The Ramayana Part 91

Come, brother, hasten to fulfil This longing of my eager will.

On to the battle! Let me drink Their lifeblood as to earth they sink."

Then Khara, by his sister pressed, Inflamed with fury, gave his hest To twice seven giants of his crew, Fierce as the G.o.d of death to view:

'Two men equipped with arms, who wear Deerskin and bark and matted hair, Leading a beauteous dame, have strayed To the wild gloom of Da??ak's shade.

These men, this cursed woman slay, And hasten back without delay, That this my sister's lips may be Red with the lifeblood of the three.

Giants, my wounded sister longs To take this vengeance for her wrongs.

With speed her dearest wish fulfil, And with your might these creatures kill.

Soon as your matchless strength shall lay These brothers dead in battle fray, She in triumphant joy will laugh, And their hearts' blood delighted quaff."

The giants heard the words he said, And forth with Surpa?akha sped, As mighty clouds in autumn fly Urged by the wind along the sky.

Canto XX. The Giants' Death.

Fierce Surpa?akha with her train To Rama's dwelling came again, And to the eager giants showed Where Sita and the youths abode.

Within the leafy cot they spied The hero by his consort's side, And faithful Lakshma? ready still To wait upon his brother's will.

Then n.o.ble Rama raised his eye And saw the giants standing nigh, And then, as nearer still they pressed.

His glorious brother thus addressed, "Be thine a while, my brother dear, To watch o'er Sita's safety here, And I will slay these creatures who The footsteps of my spouse pursue."

He spoke, and reverent Lakshma? heard Submissive to his brother's word.

The son of Raghu, virtuous-souled, Strung his great bow adorned with gold, And, with the weapon in his hand, Addressed him to the giant band: "Rama and Lakshma? we, who spring From Dasaratha, mighty king; We dwell a while with Sita here In Da??ak forest wild and drear.

On woodland roots and fruit we feed, And lives of strictest rule we lead.

Say why would ye our lives oppress Who sojourn in the wilderness.

Sent hither by the hermits' prayer With bow and darts unused to spare, For vengeance am I come to slay Your sinful band in battle fray.

Rest as ye are: remain content, Nor try the battle's dire event.

Unless your offered lives ye spurn, O rovers of the night, return."

They listened while the hero spoke, And fury in each breast awoke.

The Brahman-slayers raised on high Their mighty spears and made reply: They spoke with eyes aglow with ire, While Rama's burnt with vengeful tire, And answered thus, in fury wild, That peerless chief whose tones were mild:

"Nay thou hast angered, overbold, Khara our lord, the mighty-souled, And for thy sin, in battle strife Shalt yield to us thy forfeit life.

No power hast thou alone to stand Against the numbers of our band.

'Twere vain to match thy single might Against us in the front of fight.

When we equipped for fight advance With brandished pike and mace and lance, Thou, vanquished in the desperate field, Thy bow, thy strength, thy life shalt yield."

With bitter words and threatening mien Thus furious spoke the fierce fourteen, And raising scimitar and spear On Rama rushed in wild career.

Their levelled spears the giant crew Against the matchless hero threw.

His bow the son of Raghu bent, And twice seven shafts to meet them sent, And every javelin sundered fell By the bright darts he aimed so well.

The hero saw: his anger grew To fury: from his side he drew Fresh sunbright arrows pointed keen, In number, like his foes, fourteen.

His bow he grasped, the string he drew, And gazing on the giant crew, As Indra casts the levin, so Shot forth his arrows at the foe.

The hurtling arrows, stained with gore, Through the fiends' b.r.e.a.s.t.s a pa.s.sage tore, And in the earth lay buried deep As serpents through an ant-hill creep Like trees uptorn by stormy blast The shattered fiends to earth were cast, And there with mangled bodies they, Bathed in their blood and breathless, lay.

With fainting heart and furious eye The demon saw her champions die.

With drying wounds that scarcely bled Back to her brother's home she fled.

