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 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST.
 
 THE 
 
 ILIAD OF THE EAST 
 
 A SELECTION OF LEGENDS 
 DRAWN FROM VALMIKI'S SANSKRIT F OEM, 
 
 THE RA MAYAN A. 
 
 BY 
 
 FREDERIKA RICHARDSON, 
 
 iefogork: 
 
 MACMILLAN AND CO. 
 
 1886.
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 Of the two great epic poems of India, the Ramayana 
 and the Maha-bharata, the former is generally 
 supposed to have claims to the greatest antiquity. 
 The title of the work is derived from two Sanskrit 
 words — Rd'tna and ayana, signifying the adventures 
 of Rama ; the Prince whose virtuous career is therein 
 recorded, being Rama Chandra, the hero of the 
 Kshatriya or warrior caste, — as distinctive from Parasu- 
 Rama, the champion of the Brahmans, and Bala- 
 Rama, the brother of Krishna, the Hercules of Hindu 
 mythology. 
 
 Rama Chandra, like his two illustrious namesakes, 
 is supposed to be an Avatar, i.e. an incarnation, of 
 Vishnu, who at the request of mortals and immortals 
 consented to pass through this lower phase of ex- 
 istence that mankind might be delivered from the 
 oppression of the demon Ravana, whose life Brahma 
 had secured against all save a human hand ; but 
 whilst the hero passes through his many struggles and 
 
 860521
 
 vi PREFACE. 
 
 afflictions in utter ignorance, or forgctfulness, of his 
 divine nature, he appears for the most part as a 
 courageous and devoted man, and is seldom with- 
 drawn from our warmer sympathies by any display 
 of supernatural endowments. 
 
 It is probable, even, that the story of Rama's 
 birth owes somewhat of its miraculous character to 
 the passage of the primary legend through the hands 
 of the Brahmans ; who would naturally be more 
 disposed to attribute Rama's virtue to some special 
 condescension on the part of a celestial being, than to 
 admit that any member of an inferior caste could rise 
 to so high a state of perfection. " It is certainly likely," 
 says Professor Williams in his interesting essay on 
 Indian Epic Poetry, " that at some remote period, 
 probably not long after the settlement of the Aryan 
 races in the plains of the Ganges, a body of invaders, 
 headed by a bold leader, and aided by the barbarous 
 hill-tribes, may have attempted to force their way into 
 the peninsula of India as far as Ceylon. The heroic 
 exploits of the chief would naturally become the 
 theme of song, and the hero himself would be deified ; 
 the wild mountaineers and foresters of the Vindhya 
 and neighbouring hills who assisted him would be 
 poetically converted into monkeys, and the powerful
 
 PREFACE. vii 
 
 and savage Aborigines into many-headed ogres and 
 blood-lapping demons ; these songs would be the 
 property of the Kshatriya, or fighting caste, whose 
 deeds they celebrated, but the ambitious Brahmans, 
 who aimed at religious and intellectual supremacy, 
 would soon see the policy of collecting the rude 
 ballads which they could not suppress, and moulding 
 them to their own purpose," (Indian Epic Poetry, 
 p. 9.) 
 
 Professor Max Miiller^ also gives it as his opinion 
 that some actual military expedition gave rise to the 
 legend of the Ramayana ; and he compares this 
 struggle to the war against Persia, which did so much 
 to elevate the Greek character, by demonstrating the 
 superiority of valour and discipline over brute-force. 
 
 The Ramayana comprises in all some twenty-four 
 thousand verses, or slokas — the Sanskrit word for the 
 peculiar metre supposed to have been invented, in 
 a moment of inspiration, by the Poet Valmiki, and 
 subsequently accepted by Hindu writers as the 
 proper form of expression for heroic poetry.^ The 
 
 1 History of Ancient Sanscrit Literature, p. 17. 
 
 2 Assuming that the Valmiki-sloka owes its origin to the author 
 or authors of the Ramayana, we should here have proof that the poem 
 was anterior to the Maha-Bharata, whera the same meire occurs: — 
 on the other hand, this would exclude the Ramayana from the Vedic
 
 viii PREFACE. 
 
 poem is further divided into six books, which are 
 as follow : 
 
 The Adi-Kanda, — which commences with the 
 introductory episode of Valmlki's call to be a poet ; 
 then proceeds to the story of Rama's birth, of his 
 childhood and early youth, of his marriage with Slta, 
 and concludes with a somewhat important episode, 
 viz. the triumph of the youthful warrior over Parasu- 
 Rama, which incident alone suffices to show that 
 the primary author or authors of the poem did not 
 belong to the Brahmanic caste. 
 
 The Ay5dhya-Kanda, — which tells of Dasaratha's 
 wish to share the government with his son Rama ; of 
 Kaikeyl, the jealous stepmother's plot to procure the 
 young prince's banishment ; of Rama's ready sub- 
 mission, and of the departure into exile of Rama, 
 Slta, and Lakshmana, the devoted brother of the hero ; 
 of Dasaratha's death, and of Bharata's vain attempts 
 to persuade his brother Rama to ascend the throne, 
 until the term of his exile had expired. 
 
 The Aranya-Kanda, — which treats of Rama's resi- 
 dence in the forest Dandaka ; of the offence given 
 to Surpanakha, the sister of Ravana ; of Ravana's 
 
 period, where the Valmlki-sloka is unknown, though in the Sutras 
 there are Anushtubh and more Trishtubh-slokas.
 
 PREFACE, ix 
 
 abduction of Sita ; of Rama's search for the traitor, 
 and his alliance with Sugrlva, brother to the King of 
 the monkey tribes. 
 
 The Kiskindhya-Kanda, — where SugrTva relates 
 the ill-treatment he has met with at the hands of 
 his brother, Balin, and where Rama slays this unjust 
 monarch and gives the rule to Sugrlva, who in his 
 gratitude sends forth his subjects to scour the country 
 in search of Sita. The company of monkeys under 
 the command of Hanuman, Son of the Wind, learn 
 from an old vulture that Ravana has taken his captive 
 to the isle of Lanka, and encamp accordingly on the 
 sea-coast. 
 
 The Sundara-Kanda, — in which we read of the 
 marvellous adventures of Hanuman, who leaps across 
 the sea, and after many vicissitudes discovers Sita. 
 The faithful ambassador returning to fetch Rama, the 
 hero and his allies are sorely put to it, to know how 
 they are to cross the sea, when the Spirit of the 
 Ocean appears to them, and bids them construct 
 a mole ; which is done, under the superintendence of 
 Nala, son of Visvakarman, the architect of the plea- 
 sant heavens where dwell the gods. 
 
 The Yuddha-Kanda, — which contains a full account 
 of the struggle ; of the valour of both armies, and
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 the fierce heroism of Ravana ; finally of Rama's 
 triumph and the death of his adversary ; of the 
 vindication of Sita's purity, and — the allotted time 
 having expired — of the exiles' joyous return to their 
 native city. 
 
 There is a seventh book sometimes appended to 
 the Ramayana, entitled the Uttara-Kanda, which 
 records the apotheosis of Rama, but it is a compa- 
 ratively modern addition, and conceived in a spirit 
 quite at variance with the rest of the poem. 
 
 As may be well imagined, of these twenty-four 
 
 thousand slokas, there are many hundreds that might 
 
 be abstracted without in any way damaging the work's 
 
 entireness. There are countless repetitions, besides 
 
 digressions which occupy sometimes the best part 
 
 of a volume. Above all, passages abound at nearly 
 
 every page, which, though not impure in themselves, 
 
 are calculated to offend the nicer refinement of our 
 
 time. In spite of these drawbacks, the Ramayana is 
 
 so rich in poetic beauty and genuine humour, — reveals 
 
 at the same time so high a moral standard, and a 
 
 spirit of such large and tender humanity, that it seems 
 
 strange it should have remained so long unrecognized 
 
 by English lovers of literature. Translations in 
 
 Italian and French have appeared, and Schlegel has
 
 PREFACE. ju 
 
 translated the three first books into Latin ; but up 
 to the time of the commencement of this work, the 
 excellent but necessarily very condensed summary 
 given in Professor Williams' essay, to which I have 
 referred, and some fragments translated here and 
 there, by an admirer of Indian literature, was all that 
 was available to the English reader. I am told indeed 
 that a translation of the poem was undertaken by 
 Messrs. Carey and Marchmont in 1806, and the first 
 three volumes actually printed at Serampore; but 
 unhappily the vessel conveying them was lost at sea, 
 and only a few specimen copies, that had been 
 previously despatched, arrived in this country. Of 
 these, one is to be had at the reading-room of the 
 British Museum ; this translation, however, only 
 carrying the reader through the best part of the 
 Aranya-Kanda, — that is to say, about half through 
 Valmlki's production. 
 
 It would of course require a Sanskrit scholar of no 
 ordinary proficiency to render the Ramayana literally 
 into English ; and whilst an immense service would 
 thereby be rendered our literature, it is scarcely 
 probable that such a work would become generally 
 popular, both on account of the unwieldy dimensions 
 of the poem, and of the other disadvantages I have
 
 xii. PREFACE. 
 
 mentioned. My object in this present work has been 
 to sfive a readable and familiar form to these Eastern 
 stories ; certainly as well deserving of general appre- 
 ciation as the legends of Grecian and Scandinavian 
 mythology. As regards the plan and facts of the 
 story, I have been careful of course strictly to follow 
 the original ; and it has been my endeavour to com- 
 prehend in this small volume all the most striking 
 and noteworthy incidents recorded by the inspired 
 Brahman. I have told these facts in my own language, 
 rather than in that of my guide, the French translator, 
 Mons. Fauche, firstly, because not being able to refer 
 to the original Sanskrit I have no opportunity of 
 deciding how far he has himself been textually 
 faithful to Valmiki ; and secondly, because such fre- 
 quent and lengthy omissions would have been neces- 
 sary to compress into moderate volume any general 
 idea of the narrative, that the most remarkable pas- 
 sages, from a poetical point of view, would have been 
 eliminated, and a quite erroneous impression as to the 
 style and literary value of the original produced. 
 
 Then, as to the title I have chosen ; — I am far from 
 wishing to uphold the somewhat daring theory, 
 advanced by Monsieur Fauche, that Homer, during 
 his voyages with his captain and disciple, MenteSj
 
 PREFACE. xiii 
 
 probably fell in with some Phoenician merchants who, 
 together with Indian wares, brought also the legends 
 current in that distant land, which undoubtedly the 
 youthful Melesigenes never visited himself, or later, 
 in his days of blindness, he had delighted to picture in 
 his poetry, the richness of landscape, and the fulness 
 of sunlight, in that country whence he drew inspira- 
 tion. Fascinating and ingenious as this suggestion is, 
 I dare not for a moment presume that it was this 
 chance encounter, and no war against Ilium, nor the 
 legend of any such war, that furnished the poet with 
 that skeleton of facts to which his genius gave a soul. 
 
 Nor would I ask you to admit the somewhat less 
 presumptuous assertion, that the epic poems of Greece 
 and India found their source in one and the same 
 historical incident. 
 
 But the analogy between the two works is striking 
 enough, and the differences are sufficiently charac- 
 teristic, to make the comparison interesting and 
 instructive. Thus, in both instances, we have a wife 
 carried off from her lawful lord, and an expedition 
 undertaken to recover her and punish the ravisher. 
 But, on the one hand, we have the beautiful but 
 abandoned Helen ; on the other, the chaste and 
 devoted Sita, whose childlike and yet heroic character
 
 xiv PREFACE. 
 
 is one of the most charming sketches of womanhood 
 I know. 
 
 Again, whilst we admire the valour of the Grecian 
 warriors, there clashes with this feeling an involuntary 
 repugnance at their bloodthirstiness, which no note 
 calling our attention to the different code of the so- 
 called " heroic " age can do away with. But in the 
 Yuddhakanda we have side by side with deeds of 
 daring the generous forbearance towards a weary 
 or wounded adversary, and the fair and honourable 
 warfare which, one would think, must at all times have 
 been essential to true heroism. 
 
 Stories of slaughter being monotonous as well as 
 unattractive, I have chosen less incidents from the 
 Yuddhakanda than from the other volumes ; but the 
 kind reception of the deserter Vibhishana contrasted 
 with the murder of Dolon by Ulysses and Diomed, 
 after they had lured him to give them the infor- 
 mation they desired, and the funeral honours paid 
 to the dead Ravana, compared to the dragging of 
 Hector's corpse at Achilles' chariot wheel, are suffi- 
 cient to show the different standards revealed, seve- 
 rally, by the two poems. 
 
 To conclude, I cannot but break through my rule, 
 for once, to translate literally the panegyric with 
 A hich the author himself winds up the story : —
 
 PREFACE. XV 
 
 " He shall be delivered from sin, the man who, in 
 the world, can keep in his ears this tale of the 
 Raghuide of indefatigable deeds. 
 
 "He shall have sons, if he desire sons ; he shall 
 have riches, if he long for riches ; he who in the 
 world hearkens whilst they read what Rama did. 
 
 " The young girl who desires a husband shall 
 obtain this husband to delight her soul ; has she 
 beloved ones journeying in a strange land, it shall be 
 given her soon to have them restored her. 
 
 " Those who in the world listen to this poem, com- 
 posed by Valmiki himself, shall acquire every gift, the 
 object of their desire, just as they may have wished !" 
 
 Reader ! need I excuse myself further, for having 
 drawn your attention to a work of such altogether 
 unusual efficiency ? 
 
 April 1870. 
 
 Note. — I take this opportunity of gratefully acknowledging the 
 volmble assistance I have received from the eminent Sanskrit scholar, 
 Dr. Haas, to whom I owe the system I have followed in rendering 
 the names of the personages of our history into English. 
 
 The Sanskrit alphabet not being equivalent to our own, there exists 
 the most perplexing diversity, the same word having six or seven 
 orthographies, as employed by different authors : for what homology 
 of method may exist in this work I am indebted to the learned gen- 
 tLman I have named.
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER T. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 HOW VALMIKI RECEIVED THE GIFT OF POESY .••... I 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 THE STORY OF RISHYASRIXGA •••...•..•• 12 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 THE DESCENT OF THE GANGA ••..•«••••• 30 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 THE PENANCE OF VISVAMITRA ,• ••, 51 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 DASARATHa's FAULT ...,,,,,,,,,,,,76 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 THE INTERVIEW BETWEEN SITA AND ANASUYl ••«••• 9° 
 
 b
 
 xviii CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 PACE 
 
 SURPANAKHA ,,101 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 ravana's crime .•• .• Il6 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 THE DEATH OF JATAYU ••••• 145 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 RAMA ALLIES HIMSELF WITH THE ORANG-OUTANG, SUGRIVA . I56 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 THE LOVE OF INDRA ••..•• 179 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 THE ANCIENT VULTURE SAMl'ATI .•••.••••. 186 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 THE ADVENTURES OF JIANUMAN, SON OF THE WIND ... 197 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 NALA BUILDS A MOLE ACROSS THE SEA .•«••••< 24I 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 RAMA AND LAKSHMANA, WOUNDED 1!Y INDRAJIT, ARE RE- 
 LEASED FROM THEIR TRANCE BY GARUDA, KING OF BIRDS. 255
 
 CONTENTS. xix 
 
 CIIArTER XVI. 
 
 THE DEATH OF KHUMliUKARNA •..••••... 269 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 TJIE LAST COMIiAT — LAKSHMANA WOUNDED ••••.« 2S4 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 THE LAST COMlIAr (COMINUEO), — DEATH OF HAVANA ... 294 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 THE REUNION OF sTtA AND KAMA ....•..•• 30I 
 
 NOTES 3"
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 HOW valmTki received the gift of poesy. 
 
 Eighteen hundred years before the Christian era ^ a 
 devout and learned Brahman, named Vahniki, withdrew 
 from the habitations of men, and took up his abode in 
 the wild and solitary forest. No contempt nor aversion 
 for his fellows led him to abandon their society. Nor 
 did he, after the manner of those times, hope by 
 macerations and self-inflicted penances to obtain 
 some special boon from Brahma, some dignity in this 
 world, or some assurance of happiness in the future 
 state. What he sought was an unobscurr^d vision, an 
 unbiassed conscience, an impartial judgment. 
 
 Standing near to, and on a level with it, a man does 
 not perceive the true features of a country : that which 
 is near obscures what is distant, or gives an erroneous 
 impression of its importance ; but if he climb a moun- 
 
 1 Vide Note I. 
 
 R 
 
 Chap. I, 
 
 Vabniki 
 takes up his 
 abode in tite 
 forest.
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. I. , tain, and look down on the whole scene, all things 
 uctain their just and relative proportions. 
 I Thus did Valmiki, from a distance, survey all life, 
 I that, having learnt to know living creatures better, he 
 ! might be able to serve them more. 
 I The forest vhere he dwelt was like a marvellous 
 i temple reared by the hand of Nature. The trunks of 
 ■the lofty tamarind and mango trees were as the 
 columns which upheld the roof of foliage, where birds 
 of a thousand dazzling hues flashed to and fro, like 
 gems that had taken to themselves wings : the ground 
 was richly strewn with flovve] .ng shrubs, that entwined 
 their gorgeous blossoms, anc: wrought them into fan- 
 tastic patterns : the air was neavy, as with perfumed 
 incense ; and in the shady noois and glens myriads of 
 guilty creatures found sanctuary. 
 
 For many years, the Brahman lived in these lonely 
 wilds, dividing his time between contemplation, and 
 the observance of those sacred ritec, which are reverent 
 words of greeting spoken to the universal Father, who 
 is at once the source of life and its sustainer. 
 
 The simple inhabitants of the woods soon abandoned 
 their terror of the harmless anchorice ; he in whose 
 heart dwelt the love of universal naiure, whose sole 
 nourishment consisted of roots and berries, and to 
 whom the passion of anger was unknown, became for 
 them a gum ^ and a friend, to whom they had re- 
 course whenever they needed counsel or sympathy. 
 Even the timid gazelles, who came in flocks, in the cool 
 of even, to the borders of the stream to quench their 
 ^ Guru — master, teacher. 
 
 The tnanner 
 
 ■>/ his life 
 there.
 
 VALMlKVS RESIDENCE IN THE FOREST. 
 
 thirst, end offer to Brahma their thanksgiving for the 
 gift of lustrous waters, at his approach, would merely 
 raise to his face their large, grave eyes, pleading : "We 
 are at our prayers : forgive us if, just now, we do not 
 wish you good-evening, dear Valmiki !" 
 
 Often, when the cool night had hushed the feverish 
 pulses of the day, would the thoughtful Hermit pace 
 the narrow pathways of the wood, pondering on dis- 
 union, and cruelty, and sin, and on the best method 
 of banishing them for ever from a world whose natural 
 beauty they deface. Then the glow-worm would ex- 
 tenuate itself, to shed forth a brilliant light, " Lest," 
 he whispered, " the kindly guru tread unawares on 
 some serpent or poisonous plant!" 
 
 The tigers and other beasts of prey would creep 
 stealthily out of sight. 
 
 " Valmiki would chide us," they said, " if he knew 
 that we were about to destroy life. But what are 
 we to do .'* We do not find roots and berries agree 
 with us." 
 
 At the sound of his footsteps the flower would open 
 her corolla, and ask, half sleepily, half tenderly : 
 
 "Are you ill, Valmiki, that you are so restless? 
 There is a healing virtue in my root ; pluck me, if you 
 will, O saintly anchorite !" 
 
 But the Hermit answered : 
 
 " I am not ill, dear little sister ! It is the thought 
 of the evil that is in the world, which keeps me 
 wakeful." 
 
 At length, one evening when the pensive anchorite 
 sat at the entrance of his hut, reflecting as usual on 
 
 B 2 
 
 Chap. I 
 
 The 
 
 t/wii^his 
 ivhich fos   
 sessed him. 
 
 Ndrada is 
 sent to the 
 Hermit.
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. I. 
 
 Valmlki ex- 
 plains that 
 man needs 
 an example 
 of human 
 virtue to 
 stir his emu- 
 lation. 
 
 the method of rendering man noble and generous 
 and pure, Narada, the messenger of the gods, ap- 
 peared to him. When he saw the knit brows and the 
 earnest gaze of the Hermit, he smiled, and said to 
 him : 
 
 ** By the contemplation of the glorious Immortals, 
 on whose raiment is no speck of dust, and Avhose heads 
 are crowned with garlands of undying flowers ; by the 
 recital of the deeds wrought by their invincible might ; 
 by the history of their bounteous gifts and heroic lives, 
 the soul of man must be elevated. Is not this so, 
 Valmiki ?" 
 
 "Nay," answered the Hermit, sadly; "I once thought 
 this, but I was in error ! Man is not immortal — he is 
 not strong, nor rich, nor joyous ; his garments — ay, 
 and his soul too — need to be cleansed often from 
 defilement. How then shall he be incited to great 
 actions by the achievements of the gods ? Gazing on 
 the sun, does he learn how to shine ; or on the ocean, 
 to engulph great rocks ? He says of such deeds, truly, 
 they are great, but they were not wrought by mm !" 
 
 " How then shall he be ennobled ?" asked Narada. 
 
 The Brahman was silent for a while, 
 deeply ; then he answered : 
 
 " Were it possible to hold up in his sight one clothed 
 like himself in mortal flesh ; poor and weak, and tried 
 by suffering even as he is, who has yet done generously 
 and well ; who has upheld truth and justice, endured 
 sorrow without bitterness, controlled his passions, and 
 dealt kindly by all living creatures : then truly had he 
 a pattern whereby to shape his life — an example to 
 
 reflecting
 
 NAR ADA'S VISIT TO VALMlKL 
 
 Stir his emulation, and fire him with the thought : 
 ' Shall not I attain to this heroism ? Am not I also 
 a man ? ' " 
 
 "Ay," answered the god, "you say truly! But 
 can there a man be found whose life displays, indeed, 
 this unblemished virtue ? In all the three worlds, is 
 there such an one?" 
 
 "I, who honour Mankind, would fain think so," 
 answered the Hermit, meekly. " It is true that it has 
 not been vouchsafed me to meet with one thus per- 
 fect in mind and deed, but Humanity is great, and 
 counts many heroes." 
 
 At that, the messenger of the gods smiled his 
 approval. 
 
 "You do well," he answered, "to believe in man; 
 that is a faith conducive to high and generous deeds. 
 Yes ; there exists, indeed, a Hero who has clearly 
 shown that the human load of suffering and weakness 
 is powerless to impede the upward growth of him who 
 raises his soul above dishonour, and whose glowing 
 deeds must kindle men's self-respect, and show them, 
 as in a mirror, the noble stature to which it befits 
 them to attain. 
 
 " Rama, the son of Dasaratha, is the name of this 
 illustrious Hero. By respect for his father's promise 
 unwittingly given to Kaikeyi, his treacherous step- 
 mother, this young prince, the heir to the throne, aban- 
 doned the court, and the fair town of Ayodhya, and 
 wandered forth into exile. In the solitary forest, with 
 Lakshmana, his brother, and his wife, the lovely young 
 Sita, he led a contented existence, banishing all resent- 
 
 Chah. I. 
 
 Ndrada asks, 
 is there a 
 man worthy 
 to be an 
 examplel 
 and Val- 
 tinki admits 
 he hnows 
 none. 
 
 The s^oi 
 
 briefly tells 
 the life o_f 
 Rama.
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. I. 
 
 ment from the minds of his companions, as well as 
 from his own. The innocent guests of the wood he 
 avoided injuring or alarming; but when the blame- 
 less anchorites implored protection against the evil 
 Rakshasas, the enemies of gods and of men, he armed 
 himself in their defence. During this war, Ravana, 
 the king of the Rakshasas, having artfully disguised 
 himself as a hermit, entered the dwelling of Rama and 
 carried off the beautiful Sita, in spite of her supplica- 
 tions for mercy. Indignant at this outrage, the birds 
 and beasts of the forest, one and all, promised to 
 succour this Rama, who had ever shown a tender 
 regard for their safety. Even his terrible grief for the 
 loss of his beloved Sita did not render the Hero 
 indifferent to the wrongs of others. In his pursuit 
 of Ravana, having encountered the mournful ape, 
 Sugriva, whom the unjust suspicions of Bali pursued 
 from place to place, he espoused the cause of the 
 innocent monkey ; and when the unnatural Bali was 
 about to murder his younger brother, he slew this 
 unjust monarch of apes, and gave the empire into the 
 hands of Sugriva. Thus he won the devoted attach- 
 ment of these agile lords of the forest. Hanuman, 
 the prime minister of Sugriva, the daring son of the 
 Wind, having traversed at one bound the seething and 
 turbulent ocean, discovered Sita, confined in the 
 Island of Lanka. Thus was Rama recompensed for 
 not having disdained the affection of inferior crea- 
 tures. Having marched with Lakshmana, and Su- 
 griva, and the whole army of apes, the magnanimous 
 Dasarathide slew the Rakshasa in battle, and gave to
 
 NAR ADA'S CHARGE TO THE HERMIT, 
 
 his vanquished enemy the obsequies befitting a king. 
 Then, the fourteen years of exile to which the promise 
 had bound him having expired, he returned, with his 
 joyous Sita, to the happy town of Ayodhya. There 
 sharing the empire with Bharata, tlie son of Kaikeyi, i 
 who had nobly reigned in his absence, the illustrious 
 Rama seeks to ensure the happiness of his people 
 by a wise and merciful government. An obedient 
 son, a loyal brother, a chaste spouse, a faithful ally, 
 a fearless yet a merciful enemy, disdainful of 
 none, but filled with kindly consideration for all 
 living creatures, tell me, O saintly anchorite ! does 
 not this kingly Rama wear a crown of transplendent 
 virtues?" 
 
 Then Valmiki, transported with gladness, ex- 
 claimed : " This is the man I have sought, whose 
 story shall bring to the hearer the knowledge of Truth 
 and of Virtue I " 
 
 " And now," continued Narada, " can there a bard 
 be found worthy to hymn the life of this hero — his 
 patience, his chastity, his valour, and his tender 
 respect of life ? In all the three worlds, is there such 
 an one ?" 
 
 Then the head of the humble anchorite was bowed 
 mournfully on his breast. 
 
 "Alas !" he answered, " I know not such an one!" 
 
 " Yet," returned Narada, " he lives, this poet, who 
 shall give to the noble deeds of Rama the wings of 
 harmony, that they may brood over the souls of men ; 
 keeping nobleness and generosity and purity ever in 
 their sight ! I charge you, Valmiki, by your love for 
 
 Chap. L 
 
 Vahnlki ex- 
 claims that 
 here is the 
 perfect Jtian 
 he has 
 sought.
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. I. 
 
 Charged by 
 the god to 
 discover a 
 poet able to 
 sing tJie 
 story of 
 Rama, Val- 
 vnki is 
 troubled. 
 
 He prepares 
 to bathe in 
 the lake Ta- 
 masd, when 
 he sees two 
 herons of 
 rare beauty. 
 
 man, that you rest not until you ]:ave discovered this 
 inspired bard ! " 
 
 With that the divine envoy returned to his celestial 
 home. 
 
 The Hermit was sore troubled by his last words. 
 " How shall I discover this highly gifted poet in these 
 solitary wilds ? " he asked himself. " Surely my Dis- 
 ciple, Bharadvaja, is not he?" 
 
 And with that he turned an inquiring gaze on his 
 Disciple. Now Bharadvaja was an excellent young 
 man, but of a simple and mild demeanour ; the fire 
 of Poesy looked not forth from out his eyes. 
 
 More and more perplexed, haunted by the words — 
 " I charge you, by your love for man, that you rest 
 not until you have discovered this inspired bard ! " 
 — Valmiki arose, and sought the little lake Tamasa, 
 whose waves are limpid and transparent as is the soul 
 of a Brahman. 
 
 " To be clean and pure is to attain great wisdom," 
 said the Hermit, thoughtfully ; " in these fresh waters 
 will I lave the body that has been put under my 
 dominion ; and may the One Divine Spirit, in whose 
 hand lies my soul, so cleanse it also that no earthly- 
 defilement may dim its perceptions ! " 
 
 So saying, the saintly Anchorite prepared himself 
 reverently for those ablutions which to the Brahman's 
 mind have so holy a significance. 
 
 Whilst he yet lingered on the brink, he beheld, on 
 the opposite shore of the lake, two herons of surpass- 
 ingly beautiful plumage. It was the season when an 
 ineffable tremor thrills all Nature, and when she
 
 THE DBA Til OF THE HERON. 
 
 responds with passion to Love's whispered invi-| 
 tation. 
 
 There is, at this time, more beauty in the world : all 
 living things are radiant with ;irdour; the colours of 
 the trees and flowers are of a richer dye ; the insects 
 wrap themselves in fire, and ail birds break forth into 
 song ! 
 
 "We thank Thee, O Supreme Author of life!" 
 exclaimed these herons of marvellous plumage, " for 
 the gift of lustrous waters; for the wings which give us 
 empire over the realms of air; but, above all, we 
 thank Thee for the mysterious transports of love, which 
 make us find all bliss, each in the other ! " 
 
 But even whilst these harmless birds expressed thus 
 joyously their thanksgiving, the arrow of some pitiless 
 hunter hissed through the startled air, and, piercing 
 the poor breast of one of the winged lovers, destroyed 
 the life that had just reached the supreme moment of 
 delight ! Then the dolorous shrieks of the bereaved 
 heron, who beheld his innocent mate stretched there 
 dabbled in blood, saddened the shores of the lake 
 Tamasa ; saddened, too, the heart of the kindly 
 Hermit. 
 
 " O cruel hunter ! " he cried ; " mayst thou attain 
 no glory in the eternal revolution of years, since thou 
 hast not feared to strike this heron in the delirious 
 moment of love ! " 
 
 As the bubbling springs gush from the breast of 
 Prithivi,.^ so leapt the words from his heart; and as 
 
 waters mellows itself into 
 * rrithtTi — goddess of the soil. 
 
 Chap. I. 
 
 the sound of flowing 
 
 One of tJii 
 birds beini^ 
 slain by a 
 hunter^ 
 Va/tnlki ,/c 
 ploj-es the 
 deed.
 
 lo 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. I. 
 
 He is struck 
 by the melo- 
 dious sound 
 of Ids o^vn 
 words.' 
 
 Brahma 
 
 visits the 
 Hermit, niid 
 bids him tell 
 ivhat pre- 
 occupies 
 him. 
 
 harmony, so did his grief for the desolate bird sing 
 itself into measure ; swaying his thoughts to and fro, 
 with a musical, dreamy movement, as the breeze blows 
 forward and back the boughs of the sad Casserina. 
 
 The rhythm of his lamentation rang in his ears 
 whilst he bathed in the limpid waters ; and even when 
 he quitted the crystal lake, the enchanting measure still 
 haunted him. Against his will he kept repeating it 
 over and over, until, sorely puzzled and distressed, he 
 fancied that some charm had bewitched him. Per- 
 ceiving that his Disciple was regarding him with 
 astonished eyes : 
 
 " Tell me, my son," he asked, veiy humbly, " is 
 there not a strange melody in the words you hear me 
 repeating over to myself? " 
 
 " I cannot say," answered his Disciple, For 
 Bharadvaja, though an excellent young man, had not 
 received the gift of Poesy. 
 
 That day Brahma himself, the magnanimt)us 
 ancestor of worlds, came to visit the meek Anchorite. 
 Having reverently bowed himself to the earth, Valmiki, 
 his hands clasped above his head, as is befitting in the 
 presence of one worthy of honour, begged the most 
 illustrious of gods to inform him of his pleasure. 
 
 Then Brahma said : " The fame of your great wis- 
 dom and sanctity has reached me, O Hermit! I would 
 hear you speak of virtue and knowledge, and of 
 the grave contemplations that have absorbed your 
 mind during your habitation in tliis forest." 
 
 Valmiki thought to tell his illustrious guest of 
 the way to encourage man to become noble, and
 
 / ". ILiMlK! APPOINTED TO TELL RAMA 'S STOP V. 
 
 II 
 
 generous, and pure. But his rebellious tongue, instead 
 of obeying his will, once more repeated the musical 
 words in which he had deplored the death of the 
 heron. , 
 
 Abashed and covered with confusion, the humble 
 Anchorite trembled before the most ancient of gods. 
 
 "He will think I mean to mock him ! " he said to 
 himself, mournfully. 
 
 But the eternal Brahma smiled, and said : " Happy 
 art thou, Valmiki, who hast found favour in the sight 
 of the ardent goddess of eloquence ! The divine 
 quality of pity has drawn to thee the burning kiss of 
 the capricious Saraswati ! Up, then, O man ! who 
 hast tasted an immortal's love, speak forth the Divine 
 breath which inspires thee ! Sing to the listening ages 
 the wondrous history of Rama, whose ineffable beauty 
 shall not fade till the stars grow dim in heaven." 
 . . . Thus did Valmiki, in whose heart dwelt the 
 lov'e of universal nature, receive the divine gift of 
 Poesy, in exchange for fears of ^ity I i 
 
 Chap. I. 
 
 Vahniki 
 can find 'to 
 words save 
 those of hii 
 lament for 
 t/u heron. 
 
 Bi-ahnia 
 says he has 
 earned the 
 favour of 
 the goddess 
 of harmony, 
 and bids hint 
 sing the 
 deeds of 
 Rdina,
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 THE STORY OF RISHYASRINGA.' 
 
 Chap. II 
 
 In the consideration of Nature, we should keep two 
 thoughts present to our minds : first, that we have 
 before us no merely interesting subject for investiga- 
 tion, but the Mother from whence we proceed, and of 
 whose very body we are made; whence it follows that 
 we are, in a certain sense, indulging in contemplation 
 rather than observation ; that the laws we are seek- 
 ing to discover, the life we are striving to trace 
 through its various evolutions and changes of fomi, 
 are the same laws which regulate our own being, and 
 the process of development which we also are bound 
 to follow. Secondly, we should recollect that there is 
 nothing visible and sensible which does not symbolize 
 something immaterial and spiritual ; so that we have 
 here to establish, not merely the physical resemblance 
 between our own life and that of Nature, but to read 
 tlie special secret, of our inner being which lies here, 
 written in hieroglyphic characters : thus may we 
 frequently learn by sudden revelation, as it were, 
 
 1 Recounted 1)y the sa^e Sumantra, in the ears of Dasaiatha, 
 father of Rama.
 
 LOMAPADA PLEADS WITH BRAHM. 
 
 13 
 
 more than long hours spent in analysis of our sensa- 
 tions and ideas will disclose. 
 
 Overhead, the serene unbroken azure, and the sun 
 laughing in his golden splendour ; underfoot, the arid 
 dust, the shrivelled grass, the yellow leaf, the dead 
 flower ; can there be a more pitiful sight ? What 
 makes the special horror of the drought is this con- 
 trast : death and decay in the cejitre of sunshine ! The 
 earth is cut off from all communication with heaven ; 
 that is why her beauty fades. Let the grey cloud-mes- 
 sengers, with their filmy wings, float down to her and 
 whisper her, that the sky thinks of her with tearful 
 longings, and straightway she will revive and smile. 
 
 In the midst of prosperity the heart of man is 
 parched and arid also, without the kindly dews of 
 sympathy ; and if the supernal message of love fall 
 not on him from the skies, the sweetly perfumed 
 blossoms die, ere ever they have rent through the bud. 
 
 Once upon a time, in the country of the Angas, there 
 was a sore dearth for want of rain. The sufferings of 
 the earth-mother were shared by all living creatures ; 
 the gasping land was too feeble to bring forth fruit or 
 herb, so the animals died, and the men grew wan 
 from hunger. Lomapada, king of the Angas, having 
 vainly implored the succour of Vishnu, the penetrat- 
 ing spirit, whose essence thrills all being, and in 
 whose sight all life is precious, grew weary of the 
 burthen of existence. 
 
 "Eternal Spirit!"^ he moaned, flinging himself on 
 the earth, " life is too grievous ; let me die." 
 
 * Vide Note I. 
 
 Chap. II. 
 
 In the 
 country cf 
 the Angas 
 there is a 
 drought.
 
 14 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. II. 
 
 King Lo- 
 inapadti 
 iatneiifs 
 himself. 
 
 He calls his 
 
 councillors 
 together. 
 
 "In Thy sight, the light of eternity masters the 
 shadows of time, Thy love embraces the infinite ; 
 and destiny, which is Thy will, works for the good of 
 the universe ! I know Thou art just. I would not 
 reverse Thy decrees. Thou who alone art, and in 
 whom all that is, exists. But / am the prisoner of 
 time, and these days are altogether evil ; as far as my 
 vision extends, is nothing, save pain and sorrow. 
 Alas ! my heart is that of a man; it comprehends 
 nought, save the grief of its fellows ! And I am king 
 of this people ; mutely their eyes hang on me, as on 
 the face of their father ! How can I bear this, and 
 live ? All their sufferings are felt by me ; the weight 
 of their accumulated misery is bowing me down to 
 the ground ! O Brahm !^ if there be no succour, call 
 me back to Thy bosom ; and let me return to uncon- 
 sciousness!" 
 
 Having breathed forth this supplication, the mon- 
 arch arose, and summoned to his presence his minis- 
 ters and courtiers, and all the Brahmans and holy 
 men in his domain who devoted their lives to prayer. 
 
 " Can none of you," he asked, " suggest how this 
 curse may be removed from the land ? I am resolved 
 to put an end to ray life, if I cannot assuage my 
 people's distress !" 
 
 Then a holy Brahman stepped forth from the 
 council. His life had been pure and tranquil ; so 
 that his soul reflected the Divine Will, as a still lake 
 gives back the blue of heaven. 
 
 " Listen, O king," he said. " In the deepest shades 
 * Vide Note I.
 
 THE SrORY OF VIBHANDAKA. 
 
 «5 
 
 of the forest dwells a hermit, named Vibhandaka. 
 Long ago he left this city, his heart full of bitterness 
 and morose hatred for men, because amongst them 
 he had found crime and folly. He despised pleasure 
 too, and scorned beauty ; for once he had been de- 
 ceived by both. Taking with him his infant son, 
 Rishyasringa, he chose a cave, in the wildest glen of 
 the wood, to be this young child's nursery. 
 
 " * I give thee, my son,' he said, ' the savage beasts 
 of prey for comrades ; from' them thou wilt learn less 
 cruelty and wickedness than from thy fellows ! Thou 
 shalt hear the parrot shriek, the jackal howl, the lynx 
 mewl, and the hyaena screech, but thou shalt be 
 spared the discordant voice of man ! Here, amid 
 reptiles and venomous insects, thou shalt yet live in 
 ignorance of what is most vile and loathsome in 
 Nature ! Exposed to the caprices of heaven, "a thou- 
 sand dangers attending thy every footstep, thy life a 
 series of hardships, aftlictions, and perils, thou shalt 
 know more peace and security than in the crowded 
 city. Grow then ; and, if it be possible, lose the 
 base nature Brahm has laid on thee ; and ignore that 
 thou art that vile and miserable creature, — a man !' 
 
 "Thus has Rishyasringa grown from childhood to 
 youth and heard no human voice, and looked on no 
 human face save that of his father. Dreading the 
 irascible hermit, the hunter who passes that way, 
 or the pious anchorite who chances on the solitary 
 cave, steals away with silent haste ; even the prowling 
 beasts of the forest avoid it ; for the immortals having 
 pi-omised to grant Vibhandaka what boon he would. 
 
 Chap. II, 
 
 A Brahman 
 tells how the 
 iiiofose Vib- 
 hd7idaka 
 has brought 
 up his son 
 hi the ivilds 
 of the 
 forett. 
 
 He tells ho70 
 Vibhandaka 
 havittg tlie 
 poiver to 
 curse, the 
 cavern is 
 avoided by 
 alt.
 
 I6 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. II. 
 
 He counsels 
 to fetch this 
 young 
 recluse, and 
 promises the 
 drought 
 sJtaii cease. 
 
 None seem 
 disposed to 
 go on this 
 •rrand. 
 
 as a recompense for his austere life, he craved the 
 power to curse. 
 
 "And now, Rishyasringa has become a man; and in 
 his heart all manner of generous and noble qualities 
 are in danger of death, as are the fruits of this starv- 
 ing land. The gods have chosen this youth to be 
 the achiever of noble deeds, and the father of a 
 gallant race ; and it is thou, O King Lomapada ! who 
 shalt rescue him from the rule of this bitter ascetic ; 
 who shalt fling open the doors of his heart, that his 
 brethren may make it their home ; who shalt teach 
 him the noble ardour of love, by giving him thy 
 daughter Kanta to wife ! Thou shalt give this hero 
 to the world ; and in return the grateful clouds will 
 pour their treasures of rain at thy feet, that thy thirsty 
 land may revive ! " 
 
 When he heard that, Lomapada sprang from his 
 throne, and asked his ministers and courtiers : 
 
 " Which of you will, forthwith, set out in search of 
 this young hermit ?" 
 
 At first there was a stir among them; and each 
 said to his neighbour : 
 
 " This is an honourable mission ; it well befits one 
 so illustrious as yourself!" 
 
 But none came forward and said, " I will go." 
 
 At length a kinsman of Lomapada, and the most 
 valiant prince among the Angas, stepped forth and 
 said : 
 
 "Tell me, O saintly Brahman ! has this Vibhandaka 
 indeed received from the immortals the power to 
 curse?"
 
 LOMAPADA'S PLAN. 
 
 17 
 
 "Yes," answered the holy man ; "the gods promised Ckap. ii. 
 to grant him what he would : thus he obtained from 
 them this terrible boon." 
 
 Then all the company exchanged dismayed glances; 
 there was no more talk of going to fetch Rishyasringa. 
 But Lomapada looked from one to another, eagerly. 
 " None offers himself for this mission ?" he ex- 
 claimed. " Alas ! and my people dying ' around 
 me!" 
 
 However, when a few days had elapsed, the sorrow- 
 ful monarch once more summoned his ministers to 
 his presence. 
 
 "I have thought of a plan," he said, "by which TheMng 
 we may bring this young man hither, and yet avoid //a«^o" 
 the curse of the terrible Vibhandaka. Do you still Riskya^ 
 refuse me your aid ?" ""•^'* 
 
 Then the courtiers, reddening with shame, answered 
 him : 
 
 " Never did we refuse you our aid, O Lomapada ! 
 We are your slaves, and at your word will risk our 
 lives, or even incur the terrible curse of Vibhandaka!" 
 Under their breath they murmured : 
 " Is he once more going to ask us to undertake 
 this perilous enterprise ? Why should the arrival of 
 Rishyasringa remove this curse from our land?" 
 
 " Hearken," said Lomapada : " this youth has 
 spent all his Hfe in the woods ; he has seen only the 
 blameless animals and birds, the reptiles and ferocious 
 beasts, and his father, whom hatred for his kind has 
 transformed into a savage ! How shall it be, think 
 you, when Rishyasringa beholds, for the first time, the 
 
 C
 
 l8 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. II. 
 
 lovely countenance of woman ? Though ignorant of 
 the name of love, he cannot be a stranger to the fire 
 of passion. Experience may not have shown him 
 how to think, but nature has taught him how to feel. 
 As through the dimness of night the ocean swells 
 towards the moon, so is the blind heart of youth 
 drawn by the beauty of woman; it knows not, nor 
 stays to ask, wherefore. 
 
 " Fit me out, then, a spacious vessel ; plant it with 
 trees and shrubs, with mosses and flowers and ferns, 
 so that it may seem like a blooming island, and let 
 the most lovely maidens in my kingdom embark on 
 it, disguised in the dress of anchorites, that seeing 
 them in this familiar garb Rishyasringa may have no 
 misgivings. Then let the wind and the floating river 
 drift these charming young messengers near to the 
 solitary hermitage; and in the absence of Vibhandaka, 
 let them lure this youthful savage on board their 
 delicious vessel. Or I greatly err, or my little 
 maidens will soon return, bringing me the willing 
 captive you dared not go to seek ! See that my 
 orders are obeyed without delay, that the clouds 
 may once more pour down their generous rains to 
 rejoice the hearts of all creatures ! " 
 
 When the ministers heard the project of Loma- 
 pada, they were delighted beyond measure ; and at 
 once set about organizing the expedition. Now that 
 it had devolved on others to fetch the young hermit, 
 they were quite convinced that it was of the highest 
 importance that the Brahman's advice should be 
 conscientiously obeyed.
 
 THE SOLITARY LIFE OF RISIIYASRINGA. 
 
 19 
 
 So the young maidens embarked on the vessel 
 that was like a blooming island, and the wind and 
 the floating river soon dn'"ted them near to the 
 solitary hermitage. 
 
 Now, latterly, Vibhandaka had avoided, as much a:- 
 possible, the society of his son. Truth to tell, he 
 knew he was a dangerous companion ; he was of 
 such an irascible temper, and the habit of cursing 
 had so grown upon him, that he frequently uttered 
 the most withering invectives, half inadvertently. To 
 avoid any irretrievable mistake of this sort, he kept 
 out of Rishyasringa's way. It was his custom to 
 seize his hermit's staff, at early dawn, and sally forth 
 into the woods ; and he would wander about until 
 the fever of his malice was worn out, and his baneful 
 energy exhausted. 
 
 Thus Rishyasringa was often left many days by 
 himself; that is to say, quite alone : his heart was no 
 companion to him, for it was only peopled by vague 
 desires. 
 
 One evening that there were many sighs in the 
 young man's breast, and that his head was heavy, he 
 knew not why, he strolled forth into the glen in search 
 of sweet roots and berries. It was that marvellous 
 hour which closes the tropical day, when Light be- 
 comes an Illusion, and ecstatic Nature beholds the 
 vision of her expired Lord. The greyness of twilight 
 is not there : Mystery casts off the shade and clothes 
 itself in radiance. The natural order is reversed : 
 Reality assumes vagueness, whilst the Dream becomes 
 irrefutable 1 
 
 c 2 
 
 Chap. II. 
 
 The 
 
 messengers 
 chosen by 
 Loniapada.
 
 20 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. II. 
 
 At the same time there is nothing to apprehend. 
 This enchantment is altogether lovely : the weird, 
 the grotesque, the fantastic even, have no part in it. 
 Touched by this nebulous splendour, all colours are 
 rarefied, not dimmed ; all forms rendered ethereal, 
 not distorted nor effaced. 
 
 Under the stately plantain, and the sweetly per- 
 fumed mango, passed the dreamy Rishyasringa. Over- 
 head he heard the hushed twittering of birds, as 
 they nestled close to each other under their canopy 
 of leaves. On either side of the narrow path Vibhan- 
 daka had torn out of the flowery wood, stretching into 
 the heart of the silent forest, he saw the long grass 
 and the feathery ferns, kissed here and there by this 
 translucent light ; and springing up every now and 
 again, the prickly cactus, with its blood-red flowers, 
 and the jessamine with its wreaths of snow, and other 
 blossoms of soft and brilliant hues, that seemed to be 
 whispering somewhat to their glossy leaves ; — he had 
 not dared to step on one side and wander amid this 
 beauty ; he felt that it concealed a secret ; felt, too, 
 that he was the only being here who did not under- 
 stand nor share in it ! 
 
 He was very sad. 
 
 Presently a shower of dates, that came rattling on 
 him from a palm-tree above, roused him from his 
 reverie ; looking up, he perceived perched on the 
 topmost bough a squirrel, who, in confusion, had 
 wrapped its face in its bushy tail ; but two bright black 
 eyes gleamed through the fringing shade anxiously. 
 
 " Oh dear," it said, penitently, " I'm so sorry ! the
 
 RISHYASRINGA DEPLORES HIS LOT. 
 
 21 
 
 branch I sprang from shook itself, and so the fruit fell. 
 I assure you it shook itself. Don't curse me, noble 
 son of Vibhandaka !" 
 
 "Curse thee, thou foolish little squirrel?" said the 
 young hermit, with a mournful smile ; *' I would rather 
 bless thee, if the power were mine ! " 
 
 A little further on he came upon a solitary gazelle. 
 It stood in the shadow of a Casserina fir, the saddest 
 of forest trees. 
 
 There were large tears in its eyes. 
 
 "Alas !" it moaned, " my harmless companion, who 
 would not even crop the young flowers that craved for 
 life ! — yet, because she bounded across his path, the 
 cruel Hermit slew her with his malediction ! Ah me ! 
 and I am left alone !" 
 
 Then Rishyasringa had essayed to comfort the 
 mournful beast, saying : 
 
 " I too am solitary ; let us weep together ! " 
 
 But at sight of him it started and prepared for flight. 
 
 " Do not fear me," pleaded the youth ; "for worlds 
 I would not do thee ill !" 
 
 " You are the son of Vibhandaka ! " was the answer. 
 
 " Nay," said Rishyasringa, meekly ; " thou and I 
 have one Father, to whom we both owe life. We are 
 brothers ; oh, do not fear me !" 
 
 But with the words, " You are the son of Vibhan- 
 daka^'' the timid gazelle had fled. 
 
 Then bitterly, and with tears, the lonely Rishyas- 
 ringa flung his arms up into the empty air : 
 
 " Wherefore, O Brahm ! " he cried, " hast thou 
 drawn me from the void, and dowered me with sense 
 
 Chap. II
 
 22 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. II. 
 
 RisJiyas- 
 ringa sees 
 the young 
 maidens in 
 the garh of 
 aiichorites. 
 
 and conscience, and this carefully constructed frame ? 
 Creation's scheme were perfect but for me ! I see the 
 marvellous unbroken thread of life binding together 
 all that is by sympathy and interchange of service ; 
 I only — I, in whose identity the various powers and 
 efhciencies of nature would seem to meet — am v»ith- 
 out the circle ! 
 
 " Behold, in me is the power of song ; but there are 
 none to hearken to my lay ! Strength have I, but 
 there is nought to conquer ; skill— but wherefore 
 should I toil? Thoughts which have wings flock to 
 my mind, but whither should they fly? Stars and 
 flowers and pearls are mine, but Avhom should they 
 enchant ? Desires have I, but they find no goal ; — 
 fire, but it eats into my life ; a heart which hungers 
 after love, but starves !" 
 
 Even as he spoke, on the air came floating to him, 
 gradually, slowly, as sail the swans a-down the sacred 
 river, a breath that grew into a whisper, a whisper 
 that broke into a song, a song that woke the jealous 
 birds up in their nests, that roused the echoes from 
 their sleep, and won from them a very fond response ! 
 Then to the astonished eyes of the young recluse 
 appeared, bounding towards him through the wood, a 
 company of wondrous anchorites, whose countenances 
 were radiant as the sun, and Avhose forms seemed more 
 than mortal I 
 
 Smiling and singing — gems sparkling beneath their 
 homely garments, their silver nupura^ ringing out 
 the time of their footsteps — they danced nearer to 
 * Niipui'a — anklet worn by Indian women.
 
 RISHYASRINGA MEETS THE KING'S ENVOYS. 
 
 23 
 
 him, and nearer. The air crept round, and wrapt them 
 in perfumes ; the trees showered down on them 
 blossoms ; the caressing flowers kissed softly their 
 feet. The wind played with the folds of their raiment ; 
 stirred them — then shivered with dread ! 
 
 Rishyasringa trembled more than the wind. 
 
 In the acacia-tree the kokila, the most amorous of 
 birds, softly, softly warbled its pain. 
 
 Rishyasringa dared not even sigh ; but his pain v as 
 more than the.kokila's. 
 
 Opposite the young hermit they paused \ they 
 ceased singing ; they surrounded him ; they looked 
 into his face with their large dreamy eyes; they looked 
 into his face and smiled ! 
 
 Rishyasringa smiled too — and trembled. 
 
 " Who are you ?" they asked. " Do you dwell alone 
 in this forest ? O beautiful youth ! tell us your name, 
 and why you dwell in this desolate forest." 
 
 He answered : 
 
 "I am Rishyasringa, the son of Vibhandaka. I 
 know no world save this forest. You say true, it is 
 desolate ; and yet " 
 
 Then. he broke forth, eagerly: 
 
 *' Nay, it is not desolate, oh believe me ! not very 
 desolate ! If you would linger here a while, graceful 
 strangers, I would show you that it is not unlovely. 
 My hermitage is near at hand ; it is a cavern in the 
 rock ; the walls are glistening with silver ore, and 
 creeping shrubs hang their green tracery before its 
 mouth. No venomous reptiles nor beasts of prey 
 approach it. In this glade are sweet roots and berries 
 
 Chap. II. 
 
 He invites 
 
 thcin to 
 7nsit /lis 
 herniitns^c.
 
 24 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. II. 
 
 Uneasy lest 
 Vilhdndaka 
 should 
 return, they 
 dare 7iot 
 linger. 
 
 and luscious fruits, which I will gather for you ; and 
 close by is a river where your reverences can bathe : 
 the overhanging trees shelter it from the sun, and its 
 waters are pure and cool. If you love flowers, there 
 are many here of brilliant colours, and of the sweetest 
 perfume ; and there are birds too ; the kokila sings 
 ever in the acacia- tree. Oh, believe me, «t is an ex- 
 cellent forest, and not desolate !" 
 
 At his breathless words they laughed merrily ; and 
 their voices were like running water. Rishyasringa 
 laughed too ; he knew not why. 
 
 " Show us your hermitage, gentle youth !" ihey 
 cried ; and some of them twined their round, young 
 arms through his ; and one laid her soft, \\'arm cheek 
 upon his shoulder, and whispered : " Show us your 
 hermitage, Rishyasisinga !" 
 
 So he led tliem to tJie cavern in the rock, and gave 
 them sweet roots and berries and luscious fruits ; he 
 brought them water too to wash their feet ; and offered 
 them the eiglit things of the Arghya,^ according to the 
 rites of hospitality. 
 
 From time to time the youth and these lovely maidens 
 exchanged wistful glances, and smiled one on tlie other. 
 
 But the blooming messengers of Lomapada were 
 not without uneasiness. 
 
 " If Vibhandaka should return," they thought ; 
 " surely he would blight our beauty with his potent 
 curse, and distort our forms, as did the angry Marut to 
 the daughters of the King Kusanabha."^ 
 
 So after a while they sprang to their feet, and said : 
 ^ Vide Note 2. ^ Vide Note 3.
 
 THE MAIDENS QUIT THE HERMITAGE. 
 
 25 
 
 " Farewell, Rishyasringa, and thank you for your 
 hospitality." 
 
 " Farewell ?" exclaimed the youth; " and you would 
 leave me? O lovely strangers, I beseech you stay 
 with me ! " 
 
 "And Vibhandaka?" they said. 
 
 Then Rishyasringa thought : 
 
 " My churlish father would surely do them some ill 
 turn ! " 
 
 " You are right," he said. "Alas ! farewell !" and 
 with that he bowed his head down upon his hands. 
 
 " When they are gone, I shall die," he thought. 
 
 *' Nay but, Rishyasringa," said the damsels, " shall 
 we not see you more ? Will not you visit us also in 
 our hermitage? Do you not love us, gentle youth, that 
 you ask not where we may be found ? " 
 
 He looked up at them, half in wonder, half in 
 hope: 
 
 " I have seen," he said, " the bright stars rain down 
 from heaven ; for a moment there was light — after- 
 wards the blackness was more intense. Were it not 
 madness to seek to trace such stars ? " 
 
 " Nay," they laughed, " not if they lay gleaming at 
 one's feet ! Our hermitage is so near that, if you seek, 
 you cannot fail to find it." 
 
 And with that, waving their hands to him and 
 saying, one by one, " Farewell, Rishyasringa ! " they 
 passed out of the cavern. 
 
 When Vibhandaka returned to the hermitage, his 
 son came not forward as usual to greet him ; nor did 
 he bring him water for his feet, nor offer him the 
 
 Chap. II, 
 
 They en- 
 courage the 
 youth to seek 
 for their 
 "^ her- 
 mitage^ 
 
 The return 
 of ViblidH- 
 daka.
 
 26 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. II. 
 
 Rlshyas- 
 
 ringa tells 
 
 his 
 
 "dream." 
 
 eight things of the Arghya, as the lav/s of etiquette 
 require. 
 
 " How now ?" asked the' Hermit ; " of what are you 
 thinking, Rishyasringa? and why do you sit there, with 
 clasped hands and vaguely wistful eyes. A youth 
 trained as you have been to a solitary life, guarded 
 from the storms of passion and the deceits of love, can 
 have no amorous dreams to poison and befool his 
 mind ! Since such follies are unknown to you, what 
 means this languor, so unbefitting the demeanour of a 
 virtuous ascetic?" 
 
 Rishyasringa answered : " I had a dream. I thought 
 that, being in the wood, I met a company of young 
 anchorites ; they were surely saints of most dis- 
 tinguished virtue, for their countenances were radiant 
 as the sun, and their forms seemed of more than 
 mortal beauty. They entered this cavern, and it was 
 filled with light ; at their touch my pulses started, and 
 for pain I could have wept, but when I looked into 
 their large, soft eyes, it became delight ; and though 
 I suffered still, it was from excess of joy ! At length 
 they rose, and waving their hands to me, they said, 
 one by one, ' Farewell, Rishyasringa,' and faded from 
 my sight. Then all grew dark." 
 
 As he listened to the youth's story, Vibhandaka's lip 
 curled scornfully. He said to himself : "The fumes of 
 sensual desire have bewildered the boy's brain! So 
 it is ; without temptation man becomes impure, and 
 loses his innocence in the midst of ignorances ! " 
 
 -"Listen," he said, harshly: "there is what looks 
 like beauty, and what is disease; what seems a promise,
 
 RISHYASRINGA SEEKS THE MAIDENS. 
 
 27 
 
 and what means despair ; what wears the garb of sun- 
 light, and is as foul as sin. See you have no more 
 such dreams, Rishyasringa ! Your saintly anchorites 
 were demons beyond a doubt ! " 
 
 And with that, the surly Vibhandaka stretched him 
 on his couch of leaves, and fell asleep. 
 
 Rishyasringa could not sleep. 
 
 " They certainly were not demons," he said. 
 
 Early on the morrow, as soon as Vibhandaka had 
 left the hermitage, the young recluse started forth in 
 search of the graceful strangers. 
 
 The kokila, the most amorous of birds, was singing 
 in the acacia-tree, but he could not find them ; — the 
 flowers were glistening with dew ; the air was full of 
 perfumes ; the trees softened the garish sunlight ; in 
 the arms of the Casserina fir a little breeze was sighing, 
 — and yet, he could not find them I 
 
 He flung himself down upon the grass. 
 
 " They are gone, " he said, " and for me remains 
 nothing but to die." 
 
 But it was not to be so. He heard a rustling amid 
 the bushes, and all around him the air quivered mirth- 
 fully ; the roses laughed, until their blooming petals 
 floated in tinted showers to the earth ; the airy grass 
 trembled with glee ; the saucy little beetles, peeping out 
 from it with their jewelled eyes, chuckled with delight ; 
 and from behind the trees, and from the centre of the 
 shrubs, and as it were from the very bosom of the 
 ground, sprang the blooming anchorites, smiling on 
 him, and singing. 
 
 " Did you think that we had left you, Rishyasringa? ** 
 
 Chap. II. 
 
 The/atlier 
 says he has 
 Ici'n ■nisited 
 by demoni. 
 
 The ymith. 
 goes forth to 
 seek, and at 
 length dis- 
 covers the 
 maideni.
 
 28 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. II. 
 
 They lead 
 him to their 
 vessel: then 
 the rain be- 
 gun to fall. 
 
 And the echoes repeated, " Had left you, Rishyas- 
 
 nnga. 
 
 " Yes," he replied. And then the youthful maidens, 
 and Rishyasringa, and the echoes laughed together 
 for joy. 
 
 " Come," they said, " let us show you our hermit- 
 age ! " and so, some holding his hands, and some 
 singing and dancing around him, they led him to the 
 vessel which was like a blooming island." 
 
 As he stepped on board, far away, over the city of 
 the Angas, a fleecy cloud spread its swan-like wings, 
 and the generous rain began to fall and refresh the 
 thirsty land 1 
 
 ***** 
 
 When Vibhandaka returned, he found the hermitage 
 deserted. 
 
 " Rishyasringa ! " he cried; but there was no response. 
 Then seizing his hermit's staff, he rushed back into 
 the wood, shouting, " Rishyasringa ! Rishyasringa ! " 
 The frightened echoes gave back his shout, pleading: 
 " You see we are as zealous in the matter as yourself ! " 
 All living things kept out of the infuriated Hermit's path 
 as he strode along, tearing up the shade with his 
 piercing eyes, and questioning the distance. 
 
 At length, having reached the outskirts of the forest, 
 he met one, driving a herd of cows speckled with 
 different colours, and of the most unusual beauty. 
 
 " Whose are these wondrous cows ? " he asked, in 
 spite of his wrath, transported with admiration. 
 
 " Rishyasringa's," replied the herdsman. 
 
 At that Vibhandaka abated his pace, and walked
 
 VIBHANDAKA SUBMITS TO DESTINY, 
 
 29 
 
 on wondering. Presently he met a troop of lordly 
 elephants, whose ornaments were of gold and ivory. 
 
 •* Whose are these lordly elephants ? " he asked, 
 amazed. 
 
 " Rishyasringa's," answered he in whose charge 
 they were. 
 
 Utterly bewildered, the recluse stood there, in the 
 road, his hand to his head. After a while, one passed 
 him driving a chariot, all inlaid with gems, and drawn 
 by four horses swift as the wind, and haughty as the 
 waves of ocean. 
 
 " And whose is this noble chariot?" he asked. 
 
 " Rishyasringa's," was the answer. " To-day this 
 youth weds the lovely Kanta, the daughter of the King 
 Lomapada. By the counsels of a saintly Brahman 
 this illustrious monarch has rescued Rishyasringa from 
 the hands of his savage father, the enemy of all living 
 creatures ! " and with that the charioteer drove on, 
 and left the Hermit standing there alone. 
 
 But having seen the wondrous cows, and lordly 
 elephants, and noble chariot, Vibhandaka reflected 
 that this was probably the work of Destiny. So he 
 returned tranquilly to his hermitage. 
 
 CHAf. II. 
 
 At stt^hiqf 
 the new 
 possessions 
 0/ his son, 
 Vibhcln- 
 dakn's 
 wrath is 
 appeased.
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 THE DESCENT OF THE GANGA. 
 
 Chap. III. 
 
 Himalaya, 
 king of all 
 mountains 
 
 X. 
 
 Himalaya, the king among mountains, and the dark 
 and lofty Vindhya, stand scowling one on the other, 
 and exchanging looks of defiance. 
 
 " I am the king among mountains ! " cries sternly 
 the proud Himalaya. " The clouds have robed me in 
 purple, and crowned my forehead with snowflakes ! I 
 tower up into heaven, rending the azure veil which 
 conceals the home of the immortals. The secrets of 
 the three worlds are known to me ; I overlook the 
 whole earth, and from the sighing ocean the dark- 
 winged vapours ascend and whisper to me their 
 griefs ; I am in the confidence of the stars, and know 
 the story of their loves ; I know, too, why some of 
 them fall out of heaven." 
 
 The sullen Vindhya wraps his misty cloak around 
 him : " I am weary of this lumbersome giant ! " he 
 mutters. " He impedes my view, and robs me of the 
 sunlight ; his ill-bred boastings offend me." Under 
 his breath he adds, "But for this shapeless monster / 
 had been king amongst mountains 1"
 
 THE BEAUTIFUL GANG A. 
 
 31 
 
 2. 
 
 The ancient Himalaya is the wealthiest of monarchs : 
 he has treasures of gold and of silver ; caverns whose 
 roofs are of diamonds, and whose floors are studded 
 with emeralds. He has, too, a daughter, who is a star 
 in the heaven of beauty. 
 
 Brighter than sapphire or diamond that flashes and 
 gleams in the sunlight ; wilder than youthful zephyrs 
 born in the season of rain, thrilled with the songs of 
 the kokila, and laden with the perfume of flowers ; 
 more dreamy than the pallid lotus, who shrinks from 
 the sun's caresses, but at night flings back her petals, 
 that the pale and amorous Soma ^ may feast on her 
 unveiled beauty ; sweeter and lovelier far was the 
 laughing and tremulous Ganga, the peerless daughter 
 of Mena, the child of the old Himalaya! 
 
 3- 
 
 Up in heaven the stars have grown restless; the 
 earth has decked her in flowers ; the clouds delay 
 their ascent ; they brood near, they break into weeping. 
 They weep, and die of their love for the beauteous 
 Ganga ! 
 
 The Sun himself grows pale. 
 
 ** I am not cruel, O Ganga! " murmurs the love-sick 
 Sun ; " my passion is ardent and wild as the love of 
 the radiant Indra ;2 but its fervour need not affright 
 thee ! 
 
 " Do not fear me, O youthful maiden ! O beloved, 
 do not fear me ! Let my kiss stray amid thy tresses, 
 
 "^Soma — the moon. */ndra — god of the firmament. 
 
 The beajiti- 
 /ul Ga>!gii is 
 child of the 
 old Hima- 
 laya, 
 
 Chap. III. 
 
 GatigS u 
 beloved by 
 all living.
 
 32 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. III. 
 
 The t'm- 
 vwrlals visit 
 the old 
 Himalaya. 
 
 that wildly float into ripples ; it shall not scorch these 
 wavelets; O Ganga, it shall not burn thee ! 
 
 " Let my beams just lie on thy bosom, thy bosom 
 that swells and that flutters ! O child, they shall 
 wander there gently, like a mother's hand which 
 caresses. Beloved, they shall not harm thee I".' 
 
 The young and dreamy Ganga flings her arms round 
 the old Himalaya. 
 
 " I would know what love is !" she whispers. *' Find 
 me a suitor, my father." 
 
 The ancient monarch answers : " You must find one 
 yourself, my child ; I am too old to be hunting for 
 suitors ! " 
 
 One day the great Himalaya was absorbed in 
 weighty reflections. 
 
 The fumes of his grave meditations mounted up to 
 his brain, and wrapped him in a mantle of vapour. 
 
 Having solved at length some problem of unusual 
 abstruseness, the. mists round him were rarefied; 
 then he perceived, standing near, three Strangers of 
 majestic appearance. 
 
 Their countenances were of an azure hue, like the 
 early flower of the Nymphaea ; their eyes were large 
 and clear, and their gaze never faltered nor drooped; 
 their heads were crowned with wreaths of blooming
 
 THE PRAYER OF THE IMMORTALS. 
 
 33 
 
 flowers ; and they stood upright, there in tha midst 
 of the air. 
 
 The ancient Himalaya was a monarch of experience 
 and wisdom : he knew that the eyes of men grow 
 weak through the tears they have shed ; that their 
 feet are nailed to the ground ; that if they weave them 
 garlands, the flowers hasten to wither. 
 
 "These strangers are the deathless gods I" he mut- 
 tered. 
 
 The noble and bland .Himalaya (lung at the feet of 
 these visitors his diadem of glistening snovvflakes. 
 
 "What is your pleasure, O heroes?" he inquired 
 with eager courtesy. " I have treasures of gold and 
 of silver ; caverns whose roofs are of diamonds, and 
 whose floors are studded with emeralds : I have, too, 
 a Daughter, who is accounted a star in the heaven of 
 beauty." 
 
 " Give us this peerless Daughter to wife," they an- 
 swered. 
 
 " So be it ! " replied the urbane Himalaya. 
 
 Then the immortals laughed aloud in their glad- 
 ness ; as for the ancient monarch, he resumed his 
 
 Chap. III. 
 
 weighty reflections. 
 
 8. 
 
 " O youthful and tremulous maiden, whose dreams 
 are haunted by wondei, whose heart is fluttered by 
 whispers, awake, — it is Love who awaits you ! 
 
 *' O graceful daughter of Mena, O nymph with the 
 
 D 
 
 Thegodi ask 
 Gangd in 
 marriage.
 
 34 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. 111. \ long floating tresses, awake, — it is Love who awaits you! 
 Leave, oh leave your couch mid the rushes, languid 
 daughter of Mena ! Bind not your showers of hair ; 
 come arrayed in its floating wavelets; stay not to 
 shake from your fingers the spray of glistening waters ; 
 pause not to lay on one side your garland of weeds 
 and of lilies. Come, O child, O beloved ! forsake 
 your couch mid the rushes. Fanciful, dripping, and 
 bright, come ; it is Love who awaits you ! 
 
