Part 25

Beholding the clear welkin, void of clouds and lightnings, filled with _Sarasas_ and sprinkled with the charming rays of the Moon, Hanuman, the son of Marut, versed in religious lore and political economy, and conversant with effects proper to the time or season, approaching the Lord of monkeys, addressed him with various sound, reasonable and pleasant words, well-meaning, true and teaching the means of acquiring forgiveness, piety and wealth. Acquiring riches Sugriva hath grown careless for the collection of righteousness and wealth, is following the track of the vicious, and is addicted to the satisfaction of sensual appetites--having all his actions stopped and desires attained--and given to enjoyments with damsels. Having attained all his desires and wishes, his own wife and the much-desired-for Tara, Sugriva is sporting with them, day and night, without any affliction, like unto the Lord of celestials with _Gandharbas_ and _Apsaras_. Placing all the royal affairs at the hands of the counsellors, without looking to them, and confiding fully in their abilities he is living like one under the influence of passions--"Thou hast attained thy kingdom, fame, and thy vast ancestral wealth. It now behoveth thee to perform thy duties by thy friends. Truly doth his kingdom, fame and prowess increase who is cognizant of the seasonableness of time and doth good to his friends. O king, truly doth he attain to a vast kingdom, who hath the same wealth, soldiery and body with his friends. It becometh thee, therefore, who art crowned with a good character, and who dost wend a blameless track, to work out thy friend's well-being (as promised by thee). He who doth not engage in the service of his friends renouncing all business, becometh void of all energy and involved in unnecessary troubles. And he, who engageth in his friend's service after the proper season is over, does nothing to his well-being, though he performs a great thing. O slayer of foes, soon shall the time for performing thy friend's service, be over; do thou therefore encompass Raghava's good, namely the searching out of Vaidehi. O king, Rama, conversant with the seasonableness of time and wise as he is, is not informing thee of it, though the proper time is past; and though he is in hurry, he is waiting for thee. Raghava as well as Lakshmana, who are the instruments of thy attaining to this vast kingdom, and thy friends for so long a time, are persons of incomparable prowess by virtue of their unequalled accomplishments. He hath already performed thy service, and it behoveth thee now, O lord of monkeys, to command the foremost of monkeys to engage in his service. To engage, out of season, in a service, uncalled for, is not blameable; but to defer the performance of an action in proper time after promising is indeed an object of censure. O lord of monkeys, thou dost engage even in the service of one who doth thee no good, then why shalt thou not engage in the benefit of Rama who hath favoured thee by encompassing the destruction (of Vali) and securing for thee thy kingdom? O lord of monkeys and bears, truly thou art gifted with prowess and strength, why dost thou not prepare thyself for satisfying Dacarathee's commands? Dacarathee himself is capable of subduing the celestials, Asuras and great serpents--he is simply awaiting the fulfilment of thy promise. He hath performed a great service at the risk of his life--we shall therefore find out Vaidehi whether she is in this earth or in the welkin. Even the celestials, Danavas, Gandharbas, Asuras, Marutas, Yakshas are afraid of him in the battlefield--what of the insignificant Rakshasas. O lord of monkeys, it therefore behoveth thee to do good by all means unto the powerful Rama, who benefitted thee before. O lord of monkeys, who is there amongst us, who shall not at thy command proceed unto water, sky or the region under the earth? O blameless one, there are more than one _koti_ of invincible monkeys under thee, do thou command, who shall proceed and to what quarter?" Hearing these words of Hanuman, said on a very proper occasion, the intelligent Sugriva, made up his mind for a worthy end. Thereupon the highly intelligent Sugriva ordered the ever active Neela, to collect soldiers from various quarters. "Do thou so arrange as all my hosts and soldiers with their commanders soon come here. Do thou soon bring here at my behest all the energetic and quick-coursing monkeys and commanders spreading their conquests to the end of the earth. (After their arrival) do thou thyself inspect and count all those monkeys. He who shall not reach here within fifteen days shall be punished with the loss of his life. There is no need of scrutinizing my orders. Abiding by my order, do thou see along with Angada all the elderly monkeys." Having thus arranged, that best of monkeys entered the inner apartment.

