{"collection":"Hinduism","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/hin/rama/ry122.htm","path":"hin/rama/ry122.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/hin/rama/ry122.htm","text":"Kaus\u00b4aly\u00e1 ceased her sad lament,\n Of beauteous dames most excellent.\n Sumitr\u00e1 who to duty clave,\n In righteous words this answer gave:\n 'Dear Queen, all noble virtues grace\n Thy son, of men the first in place.\n Why dost thou shed these tears of woe\n With bitter grief lamenting so?\n If R\u00e1ma, leaving royal sway\n Has hastened to the woods away,\n 'Tis for his high-souled father's sake\n That he his promise may not break.\n He to the path of duty clings\n Which lordly fruit hereafter brings--\n The path to which the righteous cleave--\n For him, dear Queen, thou shouldst not grieve.\n And Lakshman too. the blameless-souled,\n The same high course with him will hold,\n And mighty bliss on him shall wait,\n So tenderly compassionate.\n And S\u00edt\u00e1, bred with tender care,\n Well knows what toils await her there,\n But in her love she will not part\n From R\u00e1ma of the virtuous heart.\n Now has thy son through all the world\n The banner of his fame unfurled:\n True, modest, careful of his vow,\n What has he left to aim at now?\n The sun will mark his mighty soul,\n His wisdom, sweetness, self-control,\n Will spare from pain his face and limb,\n And with soft radiance shine for him.\n For him through forest glades shall spring\n A soft auspicious breeze, and bring\n Its tempered heat and cold to play\n Around him ever night and day.\n The pure cold moonbeams shall delight\n The hero as he sleeps at night,\n And soothe him with the soft caress\n Of a fond parent's tenderness.\n To him, the bravest of the brave,\n His heavenly arms the Br\u00e1hman gave,\n When fierce Suv\u00e1hu dyed the plain\n With his life-blood by R\u00e1ma slain.\n Still trusting to his own right arm\n Thy hero son will fear no harm:\n As in his father's palace, he\n In the wild woods will dauntless be.\n Whene'er he lets his arrows fly\n His stricken foemen fall and die:\n And is that prince of peerless worth\n Too weak to keep and sway the earth?\n His sweet pure soul, his beauty's charm,\n His hero heart, his warlike arm,\n Will soon redeem his rightful reign\n When from the woods he comes again.\n The Br\u00e1hmans on the prince's head\n King-making drops shall quickly shed,\n And Sit\u00e1, Earth, and Fortune share\n The glories which await the heir.\n For him, when forth his chariot swept,\n The crowd that thronged Ayodhy\u00e1 wept,\n With agonizing woe distressed.\n With him in herm\u00edt's mantle dressed\n In guise of S\u00edt\u00e1 Lakshm\u00ed went,\n And none his glory may prevent.\n Yea, naught to him is high or hard,\n Before whose steps, to be his guard,\n Lakshman, the best who draws the bow,\n With spear, shaft, sword rejoiced to go.\n His wanderings in the forest o'er,\n Thine eyes shall see thy son once more.\n Quit thy faint heart, thy grief dispel,\n For this, O Queen, is truth I tell.\n Thy son returning, moonlike, thence,\n Shall at thy feet do reverence,\n And, blest and blameless lady, thou\n Shalt see his head to touch them bow,\n Yea, thou shalt see thy son made king\n When he returns with triumphing,\n And how thy happy eyes will brim\n With tears of joy to look on him!\n Thou, blameless lady, shouldst the whole\n Of the sad people here console:\n Why in thy tender heart allow\n This bitter grief to harbour now?\n As the long banks of cloud distil\n Their water when they see the hill,\n \n \n So shall the drops of rapture run\n From thy glad eyes to see thy son\n Returning, as he lowly bends\n To greet thee, girt by all his friends.'\n \u00a0\u00a0 Thus soothing, kindly eloquent,\n With every hopeful argument\n Kaus'aly\u00e1's heart by sorrow rent,\n \u00a0\u00a0 Fair Queen Sumitr\u00e1 ceased.\n Kaus'aly\u00e1 heard each pleasant plea,\n And grief began to leave her free,\n As the light clouds of autumn flee,\n \u00a0\u00a0 Their watery stores decreased.","title":"Book II: Canto XLIV.: Sumitra's Speech.","type":"page"}