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Ravanavadha 2

English (machine translation) 2

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English

2.1

Having departed from that city, he beheld autumn bearing all around the splendour / of trees, lakes, rivers, radiant luminaries, and the directions.

2.2

Possessing the splendour of flames in an extraordinary degree with their petals trembling from contact with the waves, / the red lotuses, alive with agitated bees, shone with the brilliance of smoky, blazing fire.

2.3

Seeing their own abundance stolen by the waters through the bank-side groves reflected in them, / the banks, as if out of resentment, spread out the beauty of lotuses through the smiles of land-lotuses.

2.4

With clear drops trickling from the edges of its leaves like tears of water from night-frost, / a tree on the bank, with buzzing birds, seemed to lament at daybreak over the night-blooming lotus bed.

2.5

The forests and the waters, with flowers and lotuses in which bees nestled like eyes, / gazed attentively, as it were, at each other's beauty in wonder.

2.6

Its form shaken by the impact of the morning breeze, the day-lotus bed, as if angered, / cast off the bee whose body was yellowed by the pollen of the night-lotus; for a proud woman does not tolerate union with another.

2.7

Attentive to the song of the bee, with motion ceased, the hunter,
desiring to slay the deer, hearing the eager cries of swans,
did not concentrate his aim upon the target.

2.8

Torn apart by the wind upon the mountain ridge, the cloud,
white as snow with water remaining, creating a swelling at the river’s mouth,
emulated the splendour of the king of mountains.

2.9

Roaring in the mountain bower containing water, hearing the echoes made by himself,
the lion grew angry, imagining the roars of another lord of beasts,
and set himself in stride to spring.

2.10

Water with fresh blue lotuses was seen, and the hum of six-footed bees was heard;
the fragrant wind carrying scent was inhaled by him, and that which bore association with lotuses.

2.11

Descending toward the creeper he gathered flowers, and rushing to the river he touched the water;
out of curiosity, smiling faintly, the descendant of Kakutstha remained seated upon a lovely rock.

2.12

Not far off at dawn he saw the eastern waters touched by the rays of the hot-rayed sun,
as if the fiery splendours of the sun collected on the earth had melted under streams of beams.

2.13

Pervading the quarters, alluring to the eyes, bearing cleanliness, pouring forth oil as it were,
straight and elongated, with weeding done between them,
he rejoiced seeing the rows of exceptional crops.

2.14

He observed the cattle-pens filled with men who knew no experience of the sorrow of separation,
who gave the king's share appointed in due season,
free from artificial ornament, and free from deceit.

2.15

He rejoiced, observing the artless demeanor of the cowherd maidens, the ornament of women,
their glances beautiful and yet not crooked,
and their straight dispositions inspiring trust.

2.16

Turning at the flanks, with graceful movements of the limbs, beautiful with broad, shapely hips,
set to the rhythm of the deep, gentle sound of churning,
the dance of the cowherd maidens delighted him.

2.17

Leaping high afar in various ways, timid,
bearing the beauty of the forest assumed at the passing of the rainy season,
a herd of deer, swift as the wind, extended his curiosity.

2.18

Hidden in clusters of white water-lilies and upon sands clinging with foam,
the rows of white geese, bright as kunda blossoms,
were recognized only by their cries pleasing to the ear.

2.19

There was no water that had not a lovely lotus; there was no lotus upon which no bee alighted;
there was no bee that did not hum sweetly; there was no humming that did not captivate the mind.

2.20

Worshipful men, performing sacrifices, together with the foremost ascetics, emaciated through penance, holding water-pots for peace,
and others, wandering mendicants with flowers and fruit,
worshipped him, the one worthy of the world's worship.

2.21

Then Gādhisuta, his own self uninjured, duly taught him, who was to throw down the demon host,
the two lores, Vijayā and Jayā,
wishing to cause the yātudhāna demons to be slain in battle.

2.22

For the imminent great combat, the sage, vigilant for his welfare,
gave him for the slaughter of the night-roamers
the whole collection of unerring missile weapons that remain enduring in battle.

2.23

A night-roaming female approached him as he walked in the forest, seeing the brahmin, making an effort to kill him;
Rāma, holding shining missile weapons, intending to destroy, slew her named Tāḍakā as she was about to strike.

2.24

Then was beheld the penance-grove, whose branches were richly dark and glossy like collyrium with the crests of smoke of the sacrificial fires,
and where the sweet chirping of birds rising forth was drowned out by loud recitation.

2.25

Lions did not devour the small deer; birds were fully trusted on every side;
bending low as if eager to bestow fruit, the tremulous creepers shone there.

2.26

The leaders among forest-dwellers, skilled in hospitality, worshipped them with seats, water for the feet, and garlands;
the two sons of the king received the seat and other offerings mixed with the honey-offering.

2.27

“You two have borne with your arms the burden of the world that had sunk, overcome by the daityas;
even now protect the sacrificial offerings!”—thus were the two addressed by the ascetics.

2.28

Then Rāghava also replied to them: “Commence the righteous rite as desired;
let the fire of our arrows be kindled among our enemy-fuel by the wind of your austerities!”