 " Hearken, O child, O beloved ! The stars grew dim 
 in our kingdom ; sun and moon were smothered by 
 clouds ; the gandharvas ^ had no voice for the song ; 
 the apsaras ^ had no heart for the dance ; the souls of 
 the gods v/ere oppiessed. 
 
 *' Hearken, O child, O beloved ! we have come from 
 heaven to seek you ; for heaven is not heaven with- 
 out Love ! 
 
 " Then awake, O child, O beloved ! Leave your 
 couch mid the rushes, fanciful, dripping, and bright 
 — come ; it is Love who awaits you." 
 
 Thus sang the enamoured immortals in the ears of 
 the languid Ganga. 
 
 Then, her eyes still heavy with sleep, the dreamy 
 and youthful maiden arose from her couch mid the 
 rushes, and fanciful, dripping, and bright, came for- 
 ward to meet the immortals. 
 
 « * * * * 
 
 ' Gandharvas — celestial musicians. 
 * Atsaras - celestial dancing girls.
 
 THE SACRED HORSE IS STOLEN. 
 
 35 
 
 lO. 
 
 Chap. IIT. 
 
 Sagar(ii 
 aswantidh .?. 
 
 In this same wood of Vela, where the sullen 
 Vindhya and the arrogant Himalaya exchange looks 
 of defiance, the devout monarch Sagara, the magnani- 
 mous ancestor of Rama, celebrated, at the time of 
 full moon, a great and solemn aswamedha.^ 
 
 Rishis and Brahmans and saintly anchorites, and 
 all the noblest of those who murmur prayers under 
 their breath, came from far and near to be present at 
 this great sacrifice. 
 
 But lo, when all was prepared — when the sacred 
 wood was piled, and the torch that yearned to con- 
 sume it flamed in the hands of the priest — a serpent, 
 under the form of Ananta,^ rose from the midst of 
 the ground, and seizing the sacred horse, the victim 
 promised to Brahma, disappeared with it, swallowed 
 up by the yawning earth. 
 
 Surprise fell on the monarch Sagara ; as for the 
 Rishis and Brahmans and saintly anchorites, they 
 were filled with hot indignation. 
 
 II. 
 
 "O monarch of the powerful countenance," the\ Th^sacr-^i 
 
 , noru tM " 
 
 said, " you do well to gaze thus aghast ! 
 
 " Here is a story of shame that shall roll down the 
 river of time, refusing to sink out of sight, uneffaced j 
 by the gathering years 1 
 
 '* Here is a pleasing jes- for the winds to tell one 
 another, whilst the trees o;" the forest listen, and t>>^i- 
 branches quiver with mirth ! 
 
 ^ Aswamedha — sacrifice. • Attan'a — king of snakes. 
 
 D 2
 
 36 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. III. 
 
 The Saga- 
 rides are 
 charged to 
 find the 
 /■ 
 
 " Here is a tale for the parrot and shrieking macaw 
 to repeat ; to scream at the top of their voices, and 
 convulse all nature with laughter! 
 
 *' Far and near the people shall say : * Show us this 
 precious Sagara, this arrogant ruler of men, who was 
 put to scorn by a serpent ! Show us this valiant 
 king, whose victim promised to Brahma was stolen 
 from under his eyes ! " 
 
 Then the brow of the monarch grew red as the 
 bolts of the flaming Indra. 
 
 " What would you have me do ? " asked this furious 
 Tiger of Men> 
 
 12. 
 
 " There are sixty thousand heroes who call Sagara 
 father. Summon my sons forthwith ! " shouted this 
 enraged ruler of men. 
 
 Then these sixty thousand princes came in haste, 
 and found their magnanimous parent lying with his 
 face in the dust, howling and biting the dust like an 
 elephant struck by the hunter. 
 
 They joined hands round him, and reverently 
 performed a pradakshina.^ Then they asked what 
 had shaken the balance of his equable humour. 
 
 " Slay me this ravisher of the horse ! " moaned 
 forth the prostrate monarch. 
 
 " We will ! " replied in one breath the sixty thousand 
 heroes. At that the reHeved Sagara rolled no more 
 in the dust 
 
 1 Tiger of men — vide Note I. 
 ' Pradakshina — vide Note 2.
 
 THE HEROES SEARCH FOR THE THIEF. 
 
 37 
 
 Chap. III. 
 
 13- 
 
 "Nor Rakshasa,' nor Naga,"^ said this sapient 
 ruler of men, " has thus deranged my sacrifice ; they 
 had not dared to face this company of holy men ! 
 Some divine being it is who has perpetrated this 
 baseness. Search him out, though the gloomy Tar- 
 tarus lend him its sightless blackness; search him out, 
 though the azure gates roll back to afford him a refuge. 
 " My sons, fear not his rank ; this deed annuls his 
 divinity. Gods and men alike must obey the dictates 
 of justice ; gods and men alike, if they violate the 
 immutable law, have against them the universe and 
 the uncreated Lord of existence ! " 
 
 14. 
 The sixty thousand sons of Sagara explored the land 
 far and wide ; with lances, pick-axes, and clubs they 
 threw up the earth and examined it, but nowhere 
 could these indefatigable heroes discover a trace of 
 their enemy. 
 
 But broken by axes and spades, hewed and hacked 
 and wofully injured, her innocent bosom gashed and 
 mangled, the harmless goddess Prithivi mutely ap- 
 pealed to Heaven. A dolorous cry mounted up from 
 serpents and lizards and beetles, and myriads of 
 living creatures whom the furious zeal of the heroes 
 had wounded and maimed. 
 
 Then all the living creatures whom the gentle fhe cea- 
 
 _.,.,, , , ,, , , \tures there- 
 
 rnthivi shelters, and the gandharvas, who are tender by injured 
 
 complain to 
 
 ' Rakshasas — demons, "^ Nagas — snake gods. Brahm. 
 
 They dig up 
 the eart/i.
 
 38 
 
 7HE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. III. 
 
 to all things, and the lower gods, whose hearts are 
 open to pity, ran to the supreme Giver of life, their 
 eyes overflowirg with tears. 
 
 " Eternal Brahm," they sobbed, " deign to help 
 us! Thou hast given us being; it is thy Essence 
 which quickens our blood ! Art thou deaf to the 
 voice of thy children, who even now lie in thy Bosom? 
 O Sea ! art thou cold to thy rivers flowing out from 
 thine innermost heart? O Heaven 1 art thou dead to 
 thy stars which shine and glisten in thee? O infi- 
 nite Existence, dost thou scorn thy Breath which has 
 made us? 
 
 " These pitiless sons of Sagara are rending the breast 
 of the earth ; one by one we are smitten and perish ; 
 one by one these ruthless avengers rob us of that thou 
 hast given ! " 
 
 i6. 
 
 Then the eternal Fount of Existence answered 
 them, gravely smiling : 
 
 *' From the vast ocean of life ascend the formless 
 vapours ; in the breast of the air they meet, they 
 embrace and unite into clouds. 
 
 " Heavily brood they in space, then break into 
 glistening raindrops, that rush down to the earth to 
 perform there their destined journey. 
 
 "But either in streamlet or river, soon, or after long 
 windings, all return to the ocean when their allotted 
 task is accomplished. 
 
 "Ponder this well, and perceive that all works 
 together for harmony.
 
 BRAIIRVS ANSWER. 
 
 39 
 
 " These noisy sons of Sagara rre but the servants of 
 Destiny. Vasudeva Kapila^ has taken this horse — 
 he whose eyes see the fruit of events, who beholds the 
 whole workings of time, who effects, too, the welfare 
 of all. 
 
 ** Man follows the bent of his will ; subdues, or is 
 led, by his passions ; respects life, or ruthlessly snaps 
 it ; bows to the law of his conscience, or wilfully lives 
 in rebellion. 
 
 " He says to himself, * I am free ! ' He says true. 
 He is free to grow noble ; he is free, too, to work his 
 undoing. But let him act as he will, he is a tool in 
 the great hand of Destiny, used to perfect the fabric 
 of life ! 
 
 "There are sons of the night, and their portion is 
 blackness ; there are sons of the dawn, and the day- 
 light is theirs: both are workers for Destiny; from 
 the labour of both issues harmony ! 
 
 "Out of evil comes good, but not for the doer 
 of evil : he has earned for himself sorrow : that he 
 did frcdy 1 He has worked for the good of the 
 universe : that he did blindly, in obedience to the 
 hidden pleasure of Destiny. 
 
 " Out of evil comes good : these Sagarides who 
 destroy life shall have their own lives taken from 
 them ; but from this act of theirs shall follow a bless- 
 ing : the bountiful, fecund, young Ganga shall bring 
 her fresh bubbling waters to rejoice the hearts of all 
 creatures ! " 
 
 * Vasudeva Kapila—o'Qast name for Vishnu. 
 
 Chap. III. 
 
 Brahm rg' 
 thes that all 
 events tsnd 
 to the good of 
 the universe.
 
 40 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. III. 
 
 The heroes' 
 
 search behtg 
 fruitless, 
 Sagara bids 
 ilicm seek 
 ilie titief in 
 Tartarus. 
 
 From the august Presence the suppliants withdrew 
 very sadly. 
 
 " We are not Vasudeva Kapila," they murmured ; 
 " we see not the fruit of events ; we behold not the 
 whole workings of time — we, who must die ! 
 
 " Since we must die, what to us is the descent of 
 the Ganga ? " 
 
 They were reptiles and small creeping creatures 
 who spoke thus. 
 
 18. 
 
 Meanwhile the sons of Sagara returned to their 
 illustrious parent. They joined hands round this 
 sapient ruler of men, and affectionately performed a 
 pradakshina. 
 
 " O Elephant among Kings ! " they said, " we have 
 dug up the v/hole face of the earth, but nowhere have 
 we discovered a trace of this ravisher of the horse. 
 
 " What would you have us do next ? Speak, O 
 Lion of Men, we burn to accomplibh your pleasure 1 " 
 
 19- 
 
 After a few moments' reflection the monarch of the 
 powerful countenance replied : 
 
 " The god who has troubled my sacrifice has fied 
 to the infernal regions ; that is my firm conviction. 
 
 " Follow him tliilher, O heroes ! and when you 
 have slain the thief, capture the sacred horse. Witli 
 my grandson, the valiant Ansuniat, I will await you
 
 THE ELEPHANTS WHO UFHOLD THE EARTH. 
 
 41 
 
 here." And so the Sagarides once more commenced 
 their diggings. 
 
 20. 
 
 Throwing up the earth on the northern coast, they 
 presently discovered the lordly elephant, Virupak- 
 sha ', who, together with his three brethren, sustains 
 the globe, with its forests and monntains, its cities 
 and vilLiL'^es. 
 
 If, in momentary weariness, the monstrous elephant 
 stir his head, then the world shakes, with its forests 
 and mountains, its cities and villages. 
 
 21. 
 
 O Virupaksha, what a burthen is thine ! The 
 forest with its lofty trees and monstrous anima'ls? 
 The mountain with its mines and quarries ? Truly 
 thou art heavily laden ! 
 
 But the cities and villages, and all the sin and 
 the sorrow, and the heavy hearts of men and women 
 which they contain ? O Virupaksha, over-burthened 
 VirQpaksha, what marvel if at times thy head droop 
 with fatigue ? 
 
 22. 
 
 The courteous princes performed a pradakshina 
 round the lordly elephant, and began to dig towards 
 the south. Soon they discovered another colossal 
 elephant, tlie sublime Mahapadma ; they greatly 
 admired the large animal, and danced round him a 
 pradakshina. 
 
 'I'ovvards the west they found a third elephant; the 
 
 Chap. Ill, 
 
 They en- 
 counter the 
 elephants 
 ivho support 
 the -world.
 
 42 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. III. 
 
 Having 
 
 reached 
 Tartarus, 
 they see the 
 horse, and 
 Vishnu 
 btiide it. 
 
 Tin heroes 
 ire reduced 
 io ashes by 
 the gaze of 
 Vishnu. 
 
 robust Saumanas. They saluted him with a pradak- 
 shina, and asked him how he did. 
 
 They then arrived at the side of the Himalaya, and 
 saw another elephant, the magnanimous Himapan- 
 dura. They reverently touched this king of animals, 
 and gave to him, as to the others, the honour of a 
 pradakshina.''' 
 
 23- 
 
 Having thus torn up the whole earth, these dauntless 
 heroes perceived the sacred horse, stolen that day of 
 full moon in the peaceful wood of Vela, grazing here 
 at liberty. 
 
 By the side of the unconscious quadruped was 
 Vasudeva Kapila. 
 
 Then the sixty thousand Sagarides shouted with one 
 voice : " Halt, thou ravisher of the horse ! Knowest 
 thou why we have thus rent the earth ? It is that we 
 may have the joy of looking on thee ! " 
 
 At that Vasudeva Kapila turned, and looked at 
 these heroes. 
 
 24. 
 
 Cold and still grew their hearts, that once had 
 bounded so gladly ; thus the antelope lies, struck by 
 the hunter's arrow. 
 
 Vague and dark stared their eyes, whose vision had 
 been as the eagle's ; thus looks the paling moon when 
 Rahu - devours her radiance. 
 
 As the icicle melts at the dawn ; as the lotus dies 
 in the drought; as the grass of the prairie shrinks, 
 
 Literally translated. 
 
 ^ Rahu— vide Note 3.
 
 THE FATE OF THE SAGA RIDES. 
 
 43 
 
 scorched by the hot breath of Indra, so these men of 
 vigour and youth paled 'neath the fixed gaze of 
 Vishnu; paled, and sickened, and died, and fell like 
 reeds in the tempest ! Paled, and sickened, and died, 
 and lay at the feet of the god, a heap of formless 
 cinders ; the toy of the mocking winds ! 
 
 25. 
 
 The illustrious ruler of men, the anxious monarch 
 Sagara, called to him the youthful Ansumat, whose 
 limbs were like young fir-trees. 
 
 " Thy uncles are long in coming," he said to the 
 youthful warrior \ " my son, go in search of thy uncles, 
 and bid them return here swiftly. My heart misgives 
 me, Ansumat ; bid them return very swiftly." 
 
 And so the valiant young warrior went forth to seek 
 for his uncles, 
 
 26. 
 
 The lordly Virupaksha, the magnanimous Maha- 
 padma, the robust Saumanas, the sublime Hima- 
 pandura, all greeted the nephew of sixty thousand 
 uncles, and gave him news of his relatives. 
 
 But when the indefatigable youth reached the 
 infernal regions, and beheld the state of his uncles, 
 he fell on his face on the ground, uttering the most 
 dolorous shrieks, 
 
 27. 
 
 Having bemoaned with tears and loud wailings the 
 fate of these illustrious Sagarides, Ansumat looked 
 round him anxiously for water, with which to lave the 
 
 Chap. III. 
 
 Sagira 
 semis 
 
 Atisumat /* 
 look /or hit 
 
 uncUs. 
 
 He JIikJs 
 their re- 
 ■mains, and 
 bemoans 
 their /ate.
 
 44 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. III. 
 
 Seeking 
 7uiiWr to 
 ^ive tlient 
 f antral 
 hoicours, he 
 ti ctiUed by 
 (larucla. 
 
 The king of 
 birds tclh 
 hiiii the ashes 
 cj the Saga- 
 rides shall 
 not be 
 
 cleansed till 
 the Gangd. 
 comes to 
 earth. 
 
 cinders of these unfortunate heroes ; for unless 
 cleansed by lustrous waters, the dead are not ad- 
 mitted into Paradise, the defilement of earthly pas- 
 sions renderins: them unfit for the celestial abode. 
 
 28. 
 
 As he sought far and near for some purifying stream 
 or fountain, the youthful hero heard himself called by 
 his name. 
 
 Looking round, Ansumat perceived, perched on 
 the topmost bough of an acacia-tree, Garuda, the 
 king of all birds. 
 
 The winged monarch sat there, swaying himself to 
 and fio, and loudly calling " Ansumat ! " 
 
 The grandson of Sagara was glad to see him, for 
 this illustrious fowl was the maternal uncle of these 
 sixty thousand heroes who had become ashes. 
 
 29. 
 
 *' Do not afflict yourself, most illustrious of men!" 
 said this magnanimous bird. " These Sagarides shall 
 be glorified in the three worlds. Though I am their 
 maternal uncle, I do not deplore their fate. 
 
 " Meanwhile capture the sacred horse, and lead it 
 back to Sagara ; and give him this message from me : 
 ' Thy sons cannot enter Paradise till purified by the 
 ceremony of lustrous waters ; but this shall not take 
 place until the Ganga shall quit the celestial regions, 
 and bring her sparkhng wavelets to rejoice the inha- 
 bitants of the world.'" 
 
 11-ien Ansumat returned to Sagara, and told him 
 word for word all that the sapient fowl had said.
 
 THE PENANCE OF BHAGIRATHA, 
 
 45 
 
 30. 
 
 For the space of one thousand years the afflicted 
 monarch Sagara strove vainly to find some means of 
 inducing the beautiful Ganga to abandon the home of 
 the gods. 
 
 And after his death, Ansumat sought, by penances 
 and fastings, to gain the favour of Heaven, and the 
 pity of the gentle Ganga. 
 
 And after Ansumat, Dilipa, son to the nephew of 
 sixty thousand uncles, laboured vainly to discover a 
 plan to purify these unhappy Sagarides. 
 
 At length Bhaglratha, the magnanimous son of 
 Dilipa, abandoning his throne and the city, embraced 
 the career of an anchorite on the wild slopes of the 
 old Himalaya. 
 
 31. 
 
 Clad in a garment of skins, his head bared to 
 the humours of heaven ; keeping his passion? in 
 check ; subsisting only on roots, alike tortured by 
 heat and by cold, did the saintly anchorite impor- 
 tune the aid of the gods by the spectacle of his self- 
 imposed sufferings, 
 
 At the close of one thousand years Brahma, the 
 merciful guardian of men, appeared to him. 
 
 *' Cease these inhuman macerations ! " said the god. 
 ** What is your request, Bhagiratha ? Would you rise 
 to the caste of a Rishi, or even that of a Brahman ? 
 Do you desire a son ? Tell me what is your wish, O 
 Bull among saintly anchorites I " 
 
 32. 
 Then the emaciated anchorite answered ; 
 
 Cmap. TII. 
 
 The pen- 
 ances ^one 
 through, io 
 earn the 
 ieiceut of 
 'lie Can^a. 
 
 Brahmti 
 asks Bfiagl^ 
 ratlia tuhtti 
 is his rf-
 
 46 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. IIL 
 
 Having 
 heard " the 
 descent of the 
 Gangd" he 
 advises the 
 ascetic to 
 Jpfteal to 
 Siva. 
 
 Afferahnn- 
 tired years 
 
 Siva pro- 
 mises hit aid. 
 
 "To be called ' Rishi ' or 'Brahman' is accounted 
 an honour among men ; but I had much honour, 
 Brahma, and I abandoned it ! 
 
 " To hear a child's voice lisp the word * father * is 
 unquestionably the crown of tenderness and pride ; 
 but I, Brahma, have dwelt in this wilderness a thou- 
 sand years, and have no love to be crowned by this 
 ineffable gift ! Not to obtain an honourable title have 
 I left my country and my throne; not to gain lineage 
 have I turned my back on family and friends." 
 
 "For what then ? " asked Brahma. 
 
 " That these sixty thousand heroes might at length 
 enter upon their bliss," replied this worthy ancestor of 
 Rama. "That the Ganga might bring her purifying 
 waters here below ! " 
 
 "Your request is a hard one," -answered Brahma; 
 " for if the Ganga Avere to fall on the earth, her tur- 
 bulent waters would overwhelm the world ! Yet such 
 a penitence as yours should not prove unavailing. 
 Implore the aid of Siva : the lord of all creatures, in 
 whose sight life is precious, may perchance devise a 
 means of performing this difficult task," 
 
 With that Brahma returned to heaven, 
 
 33. 
 
 For another hundred years the saintly Bhagiratha 
 continued his self-macerations. 
 
 At the close of that time, Mahadeva ^ appeared to 
 this king of ascetics, and said : 
 
 **I am content, O most virtuous of men ! I will 
 
 * Mahadeva — another name for Siva,
 
 SIVA APPEALS TO THE CANGA. 
 
 47 
 
 Siva races 
 to Gangs. 
 
 sustain this river of purifying waters. I will, too, Chap. in. 
 induce this Bride of the immortals to quit her celestial 
 home." 
 
 34. 
 
 Then the glorious and generous immortal climbed 
 the brow of the old Himalaya, and called to the 
 fanciful Ganga, the queen amongst beautiful rivers : 
 
 "O child of the old Himalaya, whom the arms ofi 
 Prithivi once cradled, this breast where then thou 
 didst slumber is parched with a feverish thirst, — 
 therefore, descend ! 
 
 *' The little flowers are withered ; the leaves of the 
 lotus have shrunk ; the troops of gazelles are weary, 
 they find no stream to refresh them ; the storks and 
 herons are dying; the sw^ans have abandoned the 
 country ; the men are feeble and sickly ; the dead lie 
 imprisoned in Tartarus, uncleansed by lustrous waters, 
 — therefore, descend ! 
 
 " O Ganga, Bride of the heavens ! thy home is 
 full of delight ; the air is heavy with perfumes ; the | 
 mirthful apsaras flit joyously hither and thither; the' 
 strains of the dreamy gandharvas thrill every yearj 
 with rapture. The light here is golden, yet soft ; the i 
 shade here is languid, yet warm"; and the gods who ; 
 dwell here are happy ! \ 
 
 "O Ganga, daughter of Mena, who sprang from! 
 the breast of Prithivi ! the earth is the dweUing of. 
 sorrow ; the air is laden with sighs ; in flight from ; 
 want or from danger, all creatures are restless: 
 and wandering; the sound of weeping is frequent;!
 
 48 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. III. 
 
 from heaven 
 the Gatign 
 is received 
 en ilu heciei 
 of 6iva. 
 
 After ayear 
 the god his 
 down a ires' 
 of his hair, 
 by ■which 
 she escapes 
 to earth. 
 
 the music of laughter is rare ; the h'ght is scorching 
 and ardent; the shade is gloomy and chill ; and the 
 men who dwell there are mournful; — therefore, de- 
 scend! " 
 
 35. 
 
 Then the large heart of the Ganga started and 
 throbbed in her bosom ; and, without pause or reflec- 
 tion, the generous queen of all rivers rushed from the 
 home of the gods in a burst of impetuous passion, 
 singing, " I come, O beloved ! Doubly beloved for 
 thy sorrow ! " 
 
 Stepping forward, the generous Siva, in whose sight 
 life is precious, received the great rush of waters, and 
 upheld on his forehead the impulsive d,aughter of 
 Mena, that in her generous fervour she might not 
 overwhelm the earth. 
 
 36. 
 
 Here, on the forehead of Siva, troublous, immense, 
 rapid, for the space of one year the impatient Ganga 
 remained, between earth and heaven. 
 
 Then the cautious Mahadeva let down one tress 
 of his hair; and by this channel the impassioned 
 daughter of jNIena rushed down to the arms of 
 Prithivi 1 
 
 37. 
 
 The gods, the Rishis and Brahmans, the Asuras, 
 the Siddhas and Nagas, and all the hosts of earth and 
 of heaven, came to witness this marvellous sight— 
 the joyous descent of the Ganga !
 
 THE DESCENT OF THE GANGA. 
 
 49 
 
 The spray of glistening foam leapt up to the azure 
 vault, as sprang from the head of Siva this child of 
 the old Himalaya, singing : " I come, O beloved ! 
 Doubly beloved for thy sorrow ! " 
 
 The air was filled with flashes, and the waves 
 shouted and roared ; in their joy they bounded and 
 leapt, they rushed the one at the other, they dashed 
 themselves into fragments, and fell like diamonds and 
 fire-flies ! The dolphins and reptiles and fishes, and 
 all that live in the waters, were tossed merrily hither 
 and thither by the laughing and frolicsome River, 
 
 38. 
 
 The saintly King Bhagiratha, in his chariot of gold 
 and ivory, put himself at the head of the Ganga, to 
 direct and guide her footsteps. 
 
 Singing and dancing, and laughing, and scattering 
 jewels on all sides, the obedient Ganga followed, kiss- 
 ing the trace of his chariot, and babbhng words of 
 endearment. 
 
 As the smiling River passed, the flowers unfolded 
 their petals, the storks and herons revived, and the 
 swans, like fluttering clouds, came back to embellish 
 the land. 
 
 Then those whom a curse had smitten, at the touch 
 of these glistening waters were freed from the male- 
 diction, and restored to virtue and fame. 
 
 39- 
 
 Bhagiratha directing his steps to the sea, the docile 
 Ganga followed. From thence he led her into the 
 
 £ 
 
 Chap. III. 
 
 Astht 
 
 passes^ the 
 
 and mcK ark 
 puriJiecL
 
 50 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. III. 
 
 Bhaxiratha 
 leads the 
 river to 
 Tartarus, 
 and laves 
 the ashes of 
 the Saga- 
 rides. 
 
 Brahma 
 blesses the 
 hero, and 
 calls Ganga 
 after him, 
 Bhagirathl. 
 
 bowels of the earth, into the gloomy regions of 
 Tartarus. 
 
 There, having performed the ceremony of lustrous 
 waters in honour of his sixty thousand ancestors, he 
 beheld the illustrious Sagarides, clothed in ethereal 
 purity, ascend with rapturous joy to the home of the 
 deathless gods. 
 
 40. 
 
 Brahma, having seen with approval this devout and 
 magnanimous hero thus washing all these ancestors} 
 came himself to visit the monarch, and spoke to him, 
 gravely smiling : 
 
 " So long, O saintly Bhagiratha, as the sun and the 
 wind shall continue, the hearts of all living creatures 
 shall cherish and honour thy name. 
 
 "So long as the eternal sea shall kiss the gentle 
 Prithivi, so long in the restful kingdom shall the 
 Sagarides bless thee gratefully. 
 
 " This queenly bride of the gods now kisses thy 
 feet with devotion, is babbling to thee her love, the 
 docile love of a daughter ; henceforth men shall call 
 her Bhagirathl ; for she prays thee to call her thy 
 daughter ! 
 
 " And now, O Lion of Men ! by the constant view 
 of these waters, cleanse thy soul from all stain, and 
 clothe it in limpid purity ! 
 
 "Farewell! I return to Paradise!" 
 
 1 Literally translated.
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 THE PENANCE OF VISVAMITRA. 
 
 VisvAMiTRA was truly said to be an elephant among 
 kings ! He was of lordly stature, of an imperious 
 and hasty temper, and of unexceptionable lineage, 
 having descended directly from Brahma himself. 
 These kingly qualities naturally gained him celebrity 
 in the three worlds, and secured the tranquillity of 
 his reign and the happiness of his people. 
 
 At length, however, he wearied of the blessings of 
 peace, and felt that for the maintenance of his health 
 and spirits something less insipid than this unbroken 
 tranquillity was absolutely Accessary, And, on the 
 strength of this, let us not conclude that he was of a 
 specially restless and intemperate disposition. We 
 read, in the translation of Monsieur Fauche : " Or 
 Visvamitra gouverna ce globe en roi qui semblait une 
 incarnation de la justice, plusieiirs my Hades d'anntes." 
 To put it at its meanest figure, let us say 07ie myriad, 
 instead of several ; — after ten thousand years, is it 
 surprising if he required a thorough change ? 
 
 Now, to a king desirous of the large excitement of 
 war, two things are primarily necessary: an army 
 
 E 2 
 
 Chav. IV. 
 
 Virz<n7nitra 
 longs/or the 
 excitement 
 of war.
 
 52 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. IV. 
 
 At tTie head 
 of a large 
 army he 
 7n arches 
 forth to seek 
 adventures. 
 
 They reach 
 the hermit- 
 age of Va- 
 sishiha. 
 
 to fight for him, and an enemy to be fought with. 
 Generally speaking, the latter is more readily found 
 than the former. But in this instance that was not 
 the case. In these extensive domains it was easy to 
 gather together a formidable army, but Visvamitra 
 was so prosperous a man that every one regarded 
 him with the most enthusiastic friendship. 
 
 No enemy presenting himself, Visvamitra put him- 
 self at the head of his troops and marched forth in 
 search of one. 
 
 Over hill and dale, through the heart of sombrous 
 forests and the narrow streets of crowded cities, 
 marched the innumerable host, always on the look- 
 out for perilous adventures and dangerous exploits, 
 that might render the monarch's name illustrious in 
 the three worlds. None such, however, came in their 
 way. As a rule, if you want to avoid adventures, go 
 forth in search of them; destiny likes to attack people 
 when they are off their guard, and prefers an un- 
 armed victim. 
 
 After a time the king and his army came to the 
 hermitage of the eminent saint, Vasishtha. The tall 
 trees kept guard around it; kingly trees, crowned 
 with golden blossoms. They extended their graceful 
 leafy fingers over the hermitage, as who would 
 say: 
 
 *' This dwelling is under our special patronage.'* 
 
 They guarded it carefully from the winds of heaven, 
 and from their spreading hands fell— shade. 
 
 Also, it was the most charming spot in the world. 
 Nay, the Siddhas and Charanas preferred it even
 
 THE HOSPITALITY OF VASISHTIIA. 
 
 53 
 
 to heaven, and loved to linger within its hallowed 
 precincts. The holy anchorites flocked to it from far 
 and near to profit by the words of the sage Vasishtha, 
 and to vaunt the unusual gifts of his fascinating cow, 
 the immaculate Sabala. 
 
 The hermit greeted Visvamitra most courteously, 
 and invited him to be seated on the sacred grass, 
 Kusa — than which, to the pious and devout, is no 
 more honourable throne ; then he presented him with 
 sweet roots and berries, and water to wash his feet, 
 and neglected not to offer him the eight things of the 
 Arghya. Having thus complied with the ordinances 
 of etiquette, he proceeded to make polite inquiries as 
 to the monarch's health and well-being. 
 
 Visvamitra, in his turn, expressed his delight at 
 thus conversing with the distinguished Brahman, and 
 asked whether his sacred fires, his groves, and his 
 disciples gave him entire satisfaction. 
 
 Now, after this interchange of compliments and 
 friendly solicitude, the monarch and the saint were 
 mutually delighted with each other. 
 
 "Stay with me a while, O Tiger of Men!" said 
 the holy Vasishtha. " I would prepare a feast for your- 
 self and your army that may be worthy of your 
 reverences." 
 
 " Nay," replied the considerate monarch, " I know 
 that these sweet roots and berries are the sole fare of 
 the holy men of your profession, and truly they have 
 an excellent flavour. The sight of your magnani- 
 mous countenance is also a feast for my eyes, and 
 the sage words which fall from your lips a delight to 
 
 Chap. IV. 
 
 Tkt hermit . 
 invites ike 
 king and his 
 army to a 
 feast.
 
 54 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. IV. 
 
 VashhiJta 
 requests his 
 niiracu- 
 lotisly gifted 
 onu to 
 furnish the 
 repast. 
 
 my soul ! You have already entertained me muni- 
 ficently, O Bull among Anchorites. I am more than 
 satisfied." 
 
 BuL the Brahman continued to press him to remain, 
 so that at length, not to appear discourteous, the 
 amiable Visvamitra consented to accept his hospi- 
 tality. At the same time, he had some misgivings as 
 to the nature of the festival of which he had promised 
 to partake. 
 
 "No doubt this excellent anchorite will be at 
 infinite pains to collect many varieties of roots and 
 berries," he thought ; " in these wilds he will not be 
 able to procure other comestibles. My soldiers and 
 myself are not accustomed to so simple a diet; but 
 we must put a good face on it and simulate a hearty 
 appetite, that the worthy saint may not perceive how 
 little we reUsh his fare." 
 
 Accordingly, he strictly charged his followers to 
 show no disinclination to the repast offered them, 
 whatever it might chance to be. 
 
 Meanwhile the most eminent of anchorites was 
 conversing with the miraculous Cow. 
 
 "My pretty Sabala," he said, "my docile, tractable, 
 well-beloved friend ! Thou knowest how much we 
 owe to the protection of princes ; they are invaluable 
 as friends and irresistible as enemies. Besides, it is 
 a duty to recollect their divine right. This Visvamitra 
 and his army are both hungry and thirsty ; shall it be 
 said that they left this hermitage unrefreshed ? O 
 inestimable Quadruped ! if thou hast any love for thy 
 master's honour, supply forthwith a bounteous feast
 
 THE KING'S ENVY IS AROUSED. 
 
 55 
 
 for these illustrious guests ! And let not only the 
 quality of it be excellent, but the quantity super- 
 abundant ; for, O Light of my Eyes ! the appetite of 
 kings and of warriors is larger than that of ordinary 
 mortals." 
 
 Then Sabala rubbed her cold nose lovingly. against 
 her master's cheek, as a token that she would fulfil 
 his behests. Vasishtha, proceeding to milk the mag- 
 nanimous Quadruped, was speedily gratified by the 
 sight of all manner of delicious viands; such as 
 sugar-canes, honey, fried grains, mountains of boiled 
 rice, succulent pastries, cakes, preserves, and sweet- 
 meats of all sorts, &lc.; and by way of beverage, 
 Maireya liquor, extracted from the flower of Maireya, 
 the delicious essence of asava, and rivers of curdled 
 milk. 
 
 At the sight of this excellent cheer the hearts of 
 the soldiers, whom the injunctions of Visvamitra had 
 somewhat depressed, bounded for joy. They feasted 
 and caroused to the full bent of their pleasure, and 
 praised the generous Vasishtha and admired the 
 marvellous gifts of his inestimable Cow. 
 
 But Visvamitra grew pensive. His heart sickened 
 with envy, and he had no appetite to enjoy food. 
 
 " How comes it," he thought, " that this anchorite 
 has here a more splendid feast than any served at 
 my royal table? Is not this nearly treasonable?" 
 
 Occupied by such reflections, the monarch gloomily 
 declined Vasishtha's pressing invitations to partake of 
 these delicacies. 
 
 " Listen, holy anchorite," he said presently ; *' this 
 
 Chap. IV. 
 
 The hount) 
 
 of Sabala, 
 and the JO} 
 of ihe sol- 
 diers. 
 
 Visvdi Ul- 
 tra's 
 jealousy
 
 56 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. IV. 
 
 Tfze king 
 
 vmnis to buy 
 Sabala. 
 
 On Vasish- 
 tha's re- 
 fusal, he 
 ■makes a 
 larger offer, 
 and ivariis 
 the Brah- 
 man not to 
 refttie. 
 
 Sabala is truly a Pearl amongst ruminant creatures, 
 and kings have, as you know, a right to. the jewels 
 discovered in their realms. Nevertheless, in con- 
 sideration of my friendship for your person, I will 
 not press my claim in this instance. I will give 
 you one hundred thousand cows in payment for this 
 Sabala." 
 
 " Not for one hundred million cows will I sell this 
 magnanimous animal!" replied Vasishtha. "Sooner 
 shall the sun put a price on his radiance, or the sage 
 on his wisdom, than I consent to sell Sabala." 
 
 At that Visvamitra's brow darkened. 
 
 " Is it not somewhat strange," he asked, " that one 
 who has adopted the life of a penitent, and who in the 
 three worlds is renowned for his self-mortifications, 
 should care to possess a beast thus willing to gratify 
 his appetites? The knowledge of its unusual gifts 
 must be a sore temptation to thee, saintly hermit ; I 
 would remove this snare from thy path !" 
 
 " It is not needful," replied the Brahman; "temp- 
 tation adds fresh lustre to the virtuous, and gives their 
 fortitude wholesome exercise." 
 
 At that the angry monarch sprang to his feet and 
 began to pace the narrow hermitage to and fro. 
 
 " I will give thee, thou contumacious troglodj^te !" 
 he cried, " fourteen thousand elephants witli orna- 
 ments of gold, eight hundred ivory chariots, each 
 drawn by four horses with golden bells round their 
 necks, and ten milHon cows speckled with difterent 
 colours ! I would counsel thee to accept my generous 
 offer, hermit ! It has ever been the practice of kings
 
 Al^TEMPT TO CARRY OFF SAB ALA. 
 
 57 
 
 to take by force what they could not obtain by 
 honourable barter." 
 
 " Alas ! " replied the Brahman, somewhat terrified 
 by the king's wrathful countenance, "this Sabala is 
 all my life ; it is she who provides me with the 
 oblations for the gods, the offerings to the Manes, the 
 clarified butter which feeds the sacred fire, and the 
 grains to be scattered on the earth as a token of 
 charity towards all creatures. Besides, she was given 
 into my charge by Mahadeva, the lord of cattle. I 
 cannot sell you this Pearl amongst ruminant creatures, 
 O Visvamilra !" 
 
 Then, in a great passion, the king turned his back 
 on the Brahman. 
 
 " This cantankerous priest shall regret his obsti- 
 nacy !" he cried. " Let my young warriors forthwith 
 go in search of this delectable Milch Cow ! Hence- 
 forth she shall minister to our royal wants, and supply 
 luxuries to flatter our royal appetites !" 
 
 His followers gladly obeyed him. 
 
 " No doubt," they said one to the other, " when this 
 magnanimous Quadruped is in our possession we shall 
 have these sumptuous repasts daily." 
 
 But when Sabala perceived that they were leading 
 her away from the hermitage, she began to struggle 
 and plunge, and to lash her tail wildly from side to 
 side. 
 
 "How have I offended this sublime Maharshi?" 
 she exclaimed. " Have I not always taken delight in 
 watching his divine gesticulations, and his ecstasies of 
 <ipiri*-ual fervour ? Have I ever failed to supply him 
 
 Chap. IV. 
 
 Vasishtha 
 
 persisting, 
 the king 
 orders the 
 soldiers to 
 seize the 
 7niraculous 
 Cow 
 
 Sabala es- 
 capes, and 
 rushes back 
 to her 
 master.
 
 s« 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. IV. 
 
 Vasisktha 
 tells Sabala 
 he dare not 
 resist tlie 
 king. 
 
 with those material wants which his pious exercises 
 prevented him from providing for himself? Have I 
 ever murmured at his authority or questioned the 
 truth of his sage discourses? Why, then, does this 
 resplendent saint abandon his meek servitor, his 
 beloved and docile companion?" 
 
 Maddened by the thought, she broke from the 
 hands of her captors; and bellowing furiously, and 
 wildly tossing her head, rushed through the ranks of the 
 army. On all sides the soldiers gave way before her. 
 
 " After all," they said, *' it was scarcely justifiable 
 to rob the hermit of this impetuous animal." 
 
 Panting and exhausted, Sabala flung herself at the 
 feet of Vasishtha, and looking up at him with her soft, 
 liquid eyes, and lowing plaintively, asked : 
 
 " Have you abandoned me, O master ?" 
 
 Then the virtuous Brahman and the affectionate 
 Quadruped intermingled their tears. 
 
 " I have not abandoned thee, Sabala," he cried, 
 flinging his arm round her neck as though she had 
 been a cherished sister. " Thou hast ever been a do- 
 cile and faithful companion ; attentive to my lessons, 
 and careful to furnish me with my modest require- 
 ments. I have no fault to find with thee, thou Pearl 
 amongst domesticated creatures. But this Visva- 
 mitra is a Kshatriya,^ and his army appears innume- 
 rable ; what wouldst thou have me do ? I am alone 
 in this forest, but for the few blameless anchorites who 
 are all unlearned in the art of war. Farewell, then, 
 light of my eyes ! I dare not resist this Visvamitra." 
 
 ^ Kshatriya — warriors' caste, next to the Brahmans in rank.
 
 VJSVAMITRA'S ARAIY AND SONS DESTROYED. 
 
 59 
 
 At that the devoted Cow rose from her master's feet 
 and tossed her head proudly. 
 
 " Have I supplied your wants for so many years, 
 holy Brahman," she asked, " that you have ceased 
 to appreciate my miraculous gifts? Why do you 
 not milk me, O master? I can furnish you with 
 an army twice as numerous as that of this truculent 
 monarch." 
 
 Accordingly, Vasishtha milked once more this in- 
 estimable Cow ; and lo ! there rose up before him an 
 innumerable host of warriors, turbulent, impulsive, and 
 loyal, as was the devoted Sabala herself. The army 
 of Visvamitra was soon overthrown by these vigorous 
 heroes, whose ranks it was impossible to thin ; for if a 
 man fell, straightway another sprang, as it were, from 
 the ground to take his place. After the combat, how- 
 ever, when all the king's warriors had either perished 
 or fled, this miraculous army disappeared as rapidly 
 as it had sprung into existence. 
 
 Now the illustrious Visvamitra had a hundred sons, 
 gallant youths all of them, to whom the sight of their 
 father's discomfiture was intolerable. 
 
 "We will punish the insolence of this niggardly 
 Hermit," they said, "and teach him and his ill-natured 
 Cow to respect the Divine Right of Kings !" 
 
 So saying, they rushed with one accord on Vasish- 
 tha. But the holy Brahman awaited them with per- 
 fect composure, and when they were within a short 
 distance blew at them with all his might. His sacred 
 breath blasted them into ashes, and they crumbled into 
 dust at his feet. 
 
 Chap. IV. 
 
 Sahala, tells 
 him to milk 
 her, and she 
 ivill provide 
 him with an 
 army. 
 
 Visvami- 
 tra' s army 
 overthrown. 
 
 His tons 
 
 blown to 
 pieces by 
 Vasishtha.
 
 6o 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. IV. 
 
 Visvamitra 
 espouses the 
 life of a 
 penitent. 
 
 Siva gives 
 biin the 
 ivcapons of 
 t lie gods. 
 
 Then the exultant Cow tossed her head in the air 
 and bellowed again with delight. 
 
 But Visvamitra, having thus beheld his army de- 
 stroyed and his sons blown into fragments, began to 
 entertain doubts as to the omnipotence of kings. 
 Like the bird whose wings are broken, or the sea that 
 has no waves, or the sun in times of eclipse, he realized 
 his weakness and was sad ! 
 
 His indomitable resolution, however, was not 
 shaken. Having given his empire into the hands of 
 his only surviving son, he retired into the woods and 
 sought, by his self-inflicted penances, to earn the 
 favour of the deathless gods. After a time the 
 resplendent Mahadeva appeared to him and bade him 
 name his request. 
 
 "Give me," said Visvamitra, "all the arms in use with 
 the gods, the Danavas, the Yakshas, and Rakshasas." 
 " So be it," replied the king of immortals, and re- 
 turned to heaven. 
 
 Then, full of pride and delight, the triumphant 
 Visvamitra set out for the Brahman's hermitage. 
 
 " It is the duty of kings," he said to himself, '* to 
 uphold their divine prerogative; at the same time 
 leniency is a becoming virtue. I may find it neces- 
 sary to extirpate this contumacious hermit, but to 
 Sabala I will extend my gracious pardon, and this 
 Pearl amongst ruminant creatures shall become my 
 loyal servitor." 
 
 Within a short distance of Vasishtha's dwelling the 
 exultant monarch, unable to curb his impatience, 
 shot off one of his miraculous arrows. As it sped
 
 VISVAMITRA ATTACKS VASISHTHA. 
 
 6l 
 
 through the air, hissing Hke some venomous reptile, 
 the trees of the forest shuddered with dread, the 
 birds fled through the air shrieking, and the gazelles 
 crouched low in the thicket. All the pious hermits and 
 anchorites rushed to their huts and caverns, crying : 
 
 "The immortals are at variance, and have chosen 
 this forest for their battle !" 
 
 Only Vasishtha, the Bull among soHtaries, dis- 
 played no uneasiness. He stood at the mouth of his 
 cavern smiling with scornful composure. 
 
 When he saw him thus unmoved, Visvamitra's 
 wrath knew no bounds. 
 
 " I will teach thee, miserable troglodyte," he shouted, 
 "to respect the Divine Right of Kings !" 
 
 And with that he hurled at him the Dart of Rudra, 
 and the Dart of Varuna, and the Dart of Indra ; the 
 Human Dart, the Soporific, the Smasher, the Stupefier, 
 the Consumer, the Dart of Groans, the terrible Javelin 
 of Dryness, and the invincible Dart of Thunder. He 
 threw at him also the Dart of Chastisement, the Si car 
 tipped with a Heron's Beak, two Lances of iron, and 
 two Clubs ; and after these, the awful Arrow of Death ! 
 After that he flung at him the Noose of Brahma and 
 the Arrow of Siva : ard two precious Thunderbolts, the 
 Horse's Head and the indent Dripping with Blood! 
 
 It is undeniable that here was a formidable series 
 of arms ; but, amidst the shower of these appalling 
 missfles, Vasishtha stood calmly holding his Brahman's 
 stick over his head, and easily warding off the fatal 
 weapons. Throughout his countenance wore the same 
 contemptuous smile. 
 
 Chap. IV. 
 
 Vasishtha 
 awaits the 
 coming of 
 Visvdmitra. 
 
 The king 
 
 flings his 
 •weapons one 
 by one at the 
 priest. 
 
 Vasishtha. 
 
 remauis 
 
 umnoved.
 
 62 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. IV. 
 
 Finally Vis- 
 vdviitm 
 /!iiigs the 
 
 JtlVilill of 
 
 Brahma. 
 
 Vastshtha 
 dtuoiirs it. 
 
 Vhvnmitra 
 OH iliis de- 
 clares there 
 is no poiijer 
 desirable 
 save t licit of 
 the Brah- 
 man. 
 
 A less irascible opponent would have lost patience. 
 Almost beside himself with rage, Visvamitra seized, 
 at length, the fatal Javelin of Brahma, and hurled it at 
 his imperturbable adversary. 
 
 Then was there silence, for the awestruck winds 
 stood still. The gods looked down from heaven with 
 eager interest ; but all mortal creatures closed their 
 eyes and sobbed forth : " Farewell, Vasishtha !" 
 
 But even so, the invincible Brahman was not con- 
 quered. Opening his mouth wide, he received the 
 flaming Bolt, and at one gulp swallotved it ! 
 
 Then was a marvellous sight ! In the eyes of 
 gods and men this iron-hearted Vasishtha devoured 
 the Javelin of Brahma ! As he fed on the wrath of 
 the god, his eyes grew crimson as blood; flames issued 
 forth from his mouth ; and the Brahman's stick, which 
 he still held upraised, glowed like a hot bar of fire ! 
 Then all living creatures, appalled, fell on their knees 
 to the dreadful anchorite. 
 
 " Spare us ! save us ! " they cried ; " do not con- 
 sume us with terror ! Compassionate the fear of the 
 three worlds and digest this fire of Brahma !" 
 
 At these words the resplendent Vasishtha deigned 
 to reassure the trembling universe by resuming his 
 wonted placidity. 
 
 But Visvamitra exclaimed : 
 
 " The force of the Kshatriya is a chimera ; the only 
 desirable strength is the miraculous power of the 
 Brahman. I will not rest until I have acquired this 
 glorious title." 
 
 So saying, he flung on one side all implements of
 
 KING TRISANKU'S SELF-LOVE. 
 
 63 
 
 warfare, and on the rugged slopes of the Himalaya 
 commenced a life of most rigorous self-mortification. 
 
 After a thousand years Brahma appeared to the 
 zealous ascetic, and said to him approvingly : 
 
 " Thou hast entered the regions of sanctity, Visva- 
 mitra. Yes, thy victorious penitence has earned for 
 thee the title of Rishi among kings." 
 
 With these words the august sovereign of gods 
 returned to heaven. But the recluse hung his head 
 in mournful disappointment. 
 
 " Rishi among kings !" he exclaimed ; " that is not 
 what I desire ; nor can my aspirations rest at having 
 entered the regions of sanctity." 
 
 And so this indomitable hero redoubled his aus- 
 terities. 
 
 Now there lived at this time a worthy king named 
 Trisanku. He loved justice and truth, and governed 
 his dominions wisely. There was, however, one fault 
 which marred the perfection of his character; and 
 that was an overweening love for his Body. It is true 
 that it was an unusually comely Body, and doubtless 
 it appeared even more so to him than to others. The 
 thought that death would drive him forth from it, and 
 that it would be reduced to ashes upon the funeral 
 pile, was very grievous to him. Often would he quit 
 the society of his courtiers, and even of his favourite 
 queen, to caress and weep over this doomed Body in 
 secret. 
 
 " Alas !" he would moan, " these vigorous limbs 
 that have carried me triumphantly through space ; 
 these skilful hands that have given me mastery over 
 
 Chap. IV. 
 
 He mace- 
 rates hiiHselJ' 
 during a. 
 thousand 
 years. 
 
 Brahnta 
 
 gives him 
 the title of 
 Rishi, but, 
 ill-satisjicd, 
 he continues 
 his asceti- 
 cisms. 
 
 OfKinir 
 Trisanku 
 and his great 
 love /or his 
 Body.
 
 64 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. IV. 
 
 Trisanku 
 
 requests 
 Vasishiha to 
 offer a sacri- 
 fice that he 
 may never 
 lose his body. 
 
 Vasishiha 
 re/uses. 
 
 material forms ; these eyes, which have let in on me 
 golden light and shapely beauty, which have shown 
 my soul the countenance of my beloved : these 
 lips, which have kissed my beloved ; this breast she 
 scorned not to make her pillow ; — to all these I must 
 bid farewell ? Alas, my friendly, serviceable Body ! 
 Have I not struggled with thee to thy present stature ; 
 and has not that drift of conscious fire men call soul 
 wrought thee, with burning implements, into an ade- 
 quate expression of itself? How shall my being 
 withdraw itself from thee ? Abstract storm, or heat, 
 or motion, from the forms which they impregnate, 
 and what of them remains ? An amorphous phantom, 
 driven forth into illimitable space, how shall my soul 
 keep its identity ? Or, if incorporated in some other 
 frame, how shall it fail to lose the individual character 
 which it has won by dint of labour, grief, and love, in 
 which, O faithful Body ! thou hast shared?" 
 
 At length this mournful Trisanku, haunted by these 
 reflections, sought the eminent saint Vasishtha, and 
 exposed to him his sorrow. 
 
 *' I would, O holy Brahman," he said, " offer up, 
 through thy agency, a solemn aswamedha to obtain 
 from heaven permission to retain this cherished Body 
 of mine in the future state." 
 
 But when he had heard the monarch's desire, 
 Vasishtha shook his head. 
 
 " For so senseless- a petition I will offer no aswame- 
 dha," he said ; " be reasonable. King Trisanku, and 
 rather rejoice that death will rid thee of thy Fleshly 
 Incumbrance."
 
 TRISANKU MOCKED BY VASISHTHA'S SONS. 
 
 65 
 
 But the melancholy Trisanku was so enamoured of 
 his comely Body that he could not bring himself to 
 look at the matter in this light. The Brahman having 
 refused his request, he handed his empire over to his 
 son, and wandered forth into the forest where dwelt 
 the hundred sons of Vasishtha. To these eminent 
 anchorites he confided his distress, and begged them 
 to celebrate an aswamedha in his behalf. But they 
 asked him : 
 
 "Why do you come to us, O King Trisanku? Is 
 not our revered father the spiritual director of your 
 house ? Why do you abandon the root and seek aid 
 from the branches ?" 
 
 Then the melancholy king answered : 
 
 "I did, indeed, first seek the holy Guru, your 
 father; but for this intent he refused to celebrate an 
 aswamedha." 
 
 Then the sons of Vasishtha were very wroth. 
 
 "And why, thou stiff-necked, fatuous king," they 
 cried, "didst thou not follow the counsels of the 
 saintly Vasishtha ? We will offer no sacrifice for the 
 preservation of that wretched Dust-Body of thine." 
 
 At that Trisanku was incensed. 
 
 " They were free to refuse my request," he thought, 
 "but they need not have insulied my unoffending 
 Body." 
 
 " Farewell, then," he said haughtily; " I shall seek no 
 more counsel from you nor Vasishtha. It is clear to 
 me that you are unable to obtain my petition, and that 
 this insolence is but a veil for your helplessness." 
 
 And so he turned away from them. 
 
 F 
 
 Chap. IV. 
 
 Tr. sa ikii 
 the io.'is of 
 Vasishtha. 
 
 Meeting- 
 only with 
 mockery, 
 he speaks 
 slightingly 
 of their 
 Jxnuer.
 
 66 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THk EAST. 
 
 Chap. IV. 
 
 Trisnnku is 
 
 tyaiisformed 
 into a Chan- 
 (ia.'a by the 
 curse of the 
 sons of 
 yasisktJia. 
 
 Trisnnkii 
 
 tells his 
 laron^s to 
 V.svdiititra 
 
 But the infuriated sons of Vasishtha ruslied after 
 liira. 
 
 "We will give thee a proof of our power," they 
 shouted ; " may this precious Body, thou thinkest 
 so surpassingly beautiful, assume the degraded form of 
 a Chandala !"^ 
 
 As they spoke, the figure of the unlucky Trisanku 
 was twisted and bent; his eyes became copper- 
 coloured, and his teeth yellow and green ; his kingly 
 raiment disappeared, and a miserable bear's skin alone 
 covered his nakedness. 
 
 In this deplorable plight the unhappy monarch 
 dared not return to his palace. 
 
 "Alas!" he thought, "my most obsequious cour- 
 tiers would scoff at me, and my lovely queen turn 
 away from me in disgust." 
 
 So, having heard of the astounding self-macerations 
 of Visvamitra, he sought out that elephant among 
 men. When the royal ascetic saw the condition of 
 Trisanku, he was filled with compassion, and ex- 
 claimed, in affectionate accents : 
 
 " Alas ! my kingly brother, who has dared to reduce 
 the gracefal frame which thou didst once regard with 
 such justifiable pleasure to the pitiable form of a 
 Chandala?" 
 
 " The hundred sons of Vasishtha," answered Tri- 
 sanku : and then he told his story. 
 
 Now when Visvamitra had heard the facts of the 
 case he was filled with indiccnation. 
 
 " This overbearing Vasishtha and his sons, and his 
 * Chandala — the lowest caste.
 
 VISVAMITRA PROCLAIMS AN ASVAMEDHA. 
 
 67 
 
 ill-natured Cow, are quite insufferable," he said; "it 
 is a duty to oneself and to the world to impress them 
 with some respect for the Divine Right of Kings ! 
 By virtue of my unrivalled asceticism, I will obtain 
 this boon for thee, O King Trisanku." 
 
 Then Visvamitra proclaimed a great asvamedha, 
 and sent messengers far and near to summon to it 
 all the anchorites, and hermits, and devout men who 
 devoted their lives to prayer. 
 
 But when the hundred sons of Vasishtha saw the 
 messengers, they burst into derisive laughter. 
 
 "Oh, the famous sacrifice that this will be!" they 
 cried ; " offered by a Kshatriya, and in honour of a 
 Chandala!" 
 
 The anchorite Mahodaya, hearing their scornful 
 speech, refused also to attend the asvamedha. 
 
 The messengers of Visvamitra came and told him 
 this. 
 
 Then this Elephant among Kings, whom re- 
 splendent penances had rendered terrible as the 
 storm-god Indra, launched his potent curse against 
 the sons of Vasishtha and the anchorite Mahodaya, 
 
 " May these scornful anchorites," he said, " in 
 whose sight living beings are objects only for derisive 
 mirth, be banished to the tenebrous kingdom of 
 Yama ; there, as guardians of the Dead, let them learn 
 due reverence for the Living. As for Mahodaya, in 
 whose ears their scorn rang more pleasantly than the 
 soft pleadings of pity, let him become a ferocious 
 hunter, unmoved at the spectacle of suffering, and 
 taking pleasure in destroying life !" 
 
 F 2 
 
 Chai'. IV. 
 
 Visvamitra 
 proclaims an 
 asvumeii/ta. 
 
 He hurls hii 
 maleiiictioii 
 at those 7u/io 
 refuse to 
 attend his 
 sacrifice.
 
 6S 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. IV. 
 
 The Gods 
 disregard 
 the sacri- 
 fice : so Vis- 
 vdniitr/i 
 seeks to do 
 the miracle 
 unaided. 
 
 Trisanku 
 ascends till 
 his head, 
 strikes the 
 sky, then 
 Indra com- 
 mands him 
 to fall in 
 mid-air; he 
 is restrained 
 by the com- 
 mand of 
 Visvdfmtra. 
 
 Now when the other anchorites heard of the doom 
 of Mahodaya, and of the hundred sons of Vasishtha, 
 they lost no time in obeying Visvamitra's summons. 
 
 " This royal ascetic is soon put out of humour," 
 they said ; " and his displeasure is truly redoubtable." 
 
 However, when all was ready, and Visvamitra had 
 celebrated the asvamedha, the deathless gods re- 
 mained calmly in heaven, and paid not the smallest 
 heed to his sacrifice. Then this Tiger amongst Men, 
 burning with passionate fury, exclaimed : 
 
 " Listen, noble Trisanku. By virtue of my severe 
 mortifications, I myself will perform this deed. Mount 
 up into heaven with the Body thou lovest. I, Visva- 
 mitra, in the hearing of gods and men, command it !" 
 
 Then, like a bubble of air through the water, Tri- 
 sanku began to ascend, conquering the waves of 
 space, and striding through the intangible ether, easily 
 as -an antelope bounds up the side of a mountain. 
 But when his head struck against the celestial azure, 
 Indra, the lord of the firmament, looking over, said : 
 "Fall, Trisanku !" and, head downwards, reeling and 
 tumbling hither and thither, the luckless monarch 
 began to fall through the ocean of air, clutching 
 desperately at empty space. 
 
 " Save me, Visvamitra ! " he shrieked. 
 
 Then this indomitable Lion among Ascetics flung 
 upwards the words : 
 
 "I command thee to stop, Trisanku!" and, obe- 
 dient to his voice, half-way between earth and heaven 
 swung the Body of the terrified monarch. 
 
 Then, in an ungovernable rage, the invincible
 
 VISVAMITRA MEDITA TES DEPOSING THE CODS. 
 
 69 
 
 Visvamitra set to work to create new gods in the 
 place of Indra and his colleagues. 
 
 " What is the use of these supine Immortals ?" he 
 said. " One offers them sacrifices, of which they are 
 too languid to partake ; one prays and goes into 
 ecstasies, and sings, and shouts, but they are too 
 drowsy to hear. Only when, having vainly implored 
 their aid, one makes up one's mind to do without it, 
 they take their heavy heads off their cloud-pillows and 
 undo all one's work, to teach one to be less presump- 
 tuous, forsooth ! For my part, I am tired of these 
 mischievous laggards ! Let us either have gods who 
 will heartily lend us their aid and labour with us, or 
 who will sleep altogether and let us do our work 
 undisturbed." 
 
 When the Immortals heard this resolute man speak 
 thus, they were seriously uneasy ; and In'^ira himself 
 forsook the skies to seek to appease his wrath. 
 
 "Wherefore are you thus incensed, Visvamitra?" 
 inquired the persuasive Indra. " Up in heaven we 
 have a specially warm regard for you, and hope some 
 day to count you in our brotherhood. It was with 
 great reluctance that I did you this displeasure just 
 now ; but you know, holy man, that to defend the laws 
 is a duty for those who know them ; and it is really 
 out of the question for this king, whom a priest's 
 curse has defiled, to enter the celestial abode with 
 his Body." 
 
 The royal penitent was naturally gratified to learn 
 that he was regarded with special favour by the Im- 
 mortals; also, he at once renounced all intention of 
 
 Chap. IV. 
 
 The anger 
 0/ Visva- 
 mitra causes 
 Indra to 
 expostulate 
 with hint.
 
 70 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. IV. 
 
 At tJse re- 
 guest qftlie 
 Penitent, 
 Tnsanku 
 remains in 
 mid-air. 
 
 Menaka de- 
 clares she 
 can conquer 
 theHcrvnt't 
 resolution. 
 
 deposing such judicious rulers. He answered Indra 
 affectionately : 
 
 " I understand your difficulty, most radiant of Im- 
 mortals, and yet how can I fail in my promise to this 
 Trisanku? May he not remain, as now, half-way 
 between earth and heaven? You perceive he is 
 supported easily by this galaxy of stars." 
 
 " It shall be as you desire," answered the Immortal; 
 and with that returned to heaven. 
 
 So Trisanku remained in the celestial vault ; and the 
 ignorant, or uninformed, imagine him to be merely 
 an astral constellation. 
 
 But Visvamitra, the merit of whose past austerities 
 had been exhausted by this miracle, withdrew into 
 the forest Pushkara, and during another thousand 
 years persisted in his opiniative macerations. Brahma 
 at length visited the royal penitent. 
 
 "Why do you continue these cruel austerities?" 
 asked the ragust sovereign of worlds ; " have I not 
 accorded you the rank of Rishi among Kings?" 
 
 But the zealous Hermit answered : 
 
 " The title of Rishi does not satisfy me, O Brahma." 
 
 Now the lower gods were alarmed at the perse- 
 verance of this Lion among Ascetics. 
 
 "He will conquer the empire of the universe," 
 they said ; " no one seems capable of mastering his 
 resolution." 
 
 Then the Apsara, Menaka, laughed, and said: "lam." 
 
 A Dream, that love had wrought into the form of a 
 Woman, such seemed this lovely Menaka. Tender- 
 ness softened her eyes and deepened the shade of
 
 THE APSARA MENAKA. 
 
 7« 
 
 their lashes ; laughter played with her mouth, and 
 kissed her cheek into dimples ; fancy unbound her 
 hair, and twisted it into wavelets ; grace moulded her 
 form, and passion touched it with languor. 
 
 Down among the rushes and sedges, by the shores 
 of the lake Pushkara, the Nymph laid her in the 
 still eventide. Her sombrous hair floated down to the 
 water, and swam on the glistening ripples. The timid 
 reeds just touched her with their shadows, and the 
 golden flags leant towards her, and grew pale. List- 
 ening to the babbling waters, singing low with the 
 babbling waters, Menaka lay, gazing upwards through 
 the sedges, watching the soft tints of even. 
 
 Thus Visvamitra found her. 
 
 " Who art thou ?" exclaimed the startled anchorite. 
 " How earnest thou hither, ineffable Star of Beauty ? 
 Hast thou fallen from heaven, or crept from the 
 heart of the lustrous waters ? Hast thou no pity on 
 these trembling reeds, and these flags that have grown 
 so pale?" 
 
 " I love thee !" she answered. 
 
 Then Visvamitra crushed through the reeds and 
 the sedges, and snatching the Nymph to his heart, 
 bore her with him to the hermitage. 
 
 For the next five years, the anchorite, casting his 
 penitence behind him, lived, as it were, one long 
 dream of passion. 
 
 Then he awoke. 
 
 Awoke to find the fruits of his austere life scattered 
 to the winds, his power of self-control gone, his reso- 
 lution broken, his science dimmed. 
 
 Chap. IV. 
 
 VisT'dinitra 
 is enslaved 
 by the 
 bcnutiful 
 Apsarcu 
 
 He lays f'f 
 
 his life of 
 penitence for 
 Jive years.
 
 72 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. IV. 
 
 He flies 
 from the 
 
 Nyinf'h and 
 resumes his 
 self macera- 
 tiotu. 
 
 BrnTima 
 tells III 111 he 
 cannot ob- 
 tain tlie 
 desired title 
 till he has 
 completely 
 subdued his 
 poisioiii. 
 
 "Oh, these women!" he exclaimed; " surely the 
 gods created them to prevent man from rivalhng their 
 greatness !" 
 
 Prudently avoiding to bid her farewell, the Hermit 
 fled from the enchanting Apsara, and sought the deso- 
 late solitude of the mountains. There, exposed to the 
 inclemency of the weather, and the torments of 
 hunger and thirst, for ten long centuries did the reso- 
 lute anchorite afflict his wretched body. At the close 
 of this period the terrified Immortals appealed to 
 Brahma, saying : 
 
 " Oh, illustrious ancestor of worlds, we are filled with 
 anxiety by this opiniative penitent ! Give him the 
 tide of Maharshi ; grant him what boon he desires, 
 lest, by his invincible zeal, he gain a power equal to 
 our own." 
 
 Then once again the august Brahma appeared 
 to this Bull among Penitents, and thus addressed 
 him : 
 
 " Cease, O resplendent Visvamitra, to afilict your- 
 self thus cruelly ; I give you the title of Maharshi, 
 prince among Rishis." 
 
 But Visvamitra, clasping his hands devoutly above 
 his head, replied : 
 
 " The title I would obtain, O King of Immortals, 
 is that of Brahmarshi, saint among Brahmans." 
 
 *' Nay," returned the god, " that cannot be thine, 
 O Visvamitra, until thou hast wholly daunted thy 
 passions. Is the fever of anger unknown to thee, or 
 the fiery ardour of love? Tread these passions under 
 thy feet, daunt thy senses, and establish serenity in
 
 RAMBHA OF THE RADIANT SMILE, 
 
 n 
 
 thy mind, then mightest thou attain to this supreme 
 dignity." 
 
 After that, Visvamitra imposed on himself a still 
 more terrible discipline. His arms held over his 
 head, standing on one foot, with no aliment save 
 bitter roots, in summer surrounded by five fires, and 
 in winter exposed to the drenching rains, for one hun- 
 dred years he sought to obtain a perfect mastery over 
 his passions. Watching him, the immortals became 
 sore afraid. 
 
 " This time he will surely obtain   what boon he 
 wills," they said. 
 
 Then Indra, the most wily of god.s, called to him 
 Rambha, the Apsara, whose eyes were like the petals 
 of the lotus, and whose smile was like a flash of sun- 
 light. 
 
 "O Nymph of the radiant smile !" he whispered, 
 "you can conquer this hermit's resolve; you alone 
 in the three worlds. Appear to him, then, charming 
 Rambha, and dazzle him by the sight of your beauty!" 
 
 But the trembling Apsara raised her hands, prayer- 
 fully over her head. 
 
 " Nay," she said, " gracious Indra, lest this iras- 
 cible anchorite detect the scheme and wither me by 
 his potent curse !" 
 
 "Fear nothing, enchanting Rambha," answered the 
 god, " I will accompany you. Under the form of a 
 kokila I will keep very near you." 
 
 So the Nymph of the radiant smile came like a 
 gleam of sunlight flashing across the path of the Her- 
 mit, and seeking to conquer his coldness. 
 
 Chap. IV 
 
 Indra urges 
 Rajiibhd to 
 coni}!te7- the 
 reso/uiioH of 
 tlie Hermit.
 
 74 
 
 THE ILIAD OI THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. IV. 
 
 SiiTf>cctitig 
 ho- /esig7t, 
 uc t) aJis- 
 foriiis Ram- 
 bha tnto a 
 rock. Bit t 
 having thus 
 yielded to 
 anger, his 
 past }ncrits 
 are lost. 
 
 After 
 another 
 thonsana 
 years of 
 pennjicey 
 Brahma 
 grajiis him 
 his J>etition, 
 
 But Visvamitra at once divined the treachery. In 
 a sudden fit of anger he exclaimed : 
 
 " Since thou hast striven to deceive me, O Rambha, 
 and to rob me of the merits of my penitence, may thy 
 traitorous charms all perish ; and may thy ardent 
 loveliness be transformed into a cold rock, uncheered 
 by the light of heaven." 
 
 As he spoke a kokila, who was fluttering near, 
 shook the air with its musical laughter. Then Vis- 
 vamitra understood the double motive of Indra. He 
 remembered that Brahma had charged him to con- 
 cjuer the fever of anger as well as the restless ardour 
 of love, and he was very sorrowful. 
 
 Mournfully he withdrew to the wilds of Vajras- 
 thana, and for one thousand years remained there 
 silent and motionless as a rock. Then all the gods 
 sought the presence of Brahma, saying : 
 
 " We have sought vainly to awaken anger or con- 
 cupiscence in the breast of this Maharshi. If you 
 will not have the empire of heaven claimed by this 
 indefatigable Saint, grant him his request, and let his 
 penitence cease." 
 
 Then the magnanimous Immortal appeared to the 
 exhausted ascetic, and said : 
 
 "I am content, O Visvamitra. The Brahmarshi 
 is yours; cease, then, now and for ever, to afllict 
 yourself thus cruelly !" 
 
 Then, raising his hands reverently above his head, 
 this Elephant amongst Saints replied : 
 
 " O Brahma, if by the force of my penitence I have 
 acquired the rank of a Brahman, let there enter into
 
 VISVAMITRA OBTAINS HIS DESIRE. 
 