SECTION XXX.

Sugriva having entered his palace, and the sky being cleared of the clouds, Rama, racked with grief, passing the rainy season and beholding the yellow welkin, the clear disc of the Moon, the autumnal night sprinkled with the rays of the Moon, the _amour_-stricken lord of monkeys, the ravishment of the daughter of Janaka, and the season well-nigh expired, became overwhelmed with sorrow and senseless. And regaining his sense after sometime, the highly intelligent king--Raghava began to think of Vaidehi although always present in his mind. And beholding the clear sky void of lightnings and clouds and filled with the noise of _Sarasas_, Raghava began to lament piteously, stationing himself on the summit of the hill ornamented with metals of golden hue. And beholding the autumnal sky he engaged in the meditation of his beloved spouse. How shall that _Sarasa_-voiced damsel be pleased to-day, who, while sporting in the hermitage, used to warble like _Sarasas_, to invite them. Beholding _Asana_ trees, as if covered with golden flowers and not beholding me how shall that damsel be pleased? How that exquisitely fine damsel having a sweet voice shall be pleased to-day, who used formerly to awake at the sounds of the drakes? Hearing the noise of her companions--_Chakrabakas_, how shall that one, of expansive eyes resembling lotuses, live? Without her having the eyes of a fawn, I do not attain to felicity to-day, ranging at large by ponds, streams, pools and in forests and woods. Forsooth shall Cupid excited by the approach of the autumn, distress her the more on account of my separation and her personal charms." Thus bewailed that best son of a king like unto the bird _Saranga_ soliciting water from the lord of celestials. And the graceful Lakshmana, returning from the picturesque mountain-summits where he had sojourned in quest of fruits, beheld his elder brother. And beholding in that lonely forest his brother, racked with anxious thoughts hard to bear and almost beside himself (with grief) the high-minded Saumitri, prompted by his brother's grief, spoke unto him very poorly, saying:--"O worshipful one, what hast thou perpetrated by placing thyself under the control of passions and defeating thy manliness? Thy deep and devout meditation hath been purloined by thy grief; and it is by religious contemplation that thy grief shall be terminated now. O brother, after going through the ceremonies of bathing and so forth, and acquiring peace, do thou bring all thy time under thy control by virtue of the concentration of soul; and being of unmitigated strength do thou resort to power and help, the key-notes for the accomplishment of thy great object. O lord of men, Janaki, husbanded by thee, is not capable of being easily possessed by others. O hero who getting at a flame of fire, doth not burn himself?" Thereupon Rama spoke unto Lakshmana, gifted with royal marks, addressing him with natural and resolute words and saying:-- "What thou hast said, is sound, well-meaning, sanctioned by polity and speaks of piety, wealth and forgiveness. It should therefore, without the least doubt, be performed by me. It behoveth me to engage in contemplation about the eternal truth regarding the Deity and in ascetic observances. Or else O Prince, it is not proper to think of the fruits of a difficult, highly developed and energetic action." Thereupon thinking of Maithelee, having eyes resembling lotus-petals, Rama spoke unto Lakshmana with a dried countenance. "Having satisfied the earth with a profuse discharge of water, produced crops and thus, finished his work, the thousand eyed Deity is sitting silent. O son of a king, the clouds, muttering a long and deep sound and approaching the hills and trees, are calmed having discharged their liquid contents. Having made the ten quarters dark blue, the clouds, resembling blue lotuses, have become calm, like unto elephants without temporal juice. O gentle one, high gales accompanied with rains, big with water and fragrant with _Kutaja_ and _Arjuna_ flowers being driven before hither and thither, have now become silent O innocent Lakshmana, the sounds of clouds, elephants, peacocks, and fountains, have been all stopped. Hills, having variegated summits, being washed by dense clouds and thus free from dirt and impurities, do appear elegant being sprinkled by the rays of the Moon. Forsooth hath the autumn set in, dividing its grace in the branches of _Saptachada_ trees, in the rays of the Sun and Moon with stars and