The Ramayana by Valmiki (ink book reader TXT) 📕

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glory undefiled,
When Nandi(455) stands beside his lord,
And King Himálaya's child.(456)

Canto XVII. Súrpanakhá.

The bathing and the prayer were o'er;
He turned him from the grassy shore,
And with his brother and his spouse
Sought his fair home beneath the boughs.
Sítá and Lakshman by his side,
On to his cot the hero hied,
And after rites at morning due
Within the leafy shade withdrew.
Then, honoured by the devotees,
As royal Ráma sat at ease,
With Sítá near him, o'er his head
A canopy of green boughs spread,
He shone as shines the Lord of Night
By Chitrá's(457) side, his dear delight.

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left">Soon as he saw the prince's mind

To rest that day was well inclined,

He sought Kaikeyí's son to please

With hospitable courtesies.

Then Bharat to the saint replied:

“Our wants are more than satisfied.

The gifts which honoured strangers greet,

And water for our weary feet

Hast thou bestowed with friendly care,

And every choice of woodland fare.”

Then Bharadvája spoke, a smile

Playing upon his lips the while:

“I know, dear Prince, thy friendly mind

Will any fare sufficient find,

But gladly would I entertain

And banquet all thine armed train:

Such is my earnest wish: do thou

This longing of my heart allow,

Why hast thou hither bent thy way,

And made thy troops behind thee stay? [pg 198]

Why unattended? couldst thou not

With friends and army seek this spot?”

Bharat, with reverent hands raised high,

To that great hermit made reply:

“My troops, for awe of thee, O Sage,

I brought not to thy hermitage:

Troops of a king or monarch's son

A hermit's home should ever shun.

Behind me comes a mighty train

Wide spreading o'er the ample plain,

Where every chief and captain leads

Men, elephants, and mettled steeds.

I feared, O reverend Sage, lest these

Might harm the holy ground and trees,

Springs might be marred and cots o'erthrown,

So with the priests I came alone.”

“Bring all thy host,” the hermit cried,

And Bharat, to his joy, complied.

Then to the chapel went the sire,

Where ever burnt the sacred fire,

And first, in order due, with sips

Of water purified his lips:

To Viśvakarmá, then he prayed,

His hospitable feast to aid:

“Let Viśvakarmá hear my call,

The God who forms and fashions all:

A mighty banquet I provide,

Be all my wants this day supplied.

Lord Indra at their head, the three365

Who guard the worlds I call to me:

A mighty host this day I feed,

Be now supplied my every need.

Let all the streams that eastward go,

And those whose waters westering flow,

Both on the earth and in the sky,

Flow hither and my wants supply.

Be some with ardent liquor filled,

And some with wine from flowers distilled,

While some their fresh cool streams retain

Sweet as the juice of sugar-cane.

I call the Gods, I call the band

Of minstrels that around them stand:

I call the Háhá and Huhú,

I call the sweet Viśvávasu,

I call the heavenly wives of these

With all the bright Apsarases,

Alambúshá of beauty rare,

The charmer of the tangled hair,

Ghritáchí and Viśváchi fair,

Hemá and Bhímá sweet to view,

And lovely Nágadantá too,

And all the sweetest nymphs who stand

By Indra or by Brahmá's hand—

I summon these with all their train

And Tumburu to lead the strain.

Here let Kuvera's garden rise

Which far in Northern Kuru366 lies:

For leaves let cloth and gems entwine,

And let its fruit be nymphs divine.

Let Soma367 give the noblest food

To feed the mighty multitude,

Of every kind, for tooth and lip,

To chew, to lick, to suck, and sip.

Let wreaths, where fairest flowers abound,

Spring from the trees that bloom around.

Each sort of wine to woo the taste,

And meats of every kind be placed.”

Thus spake the hermit self-restrained,

With proper tone by rules ordained,

On deepest meditation bent,

In holy might preëminent.

Then as with hands in reverence raised

Absorbed in thought he eastward gazed,

The deities he thus addressed

Came each in semblance manifest.

