continued from previous issue

Through the chamber of confection, where each viand wooed the taste,
Every object in profusion as in regions of the blest, Through Kaikeyi’s inner closet lighted with a softened sheen, Walked the king with eager longing,–but Kaikeyi was not seen! Thoughts of love and gentle dalliance woke-within his ancient heart, And the magic of her beauty and the glamour of her art,
With a soft desire the monarch vainly searched the vanished fair,
Found her not in royal chamber, found her not in gay parterre! Filled with love and longing languor loitered not the radiant queen, In her soft voluptuous chamber, in the garden, grove or green,
And he asked the faithful warder of Kaikeyi loved and lost,
She who served him with devotion and his wishes never crost,
Spake the warder in his terror that the queen with rage distraught.
Weeping silent tears of anguish had the mourner’s chamber sought! Thither flew the stricken monarch; on the bare and unswept ground, Trembling with tumultuous passion was the Queen Kaikeyi found, On the cold uncovered pavement sorrowing lay the weeping wife, Young wife of an ancient husband,
dearer than his heart and life! Like a bright and blossoming creeper rudely severed from the earth,
Like a fallen fair Apsara, beauteous nymph of heavenly birth, Like a female forest-ranger bleeding from the hunter’s dart, Whom her mate the forest-monarch soothes with soft endearing art,
Lay the queen in tears of anguish! And with sweet and gentle word To the lotus-eyéd lady softly spake her loving lord: Wherefore thus, my Queen and Empress, sorrow-laden is thy heart,
Who with daring slight or insult seeks to cause thy bosom smart? If some unknown ailment pains thee, evil spirit of the air, Skilled physicians wait upon thee, priests with incantations fair,
If from human foe some insult, wipe thy tears and doom his fate,
Rich reward or royal vengeance shall upon thy mandate wait! Wilt thou doom to death the guiltless, free whom direst sins debase, Wilt thou lift the poor and lowly or the proud and great disgrace,
Speak, and I and all my courtiers Queen Kaikeyi’s hest obey, For thy might is boundless,
Empress, limitless thy regal sway! Rolls my chariot-wheel revolving from the sea to farthest sea, And the wide earth is my empire, monarchs list my proud decree,
Nations of the eastern regions and of Sindhu’s western wave, Brave Saurashtras and the races who the ocean’s dangers brave, Vangas, Angas and Magadhas, warlike Matsyas of the west,
Kasis and the southern races, brave Kosalas first and best, Nations of my world-wide empire,
rich in corn and sheep and kine, All shall serve my Queen Kaikeyi and their treasures all are thine, Speak, command thy king a obedience, and thy wrath will melt away,
Like the melting snow of winter ‘neath the sun’s reviving ray!” Blinded was the ancient husband as he lifted up her head, Heedless oath and word he plighted that her wish should be obeyed,
Scheming for a fatal purpose, inly then Kaikeyi smiled, And by sacred oath and promise bound the monarch love-beguiled: “Thou hast given, Dasa-ratha, troth and word and royal oath,
Three and thirty Gods be witness, watchers of the righteous truth, Sun and Moon and Stars be witness, Sky and Day and sable Night, Rolling Worlds and this our wide Earth, and each dark and unseen wight,
Witness Rangers of the forest, Household Gods that guard us both, Mortal beings and Immortal,–witness ye the monarch’s oath, Ever faithful to his promise, ever truthful in his word,
Dasa-ratha grants my prayer, Spirits and the Gods have heard! Call to mind,
O righteous monarch, days when in a bygone strife, Warring with thy foes immortal thou hadst almost lost thy life, With a woman’s loving tendance poor Kaikeyi cured thy wound, Till from death and danger rescued, thou wert by a promise bound, Two rewards my husband offered, what my loving heart might seek,
Long delayed their wished fulfilment,-now let poor Kaikeyi speak,
And if royal deeds redeem not what thy royal lips did say, Victim to thy broken promise Queen Kaikeyi dies to-day! By these rites ordained for Rama,-such the news my menials bring,– Let my Bharat, and not Rama, be anointed Regent King, Wearing skins and matted tresses, in the cave or hermit’s cell,
Fourteen years in Dandak’s forests let the elder Rama dwell, These are Queen Kaikeyi’s wishes, these are boons for which I pray, I would see my son anointed, Rama banished on this day!”

THE KING’S LAMENT

Is this torturing dream or madness, do my feeble senses fail,
O’er my darkened mind and bosom doth a fainting fit prevail? So the stricken monarch pondered and in hushed and silent fear, Looked on her as on a tigress looks the dazed and stricken deer,
Lying on the unswept pavement still he heaved the choking sigh,
Like a wild and hissing serpent quelled by incantations high! Sobs convulsive shook his bosom and his speech and accent failed, And a dark and deathlike faintness o’er his feeble soul prevailed,
Stunned awhile remained the monarch, then in furious passion woke. And his eyeballs flamed with redfire, to the queen as thus he spoke: “Traitress to thy king and husband, fell destroyer of thy race,
Wherefore seeks thy ruthless rancour Rama rich in righteous grace, Traitress to thy kith and kindred,
Rama loves thee as thy own, Wherefore then with causeless vengeance as a mother hate thy son! Have I courted thee, Kaikeyi, throned thee in my heart of truth,
Nursed thee in my home and bosom like a snake of poisoned tooth, Have I courted thee, Kaikeyi, placed thee on Ayodhya’s throne, That my Rama,
loved of people, thou shouldst banish from his own? Banish far my Queen Kausalya, Queen Sumitra saintly wife, Wrench from me my ancient empire, from my bosom wrench my life,
But with brave and princely Rama never can his father part, Till his ancient life is ended, cold and still his beating heart! Sunless roll the world in darkness, rainless may the harvests thrive,
But from ri~hteous Rama severed, never can his sire survive, Feeble is thy aged husband,
few and brief on earth his day, Lend me, wife, a woman’s kindness, as a consort be my stay! Ask for other boon, Kaikeyi, aught my seagirt empire yields, Wealth or treasure, gem or jewel,
castled town or smiling fields, Ask for other gift, Kaikeyi, and thy wishes shall be given,
Stain me not with crime unholy in the eye of righteous Heaven!”

to be continued