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Book Iii. Canto Xxiii. The Omens

Canto Xxiii.: The Omens.


As forth upon its errand went

That huge ferocious armament,

An awful cloud, in dust and gloom,

With threatening thunders from its womb

Poured in sad augury a flood

Of rushing water mixt with blood.

The monarch's steeds, though strong and fleet,

Stumbled and fell: and yet their feet

Passed o'er the bed of flowers that lay

Fresh gathered on the royal way.

No gleam of sunlight struggled through

The sombre pall of midnight hue,

Edged with a line of bloody red,

Like whirling torches overhead.

A vulture, fierce, of mighty size.

Terrific with his cruel eyes,

Perched on the staff enriched with pold,

Whence hung the flag in many a fold

Each ravening bird, each beast of prey

Where Janasthn's wild thickets lay,

Rose with a long discordant cry

And gathered as the host went by,

And from the south long, wild, and shrill,

Came spirit voices boding ill.

Like elephants in frantic mood,

Vast clouds terrific, sable-hued,

Hid all the sky where'er they bore

Their load of water mixt with gore.

Above, below, around were spread

Thick shades of darkness strange and dread,

Nor could the wildered glance descry

A point or quarter of the sky.

Then came o'er heaven a sanguine hue,

Though evening's flush not yet was due,

While each ill-omened bird that flies

Assailed the king with harshest cries.

There screamed the vulture and the crane,

And the loud jackal shrieked again.

Each hideous thing that bodes aright

Disaster in the coming fight,

With gaping mouth that hissed and flamed,

The ruin of the host proclaimed.

Eclipse untimely reft away

The brightness of the Lord of Day,

And near his side was seen to glow

A mace-like comet boding woe.

Then while the sun was lost to view

A mighty wind arose and blew,

And stars like fireflies shed their light,

Nor waited for the distant night.

The lilies drooped, the brooks were dried,

The fish and birds that swam them died,

And every tree that was so fair

With flower and fruit was stripped and bare.

The wild wind ceased, yet, raised on high,

Dark clouds of dust involved the sky.

In doleful twitter long sustained

The restless Sriks 1 complained,

And from the heavens with flash and flame

Terrific meteors roaring came.

Earth to her deep foundation shook

With rock and tree and plain and brook,

As Khara with triumphant shout,

Borne in his chariot, sallied out.

His left arm throbbed: he knew full well

That omen, and his visage fell.

Each awful sign the giant viewed,

And sudden tears his eye bedewed.

Care on his brow sat chill and black,

Yet mad with wrath he turned not back.

Upon each fearful sight that raised

The shuddering hair the chieftain gazed,

And laughing in his senseless pride

Thus to his giant legions cried:

'By sense of mightiest strength upborne,

These feeble signs I laugh to scorn.

I could bring down the stars that shine

In heaven with these keen shafts of mine.

Impelled by warlike fury I

Could cause e'en Death himself to die.

p. 256

I
will not seek my home again

Until my pointed shafts have slain

This Raghu's son so fierce in pride,

And Lakshman by his brother's side.

And she, my sister, she for whom

These sons of Raghu meet their doom,

She with delighted lips shall drain.

The lifeblood of her foemen slain.

Fear not for me: I ne'er have known

Defeat, in battle overthrown.

Fear not for me, O giants; true

Are the proud words I speak to you.

The king of Gods who rules on high,

If wild Air'avat bore him nigh,

Should fall before me bolt in hand:

And shall these two my wrath withstand!'

He ended and the giant host

Who heard their chief's triumphant boast,

Rejoiced with equal pride elate,

Entangled in the noose of Fate.

Then met on high in bright array,

With eyes that longed to see the fray,

God and Gandharva, sage and saint,

With beings pure from earthly taint.

Blest for good works aforetime wrought,

Thus each to other spake his thought:

'Now joy to Br'ahmans, joy to kine,

And all whom world count half divine!

May Raghu's offspring slay in fight

Pulastya's sons who roam by night!'

In words like these and more, the best

Of high-souled saints their hopes expressed,

Bending their eager eyes from where

Car-borne with Gods they rode in air.

Beneath them stretching far, they viewed

The giants' death-doomed multitude.

They saw where, urged with fury, far

Before the host rolled Khara's car,

And close beside their leader came

Twelve giant peers of might and fame. 1

Four other chiefs 2 before the rest

Behind their leader D'ushan pressed.

Impetuous, cruel, dark, and dread,

All thirsting for the fray,

The hosts of giant warriors sped

Onward upon their way.

With eager speed they reached the spot

Where dwelt the princely two,--

Like planets in a league to blot

The sun and moon from view.

Footnotes

255:1
The Srik is the Maina, a bird like a starling.

256:1
Their names which are rather unmanageable and of no importance are Syenagama, Prithus'y'ama, Yajnas'atru, Vihangama, Durjaya, Parav'ira'ksha, Purusha, K'alak'amuka, Megham'ali, M'aham'ali*,
*Varasya, Rudhir'as'ana.

256:2
Mah'akap'ala, Sth'ul'aksha, Pram'atha, Tris'iras.
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