The Dewy Season [1] came and went;
The spring returned again:
Then would the king, with mind intent,
His sacrifice ordain.
[ p. 20 ]
He came to Rishyas’ring, and bowed
To him of look divine,
And bade him aid his offering vowed
For heirs, to save his line.
Nor would the youth his aid deny:
He spake the monarch fair,
And prayed him for that rite so high
All requisites prepare.
The king to wise Sumantra cried
Who stood aye ready near;
‘Go summon quick each holy guide,
To counsel and to hear.’
Obedient to his lord’s behest
Away Sumantra sped,
And brought Vas’ishtha and the rest,
In Scripture deeply read.
Suyajna, Vámadeva came,
Jávali, Kas’yap’s son,
And old Vas’ishtha, dear to fame,
Obedient every one.
King Das’aratha met them there
And duly honoured each,
And spoke in pleasant words his fair
And salutary speech:
‘In childless longing doomed to pine,
No happiness, O lords, is mine.
So have I for this cause decreed
To slay the sacrificial steed.
Fain would I pay that offering high
Wherein the horse is doomed to die,
With Rishyas’ring his aid to lend,
And with your glory to befriend.’
With loud applause each holy man
Received his speech, approved the plan,
And, by the wise Vas’ishtha led,
Gave praises to the king, and said:
‘The sons thou cravest shalt thou see,
Of fairest glory, born to thee,
Whose holy feelings bid thee take
This righteous course for offspring’s sake.’
Cheered by the ready praise of those
Whose aid he sought, his spirits rose,
And thus the king his speech renewed
With looks of joy and gratitude:
‘Let what the coming rites require
Be ready as the priests desire,
And let the horse, ordained to bleed,
With fitting guard and priest, be freed, [2]
Yonder on Sarjú’s northern side
The sacrificial ground provide;
And let the saving rites, that naught
Ill-omened may occur, be wrought.
The offering I announce to-day
Each lord of earth may claim to pay,
Provided that his care can guard
the holy rite by flaws unmarred.
For wandering fiends, whose watchful spite
Waits eagerly to spoil each rite,
Hunting with keenest eye detect
The slightest slip, the least neglect;
And when the sacred work is crossed
The workman is that moment lost.
Let preparation due be made:
Your powers the charge can meet:
That so the noble rite be paid
In every point complete.’
And all the Bráhmans answered, Yea,
His mandate honouring,
And gladly promised to obey
The order of the king.
They cried with voices raised aloud:
‘Success attend thine aim!’
Then bade farewell, and lowly bowed,
And hastened whence they came.
King Das’aratha went within,
His well loved wives to see:
And said: 'Your lustral rites begin,
For these shall prosper me.
A glorious offering I prepare
That precious fruit of sons may bear.’
Their lily faces brightened fast
Those pleasant words to hear,
As lilies, when the winter’s past,
In lovelier hues appear.
Again the spring with genial heat
Returning made the year complete.
To win him sons, without delay
His vow the king resolved to pay:
And to Vas’ishtha, saintly man,
In modest words this speech began:
‘Prepare the rite with all things fit
As is ordained in Holy Writ,
And keep with utmost care afar
Whate’er its sacred forms might mar.
Thou art, my lord, my trustiest guide,
Kind-hearted, and my friend beside;
So is it meet thou undertake
This heavy task for duty’s sake.’
Then he, of twice-born men the best,
His glad assent at once expressed:
‘Fain will I do whate’er may be
Desired, O honoured King, by thee.’
To ancient priests he spoke, who, trained
In holy rites, deep skill had gained:
‘Here guards be stationed, good and sage
Religious men of trusted age.
And various workmen send and call,
Who frame the door and build the wall:
With men of every art and trade,
Who read the stars and ply the spade,
[ p. 21 ]
And mimes and minstrels hither bring,
And damsels trained to dance and sing.’
Then to the learned men he said,
In many a page of Scripture read:
‘Be yours each rite performed to see
According to the king’s decree.
And stranger Bráhmans quickly call
To this great rite that welcomes all.
Pavilions for the princes, decked
With art and ornament, erect,
And handsome booths by thousands made
The Bráhman visitors to shade,
Arranged in order side by side,
With meat and drink and all supplied.
And ample stables we shall need
For many an elephant and steed:
And chambers where the men may lie,
And vast apartments, broad and high,
Fit to receive the countless bands
Of warriors come from distant lands.
For our own people too provide
Sufficient tents, extended wide,
And stores of meat and drink prepare,
And all that can be needed there.
And food in plenty must be found
For guests from all the country round.
Of various viands presents make,
For honour, not for pity’s sake,
That fit regard and worship be
Paid to each caste in due degree.
And let not wish or wrath excite
Your hearts the meanest guest to slight;
But still observe with special grace
Those who obtain the foremost place,
Whether for happier skill in art
Or bearing in the rite their part.
Do you, I pray, with friendly mind
Perform the task to you assigned,
And work the rite, as bids the law,
Without omission, slip, or flaw’
They answered: 'As thou seest fit
So will we do and naught omit.’
The sage Vas’ishtha then addressed
Sumantra called at his behest:
‘The princes of the earth invite,
And famous lords who guard the rite,
Priest, Warrior, Merchant, lowly thrall,
In countless thousands summon all.
Where’er their home be, far or near,
Gather the good with honour here,
And Janak, whose imperial sway
The men of Míthilá [3] obey.
The firm of vow, the dread of foes,
Who all the lore of Scripture knows,
Invite him here with honour high,
King Das’aratha’s old ally.
And Kás’i’s [4] lord of gentle speech,
Who finds a pleasant word for each,
In length of days our monarch’s peer,
Illustrious king, invite him here.
The father of our ruler’s bride,
Known for his virtues far and wide,
The king whom Kekaya’s [5] realms obey,
Him with his son invite, I pray.
And Lomapád the Angas’ king,
True to his vows and godlike, bring.
For be thine invitations sent
To west and south and orient.
Call those who rule Suráshtra’s [6] land,
Suvíra’s [7] realm and Sindhu’s strand,
And all the kings of earth beside
In friendship’s bonds with us allied:
Invite them all to hasten in
With retinue and kith and kin.’
Vas’ishtha’s speech without delay
Sumantra bent him to obey.
And sent his trusty envoys forth
Eastward and westward, south and north.
Obedient to the saint’s request
Himself he hurried forth, and pressed
Each nobler chief and lord and king
To hasten to the gathering.
Before the saint Vas’ishtha stood
All those who wrought with stone and wood,
And showed the work which every one
In furtherance of the rite had done,
Rejoiced their ready zeal to see,
Thus to the craftsmen all said he:
‘I charge ye, masters, see to this,
That there be nothing done amiss,
And this, I pray, in mind be borne,
That not one gift ye give in scorn:
Whenever scorn a gift attends
Great sin is his who thus offends.’
And now some days and nights had past,
And kings began to gather fast,
And precious gems in liberal store
As gifts to Das’aratha bore.