2.29

Then they began the rite properly with prepared sacrificial materials;
directed with priestly fees, performed by the priests, it was noticed by the creeping yātudhāna demons.

2.30

Then, with hair on their heads reddish, rough, and standing erect, with veiny calves, tall as mountain peaks,
with large, tawny eyes, the night-stalkers filled the sky like rain-clouds of the monsoon.

2.31

His bow strung, the fist of his arm steady, his eyes turned upward, his right thigh bent,
his left leg bowed down, Lakṣmaṇa, drawing rapidly with pure arrows, slew them.

2.32

Pointed out by the son of Gādhi, roaring harshly, skilled in illusion, well-versed in weapons,
standing firm in battle, Rāma with a smiling face addressed to Mārīca loud words of great import:

2.33

“Self-nourishing with the flesh of men, you destroy the fruit-bearing trees of the forest;
why do you not show mercy to those whose fortunes do not endure until tomorrow?

2.34

We devour brahmins, we slay the sacrificers to the gods, we make the city the abode of deceased men;
for this is our own duty, O son of Daśaratha! We have never been qualified for the Vedic way of life.”

2.35

“This duty of yours is true, O demon, but another, reciprocal duty belongs to me as well,
by which I, observing the conduct of a warrior, holding bow and arrows, strike you down, the enemies of the sacred order!”

2.36

Thus holding conversation, Rāma and the night-roamer fought in battle;
then the descendant of Raghu, considering the demon as straw, hurled him out of the battlefield with an arrow.

2.37

The minds of the twice-born attained serenity; the sky became raining showers of flowers;
the sacrifice proceeded without impediment. And the sage spoke words again to the prince:

2.38

“Greatly honoured by you, who are victorious over the devourers at the sacrifice to the gods,
even the earth possessed of heroes does not feel ashamed before heaven adorned with the thunderbolt weapon.

2.39

By whom Bali was bound, the ocean churned, ambrosia taken, the family of daityas conquered,
and the earth distressed at the end of an eon upheld—for him this burden is not too heavy.”

2.40

Speaking thus sweetly and beneficially to that Rāma at the end of the sacrifice, the sage, delighted in mind,
wishing to cause him to take away the glories of the kings, set out for the sacrificial ground of the Maithila king.

2.41

"Are these two Mitra and Varuṇa? Are these two the Aśvins desiring to drink Soma juice?" / In this way, with their beauty, those two lion-like men astonished all the people staying in Janaka's hermitage.

2.42

Janaka made him take that bow with which the Trident-bearer [Śiva] had harassed the city of the Daityas, / wishing to ascertain the strength of his arms. Laughing, Raghunandana broke it.

2.43

Then the Maithila lord of men, wishing to give his daughter, dispatched through swift warrior-carrying horses / messengers to Ayodhyā to summon the king—messengers who were skilled in rivers, road-travellers, and knowers of mountains.

2.44

Then, riding swift road-horses like the youngest man, though he was the most aged, / the king, having heard of his son's conduct from the tellers, went to Mithilā in an untiring carriage.

2.45

He honoured the most eminent of lords of the earth, that dearest one, weightiest like a guru, / great among his equals, the abode of virtuous deeds, exceedingly famed, foremost in renown.

2.46

Making him, who was thoroughly versed in the three goals of life, occupy the same single seat as himself, / he attained the discernment seen among the gods like Indra; and the Maithila spoke these words to him:

2.47

"Like a moving golden creep-vine of the sāla tree, like a flash of lightning fallen from heaven made stationary, / having the bodily form of the presiding deity of the moon's beauty—the daughter, the Maithilī, is given to his son."

2.48

Then Rāma, whose conduct was beneficial to all people, having obtained her who was beneficial to himself, married her / who enhanced the prosperity suited to Raghu's line with the splendor of good jewels, pearls, and gold.

2.49

At daybreak, filled with joy and praised by panegyrists, / that road-faring army, rich in cavalry, nobles, and elephants, marched towards Ayodhyā together with the king.

2.50

Broad of chest, arrow in hand, measuring two palm-trees in height, / terrible, armed with a bow, with forearms reaching down to his knees, Rāma, son of Jamadagni, came forward on the path.

2.51

He called out loudly to the Raghava: "String this bow with an arrow, then you may pass beyond." / The king, knowing his valor, affectionate to his offspring, humble, wishing to conciliate him, said:

2.52

"You have vanquished kings many times; you have sated the ancestors with streams of kings' blood; / having restrained your fury, you who have no equal rival, what interest do you have in this child Rāma, O Rāma?"

2.53

When out of pride he paid no heed to Daśaratha's word, then the prince / drew the bow fitted with a heavy arrow, and cut off the worlds that had been won by him.

2.54

When the enemy of kings was conquered, becoming cheered, trumpeting aloud without fear, / with the aged king's permission, the multi-columned forces surged onto the roads.

2.55

Then, bringing near what was far off through great speed, and putting far behind with excessive swiftness the expanse of earth reached, / free from fatigue, the army, rendering the earth free of dust, quickly reached Ayodhyā endowed with splendour.

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