in the gaits of the excellent elephants. Surely hath the autumnal grace resorted to many things. And it hath appeared more profusely in the lotuses blossomed by the first rays of the Sun. Scented sweet with the flower of _Saptachada_ trees, borowing the musical notes of bees, following the wind and subduing the pride of infuriated elephants, the autumn is appearing very elegant. The swans are playing with _Chakrabakas_ having splendidly spacious wings, fond of cupid, crusted with the filaments of lotuses, and arriving at the banks of the rivers. The autumnal grace is appearing more elegant being divided in infuriated elephants, in proud kine, and in streams of clear currents. Beholding the sky divested of clouds, without manifesting the beauty of their tails and renouncing their attachment unto their beloved mates, amusements and beauty, the peacocks are as if all engaged in meditation in the forest. The forest-lands are as if a-blaze with many a sweet-scented picturesque _Priyaka_ trees, having a golden hue and their tops lowered down with the weight of flowers. The gaits, of the elephants rendered idle with a profuse discharge of temporal juice, fond of forests and water lilies, smelling the fragrance of the flowers of _Saptachhada_ trees and accompanied by their mates, have become slow. The sky is clear like unto a sword--the streams have become of feeble currents--the wind, cool and scented with the fragrance of white esculent waterlilies, is blowing--and quarters have become devoid of darkness. The mud has been dried up by the rays of the Sun and the earth is filled with dust--this is the time for preparation for inimical kings (to enter into conflict). The bulls, having their beauty enhanced by the autumn, and their body covered with dust, delighted, infuriated and hence desirous of entering into skirmish, have been setting up terrible roars in the midst of kine. The she-elephants, moving slowly, fond, passionate and accompanied by other members, have been following their passionate mates, in the forest, embracing them. Leaving behind their excellent ornaments--the tails, the peacocks, getting at the banks of the rivers, have been going away poorly and with depressed hearts as if being remonstrated with by the _Sarasas_. Having terrified the _Karandavas_ and _Chakrabakas_ with their mighty roars, the elephants, having cleft trunks and being agitated again and again, have been drinking water in the ponds filled with full blown lotuses. The drakes have been jumping delightedly into the rivers, mudless, covered with sands, full of clear water, filled with kine and resounded with the notes of _Sarasas_. Now hath stopped the noise of rivers, clouds, fountains, water, the high winds, the peacocks and the mirthless frogs. And venomous snakes of vareiagated colors, having lived for a pretty long time during the rains without food, have on the approach of the autumn, come out of their dens, hungry, in quest of their prey. The red-dyed evening hath renounced the welkin, being delighted at the touch of the rays of the Moon and opening a little her eyes--the stars. Having the rising Moon for her elegant countenance, the stars for her excellent open eyes and the rays for a piece of white garment, the night appeareth like a damsel wearing a white cloth. Having fed on ripe white rice, the excellent rows of delighted _Sarasas_ are flying quickly up to the sky like unto a well-strung garland shaken by the wind. The water, of the lake filled with sleeping drakes and water lilies, is appearing like the sky in the night, devoid of clouds and filled with the Full Moon and stars. The ponds, having the drakes scattering hither and thither for their girdles and engarlanded with full blown lotuses and water lilies, are appearing like so many damsels ornamented with diverse ornaments. The sound set up by the wind in the dawn like unto that of a pipe accompanied by the music of a trumpet, being mixed with the noise of the caves and bulls are as if multiplying each other. The banks of the rivers are being dressed by the newly blossomed flowers shaken by the mild breezes and Kacas. like unto clean, washed silken clothes. The black bees, bold, given to drinking honey, rendered yellow with the filaments of lotuses and _Asana_ flowers, delighted and accompanied by their mates are following the wind in the forest. The clear water, the blossoming flowers, the noise of _Craunchas_, the ripe white rice, the mild breezes, the clear Moon announce the approach of the