Then joy thrilled through Vas’ishtha’s breast
As thus the monarch he addressed:
‘Obedient to thy high decree
The kings, my lord, are come to thee.
[ p. 22 ]
And it has been my care to greet
And honour all with reverence meet.
Thy servants’ task is ended quite,
And all is ready for the rite.
Come forth then to the sacred ground
Where all in order will be found.’
Then Rishyas’ring confirmed the tale:
Nor did their words to move him fail.
The stars propitious influence lent
When forth the world’s great ruler went.
Then by the sage Vas’ishtha led
The priest begun to speed
Those glorious rites wherein is shed
The lifeblood of the steed.
The circling year had filled its course,
And back was brought the wandering horse:
Then upon Sarjú’s northern strand
Began the rite the king had planned.
With Rishyas’ring the forms to guide,
The Bráhmans to their task applied,
At that great offering of the steed
Their lofty-minded king decreed.
The priests, who all the Scripture knew,
Performed their part in order due,
And circled round in solemn train
As precepts of the law ordain.
Pravargya rites [8] were duly sped:
For Upusads [9] the flames were fed.
Then from the plant [10] the juice was squeezed,
And those high saints with minds well pleased
Performed the mystic rites begun
With bathing ere the rise of sun.
They gave the portion Indra’s claim,
And hymned the King whom none can blame.
The mid-day bathing followed next,
Observed as bids the holy text.
Then the good priests with utmost care,
In form that Scripture’s rules declare,
For the third time pure water shed
On high souled Das’aratha’s head.
Then Rishyas’ring and all the rest
To Indra and the Gods addressed
Their sweet-toned hymn of praise and prayer,
And called them in the rite to share.
With sweetest song and hymn intoned
They give the Gods in heaven enthroned,
As duty bids, the gifts they claim,
The holy oil that feeds the flame.
And many an offering there was paid,
And not one slip in all was made,
For with most careful heed they saw
That all was done by Veda law.
None, all those days, was seen oppressed
By hunger or by toil distressed.
Why speak of human kind? No beast
Was there that lacked an ample feast.
For there was store for all who came,
For orphan child and lonely dame;
The old and young were well supplied,
The poor and hungry satisfied.
Throughout the day ascetics fed,
And those who roam to beg their bread:
While all around the cry was still,
‘Give forth, give forth,’ and ‘ Eat your fill.’
‘Give forth with liberal hand the meal,
And various robes in largess deal.’
Urged by these cries on every side
Unweariedly their task they plied:
And heaps of food like hills in size
In boundless plenty met the eyes:
And lakes of sauce, each day renewed,
Refreshed the weary multitude.
And strangers there from distant lands,
And women folk in crowded bands
The best of food and drink obtained
At the great rite the king ordained.
Apart from all, the Bráhmans there,
Thousands on thousands, took their share
Of various dainties sweet to taste,
On plates of gold and silver placed,
All ready set, as, when they willed,
The twice-born men their places filled.
And servants in fair garments dressed
Waited upon each Bráhman guest.
Of cheerful mind and mien were they,
With gold and jewelled earrings gay.
The best of Bráhmans praised the fare
Of countless sorts, of flavour rare:
And thus to Raghu’s son they cried:
‘We bless thee, and are satisfied.’
Between the rites some Bráhmans spent
The time in learned argument,
[ p. 23 ]
With ready flow of speech, sedate,
And keen to vanquish in debate. [11]
There day by day the holy train
Performed all rites as rules ordain.
No priest in all that host was found
But kept the vows that held him bound:
None, but the holy Vedas knew,
And all their six-fold science [12] too.
No Bráhman there was found unfit
To speak with eloquence and wit.
And now the appointed time came near
The sacrificial posts to rear.
They brought them, and prepared to fix
Of Bel [13] and Khádir [14] six and six;
Six, made of the Palás’a [15] tree,
Of Fig-wood one, apart to be:
Of Sleshmát [16] and of Devadár [17]
One column each, the mightiest far:
So thick the two, the arms of man
Their ample girth would fail to span.
All these with utmost care were wrought
By hand of priests in Scripture taught,
And all with gold were gilded bright
To add new splendour to the rite:
Twenty-and-one those stakes in all,
Each one-and-twenty cubits tall:
And one-and-twenty ribbons there
Hung on the pillars, bright and fair.
Firm in the earth they stood at last,
Where cunning craftsmen fixed them fast;
And there unshaken each remained,
Octagonal and smoothly planed.
Then ribbons over all were hung,
And flowers and scent around them flung.
Thus decked they cast a glory forth
Like the great saints who star the north. [18]
The sacrificial altar then
Was raised by skilful twice-born men,
In shape and figure to behold
An eagle with his wings of gold,
With twice nine pits and formed three-fold
Each for some special God, beside
The pillars were the victims tied;
The birds that roam the wood, the air,
The water, and the land were there,
And snakes and things of reptile birth,
And healing herbs that spring from earth;
As texts prescribe, in Scripture found,
Three hundred victims there were bound.
The steed devoted to the host
Of Gods, the gem they honour most,
Was duly sprinkled. Then the Queen
Kaus’alyá, with delighted mien,
With reverent steps around him paced.
And with sweet wreaths the victim graced;
Then with three swords in order due
She smote the steed with joy, and slew.
That night the queen, a son to gain,
With calm and steady heart was fain
By the dead charger’s side to stay
From evening till the break of day.
Then came three priests, their care to lead
The other queens to touch the steed,
Upon Kaus’alyá to attend,
Their company and aid to lend.
As by the horse she still reclined,
With happy mien and cheerful mind,
With Rishyas’ring the twice-born came
And praised and blessed the royal dame.
The priest who well his duty knew,
And every sense could well subdue,
From out the bony chambers freed
And boiled the marrow of the steed.
Above the steam the monarch bent,
And, as he smelt the fragrant scent,
In time and order drove afar
All error that his hopes could mar.
Then sixteen priests together came
And cast into the sacred flame
The severed members of the horse,
Made ready all in ordered course.
On piles of holy Fig-tree raised
[ p. 24 ]
The meaner victims’ bodies blazed:
The steed, of all the creatures slain,
Alone required a pile of cane.
Three days, as is by law decreed,
Lasted that Offering of the Steed.
The Chatushtom began the rite,
And when the sun renewed his light,
The Ukthya followed: after came
The Atirátra’s holy flame.
These were the rites, and many more
Arranged by light of holy lore,
The Aptoryám of mighty power,
And, each performed in proper hour,
The Abhijit and Vis’vajit
With every form and service fit;
And with the sacrifice at night
The Jyotishtom and Áyus rite. [19]
The task was done, as laws prescribe:
The monarch, glory of his tribe,
Bestowed the land in liberal grants
Upon the sacred ministrants.
He gave the region of the east,
His conquest, to the Hotri priest.
The west, the celebrant obtained:
The south, the priest presiding gained:
The northern region was the share
Of him who chanted forth the prayer, [20]
Thus did each priest obtain his meed
At the great Slaughter of the Steed,
Ordained, the best of all to be,
By self-existent deity.