 75 
 
 me knowledge of the holy writings, and of the Vedas, 
 and of Truth, and Perfection, and Constancy, and 
 Intelligence, and Science, and Quietude, and Patience, 
 and Chastity, and Mercy, and Tolerance, and Grati- 
 tude, and a Mind inaccessible to Error, and Emancipa- 
 tion from Thought, and Emancipation from Desire ! " 
 
 It must be admitted that the illustrious and re- 
 splendent Saint was not sparing in his requests, but it 
 is noteworthy that he made no mention of the imma- 
 culate Sabala. Had he grown sufficiently indifferent 
 to all worldly advantages to despise this Pearl 
 amongst Ruminant Creatures? or during these five 
 thousand and odd years had the inestimable Quad- 
 ruped expired? 
 
 Chap. IV. 
 
 His request.
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 dasaratha's fault. 
 
 Chap. V. 
 
 Ttie grief of 
 Dasaratlia. 
 
 Nature, the universal mother, has sympathy with all 
 her children. All smiles and blushes in the early 
 dawn, she awakens the young and joyous, and with 
 them wonders and hopes. On the bold and ardent 
 she flashes hotly at noon ; she dreams with the languid 
 at twilight hour ; at night she steps up to the mourner 
 and puts her sweet face down quite near to his. 
 
 She speaks to him no word of comfort ; there is 
 one comforter for sorrow — Time; but she lays her 
 shadowy hands upon his aching eyes, and gives to 
 them the consolation of tears ; she touches his over- 
 strained heart, and lo ! its bonds are snapped and its 
 anguish overflows : she wraps him tenderly in her 
 dark arms and bids him tell his grief; and, silently 
 bending over him, she listens. 
 
 So was it that the king Dasaratha, grieving sore 
 for the banishment of Rama, remained for six long 
 days petrified by his great sorrow. His venerable 
 head bowed, and his eyes grown vague and dim, he 
 listened to the reproaches of the forlorn Kauslya 
 without one word of justification or complaint, until,
 
 KAUSALYA SEEKS TO COMFORT DASARATHA. 
 
 77 
 
 at sight of this unspeakable anguish, the woman's 
 heart within her relented, and she turned from weeping 
 her son in exile to seek to comfort this stricken old 
 man her husband. Nay, with the magnanimous self- 
 devotion of pity, she undertook the defence of the 
 very action by which she was bereaved. 
 
 " Cease to reproach thyself, O righteous monarch !" 
 she said ; " thou hast shown, by this deed, thy spotless 
 integrity and thy unflinching fidelity to truth. It was 
 befitting thy grandeur to promise a boon to thy Queen 
 Kaikeyi, for by her care she had restored thee to life 
 and health when thou earnest back wounded from the 
 battle. How couldst thou foresee that her maternal 
 tenderness for her own son Bharata would render 
 her jealous of the unrivalled virtue and beauty of 
 Rama, and of the love these brilliant qualities had 
 won for him, and induce her to demand his banish- 
 ment? And if thy great attachment to Rama had 
 made thee shrink from the fulfilment of the promise 
 to which thou hadst unwittingly pledged thyself, 
 thinkest thou Rama had stooped to profit by a weak- 
 ness which cast a slur upon his father's honour? 
 Nay, sire, thou art guiltless ; and in this world, whose 
 government is in the hand of Brahm, where is no 
 crime, is no just cause for sorrow." 
 
 Still Dasaratha answered not. Her words had no 
 significance for him ; his stupendous Grief stood be- 
 tween him and the outer world, and shut him out from 
 all communion with it. 
 
 But at length, when this sixth day wa,s dead, and 
 the earth and sky were clad in mourning, the silent 
 
 Chap. V. 
 
 The cmtsola- 
 tions of his 
 Queen.
 
 78 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. V. 
 
 Thg King 
 latiieiits 
 Jidma's ab- 
 sence, but 
 cdinits his 
 piimshmcut 
 is deserved. 
 
 sympathy of night overcame him ; and opening his 
 arms wide to this darkness that sorrowed with him, 
 the broken-hearted old man awoke from his despair- 
 ing trance — and wept. 
 
 As he put his hands forth bhndly into the night, 
 they were clasped fondly between two soft warm 
 palms, and to each sob of his there was an echo. 
 
 " Kausalya ..." he faltered dubiously. 
 
 At that, that other Watcher came forward and put 
 her caressing arms about his neck ; and so these two 
 mourned together. 
 
 "O Brahm !" exclaimed the stricken monarch pre- 
 sently, " thy justice is inexorable ! With Thee sin 
 involves sorrow, as the seed the fruit ; no atonement, 
 no remorse can preclude the law. 
 
 " From his own weakness man draws the power to 
 pity and forgive ; but Thou, who art sinless, canst not 
 pardon sin. 
 
 " I am very old ; scarcely does my heart beat. I 
 know it is because the icy hand of Yama is laid on it, 
 — and my son is not here. My eyes are very dim. 
 There is, as it were, a mist before them ; I know the 
 shadow of the death-god is on me, — and Rama is not 
 here ! My limbs are feeble, my blood is growing 
 chill. I draw breath hardly — more hardly every mo- 
 ment ; alas ! and Rama is not here. My heart — this 
 failing heart — is gasping for him ! My eyes — these 
 fading eyes — are athirst to see him once again. My 
 broken voice calls on him in vain. Alas ! my son I 
 my son ! 
 
 " Thou art just, O Brahm |
 
 DAS A RATH A TELLS A STORY OF HLS YOUTH. 
 
 79 
 
 " I heard an old man once on his death-bed — as I 
 am now on mine — cry, with his feeble arms extended 
 yearningly: 'Come to me, my son!' and there was 
 no answer ; and the fault was mine. 
 
 "Listen, Kausalya. It was long ago; I was 
 young then — it must have been very long ago — I 
 had not learnt the fellowship of all living things ; 
 suffering had not taught me mercy, nor sorrow, love. 
 The vigour and fire of youth thrilled my veins so 
 hotly that there were moments when I was actually 
 drunk with life- Then I was wont to seize my bow 
 and arrows and start for the chase. 
 
 " I found here a wild excitement and an exultant 
 sense of power which satisfied me. As the winged 
 arrows sped through the air, carrying death where my 
 caprice willed, I seemed to myself a second god ; 
 nay, more, a controller of eternal Brahm himself! 
 For where the great God said, ' Live ; delight in the 
 sunshine, and in the joys of love, and in the beauty of 
 this fair earth,' I, Dasaratha, answered, 'Nay, but I 
 will not have it so; die, rather!' And this defiant 
 ' nay ' hurled in the Creator's face triumphed ! 
 
 " O dim-sighted one*! And thy hand which grasped 
 the bow, and this other which adjusted the arrow, 
 from whence had they their skill? And this law, 
 by which thy dart remained so long and no longer 
 in mid- air, and fell just here rather than there, from 
 whence proceeded it ? O fool ! who, in thy arrogance 
 sawest not that God, who uses all men for the perfect- 
 ing of His work, found thee worthy of the basest office 
 only — the executioner's ! 
 
 Chap. V. 
 
 He tells hmo 
 once he took 
 delight in 
 the c/iase.
 
 So 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. V. 
 
 Of how Jie 
 went at 
 eventide to 
 the shores of 
 the Sarayii. 
 
 He hears a 
 
 sound he 
 takes for the 
 gurgling of 
 an. elepliant 
 'it the water. 
 
 " One day, in the pleasant season of rains, my bow 
 swung across my shoulders, I strolled down to the 
 Sarayu, the sleepy river. The delicious dew spangled 
 the emerald grass, and glistened tremulously on every 
 fragile blade. Through the air floated slowly the 
 azure butterflies breathing in perfumes; and the golden 
 bees, with murmurs of delight, buried themselves amid 
 the petals of the roses, and revelled there. On the 
 river's breast the swans, with their large spreading 
 wings, let the languid current bear them as it would ; 
 and along the banks the cranes, perched on one leg 
 watched dreamily the slowly flowing waters, seem 
 ingly struck with wonder that their own reflections 
 and the shadows of the reeds and sedges did not 
 float away also adown the drifting river. 
 
 "The peacefulness and calm appealed to me, and 
 bade me forbear to mar this harmony. But in 
 those days I was insensible to such pleadings. 
 
 " I was proud of my skill in taking successful aim, 
 guided only by the indications of sound, the object of 
 my pursuit being hidden from me. Accordingly, I 
 laid myself down behind a palasa bush, and, keeping 
 all in readiness, waited. 
 
 " When evening has breathed coolly on the limpid 
 waters, the gazelles and antelopes in herds, and the 
 elephants and buffaloes one by one, come down to 
 the still Sarayu to slake their thirst, or to bathe in 
 the delicious river. I felt no surprise, then, when 
 presently the grass was crushed down and the 
 fringe of reeds torn through, and I heard in the 
 stream the gurgling sound the elephant makes
 
 THE FA TAL ERROR. 
 
 8i 
 
 when drinking, and which nearly resembles the bub- 
 bling a pitcher makes when let down into the water 
 suddenly. 
 
 " Stealthily preparing my bow from behind my 
 ambush, I shot off an arrow in the direction of the 
 sound. I heard the hissing dart tear through the air. 
 There was a second's pause; — and then, horror! 
 the calm beauty of the even was rendered hideous 
 by a htiman shriek ! 
 
 "'Alas! I am stricken! — I am dead!' cried the 
 voice ; — and, aghast, my soul re-echoed the cry. In 
 the heavens above, the pure clouds turned to Red ; 
 over the whole earth a mist that was Red, Red, 
 gathered. It swam at my feet ; my hands were dyed 
 by It ; my heart was steeped in It ; my life, for ever 
 and for ever, was stained with It ; — Blood ! 
 
 "But a moment since, and I had been guiltless, and 
 the world beautiful ; now this frightful Stain was on 
 me ; and in all the earth and sky was nothing left 
 save Horror ! — Horror ! 
 
 "'Alas!' I heard the broken voice falter as I 
 crouched behind tlie bush, which shrank away from 
 me, shuddering, ' what cruel hand has murdered 
 me? Why? I am a blameless anchorite — I never 
 harmed a living thing ! Who is it that has had the 
 heart?' 
 
 " I could not bear this. Trembling with anguish 
 and remorse, I sprang forth from my hidmg-place, 
 and found a poor Youth stretched on the river's 
 brink. His face was livid, and from his side issued 
 a little stream of blood. 
 
 G 
 
 Chap. V. 
 
 Unhiien- 
 
 Dasnratlia 
 luounds a 
 young 
 anchorite.
 
 82 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. V. 
 
 The dyini; 
 
 y'ouik's re- 
 
 Datirntha 
 
 iiiip'ores/or' 
 
 giveneis. 
 
 ** Beside him, I flung me on my knees, and wrung 
 my hands, and cursed the hour of my birth. 
 
 " 'Tell me, stranger,' faltered the dying Boy, 'what 
 cause of hatred have I given you ? I, who love all 
 living creatures ; I, from whom the wild animals do 
 not flee, when I pass them, in the forest. Willingly 
 I have done wrong to none. I live here with my aged 
 father ; he is blind, and I wait on him. I came here 
 with my pitcher to seek water for him. Alas ! who 
 will fetch water for him now, or lead him out into the 
 pleasant shade, or warn him if there be any danger 
 near? When I am dead, who will care for the old 
 blind man ? Oh, cruel stranger ! this arrow will 
 traverse my breast, and pierce his too ! Why have 
 you been thus pitiless?' 
 
 " Blinded with tears, I sought to sustain him in my 
 arms ; I pressed my agonized face against his, that 
 was growing chill; I strove to warm him with my 
 breath. 
 
 " ' Oh live !' I cried ; 'live ! live ! Only that ! I 
 am a miserable wretch, — and yet I do not merit you 
 should die! Alas! alas! I am a skilled archer; 
 there are some who praise me for it, as though it were 
 a grand thing to destroy life ! And to say such 
 praises were pleasant to me ! I came here, to the 
 river Sarayu, because I know the wild animals 
 quench their thirst at even ; and I was hidden behind 
 yonder bush — it quite shuts out the river. Oh, be- 
 lieve me, one sees nothing from behind it ! I heard 
 your pitcher, and I took it for an elephant who gurgled 
 in the water ; you hear me — you understand ? The
 
 THE SACREDNESS OF LIFE. 
 
 83 
 
 sound misled me — I thought it was an elephant ! I 
 have sinned, I have been cruel and hard of heart, but 
 I have not merited this hideous guilt! O gentle 
 youth, for very pity do not die ! ' 
 
 *' He answered me, with ineffable mildness : 
 "'I believe you,' he said — and there came a 
 superhuman light into his large, patient eyes — ' I am 
 sure that you are in grievous sorrow, and I pity 
 you. But thus has the Universal Father willed to 
 sliow you the necessary guilt the destruction of life 
 involves. To the heedless, each different creature 
 seems a being with distinct hopes, and fears, and 
 aims, confined to that slight shell he calls himself 
 Were this so, a life blotted out were no great matter ; 
 for who ceases to be, does not regret existence. But, 
 as in the sensible world is no. essential gap between 
 the different forms of matter, so is there no void to 
 rush between life and life, and make soul differ from 
 soul, otherwise than accidentally.^ As, also, the 
 changed position of a single object alters the relative 
 position of all other things, so does one death disturb 
 the whole order of life ;' but here is not merely the 
 shifting of unconscious relationships, but the rupture 
 of hallowed attachments, the laceration of supreme 
 affections !' 
 
 " He had raised himself into a sitting posture whilst 
 
 * " Acci('enta]ly," i.e. by its modes or accidents. Substantially 
 the creed )f the Brahmans is identical with the philosophy of 
 Spinoza. There are only verbal differences, and these of so 
 transpar'' t a nature that they can conceal from no thoughtful 
 o* fcerv tie similarity of the two systems. 
 
 G 2 
 
 Chap. V. 
 
 The young 
 anchorite 
 pardons 
 him.
 
 84 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. V. 
 
 Ere dyine; 
 the Youth 
 bids Dasa- 
 ratha seek 
 to disarm 
 his father's 
 ivrath. 
 
 speaking ; but, at the last words, he sank back, and, 
 but for my sustaining arm, had fallen on the ground. 
 The light faded from his countenance, and over his 
 lips crept that fatal blueness which reveals the kiss of 
 Yama. 
 
 " ' For me,' he said faintly, * I must die — already 
 the chill is stealing over me ! O stranger, I would not 
 that my father, in his grief, should curse thee for this 
 crime thou didst unwittingly. Seek him, then, at once ; 
 kneel to him, and say: "ZT^ forgave me!" Perchance, 
 then he will forbear to curse thee. But, ere leaving 
 me, draw forth this dart from my cruel wound — I am 
 sick with pain ! ' 
 
 " I bent over him, and very tenderly withdrew the 
 murderous weapon. Then he gave one sigh of great 
 relief; and, with a last pitying look at my despairing 
 face, expired ! 
 
 "For a while I sat there beside him, like one stunned. 
 I could not think ; I knew that the youth was dead, 
 and that / had murdered him ! I knew, too, that there 
 was Blood beside me ; that It had soaked into the 
 ground ; that It had bespattered the blossoms of some 
 little flowers. 
 
 " They bent beneath it. 
 
 " I knew that overhead the clouds, that were dyed 
 crimson, hung motionless ; and that the wind was 
 powerless to stir them, or even to carry them away ! 
 I knew the reflection of them stained the river's placid 
 breast ; and that the waters strove vainly to disperse 
 them, or to lave them white. I knew that the shud- 
 dering reeds had heard his first despairing shriek ;
 
 THE DESOLATE HERMITAGE. 
 
 85 
 
 and that they whispered to the waters, ' Alas, I am 
 stricken ! I am dead ! ' and that the stream caught 
 up the Whisper, and said it out aloud ; and, carrying it 
 with it, went repeating it loudly, and always more 
 loudly, along its course. 
 
 "I was vaguely conscious of all this, as I sat looking 
 stupidly before me, wondering at the flies, who danced 
 upon the river's face as though the horrid Colour were 
 not there, and buzzed as joyously as though there 
 were no dreadful Whisper in the air ! 
 
 " Suddenly, I bethought me, that it was a terrible 
 thing to be thus alone, with — with It ! 
 
 " Then I sprang up from beside the Corpse, and fled. 
 
 " Dimly remembering that he had bidden me seek 
 out his father, and had waved his hand towards a 
 thicket that was near, I took that direction ; more 
 because some blind impulse impelled me thither, than 
 because I realized his dying charge. Near the entrance 
 of the wood I came upon a modest hut, thatched with 
 dead branches and withered leaves. 
 
 " Then the recognition of the whole cruel truth came 
 to me, in a flash : I knew that I stood outside the 
 dead Boy's Home 1 
 
 " A second time I had turned and fled, but it was 
 too late ; from within the hut a voice called to me. 
 
 " ' Art thou there at length ? ' it said ; ' oh, I am 
 thankful ! The time seemed long without thee, 
 Yajnadatta; why didst thou stay so long, my son V 
 
 " Then, as I stood there, silent, the voice resumed : 
 
 " ' Why dost thou not speak to me ? Art angry 
 that I said the time seemed long ? Nay, be not angry 
 
 Chap. V 
 
 Dasaratka 
 
 hears the 
 blind 7nan 
 call his son.
 
 86 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST, 
 
 Chap. V. 
 
 He confesses 
 his imwliin- 
 tary crime. 
 
 with thy old father ! I meant not to reproach thee, 
 Yajnadatta ! But when thou art near me, I forget 
 my bhndness and all my infirmities ; I feel them only 
 in thine absence, and that is why I said the time 
 seemed long. I meant not to chide thee, boy ! Thou 
 didst well to linger a while, and to sport in the cool 
 waters ; thou didst very well . . . O Yajnadatta, speak 
 to me.' 
 
 " Then I came forward, and spoke rapidly in my 
 grief: 
 
 " ' I am not your son ; my name is Dasaratha ; 
 my father is King of Ayodhya. I am the most mise- 
 rable of men ! I sought to-day the excitement of the 
 chase \ I came to the shores of the lonely Sarayu, and 
 hid myself behind a bush. I had never heard that 
 there were human beings in these desolate wilds ; I 
 thought only the wild beasts of the forest came down 
 at even, to the cool river, to drink ; that was why I 
 hid myself behind the bush. I heard a gurgling 
 sound, and thought it was an elephant who drank ; 
 it was your son who let the pitcher down into the 
 stream ; and my arrow struck him — and — he died ! 
 I tell you, it was unawares   I prayed him, bitterly, to 
 live ; I had gladly given my life to purchase his ! He 
 knew that it was unawares ; he forgave me ; — but, 
 alas, he died ! ' 
 
 " He stood before me, his poor, sightless eyes dis- 
 tended, his face frozen into vacant stillness; he gasped 
 once or twice, then he said, feebly : 
 
 " ' Of whom are you speaking ? I am an old man; 
 I am blind ; I have an only son *
 
 THE FATHER'S GRIEF. 
 
 87 
 
 " Then with sudden vehemence : * Where is my only 
 son ? ' 
 
 " From the ground, at his feet, I answered him : 
 
 " * Dead ! ' 
 
 "Then the wretched father threw his hands up above 
 his head. 
 
 "'Dead!' he shrieked ; 'dead, before me! My 
 boy dead ? No, no ! I did not hear you right — I am 
 old; you did not say my boy was dead ? A short while 
 since he went forth to fetch water ; I heard him singing 
 as he went ; it seemed to me no kokila, in early spring, 
 could have so sweet a voice ! A foolish thought, you 
 will say ? Aye, aye, — perhaps, perhaps, — but I am an 
 old, blind man, and have no joy in life, save my son 
 — save my son. That was why I said, just now, it was 
 not possible ; I believe in God, for my part — I know it 
 is not possible ! I mistook your words; or perchance 
 you did but jest with me ? That was wrong — I am too 
 old ! But I pardon you, I pardon you ! He will be 
 back soon — it is not a great way to the river ; I told 
 you ! He has gone thither to fetch me water — he — he 
 will be here anon ' 
 
 " I answered him only by my sobs. 
 
 ''-'Monster!' cried the old man, grasping my arm 
 in a sudden passion of despair, ' why do you not 
 answer me ? If this be indeed true, and my son, my 
 only son, has perished by your hand, how dare you 
 face my wrathful agony? What care I whether your 
 crime were voluntary or no, since it has left me deso- 
 late ? Do you despise a Brahman's curse, that you are 
 here ? ' 
 
 Chap. V. 
 
 The old 1'inn 
 
 rejuscs to 
 belicTC this 
 possible. 
 
 In an agony 
 
 i o_f grief and 
 ra,iy he pre- 
 pares to 
 curse the 
 iHurdoer,
 
 S8 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. V. 
 
 Ditsaratha 
 tells tlie 
 Youth's 
 (lyingwords:- 
 
 " From the dust, at his feet, I answered him : 
 
 " ' He bade me come ; lying in my arms, very feeble, 
 he said, "Kneel to my father and say: ^Ife forgave me; 
 perchance then he will forbear to curse thee.' " They 
 were the last words ere he died.' 
 
 " Then he burst out a weeping : 
 
 " ' Lead me,' he cried, ' lead me to my son ! He is 
 not quite dead, perhaps ; he has fainted ; my voice 
 may awaken him from his deep trance ! Or if he have 
 indeed passed into the silent World, Yama will pity 
 me ; his father ^ has kept his radiance back from me 
 so many years, that Yama will surely pity me, and give 
 me back my son ! Kshatriya, show me where he lies.' 
 
 "And so I wound my arm about the old man's waist, 
 and brought him to the river's bank, where lay the 
 innocent Youth, quite stiff and dead, near to the 
 shuddering reeds. The poor father laid him down 
 beside the corpse, and sought to chafe the rigid limbs 
 with his weak tremulous hands. 
 
 " ' Yajnadatta ! Light of my soul !' he wept, 
 ' speak one word to thy old blind father, only one ! 
 Oh return, return ; but for a little hour return to me, 
 and we will depart together ! I had died long since, 
 Yajnadatta, but for thee ; I waited, — waited, — I was 
 tired and very weak, but I could not die and leave my 
 boy ! And now it is thou, O son ! who hast forsaken 
 the old, blind man ! ' 
 
 " So, pressing his withered face against the still 
 placid countenance of the Dead, the veteran spent 
 himself in wild entreaties and piteous complaints. 
 ^ The sun-god Surya is father of Yama the Death-god.
 
 DEEDS OF MORE MOMENT THAN SUFFERINGS. 
 
 89 
 
 "At length exhaustion, and his great feebleness, 
 hushed the rebellious tempest of his grief; and he 
 wept tranquilly, as do the clouds after the lightning has 
 spent its fire, and the thunder hurled forth its rage. 
 Then, to the memory of Yajnadatta, we performed 
 the ceremony of Lustrous Waters, and having piled 
 high the boughs of scented wood, we tenderly laid 
 the young anchorite on his last earthly couch. 
 
 ** As the sacred Fire enveloped, in a shroud of gold, 
 the Body Yama thought to dishonour by his defiling 
 touch, floating upwards to the supernal azure, the 
 spirit of Yajnadatta lingered a while, like an ethereal 
 cloud, in mid-air. And as the kindly dews fall softly 
 from the bosom of the morning, consoling words 
 floated downwards, to cheer the aged mourner. 
 
 " ' Thy loneliness is not for long, Father, not for long ! 
 The all Merciful Ruler will soon stop thee, with His 
 hand, and say : " Life is too heavy for these stooping 
 shoulders ; I will remove the Burthen ! Rest, thou poor 
 old man ! " And then shall even the memory of thy 
 sorrow be no more. 
 
 " * But for Dasaratha is more cause for pity. A man's 
 deeds are more memorable than his sufferings ; he 
 ceases so very soon to feel, — and then his joys and 
 griefs are as though they had not been ; but his actions, 
 which are the reason of his life, remain, I sorrow less 
 for thee. Father, than for Dasaratha ! ' 
 
 " He spoke truly, Kausalya ! In a few days, tended 
 lovingly by me, the old man died, and his anguish was 
 no more. And I, after these long years, am bending 
 now beneath the guerdon of my sin ! " 
 
 Chap. V. 
 
 Thefiineral 
 of Yajna- 
 datta, 
 
 Thcber-eaved 
 fa titer is 
 comforted 
 and Dasa- 
 ratha 
 warned*
 
 CHAPTER VL 
 
 THE INTERVIEW BETWEEN SiTA AND ANASUYA. 
 
 Chap. VI. 
 
 RSmat* 
 
 very 
 
 mffurtf/uL 
 
 In the grey of morning, Rama stood at the door of his 
 hermitage. His head was very heavy ; his heart, too, 
 was not hght. Leaning against the trunk of the 
 perfumed peepul tree, he gazed with wistful eyes in 
 the direction of Ayodhya. It had seemed to him that 
 some light in earth or heaven would reveal where the 
 fair city lay, but there was no such token ; in the wide 
 distance was no gleam of light ; Ayodhya was so far 
 away ! 
 
 So far away ; — ^his father, the old King Dasaratha, 
 whom grief had slain, and who had passed into the 
 Restful World ; his mother, the loving Kausalya ; his 
 younger brother, Bharata, who had followed him into 
 these wilds, to seek to conquer his resolve, and win 
 him back to his throne and country, all so far away ! 
 
 It is an error to suppose that the brave are neces- 
 sarily strong ; to be a Giant is one thing, to be a Hero 
 is quite another. 
 
 In the eyes of Riima swam a mist of unshed tears ; 
 suffering could not master him : yet he suffered ! 
 
 Presently a ruddy glow crimsoned the heavens, and 
 Surya, the sun god, leapt forth from his misty chamber.
 
 DAYBREAK ON MOUNT CHITRAKUTA. 
 
 9« 
 
 " Good morrow ! " shouted he to the slumbrous 
 earth \ and thereupon she shook off her dun languor 
 and smiled back on him, brightly, " Good morrow ! " 
 The flowers, who had been weeping, raised their 
 gentle faces, still wet with dewy tears, and laughed in 
 their delight. The waving grass tossed the long 
 shadows to and fro, and played with them and said, 
 " We fear you no longer ; begone ! It is day ! " 
 
 " It is day," muttered the evil beasts, and crouched 
 low in their dark lairs, 
 
 " It is day ! " carolled the birds, and began to soar 
 and sing. 
 
 Only in Rama's heart the night still lingered. 
 
 "The holy anchorites, who dwelt on this mountain, 
 have all fled," he said to his brother and to the gentle 
 Sita ; " they tell me that Rakshasas and evil spirits, 
 who hate all living things, prowl about here by night. 
 Think you, we do well to linger here ? " 
 
 Then Lakshmana, the impetuous young warrior, 
 broke into a fearless laugh. 
 
 " I am not a holy anchorite," he said, toying with 
 his mighty bow, "to dread the sight of these Rakshasas; 
 I have no treasures of penitence to lose, if I yield to 
 a fit of anger ; there is nothing would please me more 
 than to encounter these enemies of gods and men ! " 
 
 But Sita took Rama's hand, and put it tenderly to 
 her lips. 
 
 " Nay," she said softly, " let us leave this mount 
 Chitrakuta ; / fear these cruel Rakshasas ; I am very 
 timid, Lakshmana ! " 
 
 For she read her husband's heart, and knew that 
 
 Chap. VI. 
 
 He fiyofpses 
 to quit t/ieir 
 herniitage.
 
 92 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. VI. 
 
 A daj^a 
 
 journey 
 brings thetn 
 to the her- 
 initageqftke 
 Saint Airi. 
 
 the evil spirits he dreaded were the idle regrets 
 which this spot, where he had bidden farewell to 
 Bharata, fostered in his mind. 
 
 Her love for him told her that. 
 
 So they left the fertile mount Chitrakuta, and the 
 pleasant hermitage, beneath the spreading peepul tree, 
 to wander once more in the pathless forest. 
 
 Towards the close of the first day, they reached the 
 humble dwelling which the magnanimous Brahman, 
 Atri, had sanctified by his life of penitence. When 
 the holy man recognized Rama, the Dasarathide, he 
 was filled with delight ; and turning to the venerable 
 saint, his consort, exclaimed : 
 
 " See, Anasuya, here comes this youthful prince 
 who prefers dignity to honour, and self-respect to 
 the glories of renown. To the vulgar he appears the 
 victim of fatality ; but the enlightened see in him one 
 who has dared to face his destiny, and say : ' Thou 
 art strong, but I am noble ; do thy worst, and I shall 
 still pass through it, head erect ! ' " 
 
 So saying, the saintly hermit hastened forth to meet 
 his guests. 
 
 At sight of the old recluse the two young heroes 
 performed a pradakshina round him with great respect, 
 whilst the bashful Sita stood with downcast eyes 
 fore the holy man. When the venerable Atri nad 
 cordially greeted Rama and Lakshmana, he turned 
 to the gentle daughter of Janaka, and sought to 
 reassure her by his kindly words. 
 
 "Thou art welcome, O Flower of Beauty !" he said. 
 " My rude hut is all unused to harbour so lovely a
 
 A MIRACLE AMONGST SAINTLY WOMEN. 
 
 93 
 
 guest. Anasuya, my faithful consort, had come forth 
 herself to greet thee, but she is an aged woman, Sita, 
 and very feeble ; but if thou wilt deign to enter, and 
 to approach her, she will open her arms to thee ten- 
 derly, as does the waning night to the radiant star of 
 
 mornmg. 
 
 Chap. VI. 
 
 Then turning to Rama he added, with justifiable 
 pride : 
 
 " Doubtless you have heard, O Prince, of this Ana- 
 suya, this Miracle amongst saintly women ? When 
 there was a dearth in the land, she afflicted herself 
 with terrible penances, for ten thousand years, that 
 fertility might return to the earth. On another occa- 
 sion, travelling on the affairs of the Immortals, by 
 virtue of her astounding macerations, she made one 
 night equal to ten. In fact this Pearl amongst women 
 has heaped up treasures by her unequalled penitence, 
 and can demand what boon she wills at the hands of 
 the Immortals. She has spoken to me, with favour, of 
 your blooming Vaidehi,^ and will certainly receive 
 her with a mother's tenderness." 
 
 Then Rama turned to Sita, and said : 
 
 " Thou art fortunate. Bride of my heart, to have 
 won the favourable esteem of this illustrious Penitent. 
 Enter then the hermitage, and bear, I pray thee, my 
 greetings to the holy Anasuya." 
 
 So, whilst the two princes accompanied the Brahman 
 to the stream, where he bathed at even, as the sacred 
 rites command, Sita entered the hermit's dwelling. 
 
 She found the ancient woman seated on a couch 
 
 * Vaidehl — Sita was Princess of Vaideha and Mithila. 
 
 A tri tells 
 
 the surpris- 
 ing self- 
 tnacerations 
 of AnasUyd. 
 
 Stttl visits 
 the Holy 
 Woman.
 
 94 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. VI. 
 
 AfiasiiyS 
 commends 
 her as a 
 dutiful wife. 
 
 of the sacred grass, kusa ; her figure was bent and 
 withered, her countenance wrinkled, her eyes dim, 
 and she trembled always, as the aspen does when the 
 rough north wind is abroad. 
 
 She had no need to macerate herself any more ; 
 nature had laid on her the supreme penance of age ; 
 which earns, too, the supreme compensation — rest. 
 
 Clasping her hands and raising them to her fore- 
 head, as the laws of politeness require, the Princess 
 of Mithila bowed herself before the illustrious Saint, 
 and inquired, courteously, how she did. 
 
 Then the venerable Anasuya looked long and 
 fixedly at the gentle Vaidehi. 
 
 " Thou art beautiful, child," she said at length, and 
 her voice was harsh as the mountain winds among 
 the creaking firs ; " and that is not ill : thou art 
 young and in good health, and that is better; thou 
 art a dutiful and obedient wife, and that is best of all ! 
 I have heard of thee ; how thou hast abandoned the 
 luxuries of the court to follow thy husband's fortunes 
 in the pathless woods. There are many would tell 
 thee thou hadst performed a heroic action ; but I am 
 too old to use flatteries. I say merely thou hast done 
 thy duty. A dutiful wife is the reflection of her hus- 
 band ; her mind is the mirror which repeats his 
 thoughts ; her actions shape them after the model of 
 his ; and she herself follows him, meekly and self- 
 forgettingly, as the shadow which trails behind him in 
 the dust !" 
 
 Then Sita answered the stern old woman, 
 fiimply :
 
 IfO^V LOVE CAN TEACH DUTY. 
 
 95 
 
 " I cannot tell whether I be a dutiful wife or 
 no ; I only know that I love Rama. When I stood 
 by the sacred Fire, and the Flame glowed up into my 
 Hero's face, as he vowed to love and cherish me, his 
 eyes met mine, and they held me, and I could not 
 look away. 
 
 " Then my soul went out to him. 
 
 " I cannot tell if it was God did that or the flame, 
 which lit up both our faces, or whether his dark, wist- 
 ful eyes drew the heart out from me ! I only know 
 that when my gaze fell there was a Heaviness in my 
 breast, and a Pain, and yet a strange Delight. And 
 where there had been selfish pride before, was written 
 Rama; and where there had been hope, or joy, or 
 beauty, was written Rama; and where there had 
 been dreams of unknown bliss, was written Rama ; 
 and where there had been God and heaven, was 
 written Rama ! — I know not if my mind reflects his 
 own, but every dumb, vague thought of mine he re- 
 veals clearly to me, and tells it me in living words ; I 
 cannot say whether I shape my actions after his pat- 
 tern, but all I strive to do he consummates and per- 
 fects ; whether I follow him like his shadow, meekly 
 and self-forgettingly, I know not, but where he goes, 
 I too go all unwittingly, for I seem to nestle in his 
 heart." 
 
 Then Anasuya, the aged matron, stroked Sita's 
 cheek, and said : 
 
 " Thy words have the fire of youth, my daughter, 
 and love sings in thy voice as through the notes of 
 the kokila. The past comes back to me, as I hear 
 
 Chap. VI. 
 
 Stia 
 answers 
 that she 
 loves Rama
 
 96 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. VI. 
 
 AnasHyS 
 confers on 
 Sit a the gift 
 ef -unfading 
 tharms. 
 
 thee name thy Beloved. The music of thy voice 
 brings the dead past back to me." 
 
 At that the Vaidehi, half ashamed of her loving 
 confession, hid her glowing face in the old woman's 
 bosom, and lay there trembling. 
 
 " Listen, my gentle singing Bird," said the vene- 
 rable Anasuya. " By virtue of my austere life, I 
 have obtained many gifts from the generous Immor- 
 tals ; one of them I have reserved for thee. Hence- 
 forth thou shalt walk adorned with celestial radiance, 
 which shall add fresh lustre to thy surpassing beauty. 
 The soft tints of thy raiment shall not fade nor be 
 ever soiled ; and these flowers I twine in thy glossy 
 hair shall never die nor lose their sweetness." 
 
 The Recluse proceeded to deck the youthful 
 princess in garments of tender colours, and to 
 hang glistening gems round her neck, and her small 
 wrists, and her round graceful ankles. Then the 
 amorous bride of Rama flung her arms round the aged 
 Saint. 
 
 "I shall be more beautiful in his sight !" she whis- 
 pered. " O Pearl among Ancient Women, you have 
 filled my heart with gladness !" 
 
 Then Anasuya bade the Vaidehi sit down beside 
 her on the sacred grass ; and passing her arm 
 round her, drew her graceful head down upon her 
 shoulder. 
 
 " Now talk to me, child," she said ; " your voice is 
 very sweet to my ears. Tell me the story of your 
 birth, for I have heard you were born of no mortal 
 
 woman.
 
 SiTA'S STORY. 
 
 97 
 
 And so. reclining in Anasuya's embrace, Sita told 
 her story. 
 
 "There is a king of Mithila," she said, "who loves 
 his people as his own children. His life is very full 
 of care ; for, on all occasions, he feels with them, 
 and strives to think for them, as a righteous king 
 should do. 
 
 " It is a heavy charge to be on one man's 
 shoulders. 
 
 " The name of this righteous monarch is Janaka ; 
 he is my revered father. 
 
 " Some time back, as he was tracing with a plough 
 the circle which encloses the ground where sacrifices 
 are offered, a sudden ecstasy seized him. His heart, 
 which had been mournful and depressed, glowed with 
 new warmth, and into his mind, which anxiety had 
 filled with clouds, came a rush of light. 
 
 ** From the loose sod thrown up round him, all 
 threaded through with fibrous roots, he looked to the 
 rich fields and pastures, and to the flowering shrubs 
 and giant trees; and his heart warmed to the generous 
 Goddess who holds the seeds of all things in her 
 bosom ! 
 
 "'O gentle Spirit of the Earth!* he cried, 'thou 
 alone givest me comfort for Humanity. The sky 
 draws back her azure robes, and with her myriad 
 radiant eyes looks down, in still surprise, on this dark, 
 restless speck called Man. The wailing World of 
 Waters makes monotonous lament — swinging forward, 
 ebbing backward, "in dull sorrow, that knows nor rest 
 nor hope. Standing near, the Heart, too, loses hope, 
 
 II 
 
 Chap. VI. 
 
 Sita tells of 
 
 her fa titer's 
 many cares. 
 
 Ofkp"M he 
 
 praised the 
 kitidly God- 
 dess of the 
 
 SClU
 
 98 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST, 
 
 Chap. VI. 
 
 Of the Earth 
 Spirit 's 
 answer to 
 his loving 
 words. 
 
 and there seems no cure for grief, nor any Purpose in 
 the Life of Man. 
 
 " ' But thou, Prithivl, noble Goddess of the Soil ! 
 who art more than generous, who axt Just ; who dost 
 not merely give, but who acceptest ; who, honouring 
 Man, sayest not, *' Here, poor Creature, is thy daily 
 food;" but, "Comrade, put thy hand in mine, and let 
 us work together ; feed me, and I will give thee food ; 
 tend me, and-I will guard and shelter thee; love me, 
 and I will cast my beauty at thy feet ; observe and 
 study me, and I will teach thee to be strong, and 
 pure, and brave,"— thou, beloved Goddess ! art my 
 comforter and guide ; and, had it pleased Heaven to 
 give me lineage, I had brought my heir to thee, and 
 said, " Oh, rear this child up in thy fecund heart, 
 that I, who love thee, may possess an image of 
 thyself!"' 
 
 " As he spoke, a dreamy haze stole over the sweet 
 Earth's face, like to the misty tenderness which veils 
 a maiden's eyes when told she is beloved. Little 
 by little, the amorous Cloud merged into ethereal 
 semblance of a Woman's form. It floated into the 
 embrace of his extended arais, and rested on his 
 impassioned breast most lovingly, a moment; then 
 died back into the formless air ; and left him, thrilled 
 by that ineffable caress, enraptured, but very tre- 
 mulous ! 
 
 '"I have had a Vision,' he said presently, and sighed. 
 — * Only a Vision ! ' he repeated, and half wept. 
 
 " But, as he put his hand to the plough once more, 
 lo before him, in the gaping furrow, he saw the loose
 
 THE DAUGHTER OF THE SOIL. 
 
 99 
 
 soil move; and at length, slowly and with (Ufficulty 
 pushing through the heavy earth, emerged before him, 
 as he stood wonderstruck, a pretty Babe, with large 
 bewildered eyes, who rested its tiny dimpled hand 
 upon the broken turf, and struggled hard, and asked, 
 by plaintive cries, to be released. 
 
 ** I have heard my father say, that when he saw me 
 thus, — my small limbs covered quite with dust, and 
 my poor innocent face turned up to his, — that his 
 heart cried out loudly : 
 
 " ' This is my child ! * 
 
 *' And a whisper from the deep bosom of the Earth 
 answered : 
 
 *' * And mine I ' 
 
 " So Janaka ran forward, and snatched me to his 
 breast ; then I wept no longer, but smiled happily, 
 and nestled there. 
 
 "And where he took me from sprang up a bed of 
 flowers, and they did not fade with summer, but grew 
 more fragrant as the years went on. And when I 
 grew older, and could walk and run alone, I used to 
 steal there often, and lie down amongst them ; and 
 they would cluster round me, and whisper, ' Welcome, 
 little sister ! ' 
 
 " But Janaka taught me ever to reverence the 
 generous Earth, my Mother ; and to strive to be as 
 pure and true and brave as she. And he called me 
 * Sitd^ ^ because I sprang from out of a furrow ol the 
 ground. 
 
 "This, Holy Woman, is the story of my birth.'* 
 
 * Srda means /ttrrozcj, 
 II 2 
 
 Chap. VI. 
 
 0/i/ie Sage 
 size gave 
 him.
 
 lOO 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. VI. Then Anasuya folded the Vaidehi in her arms : 
 
 " Thou hast indeed the courage of the brave Earth- 
 Mother," she said, " for thou hast not feared to face 
 the scorching heat, and the biting winds, and the 
 angry storm ! And thou art as noble too, O Sita ! 
 For thou hast lavished thy beauty on the sorrowful ; 
 and hast sought to make even the path of exile 
 sweet to thy Beloved ! That is why I have given 
 thee unfading charms ; which, like the flowers that 
 cradled thee, shall outlive thy summer. 
 
 " But look ; through the doorway I see the an- 
 chorites, their valkalas^ glistening with silver water, 
 returning from the sacred river. The night must 
 be near; the jealous night who puts a veil over all 
 else, and says, 'Behold me ; I am decked with stars !' 
 Ere the darkness descend, stand forth, beside me, 
 Vaidehi, that I may see thee in thy new apparel." 
 
 So the gentle Princess of Mithila stood up; and 
 Anasuya admired her greatly, and said : 
 
 " These gems, and this radiance I have caused to 
 dwell upon thee, Sita, have greatly enhanced thy 
 loveliness." 
 
 And so thought Rama and Lakshmana, Avhen they 
 entered the hermitage ; and when they heard that the 
 Vaidehi was to retain her beauty through the suc- 
 ceeding years, they were the more delighted, and 
 said : 
 
 " That is a favour seldom granted to mortal woman." 
 
 * Valkala — mantles worn by anchorites.
 
 CHAPTER Ylt. 
 
 SURPANAKHA. 
 
 About this time lived an illustrious hermit, named 
 Agastya. He was justly renowned in the three 
 worlds, both for the persistency of his self-macerations, 
 and the amazing power he had acquired thereby; 
 neither of which had been equalled by any saint 
 before him, nor, it is probable, will be by any that 
 may come after. I will not attempt to enter here on 
 the history of his astounding miracles : but when I 
 shall have told you that, on one occasion, he devoured 
 the Rakshasa Vatapi, under the form of a ram ; and 
 that, on another, to please the Immortals, he swallowed 
 the sea, with its alligators and aquatic monsters, I 
 think you will admit I have not overrated his merits. 
 
 But these things were mere trifles to the resplendent 
 Agastya. 
 
 It was near to the abode of this unrivalled saint 
 that Rama wished to establish his new hermitage. 
 
 Now, Agastya lived in the midst of the terrible 
 forest, Dandaka, where eternal darkness reigned. The 
 huge trees there towered up till they reached the light, 
 branchless; then they spread forth their massive 
 
 Chap. VII 
 
 T/ie as- 
 tounJing 
 ti! trades of 
 the Saint 
 Agastya. 
 
 wishes to 
 d'uell near 
 the Hermit.
 
 I02 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 bourhs, and crushed them down, the one on the cher, 
 to ward off the sunshine ; if any emaciated Deam 
 forced its way through the outer fohage, it was 
 strangled, straightway, by the creeping plants that 
 twisted them round the naked trunks, and swung 
 their fibrous arms from tree to tree. There were few 
 sounds, and less movement; yet one was conscious 
 that the Forest teemed with life ; the intense stillness 
 itself revealed this. It was not the calm of solitude 
 but the suspended breath, which betrays a Hiding 
 Place ! The large-bladed grass grew to a monstrous 
 
 height ; it was of a 
 
 bright 
 
 metallic green, that 
 
 showed the dank mephitic slime which nourished it ; 
 fungi, of all sizes and shapes and colours, sprang up 
 amidst it ; but there were no flowers — none, save the 
 spotted orchids, the impure daughters of mortality, 
 who thrive upon the fetid air, and draw their poi- 
 sonous brilliancy from corruption. 
 
 It was the home of those who loathe the day. 
 
 For all the dimness, and the evil that it sheltered, 
 and the silent menace of the faint, musk-scented air, 
 it was not without a dangerous fascination, and a 
 sinister beauty of its own. 
 
 Reader, let us not deceive ourselves : the ugliness of 
 Sin is an illusory supposition merely. Were it a fact, 
 the influence of Evil would be indeed unaccountable, 
 — to be attracted by the repiilswe, the preachers of 
 innate depravity will find it hard to fasten this anomaly 
 on poor Human Nature ! No ; the . Beautiful, the 
 Ideal, for they are One, includes all the opposite 
 principles of Life; here, too, all that is, involves
 
 THE HAUNTED FOREST. 
 
 «03 
 
 the existence of its contrary : the Angel of Light 
 infers the Prince of Darkness ; the Music of the 
 Spheres, the sombrous Harmony of Gehenna ; the 
 Radiance of the Empyrean, the magnificent Gloom of 
 the Abyss ! 
 
 The glamour of the dangerous Forest had fallen on 
 Rama. The obscurity weighed on him heavily, yet it 
 had a volupiuous charm for him. He was, at once, 
 disquieted and entranced. An apprehension of un- 
 known Danger warned him not to linger here ; at the 
 same time, he was loth to go ; his own misgivings had 
 such an absorbing interest for him ! 
 
 All this he did not acknowledge, even to himself. 
 
 " I would fain establish myself in your neighbour- 
 hood, O Elephant among Saints !" he said to Agastya, 
 " were it not for my gentle Sita. ... It is true that 
 I am here to protect her and the gallant Lakshmana, 
 my brother ; what think you, holy man ? My timid 
 Princess might perchance be exposed to alarms, for 
 this wood of Dandaka is full of terror." 
 
 *' It is truly a sombrous dwelling for thy youthful 
 bride," answered the Hermit ; " and since she has 
 abandoned her home to follow thy fortunes, it becomes 
 thee to soften for her the hardships of exile. But, at 
 two yodjanas' distance, thou wilt find in the heart of 
 this gloomy forest a charming spot, abounding in fruit- 
 trees and limpid waters, like Nandana, the garden of 
 Indra. It is called Panchavati, and near to it flows the 
 Godavari, the crystal River. There build thy hermit- 
 age, O Hero ! The beauty of this blooming valley 
 cannot but enchant thy dreamy Sita, and thou wilt be 
 
 Chap. VIL 
 
 counsels 
 Rama to go 
 to the vale 
 of Pancha- 
 vati.
 
 I04 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. VII. 
 
 Jatayu the 
 Vulture 
 asks to share 
 their 
 fortunes. 
 
 within an easy distance of my humble cabin ; so that 
 the dehght of seeing thee, illustrious offspring of 
 Raghu, may yet be mine." 
 
 Accordingly, having described a pradakshina round 
 the inestimable Agastya, the two heroes, with the 
 lovely Princess of Mithila between them, set off in 
 the direction of Panchavati. On the road they were 
 met by the kingly Vulture, Jatayu. This distin- 
 guished Fowl greeted them courteously, and, turning 
 to Rama, said : 
 
 " My son, I was once the friend of your lamented 
 father, that late Bull among Kings, Dasaratha." 
 
 When they heard that, the two young princes 
 saluted the king of Vultures most affectionately, and 
 Sita inquired softly how he did. Now, when he had 
 responded to their politeness, Jatayu asked what 
 they did in the baleful wood of Dandaka ; and when 
 he heard that they intended to take up their abode 
 in the vale of Panchavati, he begged to be allowed 
 to accompany them. 
 
 " For," said the magnanimous Bird, " this is a 
 neighbourhood of bad repute ; the Rakshasas and all 
 manner of evil creatures dwell here : I will be your 
 faithful companion, and will help you to protect this 
 blooming Princess, whose eyes are like two dazzling 
 stars ! " 
 
 " So be it," answered the Dasarathides, and Sita 
 stroked the plumage of the amiable Bird, and said : 
 
 " Thanks, O Pearl among Feathered Creatures." 
 
 So Jatayu v/ent with them to Panchavati ; and 
 on the way thither, he entertained them by recounting
 
 LINEAGE OF THE VULTURE JATAYU. 
 
 105 
 
 his genealogy. It was of the most distinguished order, 
 for the grandfather of his grandmother was the illus- 
 trious Prajapati, Daksha ; and he himself was the son 
 of Garuda, who, you know, was the Monarch of all 
 Fowls. The names of his intermediate ancestors have 
 so formidable and unpronounceable an appearance, 
 that I dare not venture on them; but you will find 
 them in the twentieth chapter of the volume Aran- 
 yakanda, together with many curious details con- 
 cerning their owners, which, for several reasons, I 
 forbear to transcribe. 
 
 Agastya had not praised too higlily the delicious 
 valley of Panchavati. Issuing from the sombrous 
 forest, the change of scene was something dazzling ! 
 Instead of the massive teak trees, with their lowering 
 foliage, the sweet lime and feathery acacia waved their 
 fragile boughs, and dipped them into the sunlight, as 
 into a stream of harmless fire ; the baubul shook its 
 golden fruit, and seemed to laugh in the warm radiance; 
 the citron and orange trees unfolded their cloudy 
 blossoms, and gave their rich perfumes to the breeze ; 
 and, like spirits in the air, the filmy down of the lovely 
 cotton tree hovered, or rested on the edge of flowers, 
 Uke snowy shadows who paused there to dream. The 
 birds sang here, and the azure butterflies floated lan- 
 guidly to and fro, like winged morsels of the blue sky 
 itself. On the breast of the Godavari, the crystal 
 river, brooded the dreamy lotos ; to whom the waters 
 sang, and for whom the reeds along the shore sighed 
 constantly ; and from the reeds across the river flashed 
 the brilliant dragon-fly, and danced in sudden whirls. 
 
 Ckap. VII 
 
 The nticei- 
 tors of 
 'J at ay u. 
 
 The leauty 
 
 qfthcvalU) 
 of Paiicha- 
 vaii.
 
 io6 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. VII. 
 
 L.akshjnana 
 builds a 
 hertnitage. 
 
 or darted in rapid flights, like one possessed ! In the 
 sunhght, along the bank, basked the harmless lizards ; 
 and the stupid storks and cranes, turning their backs 
 on them, stood on one leg, and pondered how it 
 was no creatures came crawling up to them to be 
 devoured ? 
 
 The scowling Dandaka encircled this enchanting spot 
 on all sides. It was as though the sinister wood had 
 paused from its malevolent delight in evil, to sigh, 
 and for one moment to regret the light it sought 
 to stifle, and the Heaven it willed to hide ; — the 
 name of this momentary aspiration heavenward was 
 Panchavati ! 
 
 In the heart of this smiling valley Lakshmana, who 
 was the most skilful builder, constructed a graceful 
 little cabin. It was built of branches, and thatched 
 with leaves; and over it a neem tree extended its kindly 
 arms, and whispered something amid its rustling 
 foliage, which was surely a blessing. 
 
 When she saw their new dwelling, Sita clapped her 
 hands together for joy. 
 
 "It is like a leafy nest !" she cried. " Do you not 
 think so, most eminent of Vultures?" 
 
 To which Jatayu answered with some hesitation : 
 
 " Doubtless you are right, Princess with the liquid 
 eyes. But I am a large Bird, and heavy : also my 
 experience of nests is confined to the creeks and 
 crannies of rocks." 
 
 The Dasarathides, the Princess of Mithila, and the 
 amiable Vulture, dwelt in the pretty hermitage for 
 three pleasant months. During that time they saw
 
 THE RAKSHASI DISCOVERS THE HERMITAGE. 
 
 107 
 
 nothing of the sinister inhabitants of the wood of 
 Dandaka, and, as was natural, began to lose all appre- 
 hension. When the winter commenced, the delicious 
 season, in which Surya woos the beloved Prithivi 
 with gentleness, rather than ardour, the inestimable 
 Fowl, Jatayu, presented himself to Rama, and said : 
 
 " I must leave you for a while, O Tiger of Men ! I 
 wish to visit my relations and friends, who dwell 
 among the mountains. Be very watchful during my 
 absence ; I regret leaving the peerless Vaidehi in tlie 
 heart of this evil Forest ! " 
 
 Rama answered : 
 
 "Be without uneasiness, O magnanimous Bird ! 
 This little Sita has our two great hearts to shield her ! 
 But when thou hast greeted thy friends and relations, 
 do not fail to relurn to us ; we shall miss thee greatly, 
 Jatayu." 
 
 And the gentle Princess, with tears in her large eyes, 
 repeated : 
 
 " We shall miss you sadly, Jatayu !" 
 
 Now, it happened on the evening of the same day 
 on which the Monarch of Vultures departed, that an 
 evil Rakshasi, named Sfll-panakha, passed by the 
 hermitage. The door stood wide open. Surpanakha, 
 whose monstrous form towered above the little cabin, 
 crouched down on all-fours, and dragging herself along 
 the ground into the shadow of the wall, stretched 
 forward her hideous head, and looked round into 
 the hut. 
 
 The soft light of evening stole in there silently, and 
 kissed the faces of its occupants, giving to them the 
 
 Chap. VII. 
 
 The Vulture 
 asks leave to 
 visit hit 
 /ainiljf. 
 
 Snrfiannhhri 
 peeps into 
 the hermit- 
 age.
 
 loS 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. VII. 
 
 The Rdk- 
 
 shasl becomes 
 enamoured 
 of Rdnia, 
 
 vague radiance one sees in dreams. Sita was mournful 
 because the faithful Bird had left them; she nestled 
 close to her husband, and rested her head upon his 
 shoulder. Lakshmana, who was seated opposite them, 
 with his back to the door, sought to divert her by his 
 talk ; but Rama, whose arm encircled the gentle 
 Princess, said nothing ; he only looked down fondly on 
 her sweet, pensive face and smiled. 
 
 He smiled ; it was the first time Surpanakha had 
 seen that ! 
 
 Laughter is common enough among the Rakshasas; 
 they are amused by the sight of suffering; and as there 
 is plenty of that in the world, they have many occa- 
 sions for mirth. They can, too, grin maliciously, and 
 curl the lip with a scornful sneer ; but to smile is not 
 given to these demons. The Smile is the transfiguration 
 of the countenance which beholds the Ideal ; the 
 Rakshasas have no such vision. It is the radiant Hash 
 which follows the meeting of three sentiments — Love, 
 Pity, Desire ; these feelings are not much in vogue 
 among the Rakshasas. Finally, in the Smile is always 
 hidden a memory of past tears ; the Rakshasas have 
 no such memories, — for they cannot weep. 
 
 And so the malevolent Surpanakha crouched there, 
 riveted by the sight ! It was painful to her as though 
 a poisoned arrow had pierced her heart ! Who was 
 this Woman of hateful beauty, whose head rested on 
 this young Hero's breast, and over whom he leant 
 with that serenely tender smile ? His arm around her, 
 too, — to draw her nearer to him ! Who was she i 
 For him, she did not stay to question who he
 
 SURPANAKIIA 'S RAGE. 
 
 109 
 
 was ; she knew what he was to her ! She beheld him 
 fauhless in face and figure, and she loved him, — as 
 such depraved creatures love. 
 
 After the first moment it was on Sita, rather than 
 on Rama, that her odious gaze rested. There was not 
 a dimple of the lovely face, not a curve of the rounded 
 figure, which she did not note with her eager, cruel 
 eyes. Grovelling there, she dug her long nails into 
 the earth, and ground her teeth together, and mut- 
 tered : 
 
 " Let me learn the likeness of this Creature who 
 has won his love ! Let me learn her oflf by heart ! " 
 
 After a while, she dragged herself back into the 
 shade, and slunk back stealthily into the wood. 
 Arrived there, she flung her arms up above her head, 
 and gave one ferocious howl, which made the echoes 
 ring ; then she flung her down upon the grass, and 
 sat there — her long sinewy arms clutched round her 
 knees, and her chin resting upon them meditatively. 
 Surpanakha was of monstrous and repulsive ugli- 
 ness ; but at pleasure she could assume another form, 
 and disguise herself in what beautiful shape sh'^ 
 chose. Only this adopted loveliness gave her little 
 satisfaction ; she felt the homage paid to it was not 
 won by her. She, the hideous, distorted Surpanakha, 
 would have had the beautiful young Hero, who had 
 awakened this burning passion in her breast, love her 
 as she wa«,and become enamoured of her very ugljness. 
 
 At the same time, she knew this was impossible, 
 and that was why there was a bitter rage upon her, 
 which she had fled here to hide. 
 
 Chai'. VII. 
 
 She is 
 
 jealous of 
 Slid 's 
 beauty.
 
 no 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. VII. 
 
 ThcRdJcsJta- 
 sf assumes 
 the form of 
 a young 
 maiden. 
 
 " No doubt," she croaked as she sat there, " this 
 arrogant youth with the god-Hke form thinks himself 
 the equal of Vishnu himself; and he, too, can deign 
 to stoop to nothing, save some faultless Lakshmi ! 
 Lakshmi, forsooth ! And who knows, after all, what 
 the beauty of this vaunted goddess may be ? Who 
 sing her praises ? The gods ! And I ? Am not 
 I also lauded by my kindred, the Rakshasas? — 
 Beauty? The word makes me mad ! Am not I, 
 Surpanakha, more beautiful than this feeble Thing 
 he loves, and wastes his melting looks upon ? Well, 
 I know his taste ; I, too, can be a timid, shrinking 
 maiden, soft and loving and gentle, and of more 
 dazzling charm than this vapid Bride of his. Let 
 us see if she will stand between my Beloved and 
 mel" 
 
 So saying, the Rakshasi sprang to her feet ; and in 
 a moment her form was changed, and she became a 
 maiden of surpassing beauty. Her height, and the 
 shape of her features, were like Sita's ; but her eyes 
 had not the softness, nor her gait the purity, of the 
 gentle Vaidehl. Nevertheless there was a fire in her 
 glance, and a voluptuous grace in her movements 
 which were full of enticement. 
 
 Now, in the hermitage they had heard Surpanakha 
 shriek ; and Rama and Lakshmana, springing to their 
 feet, had rushed to the mouth of the hermitage to 
 see fi;om whence it proceeded. They were about to 
 return into the hut, to reassure the anxious Sita, when, 
 to their amazement, they saw issuing from the wood of 
 Dandaka, a young maiden decked in dazzling raiment.
 
 THE RAKSHASrS CONFESSION OF LOVE. 
 
 Ill 
 
 She approached them, and fixing on Rama her large 
 wild eyes, said to him in gentle tones : 
 
 " O Stranger, whose eyes are like the sun-god's 
 beams ! why are you here in this terrible forest ? 
 Know you not that the Rakshasas dwell here, the 
 enemies of Gods and of Heroes? Alas! they devour 
 the young warriors they meet in this wood ! They 
 have no pity ! Why have you come hither?" 
 
 Then the noble Raghuide smiled down on her 
 gravely. 
 
 "I do not fear the Rakshasas, gentle Star of 
 Beauty!" he said; "the Immortals strengthen the 
 just warriors, and fight with them against their foes. 
 But what doest thou, O fragile maiden, here in these 
 regions of terror — thou who hast the grace of my 
 lovely Sita, and whose youth and loveliness appeal for 
 protection ? Enter our hermitage, O Damsel with the 
 liquid eyes ! Lakshmana and I will honour thee as a 
 sister, and my loving Princess will cherish and com- 
 fort thee ? Lay aside all fear ; henceforth we will be 
 thy loyal guardians, thou desolate little Maiden ! " 
 
 But at the kindly tones of his voice, and the pitiful 
 softness of his gaze, the evil heart of the Rakshasi 
 glowed with a fiery heat. She drew close to Rama, 
 and took his hand, and pressed it against her breast, 
 and then to her burning lips. 
 
 " It is not fear that has brought me to thee," she 
 Slid. "I love thee, O Hero with the radiant eyes! 
 I am Surpanakha, the terror of all living things ! I 
 roam at my ease through the wood of Dandaka ; it is 
 my home ; I am happy, I am a Queen there ! But now 
 
 Chap. VII. 
 
 Rant a offer i 
 her shelter 
 and protec- 
 iioH. 
 
 She confessci 
 her passion 
 to hint.
 
 112 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. VII. 
 
 RUttiei seeks 
 to persuade 
 her, he is un- 
 nvorthy her 
 notice even. 
 
 the trouble of passion absorbs me ; thy view, O 
 Youthful Warrior ! has thrilled me with the torments 
 of desire ; love me, O my Hero I Am I not beau- 
 tiful ? I am strong, and fearless, and wild. I snatch 
 the serpents up in my arms, and twine them around 
 my neck, and they shudder with dread ; I buffet the 
 tiger, and shake the lion by the mane, and they slink 
 back into the thicket appalled ; I outshriek the winds, 
 and roar with the deep-mouthed thunder; the storm 
 is my joyous playmate'! Come with me, O Beloved ! 
 Wildly, wildly we will take delight and exult in the 
 sombrous forest. My savage humours shall be thy 
 sport; and thou shalt conquer my turbulent will by 
 thy impassioned caresses ! I am a Eride who befits 
 thee more than this vapid Sita ; in a moment I will 
 devour her and this paltry fellow, Lakshmana, and 
 then we will bound forth into these wilds together, 
 as the crooked rays break from the breast of the 
 storm-cloud !" 
 
 Her eyes glowed like two living coals, and her 
 hand clutched the arm of Rama with an iron clasp. 
 He thought : " If I anger her she will assuredly spring 
 at me, and I were loth to u.se violence with one who 
 has the form of a woman, and of a marvellously 
 beautiful one too •" so he assumed a conciliatory tone, 
 and said : 
 
 *' The radiance of thine own beauty has dazzled 
 thine eyes, O transplendent Queen of the Rakshasas ! 
 I am not worthy of thy favours. I am a man whom 
 Destiny has robbed of the delights of youth ! Weep- 
 ing has disfigured my countenance, frequent penances
 
 HA MA'S ANSWER. 
 
 "3 
 
 and the hardships -of exile have broken my strength, 
 and I am weak and emaciated ; my spirit is broken 
 also. How couldst thou stoop to so ignoble a con- 
 sort ? Besides, O Lady with the peerless form ! 
 thou hast a right to demand an entire devotion, and I 
 am already bound by the marriage-tie. This Sita has 
 gathered the flowers of my heart ; she came to me in 
 my spring-tide and gathered all the flowers ! What 
 wouldst thou with me, O blooming Surpanakha? The 
 fervour of my youth is spent, O Star of Beauty ! The 
 Princess of Mithila claimed it of me, and I poured it 
 out at her feet! Nay, unrivalled Queen, look around 
 thee ; there are many heroes from whom the delights 
 of love have been hidden until this hour ; it is on such 
 as these thou shouldst turn thine eyes. See my young 
 brother, Lakshmana ; he is of comely countenance, 
 and of god-like stature ; were not such an one more 
 befitting thee, than a worn, enfeebled man, as I am?" 
 
 For Rama thought it well to divert her mind from 
 that project of devouring Lakshmana. As for Sita, 
 she was well hidden in the cabin, and the son of 
 Sumitra kept guard before the entrance. 
 
 Then Surpanakha wheeled round suddenly and 
 looked at Lakshmana. He stood out of earshot, on 
 the other side of the mouth of the hermitage, leaning 
 on his mighty bow. 
 
 The sunny insolence of his glance met hers. 
 
 " He is not ill," thought the Rakshasi, *' and — he 
 is Rama's brother ! " 
 
 So she ran up to him, and seizing his hand, looked 
 up into his eyes : 
 
 Chap. VIT. 
 
 Rdnia hids 
 the Rakshasi 
 give her 
 favour to 
 Laksh- 
 mana,
 
 114 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. VII. 
 
 Lakshntana 
 in jest 
 
 assures Siir- 
 patuikhd. 
 that she has 
 Rama's love. 
 
 The Rdk- 
 shasl thrent- 
 ens to devour 
 Sita. 
 
 " I am Surpanakha, Queen of the Rakshasas," she 
 said. " This wood of Dandaka is mine ; love me, 
 
 Warrior with the laughing eyes ! and let us roam 
 together in the delicious wilds of the forest 1** 
 
 Now, Lakshmana thought : 
 
 " My brother has handed this ardent RakshasI over 
 to me in jest;" so he tossed back his flowing locks 
 for joy, and said, with mischievous delight : 
 
 "Sublime Surpanakha, this Elephant among Men 
 called Rama has sought to prove thee. From here I 
 have watched how thy charms have troubled him with 
 the fever of passion ! How could it be otherwise, 
 Pearl amongst Rakshasis ? I myself am bewildered 
 beyond measure by thy surpassing loveliness. But 
 
 1 am merely the servant of Rama, and it is no way 
 becoming that thou shouldst stoop to behold me 
 even. This magnanimous son ot Kausalya is worthy 
 to take so bright a Star to his breast ; and doubtless it 
 is the supreme nature of his bliss which has troubled 
 him. It is true that he has a wife already, but what 
 of that? Thou, incomparable Surpanakha, canst 
 afford to disdain this ugly, distorted Sita, with her 
 projecting teeth and tawny hair ! She can never be 
 a rival worth thy consideration." 
 
 But the RakshasI, whom intense vanity led to be- 
 lieve his flatteries, turned from him with a savage howl. 
 
 " There shall be no rival between me and Rama ! " 
 she screeched. " I will forthwith devour this odious 
 Sita, whose repulsive ugliness offends me ! " 
 
 So saying, she darted into the hermitage. In her 
 fury she cast by her disguise : her distorted figure, and
 
 SURPANAKHA CHASED BY LAKSHMANA. 
 
 "5 
 
 monstrous face, and claw-like hands returned, and 
 bellowing hoarsely, she rushed towards the affrighted 
 Sita. But Lakshmana, horrified at the result of his 
 pleasantry, sprang after her, and catching the Monster 
 by her streaming hair, cut off her nose and ears witli 
 his naked sword. 
 
 Then the Rakshasi rushed from the hermitage, 
 making the echoes ring with her hideous shrieks, and, 
 staining the path with her blood, leapt howling through 
 the forest Dandaka, uprooting great trees in the 
 agony of her fury and pain. 
 
 After a few moments' silence, Rama laid his hand 
 on his brother's shoulder, and said : 
 
 " A mortal woman, whom the hand of an enemy 
 had disfigured, would move heaven and earth for 
 vengeance ; how much more, then, a Rakshasi ? This 
 Surpanakha, too, is of redoubtable lineage : she has 
 for brothers the famous Khara and Dushana; the 
 just Vibhishana, who condemns the deeds of the 
 r. kshasas ; Kumbhakarna, the sleepy giant, who, 
 when he awakes, is of more terrible strength than 
 Indra ; and Ravana, the lord of all Rakshasas, who 
 has defeated the whole hosts of Heaven in battle ! 
 Henceforth, O Brother, we have these formidable 
 enemies to deal with !" 
 
 " So be it ! " answered Lakshmana, and tossed his 
 head and laughed. 
 
 But Rama flung his arm around his beloved Sita, 
 and drew her very close to him. 
 
 T 2 
 
 Chap. VII. 
 
 Lakshtnatia 
 cuts off tlie 
 Rakshasi' s 
 nose atid 
 ears. 
 
 Rama fore- 
 sees the 
 ctimity of 
 Ravana.
 
 CHAPTER VIIL 
 
 RAVANA S CRIME. 
 
 Chap. VIII. 
 
 OftJte splen- 
 dour of 
 Rdvatia. 
 
 Ravana, the King of all the Rakshasas, the enemy 
 of gods and men, "was, we are told in the Ramayana, 
 of magnificent stature and presence. Ten heads were 
 his, and his twenty eyes were like flashes of beamy 
 sunshine ; laughter was in them, and defiant scorn, 
 and dogged resolution, and much amorous fire ; but 
 no reverence, nor fidelity, nor pity. His -colossal 
 frame showed traces of his desperate conflict against 
 the hosts of heaven ; the thunderbolts had scorched 
 him ; Airavata, the monstrous elephant of Indra, had 
 torn him with his tusks ; and on his broad chest was 
 a large dint that the sharp disk of Vishnu had left 
 there. He wore necklaces and bracelets of gold, and 
 flashing gems ; and round his head was a crown that 
 seemed a twisted band of fire ; but these glorious 
 wounds were the ornaments he exulted in the most 
 
 Another constant source of triumph was the tribute 
 of horrified terror paid him by all creation. Around 
 him the very winds crept with bated breath, or fled 
 with howling terror to find a refuge in the shuddering 
 sea ! Meeting the scornful derision of his glance, the
 
 THE MONARCH OF RAKSHASAS. 
 