Delicious gales that cooled the frame

From Malaya and Dardar came,

That kissed those scented hills and threw

Auspicious fragrance where they blew.

Then falling fast in sweetest showers

Came from the sky immortal flowers,

And all the airy region round

With heavenly drums was made to sound.

Then breathed a soft celestial breeze,

Then danced the bright Apsarases,

The minstrels and the Gods advanced,

And warbling lutes the soul entranced.

The earth and sky that music filled,

And through each ear it softly thrilled,

As from the heavenly quills it fell

With time and tune attempered well.

Soon as the minstrels ceased to play

And airs celestial died away,

The troops of Bharat saw amazed

What Viśvakarmá's art had raised.

On every side, five leagues around,

All smooth and level lay the ground,

With fresh green grass that charmed the sight

Like sapphires blent with lazulite.

There the Wood-apple hung its load,

The Mango and the Citron glowed,

The Bel and scented Jak were there,

And Apelá with fruitage fair.

There, brought from Northern Kuru, stood

Rich in delights, the glorious wood,

And many a stream was seen to glide [pg 199]

With flowering trees along its side.

There mansions rose with four wide halls,

And elephants and chargers' stalls,

And many a house of royal state,

Triumphal arc and bannered gate.

With noble doorways, sought the sky,

Like a pale cloud, a palace high,

Which far and wide rare fragrance shed,

With wreaths of white engarlanded.

Square was its shape, its halls were wide,

With many a seat and couch supplied,

Drink of all kinds, and every meat

Such as celestial Gods might eat.

Then at the bidding of the seer

Kaikeyí's strong-armed son drew near,

And passed within that fair abode

Which with the noblest jewels glowed.

Then, as Vaśishṭha led the way,

The councillors, in due array,

Followed delighted and amazed

And on the glorious structure gazed.

Then Bharat, Raghu's son, drew near

The kingly throne, with prince and peer,

Whereby the chouri in the shade

Of the white canopy was laid.

Before the throne he humbly bent

And honoured Ráma, reverent,

Then in his hand the chouri bore,

And sat where sits a councillor.

His ministers and household priest

Sat by degrees from chief to least,

Then sat the captain of the host

And all the men he honoured most.

Then when the saint his order gave,

Each river with enchanted wave

Rolled milk and curds divinely sweet

Before the princely Bharat's feet;

And dwellings fair on either side,

With gay white plaster beautified,

Their heavenly roofs were seen to lift,

The Bráhman Bharadvája's gift.

Then straight by Lord Kuvera sent,

Gay with celestial ornament

Of bright attire and jewels' shine,

Came twenty thousand nymphs divine:

The man on whom those beauties glanced

That moment felt his soul entranced.

With them from Nandan's blissful shades

Came twenty thousand heavenly maids.

Tumburu, Nárad, Gopa came,

And Sutanu, like radiant flame,

The kings of the Gandharva throng,

And ravished Bharat with their song.

Then spoke the saint, and swift obeyed

Alambúshá, the fairest maid,

And Miśrakeśí bright to view,

Ramaṇá, Puṇḍríká too,

And danced to him with graceful ease

The dances of Apsarases.

All chaplets that by Gods are worn,

Or Chaitraratha's graves adorn,

Bloomed by the saint's command arrayed

On branches in Prayága's shade.

When at the saint's command the breeze

Made music with the Vilva trees,

To wave in rhythmic beat began

The boughs of each Myrobolan,

And holy fig-trees wore the look

Of dancers, as their leaflets shook.

The fair Tamála, palm, and pine,

With trees that tower and plants that twine,

The sweetly varying forms displayed

Of stately dame or bending maid.

Here men the foaming winecup quaffed,

Here drank of milk full many a draught,

And tasted meats of every kind,

Well dressed, whatever pleased their mind.

Then beauteous women, seven or eight,

Stood ready by each man to wait:

Beside the stream his limbs they stripped

And in the cooling water dipped.

And then the fair ones, sparkling eyed,

With soft hands rubbed

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