Ikshváku’s son with joyful mind
This noble fee to each assigned,
But all the priests with one accord
Addressed that unpolluted lord:
‘Tis thine alone to keep the whole
Of this broad earth in firm control.
[ p. 25 ]
No gift of lands from thee we seek:
To guard these realms our hands were weak.
On sacred lore our days are spent:
Let other gifts our wants content.’
The chief of old Ikshváku’s line
Gave them ten hundred thousand kine,
A hundred millions of fine gold,
The same in silver four times told.
But every priest in presence there
With one accord resigned his share.
To Saint Vas’ishtha, high of soul,
And Rishyas’ring they gave the whole.
That largess pleased those Brahmans well,
Who bade the prince his wishes tell.
Then Das’aratha, mighty king.
Made answer thus to Rishyas’ring:
‘O holy Hermit, of thy grace,
Vouchsafe the increase of my race.’
He spoke; nor was his prayer denied:
The best of Bráhmans thus replied:
‘Four sons, O Monarch, shall be thine,
Upholders of thy royal line.’
The saint, well read in holy lore,
Pondered awhile his answer o’er.
And thus again addressed the king,
His wandering thoughts regathering:
‘Another rite will I begin
Which shall the sons thou cravest win,
Where all things shall be duly sped
And first Atharva texts be read.’
Then by Vibhándak’s gentle son
Was that high sacrifice begun,
The king’s advantage seeking still
And zealous to perform his will.
Now all the Gods had gathered there,
Each one for his allotted share:
Brahmá, the ruler of the sky,
Sthanu, Náráyan, Lord most high
And holy Indra men might view
With Maruts [21] for his retinue;
The heavenly chorister, and saint,
And spirit pure from earthly taint,
With one accord had sought the place
The high-souled monarch’s rite to grace.
Then to the Gods who came to take
Their proper share the hermit spake:
‘For you has Das’aratha slain
The votive steed, a son to gain;
Stern penance-rites the king has tried,
And in firm faith on you relied,
And now with undiminished care
A second rite would fain prepare.
But, O ye Gods, consent to grant
The longing of your supplicant.
For him beseeching hands I lift,
And pray you all to grant the gift,
That four fair sons of high renown
The offerings of the king may crown.’
They to the hermit’s son replied:
‘His longing shall be gratified.
For, Bráhman, in most high degree
We love the king and honour thee.’
These words the Gods in answer said,
And vanished thence by Indra led.
Thus to the Lord, the worlds who made,
The Immortals all assembled prayed:
‘O Brahmá, mighty by thy grace,
Rávan, who rules the giant race,
Torments us in his senseless pride,
And penance-loving saints beside.
For thou well pleased in days of old
Gavest the boon that makes him bold,
That God nor demon e’er should kill
His charmed life, for so thy will.
We, honouring that high behest,
Bear all his rage though sore distressed.
That lord of giants fierce and fell
Scourges the earth and heaven and hell.
Mad with thy boon, his impious rage
Smites saint and bard and God and sage.
The sun himself withholds his glow.
The wind in fear forbears to blow;
The fire restrains his wonted heat
Where stand the dreaded Rávan’s feet,
And, necklaced with the wandering ware,
The sea before him fears to rave.
Kuvera’s self in sad defeat
Is driven from his blissful seat.
We see, we feel the giant’s might.
And woe comes o’er us and affright.
Tc thee, O Lord, thy suppliants pray
To find some cure this plague to stay.’
Thus by the gathered Gods addressed
He pondered in his secret breast,
And said: 'One only way I find
To slay this fiend of evil mind.
He prayed me once his life to guard
From demon, God, and heavenly bard,
And spirits of the earth and air,
And I consenting heard his prayer.
But the proud giant in Inn scorn
Recked not of man of woman born.
None else may take his life away,
But only man the fiend may slay.’
The Gods, with Indra at their head,
Rejoiced to hear the words he said.
Then crowned with glory like a flame,
Lord Vishnu to the council came;
His hands shell, mace, and discus bore,
Aud saffron were the robes he wore.
[ p. 26 ]
Riding his eagle through the crowd,
As the sun rides upon a cloud,
With bracelets of fine gold, he came
Loud welcomed by the Gods’ acclaim.
His praise they sang with one consent,
And cried, in lowly reverence bent:
‘O Lord whose hand fierce Madhu [22] slew,
Be thou our refuge, firm and true;
Friend of the suffering worlds art thou,
We pray thee help thy suppliants now.’
Then Vishnu spake: 'Ye Gods, declare,
What may I do to grant your prayer?’
‘King Das’aratha,’ thus cried they,
‘Fervent in penance many a day,
The sacrificial steed has slain,
Longing for sons, but all in vain.
Now, at the cry of us forlorn,
Incarnate as his seed be born.
Three queens has he: each lovely dame
Like Beauty, Modesty, or Fame.
Divide thyself in four, and be
His offspring by these noble three.
Man’s nature take, and slay in fight
Rávan who laughs at heavenly might:
This common scourge, this rankling thorn
Whom the three worlds too long have borne.
For Rávan in the senseless pride
Of might unequalled has defied
The host of heaven, and plagues with woe
Angel and bard and saint below,
Crushing each spirit and each maid
Who plays in Nandan’s [23] heavenly shade.
O conquering Lord, to thee we bow;
Our surest hope and trust art thou.
Regard the world of men below,
And slay the Gods’ tremendous foe.’
When thus the suppliant Gods had prayed,
His wise reply Nárayan [24] made:
‘What task demands my presence there,
And whence this dread, ye Gods declare.’
The Gods replied: 'We fear, O Lord,
Fierce Rávan, ravener abhorred.
Be thine the glorious task, we pray,
In human form this fiend to slay.
By thee of all the Blest alone
This sinner may be overthrown.
He gained by penance long and dire
The favour of the mighty Sire.
Then He who every gift bestows
Guarded the fiend from heavenly foes,
And gave a pledge his life that kept
From all things living, man except.
On him thus armed no other foe
Than man may deal the deadly blow.
Assume, O King, a mortal birth,
And strike the demon to the earth.’
Then Vishnu, God of Gods, the Lord
Supreme by all the worlds adored,
To Brahmá and the suppliants spake:
‘Dismiss your fear: for your dear sake
In battle will I smite him dead,
The cruel fiend, the Immortal’s dread,
And lords and ministers and all
His kith and kin with him shall fall.
Then, in the world of mortal men,
Ten thousand years and hundreds ten
I as a human king will reign,
And guard the earth as my domain.’
God, saint, aud nymph, and ministrel throng
With heavenly voices raised their song
In hymns of triumph to the God
Whose conquering feet on Madhu trod:
'Champion of Gods, as man appear,
This cruel Rávan slay,
The thorn that saints and hermits fear,
The plague that none can stay.
In savage fury uncontrolled
His pride for ever grows:
He dares the Lord of Gods to hold
Among his deadly foes.’
