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Book Iii. Canto Vii. Sut'ikshna

Canto Vii.: Sutkshna.


So Raghu's son, his foemen's dread,

With St and his brother sped,

Girt round by many a twice-born sage,

To good Sutikshna's hermitage. 1

Through woods for many a league he passed,

O'er rushing rivers full and fast,

Until a mountain fair and bright

As lofty Meru rose in sight.

Within its belt of varied wood

Ikshvku'a sons and St stood,

Where trees of every foliage bore

Blossom and fruit in endless store.

There coats of bark, like garlands strung,

Before a lonely cottage hung,

And there a hermit, dust-besmeared,

A lotus on his breast, appeared.

Then Rma with obeisance due

Addressed the sage, as near he drew:

'My name is Rma, lord; I seek

Thy presence, saint, with thee to speak.

O sage, whose merits ne'er decay,

Some word unto thy servant say.'

The sage his eyes on Rma bent,

Of virtue's friends preminent;

Then words like these he spoke, and pressed

The son of Raghu to his breast:

'Welcome to thee, illustrious youth,

Best champion of the rights of truth!

By thine approach this holy ground

A worthy lord this day has found.

I could not quit this mortal frame

Till thou shouldst, come, O dear to fame:

To heavenly spheres I would not rise,

Expecting thee with eager eyes.

I knew that thou, unkinged, hadst made

Thy home in Chitrakta's shade.

E'en now, O Rma, Indra, lord

Supreme by all the Gods adored,

King of the Hundred Offerings, 1b said,

When he my dwelling visited,

That the good works that I have done

My choice of all the worlds have won.

Accept this meed of holy vows,

And with thy brother and thy spouse,

Roam, through my favour, in the sky

Which saints celestial glorify.'

To that bright sage, of penance stern,

The high-souled Rma spake in turn,

As Vsava 2b who rules the skies

To Brahm's gracious speech replies:

I of myself those worlds will win,

O mighty hermit pure from sin:

But now, O saint, I pray thee tell

Where I within this wood may dwell:

For I by S'arabhanga old,

The son of Gautama, was told

That thou in every lore art wise,

And seest all with loving eyes.'

Thus to the saint, whose glories high

Filled all the world, he made reply:

And thus again the holy man

His pleasant speech with joy began:

'This calm retreat, O Prince, is blest

With many a charm: here take thy rest.

Here roots and kindly fruits abound,

And hermits love the holy ground.

Fair silvan beasts and gentle deer

In herds unnumbered wander here:

And as they roam, secure from harm,

Our eyes with grace and beauty charm:

Except the beasts in thickets bred,

This grove of ours has naught to dread."

The hermit's speech when Rma heard,--

The hero ne'er by terror stirred,--

On his great bow his hand he laid,

And thus in turn his answer made:

'O saint, my darts of keenest steel,

Armed with their murderous barbs, would deal

Destruction mid the silvan race

That flocks around thy dwelling-place.

Most wretched then my fate would be

For such dishonour shown to thee:

And only for the briefest stay

Would I within this grove delay.'

He spoke and ceased. With pious care

He turned him to his evening prayer,

Performed each customary rite,

And sought his lodging for the night,

With St and his brother laid

p. 237

Beneath the grove's delightful shade,

First good Stkshnu, when he saw

The shades of night around them draw,

With hospitable care

The princely chieftains entertained

With store of choicest food ordained

For holy hermit's fare.

Footnotes

236:1
Near the celebrated Rmagiri or Rma's Hill, now Rm-tek, near Nagpore
--the scene of the Yaksha's exile in the
"Messenger Cloud".

236:
1b A hundred "As'vamedhas" or sacrifices of a horse raise the sacrificer to the dignity of Indra.

236:2b Indra.

atharva veda hymn to the| atharva veda hymn
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