Paumacariya 42

English (machine translation) 42

Language: English

42.1

Then, on account of the gift to a worthy recipient given that day, those sons of Daśaratha / received a shower of gems and accumulated vast merit.

42.2

Furthermore, [they obtained a chariot] made of gold, whose grandeur was adorned with crests of jewels and gems, / furnished with beds and seats, having graceful, fluttering rows of banners,

42.3

and yoked to four horses; having obtained that chariot brought by the gods, / they roamed about in that forest, amusing themselves as they pleased.

42.4

Now for a day, now for a fortnight, now for a month in some charming spot, / they stayed contented, sporting according to their own pleasure.

42.5

Then, crossing dense forest trees and many mountains, / free from fear, they penetrated into the interior of that forest.

42.6

[It was filled with] banyan, dhava, śirīṣa, dharmana, arjuna, punnāga, tilaka, and aśvattha trees, / sarala, kadamba, āmrātaka, pomegranate, aṅkola, and bilva trees,

42.7

udumbara, khadira, kapittha, tinduka, bamboo, and lavaṇa trees, / teak, nimba, jackfruit, mango trees, and nandi trees;

42.8

covered with bakula, tilaka, atimuktaka, koraṇṭaka, kuṭaja, and kubjaka plants, / its regions adorned with campaka, sahakāra, araluka, and kunda creepers;

42.9

covered with date palms, śamī trees, ketakīs, jujube trees, and coconut palms, / and plantain trees, and exceedingly filled with mātuliṅga trees.

42.10

With such diverse kinds of trees as these, / that [forest], handsome in appearance on every side, was perceived as if it were the Nandana garden.

42.11

With tracts of grain naturally grown, such as puṇḍra-sugarcane and others, / the forest shone beside lakes whose waters were filled with blue and red lotuses.

42.12

It was crowded with elephants, yaks, śarabhas, lions, boars, deer, buffaloes, and leopards, / and always teeming with hundreds of hares, tigers, rohita deer, hyenas, and bears.

42.13

In some places the trees were bent down with fruit; in others the ground was white with pale blossoms; / in some parts it was dark blue, in others green, and in others shining with a crimson-red hue.

42.14

On the peak of Mount Daṇḍaka was a great serpent named Daṇḍaka; / because of him, O moon-faced lady, this was declared to people as the Daṇḍaka forest.

42.15

And here was the Kuñcaravā, a great river full of pure water, / echoing with the sweet cries of geese, with flocks of birds sporting freely,

42.16

its waves yellowed with choice flowers fallen from trees standing on both banks, / its whirlpools continually agitated and stirred up by very active crocodiles and turtles.

42.17

Seeing that excellent river, the daughter of Janaka then said to Rāghava: / 'O highly renowned one, why do we not bathe in the water and take our pleasure here for a moment?'

42.18

Having said thus, Rāghava descended together with his beloved; / he bathed in the mass of clear water, like a bull-elephant together with a female elephant.

42.19

With charmingly melodious tones of his hands, Rāghava playfully sounded / many varieties of water-drums, bringing delight to his wife.

42.20

There in the water, Sītā too, gathering fragrant white lotuses / on which bees were settled, placed them around the noble neck of her beloved.

42.21

Then those bees, brushed away by Rāma, flew around / and settled on Sītā’s lotus-face, mistaking it for a lotus.

42.22

Unable to ward off those intoxicated and abundant bees, / that lady suddenly embraced Padmanābha tightly.

42.23

The bees sang, as it were; the birds seemed to shout cries of victory; / while the living beings gathered on the banks were like warriors witnessing Rāma's bath.

42.24

Then, having bathed properly as he pleased in the cool, refreshing water, / Padmanātha emerged from the river along with his beloved.

42.25

With all his limbs adorned with ornaments, seated comfortably in a bower of atimuktaka creepers, / Padma said to his younger brother: 'Listen to my words:

42.26

"Here are trees rich in fruit, entwined with creepers; / the river has clear water, and this mountain is full of gems.

42.27

Quickly bring all our dear kinsmen along with our mothers; / establishing a settlement, let us dwell here in this delightful place."'

42.28

And he was addressed by Lakṣmaṇa: 'Truly, lord, as you have indicated, / this very Daṇḍaka forest brings contentment to us as well.'

42.29

Then, while they were living there in that forest, the summer passed away; / roaring with masses of clouds, the rainy season arrived.

42.30

Spreading across the sky, clouds resembling collyrium made a great display; / having begun to rain, they drenched the circuit of the earth with continuous torrents.

42.31

Arising from the mass of clouds, a fierce wind, rustling loudly, / caused the groups of trees to dance in diverse manners.

42.32

Clouds—blue, green, yellow, or white— / moving in the sky, shone, their regions adorned with flashes of lightning.

42.33

With sprouting plantain leaves, the earth became dark with green shoots; / the torrents of the rivers, pools, ponds, lakes, and reservoirs were filled with fresh water.

42.34

And Rāghava said: 'O prince, in such a rainy season, / with torrential downpours of fresh water falling, your departure is surely not fitting.'

42.35

Having thus considered, Rāma and the son of Sumitrā / entered a beautiful shelter and stayed there together with Sītā and Jaṭāyus.

Thus, full of delight in diverse conversations, provided with food, drink, beds, and seats, / those of spotless majesty happily spent their time in the forest, which was adorned with masses of water and flashes of lightning.

42.37

Thus ends the forty-second chapter in the Paümacariya, entitled 'The Manner of Dwelling in the Daṇḍaka Forest'.

Linked texts (1)

Paümacariya — Vimalasūri, Māhārāṣṭrī Prakrit