him  ;  I  am  distressed  to  see  the  terror  of  the  gods.  Kill 
him,  either  by  open  force  or  by  stratagem  ;  one  way  or 
another— mark  me,  brother — the  demon  must  be  got  rid  of. 
But  you  three,  Jrtmbavan,  Sugriva  and  Vibhishan,  remain 
with  the  army."  When  Raghubir  had  finished  his  com- 
mands, the  hero  girt  his  quiver  by  his  side  and  took 
his  bow,  and  with  the  glory  of  his  lord  impressed 
upon  his  heart  cried  aloud  with  a  mighty  voice  as  of 
thunder  :  "  If  I  return  to-day  without  slaying  him,  may 
I  be  no  longer  called  Rdma's  servant;  though  a  hundred 
Sivas  give  him  help,  I  will  slay  him  yet,  in  the  name 
of  Rdma." 

Dohd  72. 

After  bowing  his  head  at  Rdma's  feet,  the  incarnation 
of  Seshn^g  went  forth  at  once  and  with  him  Angad,  Nila, 
Mayanda,  Nala,  and  the  valiant  Hanumdn. 


574  LANKA. 

ChaupcU. 

When  the  monkeys  arrived,  they  found  him  making  an 
oblation  of  blood  and  buffalo's  flesh.  They  all  tried  to 
interrupt  the  ceremony,  but  he  would  not  sir;  they  then 
took  to  praising  him.'  When  still  he  did  not  rise,  they  went 
and  pulled  him  by  the  hair,  upon  which  he  kicked  out  so 
fiercely  that  they  ran  away.  He  pursued  them  with  his  trident 
as  they  fled,  till  they  joined  Lakshman.  He  came  on  in  the 
wildest  fury,  striking  out  and  shouting  again  and  again 
with  a  terrible  roar.  Hanumdn  and  Angad  rushed  fiercely 
forward,  but  he  struck  them  on  the  breast  with  his  trident 
and  beat  them  to  the  ground.  Then  he  shot  forth  his  mighty 
spear  against  the  Lord,  but  he  warded  it  off  and  broke  it 
in  two.  Meanwhile  the  Son  of  the  Wind  and  the  prince 
had  risen  again  and  smote  him  furiously;  but  his  wounds 
had  no  effect  upon  him.  The  heroes  fell  upon  him  once 
more,  but  their  enemy  was  not  to  be  killed  ;  again  he  came 
on  with  a  terrible  shriek.  Then  Lakshman  made  up  his 
mind  ;  '  I  have  played  with  this  miscreant  long  enough,' 
and  seeing  him  advance,  furious  as  hell,  he  let  fly  his 
terrible  shaft.  When  he  saw  the  arrow  coming  on  like  a 
thunderbolt,  the  wretch  at  once  disappeared  from  sight 
and  continued  fighting  under  various  disguises,  now 
visible  and  now  invisible.  The  monkeys  thought  him 
invincible  and  trembled.  Then  the  incarnation  of  the 
serpent-king  became  exceeding  wroth,  and  directing  [his 
intention  to  the  glory  of  the  lord  of  Kosala,  fitted  an  arrow 
to  the  string  and  with  all  his  might  let  it  fly.  It  struck 
him  full  in  the  breast.  In  the  moment  of  death  he  aban- 
doned all  falsehood, 

Dohd  73.       ^^ 
and  invoking  the  names  of  Lakshman  and  Rdma  drew  his 


»K«  J*'*J**'.^^®^  enlarged  upon  his  strength  and   courage  and  wondered 
why  he  should  turn  from  fighting  to  sacrifice 


LANKA.  576 

last  breath.     *  Blessed  indeed  is  thy  mother  '  cried  Angad 
and  Hanumdn.i 

Ghaupdi. 
Without  an  effort  Hanuman  took  up  his  body  and  put 
it  at  the  gate  of  the  city  and  returned.  When  they  heard 
of  his  death,  the  gods  and  Gandharvas  mounted  their 
chariots  and  came  thronging  the  heaven,  showering  down 
flowers  and  beating  drums  and  hymning  the  spotless  re- 
nown of  the  divine  Raghublr.  *  Glory  to  Seshnag,  glory  to 
the  world-supporter  ;  You,  0  Lord,  are  the  Saviour  of  all 
the  gods.'  Having  thus  hymned  his  praises,  the  gods  and 
saints  withdrew,  while  Lakshman  went  and  presented  him- 
self before  the  All-merciful.  When  the  Ten-headed  heard  of 
his  son's  death,  he  swooned  away  and  fell  to  the  ground  ; 
Mandodari  made  grievous  lamentation,  beating  her  breast 
and  ever  calling  upon  his  name  ;  the  citizens  too  were  all 
sorrowful  and  dismayed  and  with  one  consent  reviled 
Rdvan. 

Dohd  74. 
Then  the  Ten-headed  set   to   comforting  his    wives   in 
every  way  he  could  :    "  See  and  consider  at  heart  how  tran- 
sitory is  everything  in  this  world." 

Chaupdi. 
Rjivan  gave  them  sound  advice  ;  though  a  dullard  him- 
self, his  counsel  was  good  and  wholesome.  There  are  many 
men  who  excel  in  giving  advice,  but  the  people  who  put  it 
in  practice  are  not  very  plentiful.  When  the  night  had 
passed  and  the  day  broke,  the  bears  and  monkeys  again 
beset  the  four  gates.  Rdvan  summoned  his  captains  and 
thus  addressed  them  :  *'  If  any  one's  heart  fail  him  in 
facing  the  battle,  he  had  better  withdraw  now  and  not  in- 
cur disgrace  by  running  away  in  the  midst  of  the  engage- 
ment. Relying  on  the  strength  of  my  own  arm,  I  have  con- 
tinued the  struggle,  and  can  give  an   answer  to  any  enemy 

1  For  giving  birth  to  such  a  gallant    warrior   and   one  who  showed  such 
faith  in  the  hour  of  death. 


576  iANKA. 

who  may  challenge   me."     So  saying,  he  made  ready   his 

chariot,  swift  as  the  wind,  while  every  instrument  of  music 

sounded  forth  a  strain  of  deadly  combat.     His  champions 

marched  on  ill  their  peerless    might,   like   the  march  of  a 

whirlwind  of  blackness.     At  that  time  occurred  numberless 

omens  of  ill,  but  he  heeded  them    not,    in  the    overweening 

pride  of  the  strength  of  his  arm. 

Chhand  4. 

In  his  overweening  pride    he   took  no   heed   of  omens, 

good  or  bad  :  weapons  dropt  from  the  hand  ;    warriors  fell 

from  their  cars  ;   horses,   frightened    by  the  trumpeting  of 

the  elephants,  ran  out   of   the  line  ;  jackals,    vultures    and 

huge  packs  of  dogs    made  a  frightful   clamour,  and   owls, 

like  messengers   of   death,  uttered  their  most  lugubrious 

notes.  , 

Dohd75.    ltr% 

How  was  it  possible  for  him  to  have  prosperous  omens 
of  good  fortune,  or  even  to  dream  of  peace   of  mind,    when 
he  was  so  infatuated  that  he  desired  the  ruin  of   the  whole 
world  and  was  set  upon  opposing  Rdma. 
Chaupdi. 

The  demon  host  marched  on  in  countless  number  ;  ele- 
phants and  chariots,  foot  and  horse,  line  after  line  ;  equip- 
ages of  every  description,  wagons  and  cars,  with  banners 
and  standards  of  diverse  colour;  innumerable  troops  of 
infuriated  elephants  like  autumn  clouds  when  driven  by 
the  wind  ;  battalions  of  savage  demons  of  different  colours, 
inspired  with  all  the  phrenzy  of  martial  heroes  ;  an  army 
magnificent  in  every  respect,  like  the  mustered  array  of 
the  gallant  god  of  spring.  As  the  host  marched,  the  ele- 
phants of  the  eight  quarters  reeled,  the  ocean  was  stirred 
from  its  deptlis,  the  mountains  shook.  The  dust  rose  in 
clouds  that  obscured  the  sun,  the  wind  failed,  and  the  earth 
was  troubled.  Drums  and  other  instruments  of  music  made 
an  awful  din,  like  the  crash  of  thunderclouds  on  the  last 
day.  Clarions,  trumpets,  and  hautboys  sounded  the  martial 


LANKA. 


5?f 


strain  that  gladdens  the  souls  of  heroes.     With  on  accord 

they  shouted  as  with  the  voice  of  a  lion,  each  extolling  his 

own    strength    and    manhood.     Rdvan  cried  :     "  Hearken, 

my  warriors  ;  do  you  attack  the  common  herd  of  bears  and 

monkeys;  I  myself  will  slay  the  two  brother   princes."     So 

saying,  he  ordered  the  army  to  advance  to  the  front.  When 

the  monkeys  heard   the  news,  they  all   rushed    on,   crying 

'  Rama  to  the  rescue.' 

Chhand  5. 

The  gigantic  and  terrible  bears  and  monkeys  rushed  on 

like   death  ;    flying  through   the  air  like  so  many  winged 

mountains  of  diverse  colours.     With  talons  and    teeth  and 

rocks  and  enormous  trees  for  weapons  they  all  feel  no  fear, 

singing  the  glory  of  Rama,  the  lion-like  vanquisher  of  the 

wild  elephant  R^van. 

Doha  76. 

With  a  shout  of    '  victory,   victory,'   raised    from   both 
sides,  the  heroes  selected  each  his  match  and  closed  in  com- 
bat, these  calling  on  Rdma  and  those  on  Rdvan. 
Chaupdi. 

When  Vibhishan  observed  that  Rdvan  was  in  a  chariot 
and  Rama  on  foot,  he  became  anxious  ;  his  extreme  affec- 
tion made  him  doubtful  of  mind,  and  falling  at  his  feet  he 
cried  tenderly  :  "  My  lord,  you  have  neither  a  chariot  nor 
shoes  to  your  feet,  how  can  you  conquer  so  powerful  a 
warrior?"  "Hearken,  friend,"  replied  the  All-merciful, 
"  a  conqueror  has  a  different  kind  of  chariot.  Manliness 
and  courage  are  his  chariot  wheels  ;  unflinching  truthful- 
ness and  morality  his  banners  and  standards  ;  strength, 
discretion,  self-control  and  benevolence  his  horses,  with 
grace,  mercy  and  equanimity  for  their  harness  :  prayer 
to  Mahiideva  his  unerring  charioteer  ;  continence  his  shield, 
contentment  his  sword,  alms-giving  his  axe,  knowledge 
his  mighty  spear,  and  perfect  science  his  stout  bow.  His 
pure  and  constant  soul  stands  for  a  quiver,  his  pious 
practices  of  devotion  for  a  sheaf  of  arrows,  and  the  revenue 

R-76 


578  LANfeA. 

he  pays  to  Br^hmans  and  his  guru  is  his  impenetrable  coat 
of  mail.  There  is  no  equipment  for  victory  that  can  be 
compared  to  this,  nor  is  there  any  enemy,  my  friend,  who 
can  conquer  the  man  who  takes  his  stand  on  the  chariot  of 

Dohd  77.  fal-  lif\.  f<^^  • 
religion.  He  who  has  such  a  powerful  chariot  as  this  is  a 
warrior  who  can  overcome  even  that  great  and  terrible 
enemy,  the  world  ;  hearken,  friend,  and  fear  not."  When 
he  had  heard  his  lord's  exhortation,  Vibhlshan  clasped  his 
feet  in  his  joy  and  cried  —  "  0  R^ma,  full  of  mercy  and  kind- 
ness, you  have  used  this  parable  to  give  me  a  lesson."  On 
the  one  side  Rdvan's  rabble,  on  the  other  Angad  and  Hanu- 
mdn,  the  demons  against  the  bears  and  monkeys,  had  join- 
ed in  battle,  each  swearing  by  his  own  lord. 
Ghauydi. 

Brdhma  and  the  other  gods,  with  all  the  saints  and 
sages,  mounted  their  chariots  to  watch  the  fray,  from  the 
heaven  above.  I  too,  Umii,  was  with  them,  beholding 
Rama's  exploits  on  the  field  of  battle.  On  both  sides  the 
leaders  were  maddened  with  martial  phrenzy,  but  the  mon- 
keys were  triumphant  through  the  might  of  R^ma.  With 
shouts  of  defiance  they  close  in  single  combat,  each  mauling 
his  foe  and  beating  him  to  the  ground.  They  strike,  they 
bite,  they  clutch,  they  fell;  they  tear  off  heads  and  use 
them  for  missiles  ;  they  rip  up  bodies,  wrench  off  arms, 
and  seizing  by  the  leg  dash  to  the  ground.  The  bears 
bury  the  demon  warriors  in  the  earth  and  pile  over  them 
heaps  of  sand  ;  the  sturdy  monkeys  raging  in  the  fight 
were  like  so  many  monstrous  images  of  ravenging  death  to 
look  upon. 

Chhand  6. 

The  monkeys,  their  bodies  all  streaming  with  gore, 
stood  forth  like  multiplied  images  of  the  god  of  death, 
crushing  the  mightiest  warriors  of  the  demon  host  and 
roaring  with  a  voice  of  thunder.  They  strike,  the  buffet,  they 
tear  with  the  teeth,  they  crush    beneath   the  feet,  uttering 


I 


LANKA.  579 

fierce  cries,  both  bears  and  monkeys,  and  employing  strength 
and  stratagem  alike,  by  which  to  reduce  the  miscreants. 
They  seize  and  tear  open  their  cheeks,  they  rip  up  the 
belly  and  take  the  entrails  and  hang  them  round  their  own 
necks,  as  though  the  lord  of  PrahUd  (Narsioh)  had  assum- 
ed a  multiplicity  of  forms,  and  were  disporting  himself  on 
the  field  of  battle.  '  Seize,  strike,  tear,  overthrow,'  were 
the  savage  cries,  with  which  earth  and  heaven  resounded. 
Glory  to  Rdma,  who  can  make  a  straw  a  thunderbolt 
and  again  reduce  a  thunderbolt  to  a  straw. 

Dohd  78. 
When  Ravan  saw  his  troops  in  confusion,   he    mounted 
his  chariot,  with  his  twenty  arms  and  ten  bows,  and  essay- 
ed to  rally  them,  crying  '  turn,  turn. 

Chaupdi. 

The  Ten-headed  rushed  forth  in  wild  fury,  and  the 
monkeys  with  a  whoop  advanced  to  meet  him.  Taking  in 
their  hands  trees,  crags  and  mountains,  together  they  all 
hurled  them  upon  him.  The  masses  of  stone  no  sooner 
struck  on  his  adamantine  frame  than  they  were  at  once 
shattered  in  pieces,  while  he  flinched  not,  but  stood  firm 
as  a  rock  and  stayed  his  chariot,  he,  Rdvan,  maddened  with 
the  battle  and  terrible  in  his  fury.  This  side  aad  that  he 
scattered  and  battered  the  monkey  chiefs  in  the  fierceness 
of  his  wrath.  Bears  and  monkeys  all  took  to  flight,  crying, 
"Help,  help,  Angad,  Hanum^n;  save,  save,  0  lord  Raghubir; 
this  monster,  as  sure  as  death,  will  devour  us  all.  When 
he  saw  the  monkeys  in  flight,  he  fitted  an  arrow  to  each 
of  his  ten  bows. 

Chhand  7. 

He  strung  his  bow  and  let  fly  a  volley  of  arrows ;  they 
flew  and  lodged  like  serpents  ;  the  heaven  and  the  earth 
were  full  of  arrows  ;  the  monkeys  fled  in  all  directions. 
There  was  a  terrible  uproar,  the  monkey  host  and  the  bears 
were  panic-striken    and  cried  in  dismay—"  0   Raghubir, 


580  LANKA. 

fountain  of  mercy  ;  0  Hari,  friend  of  the  forlorn,  saviour  of 

mankind." 

Doha  79. 

Seeing  the  distress  of  his  troops,  Lakshman  slung  his 
quiver  by  his  side,  took  his  bow  in  his  hand  and  sallied 
forth  in  a  fury,  after  bowing  his  head  at  R6ma's  feet. 

Chaupdi. 

"  Ah  !  vile  wretch,  you  kill  bears  and  monkeys  ;  but 
now  look  at  me,  I  am  your  death."  '*  I  have  been  searching 
for  you,  you  murderer  of  my  son,  and  to-day  I  will  gladden 
my  soul  by  your  destruction."  Thus  he  cried  and  let  fly  a 
storm  of  arrows  ;  but  Lakshman  shivered  them  all  into  a 
hundred  pieces.  Then  Rjivan  hurled  upon  him  myriads  of 
missiles,  but  he  warded  them  off  as  though  they  had  been 
tiny  sesamum  seeds,  and  in  turn  assailed  him  with  his  own 
shafts,  smashing  his  chariot  and  killing  his  charioteer. 
Each  of  his  ten  heads  he  transfixed  with  a  hundred  arrows, 
which  seemed  like  serpents  boring  their  way  into  the  peaks 
of  a  mountain.  With  a  hundred  arrows  more  he  struck  him 
full  in  the  breast  :  he  fell  senseless  to  the  ground.  When 
the  swoon  had  passed  off,  he  rose  again  in  his  strength  and 
let  fly  the  bolt  given  him  by  Brahma 
Chhand  8. 

The  mighty  bolt,  the  gift  of  Brdhma,  smote  the  incarnate 
iSeahndg  full  in  the  breast  ;  the  hero  fell  fainting;  the  Ten- 
headed  essayed  to  lift  his  body,  but  his  immeasurable  bulk 
stirred  not.  In  his  folly  R^van  thought  to  carry  him  off,  not 
knowing  him  to  be  the  lord  of  the  three  spheres,  who  sup- 
ports on  one  of  his  heads  the  whole  created  universe,  as 
though  it  were  a  mere  grain  of  sand. 
Dohd  80. 

When  the  Son  of  the  Wind  saw  this,  he  rushed  forward 
with  a  furious  cry  ;  but  as  the  monkey  came  on,  he  struck 
him  a  violent  blow  with  his  fist. 
Chaupdi. 

The  monkey  dropt  on  the  knee  but  did  not  fall   to  the 


LANKA.  581 

ground  and,  on  recovering  himself,  arose  full  of  exceeding 
wrath,  and  smote  him  one  blow  :  he  fell  like  a  mountain 
struck  by  a  thunderbolt.  When  he  recovered  from  the 
swoon,  he  marvelled  greatly  at  the  monkey's  mighty 
strength.  "  Shame  on  my  manhood,  shame  on  myself,  if  you 
remain  alive,  you  plague  of  heaven."  So  cried  the  monkey, 
as  he  carried  Lakshman  away.  At  this  sight  Rdvan  was 
sore  amazed.  Said  Raghubir,  on  finding  his  brother  still 
alive :  "  You  are  indeed  the  destroyer  of  death  and  the 
saviour  of  the  gods."  On  hearing  these  words,  the  Benign- 
ant arose  and  sat  up,  and  the  terrible  bolt  vanished  into  the 
heaven.  Then  again  they  took  bow  and  arrows  and  rushed 
forward  with  the  utmost  impetuosity  to  meet  the  enemy. 
Chhand  9. 

Again,  by  their  impetuous  attack,  they  put  him  to  con- 
fusion, smashing  his  chariot  and  slaying  his  charioteer. 
Rdvan  fell  fainting  to  the  ground,  his  heart  transfixed  by  a 
hundred  arrows.  Another  charioteer  threw  him  on  his  car 
and  carried  him  to  Lanka,  while  Lakshman  in  all  his  glory 
prostrated  himself  at  Retma's  feet. 

Doha  SI.      lO^ 

On  the  one  hand  Rdvan,  on  recovering,  began  to  make 
preparations  for  a  sacrifice  ;  fool  to  oppose  Rdma  and  yet 
hope  to  prosper  ;  obstinate  and  ignorant  indeed  ! 

Ghaupdi. 
On  the  other  hand,  Vibhishan,  on  learning  the  news, 
went  at  once  and  told  Raghupati  : — "  My  Lord,  R^van  is 
engaged  in  a  sacrifice  ;  if  he  completes  it,  the  wretch  will 
never  die.  Despatch  your  valiant  monkeys,  sire,  in  all  speed, 
to  cut  short  his  life."  As  soon  as  it  was  day,  the  lord  sent 
out  his  warriors.  Hanumdn,  Angad,  and  all  started  forth. 
Bounding  with  glee,  the  monkeys  climbed  Lankd  and 
boldly  entered  Rdvan's  palace.  Finding  him  engaged  in  the 
sacrifice,  they  all  became  furious  :  —  "  You  run  away  home 
without  shame  from  the  battle  and  on  getting  here  practise 


582  LANKA. 

this  hypocrisy  !  "  ^  So  saying,  Angad  gave  him  a  kick,  but 
the  wretch  took  no  notice,  so  absorbed  was  he  in  his  own 
purpose. 

Chhand  10. 
As  he  took  no  notice,  the  monkeys  in  a  fury  tore  him 
with  their  teeth  and  kicked  him  with  their  feet ;  his  wives, 
too,  they  seized  by  the  hair  and  dragged  out  of  doors,  till 
the  poor  wretches  screamed  again.  Then  at  last  he  rose, 
terrible  as  death,  and  caught  a  monkey  by  the  leg  and  hurl- 
ed him  away  :  but  seeing  that  the  monkeys  had  thus  suc- 
ceeded in  interrupting  the  sacrifice,  his  heart  failed  him. 

Doha  82. 
Rejoicing  at  having  spoilt  his  sacrifice,  the  monkeys  re- 
turned to  Raghupati  ;  while  the  demon  went  off  in  a  fury, 
abandoning  all  hope  of  life. 

Ghaupdi. 
Fearful  omens  of  ill  met  him  as  he  went,  for  vultures 
flew  and  settled  on  his  heads.  Fated  to  die,  he  paid  no  heed, 
but  gave  the  order  to  sound  the  onset.  There  seemed  no 
end  to  the  demon  host  as  it  marched  on,  with  its  many  ele- 
phants, chariots,  foot-soldiers  and  horsemen.  The  miscreants 
hastened  to  confront  the  Lord,  like  a  swarm  of  gnats  when 
they  fly  into  the  fire.  On  the  other  hand,  the  gods  raised 
songs  of  praise  :  -"He  has  caused  us  grievous  trouble  ;  play 
with  him  no  longer,  0  R^ma,  for  Sita  is  in  sore  distress." 
On  hearing  the  prayer  of  the  gods,  RAma  8miled2  and  rose 
and  trimmed  his  arrows.  His  hair  was  tightly  bound  in  a 
knot  on  his  forehead,  beautiful  with  the  flowers  that  had  here 
and  there  been  caught  (as  they  fell  upon  him  from  heaven). 
With  his  bright  eyes  and  his  body  dark  of  hue  as  a  rain- 
cloud,  rejocing  the  sight  of  every  created  sphere,  he  girded 

1  Vak-dhydn,  literally,  'the  contemplation  of  a  crane,'  i.e,  the 
affectation  of  being  absorbed  in  divine  contemplation,  while  really  thinking 
only  of  worldly  interests  ;  like  the  crane,  which  seems  lost  in  abstraction, 
hut  is  only  waiting  for  a  fish  to  pounce  upon. 

2  Knowing  that  the  gods  were  chiefly  anxious  on  their  own  account, 
though  they  professed  to  be  only  thinking  about  Sita. 


LANKA.  583 

on  his  quiver  with  its  belt  about  his  lions   and  took  in   his 
hand  his  mighty  bow,  the  bow  of  Vishnu. 
Chhand  11. 

With  his  bow  Saranga  in  his  hand  and  his  beautiful 
quiver  full  of  arrows  slung  by  his  side,  with  his  muscular 
arms  and  fine  broad  chest  adorned  with  the  print  of  the 
Brdhman's  foot,  when  the  Lord —says  Tulsi  Dds— began  to 
handle  his  bow  and  arrows,  the  elephants  that  support  the 
world,  the  tortoise,  the  serpent  and  the  earth  itself  with  its 
mountains  and  seas,  all  reeled. 

Doha  83. 

The  gods    rejoiced    at  the   sight   of  his    splendour    and 

rained  down    flowers  in    abundance,  singing   '  Glory,  glory, 

glory  to  the  All-merciful,  the  storehouse  of  beauty,  strength 

and  perfection.' 

Ghaupdi. 

Meanwhile  the  demon  hosts  came  rolling  on  in  infinite 
number.  The  monkey  warriors  at  the  sight  advanced  to 
meet  them,  like  the  thunder  clouds  gathered  at  the  last  day. 
Spears,  lances  and  swords  flashed  again  like  gleams  of 
lightning  from  every  quarter  of  the  heaven.  The  awful 
din  of  elephants,  chariots  and  horses  was  like  the  thunder- 
ing of  a  frightful  tempest.  The  monkeys'  huge  tails  as 
they  stretched  across  the  sky  were  like  the  uprising  of  a 
magnificent  rainbow.  The  dust  was  borne  aloft  like  a  cloud, 
and  the  arrows  fell  like  a  copious  shower.  The  mountains 
hurled  from  either  side  were  like  the  crash  of  repeated 
thunderbolts.  When  Rama  in  his  wrath  poured  forth  his 
arrows,  the  demon  crew  were  sore  smitten.  At  the  smart 
of  his  shafts  the  warriors  screamed  with  pain,  and  every- 
where reeled  and  fell  to  the  ground.  The  rocks  streamed 
as  it  were  with  cascades  in  a  river  of  blood,  the  terror  of 
cowards. 

Chhand  12. 

A  most  loathsome  river  of  blood,  striking  cowards  with 
terror,  rolled  on  between  the  two  armies  for  its  banks,  with 


584  LANKA. 

chariots  for  sand  and  wheels  for  eddies  — a  frightful  flood — 

with   elephants,    foot-soldiers,    and  horses    for  its   aquatic 

birds,   and   vehicles   of  every    kind,  more  than   one  could 

count,  for  its  reeds  and  grasses  ;    with  arrows,   spears  and 

lances  for  its  snakes,  bows  for  its  waves,  and  shields  for  its 

shoals  of  tortoises.  , 

Dohd  84. 

The  fallen  heroes  are  the  trees  on  its  bank,  the  marrow 
of  their  bones  its  scum.     C-owards  tremble  at  the  sight,  but 
the  gallant  are  dauntless  of  soul. 
Chaupdi. 

Those  who  bathe  in  it  are  imps,  demons  and  goblins, 
monstrous  ghouls  and  horrible  vampires.  Crows  and  vul- 
tures fly  off  with  human  arms,  which  they  tear  from  one  an- 
other and  seize  and  devour.  Says  one  'At  such  a  time  of 
plenty,  you  wretch,  is  your  hunger  still  unsatisfied  ?  ^ 
Wounded  warriors,  fallen  on  the  edge  of  the  field,  utter 
groans  like  the  dying  left  half  in  and  half  out  of  the  water.2 
Vultures  sit  on  the  bank  and  tear  the  entrails  of  the  dead, 
like  fishermen  intent  on  their  roafds.  Many  bodies  float 
down  with  birds  upon  them,  as  if  they  were  boating  in  a 
river.  Witches  draw  water  in  skulls  ;  other  female  demons 
and  goblins  dance  in  the  air,  clashing  the  skulls  of  warriors 
for  cymbals,  while  the  infernal  goddesses  sing  song  after 
song.  Herds  of  jackals  snarl  and  growl  and  scamper  about 
devouring  till  they  are  gorged.  Thousands  of  headless 
bodie.**  roam  the  plain,  while  the  heads  fallen  to  the  ground 
still  shout  '  victory,  victory.' 

Chhand  13. 
The    heads  cry  *  victory,   victory,'   while    the    headless 
trunks    rush   wildly  about.     Swords    and    skulls  are  inex- 
tricably involved,  hero  against  hero,  fighting  and  overthrow- 
ing.   The  monkeys  crushed  the  demon  crew  and  triumphed 

1  That  you  must  rorae  and  steal  from  me  instead  of  foraging  for  yourself. 

2  Hy  ardfihaja/,  '  half  in  the  water,'  is  meant  a  dying  man  who  has  been 
t.'ikcn  V)y  his  friend.s  and  lail  on  the  very  edge  of  the  river,  so  that  he  may 
breathe  his  last  in  the  sacred  stream. 


LANKA.  585 

through  the  power  of  Rdma.     Smitten  by   Rdma's  arrows 
the  leaders  are  conspicuous  on  the  field  of  battle. 
Doha  85. 

Rdvan   thought    within   himself — "  The    demons    are 
routed  ;  I  am   alone,  the  bears  and   monkeys  are  many  ;  I 
must  put  forth  all  my  magic  power." 
Ghaupdi. 

When  the  gods  saw  that  the  Lord  was  on  foot,  they 
were  exceedingly  disturbed  in  mind,  and  Indra  at  once 
despatched  his  own  chariot.  Mdtali  brought  it  gladly,  a 
splendid  chariot,  divine,  incomparable ;  the  king  of  Kosala 
rejoiced  as  he  mounted  it.  Its  four  beautiful  and  high- 
mettled  steeds,  deathless  and  ever  young,  flew  swift  as 
thought.  When  they  saw  Raghun^th  mounted  on  a  car, 
the  monkeys  rushed  forward  with  renewed  vigour.  Their 
onset  was  irresistible.  Then  Rdvan  exerted  his  magic 
power.  Raghublr  knew  it  to  be  a  mere  delusion,  but  Laksh- 
man  and  the  monkeys  took  it  for  real.  They  saw  among 
the  demon  host  many  Rdmas  and  as  many  Lakshmans. 
Ghhand  14. 

Seeing  these   multiplied    Rdmas  and   Lakshmans,  the 

monkeys  and  bears  were  greatly  dismayed  ;  wherever  they 

looked,  they  saw  him  standing,  as  in  a  picture,  and  Laksh- 

man    with    him.     The  Lord   of  Kosala  smiled    to  see  the 

perplexity   of    his    troops  :      Hari    made    ready    his    bow 

and  in  a  moment  scattered  the  delusion  ;    the  monkey  host 

rejoiced  again. 

Dohd  86. 

The  Rdma  looked  round  about  him  and  cried  with  a 
mighty  voice  : — "  Watch  now  the  combat  between  us  two, 
for  my  captains  are  all  a- wearied." 

Ghaupdi. 
So  saying,  Raghunath  urged    forward  his  chariot,  after 
bowing  his  head  at  the  BrAhmans'  lotus  feet.  Then  was  the 
king  of  Lanka  full  of  fury  and  rushed  to  meet  him,  challeng- 
ing him  with  a  voice   of  thunder  :  -  "  As  for  the  warriors 

R-77 


5d6  LANKA. 

you  have  defeated  in  battle,  mark  me,  hermit,  I  am  not  like 
them.  The  glory  of  Rdvan's  name  is  known  throughout  the 
world,  and  how  he  cast  into  prison  the  regents  of  the  spheres. 
You  forsooth  have  slain  Khara  and  Ddshan  and  Viradha  and 
killed  poor  B^li,  lying  in  ambush  for  him  like  a  huntsman. 
You  have  routed  the  leaders  of  the  demon  host,  and  put  to 
death  Kumbha-karn  and  Meghn^d.  But  to-day  I  will 
make  an  end  of  all  this  fighting  ;  unless,  indeed,  you  save 
yourself  by  flight  from  the  field.  To-day,  wretch,  I  will 
give  you  in  charge  to  Death  ;  you  have  now  to  deal  with 
the  mighty  Rdvan."  On  hearing  this  abusive  speech,  the 
AU-mercifuI,  knowing  him  to  be  death-doomed,  smiled  and 
answered :  - "  True,  true,  I  have  heard  all  about  your 
greatness  ;  but  no  more  boasting  words,  let  me  see  your 
strength. 

Chhand  15. 
Do  not  destroy  your  reputation  by  boasting,  but  pardon 
me  if  I  give  you  a  lesson.  In  this  world  there  are  three 
kinds  of  men,  resembling  respectively  the  dhdk,  the  mango, 
and  the  bread-fruit  tree.  The  one  has  flowers,  the  second 
flowers  and  fruit,  and  the  third  fruit  only.  The  one  talks  ; 
the  second  talks  and  does  ;  the  third   does,  but  says  not  a 

word." 

Doha  87. 

On  hearing  Rama's  speech,  he  laughed  and  said : — 
*'Now  you  are  for  teaching  me  wisdom.  You  did  not  fear 
to  challenge  me  ;  but  at  last  you  begin  to  hold  your  life 
dear." 

Ghaupdi. 

Having  uttered  this  taunt,  Rivan  in  a  fury  began  to  let 
fly  his  arrows  like  so  many  thunderbolts.  The  shafts  sped 
forth,  of  many  shapes,  and  on  all  sides  around  the  heaven 
and  earth  were  filled  with  the  cloud  of  them.  Raghubirj 
discharged  an  arrow  of  fire,  and  in  a  moment  the  demon's, 
bolts  were  all  consumed.  He  ground  his  teeth  and  hurled 
forth  his  mighty  spear  ;   the  Lord  turned  it  with  an  arrow 


LANKA.  587 

and  sent  it  back.  Then  he  cast  against  him  thousands  of 
discs  and  tridents  ;  but  the  Lord  without  an  effort  snapped 
and  turned  them  aside.  R^van's  artillery  was  as  unavail- 
ing as  are  always  the  schemes  of  the  wicked.  Then  with 
a  hundred  arrows  at  once  he  struck  the  charioteer,  who  fell 
to  the  ground,  crying  '  victory  to  Rama.'  So  the  Lord  had 
compassion  upon  him  and  raised  him  up  again  :  but  a 
terrible  fury  then  possessed  him  : 
CMand  16. 

Full  of  fury  and  raging  in  the  battle,  Raghupati's  very 
arrows  were  ready  to  jump  out  of  his  quiver.  At  the  sound 
of  the  awful  twang  of  his  bow  all  creation  was  seized  with 
terror.  Mandodari's  heart  quaked  :  the  sea,  the  great 
tortoise,  the  earth  and  its  supporter  trembled  ;  the  elephants 
of  the  eight  quarters  squealed  and  grasped  the  world  tight 
in  their  jaws,  while  the  gods  laughed  to  see  the  sport. 
Doha  88. 

He  drew  the  bowstring  to  his  ear  and  left  fly  his  terrible 
darts  ;  they  cleft  the  sky,  quivering  like  so  many  serpents. 
Chaupdi. 

The  arrows  sped  forth  like  winged  serpents  and  at  once 
laid  low  the  charioteer  and  his  horses,  breaking  the  car  and 
snapping  the  flagstaff.  Though  inwardly  his  courage  failed 
him,  he  roared  aloud  and  quickly  mounted  another  car,  and 
grinding  his  teeth  let  fly  weapons  and  missiles  of  every 
description.  But  all  his  efforts  were  as  fruitless  as  the 
thoughts  of  a  man  who  delights  only  in  mischief.  Then 
R^van  hurled  forth  ten  spears,  which  struck  the  four  horses 
and  brought  them  to  the  ground.  Rdma  was  furious  :  he 
raised  the  horses  and  then  drew  his  bow  and  let  fly  his  ar- 
rows. The  edge  of  Raghubir's  shafts  swept  off  R^van's  heads 
as  though  they  had  been  lotuses.  He  smote  each  of  his  ten 
heads  with  ten  arrows  :  the  blood  gushed  forth  in  torrents. 
Streaming  with  gore,  he  rushed  on  in  his  strength  ;  but  the 
Lord  again  fitted  arrows  to  his  bow  and  let  fly  thirty  shafts  ; 
his   heads   and   arms  all  fell  to  the  ground.     Again  Rtoa 


588  LANKA. 

smote  away  his  arms  and  heads  ;  for  they  had  grown  afresh 
after  being  cut  ofE.     Time  after  time  the  Lord  struck  off  his 
arms  and  heads,  but  they  were   no  sooner  smitten   off  than 
they  were  again  renewed.    Again  and  again  the  Lord  shred 
off   his    heads  and    arms.     The    king   of  Kosala  mightily 
diverted  himself.     The  whole  heaven  was  full  of  heads  and 
arms,  like  an  infinite  number  of  Ketus  and  Rdhus  ;^ 
Chhand  17. 
As  though  a  multitude  of  Mhus  and  Ketus   streaming 
with  gore  were   rushing  through  the   air  ;  for    Raghubir's 
arrows   had    such   force,  that  after  hitting  their  mark  they 
could    not   fall   to  the   ground.     Each  arrow  transfixing  a 
set  of  heads   seemed,    as   it   flew  through  the  sky,  like  a 
ray  of  the  angry  sun  strung  all  over  with  moon  troublers.s 
Dohd  89. 
As  quickly   as  the  Lord  struck  off  his  heads,  they  were 
renewed  again  without  end  ;  like  the  passions  of  a  man  de- 
voted to  the  world,  which  increase  ever  more  and  more. 
Ghaupdi. 
When   Rdvan  saw  this  multiplication  of  his  heads,  he 
thought  no  more  of  death  and  waxed  still  more  furious.  He 
thundered  aloud  in  his  insance  pride,  and  rushed   forward 
with  his  ten  bows  all  strung  at  once,  raging  wildly  on   the 
field  of  battle,  and  overwhelmed  Rdma's  chariot  with  such 
a  shower  of  arrows  that  for  a  moment  it  was  quite   lost    to 
sight,  as  when  the  sun  is  obscured  by  a  mist.     The    gods 
cried  '  alack,  alack  '  ;  but  the  Lord  wrathfully  grasped  his 
bow  and  parrying  the  arrows  smote  off  his  enemy's  heads, 
which    flew    in  all  directions,  covering  heaven    and   earth. 


1  The  demon  Mhu,  having  disguised  himself  as  one  of  the  gods,  succeeded 
in  securing  a  draught  of  the  nectar  which  they  had  churned  out  of  the 
ocean.  The  sun  and  moon,  who  had  detected  the  impostor,  gave  informa- 
tion to  Vishnu,  who  thereupon  cut  oflE  the  monster's  head  and  two  of  his 
four  arms.  As  he  could  not  rob  him  of  the  immortality  that  the  nectar 
had  conferred,  the  severed  head  and  tail  were  metamorphosed  into  heavenly 
Vxjdies,  under  the  names  of  Rihu  and  Ketu,  or  the  ascending  and  descending 
node  ;  of  which  the  former  still  wreaks  vengeance  on  the  sun  and  moon 
by  now  and  again  swallowing  them. 

2  Vidhm-ticda^-hteraMy  'the  moon-troubler,'  is  another  name  for 
nana. 


LANKA.  589 

Severed  as  they  were,  they  flew  through  the  sky,    uttering 

hideous    cries    of   **  victory,  victory  !    where  is  Lakshman, 

where  Sugrfva  and  Angad  ;    where    Rama    the    prince    of 

Kosala  ? 

Chhand  18. 

Where  now  is  Rdma  ?  "  cried  the  heads  as  they  sped 
through  the  air.  The  monkeys  saw  and  turned  to  flight  : 
but  the  Jewel  of  the  race  of  Raghu,  with  a  smile,  made  ready 
his  bow  and  with  his  arrows  shot  the  heads  through  and 
through  ;  as  though  the  goddess  K^li,  with  a  rosary  of 
skulls  in  her  hand  and  accompanied  by  all  her  attendants, 
had  bathed  in  the  river  Blood  and  come  to  worship  at  the 
shrine  of  Battle. 

Doha  90. 

Again   R^van  in  his   fury    hurled    forth  his   mightiest 
spear  :  like  the  bolt  of  death  it  flew  straight  for  Vibhishan. 
Chaupdi. 

When  he  saw  the  awful  spear  coming,  he  cried  *  my 
trust  is  in  him  who  ever  relieves  the  distress  of  the  dest- 
itute,' and  Rama  at  once  put  Vibhishan  behind  him  and 
exposed  himself  to  the  full  force  of  the  missile.  When  it 
struck,  the  Lord  swooned  for  a  while,  a  mimicry  which 
filled  the  gods  with  dismay.  When  Vibhishan  saw  his  lord 
fainting,  he  seized  his  club  in  his  hand  and  rushed  on  in 
a  fury  :— "  Ah,  ill-starred  wretch,  fool,  dull  of  understand- 
ing, enemy  alike  of  gods,  men,  saints  and  Nagas  ;  inasmuch 
as  you  devoutly  offered  your  head  to  Siva,  you  have  received 
a  thousand  for  one  in  return.  This  is  the  only  reason  why 
as  yet  you  have  escaped  ;  but  now  death  is  dancing  on  your 
pate.  Fool,  to  oppose  Rama  and  yet  hope  to  triumph." 
So  saying  he  struck  him  on  the  chest  with  his  club. 
Chhand  19. 

At  the  terrible  stroke  of  the  mighty  club  on  his  chest 
he  fell  to  the  ground;  but,  his  ten  heads  ail  streaming  with 
blood,  he  again  picked  himself  up  and  came  on  full  of  fury. 
The  two  closed  with   all   their  might  in    savage    wrestle  ; 


590  LANKA. 

each  mauling  the  other  :  hut  Vibhishan  was  inspired  with 
the  strength  of  R^ma,  and  fell  upon  him  as  though  he  were 
of  no  account  whatever. 

0  Um4,  Vibhishan  would  not  have  dared  of  himself  to 
look  RAvan  in  the  face  ;  but  now  in  the   might  of  Rdma  he 
closed  with  him  like  very  death. 
Chaupdi. 

But  Hanumin  saw  that  Vibhfshan  was  sorely  exhausted 
and  rushed  forward  with  a  rock  in  his  hand,  with  which  he 
crushed  chariot,  horses  and  driver,  and  gave  the  demon 
himself  a  kick  in  the  ribs.  He  stood  erect  but  trembled  all 
over,  and  Vibhishan  escaped  into  the  presence  of  the 
Saviour  of  the  world.  Then  R^van  fell  upon  the  monkey, 
who  spread  his  tail  and  flew  into  the  air.  He  laid  hold  of 
the  tail  and  so  was  borne  aloft  with  the  monkey,  the  mighty 
Hanum^n,  who  again  turned  and  closed  with  him.  The 
well-matched  pair  continued  fighting  overhead,  each  furious- 
ly bruising  the  other,  and  putting  forth  all  his  strength 
and  skill ;  as  though  mounts  Anjan  and  Suraeru  had  come 
into  collision  in  the  heaven.  The  demon  was  so  astute  that 
there  was  no  throwing  him,  till  the  Lord  came  to  the  sup- 
port of  the  Son  of  the  Wind. 

Chhand  20. 

Supported  by  Raghubir,  the  valiant  monkey  struck 
R4van  a  violent  blow.  He  fell  to  the  ground,  but  rose 
again  to  fight,  so  that  the  gods  shouted  *  victory  '  to  both. 
Seeing  Hanumdn  in  such  a  strait,  the  monkeys  and  bears 
advanced  in  furious  passion  ;  but  Rdvan,  battle-mad,  crush- 
ed all  their  stoutest  champions  with  the  might  of  his  ter- 
rible arm. 

Dohd  92. 

Rallied  by  Raghubir,  the  bold  monkeys  came  on  again. 
Seeing  them  to  be  so  strong,  he  had  recourse  to  magic. 
Chaupdi. 

In  a  moment  he  became  invisible  and  then  again  showed 


LANKA.  5Q1 

himself  in  a  multitude  of  forms.     Every  bear   and  monkey 

in  Rdma's  army  saw  a  separate   Rd,van    confronting  him. 

