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Book I. Canto Xviii. Rishyas'ring's Departure

Canto Xviii.: Rishyas'RING'S Departure.


The monarch called a Brhman near

And said, 'Now speed away

To Kas'yap's son, 2 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 Brhman 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 Brhmans 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 Brhman, 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.' 1

The best of Brhmans 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'nt 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, 2

And, honoured by the wise and good,

With him departed to the wood.

Footnotes

30:1
The "Michelia champaca". It bears a scented yellow blossom:

'The maid of India blest again to hold

In her full lap the Champac's leaves of gold.'

"Lallah Rookh".

30:2
Vibhndak, the father of Rishys'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 Brhman, had married Snt who was of the Kshatriya or Warrior caste and an expiatory ceremony was necessary on account of this violation of the law.
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