When wisest Vishnu thus had given
His promise to the Gods of heaven,
He pondered in his secret mind
A suited place of birth to find,
Then he decreed, the lotus-eyed,
In four his being to divide,
And Das’aratha, gracious king.
He chose as sire from whom to spring.
That childless prince of high renown,
Who smote in war his foemen down,
At that same time with utmost care
Prepared the rite that wins an heir. [25]
Then Vishnu, fain on earth to dwell,
Bade the Almighty Sire farewell,
And vanished while a reverent crowd
Of Gods and saints in worship bowed.
The monarch watched the sacred rite,
When a vast form of awful might,
Of matchless splendour, strength, and size
Was manifest before his eyes.
[ p. 27 ]
From forth the sacrificial flame,
Dark, robed in red, the being came.
His voice was drumlike, loud and low,
His face suffused with rosy glow.
Like a huge lion’s mane appeared
The long locks of his hair and beard.
He shone with many a lucky sign,
And many an ornament divine;
A towering mountain in his height,
A tiger in his gait and might.
No precious mine more rich could be,
No burning flame more bright than he.
His arms embraced in loving hold,
Like a dear wife, a vase of gold
Whose silver lining held a draught
Of nectar as in heaven is quaffed:
A vase so vast, so bright to view,
They scarce could count the vision true.
Upon the king his eyes he bent,
And said: 'The Lord of life has sent
His servant down, O Prince, to be
A messenger from heaven to thee.’
The king with all his nobles by
Raised reverent hands and made reply:
‘Welcome, O glorious being! Say
How can my care thy grace repay.’
Envoy of Him whom all adore
Thus to the king he spake once more:
‘The Gods accept thy worship: they
Give thee the blessed fruit to-day.
Approach and take, O glorious King,
This heavenly nectar which I bring,
For it shall give thee sons and wealth,
And bless thee with a store of health.
Give it to those fair queens of thine,
And bid them quaff the drink divine:
And they the princely suns shall bear
Long sought by sacrifice and prayer.’
‘ Yea. O my lord,’ the monarch said,
And took the vase upon his head,
The gift of Gods, of fine gold wrought,
With store of heavenly liquor fraught.
He honoured, filled with transport new,
That wondrous being, fair to view,
As round the envoy of the God
With reverential steps he trod. [26]
His errand done, that form of light
Arose and vanished from the sight.
High rapture filled the monarch’s soul,
Possessed of that celestial bowl,
As when a man by want distressed
With unexpected wealth is blest.
And rays of transport seemed to fall
Illuminating bower and hall,
As when the autumn moon rides high,
And floods with lovely light the sky.
Quick to the ladies’ bower he sped,
And thus to Queen Kaus’alyá said:
‘This genial nectar take and quaff,’
He spoke, and gave the lady half.
Part of the nectar that remained
Sumitrá from his hand obtained.
He gave, to make her fruitful too,
Kaikeyí half the residue.
A portion yet remaining there,
He paused awhile to think.
Then gave Sumitrá, with her share.
The remnant of the drink.
Thus on each queen of those fair three
A part the king bestowed,
And with sweet hope a child to see
Their yearning bosoms glowed.
The heavenly bowl the king supplied
Their longing souls relieved,
And soon, with rapture and with pride,
Each royal dame conceived.
He gazed upon each lady’s face,
And triumphed as he gazed,
As Indra in his royal place
By Gods and spirits praised.
When Vishnu thus had gone on earth.
From the great king to take his birth.
The self-existent Lord of all
Addressed the Gods who heard his call:
‘For Vishnu’s sake, the strong and true.
Who seeks the good of all of you,
Make helps, in war to lend him aid,
In forms that change at will, arrayed,
Of wizard skill and hero might,
Outstrippers of the wind in flight,
Skilled in the arts of counsel, wise,
And Vishnu’s peers in bold emprise;
With heavenly arts and prudence fraught,
By no devices to be caught;
Skilled in all weapon’s lore and use
As they who drink the immortal juice. [27]
[ p. 28 ]
And let the nymphs supreme in grace,
And maidens of the minstrel race,
Monkeys and snakes,and those who rove
Free spirits of the hill and grove,
And wandering Daughters of the Air,
In monkey form brave children bear.
So erst the lord of bears I shaped,
Born from my mouth as wide I gaped.’
Thus by the mighty Sire addressed
They all obeyed his high behest,
And thus begot in countless swarms
Brave sons disguised in sylvan forms.
Each God, each sage became a sire,
Each minstrel of the heavenly quire, [28]
Each faun, [29] of children strong and good
Whose feet should roam the hill and wood.
Snakes, bards, [30] and spirits, [31] serpents bold
Had sons too numerous to be told.
Báli, the woodland hosts who led,
High as Mahendra’s [32] lofty head,
Was Indra’s child. That noblest fire,
The Sun, was great Sugríva’s sire,
Tára, the mighty monkey, he
Was offspring of Vrihaspati: [33]
Tára the matchless chieftain, boast
For wisdom of the Vánar host.
Of Gandhamádan brave and bold
The father was the Lord of Gold.
Nala the mighty, dear to fame,
Of skilful Vis’vakarmá [34] came.
From Agni, [35] Nila bright as flame,
Who in his splendour, might, and worth,
Surpassed the sire who gave him birth.
The heavenly As’vlns, [36] swift and fair,
Were fathers of a noble pair,
Who, Dwivida and Mainda named,
For beauty like their sires were famed,
Varun [37] was father of Sushen,
Of Sarabh, he who sends the rain, [38]
Hanúmán, best of monkey kind,
Was son of him who breathes the wind:
Like thunderbolt in frame was he,
And swift as Garud’s [39] self could flee.
These thousands did the Gods create
Endowed with might that none could mate,
In monkey forms that changed at will;
So strong their wish the fiend to kill.
In mountain size, like lions thewed,
Up sprang the wondrous multitude,
Auxiliar hosts in every shape,
Monkey and bear and highland ape.
In each the strength, the might, the mien
Of his own parent God were seen.
Some chiefs of Vánar mothers came,
Some of she-bear and minstrel dame,
Skilled in all arms in battle’s shock;
The brandished tree, the loosened rock;
And prompt, should other weapons fail,
To fight and slay with tooth and nail.
Their strength could shake the hills amain,
And rend the rooted trees in twain,
Disturb with their impetuous sweep
The Rivers’ Lord, the Ocean deep,
Rend with their feet the seated ground,
And pass wide floods with airy bound,
Or forcing through the sky their way
The very clouds by force could stay.
Mad elephants that wander through
The forest wilds, could they subdue,
And with their furious shout could scare
Dead upon earth the birds of air.
So were the sylvan chieftains formed;
Thousands on thousands still they swarmed.
These were the leaders honoured most,
The captains of the Vánar host,
And to each lord and chief and guide
Was monkey offspring born beside.
Then by the bears’ great monarch stood
The other roamers of the wood,
[ p. 29 ]
And turned, their pathless homes to seek,
To forest and to mountain peak.
