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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. 404

And 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 head

That 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 lake

Whose 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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