Paumacariya 100

English (machine translation) 100

Language: English

100.1

From here, O lord of Magadha! I shall now describe / their battle in detail, beginning with Lava, Rāma, and the others; listen!

100.2

Near Lava rushed the bull among men Vajrajavā; / and Bhāmaṇḍala, accompanied by his troops, followed Aṅkuśa.

100.3

Kṛtāntamukha, mounted on a chariot, rushed as Rāma's charioteer, / and Virādhita himself served as Lakṣmaṇa's driver in the battle.

100.4

Meanwhile, Padma said to Kṛtānta: 'Turn the chariot / towards the enemies so that I may throw the foe into confusion.'

100.5

Kṛtāntavaktra said: 'O Lord! Even these horses have been shattered / with very sharp arrows by this [foe] skilled in war.

100.6

Sunk into a state of stupor, covered with streaming blood, / these horses do not move even with hundreds of caresses, nor when whipped with the hand, O Master!

100.7

O Rāghava! Look now at my arms, pierced by very sharp-tipped arrows, / pierced like kadamba flowers by the enemy.'

100.8

Padma said to Kṛtānta: 'My bow-jewel Vajrāvarta / also goes slack from afar, like the plough and pestle bereft of power.

100.9

Of those divine weapons guarded by Yakṣas, which destroy the opposing party, / such a helpless condition has now befallen my hands.'

100.10

Just as the weapons became useless for Rāghava, O Śreṇika, / so it must be understood especially for Lakṣmaṇa in the battle.

100.11

The noble princes, knowing their kinship, fought with hesitation at the battlefront, / while the Plough-bearer and the Discus-bearer fought against them without hesitation.

100.12

That shower of arrows released from Rāma's hand was cut down by Lava with counter-arrows, / displaying mighty prowess; and Kuśa did likewise against Lakṣmīdhara.

100.13

Then, pierced with arrows by Kuśa, Lakṣmīdhara fell into a swoon; / quickly Virādhita turned the chariot toward Kośalā.

100.14

Recovering consciousness, Lakṣmaṇa then forbade Virādhita, saying: / 'Do not drive the chariot quickly away; place it facing the enemy warriors!

100.15

Even with a body pierced by arrows, for a warrior facing forward in battle, / a hero's death is praiseworthy, but this [retreat] is not fitting.

100.16

How can lion-like men, great souls praised in supreme states / among gods and men, yield to cowardice in battle?

100.17

I am the son of King Daśaratha, the brother of Rāma, Lakṣmaṇa, / whose fame is renowned in the three worlds; such conduct is not worthy of him.'

100.18

When he had spoken thus, the excellent chariot, swift as the wind, was turned back, / and an exceedingly terrible battle of heroes commenced once more.

100.19

Meanwhile, Lakṣmaṇa released the unerring discus, surrounded by thousands of flames, / which caused terror to the three worlds, against Kuśa.

100.20

Approaching Kuśa, that discus of radiant splendor quickly / turned back again and reached Lakṣmaṇa's hand.

100.21

Angrily, that discus was hurled again by Lakṣmaṇa at Kuśa; / but rendered powerless, it returned again and again with the speed of wind.

100.22

Meanwhile, Kuśa twanged his bow with delight, / and facing him, spoke to Lakṣmaṇa in battle: "Halt, halt!"

100.23

Turning back thus toward Lakṣmaṇa on the battlefield, the capable warriors, / their minds astonished, said: "How has it happened otherwise?

100.24

Was the lifting of the Koṭiśilā boulder by Lakṣmaṇa false? / Or was the work foretold by the great sage [untrue], since the discus has proved ineffective?"

100.25

Then Lakṣmaṇa, free from despondency, said: "Surely these two / Baladeva and Vāsudeva are born in the Bharata realm!"

100.26

Seeing Lakṣmaṇa's mind overwhelmed with shame, Siddhārtha, / having gone with Nārada, said: "Listen to our words!

100.27

"Lord! You are the discus-bearer, and Padma is Bala, there is no doubt about this; / can the word of the great sages ever prove false in the world?

100.28

"These two young princes, named Lava and Kuśa, are the sons of Sītā; / while they were still in the womb, Vaidehī was abandoned in the forest."

100.29

When that story of the young princes was related by Siddhārtha and Nārada, / then Lakṣmaṇa, his eyes filled with tears, dropped the discus.

100.30

Padma too, upon hearing the account of his sons, his eyes rolling back / and his body tormented by deep sorrow, fell down, overwhelmed by a faint.

100.31

Revived by being sprinkled with sandalwood water, Rāghava, together with Lakṣmaṇa, / his mind agitated by affection, quickly went near his sons.

100.32

Lava and Kuśa too, descending from their chariot, / both reverently bowed down with affection and excitement at their father's feet.