At  the  sight  of  such  an  infinity  of   Rdvans,  the    bears    and 

monkeys  fled  in  all  directions.     Not    one  of  them  had    the 

courage  to  stay,  but  all  fled  crying  '  Help,  Tiakshman  ;  help, 

Raghubir  '.     Myriads  of   Rdvans    pursued  them    on    every 

side,  thundering  aloud  with  hoarse  and  terrible  cries.     The 

gods  were  all  panic-stricken  and  betook  themselves  to  flight 

saying: — "Now,  brother,   abandon  all  hope  of  victory.     A 

single  Ravan  subdued  the  heavenly  host,  andnow  there  are 

many  of  them — make  for  the  caves  in  the  mountain."    Only 

Brdhma  and  Sambhu  and  the  wisest  of  the  saints  stood  fast, 

who  had  some  understanding  of  their  lord's  might. 

Ghhand  21. 

They  who  understood  his  power  remained  fearless ;  but 

the  monkeys  took  the  apparitions  for  real  enemies  and  fled, 

monkeys  and  bears  alike,  crying  in  their   terror  '  Help,  ojod 

of  mercy.'     Only  Hanumdu,   Angad,    Nila   and    Nala,    the 

leaders  of  the  host,  fought  bravely  on  against   the   delusive 

growth  of  giants  and  crushed  thousands  upon  thousands  of 

R^vans 

Doha  93. 

The  king  of  Kosala  smiled  to  see  the  panic  of  the  gods 
and  monkeys,  and  stringing  his  bow  dispersed  with  a  single 
arrow  the  whole  host  of  Rdvans. 
Chaupdi. 

In  a  moment  the  Lord  dispersed  the  whole  phantom 
scene,  as  when  the  darkness  is  scattered  at  the  rising  of  the 
sun.  Seeing  only  one  RAvan,  the  gods  turned  again  with 
joy  and  showered  down  many  flowers  upon  the  Lord.  Rdma 
then  raised  his  arms  aloft  and  rallied  the  monkeys,  who 
turned  again,  each  shouting  to  his  neighbour.  Inspired  by 
the  might  of  their  lord,  the  bears  and  monkeys  went  forth, 
and  with  renewed  vigour  re-entered  the  arena.  When  Rdvan 
saw  the  gods  exulting,  he  muttered  :  -  "  They  think  I  am 
now  reduced  to  one  ;  fools,  you  have  ever  been  my  prey"  So 


592  LANKA. 

saying,  he  made  a  savage  spring   into  the  air,   and  as  the 

gods  fled  screaming,  he  cried — *  Wretches,  whither  can  you 

go  from  my  presence  ?'    Seeing  their  dismay,  Angad  rushed 

forward  and  with  a  bound  seized  him  by  the  foot  and  threw 

him  to  the  ground. 

Ghhand  22. 

Having  seized  and  hurled  him  to  the  ground,  the  son 
of  Bili  gave  him  a  kick  and  then  rejoined  his  lord.  The  Ten- 
headed,  on  recovering  himself,  rose  again  and  shouted  ter- 
ribly with  a  voice  of  thunder.  Proudly  he  strung  his 
bow,  and  fitting  ten  arrows  to  the  string,  he  let  fly  many 
volleys,  wounding  all  his  enemies  :  at  the  sight  of  their  con- 
fusion he  gloried  in  his  might. 

Doha  94. 

Then  Raghupati  cut  ofE  Rdvan's  heads  and  arms,  his 
arrows  also  and  his  bow  ;  but  they  all  sprouted  again,  like 
sins  committed  at  a  holy  place. 

Ghaupdi. 

kSeeing  the  multiplication  of  their  enemy's  heads  and 
arms,  the  bears  and  monkeys  were  mightily  indignant  and 
rushed  on  in  a  fury,  crying — "  Will  the  wretch  never  die, 
with  his  heads  and  arms  all  cut  off  ?"  The  son  of  Bili,  with 
Hanumdn,  Nala  and  Nila,  the  monkey  king  Sugnva  and 
the  valiant  Dwivid,  hurled  upon  him  trees  and  mountains; 
but  he  caught  each  mountain  and  tree  and  threw  them 
back  upon  the  monkeys.  One  tore  the  enemy's  body  with 
his  claws,  another  would  run  past  and  kick  him.  But  Nala 
and  Xila  clambered  up  on  to  his  heads  and  set  to  tearing 
his  face  with  their  talons.  When  he  saw  the  blood,  he  was 
Hore  troubled  in  soul  and  put  up  his  arms  to  catch  them  ; 
but  they  were  not  to  be  caught  and  sprang  about  over  his 
hands,  like  two  bees  over  a  bed  of  lotuses.  At  last  with  a 
savage  bound  he  clutched  them  both  and  dashed  them  to 
tiie  ground,  twisting  and  breaking  their  arms.  Then  in 
his  fury  he  took  his  ten  bows  ill  his  hands  and  with  his 
arrows  smote  and  wounded  the  monkeys,  so  that  Hanumin 


LANKA.  •         593 

and  all  were  rendered  senseless.  The  approach  of  night 
had  invigorated  him.  Seeing  all  the  monkey  chiefs  in  a 
swoon,  the  valiant  Jambav^n  rushed  forward,  and  with 
him  the  bears,  armed  with  mountains  and  trees,  which  they 
began  hurling  upon  him.  The  mighty  Ravan  was  enraged, 
and  many  of  the  heroes  he  seized  by  the  leg  and  dashed  to 
the  ground  Their  king  was  wroth  to  see  such  havoc  among 
his  troops  and  gave  him  a  savage  kick  on  the  breast. 
Ghhand  23. 

The  blow  smote  him  so  heavily  on  the  breast  that  he  fell 
fainting  from  his  chariot  to  the  ground,  grasping  a  bear  in 
each  of  his  twenty  hands,  like  bees  hiding  by  night  in  the 
folds  of  the  lotus.  Seeing  him  senseless,  the  king  of  the 
bears  again  struck  him  with  his  foot  and  then  rejoined  the 
Lord  As  night  had  now  come,  the  charioteer  lifted  RAvan 
on  to  the  car  and  made  ofE  as  best  he  could. 

Dohd95.    (■'  '/. 

On  recovering  from  their  swoon,  the  bears  and  monkeys 
all  appeared  before  R^ma  ;   while  all   the   demons  crowded 
round  Ravan  in  the  utmost  consternation. 
Ghauydi, 

During  the  night  Trijata  went  to  Sita  and  told  her  the 
whole  story.  When  Slta  heard  of  the  multiplication  of  the 
enemy's  heads  and  arms,  she  was  sorely  dismayed  and  thus 
addressed  Trijati,  with  downcast  face  and  much  anxiety 
of  soul :  — "  Why  do  you  not  tell  me,  mother,  what  is  to  be 
done,  and  how  this  plague  of  the  universe  can  be  put  to 
death  ?  He  will  not  die  even  though  Raghupati's  arrows 
have  shorn  off  his  heads  ;  of  a  truth,  God  is  making  every- 
thing turn  out  perversely.  It  must  be  my  ill-luck  which 
gives  him  life  ;  for  I  too  survive,  though  separated  from 
Rama's  lotus  feet.  The  same  fate  that  created  the  false 
phantom  of  the  golden  deer  is  still  cruel  to  me.  The  god 
that  enables  me  to  support  such  insupportable  anguish  ; 
which  made  me  speak  crossly  to  Lakshman  ;  which  keeps 
me  alive  under  such  pain,  pierced  through    and  through  as 

R-78 


594  LANKA. 

I  am  with  the  poisoned  arrows  of  Rdma's  loss,  arrows  with 
which  Love  has  smitten  me  :  it  is  this  god,  I  swear,  that 
keeps  him  alive."  With  many  such  words  did  Janaki 
make  piteous  lamentation,  as  she  re-called  to  mind  the  All- 
merciful.  Trijatd  replied  :  —  "  Hearken,  royal  maid,  the 
enemy  of  the  gods  will  die  if  an  arrow  strike  him  in  the 
breast.  But  the  Lord  will  not  smite  him  there,  because  the 
image  of  Slta  is  imprinted  on  his  heart. 
Ghhand  24. 

Jdnaki  dwells  in  his  heart  and  in  J^naki's  heart  is  my 
home  ;  in  my  heart  are  all  the  spheres  of  creation  ;  if  an 
arrow  lodge  there  all  will  be  undone."  On  hearing  this 
explanation,  she  was  somewhat  comforted;  but  seeing  her 
still  uneasy  in  mind,  Trijat^  continued  :—'*  Now  this  is 
the  way  the  monster  will  be  killed ;  hearken,  fair  lady,  and 
cease  to  be  so  greatly  disquieted. 
Doha  96. 

In  the  pain  of  having  his   heads  cut  off  your  image  will 

be  forgotten    and  the  sagacious  Rdma    will  then  smite  him 

in  the  heart." 

Chaupdi. 

With  such  words,  having  done  all  she  could  to  comfort 
her,  Trijatk  returned  home  again  But  Sita,  reflecting  on 
Rf^ma's  amiability,  was  a  prey  to  all  the  anguish  of  bereave- 
ment and  broke  out  into  reproaches  of  the  night  and  the 
moon:—*'  The  night  will  never  be  spent,  though  it  has 
seemed  already  an  age  long."  In  her  heart  of  hearts  she 
made  sore  lamentation,  sorrowing  for  Rama's  loss.  When 
the  pangs  of  bereavement  were  at  their  very  height,  her 
left  eye  and  arm  throbbed.  Considering  this  to  be  a  good 
omen,  she  took  courage  : — *  I  shall  now  see  again  the 
gracious  Raghubir.'  Meanwhile  R^van  had  woke  at  mid- 
night and  began  abusing  his  charioteer  :— "  Fool,  to  bring 
me  away  from  the  field  of  battle  ;  a  curse  on  you  for  a  vile 
dullard."  He  laid  hold  of  his  feet  and  deprecated  his 
wrath  ;  and  he,  as  soon  as  it  was  dawn,  mounted  his  chariot 


LANKA.  595 

and    sallied   forth    again.     When   they    heard    of  Rdvan's 
approach,  the  monkey  army  was   greatly  excited,  and  tear- 
ing up  mountains    and    trees  on    every   side  the    terrible 
warriors  rushed  to  the  onset,  gnashing  their  teeth. 
Ghhand  25. 

The  huge  monkeys  and  terrible  bears  rushed  on,  with 
mountains  in  their  hands,  which  they  hurled  forth  with  the 
utmost  fury  ;  the  demons  turned  and  fled.  When  they  had 
thus  scattered  the  ranks,  the  valiant  monkeys  next  closed 
around  R^van,  buffetting  him  on  every  side  and  tearing 
him  with  their  claws,  so  that  his  whole  body  was  mangled. 

Dohddl.  ;^t^ 

Seeing  the   monkeys   so  powerful,  R^ivan  took  thought, 

and    in  a  moment   became  invisible   and  created   a  magic 

illusion. 

Ghhand   Tomara. 

By  the  magic  that  he  wrought  terrible  beings  were 
manifested  ;  imps,  demons  and  goblins  with  bows  and  ar- 
rows in  their  hands,  witches  clutching  swords  and  in  one 
hand  a  human  skull,  from  which  they  quafE  draughts  of 
blood,  dancing  and  singing  many  a  song.  Their  horrible 
cries  of  '  seize  and  kill '  echo  all  around,  while  dogs  with 
open  mouth^  run  to  and  fro.  Then  began  the  monkeys 
to  flee;  but  wherever  they  turn  in  flight,  they  see  a  blazing 
fire.  Monkeys  and  bears  were  both  in  dismay.  Then 
there  fell  upon  them  a  shower  of  sand.  They  were  routed 
on  all  sides  and  the  Ten-headed  roared  again  Lakshman, 
they  monkey-king  and  all  the  chiefs  were  at  their  wits*  end. 
The  bravest  of  them  wrung  their  hands,  crying  *  alas, 
RAma,  alas,  Raghun^th.'  After  crushing  all  their  mightj 
in  this  fashion,  he  next  practised  another  kind  of  magic.  A 
host  of  Hanumdns  were  manifested,  who  rushed  forward 
with   rocks  in  their  hands   and  encircled  R^ma  in  a  dense 

1  For  mukh  hayd,  'with  open  mouth,'  some  books  read  maTih  hayci, 
which  would  mean  '  having  scattered  the  sacrifice.'  As  no  sacrifice  has  been 
mentioned,  the  former  seems  preferable  :  though  the  latter  may  also  be 
understood  as  a  general  image  of  horror. 


596  LANKA. 

mass  on  every  side.  With  gnashing  teeth  and  up-turned 
tail,  they  shouted  '  kill,  hold  fast,  never  let  him  go' ;  their 
tails  making  a  complete  circle  all  around  with  the  king  of 
Kosala  in  the  midst. 

Chhand  27-28. 

In  their  midst  the  dark-hued  king  of  Kosala  shone 
forth  as  resplendent  in  beauty  as  a  lofty  tamdl  tree  encircled 
by  a  hedge  of  gleaming  rainbows.  As  they  gazed  upon  the 
Lord,  the  heart  of  the  gods  was  moved  with  mingled  joy 
and  grief,  while  they  raised  the  cry  of  *  victory,  victory.* 
In  a  moment  and  with  a  single  arrow  Raghubir  indignant- 
ly dispelled  the  delusion.  As  the  phantoms  vanished,  the 
monkeys  and  bears  rejoiced  and  all  turned  again,  with 
trees  and  rocks  in  their  hands.  R4ma  shot  forth  a  flight 
of  arrows  and  R>ivan's  heads  and  arms  again  fell  to  the 
ground  Though  a  hundred  Seshn^gs'  Saradas  and  Vedic 
bards  were  to  spend  many  ages  in  singing  the  various 
achievements  of  Rdma  in  his  battle  with  Rdvan,  they  would 
never  come  to  the  end  of  them. 

Dohd  98. 

Tulsi  ])5s,  poor  clown,  who  would  tell  even  the  least 
part  of  his  glory,  is  like  a  gnat  who  thinks  himself  strong 
enough  to  fly  up  into  heaven.  Though  his  heads  and  arms 
were  cut  off  again  and  again,  the  mighty  king  of  Lankd  was 
not  killed.  Sages,  saints  and  gods  were  confounded  by  the 
agonizing  sight,  the  pastime  of  their  lord. 
Ghaupdi. 

No  sooner  were  his  heads  cut  off  than  a  fresh  crop  grew, 
like  covetousness  increased  by  gain.i  For  all  his  toil  the 
monster  died  not  and  R^ma  then  turned  and  looked  at 
Vibhfshan.  0  Umfi,  the  lord,  whom  fate  and  death  obey, 
thus  tested  the  devotion  of  one  of  his  creatures.  "  Hearken, 
omniscient  sovereign  of  all  things  animate  and  inanimate, 
defender  of  the  suppliant,  delight  of  gods  and  saints,   it  is 

1  In  a  covetous  man  no  sooner   is  one  desire  cut  off  or   satisfied   than 
other  desires  spring  up  to  take  its  place. 


LANKA.  597 

only,  sire,  by  virtue  of  the  nectar  that  abides  in  the  depth  of 
his  navel  that  Ravan  lives."  On  hearing  Vibhishan's 
speech  the  All-merciful  was  pleased  and  took  his  terrible 
arrows  in  his  hand.  Many  omens  of  ill  then  began  to  present 
themselves  :  asses,  jackals  and  packs  of  dogs  set  up  a  howl- 
ing; birds  screamed  over  the  distress  of  the  world  and  comets 
appeared  in  every  quarter  of  the  Heaven  ;  fierce  flames  broke 
out  on  every  side,  and  though  there  was  no  new  moon,  the 
sun  was  eclipsed.  Mandodari's  heart  beat  wildly  and  statues 
flowed  with  tears  from  their  eyes. 
Chhand  29. 
Statues  wept,  thunder  crashed  in  the  air,  a  mighty  wind 
blew,  the  earth  quaked,  the  clouds  dropt  blood,  hair  and 
dust  :  who  could  recount  all  the  portents?  At  the  sight 
of  such  unspeakable  confusion  the  gods  of  heaven  in  dismay 
uttered  prayers  for  victory.  Perceiving  their  distress,  the 
merciful  Raghupati  set  arrows  to  his  bow  ; 

Dohd  99. 
and  drawing  the  string  to  his  ear  he  let  fly  at    once   thirty- 
one  shafts.     The  bolts  of  Raghu-n^yak  flew  forth   like    the 

serpents  of  death. 

Gha^ipdi. 

One  arrow  dried  up  the  depth  of  his  navel,  the  others 
struck  off  his  heads  and  arms,  and  with  such  violence  that 
they  carried  heads  and  arms  away  with  them.  The  head- 
less and  armless  trunk  still  danced  upon  the  plain.  The 
earth  sunk  beneath  the  weight  of  the  body  as  it  rushed 
wildly  on,  till  the  Lord  with  his  arrows  smote  it  in  twain. 
At  the  moment  of  death  he  thundered  aloud  with  a  fierce 
and  terrible  yell  :  '  Where  is  R^ma,  that  I  may  challenge 
and  slay  him  ?'  The  earth  reeled  as  Ravan  fell  ;  the  sea, 
the  rivers,  the  elephants  of  the  eight  quarters  and  the 
mountains  were  shaken.  The  two  halves  lay  full  length 
upon  the  ground,  thronged  by  a  crowd  of  bears  and 
monkeys.  But  the  arrows  deposited  the  heads  and  arms, 
before   Mandodari   and    then    returned    to   the  lord  of  the 


598  LANKA. 

universe  and  dropped  again  into  the  quiver.  Seeing  this, 
the  gods  sounded  their  kettle-drums.  His  S)ul  entered 
the  Lord's  mouth  ;  Siva  and  Brdhma  rejoiced  to  see  the 
sight.  The  whole  universe  resounded  with  cries  of  *'  vic- 
tory, victory  :  glory  to  Raghubir,  the  mighty  of  arm  ;  glory 
to  the  All-merciful  :  glory  to  Mukunda  ;  "  while  throngs  of 
gods  and  saints  rained  down  flowers. 
Chhand  30-  31. 
"  Glory  to  Mukunda,  the  fountain  of  mercy,  the  subduer 
of  rebellion,  our  refuge,  our  health-giving  lord  ;  the  scatterer 
of  the  ranks  of  the  impious,  the  great  First  Cause,  the  com- 
passionate, the  ever  Supreme."  All  the  gods  in  their  joy 
showered  down  flowers  and  the  kettle-drums  sounded  aloud, 
while  on  the  field  of  battle  Rama's  every  limb  displayed 
the  beauty  of  a  myriad  Loves.  The  crown  on  his  coil  of 
hair  all  besprinkled  with  blossoms  emitted  rays  of  splen- 
dour like  flashes  of  lightning  gleaming  amidst  the  star-lit 
peaks  of  a  dark  mountain.  W.ith  bow  and  arrows  brandish- 
ed in  his  arms,  his  body,  spangled  with  specks  of  blood, 
seemed  like  a  swarm  of  spotted  amadavads  joyously  perched 
on  a  tamdl  tree. 

Dohd  100. 

With  a  shower  of  gracious  glances  the  Lord  dispelled 
the  fears  of  all  the  gods  ;  and  bears  and  monkeys  shouted 
in  their  joy  '  glory  to  Mukunda,  the  abode  of  bliss.' 

Ghaupdi. 

When  Mandodari  saw  her  lord's  heads,  she  fainted  in 
her  grief  and  fell  to  the  ground.  Her  bevy  of  weeping 
maidens  sprang  up  in  haste  and  supported  her  and  brought 
her  to  R^van's  body  When  she  saw  her  lord's  condition 
she  set  up  a  shriek,  her  hair  flew  loose,  and  there  was  no 
strength  left  in  her  body  Wildly  beating  her  bosom  and 
weeping,  she  recounted  all  his  glory  :  -"  At  your  mi«ht, 
my  lord,  the  earth  ever  trembled  ;  fire,  moon,  and  sun  were 
bereft  of  splendour.  The  great  serpent  and  tortoise  could 
not  bear  the  weight   of  your   body,    which  now  lies  on  the 


LANKA.  599 

ground,  a  mere  heap  of  ashes.     Varuna,   Kuver,  Indra,  and 
the  Wind-god  had  never  the  courage  to  face  you  in  battle.  By 
the  might  of  your   arm,  0  my   lord,  you    conquered  death 
and   fate  ;    but  to-day   you    have    fallen   like    the    poorest 
creature.     Your    magnificence    was   renowned    throughout 
the  world;  while  the  strength  of  your  son  and  your  kinsmen 
surpassed  description.     But  you    withstood  Rdma  and  this 
is  now  your  condition  ;  not   one  of  your   stock  is  left  even 
to  make  lamentation.     The  whole  sphere  of  creation  was  in 
your  power,  my  lord,  and  the  frighted  regents  of  the  eight 
quarters    ever    bowed   their    heads    before    you  ;    but  now 
jackals  devour  your  heads  and  arms  ;  and  rightly  so,  seeing 
that   you    opposed    R^ma.     Death-doomed,    my    lord,    you 
heeded  not  my  words,  and    took  the  sovereign  of  all  things 
animate  and  inanimate  for  a  mere  man. 
Chhand  32. 
"  You  took  for  a  man,    Hari,  the  self-existent,    that  fire 
to  consume  the  forest  of  devildom  ;  and  you  worshipped  not, 
0  my  spouse,  the  All-merciful,  to  whom    Siva  and  Brahma 
and  all  the  gods  do  reverence.     From    your  birth  you  have 
delighted  to  injure    others,    and  this  your  body  has  been  a 
very  sink  of  sin,    and  yet  R^ma    has  now    raised  you  to  his 
own  abode  :  T  bow  before  the  blameless  God. 
Dohd  101. 
"Ah  my  lord,  there  is  none  other  so  gracious  at  Raghu- 
n^th,  the  great  God,   who  has  given    you  a  rank,  to  which 
the  company  of  saints  can  with  difficulty  attain." 
Chaupdi. 
When  they  heard  Mandodari's    speech,  gods,  saints  and 
sages  were  all   enraptured.     Brflhma,   Siva,    Ndrad,  Sanat- 
kumara  and  all  the  great  seers  who  have  preached  the  way 
of  salvation,  gazed  upon   Raghupati    with  eyes  full  of  tears 
and    were   overwhelmed    with    devotion.      Seeing    all    the 
women  making    lamentation,    Vibhishan    went  to  the  spot, 
his  heart  heavy  with   grief,    and  was  sorely    pained    to  see 
his  brother's    condition.     Then  the  Lord    gave  an  order  to 


600  LANKA. 

Lakshman,  who  did  all  that  he  could  to   console  him.     At 

last  Vibhishaii  betook  himself  to  the  Lord,  who  looked  upou 

him  with  an  eye  of   compassion   and  said    'Make  an  end  of 

sorrow  and  perform  the  funeral  rites.'     In  obedience  to  his 

command  he  celebrated    the   obsequies,   wisely  bearing  in 

mind  the  circumstances  of  time  and  place. 

Doha  102. 

Mandodari  and  the  others  presented  the  dead  with   the 

prescribed  handfuls  of  sesamum  seed  and  the  queen  then 

returned  to  the   palace,   recounting  to  herself  all  Raghu- 

pati's  excellences. 

Chaupdi 

Again  Vibhishan  came  and  bowed  his  head.  Then  the 
All-merciful  called  his  younger  brother  and  said,  "  Do  you 
and  the  monkey  prince  and  Angad  and  Nala  and  Nila,  with 
Jambavdn  and  the  sagacious  Son  of  the  Wind,  go  all  together 
in  company  with  Vibhishan  and  make  the  arrangements 
for  his  coronation  ;  "  thus  cried  Raghun^th  ;  "  I  by  reason 
of  my  father's  commands  may  not  enter  the  city,  but  I  send 
the  monkey  and  my  younger  brother  to  take  my  place" 
The  monkey  started  at  once,  on  receiving  his  lord's  order, 
and  went  and  made  ready  for  the  installation.  With  due 
reverence  they  seated  him  on  the  throne,  and  alter  marking 
his  forehead  with  the  royal  sign,  they  sang  a  hymn  of 
praise  and  with  clasped  hands  all  l)owed  the  head  before 
him.  Then  with  Vibhishan  they  returned  to  the  Lord,  and 
Raghubir  addressed  the  monkeys  with  such  gracious  words 
as  made  them  all  glad. 

Chhand  33. 

He  made  them  glad  with  words  that  were  sweet  as 
nectar:-"  It  is  by  your  might  that  the  enemy  has  been 
defeated  arul  tliat  Vibhishan  has  acquired  the  kingdom  ; 
your  glory  will  live  for  ever  throughout  the  universe. 
Whoever  with  sincere  devotion  shall  sing  your  glorious 
deeds  in  connection  with  me  shall  cross  without  an  effort 
the  boundless  ocean  of  existence." 


LANKA.  601 

Doha  lOS.       /J/ 

The  monkey  host  would  never  have  been  tired  of  listen- 
ing to  their  lord's  words ;   again  and  again  they  all  bowed 
the  head  and  clasped  his  lotus  feet. 
Ghaupdi. 

The  Lord  next  addressed  Hanumdn.  "  Go  to  Lanka," 
said  the  god,  "  and  tell  Jdnaki  the  news  and  bring  me 
back  word  of  her  welfare."  When  Hanumdn  entered  the 
city,  the  demons  and  demonesses  no  sooner  heard  of  it  than 
they  ran  to  meet  him  and  showed  him  every  possible 
honour  and  pointed  out  Slta  to  him.  From  afar  off  the 
monkey  prostrated  himself.  She  recognized  Rdma's  mes- 
senger. "Tell  me,  friend,  of  my  gracious  lord,  and  of  his 
brother  ;  is  he  well,  and  all  the  monkey  host  ?"  '*  All  is 
well,  madam,  with  the  king  of  Kosala  ;  he  has  conquered 
Riivan  in  battle  ;  Vibhishan  has  been  placed  in  secure 
possession  of  the  throne."  On  hearing  the  monkey's  reply, 
joy  was  diffused  over  her  soul. 

Chhand  34. 

Sita's  soul  was  overjoyed,  her  body  thrilled  and  her 
eyes  streamed  with  tears,  as  again  and  again  she  cried  :  — 
"  What  can  I  give  you,  monkey  ?  there  is  nothing  in  the 
three  spheres  of  creation  to  be  compared  to  your  tidings." 
"  Hearken,  madam  ;  to-day  of  a  truth  I  have  already  ob- 
tained the  undisputed  sovereignty  of  the  world,  when  I 
see  and  adore  Rdma   with  his  brother  triumphing  over  the 

ranks  of  the  enemy." 

Doha  104. 

*'  Hearken,  my  son  Hanumdn ;  every  virtue  finds  a  home 

in  your  heart :  may  you   live   and    prosper   for  ever  in  the 

service  of  Kosala's  king. 

Ghaupdi. 

But  now,  friend,  devise  some  plan  by  which    I  may  see 

with  my  own  eyes  his  dark  but  comely  form."  Hanumdn  then 

returned  to  Rdma  and  told   him  of  Sita's   welfare.     When 

the  Glory  of  the  solar  race   heard  her  message,   he  said  to 

R-79 


602  Lanka. 

prince  Vibhishan  : — "  Go  you  with  Hanumdn  and  respect- 
fully escort  Sita  here."  They  all  went  at  once  to  the  place 
where  Sita  was.  The  demon  ladies  humbly  do  her  service 
and,  being  sharply  ordered  by  Vibhishan  attend  her  to  the 
bath  with  all  formality  and  adorn  her  with  ornaments  of 
every  description.  Then  they  make  ready  and  bring  up  a 
handsome  palanquin,  which  she  mounted  with  joy,  thinking 
ever  of  R^ma  with  the  deepest  affection.  On  all  four  sides 
were  guards,  with  staves  in  their  hands,  who  marched  with 
the  greatest  gladness  of  soul.  The  bears  and  monkeys  all 
came  to  look,  but  the  guards  in  a  fury  rushed  to  keep  them 
back.  Said  Raghubir — "  Attend  to  what  I  say;  bring  Sita 
on  foot,  friend  ;  let  the  monkeys  see  her  as  they  would  their 
own  mother."  Thus  said  the  great  Raghundth  and  smiled. 
The  bears  and  monkeys  were  delighted  to  hear  his  com- 
mands, and  from  heaven  the  gods  rained  down  a  profusion 
of  flowers.  To  begin  with,  he  placed  Sita  in  the  fire,  for  he 
wished  the  internal  witness  to  be  revealed.^ 
Dohd  105. 
For  this  reason  the  All-merciful  spoke  with  seeming 
harshness.     All  the  demonesses,  when  they  heard  it,  began 

to  make  lamentation. 

Chaupdi, 

But  Sita  bowed  to   her   lord's  command— pure  as  sh*- 

was  in  thought,  word  and  deed — and  said  "  Lakshman,  be 

you  the  celebrant  of  this   rite;    show   me  the   fire   and   be 

quick."     When  Lakshman   heard    Sita's  words,   so  full    of 

detachment,  discretion  and  piety,  his  eyes  filled  with  tears 

and  he  clasped  his  hands  in  prayer  but  could   not  speak  a 

word  to  his  lord.    Seeing  that  Rdma  was  displeased,  he  ran 

and  kindled  a  fire  with  a  quantity  of  wood  that  he  brought. 

Sita  beheld  the  fierceness  of  the  flame,  but  was  glad  of  heart 

1  The  meaning  of  the  words  Antara  Sdkhi,  the  internal  witness,  or 
witness  of  th«  soul,  would  not  be  very  obvious  without  a  reference  to  the 
Sanskrit  text,  in  which  Sita  makes  her  prayer  to  the  Fire-god,  addressing 
him  thus :  "  Thou,  0  Fire,  knowest  the  secrets  of  the  hearts  {sarirantara 
gocharah)  oi  fiW  living  creatures;  be  thou  my  witness  {s&ksh'i);  assume  a 
visible  form  and  save  me,  0  best  of  gods." 


LANKA.  603 

without  a  particle  of  fear.  "  If  neither  in  thought,  word  or 
deed  I  have  ever  abandoned  Rima  or  cherished  any  other, 
may  the  fire,  which  tests  all  men's  actions,  become  as  cool- 
ing as  sandal-wood." 

Ghhand  35. 

The  flame  was  cool  as  sandal-wood,  as  Sita  entered  it, 
meditating  on  her  lord:—"  Glory  to  the  king  of  Kosala,  for 
whose  feet,  ever  worshipped  by  Siva,  I  cherish  the  purest 
devotion."  Her  shadow  and  the  stain  of  social  disgrace  were 
alone  consumed  in  the  blazing  fire.  Such  an  action  on  the 
part  of  the  Lord  had  never  been  seen  before  :  gods,  saints 
and  sages  all  stood  at  gaze.  The  Fire  assumed  a  bodily 
form  and  took  her  by  the  hand  and  led  and  presented  her  to 
R^ma,  the  very  Lakshmi  celebrated  alike  in  the  Vedas  and 
the  world,  who  erst  arose  as  Indir^  from  the  sea  of  milk. 
Resplendent  with  exquisite  beauty  she  shines  forth  as  the 
left  side  of  Rdma's  body,  like  the  blossom  of  a  golden  lily 
beside  a  fresh  blue  lotus. 

Dohd  lOQ.     ]iH-l^^ 

The  gods  in  their  delight  rain  down  flowers  and  make 
music  in  the  air,  while  the  Kinnaras  sing  and  the  nymphs 
of  heaven  dance,  all  mounted  on  their  chariots.  The  beauty 
of  Janak's  daughter  reunited  to  her  lord  was  beyond  all 
measure  and  bound;  the  bears  and  monkeys,  in  rapture  at 
the  sight,  shouted  '  glory  to  Rdma  the  beneficent.' 

Ghaupdi. 

Then  came  Mdtali,  having  obtained  Rama's  permission, 
and  bowed  his  head  at  his  feet.  The  gods,  too,  selfish  as 
ever,  came  and  made  this  seemingly  pious  prayer : — "Friend 
of  the  destitute,  gracious  Raghurdi,  a  god  yourself,  you  have 
shown  mercy  to  the  gods.  This  sensual  wretch,  who  de- 
lighted to  harass  the  whole  world,  has  perished  by  his  own 
wickedness  in  his  sinful  course.  You  are  the  supreme  spirit, 
one  and  everlasting,  ever  unchangeable  and  unaffected  by 
circumstances,  without  parts  or  qualities,  uncreated,  sinless, 


604  LANKA. 

all  perfect,  invincible,  unerring,  full  of  power  and  compas- 
sion :  incarnate  as  the  fish,  the  tortoise,  the  boar,  the  lion- 
man,  and  the  dwarf;  as  Parasu-r^m  also  and  now  asRflma  ; 
whenever,  0  lord,  the  gods  have  been  in  trouble,  you  have 
taken  birth  in  one  form  or  another  to  put  an  end  to  it :  but 
this  impure  wretch,  the  persistent  plague  of  heaven,  given 
up  to  sensuality,  greed,  pride  and  passion,  this  monster  of 
monsters,  has  been  promoted  to  your  sphere  and  thereat  we 
marvel  greatly.  We  gods  are  high  masters,  but  in  our  sel- 
fishness we  have  forgotten  the  worship  of  our  lord,  and 
thus  we  are  ever  involved  in  the  flood  of  worldly  passions  ; 
but  now,  0  lord,  have  mercy  upon  us,  for  we  come  to  you 
for  refuge."  I  -i  ( 

Dohd  107.     '  ^  ^ 

With  clasped  hands  the  gods  and  saints  stood  all  round 
about  him,  thus  making  supplication;  and— his  whole 
body  quivering  with  excess  of  devotion —Brfihma  at  last 
broke  out  into  this  hymn  of  praise. 

Chaupdi. 

"  Glory  to  the  immortal  RAma,  the  blissful  Hari,  the 
prince  of  Raghu's  line,  with  his  bow  and  arrows ;  the 
lionlike  lord  to  rend  in  pieces  the  elephant  of  earthly 
existence  ;  the  ocean  of  perfection,  the  all-wise,  the  all- 
pervading ;  in  whose  body  is  concentrated  the  incomparable 
beauty  of  a  myriad  Loves ;  whose  virtues  are  sung  by 
bards,  saints  and  sages.  Hero  of  spotless  renown,  who  in 
thy  wrath  didst  seize  Rivan,  as  Gariir  might  seize  some 
monstrous  serpent  ;  delight  of  mankind  ;  destroyer  of  grief 
and  fear;  ever  unmoved  by  passion  ;  lord  of  supreme 
intelligence;  beneficent  incarnation  of  illimitable  perfection  ; 
loosener  of  earth's  burdens  ;  very  wisdom  ;  everlasting,  all- 
pervading,  ever  one,  without  beginning ;  I  rapturously 
adore  thee,  0  RAma,  fountain  of  mercy.  Glory  of  the  line 
of  Raghu,  slaying  Diishan  and  making  a  king  of  the  ever 
faithful  Vibhfshan  :  storehouse  of  virtue  and  wisdom  ; 
incomprehensible  and  from  everlasting  ;  I  constantly  adore 


LANKA.  605 

thoe,  0  Rj^ma,  the  passionless,  the  supreme.  Mighty  of 
arm,  strong  in  renown,  exterminator  of  the  hordes  of  the 
sinful ;  pre-eminent  in  auspiciousness  ;  friend  and  protector 
even  of  the  undeserving  suppliant  ;  I  worship  the  perfec- 
tion of  beauty,  the  spouse  of  Lalishmi.  Deliverer  from  the 
burden  of  mortality,  extern  to  cause  and  effect,  soul-created 
destroyer  of  hideous  sin  ;  wielder  of  the  arrows  and  bow 
and  lovely  quiver  ;  lotus-eyed  paragon  of  kings  ;  temple  of 
bliss,  Lakshmi's  beautiful  consort  ;  subduer  of  pride,  lust, 
lying  and  selfishnes;  irreproachable,  imperishable,  transcen- 
dent ;  all  forms  alike  and  yet  no  (ieterminate  form  ;  like  the 
light  of  the  sun— thus  the  Vedas  have  declared,^  it  is  no 
mere  quibble  of  speech — which  is  separate  from  it  and  yet 
not  separate.  How  fortunate,  my  lord,  are  all  these  monkeys 
who  reverently  gaze  upon  thy  face.  A  curse,  Hari,  on  the 
life  we  gods  enjoy  ;  without  devotion  to  you  we  have  all 
gone  astray  in  the  world.  Now,  as  thou  art  compassionate 
to  the  suppliant,  have  compassion  upon  me  ;  a  lion  to 
destroy  the  elephant-like  inconstancy  of  my  purpose  ;  may 
I  practise  the  reverse  of  my  former  way  and  live  happy, 
esteeming  that  a  happiness  which  was  before  a  pain. 
Mercy,  destroyer  of  the  wicked,  beautiful  jewel,  whose 
lotus  feet  are  cherished  by  Sambhu  and  Umd.  0  king  of 
kings,  grant  me  this  boon,  the  blessing  of  a  constant 
devotion  to  thy  lotus  feet." 

Dohd  108. 

As  Brdhma  made  this  prayer,  his  whole  body  quivered 
with  excess  of  devotion,  and  his  eyes  beholding  the  ocean 
of  beauty  refused  to  be  satisfied. 

Chaupdi. 

Then  too  came  Dasarath  and,  when  he  beheld  his 
son,  his  eyes  were  flooded  with   tears.     The  Lord    and   his 


1  Nadanti  may  be  taken  as  the  third  person  plural  of  the  present 
tence  of  the  verb  nad^  'to  rieclaie,'  like  vadanti  from  rad  and  R4m  Jasan, 
from  the  way  that  he  has  divided  the  words  in  the  text,  evidently  so  rejrarded 
it.  But  perhaps  it  is  better  to  divide  thus,  na  ddnti-hatha,  instead  of 
nadanti  kathd  ;  '  danti-katha'  being  a  common  colloquial  expression  for  a 
verbal  quibble,  or  an  argument  unsupported  by  authority. 


606  LANKA. 

brother  made  obeisance  before  him  and  their  father  gave 
them  his  blessing.  "  It  is  all  due,  sire,  to  your  religious 
merit  that  the  invincible  demon  king  has  been  conquered." 
On  hearing  his  son's  words,  his  affection  increased  still 
more  ;  his  eyes  streamed  and  every  hair  on  his  body  stood 
erect.  Seeing  his  father  thus  overcome  by  love,  Raghupati, 
after  first  taking  thought,  bestowed  upon  him  absolute 
wisdom.  He  did  not  receive  the  boon  of  deliverance  from 
existence,  Um6,  for  this  reason,  that  Dasarath  has  grasped 
the  mystery  of  faith.  Worshippers  of  the  incarnate  are 
not  rewarded  with  annihilation,  but  Rdtna  gives  them 
devotion  to  himself.  Having  again  and  again  prostrated 
himself  before  the  Lord,  Dasarath  proceeded  with  joy  to 
his  abode  in  heaven. 

Dohd  109. 

The  Lord,  the  king  of   Kosala,    rejoiced    together  with 
his  brother  and  Janaki.     At  the  charming   sight  the    king 
of  the  gods  in  his  delight  chanted  this  hymn  of  praise. 
Ghhand  Tomar^  37. 

"  Glory  to  Rdma,  the  home  of  beauty,  the  merciful,  the 
refuge  of  the  suppliant ;  equipt  with  quiver  and  bow  and 
arrows,  triumphing  in  his  mighty  strength  of  arm.  Glory 
to  the  foe  of  Diishan,  the  foe  of  Khara,  the  destroyer  of  the 
demon  host  ;  when  my  lord  slew  this  last  monster  all  the 
gods  were  happy  again.  Glory  to  the  remover  of  earth's 
burdens,  whose  greatness  is  indeed  vast  and  unbounded. 
Glory  to  Rdvan's  merciful  foe,  the  discomforter  of  the 
demons.  Outrageous  was  the  pride  of  the  king  of  LankA, 
who  had  reduced  to  subjection  gods  and  gandharvas  ;  who 
relentlessly  pursued  saints  and  sages,  men,  birds  and 
serpents  ;  a  malignant  and  implacable  monster  ;  but  who 
now— the  wretch — has  obtained  his  reward.  Hearken  now, 
protector  of  the  suppliant,  with  the  large  lotus  eyes ;  my  pride 
was  inordinate,  there  was  no  one  to  equal    me.     Now   after 


1   In   the   Tomar  raefre  each    line   of    the   quatrain   should    consist   of 
an  anapaest  followed  by  two  amphibrachs  ;  but  many  licenses  are  allowed. 


LANKA.  607 

seeing  thy  lotus  feet,  the  arrogance  that  caused  me  so 
much  misery  has  passed  away.  Let  others  adore  the  un- 
embodied  Supreme,  the  primary  existence,  whom  the  Vedas 
hymn  ;  but  my  desire  is  the  king  of  Kosala,  the  divine 
Rdma,  visible  and  material.  Together  with  Sita  and  Laksh- 
mdn,  make  my  heart  thy  abode.  0  spouse  of  Lakshmi,  re- 
cognize me  as  thy  servant,  and  grant  me  faith. 

Chhand  38. 
Grant  me  faith,  0  spouse  of  Lakshmi,  soother  of  terror, 
consoler  of  the  suppliant.  Thee  I  adore,  0  blissful  Rama, 
prince  of  the  house  of  Raghu,  beautiful  as  a  myriad  Loves. 
Delight  of  the  hosts  of  heaven,  queller  of  strife;  in  form  as 
a  man  of  incomparable  strength  ;  object  of  the  adoration  of 
Brdhma,  Sankara  and  all  the  gods ;  I  worship  thee,  0 
Rama,  the  gracious,  the  benign.  , 

Dohd  no.      ^^1 

Now  in  thy  mercy,  0  most  merciful,  look  upon  me    and 
direct  me  what  to  do."     On  hearing  this  tender  appeal  the 
Protector  of  the  poor  made  answer  :  — 
Ghaupdi. 

"  Hearken,  king  of  the  gods  ;  my  bears  and  monkeys, 
who  lie  on  the  ground  slain  by  the  demons,  have  lost  their 
life  on  my  account:  restore  them  all  to  life,  wise  king 
of  heaven."  Hearken,  Gariir,  this  request  of  the  Lord's  is 
a  mystery  that  only  the  greatest  sages  can  apprehend.  The 
Lord  could  himself  destroy  and  re-create  the  three  spheres 
of  creation  ;  only  he  wished  to  do  Indra  honour.  With  a 
shower  of  ambrosia  he  restored  the  bears  and  monkeys  to 
life.  They  arose  with  joy  and  all  betook  them  to  the  Lord. 
The  shower  of  ambrosia  fell  on  both  armies  ;  but  the  bears 
and  monkeys  came  to  life,  not  the  demons.  The  image  of 
Rdma  was  imprest  upon  the  demons'  soul  ;  thus  they  were 
loosed  from  the  fetters  of  existence  and  became  absorbed 
in  the  divinity.  The  bears  and  monkeys  were  partial  in- 
carnations of  the  gods  and  were  really  all  alive  ;  but  it  was 


608  LANKA. 

the  will  of  Raghupati.  Who  is  there  so  kind  to  the  des- 
titute as  RAma,  who  granted  final  deliverance  even  to  the 
host  of  demons,  while  that  filthy  and  sensual  monster 
Ravan  obtained  translation  to  the  same  sphere  as  the 
holiest  of  saints. 

Dohd  111. 

After  showering  down  flowers,  the  gods  mounted  their 
splendid  chariots  and  withdrew.  Then  seeing  his  opportu- 
nity the  sagacious  Sambhu  drew  near  to  Rdma  Most  lov- 
ingly, with  clasped  hands,  his  lotus  eyes  full  of  tears  and 
his  body  quivering  all  over,  Tripurdri  uttered  this  prayer 
with  chocking  voice  : — 

Ghhand  39. 