 117 
 
 sad Heaven hid away its innocent blue with clouds ; 
 and the sun, passing over the isle of Lanka, where he 
 reigned, paled, and held back his winged messengers 
 of light and heat. 
 
 Although he felt such satisfaction at beholding all 
 living things thus panic-struck at sight of him, he was 
 himself quite ignorant of fear. In the early days of the 
 world he had had but one head ; but he stood on it for 
 the space often thousand years, and in compensation for 
 this eccentric penance received nine other heads, with 
 the promise that neither Rishi, nor Yaksha, nor 
 Danava, nor Pisacha, nor Gandharva, nor Rakshasa, 
 nor God even, should be able to imperil his Hfe. 
 
 He omitted to include man in the list ; it appeared 
 to him needless to claim immunity from so contemp- 
 tible a creature. 
 
 One day this splendid Ravana, the Scourge of the 
 three Worlds,^ was reclining luxuriously on his sump- 
 tuous couch, surrounded by the most distinguished 
 chiefs among the Rakshasas. The light was softened 
 for him, and many flowers had sighed forth their 
 odorous souls to make the air delicious. On either 
 side of the languid demon, two young maidens, whose 
 misty garments enhanced their charms rather than 
 veiled the graceful outlines of their forms, waved to 
 and fro punkas, whose handles were of dazzling gold. 
 Gems sparkled in their hair, and veiled fire in their 
 wild, liquid eyes ; and as they swayed them near and 
 back, with a dreamy rhythmical measure, it seemed an 
 
 1 "The three Worlds," i.e. Earth, Air, and Fire, — water and 
 air were regarded as modifications of one and the same element. 
 
 Chap. VIII. 
 
 Rftvana 
 gives himself 
 to luxurious 
 east.
 
 Ii8 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. VIII. 
 
 Siirpnnakha. 
 rushes into 
 her brother's 
 iresetice. 
 
 Rdvana hids 
 Jier say -mJio 
 has thus 
 maltreated 
 her» 
 
 unspoken song of amorous languor, to which the 
 undulating punkas whispered an accompaniment. 
 
 For some time Ravana had reclined thus, his nu- 
 merous eyes half closed, in an ecstasy of voluptuous 
 enjoyment, when he was disturbed by a stir and con- 
 fusion among his obsequious courtiers. Looking up 
 in angry astonishment, he perceived his sister, the 
 vindictive Surpanakha, her garments torn and soiled, 
 her tawny hair streaming, wild and dishevelled, and 
 her face bespattered with blood. She forced her way 
 through the startled Rakshasas, and rushing forward 
 to the monarch's feet smote her breast, and sought to 
 speak ; but, choked by her violent emotion, fell on 
 her face, and lay there, mouthing and struggling in 
 vain for breath. 
 
 Then the dreadful Lord of the Rakshasas leapt to 
 his feet, and snatching Surpanakha up from off the 
 ground, shouted, his eyes flushing crimson with rage : 
 
 " Speak ! Who has dared molest the sister of 
 Ravana, the victor of the deathless gods ? Dost hear 
 me ? I command thee, speak ! " 
 
 Then Surpanakha broke into a hoarse, derisive 
 laugh. 
 
 " Who has dared ? " she said ; and stood before 
 him, clutching her heart with both her hands, as 
 though she feared for veiy fury it might burst, ere 
 she had spoken. " It is a pretty question, truly ! In 
 this pleasant town of Lanka, wrapped round by the 
 blue sea, for all the world like a bright star in the 
 centre of the azure sky, tales of daring no doubt are 
 rare ! Outrage, and Battle, and Slaughter, — the words
 
 SURPANAKIIA BIDS RA VANA A VENGE HER. 
 
 119 
 
 are coarse, too coarse ! You have musicians to play 
 to you, rather, eh, Brother? And girls to fan you. 
 On my word, they might be divine Apsaras, they are 
 of so dainty a mould, and their raiment is so scanty ; 
 and perfumes in the air too ! Bah ! they are sickly to 
 my nostrils ; but then / come from the reeking battle- 
 field ! And the light,— oh the fierce, blazing sun 
 scorches the skin; it is too fiery by half; it must be 
 toned down, mellowed tenderly, to suit languid eyes. 
 ... By the stupendous gates of Hell, I think I shall 
 go mad ! Brother, whilst )ou stretch your limbs on 
 softly cushioned ottomans, like some mawkish saint 
 tasting celestial beatitude, the name of Rakshasa is 
 made the laughing-stock of the three worlds! In 
 the country of Janasthana, the crows feast on the 
 corpses of our warriors ! The Anchorites and pious 
 Hermits wander, at their ease, through the wood of 
 Dandaka, and laugh at the memory of its terrors. 
 Khara is dead ; and Dushana, and Trisiras, the 
 Hero with the three heads : in the whole universe, 
 perchance, you are the only living creature who has 
 not heard of their death ! They sought to avenge my 
 wrongs, and to destroy the audacious Warrior who 
 dared to mutilate me thus ; and they perished in this 
 just cause ; they, and fourteen thousand warriors. 
 And now, perchance, you will ask once more, who 
 has dared do this ? Oh, not the armies of the death- 
 less gods, not the Gandharvas, nor the Rishis, nor 
 the Danavas, but a man! One Rama, an exiled 
 youth, now dwelling with his brother and his bride, 
 in the vale of Panchavati ! By the Eternal Heavens, 
 
 Chap. VIII. 
 
 Surptiuaklia 
 tells lier 
 story.
 
 I20 
 
 , THE ILIAD- OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. VIII. 
 
 Rdvana 
 asks the 
 rank and 
 power of his 
 adversary. 
 
 the very worms are rising from the mud, to spit upon 
 the name of Rakshasa ! " 
 
 Here Ravana put out a hand, commanding silence. 
 Even Surpanakha was awed, as she looked at him. 
 His shaggy brows were drawn down over his eyes ; 
 and his large, white teeth gnawed the nether lip. 
 Pondering grimly, he still kept one hand extended, 
 only the fingers of it clenched themselves uncon- 
 sciously, so that he seemed to menace the universe 
 with his fist. 
 
 Presently he dashed his monstrous hand down 
 upon the couch ; and the golden frame was shivered, 
 and jewels sprang from it, like glistening tears of 
 pain ! 
 
 "Who is this Rama?" he asked, with intense 
 slowness of utterance, and his low, deep voice was 
 like the mutterings which precede the tempest. "How 
 great is his strength? What weapons has he? To 
 wlmt race does he belong? x\nd why does he dwell 
 in the vale of Panchavati ? " 
 
 Then Surpanakha answered : 
 
 " He is the son of Dasaratha, King of AySdhya ; 
 his arms are long, and his chest is large as the mighty 
 Indra's ; in his eyes is a tranquil radiance, which 
 makes one shrink. His garment is of the fibre of 
 bark, and he has a black antelope skin thrown across 
 his shoulders. He has a large bow, chased with gold ; 
 one does not see him bend it, nor adjust his arrows ; 
 but his shafts rush through the air like winged flames, 
 and beat down his enemies, as the hail destroys the 
 harvest. He has with him a 30ung brother, named
 
 SHE TELLS HLM OF THE BEAUTIFUL SiTA. 
 
 121 
 
 Lakshmana; the insolence of this youth is unparalleled ; 
 he laughs in the thick of the fight, and deals out 
 gibes with death. Like Rama, he has one thought, 
 one care, one vulnerable spot, where those who loathe 
 him may deal him a more painful blow than death ! 
 His honour, and his brother's love, are bound up in 
 the woman who dwells with them — Sita, the youthful 
 wife of Rama. 
 
 " The loveliness of this Sita . . . Heavens ! the 
 execrable loveliness of this Sita ! When I think of 
 it — of the little pouting mouth, and smooth dimpled 
 cheeks, and soft appealing eyes — by the Thirteen 
 Gods ! my fingers tremble to claw and tear this hateful 
 beauty, and make it more hideous even than my 
 gashed, distorted face : — But I know a better revenge 
 than that — a more sweetly excruciating revenge than 
 that ! Brother, these Heroes have a charmed life, 
 otherwise they had not stood before Khara and 
 Doushana; and even were it possible to slay them, 
 death were too poor a compensation for these injuries. 
 Death ? it is over too soon by half! A man may be 
 content to kill his enemy j a Rakshasa prefers to 
 torture him ! 
 
 " Were it not a fine thing, Demon with the dreadful 
 scowl, to have the Heart of this grand Rama here 
 — thus, between your finger and thumb to toy with 
 It, and make It the contemptible Plaything of your 
 careless hours ; while he went, desolate, through the 
 three worlds, wearing his soul away in a vain search ; 
 famished with longing ; shamed by unutterable doubts; 
 tortured by the impotence of his wrath ? You under- 
 
 Chap. viii. 
 
 Sfirjyanakftd 
 suggests a 
 scheme /or 
 vcitsreance.
 
 122 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. VIII. 
 
 Favnna 
 iau^Jis. 
 
 Stand me? Carry off this Sitdf Would you wipe 
 ofif tlie stain from our race ; would you avenge your 
 brothers massacred, your sister mutilated, your war- 
 riors given to feed the crows; would you drag your 
 foes through the undying torments of Tartarus ; would 
 you break Rama's spirit, and strangle the laughter of 
 Lakshmana ? Carry off this Sita ! Nay, if pride, and 
 revenge, and hate are nought, would you win a 
 youthful bride, more radiant than Sri^ herself, and 
 whose graceful charms as far surpass those of these 
 half-naked damsels here, as the gazelle's the lynx's ? 
 Then, for your very lust's sake, carry off this beautiful, 
 accursed Sita ! " 
 
 Once more the Rakshasi flung herself at her 
 brother's feet; but this time he laid his immense 
 hand caressingly on her tangled head, and said : 
 
 " It sufficeth, Surpanakha ; " and then he laughed. 
 
 That was very terrible. Even the Rakshasas ex- 
 changed appalled glances ; the wind caught up the 
 sound, and rushed through the wastes of space wailing : 
 
 " Ravana, the Scourge of the three Worlds, has 
 laughed ! There will be cause of weeping for all 
 living creatures soon ! " 
 
 Then the remorseless Demon ordered his chariot. 
 It was of the most refined gold, and it had many 
 advantages besides ; for it floated as easily through 
 the air as it rolled on firm ground, and it required 
 no coursers to draw it. Just for the sake of appear- 
 ance, two Pisachas, creatures with the bodies of 
 asses and heads of vampires, were harnessed to it j 
 ^ Sri or Z(7/t^/^/«/— Goddess of Beauty,
 
 THE MONARCH OF RAKSfTASAS ABROAD. 
 
 123 
 
 they were useful, too, in case of any warlike encounter. 
 Standing upright in this car, the Monarch of all the 
 Rakshasas shook the reins he held, and shouted 
 tauntingly to the air : 
 
 " Vainly dost thou hide thyself from sight ; T feci 
 thee trembling round me ! Thou, who bursteth out 
 a-weeping if a chill touch thee, and sobbest like a 
 child if thou beest stirred — thou Coward Air — I com- 
 mand thee put thy amorphous wings beneath my 
 chariot, and bear me upwards, close to the Home of 
 Stars." 
 
 Reluctantly, and with many stifled sighs, the fright- 
 ened Air crept beneath his chariot, and, uplifting the 
 evil Rakshasa to the gates of the blue world, held 
 him there suspended. 
 
 Then leaning over, his elbow resting on the side 
 of the car, and his ten chins upon his hand, the 
 Fiend looked down. He saw the white fluttering 
 clouds, where the Immortals lure their best Beloved 
 Ones that they may talk to them of love ; he saw 
 the filmy vapours in which the bright Apsaras wrap 
 them, when they float earthward to bewilder some 
 foolish human heart ; and far beneath he saw the 
 Sea, with its wrinkled, careworn face, hiding away 
 with miserly care its pearls and glii,tening treasure, 
 and lamenting its great poverty in a whining, mono- 
 tonous voice ; he saw the old grim Mountains, with 
 the rivers flowing down their rugged cheeks, as 
 though they were weeping at having grown so far 
 beyond the reach of the flowers' perfumed sighs ; he 
 saw, — more marvels than I have time to teil, or you, 
 
 CilAP. VIII. 
 
 Ravann 
 soars aloft 
 in his ma^ii 
 
 car.
 
 124 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. VIII. 
 
 The Rdk- 
 shasa sees 
 the hermit- 
 age of Mar- 
 Itcha, and 
 descends 
 thither. 
 
 Reader, the patience to care to hear. But, among other 
 things, his eyes rested on a monstrous nyagrodha 
 tree, which the exploit of Garuda had rendered 
 famous. For one da)' that this Monarch of all Birds, 
 having a tortoise and an elephant in his beak, on 
 whom he was minded to make his dinner, had 
 perched on this tree, behold, a gigantic branch gave 
 way beneath him, and fell smashing down to earth ! 
 This was a disastrous event ; for the branch was a 
 hundred yojanas, that is rather more than a hundred 
 of our miles, in length ; and so a great many hermit- 
 ages were broken down by it. However, the amiable 
 Fowl hastened to repair as much as possible the mis- 
 chief he had done ; he picked up the branch forth- 
 with, and with it, and the elephant and tortoise still 
 in his beak, flew off to the country of the Nishadas. 
 Here he chose a solid mountain for resting-place, 
 and finished the repast that had been so inopportunely 
 disturbed. Afterwards he made use of the large 
 branch to ravage the country of Nishada. Its in- 
 habitants were a bad set of people, who had allied 
 themselves with the Rakshasas. 
 
 Well, near to this monster nyagrodha tree, Ravana 
 beheld the hermitage of the Rakshasa Maritcha — a 
 Demon of much vigour and daring, but who had lately 
 assumed the garb of a penitent, and embraced an 
 ascetic life, that his strength might be redoubled. 
 Swooping downward, as a kite who perceives its 
 prey, the Lord of Rakshasas sprang from his chariot 
 to the ground, close to the abode of Maritcha. The 
 recluse hastened forth to greet him, and invited him
 
 RAVANA CLAIMS ASSISTANCE OF MARITCHA. 
 
 125 
 
 to enter, and prayed him courteously to name his 
 errand. 
 
 *' How can I serve you, O Bull amongst Malevolent 
 Beings ? " he said " You are my sovereign ; demand 
 of me what you will ! " 
 
 Then Ravana thanked him, and answered : 
 
 " There has come into the vale of Panchavati a 
 pestilent fellow, Rama by name, who has been sent 
 into exile by his father. As in his own country, so 
 in the forest of Dandaka he has rendered himself 
 obnoxious by his bloodthirsty atrocities. He has cut 
 off the nose and ears of my sister Surpanakha ; he 
 has murdered my brothers Khara and Dushana ; and 
 Trisiras, the Hero with the three heads ; in fact, there 
 is no end to the story of his crimes ! This accursed 
 Rama has a youthful bride, Sita, the Princess of 
 Mithila. They say that Sri herself is of less 'radiant 
 beauty. It is not befitting so scurrilous a fellow 
 should possess this Pearl amongst women. The ac- 
 count of her unusual loveliness has filled me with a 
 fierce unrest ; there is a fever on me, and a heaviness 
 of heart nought can remove till I behold tliis Sita ! 
 My glory and strength, and the tribute of terror paid 
 me by all living, are nought if I cannot possess th's 
 Sita. Even my thirst for revenge, and my hatred of 
 this upstart, who dares to beard the Rakshasas, are 
 nought compared to my unruly passion ; yet they, 
 too, urge me to this deed. Maritcha, help me to 
 rob Rama of this incomparable Star of Beauty ! " 
 
 But when he heard this request, the judicious 
 Demon shook his head. 
 
 Chap. VIII. 
 
 He tells the 
 object of hit 
 visit, ajid 
 claims the 
 aid of t/ie 
 recluse.
 
 126 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. VIII. 
 
 Mnritcha 
 warns 
 RaTana of 
 the 7>irtue 
 and valour 
 0/ Kama, 
 
 " You have been deceived, O Victor of the death- 
 less gods ! " he said. " This Rama is no rebellious 
 son ; his banishment is a tribute of respect paid to 
 the memory of Dasaratha, who unwittingly gave his 
 word that for fourteen years this young prince should 
 inhabit the woods. I have heard it said that his exile 
 in these forests was ordered by the Supreme Ruler of 
 Life, that the world might be cleansed of such beings 
 as you and I, O Rakshasa ! If this be so, let not 
 Destiny compel us blindly to measure our strength 
 with his. You know me of old, O Master ! I was 
 not a Demon of a timorous disposition, when it was 
 my pleasure to roam through the forest Dandaka, 
 feeding on human flesh, and wresting from the lions 
 and tigers their prey. It was my delight to afflict the 
 blameless anchorites ; to frighten the more timid, and 
 to excite the fiery to hurl after me profane blasphemies, 
 which might rob them of the fruits of their 
 penitence. Especially I loved to torment the saint 
 Visvamitra, for I knew that in his youth he was of an 
 irascible temper, and I hoped to provoke him to some 
 outburst of unholy wrath. But the Brahman, unwilling 
 to give me the chance of ruffling his equanimit}^, 
 appealed to Dasaratha, and claimed the protection oi 
 Rama, then a youth who had not counted sixteen 
 summers. At the head of a troop of unruly Demons 
 I came to the Saint's Hermitage at the hour of sacri- 
 fice ; we burst into scornful laughter at sight of the 
 boy warrior, and began to sing the cradle song with 
 which mothers rock their babes to sleep. But paying 
 no heed to our derision, the youthful Rama drew his
 
 THE RAKSHASA SCOFFS AT DESTINY. 
 
 127 
 
 bow, and like lightning flashes a stream of fatal shafts 
 brought death among us ! I alone of all the company 
 escaped with life ; but I was sore wounded, and 
 bounding high into the air in agony, a gust of wind 
 took me and threw me on the shores of Lanka, more 
 dead than living. No sooner did I recover from my 
 cruel wound than I espoused this solitary life, hoping 
 by my self-macerations to escape from this invincible 
 Hero. Since I have heard that Rama dwells in these 
 forests my days are full of terror. Each bush and 
 thicket seems to shelter him ; and behind every 
 tree my flmcy shows me a youth clad in the fibre 
 of bark, with a black antelope skin thrown across 
 his shoulders. I know, Ravana, that when I look 
 on Rama again my hour will have come, and 
 death will beat me down ! O Monarch of the 
 Rakshasas ! I fear me. Destiny has involved you in 
 this doom." 
 
 Then "the Demon with the ten heads laughed 
 aloud. 
 
 " Most excellent Maritcha," he said soothingly, " I 
 perceive thy sojourn in these wilds has somewhat 
 damped thy spirit. It is but natural. Truly, night in 
 these dark forests must have an utter gloom. It is a 
 scene for sad forebodings, when the trees throw their 
 long shadows down, and one sees them writhe and 
 twist about, like tortured spirits, chained to tlie 
 knotted roots ! It is an hour for dread presentiments 
 to breed a nameless Terror, when flying foxes, like 
 abortive offsprings of a monstrous Night, flap their 
 blurred, distorted wings ; and when, across each open 
 
 Chap. VIl) 
 
 Ravnna 
 laughs at tlie 
 Hermit's 
 fiars.
 
 128 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. VIII. 
 
 MarltcTia 
 
 seeks to con- 
 vince Rd- 
 •vana of his 
 danger. 
 
 path, the noiseless reptiles twist their crooked way, 
 leaving a slimy track behind ; whilst worms and 
 meanest insects wrap them in pale, unearthly fire, 
 that flickers and expires fitfully. Alone, amid such 
 scenes, the Thoughts no fellow-being shares, grow too 
 stupendous for the Brain that conceived them. Either 
 they burst the casket of the Soul, so that it has no 
 longer any concentrated power, but merely the general 
 consciousness of being shared by all nature ; or if, as 
 in thy case, noble Demon, the mind be of too strong a 
 tone to be driven mad, they obscure the intellect, they 
 cannot obliterate, and lead it to give consistency to 
 shadows, and being to empty words, such as ' Destiny' 
 and ' Doom ' and many of the same worth. Thy 
 solitary existence has made thee too poetical, most 
 excellent Maritcha ! " 
 
 Then, very gravely, the Recluse led Ravana to the 
 mouth of the cavern, and pointed upwards with his 
 hand, to where the moon, putting aside the filmy mist, 
 came forth to make Night beautiful. 
 
 " Think you," he said, " that yonder planet is con- 
 scious of her full mission ; of how she rules the tides of 
 ocean and of air, of the check she puts on evil, and the 
 encouragement she gives to innocence ? Not the less is 
 it, that she may perform this work, that she shines there 
 and is beautiful. Nay, raise not your eyes so high. 
 Behold this flower at your feet; is it there chiefly for 
 itself, think you? Doubtless, if it could speak, it would 
 answer, 'Yes,' and if questioned further on its complex 
 organization, would reply, ' This care was taken that 
 my life might be sustained and nourished 1 * Yet we
 
 MARlTCHA'S COUNSELS. 
 
 129 
 
 know the flower is there, rather that its juices may 
 nourish more Hfe, and that its very breath may 
 render the air more pure and healthful. And you, 
 Ravana, think you that you are an isolated being, 
 independent of this great Law of Life ? Monarch of 
 all the Rakshasas ! it may be that the purpose for 
 which the Master of Gods and men allowed Demons 
 to plague, and tempt, and sadden His creatures, 
 is at an end. It may be that there is no longer 
 any place for such as you and I in this God's 
 World ! In the early stage of the life of man, it 
 was needful to show him the loathsome form of Sin ; 
 now, perchance, is it rather the Divine Will to keep 
 ever in his sight the ineffable loveliness of Virtue; 
 fixing his eyes no longer on the yawning Gulf, whence 
 issue flames, it may be that he should rather, hence- 
 forth, raise his eyes to the still Heavens, where smile 
 the stars ! Comrade, our day is waning. This Rama, 
 who is to encourage man to lead a noble life for 
 honour's sake, and not for fear's, is doubtless sent 
 here as our Destroyer, O Demon with- the flaming 
 eyes, do not despise my counsels ! If die we must, 
 let not our own act hasten on our doom." 
 
 Again Ravana laughed ; but this time in grievous 
 wrath. 
 
 " I was rash just now," he said, " when I thought 
 thy sanity had resisted the attacks of loneliness. I 
 came not here to ask thy counsels, but to claim thy 
 service. Now here is a question I would have thee 
 solve :' whether it were better for thee to do what I 
 require, and to perish, possibly, by Rama's hand, 
 
 K 
 
 Chap. VIII. 
 
 The Recluse 
 seeks to ciis- 
 siiade 
 Ravana 
 from injur- 
 ing R(i>Ha. 
 
 Rdvann 
 threatens 
 to slay 
 Mdrltcha 
 if he refiisei 
 to help hint.
 
 I^O 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. VIII. 
 
 ll^tih 7nany 
 misgh'ings 
 I\tarltcha 
 consenis. 
 
 or to refuse the aid I demand, and be slain by me, 
 here, and in this moment ? Thou knowest, Rak- 
 shasa, I use no empty threats ! Come, what is thy 
 decision ?" 
 
 "I will follow you," answered the Recluse, sadly; 
 " you are my sovereign, let me die with you, rather 
 than by your hand ! " 
 
 And so, mournfully enough, Maritcha rose, and 
 flinging round him his valkala, prepared to foUovv the 
 infatuated Demon. Having reduced the other to 
 obedience, Ravana's good-humour returned. 
 
 " Come," he exclaimed joyously, " thou faithful 
 Maritcha ! Let us lose no time. That silvery moon, 
 of whom thou didst, just now, so sagely describe the 
 mission, beckons us with her long shimmering fingers : 
 * I will guide you,' she says, ' to the home of this my 
 best loved Star ! ' " 
 
 " May it please the deathless Gods," muttered the 
 other, " that she lead us not rather to where lie the 
 uncleansed ashes of Khara, Dushana, and Trisiras." 
 
 " What sayest thou ?" inquired Ravana; " the fate of 
 these heroes renders thee uneasy ? Nay, most noble 
 INIaritcha, thou hast too low an opinion of thine own 
 power. I should know somewhat of the acquirements 
 of Khara and Dushana, for they were my brethren. 
 I tell thee they were feeble children compared to 
 thee ! And as for Trisiras ; what though he had three 
 heads? In all of them, was there the half of the 
 prudence, craft, and resolution stored in thy brains ? 
 Come, Bull amongst Rakshasas, the way to escape 
 their fate is to avoid their errors. This is no occasion
 
 SITA'S THOUGHTS ABOUT THE DAWN. 
 
 for blind rage, nor senseless daring ; skill will serve 
 us more than strength, and coolness than courage ; we 
 who possess cunning as well as daring can scarce fall 
 in such an enterprise. The great object to be gained 
 is the separation of Rama and Lakshmana; that must 
 be thy work. Thou must devise some means to lure 
 one of these warriors from the hermitage, and during 
 his absence I will carry off the Vaidehi. Thy fleetness 
 of foot will secure thy escape ; for me, — my mind is 
 too firmly set on this adventure not to ensure me 
 triumph ! " 
 
 As he spoke, the two Demons passed into the 
 blackness of the deeper forest ; and as they trod the 
 sombrous aisles, carpeted with the spoils of many a 
 dead summer, the sinister Worshippers of night came 
 forth to glare on them. When the two swarthy Shades 
 had passed, they looked the one on the other, asking : 
 "On what ill errand is the Lord of Rakshasas 
 abroad?" 
 
 On the morrow, when the young Dawn was kissing 
 through the filmy mists, wooing them to linger, — whis- 
 pering, " I, too, am fond of dreams ! " — the fanciful 
 Bride of Rama stood at the door of the hermitage. 
 Perchance she was too fanciful ! It seemed to her 
 that the young Morning rose ever, decked in tender 
 hues, that were too dreamy to be bright, and glisten- 
 ing over with sweet dew, that trembled between smiles 
 and tears ; and that she was so hopeful, and so able 
 to forget the night she sprang from, and so brave to 
 run on to meet the night that awaited her, because 
 she was beloved 1 And then the gentle little Sita won- 
 
 K 
 
 Chap. VIII. 
 
 Sttd stands 
 
 in the early 
 7nor>iing at 
 tlie enirancf 
 of the 
 heniiitaffr.
 
 132 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. VIII. 
 
 The heauii- 
 ful Gazelle. 
 
 sun asks 
 Rd>na to 
 capture it 
 /or Iter. 
 
 dered who it was loved the Morning ? — whether the 
 pretty clouds, who flushed beneath her glance ; or the 
 birds, who sang to her ; or the plants, who flung back 
 their petals at her touch ; or the blue heavens, that 
 cradled her; or the fair earth, in whose arms she 
 seemed to play ? 
 
 Thus, very full of wonder, the gentle Vaidehi 
 watched the gradual awakening of day. 
 
 Now whilst she stood in the doorway, glancing forth 
 from the wood of Dandaka, and traversing the open 
 glade, passed several times, forward and back, a 
 marvellous Gazelle, the like of which was never seen 
 by mortal eyes. Its coat seemed of burnished gold ; 
 and round its neck was a wreath of lilies, shimmering 
 with brightest water; round its smrll horns strings 
 of large pearls were twined ; and in its forehead was 
 a flashing jewel that seemed a living coal of fire ! 
 Pausing a second before the cabin, it looked at 
 Sita, and its large, startled eyes seemed to show that 
 it had half a mind to seek a shelter near her. Then 
 it bounded into the thicket ; but only to return once 
 more, — and once more to fix its wistful gaze on the. 
 young Princess. 
 
 " See, Rama ! " cried the delighted Sita, clapping 
 her hands for joy. " Oh the beautiful Gazelle, with 
 the lotus wreath and the golden fur ! Well have 
 .we chosen this forest Dandaka for our home, since 
 there dwell in it such marvellous creatures ! Rama, 
 Light of my soul ! had I the bright skin of this radiant 
 beast to cover my couch of leaves, were I not like 
 la Queen, though dwelling in these savage woods?
 
 THE GAZELLE WITH GOLDEN FUR. 
 
 133 
 
 Thy Queen, my Rama ! I would recline on it, and 
 dream of thee ; and thou, too, wouldst stretch 
 thee beside me on my divan of golden fur. I fear 
 me the desire is evil ; but if it be not very evil, O 
 thou Dear One, capture for me this Gazelle ! " 
 
 At that, Rama took down his large bow from the 
 wall. 
 
 " Thy desire is not very evil. Little One ! " he said, 
 smiling, " and thou shalt have this golden covering 
 for thy rude couch of leaves !" 
 
 " Nay, but, Rama," faltered the gentle Princess, 
 whose heart already relented, " if the pretty beast 
 flee not too rapidly, capture it rather living, that it 
 may be our playmate. It shall be the wonder of 
 Ayodhya, when we return, that we possess a Gazelle 
 with a coat of burnished gold ! " 
 
 Now Lakshmana had been in the inner part of 
 the hermitage ; but, hearing these words, he came 
 forward. 
 
 "A Gazelle with a coat of burnished gold!" he 
 exclaimed ; "from my boyhood it has been my delight 
 to roam in the forest, but never saw I such a creature 
 as that ! Rama, this is some device the Rakshasas 
 have imagined to mislead our simple little Princess 
 here." 
 
 " I am not so very simple, Lakshmana," pouted 
 Sita, prettily. 
 
 " Nay," said Rama, passing his arm tenderly round 
 her neck. " I, too, saw this wonderful Gazelle; and 
 if it be indeed some evil spirit in disguise, I shall 
 be doing a good deed in destroying it. In any case 
 
 Chap. VIII. 
 
 Z al:shinrtn(» 
 ivarns i/icin 
 thai this is 
 some device 
 of tlie Rak- 
 shasas.
 
 134 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. VIII 
 
 Rama 
 starts in 
 pursuit of 
 the Gazelle, 
 and leaves 
 Slid in his 
 brother's 
 care. 
 
 Ramit 
 •wounds the 
 Gazelle, and 
 it is tratts- 
 /ormed into 
 M drltcha, 
 •wlut screams 
 *ijr help hi a 
 voice like 
 Kdina't. 
 
 this is the first boon my little Bride has craved, and 
 it shall not be refused her. Lakshmana, do not 
 thou leave the hermitage during my absence ; I 
 trust my Treasure to thee, for I know thy loyalty and 
 courage." 
 
 So saying, the Hero bounded forth in pursuit of the 
 radiant Gazelle. Oh the chase it led him ! — luring 
 him on by its slackened pace for a few steps, then 
 leaping onwards into the tangled thicket, and hiding 
 there ; and as he sought for it, springing up close 
 beside him, and shooting by in a new direction, like 
 a sudden rush of wind ! He was already far in the 
 dangerous Forest, when, perplexed by its caprices, 
 and provoked at being led so far, he renounced his 
 first intention of capturing the Gazelle living, that it 
 might be the playmate of his youthful bride. 
 
 " No innocent creature," he thought, " were capable 
 of these innumerable wiles." 
 
 So he drew his bow — the miraculous weapon given 
 him long since by the saint Visvamitra — and the un- 
 erring dart sped from it, and struck the radiant beast 
 between the horns. But lo ! as it staggered and fell 
 head foremost, its form was changed, and the Rak- 
 shasa Maritcha, bleeding from a mortal wound, lay 
 stretched upon the grass ! 
 
 Dying, the Demon raised him on one arm, and 
 shrieking in a voice that copied the tones of Rama, 
 "Help, Lakshmana! Help! help!" he fell back, 
 and expired. 
 
 Now, the Rakshasa's treacherous shriek went ring- 
 ing through the wood of Dandaka, and reached the
 
 ''SAVE MY RAMA I" 
 
 135 
 
 hermitage, where Lakshmana and Sita were awaiting 
 the return of Rama. The startled Princess sprang to 
 her feet at once. 
 
 " Dost thou not hear, Lakshmana? He calls thee. 
 Alas ! he is in peril ! Oh fly to him ; do not lose an 
 instant !" 
 
 But Lakshmana answered her with a smile : 
 
 " Fear nothing, Sister of my heart ! This is not 
 Rama's voice ; some evil creature has stolen his accents 
 to lure me from thy side. It is not Rama's wont to 
 call on me for aid ! " 
 
 But Sita beat her small hands together in her dis- 
 tress and anger. 
 
 " Do I not know the voice of my Beloved ? " she 
 asked. " Is there a Being in the three worlds who 
 could deceive ;//^— his Love ? Lakshmana, art thou 
 mad,— or cowardly, — or what, — that thou sittest there 
 unmoved when thy brother calls to thee? O Heavens ! 
 that I should have to urge thee thus! For pity's 
 sake, — for very shame's sake, — begone! How dar'st 
 thou linger when he calls ? How dar'st thou, I 
 say? Here is thy bow, — Oh he stirs not! Eternal 
 Brahm, this man will not stir ! What can I, can I, 
 do ? Alas ! my Love will die for want of help ! — Thou 
 dear Lakshmana, — pity me ! " 
 
 Here she flung her on her knees, and, her face 
 all bathed in tears, seized Lakshmana's hand, and 
 sobbed : 
 
 " Brother, dear faithful Brother, go to him ! For- 
 give me, dear Lakshmana, if aught I said seemed 
 harsh ; forgive me — and save my Rama ! " 
 
 Chap. VIII, 
 
 Sttd heariu!^ 
 the sere a 7)1, 
 bids Laksh- 
 mana run 
 tn his bro- 
 tlier'i aid.
 
 136 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. VIII. 
 
 Lakshmanci 
 replies that 
 this is not 
 Rama's 
 noice, and 
 that he will 
 not leave 
 Slid alone. 
 
 Sits, accuses 
 him of 
 treachery 
 to Rdnta. 
 
 Then Lakshmana clasped her two little hand.s lov* 
 ingly. 
 
 " Thy Rama has no need that / should save him, 
 Sweet One ! " he said. " There is no hero with a 
 strength like his ; and he has on his side the sinless 
 Gods, who will not let him perish ere his large des- 
 tiny be accomplished. But thou, my Pretty One, 
 mayst not be left in this solitary spot with no pro- 
 tector. The Gods, who made woman feeble, gave her 
 beauty that man might love to shelter her with his 
 strength ; but there is so much evil in the world, that 
 what should serve to compensate for her weakness, is 
 but a fresh danger ; because thou art so very lovely, 
 Sita, thou hast more need of guardianship than 
 other women. And therefore came I into these 
 woods. Rama needs not my protection; shall I 
 abandon thee, when for thy sake I am here ? " 
 
 Then Sita drew herself up to her full height, and 
 looked at him with flashing eyes. 
 
 "For viy sake thou art here?" she said with bitter 
 scorn ; " not for Rama's, but for mine ? Oh I thank 
 thee ! It is a pity thy devotion should be wasted 
 on another's wife! Thy brother's too; so much 
 nobler a man tlian thou, — so much more precious to 
 me than thou couldst ever be, that if he die to-night 
 I would rather cling to his cold corpse than touch 
 thee with my hand ; I would rather dwell with him in 
 the dim world of Yama than sit by thee on the most 
 gorgeous throne in the pleasant town of Ayodhya ! 
 Oh thou wilt gain little by this treachery ! Thou 
 thinkest, doubtless, ' If my brother die, this Sita shall
 
 LAKSHMANA YIELDS TO SJTA'S PRAYER. 
 
 137 
 
 be mine ? * Nay, thou shalt have nought of Sita, save 
 her lifeless frame ; her soul shall fly from thy loathed 
 presence, and find a shelter still near her true Lord ! " 
 
 Then, stung by her reproaches, the Warrior leapt to 
 his feet, and stood before her also scornful and stern. 
 
 " It is woman's nature to be unjust," he said coldly. 
 " I will not plead with you, that I have ever honoured 
 you as my brother's wife ; and that it as such, as dear 
 in the sight of him whom I revere and love, that I 
 have willed to be your watchful guardian. Think 
 what you will of me, — your suspicions are a shame to 
 you ; they cannot reach me even ! But since my 
 care is loathsome, I will leave you ; as Rama's wife I 
 owe obedience to you ; I will go hence in search of 
 him. Meanwhile, if any mischief befall you, tliank 
 your own wilfulness, ungrateful woman 1 " 
 
 So he turned away from her in wrath. 
 
 But ere he reached the door, the impulsive War- 
 rior's heart relented, and he came back to her, and 
 said, very tenderly : 
 
 " Be not uneasy, little Sister ! Thy Rama will soon 
 be here ; I am going now to seek him. Oh I beseech 
 thee keep close within the hermitage during my 
 absence ! I am not angry with thee, Sita ! I know 
 it was thy love made thee unjust to me in words — oii/y 
 in words ; thou knowest my thought of thee is reve- 
 rent. Farewell, my Princess ! If in this atrocious 
 forest there be any good Divinities, oh may they guard 
 thee, Sita! My heart misgives me at leaving thee 
 alone . . . ." 
 
 To which she answered : 
 
 Chap. VIII. 
 
 Stung by her 
 reproaches, 
 Lakshmana 
 consents to 
 seek for 
 Rama.
 
 138 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chai'. VIII. 
 
 SJtS goes to 
 the vwnth of 
 the h r»tit- 
 itge to see if 
 they lire 
 coming. 
 
 " If Rama come not back, I will not live ; I will 
 hang myself on the large neem-tree, or drown myself 
 in the deep river, or throw myself down some hideous 
 precipice, or leap into some devouring fire. I will 
 not live without my Lord ! " 
 
 And so, to satisfy her, Lakshmana wandered forth 
 in search of Rama. At first he walked slowly, 
 hoping that, finding herself alone for the first time 
 in this solitary hut, the timid Vaidehi might call 
 him to return; but no such summons came, so he 
 quickened his pace, thinking, " I shall not be absent 
 long." 
 
 Left to herself, Sita began, little by little, to reflect 
 on her alarms, and to assure herself they were un- 
 founded. 
 
 " Lakshmana was right," she thought, with fond 
 pride. "What living creature could conquer Rama? 
 It could not have been he who cried for help." 
 
 And then she began to smile as she thought of how 
 she had treated Lakshmana. 
 
 " Poor fellow," she thought, "he is so generous he 
 will never reproach me. But I will be, oh so loving 
 to him when he returns !" 
 
 And so she dried her eyes, and prepared herself to 
 meet the two young warriors with her most sunny 
 smiles. But, ah me ! — they did not come. The time 
 seemed very long, — and everything was so still ; the 
 old neem-tree even did not murmur among his 
 boughs ; he seemed to be waiting too, — and not to 
 have the heart to talk at all. She went to the en- 
 trance of the hermitage, and stood there, shading
 
 THE FALSE PILGRIM. 
 
 139 
 
 her eyes with her hand ; it was very strange they 
 should be so long ! 
 
 As she stood gazing wistfully towards the wood, 
 and feeling, oh so terribly alone, issued from the 
 forest an old Man clad in the garments of a Hermit, 
 with a pitcher in one hand, and in the other a stick, 
 on which he leant. He seemed very feeble and 
 weary, — this poor old Man. He approached the Prin- 
 cess of Mithila, and bowing to her very courteously, 
 said : 
 
 " O Lady, whose dazzling raiment and whose peer- 
 less beauty seem that of the divine Lakshmi herself, 
 if thy heart be as kind as thy countenance is lovely, 
 let me rest a while iu this pretty hermitage ; I am 
 footsore and weary." 
 
 Now Sita thought, " This is doubtless some holy 
 Pilgrim who comes from the abode of tlie Saint 
 Agastya ; " so she said courteously : 
 
 "Enter and repose yourself, Holy Man," and 
 brought him water to wash his feet, and hastened to 
 set before him what viands she had, and bade him 
 freely satisfy his hunger. 
 
 " My husband and his brother will be here anon," 
 she said; "they will be delighted to find you here, 
 worthy Pilgrim, for they love to discourse with the 
 pious anchorites who journey through this wood." 
 
 " Thou art marvellously beautiful ! " exclaimed the 
 Pilgrim, who had partaken of nothing, and who had 
 not since his entrance removed his gaze from the 
 countenance of the youthful Princess. Sita was some- 
 what startled. 
 
 Char VIIL 
 
 Anold Pil- 
 gru)t issues 
 from tlie 
 u<ood, who 
 claims hos- 
 pitaiii^. 
 
 SI fa imjttes 
 the Pilgriiii 
 to Test afid 
 satisfy his 
 hunger.
 
 I40 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. VIII. 
 
 Sitd is per- 
 plexed by his 
 strange 
 it'ords a>id 
 tnien. 
 
 Jh ans'ivcr 
 to his tjues- 
 tious she 
 tells her 
 iiaiite, and 
 asks ivlio he 
 may be. 
 
 " How Strangely bright and piercing his eyes are 
 for a Penitent's!" she thought: — and then she re- 
 proached herself. " It is not the fault of this Holy 
 Man if there be an evil light in his eyes," she said 
 to herself; "a man may, too, be quite a Saint, and 
 yet have a bad habit of staring," 
 
 Nevertheless, she was not quite at her ease ; and 
 though she chatted away to her visitor, that he might 
 not imagine he was unwelcome there, she kept as far 
 away from him as possible. 
 
 " Who art thou, Maiden with the faultless form ? " 
 asked the Stranger presently, in the midst of her little 
 courteous speeches. " Never have I beheld so won- 
 drous a vision of beauty ! Assuredly thou art no 
 mortal woman ? Yet hast thou the voluptuous charms 
 of a child of earth, combined with the ethereal 
 grace of a daughter of the air ! Whence art thou. 
 Lady whose eyes kindle the fierce flames of desire? 
 How cam'st thou hither? Know'st thou not that this 
 wood of Dandaka is the home of savage beasts of 
 prey ? So bright a loveliness as thine should rather 
 grace some monarch's court ! " 
 
 More and more troiibled by his ardent gaze, the 
 Princess of Mithila answered simply : 
 
 " I am the wife of Rama, the Dasarathide ; they 
 call me Sita. Obedient to his father's word, my Lord 
 dwells here in exile ; I am happy here, though I know 
 this is an evil wood, for I love my Lord, and know no 
 fear when he is by. — And you, O Hermit with the 
 bold, keen eyes, — who are you? And oh — wherefore 
 are you come?"
 
 HAVANA'S APPEAL. 
 
 141 
 
 Then the Stranger sprang to his feet. 
 
 " I am the son of Visravas !" he shouted ; "Ravana, 
 he that is called the Scourge of the three Worlds ! — I 
 am here because I love thee, Sita ! " 
 
 And then he seized the shrinking Vaidehi by the 
 two hands. 
 
 "Is it a small thing to have the love of such an 
 One ? " he cried. " Oh think- of it !— I,— the King of 
 all the Rakshasas, the Terror of the Universe, before 
 whose face fled Indra, King of Heaven, and the 
 armies of the Deathless Gods, — am here, in this poor 
 garb, because thou, O little fragile Child, hast thrown 
 trouble into my soul ! Sita, there is an ecstasy in a 
 love like mine, which Brahma himself could not give 
 to thee ! Behold, I stand erect beneath an Eternal 
 Curse, — Remorse and Pity touch me not, — Hope can- 
 not reach me, — all Fear is centred in myself! My soul 
 dwells lonely in an atmosphere of high gloom, and 
 there is no emotion left it, — save the stormy delights 
 of passion : accept, thou frail and gentle Flower, the 
 ardour of this flame, which defies all Law and limit : 
 rule, with thy low voice and thy small weak hand, 
 this Rebel, who laughs the Will of Highest Heaven 
 to scorn ! Be the one cherished Darling — amid a 
 hated Universe; the worshipped Bride — of the 
 Enemy of all else that lives ! Step up beside me, 
 Child with the appealing eyes ! Make thou the 
 Chaos of this Heart thy home — and let me show 
 thee how the Damned can love ! " 
 
 He glowed on her with all his eyes as he spoke, 
 and his voice had the sadness of intense desire. 
 
 Chap. VIII. 
 
 Rdvana 
 Jihigs by his 
 Jtsg^tise atiii 
 ti'lts his love 
 for lier.
 
 142 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. VIII. 
 
 He seds to 
 cotiquer her 
 terror by 
 promising 
 her a life of 
 pleasure. 
 
 TTe depre- 
 ciates Rama 
 and says Jie 
 is an exile 
 for lack of 
 courage. 
 
 But Sita, half dead with terror, shrank away from 
 him to the ground, and lay there, Hke a flower of the 
 prairie whom the hot wind has seared. Then Ravana 
 changed his tone ; he stooped down to her, and whis- 
 pered softly : 
 
 "Why tremblest thou so, Pretty One? I mean 
 thee good, not harm. This forest is too dreary, and 
 too rough a home for thee ; there is a pleasant island, 
 — the fairest isle in all the rippled sea, — it is called 
 Lanka ; I have a gorgeous palace there, which shall 
 be thine ; thou shalt have raiment, and jewels, and 
 young maidens to wait on thee, and all that makes 
 the heart of woman glad ! As. for this Rama, — oh thou 
 shalt be spared all self-reproach ! I will carry thee 
 hence by force ; by such a loving, careful force that 
 it shall not harm thee, little One, although it let 
 thee struggle to be virtuous. And then amidst the 
 joys I will surround thee with, thou shalt soon forget 
 this Rama. Why should his memory cling to thee ? 
 What has he given thee in exchange for thy young 
 love? A poor hovel in this wilderness; a couch of 
 leaves ; the fare of a Penitent ; a life of solitude ; and 
 this to thee, whose beauty alone makes her a Queen ! 
 And how despicable a man is he ! Women of high 
 rank have ever held cowardice to be the most repul- 
 sive vice ; in what esteem canst thou hold this Rama, 
 who without a struggle, or a word even, has let a 
 woman rob him of his birthright ; has obeyed, with 
 the abject submission of a beaten cur, the voice that 
 sent him into exile, and let another usurp his crown, 
 without so much as uttering a menace or remon-
 
 SlTA WARNS RA VAN A. 
 
 143 
 
 strance ? Sita, I am not made of such a servile stuff; 
 the blood is red and hot that thrills my veins. If I 
 know not mercy, at least I know not fear ; power is 
 mine, and wealth, and learning ; — am not I a nobler' 
 consort than this Rama ? " 
 
 Then Sita, her great love conquering her fear, stood 
 up before him without trembling. 
 
 " Is the viper, that crawls upon his belly through 
 the dust, more noble than the kingly eagle, who soars 
 up close to the golden sun, because he has a fatal 
 venom in his tongue ? Is the savage beast, who tears 
 and destroys his prey, more powerful than Vishnu, the 
 kindly God in whose sight life is very precious ? 
 Then art thou more noble and more fearless than my 
 Rama ! As for the courage of my Rama, it is not of 
 the same stuff as thine ; to obey is more courageous 
 than to resist, if virtue issue the command. But thou, 
 vile Rakshasa, shall have dire proof whether my Lord 
 be strong or no ! Hide thee, in thy pleasant Isle of 
 Lanka, if thou lovest life ; touch not the bride of 
 Rama, whom the Gods have armed and strengthened, 
 or thy fate is scaled ! " 
 
 At that Ravana laughed scornfully, and said : 
 
 " Scarcely, O large-eyed Lady ! The Gods were 
 put to shame by me ; the Gandharvas, and Diinavas, 
 and Nagas, and Pisachas helped them, and yet I 
 triumphed ! Shall a man conquer me ? " 
 
 Once more all hope died out of Sita's heart. 
 
 ** Alas ! " she wept, " if thou beest indeed so power- 
 ful, how canst thou stoop to this dishonour? " 
 
 " Because I love thee," he answered. — And then he 
 
 Chap. VIII. 
 
 SUa tells tilt 
 
 Devio?i Jw7i' 
 Rama's cou 
 rage differs 
 from his 
 
 own.
 
 144 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. VIII. 
 
 Ravana 
 snatches up 
 Sita, and 
 ti4shes off 
 •with /icr in 
 his chariot. 
 
 Stiii's/are- 
 welL 
 
 assumed his own gigantic stature, and snatching up 
 the trembling Sita, shouted for his Chariot, Pushpaka. 
 And lo, it came, flaming through the air, Uke a cloud 
 ablaze with lightning ; and he leapt into it, and laughed 
 in joyous triumph ! 
 
 Then the daylight faded ; despair seized the hearts 
 of all creatures. 
 
 " Shall evil triumph ? " they wept, — and looked up 
 to the dimmed heavens. 
 
 Then, struggling in the Demon's arms, and turning 
 her tear-stained face away from him, towards the 
 hermitage, Sita cried out wofully : 
 
 " Farewell, my cherished Home, that was like a 
 leafy nest ! Farewell, old neem-tree, with the spreading 
 boughs ! Sob, sob among thy spreading boughs ! Oh 
 wail the story of my wrongs into my Rama's ears ! 
 
 " Farewell, O pleasant vale of Panchavati, where 
 flows the languid Godavari, amid its reeds and 
 sedges ! Wake up, O languid Godavari ! Weep, weep 
 among thy reeds and sedges ; moan plaintively the 
 story of my grief into my Rama's ears ! 
 
 "Farewell, O country of the Janasthana ! Farewell, 
 O sombre Forest, amid whose leaves and blossoms 
 the little Birds twitter, and nestle side by side ! O 
 little Birds who nestle side by side, flutter very near 
 to Rama, and sing, oh sing to him my message of 
 undying love ! " 
 
 And thus, her voice much broken by its load of 
 tears, she bade to all farewell. And through the 
 valley swept a sudden sigh that seemed to answer her, 
 *' Alas !— Farewell 1 "
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 THE DEATH OF JATAYU. 
 
 The heavy leaves of the giant teak-trees were 
 whitening in the growing dimness ; the shadows were 
 lengthening, and the tears of even were saturating the 
 trailing ferns, when Rama turned away from the 
 slaughtered Rakshasa, and sought to retrace his steps. 
 The excitement and heat of the chase were over : 
 — there was a chill at his heart, too. 
 
 " The shade hangs heavy in this wood of Dan- 
 daka," he said, and shivered. 
 
 As he pushed his way through the long damp grass, 
 rose up behind him a wild, unearthly Shriek, that 
 made the echoes scream back for fear ! He knew it 
 was the jackal, screeching its hideous greeting to the 
 twilight ; yet it intensified his forebodings, and sent 
 him rushing onwards, wrung with fresh terror. 
 
 Presently he saw Lakshmana bounding towards 
 him through the wood. At that his heart failed him 
 utterly. 
 
 " What means this ? " he cried to the young Warrior 
 from far. " Did I not leave my gentle Sita in thy 
 
 « 
 
 charge ? 
 
 What dost thou here, Lakshmana?'* 
 
 Rama's 
 forebodings. 
 
 Chap. IX.
 
 146 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. IX. 
 
 Meeting 
 Lakshfnana 
 Rattta's 
 /ears are 
 cotifirtned. 
 
 TJte traces 
 of the 
 struggle. 
 
 " Thy Sita sent me," answered the other, breath- 
 lessly ; " she thought she heard thee cry for succour, 
 and would not let me stay ; she called me ' Coward ' 
 and 'Traitor,' when I sought to reason with her! 
 And so, perforce, I came. Could I bear to be called 
 false to thee, O Brother ? " 
 
 Then Rama, his voice full of tears, cried out 
 aloud : 
 
 " This is some scheme of vengeance, and we are 
 undone ! It was a Rakshasa who decoyed me from 
 my home, and he cried to thee in a voice like 
 mine : — Alas ! an evil Destiny has brought me to 
 this Wood ! Brother, if Sita greet me not on my 
 return, my life is over ! " 
 
 Side by side, and in anxious silence, the brothers 
 hurried on through the darkening forest. As they 
 came forth into the open vale, Rama, darting by 
 Lakshmana, rushed on to the litde hermitage ; where 
 the torn earth before the entrance, and the confusion 
 of all within, bore witness to a recent struscle. 
 
 The Dasarathide stood upright a moment in his 
 desolate home : 
 
 "Lost ! " he cried out at length. "First, — my Home, 
 my Throne, my Father ! Now, — my Love ! This is 
 too much ; let me die ! " 
 
 He flung himself, face downwards, to the earth, 
 and lay there motionless. 
 
 Kneehng down beside him, the large tears brim- 
 ming in his eyes, Lakshmana called to him eagerly: 
 
 " Rama ! Rama ! this thing cannot be ! Thy 
 Love has not suffered ill I Wliat crime hast thou
 
 KAMA'S DESPAIR. 
 
 147 
 
 committed? Was not Sita innocent? The Gods 
 are not dead in heaven ; I tell thee it is not possible! 
 Perchance thy Beloved has wandered forth into the 
 wood, — or perchance she does but hide from us in 
 jest. Call to her ! call to her !" 
 
 Then Rama, his face distraught with grief, sprang 
 to his feet, and rushed to the door of the hermitage 
 
 "Sita!" he cried, " my large-eyed, gentle Sita ! if 
 thou hast willed to prove my love, — if thou art hiding 
 from us, — let the agony of my fear suflice. Come to 
 me, my Love, — come to me ! " 
 
 He stood there, both his arms held wide, as though 
 half hoping she might run forward to his embrace. 
 The country of the Janasthana lay very still around 
 him ; only, above his head, the old neem-tree shivered 
 in every leafy spray, and seemed to wring its hands 
 for pity. 
 
 Slowly that gleam of hope quite faded, and his arms 
 fell down nerveless by his sides. 
 
 "Nay, Brother," implored Lakshmana, "yield not 
 to despair ; she is not gone ; our Sita has not left us I 
 Perchance in our absence she has gone to sport with 
 the little fawns, that know her voice, and come round 
 her when she calls ; or she has strolled down to the 
 river's brink to wreathe herself a crown of lotus 
 flowers : or to dream by the slowly-drifting waters." 
 Rama shook his head despondently ; yet he let 
 his brother lead him where he would. Into the 
 grove, where the asokas fluttered their delicate blos- 
 soms, and seemed to try to speak ; then, forth into 
 the open glade once more, under the ebony and the 
 
 L 2 
 
 Chap. IX. 
 
 Rama 
 vainly calh 
 on Slid. 
 
 They seei 
 yor lier in 
 vaiti.
 
 I4S 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. IX. 
 
 RUmrfs 
 
 jiwrncniary 
 •wealiiuss. 
 
 sandal trees, whose dark foliage cast mournful sha- 
 dows ; then down by the shores of the Godavari, 
 where the flags drooped, and the rushes folded up 
 their flowers ; and where the flowing water asked the 
 breeze wherefore it was so sad, and drifted on, sad- 
 dened also by the answer ; — here, and through every 
 nook and glen in the Vale of Panchavati, they 
 hunted for any trace of Sita ; they called to her, — 
 and received no answer ; but each time they breathed 
 her name the shadows deepened, and the light grew 
 more pale, and all nature seemed to weep ! 
 
 At length Rama paused, and flung his bow down 
 upon the grass — and clenched his fist — in wrath ! 
 
 " Do the Gods mock me ? " he said. " Is the pain 
 of man a pleasant jest to the Eternal Powers who 
 look down from Heaven ? or, as thou sayest, are the 
 Gods dead, — and has a blind Destiny, ignorant of 
 justice, become the ruler of our fates ? Wa's not I 
 virtuous ? Was not my Sita innocent ? What means 
 this evil fortune which pursues me, and culminates 
 with this crowning misery? Why am I, who have 
 made Truth and Purity and Kindliness my rule of 
 life, thus hated by the Gods ? It were best to change 
 my conduct, since this is the meed Heaven keeps to 
 pay the righteous ! " 
 
 " Ay," returned the impetuous Lakshmana, with 
 flashing eyes, " let the Gods look to it ! Let them 
 restore our Sita, or every living thing in earth and 
 heaven shall feel our rage ! We will throw moderation 
 and pity to the winds, and exact vengeance where 
 justice is refused us ! "
 
 ^' EVEN so— MY SOUL SHALL TRIUMPH T' 
 
 149 
 
 For a while Rama stood there in moody silence. 
 The black clouds of anger and despair strove hard 
 in the inner Heaven of his soul ; but the Sun that 
 tabernacled there, the luminous Conscience which no 
 guilt had dimmed, burst through them at length, and 
 triumphed. 
 
 "I was wrong!" he said, and dashed a spray of 
 softened tears from his eyes ; " Virtue is a service man 
 owes himself, and though there were no Heaven, nor 
 any God to rule the world, it were not less the binding 
 law of life. It is man's privilege to know the Right 
 and follow it. Betray and persecute me. Brother 
 Men ! Pour out your rage on me, O malignant 
 Devils ! Smile, or watch my agony with cold disdain, 
 ye blissful Gods ! Earth, Hell, and Heaven, combine 
 your might to crush me, — I will still hold fast by this 
 Inheritance ! My strength is nothing — time can shake 
 and cripple it 3 my youth is transient — already grief 
 has withered up my days ; my heart, — alas ! it seems 
 well-nigh broken now ! Anguish may crush it utterly, 
 and life may fail ; but even so, my Soul, that has not 
 tripped, shall triumph, and dying, give the lie to 
 soul-less Destiny, that dares to boast itself Man's 
 Master ! " 
 
 " It may be, Brother," said Lakshmana thoughtfully, 
 " that it is for the ruin of the Rakshasas, and to give 
 to man a pattern of high endurance, that this grief has 
 befallen thee. Meanwhile, O Brother ! let us be up 
 and doing. There is no refuge in the three worlds 
 for the wretch who has carried off thy Bride ! The 
 trees and mountains, and the clouds and stars, and 
 
 Chap. IX. 
 
 The Hero 
 
 subdues hit 
 
 •wrathful 
 
 passion. 
 
 Lakshmana 
 seeks to en- 
 couragehim.
 
 15° 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chak IX. 
 
 Rama puts 
 hhnscif 
 under /lis 
 brother's 
 guidance. 
 
 every living thing that Vishnu thrills, shall turn traitor 
 to him, and show us his retreat ! Sita sprang from 
 the heart of the kindly Mother-Earth; and thou, 
 Rama, in whom reigns the love of universal nature, 
 hast conquered the devotion both of simple animals 
 and half-conscious plants, and even of the wild ele- 
 ments, whom patience and justice alone can tame. 
 The Universe is with us, Rama ! Shall Brahm, who 
 gave the Universe its laws, fight against us ? Let us 
 take courage, and shake off this torpid grief ! " 
 
 Then Rama seized his brother's hand. 
 
 " What shall we do, O Tiger of Men ? " he cried, 
 " I will be guided by thee ! Say, how shall my Sita, 
 who is like a Daughter of the Gods, be given back 
 to me ? " 
 
 Lakshmana answered : 
 
 " Let us recommence our search. To the east of 
 this country of the Janasthana is a mountain that 
 has caverns and grottoes, whither resort the Gand- 
 harvas and Kinnaras, the dwellers in the ethereal 
 Blue. One hears sweet music there by night, as 
 though the mountain were singing softly to itself. It 
 is hard to discover the entrance to these caverns, for 
 the celestial Visitants love mystery. Perchance the 
 Robber who has stolen thy Bride has fled to one of 
 these for shelter." 
 
 Then, seizing his great and terrible bow, Rama 
 followed Lakshmana to the eastern side of the 
 valley. 
 
 " O Mountain ! " he cried out in his bitter grief, 
 " is thy heart quite made of stone ? There are inno-
 
 THEY FIND THE BIRD JATAYU. 
 
 iSi 
 
 cent flowers fluttering on thy breast, and grasses, and 
 thou givest shelter to harmless little beetles ; surely 
 thy heart is not all of stone ? Thou seemest very sad 
 thyself when the grey clouds cling round thee, and 
 thy rivers are swollen with too many tears. Pity me, 
 old Mountain ! If my Love lies hidden in any of thy 
 grots or caverns, fling back the creeping plants, or roll 
 away the heavy stones that block the entrance, and 
 keep her from my arms ! Give her back to me, old 
 Mountain ! — by memory of the passion which tore 
 thee from the bosom of the earth, — give my Love 
 back to me ! " 
 
 As he spoke, the large Mountain, as though in 
 answer to his prayer, showed to him on its fertile 
 slope the impress of a huge Foot, that could not have 
 been that of mortal man. Near to it Avas a garland 
 of flowers, that Rama quickly stooped and gathered 
 up, and pressed with fond emotion to his lips ; — he 
 had seen Sita twine them thus, and wreathe them in 
 her hair ! 
 
 But now Lakshmana, who had advanced a little, 
 shouted to him to come. Rushing forward, Rama 
 beheld a broken chariot of war, and two Pisachas, 
 harnessed to it, lying there dead. Down by tlie 
 chariot — his feathers rufiled, his large wings drooping, 
 his once-piercing eyes bloodshot and dim, lay the 
 King of Vultures, Jatayu ! 
 
 Then Rama cried out in fury : 
 
 " This malignant Fowl, who called himself the 
 friend of the splendid King Dasaratha, is probably a 
 Rakshasa in disguise ! He it is who has devoured 
 
 Chap. IX. 
 
 The Foot- 
 print that 
 was jwt of 
 mortal man. 
 
 They find 
 the bird 
 jfatayu.
 
 152 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. IX. 
 
 They suspect 
 him till he 
 says he has 
 ^ivt n his life 
 for Situ. 
 
 Rama hegs 
 his /orgive- 
 
 Jntdyu tells 
 hmu he met 
 Kdvana. 
 
 my Sita ! Behold him in a hideous sleep, having 
 gorged my large-eyed Princess ! " 
 
 Then Jatayu turned his mild gaze reproachfully 
 on Rama. 
 
 " I am not sleeping," he answered ; "I shall soon 
 die — Ravana, the Lord of Rakshasas, has slain me 
 because I souglit to rescue thy Love from his 
 clutch ! " 
 
 At that, the Dasarathide flung himself on his knees 
 beside the magnanimous Vulture. 
 
 " O Jatayu ! O my Friend ! " he cried, " forgive 
 me. Sorrow has well-nigh maddened me, or I had 
 not conceived the thought ! And it was in the ser- 
 vice of my Sita thou didst receive these cruel hurts ? 
 Ravana has robbed me of her, thou sayest ? O Best 
 of Feathered Creatures ! pity my despair, and tell me 
 all thou knowest ! " 
 
 Then, supported in the Hero's arms, the King of 
 Vultures strove hard witli the feebleness of approach- 
 ing death, and answered in a faint yet clear voice : 
 
 '' I was slumbering on the highest peak of the 
 Mount Vindhya, when the wind came trembling to 
 me bearing a piteous cry, ' Save me, save me, Rama !' 
 I knew the voice of the Princess with the starlike 
 eyes, — and I sprang up — and flapped my wings to 
 assure myself I did not dream,— and threw myself 
 forth upon the air. As I hung there, pondering on 
 what course to pursue, lo, I beheld Pushpaka, the 
 war-chariot of Ravana, the Enemy of Gods and Men, 
 — and behold the dreadful Fiend clasped in his arms 
 the youthful Vaidehi, the Flower amongst beautiful
 
 THE DEVOTION OF JATAYU. 
 
 153 
 
 Women. She held her Httle hands out to me, and 
 screamed, ' Thou good Jatayu, rescue me ! ' Then I 
 rushed after the chariot, and flung myself before it, and 
 shouted to the Demon, who reigns at Lanka, ' Halt ! — if 
 thou hast any love for life, — release this woman !' But 
 the Rakshasa answered me in scorn : ' I have much 
 love for life, thou aged Bird ! — and yet shall I not, 
 at thy puissant word, release this Sita ! ' I said, ' It 
 is true I am an aged Bird, but I am still vigorous and 
 brave ; if thou do not restore his Bride to Rama, I will 
 slay thee here, for the Gods will lend me strength ! ' 
 Then Ravana, his ten faces aflame with passion, 
 shouted, 'Out of my path, Meddler!' and hurled at 
 me a shower of javelins. But I sprang upwards, and 
 then swooped down upon him with all my force, and 
 as I am a very heavy Bird, my weight broke down 
 the car Pushpaka, and, like two fearful thunderbolts 
 flaming against each other, we tumbled through the 
 air, and this great mountain shivered when we smote 
 the earth ! Then Ravana, bounding to his feet, at 
 once snatched up the Vaidehi, and, borne up by two 
 dusky wings, rushed off towards I.anka. * Farewell, 
 venerable Fowl ! ' he shouted mockingly. ' I'liou 
 hast proved thy friendship to this fellow Rama. Now 
 forbear to tire thyself, for I must use a speed scarce 
 suited for such ancient wings as thine ! ' But I darted 
 after him, and, pouncing on the Demon's back, dug 
 my sharp claws into his naked shoulders, and tore 
 his flowing hair, and pecked and bit him till his 
 twenty eyes were blinded with his blood ! Then, 
 howling hideously with rage and pain, the Rakshasa 
 
 Chap. IX. 
 
 Hmv Jte 
 battled with 
 Ravana.
 
 »S4 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. IX. 
 
 f/o7v iJie 
 DciiioH gave 
 Jat.iyii his 
 licath- 
 woutuL 
 
 The Heroes 
 S rievc/or 
 U:e good 
 Vuiturt, 
 
 swooped down to earth again ; and, — swiftly laying 
 down the fainting Sita, — drew forth his mighty sword, 
 the same that conquered Indra in other days. As 
 in my impetuous fury I rushed on him, he dealt me a 
 blow with it that staggered me ; and then he battered 
 me about with it until sense failed, and flames of 
 blood seemed flashing before my eyes. — Yet, even so, 
 I heard the plaintive voice of Sita, and through the 
 death mist, that made all vague, 1 knew that, as the 
 Demon bore her ofl", she stretched her pitying little 
 hands towards me, and wept, * Alas, Jatayu ! — my 
 poor loving friend, Jatayu ! ' " 
 
 The dying Vulture gasped here for breath, and 
 over his eyes the film thickened ; he essayed to flap 
 his poor wings once more, but he could not ; they 
 hung powerless by his side. 
 
 " It is well," he said in broken accents, " that I 
 should die now — when the day is fading — for I have 
 loved the sunlight : its splendour never made me 
 blink ; — it was pleasant when the fiery beams thrilled 
 through my ruffled plumage : it was pleasant, too, 
 to float on the bosoai of the air, and to skim across 
 the open country, and to hover above the forests 
 and listen how the trees sighed — because they could 
 not fly. My wings are broken now ; I feel they 
 could not stretch them in the air, — there would not 
 be any joy in life. I am glad to die — with the waning 
 light ! " 
 
 Then Rama stroked fondly the plumage of the 
 noble Bird. Lakshmana said : 
 
 "Thou shalt not die, O Bull amongst Feathered
 
 HO W JA TA YU DIED. 
 
 iSS 
 
 Creatures ! I will tend thee,- and bear thee always in 
 my arms, or across my shoulders ! Thou shalt yet 
 see the Princess with the starlike eyes restored to the 
 love of Rama ! " 
 
 *' I know she will be restored to Rama," returned 
 Jatayu feebly, "and I die content. I could not 
 live with broken wings. Turn me, I pray you, 
 Heroes, towards the west. Is there still a streak of 
 sunlight in the sky ? " 
 
 "There is yet one last, faint gleam," answered 
 Rama. 
 
 " One last faint gleam," he faltered. " Gold— that 
 flushes to crimson ; crimson — that deepens to purple, 
 and fades, — fades, — fades to sombre grey . . ." 
 
 He sank back into Lakshmana's arms, and passed 
 away — with the sunlight I 
 
 Then Rama, gazing down with reverent tenderness 
 on the large Vulture, said : 
 
 *^ 0/ a certainty^ Son of Sumitra! there are amongst 
 the anwials many good and generous beings, and even 
 many heroes. For my part I do not doubt that this 
 compassionate Bird, tvho gave his life for my sake, wit I 
 be admitted into Paradise ! " ^ 
 
 And so they erected a funeral pile in honour of the 
 King of Vultures ; and when the fire had reduced 
 his corpse to ashes, they cleansed them by the cere- 
 mony of lustrous waters. Then Rama recited over 
 the remains of the magnanimous Bird the same 
 prayers that holy Brahmans use at the obsequies of 
 honourable men. 
 
 1 Translated literally. 
 
 Chap. IX 
 
 The Bird 
 
 dies. 
 
 Tke Dasarw 
 
 thides give 
 him funeral 
 honours.
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 Chap. X. 
 
 The mehn- 
 clwly Ape. 
 
 * 
 
 RAMA ALLIES HIMSELF WITH THE ORANG-OUTANG, 
 
 SUGRIVA. 
 
