The Ramayana Part 18

Rich, prosperous, and blest were they, And grief and sickness fled away.

Thus, Rama, I at length have told How Ganga came from heaven of old.

Now, for the evening pa.s.ses swift, I wish thee each auspicious gift.

This story of the flood's descent Will give-for 'tis most excellent- Wealth, purity, fame, length of days, And to the skies its hearers raise"

Canto XLV. The Quest Of The Amrit.

High and more high their wonder rose As the strange story reached its close, And thus, with Lakshma?, Rama, best Of Raghu's sons, the saint addressed: "Most wondrous is the tale which thou Hast told of heavenly Ganga, how From realms above descending she Flowed through the land and filled the sea.

In thinking o'er what thou hast said The night has like a moment fled, Whose hours in musing have been spent Upon thy words most excellent: So much, O holy Sage, thy lore Has charmed us with this tale of yore."

Day dawned. The morning rites were done And the victorious Raghu's son Addressed the sage in words like these, Rich in his long austerities: "The night is past: the morn is clear; Told is the tale so good to hear: Now o'er that river let us go, Three-pathed, the best of all that flow.

This boat stands ready on the sh.o.r.e To bear the holy hermits o'er, Who of thy coming warned, in haste, The barge upon the bank have placed."

And Kusik's son approved his speech, And moving to the sandy beach, Placed in the boat the hermit band, And reached the river's further strand.

On the north bank their feet they set, And greeted all the saints they met.

On Ganga's sh.o.r.e they lighted down, And saw Visala's lovely town.

Thither, the princes by his side, The best of holy hermits hied.

It was a town exceeding fair That might with heaven itself compare.

Then, suppliant palm to palm applied, Famed Rama asked his holy guide: "O best of hermits, say what race Of monarchs rules this lovely place.

Dear master, let my prayer prevail, For much I long to hear the tale."

Moved by his words, the saintly man Visala's ancient tale began: "List, Rama, list, with closest heed The tale of Indra's wondrous deed, And mark me as I truly tell What here in ancient days befell.

Ere Krita's famous Age(200) had fled, Strong were the sons of Diti(201) bred; And Aditi's brave children too Were very mighty, good, and true.

The rival brothers fierce and bold Were sons of Kasyap lofty-souled.

Of sister mothers born, they vied, Brood against brood, in jealous pride.

Once, as they say, band met with band, And, joined in awful council, planned To live, unharmed by age and time, Immortal in their youthful prime.

Then this was, after due debate, The counsel of the wise and great, To churn with might the milky sea(202) The life-bestowing drink to free.

This planned, they seized the Serpent King, Vasuki, for their churning-string, And Mandar's mountain for their pole, And churned with all their heart and soul.

As thus, a thousand seasons through, This way and that the snake they drew, Biting the rocks, each tortured head, A very deadly venom shed.

Thence, bursting like a mighty flame, A pestilential poison came, Consuming, as it onward ran, The home of G.o.d, and fiend, and man.

Then all the suppliant G.o.ds in fear To Sankar,(203) mighty lord, drew near.

To Rudra, King of Herds, dismayed, "Save us, O save us, Lord!" they prayed.

Then Vish?u, bearing sh.e.l.l, and mace, And discus, showed his radiant face, And thus addressed in smiling glee The Trident wielding deity: "What treasure first the G.o.ds upturn From troubled Ocean, as they churn, Should-for thou art the eldest-be Conferred, O best of G.o.ds, on thee.

Then come, and for thy birthright's sake, This venom as thy first fruits take."

He spoke, and vanished from their sight, When Siva saw their wild affright, And heard his speech by whom is borne The mighty bow of bending horn,(204) The poisoned flood at once he quaffed As 'twere the Amrit's heavenly draught.

Then from the G.o.ds departing went Siva, the Lord pre-eminent.

The host of G.o.ds and Asurs still Kept churning with one heart and will.

But Mandar's mountain, whirling round, Pierced to the depths below the ground.

Then G.o.ds and bards in terror flew To him who mighty Madhu slew.

"Help of all beings! more than all, The G.o.ds on thee for aid may call.

Ward off, O mighty-armed! our fate, And bear up Mandar's threatening weight."

Then Vish?u, as their need was sore, The semblance of a tortoise wore, And in the bed of Ocean lay The mountain on his back to stay.

Then he, the soul pervading all, Whose locks in radiant tresses fall, One mighty arm extended still, And grasped the summit of the hill.

So ranged among the Immortals, he Joined in the churning of the sea.

