The Ramayana Part 192

Go forth, go forth to meet your king, Let tabours sound and minstrels sing, Let bards swell high the note of praise Skilled in the lore of ancient days, Call forth the royal matrons: call Each n.o.ble from the council hall.

Send all we love and honour most, Send Brahmans and the warrior host, A glorious company to bring In triumph home our lord the king."

Great rapture filled Satrughna's breast, Obedient to his brother's hest.

"Send forth ten thousand men" he cried, "Let brawny arms be stoutly plied, And, smoothing all with skilful care, The road for Kosal's king prepare.

Then o'er the earth let thousands throw Fresh showers of water cool as snow, And others strew with garlands gay With loveliest blooms our monarch's way.

On tower and temple porch and gate Let banners wave in royal state, And be each roof and terrace lined With blossoms loose and chaplets twined."

The n.o.bles hasting forth fulfilled His order as Satrughna willed.

Sublime on elephants they rode Whose gilded girths with jewels glowed.

Attended close by thousands more Gay with the gear and flags they bore.

A thousand chiefs their steeds bestrode, Their glittering cars a thousand showed.

And countless hosts in rich array Pursued on foot their eager way.

Veiled from the air with silken screens In litters rode the widowed queens.

Kausalya first, acknowledged head And sovereign of the household, led: Sumitra next, and after, dames Of lower rank and humbler names.

Then compa.s.sed by a white-robed throng Of Brahmans, heralded with song, With shouts of joy from countless throats, And sh.e.l.ls' and tambours' mingled notes, And drums resounding long and loud, Exulting Bharat joined the crowd.

Still on his head, well-trained in lore Of duty, Rama's shoes he bore.

The moon-white canopy was spread With flowery twine engarlanded, And jewelled cheuries, meet to hold O'er Rama's brow, shone bright with gold, Though Nandigrama's town they neared, Of Rama yet no sign appeared.

Then Bharat called the Vanar chief And questioned thus in doubt and grief: "Hast thou uncertain, like thy kind, A sweet delusive guile designed?

Where, where is royal Rama? show The hero, victor of the foe.

I gaze, but see no Vanars still Who wear each varied shape at will."

In eager love thus Bharat cried, And thus the Wind-G.o.d's son replied: "Look, Bharat, on those laden trees That murmur with the song of bees; For Rama's sake the saint has made Untimely fruits, unwonted shade.

Such power in ages long ago Could Indra's gracious boon bestow.

O, hear the Vanars' voices, hear The shouting which proclaims them near.

E'en now about to cross they seem Sweet Gomati's delightful stream.

I see, I see the car designed By Brahma's own creative mind, The car which, radiant as the moon, Moves at the will by Brahma's boon; The car which once was Ravan's pride, The victor's spoil when Ravan died.

Look, there are Raghu's sons: between The brothers stands the rescued queen.

There is Vibhisha? full in view, Sugriva and his retinue."

He ceased: then rapture loosed each tongue: From men and dames, from old and young, One long, one universal cry, 'Tis he, 'tis Rama, smote the sky.

All lighted down with eager speed From elephant and car and steed, And every joyful eye intent On Rama's moonbright face was bent.

Entranced a moment Bharat gazed: Then reverential hands he raised, And on his brother humbly pressed The honours due to welcome guest.

Then Bharat clomb the car to greet His king and bowed him at his feet, Till Rama raised him face to face And held him in a close embrace.

Then Lakshma? and the Maithil dame He greeted as he spoke his name(1026) He greeted next, supreme in place, The sovereign of the Vanar race, And Jambavan and Bali's son, And lords and chiefs, omitting none.(1027) Sugriva to his heart he pressed And thus with grateful words addressed: "Four brothers, Vanar king, were we, And now we boast a fifth in thee.

By kindly acts a friend we know: Offence and wrong proclaim the foe."

To King Vibhisha? then he spake: "Well hast thou fought for Rama's sake."

Nor was the brave Satrughna slow His reverential love to show To both his brothers, as was meet, And venerate the lady's feet.

Then Rama to his mother came, Saw her pale cheek and wasted frame, With gentle words her heart consoled, And clasped her feet with loving hold.

Then at Sumitra's feet he bent, And fair Kaikeyi's, reverent, Greeted each dame from chief to least, And bowed him to the household priest.

Up rose a shout from all the throng: "O welcome, Rama, mourned so long.

Welcome, Kausalya's joy and pride,"

Ten hundred thousand voices cried.

Then Bharat placed, in duty taught, On Rama's feet the shoes he brought: "My King," he cried, "receive again The pledge preserved through years of pain, The rule and lords.h.i.+p of the land Entrusted to my weaker hand.

No more I sigh o'er sorrows past, My birth and life are blest at last In the glad sight this day has shown, When Rama comes to rule his own."

He ceased: the faithful love that moved The prince's soul each heart approved; Nor could the Vanar chiefs refrain From tender tears that fell like rain.

Then Rama, stirred with joy anew, His arms about his brother threw, And to the grove his course he bent Where Bharat's hermit days were spent.

Alighting in that pure retreat He pressed the earth with eager feet.

Then, at his hest, the car rose high And sailing through the northern sky Sped homeward to the Lord of Gold Who owned the wondrous prize of old.(1028)

Canto Cx.x.x. The Consecration.