 There was a River that sang all day long, and even 
 through the night. In every one of its ripples a 
 water nymph seemed weeping : there were never 
 heard such mournful songs as those it chanted to 
 itself. It was called the River Pampa, and close to 
 it was the wood of Rishyamuka ; so close that the 
 banks were quite lined with flowers, who had crept 
 out from under the shade of the trees, and stolen 
 near to listen ; for the music of these waters was as 
 sweet as it was sorrowful. 
 
 Now there dwelt, in exile, in the wood of Rishya- 
 muka, a Prince of the Simian tribe, the august 
 Orang-outang, Sugriva. He had ever been an Ape 
 of a sentimental and mournful disposition ; but, since 
 his banishment, melancholy had become a passion 
 with him. He did not like to see the trees in blos- 
 som ; the sunlight vexed him greatly, — so did the song 
 of birds ; he looked on flowers as most frivolous 
 beings : but he loved to wander by the shores of the 
 River Pampa ; because, though the sunbeams kissed
 
 HOW SUGRrVA JUDGED HVMANITY. 
 
 157 
 
 it, and the lotus flowers lay upon its breast, and the 
 kokila fluttered near, and sought to teach it a less 
 mournful strain, it refused to be comforted — and wept 
 always — day and night ! 
 
 One day that the lachrymose Sugriva was seated 
 on a grassy knoll that overlooked the River, — his chin 
 resting on his knees, and his eyes half-closed, as is 
 the way with thoughtful Apes, — he saw approaching on 
 the opposite bank two young Men of kingly stature, 
 clad in the garb of anchorites, yet carrying bows, and 
 with well-filled quivers hanging from their girdles. 
 Filled with apprehension, Sugriva sprang to his feet, 
 and summoned by a shrill cry the four loyal followers 
 who shared his exile — Nala, Nila, Tara, and Hanu- 
 man, Son of the Wind, the noblest among quadru- 
 manous creatures. Gathering round their Lord, these 
 four heroic Apes watched gravely his anxious coun- 
 tenance ; waiting, in respectful silence, till he should 
 inform them of his pleasure. 
 
 " As a rule. Men are cruel and malicious," he said 
 at length. " They are, too, especially jealous of the 
 superiority of the Simian tribe : it were wise to put 
 ourselves out of the reach of these young Warriors' 
 arrows ! " 
 
 And with that, he sprang from the hillock into 
 cover of the wood ; and his followers, their sensitive 
 natures at once infected by the terror of their chief, 
 leapt after him ; shrilly screaming, breaking down 
 trees, and bounding over thickets, and making the 
 wood of Rishyamuka tremble by the impetuosity of 
 their flight. They paused only on the northern slope 
 
 Chap. X. 
 
 The Monkey 
 iiikes frig/it 
 at siglit of 
 two iVar- 
 riors. 
 
 His/ol- 
 
 loivers Jlee 
 with hijn 
 a saje liU- 
 tauce
 
 158 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. X. 
 
 They take 
 counsel, and 
 H aniiniati 
 advises con- 
 Jidtnce. 
 
 Reluctantly 
 
 Siigriva lets 
 
 Hanuj}ian 
 
 interrogate 
 
 the 
 
 Strangers. 
 
 of the Mount Malaya. Staying there to take breath, 
 they sat round in a circle, and rested their chins 
 upon their knees, — and reflected on what was to be 
 done next. 
 
 " It seems to me, Indra amongst Monkeys ! ' said 
 the Son of the Wind to Sugriva, " that we have 
 been wrong in fleeing from these warriors. Exiles, 
 we have nothing to tempt the covetous, nor to 
 awaken the jealousy of the envious ; on the other 
 hand, we stand grievously in need of friendship. 
 These two Heroes might prove valuable allies, were 
 we to treat them with courtesy, and offer them hos- 
 pitality during their sojourn in this wood." 
 
 But life, which had not dealt kindly with Sugriva, 
 had taught him to see people, as well as circum- 
 stances, in their blackest colours. 
 
 *' Thou art too rash, Hanuman," he rejoined, dis- 
 trustfully. " I tell thee, men are a malicious race ! 
 They have all manner of ingenious devices for slaying 
 from a distance those with whom they dare not risk 
 a struggle. If we let these warriors approach us, we 
 put our lives in their power ; and who shall assure us 
 that they are not sent hither by our enemy, the ran- 
 corous Balin, Monarch of all the Simian tribes ? " 
 
 "That will 11" answered Hanuman. "Give me 
 permission, O Ape with the powerful countenance, 
 and I will straightway accost these strangers, and 
 discover what motives bring them to the wood of 
 Rishyamuka." 
 
 " If thou choosest thus to imperil thy life, do so," 
 returned Sugriva ; " but remember it is thy own im-
 
 HANUMAN AS A RELIGIOUS MENDICANT. 
 
 159 
 
 petuous rashness, and no command of mine, which 
 takes thee into this danger." 
 
 Upon that, the fearless Son of the Wind wrapped 
 himself in a sombre valkala,^ that had been given him 
 by a holy recluse, to whom he once rendered a service, 
 and, assuming the staid gait and stooping carriage of a 
 mendicant friar, approached the two Warriors, who had 
 just climbed the river's bank, and whose mighty limbs 
 were gleaming with the bright waters of the River. 
 
 "Who are you, Heroes, whose limbs are like 
 young fir-trees?" asked the Monkey in a courteous 
 tone. '* Are you of the Sons of Men, or of the 
 Company of Celestial Warriors, who do battle for the 
 Storm God, Indra? What cause has brought you to 
 this wood ? If your errand be as worthy as your 
 gallant bearing would seem to testify, I will be your 
 guide, lest this wood of Rishyamuka entangle you 
 in its network of winding paths." 
 
 Then one of the young Warriors smiled, to see the 
 Orang-outang in the garb of a religious mendicant ; 
 but the other, the taller of the two, whom the majesty 
 of an ineffable sorrow seemed to raise above sight of 
 the ludicrous, said gravely : 
 
 ** It is courteously offered ; I pray thee, answer for 
 me, Lakshmana, for my voice is choked, and speech 
 is cruel to me." 
 
 Then Lakshmana, in whose eyes, spite of all his 
 anxiety and distress, a gleam of laughter still lingered, 
 answered : 
 
 **We are much beholden to thee, magnanimous 
 
 *■ A garment made of baric. 
 
 Chap. X. 
 
 The Ape 
 puis on a 
 /r iar's cloak. 
 
 He offers his 
 semices to 
 tli£ Heroes.
 
 i6o 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. X. 
 
 Lakshmana 
 
 says that 
 tkey seek 
 Sitzriva. 
 
 Hnmiman 
 brings them 
 to his 
 master. 
 
 Saint ! We are the sons of ]3asaratha, King of 
 Ay5dhya; this Hero is Rama, who is known in 
 the three worlds as the Friend of living creatures. 
 We are here because an evil Rakshasa has carried oft 
 the cherished Bride of this King of Men, my Brother ; 
 and Danu, the son of Lakshmi, counselled us to 
 come to Rishyamuka; *For,' said he, 'there dwells 
 there an eminent Orang-outang, by name Sugriva, 
 who will give you tidings of your lovely Sita.' " 
 
 Then Hanuman threw on one side his disguise, 
 and laughed for joy. 
 
 "This same Sugriva is my Lord and Sovereign," 
 he said, "and he will assuredly give you all the 
 assistance in his power, for he also is an exile, who 
 has lost the wife he loved. Mount on my back, O 
 Kings among Men ! and I will straightway bring you 
 into the presence of him you seek." 
 
 So Rama and Lakshmana climbed on to the back 
 of the generous Monkey, and he brought them to the 
 Mount Malaya ; where Sugriva and the other Apes 
 sat in a circle, — their chins upon their knees. 
 
 When Hanuman had introduced the Strangers, and 
 told their errand, the Prince among Simians shook 
 them warmly by the hand ; and, moved by the sor- 
 rowful countenance of Rama, he went farther, and 
 embraced him lovingly. And, in his turn, Rama, the 
 noblest of the Sons of Men, embraced the exiled 
 Ape ! — When the Son of the Wind saw that, he 
 made a Fire, according to the Brahmanical rites, 
 by rubbing together two pieces of wood; and then 
 these two Princes — Rama, the Dasarathide, and
 
 THE LITTLE GOLDEN ANKLET. 
 
 i6i 
 
 Sugriva, the melancholy Orang-outang — performed the 
 ceremony of a Pradakshina round the Fire, to cele- 
 brate their newly-formed friendship. 
 
 " Tell me, O magnanimous Sugriva ! " pleaded the 
 Dasarathide, when he had thus complied with the 
 exigencies of etiquette. " I was sent to thee by one 
 Danu; he told me thou couldst give me tidings of 
 my Beloved? Thou, hast heard how she was stolen 
 from me ? My Friend, I know not what has befallen 
 my Love with the dark, soft eyes ! I know not 
 whither they have carried her ; and I wander, groping 
 through the world, — blinded by a great darkness; 
 knowing not where to seek for the Star my heart 
 has lost ! If thou canst give me news of her, or of 
 my enemy's hiding-place, tell me, O tender-hearted 
 Monkey ! I starve for tidings of her ! " 
 
 Then, shedding copious tears, the mournful Ape 
 answered : 
 
 " Alas ! my Rama, I have no comforting news to 
 give thee ; — though I have beyond a doubt seen thy 
 Beloved. But three days since, I was wandering by 
 the shores of the River Pampa ; it was early morning, 
 and the mists hung heavy on the stream ; presently, 
 as though a great cloud had obscured the heavens, 
 darkness fell on the River and on me ; I looked up, 
 and beheld Ravana, the King of Rakshasas, sailing 
 overhead ; and struggling in his swarthy arms, a lovely 
 Daughter of Man, whose garments seemed woven 
 out of sunbeams. She screamed to me, but the dis- 
 tance kept back her words ; only, as the Demon sped 
 on with her, fell at my feet a little golden Anklet, and 
 
 Chap. X. 
 
 Rama begs 
 Sugriva to 
 tell him all 
 he kn^wt. 
 
 Sugrfva 
 tells hcnv he 
 saw Rdvana 
 carrying off 
 a daughter 
 of man. 
 
 M
 
 1 62 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. X. 
 
 Rama recog- 
 nizes the 
 Scarf and 
 Anklet of 
 sua. 
 
 a Scarf of pale, soft azure. Then I, at sight of these 
 mournful tokens, wept long and sore over the hard 
 fate of the beautiful Child of Man, — and the River 
 Pampa wept with me ! I have treasured up this 
 Scarf, and this little Anklet of gold, and from time 
 to time I look at them, and bedew them with my 
 tears. They are stored in my cavern, near at hand ; 
 I will fetch them, that thou mayest judge if they 
 belong to thy Love with the dark, soft eyes." 
 
 Then Sugriva ran and fetched the Scarf and the 
 golden Anklet, and at sight of them Rama cried out, 
 "Alas, my Queen !" — and held out both his hands for 
 them, — and kissed them, as though they had been 
 living things. 
 
 "Ah!" he cried, "little Scarf! that art so soft, 
 that art so blue, — that hast been wound across my 
 Sita's throat, and round her waist, and that hast felt 
 her heart beat, and her bosom swell, — is there nothing 
 in all thy folds and fringes to speak one thouglit of 
 comfort to me? Thy brightness is not dimmed, 
 although my life has lost its radiance ! It is strnnge 
 — harshly, bitterly strange ! Love, Happiness, Fait'i, — 
 a poor piece of stuff outlives them all ! Man's heart 
 grows sere, the large emotions of his soul wuiier 
 and die, ere ever the garb he wears have lost its 
 colour ! " 
 
 And then he gazed upon the golden Anklet, that 
 was so small it had but just clasped round his wrist ! 
 And he burst out a weeping, and cried : 
 
 " Poor little Sita ! my childlike, fragile Sita ! whom 
 I took away from the loving care of the old man.
 
 THE SYMPATHETIC MONKEY. 
 
 163 
 
 Janaka, and brought into these savage woods to 
 meet so hard a fate ! So timorous, my Sita ! So 
 gentle, and so very, very timid, that when the wind 
 howled, even, thou didst nestle close to me, and 
 with thy large eyes ask, ' Protect me, Rama ! ' And 
 yet so brave, my Sita ! so patient and so generous, 
 that though I saw the terror in thine eyes, and felt 
 thy little heart flutter against mine, thou didst never 
 tell thy fears, nor utter a complaint, nor one regret, 
 lest I might fancy thou wert suffering through follow- 
 ing my lot. And so beautiful, and so loving, Sita ! 
 Alas ! my Sita, — and so beloved ! It had been better 
 otherwise, my Queen ! It had been better far for 
 thee, poor Child, if I had loved thee less ; for I 
 am a man accursed by Destiny, and my love has 
 been thy ruin ! " 
 
 As he lay upon the earth, quite beaten down with 
 grief, Sugriva came near, and said, amid many sobs : 
 
 " I, too, am one accursed by Destiny. Let us 
 mourn our several griefs together !" 
 
 The ghost of a smile flitted across the noble coun- 
 tenance of Rama. He dashed the tears from his 
 eyes, and tossed back his head, as though he were 
 defying despair to overpower him. Then he said 
 kindly to the dismal Monkey : 
 
 ** Nay, let us rather strive to help each other to 
 overcome misfortune. What are thy sorrows, worthy 
 Simian? Tell them me, that I may make their 
 remedy my care." 
 
 Then Sugriva plucked a branch from a shorea, 
 that was all in flower, and bade Rama sit down on 
 
 M 2 
 
 Chap. X. 
 
 tells Rdmit 
 he too is in 
 grief, and 
 the hero bids 
 him telltks 
 cause.
 
 164 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. X. 
 
 Sttgrtva 
 
 tells Jimu 
 Bdlin pur- 
 sued the 
 A sura 
 Mdyavin, 
 
 How the 
 Asurajied 
 into a 
 cavern. 
 
 it beside him ; and when Hanuman saw that, he 
 gathered a branch from a sandal-tree, and beckoned 
 Lakshmana to sit by him ; and when they were all 
 comfortably established, the Prince among Simians 
 commenced his story, 
 
 " Doubtless, O Elephants among Men !" he said, 
 "you both know the name of Balin, the invincible 
 Orang-outang who governs all the Simian tribes ? He 
 is my elder brother, — and- my most bitter and relentless 
 enemy. You shall hear how, and why he became so. 
 After the death of the eminent Ape our father, Balin 
 inherited with his crown the affectionate loyalty I 
 had ever paid my rightful superior. Also, there had 
 never been a dispute between us; when the Asura, 
 Mayavin, jealous of Balin's great renown, declared war 
 against him. One night, when the Lord of Monkeys 
 was calmly reposing in his cavern, Kishkindhya, the 
 malevolent Asura, came and stood without, and 
 shouted a thousand outrageous insults, and dared 
 Balin to come forth and wrestle with him. Then my 
 intrepid Brother leapt from his couch, and rushed 
 forth to avenge the insult. I followed him, wishing 
 to share his danger. But when Mayavin saw us both, 
 his courage failed him, and turning back into the 
 forest, he fled with the speed of the wind. We pur- 
 sued him for many miles, but his swiftness of foot 
 was extreme, and the morning dawned ere we had 
 come up with him. Then, just as we were close 
 upon his heels, the wily Demon stepped on one side, 
 and rushed into a cavern, whose entrance was con- 
 cealed by shrubs and creeping plants. But Balin had
 
 SUGRIVA'S STORY. 
 
 I6S 
 
 seen his place of refuge, and turning to me with a 
 smile, said : 
 
 " * Await me here, Sugriva ; to wrestle with this 
 Mayavin one sufiices, — but to prevent him running 
 away from this combat he so desired a while back, is a 
 more difficult matter. If he seek to pass thee, drive 
 him back into the cavern, but do not thou enter it ; I 
 choose to overcome this blustering Asura unaided.' 
 
 " So, obedient to my brother's word, I took up 
 my stand at the mouth of the cavern. All that day I 
 waited. The night drew on, and the moon came out 
 to wonder ; every little star bewildered itself to know 
 why I stood there ! The morning woke up, and 
 laughed — ' What, you there still ? ' The noonday sun 
 streamed down its hottest beams : ' I will make this 
 infatuated Ape move from here ! ' he said ; — but I did 
 not stir. Only as the night came on again, I gave 
 up hope. I am naturally of a lugubrious disposition ; 
 there appeared to me no longer any doubt that my 
 Brother had perished by Mayavin's hand ; and as I 
 stood there, my tears streamed down like rain, for 
 sorrow at his supposed death. At length came 
 oozing out from the fatal cavern a little stream of 
 thick, dark crimson ; when it wetted my feet, 1 
 started back appalled, for I never doubted that it was 
 the murdered Balin's blood. 
 
 " ' At all events, the assassin shall not escape ! ' I 
 muttered. ' I should be powerless to slay him, for 
 Balin's vigour was twice as great as mine, ere I had 
 been enfeebled thus by grief and fasting but he 
 shall not escape.' 
 
 Chap. X. 
 
 How Bdlin 
 charged him 
 to guard ilu 
 
 cavern's 
 
 VWllthm 
 
 How he 
 thought 
 Balin hiid 
 perisfied.
 
 i66 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. X. 
 
 And havhig 
 blocked up 
 the caverti, 
 jnourned 
 sore for his 
 brother. 
 
 How Hanu- 
 
 man per- 
 suaded hint 
 to assume 
 t^ie crotuTi. 
 
 "And so I blocked up the entrance of the cave 
 by a huge stone. Then I returned to the cave of 
 Kishkindhya, to tell the doleful news to the whole 
 Simian tribe, that they might mourn for Balin as never 
 Ape was mourned before ! And so they did; for 
 three days there was no sound heard in all the forest 
 but the discordant wailings of all sorts of Monkeys ; 
 — and among them all, was none who grieved more 
 wildly, nor wailed more shrilly than myself! 
 
 "At the close of that time, Hanuman, the noble 
 Son of the Wind, came to me, as a messenger from 
 the whole Simian tribe. 
 
 " ' Magnanimous Sugriva ! ' he said, ' deign to re- 
 press thy grief, for the sake of those who now look to 
 thee for support and guidance. Thou art our sove- 
 reign. Prince of Monkeys ! and to mourn for any 
 length of time disturbs our loyalty, and is repugnant 
 to our characters as Apes : the assembled tribes long 
 to do homage to the new Monarch of Simians ; put 
 on thy robes of state, Sugriva, and come forth, to 
 delight their eyes ! ' 
 
 "Rama, I swear it, I hul preferred to spend my 
 life in perpetual tears for the unhappy Balin ! But 
 they would not listen to ray protestations. Much 
 against my will, they invested me with the royal man- 
 de, and proclaimed me king in my brother's stead. 
 
 " However, one day that I was seated amidst my 
 ministers, deliberating on some affairs of state, strode 
 in no less a personage than the Balin I had mourned 
 as dead ! Overcome with joy, I sprang from my 
 throne, and was about to fling myself on his neck,
 
 BALIN'S RETURN. 
 
 167 
 
 when his wrathful and forbidding scowl checked my 
 joyous emotion. 
 
 " * Brother ! ' I faltered, 'is it indeed thou ? My Lord, 
 — my King, — my Brother ? I wept for thee as dead ! 
 Thanks be to Vishnu, the kindly God, in whose 
 sight life is precious, and praise be to thy strong 
 heart that has brought thee triumphant through this 
 conflict ! Oh, with what joy I give thee back thy 
 crown ! It was a bitter grief to me to set it on my 
 head ! Balin, — look not on me thus coldly ; say 
 thou dost not doubt me, Brother ! ' 
 
 " He put me on one side without a word. Striding 
 past me, he mounted the steps of his high throne; 
 and stood there, his colossal frame worn and spent 
 with hunger and fatigue, and his two eyes gleaming 
 like living coals ! Then the whole Simian tribe, 
 carried away with pride and delight in his lordly 
 bearing, shouted till the leaves fell down, and the 
 forest trees trembled to their roots ! But Balin put 
 forth a hand — to silence them. Where I stood, 
 stricken and abashed, his eye found me out ; and 
 his scornful finger showed me to them; so that each 
 one there looked from him to me, — and back from 
 me to him, — and held his breath, 
 
 " ' Men of the Woods ! ' he cried, and stabbed me 
 with his accusing finger, though his gaze despised to 
 rest on me, ' ye are called " wild " by those who dwell 
 in cities, — it may be 3 for my part, I would not change 
 my title of King among the Wild Men of the Woods, 
 to have the government of every smooth, tame slave, 
 who lets himself be bound by laws and formulas, im- 
 
 Chap. X. 
 
 Ho7V Balm 
 returned 
 ajid sus- 
 pected him 
 of treacliery. 
 
 How Bdhn 
 denounced 
 him to tlie 
 Monkey 
 tribes.
 
 i68 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. X. 
 
 posed on him by others. I do not give yon laws; they 
 exist — for me as well as you ; it is not / who have made 
 it a base thing to plot, betray, and murder ; it is not 
 / who have said that to design to slay, and then to 
 rob one of such near kinship as a brother is a worse 
 outrage, a more flagrant blasphemy against Nature ! 
 But it is I, — your King, your Lover, to whom your 
 honour as a race is dear, — who ask you now, if you 
 will harbour in your midst a Traitor who has violated 
 the obligations Brahm has laid on him, and shamed 
 the One Creator's name, by being the despicable thing 
 he is ? ' 
 
 " As a large wave, sweeping onwards to shore, rose 
 in the crowd a murmur, that grew and swelled, — and 
 then died, hushed into a deep-drawn breath, as he 
 turned on me all the passion of his rage. 
 
 " ' Simians, you behold this Sugriva ; oh, look on 
 him, — take in every line of feature and of form, — whilst 
 T am telling you what manner of creature this is who 
 dares to wear our shape ! You know that, some while 
 back, an open enemy, Mayavin, the Asura, dared me 
 to a combat, and then fled, and sheltered himself in a 
 cavern ? I, not witting I addressed a more treacherous 
 and ruthless foe, bade this Sugriva here await me at 
 the cavern's mouth, and if the Demon sought to flee, 
 drive him back to the conflict he had courted. What 
 did this estimable Brother, — my own Mother's son ? 
 Lusting for my death, yet not daring even to unite 
 his strength to the Asura's to master me, he blocked the 
 cavetiis month, and returned to steal my crown. But 
 the Immortals willed that, as my life had not been
 
 SUGRlVA DRIVEN INTO EXILE. 
 
 169 
 
 inglorious, so death should not be dealt me by a mis- 
 creant's hand ! I Hung myself against the rock, — what 
 could a dead block of a stone against a soul drunk 
 with its own rage ? The barrier yielded ; bleeding 
 and lacerated, I rolled with it down the slope, and lay 
 there, liberated, yet fain to die, so shaken was my life 
 by this supreme achievement ! — But yet I died not ! 
 It was not meet, my People, I should let a Dastard 
 rule my brave Men of the Woods ! I am here, — less to 
 reclaim my rights than to denounce that Traitor ! ' 
 
 " As a large wave, sweeping onwards to shore, the 
 murmur rose again and swelled \ — but this time it died 
 not; — it grew louder, and ever louder, in my ears; a 
 sea of threatening faces, grinning with rage and hatred, 
 swam before my eyes ; and, my heart quite failing me, 
 I turned and fled ! Then, shrieking hideously, the 
 whole band of Apes, led on by Balin, rushed after me ; 
 and I, only to keep life, sought refuge in this wood 
 of Rishyamuka ; for I knew the ferocious Balin dared 
 not pursue me hither. Long years back he slew the 
 giant Dundubhi, whose mighty skeleton you see 
 whitening there ; and in his arrogant delight, he 
 flung the Demon's body here, and the blood defiled 
 the hermitage of the Saint Matanga ; in his wrath 
 the holy man cursed my reckless Brother, and charged 
 him, under pain of death, never to enter this forest. 
 So I have dwelt here in sanctuary ; and Hanuman, 
 and these three noble Apes, who know my innocence, 
 have shared with me all the woes and hardships of 
 my exile. — This, Rama, is the story of my wrongs 
 and sorrows ; and alas ! noble Dasarathide, I see n© 
 
 Chap. X. 
 
 How the 
 whole hand 
 drove hurt 
 away. 
 
 How he 
 
 catne to 
 R ishya- 
 iniika to 
 hide.
 
 I70 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. X. 
 
 Sugriva 
 says none 
 ca?i conquer 
 
 Billin. 
 
 He tells how 
 
 Ravana luas 
 siibdited by 
 him. 
 
 remedy nor hope ; this BaUn will never temper with 
 mercy any judgment he has passed ; and though I am 
 innocent, he is powerful; and there is none able to 
 subdue his will ! " 
 
 At that Lakshmana laughed in scorn. 
 
 " Thou art enamoured of melancholy, Ape ! " he 
 said. " Look to the right of thee ; thinkest thou 
 BaUn could hold his own against Rama, King of Men?" 
 
 Sugriva looked at Rama ; then bowed his mournful 
 head upon his breast. 
 
 " I am not of a hopeful disposition," he said 
 meekly. " It seems to me that none could conquer 
 this Orang-outang, who tears the forest trees up by 
 the roots, and who in sport tossed here that mon- 
 strous carcase of Dundubhi, as one would throw a 
 pebble." 
 
 Without stirring, Rama placed his foot beneath the 
 huge skeleton, and raised it high in air ; then kicked 
 it from him into shattered fragments ! But even 
 then Sugriva shook his head. 
 
 " It was weighted with flesh and blood," he said, 
 " when Balin cast it hither. I would not have this 
 young hero, whose beauty seems more than mortal, 
 fall a victim to this indomitable Warrior. Once 
 Ravana, the dreadful Lord of Rakshasas, having 
 heard his fame, desired to wrestle with him. The 
 Demon came to Balin at sunset, when he was busy 
 at his prayers. 
 
 " ' Leave these mummeries, Ape ! ' said the Rak- 
 shasa ; ' they tell me thou hast some strength ; I 
 would try a combat with thee 1 *
 
 BALIN A T HIS EVENING PR A VERS. 
 
 171 
 
 have finished 
 wrestle with thee, 
 
 my 
 
 '* Bahn answered : * When I 
 devotions to the Gods I will 
 Rakshasa.' 
 
 " ' The Gods?' laughed Ravana in scorn; *I am 
 beyond them in strength and power. Attend to me 
 first, pious Ape, and then address thy prayers 
 heavenward ! ' 
 
 "At that, without more ado, my vigorous brother 
 clutched the insolent Rakshasa by the throat, and 
 held him as in a vice, till his ten faces flushed a 
 dusky purple. Meanwhile Balin rinsed his mouth, as 
 the rites command, and looking towards the east, 
 recited tranquilly his prayer. Then, carrying the 
 Demon with him, he marched oft" by way of 
 the air to the western coast, and from thence to 
 the southern ocean, and finally towards the northern 
 district, where reigns the kingly Himalaya. Having 
 thus addressed his adorations towards the four points 
 of Heaven, the intrepid Monkey released the Rak- 
 shasa, and said to him : 
 
 " ' I am ready now to wrestle with thee, resplen- 
 dent Demon ! if such be thy pleasure.' 
 
 " But Ravana shook his head : 
 
 *' ' Nay,' he said smiling, ' my breath is not yet in 
 a condition to struggle with thee, gallant Balin. Also, 
 I require no further proof of thy unusual vigour. 
 Accept my felicitations, invincible Orang-outang ! 
 Thou hast earned my respect, and I will not battle 
 with thee ! ' 
 
 " ' So be it,' answered Balin, who saluted the Rak- 
 shasa courteously, and went his way. 
 
 Chap. X.
 
 172 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. X. 
 
 Rama con- 
 vinces 
 Siigriva of 
 his fower to 
 subdue 
 Balin. 
 
 " If the Scourge of the three worlds failed to con- 
 quer this doughty Ape, who shall master him?" 
 
 Then Lakshmana sprang to his feet. 
 
 " \Miat proof dost thou require, thou obstinately 
 despondent Ape !" he asked impatiently, " to assure 
 thee that the strength of this Simian is as a feather 
 to the might of Rama?" 
 
 " Once," returned Sugrlva, " Balin traversed with 
 one arrow the hearts of three palm-trees ; let Rama 
 show me a like deed, and I will believe my brother 
 has found an equal." 
 
 Without a word the noble Dasarathide took his 
 bow, and shot from it an arrow that sped shivering 
 through the hearts of seven palm-trees, and finallv 
 pierced the mountain's side beyond, and stuck quiver- 
 ing in the hard rock. 
 
 A gleam of hope sprang into Sugriva's eyes. 
 
 " O Elephant amongst Men ! " he exclaimed ex- 
 citedly, " thou art indeed BaUn's master ! Under thy 
 puissant aid I shall not fear to abandon the shelter 
 of this wood of Rishyamuka. Say, O Hero with 
 the radiant eyes ! wilt thou indeed help to restore 
 me to my home and family, of whom Balin has 
 robbed me?" 
 
 Rama answered him : 
 
 " Return, Sugriva, to thy native woods ; assert 
 thy innocence, and claim thy rights. If Balin menace 
 thy life I will slay him ; for an innocent life is of 
 more worth than a guilty one ! " 
 
 And so, for the first time since his banishment, 
 Sugriva ventured forth from the wood of Rishya-
 
 THE BATTLE BETWEEN BALIN AND SUGRlVA. 
 
 173 
 
 muka. Hanuman and the other Apes followed him 
 at a distance v;ith Lakshmana. As for Rama, he 
 walked side by side with the Prince of Orang- 
 outangs, until they were within a short distance 
 of the cavern Kishkindhya ; then he paused, keeping 
 his bow in readiness, in case Sugriva's life should 
 be in peril. 
 
 The outlawed Ape, standing before the cavern's 
 mouth, shouted to Balin to come forth to him. 
 
 " After long years of exile," he cried, " I come, 
 determined to resist this unjust oppression ! Brother, 
 I am innocent of the crime you accuse me of Re- 
 tract your cruel judgment, and restore to me family 
 and friends, or battle with me here, that or you or I 
 may quit this world, where life, and peace, and 
 honour are impossible for us both ! " 
 
 Maddened by the sound of a voice he hated, the 
 ferocious Orang-outang rushed forth from the cavern, 
 and fell on the luckless Sugriva. The two tussled 
 and flung each other, and tore each other with their 
 nails ; they reeled here and there, clutched in each 
 other's arms, and stumbled, and fought upon their 
 knees ; and, still fightmg, rolled upon the ground in 
 a delirious frenzy of rage, which their near kindred 
 rendered more intense ; — for hatred is love gone ma'd : 
 one feels no rage against the stone which falls on 
 one, and maims one ; and if one's heart were cold to 
 one's fellows, their wrongs and insults would never 
 awaken the passion of revenge. 
 
 But Rama, standing at a short distance, could not 
 distinguish the Brothers from each other, so like were 
 
 Chap. X. 
 
 Sit^riva de- 
 fies Billin.
 
 174 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. X. 
 
 Sugrfva 
 overthrown. 
 
 Next day Jie 
 defies Bdlhi 
 again. 
 
 they in size and colour; and he dared not seek to 
 free Sugriva from that fatal embrace, lest his arrow 
 might strike the innocent Monkey in mistake for Balin. 
 At length the exiled Ape, covered with blood, broke 
 from the desperate grasp of Balin, and screaming 
 shrilly for pain and grief, fled towards the wood of 
 Rishyamuka. 
 
 Thither Rama followed him ; and the disconsolate 
 Monkey, laying his hand on a grievous wound upon 
 his chest, asked with tearful eyes : 
 
 " Why didst thou deceive me. Hero ? I had never 
 dared to face this Balin hadst thou not promised to 
 protect me ; for I knew his strength to be three 
 times that of mine ! " 
 
 Rama explained how he had not dared to shoot an 
 arrow lest it might wound Sugriva instead of Balin, so 
 nearly were they of the same size and colour. And 
 upon that Lakshmana gathered a branch of Gaja- 
 pushpa that grew on the mountain's slope, and tied it 
 round the throat of the ill-used Orang-outang. 
 
 " By this sign," he said, " shall Rama recognize 
 thee in to-morrow's combat." 
 
 So the following day Sugriva, the four other 
 Orang-outangs, and the two noble Dasarathides, 
 sallied forth again. Before the cave of Kishkindhya, 
 the outlaw, once more, defied the Lord of Simians. 
 
 " Come forth," he shouted ; "acknowledge thy mis- 
 deeds, or expiate them ! " 
 
 Then Tara, wife of Balin, sought to restrain the im- 
 petuous fury of her Lord. 
 
 "Thou dear Husband !" she pleaded, " venture not
 
 BALIN CONQUERED. 
 
 175 
 
 forth today; I beseech thee, for this one day, stay 
 with me, in this cave of Kishkindhya ! A presenti- 
 ment of evil hangs over me. Is not thy great fame 
 estabhshed ? In all the three worlds is there one who 
 questions thy courage ? This Sugriva is not wont 
 to be so valorous ; there may be treachery afloat — 
 treachery and danger to thy dear life ! O my Lord, 
 is there shame in avoiding the snare of a traitor ? " 
 
 Balin, laughing, embraced his favourite Queen upon 
 the brow. 
 
 *' Nay," he said, " gentle Tara, fear nothing ! It has 
 been granted me, by the Immortals, to die at the 
 hands of a Hero, grander by his virtues and his 
 courage than any among living creatures ! Shall this 
 paltry Sugriva alarm me ? And if death indeed 
 awaited me, still could I not refuse this challenge; 
 for to tolerate an offence were harder far than to 
 die ! " 
 
 And with that he came rushing forth upon Su- 
 griva. But when Rama saw that the vigorous 
 Monkey wa? about to triumph, once more, over his 
 innocent Brother, he drew his bow, and pierced the 
 heart of Balin by his unerring shaft ! 
 
 Relaxing his grasp of Sugriva, the mighty Ape 
 screamed forth, " I am slain ! " and fell, with a mon- 
 strous crash, to the earth ! 
 
 When they saw that, Lakshmana, and Nala, Nila, 
 Tara, and Hanuman shouted for triumph ! 
 
 But Rama approached the dying Orang-outang, 
 and said, with grave respect : 
 
 " Forgive me this deed, heroic Balin." 
 
 Chap. X. 
 
 Tara seeks 
 to diss7cade 
 her husband 
 from accept- 
 ing the 
 combat. 
 
 Balin rush' 
 ing 0)1 
 Sugriva is 
 ivounded by 
 Rama,
 
 176 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chaf. X. 
 
 Bdlin re- 
 
 proacJies 
 
 Rama. 
 
 Then he knelt down beside him, — and drew the 
 arrow forth from out the wound. 
 
 Turning his faiUng eyes on the young Warrior, the 
 dying Monkey said : 
 
 " Rama, Rama the Dasarathide, thou who wast 
 known in the three worlds as the Friend of living 
 creatures, why hast thou soiled thy soul ? Had I 
 fallen by thy hand in open warfare, I had met death, 
 as it was promised me, — at a Hero's hand ; then had 
 I pardoned thee, and died content ! But now has 
 this needless cruelty dethroned thee from thy nobility ; 
 destroyed thy treasures of past mercy ; and snapt 
 the cord that bound to thee the hearts of living 
 creatures ! Wherefore hast thou abandoned thyself 
 to this senseless fury? Had Sugriva slain me, 
 it had been in fair battle, and to avenge many 
 wrongs; but thou, how had I injured thee? And 
 if thou hadst no grounds to hate me, what motive 
 prompted thee to this ill deed ? We lead a harmless 
 life, we Wild Men of the Woods ; we feed on fruits 
 and grains, and never store up wealth. Our flesh is 
 not good for food ; the Brahmans forbid its use ; for 
 we have five fingers on our hands, and our con- 
 struction resembles man's ; our skins, even, may 
 not be worn as clothing. Wherefore, then, Rama, 
 hast thou slain me ? This deed, which has nor ven- 
 geance, nor interest for motive, will load thy name 
 with ignominy ! " 
 
 Rama, supporting him the while, that he might not 
 suffer needless anguish in his last hour, answered : 
 "Thou reasonest, Balin, with the shallow judgment of
 
 THE DEATH OF BALIN. 
 
 177 
 
 an ape. Had my action indeed vengeance, or interest, 
 as motive, it would, as thou sayest, dim my fair 
 fame, and render worthless my past reverence for 
 justice. Or had I, from vainglorious delight in the 
 strength the Gods had given me, challenged thee to a 
 combat and slain thee, to prove myself more vigorous, 
 it were not less a shameful deed. There is but one 
 just reason for destroying life, — and that is, its preser- 
 vation. To save a worthier life, we may take a less 
 noble one ; under no other circumstances can we 
 innocently destroy the meanest son of Brahm ! I 
 slew thee, Balin, because, otherwise, thou hadst slain 
 Sugriva ; he is innocent, whilst thou hast been sus- 
 picious, rancorous, and cruel. It was just that I 
 should count his life of more value than thy own ; 
 but thy death is a sorrow, not a triumph to me." 
 
 Then the dying Lord of the Simians turned him, 
 painfully, towards Rama : 
 
 " Thou art right," he said, " and I have erred. It 
 is meet that I should die, since I have been unjust ; 
 but let my death expiate my offence. If Sugriva 
 be near — I cannot see whether he be near, there is a 
 mist that hides from me who are standing round— let 
 him note how the death agony convulses me, and let 
 him say, ' It suffices ! ' Let him not visit my sins on 
 the innocent ; Tara, my faithful consort, and Angada, 
 my son, who stands yet in the young dawn of life, 
 have committed no offence. They have loved me ; 
 but surely to love, even the guilty, is not a crime ? 
 For me, I regret the past ; but can I change it now ? 
 I cannot do more than die ! " 
 
 N 
 
 Chap. X. 
 
 Rdtiia J7isfi- 
 fics kzi!tse(/. 
 
 Bdltn asks 
 mercy /or 
 his queefi 
 and for 
 Angada.
 
 178 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. X. 
 
 Kama pro- 
 mises to J>ro- 
 tcct them. 
 
 *' Thou canst do no more," said Rama, gently ; 
 " also thy sins die with thee. What thou hast done 
 that was noble, and generous, and brave, passes not 
 away ; it lives, and testifies that thy spirit dwelt upon 
 the earth, in mortal shape. Have no fear, noble 
 Balin, for Tara and Angada ; they shall hear of the 
 great deeds of the Lord of the Simians; and it shall 
 be their pride to have loved such an one. Leave thy 
 fame, and the welfare of thy dear ones, in my hands \ 
 and thou, rest thee from pain, and die in peace ! " 
 
 " I leave them in thy hands," he returned feebly, —   
 and died in peace.
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 THE LOVE OF INDRA. 
 
 "The Breath which is in the midst is Indra. He, by his 
 might, kindled other breaths in the midst : inasmuch as he 
 kindled them, he is Indha (the Kindler)." 
 
 Muir's Sanscrit Texts, 
 
 "He who kindles;^ Indra, God of Celestial Fire! 
 It is he who troubles the air, and fires the clouds ; it 
 is he, also, who touches the thoughts of man with 
 flame ! 
 
 Have you watched the changeful sky^crimson, 
 and gold, and amethyst, sinking into a depth of azure ? 
 
 It is the Mantle of Indra. 
 
 From its folds glance forth the beamy stars. He 
 is called the God with the thousand eyes ; for stars 
 look out from the folds of his mantle ! 
 
 He rides on the snow-white Elephant, Airavata, 
 whom the Storm lashed out from the foam of the Sea. 
 In his hand is Vajra, the Thunderbolt ; the forked 
 Lightnings are his arrows. 
 
 Have you heard the shriek of the East Wind? 
 Have you seen the trees wrenched up, and thrown, 
 
 * Vide Note. 
 N 2 
 
 Chap. XT. 
 
 The God of 
 Simshitie 
 and Storm.
 
 i8o 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. XI. 
 
 crushed, back to earth ; the sand torn up in eddies, 
 and the white salt dust of the Sea flung in the face ot 
 heaven ? 
 
 It is the Wrath of Indra. 
 
 The sunhght is his Laughter ; when the clouds give 
 their lives forth in rain, he is in grief. 
 
 In earth or heaven, there is none like him. His 
 Beauty has the wistful passion of a man, and the 
 splendour and might of a God ! A Flash of Supernal 
 Fire, he has thrilled through the earth's dark places ; 
 he has learnt Sorrow, and Guilt, and Desire ; and 
 the dark, wild Heart of a Man struggles through his 
 Divinity ! 
 
 " Let us worship with reverence the mighty Indra, 
 the exalted, the undecaying, the youthful ! " ^ 
 
 In all nations, through all ages, he has been so 
 worshipped. The Celestial Fire has not cooled, the 
 "Breath that is in the midst" still kindles other 
 " Breaths" to its heat. The God of Sunlight and Storm 
 still bids the world dream or struggle, lust or aspire ; 
 and the great ocean of man's passions obeys him ! 
 
 There were some young maidens standing just on 
 the threshold of Life ; for Childhood is the vestibule " 
 merely ; it is hung with pretty Pictures, too, so that 
 one does not look on to the World-chamber at the 
 end until the glare, of a sudden, bursts on one, and one 
 hears the uproar made by the over-numerous guests. 
 
 Just at this point paused our young maidens, half 
 awed by the tumult, half fascinated by all the move- 
 ment and the light. It chanced that at this moment 
 
 » Rig Veda.
 
 THE LOVE OF INDRA. 
 
 i8i 
 
 the gaze of Indra fell on them, and beholding them, 
 so beautiful and so pure, he loved them. Flashing 
 earthward, in a Form of Fire, he kissed them on the 
 lips, and left them with blanched cheeks, and eyes 
 aflame. For they knew a God had been with them, 
 and thrilled them by his touch, and yet had winged 
 his way back to his High Home ere they had tasted 
 aught of passion, save its first sudden pain ! 
 
 So, with a fever on them, and a vague desire in their 
 innocent breasts, seeking Whom they knew not, what 
 they could not say, they wandered forth ; and Love, 
 who breathes only in the upper air, led them to a 
 Hilly Country, where the large stars seemed smiling 
 near. 
 
 And there, still far beyond them, but looking down 
 with deeply passionate eyes, they saw the great God, 
 Indra; and he held out his large arms, wooing them to 
 the fire of his embrace ! 
 
 The hearts of the young maidens failed them. 
 Fain had each been to turn her back ; but her soul 
 within of a sudden found its wings, and bore her, in 
 a rush of superhuman ecstasy, to the arms of the 
 enamoured God ! 
 
 Thus, ignorant of the bitter co?t to mortals, who 
 press up, with quivering Hps and heaving breasts, to 
 meet the desire of the Sons of Heaven, did they 
 receive the " sorrowful great Gift," the Love of Indra. 
 
 Bear me witness. Ye, who have tasted the Kiss of 
 Fire, how closely anguish and rapture are interwoven 
 here. Whether is greatest, I know not ; the bliss and 
 suffering alike strain all too fiercely the human brain 
 
 Chap. XI. 
 
 The Beloved 
 of Indra.
 
 1 82 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. XI. 
 
 The Bridet 
 of hidra 
 wander 
 from Mount 
 Meru. 
 
 and heart; yet who would cage his sout and bar it 
 round with shade, if the Sun-god claimed it of him, 
 saying, " Let my large pulses thrill thy being through, 
 and draw thy Spirit forth from thee in Flame ?" 
 
 But our little maidens, having no previous know- 
 ledge of all an Immortal's love involved, fretted 
 against the Crown Indra had laid on them ; because, 
 although it wrapped them in a Light, it scorched and 
 tore their smooth young brows, and mingled with its 
 Beams of Gold the lifeblood of the wearers. 
 
 " We are faint," they said, *' and weary ! The 
 bloom has faded from our cheeks, and all the youth 
 of our hearts is dying ! Our eyes are tired with 
 Beauty ! Tired — and Light is but a splendid Pain. 
 Our hearts are spent with passion, this eternal Rapture 
 will destroy us. Oh that we could rest ! Rest — rest, 
 from the fever of our lives, ere it exhaust our power, 
 and we die !" 
 
 So, one day th.it this longing for rest overcame 
 them, they strayed from the Mountain of Meru, where 
 the Gods quaff sparkhng nectar, and hearken to the 
 Song that dies not, but flings forth the Soul of its 
 music half-way between Hell and Heaven ; gathering 
 voices, from Hell and from Heaven, that merge their 
 might and their glory to swell this Ocean of Harmony ! 
 
 With their hands to their ears the faithless Brides 
 of Indra fled from the witching strains, and sought 
 tlie sheltered valleys, where life is calm, and men and 
 women pass slowly through the stages of time ; 
 marking progress merely by the succession of season, 
 and dying, at length, because they have dwelt too long,
 
 THE COUNTRY OF THE UTTARAKURUS. 
 
 183 
 
 not lived too much. And in their wanderings they 
 came upon the country of the Uttarakurus. Oh, that 
 was a pleasant land, and surely just the spot where 
 our weary Fugitives might find the peace they longed 
 for. There were no extremes of heat nor cold, no 
 excess of light nor depth of gloom ; all was equable 
 and tempered calm — like the inhabitants themselves, 
 whose dispositions were inaccessible to all violent 
 emotions, which overstrain a delicate frame. There 
 was no need for any exertion, either ; for in a wood, 
 called Chaitraratha, hung from the boughs of the 
 trees all that the heart could desire; jewels, and 
 raiment, and luxurious couches, and delicious viands 
 of every description; one had only to walk thither 
 and gather them. The flowers in this country were 
 of gold, so were the mountains ; the rivulets were so 
 choked up with gold that they slept between their 
 banks, that were strewn with gold too, and did not 
 attempt to sing. The Women who dwelt there were 
 all youthful and lovely ; the Men were all courteous, 
 and learned in saying pleasant things : old age, or 
 disease, or poverty, or suffering, or grief, were not 
 known here ; it is probable that all such things were 
 soaked away out of the land by the black and terrible 
 River, that swept with its sinister floods the borders of 
 the Land of Gold, and rolled, muttering ever words 
 of menace and despair — that were not understood 
 by the smiling Uttarakurus. 
 
 Amid this luxurious people the pale Wanderers 
 paused ; and, struck by their strange beauty and their 
 wanness, born of an ardour unknown to any here, the 
 
 Chap. XI. 
 
 The Land 
 of Ease,
 
 1 84 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST 
 
 Chap. XI. 
 
 The C-'irse 
 of Indra, 
 
 inhabitants flocked around them, saying, " Stay with 
 us and share our lives." 
 
 Then, at first, a pang of unsatisfied longing held 
 back the souls vvliere Indra had set his Love. But, 
 little by little, each sought to reason herself out of the 
 memory of those rapturous moments spent up among 
 the mountains. 
 
 " Help me to live it down ! " cried out each weary 
 heart ; and the appealing hands went forth, seeking 
 for some stay. , 
 
 They met the smooth palms of the bland Utta- 
 rakurus. 
 
 " Let us lead you along the path of pleasure," they 
 said to the Brides of Indra. 
 
 But the Beloved of the Sun-god found no delight in 
 the golden country, nor in the wood of Chaitraratha, 
 nor in the company of the smiling Uttarakurus. 
 
 "Better to have died in a god's embrace," they 
 moaned, " than to crawl through the long days in this 
 hateful City." 
 
 But they had made their choice ; and Mahendra, 
 God of the Firmament, has no welcome for rene- 
 gades ! In the heart of the Golden Land his curse 
 found them out. 
 
 " Have ye forgotten," he cried to them, " how, in 
 the lone Hill Country, ye lay awhile on my breast, 
 fainting almost with rapture, while the large stars 
 were smifing near, and the night hung, still, around? 
 Have ye forgotten how, pale and beautiful, ye stepped 
 through the groves of Nandana ; and how Light 
 robed ye in splendour; and the Stars I had laid in
 
 THE CURSE OF MAHENDRA. 
 
 185 
 
 your bosoms glowed there, and flamed with a glory that 
 shamed the pale orbs of heaven ? Why have ye 
 thrown by your Crowns, whose gems flashed througl, 
 the ages, witnesses to the past and the future that ye 
 were chosen as the spouses of Indra? What though 
 your slight heads were bowed, and your fragile 
 strength near broken : was not my arm around you ? 
 Who would not totter and fail, to be upheld by the 
 amorous Indra? What though your spirits' growth 
 were too swift for your delicate frames ? As guerdon 
 for your shortened lives, my Love had made ye im- 
 mortal ! 
 
 "But ye have loved ease better than glory! O 
 foolish Ones ! ease can never be yours ! Ye have 
 tasted an Immortal's Lpve ! And your glory ye have 
 abandoned ! Dwell, then, as Exiles and Strangers 
 in this town ye have preferred to the mountains ; 
 and, since ye have dreaded the Tempest, endure the 
 torments of the Calm." 
 
 And so, in the city of the Uttarakurus, dwell 
 these pale Women with the lustrous eyes, who were 
 once the Beloved of Indra ; and they hold no friendly 
 intercourse nor have sympathy with any ; each morn- 
 ing gives fresh birth to the wild Desire, that gnaws 
 their hearts ; each night finds them in a dead despair ; 
 for the pitiless Curse of Mahendra drives them down 
 to their unhonoured graves 1 
 
 Chap. XL
 
 CHAPTER XTI. 
 
 THE ANCIENT VULTURE SAMPATI. 
 
 Chap. XH. 
 
 The despond 
 ency of 
 Sugriva's 
 envoys. 
 
 A LARGE company of Monkeys, that had for chiefs 
 Hanuman and Angada, son of the deceased Balin, 
 paused to rest on the slopes of the Mount Vindhya. 
 
 It was glorious weather ! There was not a leaf, 
 nor a blade of grass, but was saturated through with 
 sunlight, and seemed half delirious with happiness ! 
 Our Monkeys, who were, for their part, in very low 
 spirits, looked on this as an insult, heaped on to the 
 afflictions which distressed them. It is indubitable, 
 that there is a satisfaction in contemplating the depths 
 of one's own misery, and in recalling the ill-treatment 
 one has met with at the hands of fate, or of one's 
 fellows. As they sat there, their chins upon their 
 knees, a certain gloomy complacency overspread their 
 countenances. 
 
 Angada was the first to speak. 
 
 " The time allowed us by Sugriva, to scour the 
 country for tidings of the Vaidehi, has long 
 elapsed," he said ; " we have failed to discover any 
 trace of her; but, entangled in the labyrinth of the 
 recluse Svayamprabha, and seeking in vain an exit
 
 THE WISDOM OF THE IMMORTALS. 
 
 187 
 
 from the enchanted cavern, we have incurred the 
 penalty of death, with which the Monarch of Apes 
 threatened those who failed to return within one 
 month, to report the result of their search. My 
 innocent Brethren, our fate is sealed ! Implore, if ye 
 will, the pardon of Sugriva : for me, I prefer to die here 
 of thirst and hunger, on this lonely mountain, rather 
 than trust to the mercy of my Father's Enemy ! " 
 
 " We will die with thee," returned the others ; and, 
 with melancholy resolution, they grouped them round 
 the young Chieftain. 
 
 Now it chanced that, on a crag somewhat above 
 them, Sampati, the aged King of Vultures, was 
 taking a midday doze. The firm resolution with 
 which the band of Simians seated themselves, to 
 set about dying forthwith, shook the Mount Vindhya, 
 and awakened the ancient Bird, who, looking over, 
 perceived the group of disconsolate Monkeys. 
 
 Sampati was a very devout Fowl. 
 
 "Beyond a doubt," he exclaimed, casting up his 
 eyes, " it is an admirable Wisdom who directs the 
 course of events for my profit ! The Immortals have 
 brought these quadrumanous creatures here, and put 
 the thought of self-destruction into their heads, so 
 that, after my long fast, I might delight my appetite 
 with a food I love ! " 
 
 This pious ejaculation reached the ears of the 
 dejected Monkeys. 
 
 Now, one may be heartily weary of life, and even 
 have made up one's mind to be rid of it ; but one 
 does not care to have the ways and means made too 
 
 Chap. XII. 
 
 Aiigada 
 ciiiiKseis self- 
 destruction. 
 
 Sampati, 
 (n'erhearing 
 this propo- 
 sal, content- 
 plates a 
 satisfactory 
 meal.
 
 1 88 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap XII. 
 
 Aiig^nda 
 speaks of 
 the Vulture 
 jfatdyu. 
 
 Sampati, 
 hearing this, 
 says Jatayu 
 ivas liis 
 brother. 
 
 easy to one ; in such a matter, one likes to choose 
 one's own time and path of exit. So the exclamation 
 of Sampati was anything but agreeable to our 
 Monkeys. 
 
 But Angada was possessed of a shrewdness and 
 sagacity beyond his years. 
 
 " Alas ! " he exclaimed, in a loud tone of voice, 
 " this lamentable exile of Rama, how many misfor- 
 tunes has it not occasioned ? Already Dasaratha has 
 perished, and Balin, — and that inestimable Vulture, 
 Jatayu ! Ah, that was the most grievous of all ! 
 Dasaratha was a worthy King, but he was already 
 enfeebled by age ; and Balin had been guilty of injus- 
 tice ; we, too, if perish we must, have failed to 
 accomplish our sovereign's commands ; but Jatayu ? 
 that elephant among Vultures was resplendent in 
 honour, and beauty, and virtue, when he sacrificed 
 his life in this cause ! " 
 
 When he heard that, Sampati dragged himself to 
 the edge of the shelving rock. 
 
 " Do you speak of Jatayu, the son of Garuda ?" 
 he asked ; " he who dwelt in the country of the 
 Janasthana ? " 
 
 Then Angada turned, and looked up with simulated 
 astonishment, as who should say, — " Is there a Bird, 
 above me, on this mountain ? " 
 
 " I beseech y^ur Highness," implored the aged Vul- 
 ture, meekly, " to relieve the anxiety of a brother's 
 heart. I am a bird of a noble race ; but, alas ! the 
 sun has scorched my wings ; and for many years I 
 have been confined to this Mount Vindhya, and have
 
 way ALL CREA TURES BEFRIEND RAMA. 
 
 189 
 
 had no tidings of my family. If this illustrious Vul- 
 ture of whom you speak be indeed my brother, 
 the magnanimous Jatayu, who dwelt, in the Janas- 
 thana, I would beseech one of your company, noble 
 Simians, to climb up hither, and bring me down 
 among you, that I may hear the sad details of his 
 death." 
 
 Then some of the Apes demurred, saying : 
 " Shall we bring this monster down among us, that 
 he may devour us the more easily ? " 
 But Hanuman, Son of the Wind, said : 
 " He is a Vulture of good family, and treachery 
 is not compatible with high breeding ; " and so he 
 climbed up to Sampati, and brought the large Bird 
 down in his arms. 
 
 Then the ancient Vulture turned his dim eyes on 
 Angada. " Tell me, noble Orang-outang ! " he asked, 
 " who is this Rama, for whose sake my brother gave 
 his life; and for whom ye, too, seemed minded, a 
 while since, to die? How has he thus earned the 
 devotion of living creatures ? " 
 
 Angada answered : " Rama is a King's son, who 
 loved honour better than his father's crown ; that is 
 why he is an exile. As he has been true to his own 
 soul, so has he been just to the lower creatures, whom 
 Brahm made to be his younger brothers. He has 
 despised none; he has not thoughtlessly inflicted pain ; 
 he has taken pleasure in winning their simple, trustful 
 love ; that is why he possesses, unimpaired, Man's 
 sovereignty over every living race and tribe upon 
 this earth. 
 
 Chap. XII. 
 
 The Vidtiire 
 begs them to 
 tell how Ja- 
 tdyu died. 
 
 Angada 
 relates tJie 
 virtues of 
 Rama.
 
 190 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. XII. 
 
 How yatdyn 
 ivas slain by 
 Ravana, 
 
 Savtpati 
 7noiirns for 
 his brother. 
 
 " Ravana, the Scourge of the Three Worlds, has 
 stolen his Beloved, the beautiful Princess of Videha. 
 The noble Vulture, your brother, was the first to give 
 his life, in seeking to rescue Rama's Bride from the 
 Demon's clutches. Ravana slew the gallant Bird in 
 the country of the Janasthana. We have been sent 
 forth by our King, Sugriva, to discover the hiding- 
 place of the ravisher of Sita, and Jatayu's murderer. 
 Our search has been fruitless ; and rather than return 
 to face the wrath of Sugriva, and the grief of Rama, 
 we had determined to die, here, on this mountain 
 side ! " 
 
 Then Sampati, very sorro\vful for Jatayu's death, 
 drooped his head awhile; and lay, quite still, upon 
 his side; and the Simians, in reverence for his grief, 
 kept silence round him. 
 
 " Ah me ! " he said at length, with a deep sigh, 
 " the empire of the air is large ; the earth is a great 
 place ; and I have heard it said by birds, who have 
 plunged and dived into it, the ocean seems to have 
 no bounds nor limit ! Yet, though a nest is of such 
 insignificant size, it fills the heart more than a whole 
 universe ! Up among the crags of the old Himalaya, 
 I used to roost beside Jatayu ; and as we grew to be 
 large Birds, our stony nest could scarcely hold us, and 
 we had to press close, close together ; so close, that 
 we could hear and feel each other's hearts beat ; and 
 they kept time so nearly, it had been hard to say 
 which was Jatayu's, and which mine ! 
 
 " It chanced, one day, that my brother and I being 
 thrilled by the wild air, started to fly a race together,
 
 HOW SAMPATVS WINGS MERE BURNED. 
 
 191 
 
 through Indra's world. But when noon came, and 
 the fierce sun looked straight at us, Jatayu fainted, 
 and tumbled through the air, head foremost ! Then, 
 full of love and pity, I outspread my large wings 
 between him and the cruel sun ; but the hot beams 
 withered them up ; and, maddened with pain, I stag- 
 gered earthward, and fell on the summit of this 
 Mount Vindhya. Long I lay there unconscious, 
 because my agony had exceeded what life can know ; 
 at length I awakened, to the loss of death, without its 
 restful gain. I had no wings ; my sight was dimmed ; 
 only the sense of pain was left ! For some time I 
 remained there, hoping all would be over soon. But 
 death came not ! Wearied out with suffering, I 
 dragged myself down the rocky slope, to the entrance 
 of the cavern of the Saint Nisakara. There, leaning 
 against a tree, I waited till the Saint should pass, that 
 I might ask him why death refused to give me rest. 
 Towards even, when the sleepy breeze was hushing 
 the flowers to sleep, Nisakara came walking towards 
 the hermitage ; and behind him came a troop of wild 
 animals, lions, tigers, leopards, bears, &c., lovingly 
 escorting the Holy Man to his abode. The Hermit 
 looked at me, with mild pity, as he passed, but he 
 entered the cavern without speaking to me. Then, 
 very disconsolate, I thought to drag myself back 
 whence I had come. But, after a time, the good 
 Nisakara came forth to me, and said, compassion- 
 ately : 
 
 " ' I saw two bold, young Vultures, sons of the great 
 Garuda, bound forth, to fly a race through Indra's 
 
 Chap. XII 
 
 Sainpdti 
 
 tells how hi.s 
 wiJigs ivcrr 
 scorched. 
 
 H01V he 
 
 •went tncon 
 siclt ilie 
 Saint 
 Nisakara.
 
 192 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. XII. 
 
 Sampdti 
 begs Nisd- 
 kara that he 
 may be re- 
 leasedfrom 
 life. 
 
 Nisakara 
 promises 
 that his 
 ivings shall 
 one day be 
 restored to 
 him. 
 
 world. The shape of one of them was like to thine, 
 O poor wingless Bird ! ' 
 
 " Then, mournfully, I told my story. 
 
 " ' And wherefore hast thou come to me ? ' asked the 
 Saint, when I paused. 
 
 '' 1 looked up into his face with great despair. 
 
 " ' I would have thee ask the Lord of Creatures to 
 let me die,' I said. * Of what good is life to a Bird 
 who has no wings ? * 
 
 '"Of what pleasure, thou wouldest say,' answered 
 Nisakara, gravely. 'Were thy life of no good, the 
 Lord of Creatures had not left it thee ! But I under- 
 stand that it seems hard to thee ; thou art but one of the 
 younger sons of Brahm, and even his eldest-born, Man, 
 frets often at the fact that his own happiness is not 
 the object of his being. Know then, for thy comfort, 
 thou shalt have thy wings given back to thee some 
 day. Wait patiently till the chance be given thee, 
 of serving a more noble being than thou ; afterwards, 
 thy power to float through Indra's world shall return, 
 and thy love of life shall be redoubled.' 
 
 "And so I have lived on patiently. Perchance 
 this noble Rama may be he of whom the Saint spoke ; 
 for if I do not err, I can give you tiding of his lost 
 Queen. But first, I would ask your Highnesses to carry 
 me to the shores of Varuna's ^ world, that I may 
 celebrate the ceremony of lustrous waters, in honour 
 of my deceased brother." 
 
 So the Simians led the noble Bird to the sea- 
 sliore ; and there Sampati offered the funeral honours, 
 
 ^ Varuna is Lord of the Ocean.
 
 SAMPATI MOURNS FOR HIS BROTHER. 
 
 193 
 
 which the rites command, to the memory of the 
 magnanimous Vulture, who perished by Ravana's 
 hand; and he mourned there for the good Jata- 
 yu, and the impressionable Apes mourned with 
 him. 
 
 Afterwards, they carried Sampati back again to 
 the mountain, and the princes of their company sur- 
 rounded the kingly Vulture ; who, having purified 
 himself in the cleansing waters, was resplendent with 
 beauty, as though youth were returning to him. 
 
 *' O magnanimous Fowl ! " said Angada, kindly, to 
 him ; " our lives are, so to speak, between thy claws ! 
 If thou canst tell us anything of the Rakshasa, or 
 Rama's Bride, we may yet escape the cold of death." 
 
 " I will give you all the help in my power, noble 
 Simian ! " returned Sampati. " Would that I had the 
 vigour of my early days, and could bear you on my 
 wings to the hiding-place of this Ravana. At least, I 
 can tell you where to seek him. My son, Suparsva, 
 who had tended me during my long years of exile, 
 returned a short while back to me, bringing no food, 
 though I had fasted many days. When I am hungry, 
 I am prone to irritation ; so I chid Suparsva. 
 
 " ' Thus it is,' I said, ' that young Birds of the 
 present day neglect their aged Parents ! As they 
 wing their way hghtly through the air, it never occurs 
 to them, — My Father, that old Bird whose wings are 
 scorched, has had no dinner : or if the thought strike 
 them, they say, most likely, " Let the old Fowl starve ! 
 that way, the trouble of him will be off my shoulders." 
 That is the way with young Birds nowadays.' 
 
 () 
 
 Chap. XII. 
 
 Sampati 
 performs the 
 ceremony of 
 L listroiis 
 IVafers in 
 yatdyu' s 
 honour 
 
 The aged 
 
 Vulture 
 tells how his 
 son returned 
 once luith ?io 
 provisions.
 
 194 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. XII. 
 
 Hmv Su- 
 
 pdrsva en- 
 countered 
 Rdzmna 
 carrying off 
 a dano liter 
 of man. 
 
 " Then Suparsva answered my reproaches, meekly : 
 " ' My Father,' he said, ' I scoured the country far 
 and wide, seeking some provisions for thee ; but all 
 creatures, both eatable and otherwise, seemed hid- 
 ing out of the way of some great peril. Whilst I hung 
 on the air, wondering, I saw a Monster with ten heads, 
 and large swarthy limbs, sailing towards me ; and in 
 his arms he held a young daughter of man, clad in 
 bright raiment ; who looked like a pure bright Star in 
 the dark bosom of a Cloud ! As they neared me, I 
 heard her scream, "Rama! Help! dear Rama!" 
 And I hesitated whether to succour her or no. But 
 he with the ten heads cried to me, courteously, to 
 make way for him ; and no bird of breeding answers 
 a polite request with a challenge to combat, — so I let 
 him pass. When he was out of sight, crept out of 
 the folds of the air the Bhutas, the ethereal spirits 
 that float in mist. "Suparsva!" they cried to me, 
 " thou hast been near to death ! It was Ravana, 
 the Terror of the three worlds, who passed thee 
 awhile back ! We were all hidden, crushed together, 
 and wrapped away in a shred of vapour: and we 
 trembled for thee, so ! But that he held a woman 
 in his arms, the dreadful Rakshasa had not let thee 
 live ! " And so, Father, I return to thee, glad 
 that life is mine ; though, like thee, I am weary and 
 a-hungered.' 
 
 " Now, what think ye, illustrious Apes ? Who was 
 this woman like a gleaming Star, that Ravana held in 
 his embrace ? " 
 
 " Sita ! " cried the Simians, leaping to their feet.
 
 SAMFATI'S WINGS ARE RESTORED HIM, 
 
 195 
 
 magnanimous 
 
 " What direction did they take, 
 Vulture ? " Sampati strove to raise himself. 
 
 " At one hundred yojanas hence," he said, " is the 
 sea that washes all the southern coast ; there at a 
 hundred yojanas from the shore is the Isle of Lanka, 
 where Ravana dwells ; thither, beyond a doubt, he 
 has carried Sita." 
 
 As he spake, the air was troubled by a sudden tem- 
 pest, the leaves were blown into a flutter on the trees, 
 and the trunks swayed them forward and back, as 
 •though they were about to snap off from their roots. 
 It was Suparsva, returning. He swooped down 
 beside his father ; and when he heard the errand of 
 the noble Simians, he confirmed Sampati's story, and 
 gave them many valuable instructions about the road 
 they ought to take. 
 
 Whilst he was conversing with Angada and 
 Hanuman, little by little, Sampati felt renewed vigour 
 and lightness thrill him through ; and presently, a 
 sudden impulse kindhng him, he essayed to fly ; and, 
 lo, a spreading pair of wings were his, — and with wild 
 delight he put them forth into the air, — and felt that 
 he had mastery over it once again. 
 
 " See ! see ! " he cried out, in the voice of sons?, 
 " my wings are given back to me ! Oh, the delight ! 
 Once more I am upborne by the cool air; the 
 clouds hold out their misty arms to me ; the blue sky 
 beckons me to wander there ! Once more I shall 
 spring upwards — my feathers ruffled by the pleasant 
 wind — and laugh with the stars because the earth looks 
 small ! Once more shall I sink slowly, slowly to the 
 
 o 2 
 
 Chap XII. 
 
 The return 
 qfSiipdrsva, 
 
 •who tells the 
 Apes the ivay 
 to Lanka. 
 
 Satnpdti 
 
 feels po7ver 
 in his wings.
 
 196 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. XII- 
 
 mountain top, and roost in the old nest among the 
 Himalayan crags — and dream that Jatayu is by my 
 side, and that I feel his heart answer to the beatings 
 of my own. Farewell, O Friends ! • Let this favour 
 done me prove that your enterprise shall succeed !" 
 And with that, he flung himself upon the wind, and 
 Suparsva followed him ; whilst the admiring Simians 
 looked after them with straining eyes, until they 
 seemed two specks, soon swallowed up by the blue 
 distance.
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 THE ADVENTURES OF HANUMAN, SON Kjt. TUB 
 
 WIND. 
 
 The Simians are a very impressionable race : one 
 cannot fail to discover that whilst perusing Valmiki's 
 story. It is probable, too, that were one to investigate 
 the matter, one would find that they display the same 
 characteristics now ; for evidently human nature has 
 not changed much since the times of which he wrote; 
 — then why should monkey nature have done so? 
 
 Their interview with Sampati had quite driven all 
 suicidal notions out of the heads of Sugriva's envoys. 
 In fact, they went on their way as merry as needs be, 
 — speculating on what would be the gratitude of 
 Sugriva, and the delight of Rama, when they brought 
 them the news that the missing Sita was found at 
 last, — until they reached the sea-coast. 
 
 It was very different then ! 
 
 Night wrapped the earth ; but one could dimly see 
 the huge white-crested Waves roll them up, grimly 
 moaning ; then, with a cruel hiss, sweeping back, 
 dragging the stones and shingles with their white 
 foam-fingers ! It was not a reassuring spectacle, and 
 
 Chap. XHL 
 
 dismay at 
 sight of lite 
 sea.
 
 iqS 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. XIII. 
 
 They en' 
 camp/or 
 the night. 
 
 suggested somewhat forcibly to our heroes' minds, that, 
 whilst it is doubtless desirable to know whither one is 
 bound, it is not precisely the same thing as being 
 landed safe and sound at one's journey's end. 
 
