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Book Iv. Canto Xxv. R'ama's Speech

Canto Xxv.: Rma'S Speech.


Then Raghu's son, whose feeling breast

Shared the great woe that moved the rest,

Strove with wise charm their grief to ease

And gently spoke in words like these:

'You ne'er can raise the dead to bliss

By agony of grief like this

Cease your lament, nor leave undone

The funeral task you may not shun.

As nature orders o'er the dead

Your tributary tears are shed,

But Fate, directing each event,

Is still the lord preeminent.

Yes, all obey the changeless laws

Of Fate the universal cause,

By Fate, the lives of all proceed,

That governs every word and deed,

None acts, none sees his hest obeyed.

But each and all by Fate are swayed.

The world its ordered course maintains,

And o'er that course Fate ever reigns.

Fate ne'er exceeds the rule of Fate:

Is ne'er too swift, is ne'er too late,

And making nature its ally

Forgets no life, nor passes by.

No kith and kin, no power and force

Can check or stay its settled course,

No friend or client, grace or charm,

That victor of the world disarm.

So all who see with prudent eyes

The hand of Fate must recognize,

For virtue rules, or love, or gain,

As Fate's unchanged decrees ordain.

Bli has died and won the meed

That waits in heaven on noble deed,

Throned in the seats the brave may reach

By liberal hand and gentle speech,

True to a warrior's duty, bold

In fight, the hero lofty-souled

Deigned not to guard his life: he died,

And now in heaven is glorified.

Then cease these tears and wild despair:

Turn to the task that claims your care,

For Bli's is the glorious fate

Which warriors count most fortunate.'

When Rma's speech had found a close.

Brave Lakshman, terror of his foes,

With wise and soothing words addressed

Sugrva still with woe oppressed:

'Arise Sugrva,' thus he said,

'Perform the service of the dead.

Prepare with Tr and her son

That Bli's rites be duly done.

A store of funeral wood provide

Which wind and sun and time have dried

And richest sandal fit to grace

The pyre of one of royal race.

With words of comfort soft and kind

Console poor Angad's troubled mind,

Nor let thy heart be thus cast down,

For thine is now the Vnars' town.

Let Angad's care a wreath supply,

And raiment rich with varied dye,

And oil and perfumes for the fire,

And all the solemn rites require.

Go, hasten to the town, O King,

And Tr's little quickly bring.

A virtue is despatch: and speed

Is best of all in hour of need.

Go, let a chosen band prepare

The litter of the dead to bear.

For stout and tall and strong of limb

Must be the cheifs who carry him.'

He spoke,--his friends' delight and pride,--

Then stood again by Rma's side.

When Tra 1 heard the words he said

Within the town he quickly sped,

And brought, on stalwart shoulders laid,

The litter for the rites arrayed,

Framed like a car for Gods, complete

With painted sides and royal seat,

With latticed windows deftly made,

And golden birds and trees inlaid:

Well joined and wrought in every part,

A marvel of ingenious art.

Where pleasure mounds in carven wood

And many a graven figure stood.

The best of jewels o'er it hung,

And wreaths of flowers around it clung,

And over all was raised on high

A canopy of saffron dye,

While like the sun of morning shone

The billiant blooms that lay thereon.

That glorious litter Rma eyed.

And spake to Lakshman by his side:

'Let Bli on the bier be placed

And with all funeral service graced.'

Sugrva then with many a tear

Drew Bli's body to the bier

Whereon, with weeping Angad's aid,

The relics of the chief were laid

Neath many a vesture's varied fold,

And wreaths and ornaments and gold.

Then King Sugrva bade them speed

The obsequies by law decreed:

'Let Vnars lead the way and throw

Rich gems around them as they go,

And be the chosen bearers near

Behind them, laden with the bier.

No costly rite may you deny,

Used when the proudest monarchs die:

As for a king of widest sway.

Perform his obsequies to-day,'

p. 355

Sugrva gave his high behest;

Then Princely Tra and the rest,

With little Angad weeping, led

The long procession of the dead.

Behind the funeral litter came,

With Tra first, each widowed dame

In tears and shrieks her loss deplored,

Add cried aloud, My lord! My lord!

While wood and hill and valley sent

In echoes back the shrill lament.

Then on a low and sandy isle

Was reared the hero's funeral pile

By crowds of toiling Vnars, where

The mountain stream ran fresh and fair.

The Vnar chiefs, a noble band,

Had laid the litter on the sand,

And stood a little space apart,

Each mourning in his inmost heart.

But Tra, when her weeping eye

Saw Bli, on the litter lie,

Laid his dear head upon her lap,

And wailed aloud her dire mishap;

'O mighty Vnar, lord and king,

To whose fond breast brave, and bold,

Rise, look upon me as of old.

Rise up, my sovereign, dost thou see

A crowd of subjects weep for thee?

Still o'er thy face, though breath has fled.

The joyous light of life is spread:

Thus around the sun, although he set,

A crimson glory lingers yet.

Death clad in Rma's form to-day

Hast dragged thee from the world away.

One shaft from his tremendous bow

Dooms us to widowhood and woe.

Hast thou, O Vnar King, no eyes

Thy weeping wives to recognize,

Who for the length of way unmeet

Have followed thee with weary feet?

Yet every moon-faced beauty here

By thee, O King was counted dear.

Lord of the Vnar race, hast thou

No eyes to see Sugrva now?

About thee stands in mournful mood

A sore-afflicted multitude,

And Tra and thy lords of state

Around their monarch weep and wait,

Arise my lord, with gentle speech,

As was thy wont, dismissing each,

Then in the forest will we play

And love shall make our spirits gay.'

The Vnar dames raised Tra, drowned

In floods of sorrow, from the ground;

And Angad with Sugrva's aid,

O'erwhelmed with anguish and dismayed,

Weeping for his departed sire,

Placed Bali's body on the pyre:

Then lit the flame, and round the dead

Paced slowly with a mourner's tread.

Thus with full rites the funeral train.

Performed the service for the slain,

Then sought the flowing stream and made

Libations to the parted shade.

There, setting Angad first in place,

The chieftains of the Vanar race,

With Tra and Sugrva, shed

The water that delights the dead.

Footnotes

354:1 The Vnar chief, not to be confounded with Tr.

venerable bede the ecclesiastical history of england| eusebius ecclesiastical history book
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