Book V. Canto Xiv. The As'oka Grove Canto Xiv.: The As 'Oka Grove. He cleared the barrier at a bound; He stood within the pleasant ground, p. 404And with delighted eyes surveyed The climbing plants and varied shade,He saw unnumbered trees unfold The treasures of their pendent gold, As, searching for the Maithil queen, He strayed through alleys soft and green;And when a spray he bent or broke Some little bird that slept awoke. Whene'er the breeze of morning blew, Where'er a startled peacock flew,The gaily coloured branches shed Their flowery rain upon his headThat clung around the Vnar till He seemed a blossom-covered hill, 1 The earth, on whose fair bosom lay The flowers that fell from every spray,Was glorious as a lovely maid In all her brightest robes arrayed,He saw the breath of morning shake The lilies on the rippling lakeWhose waves a pleasant lapping made On crystal steps with gems inlaid. Then roaming through the enchanted ground, A pleasant hill the Vnar found,And grottoes in the living stone With grass and flowery trees o'ergrown.Through rocks and boughs a brawling rill Leapt from the bosom of the hill,Like a proud beauty when she flies From her love's arms with angry eyes.He clomb a tree that near him grew And leafy shade around him threw. 'Hence,' thought the Vnar, 'shall I see The Maithil dame, if here she be, These lovely trees, this cool retreat Will surely tempt her wandering feet. Here the sad queen will roam apart. And dream of Rma in her heart,'Footnotes 403:1 The Vasus are a class of eight deities, originally personifications of natural phenomena. 403:2 The Maruts are the winds or Storm-Gods. 403:3 The dityas originally seven deities of the heavenly sphere of whom Varuna is the chief. The name ditya was afterwards given to any God, specially to Srya the Sun. 403:4 The As'vins are the Heavenly Twins, the Castor and Pollux of the Hindus.
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