"  Save  me,  0  prince  of  the  house  of  Raghu,  equipt  with 
thy  strong  bow  and  graceful  arrows  in  thy  hand ;  dispeller 
of  the  murky  clouds  of  delusion  ;  fire  to  consume  the  forest 
of  doubt ;  delight  of  the  gods  ;  unembodied  yet  embodied  ; 
glorious  shrine  of  perfection  ;  sun  of  vehement  splendour  to 
disperse  the  darkness  of  error  ;  a  very  lion  to  attack  the 
elephantine  monsters,  lust,  anger  and  pride  ;  take  up  thy 
abode  for  ever,  as  in  some  forest,  in  the  heart  of  thy  ser- 
vant. Stern  frost  for  the  lotus  growth  of  sensual  desires  ; 
gracious  beyond  all  conception  ;  a  mount  Meru  to  churn 
up  the  ocean  of  life  ;  dweller  of  the  highest  sphere;  avert 
from  me  the  stormy  waves  of  tlie  world  or  transport  me 
across  them.  0  king  RAma,  dark-hued  and  lotus  eyed, 
protector  of  the  poor,  soother  of  the  sorrows  of  the  distrest, 
dwell  for  ever  i!\  my  heart  with  Lakshman  and  Jdnaki,  de- 
light of  the  saints,  glory  of  the  terrestrial  sphere,  uprooter 
of  every  terror,  Tulsi  Das's  own  lord. 
Dohd  112. 

When  your  coronation,  0  my  lord,  takes  place  at  Kosala, 
1  will  come  to  see  the  glorious  ceremony,  0  greatly  com- 
passionate " 

Ghaupdi. 

When  Sambhu  had  finished  his  prayer  and  gone  away,  then 


LANKA.  609 

Vibhishan  approached  the  Lord.  Bowing  his  head  at  his 
feet  he  cried  in  pleading,  tones  :  — "  Hearken  to  my  prayer, 

0  lord,  with  bow  in  hand.  You  have  slain  R^van  with  all 
his  kindred  and  all  his  army  and  made  your  unsullied 
glory  known  throughout  the  three  spheres.  On  me,  your 
vile  servant,  without  either  sense  or  breeding,  you  have  in 
every  way  shown  compassion  ;  now,  sire,  honour  your  ser- 
vant's house  and  bathe  and  refresh  yourself  after  the  toil 
of  the  battle.  Inspect  my  treasure,  my  palace,  and  my 
wealth,  and  by  this  condescension  make  all  the  monkeys 
happy.  Consider,  my  lord,  everything  that  I  have  as  your 
own,  and  moreover  take  me  with  you  to  Avadh."  When 
the  All-merciful  heard  this  affecting  speech,  both  his  great 
eyes  filled  with  tears. 

Dohdin.    f^:^-/Hi 

"  Hearken,  brother ;  all  you  say  is  true  ;  your  house 
and  treasure  are  as  my  own  ;  but  thinking  of  Bharat's 
condition  every  minute  seems  to  me  an  age.  In  penitential 
attire,  with  emaciated  body,  he  is  ever  repeating  my  name 
in  prayer.     I  entreat  you,  friend,  to  make  an  effort  so  that 

1  may  soon  be  able  to  see  him  again.  If  at  the  end  of  my 
time  I  go  and  find  him  no  longer  alive  " — at  the  remem- 
brance of  his  brother's  affection,  the  Lord's  body  quivered 
all  over— "  but  may  you  reign  for  ages,  your  soul  ever 
mindful  of  me,  and  at  the  last  enter  into  my  sphere,  where 
all  the  good  go." 

Chaupdi. 

When  Vibhishan  heard  Rama's  words,  he  was  overjoyed 
and  clasped  the  feet  of  the  All-merciful.  All  the  bears  and 
monkeys  with  equal  joy  clasped  the  Lord's  feet  and  recited 
his  glorious  merits.  Then  Vibhishan  proceeded  to  the 
palace  and  loaded  the  chariot  with  jewels  and  attire.  When 
he  had  brought  the  car  Pushpaka  and  set  it  before  the 
Lord,  the  All-merciful  smiled  and  said  :— "  Hearken,  friend 
Vibhishan ;  step   into  the  car,  and   when   you   have   risen 

R-80 


610  LANKA. 

high  into  the  air,  throw  down  the  dresses  and  jewels." 
Accordingly  Vibhishan  mounted  aloft  into  the  heaven  and 
scrambled  the  raiment  and  jewels  among  them  all.  The 
monkeys  picked  up  anything  they  fancied,  cramming  the 
precious  things  into  their  mouth:  while  Rdma  and  his 
wife  and  brother  laughed  ;  so  full  of  playfulness  is  the 
All-merciful. 

DohdlU.  /ifV**^^ 
He,  to  whom  the  saints  cannot  attain  by  contemplation, 
whom  the  Veda  itself  fails  to  fathom,  even  he  in  his  infinite 
compassion  made  merry  with  the  monkeys.  0  Um6, 
abstraction,  prayer,  charity,  penance,  the  different  forms  of 
fasting,  sacrifice  and  vows, — all  move  Rdma's  compassion 
less  than  simple  love. 

Chaupdi. 

After  securing  the  dresses  and  ornaments,  the  bears  and 
monkeys  clothed  themselves  with  them  and  appeared 
before  RAma.  The  king  of  Kosala  laughed  again  and  again  to 
see  the  monkeys  in  their  motley  attire.  As  he  looked  upon 
them  all,  he  was  moved  with  pity,  and  said  in  gracious 
phrase :  "  It  is  by  your  assistance  that  I  have  killed  Rdvan 
and  thus  secured  the  throne  for  Vibhishan.  Now  return 
all  of  you  to  your  several  homes  ;  remember  me  and  fear 
no  one.'*  On  hearing  these  words  the  monkeys  were  over- 
come with  affection,  and  all  with  clasped  hands  thus 
reverently  addressed  him  :— "  What  you  say,  my  lord,  is 
all  to  your  honour  ;  but  we  are  confused  on  hearing  such 
words.  Knowing  the  low  estate  of  us  monkeys,  you  gave 
UR  a  leader  :  you,  0  Raghunith,  are  the  sovereign  of  the 
universe.  When  we  hear  our  lord's  words  we  die  of 
shame  :  is  it  possible  for  a  gnat  to  assist  the  mighty 
Gariir  ?"  The  monkeys  were  so  charmed  as  they  gazed  on 
Rama's  face  that  in  the  depth  of  their  devotion  they  had 
no  desire  for  their  own  home. 


\ 


LANKA.  611 

DoMlW.  I"^^-'^'' 
When  the  Lord  had  dismissed  them,  the  bears  and 
monkeys  all  went  their  way,  cherishing  Rama's  image  in 
their  heart,  exulting  with  joy  and  making  frequent  prayer. 
The  monkey  king,  Nila,  the  king  of  the  bears,  Angad,  Nala, 
Hanumdn,  Vibhishan  also  and  all  the  other  valiant  monkey 
chiefs  were  so  overcome  by  their  feelings  that  they  could 
not  speak  a  word,  while  their  eyes,  streaming  with  tears, 
were  fixed  upon  Rama's  person  so  intently  that  they  had 
no  time  to  wink. 

Chauydi. 
When  Rdma  perceived  the  strength  of  their  affection, 
he  took  them  all  up  into  his  chariot  and,  after  mentally 
bowing  his  head  at  the  Brahmans'  feet,  he  directed  the 
car  towards  the  north.  A  tumultuous  noise  accompanied 
the  car  on  its  way,  all  shouting  '  glory  to  Raghubir  !  '  The 
throne  on  which  the  Lord  and  his  consort  were  seated  was 
very  lofty  and  magnificent  ;  there  Rjima  and  his  bride 
shone  resplendent,  like  a  dark  cloud  on  the  peak  of  Sumeru 
with  attendant  lightning.  The  beauteous  car  sped  swiftly 
on  its  way,  while  the  gods  in  their  joy  rained  down  showers 
of  flowers.  A  delightful  breeze  breathed  soft,  cool  and 
fragrant  ;  the  water  of  the  sea  and  the  Ganges  was  without 
a  speck  ;  omens  of  good  fortune  occurred  on  every  side  : 
the  heart  was  glad  and  all  the  expanse^  of  ether  clear. 
Said  Raghubir  :— "  See,  SIta,  the  field  of  battle  ;  here 
Lakshman  slew  Megh-n^d  ;  here  the  huge  demons  that 
strew  the  plain  were  slaughtered  by  Angad  and  Hanumdn  ; 
here  fell  the  two  brothers  Kumbha-karn  and  Rdvan,  that 
plague  of  gods  and  saints. 

Dohd  IIQ.       IS^t--l^^^ 

Here  the  bridge  was  built  and  the  symbol  of  the  blessed 
Mahddeva  adored  :"  the  All-merciful    and   Sita   here   both 

1  Asa   here   is   not  the  common   word    dsa,   hope  (from  d-sana),  but  is 
derived  from  the  root  as  and  has  the  meaning  of '  space,  region,  expanse.' 


C12  LANKA. 

made  obeisance  to  Sambhu.  Every  place  in  the  forest 
wherever  the  gracious  god  had  taken  up  his  abode  or 
rested,  he  pointed  out  to  Janaki  and  told  her  the  names  of 
them  all. 

Ghaupdi. 

Forthwith  the  chariot  arrived  at  the  charming  Dandaka 
forest,  and  Rdma  visited  the  hermitage  both  of  Agastya 
and  all  the  other  great  saints.  After  receiving  the  blessing 
of  all  the  holy  men,  the  Lord  of  the  world  came  to  Chitra- 
kdt.  After  gratifying  the  hermits  there,  the  chariot  again 
sped  swiftly  on.  R6ma  next  pointed  out  to  Sita  the  noble 
Jamund,  that  washes  away  all  the  impurities  of  this  sinful 
age.  After  this  he  espied  the  holy  Ganges  and  said, 
"  Sita,  do  it  homage.  See  also  the  queen  of  all  holy  places, 
Praydg,  the  sight  of  which  puts  away  all  the  sins  commit- 
ted in  a  thousand  births.  See  again  the  most  holy  Tribeni, 
the  antidote  of  sorrow,  the  ladder  of  heaven.  See  also  the 
sacred  city  of  Avadh,  which  heals  all  the  three  kinds  of 
pain  and  every  disease  in  life." 

Doha  117. 

The  gracious  god  and  Sita  both  did  reverence  to  Avadh. 
With  streaming  eyes  quivering  limbs  Rama's  joy  was 
unbounded.  Then  went  the  Lord  and  with  much  delight 
bathed  at  Tribeni  and  bestowed  gifts  of  all  kinds  on  the 
Br^hmans  and  on  the  monkeys  also. 

Ghaupdi. 

The  Lord  then  spoke  and  enjoined  Hanumdn  :— "  Take 
the  form  of  a  young  Brahman  and  go  into  the  city.  Tell 
Bharat  of  my  welfare,  and  come  back  here  yourself  with  the 
news."  The  Son  of  the  Wind  was  o£E  at  once.  Then  the 
Lord  visited  Bharadv^ja.  The  saint  received  him  with  all 
possible  honour  and  after  hymning  his  praises,  gave  him 
his  blessing.  The  Lord  prostrated  himself  at  his  feet, 
with  his  hands   clasped  in   prayer,   and  then  mounted  his 


iv^-try 


i 


LANKA.  613 

chariot  and  went  on  again.  When  the  Nishdd  heard  that 
the  Lord  had  come,  he  cried  '  a  boat,  a  boat,'  and  summon- 
ed his  people.  The  chariot  crossed  the  sacred  stream  and 
then  stopt  on  the  bank,  obedient  to  the  Lord's  command. 
Then  Sita  worshipped  the  divine  Ganges  and  again  and 
again  threw  herself  at  its  feet.  In  gladness  of  soul  the 
Ganges  gave  her  this  blessing  :—"  Fair  lady,  may  your 
happiness  be  without  a  break."  On  hearing  the  news, 
Guha  ran  in  a  transport  of  love  and  drew  near,  bewildered 
with  excess  of  joy.  At  the  sight  of  Sita  and  the  Lord,  he 
fell  flat  upon  the  ground  quite  out  of  his  senses.  When 
RAma  perceived  the  vehemence  of  his  love,  he  was  glad  an,d 
raised  him  up  and  took  him  to  his  bosom. 
Ghhand  40. 
The  all-merciful  and  all-wise  Rdma,  the  spouse  of 
Lakshmi,  took  and  clasped  him  to  his  heart  and  seated  him 
close  by  his  side  and  asked  of  his  welfare.  He  was  all 
humility  : — "  Now  is  all  well  with  me,  for  I  have  seen  thy 
lotus  feet,  the  adoration  of  Brdhma  and  Sankara  :  0  Rdma, 
abode  of  bliss,  fulfiller  of  desire,  thee,  thee  only  do  I  wor- 
ship." Though  he  was  only  a  poor  low  Nishdd,  Hari 
clasped  him  to  his  bosom,  as  though  he  were  Bharat 
himself.  Dull  of  soul,  says  Tulsi  Dds,  is  he,  who  is  so 
infatuated  as  to  forget  such  a  lord.  Gods,  saints  and  sages 
sing  with  delight  these  achievements  of  R^ivan's  foe,  for 
they  have  a  sanctifying  effect,  ever  inspire  devotion  to 
Rdma's   feet,    destroy   lust   and    other   evil   passions   and 

inculcate  true  wisdom. 

Doha  118. 

The  wise,  who  listen  to  the  achievements  of  R4ma  and 

his  victory  in  the  battle,  God  rewards  for  ever  with  victory, 

wisdom  and   renown.     This  sinful  age  is  the  very  home  of 

impurity  ;  think    well   on   it   and    understand    that  if  you 

abandon   the   blessed   name   of   R&ma,    there    is  no  other 

saviour. 


614  LANKA. 

[Thus  endeth  the  book  entitled  Lanka,  the  hestower  of 
pure  wisdom  ;  being  the  sixth  descent  into  the  holy  hihe  of 
Ramans  deedsj  that  cleanses  from  every  defilement  of  the 
world.] 


BOOK  VII. 

THE   SEQUEL 


THE    SEQUEL.  617 

THE  SEQUEL. 


Sanskrit  Invocation. 
I  ADORE  without  ceasing  the  glorious  lord  of  Sita,  the 
noblest  of  the  sons  of  Raghu,  even  Rdma  as  he  appeared 
when  mounted  on  the  car  Pushpaka,  bright  of  hue  as  the 
neck  of  a  peacock  ;  marked  with  the  print  of  the  Brahman's 
lotus  foot,  which  declared  him  the  greatest  of  the  gods  :  all 
beautiful  ;  yellow  attired  ;  lotus-eyed  ;  ever  gracious  ;  with 
bow  and  arrows  in  hand  ;  attended  by  a  host  of  monkeys 
and  served  by  his  brother. 

Beautiful  are  the  lotus  feet  of  the  lord  of  Kosala,  wor- 
shipped by  Brdhma  and  Siva,  caressed  by  the  tender  hands 
of  Jfinaki,  ever  clustered  about  by  the  beelike  souls  of  the 
devout. 

I  worship  Sankara,  the  annihilator  of  Love  ;  beautiful 
with  the  brightness  of  the  jasmine,  the  moon  and  the  conch- 
shell  :  the  lord  of  Ambika  :  the  granter  of  desired  success, 
the  compassionate  lotus-eyed. 

DoWl.      t'l'^'   ^ 

There   remained   only  one  day   of  the  appointed  term  ; 

the  people  of  the  city,  men  and  women  alike,  sorely  distrest 

in  mind  and  wasted  in  body  by  sorrow  for  Rama's  absence, 

V    were  everywhere   despondent. '^/Auspicious   omens  of  every 

kind  occurred  ;  at  once   every   heart  was  glad  and  the  city 

itself  brightened  up  all  round,  as  if  to  announce  the    lord's 

*'^  coming.  oKausalyd  and  the   other  royal  dames  were  all  as 

happy   as  if  that   minute  expecting   to  be  told  '  the  Lord  is 

\^  here,  and  with  him  Sita  and    Lakshman.'  >  Bharat's    right 

eye  and  arm  throbbed  again  and   again.     Recognizing  this 

as   a   good    sign,    he    was  glad    at  heart  and  yet  began  to 

ponder  deeply. 

Chaupdi. 
\        "  The  one  day   that   now  only  remains  of  the  fixed  time 
is  my  last   chance  ;  as  I   think  thereon,   my    soul  is  full  of 

R-81 


618  TilE   SEQUEL. 

anxiety.  What  is  the  reason  that  my  lord  has  not  returned  ? 

C^ .  God  saw  my  evil  nature  when  he  passed  me  over.^Ah  !  how 

blessed  and  truly  fortunate  is  Lakshman  in  his  devotion  to 

Rdma's  lotus  feet.     The  lord    knew  me  to  be  false  and  per- 

n*  .verse,  and  therefore  he  did  not  take  me  with  him.^  If  the 
lord  were  to  consider  my  actions,  there  would  be  no  re- 
demption for  me  in  a  hundred  million  of  ages.  But  the 
Lord  never  regards  offences  of  his  servants,  being  a  very 

)y,  brother   to   the  destitute   and  most  tender-hearted.^ I  am 

firmly  persuaded  of  soul  that   R^ma  will  come  ;  the  omens 

are  so  favourable.     But  if  my  life   holds   out  after  the  term 

once  expires,  T  shall  be  a  more  despicable   wretch  than  any 

in  the  world."  .^    / 

Bohd  2.      %-0 

K  While  Bharat's   soul   was   thus   sinking  in   the  sea  of 

R6ma's  bereavement,    the   Son  of  the   Wind,  disguised  in 

\    form  as  a  Brahman,  came  like  a  boat  to  his  rescue. ^Seeing 

him  seated  on  a  mat  of  sacred  grass,  with   matted  hair  for 

a  crown,  his  body  all   wasted  away,  his  lips  muttering  the 

names  '  R6ma,  Rdma,  tiaghupati,'  and  his  eyes  streaming 

with  tears  : 

Ghaupai. 

\ .  At  this  sight  Hanumdn  was  overjoyed,  every  hair  on  his 
body  stood  erect  and  his  eyes  rained  torrents  ;  he  felt  at 
heart  an  indescribable  satisfaction  and  addressed  him  in 

'I  words  that  were  as  ambrosia  to  his  ear  :  "  He,  for  whose 
loss  you  sorrow  night  and  day,  the  catalogue  of  whose 
virtues  you  are  incessantly  reciting,  the  glory  of  the  line  of 
Raghu,  the  benefactor   of   the  pious,  the   deliverer  of  gods 

o>and  saints,  has  arrived  safely.  ^  After  conquering  the  foe  in 
the  battle,  with  the  gods  to  hymn  his  praises,  the  Lord  is 
now  on  his  way  with  Sita  and  his  brother."  On  hearing 
these  words   he   forgot  all   his   pain,  like   a   man    dying 

J.  of  thirst  who  finds  a  stream  of  nectar.^  "  Who  are  you, 
8ir,  and  whence  have  you  come,  who  have  told  me  such 
glud  tidings?"  *' I  am,   the  son  of  the  Wind,  a  monkey, 


THE   SEQUEL.  619 

Hanum^n  by  name,    0  fountain    of    mercy,    a   servant   of 
the  beneficent  Raghupati."     On  hearing   this,  Bharat  rose  4^ 
and    respectfully   advanced    to   meet   him.     The    affection 
with    which    he  embraced    him    was    too   great   for    heart 
to  contain ;    his   eyes   streamed   with   tears  and   his  body 
quivered  all  over.    ^('  0  monkey,  at  the  sight  of  you  all  my    6  * 
sorrows    are    gone,    to-day   I  have  embraced    a    friend  of 
Rama's."     Again  and  again  he  asked  of  his  welfare:  "Hear- 
ken, brother  ;  what  is  there  I  can  give    you  ?^after  taking  'I, 
thought,   I   find    nothing  in  the  whole  world  to  match  this 
news.     Otherwise,  I  should  be  your  debtor.   Now  tell  me  of 
my  lord's  adventures."  ^  Then  Hanumdn  bowed  his  head  at  %  » 
his  feet  and  told  him  all  Raghupati's  great  doings.     "  Tell 
me,  monkey,  did  the  gracious  god  ever  remember  me  as  one 
of  his  servants  ? 

Chhand  1. 

Did  the  glory  of  the  race  of  Raghu  ever  make  mention 
of  me  his  servant  ?"  On  hearing  Bharat's  modest  speech, 
the  monkey  was  in  a  rapture  and  fell  at  his  feet.  Flow  can 
ho  bo  otherwise  than  humble  and  holy  and  an  ocean  of 
virtue,  whose  praises  Rdma,  the  lord  of  all  animate  and 
inanimate  creation,  himself  recites  with  his  own  mouth  ? 

Doha  3.     7 

"  My  lord,  you  are  as  dear  to   Rdma  as   his   own   life  ; 
that   is   the   truth.   Sir."     Again   and    again  he  embraced 
Bharat,  and  his  joy  was  more  than  his  heart  could  contain. 
Sorathd  1. 

After  bowing  his    head   at    Bharat's  feet,    the  monkey 
returned  in  haste  to  Rdma  and  told  him  that  all   was    well. 
Then  the  Lord  mounted  his  chariot  and  joyfully  set  forth. 
Ghaupdi. 

Bharat  too  returned  in  joy  to  Ayodhya  and  told  his  guru        '  » 
all  the  news,  then  published  the  fact  in  the  palace,  that  Rama 
was    approaching   the   city   and    was  safe  and  sound.  ^  At       ^- 
these    tidings   all  the  dowager  queens  started  up  in  haste  ; 
but  Bharat  spoke  and  assured  them  of  their  lord's    welfare, 


620  THE   SEQUEL. 

WheQ  the  citizens  heard  the  news,  men  and  women  all 
■^  ran  out  in  their  joy  |  the  ladies  formed  in  procession  with 
stately  gait,  singing  and  bearing  golden  salvers  laden  with 
curds,  duh  grass,  the  sacred  yellow  pigment,  fruits  and  flowers 
and  fresh  sprigs  of  the  tulsi  plant,  all  things  of  good  omen. 

*  Each  ran  out  just  as  she  happened  to  be,  without  stopping 
to  bring  either  children  or  old  folk.  Every  one  was  ask- 
ing his  neighbour,    'Friend,    have  you    seen    the   gracious 

^^Rdma?'  ^Directly  it  knew  the  Lord  was  coming,  the  whole 
city  of  Avadh  became  a  quarry  of  delights.  The  water  of 
the  Sarju  flowed  clear  as  clear  could  be  ;  the  air  was  deli- 
ciously  soft,  cool  and  fragrant. 

^-  Bharat  went  forth  to  meet  the  All-merciful,  full  of  joy 
and  affection,   accompanied    by  his  guru,  the  citizens,  his 

I     younger  brother  and  a  throng   of  BrAhmans.^  Many  of  the 

women  mounted  the  upper  stories  of  the  houses  to  look  for 

the  chariot  in  the  sky  and,  when  they  espied  it,  raised    their 

sweet   voices  in    auspicious  songs   of  joy.     As  the  waves  of 

ocean  rise  and  swell  at  the  sight  of  the  full  moon,  so  poured 

forth  the  women  of  the  city  with  a  tumultuous  noise  at  the 

sight  of  R^ma. 

Chaupdi. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  Sun  of  the  lotuses  of  the  solar 
race  was  pointing  out  the  beauties  of  the  city  to  the  mon- 
keys; "  Hearken,  Sugriva,  Angad  and  Vibhishan  :  this  city 
is  so  holy  and  the  country  is  so  charming,  that  although 
all  men  speak  of  Vaikunth,  which  is  indeed  famous  in  the 
Vedas  and  Pur4nas  and  celebrated  throughout  the  world, 
still  it  is  not  so  dear  to  me  as  the  city  of  Avadh :  only  here  and 
there  one  can  be  found  to  comprehend  this  saying.  Here  is 
the  delightful  city,  my  birth-place,  and  to  the  north  the 
sacred  Sarjn,  where  every  man  that  bathes  obtains  without 
further  trouble  a  home  near  me.  The  dwellers  here  are 
very  dear  to  me  ;  the  city  makes  them  my  fellow-citizens 
both  here  and  hereafter  and   is  altogether  blessed."     The 


THE    SEQUEL.  621 

monkeys  rejoiced  to  hear  the  Lord's  words :  what  a  glory 
for  Avadh  to  be  praised  by  Rdma  !  a  1 

Doha  5.  -^    -^ 

When  the  all-merciful  Lord  God  saw  all  the  people 
coming  out  to  meet  him,  he  urged  on  his  chariot  close  up  to 
the  city  and  there  alighted  on  the  ground.  Having  dis- 
mout»ted,  he  directed  Pushpaka  to  return  to  Kuver.^  On 
receiving  Rama's  order  it  went  its  way,  full  of  mingled  joy 
and  sorrow  at  parting. 

Chaupdi. 

With  Bharat  came  the  wholt^  population,  all  emaciated 
in  body  by  their  mournirig  for  Rdma.  When  the  Lord  saw 
Viimadeva  and  Vasishtha,  greatest  of  sages,  he  dropt  his 
bow  and  arrows  on  the  ground  and  ran  to  clasp  his  guru's 
lotus  feet,  both  he  and  his  younger  brother,  with  every 
hair  on  their  body  erect.  The  great  sage  embraced  them 
and  asked  of  their  welfare.  '•'  By  your  favour  all  is  well 
with. us."  Then  the  champion  of  the  faith,  the  king  of 
the  Raghu  race,  made  obeisance  to  all  the  Brahmans. 
Next  Bharat  embraced  the  Lord's  lotus  feet,  ever  worship 
by  Sankara,  Brahma  and  all  the  gods  and  sages.  He  fell 
to  the  ground  and  refused  to  rise,  till  the  All-merciful  by 
force  took  and  pressed  him  to  his  bosom,  every  hair  stand- 
ing erect  on  his  dark-hued  body,  and  his  lotus  eyes  all 
streaming  with  tears. 

Ghhand  2. 

His  lotus  eyes  streamed  with  tears  and  his  beauteous 
body  quivered  with  emotion,  as  he  lovingly  clasped  his 
brother  to  his  heart,  even  he,  the  Lord  the  sovereign  of 
the  three  spheres.  There  is  no  similitude  by  which  I 
can  express  the  beauty  of  the  meeting  between  the  Lord 
and  his  brother;  it  was  as  though  Love  and  Desire  in  bodi- 
ly form  had  met  together  in  a  rapturous  embrace-  When 
the  All-inerciful  asked  of  his  welfare,  it    was  with  difficulty 

1  The  car  Pushpaka  had  originally  belonged  to  Kuver  and  had  been 
stolen  from  him  by  R^van. 


622  THE   SEQUEL. 

that  Bharat  found  words  to   reply.     Hearken,   \]m& ;  such 

joy   can    only  be   felt,    it  is  beyond  speech  or  intelligence. 

'*  Now  is  all  well  with  me,  0  Lord  of  Knsala ;  seeing   your 

servant's   distress,    you   have  revealed  yourself  to  him  and 

have   taken   me   by   the  hand,  0  Ml-merciful,  when  I  was 

sinking  in  the  deep  waters  of  bereavement." 

Dohd  6. 

As  when  a  thief  going  gaily    along   the    road,   with    stolen 

property  still  about  him,  is  suddenly  seized  at  the  waistbelt 

by  the  man  he  has  robbed,  so  felt   Sugriva    and  Vibhishan 

at    the   sight  of  the  meeting  between  Rdma  and  Bharat.  i 

Then  the  Lord  smilingly  embraced  Satrughna  and  took  him 

to  his  bosom,  while  Bharat  embraced  Lakshraan,  his   heart 

overflowing  with  love. 

Chaupdi. 

After  that  Satrughna  and  Lakshman  embraced,  remem- 
bering no  more  the  intolerable  sorrow  of  separation.  Finally 
Bharat  bowed  his  head  at  Slta's  feet,  both  he  and  his  younger 
brother,  with  an  intensity  of  delight.  The  citizens  were  so 
glad  at  the  sight  of  the  Lord,  that  all  the  sorrow  caused  by 
his  absence  was  at  once  forgotten.  Seeing  all  the  people  so 
agitated  by  affection,  the  gracious  Kharari  practised  an 
illusion  and  appearing  at  one  and  the  same  time  in  multiplied 
form,  was  thns  in  his  benignity  enabled  to  salute  every  one 
with  due  ceremony.  The  look  of  compassion,  with  which 
Raahubfr  regarded  them,  made  every  man  and  woman 
supremely  happy.  In  a  single  moment  the  God  embraced 
them  all ;  this,  Umd,  is  a  mystery  that  none  can  comprehend. 
When  R^ma,  the  perfection  of  amiability  and  every  virtue, 
had  on  this  manner  made  them  all  happy,  he  went  on  his 
way.  Kausalya  and  the  other  royal  dames  ran  out  to  meet 
him,  like  a  cow  that  has  lately  calved  at  the  sight  of  its 
little  one.  __^ 

1  In  the  raiHst  of  their  joy,  the  sight  of  such  fraternal  nflfection  remind- 
erl  them  nainfully  of  the  very  Hifferent  treatment  they  h-id  experienced  from 
their  own  brothers,  Bali  and  RA'an.  Or  perhaps  more  simplj',  they  were 
forced  to  recopnizc  Bharat's  superior  claim,  and  kuew  that  they  would  have 
to  ijive  up  Rdma  to  him. 


THE   SEQUEL.  623 

Chhand  3. 
Like  a  cow  that  has  been  driven  by  force  to  graze  in 
the  woods,  leaving  its  little  one  at  home,  when  it  draws 
near  to  the  village  at  tlie  close  of  the  day,  hurries  on  lowing 
and  with  dripping  teats,  so  did  all  the  matrons  haste  to 
embrace  the  Lord  with  the  utmost  affection,  lavishing 
upon  him  every  term  of  endearment.  The  cruel  pangs  of 
parting  had  past  away  and  were  replaced  by  unutterable 
happiness  and  delight.  <^  #lC 

Doha  7.  '^^"'^ 
Sumitrd  embraced  her  son,  remembering  his  devotion 
to  Rama's  feet  ;  Kaikeyi  too  embraced  Rnma,  but  with  a 
heart  sadly  ill  at  ease.  Lakshman  embraced  the  royal 
dames  one  and  all  and  with  joy  received  their  blessing  ; 
but  though  he  embraced  Kaikeyi  again  and  again,  her 
anguish  of  soul  still  continued. 

Ghaupdi. 

Sita  saluted  each  of  her  mothers-in-law  and  rejoiced 
greatly  to  kiss  their  feet.  They  asked  of  her  welfare  and 
invoked  upon  her  the  blessing  :  "  May  your  happy  wedded 
life  last  for  ever."  All  gazed  on  Raghupati's  lotus  face 
and  out  of  regard  for  the  auspiciousness  of  the  day  checked 
the  tears  that  rose  in  their  eyes.  They  waved  above  his 
head  their  golden  salvers  and  sacrificial  lamps  and  again 
and  again  contemplated  his  divine  person.  They  scatter 
all  round  about  him  every  kind  of  offering,  their  heart  full 
of  supreme  felicity.  Time  after  time  Kausalya  fixed  her 
gaze  on  Rdma,  so  pitiful  and  so  valiant,  and  kept  ponder- 
ing within  herself  :  "  How  can  he  have  killed  the  king  of 
Lanka  ?  my  two  boys  are  so  daintily  delicate,  is  it  possible 
they  can  have  slain  the  demon's  doughtiest  champions  ?  " 
Dohd  8. 

As  she  looked  upon  the  Lord  and  upon  Lakshman  and 
Sita,  her  maternal  heart  was  overwhelmed  with  felicity  and 
her  every  limb  quivered  with  emotion. 


624  THE  SEQUEL. 

Ghaupdi. 

Vibhishan,  SngWva,  Nala  and  Nila,  J^mhavan  and  the 
generous  Angad,  with  Hatmm^n  and  all  the  other  monkey 
chiefs  assumed  beautiful  human  forms.  With  most  reverent 
devotion,  every  one  told  the  tale  of  Bharat's  loving  disposi- 
tion, his  penance  andv)vv.  When  they  saw  the  citizens' 
mode  of  life,  they  extolled  them  also  for  their  attachment  to 
their  Lord's  feet.  Then  R^ma  summoned  all  his  comrades  and 
bade  them  kiss  the  feet  of  the  saint.  "  The  guru  Vasishtha 
is  highly  to  be  reverenced  by  all  my  race  ;  it  is  by  his  favour 
that  we  slew  the  demons  in  the  battle.  But  hearken,  holy 
Sir,  all  these  my  comrades  were  the  raft  that  bore  me  safely 
out  of  the  waves  of  the  battle.  For  my  sake  they  lost  their 
lives  and  they  are  more  dear  to  me  even  than  Bharat." 
On  hearing  the  Lord's  words,  all  were  greatly  overcome. 
Every  moment  gave  birth  to  some  new  rapture. 

Dohd  9.       /  ^  -  /  T 

Then  they  bowed  the  head  at  Kausalya^s  feet,  who  re- 
joiced to  give  them  her  blessing,  saying  "  You  are  as  dear 
to  me  as  Rama."  The  heaven  was  obscured  with  the 
showers  of  flowers  as  the  Root  of  joy  took  his  way  to  the 
palace,  while  all  the  fairest  ladies  in  the  city  mounted  the 
tops  of  the  houses  to  see  him. 

Ghaupfi}. 

They  made  ready  all  kinds  of  tiolden  bowls,  which  they 
took  and  set  every  one  at  her  own  door.  They  busied 
themselves  with  wreaths  of  flowers,  flags  and  bannnrs.  all 
to  make  a  glad  show.  The  roads  w^ere  all  watered  with 
perfumes,  and  innumerable  mystic  squares  were  drawn  and 
filled  in  with  the  finest  pearls.  Every  kind  of  festive 
preparation  was  taken  in  hand  ;  the  city  was  en  fete  and  all 
sorts  of  music  were  heard.  In  different  places  women 
scattered  their  offerings  on  his  path,  invoking  blessings 
upon  him  with  their  hearts  full  of  joy.  Girls  wave  over 
his  head  their  golden  salvers  and  sacrificial  lamps,  singing 
sweetly  the  while,  salvers  for  him  the  salve  of  every  ill,  the 


TflE   SEQUEL.  625 

Sun  of  the  lotus  growth  of  Raghu's  line.  The  beauty,  the 
wealth,  the  magnificence  of  the  city  would  be  a  theme  for 
the  Vedas,  or  Seshn^g,  or  Sarada  ;  but  the  spectacle  was 
too  much  even  for  them  ;  how  then  can  aoy  man,  Um^,  be 
able  to  describe  its  glory  ? 

Dohd  10.  ^--Xl 
Rdma's  absence,  like  the  heat  of  the  sun,  had  withered 
the  lily-like  fair  in  the  Avadh  lake  ;  at  sunset  they  blossom- 
ed again,  at  the  sight  of  the  moon-god  Rdma.  Every 
conceivable  auspicious  omen  occurred  and  music  resounded 
in  the  sky,  as  the  Lord  God   moved   to  the  palace,  a  father 

restored  to  his  people. 

Chaupdi. 

The  lord  knew  Kaikeyi  was  ashamed  and  went  to  her 
house  first,  Bhavdni.  After  comforting  her  and  putting 
her  thoroughly  at  ease,  Hari  went  on  to  his  own  apartments. 
The  All-merciful  entered  the  palace,  and  every  man  and 
woman  in  the  city  was  happy  once  more.  The  guru  Vasish- 
tha  then  called  the  Brdhmans.  "  The  day  and  the  liour  are 
now  most  auspicious  :  give  the  glad  order,  all  ye  Brdhmans, 
that  R^mchandra  to-day  take  his  seat  upon  the  throne." 
On  hearing  Vasishtha's  gracious  address,  the  BrAhmans 
were  all  highly  pleased,  and  the  multitude  of  them  made 
seemly  response,  "  Rdma's  inauguration  is  the  desire  of  the 
whole  world.  Now,  best  of  saints,  make  no  delay,  but  sign 
the  king  with  the  sign  of  sovereignty." 

Dohd  11.        al^i^ 

The  saint  thereupon  ordered  Sumantra,  who  no  sooner 
heard  than  he  went  with  joy  and  quickly  got  ready  a  multi- 
tude of  chariots,  elephants  and  horses.  Then  he  despatched 
messengers  in  every  direction  to  borrow  stores  of  all  good 
things,  and  lastly  came  himself  with  joy  and  bowed  his 
head  at  Vasishtha's  feet. 

Chaupdi. 

When  the  city  of  Avadh  had  been  decorated,  the  gods 
rained  down  a  continuous  shower  of  flowers.     R4ma  called 

R-82 


626  THE  SEQUEL. 

and  directed  his  servants,  "  Go  first  and  assist  my  com- 
rades at  their  bath."  On  receiving  this  order,  his  people 
ran  in  every  direction  and  quickly  bathed  Sugriva  and  the 
rest.  Next  the  all-merciful  R^ma  summoned  Bharat  and 
with  his  own  hands  untied  his  knotted  coil  of  hair  ;  the 
Lord  then  proceeded  to  bathe  all  his  three  brothers,  even 
he  the  gracious  Raghu-rai,  the  cherisher  of  all  pious  souls. 
The  blessedness  of  Bharat,  the  meekness  of  the  Lord,  not 
a  hundred  myriads  of  Sesh-ii^gs  would  be  able  to  declare. 
Finally  R^ma  unloosed  his  own  matted  hair  and,  after 
receiving  the  guru's  permission,  himself  bathed.  After  his 
bath  the  Lord  put  on  his  ornaments  ;  the  beauty  of  his 
every  limb  outshining  a  myriad  Loves.  ^     . 

Dohd  12.       'J.tt-l'^  "  ""' 

Forthwith  JAnaki  was  attended  in  the  bath  with  all 
reverence  by  her  mothers-in-law,  who  attired  her  in  heaven- 
ly apparel  with  rich  jewels  for  every  part  of  her  body.  As 
she  shone  forth  on  Rdma's  left  side,  the  Goddess  Lakshmi 
herself,  full  of  beauty  and  goodness,  the  royal  dames  were 
all  overjoyed  at  the  sight  and  thought  their  life  had  been 
well  worth  living.  Hearken,  Garur ;  upon  this  occasion 
Brdhma,  Siva  and  all  the  gods  and  saints  mounted  their 
chariots  and  came  to  have  a  sight  of  the  Blessed  one. 
Chaupdi. 

The  soul  of  the  sage  was  enraptured  as  he  gazed  upon 
the  Lord.  He  sent  at  once  for  a  gorgeous  throne.  Then 
Rdma  took  his  seat,  after  bowing  his  head  to  the  Br^hmans, 
his  glory  effulgent  as  the  sun,  defying  description.  As  they 
looked  upon  Rama  and  Sita,  the  whole  saintly  throng  was 
overjoyed.  Then  the  Brahmans  repeated  their  Vedic  incan- 
tations  ;  while  in  the  heaven  above  the  gods  and  saints 
shouted  '  Victory.'  The  sage  Vasishtha  first  himself  made 
the  tila/c  and  then  ordered  the  other  Brahmans  to  do  the 
same.  His  motlier  rejoiced  as  she  looked  upon  her  son 
and  again  and  again  waved  the  sacrificial  lamp  above  his 
head.     All  kinds  of  presents  were  made  to  the   Brahmans 


THE   SEQUEL.  627 

and  not  a  beggar  remained  with  a  want  unsatisfied.  At 
the  sight  of  the  lord  of  the  three  spheres  seated  on  his 
throne,  the  gods  beat  their  kettle-drums. 
Chhand  4. 
Drums  sounded  in  the  sky,  the  hosts  of  Gandharvasand 
Kinnars  sang  and  all  nymphs  of  heaven  danced  before  the 
enraptured  assembly  of  gods  and  saints.  Bharat  and  his 
other  brothers,  with  Vibhlshan  and  Angad  and  Hanumdn 
and  the  rest,  were  there  to  be  seen,  some  with  umbrellas 
and  chaurise  and  fans,  and  some  with  bows,  swords,  shields 
and  spears.  With  Sita  by  his  side,  the  glory  of  the  Solar 
race  outshone  the  beauty  of  unnumbered  Loves;  the  soul 
of  the  gods  was  fascinated  by  his  exquisite  cloud-dark 
form  in  its  yellow  apparel,  his  diadem  and  bracelets  and  all 
the  other  ornaments  that  bedecked  his  limbs,  his  louts  eyes 
and  stalwart  chest  and  arms,  a  blessed  vision  indeed  for 
man  to  behold.  a  /]     nj(/     ') 

Doha  13.    T-  1'^'    ^ 

The  magnificence  of  the  sight  and  the  delight  of  the 
assembly  are  past  all  telling,  Garur  ;  Sarasvati,  Sesh-ndg 
and  the  Veda  may  tell  it  in  part,  but  only  Mahadeva  has 
learnt  all  the  sweetness  of  it.  After  they  had  all  severally 
hymned  his  praises,  the  gods  departed  each  to  his  own 
sphere.  Then  came  the  Vedas,  in  the  disguise  of  bards, 
into  the  presence  of  the  divine  R^ma.  The  omniscient  and 
compassionate  Lord  received  them  with  all  honour,  nor  did 
any  one  penetrate  the  mystery  as  they  thus  recited  his 
panegyric  : 

Chhand  5. 

"  Hail,  visible  manifestation  of  the  invisible,  incompar- 
able in  thy  beauty,  jewel  of  kings  ;  who  by  the  might  of 
thy  arm  hast  slain  R^ivan  and  the  other  terrible  demons, 
monsters  of  iniquity  ;  who,  incarnate  as  a  man,  hast  loosed 
the  burdens  of  the  world  and  put  an  end  to  its  grievous 
affliction  ;  hail,  protector  of  the  suppliant,  lord  of  compas- 
sion, thee  we  worship,  and  with  thee  thy  spouse.     0  Hari, 


628  THE   SEQUEL. 

gods  and  demons,  N^gas^  ,  men,  and  all  creation,  animate 
and  inanimate,  have  been  overcome  by  thy  marvellous  delu- 
sive power,  wearily  wandering  night  and  day  in  the  paths 
of  life,  full  of  the  mysteries  of  fate  and  necessity.  If  there 
be  any,  0  lord,  whom  thou  regardest  with  compassion,  they 
at  once  are  freed  from  all  their  troubles  ;  so  prompt  to  cut 
short  the  weariness  of  existence  ;  have  mercy  upon  us, 
0  Rama,  we  implore  thee.  They,  0  Hari,  who  intoxicated 
with  the  pride  of  learning,  despise  that  faith  in  thee  which 
overcomes  the  world,  may  attain  to  a  rank  which  even  the 
gods  might  fail  to  secure,  and  yet  I  have  seen  them  fall 
from  it  again.  They  who  confidently  abandon  every  other 
hope  and  continue  thy  disciples,  by  repeating  thy  name 
cross  the  ocean  of  life  without  any  difficulty  ;  this  is  the 
lord  whom  we  invoke.  0  Mukunda,  Rdma,  spouse  of 
Lakshmi,  we  ever  adore  thy  lotus  feet,  object  of  the  wor- 
ship of  Siva  and  Brdhma  ;  by  touching  the  dust  of  which 
the  sage's  wife  obtained  salvation  ;  from  beneath  the  nails 
of  which  flows  the  Ganges,  reverenced  by  the  saints, 
sanctifier  of  the  three  spheres  ;  feet  that  bear  the  marks 
of  the  flag,  the  thunderbolt,  the  elephant-goad  and  the 
lotus,  sorely  pierced  by  the  thorns  during  thy  wanderings  in 
the  forest.  We  adore  the  uncreated  tree,  whose  root  is  the 
primordial  germ  ;  whose  bark  is  fourfold  as  the  Vedas  and 
Pur4nas  declare  ;  whose  boughs  are  six  in  number  and 
branchlets  twenty-five ;  with  innumerable  leaves  and  abun- 
dant flowers ;    whose   fruits  are  of   two   kinds,  bitter  and 

1  "  Many  tribes  assumed  in  modern  .ind  ancient  times  the  name  of 
snakes  (Nagas)  whether  in  order  to  assert  their  autochthonic  right  to 
the  country  in  which  they  lived,  or  because,  as  Diodorus  supposes,  the  snake 
had  been  used  as  their  banner,  their  rallying  sign  or  crest.  At  the  same 
time  Diodorus  points  out,  people  may  either  have  chosen  the  snake  for  their 
banner,  because  it  was  their  deity,  or  it  may  have  become  their  deity  be- 
cause it  was  their  banner.  At  all  events,  nothing  would  be  more  natural 
than  that  people  who,  for  some  reason  or  other,  called  themselves  snakes 
should  in  time  adopt  a  snake  for  their  ancestor,  and  finally  for  their  god.  In 
India  the  snakes  assume,  at  an  early  time,  a  very  prominent  part  in  epic 
and  popular  traditions.  They  soon  became  what  fairies  or  bogies  are  in  our 
nursery  tales,  and  they  thus  appear  in  company  with  Gandhiirvas,  Apsaras, 
Kinnaras  ice,  in  some  of  the  most  ancient  architectural  ornamentations  of 
India,"— ul/a.ir  Mullet's  Hihhert  Lectures. 


