The Ramayana Part 16

Deep let your searching labour reach, A league in depth dug out by each.

The robber of our horse pursue, And please your sire who orders you.

My grandson, I, this priestly train, Till the steed comes, will here remain."

Their eager hearts with transport burned As to their task the heroes turned.

Obedient to their father, they Through earth's recesses forced their way.

With iron arms' unflinching toil Each dug a league beneath the soil.

Earth, cleft asunder, groaned in pain, As emulous they plied amain Sharp-pointed coulter, pick, and bar, Hard as the bolts of Indra are.

Then loud the horrid clamour rose Of monsters dying neath their blows, Giant and demon, fiend and snake, That in earth's core their dwelling make.

They dug, in ire that naught could stay, Through sixty thousand leagues their way, Cleaving the earth with matchless strength Till h.e.l.l itself they reached at length.

Thus digging searched they Jambudvip(184) With all its hills and mountains steep.

Then a great fear began to shake The heart of G.o.d, bard, fiend, and snake, And all distressed in spirit went Before the Sire Omnipotent.

With signs of woe in every face They sought the mighty Father's grace, And trembling still and ill at ease Addressed their Lord in words like these: "The sons of Sagar, Sire benign, Pierce the whole earth with mine on mine, And as their ruthless work they ply Innumerable creatures die.

"This is the thief," the princes say, "Who stole our victim steed away.

This marred the rite, and caused us ill, And so their guiltless blood they spill."

Canto XLI. Kapil.

The father lent a gracious ear And listened to their tale of fear, And kindly to the G.o.ds replied Whom woe and death had terrified: "The wisest Vasudeva,(185) who The Immortals' foe, fierce Madhu, slew, Regards broad Earth with love and pride And guards, in Kapil's form, his bride.(186) His kindled wrath will quickly fall On the king's sons and burn them all.

This cleaving of the earth his eye Foresaw in ages long gone by: He knew with prescient soul the fate That Sagar's children should await."

The Three-and-thirty,(187) freed from fear, Sought their bright homes with hopeful cheer.

Still rose the great tempestuous sound As Sagar's children pierced the ground.

When thus the whole broad earth was cleft, And not a spot unsearched was left, Back to their home the princes sped, And thus unto their father said: "We searched the earth from side to side, While countless hosts of creatures died.

Our conquering feet in triumph trod On snake and demon, fiend and G.o.d; But yet we failed, with all our toil, To find the robber and the spoil.

What can we more? If more we can, Devise, O King, and tell thy plan."

His children's speech King Sagar heard, And answered thus, to anger stirred: "Dig on, and ne'er your labour stay Till through earth's depths you force your way.

Then smite the robber dead, and bring The charger back with triumphing."

The sixty thousand chiefs obeyed: Deep through the earth their way they made.

Deep as they dug and deeper yet The immortal elephant they met, Famed Virupaksha(188) vast of size, Upon whose head the broad earth lies: The mighty beast who earth sustains With s.h.a.ggy hills and wooded plains.

When, with the changing moon, distressed, And longing for a moment's rest, His mighty head the monster shakes, Earth to the bottom reels and quakes.

Around that warder strong and vast With reverential steps they pa.s.sed.

Nor, when the honour due was paid, Their downward search through earth delayed.

But turning from the east aside Southward again their task they plied.

There Mahapadma held his place, The best of all his mighty race, Like some huge hill, of monstrous girth, Upholding on his head the earth.

When the vast beast the princes saw, They marvelled and were filled with awe.

The sons of high-souled Sagar round That elephant in reverence wound.

Then in the western region they With might unwearied cleft their way.

There saw they with astonisht eyes Saumanas, beast of mountain size.

Round him with circling steps they went With greetings kind and reverent.

On, on-no thought of rest or stay- They reached the seat of Soma's sway.

There saw they Bhadra, white as snow, With lucky marks that fortune show, Bearing the earth upon his head.

Round him they paced with solemn tread, And honoured him with greetings kind, Then downward yet their way they mined.

