{"collection":"Hinduism","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/hin/rama/ry229.htm","path":"hin/rama/ry229.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/hin/rama/ry229.htm","text":"But of the host of giants one,\n Akampan, from the field had run\n And sped to Lank\u00e1\u00a01 to relate\n In R\u00e1van's ear the demons' fate:\n \n \n 'King, many a giant from the shade\n Of Janasth\u00e1n in death is laid:\n Khara the chief is slain, and I\n Could scarcely from the battle fly.'\n \n \n Fierce anger, as the monarch heard,\n Inflamed his look, his bosom stirred,\n And while with scorching glance he eyed\n The messenger, he thus replied:\n \n \n 'What fool has dared, already dead,\n *Strike* Janasth\u00e1n, the general dread?\n \n \n Who is the wretch shall vainly try\n In earth, heaven, hell, from me to fly?\n Vais'ravan\u00a01b,Indra, Vishnu, He\n Who rules the dead, must reverence me;\n For not the mightiest lord of these\n Can brave my will and live at ease.\n Fate finds in me a mightier fate\n To burn the fires that devastate.\n With unresisted influence I\n Can force e'en Death himself to die,\n With all-surpassing might restrain\n The fury of the hurricane,\n And burn in my tremendous ire\n The glory of the sun and fire.'\n \n \n As thus the fiend's hot fury blazed,\n His trembling hands Akampan raised,\n And with a voice which fear made weak,\n Permission craved his tale to speak.\n King R\u00e1van gave the leave he sought,\n And bade him tell the news he brought.\n His courage rose, his voice grew bold,\n And thus his mournful tale he told:\n \n \n 'A prince with mighty shoulders, sprung\n From Das'aratha, brave and young,\n With arms well moulded, bears the name\n Of R\u00e1ma with a lion's frame.\n Renowned, successful, dark of limb,\n Earth has no warrior equals him.\n He fought in Janasth\u00e1n and slew\n D\u00fashan the fierce and Khara too.'\n \n \n R\u00e1van the giants' royal chief.\n Received Akampan's tale of grief.\n Then, panting like an angry snake,\n These words in turn the monarch spake:\n \n \n 'Say quick, did R\u00e1ma seek the shade\n Of Janasth\u00e1n with Indra's aid,\n And all the dwellers in the skies\n To back his hardy enterprise?'\n \n \n Akampan heard, and straight obeyed\n His master, and his answer made.\n Then thus the power and might he told\n Of Raghu's son the lofty-souled:\n \n \n 'Best is that chief of all who know\n With deftest art to draw the bow.\n His are strange arms of heavenly might,\n And none can match him in the fight.\n His brother Lakshman brave as he,\n Fair as the rounded moon to see,\n With eyes like night and voice that comes\n Deep as the roll of beaten drums,\n By R\u00e1ma's side stands ever near,\n Like wind that aids the flame's career.\n That glorious chief, that prince of kings,\n On Janasth\u00e1n this ruin brings.\n No Gods were there,--dismiss the thought\n No heavenly legions came and fought.\n His swift-winged arrows R\u00e1ma sent,\n Each bright with gold and ornament.\n To serpents many-faced they turned:\n \n \n The giant hosts they ate and burned.\n Where'er these fled in wild dismay\n R\u00e1ma was there to strike and slay.\n By him O King of high estate,\n Is Janasth\u00e1n left desolate.'\n \n \n Akampan ceased: in angry pride\n The giant monarch thus replied:\n 'To Janasth\u00e1n myself will go\n And lay these daring brothers low.'\n \n \n Thus spoke the king in furious mood;\n Akampan then his speech renewed:\n 'O listen while I tell at length\n The terror of the hero's strength.\n No power can check, no might can tame\n R\u00e1ma, a chief of noblest fame.\n He with resistless shafts can stay\n The torrent foaming on its way.\n Sky, stars, and constellations, all\n To his fierce might would yield and fall.\n His power could earth itself uphold\n Down sinking as it sank of old.\u00a01\n Or all its plains and cities drown,\n Breaking the wild sea's barrier down;\n Crush the great deep's impetuous will,\n Or bid the furious wind be still.\n He glorious in his high estate\n The triple world could devastate,\n And there, supreme of men, could place\n His creatures of a new-born race.\n Never can mighty R\u00e1ma be\n O'vercome in fight, my King, by thee.\n Thy giant host the day might win\n From him, if heaven were gained by sin.\n If Gods were joined with demons, they\n Could ne'er, I ween, that hero slay,\n But guile may kill the wondrous man;\n Attend while I disclose the plan.