 So, not choosing to express their misgivings, yet 
 too dismayed to make any attempt at dissimulation, 
 the band of Monkeys, in doleful silence, came to a 
 standstill, at a little distance from the moaning 
 waters. 
 
 " Let us encamp here for the night," said Angada, 
 in a voice that sought to be encouraging; "in the 
 morning we shall be better able to decide what course 
 to pursue." 
 
 So they waited there through the night : they 
 seemed to have come to a tacit understanding that 
 their uneasiness was not to be discussed, — but it was 
 not the lighter for that. 
 
 The morning did not materially alter matters ; ex- 
 cept that they could see the turbulent ocean, and 
 judge how far the Isle of Lanka must be off, since the 
 most keensighted amongst them could discover no 
 trace of it. Yet, as with nature, so with her children, 
 there is a renewal of life with the dawning of day ; 
 besides, there is no encouragement to hardihood like 
 light. So our adventurous Monkeys, still looking 
 dubiously at the heavy, angry-looking mass of waters, 
 so unlike the blue rivers that flowed singing through 
 their native woods, began to question how in the 
 world it might be possible to traverse it ; — that was 
 already, you see, a step removed from the hopeless 
 despondency of the preceding night.
 
 THE MONKEYS' COUNCIL OF WAR. 
 
 199 
 
 Angada looked anxiously from one to the other of 
 his followers, seeking where was displayed the most 
 resolution. 
 
 " The eyes of all the Wild Men of the Woods are 
 upon us, comrades ! " he cried. " Who loves the 
 honour of his race well enough to undertake this 
 perilous adventure ? Which of you. Heroes, dares to 
 leap across this foaming sea, and explore the Isle of 
 Lanka, in search of the Vaidehi ? " 
 
 At that the gallant Apes, who were ranged in a line 
 along the shore, leant their heads to the right, and 
 looked at the sea ; — and then leant their heads to the 
 left, and inspected it that way ; — afterwards they all 
 looked at Angada, and none spoke a word. 
 
 " It is a dangerous enterprise, I admit," he said, in 
 answer to their mute appeal ; " but we are in des- 
 perate circumstances already. Do not forget, O 
 Bulls among Apes, that, ere our encounter with that 
 distinguished old Vulture, we had decided to die of 
 inanition, rather than face the wrath of Sugriva ! In 
 what is our position altered now? Come, who will 
 extricate himself and his fellows from this difficulty? 
 Let those who have spirit and energy beyond their com- 
 rades step out from the ranks, and we will compare 
 together, that we may know who has most vigour here !" 
 
 Then Gaya, Gavaksha, Gavaya, Sarabha, Gand- 
 hamadana, Mainda, Dvivida, Nila, Nala, Tara, and 
 Jambavat, the most ancient Ape amongst them 
 all, separated themselves from the company. 
 " I can leap ten yojanas ! " said Gaya. 
 " And I twenty ! " said Gavaksha. 
 
 Chai>. XIIL 
 
 AV xt morn- 
 ing A ttgada 
 asks mho 
 will venture 
 on this 
 cnitrj>rise. 
 
 Nottf frg' 
 sen ting 
 themselves, 
 he bids the 
 most inighif 
 tell what 
 fimver is 
 theirs.
 
 200 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. XIII. 
 
 All con/ess 
 themselves 
 incapable of 
 springing 
 across the 
 se» 
 
 *' I should think nothing of thirty ! " said Gavaya. 
 
 *' Nor I of forty ! " rejoined Sarabha. 
 
 *' Fifty yojanas would not alarm me ! " said Gand- 
 hamadana. 
 
 " Sixty would be an easy leap for me ! " observed 
 Mainda. 
 
 " I have leapt seventy yojanas between sunrise and 
 sunset ! " said Dvivida. 
 
 " And I eighty between dawn and midday ! " re- 
 turned Nila. 
 
 " Ninety yojanas is the measure of my usual 
 leap ! " said Tara — and flung back his head, as who 
 should say, " Will any of you exceed that ? " 
 
 "Ninety-two is the average extent of mine!" re- 
 torted Nala — putting his face close to the others, with 
 a grin that answered, " Ay, / will ! " 
 
 " Well," observed the venerable Jam"bavat, " my 
 vigour is doubtless much impaired by age ; but it 
 seems, all the same, able to surpass the capabilities of 
 this arrogant youth. For all that, this exploit is more 
 than I could accomplish ! " 
 
 " Or I," said Angada, sadly. " I could leap a hun- 
 dred yojanas, which Sampati told us was the dis- 
 tance to Lanka ; but of what use were it to Rama 
 and Sugriva that I should reach the evil island, and 
 perish there ? To return thence would be beyond my 
 power." 
 
 " Nay," returned the most ancient of Apes, " let 
 who will go, thou must not abandon us, Angada ! 
 Sugriva may efface from the minds of the frivolous 
 young Monkeys of his court the memory of the re-
 
 HANUMAN'S PRIDE. 
 
 20I 
 
 dou table Balin ; but the pride of the warriors and 
 veterans is wrapped up in thee, O Angada ! Whilst 
 thou remain amongst us, we are content ! " 
 
 " Content to perish by my uncle's hand ? " asked 
 the young Simian, with a mournful smile. 
 
 " If needs be — content even to that ! " returned 
 Jambavat. 
 
 Now, all this while that his companions had been 
 boasting of their energy and strength, Hanuman, Son 
 of the Wind, had observed a contemptuous silence. 
 The venerable Jambavat walked up to where he 
 stood aloof, and said : 
 
 " How is it, Indra amongst Quadrumanous Crea- 
 tures ! that thou hast no word to say of thy daring, 
 nor strength, — thou, who art the Pride of the Simian 
 Race, and who, alone, art capable of this astounding 
 prowess ? " 
 
 At the praises of Jambavat the gigantic Orang- 
 outang seemed to grow and swell in stature ; and the 
 eyes of the whole band, turning on him of a sudden, 
 flashed with delighted gladness. 
 
 " Step forth, Hanuman ! " they shouted ; " thou 
 Lion amongst the Wild Men of the Woods ! " 
 
 Then the noble Son of the Wind laughed lightly : 
 
 " This enterprise does not alarm me," he said. " I 
 have a heart not prone to recognize defeat. Look on 
 me, comrades ! I am not one whose beauty lies in 
 elegance, nor smooth comeliness ; there are some 
 ugly scars about me that do not lend me grace — yet it 
 is on them I would have you fix your eyes, and not 
 on my well-proportioned limbs and stature ! A large 
 
 Chap. XIII. 
 
 Hamiman 
 is silent, till 
 called oil by 
 Jambavat, 
 
 The Son rf 
 the Wind 
 declares his 
 %vi/ling}ie:s 
 for this 
 expedition.
 
 202 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. XIII. 
 
 He tells 
 them of his 
 youthful 
 daring, and 
 as/iS if they 
 can trust 
 him. 
 
 The Simians 
 ivish him a 
 good voyage 
 ns lie springs 
 muay front 
 them. 
 
 carcase is of little value without a will to match, and 
 strong muscles require a fearless spirit to work them. 
 Simians, you know me ! I am Hanuman of the 
 broken Jaw ! When I was yet a babe, lying in my 
 mother's arms, the ruddy Sun laughed down into my 
 face ; and I, thinking it was some splendid blossom, 
 flushed with excess of sap, sprang from my mother's 
 arms five yojanas into air, in my eagerness to clutch 
 the radiant thing. In the fall that happed me then, I 
 broke my jaw. Comrades, I am no longer a babe, 
 and have learned to accomplish what I undertake ; 
 but my daring and resolution have not cooled. Say — 
 will you trust this matter to Hanuman of the broken 
 Jaw?" 
 
 "We will!" shouted they, till the earth shook and 
 the mountains shouted back, " We will ! " 
 
 Then Angada wound a garland of scarlet flowers 
 round the neck of the noble Orang-outang, and they 
 led him to the Mount Mahendra that he might take his 
 spring from thence. When Hanuman planted his feet 
 firmly on the ground, to give impulsion to his leap, 
 the great mountain groaned, and, from between its 
 shattered rocks, gushed forth foaming cataracts, 
 that rushed headlong down the precipices, to the 
 destruction of the Nagas and great serpents, who had 
 their holes and caverns there. 
 
 Having addressed one prayer to the Immortals, and 
 bidden farewell to his fellows, the heroic Ape stretched 
 his long arms towards Lanka, and bounded forth upon 
 the air ; and all the Simians shouted to him, ** Good 
 voyage, and safe return !"
 
 THE MOTHER OF NAG AS. 
 
 203 
 
 As this highly-gifted Ape sped through the home of 
 birds, his size was developed to an enormous extent, 
 and his tail ^ waved majestically from side to side, like 
 the cloud-signal hoisted by ihe Storm-god. His 
 shadow, that covered ten yojanas, struck terror into 
 the hearts of all the fishes and aquatic monsters. 
 Then the Nagas, who made the ocean their home, 
 clamoured to their mother, Surasa : 
 
 " Who is this Large Creature, whose shadow 
 darkens our world ? Stop his voyage, we pray thee. 
 Devour this Quadrumanous Animal, O Mother of 
 Nagas!" 
 
 So Surasa assumed the form of a monstrous Rak- 
 shasi with gaping jaws, and rose up through the water. 
 
 *' Stop, O colossal Ape !" she shouted to Hanuman ; 
 " the Immortals have given thee to me for a meal ! 
 Therefore enter my mouth without more delay. Of 
 what avail is it to resist one's Destiny ? " 
 
 Then, in consternation, Hanuman looked down at 
 her mouth, that was like a yawning cavern. 
 
 " Magnificent Parent of Nagas ! " he said, " I am 
 employed on an important errand just now ; it con- 
 cerns Rama — he who is known as the Friend of Living 
 Creatures. I beseech thee, let me continue my voyage 
 now, and afterwards I will return to be swallowed by 
 thee, if such be the will of the Lnmorials ! " 
 
 But Surasa was impatient — or perhaps she thought 
 it possible that Hanuman might prefer another route 
 to return by. 
 
 "It is needless thou shouldst be troubled by this 
 * Vide Note I. 
 
 Chap. XIII. 
 
 Siirasn bids 
 Hanuman 
 
 enter her 
 Jiiouth, 
 
 The Ape 
 tells her his 
 erraiiil, and 
 begs her to 
 let him ac- 
 complish it.
 
 204 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. XIII. 
 
 Hamnnan 
 
 makes him- 
 self large 
 and theti 
 small, and 
 darts in and 
 out again of 
 Surasil 's 
 mouth. 
 
 errand, thou whose last hour is so near." she said. 
 " Waste no more time in discussion, but enter my 
 mouth forthwith ! " 
 
 " Make thy mouth large enough to hold me then ! " 
 shouted the doughty Son of the Wind, making him- 
 self twenty yojanas in length. But when Surasa 
 saw that, she stretched her mouth to thirty yojanas ; 
 whereupon Hanunian elongated himself to forty ; 
 the Rakshasi straightway expanded her jaws to fifty ; 
 and so they went on, until Surasa's mouth was a 
 hundred yojanas wide ! 
 
 "Of what avail is all this fatigue?" asked the 
 Mother of Nagas ; " it is evident our force is equal in 
 this matter of expansion ; then wherefore give thyself 
 and me this trouble ? Yield to thy Destiny without 
 more ado, for I swear by the deathless Gods thou 
 shalt not continue thy voyage ere thou hast entered 
 my mouth." 
 
 " So be it," answered the dauntless Ape ; and quick 
 as thought reduced himself to the dimensions of a man's 
 thumb — then he slipped into ihe monstrous jaws of 
 the Rakshasi, and as quickly darted out again. 
 
 " Farewell, Surasa," he laughed ; " I have obeyed 
 thy behests, and entered thy mouth, I must now 
 continue my voyage." 
 
 "Farewell, gallant Monkey!" cried the Mother of 
 Nagas; "I wished only to put thy ingenuity to the 
 proof" 
 
 And having thus cleverly made a victory of defeat, 
 Surasa sank down to her clamorous children. 
 
 Now, whilst she felt his Shadow lie on her bosom,
 
 MAINAKA, THE GOLDEN-HEARTED MOUNTAIN. 205 
 
 the impulsive Spirit of the Sea put back her waves 
 and looked up at Hanuman. 
 
 "Ah," she thought, "this gallant messenger of 
 Rama shall have my aid. For is not this noble 
 Dasarathide the descendant of Bhagiratha, who 
 brought the lovely young Ganga from heaven to be 
 my delight ? " 
 
 So she whispered to Mainaka, the golden-hearted 
 Mountain : 
 
 " Hanuman, Son of the Wind, is in peril, Mainaka ! 
 Thou dost owe thy life to his father : rise up from the 
 depths of my kingdom, O Pearl among Mountains, 
 that the gallant messenger of Rama may rest on thy 
 summit." 
 
 So the golden-hearted Mountain rose up through 
 the whispering waters, all clothed in fluttering verdure, 
 that was shimmering with ocean spray. 
 
 But Hanuman thought, " Here is another obstacle 
 to my voyage," and redoubled his speed. 
 
 Then the gentle Spirit of the Mountain stood fort'- 
 on its summit, and cried to him : 
 
 " Do not mistrust me, Hanuman. Rest awhile on 
 my Mountain. I have journeyed up through the 
 rough billows to bring my summit near to thee. The 
 kindly Wind, thy father, saved me once from danger , 
 • — I should be glad, O noble Hero, if thou vvouldst 
 pause upon my Mountain !" 
 
 Then the courteous Simian smiled kindly on the 
 Mountain Spirit. 
 
 " It was generous of thee, O Mainaka," he said, " to 
 force thy way through the waters, to afford me a rest- 
 
 rHAP. XIII. 
 
 The Sfirit 
 of the Sea 
 tells Main- 
 aka that 
 H anuman is 
 in peril. 
 
 Mainnlca 
 rises out of 
 the sea to 
 afford hint 
 a resting' 
 place.
 
 206 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. XIII. 
 
 Why 
 Maindka 
 was thus 
 hidden bj 
 th* sea. 
 
 ing-place. But tell me, why was thy golden-hearted 
 Mountain sunk away thus, in the depths of the sea?" 
 
 Then the Spirit answered : 
 
 " In the early days the Mountains had wings, and 
 could roam through Indra's world. But all creatures 
 were in constant terror, lest they should be crushed 
 by these flying monsters ; so the great Father, in 
 whose sight life is precious, charged Indra to take 
 their wings from the Mountains. But it is a glorious 
 delight to fly. There is no joy in life to be compared 
 to it. Who would not rather die than lay on one side 
 his wings ? So I fled from the God's command. But 
 Indra pursued me, and in his wrath burned my wings 
 by Vajra, the Thunderbolt ! And he had slain me 
 utterly, but that thy Father, the kindly Wind, who 
 had fluttered often among my groves and prairies, 
 snatched me up in his arms and carried me to the 
 large-hearted Sea. * Thou hast known sorrow,' he 
 said to her ; ' have pity then and shelter this poor 
 Mainaka.' So the generous Sea took me to her 
 breast, and hid me away from the Storm god. And 
 I have dwelt many years beneath the waters ; but 
 when I heard thou wast weary, Hanuman, in spite 
 of my dread of Mahendra, I came forth to bring thee 
 rest. Stay then on the summit of my Mountain, and 
 then continue thy voyage refreshed." 
 
 Then Hanuman raised his hands to his brow and 
 saluted the golden-hearted Mainaka with an anjali.^ 
 
 " O magnanimous Mountain Spirit," he said, " I 
 
 1 "The cavity formed by putting the hands together and 
 hollowing the palms; being in this form carried to the forehead
 
 SINHJKA SEIZES HANUMAN'S SHADOW. 
 
 207 
 
 had gladly rested on thy pleasant slopes, but I 
 promised my comrades to perform this exploit without 
 taking any repose. But to show I am grateful for 
 thy courtesy — see — I lay my hand on thy brow, 
 in token of friendship. Farewell, Mainaka, I must 
 no longer linger;" and with that he continued his 
 journey. 
 
 Then Indra, Lord of the Firmament, smiled down on 
 the golden-hearted Mountain. 
 
 " Rest without fear, noble Mainaka," he said; " for 
 this kindness thou hast shown to the messenger of 
 Rama, I forgive thy rebellious petulance about that 
 matter of the wings." 
 
 So the golden-hearted Mountain, all a-flutter with 
 trees and verdure, remained in the midst of the sea ; 
 once more brightened by sunbeams, and sung to by 
 birds and zephyrs. 
 
 Meanwhile, an old Rakshasi, by name Sinhikil, 
 who was hungry, saw the gallant Monkey sailing on 
 through the air. 
 
 "It is a grateful chance," she thought, "which 
 brings this large creature here, just when my hunger 
 is so keen." 
 
 Then she seized the shadow of Hanuman between 
 her claws. 
 
 The illustrious Orang-outang, feeling himself shaken 
 from side to side, as one who is dragged by the cloak, 
 looked down to the surface of the water, and saw 
 Sinhika holding on by his shadow, with her large 
 
 it is an appropriate salutation to a superior." — Wilson's Sanscrit 
 Dictionary. 
 
 Chap. XIII, 
 
 Hniininan 
 t/maks tJie 
 Mountain, 
 and con- 
 till lies his 
 his voyage. 
 
 Indra alloivs 
 tile Moun- 
 tain to 1-e- 
 niain in the 
 midst qf the 
 sea. 
 
 Si?tkikd 
 seizes Hanu- 
 man s 
 
 shadow.
 
 2o8 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. XIII 
 
 Haiiuman 
 kills Sin- 
 hikd. 
 
 ReacJiin^ 
 
 the const of 
 I^ankd, lie 
 vieditates on 
 "what course 
 to pursue. 
 
 inouth open wide, expecting him to drop into it ; 
 and her bleared eyes shut, because they were not 
 used to look up to the sunlight. So, doubling himself 
 together for a spring, Hanuman darted into the 
 monster's throat and, with his claws tore his way 
 out through the evil creature's back ! 
 
 So Sinhika died ; and that was a very good thing, 
 for she had destroyed many harmless beings by that 
 way of catching hold of their shadows. 
 
 That was the last adventure which befell the he- 
 roic Simian ere he reached the shores of Lanka. 
 Swooping down on the beach, the daring Son of the 
 Wind rested awhile to take breath, and to reflect on 
 what it behoved him to do next. 
 
 *' Here I am, in this Isle of the Rakshasas ! " he 
 laughed ; " to traverse the sea has been a mere excur- 
 sion of pleasure to me ! Now, how am I to accomplish 
 the rest of my mission, and discover the retreat of 
 Sita ? " 
 
 So, taking his chin in his hand, the Orang-outang 
 pondered the matter over. 
 
 " These Rakshasas are a crafty race," he said ; 
 " were I to be discovered in their city, they would 
 doubtless suspect my errand ; for they know the 
 virtuous disposition of the Simian, and his" sympathy 
 with such of the human race as deserve encourage- 
 ment. Were I to enter Lanka, clothed in this colossal 
 shape, the curiosity of the public would infallibly 
 awaken the apprehension of Ravana's confidential 
 followers \ so, though it hurts my vanity, I must 
 assume more modest proportions."
 
 HANUMAN EXPLORES. 
 
 209 
 
 Accordingly Hanuman reduced his size to that of a 
 cat ; and when night had let down shadow on tlie 
 town, he sprang on to the ramparts, and, crouching 
 down, surveyed the position from thence. The magni- 
 ficence of this city, built by Visvakarman himself,^ and 
 of as surpassing splendour as Amaravati, the resi- 
 dence of Indra, filled the intelligent Orang-outang 
 with wonder. As the sky is adorned by its constel- 
 lations,- so was Lanka embellished by its glorious 
 palaces, high as the summit of Kailasa, and while as 
 the clouds in autumn. There seemed no end to the 
 turrets that tore through the blackness, and carried 
 their wreaths of balconies close to the home of 
 stars. 
 
 At this hour the streets were silent ; but from these 
 gorgeous palaces issued the sound of music, and the 
 tinkling of the nupuras of the dancing girls came 
 sweetly to him on the still night air. As he left his 
 post, and crept stealthily along the deserted streets, 
 the delicious odour of savoury dishes provoked his 
 appetite, and revealed to him how merrily these jovial 
 Demons whiled away the night. 
 
 Some houses he passed, though, accepted the soft 
 dimness night gave to them, and were very still ; love 
 reigned within them ; that was why they respected the 
 sweet mystery of night. 
 
 Hanuman, profiting by his small size and great 
 agility, examined every dwelling he passed ; and, as 
 you may think, saw some strange and memorable sights. 
 
 1 Visvakarman, the Celestial Architect. 
 
 '^ This comparison is translated from tlie Ramrynna 
 
 Ckap. XIII. 
 
 At nightfal! 
 Hanuman 
 commences 
 his searclu
 
 210 
 
 THE ILIAD 01 THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. XIII. 
 
 Hamiiniin 
 enters the 
 Palace of 
 
 He comes to 
 the Harem 
 oftheRdk- 
 sluxio^ 
 
 At length he neared a magnificent Palace, the colour 
 of the sun itself; pinnacles, that seemed so many 
 beams fretted into radiant lace, ran up far into the sky ; 
 whilst garlands of lights, like fire-blossoms of every 
 colour, twined round and amongst its turrets. As a 
 great forest is guarded by its lions,^ so was this 
 splendid Castle watched over by savage Rakshasas, 
 clad in sombre garments, and armed with weapons of 
 every description. 
 
 These gigantic sentinels paid no heed to the diminu- 
 tive Ape ; they observed him at all, they despised to 
 exhibit any sign that so insignificant a creature had 
 attracted their attention. So Hanuman slipped by 
 them easily enough, and found himself in the midst of 
 a vast and lofty corridor. 
 
 Keeping as near the wall as possible, the adven- 
 turous Son of the Wind crept on towards a distant 
 apartment, — whence proceeded vague music, such as 
 the sea-nymphs make when whispering to the pink 
 conch-shells. 
 
 Strange light flashed on him as he put back the 
 heavy curtains and looked in, — it glanced from the 
 walls, that were studded with dazzling gems, which 
 seemed so many lustrous eyes keeping guard over 
 those who slumbered there ! Like roses that had 
 swooned to earth, — drunk with the wealth of their own 
 perfume, — a cluster of lovely Maidens, sunk in softest 
 cushions, lay stretched on the floor, in calm and smiling 
 sleep. Their soft breath tossed their filmy veils, and 
 
 This comparison is translated.
 
 THE HAREM OF RAVANA. 
 
 211 
 
 played with the airy draperies that floated round 
 them, hke the mist around the star of morning ! 
 
 Here, some beautiful, unconscious Child smiled in 
 her sleep, letting her little pearly teeth glance from 
 between her rosy lips : — There a more thoughtful 
 Maiden sighed in the tender mournfulness of some 
 dream of love : — One had flung her graceful arms 
 around a dear companion's neck, and, even in slumber, 
 seemed to be caressing him, with pretty childlike 
 grace ; and with her blooming upturned mouth to be 
 pleading, " Kiss me, please ! " 
 
 " Is not this Svarga, the retreat of the Gods ? " 
 asked Hanuman, amazed. 
 
 But then he remarked a certain voluptuous frailty, 
 that fluttered over all this loveliness, and gave it a 
 tinge of light and warmth unlike the ethereal radiance 
 of heaven. 
 
 " No doubt this is the Harem of the Monarch of 
 Rakshasas," he said. 
 
 And this time he was right in his surmise. 
 
 So, curbing his admiration, and doing his utmost to 
 look sternly on the slumbering Maidens, the virtuous 
 Ape stepped on into a further apartment, whence issued 
 a sound like the muttering of distant thunder. 
 
 It was Ravana snoring. 
 
 Thrown on a splendid couch, adorned by wrappings 
 of gold and crimson, the magnificent Rakshasa lay sunk 
 in a deep slumber. His brawny arms were thrown 
 back upon his pillow, and liis large breast, with its 
 many scars, was bare ; his ten mouths were open, and 
 hi" ^ I noses were snoring, all at the same time; — so 
 
 p 2 
 
 Chap. XIII. 
 
 HaKuman 
 
 reaches 
 
 Jidvana's 
 
 cliamber.
 
 212 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. XIII. 
 
 Mandodarl, 
 theDianiond 
 among beau- 
 tiful 
 IVonieJi. 
 
 Hanuman s 
 conscience 
 misgives 
 him, and he 
 quits the 
 Palace. 
 
 it was no wonder if the chamber were shaken by 
 the noise. 
 
 Nevertheless, beside him, on a lower couch, whose 
 wrappings were of blue and silver, lay Mandodari, 
 the Diamond amongst beautiful Women, in a still and 
 peaceful sleep. 
 
 Her smooth young cheek lay upon her little hand, 
 — the otlier hand hung carelessly over the coucli's 
 edge. The long, trailing lashes lay, so still — so still, 
 — one might almost have feared this was a vision 
 and no living woman, — only the mouth smiled ! The 
 little dimples in the cheek smiled too, and seemed 
 to say : " Do not be afraid ! Though I have such a 
 wide, low brow, and such sombrous waves of hair, I am 
 not stern, nor sad ; only passionate, — not at all stern ! " 
 
 For a moment, dazzled by her unusual charms, 
 Hanuman thought: "Can this be Sita?" Then the 
 impossibility . of the Vaidehi's being thus tranquil 
 and contented as another's bride than Rama's 
 occurred to him. 
 
 Also, at the same moment, his sensitive conscience 
 misgave him. 
 
 " I have gazed on the consorts of Ravana, in their 
 sleep," he thought. " Is not this an abominable 
 fault?" — so, with modestly averted eyes, the conscien- 
 tious Monkey picked his way cautiously by the lovely 
 sleepers ; then slipping through the long corridor, 
 and darting by the unwary sentinels, found himself 
 once more alone with the night. 
 
 He soon assured himself that he had been over- 
 scrupulous : he had not intruded himself into the
 
 HANUMAN'S DESPONDENCY. 
 
 213 
 
 Harem for any personal gratification, but in the 
 service of Rama. 
 
 " And where should one look for a woman, save in 
 the company of women ? " he said. — But this was an 
 awkward reflection ; for it suggested that he had, as 
 yet, failed to discover anything with regard to Sita. 
 
 Walking on, absorbed in reflection, Hanuman had 
 by this time reached the ramparts of the town. He 
 seated himself on one of them, in a very melancholy 
 frame of mind. 
 
 "Why have I come here?" he exclaimed, drooping 
 his tail, and dejectedly gnawing his claws. "The 
 Vaidehi is not at Lanka ; or perhaps, unable to 
 bend her to his pleasure, this monster, Ravana, has 
 devoured her ! How am I to return with such mourn- 
 ful tidings ? The noble Rama Avill assuredly die of 
 a broken heart, when he learns the fate of his 
 large-eyed Sita. Lakshmana will not survive his bro- 
 ther; and then, what chance of life will there be for 
 Bharata, orKausalya, or any oneof the Queen-Mothers? 
 Sugriva, the Monarch of Apes, will assuredly expire 
 under the weight of these misfortunes ; and Tara, 
 seeing thus a second husband abandon her, for the 
 empire of Yama, will, beyond a doubt, choose to perish 
 on the same funeral pile ! Angada, who has so tender a 
 love for his motlit r, will certainly refuse to live without 
 her ; — and if he die, I do not see, for my part, how the 
 whole Simian tribe will be able to exist any longer ! I 
 will never be the herald of these misfortunes. On 
 these shores I will erect a pyre, and forthwith take my 
 departure for Yama's world, amid its purifying flames ! 
 
 Chap. XIII. 
 
 Hanuman 
 enumerates 
 the evils 
 that -Mill 
 result from 
 his unstic- 
 cessful 
 search.
 
 214 
 
 7'HE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. XIII. 
 
 Hanuinan 
 in the asoka 
 grove. 
 
 He sees a 
 group cf 
 hiJecus 
 Rdkshasis. 
 
 Or I will espouse the ascetic life of an anchorite in 
 these woods of Lanka. The joys of life are over 
 for me ! " 
 
 Thus the impulsive Offspring of Marut bemoaned 
 himself, shedding copious tears the while. Presently 
 crept over earth and heaven a faint grey li;^ht, pro- 
 mising the advent of dawn. 
 
 " It will never do for the Rakshasas to find me 
 here," thought Hanuman. So, springing to his feet, 
 he fled for shelter to a grove of flowering asokas that 
 was near at hand. 
 
 The trees were all in blossom ; and, as he passed 
 under them, they pelted the mournful Simian with 
 their yellow petals. The birds, too, sang with the 
 evident desire of encouraging him ; and, as he neared 
 a little thicket of oleanders, a River, that ran through 
 it, began to murmur in the most significant manner. 
 
 Somewhat consoled, Hanuman climbed into a 
 sinsapa-tree, and concealing himself in its foliage, 
 waited till day should break. When at length the sun 
 drowned the dreamy grove in a golden shower, he 
 climbed to the topmost branch, and scanned all the 
 pathways of the wood. 
 
 The impulsive Son of the Wind could scarce contain 
 his exultation at the sight which met his eyes ! At a 
 little distance from him stood a group of hideous 
 Rakshasis. Some of them had large, flapping ears, 
 in which they might have utterly enwrapped their 
 faces — which would have been a good thing, so ugly 
 were they ; others had no cars at all. Some of 
 them had snouts like wild boars, with yellow pro-
 
 SIT A FOUND. 
 
 215 
 
 jecting teeth ; the noses of others grew out from the 
 centre of their skulls. Some were quite bald ; others 
 had long shaggy hair, that hung in tangled wisps, or 
 stood out straight round their distorted faces ! 
 
 In fact, it was quite curious to see how much variety 
 there can be in ugliness. 
 
 Like a Star, in the clutch of the monster Rahu, 
 Sita sat, surrounded by these virulent liags ! The 
 Simian had no doubt about it; the moment his glance 
 fell on her, he knew who it must be ; there were not 
 two such visions of loveliness ! 
 
 She was seated on the grass ; her black, silky hair 
 streamed down to the ground, and lay, heaped up 
 in a gleaming mass, beside her ; her eyes were down- 
 
 cast ; 
 tears. 
 
 on their 
 that would 
 
 long 
 
 lashes gleamed two brilliant 
 
 not fall 
 
 ; her mouth — it was so 
 small a mouth to be so sad ! — trembled a little, — that 
 was the only movement ; her arms stretched forth, — 
 her little hands clasped, — were flung heedlessly to the 
 side of her, and had fallen upon the glossy coils of 
 hair : she seemed quite to have given up hope ! 
 
 She wore a silken tunic of a soft, bright, amber hue ; 
 its tint had not lost its tender brilliancy, as the 
 Recluse, Anasuya, had foretold ; and surely it was 
 the holy Woman's favour which made the youthful 
 Princess still retain the blooming charms that Rama 
 loved; for grief is more cruel to beauty and youthful- 
 ness, as a rule. 
 
 Presently, swung through the wood the sound of 
 
 music and merriment 
 nearer, the silver 
 
 laughter 
 
 and, drawing nearer 
 of the nupuras of 
 
 and 
 the 
 
 Chap. XIII. 
 
 Slid is sit- 
 ting atiiong 
 tlte Kiili- 
 s/uisii.
 
 2l6 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 ClIAl'. XIII, 
 
 Ravana 
 comes to visit 
 
 sua. 
 
 The Rak- 
 shasa seeks 
 to win Sit a 
 by fair pro 
 miiet. 
 
 Dancing Girls. It was the Lord of Rakshasas, es- 
 corted by a brilliant company, who came, thus early, 
 to visit his captive. 
 
 Like some beautiful, wild creature brought to bay, 
 Sita sprang to her feet ; and shaking her long hair 
 round her, stood, — one hand holding to the trunk of 
 a tall tree, the other held to her breast to still its 
 tumultuous beat. As the Lord of Rakshasas ad- 
 vanced to her, alone, — the others falling back some- 
 what to let him speak unheard, — Sita met his amorous 
 gaze with bright defiant eyes, and Hanuman saw 
 the mighty Ravana pale and tremble somewhat ; 
 whilst the frail and timorous Sita never shrank nor 
 faltered ; — and thus he learnt how much more powerful 
 is love than fear. 
 
 Then the Rakshasa, his impassioned eyes bent on 
 her, spoke, in softened tones : 
 
 "Why dost thou gaze on me thus wildly, Sita? 
 Have I been so harsh to thee ? Child ! child ! am I 
 thine enemy because the love of thee has so taken up 
 my soul that life has no delight nor warmth save in thy 
 presence ? The tears are heavy on thy lashes, O my 
 Queen ! And yet joy beckons thee. My wealth, and 
 power, and all the pleasant luxuries of my court, are 
 thine ; stoop only to gather them, my fawn-eyed Sita. ! 
 Let me hang jewels in thy silken hair, and robe thy 
 peerless form in raiment like the sun ! Thou shalt 
 choose to wait on thee the loveliest maidens in this 
 isle of Lanka; my Lords and Warriors shall be thy 
 slaves ; and I, their Monarch, will sit me at thy feet, 
 and read thy pleasure in thy dark large eyes' Is
 
 J^AVANA'S LOVE AND SITA'S. 
 
 217 
 
 there a caprice or fancy in 'all thy Httle, wayward heart, 
 that I, Ravana, could not gratify? Power is dear to 
 the heart of woman : — Come to my breast, O my Be- 
 loved, and I will set thy beauty on a throne, whither 
 it shall draw to the light scorn of thy small feet the 
 adoring homage of the universe 1 Sita, my Love, 
 — the life of man is scant : — There is an ardour in 
 the pulse of youth that strains towards a sense more 
 rich and large than any human mind can com- 
 prehend ! Here I invite thee to this fuller Life, 
 my Bride ! Transcend the limits that narrow thy de- 
 light, — and, in the frenzy of a love like mine, drain 
 utterly the draught that mortals barely sip, — and 
 know the blaze and splendour of that Fire, of which 
 all human passion is but the scantest spark ! " 
 
 The clear untroubled gaze of Sita seemed to look 
 far on into the sunlit distance, and quite to lose the 
 dark Ravana, who, shaken by his strong emotion, 
 stood before her with heaving breast and flashing eyes, 
 and hands that clutched each other desperately. 
 
 " You speak to me of passion," she said, " and Fire ; 
 of throbbing pulses, and longings for more full delight : 
 Love has another sense to me ! — It is a Radiance, not 
 a Flame, and kindles rather Light than Heat ! Has it 
 a Heat at all? It may be— yet, if it burn, it is that it 
 mayshi;ie the more ; and passion is only Love's minis- 
 ter ! Love ! — I have known its rapture, — O King of 
 Rakshasas ! I, your Captive, have known its rapture ! 
 Think you to waken u)-'holy Fire in the breast where 
 reigns a Star? to drag down to lust a heart that has 
 been given wings? to tempt, by voluptuous heat, 
 
 Chap. XIII. 
 
 Sita't 
 aiiswer.
 
 2l8 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap.XTII. 
 
 Sits, defies 
 RdvaTia. 
 
 one who has known the glory Brahm has made the 
 Heaven of Life, where luminous souls flash out like 
 suns, letting day in upon the gloom ? " 
 
 Then, holding out both her arms, as though she 
 beheld the Dasarathide standing before her in the 
 path, she cried out loud : 
 
 " Rama, my Lord ! my Life ! my Love ! he thought 
 this ! This Ravana thought to blow my passions to a 
 flame by his impure desires ! Rama, my Lord ! I 
 who have held converse with thy high soul, and learnt 
 to aspire in following thy thoughts, — he sought to 
 beguile me by the unholy ardour of his words ! O 
 Rama, O my Love ! this Demon with a thousand 
 crimes upon his head, a thousand vices in his soul, 
 who has torn me from thy dear arms and brought this 
 anguish into both our lives, comes to me and says : 
 ' For all my guilt, and vice, and for the wrong I have 
 done thee, and because there is not so vile a creature 
 in the empires of water, earth, and air, therefore love 
 me, Sita ! ' — and, O my Lord, he stands there as though 
 he doubted of my answer!" 
 
 She Kiiished with a little scornful laugh, — that died 
 into a sob. 
 
 In her defiance and her scorn of him a new charm 
 was given to her beauty : — this radiant creature, with 
 the warm young arms outstretched, the quivering 
 upper lip, and eyes that flashed through the mist of 
 tears, had for him a more bewildering enticement, 
 even, than the bashful Sita, who had welcomed him 
 in the hermitage of Panchavati. 
 
 " Hear me 1" ha cried, in broken, passionate
 
 f:a vana ASICS sita's pity. 
 
 219 
 
 tones : " revile, upbraid, taunt me, — yet be my Bride ! 
 I do not ask thy love — only forbear to hate me. Oh, 
 thou shouldst not hate me ! They say the heart of 
 woman opens soon to pity ; I, the Lord of Rakshasas, 
 would claim, at least, thy pity. Hearken — I suffer ! 
 Thou art a torture to me ! Fevered, maddened 
 almost in thy presence, away from thee I am wru/ig 
 by fiercer torments than any known in Tartarus ! Is 
 my suffering nothing to thee? Wilt thou not have 
 mercy ? Wilt thou not let me seek to conquer thee by 
 tenderness ? Oh, if there be any womanly softness in 
 thy nature, show me, at least, this mercy ! " 
 
 Flung on the earth, he dragged him to her feet, 
 and covered them with kisses. 
 
 Sita answered : 
 
 " I belong to Rama, as radiance to the sun : — Give 
 me back unto my Lord : — Repair this fresh guilt thou 
 hast taken on thy soul, and I will plead with my 
 Beloved, and say, ' Forgive him, Rama, he is penitent.' 
 Thus will I show thee mercy ! " 
 
 Then the Demon sprang upright and scowled 
 darkly on her. 
 
 "Thou shalt never see this Rama more," he said ; 
 " on that score set thy mind at rest I Let me warn 
 thee, too, to make less frequent mention of a name I 
 hate ! " 
 
 Then Sita broke into disdainful laughter : 
 
 " Thou dost well to hate it ! " she said ; " the name 
 of my Avenger — Rama ! Rama ! Rama ! He will be 
 here anon, — a Lion among the sons of men ! The 
 Gods are with him, and the hearts of all the living 
 
 Chap.XIII. 
 
 Ravaua 
 asks for her 
 pity. 
 
 Stta's replf. 
 
 Rdvancfa 
 wrath. 
 
 Sitd taunts 
 Rdvana.
 
 220 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. XIII 
 
 The 
 Rahshasa 
 
 threatens 
 her ivitk 
 
 creatures upon earth ! Oh, there is a force in virtue 
 that cannot fail ; for this world is Brahm's, and Justice 
 is His Law ! Tremble, tremble, Ravana, for Rama is 
 upon thy traces ! Thou art a great Serpent, O King 
 of Rakshasas ! But he is like Garuda, the Sovereign 
 Eagle, who rids the earth of vipers ! " 
 
 Stung by her reproaches, the Rakshasa turned 
 on her with a look of menace : 
 
 "Thou art a woman/' he said. " Thy insults reach 
 me not: — otherwise, thou shouldst die, here, and now ! 
 But mark me well, O Vaidehi ; I have sought to stir 
 thy ambition — the quality is not thine ; to touch thy 
 heart — thou hast closed it against me. There remains 
 one other weapon — -fear / I give thee one month to 
 bend thee to my will ; thou shalt yield then ! I say 
 thou shalt yield — if thou choose not rather to die ! " 
 
 And with that he turned him on his heel. Then 
 Mandodari, the Diamond among beautiful Women, 
 crept near, and smiled up into his face. 
 
 " Wherefore waste fire on ice, my Lord ? " she said. 
 " Love, unrequited, is all torture ; but 'tis pleasant 
 when flame rushes forth to meet flame ! " 
 
 Her bewitching glance drew his down to her. As 
 he put his arm round her the Dancing Girls brcke out 
 a-singing, and led the way back to the monarch's 
 palace. 
 
 Now all this while the Listener in the sinsapa-tree 
 had had much ado to restrain his indignation. It was 
 fortunate that Ravana had been too absorbed, and 
 the Rakshasas too alarmed by their Sovereign's por- 
 tentous countenance, to have thought for anything else ;
 
 THE RAKSHASIS' PERSUASIONS. 
 
 221 
 
 othervvise they must have remarked how overhead a 
 small Ape was forever shifting his position and spring- 
 ing from bough to bough. As it was, Hanuman saw 
 the hideous females once more gather round the Jana- 
 kide, who, spent by her late excitement, and over- 
 powered by Ravana's parting threat, had sunk faint- 
 ing on the grass. 
 
 Then Vinata, or the Crooked One, leant over the 
 half-conscious Sita. 
 
 " My child," she said, " thou hast shown clearly thy 
 fidelity to thy husband. Thou hast been very virtuous, 
 and I commend thee ; but it is an error to carry aught 
 to an extreme ; the moment for thee to yield has 
 come, and such an excess of constancy resembles 
 foolishness. Really, this Ravana is a consort to be 
 proud of. Is he not of colossal stature ? Has he not 
 ten heads? Not to speak of his wealth, and rank, 
 and power ! Come, be reasonable, and put this 
 miserable Rama out of thy head." 
 
 Here Vikata, or the Bowlegged, interposed. 
 
 "What is the good of all this talking?" she 
 shrieked. "If she still resist, let us tear her limb 
 from limb, and devour her, to prove our Ljalty to the 
 King of Rakshasas !" 
 
 Then a third RakshasI, Hayamukhi, or the Horse's 
 head, approached the cowering Princess. 
 
 *' Be not wilful, Sita," she said. "Youth and beauty 
 are capricious gifts ! If even the Dasarathide discover 
 thy hiding-place, who can say that he will care to take 
 thee back to him, when grief and fasting have im- 
 paired thy charms? Respond to Ravana's flame 
 
 Chap. XIII. 
 
 Their king 
 gone, the 
 R dkshasts 
 seek to con- 
 quer Sita' s 
 resolution.
 
 222 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. XIII. 
 
 The Rak- 
 s/msts con- 
 sult to- 
 gether, and 
 
 Trijatd 
 ■warns them 
 not to harm 
 Sitd. 
 
 then, and enjoy some pleasure while there is yet 
 time ! " 
 
 Again the Bowlegged interrupted her. 
 
 "We have already shown too much forbearance," 
 said this fury ; " let us make our meal of her forth- 
 with ! When I first looked on this young Sita— What 
 round plump limbs, I thought ; would she not make 
 a delicious feast ? It must have been a presentiment ! 
 Come, my Sisters, let us make everything ready for the 
 repast ! " 
 
 Weeping bitterly, the drooping Vaidehi cried, *' Do 
 what you will with me ! Why should I care for 
 death — I, who find Hfe only in my Rama's presence?" 
 
 The Rakshasis, who had been strictly charged by 
 Ravana not to injure a hair of Sita's head, though they 
 might seek to intimidate her by the most dreadful 
 threats they could think of, drew off a little, and began 
 to consult in low voices how they might conquer their 
 captive's resolution. Now amongst the company was 
 an old Rakshasi, named Trijata. 
 
 "Beware," she said, "how you illuse the Princess 
 of Mithila. Last night I dreamt that Rama, the 
 Dasarathide, slew all who had oppressed or tormented 
 Sita. Only the irreligious and the foolish disregard 
 dreams ! Besides, watch now her countenance ; see 
 with what intentness she is listening to the singing 
 of some bird ; the Immortals give the lower creatures 
 power to converse with her; that is a proof they 
 regard her with favour ! " 
 
 At that, the Rakshasis looked nervously at Sita, 
 who had raised herself to a sitting posture j and
 
 HAMUMAN'S DEVICE. 
 
 223 
 
 pushing the heavy hair back from her brow with 
 both hands, was Kstening with a rapt expression 
 of countenance to a bird, who sang to her of Love, 
 and Home, and Rama ! Alarmed, — her keepers 
 retired out of earshot ; sitting them down in a 
 circle, they began to consult, putting their heads 
 close together. 
 
 "Now," thought Hanuman, springing from bough 
 to bough in his agitation, " is a favourable opportunity. 
 If only this lovely Princess do not take me for an 
 enemy, and, with the excitability natural to her sex, 
 scream or faint ere I have time to explain my 
 errand ! " 
 
 The intelligent Ape bethought him that the name 
 of Rama would be the most efficacious method of 
 assuring Sita of his friendly intentions. 
 
 " Alas ! " he exclaimed, in an audible voice, " there 
 is a virtuous Prince, named Rama, who is in sore 
 affliction ! An evil Demon has stolen the Bride that 
 was the treasure of his soul ! And, ever, this noble 
 Prince laments in the hearing of all living creatures : 
 ' Who is there that will bear a message to my Queen ? 
 Who is there that will bid her wait, and trust, and 
 believe my love is strong to rescue her? Who is 
 there that will tell my Darling I shall be with her 
 soon, and hold her once more folded in my arms ? ' " 
 
 Then Sita, a joyous wonder beaming on her face, 
 looked up into the sinsapa-tree. But as she saw 
 there only a little Ape, watching her with anxious 
 eyes, her gaze fell mournfully. 
 
 "Ah me !" she sighed, "it was a dream !" 
 
 Chap. XIII. 
 
 To attract 
 
 Sita 's atten- 
 tion Hanu- 
 man tells 
 alond the 
 grief cf 
 Ratna.
 
 224 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. XIII. 
 
 SUd thinks 
 fwr 7nmd 
 Jias/aiLd 
 Jitr, 
 
 Neverthe- 
 less shf gues- 
 tions the 
 Ape in the 
 sinsapd-tree. 
 
 And then she sighed again, " Ah me ! Yet it was 
 not a dream ! Too surely am I sitting within this 
 Wood of the asokas ; and tlie cruel Rakshasis are 
 still in sight ! My brain is failing me ! I am going 
 mad!" 
 
 And so she clasped her temples with her hands, 
 and seemed to be struggling to convince herself of 
 somewhat. 
 
 "Now, here's an awkward thing!" said Hanuman, 
 swaying him forward and back in his anxiety ; " if 
 she persuade herself that her senses are astray, she'll 
 take me for a Phantom, and not credit a word I 
 speak ! " 
 
 But presently, to his surprise, Sita clapped her little 
 hands together, and broke into a low, wild laugh. 
 
 " Madness ? " she cried. " So be it then ! The great 
 good Father has pity on me : — 'I cannot stop the march 
 of Destiny, my Child ! ' he says ; ' but I will so wrap 
 thy senses round, that they shall not be wounded 
 by the rough edges of events.' Madness, — say men. 
 Unconsciousness of pain, — say I. I joyously accept 
 the pity of my generous God. Yes, since it brings me 
 tidings of my Love, — since it tells me that Rama goes 
 a-mourning for his little Bride, and seeks, and soon, 
 soon, will find, and rescue her, sifice it brings thi,3 
 comfort, in the dark, — gladly I put forth both my 
 hands and snatch this blessed madness to my 
 soul ! " 
 
 So, with a sweet, vv'ild smile, she looked up once 
 more into the tree. 
 
 ♦'Who art thou, little Ape, with the eager eyes?"
 
 HA^'UMAN MAKES HIMSELF KNOWN TO SlTA. 
 
 225 
 
 she asked. " Did I not hear thee speak of Rama a 
 short while back ? " 
 
 The Son of the Wind hastened to reply : 
 
 " I am Hanuman, the humble friend of Rama. I 
 have leapt across the sea to bear a message to his 
 Queen. If, radiant Lady, you be this Sita for whom 
 the Dasarathide grieves, take comfort ; for your Lord 
 will soon snatch you from Ravana's hand ! " 
 
 Sita, still scarcely crediting her ears, implored him 
 to tell her of her Lord. 
 
 "How fares he?" she asked, eagerly; "and the 
 gallant Lakshmana, the Warrior with the laughing 
 eyes ? What has chanced since Ravana carried me 
 off from Panchavati ? — Thou dear little Monkey with 
 the brilliant eyes, tell me, I pray thee, all that has 
 befallen ! " 
 
 Then Hanuman related how the two Heroes had 
 found the noble Vulture, Jatayu, who, ere expiring, 
 told them their enemy was the dreadful King of Rak- 
 shasas ; further, he told of Rama's alliance with Su- 
 griva, Monarch of Simians ; and of how he, Hanuman, 
 had been sent forth, together with a powerful com 
 pany of Apes, under the direction of Angada, to 
 scour the country of the south. Then he told ol 
 their despondency, and their meeting with the aged 
 Vulture, Sampati ; and of how he had been chosen 
 to traverse the sea, and explore the isle of Lanka. 
 
 "And doubt not. Princess, whose beauty is like the 
 smile of Lakshmi," said the courteous Ape, in con- 
 clusion, "that Rama and Lakshmana will fly to thy 
 rescue : for joy has left them with thy presence. 
 
 Q 
 
 Ch AH. XIII. 
 
 Hanuman 
 tells Sita he 
 is Rama's 
 messenger. 
 
 AiSiid's 
 request he 
 tells what 
 has befallen 
 since her 
 abduction.
 
 226 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 tllAP.XIII. 
 
 Hanitman 
 
 offers to 
 carry Sita 
 hack to 
 Rama. 
 
 Rama no more delights in the beauty of woods, nor 
 flowing rivers : when dawn crimsons the sky, he sighs, 
 'Alas, my Sita!' And when night spreads her azure 
 wings, he weeps, ' My Love ! my Sita ! ' " 
 Then the Princess of Mithila exclaimed : 
 "O Hanuman, sweetly bitter are these tidings thou 
 dost bring to me ! I grieve to hear my Rama suffers ; 
 yet scarcely could I wish his pain were less, since that 
 were to desire him callous to my fate. Thou mag- 
 nanimous little Ape, return swiftly, and bear my 
 tender greeting to my dear Lord ; salute the brave 
 Lakshmana too from me, and charge them to lose no 
 time — to lose no time ! Ravana has given me but one 
 month to live ! " 
 
 At that the impulsive Simian sprang down from the 
 sinsapa-tree. 
 
 "You shall not stay an hour in this monster's 
 power ! " he cried. " Trust me, O Lady with the star- 
 like eyes ! Mount on my back : I will carry you 
 across the sea, and bring you to your Rama with no 
 more delay ! " 
 
 " Thou Pearl amongst Quadrumanous Creatures," 
 answered the Vaidehi. " Though thy heart is mighty 
 as the valiant Indra's, thy body is but as a slender 
 cat's : how couldst thou bear my weight, good Ha- 
 numan ? " 
 
 Straightway the puissant Orang-outang resumed his 
 huge proportions. 
 
 "How think you, August Lady?" he cried; "am 
 not I able to bear your slender weight ? " 
 
 Then Sita saluted the mighty Son of the Wind :
 
 SlTA'S MESSAGE TO RAMA. 
 
 227 
 
 " O illustrious Simian," she said, " thy power equals 
 thy courage ! Yet — be not angry with me, friend — 
 I will wait here for Rama. Were it not almost a 
 shame to him that another should save his Bride? 
 Tell him his httle Sita awaits him in captivity, and 
 will owe her rescue to none other than her Beloved ! " 
 
 "Be it as your Highness wills !" returned Hanu- 
 man, a little sadly. " Only, I pray you give me some 
 message to the noble Rama, that he may be assured 
 I have seen and talked with you." 
 
 Dropping her eyes, bashfully, she answered : 
 
 " Once, when our exile was young, and we dwelt 
 on the Mount Chitrakuta, I lay in my Hero's arms, 
 and looked up into his face with love. We were 
 alone, on the hill-side — seated beneath some flowering 
 shrubs. In sport, my Rama plucked a branch, laden 
 with many blossoms, and with their crimson sap 
 traced a tilaka^ on my brow. So, later, I rested my 
 forehead on his breast ; and when I raised it, lo ! a 
 red tilaka was stained there too ! And we laughed 
 greatly at that ; for our hearts were full of love — and 
 when. that is so, a small thing gives happiness. 
 
 •' There was none near ; only the still blue over- 
 head, and round us the fluttering leaves. Tell Rama 
 of the red tilaka; he will know that you have seen 
 his Beloved." 
 
 So Hanuman performed a pradakshina round the 
 Janakide ; and bade her, respectfully, farewell. After- 
 
 ^ " Tilaka, a mark on the forehead and between the brows, 
 either as an ornament or a sectarial distinction." — Wihon's 
 Sanscrit Dictiotiary. 
 
 2 
 
 Chap. XIII. 
 
 Sita refuses 
 to oioe her 
 deliverance 
 to any but 
 Rama. 
 
 The story 
 HannmaH 
 to tell Rdmtk 
 to prove ke 
 has seen his 
 Bride.
 
 22S 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. XIII. 
 
 Hanmnan 
 tears up the 
 asoka grove. 
 
 Ravana or- 
 ders hh 
 
 g-uards to 
 capture or 
 slny Hanu- 
 v:aH. 
 
 wards, he sprang up into the tree again, and pre- 
 pared for his return. But there was hot indignation 
 in his heart. 
 
 " Shall I quit this isle of Lanka, and do no damage 
 to this Ravana, who has dared to menace the peerless 
 Bride of Rama ? " he said. 
 
 So he set about tearing up the trees in the asoka 
 grove, and to defacing the monuments and grottoes 
 it contained. In alarm, the Rakshasis ran up to Sita, 
 round whom the impulsive Hanuman had left the 
 trees still standing. 
 
 " Who is this destructive Ape ? " they asked. " You 
 would do well, O Princess, to answer us without 
 disguise ! " 
 
 Sita answered : 
 
 " Since my captivity in this island I never know 
 who any one may be : you Rakshasas change your 
 forms at pleasure ; how can people recognize you ? " 
 
 When they saw she would tell them nothing, they 
 ran to their monarch, crying : 
 
 " A monstrous Orang-outang has broken down the 
 grove of asokas ; but we are ignorant whether he has 
 held any intercourse with Sita." 
 
 " Capture or slay this mischievous Ape ! " said 
 Ravana, negligently, to the Kinkaras, his guards of 
 honour. So eight thousand warriors rushed forth 
 against the noble Simian, The agile Son of the 
 Wind sprang out of their reach, into a mighty nya- 
 grodha-tree ; then bounding on to the roof of a lofty 
 palace, he uprooted a huge column of marble, and 
 swung it round his head with a shout :
 
 HANUMAN ABOVE THE DOORWAY. 
 
 229 
 
 " I am Hanuman, the Messenger of Rama ! " he j Char xiii, 
 cried. " Death to Ravana, and this evil city of 
 
 Lanka!" 
 
 Then, hurling the pillar amongst them, he crushed 
 the whole army of Rakshasas ; so that the ground was 
 covered with their mutilated corpses ! Then the 
 excellent Hanuman sprang up to an arch, that headed 
 the doorway of the Palace, shouting : 
 
 *' Victory ! victory ! Live Rama, and Lakshmana, 
 and Sugriva, the Monarch of Apes ! I am Hanuman, 
 the Marutide ; a thousand Ravanas could not con- 
 quer me ! " 
 
 His cry of triumpli reached Ravana. Still some- 
 what negligently, the monarch turned to Jambumalin, 
 the illustrious son of Prahasta. 
 
 " Do not return till thou hast slain this Boaster ! " 
 he said. 
 
 Rolling his eyes, that rage had crimsoned, the 
 fierce Jambumalin rushed forth to the combat. 
 
 Hanuman quietly awaited him, perched above the 
 doorway. 
 
 The Rakshasa aimed an arrow that struck the 
 heroic Ape on the cheek ; with a shriek of rage, the 
 illustrious Orang-outang uprooted a sinsapa-tree, and 
 hurled it at Jambumalin. But the Rakshasa shot it 
 into splinters with his arrows ! Then Hanuman tore 
 up a sala-tree, and Hung that at his enemy; but 
 again the Demon broke it into fragments, and 
 with another arrow wounded the Marutide on the 
 breast. 
 
 Seizing, again, his marble pillar, Hanuman made it 
 
 Hanuman 
 ■uproots a 
 pillar and 
 cr-iskcs the 
 Kinkaras. 
 
 Ravana 
 setids Jatlf 
 himalin 
 against 
 Hanuman.
 
 230 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. XIII. 
 
 Hanuman 
 
 kills Jambu- 
 tnalin. 
 
 The so7ts of 
 the ministtrs 
 slain by 
 Hanuman.- 
 
 spin round his head, as he shrieked, in an ecstacy of 
 rage ; then, dashing it down on Jambumahn, the 
 tiger amongst warriors, he crushed the gigantic 
 Rakshasa into a formless mass — dreadful to look 
 upon ! 
 
 Having thus destroyed his enemy, the triumphant 
 Orang outang sprang up to his post above the door- 
 way, shouting : 
 
 " Victory ! victory ! Long live Rama, and Laksh- 
 mana, and Sugriva, King of the Simian tribes ! Who 
 comes next to seek a greeting from Hanuman, Son 
 of the Wind ? " 
 
 When he heard the taunting shout, the mighty 
 Lord of the Rakshasas sprang to his feet in wrath. 
 "Who will slay me this insolent Ape?" he cried, 
 with his eyes aflame. 
 
 At his summons bounded forth a hundred young 
 warriors, the sons of the ministers, eager as coursers 
 of war for the combat. Armed with numerous 
 weapons, and mounted in splendid chariots, drawn 
 by prancing steeds, impatient for the battle-shout, 
 these young Heroes sallied forth against the gallant 
 Simian. 
 
 Perched in the aperture above the door, Hanuman 
 waited till they were within an easy distance. But, 
 when they bent their bows, he disconcerted their aim, 
 by spiinging, suddenly, into the air, far, far above the 
 reach of their arrows ; — then, with a hideous screech, 
 that froze their hearts with terror, the dreadful Son of 
 the Wind, pillar in hand, swooped down on them, 
 like Garuda upon a nest of serpents ; and, ere they
 
 THE FIVE WARRIORS OF RENOIVK 
 
 231 
 
 could break their serried ranks, or think of flight, he 
 massacred them, as IndrJs hailstones beat down the 
 flowers ! 
 
 When he beheld these young warriors stretched, 
 lifeless, at his feet, the victorious Simian established 
 himself, as before, on the summit of the doorway. 
 
 Then five Warriors of renown, Yifpakhya, Viru- 
 paksha, Durdharsha, Praghasa, and Bhasakarna, im 
 plored the Monarch of Rakshasas to send them forth 
 against Hanuman. Ravana bade them go. 
 
 " But," said he, " beware of regarding disdainfully 
 this Quadrumanous Creature ! For my part, I am 
 convinced he is a Being of a superior race, who has 
 disguised him in the body of an Ape. I have 
 encountered many heroic Simians ; as, for example, 
 Balin, the Monarch of all Apes, whose vigour won my 
 esteem in past days ; but even that Elephant among 
 monkeys was incapable of the daring shown by this 
 insolent giant ! " 
 
 Having obtained the Mo.:iarch's permission, the 
 five Heroes leapt forth to the encounter, eagerly as 
 the flames rush up to devour a sacrifice. 
 
 When they saw the colossal Orang-outang, calmly 
 surveying them from his eminence, rage took posses- 
 sion of their hearts. 
 
 Durdharsha first aimed an arrow that struck 
 Hanuman in the neck ; then he lashed his steeds 
 nearer, and as he advanced covered the undaunted 
 Ape with showers of arrows. But when the Warrior 
 was close to the doorway, Hanuman, with a sudden 
 cry, let himself fall upon the chariot ; it was shivered 
 
 ClIM-. XIII 
 
 Ravan/t 
 sends Jive 0/ 
 his best war- 
 riors against 
 Hiuiutnan. 
 
 Durdharsha 
 slain by 
 Hanuman,
 
 232 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. XIII. 
 
 Yupakhya 
 an i Viru- 
 pdkslta. 
 slain. 
 
 PragJiasa 
 and Bhdsa- 
 kariia meet 
 the same 
 fate. 
 
 Al'slia, Heir 
 to tlic throne, 
 is sent fiext 
 against 
 Hanujitan. 
 
 into fragments, and the Rakshasa hurled from it 
 Hfeless ! 
 
 Then up rushed Yupakhya and Virupaksha, with 
 clubs and mallets upraised : but the gigantic Ape 
 tore up a lofty palm-tree, and beat down first their 
 weapons, then themselves ; so that swiftly they joined 
 Durdharsha in Yama's world. 
 
 Enraged at the spectacle of their comrades' fate, 
 Praghasa and Bhasakarna, armed, the one with an 
 axe, the other with a lance, rushed at the intrepid 
 Simian, uttering cries for vengeance. Hanuman, 
 stained by blood, arrows everywhere quivering in his 
 colossal frame, waited for them to come near; then, 
 seizing a huge rock, all overgrown by large shrubs 
 and plants, he hurled it at his adversaries with a shout 
 of fury. 
 
 The two Warriors disappeared beneath the whelm- 
 ing mass. — Once more Hanuman was alone, but for 
 the corpses of his foes. 
 
 Seated again in the aperture, the mighty and in- 
 domitable Ape seemed like the Death-god, reposing 
 after the slaughter of worlds.^ 
 
 Then Aksha, the Heir to the throne, a youth 
 merely, but who had already made himself a name 
 in the battle-field, flung him at the feet of Ravana. 
 
 "If thou hast any love for me, I-ord and Father," 
 he cried, " grant me next to combat this Hero ! " 
 
 Then Ravana, smiling to see his ardour, motioned 
 the youth to be gone. Seizing his bow, the gallant 
 Aksha sprang into his golden chariot, and lashed 
 * Tbis comparison is translated.
 
 AKSHA, THE BOY WARRIOR. 
 
 233 
 
 his milk-white coursers on, amid the bodies of the 
 slaughtered Rakshasas. When the noble Son of 
 the ^Vind saw this new opponent, his heart was filled 
 with compassion. 
 
 "This Hero is still but a Child," he thought ; "it 
 were against my will to slay him in an hour when life 
 seems filled with beauty ! " 
 
 Accordingly, wishing to spare Aksha, the gallant 
 Orang-outang sprang to the ground, and struck the 
 chariot a blow with his clenched fist, so that it was 
 overturned, and the snow-white horses lay dead 
 amongst its fragments. 
 
 But, nothing daunted, the gallant youth sprang up 
 from amid the ruins, and, by virtue of his great self- 
 macerations, bounded up through the air to meet 
 Hanuman. 
 
 " Well done, O valiant Simian ! " he shouted j " but 
 as yet thou hast not triumphed ! Come, let us mea- 
 sure our strength here, in Indra's world ! " 
 
 When he saw that Aksha's daring only augmented 
 with the combat : 
 
 "There is no help for it," said the magnanimous 
 Ape, regretfully. " A fire that increases ^ cannot be 
 despised ; I cannot let pity for this hot-headed Boy 
 imperil my mission ! " 
 
 Thereupon he seized the young Warrior by the 
 feet, and flung him down head foremost. — So Aksha, 
 the lion-hearted young Warrior, the joy of the city of 
 Lanka, lay cold and dead on the breast of the one 
 earth-mother ! 
 
 ^ This comparison is translated. 
 
 CHAr. XIII. 
 
 Hamtvtnn 
 
 is ttinched hy 
 Aksha s 
 yotitk and 
 seeks to s^at 
 his life. 
 
 Akshifs 
 
 valour 
 makes Ha- 
 numan fut 
 forth his 
 strcngth,nnd 
 the youtk is 
 siaift.
 
 234 
 
 THE ILTAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. XIII. 
 
 Tndrajii goss 
 forth agahust 
 HaHumati. 
 
 hfe nvoimds 
 Hanuinan 
 ■zviih a magic 
 arrow and 
 has him 
 fettered. 
 
 When he knew tliat, a cry of grief and rage mounted 
 up to Ravana's Hps : 
 
 "Indrajit!" he shouted; "Pride of my heart! 
 dost tliou hear ? Aksha, thy brother — the Boy with the 
 sunny smile — is dead ! Up, Warrior whose Hmbs are 
 Hke young fir-trees ! Avenge me thy brother's death ; 
 capture or slay this monster ! Destiny has kept this 
 triumph for thee, who hast already made the world 
 quake by thy exploits ! Indrajit, return not without 
 this murderer ! " 
 
 Then, gravely Indrajit rose; and, when he had 
 performed a pradakshina round Ravana, he leapt into 
 his chariot, drawn by three savage lions, whom he 
 urged forward by dreadful shoutings. 
 
 Hanuman, leaping into the air, hovered above the 
 I chariot, taunting the fierce Indrajit, and making 
 I sport of his arrows. 
 
 But Indrajit, in compensation for long years of 
 
 I self-inflicted penance, had received a miraculous 
 
 'Arrow from the hands of the Immortals. Wounded 
 
 \ by this supernatural Dart, the intrepid Son of the 
 
 Wind, his strength paralysed, his vigorous limbs 
 
 numbed by an icy chill, fell crashing down to earth, 
 
 and lay, incapable of motion, on the ground. 
 
 Then, from every palace and hovel in Lanka rose 
 up a shout of triumph. Forth rushed the Rakshasas 
 and Rakshasis, eager to jeer and deride an Enemy 
 they no longer dreaded. A troop of oflicious Demons 
 bound the gigantic Ape with cords, and fettered him 
 with iron chains, so that his hands and Itet were 
 linked together.
 
 HANUMAN IN HAVANA 'S PRESENCE. 
 
 235 
 
 Then the stern Indrajit, who had kept silence 
 through the combat, as now, in this hour of triumph, 
 drew forth the miraculous Arrow, and holding the end 
 of the. cord by which he was bound, motioned Hanu- 
 man to follow him. 
 
 " If only he conduct me into the presence of 
 Ravana ! " thought the intelligent Ape. " When one 
 is in the hands of Demons, it is better to have to 
 deal with their King ; who is at least iutclligc7itly 
 malevolent, and cognisant of self-interest." 
 
 He soon perceived that his wish was about to be 
 realized; for Indrajit paused before the splendid 
 palace he had entered the preceding night. The 
 Rakshasa, dragging Hanuman after him, entered the 
 Assembly room, where sat Ravana amid his courtiers. 
 The Monarch, robed in gorgeous raiment, was seated 
 on a throne of crystal. On a dais at his feet were his 
 four principal ministers ; and again, at their feet, sat 
 the princes and first lords of the Rakshasas. 
 
 The mobile nature of the illustrious Ape was much 
 impressed by the external splendour of the Rak- 
 'shasa's court. 
 
 ■' Beyond a doubt, were he not a slave to injustice, 
 this Ravana were a magnificent Prince," he thought. 
 Ravana, sternly and in silence, bent his twenty ter- 
 rible eyes upon the Orang-outang ; then, turning to 
 Prahasta, the most eminent among his ministers, he 
 commanded him to question the Prisoner. 
 
 Then Prahasta, standing forth, demanded : 
 
 •' Who art thou. Warrior ? Assuredly thou art not 
 wiiat thou seemest, a simple Ape. Wherefore hast 
 
 Chap. XIII. 
 
 Inih-ajit 
 leads his 
 captive bc^ 
 fore Rd- 
 
 The minis- 
 ter Pra- 
 hasta ques- 
 tions Ha7i.li- 
 tiiaH
 
 236 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. XIII. 
 
 Hainiman 
 tells his 
 erratuL 
 
 thou assumed this disguise ? What cause has brought 
 thee to this isle of Lanka ? Art thou sent hither by 
 Indra, or Kuvera, or Yama ? Wherefore didst thou 
 destroy the asoka grove ? and why hast thou slain the 
 Servitors of the resplendent Lord of Rakshasas ? " 
 
 Then Hanuman answered, courteously : 
 
 " Illustrious Rakshasa, I am that I seem. This 
 Orang-outang's body is the wonted garment my spirit 
 wears. I am called Hanuman, he of the broken Jaw : 
 I come here on a mission from my Sovereign, Sugriva, 
 King of the Simian Tribes." 
 
 Then, bowing to Ravana, he addressed himself to 
 the Demon with the ten heads : 
 
 " Resplendent Lord of Rakshasas !" he said, "if I 
 destroyed thy grove, it was to gain admittance to thy 
 presence. As for thy Servitors, they assailed me — 
 not I them ; and if I slew them, it was in self-defence. 
 My King — Sugriva — greets thee, O Ravana, and wishes 
 thee prosperity and health. He has charged me to 
 inform thee, that thou hast, unlawfully, in thy island, 
 a daughter of the human race, the august Sita, Prin- 
 cess of Mithila, wife of Rama, the Dasarathide — he 
 who is known in the three worlds as the Friend of 
 Living Creatures. My Lord, Sugriva, doubts not this 
 woman has been brought here by an error. ' Is not 
 Ravana a king ? ' he says ; ' has he not much know- 
 ledge and science? Cannot he procure beautiful 
 maidens to wife, if such be his pleasure ? It is not 
 possible that he has stooped to covet the wife of 
 another ! ' Therefore he says — send back this illus- 
 trious Lady to her lawful spouse, and make, by
 
 HANUMAN WARNS RA VANA. 
 