They gained the tract 'twixt east and north Whose fame is ever blazoned forth,(189) And by a storm of rage impelled, Digging through earth their course they held.

Then all the princes, lofty-souled, Of wondrous vigour, strong and bold, Saw Vasudeva(190) standing there In Kapil's form he loved to wear, And near the everlasting G.o.d The victim charger cropped the sod.

They saw with joy and eager eyes The fancied robber and the prize, And on him rushed the furious band Crying aloud, Stand, villain! stand!

"Avaunt! avaunt!" great Kapil cried, His bosom flusht with pa.s.sion's tide; Then by his might that proud array All scorcht to heaps of ashes lay.(191)

Canto XLII. Sagar's Sacrifice.

Then to the prince his grandson, bright With his own fame's unborrowed light, King Sagar thus began to say, Marvelling at his sons' delay: "Thou art a warrior skilled and bold, Match for the mighty men of old.

Now follow on thine uncles' course And track the robber of the horse.

To guard thee take thy sword and bow, for huge and strong are beasts below.

There to the reverend reverence pay, And kill the foes who check thy way; Then turn successful home and see My sacrifice complete through thee."

Obedient to the high-souled lord Grasped Ansuman his bow and sword, And hurried forth the way to trace With youth and valour's eager pace.

On sped he by the path he found Dug by his uncles underground.

The warder elephant he saw Whose size and strength pa.s.s Nature's law, Who bears the world's tremendous weight, Whom G.o.d, fiend, giant venerate, Bird, serpent, and each flitting shade, To him the honour meet he paid With circling steps and greeting due, And further prayed him, if he knew, To tell him of his uncles' weal, And who had dared the horse to steal.

To him in war and council tried The warder elephant replied: "Thou, son of Asamanj, shalt lead In triumph back the rescued steed."

As to each warder beast he came And questioned all, his words the same, The honoured youth with gentle speech Drew eloquent reply from each, That fortune should his steps attend, And with the horse he home should wend.

Cheered with the grateful answer, he Pa.s.sed on with step more light and free, And reached with careless heart the place Where lay in ashes Sagar's race.

Then sank the spirit of the chief Beneath that shock of sudden grief, And with a bitter cry of woe He mourned his kinsmen fallen so.

He saw, weighed down by woe and care, The victim charger roaming there.

Yet would the pious chieftain fain Oblations offer to the slain: But, needing water for the rite, He looked and there was none in sight His quick eye searching all around The uncle of his kinsmen found, King Garu?, best beyond compare Of birds who wing the fields of air.

Then thus unto the weeping man The son of Vinata(192) began: "Grieve not, O hero, for their fall Who died a death approved of all.

Of mighty strength, they met their fate By Kapil's hand whom none can mate.

Pour forth for them no earthly wave, A holier flood their spirits crave.

If, daughter of the Lord of Snow, Ganga would turn her stream below, Her waves that cleanse all mortal stain Would wash their ashes pure again.

Yea, when her flood whom all revere Rolls o'er the dust that moulders here, The sixty thousand, freed from sin, A home in Indra's heaven shall win.

Go, and with ceaseless labour try To draw the G.o.ddess from the sky.

Return, and with thee take the steed; So shall thy grandsire's rite succeed."

Prince Ansuman the strong and brave Followed the rede Supar?a(193) gave.

The glorious hero took the horse, And homeward quickly bent his course.

Straight to the anxious king he hied, Whom l.u.s.tral rites had purified, The mournful story to unfold And all the king of birds had told.

The tale of woe the monarch heard, Nor longer was the rite deferred: With care and just observance he Accomplished all, as texts decree.

The rites performed, with brighter fame, Mighty in counsel, home he came.

He longed to bring the river down, But found no plan his wish to crown.

He pondered long with anxious thought But saw no way to what he sought.

Thus thirty thousand years he spent, And then to heaven the monarch went.

Canto XLIII. Bhagirath.

When Sagar thus had bowed to fate, The lords and commons of the state Approved with ready heart and will Prince Ansuman his throne to fill.