The leaders of the monkey band
By the two brothers took their stand,
Sugríva, offspring of the Sun.
And Báli, Indra’s mighty one.
They both endowed with Garud’s might,
And skilled in all the arts of fight,
Wandered in arms the forest through,
And lions, snakes, and tigers, slew.
But every monkey, ape, and bear
Ever was Báli’s special care;
With his vast strength and mighty arm
He kept them from all scathe and harm.
And so the earth with hill, wood, seas,
Was filled with mighty ones like these,
Of various shape and race and kind,
With proper homes to each assigned,
With Ráma’s champions fierce and strong
The earth was overspread,
High as the hills and clouds, a throng
With bodies vast and dread. 1
* * * * *
Now when the high-souled monarch’s rite,
The As’vamedh, was finished quite,
Their sacrificial dues obtained,
The Gods their heavenly homes regained.
The lofty-minded saints withdrew,
Each to his place, with honour due,
And kings and chieftains, one and all,
Who came to grace the festival.
And Das’aratha, ere they went,
Addressed them thus benevolent:
‘Now may you, each with joyful heart,
To your own realms, O Kings, depart.
Peace and good luck attend you there,
And blessing, is my friendly prayer;
Let cares of state each mind engage
To guard his royal heritage.
A monarch from his throne expelled
No better than the dead is held.
So he who cares for power and might
Must guard his realm and royal right.
Such care a meed in heaven will bring
Better than rites and offering.
Such care a king his country owes
As man upon himself bestows,
When for his body he provides
Raiment and every need besides.
For future days should kings foresee,
And keep the present error-free.
Thus did the king the kings exhort:
They heard, and turned them from the court
And, each to each in friendship bound,
Went forth to all the realms around.
The rites were o’er, the guests were sped:
The train the best of Bráhmans led,
In which the king with joyful soul,
With his dear wives, and with the whole
Of his imperial host and train
Of cars and servants turned again,
And, as a monarch dear to fame,
Within his royal city came.
Next, Rishyas’ring, well-honoured sage,
And S’ántá, sought their hermitage.
The king himself, of prudent mind,
Attended him, with troops behind.
And all her men the town outpoured
With Saint Vas’ishtha and their lord.
High mounted on a car of state,
O’ercanopied fair S’ántá sate,
Drawn by white oxen, while a band
Of servants marched on either hand.
Great gifts of countless price she bore,
With sheep and goats and gems in shore.
Like Beauty’s self the lady shone
With all the jewels she had on,
As, happy in her sweet content.
Peerless amid the fair she went.
Not Queen Paulomí’s [40] self could be
More loving to her lord than she.
She who had lived in happy ease,
Honoured with all her heart could please,
While dames and kinsfolk ever vied
To see her wishes gratified,
Soon as she knew her husband’s will
Again to seek the forest, still
Was ready for the hermit’s cot,
Nor murmured at her altered lot.
The king attended to the wild
That hermit and his own dear child,
And in the centre of a throng
Of noble courtiers rode along.
The sage’s son had let prepare
A lodge within the wood, and there
While they lingered blithe and gay.
Then, duly honoured, went their way.
The glorious hermit Rishyas’ring
Drew near and thus besought the king:
[ p. 30 ]
‘Return, my honoured lord, I pray,
Return, upon thy homeward way.’
The monarch, with the waiting crowd,
Lifted his voice and wept aloud,
And with eyes dripping still to each
Of his good queens he spake this speech:
‘Kaus’alyá and Sumitrá dear,
And thou, my sweet Kaikeyí, hear.
All upon S’ántá feast your gaze,
The last time for a length of days.’
To S’ántá’s arms the ladies leapt,
And hung about her neck and wept,
And cried, '0, happy be the life
Of this great Bráhman and his wife.
The Wind, the Fire, the Moon on high.
The Earth, the Streams, the circling sky,
Preserve thee in the wood, true spouse,
Devoted to thy husband’s vows.
And O dear S’ántá, ne’er neglect
To pay the dues of meek respect
To the great saint, thy husband’s sire,
With all observance and with fire.
And, sweet one, pure of spot and blame,
Forget not thou thy husband’s claim;
In every change, in good and ill,
Let thy sweet words delight him still,
And let thy worship constant be:
Her lord is woman’s deity.
To learn thy welfare, dearest friend,
The king will many a Bráhman send.
Let happy thoughts thy spirit cheer.
And be not troubled, daughter dear.’
These soothing words the ladies said.
And pressed their lips upon her head.
Each gave with sighs her last adieu,
Then at the king’s command withdrew.
The king around the hermit went
With circling footsteps reverent,
And placed at Rishyas’ring’s command
Some soldiers of his royal band.
The Bráhman bowed in turn and cried,
‘May fortune never leave thy side.
O mighty King, with justice reign,
And still thy people’s love retain.’
He spoke, and turned away his face,
And, as the hermit went,
The monarch, rooted to the place,
Pursued with eyes intent.
But when the sage had past from view
King Das’aratha turned him too,
Still fixing on his friend each thought.
With such deep love his breast was fraught.
Amid his people’s loud acclaim
Home to his royal seat he came,
And lived delighted there,
Expecting when each queenly dame,
Upholder of his ancient fame,
Her promised son should bear.
The glorious sage his way pursued
Till close before his eyes he viewed
Sweet Champá, Lomapád’s fair town,
Wreathed with her Champacs’ 1 leafy crown.
Soon as the saint’s approach he knew,
The king, to yield him honour due,
Went forth to meet him with a band
Of priests and nobles of the land:
‘Hail, Sage,’ he cried, 'O joy to me!
What bliss it is, my lord, to see
Thee with thy wife and all thy train
Returning to my town again.
Thy father, honoured Sage, is well,
Who hither from his woodland cell
Has sent full many a messenger
For tidings both of thee and her.’
Then joyfully, for due respect,
The monarch bade the town be decked.
The king and Rishyas’ring elate
Entered the royal city’s gate:
In front the chaplain rode.
Then, loved and honoured with all care
By monarch and by courtier, there
The glorious saint abode.
The monarch called a Bráhman near
And said, 'Now speed away
To Kas’yap’s son, [41] the mighty seer,
And with all reverence say
The holy child he holds so dear,
The hermit of the noble mind.
Whose equal it were hard to find,
Returned, is dwelling here.
Go, and instead of me do thou
Before that best of hermits bow,
That still he may, for his dear son,
Show me the favour I have won.’
Soon as the king these words had said,
To Kas’yap’s son the Bráhman sped.
Before the hermit low he bent
And did obeisance, reverent;
Then with meek words his grace to crave
The message of his lord he gave:
‘The high-souled father of his bride
Had called thy son his rites to guide:
Those rites are o’er, the steed is slain;
Thy noble child is come again.’
Soon as the saint that speech had heard
His spirit with desire was stirred
To seek the city of the king
And to his cot his son to bring.