 237 
 
 presents and excuses, what amends lie in thy power, 
 to the noble Rama, — and he, Sugriva, will intercede 
 with the Prince for thee. 
 
 " On the other hand, my Sovereign says, if thou 
 refuse to give back this Sita, then know that there is 
 war between the Simian tribe and thee ! Know that, 
 from all nooks and corners of the earth, monkeys, of 
 every race and breed, will flock to the battle-cry 
 of Rama ! Know that Lakshmana, the gallant 
 brother of Rama, has terrible renown ; his enemies 
 fall before him as the forest trees before the tempest ! 
 Know that men and animals, and the elementary 
 forces of the universe, are with Rama ; that the Im- 
 mortals are with him too ; that his own great soul 
 has the heroism and power of a God's, and that 
 before its wrath this splendid town of Lanka and 
 thou, its Lord, will vanish as foam before a gale ! " 
 
 Maddened by the audacious words of Hanuman, 
 Ravana's eyes flushed a cruel red. 
 
 "Lead this insolent Ape forth from my presence," 
 he shouted, "and let him die ere an hour have 
 passed ! " 
 
 But when Vibhishana, the noble brother of Ravana, 
 whose nature revolted against the depravity of the 
 Rakshasas, heard that Hanuman was condemned to 
 death, he hasted to fling himself at the foot of the 
 throne. 
 
 " O magnificent Ravana ! " he cried, " do not do 
 thy fair fame this discredit ! The life of an ambas- 
 sador is sacred ; be this Ape never so guilty, it were 
 to harm thy reputation to slay him. For, Hanuman 
 
 Chap. XIII. 
 
 Hanuntnn 
 says, if Si til 
 be not re- 
 stored, Ra- 
 ma, at the 
 Jiead of the 
 monkey 
 tribes, imll 
 destroy 
 Lanka. 
 
 Rditancfs 
 ivrath% 
 
 Vibhishana 
 begs that 
 Haniimaii's 
 life may be 
 spared.
 
 238 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. XIII. 
 
 Rdvana 
 cojiijuands 
 that Hanu- 
 man's tail 
 shall be set 
 onjire. 
 
 St/d's 
 prayer to 
 the Fire. 
 
 dead, what Rakshasa would dare take thy defiance to 
 Rama? And if he hear not from thee, will not the 
 Prince attribute thy silence to fear of him ? " 
 
 The Monarch was silent awhile, pondering with 
 scowling brows. Then a cruel smile overspread his 
 countenance. 
 
 " Thou sayst well, Brother," he exclaimed ; ** to 
 slay this vile Creature were an error. But he shall 
 not go unpunished. Vanity is a characteristic ot 
 monkey nature ; and his tail is ever a matter of fond 
 satisfaction to a Simian's mind : let my Servitors, 
 without delay, set fire to the tail of this Hanuman. 
 So shall this precious Rama behold his envoy become 
 the laughing-stock of all living creatures ! " 
 
 At these words of Ravana, six vigorous Demons 
 seized on the poor Hanuman. When they had dragged 
 him out of the palace, they proceeded to envelope 
 the beautiful appendant, in which he had always felt 
 great pride, in cotton ; then, having saturated it in oil. 
 they applied to it a lighted torch. 
 
 Having been told what was going on, the malicious 
 Rakshasis, who had charge of Sita, dragged her into 
 the streets of the town. 
 
 " Thy Friend — that large Ape who broke down the 
 asoka grove — is about to have his tail set on fire ! " 
 they said, jeeringly. 
 
 Then the tender-hearted Sita, clasping her two soft 
 palms together, whispered, under her breath : 
 
 " O Fire ! ruddy Fire ! beside whose flame I vowed 
 to be fond and true to Rama — if I have kept my vow, 
 be good to Hanuman 1
 
 THE FIRE IS GOOD TO IIANUMAN. 
 
 239 
 
 " O Fire, that art so pure, and yet so warm ! if 
 Rama's soul be clear and eager as thyself, pity his 
 friend ; be good to Hanuman ! " 
 
 Then the Fire, leaping up in a bright golden flame, 
 played round the tail, as though it were performing 
 a pradakshina, and did not burn it 1 And thus it 
 answered the gentle Princess : 
 
 "I am good to Hanuman ! " 
 
 Presently the Marutide began to marvel. 
 
 " How is this ? They have set fire to my tail ; yet 
 does it feel no ill, but only a soft warmth, which 
 caresses its tip most pleasantly ! " 
 
 When he understood that this was because of the 
 intercession of Sita, his courage and daring revived. 
 He bethought him of a plan to be free of his bonds. 
 Reducing his size to that of a grasshopper, he stepped 
 out of them easily enough, and swiftly resuming his 
 gigantic proportions, he shouted aloud : 
 
 " I am free once more : — Hanuman, the fearless 
 Son of the Wind ! " 
 
 Terrified by this miracle, the Rakshasas fled, 
 screaming, before him ; and soon the heroic Simian 
 was left standing alone by the gateway of the 
 town. 
 
 " Even so," he laughed, " I would fain do one 
 more stroke of work ere taking my departure." 
 
 So saying, he sprang on to the roof of the nearest 
 dwelling ; and lashing his tail, round which the fire 
 still played, from side to side, soon set the palace in 
 a blaze. The kindly wind blew the conflagration 
 into fury ; so that soon all Lanka was wrapped in 
 
 Chap. XIIT. 
 
 TJte F{r£ 
 plays rcHHii 
 llaniitiiaits 
 lailivithoHt 
 burning it. 
 
 Hanmnnn 
 
 makes hitii- 
 
 self sjiiall, 
 
 \ and steps out 
 
 ' of his bonds 
 
 He springs 
 
 on to t/ic rooj 
 of a palace 
 and sets it 
 on fire luilh 
 his tail.
 
 240 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. XIII. 
 
 Lanka, 
 being in a 
 blaze, he is 
 alarmed/or 
 Sita, 
 
 He finds heir 
 safe beneath 
 Hie sijisapO' 
 tree. 
 
 He shouts 
 ere starting 
 071 his home 
 mard jour- 
 ney, and his 
 friends 
 knmv he has 
 'riiiivfihed 
 V the sound. 
 
 flames ! Then a terrible apprehension flashed across 
 the impetuous Monkey's brain. 
 
 " I have forgotten to warn Sita ! " he thought. " My 
 Queen, the lovely Vaidehi, whose eyes are like the 
 dreamy lotus flowers, will perish here !" 
 
 And, without more ado, he was about to fling him 
 also into the angry fire. 
 
 But just then a second thought came : 
 
 " If, at her intercession, the flame respected even 
 my worthless tail, how much less would it dare to 
 injure the precious Bride, of Rama?" 
 
 So, much comforted, he rushed to the cluster of 
 trees still standing, where once was the asoka grove ; 
 and there he found Sita, safe and sound, with a dash 
 of sunlight in her dreamy eyes ; whilst the Rakshasis 
 crouched, shivering, round her. Once more Hanu- 
 man renewed his assurances of returning soon with 
 Rama ; and having received more messages, for both 
 the noble Dasarathides, he left the Princess sadly, 
 often looking back, and often repeating : " We shall 
 soon return ! " 
 
 Then he climbed the Mount Arishta, and stretched 
 out his arms towards the opposite shore. As he 
 bounded forth, on his homeward journey, he gave one 
 shout of triumph ; and Angada and the other Apes, 
 hearing it, said : 
 
 " Hanuman, the invincible Marutide, has succeeded 
 in his mission, or he would never have this voice of 
 thunder I "
 
 CHAPTER XIV, 
 
 NALA BUILDS A MOLE ACROSS THE SEA. 
 
 "My loyal Wild Men of the Wood," said Rama, 
 the Dasarathide, to the faithful Simians who sur- 
 rounded him, "ye have heard the story of this 
 magnanimous Son of the Wind. Can ye not fancy 
 how my impatient heart already rushes forth to where 
 my Princess, with many longings, waits for me? 
 Friends — if I have your love, let us delay our march 
 no longer!" 
 
 When he heard the tremor in Rama's voice, Su- 
 griva, the affectionate Simian, knelt down to him. 
 
 "Thou hast our love, O dear Prince!" he said, 
 " and we will march forthwith : do thou direct us. 
 Because thou hast treated us as friends, it pleases us 
 to be thy servants." 
 
 As their Monarch spoke, the whole Band shouted 
 for joy that the time for action was come, and 
 Lakshmana handled his mighty bow, and laughed 
 aloud. Then all gathered round the noble Dasara- 
 thide, to hear the order he would have them keep. 
 Standing on a little hillock, his eyes surveying the 
 host, Rama issued his commands. 
 
 K 
 
 Chap. XIV. 
 
 Rama 
 apfeah to 
 the Siviianf, 
 and asks 
 them to set 
 forth 
 ■without 
 delay. 
 
 Sngnva 
 bids Rama 
 determine 
 the order of 
 their march
 
 242 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. XIV. 
 
 The enthu- 
 siasm of lI'.C 
 Wild Men of 
 the Woods. 
 
 "Let Sugriva be in the midst of the army," he 
 said ; " a King is the centre round which the people 
 gather. Nila, with a chosen band, shall precede the 
 host ; at its head shall march the giants Naya, Gaya, 
 Gavaya, and Gavaksha ; as in the prairie the large 
 Buffaloes lead on the herd. Let the noble Simian 
 named Rishabha, because he is a Bull amongst Apes, 
 command the right wing ; the left shall have for chief 
 Gandhamadana, whose impetuous valour is like that 
 of an elephant in the season of the rut. Mounted 
 on Hanuman, as Indra on the celestial Airavata, I 
 will follow ; and near me Lakshmana, borne by the 
 illustrious Angada, shall seem a second Siva, carried 
 by the supernal Bull ! Jambavat, Sushena, and 
 Vegadarsin shall protect the rear. Thus, if it seem 
 good to thee, O magnanimous Lord of Quadru- 
 manous Creatures! will we determine the order of 
 our company." 
 
 " Let the noble Rama be obeyed ! " cried Sugriva. 
 
 But though the chiefs quickly assumed the posts 
 assigned them, they had much ado to keep up any 
 sort of discipline amongst the impetuous Wild Men 
 of the Woods. Shouting and leaping, they made the 
 forest tremble again, and wakened all quadrupeds 
 and fowls, who had retired for the night, with their 
 loud cries of: 
 
 " Long life to Rama, the Beloved ! Death to 
 Ravana, the Enemy of Living Creatures ! " 
 
 Then the little Birds within their nests, and the 
 blameless animals from out their dens and holes, 
 answered :
 
 THE MARCH. 
 
 243 
 
 " Oh that it may be so ! Oh that the just may 
 triumph ! " 
 
 Amidst the turbulent Band, Rama moved on, as it 
 were, deaf to their loud shoutings ; seemingly uncon- 
 scious that he was the cause of their enthusiasm. 
 Since the loss of his Beloved there was a vague sad- 
 ness habitual to him ; life had lost colour and dis- 
 tinctness — he told himself. Lakshmana, who alone 
 ventured to break in upon this absorption, pointed 
 upwards to the starlit sky. 
 
 " My Brother," he said, " mark how, through the 
 night, the heavens smile down. Seems it not a 
 promise that our expedition is pleasing to the stars ? 
 See the Maharshis,^ whose light is kissing through the 
 air : and Trisanku,^ the Rishi 
 
 among 
 
 Kings, 
 
 our 
 
 Ancestor, who flames there aloft, and whose beams 
 fall here upon my hands ; and the pure and still 
 Visakhas,^ whose calm eyes rest on us with such a 
 peace ! Surely the stars are gentle ? Would not 
 there be a tremor in their gaze if evil threatened the 
 fragile Sita, whose beauty is as dreamy as their light ? 
 As a rule, night hangs grief upon the world ; yet it 
 seems as though to-night the fair earth smiled behind 
 her veil of shadows ! Note, too, how, as we pass, the 
 trees shake away sleep, and open out their blossoms 
 into the dim light, spilling the perfumes it is their 
 wont to hoard up for the sun. Rama, my dear Lord, 
 amongst these genial signs canst not thou hold high 
 
 1 Maharshis — constellation of the Great Bear. 
 
 2 Trisanku — vide chap. iv. p. "JO. 
 8 Visdkhus — stars situatcJ in the constellation of the Scales 
 
 R 2 
 
 Chap. XIV. 
 
 LaksJitnatux 
 
 seeks to 
 
 encojirage 
 
 Rama.
 
 244 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. XIV. 
 
 Ramc^t 
 iament. 
 
 thy heart ? Thou art marching now to conquer back 
 the Radiance of thy life ! " 
 
 "Ay," he answered; — "meanwhile I suffer in the 
 dark." 
 
 On, through the winding pathways of the forest, 
 and over the trackless steeps of the Mount Vindhya, 
 marched the Simian host, taking no rest till the 
 coast was reached. There they encamped, full of 
 perplexity about the transport of this large company 
 to the shores of Lanka. Followed by the faithful 
 Lakshmana, Rama climbed the Mount Malaya, 
 and looked far across to where a wall of blackness 
 bounded the white, wrinkled sea. Presently his for- 
 titude broke down. 
 
 " So long ! " he cried, his two clasped arms held 
 out. " So many Hours quite lost ! So much of 
 Fervour and of Beauty missed ! How shall all 
 this be given back to me — since Life itself is 
 short, — too short for I^ove ? Ye joyous Gods, 
 look down — see, at the best, how transient is 
 Man's lot. Each moment spends it; Time drives 
 him ever on, and at each step — weeping — he leaves a 
 fragment of his soul ! Can he turn back to gather 
 them ? O deathless Gods ! these joys that have thus 
 fallen, fallen from my life, can I — the Slave of 
 Yama — turn back to gather them? When the grey? 
 dreadful Cloud sweeps on, with resolve to quench 
 my heat of being, will the o'erwhelming mass be 
 stayed awhile, because I have been mulcted of half 
 my days? Shall it be counted me how many suns 
 have failed to rise on me, because my soul was, oh !
 
 *' YET AM I 5 ERE A VED!" 
 
 245 
 
 SO drenched with tears, it could not taste the flush 
 and glory ? Or shall the nights be given me, for rest, 
 that I have paced the lonesome wood, fire eating 
 through my heart, whilst dark-winged slumber over- 
 spread the earth, and held all else in peaceful 
 trance ? O just, large-hearted Gods, who meet 
 men at a Moment, face to face— drawn down from 
 highest Heaven ye— we raised from abjectness to 
 the central air, to taste the Divine weakness, the 
 human Apex, Love! — since that ye know the Ecstasy, 
 have felt the Pain sublime, say, how shall all the 
 treasures of my Sita's love, her sweet caresses, and 
 gentle whispered words, her smiles, that broke up 
 my manhood's gravity, her tears, that held my heart 
 back from growing stern, and that mysterious union 
 of wedded love, which thrills sense through with 
 spirit, and takes man into Nature's inner soul, showing 
 him the Halo that dwells upon her Laws ; how, how 
 can this be compensated ? If even I bear the burthen 
 of my life, and all the slow, torturing delay a war 
 involves, upheld by hope of winning thee again, — 
 yet, yet, my Sita, of these long hours of my youth, 
 spent in the dark and chill for lack of thee, have I 
 been robbed — and yet am I bereaved ! " 
 
 I'hus mourned he, and Lakshmana dared not essay 
 to comfort him ; there was a passion in his grief that 
 warned off sympathy. 
 
 In a while his mood changed. He flung him, face 
 downwards, on the cliffy and spoke so low, that 
 through his voice was heard the sobbing of the 
 waves. 
 
 Chap. XIV.
 
 246 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. XIV. 
 
 Ram a calls 
 to Slid 
 tliat he is 
 near her, 
 and a voice 
 answers she 
 is conscious 
 that he is. 
 
 "My Love — my Child," he said; "my Little 
 One with the large wistful eyes ! '■tJwn dost wait 
 for Rama' 'thou dost long sore for Rama' — didst 
 thou speak thus, O gentle One? Thy Rama is not 
 far— not far from thee, my Dove ! And they 
 did give thee but one month to live? Only one 
 month — thou little frightened Bird ? Beloved ! Be- 
 loved ! before the month be passed my arms shall 
 be around thee. Be not afraid ; let not the ugly 
 Rakshasis crush thy timid heart 1 Sita — canst thou 
 not feel thy Lord is near?" 
 
 He ceased. To Lakshmana was no sound, save 
 the sobbing of the waters, and the low moaning of 
 the wind ; but to Rama's ears came the words : " I 
 feel my Lord is near ! " And, comforted, he put his 
 arm about his brother's neck ; and the two came 
 down the mountain side together. 
 
 Now, during their absence, the Monarch of Apes, 
 accompanied by Hanuman and Angada, had gone 
 down to the beach to watch how the waves, like un- 
 wieldy creatures at a boisterous game, rushed up, one 
 after the other, their white, unkempt hair of foam 
 streaming madly on the wind. The cold light of 
 early morning was already stealing over sea and sky. 
 Presently, sailing towards them overhead, they beheld 
 a monstrous Cloud, that took form as it drew nearer, 
 1 and appeared a colossal Rakshasa, from whose dusky 
 Thenrrhai wnngs fcU siuistcr shadows. Hanuman recognized 
 siianaT Vibhishana, Brother of Ravana, the Scourge of the 
 Three Worlds. He was followed by four other Demons, 
 armed like himself, with different sorts of weapons.
 
 THE DESERTER FROM LANKA. 
 
 247 
 
 Vihhishnna 
 says he has 
 i(i/?ie to ally 
 himself with 
 Kama. 
 
 " These malignant Creatures thought doubtless to chap. xiv. 
 surprise us in our sleep ! " exclaimed Sugriva. " Let 
 us at once alarm the camp." 
 
 But Vibhishana called to them : 
 
 "Do not fear me, magnanimous Orang-outangs! 
 I have come here to ally myself with Rama. Often 
 have I sought to persuade my cruel brother to re- 
 store Sita to the noble Dasarathide. Thus have I 
 earned his enmity ; and Ravana is vindictive and 
 malicious. In peril of death, then, I have fled his 
 court, and am come to implore the succour of this 
 Prince, who is known as the Friend of Living 
 Creatures !" 
 
 Now Sugriva was far from being convinced of 
 the sincerity of Vibhishana's professions. However, 
 he at once recounted to Rama what had taken place. 
 
 " This Rakshasa requests an interview with thee, O The 
 Elephant among men!" he said; "but do not thou misiruj 
 trust him, my Prince. It is more likely that Ravana *'"' 
 has sent him hither for our ruin, than that he seeks 
 protection from his own brother ! Give the word, 
 noble Rama, and we will forthwith slay this traitor !" 
 
 "Nay," interposed the noble Angada, "let us not 
 slay him, ere we have proved his treachery. If the 
 magnanimous Rama permit, I will question this 
 Vibhishana, and discover the true motives of his 
 coming." 
 
 "That were difficult," said Hanuman. " Think- 
 est thou. Prince among Simians, that one who 
 would stoop to treachery would shrink from false- 
 hood ? For my part, I believe this Rakshasa has
 
 248 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. XIV 
 
 Rama says 
 it is not 
 laivjtd to 
 reject a sup- 
 fliaiU. 
 
 heard how Bahn was slain, and the throne given 
 to Sugriva, and has thought, ' Who can say, but 
 if I serve Rama, the sovereignty of Lanka may be 
 mine?'" 
 
 Then Rama, who had listened to them all, spoke : 
 
 " There was, we are told in the Vedas, a Vulture 
 pursued once by an Eagle. Seeing no refuge, he 
 called to the Dove, and implored her to give him 
 shelter. The gentle Bird did not hesitate, but con- 
 cealed her natural enemy in her nest ; and that was 
 accounted right by the Gods. My Friends, it is not 
 well to doubt another ; the true heart trusts ! Nor 
 is it well to turn from any suppliant. He who allows 
 his enemy to perish for want of succour, loses to him 
 his merits of past virtue, and is burthened by the 
 other's faults ; this, too, is written in the Vedas. 
 For me, the oath of the Kshatriya^ has never re- 
 leased my memory. * I promise,' said I, then, ' to 
 make the security of all living creatures my care ; 
 and to spare in battle the Enemy who, imploring 
 mercy, says : *I yield me !' Bring, then, this Vibhi- 
 shana before me ; were it Ravana himself, I could 
 not refuse him hospitality !" 
 
 Whilst the others hung their heads, Hanuman ran 
 and fetched Vibhishana ; and when he was near to 
 Rama, the Rakshasa laid down one by one his 
 weapons of warfare, and his followers did the same. 
 Then they prostrated themselves before the noble 
 Dasarathide, and Vibhishana said : 
 
 " I have lost friends, and power, and country ; but 
 ^ Oath of the Kshatriya — vide Note i.
 
 THE ADVICE OF VIBHISHANA. 
 
 249 
 
 if the noble Rama will let me serve him, I shall regret 
 none of these." 
 
 At that, the Raghuide^ raised him courteously, and 
 embraced him on the brow ; and when the impres- 
 sionable Simians .saw that, their enthusiasm was 
 kindled, and they shouted : 
 
 *' Long live Rama, the Beloved, and his new Ally 
 the mighty Vibhishana !" 
 
 Sugriva and the other chieftains now gathered 
 round the Rakshasa, to consult how the passage of 
 the army was to be effected. 
 
 "Is not the illustrious Rama a descendant of 
 Bhagiratha, by whom the beloved Ganga was led to 
 the arms of the ocean?" asked Vibhishana. "Let 
 this heroic Prince claim a safe passage from the 
 generous, though turbulent, Sea : she will not refuse 
 it him." 
 
 " Nay," said Sugriva, " Indra himself could not 
 conduct so vast an army across this world of waters, 
 unless it were spanned over by a bridge." 
 
 " If that be so," cried Lakshmana, " we will forth- 
 with set to work, and fetter these restive billows with 
 a bridge ere the day be done !" 
 
 "Thou dauntless Lakshmana!" returned Rama, 
 with a mournful smile, "the thing is not so easy ! With- 
 out her leave, this boisterous Sea cannot be spanned ; 
 and even so, not one, but many days' toil will it take, 
 to reach the shores of Lanka ! Yet, as Vibhishana 
 says, this generous Ocean owes us a favour. I will 
 down to her shores forthwith, and seek an interview." 
 ^ Raghu — son of the Sun-god, and ancestor of Rama. 
 
 Chap. XIV. 
 
 Rama em- 
 
 braces 
 
 Viblashaiia. 
 
 Tkey'consutt 
 
 how the 
 aririy is to 
 traverse 
 tlie sea.
 
 250 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. XIV. 
 
 R&tna seeks 
 an intervie'vu 
 with the 
 Spirit of 
 the Sea. 
 
 On iJie third 
 day there is 
 still no 
 answer 
 
 So the sinless Prince went down to the beach of 
 silvery sand, torn through, here and there, by dark 
 and jagged rocks ; and here he made a couch of 
 sacred grass, and knelt there, taking neither food, nor 
 drink, nor any sleep at night. 
 
 And ever he kept his gaze fixed on the shifting 
 waters — until his eyeballs ached, and vision was a 
 pain. The first day he saw nothing — nothing save 
 the dark, vaulted waves, with ashen manes, who 
 burst out of the Sea's profounds, and roaring ever 
 on one note, rolled up to him dark matted coils of 
 weed, that seemed the hair of drowned men ! Night 
 came on slowly, slowly; but the monotonous roar 
 slept not. White Birds, like Phantoms, whirled 
 round the Watcher's head ; there were some stars 
 on high, that seemed to shudder ; out far upon the 
 watery desert, a lambent, phosphorescent' flame 
 flickered and played fitfully amid its terrors. Then 
 came the dawn — and with it the ocean's mood was 
 hushed ; blue grew its waters ; the ripples there 
 seemed but so many smiles ; still no sign for Rama. 
 The sun sank down into the flushed wavelets, and 
 night came on again. A fresh day dawned — still 
 there was no sign ! 
 
 On the third day Lakshmana broke in on Rama's 
 solitude. 
 
 " No answer yet. Brother ?" he asked. 
 
 The noble Raghuide sprang from his knees with 
 flashing eyes ! 
 
 "No answer, O Lakshmana!" he shouted. "Be- 
 cause I have been patient, and shown gentleness, I
 
 THE SEA-SPIRIT. 
 
 251 
 
 am a scorn to this ignoble Sea ! There are on whom 
 all just persuasions are thrown away, and to whom 
 one must ever speak in words of menace. Give me 
 my bow, Tiger amongst Warriors, and my arrows, 
 like fiery serpents ! My wrath shall overwhelm this 
 ungrateful Sea, who forgets all she owes our race ; my 
 darts shall search the depths, and reach her active 
 fish, with brilliant scales ; her sharks, and whales, 
 and lazy monsters, who love not motion ; her coral 
 reefs will I break down, and destroy her palaces of 
 dazzling gems ! Thus will I teach her I am powerful, 
 though I stooped to speak of friendship." 
 
 So saying, the wrathful Dasarathide shot an arrow 
 into the deep heart of the main, and the Queen of 
 flood and river flung up her arms of surge ; and 
 crocodiles and huge monsters, unknown before to air, 
 were upheaved and hurled against the sky. 
 
 Then the small fish, whom she loved, came in 
 shoals to their Queen, imploring her not to provoke 
 the Dasarathide further. The Sea comforted her 
 children, and putting on one side the waves, rose, 
 beautiful and wild, attended by four dolphins with 
 breath of flame. Robed in nacreous azure, that had 
 the pearly lustre one finds in shells, garlands of scarlet 
 flowers amid her heavy hair, soaked through, and 
 dashed with spray, — she with the lustrous eyes, the 
 Sea- spirit — stood on the darkling waters, her hands 
 raised to her smooth brow, to pay the Heroes the 
 reverence of an anjali. 
 
 " Rama," she said — it seemed the song of waters on 
 sultry nights when the moon's kisses ruffle the som- 
 
 Chap. XIV. 
 
 Rditza 
 losing 
 patience 
 threatens 
 the Sea- 
 spirit. 
 
 The Spirit of 
 the Sea 
 appears to 
 Rama.
 
 252 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. XIV. 
 
 TJie Sea- 
 spirit bids 
 them con- 
 struct a 
 wale. 
 
 brous blue — " it is not well to loose thine anger thus. 
 The Earth, the 'Air, the Light, have each their pro- 
 vince ; I, too, have mine. We gods are but the 
 eldest-born of God ; in the beginning He laid a Law 
 on us, by some called Nature — we obey ; man only 
 chooses to assert that he is free— /^ err ; for us, the 
 Will of Brahm is our necessity. I cannot quit the 
 order laid on me in the early days ; my billows may 
 not be fettered by any bridge : but build a mole across 
 to Lanka, and I will give thy Simians a safe passage 
 to Ravana's Isle, Let Nala, son of Visvakarman,^ 
 who has inherited his father's skill, construct this 
 mole. I will prevent my sharks, and crocodiles, and 
 other monsters from interfering with the work; my 
 impetuous waves, too, will I hold back. This will I, 
 Rama, for love of thee, and gratitude to those who 
 gave thee life. Let not this bring me dishonour in 
 the world of men. Not from cupidity nor cowardice 
 do I give thus a pathway through my kingdom, the 
 home of dangerous monsters and innocent bright- 
 scaled fish; if, for love's sake, I let thee ford my 
 depths, do not despise me, O Hero with the sinless 
 soul !" 
 
 Rama and Lakshmana bowed them low before the 
 beautiful Goddess of the Sea; when they rose, the 
 fair Spirit had sunk back into her unfathomable 
 world. 
 
 Without delay the Dasarathides told the Simians of 
 the promise of the Sea. Then turning to the colossal 
 Ape, Nala, Lakshmana asked : 
 
 * Visvakarman — vide Note 2.
 
 NALA, SON OF VISVAKARMAN. 
 
 253 
 
 " Whose son art thou, Bull amongst Quadrumanous 
 Creatures?" 
 
 Nala laughed. • 
 
 " Once, up in the hill country," he replied, "Vis- 
 vakarman, the celestial architect, met my mother, the 
 beautiful Ape, on the mountain of Mahendra. Her 
 unusual charms won his favour ; I, noble Raghuide, 
 am the issue of their union, and my father's skill is 
 mine!" 
 
 " Also, it is to thee we will confide this structure," 
 returned Rama. 
 
 So all the company of Apes, shouting in their eager 
 joy, spread them over the face of the country, up- 
 rooting salas, and bamboos, and asvakarnas, and 
 huge trees of every description ; breaking off rocks, 
 and rolling up mighty stones for the building of this 
 mole, which was to chain Ravana's Isle. Sugriva, 
 leaping from brow to brow, flung down crashing mass 
 after mass he had torn from the mountains ; Angada 
 broke the summit of the Mount Dardura, and hurled 
 it into the abyss ! Under the direction of Nala, a 
 hundred thousand Apes leapt into the passive waters, 
 laden with shrubs and stones ; and in the liquid waste, 
 as though by miracle, surged up a solid path, that 
 grew ever, like some huge serpent, stretching it slowly 
 towards Lanka. 
 
 The Rishis, the Siddhas, the Gandharvas, and 
 Garuda the Monarch of Fowls, hung overhead, held 
 in admiring wonder by this stupendous spectacle. Indra 
 sent fleecy clouds, to refresh the toiling Simians with 
 bright rains, and the good Marut gave tliem fresh 
 
 Chap. XIV. 
 
 Nala 
 tells his 
 pareTitage. 
 
 To him is 
 entrusted 
 the direction 
 of the 
 builders. 
 
 The con- 
 struction of 
 the mole.
 
 254 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. XIV. 
 
 TJie mole 
 isfijiished. 
 
 breezes, that they might not faint beneath the great 
 fatigue. 
 
 At length the mole was done ; and a mole of ten 
 yojanas' width parted the vast ocean-field, and bound 
 fast the evil isle of Lanka to the southern coast. 
 
 "Who has bound with a chain these coasts to- 
 gether?" asked the Charanas and Vidyadharas in 
 amaze, 
 
 "Rama!" shouted the Simian band. "He is 
 marching at our head to rescue Sita with the starlike 
 eyes."
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 rXma and lakshmana, wounded by indrajit, 
 
 ARE released FROM THEIR TRANCE BY GARUDA, 
 KING OF BLRDS. 
 
 Night, Ravana, the Scourge of the Three Worlds, 
 stood alone upon the ramparts of the pleasant town 
 of Lanka. When they had told him that his enemy- 
 had made a pathway through the trackless sea, and 
 in a few hours, at most, would reach the island he 
 had thought impregnable — he had laughed. 
 
 That was when he stood surrounded by his cour- 
 tiers ; now that he was alone, shadows round him, 
 and in his soul dense blackness, there was yet a sneer 
 upon his lips, and bitter mockery in his eyes. Scorn 
 for the Gods, for man, for nature, for himself, had 
 swayed his life ; Scorn, the master-passion of the Fiend, 
 now reached its triumph hour, and, in a burst of 
 evil exaltation, mocked at despair itself ! 
 
 For he was not deceived ; he knew his Hour had 
 come. 
 
 Standing there, with folded arms, he watched the 
 Simian army coming ashore in serried companies, 
 and ranging themselves along the beach. The dis- 
 tance and the dimness lent a weird terror to the sighU 
 
 Chap. XV. 
 
 Rdvaita, 
 learning 
 that his 
 eneviiishave 
 traversed 
 the sea, 
 ktKnus that 
 his time has 
 come.
 
 256 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. XV. 
 
 Rdvana in 
 his despair 
 shows no 
 repentance. 
 
 He consults 
 the 
 
 Magiciafi 
 Vidyzijjihva. 
 
 The 
 
 Rakshasa 
 enters Sitas 
 prison. 
 
 No sound was heard ; the shore was too far off for 
 any tramp of feet to reach that solitary Watcher. 
 
 At length the Rakshasa spoke : 
 
 " It is near," he said. " The more reason that I 
 should be swift : Love first — then Revenge ! After, if 
 needs must. Death ! " 
 
 And so he left the ramparts. 
 
 When he reached his palace, he sent for the Magi- 
 cian Vidyujjihva, and the two spent the night in 
 close consultation. At first hint of dawn, the Monarch 
 of Rakshasas, followed by the Wizard, sought the 
 clump of trees which Hanuman had spared out of the 
 asoka grove ; and where, in a cavern, hidden away by 
 oleanders, rich in blossoms, the Vaidehi was kept a 
 prisoner. 
 
 Motioning Vidyujjihva to await him without, 
 Ravana pushed on one side the flowering boughs, 
 stepped lightly by the slumbering Rakshasis, and 
 entered the inner cavern. The pale morning had not 
 penetrated here ; yet a strange light irradiated the 
 crypt. Lustrous stalactites hung from the roof, and 
 their Hquid radiance touched with sheen the leaves of 
 the twining plants that clung to the rocky walls ; — 
 there, too, gleamed a spray of crystals, that looked 
 like dewdrops, through which light smiled. 
 
 This tearful splendour seemed to concentrate itself 
 about the youthful Princess. 
 
 Darkness upon him, the Rakshasa paused on the 
 
 threshold, watching her. She sat, wrapped in her som- 
 
 brous hair, the soft silk amber of her garment peej> 
 
 I ing through its heavy waves : one arm, bare save for its
 
 RA VANA 'S LAST APPEAL. 
 
 257 
 
 golden bracelets, was thrown across her lap : — the 
 beauty and the roundness of this arm troubled the 
 enamoured Demon. Sita did not stir, yet she slept 
 not ; her large, mournful eyes watched the cavern 
 wall, with a fixed, hopeless stare, which proved 
 that the long captivity had broken her young spirit 
 down. Even when she saw Ravana standing there, 
 his fiery gaze bent on her, she only shuddered, 
 and turned her lovely face away; to reproach him 
 now, or to seek to escape from him, was beyond her 
 power. 
 
 The Rakshasa knelt down beside her on the cavern 
 floor. 
 
 "Sita," he prayed, and the consciousness of 
 approaching death lent a wild pathos to his voice, 
 " the time has come for thee to yield ! Must I have 
 risked my all in vain ? Nay, — thou shalt listen to me ! 
 What did thy Boy-Love, Rama, to win thy childish 
 heart ? 'Tis certain he sought it not ; chance led him 
 to the country of Vaideha : and if he snapt the Bow of 
 Siva, it was not love for thee which lent him ardour. 
 Janaka gave thee to him as one gives a warrior a 
 chariot, or a horse, in recompense for valour. But 
 I,— my life itself have I not spared to purchase thee ! 
 For thee, have I provoked the enmity of all hving 
 things ; for thee, have I defied the Gods, and outraged 
 man ; for thee, have I fought, and sinned, and suf- 
 fered, — ay, and do suffer now ! Thou art mine, Sita — 
 mine, by right of guilt, and sacrifice, and loss ! Mine, 
 — my own sweet Conquest ! Into one deep abyss 
 have I flung wealth, and power, and life. Time filters 
 
 Chap. XV. 
 
 Sita in her 
 prison. 
 
 Ravana 
 
 enunieratts 
 the risks he 
 has incur! ed 
 for fier sake.
 
 2S8 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. XV. 
 
 Sit A calls on 
 Rama, ajid 
 RdTana 
 says he has 
 been slain. 
 
 TJie 
 
 Magician 
 thro%vs doivn 
 a Head like 
 Rdwa't, 
 
 through my fingers ; — by Heavens ! I will be paid the 
 Price ! " 
 
 As he approached still nearer, Sita sprang to her 
 feet. 
 
 *' Rama ! " she cried, " my dear Lord — help ! " 
 
 " Look not to him for help," said the other, sternly. 
 " Call on him no more, O Vaidehi I Thy Rama 
 is dead!" 
 
 A passion of terror swept her against the rocky 
 wall : she dragged the hair back from her face, and 
 stood looking at him, with wild, dilated eyes, 
 
 " Dead ..." was shuddered between her paling lips. 
 
 Ravana broke into a cruel laugh. 
 
 *' lie crossed the seas," he said, " to murder me, 
 and to destroy this town of Lanka. But, ere he had 
 the time, my young warriors surrounded him, and slew 
 him. So, ho ! Vidyujjihva, bring me here the head 
 of the Dasarathide thou thyself didst sever on the 
 battle-field ! " 
 
 Then the Magician rushed into the Cavern, and 
 flung on the floor a Head, soiled with blood, and 
 gashed by many wounds ; but which yet bore a re- 
 semblance to the noble countenance of Rama. He 
 threw down, too, a mighty Bow, which seemed the one 
 Visvamitra had given to the Boy- Warrior long ago. 
 
 Powerless to scream, or faint, or die, held motion- 
 less by horror, Sita remained, staring at the hideous 
 sight. 
 
 " What can a Dead Man for thee, Pearl of Beauty ?" 
 asked the Demon. " Mourn for him ;^ waste thy youth 
 away ; — weep thine eyes dull ; — moan thy sweet voice
 
 THE MAGICIAN'S STRATAGEM. 
 
 259 
 
 harsh ; — beat thy fond breast with passionate hands : — 
 what then ? Will he or know, or care ? My Sita, life is 
 more transient than a dream, since those who waken 
 from it, or enter on another vision, forget the past' has 
 ever been. It is weH to bury grief for those who have 
 put off memory; Rama is lost; there is no Rama ! 
 Wilt thou weep for the Non-existent ? Do men sing 
 td^the Deaf, or show colours to the Blind? That 
 were less folly than to mourn the Dead ! Since there 
 is none to share thy grief, nor to be grateful for it, 
 take pleasure to thy heart ; divert thee with the living 
 whilst thou mayst ; brim thy days full with joy — for 
 time is passing — each moment is somewhat lost : O 
 large-eyed Queen, Life is not long enough to waste 
 an hour on grief!" 
 
 His words were meaningless to her. At this mo- 
 ment she flung up her hands : " Dead! " she shrieked ; 
 and fell, rigid, to the earth. 
 
 Ravana sought vainly to restore her to conscious- 
 ness. In desperation, he called in the Rakshasis ; — 
 whilst he stood there, muttering curses on the feeble 
 wits of women, a Messenger came to summon him to 
 the Council, to hear the fortunes of the army he had 
 ordered to march at dawn against the invaders. 
 
 Now, amongst her guardians was an elderly Rak- 
 shasi, named Sarama, whom the beauty and misfor- 
 tunes of the gentle Princess had touched with pity. 
 When the Demon had departed, she took the faint- 
 ing Sita in her arms, and, bending tenderly over her, 
 whispered comforting words in her ears. 
 
 " He is not dead, my gentle Singing-Bird," she 
 
 s 2 
 
 Chap. XV. 
 
 Stta/aints, 
 and Ravana 
 is summoned 
 to the 
 Council.
 
 26o 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. XV. 
 
 Saram/i 
 
 CPinforts 
 Sitd. 
 
 The Head 
 
 vanishes. 
 
 The tidings 
 of Prahasta. 
 
 said ; " thy Hero is not dead. It was a cruel trick of 
 magic, meant to conquer thee by robbery of hope. 
 Open thine eyes, be not afraid, oh, fragile as the 
 lotus-flower ! See, see ! the ugly thing has vanished ; 
 it was but a lying vision. Rama lives, and is near thee 
 even now ! " 
 
 At that the fluttering heart of Sita took courage ; 
 she dared, once more, to look around ; and sure 
 enough the pale Head, with its cruel crimson streaks, 
 had vanished. 
 
 Then Sarama told how she had heard Ravana and 
 the Wizard plan this scheme for persuading Sita her 
 Hero was no more. Further, the kindly Rakshasi 
 narrated the landing of a vast array, that seemed to 
 have sprung from the bosom of the sea. 
 
 "And," added she, "there is among them a warrior 
 whose limbs are like young fir-trees, and in whose 
 glance is sunlight ; surely it is the fearless youth, 
 Lakshmana? And near him moves One with strange 
 majesty of bearing, whose countenance has a sad, 
 godlike beauty. This must be Rama, for there is 
 not his like among mortal men !" 
 
 " It must be Rama," repeated Sita; and a smile irra- 
 diated her sweet face as she flung her arms round the 
 neck of the good old Rakshasi. 
 
 Meanwhile, those were ill tidings the Minister Pra- 
 hasta had brought Ravana. The Rakshasas had been 
 utterly routed by the gallant Wild Men of the Woods, 
 and only a few stragglers had returned to tell the tale. 
 With them the Raghuide had sent the noble Orang- 
 outang Angada to speak a warning in the ears of the
 
 ANG ADA'S DEFIANCE. 
 
 261 
 
 inhabitants of Lanka. The fearless son of Balin 
 now stood forth in the midst of the town, and shouted 
 so that in every palace and hut his voice was heard. 
 
 "Rama, the Friend of Living Creatures," he cried, 
 ** the lion-hearted Warrior Lakshmana, and Sugriva, 
 King of the Simian tribes, salute the citizens of 
 Lanka. Let those who love justice, and to whom 
 Ravana's sin is odious, quit this evil city, or hold them 
 safe within their dwellings, for it is not the pleasure ol 
 my Lords to slay the innocent. To Ravana, he who 
 is called the Scourge of the Three Worlds, the noble 
 Rama sends this message. *Thou hast made an ill 
 use of the gift of life,' says the Beloved of Gods and 
 mortals ; ' thou hast turned thy powers of mind and 
 body against the Law of Justice, and set thy pleasure 
 in opposition to the Eternal Will of Brahra. This 
 last crime has summed up thy guilt ; thou hast trans- 
 gressed the limits — and must die ! Thou hast caused 
 too many tears to be shed to look for mercy. Yet,' 
 says the blameless Hero, ' would I spare thee shame 
 and suffering ! Send back the august Princess of 
 Mithila forthwith ; and thou, build thee a funeral pyre, 
 and cleanse thee of thy guilty life within the purifying 
 Flame. So may thy soul find mercy with the Gods, 
 and thy death at least be worthy of a King ! ' This 
 done, the noble Raghuide pledges him to quit these 
 shores ; and thus thy servants' lives, and the wealth 
 and prosperity of this fair city of Lanka, may be 
 spared ! " 
 
 Then rose up a mocking laugh from the courtiers 
 of Ravana. 
 
 Cha'>. XV. 
 
 Angada pro- 
 claivis in 
 the narnes of 
 Rama and 
 Sugriva 
 that no 
 terms will 
 be made 
 until 
 Ravana,
 
 262 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. XV. 
 
 Rail ana 
 orders 
 Angada to 
 be scourged; 
 but he 
 escapes, and 
 returns to 
 the catnp. 
 
 The war 
 begun. 
 
 " On my word," said the Monarch, " this precious 
 Rama, the chosen associate of Apes, has a valorous 
 tongue ! We shall see if blows be as easy to him as 
 words ere long. Meanwhile, to show our apprecia- 
 tion of his generous counsels, let us instruct this envoy 
 of his in courteous bearing. Seize him, and let him 
 be scourged forthwith ! " 
 
 But the doughty Angada broke easily from those 
 who essayed to tether him ; and springing on to the roof 
 of the palace, clapped his hands, and shouted aloud : 
 
 " Long life to the gallant Dasarathides, and their 
 chosen ally, Sugriva ! Death to Ravana, who has filled 
 the world with tears !" 
 
 Afterwards, with a {q.\^ bounds, he returned to the 
 Simian camp. 
 
 Then the war began in earnest. Armed with 
 shoreas, palms, and huge trees of every description, 
 the Wild Men of the Woods marched against Lanka. 
 The colossal golangula,^ Kumuda, with a hundred 
 thousand Apes, blockaded the eastern gate; the 
 western was attacked by Sushena, the magnanimous 
 parent of Tara ; Satabali, with his hosts, assaulted 
 the southern barrier ; whilst Rama, Lakshmana, and 
 Sugriva assailed, unaided, the northern portal. The 
 Rakshasas, in serried bands, charged forth from each 
 gateway on the invaders. Then ensued a fearful 
 struggle, — the Demons brandishing clubs and pikes — 
 the Simians wielding their gigantic trees, and rending 
 their enemies with their teeth and claws, in a frenzy 
 of ferocious rage ! 
 
 ^ Golangula—&-pQ with a cow's tail. — Note by Fauche.
 
 INDRAJIT'S SACRIFICE. 
 
 263 
 
 All day they battled thus ; night came on : and 
 then the fight grew hideous. It seemed the stars 
 refused to shine on such a scene of carnage. 
 The adversaries could barely discern each other's 
 forms ; and such shouts as, " Art thou a Rakshasa ? " 
 "Art thou a Simian ?" were frequent, ere two dusky 
 giants rushed at each other, and grappled in mortal 
 combat. The Bears, who had followed in troops 
 Sugriva's army, stalked about — their su'arthy forms 
 hidden by the night — devouring the Rakshasas in 
 the midst of the battle-field ! The sound of drums 
 and trumpets blended hideously with the shrieks 
 and groans of the wounded, and served to keep 
 up the delirious fury, which had half its source in 
 terror. 
 
 All through that night, the noble youths Rama and 
 Lakshmana moved calmly from post to post ; the rage 
 and evil excitement of the others had no place with 
 them; they seemed, too, to bear charmed lives, for 
 no arrows reached them, nor were they soiled by 
 blood. 
 
 In the grey of morning, Indrajit, Ravana's eldest- 
 born, and the most dreadful among the Rakshasas, 
 withdrew a space from the battle. In a lonely field, 
 whence was heard the tumult of the fight, he built him 
 an altar, and adorned it with blossoms, crimson, as 
 though soaked in blood. Then, kindling a fire there, 
 he stabbed a struggling Ram he had dragged thither 
 by the horns, and poured its blood upon the altar. 
 A moment the sacred Fire hissed, and seemed about 
 to die in smoke ;— then sprang up a little Flame of a 
 
 Chap. XV. 
 
 The hat He 
 by ni^ht. 
 
 Indrajtf 
 builds ait 
 altar.
 
 264 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. XV. 
 
 Iniirnjit 
 invokes the 
 Fire, 
 
 A chariot 
 rises out 
 from the 
 Fire. 
 
 Indrajit, in- 
 visible to his 
 enemies, 
 hangs over 
 the Simian 
 arinf, dis- 
 tressing it 
 'with his 
 jnagic 
 arrows. 
 
 cruel red, and the fierce Indrajit, falling on his 
 knees, caught the flush and heat of it upon his 
 face, whilst round him gloomed the pale shades of 
 morning. 
 
 " Fire, eager for destruction," chanted he, " who 
 hast been fed on blood, and learned the lust of 
 slaughter, — Fire, whose burning passion knows no 
 check, whose appetite is never sated, — Fire, pitiless 
 and fiercely cruel as myself, lend me thine aid ! 
 Help me to slay mine adversary ! " 
 
 Suddenly the crimson Flame blazed up, and stained, 
 through and through, the air with red ; no floating 
 smoke hung round, nor any golden Halo such as 
 plays above the Brahman's sacrifices; but from the 
 midst rose slowly a resplendent Car, drawn by six 
 fiery steeds, and streaming from it was a serpent with 
 golden scales, and cold gleaming eyes, the same 
 device Indrajit carried on his flag. By that he knew 
 this came in answer to his prayer, — and with a fierce 
 laugh sprang into the chariot, and it upbore him into 
 the dawning light. 
 
 Wafted on by these miraculous Steeds, the Rakshasa 
 soon hung suspended over the Simian host, invisible 
 to all eyes, save those gifted with the sense of magic. 
 The followers of Sugriva were mown down on all 
 sides by this unseen adversary ; it was as though the 
 skies rained death on them ! 
 
 " This is the work of magic, Brother ! " cried Laksh- 
 mana, in grievous wrath at the slaughter of the 
 faithful Simians. " Hast not thou also weapons of 
 miraculous power ? Shoot off, I pray thee, the Dart
 
 RAMA AND LAKSHMANA WOUNDED. 
 
 265 
 
 of Brahma, that there may be an end of these Rak- 
 shasas, and this foul city of Lanka ! It is vain to ply 
 honest warfare against a nest of traitors." 
 
 " Nay," returned the Raghuide ; " even among the 
 Rakshasas may be many guiltless creatures undeserv- 
 ing of death. Shall I use the arm Brahma gave to 
 me in trust in a fit of heedless passion ?" 
 
 Whilst he spoke, a shower of poisoned arrows 
 covered Lakshmana and himself, — and, pierced by a 
 hundred darts, the noble Brothers fell, Uke two large 
 palm-trees blasted by the storm ! 
 
 Then the fight stayed ; — simultaneously, a shout 
 of triumph and a wail of anguish rang out upon the 
 air! 
 
 "Behold!" shouted Indrajit, flashing into sight, 
 standing erect in his flaming car; "behold these 
 mighty Heroes, these godlike allies of the monkey 
 tribes ! Was it worth while to build a mole across 
 the sea for this ? Pick up your dead, ye poor deluded 
 Apes ; get ye back from whence ye came, and hide 
 your wounds and shame in the deepest, darkest glens 
 within your forests." 
 
 When he heard the Dasarathides were slain indeed, 
 Ravana sprang from his throne and embraced his son 
 in joy. 
 
 " My presentiments were false ! " he cried. " Life, 
 — warm, bright, voluptuous Life, shall still be mine ! 
 And still shall I conquer the high spirit of my lovely 
 Vaidehi." 
 
 Meanvvhile, Sugrlva and Vibhishana rushed to the 
 spot where the Brothers lay stretched side by side. 
 
 Chap. XV. 
 
 Rama and 
 
 LaksJimaiia 
 
 arewounded 
 
 Indrajit 
 taunts the 
 Simians.
 
 266 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. XV. 
 Srief. 
 
 Vibhishana 
 remon- 
 strates with 
 Sugriva. 
 
 Rama re- 
 covers a 
 
 halt. 
 
 The faithful Orang-outang wrung his hands and 
 sobbed aloud. 
 
 "Rama!" he cried, "thou King of Men! My 
 Benefactor; my Friend ; my Lord ; — O Heavens, that 
 I sliould live to see thee thus ! Would I were still an 
 exile in the wood of Rishyarauka. Of what avail is 
 wealth and power to me since thou art gone ? I will 
 die with thee here, my Lord ! Thy poor Sugriva 
 will stretch him by thy side ! Angada shall lead the 
 Simians back to the sweet quiet forests ; I will return 
 no more ; I will not see again the pleasant cave 
 Kishkindhya, nor Tara, the gentlest of she Apes. 
 Bear her my greetings. Simians, and say I perished 
 with the gallant Rama !" 
 
 But Vibhishana reproved the afflicted Ape. 
 
 " This is no moment to give way to senseless grief," 
 he said, sternly ; " if dejection spread amid thy fol- 
 lowers, the Rakshasas will exterminate them ; and not 
 thou alone, but all this army will die on these shores 
 of Lanka. For my part, I do not believe that death 
 has clutched these Heroes. Mark the beauty of their 
 countenances, and the still grace with which they lie ; 
 it has not the rigid stiffness of those on whom the 
 Icy Hand is laid. Indrajit deals much in magic ; if 
 these youths be but held in trance, by some subtle 
 poison, it may yet be possible to release them from 
 the charm." 
 
 As he spoke, Rama feebly opened his eyes, and 
 raised him a little on his arm. The watchers round 
 held their breath in anxious hope. But when the 
 Hero's eyes fell on the senseless Lakshmana stretched
 
 MAR UT 'S WHISPER. 
 
 267 
 
 beside him, he sank back to the earth, his face turned 
 to the dust. 
 
 " It is well that death is near !" he groaned. "Alas, 
 Lakshmana ! alas, my Brother ! my beautiful large- 
 hearted Brother ! Could I meet Sumitra without 
 thee ? Could I return to Ayodhya, the palace we both 
 loved — and the groves — and the wood that is near, 
 where flows the river Sarayu ? It is for me, for my 
 sake, thou didst choose exile — and hast found death ! 
 Have I sometimes thought Heaven loved me ? It is 
 well that I must die : I should lose trust in Brahm 
 himself had I to carry in my heart the sight of thee, 
 thus lying dead ! Forgive me, Vibhishana. I had 
 kept my promise to thee, save that I must die. And 
 thou, O dear Sugriva, lead back thy Wild Men of the 
 Woods. I thank thee for thy loyalty ; but all is vain 
 now, since I must die !" 
 
 Again his eyes closed, and his nether jaw fell ; it 
 seemed that all was over. Then Sugriva sprang up 
 and tossed his long arms wildly above his head. 
 
 " Do what ye will," he said ; " for me, I swear I 
 will not quit these shores! Alone, I will drag Ravana 
 from his throne; alone, I will tear out the false 
 traitor's heart, who by fraud has robbed the world of 
 Rama ; alone, will I rescue Sita, and then set fire to 
 this vile town of Lanka, that there be none left who 
 dare exult, because this godlike man has died." 
 
 But at that moment Marut, the kindly Wind, 
 whispered in the faint hearing of the dying Warrior: 
 
 " Rama, Rama with the strong arms. Remember 
 thy great heart ; be true to thyself. Bethink thee how 
 
 Chap. XV. 
 
 Seeing 
 Lakshmana 
 stretched 
 beside him, 
 Rama sinki 
 back oiice 
 more. 
 
 The IVind't 
 
 ■whisker.
 
 268 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. XV. 
 
 Rama 
 thinks of 
 Garuda. 
 
 The King of 
 Birds 
 
 arrives, and 
 Rama and 
 Lakshmana 
 are released 
 
 rom tlie 
 ettcha'it- 
 me.tt. 
 
 the world is grieved with sin. Was it not thy mission 
 to cleanse it of Rakshasas, and by thy life to put evil 
 to a shame ? Call then to mind Garuda, the brave 
 son of Vinata, charged, like thee, to rid the earth of 
 Vipers !" 
 
 Struggling hard against the languor and the chill, 
 the Raghuide, by a mighty effort, formed through the 
 mists of dimness a thought of the divine Bird, whom 
 evil creatures dread. 
 
 Then sprang up a gusty wind, so that the trees and 
 mountains danced again ; and in a rush, darkening 
 the sky with his large wings, came Garuda, the 
 celestial King of Birds. At sight of him the malig- 
 nant Serpents, who in the form of arrows had thrust 
 their venomous tongues into the Heroes' bodies, 
 dropped writhing from their victims, and sought to 
 hide them in the earth I 
 
 Then Rama and Lakshmana leapt to their feet and 
 shouted loud with joy— and the whole Simian army 
 shouted back again ; and that Ravana heard and 
 paled, as he sat among his courtiers.
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 THE DEATH OF KUMBHAKARNA. 
 
 Now Ravana had a younger Brother, by name Kum- 
 bhakarna. He was a Giant of a terrible aspect, and 
 of baneful force of nerve and limb. Not that his 
 nature was so very vicious, but his large body re- 
 quired much sustenance ; therefore, to appease his 
 hunger, he devoured most beings whom he lighted on. 
 Many, too, he crushed quite unintentionally, because 
 of the hugeness of his feet, and the weight of his 
 monstrous hands. 
 
 Thus, without much malice, the mischief he did 
 was quite incalculable. 
 
 In the early days, his children of every race had 
 appealed to the Universal Father. 
 
 " Bind, we pray Thee, this monstrous Kumbha- 
 kama ! " they had cried ; " otherwise his insatiable 
 appetite and formidable vigour will unpeople the 
 realms of ocean, earth, and air." 
 
 Then the magnanimous Ancestor of Worlds had 
 summoned the lusty Rakshasa to his presence. 
 
 "What is this I hear of thy inordinate gluttony 
 and uncontrolled force of limb?" He had asked. 
 
 Chap. XVI. 
 
 ka riia's 
 
 destriictive- 
 
 ness. 
 
 him to hii 
 presence.
 
 270 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap XVI. 
 
 Kumbha- 
 kar>ia 
 is con- 
 demned 
 to sleep. 
 
 He is 
 
 alhnued to 
 mva/^e once 
 in six 
 tnoKths. 
 
 The burly Giant, whose share of wit was small, 
 could find no excuse to make for himself ; but whilst 
 he stood sore embarrassed in the august presence, 
 Brahma had duly examined his vast proportions and 
 astounding muscular force. 
 
 "Surely," the resplendent God had exclaimed, ** it 
 was for the destruction of the world that thou wast 
 engendered by the Son of Pulastya ! Thy monstrous 
 bulk and proportional vigour have rendered thee the 
 bane of thy fellow-creatures ! I will not judge thee 
 as a criminal : — that thou mayst do no more harm, 
 — sleep, O Kumbhakarna ! Thus only canst thou 
 lead a blameless life." 
 
 At these words, the mighty son of Visravas had 
 fallen down before the august Brahma, deeply 
 slumbering. 
 
 But his kindred and acquaintance had im^Dlored 
 the Supreme Father to mitigate the sentence. 
 
 " Dost thou condemn the tree whose nature it is 
 to bear poisonous fruit?" they asked. "How has 
 this innocent Kumbhakarna deserved punishment ? 
 Shall he know nothing of the joys of life ?" 
 
 In answer to their petition, the most ancient of 
 Gods accorded a day's grace to Kumbhakarna after 
 six months of slumber. Thus twice every year the 
 Colossus woke, and for the space of one day was 
 free to provide himself with nourishment, and to 
 roam over the face of the earth. 
 
 All this while that war had raged without the gates 
 of Lanka, Kumbhakarna had slumbered in bland 
 unconsciousness, both of the tumult and the peril.
 
 KUMBHAKARNA SLEEPS. 
 
 271 
 
 To seek to awaken him had not, as yet, occurred to 
 Havana's mind. But ever, day by day, the situa- 
 tion grew more desperate. There seemed no dimi- 
 nution of the Simian host ; yet at each battle the 
 Lord of Rakshasas lost the noblest and most valued 
 of his warriors : each setting of the sun signalized 
 fresh loss for him — fresh triumph for his adversaries ! 
 Nearer and nearer drew the Doom ; he, of all others, 
 beheld it looming overhead. Yet as the circle round 
 him narrowed, and hope receded, his defiant valour 
 grew, with the savage heroism of despair. 
 
 One day in the Council-chamber he let his blood- 
 shot eyes roam round, counting how many were miss- 
 ing there ; and, in a burst of savage grief, he cried : 
 
 "How is it that I stand alone? Have I not a 
 Brother, who should share my griefs? Whilst this 
 Vermin, Rama, has cleared off from the woods, 
 threatens to overthrow my fair town of Lanka, 
 Kumbhakarna, glutted with the bestial pleasures 
 in which he alone delights, enjoys the heavy con- 
 tent of sleep ! Of what use to me is this Giant's 
 prodigious strength, if at so critical a juncture it 
 does not serve me?" 
 
 When they heard that, his principal ministers rose 
 and left the Council-chamber. Calling together many 
 musicians, they loaded them with divers instruments, 
 with rich apparel, and caskets of rich perfumes ; 
 themselves were charged with all manner of savoury 
 viands, such as Kumbhakarna loved ; and thus they 
 set off for the palace of the slumberous Giant. 
 
 As they reached the portal, they were all thrown 
 
 Chai>. XVI. 
 
 The fresh 
 losses of 
 Ravana, 
 
 The Rah- 
 shasa aski 
 why Kum- 
 bhakarna 
 is allowed 
 io sleep 
 through 
 such 
 troubled 
 tintss. 
 
 The _ 
 
 ministers 
 set off for 
 the Giant's 
 palace.
 
 272 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST, 
 
 Chap. XVI. 
 
 The 
 
 ministers 
 are nearly 
 thrown by 
 Kumbha- 
 karna's 
 mighty 
 
 They heap 
 
 viands rouvi 
 his couch. 
 
 rAsr 
 
 anoint his 
 limbs 7vith 
 perjutnes. 
 
 backwards by the tempestuous breathings of the 
 mighty Kumbhakarna ! Holding to each other 
 firmly, they succeeded, not, however, without diffi- 
 culty, in keeping on their legs, and finally in enter- 
 ing the apartment where lay the stupendous Son of 
 Visravas, — supine, head thrown back, mouth open, 
 snoring, so that the building trembled ! 
 
 Then these intrepid Warriors, holding hard to the 
 wall and to one another — for all that, thrown often by 
 the tornadoes that issued from the Giant's gaping jaws 
 — piled up round his couch mountains of buffalo flesh, 
 whole gazelles, boars, and all manner of meats tasty 
 to a carnivorous appetite. Golden vases they brimmed 
 full with blood and fiery liquors, and placed near, so 
 that the odours streaming from them might caress 
 pleasantly the Slumberer's nostrils. 
 
 Then, exchanging congratulatory glances, they re- 
 tired a little out of the too gusty atmosphere of 
 Kumbhakarna's immediate vicinity, — and awaited the 
 result. 
 
 But no sensible efTect was produced ; perhaps a 
 slight smile irradiated the Monster's countenance; 
 but, if even their fancy did not mislead them here, 
 it was only in sleep that the savoury odours gave him 
 pleasurable sensations ; for evidently his stupor was 
 not shaken, nor were even his boisterous snorings 
 abated. 
 
 Nothing daunted, the servants of Ravana proceeded 
 to anoint the Giant's limbs with oil of sandal-wood; 
 they laid rich garments on him ; afterwards they 
 sounded brazen trumpets; they shouted simulta-
 
 THE SLEEP OF KUMBHAKARNA. 
 
 273 
 
 neously, and clapped their hands, and leapt, until 
 the mighty couch on which he lay was shaken ! 
 
 Still Kumbhakarna slept. 
 
 Then they fetched camels, and asses, and elephants, 
 and, shouting the while, they lashed them till the 
 frightened creatures galloped round and round the 
 vast chamber, with a din and tumult that was heard 
 through all the town of Lanka ! 
 
 But, even so, Kumbhakarna wakened not. 
 
 Out of patience with this opiniative Sleeper, they 
 took to maltreating him. Some laid hold of his 
 shaggy, unkempt hair, and swung by it to and fro ; 
 others pinched or pummelled him ; — one fastened 
 his teeth viciously on the helpless Kumbhakarna's 
 thumb ; — more again belaboured him with mallets, 
 clubs, and hammers. But nothing of all this dis- 
 turbed the heavy Son of Visravas ! Nay, — even when 
 they leapt on to his prostrate body, and ran races on 
 him from head to heel, and back again, his slumbers 
 appeared not a whit the less serene I 
 
 Then they tried a fresh expedient. They brought 
 thither the most lovely damsels in all the town ot 
 Lanka. Their footsteps were very light ; but as they 
 fluttered forward, the purling of their silver nupuras 
 rang out, sweetly and clearly. Fragrance floated on 
 with them ; and sunshine streamed from their beauty : 
 they joined hands round the couch of the torpid 
 Giant, and, laughing aloud, sprang into graceful 
 dances ; bending down near to him ; calling to him 
 in song, — in song, telling him of all the delights of 
 love, and wooing him to regard them. 
 
 Chap. XVI. 
 
 The 
 
 >iiinisters 
 ijy all 
 manner of 
 devices for 
 awaking t/.g 
 Giant, 
 
 At length, 
 they bring 
 young 
 maidens 
 there, and 
 bid them 
 datice and 
 sing.
 
 274 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. XVI. 
 
 Kumbha- 
 
 hama 
 
 awakes. 
 
 He deinands 
 •why they 
 have dis- 
 turbed him. 
 
 "We are daughters of Ananga, the amorous God !" 
 they sang ; " do not close thine eyes against us ; 
 O Kumbhakarna, do not close thine heart against 
 us!" 
 
 In the mists round Kumbhakarna, a shower of 
 stars were flashing ; — in the breast of Kumbhakarna, 
 a host of flowers were springing ; — in the heart of 
 Kumbhakarna, a singing-bird was laughing ; — in the 
 ears of Kumbhakarna, sighed, sighed a zephyr — that 
 grew into a song — that broke into the ringing of 
 nupuras— that merged into the laughter of young 
 maidens ! 
 
 The Rakshasa flung up his large arms ; a yawn, 
 strenuous as the heaving of some submarine volcano, 
 distorted his cavernous mouth ; then with a mighty 
 sigh that shook the walls' foundations, his eyes rolled 
 back their lids, and he lay staring round him in stupid 
 amaze. 
 
 Seeing they had roused the dull-brained Giant, the 
 Dancing Girls, still laughing and singing, vanished 
 one by one through the doorway ; — then his eyes 
 rested on the row of timorous courtiers, who clung to 
 each other, cowed by the return to consciousness of 
 him whom they had lately outraged. With another 
 hideous yawn, the Demon sat upright. 
 
 " For what cause have ye disturbed me ? " he 
 roared. " One does not lightly break the slumber of 
 a Prince of royal race ! " 
 
 The obsequious Rakshasas bowed them to the earth, 
 and Yupaksha, the noblest in the company, answered, 
 reverently :
 
 THE AWAKENING OF KUMBHAKARNA. 
 
 275 
 
 " We are the servants of thy Brother, the great 
 Ravana. The Sovereign of Gods and Rakshasas has 
 need of thee, O resplendent Kuinbhakarna ; there- 
 fore have we broken in on thy repose." 
 
 When he heard that, the brawny Demon leapt to his 
 feet at once. Ravenous after his long fast, he flung 
 him on the food prepared for him, and soon the great 
 piles of meat disappeared between his monstrous 
 jaws ; then seizing one by one the golden vases, he 
 drained each at a draught. 
 
 Drunk with blood and fiery liquor — his riotous 
 strength alive to the full once more — Kumbhakarna, 
 with a dreadful laugh, glowed on the ministers of 
 Ravana. 
 
 " I am ready ! " he cried. " Who is my Brother's 
 enemy ? Be he from Mount Meru, or from Tartarus, 
 he shall hardly stand before me now." 
 
 Mahodara, the wisest counsellor among the Rak- 
 shasas, answered : 
 
 " The noble Ravana's life is put in peril, not by the 
 rivalry of Demons, nor the indignation of the Celestial 
 Armies, but by a multitude of ferocious Apes, led on 
 by a Prince among Men, one Rama, son of Dasaratha. 
 Already Aksha, the hereditary Prince, has perished, 
 and the noblest warriors of our tribe have shared his 
 fate ; nay, Ravana, the Victor of the Deathless Gods, 
 has more than once been driven from the field ! In 
 earth, nor heaven, is none capable of mastering these 
 savage Men of the Woods, save thou, O Kumbha- 
 karna ! Deign then to follow us, and reassure thy 
 Brother and our Lord." 
 
 T 2 
 
 Chap. XVI. 
 
 The Giant 
 devonrs the 
 /> ■, Hi beside 
 him. 
 
 He dciitnfids 
 
 the uaiiic of 
 his Brother's 
 enemy, and 
 Mahodara 
 tells the race 
 of Rama.
 
 276 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. XVI. 
 
 Ravana is 
 rejoiced at 
 sight of his 
 brother. 
 
 He 
 
 Kiimhha- 
 karna an 
 at:cou7ii oj 
 the cause qf 
 this war. 
 
 So, accompanied by the Yatavas, the colossal Rak- 
 shasa started for the palace. As he passed through 
 the streets of Lanka, the confidence of the citizens 
 revived ; flowers were showered on him, and shouts 
 of triumph rose on every side. 
 
 " Among the Simians, is there a warrior like to 
 this ?" they cried. "Will Rama, or Lakshmana, or 
 Sugriva match them against our Kumbhakarna?" 
 
 At sight of the lusty Giant, Ravana, with a cry of 
 joy, sprang forward to greet him ; he flung his own 
 necklace round him, and embraced him affectionately; 
 then he drew him to a throne beside his own, and, still 
 holding his hand, exclaimed : 
 
 " Lanka and myself are saved ! Since the disabling 
 hand of sleep has released thee, O my hero, the case 
 is changed : — Rama's life, not mine, is now the one in 
 peril!" 
 
 " Ay," returned the other, " the danger is to thine 
 enemy's life — not thine : but who is this Rama ? and 
 wherefore does he battle with thee, Ravana ? " 
 
 Then, with an evil sneer, the Fiend replied : 
 
 " Rama is very noble ! They call him 'the Friend 
 of Living Creatures,' which means that he chooses for 
 associate never mind how vile and low a being. 
 He gave up his crown through dread of his step- 
 dame's tongue, as though it were a merit to be a 
 paltry chicken-hearted fool; this has gained him great 
 credit with the Gods, who love to keep men bumble. 
 After his exile he built a hermitage in our wood of 
 Dandaka, with no more reason than right ; for what 
 does a would-be saint in the domains of the Lord of
 
 KUMBHAKARNA 'S ADVICE. 
 
