The Ramayana Part 114

To him by toil and sorrow tried The prudent Lakshma? thus replied: "Come, though our labour yet be vain, And search through Janasthan again,- A realm where giant foes abound, And trees and creepers hide the ground.

For there are caverns deep and dread, By deer and wild birds tenanted, And hills with many a dark abyss, Grotto and rock and precipice.

There bright Gandharvas love to dwell, And Kinnars in each bosky dell.

With me thy eager search to aid Be every hill and cave surveyed.

Great chiefs like thee, the best of men, Endowed with sense and piercing ken, Though tried by trouble never fail, Like rooted hills that mock the gale."

Then Rama, pierced by anger's sting, Laid a keen arrow on his string, And by the faithful Lakshma?'s side Roamed through the forest far and wide.

Ja?ayus there with blood-drops dyed, Lying upon the ground he spied, Huge as a mountain's shattered crest, Mid all the birds of air the best.

In wrath the mighty bird he eyed, And thus the chief to Lakshma? cried:

"Ah me, these signs the truth betray; My darling was the vulture's prey.

Some demon in the bird's disguise Roams through the wood that round us lies.

On large-eyed Sita he has fed, And rests him now with wings outspread.

But my keen shafts whose flight is true, Shall pierce the ravenous monster through."

An arrow on the string he laid, And rus.h.i.+ng near the bird surveyed, While earth to ocean's distant side Trembled beneath his furious stride.

With blood and froth on neck and beak The dying bird essayed to speak, And with a piteous voice, distressed, Thus Dasaratha's son addressed:

"She whom like some sweet herb of grace Thou seekest in this lonely place, Fair lady, is fierce Rava?'s prey, Who took, beside, my life away.

Lakshma? and thou had parted hence And left the dame without defence.

I saw her swiftly borne away By Rava?'s might which none could stay.

I hurried to the lady's aid, I crushed his car and royal shade, And putting forth my warlike might Hurled Rava? to the earth in fight.

Here, Rama, lies his broken bow, Here lie the arrows of the foe.

There on the ground before thee are The fragments of his battle car.

There bleeds the driver whom my wings Beat down with ceaseless buffetings.

When toil my aged strength subdued, His sword my weary pinions hewed.

Then lifting up the dame he bare His captive through the fields of air.

Thy vengeful blows from me restrain, Already by the giant slain."

When Rama heard the vulture tell The tale that proved his love so well, His bow upon the ground he placed, And tenderly the bird embraced: Then to the earth he fell o'erpowered, And burning tears both brothers showered, For double pain and anguish pressed Upon the patient hero's breast.

The solitary bird he eyed Who in the lone wood gasped and sighed, And as again his anguish woke Thus Rama to his brother spoke:

"Expelled from power the woods I tread, My spouse is lost, the bird is dead.

A fate so sad, I ween, would tame The vigour of the glorious flame.

If I to cool my fever tried To cross the deep from side to side, The sea,-so hard my fate,-would dry His waters as my feet came nigh.

In all this world there lives not one So cursed as I beneath the sun; So strong a net of misery cast Around me holds the captive fast, Best of all birds that play the wing, Loved, honoured by our sire the king, The vulture, in my fate enwound, Lies bleeding, dying on the ground."

Then Rama and his brother stirred By pity mourned the royal bird, And, as their hands his limbs caressed, Affection for a sire expressed.

And Rama to his bosom strained The bird with mangled wings distained, With crimson blood-drops dyed.

He fell, and shedding many a tear, "Where is my spouse than life more dear?

Where is my love?" he cried.

Canto LXIX. The Death Of Jatayus.

As Rama viewed with heart-felt pain The vulture whom the fiend had slain, In words with tender love impressed His brother chief he thus addressed:

"This royal bird with faithful thought For my advantage strove and fought.

Slain by the fiend in mortal strife For me he yields his n.o.ble life.

See, Lakshma?, how his wounds have bled; His struggling breath will soon have fled.

Faint is his voice, and near to die, He scarce can lift his trembling eye.

Ja?ayus, if thou still can speak, Give, give the answer that I seek.

The fate of ravished Sita tell, And how thy mournful chance befell.

Say why the giant stole my dame: What have I done that he could blame?

What fault in me has Rava? seen That he should rob me of my queen?

How looked the lady's moon-bright cheek?

What were the words she found to speak?

His strength, his might, his deeds declare: And tell the form he loves to wear.

To all my questions make reply: Where does the giant's dwelling lie?"

The n.o.ble bird his glances bent On Rama as he made lament, And in low accents faint and weak With anguish thus began to speak: "Fierce Rava?, king of giant race, Stole Sita from thy dwelling-place.

He calls his magic art to aid With wind and cloud and gloomy shade.

When in the fight my power was spent My wearied wings he cleft and rent.

Then round the dame his arms he threw, And to the southern region flew.

O Raghu's son, I gasp for breath, My swimming sight is dim in death.

E'en now before my vision pa.s.s Bright trees of gold with hair of gra.s.s, The hour the impious robber chose Brings on the thief a flood of woes.

The giant in his haste forgot 'Twas Vinda's hour,(513) or heeded not.

Those robbed at such a time obtain Their plundered store and wealth again.

He, like a fish that takes the bait, In briefest time shall meet his fate.

Now be thy troubled heart controlled And for thy lady's loss consoled, For thou wilt slay the fiend in fight And with thy dame have new delight."

With senses clear, though sorely tried, The royal vulture thus replied, While as he sank beneath his pain Forth rushed the tide of blood again.

"Him,(514) brother of the Lord of Gold, Visravas' self begot of old."

Thus spoke the bird, and stained with gore Resigned the breath that came no more.

"Speak, speak again!" thus Rama cried, With reverent palm to palm applied, But from the frame the spirit fled And to the skiey regions sped.

The breath of life had pa.s.sed away.

Stretched on the ground the body lay.

When Rama saw the vulture lie, Huge as a hill, with darksome eye, With many a poignant woe distressed His brother chief he thus addressed: "Amid these haunted shades content Full many a year this bird has spent.

His life in home of giants pa.s.sed, In Da??ak wood he dies at last.

The years in lengthened course have fled Untroubled o'er the vulture's head, And now he lies in death, for none The stern decrees of Fate may shun.

See, Lakshma?, how the vulture fell While for my sake he battled well.

And strove to free with onset bold My Sita from the giant's hold.

Supreme amid the vulture kind His ancient rule the bird resigned, And conquered in the fruitless strife Gave for my sake his n.o.ble life.

O Lakshma?, many a time we see Great souls who keep the law's decree, With whom the weak sure refuge find, In creatures of inferior kind.

The loss of her, my darling queen, Strikes with a pang less fiercely keen Than now this slaughtered bird to see Who n.o.bly fought and died for me.

As Dasaratha, good and great, Was glorious in his high estate, Honoured by all, to all endeared, So was this royal bird revered.

Bring fuel for the funeral rite: These hands the solemn fire shall light And on the burning pyre shall lay The bird who died for me to-day.

Now on the gathered wood shall lie The lord of all the birds that fly, And I will burn with honours due My champion whom the giant slew.

O royal bird of n.o.blest heart, Graced with all funeral rites depart To bright celestial seats above, Rewarded for thy faithful love.

Dwell in thy happy home with those Whose constant fires of wors.h.i.+p rose.

Live blest amid the unyielding brave, And those who land in largess gave."

Sore grief upon his bosom weighed As on the pyre the bird he laid, And bade the kindled flame ascend To burn the body of his friend.

Then with his brother by his side The hero to the forest hied.