A thousand years had reached their close, When calmly from the ocean rose The gentle sage(205) with staff and can, Lord of the art of healing man.

Then as the waters foamed and boiled, As churning still the Immortals toiled, Of winning face and lovely frame, Forth sixty million fair ones came.

Born of the foam and water, these Were aptly named Apsarases.(206) Each had her maids. The tongue would fail- So vast the throng-to count the tale.

But when no G.o.d or t.i.tan wooed A wife from all that mult.i.tude, Refused by all, they gave their love In common to the G.o.ds above.

Then from the sea still vext and wild Rose Sura,(207) Varu?'s maiden child.

A fitting match she sought to find: But Diti's sons her love declined, Their kinsmen of the rival brood To the pure maid in honour sued.

Hence those who loved that nymph so fair The hallowed name of Suras bear.

And Asurs are the t.i.tan crowd Her gentle claims who disallowed.

Then from the foamy sea was freed Uchchaihsravas,(208) the generous steed, And Kaustubha, of gems the gem,(209) And Soma, Moon G.o.d, after them.

At length when many a year had fled, Up floated, on her lotus bed, A maiden fair and tender-eyed, In the young flush of beauty's pride.

She shone with pearl and golden sheen, And seals of glory stamped her queen, On each round arm glowed many a gem, On her smooth brows, a diadem.

Rolling in waves beneath her crown The glory of her hair flowed down, Pearls on her neck of price untold, The lady shone like burnisht gold.

Queen of the G.o.ds, she leapt to land, A lotus in her perfect hand, And fondly, of the lotus-sprung, To lotus-bearing Vish?u clung.

Her G.o.ds above and men below As Beauty's Queen and Fortune know.(210) G.o.ds, t.i.tans, and the minstrel train Still churned and wrought the troubled main.

At length the prize so madly sought, The Amrit, to their sight was brought.

For the rich spoil, 'twixt these and those A fratricidal war arose, And, host 'gainst host in battle, set, Aditi's sons and Diti's met.

United, with the giants' aid, Their fierce attack the t.i.tans made, And wildly raged for many a day That universe-astounding fray.

When wearied arms were faint to strike, And ruin threatened all alike, Vish?u, with art's illusive aid, The Amrit from their sight conveyed.

That Best of Beings smote his foes Who dared his deathless arm oppose: Yea, Vish?u, all-pervading G.o.d, Beneath his feet the t.i.tans trod Aditi's race, the sons of light, slew Diti's brood in cruel fight.

Then town-destroying(211) Indra gained His empire, and in glory reigned O'er the three worlds with bard and sage Rejoicing in his heritage.

Canto XLVI. Diti's Hope.

But Diti, when her sons were slain, Wild with a childless mother's pain, To Kasyap spake, Maricha's son, Her husband: "O thou glorious one!

Dead are the children, mine no more, The mighty sons to thee I bore.

Long fervour's meed, I crave a boy Whose arm may Indra's life destroy.

The toil and pain my care shall be: To bless my hope depends on thee.

Give me a mighty son to slay Fierce Indra, gracious lord! I pray."

Then glorious Kasyap thus replied To Diti, as she wept and sighed: "Thy prayer is heard, dear saint! Remain Pure from all spot, and thou shalt gain A son whose arm shall take the life Of Indra in the battle strife.

For full a thousand years endure Free from all stain, supremely pure; Then shall thy son and mine appear, Whom the three worlds shall serve with fear."

These words the glorious Kasyap said, Then gently stroked his consort's head, Blessed her, and bade a kind adieu, And turned him to his rites anew.

Soon as her lord had left her side, Her bosom swelled with joy and pride.

She sought the shade of holy boughs, And there began her awful vows.

While yet she wrought her rites austere, Indra, unbidden, hastened near, With sweet observance tending her, A reverential minister.

Wood, water, fire, and gra.s.s he brought, Sweet roots and woodland fruit he sought, And all her wants, the Thousand-eyed, With never-failing care, supplied, With tender love and soft caress Removing pain and weariness.

When, of the thousand years ordained, Ten only unfulfilled remained, Thus to her son, the Thousand-eyed, The G.o.ddess in her triumph cried: "Best of the mighty! there remain But ten short years of toil and pain; These years of penance soon will flee, And a new brother thou shalt see.

Him for thy sake I'll n.o.bly breed, And l.u.s.t of war his soul shall feed; Then free from care and sorrow thou Shalt see the worlds before him bow."(212)

Canto XLVII. Sumati.

Thus to Lord Indra, Thousand-eyed, Softly beseeching Diti sighed.