THE   SEQUEL.  629 

sweet ;  with  a  single  creeper  ever  clinging  to  it ;  full  of  buds 
and  blossoms  and  fruit,  the  everlasting  tree  of  creation.  ^ 
Let  them  preach  in  their  wisdom,  who  contemplate  thee 
as  the  Supreme  Spirit,  the  Uncreate,  the  inseparable  from 
the  universe,  recognizable  only  by  inference  and  beyond 
the  understanding;  but  we,  0  lord,  will  ever  hymn  the 
glories  of  thy  incarnation.  0  merciful  lord  god,  mine  of 
every  perfection,  this  is  the  boon  we  ask,  that  in  thought, 
word  and  deed,  and  without  any  variableness  we  may 
maintain  a  devotion  for  thy  feet."        ^ 

Dohd  14.  J^  -  'i  I 
When,  in  the  sight  of  all,  the  Vedas  had  uttered  this 
glorious  prayer,  they  became  invisible  and  returned  to  their 
home  with  Brahma.  Hearken,  Garur  ;  then  came  Sambhu 
to  Raghubfr  and  with  a  choking  voice  and  every  hair  on 
his  body  erect  he  thus  made  supplication  : 

Totakd.^ 
*'  Hail  to  thee,  R^ma,  the  spouse  of  Lakshmi,  the  paci- 
fier;  have  mercy  on  thy  servant,  harassed  with  the  terrors 
and  troubles  of  existence.  Glorious  lord,  sovereign  of 
Avadh,  sovereign  of  heaven,  Lakshmi's  sovereign,  have 
mercy  on  the  suppliant,  who  has  fled  to  thee  for  refuge. 
Destroyer  of  the  ten-headed  and  twenty-armed,  remover  of 
earth's  sore  burden,  consumer  of  the  moth-like  demon  host 
in  the  fierce  flame  of  thy  fiery  arrows  ;  most  beauteous 
ornament  of  the  terrestrial  sphere  ;  noblest  of  all  that 
handle  bow,  arrows  and  quiver  ;  radiant  as  the  sun  to  dis- 
perse the  thick  darkness   of  the   night  of  pride,  ignorance 

1  The  four  coats  of  bark  are  the  four  Vedas  ;  the  six  boughs  are  thought 
to  be  the  six  stages  of  existence,  vie.  conception,  birth,  childhood,  manhood, 
old  age  and  death  ;  or  else  the  six  natural  impulses,  vt^.,  hunger,  thirst,  ex- 
cretion of  both  kinds,  sleep,  and  sexual  intercourse.  The  twenty-five  branch- 
lets  are  Prakriti,  Buddhi,  Ahankdr«,  the  five  Tan-mdt-ras,  the  five  Mahd- 
bhutas,  the  ten  Indriyas,  Manas  and  Purusha  (see  Note  to  Book  VI.,  Dohd  16). 
The  two  fruits  are  pleasure  and  pain,  and  the  creeper  Majd. 

2  In  the  Totaka,  or  Trotaka  metre,  each  line  in  the  quatrain  consists  of 
four  anapaests.     Thus:  — 

Jdya  Rdma  Ramd-rdmanam  sam^nam. 
Bhava-tapa-bhdy^kula  pdhi  Janam. 


630  THE   SEQUEL. 

and  ego-ism ;  thou  hast  vanquished  the  God  of  Love,^  who 
like  a  huntsman  had  smitten  all  men  to  the  heart  with  the 
arrows  of  evil  desire  as  though  they  were  herd  of  deer  ; 
now,  0  lord  Hari,  have  mercy  on  us  destitute  wretches, 
who  have  gone  astray  in  the  wilderness  of  sensuality.  The 
many  diseases  and  bereavements,  with  which  the  people  are 
stricken,  are  the  fruit  of  this  disregard  for  thy  holy  feet. 
The  bottomless  ocean  of  existence  overwhelms  all  who 
cherish  no  love  for  thy  lotus  feet.  Poor  indeed  and  vile 
and  wretched  for  ever  are  they  who  have  no  affection  for 
thy  lotus  feet.  They  who  take  delight  in  making  mention 
of  thy  name,  have  the  saints  as  their  constant,  friends  for 
ever,  are  eternally  exempt  from  passion,  greed  and  arro- 
gance, and  regard  prosperity  and  adversity  as  both  alike. 
Thus  it  is  that  thy  servants  are  so  happy  ;  the  saint  aban- 
dons for  ever  all  confidence  in  mortification  and  making 
simply  a  vow  of  perpetual  love  serves  thy  lotus  feet  with  a 
pure  heart.  0  Raghu-bir,  mighty  and  invincible  hero, 
ind willing  as  a  bee  in  the  lotus-like  soul  of  the  saints,  thy 
name,  0  Hnri,  I  repeat  in  prayer  and  adore,  destroyer  of 
vanity  and  pride,  which  are  the  diseases  of  life.  Humbly 
I  adore  without  ceasing  the  spouse  of  Lakshmi,  the  su- 
preme abode  of  goodness,  generosity  and  compassion.  0 
sun  of  Raghu,  extirpate  every  animosity ;  O  king  of  earth, 
regard  thy  humble  servant.  ^_  - 

Dohd  15.  -"  '  " 
Again  and  again  I  beg  of  thee  a  boon  —be  gracious  and 
grant  it  0  Sriranga  2  —an  unwavering  faith  in  thy  lotus 
feet  and  constant  communion  with  saints."  After  thus 
hymning  Rdma's  praises,  Siva  returned  with  joy  to  Kailds. 
The  Lord  then  assigned  the  monkeys  most  delightful 
residences 

1  ->/a«?/.;rt/;,  '  man-eaters,' or 'demons,' is  the  word  in  the  text  ;  but,  as 
it  seems  impossible  to  fit  it  into  the  rest  of  the  passage,  I  propose  to  read 
instead  manojdt,  the  '  mind-born,'  i.e.,  K&ma-deva,  the  god  of  love. 

2  Sriranga,  Holy  Ranga,  is  one  of  Vishnu's  epithets,  and  trives  its  name 
to  the  city  of  Seringapatam  (-^rirangapattana),  where  is  a  great  temple  dedi- 
cated to  the  divinity  under  tbia  title. 


HS.E   SEQUEL.  631 

Chaupdi- 
Hearken,  Garur  ;  this  sacred  legend  annihilates  all  the 
distresses  and  sins  of  the  world.  Any  one  who  hears  this 
narrative  of  the  royal  installation  obtains  self-control  and 
discretion.  They  who  lovingly  sing  it,  or  hear  it  sung,  ob- 
tain every  kind  of  happiness  and  prosperity;  after  enjoying 
in  this  world  a  bliss,  to  which  the  gods  can  scarce  attain, 
they  are  admitted  after  death  into  Rama's  own  presence. 
The  finally  emancipated,  the  detached  from  the  world  and 
the  worldly,  who  hear  it,  obtain  respectively  faith,  absorp- 
tion into  the  divinity  and  ever-increasing  prosperity.  0 
Garur,  this  history  of  Rilma  that  I  have  repeated  is  the 
delight  of  a  good  understanding  :  a  remedy  for  anxiety  and 
sorrow  ;  a  confirmation  of  detachment,  discretion  and  faith ; 
a  splendid  raft  on  which  to  cross  the  river  of  delusion.  In 
the  city  of  Kosala  was  ever  some  new  delight;  the  people 
were  all  happy,  from  the  highest  to  the  lowest.  All  felt 
an  evergrowing  affection  for  Rama's  lotus  feet,  the  adored 
of  Brahma,  Siva  and  the  saints.  The  poor  had  clothes 
given  them  in  abundance  and  the  Br^hmans  were  present- 
ed with  offerings  of  every  description.  ^ 

Doha  16.         -^^ 
The  monkeys  were  drowned  in  a  joy  like  that  of  heaven; 

all  were  devoted  to  the  Lord's  feet;  day  and  night  passed 
unnoticed  till  now  six  months  had  been  spent. 
Chaupdi. 
They  had  forgotten  their  homes  so  absolutely  as  never 
even  to  dream  of  them,  like  as  the  idea  of  injuring  another 
never  enters  the  soul  of  a  saint.  At  last  Raghupati  sum- 
moned all  his  comrades  before  him.  They  came  and  made 
reverent  obeisance.  He  seated  them  by  his  side  with  the 
greatest  kindness  and  thus  addressed  them  in  gracious  terms, 
which  might  well  gladden  their  pious  souls  :  "  You  have 
done  me  excellant  service;  but  how  can  I  praise  you  to  your 
face  ?  I  hold  you  all  most  dear  for  having  left  the  comforts  of 
your  home  solely  on  my  account.     My  younger  brother,  my 


632  THE  SEQUEL. 

crown  ;  my  fortune,  my  wife,  my  life,  my  home  and  loving 
kinsmen  are  none  of  them  so  dear  in  my  sight  as  you  are. 
I  tell  you  no  falsehood  ;  these  are  my  real  sentiments.  It  is 
the  ordinary  rule  for  a  man  to  cherish  his  own  adherents, 
but  I  have  a  special  affection  for  my  servants. 
Doha  17.      J/^ 

Now,  my  comrades,  return  to  your  homes;  there  worship 
me  with  steadfast  faith  and  maintain  your  fervent  devotion, 
knowing  me  to  be  the  eternal  and  omnipresent  benefactor 
of  the  universe." 

Chaupdi. 

When  they  heard  the  Lord's  words,  all  were  so  over- 
come that  they  forgot  who  they  were,  or  where  they  were, 
or  where  they  had  come  from.  With  clasped  hands  and 
fixed  gaze  they  stood  before  him,  unable  to  speak  from 
excess  of  devotion.  The  Lord  perceived  the  intensity  of 
their  love  and  said  all  he  could  to  teach  them  resignation. 
In  his  presence  they  could  not  answer  a  word,  but  still 
turned  their  eyes  to  his  lotus  feet.  Then  the  Lord  called  for 
jewels  and  robes  of  honour,  of  many  colours,  incomparably 
beautiful,  and  first  Bharat  with  his  own  hands  made  ready 
a  dress,  with  which  he  invested  Sugrlva.  By  the  Lord's 
command  Lakshman  next  invested  the  king  of  Lanka,  to 
Rdma's  great  contentment.  But  Angad  remained  seated 
and  did  not  stir,  Seeing  his  love,  the  Lord  did  not  speak   to 

Dohd  IS.    ^6^^  J 

but  proceeded  with  the  investiture  of  JAmbavan  and 
N(la  and  the  rest,  who  with  Rama's  image  impressed  upon 
their  heart  after  bowing  their  head  at  his  feet  withdrew. 
Then  Angad  arose  and  made  obeisance  and  with  weeping 
eyes  and  clasped  hands  uttered  his  humble  petition,  im- 
pregnate as  it  were  with  the  very  essence  of  devotion. 
Chau/>df. 

"  Hearken,  all-wise,  all-merciful  and  all-blessed,  com- 
miserator  of  the  destitute,    succour  of  the  distressed  ;   Bili, 


THE   SEQUEL.  633 

my  lord,  in  his  last  moments  placed  me  in  your  charge.  To 
be  the  helper  of  the  helpless  is  the  character  you  support ; 
benefactor  of  the  faithful,  do  not  abandon  me.  You,  Sire,  are 
my  spiritual  guide,  my  father  and  my  mother  ;  where  can 
I  go,  if  I  leave  your  lotus  feet  ?  Consider  yourself  and  tell 
me,  0  king  of  men  ;  apart  from  my  lord,  what  is  my  home 
to  me  ?  Extend  to  me  your  protection,  a  mere  child  as  I  am 
without  knowledge,  wisdom,  or  strength,  and  regard  me 
as  one  of  the  humblest  of  your  servants.  Let  me  perform 
the  most  menial  office  in  your  palace,  if  only  I  may  see 
your  lotus  feet  and  thus  traverse  the  ocean  of  existence." 
So  saying,  he  fell  at  the  Lord's  feet,  "  0  Sire,  do  not  again 
tell  me  to  go  home."  *         « 

Doha  19.    ^^-^^f 

On  hearing  Angad's  piteous  prayer,  the  all-merciful 
lord  Rdma  raised  him  from  the  ground  and  clasped  him  to 
his  bosom,  his  lotus  eyes  streaming  with  tears.  He  clothed 
the  son  of  Bdli  in  his  own  robe  and  jewels  and  the  chain 
from  his  own  neck,  and  then  the  Lord  dismissed  him  with 
many  words  of  exhortation. 

Ghaupdi. 

Bharat  with  his  brother  Satrughna  and  Lakshman  pro- 
ceeded to  escort  him,  being  greatly  moved  by  his  devotion. 
But  Angad's  heart  was  so  overflowing  with  love  that  he 
turned  again  and  again  for  one  more  look  at  RAma.  Time 
after  time  he  prostrated  himself  upon  the  ground,  crying, 
'  Thus  would  I  stay,  if  Rdma  would  only  let  me.'  Treasur- 
ing up  in  his  mind  Rdma's  look  and  voice  and  gait,  his 
smile  too  and  his  embrace,  with  a  last  glance  at  his  face  and 
many  words  of  fervent  praper,  he  went  forth,  cherishing 
his  lotus  feet  in  his  heart.  After  escorting  all  the  monkeys 
with  the  utmost  respect,  Bharat  and  his  brother  returned. 
Then  Hanuman  clasped  Sugriva  by  the  feet  and  earnestly 
besought  him  :  "  Let  me  spend  ten  days  more  in  Rdnia's 
service  and  then    I  will   return  to   your  feet,  my    master." 

R-83 


634  THE    SEQUEL. 

"  0  son  of  the  Wind,  great  is  your  piety  ;  go,  serve  the 
All-merciful."  So  saying,  the  other  monkeys  went  their 
way,  but  Angad  cried  :  "  Hearken,  Hanuman  : 

Dohd  20.    J^if  -  C//  -  Y  1^- 

With  clasped  hands  I  beg  of  you  to  present  my  service 
to  the  Lord  and  frequently  remind  him  of  me."  So  say- 
ing, the  son  of  B^li  started  on  his  way,  while  Hanuman 
returned  and  told  the  Lord  of  his  devotion  :  the  great  god 
was  overjoyed.  Now  hard  as  adamant,  now  soft  as  the 
petal  of  a  flower,  such,  Garur,  is  Rdma's  heart ;  who  can 
comprehend  it  ? 

Ghawpdi. 

Next  the  All-merciful  summoned  the  Nishdd  and  gra- 
ciously presented  him  with  jewels  and  raiment.  "  Return 
to  your  home,  but  ever  remember  me,  and  in  heart, 
word  and  deed  observe  all  the  ordinances  of  religion.  You, 
my  companion,  are  as  much  my  brother  as  Bharat ;  you 
must  always  be  backwards  and  forwards  here."  On  hearing 
these  words  he  was  greatly  delighted  and  fell  at  his  feet, 
his  eyes  full  of  tears.  With  the  image  of  his  lotus  feet 
impressed  upon  his  heart,  he  returned  home  and  declared 
the  Lord's  generosity  to  all  his  kinsfolk.  The  citizens, 
on  beholding  Rdma's  actions,  shouted  again  their  vivas  to 
his  blessed  name.  Under  RAma's  sway  the  three  spheres 
were  full  of  joy,  all  sorrow  was  at  an  end,  no  one  had  a 
grudge  against  another,  every  variance  was  extinguished 
under  Rama's  auspices. 

Dohd  21.    ^^ 

Devoted  to  religion,  the  people  walked  in  the  path  of  the 
Vedas,  each  according  to  his  own  caste  and  stage  of  life,* 
and  enjoyed  perfect  happiness,  un vexed  by  fear,  or  sorrow, 
or  disease. 


1  The  anramus,  or  '  stapes  of  life,' are  not  to  be  confounded  by  tlie  Eng- 
lish nader  with  what  would  be  'ordinarily  r^esignated  '  states  of  life  '  They 
aie  four  in  number  :  Ist,  that  of  the  liidhraachari,  or  student  ;  2nd,  that  of 
the  Griba-srha,  householder;  .3rd,  that  of  the  Vana-prastba,  or  ancborite ; 
and  4th,  that  of  the  Bbikshu,  or  mendicant. 


THE   SEQUEL.  635 

Ghaupdi. 

In  the  whole  of  Rd,ma's  dominions  there  was  no  one  who 
suffered  from  trouble  of  any  kind,  whether  of  the  body  or 
from  the  visitation  of  heaven  or  the  attacks  of  enemies. 
Every  one  was  in  charity  with  his  neighbour  and  contented 
with  the  state  of  life  to  which  he  had  been  born,  conformably 
to  the  teaching  of  Scripture  and  sound  morality.  The  four 
pillars  of  religion^  were  established  throughout  the  world  ; 
on  one  even  dreamt  of  sin.  Men  and  women  alike  were 
devoted  to  Rdma's  worship  and  enjoyed  all  the  blessedness 
of  highest  heaven.  There  was  no  premature  death  and  no 
sickness  even,  but  every  one  was  comely  and  sound  of  body. 
No  one  was  in  poverty,  in  sorrow,  or  distress;  no  one  igno- 
rant or  unlucky.  All  were  unaffectedly  good  and  pious, 
clever  and  intelligent.  Every  one  appreciated  the  merits 
of  his  neighbour  and  was  himself  learned  and  wise;  every 
one  was  grateful  for  kindnesses  and  guilelessly  prudent. 

Doha  22.         A^^ 

Hearken,  Garur ;  during  Rama's    reign  there  was  not  a 
creature  in  the  world,  animate  or  inanimate,   that   suffered 
from  any  of  the  ills  that  ordinarily  result  from  time  or  past 
conduct  or  personal  temperament  and  character. 
Chaupdi. 

The  world  encircled  by  its  seven  seas  had  only  one  king, 
Rdma,  the  lord  of  Kosala.  This  was  no  great  matter  for 
him,  every  hair  on  whose  body  is  one  of  the  countless 
spheres  of  creation.  To  a  man  who  rightly  understands 
the  greatness  of  the  Lord,  this  description  will  seem  highly 
disparaging.  But  those  who  understand  his  divine  majesty, 
Gariir,  are  the  very  persons  who  take  a  delight  in  these 
actions  of  his.  They  are  the  special  rewards  of  such  know- 
ledge ;  so  declare  the  greatest  of  sages  and  ascetics  2 

Not  even  Sesh-nAg  or  S^radd  could  describe  the  happi- 
ness   and    prosperity    of    Rama's    reign.     Every   one    was 


1  The  four  pillars  of  religion  are  truth,  parity,  mercy  and  charity. 

2  For  harad  sunla,  given  in  Ram  Jasan's  edition,  the  preferable  reading 
seems  to  be  bar  dam-sild. 


636  THE    SEQUEL. 

generous  and  kindly  dispoRed  to   his   neighbour   and  sub- 
missive to  the  Brnhmans.  Every  husband  was  faithful  to  his 
single  wife  and  every  wife  was  devoted  to  her  husband. 
Dohd23.     ^^^ 

A  rod  was  never  seen,  save  in  the  hand  of  a  Religious; 
the  words  *  to  beat '    had   no  meaning   except  to   mark  the 
time  for  a  dancer  on  the  stage  ;  and  the  only  victory  known 
was  self-conquest,  throughout  all  Ramchandra'e  realm. 
Qhau^ai. 

The  trees  of  the  forest  were  ever  full  of  flowers  and 
fruit ;  the  elephant  and  the  lion  dwelt  peaceably  together. 
Birds  and  deer  forgot  their  instinctive  animosities  and 
lived  in  the  greatest  harmony  with  one  another.  The  coo- 
ing of  the  birds  and  the  many  herds  of  deer  fearlessly 
roaming  the  woods  made  a  charming  scene.  The  air  was 
cool,  fragrant  and  exquisitely  soft;  bees  laden  with  honey 
made  a  pleasant  humming.  Every  creeper  and  tree  yield- 
ed its  sweetness  on  being  asked  and  the  cows  in  sheer 
lightness  of  heart  dropt,  their  milk  on  the  road.  The  earth 
was  ever  clothed  with  crops  and  every  feature  of  the 
Golden  Age  was  repeated  in  the  Age  of  Silver.  Mines  of 
jewels  of  every  description  were  disclosed  in  the  mountains 
and  the  world  acknowledged  its  king  to  be  in  truth  the 
Universal  Spirit.  Every  river  flowed  with  an  abundance 
of  water,  cool,  pure  and  pleasant  to  the  taste.  The  sea 
remained  within  its  bounds,  casting  forth  pearls  on  its 
shore  for  men  to  gather.  The  ponds  were  all  thick  with 
lotuses  and  every  quarter  and  section  of  the  world  was 
supremely  happy.  m 

Dohd  24:.     ^^ 

The  earth  was  suffused  with  the  radiance  of  the  moon, 
the  heat  of  the  sun  was  greater  than  circumstances  required, 
and  the  clouds  dropt  rain  whenever  asked,  in  the  days 
when  R^ma  was  king. 

Chaiipdi. 

The  Jjor(\   celebrated   millions  of  horse-sacrifices  and 


THE    SEQUEL.  637 

conferred  iniiumberable  gifts  upon  the  Brdhmans,  approving 
himself  the  defender  of  scriptural  usage,  the  champion  of 
religion,  perfect  in  every  virtue  and  the  sworn  foe  of  all  sen- 
suality. Sita  was  ever  obediant  to  her  lord,  incomparable 
in  her  beauty,  her  virtue  and  her  meekness,  sensible  of  the 
majVsty  of  the  All-merciful  and  devotedly  attached  to  his 
lotus  feet.  Though  there  were  many  man-servants  and  maid- 
servants in  the  palace,  all  well-skilled  in  their  work,  she  dis- 
charged every  domestic  duty  with  her  own  hands,  waiting 
on  Rama's  orders.  Any  service  that  might  give  pleasure 
to  the  All-merciful  she  herself  studied  to  perform.  Without 
the  slightest  pride  or  conceit  she  attended  on  Kausalyd  and 
the  other  queen  dowagers  in  the  palace.  0  Umd,  Lakshmi, 
the  object  of  the  adoration  of  Brahma  and  all  the  divinities, 
the  mother  of  the  universe,  the  ever  blameless. 

Doha  25.       /^y^ 
The  slightest  glance  of  favour  from  whose  eye  is  coveted 
by  the  gods,   practised    this    devotion  to  Rdma's  lotus  feet, 

for  such  was  her  nature. 

Chaupdi. 

Though  she  waited  diligently  on  all  the  brothers,  her 
devotion  to  R^ma  was  most  conspicuous.  She  never  ceased 
to  watch  his  lotus  face  on  the  chance  that  he  might  be 
pleased  to  speak  to  her.  Rama  on  his  part  was  most  affec- 
tionate to  his  brothers  and  instructed  them  on  all  points  of 
morality.  The  citizens  lived  happy,  each  enjoying  a  felicity 
to  which  the  gods  might  scarce  attain.  Day  and  night 
they  made  their  prayer  to  God  for  a  fervent  devotion  to 
Rdma's  holy  feet.  Two  comely  sons  were  born  to  Sita, 
Lava  and  Kusa ;  so  the  Vedas  and  PurAnas  have  declared  ; 
both  glorious  in  battle,  modest  and  accomplished  and  so 
beautiful  that  they  seemed  the  very  image  of  Hari.  The 
other  brothers  also  had  each  two  sons,  pre-eminent  in 
beauty,  virtue  and  all  good  qualities. 

Dohd  26.  H^"^ 

The   Supreme   Spirit   that   transcends  all  intelligence, 


638  THE   SEQUEL. 

speech  and  perception  ;  that  is  from  everlasting;  unaffected 
by  material  phenomena,  or  the  workings  of  mind  or  the 
properties  of  things,  even  he  it  was  who  thus  exhibited  the 
actions  of  exalted  humanity. 

Chaupdi. 
In  the  early  morning  after  bathing  in  the  Sarju  he  sat 
in  his  court,  in  the  midst  of  Brihmans  and  snges,  while 
Vasislitha  recited  the  Vedas  and  Pur^nas  ;  Rdma  listening 
attentively,  though  he  knew^  them  all  of  himself.  He  took 
his  meals  with  his  brothers  :  the  royal  matrons  looking  on 
with  the  utmost  satisfaction.  Then  Buarat,  and  Satrughna, 
the  two  brothers,  would  take  H mumin  to  some  grove, 
where  they  would  sit  down  and  ask  him  all  about  Riima's 
doings,  and  he  would  reply  out  of  the  depth  of  his  wisdom. 
It  was  such  a  delight  to  them  to  hear  the  glorious  narrative 
that  they  would  beg  him  to  repeat  it  again  and  again.  In 
every  single  house  the  sacred  legend  was  told  of  Raima's 
marvellously  holy  deeds.  Men  arid  women  alike  joined  in 
hymning  his  praises,  and  day  and  night  passed  unheeded. 

Doha  27.    Mf^ 

Not  a  thousand  Sesh-ndgs  could  tell  all  the  happiness 
and  prosperity  of  the  city  of  Avadh,  when  Rdma  reigned  as 
king. 

Chaupdi. 

N^rad  and  Sanat-Kumdra  and  all  the  great  sages  came 
every  day  to  AyodhyA  to  have  a  sight  of  the  king  of  Kosala. 
The  appearance  of  the  city  made  them  forget  all  their  asceti- 
cism. The  balconies  encrusted  with  gold  and  jewels,  the 
splendid  pavements  laid  in  diverse  colours,  the  magnificent 
forts  on  every  side  of  the  city  with  their  brightly  painted 
battlements,  as  though  the  nine  planets  had  been  mustered 
in  array  to  belpaguer  Indra's  capital,  An)aravati  ;  the  floors 
so  beautifully  inlaid  with  coloured  crystal  that  the  soul  of 
any  saint  would  be  distracted  at  the  sight  ;  the  glistening 
palaces   reaching   to  the   sky  with    pinnacles   that   put  to 


THE   SEQUEL.  639 

shame  the  brightness  of  sun  and  moon  ;  the  lattices  gleam- 
ing with  jewels  and  the  jewelled  lamps  that  shone  in  every 
room. 

Chhand  6. 
Beneath  the  light  of  jewelled  lamps  the  houses  were 
resplendent  with  their  thresholds  of  coral  and  pillars  of  pre- 
cious stone  and  golden  walls,  such  as  the  ('reator  himself 
might  have  fashioned,  all  inlaid  with  emeralds  and  gems. 
The  stately  palace-courts  were  lovely  with  inworked  crystal, 
and  every  gate  was  fitted  with  folding  doors  of  gold 
embossed  with  diamonds. 

Dohd  28.    ^^^ 
In  every  house  was  a  beautiful  and  well-furnished  pic- 
ture gallery,  where  Rdma's  achievements  were  so  set  forth 
that  the  soul  of  a  saint  would  be  ravished  at  the  sight. 

Ghaiipdi. 

Every  one  had  a  flower  garden  trimmed  with  the  greatest 
care,  adorned  with  every  kind  of  choice  creeper,  and  blos- 
soming with  perpetual  spring.  There  was  ever  a  pleasant 
sound  of  the  buzzing  of  bees,  and  the  air  was  delightfully 
cool,  soft  and  fragrant.  Birds  of  all  kinds,  the  children's 
pets,  sweet  of  note  and  graceful  in  flight,  peacocks,  swans, 
herons  and  pigeons,  made  a  charming  show  on  the  tops 
of  the  houses,  cooing  and  dancing  in  high  glee  at  the  sight 
of  their  own  shadow.  Q4,her  children  were  teaching  par- 
rots and  mainas  to  speak  and  repeat  the  names  of  Rdma, 
Ragbupati,  Saviour.  The  palace  gates  were  most  magni- 
ficent, and  the  roads,  squares  and  bazars  all  elegantly 
laid  out. 

Chhand  7. 

The  elegance  of  the  bazArs  was  beyond  all  description, 
and  things  could  be  had  without  price.  How  is  it  possible 
to  sing  the  riches  of  the  city  where  the  spouse  of  Lakshmi 
reigned  as  king?  The  cloth-merchants,  money-changers 
and  grain-dealers   sat  at  their  shops  like  so  many  Kuvers. 


640  THE   SEQUEL, 

Every  one  was  happy,  every  one  well-conducted  and  come- 
ly, men  and  women,  young  and  old,  all  alike. 

Dohd  29.     >SV 
To  the  north  flowed  the  deep  and  pellucid  stream  of  the 
Sarju,  with  a  line  of  handsome  ghdts  and  no   muddy    bank 
anywhere. 

Chaupdi. 
At  some  distance  was  n  fine  spacious  ghdt,  where  all 
the  horses  and  elephants  went  to  drink.  There  were  also 
elaborate  ghdts  for  the  citizens'  drinking  water,  where  no 
one  was  allowed  to  bathe.  The  most  beautiful  of  all  was  the 
king's  gh^t,  which  was  frequented  by  men  of  all  four 
castes.  All  along  the  banks  were  temples  to  the  gods  sur- 
rounded by  pleasant  groves.  Here  and  there  on  the  river 
bank  hermits,  sages  and  anchorites  dwelt  and  meditated  ; 
and  many  bushes  of  the  fragrant  tulsi  were  there,  planted 
by  different  holy  men.  The  beauty  of  the  city  surpassed  all 
description ;  its  outskirts  also  were  most  picturesque. 
Every  sin  was  effaced  by  a  sight  of  it,  with  its  woods  and 
groves,  its  lakes  and  ponds. 

Ghhand  8. 
Its  matchless  lakes  and  ponds  and  large  and  beautiful 
wells  were  so  charming,  with  their  elegant  flights  of  steps 
and  limpid  water,  that  gods  and  saints  were  fascinated  by 
the  sight.  The  many-coloured  lotuses,  the  cooing  of  the  nu- 
merous birds  and  the  buzzing  of  the  bees  made  the  spot  a 
delightful  one,  where  the  parrots  by  the  clamour  seemed 
to  be  inviting  travellers  to  halt.  ^^- 

Dohd  30.      ^"^ 
How  is  it  possible  to  describe  the  city,  of  which   Laksh- 
mi's  lord  was  king?  Anim^  and  the  other   fairies  had   dif- 
fused   through    the    whole   of   Avadh  every  happiness  and 

prosperity. 

Chaupdi. 

Everywhere  nien  were  sirtging  RAma's   praises    and    as 

they  sat  thus  exhorted  one  another:  '*  Worship  Rdma,    the 


THE    SEQUEL.  611 

defender  of  the  suppliant ;  the  home  of  beauty  and  goodness, 
of  comeliness  and  virtue ;  the  lotus-eyed  and  dark-com- 
plexioned ;  who  protects  his  servants  as  the  eyelid  does  the 
eye  equipt  with  lovely  bow  and  arrows  and  quiver  ;  the 
champion  of  the  battle ;  a  very  sun  to  rejoice  the  lotus-like 
company  of  the  saints;  a  Garur  to  consume  the  terrible 
serpent  Death ;  whose  loving  kindness  is  over  all  who 
unselfishly  worship  Rdma  ;  a  huntsman  to  scatter  the 
deer-like  herd  of  ignorancf^  and  greed  ;  a  lion  to  quell 
the  wild  elephant,  Love  ;  the  giver  of  happiness  to  his 
people;  a  sun  to  scatter  the  thick  darkness  of  doubt  and 
sorrow  ;  a  fire  to  consume  the  dense  forest  of  demons  ; 
who  can  refuse  to  worship  Raghubir  and  Sita,  seeing  that 
he  is  the  breaker  of  earth's  burdens  ;  the  frost  that  kills 
the  insect  swarm  of  manifold  desires  ;  the  ever  uniform  ; 
the  uncreated  and  imperishable  ;  the  delight  of  the  saints  ; 
the  breaker  of  earth's  burdens  ;   Tulsi   Dds's  own  gracious 

Lord?"  ,^7 

Doha  31.     J  J 

In  such  wise  the  city  sang  Rdma's  praises,  while  on  his 
part  the  All-merciful  was  ever  to  them  most  gracious. 

Chaupdi. 

From  the  time,  Garur,  of  the  uprising  of  the  glorious 
sun  of  Rama's  power  the  three  spheres  were  all  suffused 
with  light :  many  were  happy,  but  many  also  were  sad. 
First  to  enumerate  the  sorrowful  :  to  begin  with,  the  night 
of  Ignorance  was  at  an  end  ;  owl-like  Sin  slunk  away  out  Q 
wSbn^oi  sight ;  Lust  and  Anger,  like  gamblers,  were  ashamed 
to  show    themselves  ;  Formalism,^  Phenomenal  Existence, 

1  By  Karma,  which  I  here  translate  '  Formalism,'  is  meant  ceremonial 
as  opposed  to  contemplative  religion  :  the  ordinary  routine  of  fasts,  sacri- 
fices, ablutions  and  other  outward  observances  as  distinct  from  the  interior 
and  purely  spiritual  exercises  of  the  soul,  which  it  is  the  main  object  of 
this  poem  to  recommend.  It  may  also  be  taken  in  a  wider  sense  as  Neces- 
sity, the  inexorable  sequence  of  cause  and  effect,  by  which  the  whole  vvorld 
is  governed.  The  ultimate  result  is  the  same  ;  for  the  practice  of  external 
religious  observances  for  the  sake  of  the  minor  prizes  attached  to  them— 
minor,  that  is,  as  compared  with  the  reward  promised  to  interior  faith- 
is  only  one  illustration  of  the  belief  in  the  general  law,  though  the  most 
important  to  Tulsi  Das,  writing  as  a  theologian. 

R-84 


642  THE   SEQUfiL. 

Time  and  Nature,  were  as  ill  at  ease  as  the  chakor  ;  Envy, 
Pride,  Infatuation  and  Conceit  were  like  thieves,  with 
nowhere  a  chance  to  display  their  skill.  But  the  ponds  of 
Piety  blossomed  with  the  lotuses  of  Knowledge  and  Under- 
standing ;  while  Happiness,  Contentment,  Self-control  and 
Discretion  were  like  so  many  chakwas  and  chakwis  when 
their  sorrow  is  over. 

Dohd2>2.    /"M 

When  this  glorious  sun  illumines  any  man's  heart,  the 
last-named  qualities  grow  and  increase,  the  first  mentioned 
die  away. 

Chaupdi, 

One  day  R^ma  with  his  brothers  and  his  special  fa- 
vourite HanumAn  went  to  visit  a  beautiful  grove,  where 
every  tree  was  bright  with  flowers  and  fresh  leaves.  Sanat- 
Kum^ra  and  the  others  noted  their  opportunity  and  came 
also  ;  a  glorious  band  of  pre-eminent  virtue  and  goodness, 
ever  absorbed  in  the  rapture  of  transcendental  felicity,  and 
still  youthful  to  look  at  despite  their  immemorial  years. 
One  in  appearance  and  without  any  distinctive  mark,  as  it 
might  be  the  four  Vedas  in  bodily  form,  the  saints  had  but 
this  one  hope,  desire  and  ambition,  to  hear  the  recital  of 
Rdma's  actions.  The  stopt,  BhavAni,  at  the  same  place  as 
the  learned  sage  AgastyA,  who  repeated  to  them  the  whole 
of  Rdma's  history,  the  source  of  true  wisdom,  as  friction  is 

of  fire.  ^- 

DdhdZ'6.    J^i 

When  RAma  saw  the  sages  approaching,  he  rejoiced 
and  prostrated  himself  before  them  ;  then  after  giving 
them  welcome,  the  lord  of  the  yellow  robe  made  them  sit 
down. 

Chauydi, 

His  three  brothers  made  their  obeisance  also  and  were 
greatly  delighted,  as  also  Hanum^n.  The  saints,  as  they 
gazed  on  Rama's  incomparable  beauty,  were  beside  them- 
selves with  rapture.     With  clasped  hands   they  bowed  the 


1 


THE   SEQUEL.  643 

head  before  him  and  could  not  close  their  eyes  for  a  moment, 
so  intensely  were  they  fixed  on  the  shrine  of  beauty,  the 
conqueror  of  the  world,  with  his  lotus  eyes  and  dark-hued 
frame.  When  Raghubir  perceived  their  condition,  his  eyes 
streamed  with  tears  and  his  body  quivered  with  emotion. 
He  took  them  by  the  hand  and  made  them  sit  down  and 
addressed  them  in  these  most  gracious  words  :  "  Hearken, 
reverend  Sirs  ;  to-day  I  am  indeed  blessed  ;  at  the  sight 
of  you  sin  is  annihilated.  The  fellowship  of  the  saints  is 
the  greatest  of  blessings  ;  it  at  once  effects  a  severance 
from  the  world.  . 

Doha  34:.     *^"0 

To  consort^  with  the  saints  leads  to  final  beatitude, 
but  with  the  sensual  to  endless  transmigrations  :  so  say  the 
saints  themselves,  the  greatest  of  the  poets,  the  Vedas, 
the  Purdnas  and  all  the  Scriptures." 

Ghaupdi. 

The  four  sages  were  rejoiced  to  hear  the  lord's  words 
and  with  quivering  body  they  raised  this  hymn  of  praise  : 
"  Glory  to  the  Lord  God,  the  everlasting,  the  unchangeable, 
the  sinless,  the  multiform,  the  One,  the  All-merciful.  Glory 
to  the  unembodied  ;  glory,  glory  to  the  universal  embodi- 
ment, the  palace  of  bliss,  the  beautiful  in  his  comeliness. 
Glory  to  the  spouse  of  Lakshmi  ;  glory  to  the  supporter  of 
the  earth,  peerless  in  his  splendour  ;  the  uncreated,  of  whom 
there  is  no  beginning  :  the  fountain  of  wisdom  ;  the  immea- 
surable;^ the  bestower  of  honour  ;  whose  holy  fame  is  the 
theme  of  the  Vedas  and  Purinas  ;  the  all-^vise,  the  all-gener- 
ous; the  destroyer  of  ignorance;  the  many-named,  the 
name-less  ;  the  emotionless  ;  the  universe  itself,  the  universal 
spirit  ;  the  indweller  of  every  heart.  Abide  with  us  and 
protect   us  for   ever,  0  Rdma  ;  dwell  in  our  heart,  tearing 

1  Aman  is  capable  of  two  meanings  :  either  '  i  no  measurable,'  from  the 
root  ma,  '  to  measure  ;'  or '  without  pride,'  from  the  root  ma7i,  to  think.' 
Either  will  suit  the  context  equally  well,  and  the  jingle  between  it  and  the 
following  word  mam-pmd  is  probably  what  chie^y  suggested  it  to  the  pcet. 


644  THE   SEQUEL. 

asunder  the  bonds  of  the  world  and  its  miserable  conten- 
tions and  destroying  our  sensuality  and  conceit. 

Dohd  35.    t^-n 
0  holy  R^rna,   all-blessed  and   all-merciful,   fulfiller  of 
every  desire  of  the  soul,  bestow  on  us  the  boon  of   constant 

love  and  devotion. 

Ghaupdi. 

Grant  us,  0  Ragfhupati,  that,  purifying  faith  which  an- 
nihilates every  distress  and  worldly  conceit.  Be  propitious 
and  grant  us  this  boon,  0  our  Lord,  a  very  cow  of  heaven, 
or  tree  of  paradise  to  satisfy  the  desires  of  the  suppliant.  0 
Raghu-ndyak,  the  Agastya  of  the  ocean  of  mundane  existence, 
the  bestower  of  blessings  which  only  your  servants  find  it 
easy  to  acquire  ;  destroyer  of  the  destroying  tortures  of  love ; 
friend  of  the  friendless  :  diffuser  of  equanimity  ;  preventer 
of  hope  and  fear,  of  envy  and  all  evil  passions  ;  bestower  of 
meekness,  discretion  and  detachment  ;  jewel  of  earthly 
kings;  glory  of  the  world  ;  grant  us  devotion  to  thee,  the 
only  raft  on  which  to  cross  the  floods  of  existence  ;  immortal 
swan  in  the  Manas  lake  of  saintly  souls  ;  whose  lotus  feet  are 
adored  by  Brahma  and  Siva  ;  standard  of  the  line  of  Raghu  ; 
'  bridge  for  the  recovery  of  the  Scriptures  ;  annihilator  of 
,  time,  destiny,  nature  and  phenomenal  existence ;  ark  of 
salvation  ;  healer  of  every  sorrow  ;  glory  of  the  three  spheres ; 
Tulsi  Das's  own  lord."  .- 

Dohd  36.    i  ^ 
Having  again  and  again  hymned  his  praises  and  loving- 
ly bowed  the  head,  Sanat-Kum^ra  and   his  companions  re- 
turned to  Brahma's  sphere,  after  obtaining  the  boon  they 
had  80  vehemently  coveted. 

Chaupdi. 
When  Sanat-Kumdra  and  his  companions  had  gone 
their  way  to  Brahma's  sphere,  the  three  brothers  bowed 
their  head  at  Rama's  feet,  but  being  too  diffident  themselves 
to  put  the  question  to  the  Lord,  they  looked  to  Hanumdn, 
wishing  to  hear  from  the  Lord's  own  mouth  an  explanation 


THE   SEQUEL.  645 

which  would  terminate  all  their  doubts.  The  reader  of  the 
heart  understood  this  perfectly  and  said,  "  What  is  it  you 
wish  to  know,  Hanumdtj?"  Then  replied  HanumAn  with 
clasped  hands  :  "Hearken,  all-merciful  Lord  God  ;  Bharat, 
Sire,  wishes  to  ask  something,  but  is  too  diffident  to  speak 
out."  "Monkey,  you  know  my  feelings  ;  there  are  no  secrets 
between  me  and  Bharat."  On  hearing  the  Lord's  words 
Bharat  clasped  his  feet :  "  Hearken,  my  lord,  reliever  of  all 
the  anxieties  of  the  supplinnt  ;  ^^^ 

Dohd37.    ^^ 
I  have  no  doubts  whatever,  Sire  ;  not  a  shadow   of  dis- 
quietude or  distrust ;  and  this  all  of  your  mercy,  0  all-mer- 
ciful and  all-blessed. 

