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Book Ii. Canto Xcvi. The Magic Shaft

Canto Xcvi. 1b: The Magic Shaft.


Thus Rama showed to Janak's child

The varied beauties of the wild,

The hill, the brook and each fair spot,

Then turned to seek their leafy cot.

North of the mountain Rama found

A cavern in the sloping ground,

Charming to view, its floor was strown

With many a mass of ore and stone,

In secret shadow far retired

Where gay birds sang with joy inspired,

And trees their graceful branches swayed

With loads of blossom downward weighed.

Soon as he saw the cave which took

Each living heart and chained the look,

Thus Rama spoke to Sita, who

Gazed wondering on the silvan view:

'Does this fair cave beneath the height,

Videhan lady, charm thy sight?

Then let us resting here a while

The languor of the way beguile.

That block of stone so smooth and square

Was set for thee to rest on there,

And like a thriving Kes'ar tree

This flowery shrub o'ershadows thee.'

Thus Rama spoke, and Janak's child,

By nature ever soft and mild,

In tender words which love betrayed

Her answer to the hero made:

'O pride of Raghu's children, still

My pleasure is to do thy will.

Enough for me thy wish to know:

Far hast thou wandered to and fro.'

Thus Sita spake in gentle tone,

And went obedient to the stone,

Of perfect face and faultless limb

Prepared to rest a while with him.

And Rama, as she thus replied,

Turned to his spouse again and cried:

'Thou seest, love, this flowery shade

For silvan creatures' pleasure made,

How the gum streams from trees and plants

Torn by the tusks of elephants!

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Through all the forest clear and high

Resounds the shrill cicala's cry.

Hark how the kite above us moans,

And calls her young in piteous tones;

So may my hapless mother be

Still mourning in her home for me.

There mounted on that lofty Sl

The loud Bhringrj 1 repeats his call:

How sweetly now he tunes his throat

Responsive to the Kol's note.

Or else the bird that now has sung

May be himself the Kol's young,

Linked with such winning sweetness are

The notes he pours irregular.

See, round the blooming Mango clings

That creeper with her tender rings,

So in thy love, when none is near,

Thine arms are thrown round me, my dear.'

Thus in his joy he cried; and she,

Sweet speaker, on her lover's knee,

Of faultless limb and perfect face,

Grew closer to her lord's embrace.

Reclining in her husband's arms,

A goddess in her wealth of charms,

She filled his loving breast anew

With mighty joy that thrilled him through.

His finger on the rock he laid,

Which veins of sanguine ore displayed,

And painted o'er his darling's eyes

The holy sign in mineral dyes.

Bright on her brow the metal lay

Like the young sun's first gleaming ray,

And showed her in her beauty fair

As the soft light of morning's air.

Then from the Kes'ar's laden tree

He picked fair blossoms in his glee,

And as he decked each lovely tress,

His heart o'erflowed with happiness.

So resting on that rocky seat

A while they spent in pastime sweet,

Then onward neath the shady boughs

Went Rma with his Maithil spouse.

She roaming in the forest shade

Where every kind of creature strayed

Observed a monkey wandering near,

And clung to Rma's arm in fear.

The hero Rma fondly laced

His mighty arms around her waist,

Consoled his beauty in her dread,

And scared the Monkey till he fled.

That holy mark of sanguine ore

That gleamed on St's brow before,

Shone by that close embrace impressed

Upon the hero's ample chest.

Then St, when the beast who led

The monkey troop, afar had fled,

Laughed loudly in light-hearted glee

That mark on Rma's chest to see.

A clump of bright As'okas fired

The forest in their bloom attired:

The restless blossoms as they gleamed

A host of threatening monkeys seemed.

Then St thus to Rma cried,

As longingly the flowers she eyed:

'Pride of thy race, now let us go

Where those As'oka blossoms grow.'

He on his darling's pleasure bent

With his fair goddess thither went

And roamed delighted through the wood

Where blossoming As'okas stood,

As S'iva with Queen Um roves

Through Himavn's majestic groves.