Oppressed with pain, with loud lament At Khara's feet the monster bent.

There like a plant whence slowly come The trickling drops of oozy gum, With her grim features pale with pain She poured her tears in ceaseless rain, There routed Surpa?akha lay, And told her brother all, The issue of the b.l.o.o.d.y fray, Her giant champions' fall.

Canto XXI. The Rousing Of Khara.

Low in the dust he saw her lie, And Khara's wrath grew fierce and high.

Aloud he cried to her who came Disgracefully with baffled aim: "I sent with thee at thy request The bravest of my giants, best Of all who feed upon the slain: Why art thou weeping here again?

Still to their master's interest true, My faithful, n.o.ble, loyal crew, Though slaughtered in the b.l.o.o.d.y fray, Would yet their monarch's word obey.

Now I, my sister, fain would know The cause of this thy fear and woe, Why like a snake thou writhest there, Calling for aid in wild despair.

Nay, lie not thus in lowly guise: Cast off thy weakness and arise!"

With soothing words the giant chief a.s.suaged the fury of her grief.

Her weeping eyes she slowly dried And to her brother thus replied: "I sought thee in my shame and fear With severed nose and mangled ear: My gashes like a river bled, I sought thee and was comforted.

Those twice seven giants, brave and strong, Thou sentest to avenge the wrong, To lay the savage Rama low, And Lakshma? who misused me so.

But ah, the shafts of Rama through The bodies of my champions flew: Though madly fierce their spears they plied, Beneath his conquering might they died.

I saw them, famed for strength and speed, I saw my heroes fall and bleed: Great trembling seized my every limb At the great deed achieved by him.

In trouble, horror, doubt, and dread, Again to thee for help I fled.

While terror haunts my troubled sight, I seek thee, rover of the night.

And canst thou not thy sister free From this wide waste of troublous sea Whose sharks are doubt and terror, where Each wreathing wave is dark despair?

Low lie on earth thy giant train By ruthless Rama's arrows slain, And all the mighty demons, fed On blood, who followed me are dead.

Now if within thy breast may be Pity for them and love for me, If thou, O rover of the night, Have valour and with him can fight, Subdue the giants' cruel foe Who dwells where Da??ak's thickets grow.

But if thine arm in vain a.s.say This queller of his foes to slay, Now surely here before thine eyes, Wronged and ashamed thy sister dies.

Too well, alas, too well I see That, strong in war as thou mayst be, Thou canst not in the battle stand When Rama meets thee hand to hand.

Go forth, thou hero but in name, a.s.suming might thou canst not claim; Call friend and kin, no longer stay: Away from Janasthan, away!

Shame of thy race! the weak alone Beneath thine arm may sink o'erthrown: Fly Rama and his brother: they Are men too strong for thee to slay.

How canst thou hope, O weak and base, To make this grove thy dwelling-place?

With Rama's might unmeet to vie, O'ermastered thou wilt quickly die.

A hero strong in valorous deed Is Rama, Dasaratha's seed: And scarce of weaker might than he His brother chief who mangled me."

Thus wept and wailed in deep distress The grim misshapen giantess: Before her brother's feet she lay O'erwhelmed with grief, and swooned away.

Canto XXII. Khara's Wrath.

Roused by the taunting words she spoke, The mighty Khara's wrath awoke, And there, while giants girt him round, In these fierce words an utterance found:

"I cannot, peerless one, contain Mine anger at this high disdain, Galling as salt when sprinkled o'er The rawness of a bleeding sore.

Rama in little count I hold, Weak man whose days are quickly told.

The caitiff with his life to-day For all his evil deeds shall pay.

Dry, sister, dry each needless tear, Stint thy lament and banish fear, For Rama and his brother go This day to Yama's realm below.

My warrior's axe shall stretch him slain, Ere set of sun, upon the plain, Then shall thy sated lips be red With his warm blood in torrents shed."

As Khara's speech the demon heard, With sudden joy her heart was stirred: She fondly praised him as the boast And glory of the giant host.