Chaupdi 

But  if  I  may  presume  on  your  loving-kindness — for  I  am 
your  servant  and  you  the  benefactor  of  your  faithful  people — 
the  Vedas  and  Pur^nas,  0  Raghurii,  have  sung  in  various 
ways  the  greatness  of  the  saints  ;  you  too  have  exalted  them 
by  your  own  holy  mouth,  declaring  that  the  Lord  has  a 
special  affection  for  them.  I  would  fain  hear,  Sire,  their 
distinctive  marks,  0  gracious  discerner  of  character  and 
understanding.  Instruct  me,  protector  of  the  suppliant, 
in  the  notes  that  distinguish  the  good  from  the  wicked." 
"  Hearken  brother  ;  the  notes  of  the  good  as  told  in  the 
Vedas  and  PuriSnas  are  innumerable.  The  conduct  of  the 
good  to  the  wicked  is  like  that  of  the  sandnl-tree  to  the  axe, 
for— see,  brother  -  the  fragrant  wood  imparts  its  perfume 
to  the  very  iron  that  fells  it. 

DohdSS.     ^ 

For  this  reason  sandal-wood  is  the  desire  of  the  world 
and  has  the  honour  of  being  put  on  the  head  of  gods; 
while  the  axe,  for  its  punishment,  has  its  edge  heated  in 
the  fire  and  is  well  hammered. 

Chaupdi. 

Without  attachment  to  sensual  objects  ;  store-houses  of 
virtue  and   generosity  ;  sorrowing  in  the  sorrow  of   others 


646  THE   SEQUEL. 

and  finding  joy  in  their  joy  ;  equable,  devoid  of  animosity  ; 
sober,  passionless  :  conquerors  of  greed  and  impatience, 
joy  and  fear  ;  tender  of  heart,  compassionate  to  the  poor ; 
with  a  guileless  devotion  to  me  in  thought,  word  and  deed  ; 
giving  honour  to  all,  but  claiming  none  for  themselves  ; 
such,  Bharat.  are  dear  to  me  as  my  own  life ;  unselfish, 
devoted  to  my  name  ;  happy  abodes  of  tranquillity,  con- 
tinence and  humility  ;  models  of  contentment,  simplicity, 
benevolence,  piety  and  devotion  to  the  Brihmans.  Verily, 
brothers,  any  heart  in  which  these  qualities  abide  is  ever 
the  heart  of  a  saint.  They  are  never  disturbed  in  their 
quietude,  their  self-control,  their  religious  observances  or 
their  moral  principles ;  they  never  utter  a  harsh  word  ; 

DohdSQ.    >^^ 

they  regard  praise  and  blame  as  both  alike,  in  their  ex- 
clusive devotion  to  my  lotus  feet ;  such  are  the  treasurers 
of  virtue,  the  compendiums  of  bliss,  who  are  the  good,  and 
whom  I  love  as  my  own  soul. 

Chaupdi. 

Hear  now  the  characteristics  of  the  bad,  with  whom  one 
should  carefully  avoid  any  dealings.  Their  company  always 
leads  to  trouble,  as  when  an  ill-conditioned  cowgets'a  gentle 
companion  beaten  like  itself.  The  heart  of  the  wicked  is  a 
consuming  fire,  which  is  ever  rekindled  at  the  sight  of  an- 
other's prosperity  :  but  whenever  they  hear  a  neighbour 
abused,  they  are  as  glad  as  if  they  had  picked  up  a  treasure 
on  the  road.  Devoted  to  sensuality,  choleric,  arrogant  and 
greedy;  censorious,  treacherous,  perverse  and  impure; 
cherishing  causeless  animosities  against  every  one  :  disliking 
anything  that  others  like  ;  false  in  taking,  false  in  giving, 
•^  false  in  great  matters  and  false  in  small ;  speaking  plausible 
words,  but  ruthless  of  heart,  like  the  peacock  that  devours 
the  biggest  snake.  ' 

Dohd  40. 

Injurious   to  their  neighbour,  covetous  of  his  v^rife  and 


THE   SEQUEL.  64? 

wealth  and  gloating  over   his  misfortunes  ;  men  thus   vile 
and  abominable  are  ruthless  incarnate  fiends. 

Ghaupdi. 
Coveting  dress,  coveting  bed  ;  addicted  to  lust  and 
gluttony ;  with  no  fear  of  the  realm  of  Yama  before  their 
eyes  ;  catching  their  breath,  as  though  they  had  got  the  ague 
when  they  hear  of  any  one's  advancement ;  but  as  glad  as 
though  they  had  been  made  kings  of  the  world,  when  they 
see  their  neighbour  in  distress  ;  devoted  to  their  own  selfish 
interests,  quarrelsome  to  their  kinsfolk,  dissolute,  avaricious 
and  choleric  ;  disobedient  to  father  and  mother,  to  guru  and 
Brahman  :  dragging  down  others  into  the  same  ruin  with 
themselves  ;  infatuatod  workers  of  other's  ill  ;  taking  no 
pleasure  in  the  company  of  the  good  or  in  discourse  about 
Hari :  oceans  of  immorality,  dull  of  understanding,  lascivi- 
ous, revilers  of  the  Vedas,  masterful  with  other  men's  goods, 
special  torment  of  the  Brdhmans  and  the  gods,  with  deceit 
and  treachery  in  their  heart,  though  outwardly  fair  seem- 
ing. 

Dohd  41. 

No  such  vile  wretches  of  man  existed  in  the  first  and 
second  age,  and  only  a  few  in  the  third,  but  in  the  fourth 
there  are  swarms  of  them. 

Ghaupdi. 

0  my  brother,  there  is  no  religion  like  charity  and  no 
meanness  like  malevolence.  What  I  now  declare  to  you  is 
the  sum  of  the  Vedas  and  Purins  and  the  verdict  of  the 
philosophers.  Men  who  in  the  body  cause  suffering  to  others 
undergo  an  enormous  series  of  transmigrations.  Men  are 
so  infatuated  that  in  their  devotion  to  their  own  selfish 
interests  they  commit  many  sins  and  ruin  their  prospects 
for  the  next  world.  I  reveal  myself  to  them,  brother,  as 
their  destiny  and  assign  them  the  reward  of  their  deeds, 
whether  good  or  evil.  The  truly  wise  consider  the  matter 
thus  and  worship  me,  regarding  the  world  only  as  a  burden; 
they  discard  action  with  its  result,  good  or  bad,  and  devoutly 


648  THE   SEQUEL. 

adore   me,   the    king   of  gods  and  men  and  saints.     Thus 

have  I  declared  the  characteristics  of  the  good  and  the  bad; 

they  who  remember  them  will  not   be   submerged    in    the 

flood  of  existence.  / 

Dohd^2.   b^ 

Hearken,  brother;  the  multitudinous  forms  of  merit  and 
demerit  are  all  the  products  of  Maya  :  greatest  merit  is 
to  notice  neither:  to  notice  them  is  an  imperfection  of  know- 
ledge." 

Ghaupdi. 

On  hearing  this  utterance  of  the  divine  mouth,  the 
brothers  rejoiced  and  their  heart  overflowed  with  love. 
Again  and  again  they  paid  him  profound  homage,  while  a 
boundless  delight  filled  the  soul  of  Hanuman  also.  Rdma 
then  withdrew  to  the  private  palace  ;  but  every  day  there 
was  some  new  incident  of  the  same  character.  The  sage 
NArad  came  time  after  time  and  hymned  Rama's  holy  acts, 
every  day  finding  something  new  to  record.  He  then  went 
to  Brahma's  realm  and  there  ricited  the  whole  story.  The 
Creator  on  hearing  it  was  so  highly  pleased  that  he  urged 
him  to  repeat  it  again  and  again.  Sanat-Kumara  and  the 
others  marvelled  at  NArad;  and  the  saints,  though  absorbed 
in  the  contemplation  of  the  Supreme  Spirit,  forgot  their 
abstraction  on  hearing  his  hymn  of  praise.  The  highest 
powers  listened  reverently.  /     ^ 

Doha  43.     (M 

Though  exempted  from  mundane  existence  and  intent 
on  the  contemplation  of  the  Supreme,  they  interrupted 
their  meditations  in  order  to  hear  his  lay.  Triily  theirs  must 
be  a  heart  of  stone  who  take  no  delight  in  Ram  a's  history. 

Ghaupdi. 

One  day  by  Rima's  invitation  all  the  gurus  and  BrAh- 
mans  and  people  of  the  city  came  together,  and  when  the 
priests  and  nobles  had  taken  their  seat  in  the  assemly,  the 
Comforter  of  the  pious  made  them  this  speech  :  "  Hearken 
to  my  words,  all  ye  people  of  the  city :  I  speak  without  any 


THE   SEQUEL.  649 

selfish    motive   at   heart,    neither   wronging   another  nor 

aggrandizing    myself;   listen    and  act  as  may  seem  good  to 

you.  He  is  my  servant  and  he  my  best  beloved,  who  accepts 

my  commands.     If  I  say  anything  that  is  wrong,    brother, 

do  not  be  afraid  to  correct  me.     All  the  Scriptures  declare 

that    it    is    great    good    fortune    and    a    great    difficulty 

surmounted  to  be  born  with  the  body  of  a  man,  which  is  a 

store-house  of   opportunities,   a   gate  of  deliverance  ;  and 

those  who  have  received  it  and  still  attain  not  to  heaven. 

Doha   44.     ^ 

They,  I  say,  reap  torment  in  the  next  world    and    beat 

their   head    in    despair,   wrongly  attributing  the  blame  to 

time,  fate  and  God. 

Ghaupai. 

But  materialism,  brother,  is  not  the  proper  object  of  the 
human  body  ;  it  is  happiness  for  a  very  brief  period,  but 
ends  in  misery.  The  possessor  of  a  human  body  who  gives 
himself  up  to  materialism  is  like  a  fool  who  chooses  poison 
in  preference  to  ambrosia.  He  is  one  of  whom  none  can 
speak  well  ;  he  throws  away  the  philosopher's  stone  to  pick 
up  a  pepper-corn.  Such  a  creature  drifts  for  ever  among  "^ 
the  four  modes  of  birth  and  the  eighty-four  lakhs  of  living  ^ 
species,  perpetually  changing  at  the  will  of  May^  and  en- 
compassed by  Time,  Fate,  Nature  and  Phenomena.  At 
some  time  or  another  God  of  his  mercy,  and  without  any 
reason  for  the  favour,  gives  him  a  human  body,  a  raft  on 
w^hich  he  may  cross  the  ocean  of  existence,  with  my  grace 
as  a  fair  wind  to  speed  him  on  his  course  ;  with  pious 
teachers  at  the  helm  he  easily  procures  all  the  equipment 
of  a  stout  ship,  which  would  else  be  beyond  him. 
Doha  45. 

If  thus  equipt  he  fails  to  cross  the  sea,  he  is  an  ungrate-       / 
ful  wretch,  bent  on  his  own  destruction.  ^ 

Ghaupai^ 

Whoso  desires  happiness  in  this  world  and  the  next  will 
hearken  to  my  words  and  imprint  them  deeply  in  his  heart. 

R-85 


650  THE   SEQUEL. 

It  is  an  easy  and  a  pleasant  road,  brother,  that  of  my 
service,  at  the  Vedas  and  Purdnas  declare.  Knowledge  is 
difficult  and  beset  with  impediments  ;  its  appliances  are 
cumbrous  and  it  has  no  grasp  on  the  soul.  Though  a  man 
endures  endless  tortures,  without  faith  he  is  no  friend  of 
mine.  Faith  is  all-powerful  and  a  mine  of  every  blessing  ; 
but  men  cannot  attain  to  it  except  by  the  fellowship  of  the 
saints.  The  saints  are  not  won  except  by  meritorious 
deeds  ;  their  fellowship  is  the  end  of  mundane  existence. 
Now  there  is  no  other  meritorious  deed  in  the  whole  world 
but  this  one,  to  worship  Brahmans  in  thought,  word  and 
deed.  Seers  and  gods  are  all  in  his  favour  who  eschews 
guile  and  devotes  himself  to  the  Brdhmans. 

Doha  46. 

One  other  mysterious  dogma  I  with  clasped  hands  im- 
press upon  you  all ;  without  prayer  to  Siva  no  one  can 
attain  to  the  faith  that  I  require. 

Ghaupdi. 

Tell  me  what  are  the  difficulties  in  the  way  of  faith  ; 
neither  abstract  meditation  is  necessary,  nor  sacrifice, 
prayer,  penance  nor  fasting;  only  simplicity  of  character, 
a  mind  void  of  frowardness  and  absolute  content  whatever 
may  befall.  If  one  who  is  called  a  worshipper  of  mine 
trust  in  man,  tell  me  where  is  his  trust  in  me  ?  But  why 
protract  my  discourse  to  such  a  length  ?  these  are  the 
practices,  brother,  by  which  I  am  won  :  avoidance  of  enmity 
and  rancour,  of  hope  and  fear ;  a  constant  atmosphere  of 
perfect  repose  ;  passionless,  homeless  ;  without  pride  and 
without  sin;  placid,  provident  and  wise  ;  ever  devoted  to 
the  fellowship  of  the  saints  ;  lightly  esteeming  every  object 
of  sense  and  even  heaven  and  final  deliverance  from  the 
body  ;  persistent  in  faith,  innocent  of  wickedness,  a  stranger 
to  impious  scepticism.  (1^ 

Dohd  47.         I 

Devoted  to  my  name,  which  is  the  sum  of  all  my  per- 
fections ;  devoid  of  selfishness,  conceit  and  vain  imagination  ; 


THE   SEQUEL.  65 1 

such  a  man's  happiness,   be   assured,  is  the  very  sum  of 
transcendental  felicity." 

Ghaupdi. 

On  hearing  the  gracious  Rama's  ambrosial  speech,  they 
all  embraced  his  feet  :  "  Fountain  of  mercy,  you  are  our 
father,  our  mother,  our  spiritual  guide  and  our  brethren, 
and  are  dearer  than  our  life.  You,  0  Rima,  have  blessed 
us  in  body,  substance  and  house,  and  have  removed  all  the 
sorrows  of  your  suppliants.  No  one  but  you  could  teach  us 
this  lesson  ;  for  even  father  and  mother  are  self-interested. 
The  only  two  disinterested  friends  in  the  world  are  you 
yourself  and  your  servants,  0  conqueror  of  the  demons. 
Every  friend  in  the  world  has  his  own  object  in  view  :  no 
one.  Sire,  ever  dreams  of  the  highest  object."  When 
Raghundth  heard  them  all  speak  in  such  terms  of  devotion, 
he  was  rejoiced  at  heart  ;  and  they  on  receiving  his  per- 
mission returned  to  their  several  homes,  making  the  Lord 
the  glorious  theme  of  all  their  talk. 

DohdiS.      ^^ 

0  Um.'i,  every  man  and  woman  among   the   inhabitants 

of  Avadh   was   the   picture  of  satisfaction ;  the   supreme 

felicity  of  heaven  suffused  the  whole  city  when  Rdma  was 

king. 

Ghaupdi. 

One  day  saint  Vasishtha  came  to   visit  the  blessed  and 

glorious  R^ma.     The  prince  of  the  house  of  Raghu  received 

him  with  the  most  profund  respect  and  washed  his  feet  and 

drank  of  the   water.     "  Bearken,   R^ma,"  cried  the  sage, 

clasping   his  hands,  "  Ocean  of  mercy,   I  have  a  request   to 

make.     After  seeing  your  deeds,  a  boundless  bewilderment 

possesses  my  soul.    Your  immeasurable  greatness  is  beyond 

the  comprehension  of  the  Vedas,   how  then  can  I  tell  it  ? 

The  business  of  a  family-priest  is   very  contemptible;    the 

Vedas   and    Pur^nas    and  all  the  Scriptures    make  small 

account  of  it.     At  first  I  refused  it,  but  the  Creator  said  to 

me,  '  You  will  be  a  gainer  hereafter,  my  son.     Brahma,  the 


652  THE  SEQUEL. 

Supreme  Spirit,  will  be  born  in  human  form  as  a  king,  the 
glory  of  the  race  of  Raghu.' 

Dohd  49.     /  ^ 

Then  I  thought  to  myself,  I  shall  thus  attain   to   him 
who  is  the  object  of  all  contemplation,  penance,  charity  and 
sacrifice  ;  what  better  course  can  I  pursue  ? 
Chaupdi. 

Prayer,  penance,  pious  observances,  and  doing  one's 
duty  in  life  are  different  good  actions  based  on  the  Scrip- 
tures. But  knowledge,  mercy,  self-control,  bathing  at  holy 
places  and  all  the  religious  practices  inculcated  by  revela- 
tion, as  also  the  study  of  the  Vedas  and  sacred  traditions 
and  numerous  Purdnas  are  only  means  to  a  glorious  end, 
viz. J  a  constant  devotion  to  your  lotus  feet.  Can  dirt  be 
removed  by  cleansing  with  dirt  ?  is  ghi  to  be  obtained  by 
churning  water  ?  Except,  0  Raghu-rdi,  by  the  water  of 
faith  and  love,  the  interior  stain  can  never  be  effaced.  He 
is  all-wise,  he  the  philosopher,  the  scholar,  the  thoroughly 
accomplished,  the  irrefutable  doctor,  the  truly  judicious 
and  the  possessor  of  every  auspicious  attribute,  who  is 
devoted  to  your  lotus  feet. 

Dohd  50.  7  ^ 
My  lord,  I  would  ask  one  boon  ;   grant  it,  0   Rdma,  in 
your  clemency  :   in   all  my  future  births  may  my  love  for 
my  lord's  lotus  feet  never  diminish." 

Chaupdi. 
So  saying.  Saint  Vasishtha  returned  home  and  the  All- 
merciful  was  greatly  pleased  at  heart.  Then,  being  ever 
gracious  to  his  servants,  he  took  with  him  Hanumdn  and 
Bharat  and  his  other  brothers  and  in  his  benignity  went 
outside  the  city,  where  he  ordered  up  the  elephants,  chariots 
and  horses.  After  inspecting  them,  he  was  pleased  to 
praise  them  all  and  then  distributed  them,  giving  each 
person  the  one  that  he  wished.  The  Lord,  the  remover  of  all 
weariness,  was  himself  a  weary  and  repaired  to  a  cool  mango 


THE   SEQUEL.  653 

grove,  where  Bharat  spread  his  own  raiment  on  the  ground, 
and  there  the  Lord  took  his  seat,  with  all  his  brothers  in 
attendance,  while  the  Son  of  the  Wind  fanned  him.  At 
this  his  body  quivered  with  emotion  and  his  eyes  filled 
with  tears.  There  is  no  one  so  blessed  as  Hanuman,  nor 
any  so  devoted  to  Rdma's  feet,  whose  love  and  devotion, 
0  Umd,  have  again  and  again  been  told  by  the  Lord  with 
his  own  mouth. 

Doha  51.    7v^ 

At  that  time  came  the  Saint  Ndrad,  with  his  lute  in  his 
hand,  and  began  to  hymn  Rama's  glorious  renown,  that 
pregnant  theme. 

Ghaupdi. 

"  Look  upon  me,  0  lotus-eyed,  merciful  of  aspect, 
liberator  from  delusion ;  dark  of  hue  as  the  blue  lotus ; 
conqueror  of  love  ;  bee  of  the  perfumed  lotus  of  the  soul  ; 
Hari,  breaker  of  the  might  of  the  demon  host ;  delight  of 
the  saints  and  the  pious  ;  exterminator  of  sin  ;  beneficent  to 
Brdhmans  as  a  rain-cloud  to  the  new  crops  ;  help  of  the 
helpless  ;  befriender  of  the  humble  ;  by  the  might  of  whose 
arm  earth's  grievous  burden  has  been  broken  ;  ingenious 
destroyer  of  Khara  and  Ddshan  and  Viradh ;  Rdvan's 
antagonist  ;  incarnation  of  beauty  ;  noblest  of  kings.  Glory 
to  the  moon  of  the  lotus  house  of  Dasarath,  whose  glory  is 
renowned  in  the  Purdnas,  the  Vedas  and  all  the  Scriptures, 
and  sung  by  gods  and  patriarchs  and  all  the  company  of  the 
saints.  0  merciful  lord,  destroyer  of  falsehood  and  pride, 
infinitely  glorious,  glory  of  Kosala,  whose  name  corrects  all 
the  impurities  of  this  sinful  age  and  puts  an  end  to  the 
delusions  of  self,  have  mercy  upon  your  humble  adorer, 
even  me  Tulsi  Dds." 

Dohd  52.  1  /^ 

When  the  venerable  Ndrad  had  completed  his  loving 
recital  of  Rama's  praises,  he  clasped  the  Ocean  of  beauty  to 
bis  heart  and  withdrew  to  the  realm  of  Brahma, 


654  THE  SEQUEL. 

Ghaupdi. 
Hearken,  Um^,  to  this  glorious  legend,  the  whole  of 
which  I  have  now  told  to  the  best  of  my  ability  But 
Rflma's  acts  are  hundreds  of  millions  in  number  and  beyond 
all  reckoning  :  not  even  the  Vedas  or  Sdrada  could  recount 
them  all.  R^ma  is  infinite  and  his  virtues  are  infinite  ;  in- 
finite are  his  incarnations,  his  actions  and  his  names.  You 
may  count  the  drops  in  a  shower  of  rain  or  the  dust  on  the 
earth,  but  Rama's  doings  defy  enumeration.  This  holy  story 
ensures  translation  to  Hari's  own  sphere  ;  whoever  hears  it 
acquires  an  imperishable  devotion.  The  whole  of  the  delect- 
able history,  which  Bhusundi  repeated  to  the  king  of  the 
birds,  has  now,  Um^,  been  told  you.  I  have  mentioned  on- 
ly a  fraction  of  RAma's  virtues;  tell  me,  Bhav^ni,  what  I 
am  to  tell  you  next."  Umd  rejoiced  to  have  heard  the  glori- 
ous narrative  and  in  modest  and  gentle  accents  thus  re- 
plied :  "  Blessed,  yea  thrice  blessed  am  I,  PurAri,  to  have 
heard    the   virtues   of   R4ma,    that  put   an  end    to  all   the 

terrors  of  life.  cry    —       / 

Dohd  53.   /^  -y  b 

By  your   clemency,   0    most   clement,  I    have  attained 

my  desire  and  am  no  longer  in  doubt :  I  know   the  glory  of 

Rama,  that  he  is  the  Lord,   the  sum   of  all   knowledge   and 

joy.     Your  mouth,  Sire,  flows  like  the  moon  with  the  nectar 

of  Rdma's  praises  ;   my  soul  drinks  them  in    through  the 

pitchers  of  my  ears,  but    refuses  to  be  satisfied,  0    resolute 

of  purpose. 

Chaupdi. 

They  who  can  be  satiated  with  hearing  Rama's  deeds 
do  not  relish  their  peculiar  savotir.  The  great  sages,  who 
have  been  liberated  from  mundane  existence,  listen  for  ever 
to  R4ma's  virtues.  Whoever  desires  to  traverse  the  ocean 
of  life  finds  in  Rama's  history  a  sure  ship.  Even  the  world- 
ly accept  the  praises  of  Hari  as  pleasant  to  the  ear  and 
grateful  to  the  soul ;  for  is  there  any  one  in  the  world  with 
ears  to  hear  who  takes  no  pleasure  in  RAma's  history  :  they 


THE   SEQUEL.  655 

must  be  dull  of  soul  indeed  and  self-destroyers,  to  whom 
Rama'  history  gives  no  pleasure.  While  you  have  been 
reciting  your  Rama  lay,  I  have  listened,  my  lord,  with 
boundless  delight.  But  this  delectable  story  that  you  have 
repeated  was  declared  by  Kaka-bhusundi  to  Garur. 
Doha  54.  'Y 
Now  I  marvel  greatly  how  any  6ne  in  the  form  of  a 
crow  could  be  a  votary  of  Rama's,  and  possess  such  self-con- 
trol and  knowledge  and  wisdom  and  such  staunch  devotion 

to  his  feet. 

Chaiip^i. 

Hearken,  Purari  ;  among  a  thousand  men  there  may  be 
one  who  is  steadfast  in  the  practices  of  his  religion  ;  among 
a  million  religious  people  there 'may  be  one  who  loathes 
sensuality  and  delights  in  asceticism  ;  among  a  million  asce- 
tics—so the  Scriptures  declare— there  may  be  one  who 
attains  to  perfect  knowledge  ;  among  a  million  of  the  truly 
wise,  one  may  be  liberated  from  mundane  existence  ;  among 
a  thousand  of  these  it  is  difficult  to  find  the  perfect  bliss  of 
philosophic  absorption  into  the  Supreme  Spirit.  Bat  be- 
yond the  religious,  the  ascetic,  the  wise,  the  exempt  from 
transmigration  and  the  absorbed  in  the  divinity,  beyond  all 
these  persons,  0  king  of  the  g  >ds5^  there  is  one  yet  more 

Dohd55.~VS) 
difficult  to  find,  a  devoted  believer  in  Rama,  superior  to  all 
vanity  and  illusion  of  the  senses.  Tell  me,  lord  of  the 
universe,  how  a  crow  could  attain  to  such  faith.  ^  Tell  me, 
Sire,  if  he  were  devoted  to  R^ma,  enamoured  of  wisdom, 
full  of  all  good  qualities  and  resolute  of  purpose,  what  was 
the  reason  that  he  had  the  body  of  a  crow  ? 

Chanpdi. 

Be  pleased  to  inform  me  where  the  crow  learnt  this 
holy  and  delectable  history  of  the  lord's  doings.  Tell  me 
also,  0  conqueror  of  Love,  the  strange  mystery  of  how  you 
heard  it.  Garur  again  is  very  wise  and  accomplished  and 
one  of  Hari's  most  intimate  disciples,  what  was  his  reason 


656  THE  SEQUEL. 

for  leaving  a  company  of  saints  and  going  to  a  crow  to  hear 
this  story  ?  Describe  to  me  the  nature  of  the  interview 
between  these  two  servants  of  Hari,  the  crow  and  the 
serpeut-eater."  On  hearing  Gauri's  artless  and  charming 
speech  Siva  was  glad  and  made  reverent  reply  :  "  A  bless- 
ing, Sati  on  your  sanctifying  scheme  I  great  indeed  is  your 
devotion  to  RAma's  feet.  Hearken  then  to  the  all-holy 
story,  the  hearing  of  which  puts  an  end  to  every  sorrow 
and  delusion  ;  for  from  it  there  springs  up  an  implicit 
faith  in  Rama's  feet  and  without  any  difficulty  man  crosses 
the  abyss  of  existence. 

Doha  56.     /    / 

This  was  the  very  question  which  the  king  of  the  birds, 
went   and  put   to  the   crow,   as  I  will  reverently  explain  to 
you  in  full :  hearken,  Uma,  with  all  attention. 
Chaupdi. 

Beautiful  and  bright-eyed  deliverer  from  the  world, 
listen  to  the  account  of  how  and  I  heard  the  story.  You  first 
took  birth  in  the  house  of  Daksha  and  the  name  you  then 
bore  was  Sati.  At  Daksha's  sacrifice  you  were  slighted  and 
in  the  violence  of  your  indignation  yielded  up  your  life. 
My  servants  then  broke  up  the  sacrifice  ;  but  all  tliis  is  a 
story  that  you  know  already.  Afterwards  I  was  sorely 
troubled  at  lieart,  sorrowing  for  the  loss  of  you,  my  beloved, 
and  wandered  among  the  beautiful  woods,  and  hills  and 
rivers  and  lakes,  admiring  the  scene,  but  a  sworn  ascetic. 
Far  away  to  the  north  among  the  heights  of  Sumeru  is  a 
huge  and  magnificent  purple  peak  with  four  glittering 
pinnacles  of  gold,  so  lovely  that  my  soul  was  enraptured. 
On  each  stood  one  enormous  tree,  a  banyan,  a  pipal,  a 
pdkar  and  a  mango,  and  on  the  top  of  the  mountain  was  a 
glorious  lake,  with  jewelled  steps  which  it  was  a  delight  to 
behold : 

Dohd  57.    r^ 

Its  water  cool,  pure  and  sweet  ;  its  lotuses  abundant 
and  of  many   colours ;  while    flocks    of   swans    murmured 


THE   SEQUEL.  657 

their  melodious    notes    and    the   bees    made  a   delicious 
buzzing. 

Ghaupdi. 
On  this  fair  height  dwelt  a  crow,  outliving  even  the  end 
of  the  world.  All  the  virtues  and  vices  that  are  produced 
of  Mayd,  together  with  Delusion,  Love  and  the  others  errors 
of  judgment,  which  permeate  the  whole  world,  never  came 
near  this  mountain.  Hearken,  Uma,  with  tender  affection, 
while  I  tell  how  the  crow  passed  his  life  here  in  the  wor- 
ship of  Hari.  Under  the  pipal  tree  he  practised  meditation  ; 
under  the  pdkar,  prayer  and  sacrifice  ;  in  the  shade  of  the 
mango  he  mentally  performed  the  temple  ritual,  having  no 
other  occupation  whatever  save  the  worship  of  Hari  ;  and 
under  the  banyan  he  recited  the  story  of  Rdma's  adven- 
tures, which  countless  birds  flocked  to  hear.  With  loving 
reverence  he  sung  the  varying  cycle  of  Rama's  deeds,  in 
the  hearing  of  all  the  pure-souled  swans  that  ever  dwell 
in  that  lake.  When  I  arrived  there  and  saw  the  sight,  an 
intense  joy  sprang  up  in  my  heart. 

Dohd  58.  -f  / 
Assuming  for  a  time  the  form  of  a  swan,  I  took  up  my 
abode  there  and  after  reverently  listening  to  Rdma's  praises 
again  returned  to  Kail^s. 

Ghaupdi. 
I  have  thus  told  you,  Girijd,  the  full  account  of  the  cir- 
cumstances under  which  I  visited  the  crow.  Hearken  now 
to  the  explanation  of  the  reason  for  Garur's  going  to  see 
him.  When  Raghunath  exhibited  the  battle  phantasm, 
though  I  understood  his  action,  I  was  ashamed  that  he 
should  allow  himself  to  be  bound  by  Meghnad.  N^rad  the 
sage  then  despatched  Garur,  who  cut  his  bonds  and  came 
back,  the  serpent-eater,  but  a  grievous  dejection  possessed 
his  soul,  as  he  thought  over  the  Lord's  bonds  and  pondered 
the  matter  to  himself  :  "  The  omnipresent  and  passionless 
Supreme  Spirit,  the  lord  of  speech,  who  is  absolute  master 

R-se 


658  THE   SEQUEL. 

over  the  vanities  of  illusion,  has  I  hear  taken  birth  in  the 
world;  bat  I  see  no  signs  of  his  majesty. 

Dohd  59.      8  2- 
Can  this  be  Rdma,  by  the  repetition  of  whose  name  men 
escape  from  the    bonds  of    existence,  if  a  wretched    demon 
can  bind  him  in  snakey  coils?  " 

Chaupdi. 
Though  he  did  all  he  could  to  re-assure  himself,  his 
understanding  was  not  enlightened  ;  error  overshadowed 
his  soul.  Distracted  by  doubt  and  full  of  mental  question- 
ings, he  became  as  subject  to  delusion  as  you  yourself  were. 
In  his  perplexity  he  went  to  the  Rishi  of  the  gods  and  told 
him  the  difficulty  that  he  had  in  his  mind.  On  hearing  his 
tale,  N^rad  was  moved  with  a  great  compassion  :  "  Hearken, 
0  bird ;  Rdma's  delusive  power  is  very  strong.  When  he 
robs  the  wise  of  their  sense,  he  makes  their  infatuation 
superlative.  The  same  spectre  that  has  often  disturbed 
me  has  now,  0  king  of  the  birds,  affected  you.  The  mighty 
error  that  has  taken  root  in  your  soul  will  not  be  readily 
removed  by  any  words  of  mine.  You  must  go  to  Brdhma, 
and  do  whatever  he  enjoins  you." 

Dohd  60.     S"  J 
So  saying  the  teacher  of  the  gods  went  his  way  chant- 
ing Rima's  praises,  again  and  again  in  his  infinite  wisdom 
insisting  on  the  might  of  Rdma's  delusive  power. 

Chawpdi. 
The  king  of  the  birds  then  went  to  the  Creator  and 
told  him  his  difficulty.  On  hearing  his  story,  Brahma 
bowed  the  head  to  R^ma  and,  as  he  thought  on  his  ma- 
jesty, his  heart  was  filled  with  love,  and  he  thus  mused 
within  himself  :  "  Poets  and  the  wisest  of  philosophers  are 
subjects  to  delusion.  The  might  of  Hari's  deceptive 
power  is  unbounded ;  many  a  time  has  it  made  me  its 
puppet,  though  all  things  animate  and  inanimate  are  of 
my  creation,  no  wonder  then  that  it  has  beguiled  the  king 


i 


THE   SEQUEL.  65d 

of  the  birds."  Then  said  Brahma  in  gracious  accents : 
"  Siva  understands  Rdma's  power.  Go  to  him,  0  son  of 
Vinata,  and  ask  no  questions  of  any  other.  There  you  will 
find  the  solution  of  your  doubts."  On  hearing  Brahma's 
advice,  the  bird  went  his  way. 

DohdQl.   P^ 

Then  came  the  king  of  the  birds  in  the  utmost  distress 
to  me.  At  that  time,  Umd,  I  was  on  my  way  to  the  palace 
of  Kuver,  and  had  left  you  at  Kailds. 

Ghaupdi. 

He  reverently  bowed  his  head  at  my  feet  and  then  told 
me  his  difficulty.  On  hearing  his  humble  petition,  1  loving- 
ly responded,  Bhavdni  :  "  You  have  met  me,  Garur,  on  the 
road  ;  how  can  I  instruct  you  ?  Your  doubts  will  not  be 
settled  till  you  have  been  for  a  long  time  in  the  company  of 
the  saints.  There  you  must  listen  to  the  delightful  story  of 
RAma,  as  sung  in  diverse  manners  by  the  seers,  in  which 
the  beginning,  middle,  and  end  is  the  adorable  lord,  the 
great  God  R^ma.  I  will  send  you,  brother  to  a  place  where 
the  story  of  Rdma  is  told  without  ceasing ;  go  there  and 
listen.  As  you  hear  it,  all  your  doubts  will  vanish  ;  you 
will  have  a  vehement  affection  for  R^oia's  feet. 

Dohd  62.  4 '  r 

Except  in  the  company  of  saints  there  is  no  talk  about  1 
Rama  ;  without  that  there  is   no  overcoming  delusion  ;  till 
delusion  is  dispersed,  there  is  no  firm  affection  for  Rdma's 
feet. 

Ghaupdi.  ■      - 

Without  affection  there  is  no  finding  Rd,ma,  though 
you  have  recourse  to  meditation,  prayer,  sacrifice,  and  asce- 
ticism. In  the  region  of  the  north  is  a  beautiful  purple 
mountain,  where  lives  the  amiable  Kaka-bhusundi,  su- 
premely skilled  in  the  method  of  Rdma's  worship,  wise  and 
full  of  all  good  qualities  and  very  aged.  He  unceasingly 
recites   Rama's   history  and  all   the   noblest  of   the  birds 


660  tHE   SEQUEL. 

reverently  listen.  Go  there  and  hear  all  Rdma's  excellen- 
ces ;  your  distress  born  of  delusion  will  then  be  removed." 
After  I  had  given  him  full  instructions,  he  bowed  his  head 
at  my  feet  and  set  out  with  joy.  I  did  not  myself  instruct 
him,  Uma,  for  I  understood  the  mystery  of  Rdma's  grace. 
Perhaps  he  had  shown  pride  on  some  occasion  and  the  All- 
merciful  wished  that  he  should  cure  himself  of  this  defect. 
There  was  also  another  reason  why  I  did  not  detain  him  ; 
being  a  bird  he  understood  bird  language.  The  Lord's 
delusive  power,  Bhav^ni,  is  great  ;  who  is  so  wise  as  not  to 

be  fascinated  by  it  ?  ^ 

Dohd  63.      76^  i7 

Even  the  vehicle  of  the  lord  of  the  three  spheres,  the 
very  crown  of  philosophers  and  saints,  was  overcome  by  its 
deceptive  influence  ;  wretched  man  may  well  have  his 
doubts.  It  fascinates  Siva  and  Brdhma  ;  why  speak  of 
other  poor  creatures  ?  The  saints  know  this  at  heart,  when 
they  worship  the  great  God,  Maya's  master. 

Chawpdi. 

Garur  went  to  Bhusundi's  abode,  that  sturdy- hearted 
and  indefatigable  votary  of  Hari's.  At  the  sight  of  the  rock 
his  heart  rejoiced  ;  the  trouble  caused  him  by  Mayd's 
wiles  all  passed  away.  After  bathing  in  the  lake  and  drink- 
ing of  the  water,  he  went  under  the  banyan  tree  with  exult- 
ing soul.  There  assembled  flocks  upon  flocks  of  birds  to 
hear  of  Rama's  glorious  doings.  He  was  just  on  the  point 
of  beginning  to  recite,  when  the  king  of  the  birds  arrived. 
All  were  glad  to  see  him  approach,  the  crow  no  less  than 
the  rest  of  the  assembly.  They  received  him  with  the  utmost 
politeness  and  asked  of  his  welfare  and  conducted  him  to 
a  seat.  Then  the  crow,  after  doing  him  loving  homage, 
addressed  him  in  these  winning  words  : 

Do/i^64.       ^-   ir^ 

"  Now  am  I  content,  0  king  of  the  birds,  in  that  I  have 
see  you  ;  whatever  you  may  order  me,  I  am  ready  to  do  : 
what  is  the  object  of   your   visit,  my   lord  ?"     *'  You  have 


THE  SEQUEL.  661 

ever  been  the  image  of  content,"  replied  Garur  in  gracious 
phrase,  "  seeing  that  Siva  with  his  own  mouth  is  ever 
reverently  singing  your  praises. 

Ghaupdi. 
Hearken,  father  ;  the  object  for  which  I  came  was  at- 
tained as  soon  as  I  saw  you.  Directly  I  beheld  your  most 
holy  hermitage,  my  delusion  was  at  an  end  with  all  my 
distracting  doubts.  Now,  father,  repeat  to  me  with  all  solem- 
nity the  most  sanctifying  story  of  Rdma,  which  is  ever 
delightful  and  a  remedy  for  every  ill :  this,  my  lord,  is  what 
I  urgently  beg  of  you."  On  hearing  Garur's  prayer,  so  hum- 
ble, sincere  and  affectionate,  so  graceful  and  pious,  a  su- 
preme.joy  was  diffused  over  his  soul  and  he  began  the  recital 
of  Raghupati's  glory.  First,  Bhavani,  he  expounded  with 
fervent  devotion  the  motive  of  Rama's  acts.  Then  he  told 
of  Narad's  extraordinary  delusion  and  of  R^van's  incarna- 
tion. After  this  he  sang  the  story  of  the  Lord's  birth  and 
then  carefully  recounted  his  doings  as  a  child. 

Dohci  65.      '*v> 

After  telling  all  the  details  of  his  childish  performances 
with  the  utmost  rapture  of  soul,  he  next  told  of  the  Rishi's 
coming  and  of  Raghu-bir's  "  marriage. 
Chaupdi. 

Then  came  the  narrative  of  Rdma's  coronation,  of  the 
king's  vow  and  abdication  of  royal  state,  the  sorrow  of  the 
citizens  at  parting,  the  colloquy  between  R^ma  and  Laksh- 
man,  the  journey  to  the  forest,  the  devotion  of  the  boat- 
man, the  passage  of  the  Ganges  and  the  stay  at  PrayAg. 
He  described  also  the  Lord's  meeting  with  Vdlmiki  and 
how  the  god  dwelt  at  Chitra-kdt,  the  coming  of  the  Minis- 
ter, the  death  of  the  king  in  the  city,  the  arrival  of  Bharat 
and  the  greatness  of  his  affection,  how  after  performing  the 
king's  obsequies  both  Bharat  himself  and  the  citizens  had 
gone  to  join  the  Lord  blessed  for  ever,  and  how  after  he  had 
said  all  he  could  to  console   them   Bharat   took    his  sandal 


662  TtiE  SEQUEL. 

back  with  him   to   Avadh.     Next  he  related  Bharat's  mode 
of  life,  the  action  of  the  son  of  Indra  and  the  Lord's   inter- 
view with  Atri.  v\  . 
Dohdm.    7^ 

Then  he  told  of  Vir^dh's  death,  of  how  Sarabhanga 
dropped  his  body,  of  Sutikshna's  devotion  and  the  Lord's 
pious  intercourse  with  Agastya. 

Ghaupdi. 

He  told  him  also  of  the  purification  of  the  Dandaka 
forest,  of  the  friendliness  of  the  vulture,  of  the  Lord's  stay 
in  the  woods  of  Panchavati,  and  how  he  put  an  end  to  the 
fears  of  all  the  saints.  Then  came  the  incomparable  exhor- 
tation to  Lakshman  and  the  story:.of  Surpa-nakhAs  mutila- 
tion. After  this  he  narrated  to  him  the  death  of  Khara 
and  Diishan,  and  how  Rdvan  penetrated  the  myster  and  all 
the  particulars  of  his  talk  with  Marfcha.  Then  he  de- 
scribed the  rape  of  the  fictitious  Sita  and  gave  an  idea  of 
Rdma's  bereavement.  After  this  he  told  how  the  Lord 
performed  the  vulture's  funeral  rites  and  slew  Kabandh 
and  gave  salvation  to  Sabari.  He  told  also  of  Raghu-b'r's 
mourning  and  how  he  went  to  the  shore  of  the  lake. 
Dohd  67.  -^  I.  ■    /^  .: 

Of  his  interview  with  N6rad,    his  meeting  with  Hanu- 

mdn,  his  alliance  with  Sugriva  and  his    taking    Bali's  life; 

of  his  making  the  monkey  king  and    taking    up    his  abode 

on  the  rock  during  the  rains.     He  described  also  the  rains 

and  the  autumn  and  Rama's  indignation  and  the  monkey's 

alarm. 

Ghaupdi. 

How   the    monkey   king   sent  out  monkeys,  who  ran  in 

every  direction  search  for  Sita  ;  how  they   entered    tlu*  cave 

and  found  Samp;iti  ;  how  Hanum^n,  when  he  had  heard  all 

the  circumstances,  jumped  over   the  mighty  ocean  ;  how  he 

made  his  way    into  Lank6   and  bade  Sita  be  of  good  cheer  : 

how  he  laid  waste  the  garden,    and  lectured  R^van  and  set 

fire  to  the  city  and  leaped    over  the  sea   again.     How    the 


THE   SEQUEL.  663 

monkeys  all  rejoined  Rdma  and  told  him  of  Sita's  welfare ; 
how  Raghu-bir  with  his  army  went  and  encamped  on  the 
sea-shore  ;  how  Vibhishan  came  to  meet  him,  and  how  the 
sea  was  put  in  check  ; 

Doha  68.    fn^  -fs^ 

How  the  bridge  was  built  and  the  monkey  host  crossed 
over  to  the  opposite  side,  and  how  the  valiant  son  of  B^li 
went  as  an  envoy.  He  described  the  various  battes  between 
the  demons  and  the  monkeys,  the  might  and  valour  of 
Kumbha-karn  and  Meghndid  and  their  destruction; 

Ghaupdi. 
The  different  deaths  of  all  the  demons,  the  fight  between 
B^ma  and  Ravan,  the  death  of  Riivan,  the  mourning  of 
Mandodari,  the  enthronement  of  Vibhishan  and  the  satis- 
faction of  the  gods  ;  the  meeting  also  of  Rama  and  Sfta  and 
how  the  gods  with  clasped  hands  hymned  their  praises  ; 
how  the  all-merciful  Lord  with  the  monkeys  mounted  the 
car  Pushpaka  and  set  out  for  Avadh ;  and  how  Rama 
arrived  at  his  own  city  ;  all  these  glorious  doings  were 
sung  by  the  crow.  Then  he  told  of  Rdma's  coronation  and 
described  the  city  and  all  its  kingly  polity.  The  entire 
history  did  Bhusundi  tell,  as  I  have  told  it  to  you,  Bhavdni. 
When  the  king  of  the  birds  had  heard  it  all,  his  soul  was 
in  raptures  and  he  cried  : 

Sorathd  5.  ^  C  ^  f  '^ 
"  My  doubts  are  gone,  now  that  I  have  heard  Rama's 
full  history.  By  your  favour,  0  best  of  crowds,  I  feel  a 
devotion  to  Rdma's  feet.  A  mighty  bewilderment  possess- 
ed me  when  I  saw  the  Lord  bound  in  the  battle  :  if  Rama 
be  the  sura  of  all  knowledge  and  bliss,  what  can  embarrass 
him? 