Bright with purpureal glow the pair

Of happy lovers sported there,

And each upon the other set

A flower-inwoven coronet.

There many a crown and chain they wove

Of blooms from that As'oka grove,

And in their graceful sport the two

Fresh beauty o'er the mountain threw.

The lover let his love survey

Each pleasant spot that round them lay,

Then turned they to their green retreat

Where all was garnished, gay, and neat.

By brotherly affection led,

Sumitr's son to meet them sped,

And showed the labours of the day

Done while his brother was away.

There lay ten black-deer duly slain

With arrows pure of poison stain,

Piled in a mighty heap to dry,

With many another carcass nigh.

And Lakshman's brother saw, o'erjoyed,

The work that had his hands employed,

Then to his consort thus he cried:

'Now be the general gifts supplied.'

Then St, fairest beauty, placed

The food for living things to taste,

And set before the brothers meat

And honey that the pair might eat.

They ate the meal her hands supplied,

Their lips with water purified:

Then Janak's daughter sat at last

And duly made her own repast.

The other venison, to be dried,

Piled up in heaps was set aside,

And Rma told his wife to stay

And drive the flocking crows away.

Her husband saw her much distressed

By one more bold than all the rest,

Whose wings where'er he chose could fly,

Now pierce the earth, now roam the sky.

Then Rma laughed to see her stirred

To anger by the plaguing bird:

Proud of his love the beauteous dame

With burning rage was all aflame.

Now here, now there, again, again

She chased the crow, but all in vain,

Enraging her, so quick to strike

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With beak and wing find claw alike:

Then how the proud lip quivered, how

The dark frown marked her angry brow!

When Rma saw her cheek aglow

With passion, he rebuked the crow.

But bold in impudence the bird,

With no respect for Rma's word,

Fearless again at St flew:

Then Rma's wrath to fury grew.

The hero of the mighty arm

Spoke o'er a shaft the mystic charm,

Laid the dire weapon on his bow

And launched it at the shameless crow.

The bird, empowered by Gods to spring

Through earth itself on rapid wing,

Through the three worlds in terror fled

Still followed by that arrow dread.

Where'er he flew, now here now there,

A cloud of weapons filled the air.

Back to the high-souled prince he fled

And bent at Rma's feet his head,

And then, as St looked, began

His speech in accents of a man:

'O pardon, and for pity's sake

Spare, Rma, spare my life to take!

Where'er I turn, where'er I flee,

No shelter from this shaft I see.'

The chieftain heard the crow entreat

Helpless and prostrate at his feet,

And while soft pity moved his breast,

With wisest speech the bird addressed:

'I took the troubled St's part,

And furious anger filled my heart.

Then on the string my arrow lay

Charmed with a spell thy life to slay.

Thou seekest now my feet, to crave

Forgiveness and thy life to save.

So shall thy prayer have due respect:

The suppliant I must still protect.

But ne'er in vain this dart may flee;

Yield for thy life a part of thee,

What portion of thy body, say,

Shall this mine arrow rend away?

Thus far, O bird, thus far alone

On thee my pity may be shown.

Forfeit a part thy life to buy:

'Tis better so to live than die.'

Thus Rma spoke: the bird of air

Pondered his speech with anxious care,

And wisely deemed it good to give

One of his eyes that he might live.

To Raghu's son he made reply:

'O Rma, I will yield an eye.

So let me in thy grace confide

And live hereafter single-eyed.'

Then Rma charged the shaft, and lo,

Full in the eye it smote the crow.

And the Videhan lady gazed

Upon the ruined eye amazed.

The crow to Rma humbly bent,

Then where his fancy led he went.

Rma with Lakshman by his side

With needful work was occupied.

Footnotes

204:
1b This canto is allowed, by Indian commentators, to be an interpolation. It cannot be the work of Valmiki.

205:1 A
fine bird with a strong, sweet note, and great imitative powers.
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