Then, reverent hand to hand applied, Thus Bharat to his brother cried: "Thy realm, O King, is now restored, Uninjured to the rightful lord.

This feeble arm with toil and pain, The weighty charge could scarce sustain.

And the great burthen wellnigh broke The neck untrained to bear the yoke.

The royal swan outspeeds the crow: The steed is swift, the mule is slow, Nor can my feeble feet be led O'er the rough ways where thine should tread.

Now grant what all thy subjects ask: Begin, O King, thy royal task.

Now let our longing eyes behold The glorious rite ordained of old, And on the new-found monarch's head Let consecrating drops be shed."

He ceased; victorious Rama bent His head in token of a.s.sent.

He sat, and tonsors trimmed with care His tangles of neglected hair Then, duly bathed, the hero shone With all his splendid raiment on.

And Sita with the matrons' aid Her limbs in s.h.i.+ning robes arrayed, Sumantra then, the charioteer, Drew, ordered by Satrughna near, And stayed within the hermit grove The chariot and the steeds he drove.

Therein Sugriva's consorts, graced With gems, and Rama's queen were placed, All fain Ayodhya to behold: And swift away the chariot rolled.

Like Indra Lord of Thousand Eyes, Drawn by fleet lions through the skies.

Thus radiant in his glory showed King Rama as he homeward rode, In power and might unparalleled.

The reins the hand of Bharat held.

Above the peerless victor's head The snow-white shade Satrughna spread, And Lakshma?'s ever-ready hand His forehead with a chourie fanned.

Vibhisha? close to Lakshma?'s side Sharing his task a chourie plied.

Sugriva on Satrunjay came, An elephant of hugest frame: Nine thousand others bore, behind, The chieftains of the Vanar kind All gay, in forms of human mould, With rich attire and gems and gold.

Thus borne along in royal state King Rama reached Ayodbya's gate With merry noise of sh.e.l.ls and drums And joyful shouts, He comes, he comes, A Brahman host with solemn tread, And kine the long procession led, And happy maids in ordered bands Threw grain and gold with liberal hands.

Neath gorgeous flags that waved in rows On towers and roofs and porticoes.

Mid merry crowds who sang and cheered The palace of the king they neared.

Then Raghu's son to Bharat, best Of duty's slaves, these words addressed: "Pa.s.s onward to the monarch's hall.

The high-souled Vanars with thee call, And let the chieftains, as is meet, The widows of our father greet.

And to the Vanar king a.s.sign Those chambers, best of all, which s.h.i.+ne With lazulite and pearl inlaid, And pleasant grounds with flowers and shade."

He ceased: and Bharat bent his head; Sugriva by the hand he led And pa.s.sed within the palace where Stood couches which Satrughna's care, With robes and hangings richly dyed, And burning lamps, had seen supplied.

Then Bharat spake: "I pray thee, friend, Thy speedy messengers to send, Each sacred requisite to bring That we may consecrate our king."

Sugriva raised four urns of gold, The water for the rite to hold, And bade four swiftest Vanars flee And fill them from each distant sea.

Then east and west and south and north The Vanar envoys hastened forth.

Each in swift flight an ocean sought And back through air his treasure brought, And full five hundred floods beside Pure water for the king supplied.

Then girt by many a Brahman sage, Vasish?ha, chief for reverend age, High on a throne with jewels graced King Rama and his Sita placed.

There by Jabali, far revered, Vijay and Kasyap's son appeared; By Gautam's side Katvayan stood, And Vamadeva wise and good, Whose holy hands in order shed The pure sweet drops on Rama's head.

Then priests and maids and warriors, all Approaching at Vasish?ha's call, With sacred drops bedewed their king, The centre of a joyous ring, The guardians of the worlds, on high, And all the children of the sky From herbs wherewith their hands were filled Rare juices on his brow distilled.

His brows were bound with glistering gold Which Manu's self had worn of old, Bright with the flash of many a gem His sire's ancestral diadem.

Satrughna lent his willing aid And o'er him held the regal shade: The monarchs whom his arm had saved The chouries round his forehead waved.

A golden chain, that flashed and glowed With gems the G.o.d of Wind bestowed: Mahendra gave a glorious string Of fairest pearls to deck the king, The skies with acclamation rang, The gay nymphs danced, the minstrels sang.

On that blest day the joyful plain Was clothed anew with golden grain.

The trees the witching influence knew, And bent with fruits of loveliest hue, And Rama's consecration lent New sweetness to each flowret's scent.

The monarch, joy of Raghu's line, Gave largess to the Brahmans, kine And steeds unnumbered, wealth untold Of robes and pearls and gems and gold.

A jewelled chain, whose l.u.s.tre pa.s.sed The glory of the sun, he cast About his friend Sugriva's neck; And, Angad Bali's son to deck, He gave a pair of armlets bright With diamond and lazulite.

A string of pearls of matchless hue Which gleams like tender moonlight threw Adorned with gems of brightest sheen, He gave to grace his darling queen.

The offering from his hand received A moment on her bosom heaved; Then from her neck the chain she drew, A glance on all the Vanars threw, And wistful eyes on Rama bent As still she held the ornament.

Her wish he knew, and made reply To that mute question of her eye: "Yea, love; the chain on him bestow Whose wisdom truth and might we know, The firm ally, the faithful friend Through toil and peril to the end."