Ghaupdi . 
Seeing  all  his  ways  so  entirely  consistent  with  humanity, 
a  very  grievous  doubt  arose  in  my  soul.     But  now  I  under- 
stand that  my  error  was  a  favour   which  the   All-merciful 


664  THE   SEQUEL. 

was  pleased  to  bestow  upon  me.  To  appreciate  the  bless- 
ing of  a  shady  tree,  one  must  first  have  suffered  from  the 
sun.  If  this  delusion  had  not  befallen  me,  how  should  I 
have  met  you,  father,  and  how  should  I  have  heard  the 
delightful  story  of  Rdma  which  you  have  told  me  so  fully 
in  all  its  details  ?  This  is  the  doctrine  of  the  Purdnas  and 
all  the  Scriptures,  the  unhesitating  assertion  of  all  the  seers 
and  sages,  that  the  company  of  good  and  holy  men  can  only 
be  attained  by  one  on  whom  RAma  has  looked  with  an  eye 
of  favour.  By  Raima's  favour  I  have  had  sight  of  you,  and  , 
by  your  grace  all  my  doubts  are  gone." 

Doftrf69.  ?^-fj 
On  hearing  Garur's  modest  and  affectionate  speech,  the 
crow  was  greatly  rejoiced  at  heart ;  every  hair  on  his  body 
stood  erect  and  his  eyes  streamed  with  tears.  0  Uma, 
when  a  good  man  finds  an^  intelligent  and  well-disposed 
listener,  who  is  pious  and  fond  of  religious  reading  and  a 
worshipper  of  Hari,  he  reveals  to  him  hidden  mysteries. 

Ghawpdi. 
Then  answered  K^ka-bhusundi,  who  had  no  slight 
affection  for  the  king  of  the  birds  :  '*  My  lord,  you  are  in 
every  way  entitled  to  my  respect,  as  a  vessel  of  Hari's  grace. 
You  had  no  doubts,  infatuation,  or  delusion;  it  was  only  a 
pretext,  Sire,  for  doing  me  a  kindness.  By  sending  you. 
Garur,  as  a  victim  of  delusion,  Raghu-pati  has  conferred 
an  honour  upon  me.  Yet  there  is  nothing  wonderful,  Sir, 
in  that  delusion  of  yours  of  which  you  tell  me ;  for  Nirad, 
Siva,  BrAhma,  Sanat-Kum^ra  and  his  brethren,  with  all  the 
great  saints  who  discourse  of  the  soul,  is  there  one  of  them 
whom  delusion  has  not  blinded,  or  whom  Love  has  not 
made  a  puppet  of,  whom  Desire  has  not  maddened,  or 
whose  heart  choler  has  not  inflamed  ? 

J)oU  70.       \  ¥>    '   ^   "^ 
Is  there  any  philosopher,  ascetic,  or   hero  in  the  world, 
or  any  learned  and  accomplished  bard,  whom  Greed  has  not 


THE   SEQUEL.  665 

beguiled ;  whom  the  pride  of  wealth  has  not  rendered 
wanton ;  whom  power  has  not  made  deaf ;  or  whom  the 
glance  of  beauty  has  not  smitten  as  an  arrow  ? 

Ghaupdi. 

Is  there  any  whom  success  has  not  paralyzed  ;  who  has 
effectually  discarded  vanity  and  pride  ;  whom  the  fever  of 
youth  has  not  overcome  ;  whose  glory  has  not  been  ruined  3 
by  self-conceit ;  whom  envy  has  not  besmirched  ;  whom  the 
blast  of  sorrow  has  not  shaken  ;  whom  the  serpent  of  care 
has  not  bitten;  or  whom  delusion  has  not  affected  ?  Is 
there  any  so  well  seasoned  of  frame  that  he  has  not  been 
attacked  by  desire,  as  a  plank  by  the  weevil  ?  The  desire 
of  family,  of  wealth  and  of  renown  is  a  threefold  tempta- 
tion ;  whose  soul  has  it  not  sullied?  These  all  are  Mayd's 
suite;  who  can  describe  in  full  her  illimitable  might  ? 
Since  Siva  and  Brahma  stand  in  awe  of  her,  why  speak  of 
other  creatures  ? 

Doha  71.        '  ■  ^  '^^ 

Mayd's  formidable  army  is  spread  over  the  whole  world  ; 
Love  and  the  other  Passions  are  her  generals;  Fraud,  De- 
ceit and  Heresy  her  champions.  Being  the  servant  of 
Raghu-bir,  though  known  to  be  a  delusion,  she  can  only 
be  dispersed  by  his  favour ;  this,  my  lord,  I  assert  with  the 
utmost  confidence. 

Chaupdi. 

This  Mayd,  that  sets  the  whole  world  a-dancing  and 
whose  actions  no  one  can  understand,  is  herself  set  dancing 
with  all  her  troupe,  like  an  actress  on  the  stage,  0  king  of 
the  birds,  by  the  play  of  the  Lord's  eye-brows.  For  R^ma  is 
the  totality  of  existence,  knowledge  and  bliss,!  the  uncreat- 
ed   the   all-wise  the    home   of   beauty   and  strength  ;   the 

I  For  Gka7i  Rama  some  books  read  (^han-Sydma,  which,  however, 
would  seem  to  be  only  an  evasion  of  the  difficulty.  Qhan  by  itself,  mean- 
ing literally  '  solid,  material,  substantial,'  might  be  intended  to  denote  the 
visible  world  of  phenomena,  which  is  the  con  verse  of  the  ideal  world  indi- 
cated by  the  term  sachchiddnand.  But  it  is  simpler  to  take  saehchiddnand- 
(jlian  as  one  compound  and  translate  as  in  the  text. 

R-87 


G66  THE  SEQUEL, 

permeator  and  the  permeated  ;i  the  indivisible,  the  eternal; 
the  insoluble,  the  unerring  ;  the  primal  energy,  the  God- 
head ;  of  whom  no  qualities  can  be  predicated  and  no 
deceit  ;  beyond  the  range  of  speech  or  perception  ;  all- 
seeing,2  irreproachable,  unconquered  ;  without  personal 
interests,  without  form,  without  illusion :  deathless,  pas- 
sionless, blessed  for  ever  ;  trascending  nature  :  the  Lord 
that  indwelleth^/i  evey  heart ;  the  Supreme  Spirit,  effort- 
less, passionless,  imperishable  ;  in  him  delusion  finds  no 
sphere  ;  does  darkness  ever  attack  the  sun  ? 

Doha  72.  ^.-x/  .  /  er-f  -^ 
For  the  sake  of  his  faithful  people,  the  very  God,  our 
lord  Rama,  has  become  incarnate  as  a  king  and  for  our  su- 
preme sanctification  has  lived  as  it  were  the  life  of  any  ordi- 
nary man.  As  an  actor  in  the  course  of  his  performance  as- 
sumes a  variety  of  dresses  and  exhibits  different  characters, 
but  himself  remains  the  same  ; 

Ghaupdi. 
Such,  Garur,  is  Rama's  divertissement,  a  bewil- 
derment to  the  demons,  but  a  delight  to  the  faithful.  Sen- 
sual libertines  in  their  dulness  of  soul  impute  the  delusion 
to  the  Lord,  like  as  when,  Sir,  a  man  whose  eyesight  is  in 
fault  says  that  the  moon  is  of  a  yellow  colour  ;  or  when  mis- 
taken as  to  the  points  of  the  compass,  affirms  that  the  sun 
has  risen  in  the  west  ;  or  as  one  on  boardship,  who  deludes 
himself  with  the  idea  that  he  is  standing  still  and  that  the 
land  is  moving.     When  children  in   play  turn   round  and 

1  The  words  in  the  text  are  vydpaka,  vijdpaya,  which  are  technical  terms 
in  the  Nydya  philosophy,  meaning  '  the  pervader,'  or  '  invariably  pervading 
attribute  'and  'invariably  pervaded.'  They  are  employed  in  making  a 
universal  affirmation,  or  in  affirming  universal  distribution  ;  as,  for  example. 
'Wherever  there  is  smoke,  there  is  fire  ;'  '  Wherever  there  is  humanity,  there  is 
mortality.'  In  such  cases  an  Indian  logician  always  expresses  himself  by  say- 
ing that  there  is  an  invariably  pervading  concomitance  of  fire  with  smoke 
and  of  mortality  with  humanity  ;  thus  fire  and  mortality  would  be  called  the 
pervatlers,  ryajuikas  ;  smoke  and  humanity  the  pervaded,  vycipya  See  Monier 
Williams'  Indian  Wisdom.  As  employed  by  Tulsi  D^s,  the  words  might  be 
adequately  rendered  by  '  cause  and  effect,'  '  subject  and  predicate,'  or  by 
any  other  similar  phrase  which  would  be  equally  inclusive. 

2  For  sab-darsi,  aW-sccing,'  another  reading  is  *a7M^ar.?/, 'seeing  alike,' 
i.e.,  '  impartial.' 


THE   SEQUEL.  667 

round,  the  house,  or  whatever  else  it  may  be,  does  not  turn 
round,  it  is  only  their  idle  fashion  of  talking.  In  this  way 
only,  0  Garur,  can  error  be  ascribed  to  Hari  ;  never  even 
in  a  dream  is  he  really  subject  to  delusion.  The  wretched 
dullards,  who  succumb  to  Mdyd,  have  a  thick  veil  over  their 
soul,  and  these  are  the  obstinate  fools  who  raise  doubts  and 
lay  their  own  ignorance  on  R^raa.  v      ,     -o 

How  can  these  clowns  understand  Raghu-pati,  addic- 
ted as  they  are  to  lust,  choler,  pride  and  greed,  absorbed  in 
domestic  affairs,  pictures  of  m  isery,  at  the  bottom  of  a  well 
of  darkness  ?  The  unembodied  phase  of  the  Godhead  is 
easy  to  understand,  but  who  can  comprehend  its  incarna- 
tion ?  the  soul  of  a  saint  is  bewildered  on  hearing  of  all 
his  actions,  both  natural  and  supernatural. 
Chaupdi. 

Hearken,  Garur,  I  will  tell  you  to  the  best  of  my  abi- 
lity an  agreeable  story,  in  illustration  of  Rdma's  power;  de- 
claring to  you  in  full  all  the  particulars  of  a  delusion  which 
befell  myself.  You,  Sire,  are  a  vessel  of  Rama's  grace  and 
cherish  a  special  affection  for  Hari's  actions,  and  are  more- 
over my  greatest  benefactor  ;  I  will  therefore  conceal 
nothing  from  you  in  this  exposition  of  a  great  and  excellent 
mystery.  Hearken  ;  Rama's  natural  disposition  is  such 
that  he  never  tolerates  pride  in  his  servants.  Pride  has  its 
root  in  worldliness  and  is  the  cause  of  many  pains  and 
every  kind  of  vexation.  Therefore  the  All-merciful  does 
away  with  it,  in  the  greatness  of  his  affection  for  his  ser- 
vants :  in  the  same  way,  Sire,  as  when  a  child  has  a  b.oil 
on  its  body,  its  mother  with  seeming  cruelty  cuts  it  open. 

Bohd  74. 

At  first   the  poor  child  cries   with  the   pain,  but  the 

mother  pays  no  attention  to  it,  her  object  being  to  cure  the 
disease.  In  like  manner  Raghupati  cures  his  servants  of 
pride,  doing  it  all  for  their  good.  Ah,  Tulsi  D^s,  who 
would  not  forswear  error  and  worship  such  a  lord  as  this  ? 


668  THE   SEQUEL. 

Chaupdi. 

I  will  now   tell   you   the  story,  Garur,  of  Rdma's  grace 

and   my    own    stupidity  ;   listen    attentively.      Whenever 

Rama  assumes    human  form    and    goes    through  his  series 

of  mimic  actions  in  the   behoof   of  his   votaries,    I   always 

betake  myself  to  Avadh  and   delight   to    watch   his  boyish 

doings.     I  go  and   attend   the   rejoicings  at  his  birth    and 

am  glad  to  stay  for   five   years.     The   child    Rama   is   my 

patron  divinity,  beautiful  in  form  as  a  myriad  Loves    Ever 

gazing   on  the  face   of   my  own  lord,  0  Garur,  I  give  my 

eyes  a  treat  indeed,  and   being  in    the    trivial  shape    of    a 

crow  I    keep   close    to  Hari   and   observe  all  his  child  like 

sports.  .  ^  ^;  r 

Dohd  75.      ^^  ^ 
Whenever   he   rambles  in  play,  I  flutter  about  close  at 

hand,  and  for  my  food  I  pick  up  the  crumbs  in  the  court- 
yard that  fall  from  his  table  One  day  Raghu-bfr  played  a 
very  quaint  frolic.  At  the  remembrance  of  his  lord's  play- 
fulness, every  hair  on  his  body  stood  erect  with  rapture. 

Ghawpdi. 
Bhusundi  continued  :  "  Hearken,  king  of  the  birds,  to 
my  story  of  Rama's  actions,  which  are  ever  the  delight  of 
his  servants.  The  king's  palace  was  exquisitely  beautiful ; 
of  gold  studded  with  precious  stones  of  every  kind.  The 
pleasantness  of  the  court-yard,  where  the  four  brothers 
were  always  playing,  surpasses  description.  Here  R6ma 
roamed  about,  to  the  delight  of  his  mother,  diverting  him- 
self with  childish  amusements  ;  his  tender  frame  dark  of 
hue  as  a  sapphire,  with  the  beauty  of  unnumbered  Loves  in 
every  limb  ;  his  soft  rosy  feet  like  lotus  buds,  with  lust- 
rous nails  that  outshone  the  brightness  of  the  moon,  deco- 
rated with  the  four-fold  stamp  of  the  thunderbolt,  the 
lotus,  the  elephant-goad  and  the  flag,  and  circled  with 
pretty  bangles  that  made  sweet  music.  Melodious,  too,  the 
pretty  belt  about  his  waist  fashioned  of  gold  and  bossed 
with  jewels. 


THE    SEQUEL. 

DohdlQ.      //^^ 
With  a   belly    creased   in    the    three   lines  of  beauty,  a 
navel  shapely  and  deep,  and   a  broad  chest    gleaming  with 
all  the  ornaments  that  befit  a  child's  attire  ; 

Chaupdi. 

With  roseate  hands  and  lovely  nails  ;  with  long  and 
richly  raceleted  arms  and  the  shoulders  of  a  young  lion  ; 
with  dimpled  neck  and  rounded  chin  and  face  the  perfec- 
tion of  beauty  ;  with  lisping  speech  and  ruddy  lips  and 
two  dear  little  pearly  teeth  above  and  below  ;  with  chubby 
cheeks  and  a  darling  nose  and  a  smile  as  winsome  as  that 
of  the  moon;  with  lotus  eyes  that  loose  earth's  ties  and 
forehead  gleaming  with  the  mark  of  yellow  pigment  ;  with 
arched  eye- brows  and  pretty  ears  ;  with  curly  hair  black 
and  beautiful  ;  with  a  thin  yellow  jacket  to  set  off  his 
body,  he  fascinated  me  with  his  merry  glance,  as  he 
sported  in  all  his  loveliness  in  the  king's  courts,  dancing 
at  the  sight  of  his  own  shadow,  and  having  all  sorts  of 
antics  with  me,  which  1  blush  to  tell.  When  he  laughing- 
ly ran  to  catch  me,  I  flew  away  ;  then  he  showed  me  a 
piece  of  cake.  ,    ,      y ,  •, 

Doft.77.    ^^^'^'-^ 

I  came  near  and  the  Lord  laughed.  I  flew  away  again 
and  he  fell  a-crying.  I  approached  to  lay  hold  of  his  feet, 
and  he  ran  off,  again  and  again  turning  round  to  look  at 
me.  Seeing  him  play  like  an  ordinary  child,  I  was  over- 
come by  bewilderment.  Can  these  be  the  actions  of  the 
Lord  who  is  the  totality  of  intelligence  and  bliss? 
Chaupdi. 

This  was  what  came  into  my  mind,  Garur,  for  R^ma  had 
sent  forth  his  delusive  power  to  entangle  me.  But  this  delu- 
sion was  in  no  way  harmful  to  me.  I  was  not  so  affected 
by  it  as  other  creatures.  A  special  cause,  my  lord,  was 
here  at  work,  which  I  wish  you,  Garur,  to  observe  atten- 
tively. Ptdma  alone  is  absolute  intelligence  ;  every  creature, 


670  THE   SEQUEL. 

animate,  or  inanimate,  is  subject  to  Mayd..  If  all  had  the 
same  perfect  intelligence,  tell  me  what  would  be  the 
difference  between  God  and  his  creature  ?  The  creature  in 
his  pride  is  subjected  to  Mayi.  Mayd  with  all  its  phenomena 
is  subject  to  God.  The  creature  is  dependent  on  others, 
the  Deity  is  self-dependent;  the  creature  is  manifold,  Rdma 
is  one.  Though  the  distinctions  made  by  May^  are  false, 
without  Hari's  help  they  cannot  be  dispersed,  whatever  you 
may  do.  / 

DoM78.  "^'^'^ 
The  wisest  of  men,  who  hopes  for  salvation  without 
prayer  to  Rama,  is  like  a  beast  without  tail  and  horns. 
Though  sixteen  full  moons  were  to  rise  and  all  the  starry 
host  and  the  forests  on  every  mountain  were  set  on  fire, 
night  would  not  yield  except  to  the  sun. 

Chawgdi. 

In  like  manner,  Garur,  without  prayer  to  Hari,  the 
troubles  incident  to  existence  cannot  be  dispersed.  Igno- 
rance has  no  power  over  a  servant  of  Hari's  ;  knowledge 
emanating  from  the  Lord  pervades  his  whole  being.  There- 
fore, 0  best  of  birds,  there  is  no  destruction  for  a  believer  : 
his  faith  as  of  a  servant  in  his  master  is  ever  growing. 
RAma  smiled  to  see  me  reel  in  error,  and  hear  what  a 
strange  course  he  adopted.  The  secret  of  this  diversion 
neither  his  brother  nor  his  father  or  mother  ever  knew.  As 
he  crawled  on  his  hands  and  knees  in  a  hurry  to  catch  me — 
with  his  body  so  dark  of  hue  and  his  rosy  hands  and  feet — 
I  took  to  flight,  Garur,  and  he  stretched  out  his  arms  to  lay 
hold  of  me.  High  as  I  flew  into  the  air,  I  still  saw  his 
arms  as  close  to  me  as  ever.  .a 

DoU  79.         ^" 

I  mounted  even  to  Brahma's  sphere,  but  when  I  looked 

back  in   my   flight,    two    fingers'  breadth,  Sir,  was  all  the 

distance  between  me  and  Runa's  arms.     I  cleft    the  seven 

folds  of  the  universe  and   mounted  to  the  utmost  height 


THE   SEQUEL.  671 

that  1  could  reach,  but  still  I  saw   the  Lord's   arms  ;  then 

was  I  dumbfounded. 

Ghaupdi. 

In  my  terror  I  closed  my  eyes,  and  when  I  .opened 
them  again  I  found  myself  at  Ayodhya.  Rdma  looked  at 
me  with  a  smile,  and  as  he  laughed  I  jumped  down  his 
throat.  In  his  belly  (hearken,  king  of  the  birds)  I  saw 
multitudinous  universes,  with  many  strange  worlds,  each 
more  wonderful  than  the  other  ;  with  myriads  of  Br^hmas 
and  Sivas  ;  stars  and  suns  and  moons  innumerable  ; 
innumerable  Lokpals  and  images  of  Death  and  Times  ; 
innumerable  mountains  and  vast  plains  of  earth  ;  seas, 
lakes,  rivers  and  forests  without  end,  and  all  the  complex 
machinery  of  creation ;  with  gods,  sages,  saints,  serpents 
and  kinnars  and  the  four  classes  of  living  things,  both 
moving  and  motionless. 

DohdSO.        f^^-    '^^^^' 

Such  as  eye  has  not  seen,  nor  ear  heard,  nor  has 
entered  into  man's  mind  to  conceive,  were  all  the  marvels 
that  I  saw  ;  how  is  it  possible  to  describe  them  ?  In  each 
universe  I  stayed  a  hundred  years  and  in  this  manner 
made  the  round  of  all  the  multitudinous  globes. i 

Ghaupdi. 

Each  world  had  its  own  separate  Creator,  its  own  Vish- 
nu, Siva,  and  Manu  and  its  own  Regents  of  the  spheres  ; 
with  men,  Gandharvas,  imps  and  evils  spirits,  kinnars  and 
demons,  cattle,  birds  and  serpents,  all  the  tribes  of  gods  and 
giants,  and  every  living  creature,  but  differing  in  form  ; 
with  lands,  rivers,  seas,  lakes,  and  mountains,  and  the  whole 
mechanism  of  creation  also  quite  distinct.  Each  mundane 
egg  had  its  own  peculiar  aspect  and  in  all  its  manifold  de- 
tails was  wonderful  to  behold.  In  each  world  was  a  separate 
city  of  Avadh  with  its  own  Sarju  ;  its  own  men  and  women, 

I  Anda-Jiataha,  which  T  translate  'globes,'  is  simply  a.  synonym  for 
Brd/idmdnda,  which  occurs  in  the  previous  lines.  It  would  be  more  precisely 
rendered  '  l)alf-;,dobc,'  httaha  here  standing  for  (he  common  Hindi 
kar(iha,{i  large  shallow  iron  vessel  used  for  boiling  sugar,  &c. 


672  THE   SEQUEL. 

with  Dasarath  and  KausalyA  ai»d  the  other  queens,  and 
Bharat  and  his  brothers,  each  in  their  proper  form.  Each 
sphere  had  its  own  incarnate  Rima  with  all  his  child-like 
sports  for  me  to  see.  y.  >        y  •    "^-^ 

Doha  Si.    rw^/i^ 

0  Garur,  I  saw  every    part  of    the    pageant    separately 

repeated,  but  in  my  round  of  the  innumerable  worlds  I  saw 

no  other  Lord  Rima.    The  same  cliild  like  ways,  the  same 

beauty,  the  same   gracious   Raghu-bir  were    what  I  saw  in 

each  successive  world  that  I  visited,  driven  on  by  the  blast 

of  delusion. 

Chaupdi. 

Imagine  a  hundred  cycles  to  have  been  spent  in  my 
wanderings  thr«)ugh  the  different  spheres.  At  last,  after  all 
my  travels  I  came  to  my  own  hermitage  and  there  I  stayed 
some  little  time.  When  I  heard  of  my  lord's  birth  at 
Avadh,  I  started  up  in  an  overwhelming  ecstasy  of  devotion 
and  went  and  witnessed  the  rejoicings  at  his  nativity  as  I 
have  already  described  to  you.  In  Rdma's  belly  I  saw 
many  worlds,  but  what  I  saw  is  past  all  telling.  Then 
again  I  saw  the  all-wis^^  Rdina,  the  lord  of  Mny^,  the  mer- 
ciful God,  and  much  I  questioned  within  myself,  for  my 
understarrding  was  obscured  by  the  mists  of  delusion.  In 
two  hours  I  saw  everything  ;  I  was  a-weary  and  my  soul 
was  bewildered  entirely.  , 

Dohd  S2.     '  '  * 

Seeing  my  distress,  the  all- merciful  Raghu-bir  laughed, 
and  as  he  laughed  I  issued  from  his  mouth  ;  hearken,  0 
firm  of  faith.  Rama  again  l)egan  his  childish  pranks  with 
me.  I  reasoned  with  myself  in  every  way  I  could;  but 
my  mind  had  no  peace. 

ChauTpai. 

Seeing  this  miracle  and  weighing  its  transcendency  I 
lost  my  senses.  I  fell  to  the  ground  and  no  word  came  to 
my  mouth,  but  '  Save  me,  save  me,  0  saviour  of  all  distrest 
believers.'     When  the   Lord   saw   my  agony   of   devotion, 


THE   SEQUEL.  673 

lie  at  once  checked  the  influence  of  his  delusive  power. 
The  Lord  placed  his  lotus  hands  upon  my  head  and  — ever 
merciful  to  the  poor — healed  me  of  all  my  pain.  Rdma, 
the  gracious  benefactor  of  his  servants,  thus  dispelled  my 
infatuation.  As  I  reflected  on  his  mighty  power,  there 
first  arose  in  my  heart  a  great  transport  of  delight ;  and 
seeing  his  loving-kindness  to  his  worshippers  my  bosom 
heaved  with  an  unutterable  love.  With  streaming  eyes  and 
quivering  frame  and  hands  clasped  in  prayer,  I  again  and 
again  made  humble  petition  • 

DohdS3.  '"/)'-  /^ 
Hearing  my  loving  words  and  seeing  me  to  be  his  own 
devoted  servant,  he  made  me  this  gracious,  profound  and 
tender  speech  ;  "  Kdka-bhusundi,  ask  of  me  a  boon,  for  know 
that  I  am  highly  pleased  with  you  ;  be  it  the  supernatural 
powers  of  the  saints,  or  fabulous  wealth,  or  deliverance  from 
further  transmigration,  the  sum  of  all  bliss  ; 

or  knowledge  and  wisdom,  self-restraint  and  philosophy, 
qualities  which  as  all  the  world  knows  scarce  the  gods  can 
attain  unto.  To-day  E  will  grant  you  anything  ;  doubt  not, 
but  ask  whatever  your  soul  desires."  On  hearing  the 
Lord's  words  I  was  greatly  moved  and  began  to  reason  thus 
within  myself;  "The  Lord,  it  is  true,  has  promised  to  give 
me  every  blessing,  but  has  not  said  he  would  give  me  faith. 
Without  faith  what  are  any  virtues  or  blessings  ?  like  any 
quantity  of  condiments  without  salt.  Of  what  avail  is  any 
good  without  prayer  ?  "  Having  thus  considered,  0  Garur, 
I  made  reply:  "  If  it  be  your  good  pleasure,  my  lord,  to 
grant  me  a  boon  and  if  you  wish  to  do  me  a  favour  and 
kindness,  I  will  ask  the  boon,  Sire,  which  my  soul  desires  ; 
you  are  generous  and  know  the  secrets  of  the  hearts. 

-Doha  84.  '  -        '"y^ 

A  steadfast  and  sincere  faith,  such  as  the  Vedas  and 
Purdnas  describe,  such  as  the  greatest  ascetics  and   saints 

R-88 


674  THE   SEQ13EL. 

search  after,  but  few  only  find  and  that  by  the  Lord's  grace: 
0  my  lord  R^ma,  tree  of  Paradise  to  the  pious,  friend  of  the 
suppliant,  all-merciful,  all-blessed,  of  your  clemency  grant 
me  this  faith." 

Ghaupdi. 

"  So  be  it,"  said  the  prince  of  the  house  of  Raghu  and 
then  continued  in  these  most  gracious  words  :  "  Hearken,  0 
crow  ;  you  are  very  sagacious,  and  therefore  no  wonder  that 
you  ask  this  boon.  You  crave  faith,  the  source  of  every 
blessing;  there  is  none  in  the  world  so  highly  favoured  as 
you  ;  for  the  saints  cannot  grasp  it  after  all  their  labours, 
though  they  consume  their  whole  body  in  the  fire  of  prayer 
and  meditation.  I  am  pleased  to  see  your  sagacity  ;  your 
prayer  for  faith  is  most  agreeable  to  me.  Hearken,  now,  0 
bird,  to  the  favours  I  bestow  upon  you  ;  every  good  quality 
shall  dwell  in  your  bosom  ;  faith,  knowledge,  divine, 
wisdom,  self-governance,  the  practice  of  mystic  abstraction 
and  all  the  secrets  of  esoteric  love.  You  shall  understand 
the  mysteries  of  every  science  and  with  my  favour  shall 
need  no  other  help.  .  /Zv; 

Dohd  85.   ^^'     ^ 

None  of  the  errors  that  arise  from  May^  shall  hence 
forth  affect  you  ;  you  know  me  to  be  the  Supreme  Spirit, 
without  birth  or  beginning,  the  immaterial  root-of  all  matter. 
Remember,  0  crow,  that  every  believer  is  dear  to  me  ;  hear- 
ken to  my  words,  and  in  thought,  word  and  deed  maintain 
an  unalterable  devotion  to  my  feet. 

Ghawpdi, 

Attend  now  to  this  most  holy  exposition  of  mine, 
which  is  both  simple  and  true  and  is  implied  in  the  Vedas 
and  other  Scriptures.  I  will  reveal  to  you  my  own  peculiar 
doctrine  :  apply  your  mind  to  listen  and  worship  me  only, 
abjuring  all  others.  The  world  is  the  product  of  my  delu- 
sive power,  with  all  its  varieties  of  life,  both  moving  and 
motionless.     1  love  them  all,  for  all  are   my  creatures  ,  but 


THE   SEQUEL.  675 

man  is  the  creature  that  delights  me  most.  Of  men,  Br^h- 
mans  ;  of  Brdhmans,  those  who  study  the  Vedas  ;  of  these, 
such  as  follow  the  precepts  of  the  sacred  texts  ;  of  these 

again  celibates  are  my  favourites,  and  yet  more  the 
wise  ;  of  the  wise  I  love  best  the  spiritually  wise, 
and  of  these  the  best  beloved  of  all  are  my  own  ser- 
vants, who  come  to  me  and  have  no  other  hope.  Again 
and  again  I  tell  you  of  a  truth  there  are  none  so  dear  to  me 
as  my  own  disciples.  If  Brdhma  himself  had  no  faith  in 
me,  he  would  be  no  dearer  to  me  than  any  other  creature  ; 
while  the  meanest  creature  that  breathes,  if  possessed  of 
faith,  is  as  dear  to  me  as  my  own  soul ;  this  is  my  doctrine. 

Doha  86.      /3/ 
Tell  me  how  is  it  possible  that  a  pure,  well-disposed  and 
intelligent   servant   should   not    be  held  dear  ?  hearken,  0 
crow,  with  attention  to  the  principle  laid  down  both  in  the 
Vedas  and  PurAnas. 

Ghaupdi. 
A  father  has  a  number  of  children,  each  different  in 
character,  temper  and  occupation.  One  is  a  student,  another 
a  philosophic  ascetic,  another  an  accumulator  of  wealth,  an 
open-handed  soldier,  a  clever  man  of  the  world,  or  a  devotee ; 
the  father  feels  the  same  affection  for  them  all.  Another, 
again,  is  in  thought,  word  and  deed  entirely  devoted  to  his 
father,  never  even  dreaming  of  any  other  duty  ;  and  this  is 
the  son  whom  the  father  loves  as  his  own  soul,  though  he 
be  a  perfect  ignoramus.  In  like  manner  all  animate  and 
inanimate  beings,  including  brute  beasts,  gods,  men  and 
demons,  in  short  the  entire  universe  that  I  have  created,  is 
viewed  by  me  with  equal  compassion  ;  but,  amongst  them 
all,  if  there  be  one  who  forswears  vanity  and  delusion  and 
worships  me  only  in  thought,  word  and  deed, 

Dohd  87. 
whether  he  be  man,  eunuch,  or  woman,  whether  animate  or 
inanimate,  if  with  all  his  soul  he  sincerely  worships  me,  he 
is  my  best-beloved. 


676  THE   SEQUEL. 

SorathdZ.       /So. 

0  crow,  I  tell  you  of  a  truth  that  an  honest  servant  is 
as  dear  to  me  as  my  own  life.  Remember  this  and  worship 
me  only,  abjuring  every  other  hope  and  assurance. 

Ghaupdi. 

Time  shall  have  no  power  over  you,  so  long  as  you  re- 
member to  worship  me  without  ceasing."  I  should  never 
have  tired  of  listening  to  my  lord's  ambrosial  discourse  ; 
my  body  quivered  all  over  and  my  soul  rejoiced  exceedingly. 
My  mind  and  my  ears  experienced  a  delight,  which  it  is 
beyond  the  power  of  tongue  to  tell.  My  eyes  had  the  bliss 
of  beholding  my  lord's  beauty,  but  how  can  they  declare 
it?  they  have  no  voice.  After  he  had  gladdened  me  by  his 
manifold  exhortations,  he  again  began  to  sport  like  a  child. 
With  streaming  eyes  and  mouth  a  little  awry,  he  looked  at 
his  mother  as  if  he  were  very  hungry.  Seeing  this  she 
started  up  in  haste  and  ran  and  spoke  to  him  with  caress- 
ing words  and  clasped  him  to  her  bosom  ;  then  holding 
him  in  her  lap  she  gave  him  to  suck,  singing  the  while  of 
Rdma's  charming  deeds. 

Sorathd4:.      /^^/J^ 

The  citizens  of  Avadh  were  ever  flooded  with  that  joy, 
to  attain  which  the  blessed  Siva  assumes  his  unsightly 
garb.  They  who  have  once  realized  even  in  a  dream  the 
least  atom  of  that  joy,  think  nothing,  0  Garur,  if  they  are 
good  and  sensible,  of  the  joys  of  heaven. 
Ghaupdi. 

After  this  I  stayed  some  little  time  at  Avadh,  a  specta- 
tor of  his  delightful  boyish  play.  Then,  by  Rdma's  blessing, 
having  obtained  the  boon  of  faith,  I  kissed  my  lord's  feet 
and  returned  to  my  hermitage.  Since  then  no  delusion 
has  ever  affected  me,  after  I  had  joined  R^ma.  I  have  now 
told  you  the  whole  of  this  strange  story  of  how  I  was  be- 
witched by  Hari's  delusive  power.  From  my  own  experi- 
ence I  warn  you,  Garur,  that  without  prayer   to   Hari   your 


THE    SEQUEL.  677 

troubles  will  not  yield.  Hearken,  king  of  the  birds  ;  with- 
out Rama's  grace,  there  is  no  understanding  his  pow^^r  ; 
without  understanding  there  is  no  confidence  ;  without  con- 
fidence there  is  no  affection  ;  without  affection  there  is  no 
consistency  in  faith ;  it  slips  away,  Garur,  like  oil  on  water. 
Sorathd  5. 
How  can  there  be  knowledge  without  a  teacher  ?  how 
can  there  be  knowledge  without  self-control,  or  (as  the 
Vedas  and  Pur^nas  declare)  how  can  man  attain  to  happi- 
ness without  devotion  to  Hari  ?  Without  innate  content, 
Sire,  none  can  find  peace  :  a  boat  will  not  float  without 
water,  though  you  strain  every  nerve,  enough  to  kill  your- 
self. 

Chaupdi. 

Without  content  there  is  no  cessation  of  desire  ;  so  long 
as  desire  continues,  it  is  vain  to  dream  of  ease.  Can  desire 
be  subdued  without  prayer  to  Rdma;  can  a  tree  ever  take 
root  without  soil  ?  Can  equanimity  be  attained  without 
knowledge,  or  can  you  have  space  without  the  ether  ?  With- 
out faith  their  is  no  religion,  as  there  can  be  no  scent  with- 
out earth  ?  Can  fame  spread  without  penance,  any  more 
than  there  can  be  moisture  in  the  world  without  water? 
Can  virtue  be  acquired  without  attendance  on  the  wise, 
any  more  than  vision  can  exist,  Sir,  without  light  ?  Can 
the  mind  be  at  rest  when  ill  at  ease,  any  more  than  the 
sense  of  touch  is  possible  without  air  ?i  Without  confi- 
dence there  is  no  exercise  of  supernatural  powers,  and 
without  prayer  to  Hari  there  is  no  conquest  over  the  terrors 

of  existence.  /  f  j>J^ .  /  ^ 

Dona  88. 
Without  confidence  there  is  no  devotion  ;  without  devo- 
tion R^ma  is  not  moved  ;    without    the  grace  of  Rama   no 
creature  can  dream  of  peace  . 

Ch'Hi^pdL 
Thus  consider,  0  stout  of  heart,  and  abjuring  scepticism 


1  The  five  elements,  ether,  earth,  water,   light  and  air  and  their  several 
properties  are  here  enumerated. 


678  THE   SEQUEL. 

and  every  doubt,  worship  Rdma,  tlie  heroic  son  of  Raghu, 
fountain  of  mercy,  the  beautiful,  the  beneficeot. 

Chaupdi. 
Thus  have  I  declared  to  you,  king  Garur,  according  to 
rny  ability,  the  greatness  of  the  Lord's  power ;  nor  have  I 
anywhere  had  recourse  to  studied  invention,  for  I  have 
seen  it  all  with  my  own  eyes.  Rdma's  greatness,  his  names, 
his  glory,  beauty  and  perfection,  are  all  boundless  and 
infinite.  The  saints  sing  his  praises,  according  to  their 
several  ability,  but  not  the  Vedas,  Sesh-n4g  or  Siva  could 
declare  them  fully.  There  is  no  winged  creature,  from 
yourself  down  to  a  gnat,  who  can  reach  to  the  end  of  the 
heaven  in  his  flight.  In  like  manner,  Sire,  the  greatness 
of  Raghupati  is  unfathomable  ;  none  can  sound  the  bottom 
of  it.  Rdma  is  beautiful  of  body  as  a  myriad  Loves  ; 
irresistible  in  the  destruction  of  his  foes  as  a  myriad  DurgAs ; 
jocund  as  a  myriad  Indras  ;   immeasurable   in   expanse  as 

a  myriad  firmaments. 

Dohd  89. 
As  masterful  in  might  as  a  myriad  winds  ;  as  bright  as 

a  myriad  suns  ;  as  cooling  as  a  myriad  moons,  soothing  all 
the  terror  of  existence ;  as  impracticable,  inaccessible  and 
interminable  as  a  myriad  deaths  ;  as  ii^repxesaible  as  a 
myriad  fires,  our  very  God, 

Chaupdi. 
The  Lord  is  as  unfathomable  as  a  myriad  Hells  ;  as  in- 
flexible as  a  my  raid  Yamas  ;  as  im  measurably.  Jioly  as  a 
myraid  places  of  pilgrimage  whose  name  obliterates  any 
accumulation  of  sin.  Raghu-bir  is  as  immoveable  as  a 
myriad  Himalayas  ;  as  profound  as  a  myriad  seas  ;  as 
liberal  in  the  fulfilment  of  every  desire  as  a  myriad  cows 
of  plenty,  and  is  our  very  God.  As  illimitable  in  eloquence 
as  a  myriad  SAradds  ;  as  skilful  in  creation  as  a  myriad 
Brdhmas  ;  as  potent  to  save  as  a  myriad  Vishnus  ;  as  potent 
to  destroy  as  a  myriad  Sivas ;  as  abounding  in  wealth  as  a 
myriad  Kuvers  ;    as   fertile    in  phenomena  as   a    myriad 


THE   SEQUEL.  679 

Mayas ;  a  supporter  of  the  world  like  a  myriad  Sesh-ndgs  ; 
the  illimitable,  incomparable  Lord,  the  sovereign  of  the 
universe. 

Chhand  9. 
Incomparable  indeed  ;  for,  as  the  Vedas  declare,  Rdma 
alone  is  Rama's  peer,  none  else  can  compare  with  him.  If 
one  should  compare  the  sun  to  a  hundred  myriads  of  fire- 
flies, it  would  be  utterly  inadequate.  In  like  manner  the 
great  sages  have  exercised  their  ingenuity  in  describing 
Hari,  and  the  Lord,  appreciating  their  intention,  has  of  his 
great  clemency  listened  kindly  and  approved. 

Doha  90. 
R^ma  is  an  unfathomable  ocean   of  perfection,  who  can 
sound  it  to  the  bottom?     I  can  only  tell  you  the  little  I  have 
myself  heard  from  the  saints. 

Sorathd  7. 
Abjure  all  selfishness,  vanity  and  pride,  and  ever  wor- 
ship Sita's  spouse,  the  great  God  who   is  moved  by  sincere 
devotion,  the  all-blessed,  the  all-merciful." 

Chaupdi. 
On  hearing  Bhusundi's  delectable  discourse,  the  king 
of  the  birds  rejoiced  and  preened  his  wings.  His  eyes 
streamed  and  his  soul  was  overcome  with  delight  as  he 
meditated  on  the  might  of  the  divine  Rama.  He  was 
ashamed  to  think  of  his  former  delusion,  when  he  had  taken 
the  everlasting  and  Supreme  Spirit  for  a  mere  man.  Again 
and  again  he  bowed  his  head  at  the  crow's  feet,  whom  in  the 
greatness  of  his  affection  he  regarded  as  a  second  R^ma. 
"  Without  a  spiritual  guide  none  can  traverse  the  ocean  of 
existence,  though  he  be  the  equal  of  Brahma  or  Siva. 
Doubt  like  a  serpent  had  crushed  me  in  the  painful  coils  of 
wordy  scepticism  ;  but  Rdma  appeared  in  your  form  as  an 
antidote  and  restored  me  to  life,  beneficent  as  he  is  to  all 
his  votaries.  By  your  favour  I  have  overcome  my  delusion 
and  have  learnt  the  incomparable  mystery  of  Rdma." 


THE   SEQUEL. 

Doh4Ql.    '■^-l-'^i>' 

After  eulogizing  him  in  every  possible  way  and  bowing 
the  head  before  him  with  clasped  hands,  Garur  proceeded 
in  these  humble,  affectionate  and  winning  terms  :  "  In  my 
ignorance,  0  my  lord  and  master,  I  would  ask  you  a 
question.  In  your  infinite  compassion  be  pleased  to  instruct 
me,  regarding  me  as  your  own  peculiar  servant. 

Qlfiauxiai. 

You  are  all-wise  ;  a  perfect  pliilosopher  ;  intelligent, 
amiable  and  upright  in  your  dealings  :  a  store-house  of 
knowledge,  sobriety  and  spiritual  intuition ;  and  one  of 
Rama's  favourite  servants  :  what,  then,  is  the  reason.  Sire, 
for  your  having  received  such  a  form  ?  Explain  this  to  me 
in  full.  Tell  me  also,  venerable  bird,  where  you  learnt  this 
excellent  history  of  R4ma's  deeds.  Further,  my  lord,  I 
have  heard  from  Siva  that  you  do  not  perish  at  the  time  of 
the  destruction  of  all  things.  The  god  never  utters  an  idle 
word,  and  therefore  my  mind  is  in  doubt.  For  the  whole 
universe,  my  lord,  with  all  creatures  moving  and  motion- 
less, serpents,  men  and  gods,  is  but  a  mouthful  for  Death. 
Death  has  swallowed  up  worlds  without  end  and  is  ever 
irresistible  and  strong. 