\n His wife, above all women graced,\n Is S\u00edt\u00e1 of the dainty waist,\n With limbs to fair proportion true,\n And a soft skin of lustrous hue,\n Round neck and arm rich gems are twined:\n She is the gem of womankind.\n With her no bright Gandharv\u00ed vies,\n No nymph or Goddess in the skies;\n And none to rival her would dare\n 'Mid dames who part the long black hair.\n That hero in the wood beguile,\n And steal his lovely spouse the while.\n 'Reft of his darling wife, be sure,\n Brief days the mourner will endure.'\n \n \n With flattering hope of triumph moved\n The giant king that plan approved,\n Pondered the counsel in his breast,\n And then Akampan thus addressed:\n 'Forth in my car I go at morn,\n None but the driver with me borne,\n And this fair S\u00edt\u00e1 will I bring\n Back to my city triumphing.'\n \n \n Forth in his car by asses drawn\n The giant monarch sped at dawn,\n Bright as the sun, the chariot cast\n Light through the sky as on it passed.\n Then high in air that best of cars\n Traversed the path of lunar stars,\n Sending a fitful radiance pale\n As moonbeams shot through cloudy veil.\n Far on his airy way he flew:\n Near T\u00e1dakeya's\u00a01b grove he drew,\n M\u00e1richa welcomed him, and placed\n Before him food which giants taste,\n With honour led him to a seat,\n And brought him water for his feet;\n And then with timely words addressed\n Such question to his royal guest:\n \n \n 'Speak, is it well with thee whose sway\n The giant multitudes obey?\n I know not all, and ask in fear\n The cause, O King, why thou art here.'\n \n \n R\u00e1van, the giants' mighty king,\n Heard wise M\u00e1richa's questioning,\n And told with ready answer, taught\n In eloquence, the cause he sought:\n 'My guards, the bravest of my band.\n Are slain by R\u00e1ma's vigorous hand,\n And Janasth\u00e1n, that feared no hate\n Of foes, is rendered desolate.\n Come, aid me in the plan I lay\n To steal the conqueror's wife away.'\n \n \n M\u00e1richa heard the king's request,\n And thus the giant chief addressed:\n \n \n 'What foe in friendly guise is he\n Who spoke of S\u00edt\u00e1's name to thee?\n Who is the wretch whose thought would bring\n Destruction on the giants' king?\n Whose is the evil counsel, say,\n That bids thee bear his wife away,\n And careless of thy life provoke\n Earth's loftiest with threatening stroke?\n A foe is he who dared suggest\n This hopeless folly to thy breast,\n Whose ill advice would bid thee draw\n The venomed fang from serpent's jaw.\n By whose unwise suggestion led\n Wilt thou the path of ruin tread?\n Whence falls the blow that would destroy\n Thy gentle sleep of ease and joy?\n Like some wild elephant is he\n That rears his trunk on high,\n Lord of an ancient pedigree,\n Huge tusks, and furious eye.\n R\u00e1van, no rover of the night\n With bravest heart can brook,\n Met in the front of deadly fight,\n On Raghu's son to look.\n \n \n The giant hosts were brave and strong,\n \u00a0\u00a0 Good at the bow and spear:\n But R\u00e1ma slew the routed throng,\n \u00a0\u00a0 A lion 'mid the deer.\n No lion's tooth can match his sword,\n \u00a0\u00a0 Or arrows fiercely shot:\n He sleeps, he sleeps--the lion lord;\n \u00a0\u00a0 Be wise and rouse him not.\n O Monarch of the giants, well\n \u00a0\u00a0 Upon my counsel think,\n Lest thou for ever in the hell\n \u00a0\u00a0 Of R\u00e1ma's vengeance sink:\n A hell, where deadly shafts are sent\n \u00a0\u00a0 From his tremendous-bow,\n While his great arms all flight prevent,\n \u00a0\u00a0 Like deepest mire below:\n Where the wild floods of battle rave\n \u00a0\u00a0 Above the foeman's head,\n And each with many a feathery wave\n \u00a0\u00a0 Of shafts is garlanded.\n O, quench the flames that in thy breast\n \u00a0\u00a0 With raging fury burn;\n And pacified and self-possessed\n \u00a0\u00a0 To Lank\u00e1's town return.\n Rest thou in her imperial bowers\n \u00a0\u00a0 With thine own wives content,\n And in the wood let R\u00e1ma's hours\n \u00a0\u00a0 With Sit\u00e1 still be spent.'\n \n \n The lord of Lank\u00e1's isle obeyed\n The counsel, and his purpose stayed.\n Borne on his car he parted thence\n And gained his royal residence.\n \n \n \n \n265:1 The capital of the giant king R\u00e1van.\n265:1b Kuvera, the God of gold\n266:1 In the great deluge.\n266:1b The giant M\u00e1richa, son of T\u00e1dak\u00e1. T\u00e1dak\u00e1 was slain by R\u00e1ma. See p. 39.","title":"BOOK III: Canto XXXI.: R\u00e1van","type":"page"}