continued from previous issue

And the food by Rama tasted shall be Sita’s cherished food! Bid me seek the sylvan greenwoods, wooded hills and plateaus high, Limpid rills and crystal nullas as they softly ripple by,
And where in the lake of lotus tuneful ducks their plumage lave,
Let me with my loving Rama skim the cool translucent wave! Years will pass in happy union,–happiest lot to woman given,– Sita seeks not throne or empire,
nor the brighter joys of heaven, Heaven conceals not brighter mansions in its sunny fields of pride, Where without her lord and husband faithful Sita would reside! Therefore let me seek the jungle where the jungle-rangers rove, Dearer than the royal palace,
where I share my husband’s love, And my heart in sweet communion shall my Rama’s wishes share,
And my wifely toil shall lighten Rama’s load of woe and care!” Vainly gentle Rama pleaded dangers of the jungle life,
Vainly spake of toil and trial to a true and tender wife!

BROTHER’S FAITHFULNESS

Tears bedewed the face of Lakshman as he heard what Sita, said, And he touched the feet of Rama and in gentle accents prayed: “If my elder and his lady to the pathless forests wend,
Armed with bow and ample quiver Lakshman will on them attend,
Where the wild deer range the forest and the lordly tuskers roam,
And the bird of gorgeous plumage nestles in its jungle home,
Dearer far to me those woodlands where my elder Rama dwells,
Than the homes of bright Immortals where perennial bliss prevails! Grant me then thy sweet permission,– faithful to thy glorious star, Lakshman,shall not wait and tarry when his Rama wanders far,
Grant me then thyloving mandate,– Lakshman hath no wish to stay,
None shall bar the faithful younger when the elder leads the way!” “Ever true to deeds of virtue, duteous brother, faithful friend, Dearer than his life to Rama, thou shall not to forests wend,
Who shall stay by Queen Kausalya, Lakshman, if we both depart,
Who shall stay by Queen Sumitra, she who nursed thee on her heart? For the king our aged father, he who ruled the earth and main, Is a captive to Kaikeyi, fettered by her silken chain,
Little help Kaikeyi renders to our mothers in her pride, Little help can Bharat offer,
standing by his mother’s side. Thou alone can’st serve Kausalya when for distant woods I part,
When the memory of my exile rankles in her sorrowing heart,
Thou alone can’st serve Sumitra, soothe her sorrows with thy love,
Stay by them, my faithful Lakshman, and thy filial virtues prove,
Be this then they sacred duty, tend our mothers in their woe,
Little joy or consolation have they left on earth below!” Spake the hero: “Fear no evil,
well is Rama’s prowess known, And to mighty Rama’s mother Bharat will obeisance own,
Nathless if the pride of empire sways him from the righteous path,
Blood will venge the offered insult and will quench our filial wrath!
But a thousand peopled hamlets Queen Kausalya’s hests obey, And a thousand arméd champions own her high and queenly sway,
Aye, a thousand village-centres Queen Sumitra’s state maintain,
And a thousand swords like Lakshman’s guard her proud and prosperous reign! All alone with gentle Sita thou shalt track thy darksome way, Grant it, that thy faithful Lakshman shall protect her night and day,
Grant it, with his bow and quiver Lakshman shall the forests roam,
And his axe shall fell the jungle,
and his hands shall rear the home! Grant it,
in the deepest woodlands he shall seek the forest fruit,
Berries dear to holy hermits and the sweet and luscious root, And whenwith thy meek-eyed Sita thou shalt seek the mountain crest,
Grant it, Lakshman ever duteous watch and guard thy nightly rest!” Words of brother’s deep devotion Rama heard with grateful heart, And with Sita and with Lakshman for the woods prepared to part: Part we then from loving kinsmen, arms and mighty weapons bring,
Bows of war which Lord VARUNA rendered to Videha’s king, Coats of mail to sword impervious, quivers which can never fail, And the rapiers bright as sunshine, goldenhilted, tempered wen, Safely rest these goodly weapons in our great preceptor’s hall, Seekand bring them, faithful brother,
for me thinks we need them all!” Rama spake; his valiant brother then the wondrous weapons brought, Wreathed with fresh and fragrant garlands and with gold and jewels wrought,
“Welcome, brother,” uttered Rama, “stronger thus to woods we go,
Wealth and gold and useless treasure to the holy priests bestow,
To the son of saint Vasishtha, to each sage is honour due, Then we leave our father’s mansions, to our father’s mandate true!”

MOTHER’S BLESSINGS

Tears of sorrow and of suffering flowed from Queen Kausalya’s eye,
As she saw departing Sita for her blessings drawing nigh, And she clasped the gentle Sits, and she kissed her moistened head,
And her tears like summer tempest choked the loving words she said: “Part we, dear devoted daughter,
to thy husband ever true, With a woman’s whole affection render love to husband’s due! False are women loved and cherished, gentle in their speech and word, When misfortune’s shadows gather,
who are faithless to their lord, Who through years of sunny splendour smile and pass the livelong day,
When misfortune’s darkness thickens, from their husband turn away,
Who with changeful fortune changing oft ignore the plighted word, And forget a woman’s duty, woman’s faith to wedded lord, Who to holy love inconstant from their wedded consort part,
Manly deed nor manly virtue wins the changeful woman’s heart! But the true and righteous woman,
loving, spouse and changeless wife, Faithful to her lord and consort holds him dearer than her life,
Ever true and righteous Sita, follow still my godlike son,
Like a God to thee is Rama in the woods or on the throne!” “I shall do my duty, mother,” said the wife with wifely pride, “Like a God to me is Rama, Sita shall not leave his side,
From the Moon will part his lustre ere I part from wedded lord, Ere from faithful wife’s devotion falter in my deed or word, For the stringless lute is silent, idle is the wheel-less car,
And no wife the loveless consort, inauspicious is her star! Small the measure of affection which the sire and brother prove, Measureless to wedded woman is her lord and husband’s love,
True to Law and true to Scriptures, true to woman’s plighted word, Can I ever be, my mother, faithless, loveless to my lord?”