Sorathd  8.         >-  ^ 

What  is  the  reason  that  so  terrible  a  monster  as  Death 
has  no  effect  upon  you  ?  be  pleased  to  inform  me  whether  it 
be  the  power  of  your  intellect  or  the  virtue  of  your  mystical 
devotion.  ^ 

Dohd  92.      '^  / 

Further,  my  lord,  be  so  kind  as   to  explain  to    me  how 

it  was  that  my  delusion  vanished  directly  I  approached  your 

hermitage." 

Chaupdi. 

When  he  lieard  Garur's  question  the  crow  was  pleased 
and  answered  him,  UmA,  with  the  greatest  possible  kind- 
ness :  "  A  blessing  on  your  wit,  Garur;  your  questions  are 
most  agreeable  to  me.     As  I  listen  to  your  affectionate  and 


The  sfeQtJEL.  681 

becoming  enquiries,  the  recollection  of  many  previous  births 
comes  back  to  me.  I  will  tell  you  the  whole  of  my  his- 
tory ;  listen,  Sire,  with  full  and  reverent  attention.  Prayer, 
penance,  sacrifice,  sobriety  of  mind,  self-control,  acts  of  de- 
votion, charity,  chastity,  knowledge,  mystical  meditation  and 
spiritual  wisdom,  all  have  their  fruit  in  the  love  for  Rdma's 
feet,  without  which  none  can  attain  to  happiness.  It  was 
in  this  body  that  I  learnt  devotion  to  Rdma,  and  therefore 
I  have  a  special  liking  for  it.  Every  one  likes  that  by 
means  of  which  he  has  gained  his  object. 
Sorathd  9. 

0  Garur,  this  is  a  maxim  approved  by  the  Vedas  and 
declared  by  the  pious  that  love  should  be  shown  to  the 
meanest  creature,  if'you  know  it  to  be  your  friend.  Silk  is 
the  product  of  a  worm,  but  from  it  is  made  beautiful 
apparel ;  therefore,  vile  as  the  worm  is,  every  one  tends 
it  with  the  most  sedulous  care. 

Ghaupdi. 

The  highest  object  of  every  living  creature  is  the  love 
of  R'ima.  The  holiest  and  comeliest  of  bodies  is  the  one  in 
which  he  has  been  worshipped.  An  enemy  of  Rdma's, 
though  in  bodily  appearance  he  rival  Brdhma,  will  never  be 
extolled  by  any  intelligent  poet.  It  was  in  my  present 
bodily  form  that  my  devotion  to  R^ma  first  took  root,  and 
on  that  account,  Sire,  I  have  a  great  affection  for  it.  Though 
I  can  die  when  I  like,  I  do  not  give  up  my  body,  for  with- 
out a  body,  as  the  Vedas  declare,  I  could  not  pray.  At  first 
delusion  led  me  greatly  astray  ;  having  R^ma  against  me,  I 
was  never  happy  even  in  my  sleep.  In  different  births  I 
practised  different  courses  of  action,  essaying  mystical  con- 
templation, prayer,  fasting,  sacrifice  and  almsgiving.  Is 
there  any  womb  in  which  I  have  not  at  some  time  taken 
birth,  during  my  peregrinations  of  the  universe  ?  In  all  my 
experience,  Sire,  I  was  never  so  happy  as  I  am  at  present  ; 
and  yet,  my  lord,  I  recollect  many  previous  existences,  in 
which,  by  the  blessing  of  Siva,  no  delusion  oppressed  my 
understanding. 

R-89 


^7 


682  THE   SEQUEL. 

•     ^      ..    y^/ 

Dohd  93. 

Hearken,  king  of  the  birds ;  I  will  now  tell  you  the 
story  of  a  former  birth.  To  hear  it  will  increase  your  devo- 
tion to  the  Lord,  which  is  the  remedy  for  every  ill.  In 
a  former  Kalpa.i  my  lord,  there  was  an  iron  age  of  the  ut- 
most impurity ;  man  and  woman  were  devoted  to  impiety 
and  all  rebelled  against  the  Veda. 

Chaupdi. 

In  that  iron  age  I  went  to  the  city  of  Kosala  and  was 
there  born  as  a  man  of  the  servile  class,  a  devoted  worship- 
per of  Siva,  but  a  scornful  reviler  of  all  the  other  gods, 
intoxicated  with  the  pride  of  wealth,  outrageously  boastful, 
savage  of  purpose  and  with  a  heartful  of  arrogance.  Al- 
though I  lived  in  Rama's  capital,  I  had  at  the  time  no 
knowledge  of  his  greatness.  Now  I  understand  the  virtue 
of  Avadh,  as  it  has  been  sung  by  the  Vedas,  Pur^ns  and  all 
the  Scriptures,  that  every  one  who  in  any  birth  has  lived  at 
Avadh  will  eventually  become  a  disciple  of  Rdma's.  A  man 
then  knows  the  virtue  of  Avadh,  when  Rd,ma  with  bow  in 
hand  takes  up  his  abode  in  his  heart.  It  was  an  age,  Garur, 
of  terrible  wickedness;  every   man  and   woman   was  bent 

on  crime.  /.^^         /  f  -  -^ 

Dohd  94:.      /'S  2^--  /^     J 

The  sinfulness  of  the  age  had  stifled  religion  ;  the 
sacred  books  were  all  neglected  and  false  teachers  had 
published  endless  heresies,  which  they  had  invented  out 
of  their  own  imagination  The  people  were  all  over-mas- 
tered by  delusion  and  greed  had  stifled  all  acts  of  piety. 
Hearken,  most  wise  Garur,  while  1  describe  some  of  the 
religious  practices  of  those  evil  times. 

Chaupdi. 

No  regard   was   paid  to  caste  or  the  four  stages  of  life  ; 


1  A  Kalpa  is  a  period  of  time  comprising  a  thousand  mahd-yuffas.  Each 
mahd-ynga  is  tiic  aggregate  of  four  yuyag,  or  ages  of  gradually  diminished 
duration,  named  respectively  Krita,  or  Satya  ;  Tretd  ;  Dwdpara  and  Kali  ; 
giving  together  a  total  of  4,320,000  years.  The  length  of  a  Kalpa  is  thus 
4,820,000,000  years.  When  it  is  over,  the  existing  world  is  annihilated  and 
another  begins  to  run  its  course,  and  so  on  to  all  eternity. 


THE    SEQUEL.  683 

everyone  was  bent  upon  attacking  the  Scriptures.  Brjih- 
mans  sold  the  Veda  ;  kings  devoured  their  subjects  ;  no 
one  regarded  the  injunctions  of  revelation.  The  right  road 
was  any  that  most  took  the  fancy  ;  the  greatest  Pandit  was 
the  one  who  talked  the  loudest.  Any  who  indulged  in  false 
pretences  and  hypocrisy  was  universally  styled  a  saint.  A 
wise  man  was  he  who  plundered  his  neighbour  ;  every  boas- 
ter was  thought  a  fine  fellow,  every  liar  a  wit  and  was 
spoken  of  as  a  man  of  parts  in  those  evil  days.  A  reprobate 
who  denied  the  doctrines  of  revelation  was  an  enlightened 
philosopher;  and  any  one  with  unkempt  hair  and  nails  was 
celebrated  in  that  debased  age  as  a  model  of  mortification. 

Dohd  95. 
To  assume  the  loathsome  rags  and  properties  of  a  mendi- 
cant and  feed   indiscriminately  on  any  kind  of  food  waste 
be  an  ascetic,  a  saint,  an  object  of  veneration  in  that  age  of 

iniquity. 

Sorathd  10.  "^^ 

All  kinds  of  evil-doers  were  held  in  honour  and  respect, 

and  the  idlest  babblers  were  accepted  as  preachers  in  those 

miserable  days. 

Ghaupdi. 

The  man  was  everywhere  subject  to  the  woman  and 
played  the  buffoon  like  a  dancing  monkey.  Siidras  in- 
structed the  twice-born  in  theology  and  assuming  the  Br^h- 
manical  cord  took  their  infamous  gains.  Every  one  was 
addicted  to  sensuality,  avarice  and  violence,  and  flouted 
the  gods,  the  Brdhmans,  the  Scriptures  and  the  saints. 
Wives  deserted  their  husbands,  however  handsome  and 
accomplished,  and  adored  instead  any  wretched  stranger. 
Married  women  appeared  without  any  ornaments,  widows 
were  bedecked  with  jewels.  Teachers  and  pupils  were  of 
no  more  account  than  the  deaf  and  blind  ;  the  one  would 
not  listen,  the  other  had  never  read.  A  teacher  who  takes 
his  pupil's  money  but  does  not  rid  him  of  his  doubts  falls 
into  an  awful  abyss  of  hell.     Father  and   mother   call  up 


684  THE   SEQUEL. 

their  children  and   teach  them    the   duty   of   filling   their 

belly. 

Doha  96. 

People  who  are  devoid  of  spiritual  knowledge  never 
say  anything  but  this.  In  their  greed  they  would  kill  a 
Brahman  or  their  own  guru  to  gain  a  cowrie.  Sddras  dis- 
pute with  the  twice-born,  '*  Are  you  any  better  than  we 
are?  any  one  who  understands  theology  is  as  good  as  the 
best  of  Brjihmans :  "  thus  they  insolently  scoff. 
Chaupdi. 

Lecherous  after  their  neighbour's  wife,  clever  only  in 
trickery,  clasped  about  with  ignorance,  violence  and  selfish- 
ness, these  are  the  men  who  are  reckoned  as  theologians 
and  philosophers.  I  have  seen  the  practice  of  the  Kali 
yuga.  Falling  themselves  and  dragging  down  others  who 
were  keeping  the  path  of  virtue,  they  who  trouble  the 
world  by  their  glosses  on  the  Scriptures  spend  a  whole 
Kalpa  in  each  abyss  of  hell.  People  of  low  caste,  such  as 
oilmen,  potters,  dog-feeders,  kir^ts,  kols,  and  distillers  of 
spirituous  liquors,  who  on  the  death  of  their  wife  or  loss  of 
their  household  goods  shave  their  heads  and  turn  religious 
mendicants,  and  make  Br«ihmans  bow  down  at  their  feet  ; 
such  men  by  their  deeds  ruin  themselves  both  for  this 
world  and  also  for  the  next.  A  Brdhman  is  unlettered, 
greedy  and  sensual,  dissolute,  stupid  and  the  husband  of 
an  outcast.  A  Stidra  practises  prayer,  fasting  and  all  the 
other  duties  of  religion  and  taking  the  highest  seat  ex- 
pounds the  Purdnas.  Every  one  practises  the  duties  of 
some  other  state  of  life  than  his  own,  and  the  endless 
perversions  of  morality  are  beyond  all  description. 

Dohd  97.  ''^         ^  V       ' 

In  the  Iron  Age  different  castes  are  confounded  together 
and  every  one  is  a  law  to  himself.  Men  practise  sin  and 
reap  its  reward  in  trouble,  terror,  sickness,  sorrow,  and 
bereavement.  Overcome  by  delusion,  they  walk  not  in  the 
path  of  Hari's  service,  such  as  is  approved  by  the  Scriptures 


THE   SEQUEL.  685 

and  conjoined  with    sobriety  and  discernment,  Vjut  invent 
diverse  ways  of  their  own. 

Ghhand  Tomar. 

Devotees  build  themselves  costly  houses  and  are  carried 
away  by  sensuality,  forgetful  of  self-mortification.  Ascetics 
amass  wealth,  mendicants  become  householders ;  the 
absurdities  of  the  Iron  Age,  Sir,  are  beyond  all  descrip- 
tion. They  turn  out  a  well-born  and  virtuous  wife  and 
bring  home  a  servant-girl  in  violation  of  family  usage.  A 
son  obeys  his  father  and  mother  so  long  only  as  he  sees 
not  a  woman's  face  ;  as  soon  as  he  takes  a  fancy  to  his 
wife's  kinsfolk,  he  looks  npon  his  own  family  as  his 
enemies.  Kings,  devoted  to  criminal  courses  and  with 
no  regard  for  religion,  oppress  their  subjects  with  un- 
righteous judgments.  The  meanest  churl,  if  he  is  rich,  is 
accounted  noble  ;  a  Brdhman  is  known  only  by  his  cord, 
and  any  naked  wretch  is  an  ascetic. 

Any  one  in  the  Iron-Age  who  rejects  both  Vedas  and 
Purdnas  is  held  a  worshipper  of  Hari  and  a  veritable  saint. 
The  world  neither  rewards  nor  even  listens  to  a  poet  ,  a 
guru  is  universally  reviled  and  there  is  not  a  single  wise  man 
to  be  found.  In  the  Iron  Age  famines  are  of  frequent 
occurrence  and   the  people   perish   miserably  for   want    of 

/"'•  DOM98.    /^'^^/ 

Hearken,  Garur ;  in  the  Iron  Age  the  whole  universe  is 
saturated  with  hypocrisy,  violence,  pride,  enmity,  heresy, 
arrogance,  ignorance,  sensuality  and  every  other  evil  passion. 
Men  worship  the  powers  of  darkness  with  prayers,  fasting, 
sacrifice,  vows  and  alms-giving  :  the  gods  rain  not  upon  the 
earth  and  the  rice  is  sown  but  does  not  germinate. 

Ghhand. 
A  woman's  only  ornament  is  her  hair  and  she  is  sorely 
a-hungered  ;  the  poor  are  in  distress,  but   are  intensely  sel- 
fish. Fools  desire  happiness,  but  have  no  regard  for  religion  ; 
their  narrow  mind  is   hardened  and  knows  no  compassion. 


686  THE   SEQUEL. 

Men  burdened  with  disease  find  no  rest  anywhere,  but  only 
self-conceit  and  causeless  wrangling.  Life  is  short;  man's 
age  is  only  fifteen  years,  yet  in  their  pride  they  reckon 
on  outliving  creation  The  Iron  Age  has  no  unsettled  man- 
kind, that  no  one  shows  any  obedience,  neither  younger 
sister  nor  daughter.  There  is  no  contentment,  nor  consi- 
deration, nor  repose;  every  caste  is  degraded  to  the  condi- 
tion of  an  importunate  beggar;  the  world  is  full  of  envy, 
censoriousness  and  greed  ;  placidity  of  temper  is  obsolete. 
Every  one  is  smarting  with  sorrow  and  bereavement;  all 
thought  of  the  duties  connected  with  caste  and  stage  of 
life  is  abandoned.  Men  are  so  niggardly  that  they  ignore 
all  self-denial,  charity  and  kind-heartedness ;  torpor  and 
dishonesty  are  multiplied  exceedingly.  Men  and  women 
alike  all  pamper  their  body  and  slanderers  are  sown  broad- 
cast. 

Dohd  99.  '■ 
Hearken,  Garur ;  the  Iron  Age  is  a  mine  of  impurity 
and  iniquity  ;  but  it  has  one  enormous  advantage,  escape 
from  it  is  easy.  In  the  Ages  of  Gold,  Silver,  and  Brass 
solemn  worship,  sacrifice  and  mystical  meditation  were  the 
appointed  means;  in  the  Iron  Age  those  who  attain  salva- 
tion do  so  only  by  Hari's  name. 

Ghaupdi. 

In  the  Golden  Age  every  one  was  spiritual  and  wise 
and  crossed  the  ocean  of  existence  by  meditating  on  Hari. 
In  the  Silver  Age  men  performed  many  sacrifices  and  dedi- 
cating their  actions  to  the  Lord  so  accomplished  their 
course.  In  the  Age  of  Brass  men  had  no  other  expedient 
save  the  worship  of  Rama's  feet  In  the  Iron  Age  men 
sound  the  depths  of  existence  simply  by  chanting 
Raima's  praisf^a.  In  the  Iron  Age  neither  spiritual  abstrac- 
tion, sacrifice,  nor  knowledge  is  of  any  avail  ;  man's  only 
hope  is  in  hymning  Rima.  Any  one  who  abjures  all  re- 
liance in  every  other  and  prays   devoutly    to  Rdma  aud 


THE  sequel;  687 

sings  his  praises  shall  assuredly  escape  further  mundane 
existence.  The  power  of  his  nanae  is  the  special  revelation 
of  the  Iron  Age.  It  is  its  one  sanctifying  influence  by  which 
the  soul  is  purified  and  sin  destroyed. 

Doha  100.  I'^^l 
There  is  no  age  to  compare  with  the  Age  of  Iron  :  in  it, 
if  a  man  has  only  faith  and  devotes  himself  to  singing 
Rdma's  holy  praises,  he  escapes  from  existence  without 
further  trouble.  Religion  has  been  revealed  with  four  feet  ; 
in  the  Iron  Age  one  is  of  the  most  importance;  to  whom- 
soever God  has  given,  let  him  practise  almsgiving  and  pros- 
per. 

Ghauyax, 
Every  Age  has  its  special  characteristic,  infused  into 
the  soul  by  Rdma's  delusive  power.  Purity,  truth,  equani- 
mity and  wisdom,  combined  with  joy  of  soul,  are  recognized 
as  the  outcome  of  the  Golden  Age.  A  great  devotion  to 
truth -though  with  some  admixture  of  passion  — and 
general  happiness  are  the  note  of  the  Silver  Age.  Much 
passion,  little  truth  and  some  igmrance,  with  mingled  joy 
and  terror  of  soul,  are  the  note  of  the  Brazen  Age.  Great 
ignorance,  less  passion  and  universal  antagonism  are  the 
outcome  of  the  Iron  Age.  The  wise  understand  the  pro- 
per virtue  of  each  age  and  forswearing  iniquity  devote 
themselves  to  religion.  The  influence  of  the  Iron  Age 
has  no  effect  on  him  who  cherishes  a  love  for  Rama's  feet. 
A  juggler,  Garur,  may  practise  the  most  wonderful  decep- 
tions, but  they  do  not  impose  upon  his  own  servants. 
Dohd  101.  /  Vo-  '  ^- 
The  good  and  evil,  which  are  the  creation  of  Hari's  de- 
lusive power,  can  only  be  dispersed  by  prayer  to  Hari  : 
know  this  and  worship  Hari,  forswearing  all  sensuality. 
In  that  particular  Iron  Age  I  lived,  Garur,  for  many  years 
at  Avadh,  till  a  famine  occurred  which  compelled  me  to  go 
to  another  country. 


6d8  TflE   SEQUEL. 

Chaupdi. 

I  went  to  Ujaiyin— mark  me,  Gariir — a  miserable  out- 
cast, poor  and  wretched.  After  some  time  1  acquired  wealth 
and  as  before  practised  devotion  to  Sambhu.  There  was 
there  a  Vedic  Brahman,  who  constantly  worshipped  Siva 
and  had  no  other  occupation  ;  a  very  saintly  man,  learned  in 
divine  trutli,  who  served  Sambhu,  but  at  the  same  time 
showed  no  disrespect  to  Hari.  I  hypocritically  attended 
upon  this  benignant  philosopher,  and  he.  Sir,  seeing  me 
outwardly  so  submissive,  instructed  me  as  his  own  son, 
teaching  me  the  Suiva  incantations  and  giving  me  every 
kind  of  good  advice.  I  went  to  a  temple  of  Siva  and 
repeated  the  spells  with  a  heart  full  of  pride  and  self- 
conceit,  /  /^ 
Dohd  102.      I  ^ 

Wretch  that  1  was,  with  a  soul  full  of  impurity,  low- 
born and  enthralled  by  delusion,  1  flew  into  a  passion  if  I 
saw  any  BrAhman  a  worshipper  of  Kari  and  I  persecuted 
Vishnu.  , 

Sorathdli.    \\/\ 

My  teacher  was  distressed  to  see  my  manner  of  life  and 
was  always    admonishing  me  ;   but  I  became  exceedingly 
angry.     Is  pride  ever  pleased  by  sober  counsel  ? 
Chaupdi. 

One  day  the  Guru  called  me  and  instructed  me  at 
length  in  the  principles  of  morality  :  *'  The  reward,  my  son, 
for  serving  Siva  is  a  steadfast  faith  in  Rdma.  Siva  and 
Brdhma  both  worship  Rdma ;  why  speak  then  of  miserable 
man  ?  Do  you  hope  to  secure  happiness,  you  luckless  wight, 
by  persecuting  him  whose  feet  even  Siva  and  Brdhma 
adore  ?  "  When  I  heard  the  Guru  speak  of  Siva  as  a  wor- 
shipper of  Hari,  my  heart,  Garur,  was  all  on  fire.  Being 
such  a  low-born  churl,  after  receiving  education  I  became 
like  a  snake  that  has  been  fed  on  milk.  Arrogant,  per- 
verse, ill-starred  and  ill-bred,  I  worried  my  Guru  day  and 
ni^ht.     But  he  was  too  tender-hearted  to  be  angry  and  still 


THE   SEQUEL.  689 

continued  his  wise  admonitions.  The  very  person  from 
whom  a  churl  obtains  promotion  is  the  first  for  him  to 
destroy.  Hearken,  friend  ;  smoke  is  produced  by  fire,  and 
yet  when  promoted  to  cloudship  it  puts  the  fire  out.  Dust 
while  it  lies  on  the  road  is  held  in  contempt  and  submits 
to  be  trodden  under  foot  of  every  one.  If  the  wind  carries 
it  aloft,  it  first  darkens  that  and  then  gets  into  king's  eyes 
or  sullies  his  crown.  Hearken,  Garur,  and  thus  under- 
stand my  parable ;  sensible  people  have  no  dealings  with 
the  mean.  Th§  wisest  of  the  poets  have  declared  this 
maxim,  it  is  good  neither  to  quarrel  with  a  churl  nor  to  be 
friends  with  him  ;  never  have  anything  to  do  with  him  at 
all,  Sir  ;  let  him  alone,  like  a  dog.  Churl  as  I  was,  with  a 
heart  full  of  falsehood  and  perversity,  I  paid  no  heed  to 
the  Guru's  friendly  admonition. 

DohdlOS.       \^^-^^ 

One  day  I  was  in  a  temple  of  Siva  saying  his  rosary 
when  the  Guru  came  in,  and  in  my  conceit  I  did  not  rise  to 
salute  him.  He  was  too  gentle  to  say  anything,  neither  did 
he  feel  the  slightest  atom  of  resentment,  but  the  grievous 
sin  of  slighting  a  spiritual  teacher  was  more  than  Siva 
could  tolerate. 

Ghaupdi. 

A  heavenly  voice  proceeded  from  the  shrine  :  "  You 
miserable,  conceited  churl,  though  your  Guru  shows  no 
resentment,  being  so  tender-hearted  and  of  such  sublime 
intelligence,  yet  I  must  pronounce  a  curse  upon  you,  you 
wretch  :  I  cannot  endure  such  a  breach  of  morality.  If  I 
were  not  to  punish  you  for  your  wickendness,  my  scriptural 
ordinance  would  be  violated.  Villains  who  bear  malice 
against  their  Guru  are  cast  for  a  million  ages  into  the 
most  awful  abyss  of  hell ;  then  they  take  birth  in  the  brute 
creation  and  suffer  affliction  in  a  myriad  successive  exis- 
tences. As  for  you,  you  guilty  wretch,  whose  soul  reeks 
with  impurity,  since  you    kept  your   seat,  as  it  were  some 

R-90 


^90  THE   BKQUEL 

unwieldy    boa-constrictor, ^   you    shall    become  a   snake  ; 

enter  into  the  hollow  of  some  huge   forest  tree    and    there 

remain,  vilest  of   the   vile,    in    the    form   of   the    vilest  of 

creatures."  ,  «        ,    . 

Dohd  lOi.  ^  r  ~  l^^ 

Alas !  alas  I  cried  the  Guru,  as  he  heard  Siva's  terrible 
curse;  and  seeing  me  all  in  a  tremble,  a  profound  compas- 
sion moved  his  soul.  Devoutly  prostrating  himself  in 
Siva's  presence,  with  his  hands  clasped  and  his  voice  chok- 
ed with  emotion  as  he  reflected  on  my  awful  fate,  he  uttered 

this  prayer  : 

Chhand  Bhujanga-praydt-^ 

"  I  adore  the  lord  of  lords  ;  the  embodiment  of  salva- 
tion ;  the  omnipresent  and  all-pervading  Supreme  Spirit ; 
the  image  of  the  Veda.  I  worship  the  absolute  ;  the  un- 
qualified; the  unconditioned  the  unwisj^ful ;  who  dwelleth  in 
the  heavens  and  who  has  heaven  for  his  soul.  I  bow  before 
the  formless  germ  of  themystic  incantation  Om  ;  the 
transcendental;  the  lord  that  is  beyond  all  speech,  under- 
standing, or  faculty  of  the  senses  ;  the  HimAlayan  king, 
terrible  and  the  death  of  tyrant  Death  ;  and  yet  the  all- 
merciful  ;  the  grace-abounding  refuge  of  the  world.  Rugged 
and  stern  as  the  Snowy  Mountains,  yet  radiant  with  the 
beauty  of  a  myriad  Loves  ;  with  the  bright  waters  of  the 
Ganges  springing  from  thy  head,  with  the  crescent  moon 
gleaming  on  thy  brow  and  snakes  on  thy  neck,  with  tremu- 
lous ear-rings  and  large  eyes  and  shaggy  brows,  with 
benignant  face  and  deep-stained  throat,  0  all-merciful, 
robed  in  a  tiger's  skin,  with  a  necklet  of  skulls,  I  worship 
thee,  the  universal  Lord,  even  Sankara,  whom  I  love.  I 
adore  thee,    the  vehement,    the   exalted,  the   intrepid,  the 

1  The  aja-gar,  here  translated  '  boa-constrictor,'  is  supposed  to  be  too 
unwieldy  to  move,  an(i  (levours  only  such  animals  as  of  themselves  fall  into 
its  mouth.     Hence  the  popular  couplet  of  Mahik  DAs  :  — 

Ajagar  kare  na  chiikari,  pachchhi  kare  na  kim. 
Dkf  Maliika  yon  kahe,  s^b  ka  data  RAm. 

2  In  the  metre  called  Ji hujanga-praydt,  vihich  meskUB  literally  '  snake- 
lik«>  montion,'  each  line  consists  of  four  Bacchics,  or,  to  use  the  language  of 
Hindi  prosody,  four  yayanas. 


THE   SEQUEL.  691 

supreme  lord  ;  the  indivisible,  the  unbegotten,  whose  glory  ^ 
is  that  of  a  myriad  suns ;  tearing  up  by  the  root  every  kind  * 
of  trouble  with  the  trident  in  thy  hand ;  Bhav^ni's  lord,  aC" 
cessible  only  by  meditation.  Unchangeable  and  ever-blessed 
Pur^ri,  consummator  of  earth's  cycles,  constant  bestower 
of  blessings  on  the  pious,  sum  of  all  knowledge  and  felicity, 
dispeller  of  delusion,  Conqueror  of  Love  have  mercy,  0  my 
lord,  have  mercy.  So  long  as  they  worship  not  the  lotus  feet 
of  Uma'slord,  neither  in  this  world  nor  in  the  next  is  there 
any  happiness  for  men,  nor  peace,  nor  cessation  of  misery  ;     -7 

0  my  lord,  clothed  about  with  all  the  elements,  have  mercy.   ^ 

1  know  nothing  of  meditation,  or  prayer,  or  ritual,  but  at 
all  times  and  in  all  places  I  bow  before  thee,  0  Sambhu. 
Have  mercy,  0  my  lord,  on  a  wretch  so  sorely  afflicted  by 
old  age  and  life's  flood  of  troubles  ;^  for  thee  only  I  wor- 
ship, 0  my  lord  Sambhu." 

Any  one  who   devoutly   repeats   this  hymn  to  Siva,    as 

uttered  by  the  Brihman  in  his  propitiation,  upon  him    will 

Siva  show  favour.  ^ 

Doha  105. 

When  the  omniscient  Siva  heard  the  BrAhman's  prayer 
and  saw  his  devotion,  a  heavenly  voice  again  sounded  in 
the  temple  :  "  Best  of  Br^hmans,  ask  a  boon."  "  If  my 
lord  is  well  pleased  with  me  and  will  show  favour  to  his 
servant,  grant  me  first  devotion  to  thy  feet  and  then  yet 
another  boon.  Overcome  by  thy  delusive  power,  ignorant 
creatures  ever  wander  astray  :  be  not  then  wroth  with  him, 
0  merciful  Lord  God.  Gracious  Sankara,  be  merciful  to 
him.    After  a  little  time  may  thy  curse  be  a  kindness, 

(jhaw^di. 
and  the  highest  blessings  attend  him;  bring  it  thus  to  pass, 
0  fountain  of  mercy."     On  hearing  the  Brilhraan's  speech 
so  pregnant  with  charity,  the  heavenly  voice  replied.     **  So 

I  Tatapyamoinam  U  the   participle  of  the   frequentative  verb  from  the 
root  ffl-^,  and  thus  signifies '  suffering  excessive  pain.' 


692  THE   SEQUEL. 

be  it.  Although  he  has  committed  a  grievous  sin,  and  I 
in  my  wrath  have  cursed  him,  yet  seeing  your  goodness  I 
will  visit  him  with  a  special  favour.  Br^hmans  who  are  of 
a  forgiving  disposition  and  charitable  to  their  neighbours 
are  as  dear  to  me  as  Khardri  himself.  Yet  my  curse, 
father,  cannot  be  in  vain  ;  he  shall  of  a  certainty  have  a 
thousand  lives.  But  the  insupportable  misery  of  birth  and 
death  shall  not  have  the  slightest  effect  upon  him.  In  no 
birth  shall  his  knowledge  fail.  Hearken,  Sudra,  to  my  judg- 
ment. You  have  been  born  in  Rdma's  capital  and,  further, 
you  have  done  me  service.  By  the  blessing  of  the  city  and  by 
my  favour  a  devotion  to  R^ma  shall  spring  up  in  your  bo- 
som. Now  hearken,  friend,  to  my  solemn  declaration  :  the 
way  to  please  Hari  is  by  fasting  and  ministering  to 
the  Br^hmans.  Never  again  insult  a  BrAhman  ;  regard 
the  saints  in  the  light  of  the  Everlasting.  Indra's  thunder- 
bolt, my  mighty  trident,  the  rod  of  Death  and  Vish- 
nu's terrible  discus,  by  all  these  a  man  may  be  smit- 
ten yet  not  die  ;  but  a  Brahman's  wrath  is  a  fire  which 
shall  burn  him  to  ashes.  Cherish  this  counsel  at  heart 
and  there  is  nothing  in  the  world  too  difficult  for  you  to 
obtain.  One  other  blessing  I  have  still  to  bestow  ;  your 
goings  shall  never  be  impeded."  . 

Dofta  106.      \^^^ 

On  hearing  Siva's  promise,  the  Guru  rejoiced  and 
cried  Amen.  Then  after  admonishing  me,  he  returned 
home,  with  the  image  of  Sambhu's  feet  impressed  upon 
his  heart.  Driven  by  my  fate,  I  went  to  the  Vindhya 
mountains  and  then  became  a  snake,  and  again  after 
some  time  quietly  dropped  that  form.  Whatever  body 
I  assume,  Garur,  I  readily  drop  again,  like  a  man  who  puts 
off  his  old  clothes  and  takes  to  him  new.  Siva  observed 
the  ordinances  of  the  Veda,  while  I  suffered  no  pain  ; 
thus  I  assumed  many  different  forms,  but  my  understand- 
ing, Garur,  never  left  me. 


THE   SEQUEL.  693 

Chaupdi. 
Whatever  body  I  assumed,  whether  of  beast,  god  or  . 
man,  I  invariably  retained  the  practice  of  prayer  to  R^ma. 
The  one  regret  that  never  left  me  was  in  the  remembrance 
of  the  Guru's  mildness  of  temper  and  disposition.  At  last 
I  took  birth  in  the  holy  form  of  a  Brahman,  a  rank  to  which 
— as  the  Vedas  and  Puranas  declare — it  is  difficult  even  for 
a  god  to  attain.  So  joining  in  play  with  other  children,  I 
enacted  all  Rama's  boyish  sports.  When  I  grew  bigger,  my 
father  gave  me  lessons ;  but  I  neither  understood  nor 
attended,  nor  jiave  my  mind  to  anything  ;  every  other 
inclination  clean  deserted  me  and  1  was  wholly  absorbed 
in  my  devotion  to  Rdma's  feet.  Tell  me,  king  of  the  birds, 
is  there  any  one  so  foolish  as  to  abandon  the  cow  of  plenty 
to  tend  a  she-ass  ?  I  was  so  overwhelmed  with  love  that 
naught  else  pleased  me  and  my  father  was  quite  tired  of 
trying  to  teach  me.  After  my  parents  had  succumbed 
to  fate,  I  went  into  the  forest,  there  to  adore  the  Saviour 
of  his  people.  Wherever  I  discovered  any  great  saints 
living  in  the  woods,  I  frequently  visited  their  hermitage 
and  bowed  before  them,  asking  them  all  about  Rama's 
excellences  and  listening.  Garur,  with  delight  to  what 
they  told  me.  I  went  about  everywhere  hearing  the  tale 
of  Hari's  goodness,  for  by  the  blessing  of  Sambhu  there 
was  no  check  to  my  movements.  The  three  kinds  of  evil 
concern^  had  left  me  and  I  had  only  one  great  longing 
at  heart  :  '  When  I  shall  behold  Rdma's  lotus  feet,  then  I 
shall  account  my  life  to  have  been  worth  living.'  Every 
sage,  whom  I  questioned,  told  me  thus  :  "  The  Lord  is 
present  in  all  his  creatures."  This  religion  of  the  imperso- 
nal did  not  satisfy  me  ;  I  felt  an  overpowering  devotion 
towards  the  incarnation  of  the  Supreme.  y 

Doha  107. 
Remembering  the  Guru's  words  and  with  my  mind  fixed 


1    The    three    kinds   of   excessive   concern   relate  to  family,  wealth  and 
worldly  reputation. 


694  THE   SEQUEL. 

on  Rama's  feet,  I  wandered  about,  hymning  his  praises, 
and  my  love  every  moment  grew  yet  more  and  more.  On 
one  of  the  peaks  of  Mount  Meru,  under  the  shade  of  a 
bar  tree,  sat  the  Seer  Lomas.  On  seeing  him  I  bowed  my 
head  at  his  feet  and  addressed  him  in  most  humble  strain. 
No  sooner,  Garur,  had  the  beneficent  sage  heard  my  meek 
and  submissive  address  than  he  graciously  enquired  : 
*'  Say,  0  Brahman,  with  what  purpose  you  have  come." 
Thereupon  I  replied  :  "  Fountain  of  mercy,  you  are  omnis- 
cient  and    allwise  ;   teach   me,    Sire,  how  to  worship  the 

incarnate  God." 

Ghaupdi. 

Thereupon,  Garur,  the  great  saint  spoke,  briefly  though 
reverently,  of  Rdma's  virtues ;  then,  being  himself  a 
philosopher  devoted  to  the  mystery  of  the  transcendental 
and  thinking  that  I  had  fully  mastered  the  subject,  he 
began  a  sermon  on  Brihm,  the  unbegotten,  the  indivisible, 
the  immaterial,  the  sovereign  of  the  heart ;  unchangeable, 
unwishful,  nameless,  formless  ;  approachable  only  by 
analogy,  indestructible,  incomparable:  beyond  the  reach  of 
thought  or  sense,  spotless,  immortal,  emotionless,  illimitable, 
blessed  for  ever  ;  identical  with  yourself,  you  and  he  being 
as  absolutely  one  as  a  wave  and  its  water  :  so  the  Vedas 
declare.  The  saint  gave  me  the  fullest  possible  instruction, 
but  the  worship  of  the  impersonal  laid  no  hold  of  my  heart. 
Again  I  cried,  bowing  my  head  at  his  feet :  "  Tell  me, 
holy  father,  how  to  worship  the  Incarnate.  Devotion  to 
R^ma,  0  wisest  of  sages,  is  like  the  element  of  water  and 
my  soul — which  is  as  it  were  a  fish — how  can  it  exist  with- 
out it  ?  Of  your  mercy  so  instruct  me  that  I  may  see 
RAma  with  my  own  eyes.  When  I  have  seen  my  fill  of  the 
lord  of  Avadh,  then  I  will  listen  to  your  sermon  on  the 
Unembodied."  Again  the  saint  discoursed  of  the  incom- 
parable Hari  and  demolishing  the  dogma  of  the  incarnation 
expounded  him  as  altogether  passionless.  But  I  rejected 
the  theory  of  the  abstract  and  with  much  obstinacy  insisted 


THE  SEQUftl.  695 

on  his  concrete  manifestation.     For   every  answer   I  had  a 

rejoinder  ready.     The  saint  at  last  showed  signs  of  anger. 

Mark  me,    Sir  ;  I  was   so  disrespectful  that  resentment  was 

aroused  even  in  the  breast  of  a  philosopher.     An  excessive 

amount  of  friction  will  strike  fire  even  out  of  sandal-wood. 

Dohd  lOS.        t'^'^-I 

Again  and  again  the  saint  angrily  expounded  his  theory, 

while  I  sat  still  and  argued  the  matter  from  every  point  of 

view  in   my  own    mind  :  "  Can   there   be   anger  without 

duality,  or  duality  without  ignorance  ?     Can  a  soul,  dull, 

circumscribed  and  subject  to   delusion  be   identified   with 

divinity  ? 

Chaupdi. 

Can  pain  under  any  circumstances  be  the  same  as  plea- 
sure ?  Can  the  possessor  of  the  philosopher's  stone  suffer 
poverty  ?  Can  an  oppressor  be  free  from  anxiety  or  a 
sensualist  remain  without  reproach?  Can  a  man's  family 
prosper  if  he  persecute  Brdlimans  ?  Can  religious  obser- 
vances be  practised  by  a  man  careful  only  for  bodily 
comfort  ?  Can  sound  doctrine  be  acquired  by  intercourse 
with  the  wicked  ?  Can  an  adulterer  attain  to  the  felicity 
of  the  Blessed  ?  Can  a  searcher  after  the  Supreme  Spirit 
escape  from  transmigration  ?  Can  a  reviler  of  Hari  be 
ever  happy  ?  Can  a  kingdom  stand  without  a  knowledge 
of  statecraft  ?  Can  sin  coexist  with  a  recital  of  Hari's 
virtues  ?  Can  spotless  renown  be  acquired  without  reli- 
gious merit?  Can  any  one  be  disgraced  except  by  sin. 
Is  there  any  gain  like  devotion  to  Hari,  as  hymned  by  the 
Vedas,  the  saints  and  the  Pur^nas  ?  Is  there  any  loss, 
Sire,  in  the  whole  world  like  that  of  being  born  as  a  man 
and  yet  not  worshipping  Hari  ?  Is  there  any  other  sin  so 
bad  as  detraction,  or  any  virtue,  Garur,  so  great  as 
charity  ?  "  Thus  I  reasoned  to  myself  with  much  ingenuity 
and  could  not  listen  with  patience  to  the  saint's  instruc- 
tion. Again  and  again  I  maintained  the  doctrine  of  the 
Incarnation,  till  at  last  the  saint  uttered  these  angry  words  : 


THE  SEQUEL. 

"  Fool,  I  have  given  you  the  most  advanced  teaching,  but 
still  you  are  not  convinced  and  persist  in  your  replies  and 
rejoinders.  You  have  no  confidence  in  my  veracious  dis- 
course but  like  a  crow  suspect  everything.  Wretch,  as 
your  soul  is  so  exceedingly  self-opinionated,  you  shall  at 
once  be  changed  into  an  unclean  bird"'  I  took  the  curse 
on  my  head,  but  was  neither  alarmed  nor  humbled. 
Doha  109.       - 

Immediately  I  was  turned  into  a  crow.  Then  again  I 
bowed  my  head  at  the  saints  feet  and  mindful  of  Rdma,  the 
jewel  of  the  line  of  Raghu,  I  joyfully  flew  away.  0  Umd, 
they  who  devote  themselves  to  Rama's  feet  and  abjure  lust, 
pride  and  choler,  they  see  their  lord  present  in  everything  : 
with  what  then  can  they  quarrel  ? 
Ghaupdi. 

Hearken,  king  of  the  birds;  the  saint  was  no  way  in 
fault  ;  it  was  Rdma  who  had  stirred  his  soul.  The  All- 
merciful  had  confounded  his  intellect  and  thus  made  trial 
of  my  love.  When  the  Lord  God  had  proved  the  thorough- 
ness of  my  devotion,  he  restored  the  saint  his  senses.  On 
beholding  my  great  amiability  and  pre-eminent  confidence 
in  Rrtina,  the  holy  man  was  much  astonished  and  sorely 
repented  him  and  courteously  called  me  near.  After  con- 
soling me  in  every  possible  way,  he  gladly  taught  me  the 
spell  by  which  R;una  is  invoked,  and  in  his  infinite  com- 
passion told  me  how  to  meditate  on  the  blessed  child.  The 
beauty  and  sweetness  of  this  cult  pleased  me  well.  I  told 
you  all  about  it  at  the  beginning.  The  saint  kept  me  there 
some  little  time  and  recited  the  whole  of  the  poem,  entitled 
'the  Lake  of  Rdma's  deeds.  When  he  had  reverently  com- 
pleted the  narrative,  he  finally  adressed  me  in  these  gra- 
cious words  :  *'  By  the  blessing  of  Sambhu,  my  son,  I  dis- 
covered this  secret  and  delectable  fountain  of  song  ;  I 
know    you  to  be   one   of  Rdma's  most  devoted  servants  and 

1  There  is  here  a  play  on  the  words  *m  pachchh,  '  self-opinionated,'  and 
pachhi^  •  a  bird '  which  cannot  be  preserved  in  an  English  translation. 


THE  SEQUEL.  697 

therefore  I  have  told  it  all  to  you.  Never  repeat  it,  my  son, 
in  the  presence  of  any  whose  heart  is  void  of  Rama's  love." 
The  saint  reiterated  his  instructions  again  and  again,  and 
I  lovingly  bowed  my  head  at  his  feet.  He  touched  my 
head  with  his  lotus  hands  and  gladly  gave  me  his  blessing : 
"  Henceforth  by  my  favour  an  unalterable  devotion  to  RAma 
shall  dwell  for  ever  in  your  heart. 

Doha  no.  ^''I^'"!* 
Be  for  ever  Rama's  favourite  ;  an  illimitable;  store-house 
of  all  good  qualities  ;  changing  your  form  at  will  and  choos- 
ing your  own  time  for  death  ;  a  treasury  of  knowledge  and 
asceticism.  May  every  hermitage,  where  you  hereafter 
abide  and  make  your  prayer  to  the  blessed  God,  be  unap- 
proachable by  the  spirit  of  ignorance  for   the   space   of  a 

league  all  round. 

Chaupdi. 