 277 
 
 Rakshasas ? There, because Surpanakha, our Sister, 
 presumed to look with too much favour on his 
 smooth false face, he and his brother fell on her and 
 hewed off her nose, and hacked her hideously. Then 
 Khara and Dushana, furious at the story of her 
 wrongs, arrayed them in battle against this Rama; but 
 he slew them with some magic arms, bestowed on him 
 by Brahma. When I learnt this, knowing that this 
 paltry, malignant Rama was wedded to a Princess 
 of more beauty than Lakshmi, Queen of Heaven, I 
 resolved, as most efficient vengeance, to carry off this 
 bright young Eride of his. This plan I consummated, 
 and it is because I hold his Sita a prisoner here that 
 Rama has allied him with these Wild Men of the 
 Woods, and brought them to defile my fair town of 
 Lanka!" 
 
 Now, as has been said before, Kumbhakarna's 
 disposition was not naturally an evil one. 
 
 *'It had been better to dare this truculent Prince 
 to combat, than to carry off" his Wife," he said. " My 
 counsel, Brother, is that we send back this Sita, ere 
 we defy the Warrior in battle. A bad deed weakens 
 the arms, and spoils one for honest warfare." 
 
 At that, Ravana's brow grew dark. 
 
 " I do not need thy counsels. Brother," he said ; 
 "nor is this the moment to discuss the merits of 
 my past actions. If I troubled thy repose, it was 
 that thou mightest help to extricate me from my 
 present strait." 
 
 Then Kumbhakarna fixed his eyes mildly on the 
 angry Monarch. 
 
 Chap. XVI. 
 
 Kiiiiiiha- 
 karjia 
 couvsch to 
 send back 
 Sita.
 
 278 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. XVI. 
 
 Kiitiibha- 
 karna tells 
 of his meet- 
 ing with 
 Ndrada. 
 
 Of the 
 council on 
 Mount 
 Meru, and 
 the decision 
 that Vishnu 
 shall become 
 tnanfor the 
 destruction 
 t>f Ravana. 
 
 " One day that I sprang from my six months' 
 slumber," he said, "tormented sore by hunger, I 
 ravaged the glens and forests, and devoured an incal- 
 culable number of living creatures. At length, my 
 craving appeased, I sat me down on a rock, and 
 Narada passed me there. So, making room beside 
 me, I called to the Messenger of the Gods, and invited 
 him to sit by me, and to chat awhile. ' Whence 
 comest thou?' I asked him, seeing he was in a great 
 sweat, and looked fatigued. ' From Mount Meru,' 
 he answered ; ' there were assembled Brahma, and 
 Vishnu, and Siva, and Mahendra, with the lower Gods, 
 and Garuda the enemy of Vipers, and the Stars who 
 battle against shade.' 
 
 " ' For what cause was this large gathering ? ' I asked. 
 
 " ' To consult how Ravana, the Lord of Rakshasas, 
 and all his evil brood might be destroyed ! ' replied 
 the God. Struggling hard to conceal the dismay I 
 felt, I asked again : 
 
 "'And was there a plan decided on?' 
 
 "'Many and many a scheme was suggested,' re- 
 turned Narada; 'but Brahma refused to listen to 
 them. "An Immortal's word is sacred," he said, "and 
 I have guaranteed this Ravana against Gods and 
 Demons ; against the venom of serpents, and the fury 
 of beasts of prey ; only at the hands of man can he 
 receive death, for from man only he claimed no 
 exemption." Then Brihaspati, the Guru of the 
 Immortals, turned to Vishnu, in whose sight life is 
 precious : " Let thy Divinity put on the Human Cloak !" 
 he said. " Long enough has the short life of mortals
 
 R.iVAA'A TAUNTS KUMBHAKARNA. 
 
 279 
 
 been filled with tears. Take the form of man, and 
 cleanse the world of Demons !" 
 
 "'So be it!' shouted the Gods ; and thus the matter 
 was decided.' 
 
 " As I sat there, aghast, the Celestial Envoy rose, 
 and, bidding me farewell, returned to Paradise. 
 
 " Now, Brother, if this Rama be he of whom Narada 
 spake, that is, Vishnu hidden in a human shape, it 
 were not well to provoke him more to wrath." 
 
 At that Ravana laughed aloud. 
 
 " It is well said of thee, O Kumbhakarna," he 
 cried in scorn, " that what thou hast in bulk more 
 than other mortals, thou hast the less in wit ! Tell me, 
 thou blatant Simpleton, would Vishnu, thinkest thou, 
 choose for ally Sugrlva, King of Apes? Or again, if 
 this Divinity had taken so much scorn on him, solely 
 for my destruction, though I sent back Sita twenty 
 times, should I disarm his wrath? Besides, what mat- 
 ter? If Rama be this Vishnu, and Lakshmana Siva; 
 if the Orang-outang, Sugriva, be Brahma, and Han- 
 uman the Sun-god Indra ; I, Ravana, can face them 
 all, and die, if needs be — but not yield ! Go, get thee 
 to thy couch again ! Sleep, eat, drink, lead thy 
 bestial life : — I myself will face these foes, since in 
 all thy monstrous frame there is not heart enough !" 
 
 Only the last words struck Kumbhakarna ; it was 
 true, he was but shallow-brained. His interview with 
 Narada, and all his misgivings, escaped his memory; 
 — he only knew he was accused of want of daring. 
 
 Drawing himself up, he looked down on Ravana and 
 his courtiers. 
 
 Chap. XIV. 
 
 Rdiiana 
 mocks his 
 Brother, 
 and taunt 
 him with 
 lack 0/ 
 courage.
 
 :5o 
 
 7IIE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 CiiAP. XVI. 
 
 Knnil^lia- 
 kaniiz pro- 
 fesses his 
 readiness 
 for the 
 encounter. 
 
 As he enters 
 the field (he 
 Apes are 
 alarmed at 
 his gigantic 
 stature. 
 
 Angada 
 
 rallies 
 
 tlu aimians. 
 
 " Where are thine enemies ? " he asked, *' Who 
 says I have not heart to face them?" 
 
 Swiftly changing his tone, the wily Lord of Rak- 
 shasas loaded the Giant with flatteries. He put in-to 
 his hand a pike of gleaming silver, and gave him his 
 own cuirass of gold. 
 
 "Go forth," he cried, "and lead on my young 
 Warriors to triumph ! " 
 
 At that, Kumbhakarna, who had reached the 
 doorway, paused. 
 
 "I need not thy young Warriors!" he said, 
 doggedly ; " I will go alone." 
 
 But Ravana soon overpersuaded the simple Giant. 
 
 " It is not meet thy Grandeur should contend with 
 Apes," he urged. " Wrestle thou with Rama and 
 Lakshmana; thy followers will hold the Simians 
 employed." 
 
 So the monstrous Son of Visravas, in a chariot 
 drawn by a hundred asses, led on a gallant company 
 to the battle-field. At sight of the dreadful Giant, 
 Gavaksha, Sarabha, Nila, and Kumuda, who were 
 in advance of the others, flung down their weapons 
 and fled. But Angada recalled them with wrathful 
 shoutings. 
 
 " Whither would ye go. Poltroons ? " he cried, 
 " Behind you lies the sea, and around you are those 
 who will slay all traitors to the cause of Rama. In 
 front are the Rakshasas. Fling at them, then ; — there 
 is your only chance of life ; and if ye perish, is not a 
 hero's death better than a dastard's?" 
 
 At his voice the fugitives returned, and seizing once
 
 SUGRlVA MADE CAPTIVE. 
 
 281 
 
 more their clubs and trunks of trees, awaited the 
 onslaught of the colossal Rakshasa. 
 
 As he neared, the valiant Angada hurled a mighty 
 rock at him ; the asses were overturned, and the 
 charioteer fell dead. With a savage roar the Demon 
 leapt from his car, and brandishing his mighty pike, 
 rushed on the Simian ranks, mowing down his foes 
 by hundreds, and trampling them under his feet. He 
 seemed impervious to all blows, and even to poisoned 
 arrows ; nothing checked him in his work of slaughter ; 
 and though he was soaked in the blood of his victims, 
 he had not himself a single wound. 
 
 Presently, bounding over the corpses of his loyal 
 servitors, came the furious Sugriva, armed with a 
 mighty shorea-tree. 
 
 " Hola, thou savage Monster ! " he cried, " leave 
 my Men of the Woods awhile, and try thy strength 
 with mine ! " 
 
 Kumbhakarna held his sides for laughter. 
 
 Beside himself with rage, the Simian Chief rushed 
 at the lusty Demon ; but his great tree snapped into 
 bits as it smote Kumbhakarna, who only laughed the 
 more. But as Sugriva was about to renew the attack, 
 the Colossus snatched up a rock that had been 
 thrown at him, and flung it easily at Sugriva ; and, 
 stunned by the blow, the Monarch of Simians fell 
 fainting to the earth. 
 
 Then Kumbhakarna picked up the senseless Orang- 
 outang, and held him above his head between his 
 finger and thumb. 
 
 " Your Chief is dead, illustrious Apes " he shouted. 
 
 Chak XVI. 
 
 Kumhka- 
 
 kania 
 hnvhig 
 slaughtered 
 many Apes 
 is defied by 
 Sugriva, 
 
 Having 
 stuftiied 
 Sugriva, the 
 Giant holds 
 his body vp 
 in sight of 
 the Simian 
 army.
 
 282 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST, 
 
 Chap. XVI. 
 
 Having in- 
 sulted the 
 ApcSy Kum- 
 bhakarna 
 inarches off 
 carrying 
 Sugriva, 
 
 Recovering 
 conscious- 
 ness 
 
 Sngrtz'a 
 makes his 
 escape, and 
 the Giant 
 J iishes back 
 to the field. 
 
 Heu 
 
 wounded by 
 Kama, 
 
 "I give you one hour to decamp and fly; after" 
 wards, ye shall be whipped from off these shores of 
 Lanka." 
 
 So saying, he strode from the field, bearing the 
 Monarch of Apes in his arms. But ere he reached 
 the ramparts of the town, Sugriva revived. With a 
 sudden spring the fierce Orang-outang leapt up into 
 the Demon's face, and tore it down with his nails 
 till the Monster howled again from rage and pain. 
 
 Obeying his first impulse, Kumbhakarna flung 
 the Ape from him with all his might. In no wise 
 injured, the gallant Sugriva picked himself up again, 
 and in a few bounds was soon once more amid his 
 loyal servitors. 
 
 The furious Giant, blinded with rage and blood, 
 rushed back to the field. All whom he encountered, 
 Rakshasas and Simians alike, he trampled under foot, 
 or crushed between the palms of his hands, and de- 
 voured in sight of the two camps. • 
 
 Meanwhile Rama and Lakshmana, who had been 
 assaulting the western gate, now first heard of Kum- 
 bhakarna's onslaught, and rushed to the scene of 
 action. 
 
 " So ho, Rama ! " shouted the Giant to him from 
 afar, " dost thou dare to match thy strength with 
 mine ? Thy gallant ally, the Ape, can scratch like 
 an angry woman ; hast thou more warlike modes of 
 battle ? " 
 
 In answer to the scornful defiance, an arrow from 
 Rama's bow shot through the Giant's arm. As a 
 withered leaf falls off in winter, the shattered limb
 
 THE DEATH OF KUMBHAKARNA. 
 
 283 
 
 dropped down ; and — the quivering muscles working 
 still— the hand yet clutched a club, and pounded it 
 upon the ground, as though a Will still guided it ! 
 
 But Kumbhakarna, in a frenzy, tore hither and 
 thither in the battle-field ; falling on the Simians with 
 his teeth ; tearing, kicking, and crushing them till the 
 earth was strewn with corpses ! Gaya, Gavaya, 
 Gavaksha, Nila, and Angada flung them on him, 
 and sought to hold him down ; but he shook them 
 off from him as easily as a wild boar tosses away 
 the dogs. 
 
 He was rushing straight at Rama, when a second 
 arrow from the Hero's bow struck him in the side. 
 The only hand now left him clutched down to drag 
 forth the dart ; — but ere it reached it, it dropped down 
 by his side. With a crash like a mountain hurled 
 down from its height, the Giant fell ; as his head 
 smote the ground, his heart broke — and he died. 
 
 Chap. XVI. 
 
 Kitmbha- 
 karna's 
 frenzy, j 
 
 He is slain 
 by Rdtna.
 
 CHAPTER XVIT. 
 
 THR LAST COMBAT — LAKSHMANA WOUNDED. 
 
 Chap. 
 XVII. 
 
 Ravatuis 
 eatk. 
 
 NiKUMBHA, Makaraksha, Matta, Unmatta, and Viru- 
 paksha had found a like fate with Kumbhakarna; 
 most dire misfortune of all, Indrajit, whose fierce, 
 wild nature had endeared him to Ravana, fell also, 
 slain by tlie unerring shafts of the brave Lakshmana. 
 The Monarch of Rakshasas, surveying the army, and 
 the court, and the streets of his beloved City, and 
 .everywhere beholding tears, and on all sides hearing 
 wails of mourning, swore a mighty oath that this state 
 of things should end. 
 
 In sight of the Widows, Mothers, and Orphans, 
 weeping before his throne, he clenched his hand, and 
 hurled his large fist aloft. 
 
 "By Yama's Soul, I swear," he shouted, "that ere 
 nightfall this Dasarathide, or myself, shall bite the 
 dust ! " 
 
 On that, he decked him in his most splendid robes, 
 set on him his tiara, and his jewelled necklace, and 
 girdle studded with pearls; and, hke a guest bound 
 to some festival, sprang into his chariot, and rushed 
 forth — eager to brave his fate 1
 
 JiA VANA 'S DEFIANCE. 
 
 285 
 
 At sight of him, the Simians set up a yell of hate 
 and rage ; — he yelled back at them — but his blood-red 
 eyes took in naught in all that battle-field, save the 
 figure of his enemy; who leant upon his bow, not 
 joining in the shout of execration, but with his stern, 
 grave eyes fixed on the desperate Ravana. 
 
 " Rama ! Rama ! " roared the Fiend, " the hour 
 has come ! There is not force enough in Life to bear 
 the stress of Hate between us two ; — or thou, or I 
 must die ! Be thou God, or Man, or Devil, step forth, 
 — and let us wrestle, each for life." 
 
 Rama, still with his calm gaze on the Demon, 
 prepared his bow, and answered the defiance only 
 by his arrows. The Rakshasa tossed the winged 
 shafts away with one hand, as though they had 
 been drops of rain ! But a dart from Laksh- 
 mana's bolt struck the Demon's charioteer ; and, 
 at the same moment, Vibhishana brought his club 
 smashing down on the skulls of the two foaming 
 coursers, and stretched them bleeding heaps upon 
 the field! 
 
 With a low roar, like that of a lion roused from his 
 lair, the Lord of Rakshasas leapt from his car, and 
 rushed at Vibhishana, 
 
 " For the kindred there is between us, I owe thee 
 a debt," he cried. " Brother, I will rid thee of thy 
 vile and treacherous life ! " 
 
 But ere he could reach Vibhishana, Lakshmana 
 stepped in front of the furious Demon and caught his 
 raised lance between his hands — snapping it off into 
 two fragments. Then Ravana turned upon the 
 
 Chap. 
 XVII. 
 
 T/tf 
 
 Rak hasa 
 dial ftiges 
 Rdm.1. 
 
 Rdrana's 
 
 charioteer 
 slain by 
 Lnlishinana, 
 a7id his 
 coursers by 
 VibhitluiJUt. 
 
 Ra7mna 
 
 turns on 
 I'ibliishanci, 
 hut Laksh- 
 mana inter 
 poses.
 
 286 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. 
 
 XVII. 
 
 Rdvana 
 turns on 
 Lakshmana, 
 and 7vouiitis 
 him 'with a 
 7nagic spear. 
 
 Rilma drives 
 
 Rdvana 
 from the 
 fidd. 
 
 Rdtna 
 .4' / if7'es/o} 
 Laksh- 
 mana, 
 
 Sumitride; in a moment he had the young warrior 
 by the throat. 
 
 "Who shields a traitor, incurs his doom," he said, 
 sternly; "think on thy wife, or child, or mother, or 
 on whom thou holdest dear — for thou art about to 
 die ! " 
 
 And with that, he plunged into the Hero's side the 
 fatal spear of Maya ; and, bound by its baneful en- 
 chantment, Lakshmana sank senseless to the earth. 
 
 From afar, Rama saw him fall. The first shock of 
 so terrible an apprehension struck him numb; but 
 soon hot indignation lent him unusual fury ; and 
 bounding over the bodies strewn about the field, he 
 Hung him, madly, on Ravana, and drove the Fiend 
 before him, as a leaf is carried by the wind ! Long 
 the two Warriors battled ; — at the last, feeling himself 
 spent by the Dasarathide's eager attack, Ravana 
 retreated behind the walls of Lanka, for a breathing 
 space ; whilst Rama, anxious for his brother, was glad 
 to seize the momentary truce, that he might learn how 
 it fared with him. 
 
 Angada, Hanuman, and Sugriva surrounded the 
 unconscious Hero. Vainly had they striven to with- 
 draw the fatal spear ; Rama now joined his efforts to 
 theirs, but the cruel weapon resisted even his energy 
 and strength ! Seeing this — and that Lakshmana gave 
 no sign of life — Rama covered his face with his two 
 hands, and wept aloud. 
 
 But Sushena, the father of Tara, and the most 
 skilful leech among the Wild Men of the Woods, strove 
 to comfort the noble Dasarathide.
 
 HANUMAN'S ERRAND. 
 
 287 
 
 " Thy Brother is not dead, magnanimous Prince ! " 
 he said. "The smile of life has not yet left his 
 countenance. He is held thus motionless, and cold, 
 by the power of magic. Alas that we should be at 
 such a distance from our native forests ! There grows 
 on the slopes of the Mount Gandhamadana a plant 
 of sufficient virtue to heal this warrior forthwith ; but 
 it should be apiJied without delay : and who were 
 able to take so long a journey, and to return here in 
 a few hours, at the most ? " 
 
 *' That am I," said Hanuman, Son of the Wind. 
 
 Rama turned, and wrung the hand of the faithful 
 Marutide. 
 
 " If Lakshmana be restored to me," he said, " I 
 will see again Ayodhya, the pleasant town where 
 reigned my fathers : — otherwise, I will leave my 
 bones upon these shores of Lanka." 
 
 Then Sushena took the valorous Hanuman apart, 
 and gave him many instructions. 
 
 " The plant is of a yellowish hue," he said ; " tlie 
 fruit is green ; the flower of a light gold, with a scent 
 of sandal-wood. It creeps alon;^' the earth, and loves 
 to hide it in the grasses. Dost thou note me well, 
 Hanuman ? " 
 
 "Ay, ay!" returned the impatient Marutide, in 
 too great haste to be gone to heed much Sushena's 
 wise directions. 
 
 Now as this Hero amongst Quadrumanous Creatures 
 sprang upwards to pursue his journey tli rough the 
 pathway of the air, his large form attracted the 
 notice of Ravana, 
 
 Chap. 
 XVIL 
 
 Sushena 
 tells 0/ the 
 miraculous 
 plant that 
 grows on 
 Mornit 
 Gandluima- 
 ciana. 
 
 Hanuman 
 proposes to 
 fetch it. 
 
 Sushena 
 ilcscrihes 
 the plant. 
 
 Ravana sees 
 Ha7iu>nnn 
 J^y cff, end 
 suspects his 
 errand.
 
 288 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. 
 XVII. 
 
 Rdziana 
 sends 
 Kalatieini 
 to outmatch 
 Hanuman. 
 
 Hanuman 
 passes over 
 Ayodhyd, 
 and is seen 
 by Bkarata. 
 
 He calls to 
 
 Bhaynta, 
 and tells 
 hhn he is 
 Kdiiia's 
 Envoy. 
 
 " That is Hanuman, the audacious Ape who de- 
 stroyed my asoka grove, and burnt so many houses," 
 he thought. " Doubtless they have sent him to fetch 
 the panacea, which grows on Gandhamadana." 
 
 So the crafty Rakshasa called to him Kalanemi, 
 a Demon well-learned in magic. 
 
 "Prevent the return of this truculent Marutide,** 
 he said ; " and thou shalt have half my kingdom !" 
 
 Then, by virtue of past macerations, Kalanemi 
 transported himself in a moment to the side of 
 Gandhamadana, and, in the garb of a Hermit, 
 awaited the coming of Hanuman. 
 
 The direction followed by the loyal Ape soon 
 brought him above Ayodhya. It chanced that 
 Bharata, absorbed in many thoughts of Rama, was 
 standing in the street beneath. 
 
 "That is a marvellous Creature I perceive above 
 me!" he exclaimed; "let me arrest his flight with 
 this arrow, that I may discover to what race he 
 belongs." 
 
 Then he prepared his bow. Hanuman, noting 
 that, became uneasy. 
 
 " For," reflected he, " this Prince has doubtless 
 some of his brother's skill in archery!" 
 
 So he called to him : 
 
 " Hola ! hola ! noble Bharata, lay aside thy bow. I 
 am an Envoy from the illustrious Rama, who is 
 now besieging the town of Lanka." 
 
 Delighted to hear his brother's name, Bharata 
 questioned him of the Hero's health and fortunes. 
 Then the Marutide told of the rape of Sita, of
 
 KALANEMVS HOSPITALITY. 
 
 289 
 
 the passage of the Sea, the Siege, and now this 
 grievous wound of Lakshmana's, the sunny-hearted 
 Warrior, 
 
 " I must quickly return with this healing plant," 
 said the Orang-outang, in conclusion j " therefore, O 
 Prince, grant me permission to pursue my road." 
 
 With many praises of his loyalty and devotion, 
 Bharata wished the indefatigable Simian good speed, 
 and watched him continue his journey with re- 
 doubled haste. He did not pause again till he 
 reached the Mount Gandhamadana. As he alighted 
 on firm ground, the fictitious Hermit, Kalanenii, 
 approached him, and invited him to rest awhile in 
 his hut hard by. 
 
 "The wayfarer is ever a cherished guest to the 
 lonely Anchorite 1" said the Demon, adopting the 
 humble tones of a penitent. Hanuman thanked him 
 courteously, but declined his hospitality, pleading 
 the pressing nature of his mission. 
 
 " At least," urged Kalanemi, "drink, and lave thy 
 face in the clear waters of yon crystal lake. It grieves 
 me to see a fellow-creature in such a heat and sweat !" 
 
 Not to appear ungrateful, the Orang-outang walked 
 down to the limpid lake, where lotus flowers and red 
 nympheas wove them into garlands. But as he 
 stooped to drink, a Crocodile, springing up from the 
 treacherous blue waters, clutched him by the throat. — 
 That was not a great maUer to our indomitable Ape. 
 He dragged the monster off, as though it had been 
 some leech merely : and, that it might entrap no more 
 thirsty travellers, tore it in twain. 
 
 u 
 
 Chap. 
 XVII. 
 
 Bharata 
 •wishes him 
 good speed. 
 
 Kdlanefiti 
 invites 
 Hanuman 
 to rest i>t his 
 fiennitage. 
 
 The AJ>e is 
 seized hy a 
 Crocodile ; 
 but he 
 destroys the 
 monster.
 
 290 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. 
 XVII. 
 
 Frotn the 
 crocodile 
 rises a lovely 
 A/sara, 
 
 H.tnuman 
 
 siis/>ccts 
 
 KiiliDiernVs 
 
 treachery. 
 
 Kalanemi 
 avows him   
 self to be a 
 R dkshasa. 
 
 What was his amaze to see, rising from the 
 slaughtered crocodile, a lovely female form. Just 
 above him the fair Vision paused. 
 
 " Hail to thee, Marutide, and thanks !" she cried ; 
 " thou hast released me from a cruel enchantment. 
 A holy Penitent, whose staid reflections my beauty 
 once disturbed, condemned me to this hideous form, 
 ' But,' said he, ' when Hanuman, that Bull amongst 
 Quadrumanous Creatures, shall come to Gandhama- 
 dana, thou shalt cast off the Crocodile, and be once 
 more the lovely Apsara, Gandhakali.' Therefore did 
 I take thee by the throat, Simian ; forgive me — that I 
 may return joyous to the palace of Kuvera." 
 
 So Hanuman, wondering much at the Apsara's 
 beauty, said : 
 
 " I am glad to have done thee this service, en- 
 chanting Gandhakali : thou didst me no injury ; go 
 in peace, O Flower of Beauty ! " 
 
 When the Apsara had vanished, Hanuman thought : 
 
 " I will go tell the holy man what strange Creatures 
 dwell within his crystal lake." 
 
 But the Anchorite seemed so much disturbed by 
 the appearance of Hanuman, safe and sound, that the 
 wily Simian's suspicions were aroused. 
 
 " Holy Father," said he to the false Hermit, " it is 
 strange how marked a resemblance thou bearest to 
 the Demon Kalanemi !" 
 
 Then the Rakshasa, seeing he was discovered, cast 
 by his hermit's garb. 
 
 "Yes," shouted he, "I am that Kalanemi, the 
 favoured servant of Ravana ! And half his king-
 
 THE INHABITANTS OF GANDHAMADANA. 
 
 291 
 
 dom shall be mine when thou, Ape, hast entered 
 the realms of Yama !" 
 
 So they rushed at each other, and battled fiercely 
 there. This time it was no easy struggle, for the 
 Demon was strong and subtle ; but even so he was 
 no match for Hanuman ! After a savage tussle, the 
 Simian crushed the Demon between the cable of his 
 amis, and wrung the breath from him — so he died. 
 
 Now, what with this encounter and his too im- 
 pulsive haste, Hanuman had forgotten every word 
 of the minute description of Sushena. 
 
 *' Something there was of green and yellow and 
 gold," he reflected ; " but what the flower was like, 
 or what the fruit of this miraculous plant, I have 
 no notion !" 
 
 In his perplexity, he sought counsel from the 
 Gandharvas, who made this mountain their home. 
 
 " Show me this precious Antidote, I pray," he 
 said. " Is not this Gandhamadana within the do- 
 main of Rama? And do not ye owe him love and 
 service as loyal subjects?" 
 
 But at that the Gandharvas flew into a pet. 
 "Subjects of Rama's?" they shrieked. "We — the 
 genii of this mountain, governed by a man 1 Know 
 thou, Insolent Ape, that the great Princes, Huliu 
 and Haha, are our lawful sovereigns : — As for thee 
 and thy Rama, get thee gone ; thou shalt not pluck 
 our healing plants !" 
 
 Then one and all set on him ; so Hanuman, up- 
 rooting a palm-tree, slew these cantankerous Gand- 
 harvas. 
 
 u 2 
 
 Chap. 
 XVII. 
 
 a-nd is 
 killed in a 
 bailie with 
 Hanuman. 
 
 fJanittnan 
 
 forgets the 
 dcsc7-iption 
 of the pla}it. 
 
 He questions 
 the Gand- 
 har-zias, who 
 refuse to 
 ansvjer. 
 
 He slays tlit 
 Gandharvas.
 
 292 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. 
 XVII. 
 
 Hamtman 
 breaks 
 off the 
 mountain 
 and carries 
 it away. 
 
 He hrins;sit 
 to Rdina, 
 andbids him 
 find the 
 healing 
 plant. 
 
 Kama's 
 
 "ratitude. 
 
 But when that was done, he was no nearer to a 
 means of recognizing the miraculous plant. 
 
 " There is no time for me to return and consult 
 Sushena," meditated the Ape, taking his chin in 
 his hand; "one course alone is open to me." 
 
 So, calling to mind his valiant father the Wind, 
 who lets no obstacle arrest his will, Hanuman 
 snapped the great mountain off from its base ! 
 Large drops fell from its ruptured veins of metal ; 
 the living creatures who dwelt in its caverns, and 
 the birds whose nests were amid its forest trees, 
 quaked for terror as the doughty Simian shouldered 
 Gandhamadana, and, without more ado, bounded 
 back into the air's pathway ! 
 
 When, thus laden, the valorous Orang-outang 
 appeared in sight, the Simian army shouted in mad 
 triumph. — Ravana bit his nether lip, and said : 
 
 " It were a pity I should die ere I have put that 
 Kalanemi, traitor or dolt, to divers sorts of torture !" 
 
 Hanuman, alighting, laid down the mountain at 
 Rama's feet. 
 
 " Thou Prince of men !" he said, " my Master and 
 dear Lord, see, here is this Gandhamadana. The 
 nature of the plant dripped through my memory. I 
 have brought thee the mount itself. Seek thou 
 for it !" 
 
 Then Rama fell on his neck, and embraced him 
 before them all 1 As for Angada and Sugriva, they 
 each held one of the brave Marutide's hands, and 
 shook them till his colossal frame swayed to and fro. 
 
 Sushena meanwhile had plucked the healing plant.
 
 LAKSHMANA RECOVERS. 
 
 293 
 
 One leaf he laid across Lakshmana's brow, a second 
 on his heart ; he bruised the fruit, and with its 
 luscious juice moistened the young warrior's lips. 
 
 Lakshmana opened his eyes. He seemed dazed 
 awhile, like one awakened from a deep sleep. But, of 
 a sudden, he sprang to his feet, tossed back his hair 
 that the fresh wind might reach his brow, and, look- 
 ing round on them, lauglied — half in wonder, half in 
 joy — to feel himself so strong ! 
 
 "Brother!" he cried to Rama, "did I dream, or 
 didst thou swear to slay this Rakshasa ere nightfall?" 
 
 " I swear it now !" said Rama, seizing the young 
 warrior's hand, still cold after that chill trance. 
 
 Chap. 
 XVII. 
 
 lays the 
 plant on his 
 ivound, and 
 Lakshmana 
 revives.
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 Cftap. 
 
 XVIII. 
 
 Rdtia'in's 
 
 miraculous 
 
 Chariot, 
 
 The 
 
 Immortals 
 appeal to 
 Iridra, 
 and he con- 
 sents to lend 
 his own 
 Chariot to 
 Rama. 
 
 THE LAST COMBAT (cONTINUED). — DEATH OF 
 RAVANA. 
 
 *Ravana, by means of magic, constructed a fresh 
 Chariot of War. It was of more dreadful aspect 
 even than the renowned Pushpaka. The car of 
 ebony, unreUeved by any golden chasings, was 
 drawn by two coal-black steeds, with faces that 
 strangely resembled the countenance of man. So 
 nearly was this dark chariot an em.anation from his 
 soul, that his thoughts alone set the wheels gyrating, 
 and he was borne along silently, as in a sombre 
 cloud, swiftly, as his eagerness for the combat was 
 fierce and strong ! 
 
 When the lower Gods saw the Rakshasa sweeping 
 on thus against the tall, slight Rama, they hastened 
 to the Palace of Mahendra. 
 
 " This is no fair struggle !" they said. " Behold, O 
 God of Light and Storm ! Ravana sits aloft in this 
 strong chariot, whilst Rama is on foot." 
 
 Then the Lord of the Firmament sent down his own 
 Chariot for the Dasarathide's use. It v.as a shell of 
 softest, palest blue ; and above it, a banner of roh.y
 
 COMBAT BETWEEN RAl'ANA AND KAMA. 
 
 295 
 
 purple fought with the gusty air ; four tawny coursers 
 were harnessed to it. They had manes bristling with 
 gold, and golden plumes nodded over their brows, 
 and golden bells tinkled merrily from round their 
 necks. 
 
 As the radiant Car touched the earth, a cry of 
 admiration broke from all the Wild Men of the 
 Wood ; — but Sugriva, Hanuman, and Angada called 
 out at once : 
 
 " Rama, beware ! This is some wile of the crafty 
 Rakshasa's ! " 
 
 " Nay," said Vibhishana ; " I know the secrets of 
 magic possessed by the learned of my people. So 
 bright a thing as this cannot spring from their en- 
 chantments ! " 
 
 Whilst Rama hesitated, the celestial Charioteer, 
 Matali, called to him: 
 
 " Hail, Sun amongst the Princes of Men !" he 
 cried ; " Indra himself has sent thee this Car of Vic- 
 tory, that thou mayest triumph over this cruel Fiend, 
 and deliver the oppressed races of the earth !" 
 
 Then Rama, having described a pradakshina round 
 Mahendra's Charioteer, leapt gladly into the resplen- 
 dent Car, and Matali urged the tawny coursers into 
 speed. 
 
 When Rama and Ravana met, it seemed the battle 
 between Light and Shade. 
 
 The darts of the Rakshasa were so many venomous 
 serpents ; but Rama, with arrows formed of the 
 plumes of Garuda, King of Birds, drove them off 
 from him. Soon there was darkness round the 
 
 Ctiap. 
 XVIII. 
 
 The Car of 
 
 liidra. 
 
 T7ie 
 
 Siiniana 
 
 fear 
 
 trcacliery 
 
 Mdtah re- 
 assures 
 Rama, and 
 he enters the 
 chariot. 
 
 The tneeUng 
 of Rdi'ana 
 and Rama.
 
 296 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. 
 
 XVIII. 
 
 Rama tells 
 Rdvaiia all 
 his guilt. 
 
 Jtdvana'i 
 rage. 
 
 His 
 
 Cli trioteer 
 cairies him 
 from tlu 
 Jield. 
 
 two warriors, because of the myriads of arrows that 
 wrapped them as in a seething cloud: — through 
 this gloom the calm, clear voice of Rama rang out 
 over all the battle-field. 
 
 "Ravana," he said, "thou Lord of evil creatures, 
 death is so near, it is well, for once, thy soul should 
 have clear vision of itself! Because thou hast seen 
 living creatures tremble at sight of thee, pride has 
 swollen thy heart, and thou hast thought, * Am not I 
 mighty ? ' Know that it is a shameful indigence to 
 lack the trust of the innocent ! — Because to gratify 
 thy lusts thou hast defied the law of Brahm, thou 
 hast cried, ' I am more powerful than the gods !' 
 Thou poor Ravana ! Thou hast been the most ab- 
 ject of all slaves; the toy of those low instincts the 
 very brutes hold in some government ! — Because now 
 thou wouldst meet death with scornful arrogance, 
 thou thinkest, 'Am not I a Hero?' Nay, Demon 
 — for scorn is the dastard's quality, narrowing all 
 things to fit his soul. Life is a godlike power ; the 
 true Hero reverences it in others and himself!" 
 
 Maddened by the sweet strong voice, and the words 
 whose truth he recognized, yet loathed, spent by 
 fatigue and rage, the dark of arrows hissing round 
 working him into wild excitement— the E.akshasa's 
 nervous grasp failed him ; the string of his bow was 
 slack, and his shafts went wide astray. Seeing that, 
 his Charioteer of a sudden wheeled che car round, 
 and, dashing in by. the northern gate, sheltered his 
 Master by the wall. 
 
 Then Ravana hurled down his weapon, and turn-
 
 HAVANA MORTALLY WOUNDED. 
 
 297 
 
 ing his tearless, despairing eyes on the Charioteer in 
 fierce reproach, asked : 
 
 " Because fortune abandons me, hast thou too 
 turned traitor? Is it not enough for thee that these 
 foes will slaughter me ? Wouldst thou shame me in 
 my death?" 
 
 Then his servant flung him at the Rakshasa's feet. 
 
 " I love thee, great Ravana," he cried ; " thy high 
 renown is dear as my own life ! Because I saw that 
 passion and fatigue had marred thy skill, I risked 
 thy wrath, and brought thee from the field." 
 
 Ravana let his large hand fall on the other's head. 
 
 "I thank thee for thy love," he said; "yet resume 
 thy post, — drive me back once more." 
 
 As he was borne swiftly to the field, a flock of vul- 
 tures hung over him. Where he went, they followed ; 
 — moving slowly, as it seemed, though the faithful 
 Charioteer lashed frantically his steeds to escape from 
 the shadow of these birds of evil omen ! 
 
 "Thine hour has come, Rakshasa ! " cried Rama; 
 and with a hissing dart, tore off one of the Demon's 
 heads. But at once another sprang up in its place. 
 Again and again the Dasarathide severed the Rak- 
 shasa's heads ; but they were always replaced directly, 
 and Ravana appeared in no way injured ! 
 
 "Why dost thou aim at the Demon's heads?" asked 
 Matali, the celestial driver ; " that is not the seat of 
 the evil which makes him vulnerable." 
 
 Obeying this hint, Rama adjusted in his bow the 
 terrible Dart of Brahma, and aimed at Ravana's heart. 
 As the celestial Shaft struck him, the Lord of Rak- 
 
 Chap. 
 XVIII. 
 
 Rdvnna 
 refiroaches 
 his 
 Charioteer. 
 
 his 
 
 servani'$ 
 
 excuse. 
 
 Ravana bids 
 him return 
 to thejieid. 
 
 RIdtal: 
 counsels 
 Rdma, 7u/i» 
 aims at 
 Ravana's 
 heart.
 
 298 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. 
 XVIII. 
 
 TJie death of 
 Rdvana. 
 
 The solemn 
 irium^k. 
 
 iianddda rl 'i 
 despair. 
 
 shasas flung his clenched fist above, as though even 
 then defying Heaven — tottered to the edge of his 
 chariot, and— hke a ruptured mountain — crashed lo 
 earth ! 
 
 At first was no shout of triumph ; — a deep long 
 breath hushed through the army— whilst from afar 
 were heard the mufiied throbbings of the Drum of 
 Victory, sounded by the Celestial Hosts ! 
 
 Then down from heaven fluttered a rain of flowers ; 
 a fresh soft breeze sprang up ; all there heard the 
 Gandharvas singing : and round Rama a troop of 
 bright Apsaras joined hands, and danced for joy ! 
 
 " Hail to Rama, the Friend of Living Creatures ! " 
 cried the Simians then. " The Evil power is broken, 
 the reign of Justice has commenced ! " 
 
 Meanwhile, the Rakshasis, weeping and lamenting, 
 had flung them on the earth beside the body of. 
 Ravana. Vibhishana, too, stood near, and looked on 
 the noble frame of his dead Brother with tearful eyes. 
 
 One alone amongst the widowed consorts of 
 Ravana wept not, nor smote her breast, nor threw 
 her on the earth — Mandodari, the Diamond amongst 
 beautiful Women. She stood erect — her two hands 
 held across her breast — a strange, fierce passion paling 
 her — scorn on her lips, and in her large eyes— agony! 
 
 " Dost thou lie thus low ? " she said. " Thou — Victor 
 of the Deathless Gods — there in the dust, whilst all 
 these watch the blood trickling away from thy great 
 heart? Where is the power of thy large limbs — the 
 fire of thy glance — thy majesty of mien — the thunder 
 of thy voice ? All dead ?— all in the dust there ? /.y.
 
 THE DEATH OF MANDODARl. 
 
 299 
 
 so it ends : so ends thy amorous Folly, O my Lord ! 
 Thou didst not heed me ; how shouldst thou heed 
 me, when eye, and ear, and heart, — once mine, all 
 mine, — had gone from me ? This Sita. . . Was there 
 no woman in all the world but Sita, — no charms 
 like hers, — no beauty more than hers ? Was I — Man- 
 dodari — foul of favour? Or was I cold to thee ? Or 
 did I keep back beauty of soul or body ? All Demon 
 though thou wert, — did I not love thee, O Ravana ? But 
 her tears were dearer to thee than any smiles of mine ! 
 Nay, her very scorn and loathing of thee won more 
 passion than all my ardour ! Well — thou didst choose 
 between us, and — thou liest there. Why should I 
 mourn, — 11 Since thou didst unclasp my arms in 
 life, shall I cling to thee in death ? Thou gavest me 
 scant love ; shall I be lavish of my grief ? . . .Yet — yet 
 — a Giant, O Ravana ! — and hadst thou loved me as 
 in the early days, I had not looked upon thee thus — 
 and lived ! " 
 
 She stood a moment, still ; then, with a strange wild 
 cry, " My Lord ! " she said : — she said " My Love — " 
 and fell beside the corpse ! 
 
 They sought to raise her ; they called to her, " Man- 
 dodari. Diamond amongst beautiful Women ! " But 
 she did not answer. — Then they put their hands upon 
 her heart — and found that it had ceased to beat ; so 
 they laid her down tenderly beside her Lord.^ 
 
 Then Rama, approaching Vibhishana, said : 
 
 " See, Friend, that these two have royal obsequies." 
 
 But Vibhishana hesitated. 
 
 1 Vide Note. 
 
 Chap. 
 XVIIL 
 
 Mandodart 
 dies of 
 grief. 
 
 Rama co»tm 
 7nnnds tliai 
 they have 
 funeral 
 honour^
 
 30O 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE HAST. 
 
 Chap. 
 XVIII. 
 
 Vihhi- 
 shanas 
 objections 
 are aii- 
 S7vercd by 
 Rama. 
 
 The funeral 
 Pyre. 
 
 "Were it well," he asked, "to give funeral honours 
 to Ravana, who made so ill an use of life ?" 
 
 The Dasarathide answered : 
 
 " Death has removed Ravana beyond our judg- 
 ment ; see on his brow the still calm seal which 
 proves the supreme acquittal ! It is in mercy Brahm 
 has quenched out the evil from this soul, that failed 
 to earn a noble immortality : shall man use harsher 
 justice than Eternal Brahm ? " 
 
 So, at his command, they raised a noble funeral 
 pile, and adorned it with wreaths of flowers and 
 costly jewels. Then on Ravana's breast they laid 
 the mighty bow he had never cast aside in terror ; 
 and kindling the sacred fire, they stood round in 
 silence, — watching the flame spring up and wrap 
 the great Ravana and his impassioned Bride in their 
 last shroud of fire.
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 THE REUNION OF SiTA AND RAMA. 
 
 Sitd's ap- 
 prehension. 
 
 In the low-roofed cavern, where pale, weird light* Chap, xix 
 steeped through the flowering creepers, lay the Cap- 
 tive, her head upon her arm — asleep. 
 
 This had been a day of terrors. From afar, the 
 tumult of the battle had seemed the confused mut- 
 terings of the wrathful God of Storm ; then, the shout 
 the Rakshasas gave when Lakshmana fell had reached 
 her ears; and later, on, another shout — then stillness, 
 so utter and deep, that she had almost preferred the 
 stormy sound of fight, to which these last days had 
 accustomed her ; for there at least was sign of life. 
 
 There was no one she might question as to what 
 had chanced. The Rakshasis had thrown up their 
 post of gaolers ; her cavern was unguarded ; but she 
 feared this might be some snare of Ravana's, so re- 
 mained in her rocky prison, wondering sore, till sleep 
 came and eased her of anxiety. 
 
 She was roused from tranquil dreams by the con- 
 sciousness that some one stood there, gazing on her. 
 With a shudder, she opened her eyes, thinking to meet 
 the hateful gaze of the Lord of Rakshasas ; but when 
 
 She fa!,'! 
 asleep.
 
 302 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. XIX. 
 
 Sitas 
 Visitor, 
 
 Hanuman 
 tells her the 
 good news. 
 
 He says 
 
 Rama will 
 send for her 
 at sunrise. 
 
 she recognized her Visitor, she gave a Uttle scream 
 of joy, and, springing to her feet, seized his hand 
 affectionately. 
 
 "Thou Pearl amongst Quadrumanous Creatures!" 
 she cried, between laughing and weeping, " thou hast 
 come with tidings from my Rama?" Tears conquered 
 then, and fell in a glistening shower on the hand of 
 the faithful Hanuman. 
 
 *' Nay, nay, my Princess ! " pleaded the tender- 
 hearted Marutide, sore distressed to see her weep, 
 "the hour of tears is past. Rama has triumphed, 
 Lady with the radiant eyes ! Thine enemy, the cruel 
 Ravana, is slain ! Henceforth is joy for thee and thy 
 Beloved. Oh, wherefore dost thou weep ? " 
 
 ** For happiness ! " she laughed back through her 
 tears. " And my Lord is here ? And I shall see my 
 Lord ? " 
 
 "Right soon," returned the other, embarrassed 
 seemingly. " Doubtless he had sent for thee to-night, 
 but that the Field is strewn with corpses, and our 
 Warriors stained with blood. At sunrise he will send ; 
 — because of this delay, doubt not thy Rama's love, 
 august Lady ! " 
 
 He had not needed to say that : to doubt her 
 Lord'T love had never yet chanced to Sita. 
 
 "At sunrise he will send," she repeated; "at sun- 
 rise — in a few short hours ! How I love thee, thou 
 most comely and kind of Apes ! " 
 
 And there, was such a light in the smile she turned 
 on him, that the faithful Simian's heart bounded with 
 pride and pleasure.
 
 SlTA GOES TO MEET RAMA. 
 
 303 
 
 " Grant me one favour, august Princess ! " he cried. 
 "I am in a heat of joy and devotion to thee, hard to 
 bear ! Let me avenge the insults thou hast received 
 from the hideous Rakshasis ; it were a relief to tear 
 them with my claws, to knock them down, and 
 trample on them ! Have I thy leave, O star-eyed 
 Queen ? " 
 
 Then, because her great happiness strove to find an 
 outlet, Sita laughed merrily at that. 
 
 " Fie on thee, thou vindictive Hanuroan ! " she 
 said, and shook her finger at him. " Nay, thou shalt 
 not touch those poor old Rakshasis ; I would not for 
 all the world ill should chance to them ; I would not 
 any creature should be in grief to-morrow ! " 
 
 It seemed a long time waiting for the dawn ; yet 
 Sita never thought, " Why is not Rama here ? Since 
 Hanuman could reach me in my prison-house, why 
 could not he?" 
 
 Her great love made her trustful. 
 
 At first blush of dawn, Vibhishana, the new Lord of 
 Rakshasas, came laden with rich apparel and jewels, 
 and caskets filled with rare perfumes. 
 
 " Array thyself, gracious Princess, in these robes 
 befitting thy rank," he said ; " then we will conduct 
 thee to thy noble spouse." 
 
 "Nay, c'ourteous Demon," returned Sita; "but 
 I will first go to my Lord in these mean garments; 
 then if it please him, I will deck me in this splendid 
 apparel." 
 
 But Vibhishana, thinking to do Rama a pleasure, 
 said : 
 
 Chap. XIX. 
 
 HaJiiitnau 
 asks if he 
 may Jiitnisk 
 ike Hdk- 
 shasis. 
 
 Sitaforhids 
 him to lianit 
 them. 
 
 VibMsJiana 
 conies to 
 fetch Sits, 
 and brings 
 her jewels 
 and rai- 
 fjient.
 
 304 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. XIX. 
 
 Vibhishana 
 bids Sltdput 
 en this 
 
 brig-kt 
 a/j>iirel. 
 
 SU/t IS 
 
 carried in a 
 pala7iqiiin, 
 and the 
 Simians 
 press round 
 her to 
 
 Viihfshana's 
 wratk. 
 
 Rdrtut says 
 their gaze 
 cannot con- 
 fuse Slta. 
 
 stta 
 
 marvels at 
 her Lord's 
 coldness. 
 
 " Thy Lord desires thou shouldst return to him in 
 the full splendour of thy beauty." 
 
 Hearing it was her husband's will, Sita put on the 
 queenly robes the Rakshasa had brought her, and 
 stepped into the gorgeous palanquin, whose draperies 
 and fringes were of gold, interspersed with briUiant 
 gems. 
 
 As the lovely Bride of Rama, carried by four of 
 the noblest Warriors among the Rakshasas, approached 
 the late field of battle, the inquisitive Simians pressed 
 round the palanquin, seeking to get a view of this 
 Princess, whose beauty was a marvel in the three 
 worlds. 
 
 Vibhishana drove them back, chiding them angrily 
 for their ill-bred audacity. 
 
 Then the gentle Vaidehi heard her Rama's voice, 
 and it sounded strangely cold and stern to her. 
 
 " Why dost thou vex these Warriors, Vibhishana?" 
 he asked. " I see no wrong that they should look on 
 this Princess — who comes from the harem of the 
 Rakshasa ! Long ere this, the radiant Sita has no 
 dotibt laid by her coyness ; let them gaze their fill. — 
 The eyes of my honest Wild Men of the Wood will 
 not work her harm." 
 
 At the cold displeasure of his voice, Sita's heart 
 failed her. She sprang from the palanquin, and had 
 rushed forward to him. but astonishment and wounded 
 love, combined with the joy of seeing him again, held 
 her there unconscious of all else, seeking to read his 
 averted countenance. 
 
 The enthusiastic Simians could not refrain from a
 
 RAMA'S SUSPICIONS. 
 
 Zf^^ 
 
 cry of wondering admiration as they looked at her. 
 The bloom of her youth had not faded, but fresh 
 majesty and warmth were added to it : — never 
 in her sunniest days had she this resplendence and 
 glow of beauty. Rama recognized this at once, — 
 and it was a torture to him ! 
 
 "Am not I a worn and broken man?" he asked. 
 " Have not sleepless nights weakened my frame, and 
 given fever to my blood? has not the incessant 
 torment of regret hollowed out my eyes, and driven 
 the healthful glow from either cheek ? But she ? 
 What trace of sorrow have these long cruel months 
 left on her ? She comes to me more brightly lovely 
 than before, and decked in the raiment of a 
 Queen. Ah, if for all these charms there were one 
 line of care — one wrinkle on her brow — a little dim- 
 ness of the eyes, speaking of tears, — the faintest 
 cloud upon her youth, — how gladly had I gathered 
 her in my arms! But now, where in this radiant 
 Sita shall I find my Love ?" 
 
 Meanwhile she stood there, her large eyes implor- 
 ing him ; ]• ■^ because they were so bright, he heeded 
 not. There was a murmur of surprise and discontent 
 among the Wild Men of the Wood. Lakshmana, in 
 spite of his great reverence for Rama, was wroth to 
 see the lovely Princess thus slighted in the sight of 
 this vast company. 
 
 " Brother," he urged, " thy Beloved stands there 
 waiting; hast thou nought to say to her, — no word 
 for this dear, gentle Sita, whom thou hast so often 
 wept ? " 
 
 Chap. XIX 
 
 Ratna is 
 grieved to 
 find Sita 
 so little 
 
 Lakshniann 
 rciucti- 
 strntcs wit/t 
 Rdina.
 
 3o6 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. XIX. 
 
 Rama says 
 that grief 
 has jnade 
 him unfit 
 for such a 
 radintit 
 bride. 
 
 SttS. appeals 
 to Rdiiia. 
 
 "Have I wept for her?" answered the pale, stem 
 Rama. " That was my folly — She had more wisdom 
 than to spend her days in tea^-s ! What should I say 
 to this enchanting Princess, O Lakshmana? Speak 
 to her rather thou ; for thou art young and happy yet, 
 and shouldst be better able to use pleasant flatteries. 
 Tell her she is of rare loveliness, and that this rich 
 apparel becomes her marvellously well : — Say, too, 
 that this Rama, to whom she once was pledged, has 
 in a few short months outlived his youth — there is not 
 enough amorous heat left in his blood to be stirred 
 at sight of all her charms — yet bid her take heart ; 
 doubtless there are many willing to replace Ravana 
 at her side, and, for the sweetness of her glances, to 
 forget her sojourn in the harem of the Rakshasa. Tell 
 her that Rama forbears to claim her — that she is free 
 of Rama ! He has laved his shame, and that sufiices ; 
 he is sick of love ! " 
 
 At this, Sita, casting by pride and resentment, 
 came and fell down at his feet. 
 
 "Alas!" she said, "I drenmed another greeting 
 from my Lord than this ! Why, if thy heart had 
 turned from me, didst not thou send word by thy 
 messenger — this Hanuman? I had died then, and so 
 had thy shame been laved, and all the fatigue of 
 this great army, and the loss of innocent life, been 
 spared. But thine Envoy brought me messages of 
 love, and therefore I lived on. Thou speakest of 
 suffering and torment of regret, my Love ! I am a 
 woman — timid, frail of health and frame — was not 
 the burthen harder to support for me ? And then — I
 
 SJTA'S APPEAL. 
 
 307 
 
 fain would think my ears deceived me, — but I heard 
 thee name the harem of the Rakshasa? Rama, this 
 Hanuman can say how I was lodged : a captive in a 
 lonely cavern, where came no sunlight, tormented by 
 the menaces of hideous Rakshasis, and threatened 
 by Ravana with instant death ! — But I am still 
 beautiful, — sayest thou? Since it offends thee, I 
 would that I had no charm left ! I take no pride 
 nor pleasure in being comely for myself When the 
 Saint Anasuya gave me the gift of unfading loveli- 
 ness, I was happy only because I thought of thee ! 
 But since thou hatest my beauty, I hate it too ! 
 Take from me all grace of face and form, ye puis- 
 sant Gods, and only give me Rama's love !" 
 
 And so she fell a-sobbing, and kissed her Lord's 
 feet, and bathed them with her tears. 
 
 Rama, pale, and struggling hard against his grief 
 at seeing her thus, still put her from him. 
 
 " There is no beauty to be compared to thine in 
 the three worlds !" he said. " Wouldst thou have 
 me think Ravana was dead to all these charms, and 
 kept thee prisoner merely out of hate to me ? Nay ; 
 though thy heart be innocent, his love has tainted 
 thee !" 
 
 Then, with sad dignity, the Vaidehi dashed away 
 her tears, and rose from the dust at his feet. 
 
 " Son of Sumitra," she said, turning to Lakshmana, 
 " in thine eyes I see pity and trust of me ! Build me 
 a funeral pyre. Brother; since I am tainted in Rama's 
 sight, it is time that I should die !" 
 
 Indignantly the Sumitride collected a vast pile of 
 
 X 2 
 
 Chap. XIX. 
 
 Ratna still 
 turns away 
 frctn Slid. 
 
 sua H<fs 
 
 Lakslimtiia 
 build her a 
 funeral ^i.e.
 
 3o8 
 
 THE ILTAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. XIX. 
 
 Sita ascends 
 the pyre. 
 
 She firtxys 
 to the Cod 
 of fire to 
 proT'e her 
 innocence. 
 
 appears, and 
 carries her 
 to Rama's 
 amis. 
 
 tains that 
 
 boughs and trunks of trees scattered about the 
 field. 
 
 " When he sees his innocent Sita ascend the pyre, 
 Rama's heart will relent," he thought. 
 
 But, with eyes sad wi'th unshed tears, the Dasara- 
 thide watched the gentle Princess mount the funeral 
 pile ; and, even when the sacred Fire sprang up round 
 her, gave no sign, nor spake one pitying word. Then 
 Lakshmana, Sugriva, Angada, and Hanuman rushed 
 forward to drag Sita from the pyre : — But, with a ges- 
 ture of command, Rama waved them back. Their 
 reverence for him made them obey; but an angry 
 murmur spread round, and indignant eyes glared on 
 him from all sides. 
 
 "Agni, God of Purity and Light!" prayed Sita, 
 amid the flames, " if I am true, and clean, and bright 
 of soul as thou, then prove my innocence to Rama 
 and all this host !" 
 
 A golden Flame, smokeless, and of clear radiance 
 as the sun, swam round her. Then from the midst 
 sprang Agni, the resplendent God, who, bearing the 
 Princess from the pyre, placed her in Rama's arms. 
 
 Then was broken up the Hero's forced restraint. 
 
 "I hold thee!" he cried, "my Own — my Level" 
 and wept for joy. 
 
 Sita, lying on his breast, asked : 
 
 " Yet didst thou doubt me, Rama ?' 
 
 He answered : 
 
 "Nay ; or I had not trusted thee to the pure God 
 of Fire ! But it was needful there should be no speck 
 on thy soul's whiteness : — for thy own sake first; then,
 
 KING DASAKATHA. 
 
 309 
 
 <br the sake of all these here — that they might learn 
 'hat loveliness of outward form cannot make vice 
 Ttiore tolerable; and that where is not utter re- 
 v^erence, is no true love ! Dost thou forgive me, O 
 my Queen ?" 
 
 She answered not in words, but clung more close 
 to him. 
 
 Above the two, as they stood thus embraced, ap- 
 peared a Cloud-chariot, gilded by the sun, and within 
 it, behold Dasaratha, the aged King of Ayddhya ! 
 
 He smiled on his children there. 
 
 " Rama," he cried, " the fourteen years of thine 
 exile have elapsed. Well hast thou served thy fellows, 
 and done honour to the Soul entrusted thee during 
 thy wanderings ; return now to the pleasant Town 
 where reigned thy fathers. When thou hast given 
 to mankind the example of a just governor, and hast 
 shown moderation in prosperity, as thou hast already 
 displayed patience in affliction, thou shalt join me 
 in the Restful World. Thou, too, Lakshmana, and 
 thou, my large-eyed Daughter, shall enter Paradise 
 with this Hero ye have loved and followed through 
 his days of trouble ! " 
 
 Raising his hands to his brow, Rama cried to the 
 ancient Monarch, reverently : 
 
 •' Father ! if thy love and favour be mine indeed, 
 grant me a pleasure ere thou depart. Thou didst 
 quit life in wrath against Kaikeyi and the innocent 
 Bharata. ' I abandon thee and thy son !' didst thou 
 say to thy once favoured Consort. Deign to remit 
 thine anger. Empower me to say to the repentant 
 
 Chap. XIX 
 
 Dasarathn 
 appi\tTS 111 
 a chariot 
 o/ciouU. 
 
 He hids\ 
 Rama 
 retitrii to 
 Ayodhyd, 
 and ass74res 
 khn, as ive/l 
 as Sitd afid 
 Lakshmana. 
 0/ his 
 a/!j>roval. 
 
 Rama liegs 
 that 
 
 Kaikeyi and 
 Bharata 
 may be 
 pardoned.
 
 3IO 
 
 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 Chap. XIX. 
 
 Dasaratha 
 grants tlie 
 request. 
 
 He blesses 
 his children 
 and returns 
 to Paradise. 
 
 Kaikeyi, 'Dasaratha pardons;' and to the just 
 Bharata, * Thy Father's love is thine.' Thus, O 
 Magnanimous King, shall disunion and ill-feeling 
 cease ! " 
 
 Dasaratha answered : 
 
 "At thy request, Rama, I pardon Kaikeyi, and 
 restore my favour to her son. — Have ye aught else 
 to ask, my children ? for I may not linger." 
 
 " Thy Benediction ! " cried they all — and fell upon 
 their knees. 
 
 Then the ancient King spread his hands out above 
 the two Heroes, and Sita, the Vaidehi. And as he 
 ascended slowly, still he looked on them — and blessed 
 them still. 
 
 At length the blue of Heaven opened, and wrapt 
 him from their sight — till the time should come, as he 
 had promised, when all three should join him in the 
 Restful World.
 
 NOTES. 
 
 CHyVPTER I. 
 
 Note I, p. I. *^ Eighteen hundred years before the Christian era.** — 
 This is the date given in the introductory chapter of Fauche's French 
 translation of the Ramayana. Monsieur Michclet, in the "Bible de 
 I'Humanite," attributes the Poem to a still earlier period, mentioning 
 2000 B.C. as the latest epoch admissible. There seems, however, to be 
 little unanimity of opinion amongst Sanskrit scholars about even the 
 approximate date of the Ramayana. Weber, in his Academical Lectures 
 on Indian Literature, concludes, from the silence of Megasthenes, that 
 there existed in his day no record of Indian Poetry ; whence he infers 
 that the compilation of the Maha-Bhdrata, generally supposed poste- 
 rior to the Ramayana, took place at some time between the year 
 300 B.C. and 50 A.D., when it is mentioned by a Greek Historian, 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 Note I, pp. 13, 14. " Eternal Spirit " Sec. " Brahm,*' &c.— "Strictly 
 S]ieaking, the Religion of the Hindus is Monotheism. They worship 
 God in unity; and express their conceptions of the Divine Being in the 
 most awful and sublime terms. God thus adored is called Brahm, the 
 One Eternal Mind, the Self-existing Eternal Spirit, &c. The Will of 
 God that the world should exist and continue is personified ; and His 
 preservative power appear in Brahma and Vishnu ; while Siva is the 
 creative and emblem of his destructive energy : not, however, of absolute
 
 312 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 annihilation, but rather of reproduction in another form. " ( Vide Moor's 
 " Hindu Pantheon.") 
 
 Note 2, p. 24. " The eight things of the Arghya.^ — Presents offered 
 in a basket to a newly-arrived guest ; amongst these offerings were 
 rice, darbha-grass, flowers, water, and honey, all of which had their 
 emblematic significance. 
 
 Note 3, p. 24. The story of the Hundred Daughters of Kusanabha 
 scarcely admits of translation into English. At the same time it contains 
 so much naivete and humour, that I have no hesitation in recommend- 
 ing it to the notice of my readers, as it stands in M. Fauche's French 
 translation, chap. xxxv. vol. i. French is an easier medium than 
 our own language for the transmission of this primitive candour, which 
 is free from all impurity ; and only seems coarse to our modern taste, 
 because we are less simple and single-minded than men were in those 
 early days. 
 
 CHAPTER IIL 
 
 Note I, p. 36. " Tiger of Men." — "Expressions in frequent use are, 
 Lion among Kings, Tiger of Men, Bull among Solitaries, &c.,when one 
 would say : the most excellent of anchorites, the most eminent of men, 
 the noblest of kings, &c. We have at times translated in this somewhat 
 timorous manner, but have ceased to do so, seeing at once that it was 
 to efface the individual, primitive, and local colouring." Thus speaks 
 Monsieur Fauche. I, too, would ask my readers to pardon the first 
 strangeness and apparent extravagance of these expressions in consider- 
 ation of the covert fun glancing through them ; which, I do not doubt, 
 will conquer in the end the objections they are pretty sure to be disposed 
 to make in the commencement. I was myself inclined to call out on 
 these characteristic phrases as barbarisms, unworthy of conversion ; 
 until the humorous significance of the term, ^^ Bull ai7iong Penitents," 
 as applied to the persistent Anchorite Visvamitra, won me over to the 
 same opinion as Monsieur Fauche. 
 
 Note 2, p. 36. " Pradakshina." — A method of salutation, consisting 
 of turning round the person to be greeted, taking pains always to have 
 him to the right of one.
 
 NOTES. 313 
 
 NoTK 3, p. 42. ** luikii."- — A headless monster, who in times of eclipse 
 was supposed to devour tlie sun or moon, as the case mii^ht be. How- 
 he managed this little matter, lacking a head, and consequently one 
 would suppose a mouth, I cannot undertake to say ; nor do any of the 
 Mythological Works I have searched throw light on the subject. 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 Tlie occurrence of this chapter in the midst of the history of 
 Rama's wanderings is somewhat unfortunate. I should have preferred 
 placing it among the earlier chapters, where there was no continuous 
 thread running through the narrative. But in so doing I should have 
 seemed to interpolate a sketch of my own among the stories purport- 
 ing to draw at least their subject-matter from the Ramayana. All I 
 can suggest is that the Reader good enough to feel an interest in the 
 fortunes of the bereaved Dasarathide should return to this chapter only 
 after having seen the Hero well through his troubles. 
 
 It is probable, too, that I may be accused of having given a significance 
 to this Legend, unwarranted by aught in the original Poem. To a cer- 
 tain extent, I plead guilty to the charge. That is to say, I admit that 
 Valmiki relates the story of the false Brides of Indra without revealing 
 any allegorical sense, nor intentionally suggesting any. But what then ? 
 I do- not profess to be translating the Ramayana ; merely, I am striving 
 to put into readable form the leading incidents therein related. It is 
 simply unavoidable that, to a certain extent, these stories should have a 
 colouring of detail, and a purport more or less personal ; otherwise how 
 could I hope to make them more than meaningless fragments of the 
 "■reat Poem, which dawdles languidly through seven formidable volumes, 
 at a pace ill-suited to the impatient intellects of our busy age? 
 
 At the same time, as far as the facts or leading points of the tale go, 
 I have not, in any instance, departed from the original Work. That the 
 Reader may judge for himself how far I am justified in lending an allego- 
 rical sense to this fable, I will quote the passage as given by Monsieur 
 Fauche, in the forty-fourth chapter of the tifth volume. 
 
 Sugiiva is giving a detailed description of the country he is sending 
 certain of his envoys to explore. Havhig told them how they may reach 
 the country of the Uttarakurus, he says : 
 
 " II est defen-J' par un fleuve noir, grandement epouvantable et de
 
 314 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 
 
 qui le torrent impetueux entraine toute chose avec liii. Vous le traversez 
 a grande peine, vous en fouillez habilcment les deux rives, et vous entrez 
 nobles Singes, chez les Uttarakurus, grands, magnifiques, qui vivent 
 toujours dans la joie et de qui I'ame est inaccessible aux soucis. On ne 
 connait W ni I'hiver ni I'ete, ni la vieillesse, ni la maladie, ni la crainte, 
 ni le chagrin, ni les pluies furieuses, ni lesardeursbrulantes du soleil. . . . 
 La cachees sous des arbres d'or, coulent sur un sable d'or, les rivieres h. 
 lotus d'or, oil les montagnes d'or vont baigner leurs pieds ; les nympheas 
 d'or bruni couvrent de riches moissons les etangs. . . . On ceuille sur les 
 arbres des fruits qui sont de merveilleux bijoux, or au chaton de pierreries, 
 et modeles suivant la forme que chacun desire. lis produisent \ Icurs 
 branches et des lits, et des hausses brodes, et divers compositions de 
 parfums. . . .La, fieres de leur jeunesse et de leur beaute, vivent des 
 
 femmes comblees des plus seduisantes qualites Les hommes de la 
 
 plus haute noblesse, bien faits, vigoureux, de qui la bouche ne sail dire 
 que des choses agreables ou flatteuses, tons devoues a la volupte, 
 exempts de fatigue, de faim, de peril, et d'inquietude habitent la avec 
 lem-s epouses au sein d'une grande fortune et dans la satisfaction de 
 tous les desirs. . . . On voit des femmes d'une incomparable distinction, 
 aux yeux de lotus, aux visages de nelumbos. . . La jeunesse de toutes ces 
 femmes s'ecoule dans un seul jour ; elles naissent au lever du soleil et la 
 nuit a son relour les voit deja vieilles ! On sait que jadis elles furent 
 des Apsaras, qui sans plus songer au Monarque des Immortels passaient 
 le temps a s'amuser dans ces lieux aimables. . . . Le grand Indra les 
 maudit toutes. . . Tous les jours naissent et meurent ces femmes qui 
 furent des Apsaras, et la malediction du grand India les roule ainsi de 
 la naissance ^ la mort." 
 
 CHAPTER XIIL 
 
 Note l, p. 203. *' Hanutnan's tail." — I was much startled by the an- 
 nouncement, that this illustrious Orang-outang was so far favoured beyond 
 his species. In fact I confess to having had some design of suppressing the 
 tail altogether ; but as the Reader will perceive, later on, that would 
 have involved passing over many memorable events in silence. Now 
 not being myself a Sanskrit scholar, I cannot tell whether my authority, 
 Mons. Fauche, may have erred in calling Hanuman an Orang-outang, 
 lie certainly does so speak of him : for example, in the first chapter of 
 the fifth volume, and in other instances. But after all there may be no
 
 NOTES, 315 
 
 mistake ; Ilaminian was altogether an extraordinary Ape ; might he not 
 have possessed a tail, together with his other exceptional qualities, — or 
 have obtained one in recompense for a few thousand years of self- 
 maceration? 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 Note I, p. 248. " The Oath 0/ the Kihatriya." — " The oath on admis- 
 sion into the military order or caste of the Kshatriya, was the origin of 
 the vows of Knighthood in the Middle Ages." (Note of M. Fauche.) 
 
 Note 2, p. 252. " J'isvaharman." — " The Architect of the Universe, 
 and the fabricator of arms for the Gods, is the Son of Brahma, and the 
 Vulcan of the Hindus. He is also called ' Sootar,' or carpenter, and 
 presides over arts and manufactures." {Vide Coleman's "Mythology of 
 Hindus.") 
 
 CHAPTER XVHI. 
 
 1 should, perhaps, state that Vahnlki does not mention the cfcalh of 
 MandodarT ; yet her fate, as related in this chapter, appears to me quite 
 in keeping with the impassioned though jealous chaiacler of the 
 "Diamond among Beautiful Women." 
 
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