100.33

Embracing his sons, Lord Padma then lamented, / his mind filled with excessive affection, shedding streams of tear-water from his eyes:

100.34

"Alas, alas! By vile me, O sons, the greatest misery was caused; / while you were in the womb, you were abandoned along with Sītā in the dreadful, terrifying forest!

100.35

"Alas! Though possessed of abundant merit, yet indeed by me Sītā / was brought into being [as a mother], and while in her womb you suffered most terrible sorrow in the wilderness!

100.36

"If the lord of Puṇḍarīkapura had not been there in the forest, / then how, O my dear sons, would I have seen your moon-like faces?

100.37

"Since you were not slain by me with these unerring, great [weapons], / alas, dear boys, you are exceedingly fortunate and meritorious throughout the whole world!"

100.38

Padma spoke again: "Being well told by you shining ones, / I know that Janaka's daughter is alive; there is no doubt of this."

100.39

Lakṣmaṇa too, with tears in his eyes, afflicted by the sorrow of separation, / embraced both youths tightly—Prince Lava and Prince Kuśa.

100.40

The kings headed by Śatrughna, learning of such news, / immediately arrived at that very place, filled with supreme joy.

100.41

There was an assembly of both armies, headed by numerous warriors, / joined in abundant affection, their minds turned away from the thought of battle.

100.42

Seeing the reunion of her sons and her beloved husband, Janaka's daughter, / mounting a divine vimāna, quickly went to Puṇḍarīkapura.

100.43

Then Lord Padma, overcome with joy at the reunion with his sons, / surrounded by Vidyādharas and humans, considered it as though obtaining the three worlds.

100.44

Then Rāghava held a great celebration of joy over the reunion with his sons there, / with sounds of many auspicious musical instruments, abounding in dancing charming women.

100.45

Then Padma, highly pleased, said to Vajrajaṅgha and Bhāmaṇḍala: / "You are my true kinsmen, who brought the young princes here."

100.46

Then the city of Sāketa was made like the celestial assembly in an instant, / with sounds of many auspicious instruments and loud singing accompanying actor-dancers.

100.47

Then Padma, along with his sons, mounted the Puṣpaka vimāna; / attached to it, Lakṣmaṇa, adorned with ornaments, shone brightly.

100.48

Looking upon the ramparts, city-gates, Jina temples, and clusters of banners, / the best of men entered the city of Sāketa.

Crowded with elephants, horses, warriors, and excellent chariots, causing sounds of instruments and victory to resound, / the plow-bearer, the discus-bearer, and the two princes proceeded, showing their strength.

100.50

Then the windows were swiftly crowded without interval by the townswomen, / with their lotus-faces, whose minds were eager to see Lava and Kuśa.

100.51

Observing Lava and Kuśa who were adorned with matchless youthful beauty, / the young women did not even notice their necklaces and bracelets slipping off and falling.

100.52

"Bow down your head covered with flowers and its broad hair-braid, / so that by this opening, friend, I can see Lava and Kuśa!"

100.53

She in turn was answered by that woman: "O absent-minded one, restless and unsteady by nature! / Do you not even see this wide space before you in your eagerness?

100.54

"Do not press with your breasts, you who are proud of your youth and devoid of modesty! / Why are you angry with me, sister? The curiosity is equal for everyone!"

100.55

One pushed another; another bowed down the head of another; / pushing someone else aside, another woman moved into the window opening.

100.56

In this manner, all the mansion windows were filled with noisy clamor / by the city women whose minds were curious to see the forms of Lava and Kuśa.

100.57

With foreheads resembling half-moons, these excellent princes Lava and Kuśa, / adorned with ornaments, stood by Padma's side.

100.58

"In vermilion-colored garments, this one is Lava without doubt, / and in divine garments having the luster of parrot feathers is Kuśa."

100.59

"Blessed is that daughter of Janaka whose sons are these, great in virtues! / Extremely fortunate and meritorious, by whom will they be chosen as grooms?"

100.60

Some looked at Śatrughna arriving, some at the lord of the Vānaras,
others again at Hanumat, and others at the Vidyādhara Bhāmaṇḍala.

100.61

Some gazed at the lord of Trikūṭa, and others at Virādhita, Nala, and Nīla;
the citizens watched Aṅga, Aṅgada, and the rest.

100.62

Endowed in this way with cries of victory and auspicious greetings by the citizens,
the Plough-bearer and Nārāyaṇa joyfully traversed the royal highway.

100.63

Thus, in due order, the Bearer of the Plough and the Bearer of the Discus along with their sons,
with beautiful chowries raised and manifold banner-insignia,
accompanied by the sound of auspicious songs sung by women,
entered their own abode, bearing flawless radiance.

100.64

Thus ends the hundredth section in the Paümacariya, entitled 'The Manner of the Reunion of Lava and Kuśa'.

Linked texts (1)

Paümacariya — Vimalasūri, Māhārāṣṭrī Prakrit