[ p. 31 ]
With young disciples at his side
Forth on his way the hermit hied,
While peasants from their hamlets ran
To reverence the holy man,
Each with his little gift of food,
Forth came the village multitude,
And, as they humbly bowed the head,
‘What may we do for thee?’ they said.
Then he, of Bráhmans first and best,
The gathered people thus addressed:
‘Now tell me for I fain would know,
Why is it I am honoured so?’
They to the high-souled saint replied:
‘Our ruler is with thee allied.
Our master’s order we fulfil;
O Bráhman, let thy mind be still.’
With joy the saintly hermit heard
Each pleasant and delightful word,
And poured a benediction down
On king and ministers and town.
Glad at the words of that high saint
Some servants hastened to acquaint
Their king, rejoicing to impart
The tidings that would cheer his heart.
Soon as the joyful tale he knew
To meet the saint the monarch flew,
The guest-gift in his hand he brought,
And bowed before him and besought:
‘This day by seeing thee I gain
Not to have lived my life in vain.
Now be not wroth with me, I pray,
Because I wiled thy son away.’ [42]
The best of Bráhmans answer made:
‘Be not, great lord of kings, afraid.
Thy virtues have not failed to win
My favour, O thou pure of sin.’
Then in the front the saint was placed,
The king came next in joyous haste,
And with him entered his abode,
Mid glad acclaim as on they rode.
To greet the sage the reverent crowd
Raised suppliant hands and humbly bowed.
Then from the palace many a dame
Following well-dressed S’ántá came,
Stood by the mighty saint and cried:
‘See, honour’s source, thy son’s dear bride.’
The saint, who every virtue knew,
His arms around his daughter threw,
And with a father’s rapture pressed
The lady to his wondering breast.
Arising from the saint’s embrace
She bowed her low before his face,
And then, with palm to palm applied,
Stood by her hermit father’s side.
He for his son, as laws ordain,
Performed the rite that frees from stain, [43]
And, honoured by the wise and good,
With him departed to the wood.
The seasons six in rapid flight
Had circled since that glorious rite.
Eleven months had passed away:
‘Twas Chaitra’s ninth returning day. [44]
The moon within that mansion shone
Which Aditi looks kindly on.
Raised to their apex in the sky
Five brilliant planets beamed on high.
Shone with the moon, in Cancer’s sign.
Vrihaspati [45] with light divine.
Kaus’alyá bore an infant blest
With heavenly marks of grace impressed;
Ráma, the universe’s lord,
A prince by all the worlds adored.
New glory Queen Kaus’alyá won
Reflected from her splendid son.
So Aditi shone more and more,
The Mother of the Gods, when she
The King of the Immortals [46] bore,
The thunder-wielding deity.
[ p. 32 ]
The lotus-eyed, the beauteous boy,
He came fierce Rávan to destroy;
From half of Vishnu’s vigour born,
He came to help the worlds forlorn.
And Queen Kaikeyí bore a child
Of truest valour, Bharat styled,
With every princely virtue blest,
One fourth of Vishnu manifest.
Sumitrá too a noble pair,
Called Lakshman and S’atrughna, bare,
Of high emprise, devoted, true,
Sharers in Vishnu’s essence too.
‘Neath Pushya’s [47] mansion, Mína’s [48] sign,
Was Bharat born, of soul benign.
The sun had reached the Crab at morn
When Queen Sumitrá’s babes were born,
What time the moon had gone to make
His nightly dwelling with the Snake.
The high-souled monarch’s consorts bore
At different times those glorious four,
Like to himself and virtuous, bright
As Proshthapadá’s [49] four-fold light.
Then danced the nymphs’ celestial throng,
The minstrels raised their strain;
The drums of heaven pealed loud and long,
And dowers came down in rain.
Within Ayodhyá, blithe and gay,
All kept the joyous holiday.
The spacious square, the ample road
With mimes and dancers overflowed,
And with the voice of music rang
Where minstrels played and singers sang,
And shone, a wonder to behold,
With dazzling show of gems and gold,
Nor did the king his largess spare,
For minstrel, driver, bard, to share;
Much wealth the Bráhmans bore away,
And many thousand dine that day.
Soon as each babe was twelve days old
‘Twas time the naming rite to hold.
When Saint Vas’ishtha, rapt with joy,
Assigned a name to every boy.
Ráma, to him the high-souled heir,
Bharat, to him Kaikeyí bare:
Of Queen Sumitrá one fair son
Was Lakshman, and S’atrughna [50] one.
Ráma,his sire’s supreme delight,
Like some proud banner cheered his sight,
And to all creatures seemed to be
The self-existent deity.
All heroes, versed in holy lore,
To all mankind great love they bore.
Fair stores of wisdom all possessed,
With princely graces all were blest.
But mid those youths of high descent,
With lordly light preeminent.
Like the full moon unclouded, shone
Ráma, the world’s dear paragon.
He best the elephant could guide. 1b
Urge the fleet car, the charger ride;
A master he of bowman’s skill,
Joying to do his father’s will.
The world’s delight and darling, he
Loved Lakshman best from infancy;
And Lakshman, lord of lofty fate,
Upon his elder joyed to wait,
Striving his second self to please
With friendship’s sweet observances.
His limbs the hero ne’er would rest
Unless the couch his brother pressed;
Except beloved Ráma shared
He could not taste the meal prepared.
When Ráma, pride of Raghu’s race,
Sprang on his steed to urge the chase,
Behind him Lakshman loved to go
And guard him with his trusty bow.
As Ráma was to Lakshman dear
More than his life and ever near,
So fond S’atrughna prized above
His very life his Bharat’s love.
Illustrious heroes, nobly kind
In mutual love they all combined,
And gave their royal sire delight
With modest grace and warrior might:
Supported by the glorious four
Shone Das’aratha more and more,
As though, with every guardian,*God
Who keeps the land and skies,
The Father of all creatures trod
The earth before men’s eyes.
Now Das’aratha’s pious mind
Meet wedlock for his sons designed;
[ p. 33 ]
With priests and friends the king began
To counsel and prepare his plan.
Such thoughts engaged his bosom, when,
To see Ayodhyá’s lord of men,
A mighty saint of glorious fame,
The hermit Vis’vámitra [51] came.
For evil fiends that roam by night
Disturbed him in each holy rite.
And in their strength and frantic rage
Assailed with witcheries the sage.
He came to seek the monarch’s aid
To guard the rites the demons stayed,
Unable to a close to bring
One unpolluted offering.
Seeking the king in this dire strait
He said to those who kept the gate:
‘Haste, warders, to your master run,
And say that here stands Gádhi’s son.’
Soon as they heard the holy man,
To the king’s chamber swift they ran
With minds disordered all, and spurred
To wildest zeal by what they heard.
On to the royal hall they sped,
There stood and lowly bowed the head,
And made the lord of men aware
That the great saint was waiting there.
The king with priest and peer arose
And ran the sage to meet,
As Indra from his palace goes
Lord Brahmá’s self to greet.