May  neither  time  nor  fate,  merit,  demerit  nor  circum- 
stance ever  cause  you  any  vexation.  May  the  unspeakably 
delightful  mysteries  of  Rama,  the  esoteric  as  well  as  the 
exoteric  doctrines  of  the  Chronicles  and  Puranas,  be  all 
comprehended  by  you  without  any  difficulty,  and  may  your 
affection  for  Rdma's  feet  increase  day  by  day.  May  every 
desire  you  form  in  your  mind  by  the  blessing  of  Hari  be 
ever  easy  of  attainment."  On  hearing  the  saint's  benedic- 
tion— mark  me,  0  firm  of  faith — this  solemn  response  of 
Brdhma's  came  from  heaven  :  *'  May  your  words  come  to 
pass,  0  wisest  of  sages  :  he  is  my  votary  in  thought,  word 
and  deed.'  When  I  heard  the  heavenly  voice  I  rejoiced 
and  was  so  drowned  in  love  that  all  my  doubts  vanished. 
After  making  humble  petition  I  received  the  saint's  com- 
mands, and  bowing  again  and  again  at  his  lotus  feet  I 
took  my  leave  and  arrived  with  joy  at  this  hermitage,  having 
obtained  by  my  lord's  favour  an  inestimable  boon.  During 
my  stay  here  mark  me,  king  of  the  birds,  seven  and  twenty 
cycles  have  elapsed.  I  incessantly  repeat  Rdma's  praises, 
and  the  birds  in  their  wisdom  reverently  listen.     Whenever 

R-91 


698  THE   SEQUEL. 

Rughu-bfr  in  behoof  of  his  votaries  takes  upon  him  the  form 
of  a  man  at  the  city  of  Avadh,  I  go  and  stay  at  his  capital 
and  delight  myself  with  the  spectacle  of  his  childish  sports. 
Again,  cherishing  in  my  heart  the  image  of  the  child  R^ma, 
I  return,  Garur,  to  my  own  cell.  I  have  now  told  you  the 
whole  history  of  the  reason  for  which  I  was  changed  into  a 
crow  and  have  replied,  Sir,  to  all  your  questions.  The 
efficacy  of  faith  in  R^ma  is  truly  marvellous. 

Doha  III.  \^\  '^y 

Therefore  I  love  this  form,  in  which  my  devotion  to 
Rdma's  feet  has  been  exhibited,  in  which  I  have  been 
favoured  with  the  sight  of  my  lord  and  all  my  doubts  have 
been  removed.  For  my  obstinacy  in  upholding  the  doctrine 
of  faith  I  was  cursed  by  the  seer,  but  eventually  I  obtained 
a  boon  which  even  the  saints  find  difficult  :  see  the  efficacy 

of  prayer. 

Ghaupdi. 

They  who  knowingly  reject  such  devotion  and  labour 
merely  for  wisdom  are  fools,  who  would  leave  at  home  the 
cow  of  plenty  and  go  out  to  look  for  dk  plants  to  give  them 
milk.  Hearken,  Garur  ;  all  who  abandon  the  worship  of 
Hari  and  seek  to  prosper  by  any  other  means  are  wretched 
blunderers  who  would  try  to  swim  across  the  ocean  without 
a  boat.  On  hearing  Bhusundi's  speech,  Bhavdni,  Garur 
was  glad  and  said  in  gentle  accents  :  "By  your  favour,  my 
lord,  every  doubt,  anxiety,  error  and  delusion  has  been 
removed  from  my  breast.  Through  your  clemency  I  have 
heard  the  holy  tale  of  Rima's  achievements  and  have 
gained  peace.  There  is  still  one  matter,  Sir,  about  which 
I  would  ask  ;  in  your  infinite  compassion  be  pleased  to 
enlighten  me.  The  saints  and  sages,  the  Vedas  and 
Pur^nas,  all  say  there  is  nothing  so  difficult  of  attainment 
as  wisdom.  But  the  saint  told  you,  father,  that  there  is 
nothing  so  estimable  as  faith.  Explain  to  me,  most  gracious 
lord,  all  the  difference  between  faith  and  wisdom."  The 
sagacious  crow  was  pleased  to  hear   Garur's  question    and 


THE    SEQUEL.  699 

courteously  replied  :  There  is  no  difference  between  faith 
and  wisdom  ;  both  put  an  end  to  the  troubles  incident ;  to 
existence.  There  is  no  discrepency,  Sir,  in  the  saint's 
doctrine  ;  give  me  your  attention,  0  noblest  of  birds,  while 
I  explain  the  matter.  Wisdom,  asceticism,  abstraction  and 
science  — mark  me,  Garur — are  all  masculine.  Now  the 
masculine  character  is  altogether  strong,  while  the  femi- 
nine is  weak  and  naturally  inferior. 

Doha  112.         '  ' 

The  man  who  can  forswear  woman  must  be  self-re- 
strained and  resolute  ;  not  a  sensual  voluptuary  without  any 
regard  for  Hari's  feet.  >^ 

Sorathd  12.   ^"^ 

Even  such  a  saint  and  philosopher,  Garur,  is  distracted 
at  the  sight  of  a  woman,  with  her  fawn-like  eyes  and  moon 
bright  face.     Now  creation's  bride  is  manifested  as  May^. 

Chaupdi. 

Here  I  maintain  no  private  theory  of  my  own.  I  only 
declare  the  doctrine  of  the  Vedas,  Purdnas  and  the  saints. 
Delusion  is  not  feminine,  though  of  feminine  appearance  ; 
this,  Garur,  is  a  strange  proceeding.  But  observe  ;  May  it 
and  Faith  are  both  of  the  faminine  gender,  as  every  one 
knows.  Again,  Faith  is  beloved  of  Rd,ma,  while  he  regards 
Maya  as  a  mere  dancinggirl.  Rjima  being  thus  amiable  to 
Faith,  Mayd  is  greatly  afraid  of  her.  Rdma's  Faith  is  in- 
comparable and  illimitable,  and  he  in  whose  heart  she 
abides  is  ever  blessed.  Maya  at  the  sight  of  her  is  con- 
founded and  can  do  nothing  of  her  own  power.  Knowing 
this,  the  most  enlightened  sages  attest  Faith  to  be  the  source 
of  every  blessing. 

Dohci  113. 

'  This  mystery  of  Raghunath's  no  one   can    grasp   all   at 

once  ;  whoever,  by  his  favour,  does  comprehend  it  is  never 

even  in  sleep  subject  to  any  delusion.  Further  now,  hearken 

with   your   best   intelligence   to   the   distinction    between 


700  THE   SEQUEL. 

Wisdom   and  Faith,  by  the  hearing  of  which  is  induced  an 
imperishable  devotion  to  Rdma's  feet. 

Ghaupdi, 
Attend,  my  son,  to  this  unutterable  utterance,  which  is 
in  truth  incapable  of  expression  though  it  may  be  mentally 
conceived.  The  soul  is  a  particle  of  the  divinity,  immortal, 
intelligent,  pure  and  naturally,  blissful.  But,  Sir,  being 
overcome  by  May^,  it  is  caught,  as  it  were  a  parrot  or  mon- 
key.^ The  enfeebled  intellect  is  bound  with  a  knot,  which 
though  imaginary  is  difficult  to  untie.  Thus  the  soul  be- 
comes worldly  ;  there  is  no  loosing  the  knot  and  it  knows 
no  happiness.  The  Vedas  and  Purdnas  have  declared 
many  remedies  ;  but  there  is  no  getting  free,  the  entangle- 
ment is  rather  increased.  The  interior  of  the  soul  is  full 
of  the  darkness  of  delusion  and  it  cannot  see  how  the  knot 
can  be  untied.  When  God  brings  about  such  a  com- 
plication, escape  is  problematical.  If  by  Hari's  favour  a 
spirit  of  sincere  piety  like  a  beautiful  cow  comes  and  dwells 
in  the  heart,  the  prayers,  penance  and  fasts  and  all  the 
religious  observances  and  acts  of  devotion  which  the  Vedas 
have  inculcated  as  meritorious  practices  are,  as  it  were,  a 
•green  pasture  for  the  cow  to  graze  in.  The  calf  which 
fills  her  teats  with  milk  is  love ;  the  heel-rope  with 
which  she  is  bound  is  the  spirit  of  quietism,  the  milk  bowl 
faith,  and  the  herdsman  who  tends  her  a  spotless  soul. 
After  drawing  off  the  milk  of  sound  religion,  it  is  set  to 
boil  on  the  fire  of  continence.  Forbearance  then  cools  it 
with   the   breath   of  patience;    and    perseverance   is   the 

1  The  allusion  is  to  two  modes  of  catching  parrots  and  monkeys,  which, 
Whether  ever  really  practised  or  not,  have  at  all  events  passed  into  a 
proverb.  A  stick  with  a  bait  at  the  end  and  a  string  attached  to  it  is  so  set 
in  the  ground  that  it  revolves  from  the  weight  of  the  parrot  when  it  lights 
upon  it,  and  the  bird  confused  by  the  motion  fancies  it  is  entangled  in  the 
string,  though  it  is  really  loose  and  might  fly  away  if  it  tried.  For  the  monkey 
a  large  jar  with  a  narrow  mouth  is  sunk  in  the  ground  full  of  grain  ;  the 
monkey  puts  in  his  paw  and  clutches  a  handful,  but  being  unable  to  draw  out 
his  closed  fist  on  account  of  the  smallness  of  the  jar's  mouth,  he  fancies  him- 
self caught,  though  if  he  opened  his  hand  he  could  extricate  it  immediately. 
Two  apt  illustrations  are  thus  afforded  of  the  way  in  which  man  allows  him- 
self be  caught  by  delusive  phenomena, 


THE   SEQUEL.  701 

rennet  that  coagulates  it  into  curds.  Contentment  is 
the  maid  who  churns  it  in  the  bowl  of  discretion,  with 
self-restraint  for  the  stick,  and  truth  and  good  words  for  the 
cord.  By  such  churning  is  produced  the  butter  of  pure, 
excellent  and  holy  asceticism.  .     j^r'^ 

DohdlU.  '*\*' 
After  kindling  the  flame  of  meditation  and  applying 
actions  both  good  and  bad,  Intelligence  allows  the  ghi  of 
wisdom  to  cool,  but  burns  all  the  scum  of  selfishness  in 
the  fire.  Then  Intelligence,  master  of  highest  wisdom, 
takes  absolutely  pure  ghi,  and  filling  with  it  the  lamp  of 
the  soul  sets  it  on  the  stand  of  equanimity.  ^Then  extract- 
ing from  the  cotton  the  soul's  three  conditions^  and 
the  three  properties,  it  works  up  the  clean  fibre  of  the 
fourth  state  and  fashions  it  into  an  excellent  candle. 

Sorathd  13.  ^^,  >  * 
In  this  manner   is  kindled  a  splendid    torch   of  science 
and    the  gnat-like  swarms  of  vanity  and   other    vices  on 
approaching  it  are  consumed  by  it. 

Chaupdi. 
The  unalterable  persuasion  of  the  identification  of  the 
soul  with  God  is  its  pre-eminently  brilliant  flame,  and  the 
happiness  that  results  from  this  knowledge  of  self  is  the 
light  it  diffuses,  by  which  it  destroys  the  erroneous  dis- 
tinctions which  are  born  of  the  world.  Delusion  and  all 
the  other  forms  of  darkness  that  attend  upon  tyrant  Igno- 
rance are  utterly  dispersed.  Thus  Intelligence  having 
procured  a  light2  sits  in  the  chamber  of  the  heart  and  tries 

1  According  to  the  Veilantists  the  three  ordinary  conditions  of  the  soul 
are  waking,  dreaming  and  profound  dreamless  sleep.  The  fourth  is  the 
state  of  abstraction  in  which  it  is  permanent  inciistinguishable  from  the 
Supreme  Spirit.  When  awake,  it  has  to  do  with  the  visible  and  material 
world  ;  while  asleep  with  the  world  of  illusion;  and  when  in  dreamless  sleep, 
it  is  temporarily  enfolded  as  it  were  in  the  soul  of  the  universe. 

2  This  is  a  paraphrase  of  a  passage  in  the  Vedanta-Sdra.  "  When  the 
understanding,  free  from  the  four  hindrances  (mental  inactivity,  distraction 
passion  and  propensity  to  pleasure)  and  motionless  as  a  lamp  sheltered  from 
the  wind,  thus  becomes  the  infinite  intelligence  only,  then  is  realized  that 
which  is  called  undifferentiated  meditation. 


702  THE   SEQUEL. 

to  loosen  the  knot ;  should  he  succeed  in  untying  it,  the 
soul  obtains  its  object.  But  when  Mayd,  0  Ganir,  sees 
him  loosening  the  knot,  she  creates  many  difficulties  and 
sends  forth,  Sir,  innumerable  elves  and  fairies  to  excite  his 
concupiscence.  In  some  way  or  other,  by  force  or  by  fraud, 
they  get  near  and  try  to  put  out  the  lamp  by  a  side  puff. 
If  Intelligence  is  altogether  wise,  he  perceives  their  hostile 
intent  and  will  not  look  at  them.  Should  he  escape  free 
from  this  danger,  the  gods  then  proceed  to  attack  him. 
The  faculties  of  sense  are  so  many  portals,  at  each  of  which 
a  god  sits  on  guard.  When  they  see  any  sensual  air  stir- 
ring, they  at  once  throw  the  doors  wide  open.  If  the  blast 
penetrates  the  chamber  of  the  soul,  it  forthwith  extinguish- 
es the  lamp  of  knowledge.  When  its  light  is  put  out, 
there  is  no  untying  the  knot,  for  Intelligence  is  undone  by 
^^  this  blast  of  sensuality.  Neither  the  senses  nor  the  gods 
approve  of  wisdom  ;  they  are  always  inclined  to  sensual 
enjoyment.  When  Intelligence  has  been  thus  fooled  by 
the  breath  of   sensuality,   who  can  light  the  lamp  again  as 

before  ?  ^' 

T>oU  115.   '^ 

Then  the  soul  is  again  subjected  to  all  the  manifold 
miseries  of  transmigration.  0  Garur,  Hari's  delusive  power 
is  a  trackless  ocean  that  none  can  traverse.  Wisdom  is 
difficult  to  describe,  difficult  to  understand,  difficult  to  mas- 
ter, and  if  by  any  lucky  chance  a  right  judgment  be  formed, 
still  many  impediments  block  the  way. 

The  path  of  wisdom  is  like  the  edge  of  a  scimitar  ;  for 
those  who  fall  on  it,  Garur,  there  is  no  escape.  If  any  tra- 
verse the  path  in  spite  of  its  difficulty,  they  attain  to  the 
supreme  sphere  of  beatitude.  But  this  exalted  felicity  is 
immensely  hard  of  attainment,  as  is  declared  by  the  saints, 
the  PurAnas,  the  Vedas  and  all  the  Scriptures.  By  the 
worship  of  Rima,  Sir,  salvation  comes  freely  of  its  own 
accord.     As  water  cannot   stay  without  some  support,  how- 


THE   SEQUEL.  703 

ever  much  you  may  try  to  make  it ;  in  like  manner,  mark 
me,  Garur,  the  joy  of  final  salvation  cannot  be  secured  with- 
out the  worship  of  Hari.  The  wisest  of  Hari's  worshippers 
know  this,  and  thinking  lightly  of  the  soul's  deliverance 
from  the  body  crave  rather  for  faith.  By  faith,  without 
any  trouble  or  difficulty,  the  ignorance  that  arises  from  mun- 
dane existence  is  utterly  abolished.  Eating  is  for  the 
sake  of  satiety,  but  it  is  the  heat  of  the  belly  that  digests 
what  is  eaten  ;  in  like  manner  the  worship  of  Hari  gives 
immediate  relief.  A  man  must  be  a  fool  indeed  who  does  not 

delight  in  it. 

DohdlW.     ^7 -v-cj.^  ir 

Except  by  the  good  favour  of  the  worshipped,  it  is   not 

possible,  Garur,    for  any    worshipper  to   escape  from    exis-    ^ 

tence  ;  worship  then  the  lotus  feet  of  R^ma,    knowing   this 

to  be  the  end  of  all  theology.    With  Raghundth  is  the  power 

to  make  the  living  dead  and  the  dead  alive  ;  blessed  are  the 

souls  that  worship  him. 

Chaupdi. 

I  have  thus  stated  and  expounded  the  theory  of  Science; 
hear  now  the  virtue  of  the  jewel  Faith  Faith  in  Rama  is 
a  glorious  philosopher's  stone  ;  in  whose-ever  heart  it  dwells, 
Garur,  there  night  and  day  is  an  infinite  splendour,  a  lamp  5 
that  never  requires  to  be  fed  with  oil.  Delusion  and  poverty 
come  not  near  ;  no  blast  of  covetousness  ever  extinguishes 
it.  The  gloom  of  overpowering  ignorance  is  dispersed ;  the 
swarms  of  gnats  are  all  destroyed.  Neither  vile  lust  nor 
any  other  vice  approaches  the  soul  in  which  faith  abides.  It 
changes  poison  to  ambrosia,  enemies  to  friends,  and  without 
this  jewel  no  one  can  attain  to  happiness.  Those  grievous 
mental  diseases,  by  the  influence  of  which  all  living  crea- 
tures are  rendered  miserable,  have  no  effect  upon  him  in 
whose  heart  is  the  jewel  of  Faith  ;  not  even  in  a  dream  can 
he  feel  the  slightest  atom  of  pain.  They  are  truly  paragons 
of  wisdom  in  the  world  who  labour  persistently  to  secure 
this  jewel.  Though  it  be  revealed  on  earth,  without  Rdma's 


704  THE  SEQUEL. 

grace  noue  can  find  it.  There  is  an  easy  device  for  finding 
it,  but  luckless  wights  go  on  wrangling.  The  Vedas  and 
Purinas  are  the  holy  mountain,  the  legends  of  Rama  its 
many  glorious  mines  :  the  pious  are  the  discoverers,  and 
good  counsel  is  their  pick-axe,  while  wisdom  and  asceticism, 
Garur,  are  their  eyes.  Any  creature  who  searches  with  a 
will  can  find  the  jewel,  faith  ;  in  itself  a  mine  of  every 
blessing.  I  have  in  my  mind  persuasion  of  this.  Sir,  that 
one  of  RAma's  servants  is  greater  than  Rdma  himself. 
Rdma  is  the  sea,  the  good  and  pious  are  the  rain-clouds. 
Hari  is  the  sandal-tree  and  the  saints  are  the  winds  that 
diffuse  its  perfume.  Faith  in  Hari  is  a  delight  and  the 
crown  of  all  desire,  but  it  cannot  be  had  without  the  saints. 
Any  one,  Garur,  who  understands  this  and  communes  with 
the  saints  will  find  faith  in  R6ma  easy  of  attainment. 

Dohd  117.  A ''A 
The  Supreme  Spirit  is  the  ocean,  wisdom  is  mount 
Mandara  and  the  saints  are  the  gods,  while  the  sacred  le- 
gends are  the  nectar  which  they  churn  out  having  faith  for 
its  sweetness.  Again,  self-control  is  the  shield,  and  wisdom 
the  sword,  with  which  faith  in  Hari  slays  his  enemies.  Pride, 
Greed  and  Delusion,  and  wins  the  victory  ;  take  thought, 
0  king  of  the  birds,  and  see  if  it  be  not  so." 

Chaupdi. 
Garur  asked  further  in  loving  tones:  "Since,  my  lord, 
you  are  pleased  to  be  gracious  to  me,  acknowledge  me  as 
your  disciple  and  resolve  me  these  seven  questions.  Tell  me 
first,  0  staunchest  of  the  faithful,  what  form  is  the  most 
difficult  of  all  to  obtain.  Next  consider  and  explain  briefly 
what  is  the  greatest  pain  and  the  highest  pleasure.  Tell  me 
also  the  essential  characteristics  both  of  the  good  and  of  the 
evil,  for  this  is  a  secret  you  understand.  Tell  me  further 
what  is  the  highest  religious  merit  as  made  known  in  the 
Scriptures,  and  what  the  most  awful  sin.  In  your  infinite 
wisdom  and   supreme   compassion   explain    to  me  also  the 


THE    SEQtTEL.  705 

diseases  of  the  soul."  "  Listen,  my  son,  with  the  greatest 
reverence  and  devotion,  while  I  briefly  expound  this  scheme 
of  doctrine.  The  human  form  is  the  most  excellent  of  all, 
and  the  desire  of  every  living  creature,  whether  moving  or 
motionless.  It  is  the  ladder  that  connects  hell  and  heaven 
and  final  emancipation  and  is  the  bestower  of  the  blessings 
of  wisdom,  continence  and  faith.  Men  who  have  attained 
to  this  form  and  yet  do  not  worship  Hari  show  them- 
selves, in  their  infatuation  for  the  world,  greater  fools  than 
any  fool  living,  clutching  at  bits  of  glass  while  they  throw 
away  the  philosopher's  stone  which  they  had  in  their 
hands.  There  is  no  pain  in  the  world  so  great  as  poverty 
and  no  pleasure  like  that  which  results  from  communion 
with  the  saints.  It  is  an  essential  characteristic  of  the  good, 
Garur,  to  be  charitable  to  others,  in  thought,  word  and 
indeed.  The  good  take  pains  to  help  their  neighbours,  but 
wicked  wretches  to  trouble  them.  The  good  in  their 
compassionateness  resemble  the  birch  tree^  and  constantly 
submit  to  the  greatest  distress  in  order  to  benefit  others.  The 
wicked,  like  the  hemp,  have  their  skin  flayed  off  and  perish 
in  agony,  merely  to  supply  cords  to  bind  people.  Observe, 
Garur  ;  the  wicked  do  mischief,  even  when  they  have  no 
object  of  their  own  to  gain,  like  a  serpent  or  a  rat.  They 
would  kill  themselves  to  ruin  another's  prosperity,  like  the 
hail  which  dissolves  after  destroying  the  crops.  The  rising 
of  the  wicked  is  as  much  a  cause  of  calamity  to  the  world 
as  that  of  the  famous  planet  Ketu  is  known  to  be.  The 
rise  of  the  good  is  ever  productive  of  happiness,  as  when 
the  moon  rejoices  the  world  by  scattering  the  darkness. 
The  highest  religious  merit  as  declared  in  the  Scriptures 
is  to  do  no  harm  to  any  creature ;  and  there  is  no  sin  so 
heinous  as  the  abuse  of  another.  He  who  abuses  Hari  or 
his  Guru  becomes  a  frog  and  is  born  a  thousand  times 
in  that  form.     He  who  abuses  a  Brahman,    after   suffering 

1   The   bark  of   which   is    employed    as    paper    and   for   other    useful 
purposes  and  after  being  torn  off  the  tree  is  again  renewed. 

R— 92 


706  THE   SEQUEL. 

in  many  Hells,  will  be  born  into  the  world  in  the 
form  of  a  crow.  They  who  have  the  presumption  to  abuse 
the  gods  or  the  Scriptures  will  fall  into  the  hell  called 
Kaurava.  They  who  delight  to  abuse  the  saints  will  be 
changed  into  owls,  as  loving  the  night  of  error  and  hating 
the  sun  of  knowledge.  The  fools  who  abuse  every  one 
will  be  born  again  as  bats.  Hearken  now,  my  son,  to  the 
diseases  of  the  soul  from  which  all  people  suffer  pain.  De- 
lusion is  the  root  of  all  ailments  and  from  these  again  spring 
many  pains.  The  flatulence  of  lust,  the  phlegm  of  in- 
satiable greed,  and  the  bile  of  passion  constantly  inflame 
the  breast,  and  when  these  three  combine,  Sir,  there  re- 
sults a  miserable  paralysis  of  the  whole  system.  Who  can 
tell  the  names  of  all  the  diseases  represented  by  the  various 
obstinate  sensual  cravings  ?  Such  are  the  leprosy  of  selfish- 
ness, the  itch  of  envy,  the  rheumatic  throbs  of  joy  and 
sorrow,  the  consumption  that  burns  at  the  sight  of  an- 
other's prosperity,  the  horrible  open  sore  of  a  malignant 
spirit,  the  excruciating  gout  of  egoism,  the  sciatica  of 
heresy,  hypocrisy,  vanity  and  pride,  the  terrible  leprosy  of 
greed,  the  violent  tertian  ague  of  the  three  kinds  of  cove- 
tousness,^  the  two  fevers  of  jealousy  and  indiscrimination  ; 
but  why  continue  the  interminable  list  of  diseases  ? 

Dohd  118.    Tt»  ^'    ^ 

A  man  dies  even  of  one  disease  ;  but  these  incurable 
diseases  which  constantly  harass  the  soul  are  many  in 
number,  how  then  can  it  find  rest  ?  Pious  and  religious 
observances  penance,  meditation,  sacrifice,  prayer  and 
almsgiving  are  so  many  different  remedies  ;  2  but  the 
disease,  Garur,  does  not  abate. 


1  The  three  things  not  to  be  coveted  are  another  man's  wife,  wealth 
and  good  name. 

2  The  pessimistic,  views,  ns  expressed  above,  have  been  revived  in 
an  exaggerated  form  by  Schopenhauer  and  the  modern  European  Bud- 
dhists, who  hold  that  life  is  necessarily  a  state  of  suffering.  For  the  only  reali- 
ty is  Will,  I.  e.  a  blind  force  pervading  the  universe,  the  Greek  avarky.  This 
is  primarily  unconscious  and  only  manifested  in  the  species  by  actions,  which 


THE    SEQUEL.  707 

Chaupdi, 
Thus  every  creature  in  the  world  is  diseased,  destracted 
alternately  by  sorrow  and  joy,  by  fear  and  love.  I  have 
mentioned  only  some  of  the  diseases  of  the  soul ;  they 
touch  every  one,  but  few  only  detect  them.  On  detec- 
tion the  wretches  diminish  somewhat,  but  these  tormentors 
of  the  faithful  are  not  completely  destroyed.  They  spring 
up  even  in  the  soul  of  a  saint,  if  fed  on  the  unwholesome 
diet  of  materialism  ;  how  much  more  in  that  of  an  ordinary 
man  ?  By  the  grace  of  R^ma  every  disease  is  extirpated, 
if  the  treatment  is  conducted  in  the  following  manner, 
with  a  holy  teacher  for  physician,  faith  for  a  prescription, 
contempt  of  the  world  for  regimen,  devotion  to  Hari  for 
life-giving  drug  and  a  soul  full  of  faith  for  the  vehicle  in 
which  it  is  administered.  By  this  treatment  the  disease 
is  easily  subdued  :  otherwise  all  your  efforts  go  for  nothing. 
You  may  know.  Sir,  that  the  mind  is  free  from  disease 
as  soon  as  it  gains  strength  in  self-control,  with  a  daily 
increasing  appetite  for  good  resolutions  and  disappearance 
of  the  weakness  of  material  hopes.  After  bathing  in  the 
pure  stream  of  divine  knowledge,  the  whole  soul  is  suffused 
with  faith  in  Rdma.  This,  0  king  of  the  birds,  is  the 
doctrine  of  Siva,  Brahma,  Sukadeva,  Sanat-Kumdra, 
Narad  and  all  the  sages,  who  have  been  eminent  in  theolo- 
gical speculation  ;  '  Practise  devotion  to  Rama's  lotas  feet.' 
The  Vedas  and  Pur^nas  and  all  the  Scriptures  declare 
that  without  faith  in  Rdma  there  is  no  happiness.  It  would 

tend  to  the  conservation  of  the  individual  and  serve  to  prolong  the  life  of  the 
species.  Will  is  thus  the  will  to  live  ;  life  being  thar  for  which  everything 
pants  and  labours.  To  will  is,  therefore,  to  strive,  and  to  strive  is  to  suffer. 
Our  nature  is  thus  a  kind  of  insatiable  thirst,  a  struggle  for  existence  with  the 
certainty  of  being  vanquished.  Hence  the  deductions,  first,  that  all  pleasure 
is  merely  negative,  suffering  alone  positive  ;  and  second,  that  increased  in- 
telligence is  simply  increased  capacity  for  pain  ;  the  world  being  the  worst 
possible  world;  if  it  were  worse,  it  would  cease  to  exist.  The  will  to  live 
ought  therefore  to  be  rooted  out,  and  the  means  to  this  (as  Tulsi  Das  also 
says)  are  voluntary  poverty,  chastity,  and  the  various  practices  of  asceticism. 
But  the  spiritual  faith  and  devotion,  upon  which  the  Hindu  theologian 
insists  as  the  crowning  step  in  the  process,  are  necessarily  ignored  by  the 
modern  school,  with  whom  not  only  is  the  world  of  experience  an  unreality, 
but  the  idea  of  God  also  is  a  mere  dreaw. 


708  THE   SEQUEL. 

be  easier  for  water  to  stay  on  the  back  of  a  tortoise,  or  for 
the  son  of  a  childless  woman  to  be  slain,  or  for  flowers  of 
every  description  to  bloom  in  the  air,  than  for  any  creature 
to  be  happy  in  opposition  to  Hari.  Sooner  shall  thirst  be 
satisfied  by  drinking  of  a  mirage,  or  horns  sprout  on  the 
head  of  a  hare,  or  darkness  extinguish  the  sun,  than  any 
creature  finds  happiness  if  he  has  Rdma  against  him. 
Sooner  shall  fire  appear  out  of  ice  than  any  one  oppose 
Rdma  and  yet  find  happiness. 

Doha  119.  ^'*'' 
vSooner  shall  butter  be  produced  by  churning  water,  or 
oil  come  out  of  sand,  than  the  ocean  of  existence  be  travers- 
ed without  prayer  to  Hari  :  this  is  an  indisputable  conclu- 
sion. The  Lord  can  change  a  gnat  into  Brahma,  or  make 
Brahma  himself  even  less  than  a  gnat.  A  wise  man  will 
consider  this  and  discard  all  doubt  and  worship  R^ma. 

Slokd5.     ^i-*^ 
I  declare   to  you    as   an  established    truth,  and   I  have 
nothing   to  say   as  against  it,  that  they  who  worship  Hari 
can  alone  traverse  the  impassable. 

Ghaupdi. 
I  have  told  you,  my  lord,  Hari's  unparalleled  achieve- 
ments, in  full  or  in  brief  as  my  ability  served  me,  and  this 
Garur,  is  the  crowning  dogma  of  the  Scriptures  to  aban- 
don sensuality  and  worship  Rdma.  Whom  else  can  you 
serve  if  you  forsake  the  Lord  Raghupati,  who  was  compas- 
sionate even  to  such  a  wretch  as  myself.  You  are  wisdom 
itself  and  superior  to  delusion,  but  you  showed  me,  my 
lord,  a  great  kindness  in  that  you  asked  me  for  Rdma's 
history,  which  is  so  holy  that  it  delights  the  soul  even  of 
Rukadeva  and  Sanat-Kumdra  and  Sambhu.  The  company 
of  the  good  is  hard  to  get  in  the  world,  even  for  once  only 
and  for  a  single  moment.  See,  Garur,  and  consider  for 
yourself  ;  I  am  now  a  master  in  the  worship  of  Raghu-bir  ; 
though  I  was  the  vilest  of  birds  and  in  every  way  abomin- 
able, the  T^rd  has  made  me  famous  as  a  purifier  of  the  world. 


THE    SEQUEL.  709 

Dohd  120.  7  "  "^'^ 
Blessed,  blessed  indeed  am  I  to-day  not  withstanding 
ray  meanness  ;  for  Rdma  has  acknowledged  me  as  one  of 
his  own  servants  and  has  admitted  me  to  the  communion 
of  the  saints.  I  have  spoken,  my  lord,  according  to  mj 
ability  and  have  concealed  nothing  ;  but  Rama's  doings  are 
a  very  ocean  ;  who  can  find  the  bottom  of  them  ?  " 

Ghaupdi. 

As  he  pondered  on  Rdma's  manifold  perfections,  the 
all-wise  Bhusundi  was  yet  more  and  more  enraptured. 
"  He,  whose  greatness  the  Scriptures  have  declared  to  be 
unutterable,  whose  might  and  majesty  and  dominion  are 
unbounded,  whose  feet  are  adored  by  Siva,  and  Brdhma, 
even  he  Raghu-r^i,  has  in  his  infinite  compassion  shown 
favour  to  me.  Never  have  I  seen  or  heard  of  such  benig- 
nity ;  to  whom,  0  Garur,  can  I  compare  R^ma  ?  Miracle- 
working  saints,  deified  anchorites,  inspired  bards  and  rigid 
ascetics,  spiritualists,  doctors,  self-mortified  divines  and  the 
wisest  and  most  religious  of  philosophers,  can  none  of  them 
escape  but  by  serving  my  lord  ;  again  and  again  and  yet 
again  I  bow  myself  before  Rdm a.  I  worship  the  Immortal, 
with  whom  all  who  take  refuge  are  sanctified,  though  even 
guiltier  than  I.  ^       , 

Dohv  121.        V^  r-^* 

He  whose  name  is  an  elixir  of  life,  the  healer  of  every 
kind  of  trouble,  may  he  in  his  mercy  remain  ever  gracious 
both  to  me  and  to  thee."  Hearing  Bhusundi's  words  and 
perceiving  his  admirable  devotion  to  Rama's  feet,  Garur 
replied  in  loving  tones  and  with  every  doubt  at  an  end  : 
Ghaupdi. 

"  By  your  discourse  I  have  attained  my  end,  now  that 
I  have  learnt  the  delectable  doctrine  of  faith  in  Rdma.  My 
love  to  his  feet  increases  ever  more  and  more,  and  the  trouble 
created  by  May^  is  clean  gone.  You  have  been  my  raft  in 
the  sea  of  delusion  and  have  bestowed  on  me,  my  lord,  the 


710  THK   SEQUEL. 

most  exquisite  delight.  I  can  in  no  way  requite  you  ;  but 
again  and  again  I  prostrate  myself  at  your  feet.  Full  to 
overflowing  with  love  for  Rdma  you  are  so  blessed,  Sire, 
that  none  can  equal  you.  Saints,  trees,  rivers,  mountains 
and  the  earth,  all  operate  for  the  good  of  others.  The 
heart  of  the  saints  is  like  butter  ;  so  the  poets  say,  but 
they  say  not  well  ;  for  butter  melts  when  itself  is  tried  by 
the  fire,  but  the  saints  are  so  good  that  they  melt  at  others' 
trials.  Now  has  my  life  become  worth  living,  for  by  your 
favour  my  doubts  have  disappeared.  Regard  me  ever  as 
your  servant."  Again  and  again,  0  Umd,  thus  spake  the 
noblest  of  birds.  ^  A  ^ 

Doha  122.  '>n 
After  affectionately  bowing  his  head  at  his  feet,  Garur 
proceeded  toVaikunth,  with  Rdma's  image  impressed  upon 
his  heart.  0  Girij^,  there  is  no  blessing  like  that  of  com- 
munion with  the  saints  ;  it  is  attainable  only  by  Hari's 
grace  ;  so  the  Vedas  and  PurAnas  declare. 

Chaupdi. 

I  have  now  finished  the  all-holy  history,  by  the  hearing 
of  which  the  bonds  of  existence  are  loosened,  a  very  tree  of 
Paradise  abounding  in  mercies  for  all  who  approach  it  and 
stimulating  a  devotion  to  RAma's  lotus  feet.  Sins  engen- 
dered of  thought,  word  and  deed  are  all  absolved  in  those 
who  listen  attentively  to  this  legend.  Pilgrimages  to  shrines, 
recourse  to  all  the  means  of  grace,  meditation,  self-control, 
perfection  in  wisdom,  works  of  religious  merit,  devotional 
practices,  fasting  and  almsgiving,  continence,  temperance, 
prayer,  penance  and  manifold  sacrifices,  tender-heartedness 
to  all  living  creatures,  ministering  to  Br^hmans  and  Gurus, 
learning,  morality  and  exalted  intelligence,  in  short  all  the 
forms  of  discipline,  which  the  Vedas  have  recommended, 
have  but  one  aim,  Bhav^ni,  viz.j  devotion  to  RAma.  To 
such  devotion —as  the  Scriptures  describe  it  — scarce  any 
has  attained  and  then  only  by  Rama's  favour, 


THE   SEQUEL.  711 

Dohd  123.     y^^ 

But  though  the  patriarchs  found  it  scarce  attainable, 
any  one  can  now  easily  acquire  it,  by  the  repeated  hearing 
of  this  history,  if  only  he  believes. 

Ghaupdi. 

He  is  all-wise,  he  is  an  accomplished  scholar,  he  is  re- 
nowned throughout  the  world  for  learning  and  beneficence, 
he  is  truly  pious  and  his  kinsfolk's  saviour,  whose  soul  is 
enamoured  of  Rdma's  feet.  He  is  perfect  in  morality  and 
supremely  intelligent  ;  he  has  a  thorough  understanding  of 
scriptural  doctrine  ;  he  is  an  inspired  bard  and  a  man  of 
fixed  purpose,  who  without  hypocrisy  worships  Raghu-bir. 
Blessed  is  the  land  where  the  Ganges  flows  ;  blessed  is  the 
wife  who  is  faithful  to  her  husband  ;  blessed  is  the 
king  who  governs  justly  ;  blessed  is  the  Brdhman  who 
swerves  not  from  his  duty  ;  blessed  is  the  wealth  which 
is  used  to  the  best  advantage  ;  blessed  is  the  creed  which 
most  conduces  to  works  of  piety  ;  blessed  is  the  hour 
which  brings  communion  with  the  saints  :  blessed  is  the 
life  which  is  staunch  in  devotion  to  the  twice-born. 

Doha  124.      ";"  '' 

Blessed  is  the  family,  yea  — mark  me,  Uma  -  worthy   of 
veneration  throughout  the  world  and  truly  holy,    in    which 
is  born  a  humble  worshipper  of  the  divine  Raghu-blr. 
Chaupdi. 

Though  at  first  I  kept  it  secret,  I  have  now  to  the  best 
of  my  ability  told  you  the  whole  story.  I  saw  the  extreme 
devotion  of  your  soul,  and  it  is  for  this  reason  that  I  have 
declared  to  you  Rama's  history.  It  is  not  to  be  repeated  to 
any  perverse  wretch,  who  will  not  give  his  mind  to  under- 
stand the  tale  of  Hari's  sportive  manifestations,  nor  to  any 
covetous,  choleric  or  sensual  person,  who  worships  not  the 
lord  of  all  animate  and  inanimate  creation.  Neither  must 
it  ever  be  told  to  a  persecutor  of  the  Brdhmans,  even 
should  he  be  as  great  a  king  as  Indra.    They  are  fit  for  in- 


712  THK    SEQUEL. 

struction  in  Rdma's  history,  who  dearly  love  the  commu- 
nion of  the  saints,  who  have  a  great  affection  for  the  feet 
of  their  Guru  and  the  precepts  of  morality  and  are  sub- 
missive to  the  Br^hmans  :  these  are  fit  recipients.  But  he 
will  derive  a  special  delight  from  it  who  loves  R^ma  as    he 

loves  his  own  life.  . 

Dohd  125.    ^'^^ 

Whoever  wishes  to  love  Rama's  feet  or  to  attain  to  final 
deliverance  should  devoutly  fill  the  pitchers  of  his  ears 
with  the  water  of  this  legend. 

Ghaup4i. 

The  story  of  Rdma,  as  I  have  now  told  it  you,  0  Um^, 
has  power  to  subdue  the  impurity  of  this  evil  age  and  to 
remove  all  the  impurities  of  the  soul.  It  is  a  healing  remedy 
for  every  disease  of  life,  as  is  declared  by  those  learned  in 
the  Veda.  It  has  seven  beautiful  ghats,  being  so  many 
steps  towards  faith  in  him.  Only  he  to  whom  Hari  shows 
special  favour  can  set  his  feet  on  this  road.  They  who 
guilelessly  recite  this  history  obtain  success  in  everything 
their  soul  desires.  They  who  hear,  or  repeat  and  gladly 
assent  to  it,  traverse  the  depths  of  existence  as  they  would  a 
mere  puddle  "  Umd  was  greatly  pleased  to  have  heard 
the  whole  history  and  cried  in  joyous  tones  :  "  By  my  lord's 
favour  my  doubts  liave  been  dispelled,  and  my  love  for 
RAma's  feet  has  sprung  up  anew. 

Doha  12Q.      V^^ 

Through  your  grace,  0  lord  of  the  universe,  I  have  now 
attained  my  desire ;  a  firm  faith  in  Rdma  has  resulted  and 
all  my  troubles  are  at  an  end" 

Ghaupdi. 

This  glorious  dialogue  between  Sambhu  and  Uma  is 
fruitful  in  blessings  and  destructive  of  sorrow  ;  it  breaks 
the  bonds  of  existence,  refutes  scepticism  ;  delights  the 
believer  and  is  dear  to  all  good  men  ;  there  is  nothing  in 
the  world  equally  dear  to  a  worshipper  of  Rdma.  By 
Raghupati's  favour  I   have  sung  to   the  best  of  my    ability 


THE   SEQUEL.  713 

his  holy  and  gracious  deeds.  la  this  the  last  age  of  the 
world  there  is  no  other  means  of  salvation,  neither  abstrac- 
tion, sacrifice,  prayer,  penance,  the  paying  of  vows,  nor 
religious  ceremonial.  Think  only  of  Rima,  sing  only  of 
Ram^,  give  ear  only  to  Rdma's  infinite  perfections.  Let  the 
soul  give  over  its  perversity  and  worship  him  whose  special 
characteristic  it  is  to  sanctify  the  fallen,  as  is  declared  by 
saints  and  seers,  by  Veda  and  Pur^nas  :  is  there  any  one 
who  has  worshipped  Rama  and  not  found  salvation  ? 

Chhand  12. 
Hearken,  0  dull  of  soul ;  is  there  any  creature  who  has 
worshipped  Rama,  the  purifier  of  the  fallen,  and  not  found 
salvation  ?  The  wretches  whom  he  has  redeemed  are 
countless,  such  as  the  harlots  Pingald  and  Aj^mil,  the  hunts- 
man Valmiki,  the  vulture  Jatdyu  and  the  elephant.^  An 
Abhir,  a  foreigner,  a  Kirat,  a  Khasia,  are  an  outcast,  em- 
bodiments of  pollution  as  they  are  purified  if  they  but  once 
repeat  his  name ;  O  Rdma,  I  adore  thee.  Any  one  who 
reads,  or  hears,  or  recites  this  history  of  the  glorious  son 
of  Raghu  washes  out  the  stains  of  the  world  and  the  stains 
of  his  own  soul  and  without  any  trouble  goes  straight  to 
Rdma's  sphere  in  heaven.  Any  one  who,  appreciating 
their  beauty,  learns  by  heart  five  or  six  stanzas  is  delivered 
by  the  blessed  Raghubfr  from  all  the  disturbances  created 
by  the  five^  over  whose  councils  the  monster  Ignorance 
presides.  R^^'ma  alone  is  all-beautiful,  all-wise,  full  of 
compassion  and  of  loving-kindness  for  the  destitute,  dis- 
interested in  his  benevolence  and  the  bestower  of  final 
deliverance  ;  whom  else  can  I  desire  ?  There  is  no  other 
lord  like  R^ma,  by  whose  favour,  however  slight,  even  I, 
the  dullwitted  Tulsi  Das,  have  found  perfect  peace. 

1  See  page  23  Note  1. 

2  In  this  antithesis  between  the  five  stanzas  and  the  five  members  of 
council,  who  are  not  specifically  designated,  the  latter  would  seem  to  stand 
for  five  senses. 


714  THE  SEQUEL.  ^  . 

Dohd  127.  -/^ 
There  is  no  one  so  poor  as  I  am  and  no  one  so  gracious 
to  the  poor  as  you,  0  Raghu-bir  :  remember  this,  0  glory 
of  the  race  of  Raghu,  and  rid  me  of  the  grievous  burden 
of  existence.  As  a  lover  loves  his  mistress  and  as  a  miser 
loves  his  money,  so  for  ever  and  ever  may  R^ma  be  beloved 
by  me. 


[Thus  endeth  the  Booh  entitled  the  sequel,  a  provoca- 
tive to  steadfast  faith  in  Hari,  bping  the  seventh  descent  into 
the  holy  lake  of  Ramans  deeds^  that  cleanses  from  every 
defilement  of  the  world\ 


[the  end.] 


Printed  by  Kamzan  Ali  ShaH  at  the  National  Press,  Allahabad. 

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