Autumn--the removers of the rains. The rivers, having fishes for their girdles, have become of slackened course like unto damsels moving slowly in the dawn being enjoyed by their husbands. The mouths of the rivers, filled with _Chakrabakas_, covered with aquatic plants and clothed with _Kacas_ are appearing like unto the countenances of damsels pasted with yellow pigments. The most powerful Cupid hath taken up his terrible bow in this forest filled with _Asana_ flowers appearing like unto arrows and the hum of delighted bees. Having satisfied the people with a profuse discharge of water, filled the rivers and pools and covered the earth with crops, the clouds have disappeared renouncing the sky. The rivers in this season of autumn have been gradually showing their banks. O thou of excellent looks, the ponds (in this season) appear exquisitely fine, being filled with _Kurara_ birds and _Chakrabakas_. O son of king, this is the time of preparation for inimical kings, desirous of defeating one another. O son of a king, this is the best time for royal marches, but I do not find Sugriva preparing himself for that end. There appear on the summits of the hills flowers _Asanas_, _Saptaparnas_, _Kavidaras_, _Bandhugeebas_, and _Tamalas_. Behold, O Lakshmana, the banks of the rivers filled with swans, _Sarasas_, _Chakrabakas_ and _Kuraras_. Stricken as I am with grief, these four months, the season of rains, appeared unto me like a hundred year, not beholding Sita. Like unto _Chakrabakas_ following their mates, Sita, taking the terrible forest of Dandaka for a picturesque garden, used to follow me there. O Lakshmana, Sugriva, is not inclined to show any commiseration towards me, who am separated from my beloved spouse, deprived of my kingdom, banished and striken with sorrow. Regarding me as one without any to back him, deprived of his kingdom, insulted by Ravana, wretched, of a distant land, under the influence of amour and therefore seeking his help, (Sugriva hath not felt pity for me). O subduer of foes, O thou of excellent looks, for these reasons, I have been insulted by that vicious-souled king of monkeys--Sugriva. Having appointed the time to institute enquiries about Sita, that wicked-minded one hath now forgot it on the accession of his new dignity. Do thou therefore repair to Kishkindha and speak of me unto that stupid lord of monkeys--Sugriva, addicted to rural enjoyments. And do thou tell him--'He, who breaks his promise made unto a powerful benefactor who solicits his favour, is regarded by people as vile. He is a true hero and an excellent person who verifies his words whether good or bad. Ungrateful they are who do not, after attaining their ends, engage in the service of those of their friends who have not accomplished their objects; even those living on raw flesh do not feed on their gore after their death'. And ask him if he wishes to behold in battle-field the golden bow resembling a lightning. And ask him more, if he wishes to hear the terrible twang of my bow resembling the noise of thunder, when I am enraged in battle. O hero, O son of a king, when apprised of my prowess assisted by thee, will he not recapitulate in his mind (that he may be destroyed by us like unto Vali)? O conqueror of enemies' cities, does not that lord of monkeys, after accomplishing his object, think of the conditions under which our friendship was contracted? Does not that lord of monkeys think that he has spent four months in enjoyments, having promised and appointed the season, after rains, (for making) enquiries about Sita"? Does not Sugriva feel pity for us, who are racked with sorrow, being addicted to drinking with friends and counsellors? Do thou go, O hero, O thou of mighty strength and relate unto Sugriva these my angry words. 'O Sugriva, do not neglect thy promise and wend the way trodden by Vali. I killed Vali only with my shaft in the battle-field; but if thou dost deviate from the path of truth I shall destroy thee along with thy kinsmen and relatives.' O thou best of men, do thou speedily relate unto him all those benefits which we shall reap by his actions, for the proper season is well-nigh past. O best of monkeys, do thou carry out thy promise remembering the eternal existence of virtue. Do thou not behold the spirit of Vali in the abode of Death, being killed by the shaft discharged by me." Beholding his elder brother thus enraged and bewailing, the fiery-spirited Lakshmana, the best of men, became enraged with Sugriva.

SECTION XXXI.