When glowing with celestial light
The pious hermit was in sight,
The king, whose mien his transport showed,
The honoured gift for guests bestowed.
Nor did the saint that gift despise,
Offered as holy texts advise;
He kindly asked the earth’s great king
How all with him was prospering.
The son of Kus’ik [52] bade him tell
If all in town and field were well,
All well with friends, and kith and kin,
And royal treasure stored within:
'Do all thy neighbours own thy sway?
Thy foes confess thee yet?
Dost thou continue still to pay
To Gods and men each debt?’
Then he of hermits first and best,
Vas’ishtha with a smile [53] addressed,
And asked him of his welfare too,
Showing him honour as was due.
Then with the sainted hermit all
Went joyous to the monarch’s hall,
And sate them down by due degree,
Each one, of rank and dignity.
Joy filled the noble prince’s breast
Who thus bespoke the honoured guest:
‘As amrit 1b by a mortal found,
As rain upon the thirsty ground,
As to an heirless man a son
Born to him of his precious one,
As gain of what we sorely miss,
As sudden dawn of mighty bliss,
So is thy coming here to me:
All welcome, mighty Saint, to thee.
What wish within thy heart hast thou?
If I can please thee, tell me how.
Hail, Saint, from whom all honours flow,
Worthy of all I can bestow.
Blest is my birth with fruit to-day,
Nor has my life been thrown away.
I see the best of Bráhman race
And night to glorious morn gives place.
Thou, holy Sage, in days of old
Among the royal saints enrolled,
Didst, penance glorified, within
The Bráhman caste high station win.
‘Tis meet and right in many a way
That I to thee should honour pay.
This seems a marvel to mine eyes:
All sin thy visit purifies;
And I by seeing thee, O Sage,
Have reaped the fruit of pilgrimage.
Then say what thou wouldst have me do,
That thou hast sought this interview.
Favoured by thee, my wish is still,
O Hermit, to perform thy will.
Nor needest thou at length explain
The object that thy heart would gain.
Without reserve I grant it now:
My deity, O Lord, art thou.’
The glorious hermit, far renowned,
With highest fame and virtue crowned,
Rejoiced these modest words to hear
Delightful to the mind and ear.
This saint has given his name to the district and city to the east of Benares. The original name, preserved in a land- grant on copper now in the Museum of the Benares College, has been Moslemized into Ghazeepore (the City of the Soldier- martyr).
19:2 The Hindu year is divided into six seasons of two months each, spring, summer, rains, autumn, winter, and dews. ↩︎
20:1 It was essential that the horse should wander free for a year before immolation as a sign that his masters paramount sovereignty was acknowledged by all neighbouring princes. ↩︎
21:1 Called also Vidcha, later Tirabhukti, corrupted into the modern Tirhut, a province bounded on the west and east by the Gaudakí and Kaus’ikí rivers, on the south by the Ganges, and on the north by the skirts of the Himálayas. ↩︎
21:1b The celebrated city of Benares. See Dr. Hall’s learned and exhaustive Monograph in the Sacred City of the Hindus, by the Rev. M. A. Sherring. ↩︎
21:2b Kekaya is supposed to have been in the Panjáb. The name of the king was As’vapati (Lord of Horses), father of Das’aratha’s wife Kaikeyi. ↩︎
21:3b Surat. ↩︎
21:4b Apparently in the west of India not far from the Indus. ↩︎
22:1 ‘The Pravargya ceremony lasts for three days, and is always performed twice a day, in the forenoon and afternoon. It precedes the animal and Soma sacrifices. For without having undergone it no one is allowed to take part in the solemn Soma feast prepared for the gods.’ HAUG’s Aitareya Bráhmanam. Ved. II. p. 41. note,. q. v. ↩︎
22:2 Upasads. ‘The Gods said, Let us perform the burnt offerings called Upasads (i. e. besieging). For by means of an Upasad, i. e. besieging, they conquer a large (fortified) town.’ —Ibid. p. 32. ↩︎
22:3 The Soma plant, or Asclepias Acida. lts fermented juice was drunk in sacrifice by the priests and offered to the Gods who enjoyed the intoxicating draught. ↩︎
23:1 ‘Dum* in caerimoniarum intervallis Brachmanae facundi, sollertes, crebros sermones de rerum causis instituebant, alter alterum vincendi cupidi. This public disputation in the assembly of Bráhmans on the nature of things, and the almost fraternal connexion between theology and philosophy deserves some notice; whereas the priests of some religions are generally but little inclined to show favour to philosophers, nay, sometimes persecute them with the most rancorous hatred, as we are taught both by history and experience… This s’loka is found in the MSS. of different recensions of the Rámáyan, and we have, therefore, the most trustworthy testimony to the antiquity of philosophy among the Indians.’ SCHLEGEL. ↩︎
23:2 The Angas or appendices of the Vedas, pronunciation, prosody, grammar, ritual, astronomy, and explanation of obscurities. ↩︎
23:3 In Sanskrit vilva, the Aegle Marmelos. ‘He who desires food and wishes to grow fat, ought to make his Yúpa (sacrificial Post) of Bilva wood.’ HAUG’S Aítareya Bráhmanam. Vol. II. p. 73. ↩︎
23:4 The Mimosa Catechu. ‘ He who desires heaven ought to make his Yúpa of Khádira wood.’ —Ibid. ↩︎
23:5 The Butea Frondosa. ‘He who desires beauty and sacred knowledge ought to make his Yúpa of Palás’a wood.’ —lbid. ↩︎
23:6 The Cardia Latifolia. ↩︎
23:7 A kind of pine. The word means literally the tree of the Gods; Compare the עצי יהוה ‘trees of the Lord.’ ↩︎
23:1b The Hindus call the constellation of Ursa Major the Seven Rishis or Saints. ↩︎
24:1 A minute account of these ancient ceremonies would be out of place here. ‘Ágnishtoma is the name of a sacrifice, or rather a series of offerings to fire for five days. It is the first and principal part of the Jyotishtoma, one of the great sacrifices in which especially the juice of the Soma plant is offered for the purpose of obtaining Swarga or heaven.’ GOLDSTÜCKER’S DICTIONARY. ‘The Ágnishtoma is Agni. It is called so because they (the gods) praised him with this Stoma. They called it so to hide the proper meaning of the word: for the gods like to hide the proper meaning of words.’
‘On account of four classes of gods having praised Agni with four Stomas, the whole was called Chatushtoma (containing four Stomas).’
‘It (the Ágnishtoma) is called Jyotishtoma, for they praised Agni when he had risen up (to the sky) in the shape of a light (jyotis).’
‘This (Ágnishtoma) is a sacrificial performance which has no beginning and no end.’ HAUG’S Aitareya Bráhmanam.
The Atirátra, literally lasting through the night, is a division of the service of the Jyotishtoma.
The Abhijit, the everywhere victorious, is the name of a sub-division of the great sacrifice of the Gavámanaya.
The Vis’vajit, or the all-conquering, is a similar sub-division.
Áyus is the name of a service forming a division of the Abhiplava sacrifice.
‘The Aptoryám, is the seventh or last part of the Jyotishtoma, for the performance of which it is not essentially necessary, but a voluntary sacrifice instituted for the attainment of a specific desire. The literal meaning of the word would be in conformity with the Praudhamanoramá, a sacrifice which procures the attainment of the desired object. GOLDSTÜCKER’S DICTIONARY.
‘The Ukthya is a slight modification of the Agnishtoma sacrifice. The noun to be supplied to it is kratu. It is a Soma sacrifice also, and one of the seven Sansthas or component parts of the Jyotishtoma. Its name indicates its nature. For Ukthya means “what refers to the Uktha,” which is an older name for Shástra, i.e. recitation of one of the Hotri priests at the time of the Soma libations. Thus this sacrifice is only a kind of supplement to the Agnishtoma.’ HAUG. ↩︎
24:1b ‘Four classes of priests were required in India at the most solemn sacrifices. 1. The officiating priests, manual labourers, and acolytes, who had chiefly to prepare the sacrificial ground, to dress the altar, slay the victims, and pour out the libations. 2. The choristers, who chant the sacred hymns. 3. The reciters or readers, who repeat certain hymns. 4. The overseers or bishops, who watch and superintend the proceedings of the other priests, and ought to be familiar with all the Vedas. The formulas and verses to be muttered by the first class are contained in the Yajur-veda-sanhitá. The hymns to be sung by the second class are in the Sama-veda-sanhitá. The Atharva-veda in said to be intended for the Brahman or overseer, who is to watch the proceedings of the sacrifice, and to remedy any mistake that may occur. The hymns to he recited by the third class are contained in the Rigveds,’ Chips from a German Workshop. ↩︎
25:1 The Maruts are the winds, deified in we religion of the Veda like other mighty Powers and phenomena of nature. ↩︎
26:1 A Titan or fiend whose destruction has given Vishnu one of his well-known titles, Mádhava. ↩︎
26:2 The garden of Indra. ↩︎
26:3 One of the most ancient and popular of the numerous names of Vishnu. The word has been derived in several ways, and may mean he who moved on the (primordial) waters, or he who pervades or influences men or their thoughts. ↩︎
26:1b The Horse-Sacrifice, just described. ↩︎
27:1 To walk round an object keeping the right side towards it is a mark of great respect. The Sanskrit word for the observance is pradakshiná, from pra pro, and daksha right, Greek δεξίος, Latin dexter, Gaelic *deas-il. A similar ceremony is observed by tha Gaels.
‘In the meantime she traced around him, with wavering steps, the propitiation, which some have thought has been derived from the Druidical mythology. It consists, as is well known, in the person who wakes the deasil walking three times round the person who is the object of the ceremony, taking care to move according to the course of the sun.’ SCOTT. The Two Drovers. ↩︎
27:1b The Amrit, the nectar of the Indian Gods. ↩︎
28:1 Gandharvas (Southey’s Glendoveers) are celestial musicians inhabiting Indra’s heaven and forming the orchestra at all the banquets of the principal deities. ↩︎
28:2 Yakshas, demigods attendant especially on Kuvera, and employed by him in the care of his garden and treasures. ↩︎
28:3 Kimpurushas, demigods attached also to the service of Kuvera, celestial musicians, represented like centaurs reversed with human figures and horses’ heads. ↩︎
28:4 Siddhas, demigods or spirits of undefined attributes, occupying with the Vidyádharas the middle air or region between the earth and the sun.
Schlegel translates: ‘Divi, Sapientes, Fidicines, Praepetes, illustres Genii, Praeconesque procrearunt natos, masculos, silvicolas; angues porro, Hippocephali Beati, Aligeri, Serpentesque frequentes alacriter generavere prolem innumerabilem.’ ↩︎
28:5 A mountain in the south of India. ↩︎
28:6 The preceptor of the Gods and regent of the planet Jupiter. ↩︎
28:7 The celestial architect, the Indian Hephaestus, Mulciber, or Vulcan. ↩︎
28:8 The God of Fire. ↩︎
28:1b Twin children of the Sun, the physicians of Swarga or Indra’s heaven. ↩︎
28:2b The deity of the waters. ↩︎
28:3b Parjanya, sometimes confounded with Indra. ↩︎
28:4b The bird and vehicle of Visnu. He is generally represented as a being something between a man and a bird and considered as the sovereign of the feathered race. He may be compared with the Simurgh of the Persians, the 'Anká of the Arabs, the Griffin of chivalry, the Phoenix of Egypt, and the bird that sits upon the ash Yggdrasil of the Edda. ↩︎
29:1b The consort of Ladra, called also S’achí and Indrání. ↩︎
30:2 Vibhándak, the father of Rishyás’ring. ↩︎
31:1 A hemis’loka is wanting in Schlegel’s text, which he thus fills up in his Latin translation. ↩︎
31:2 Rishyas’ring, a Bráhman, had married Sántá who was of the Kshatriya or Warrior caste and an expiatory ceremony was necessary on account of this violation of the law. ↩︎
31:1b ‘The poet no doubt intended to indicate the vernal equinox as the birthday of Ráma. For the month Chaitra is the first of the two months assigned to the spring; it corresponds with the latter half of March and the former half of April in our division of the year. Aditi, the mother of the Gods, is lady of the seventh lunar mansion which is called Punarvasu. The five planets and their positions in the Zodiac are thus enumerated by both commentators: the Sun in Aries, Mars in Capricorn, Saturn in Libra, Jupiter in Cancer, Venus in Pisces… I leave to astronomers to examine whether the parts of the description agree with one another, and, if this be the case, thence to deduce the date. The Indians place the nativity of Ráma in the confines of the second age (tretá) and the third (dwápara): but it seems that this should be taken in an allegorical sense… We may consider that the poet had an eye to the time in which, immediately before his own age, the aspects of the heavenly bodies were such as he has described.’ SCHLEGEL. ↩︎
31:2b The regent of the planet Jupiter. ↩︎
31:3b Indra=Jupiter Tonans. ↩︎
32:1 ‘Pushya is the name of a month; but here it means the eighth mansion. The ninth is called Aslesh, or the snake. It is evident from this that Bharat, though his birth is mentioned before that of the twins, was the youngest of the four brothers and Rama’s junior by eleven months’ SCHLEGEL. ↩︎
32:2 A fish, the Zodiacal sign Pisces. ↩︎
32:3 One of the constellations, containing stars in the wing of Pegasus. ↩︎
32:4 Ráma means the Delight (of the World); Bharat, the Supporter: Lakshman, the Auspicious; S’atrughna, Slayer of’ Foes. ↩︎
33:1 The story of this famous saint is given at sufficient length in Cantos LI-LV. ↩︎
33:2 The son of Kus’ik is Vis’vámitra. ↩︎
33:3 At the recollection of their former enmity, to be described hereafter. ↩︎