{"collection":"Hinduism","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/hin/rama/ry307.htm","path":"hin/rama/ry307.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/hin/rama/ry307.htm","text":"Through the fair city Lakshman came,\n Invited in Sugr\u00edva's name.\n Within the gates the guardian bands,\n Of V\u00e1nars raised their suppliant hands,\n And in their ordered ranks, amazed,\n Upon the princely hero gazed,\n They marked each burning breath he drew,\n The fury of his soul they knew.\n Their hearts were chilled with sudden fear;\n They gazed, but dared not venture near,\n Before his eyes the city, gay\n With gems and flowery gardens, lay,\n Where *fane and palace rose on high,\n And things of beauty charmed the eye.\n Where trees of every blossom grew\n Yielding their fruit in season due\n To V\u00e1nars of celestial seed\n Who wore each varied form at need,\n Fair-faced and glorious with the shine\n Of heavenly robes and wreaths divine.\n There sandal, aloe, lotus bloomed,\n And there delicious breath perfumed\n The city's broad street, redolent\n Df sugary mead\u00a01b and honey scent.\n There many a lofty palace rose\n Like Vindhya or the Lord of Snows,\n And with sweet murmur sparkling rills\n Leapt lightly down the sheltering hills.\n On many a glorious palace, raised\n For prince and noble,\u00a02b Lakshman gazed:\n Like clouds of paly hue they shone\n With fragrant wreaths that hung thereon:\n There wealth of jewels was enshrined,\n And fairer gems of womankind.\n There gleamed, of noble height and size,\n Like Indra's mansion in the skies,\n Protected by a crystal fence\n Of rock, the royal residence,\n With roof and turret high and bright\n Like Mount Kail\u00e1sa's loftiest height.\n There blooming trees, Mahendra's gift,\n High o'er the walls were seen to lift\n Their golden fruited boughs, that made\n With leaf and flower delicious shade.\n He saw a band of V\u00e1nars wait,\n \n \n Wieiding their weapons, at the gate\n Where golden portals flashed between\n Celestial garlands red and green.\n Within Sugriva's fair abode\n Unchecked the mighty hero strode,\n As when the sun of autumn shrouds\n His glory in a pile of clouds.\n Through seven wide courts he quickly passed,\n And reached the royal tower at last,\n Where seats were set with couch and bed\n Of gold and silver richly spread.\n While the young chieftain's feet drew near\n The sound of music reached his ear,\n As the soft breathings of the flute\n Came blending with the voice and lute.\n Then beauty showed her youth and grace\n And varied charm of form and face:\n Soft bright-eyed creatures, fair and young,--\n Gay garlands round their necks were hung,\n And greater charms to each were lent\n By richest dress and ornament.\n He saw the calm attendants wait\n About their lord in careless state,\n Heard women's girdles chime in sweet\n Accordance with their tinkling feet.\n He heard the anklet's silvery sound,\n He saw the calm that reigned around,\n And o'er him, as he listened, came\n A rush of rage, a flood of shame.\n He drew his bowstring: with the clang\n From ease to west the welkin rang:\n Then in his modest mood withdrew\n A little from the ladies' view.\n And sternly silent stood apart.\n While wrath for R\u00e1ma filled his heart.\n Sugriva knew the sounding string,\n And at the call the V\u00e1nar king\n Sprang swiftly from his golden seat,\n And feared the coming prince to meet.\n Then with cold lips that terror dried\n To beauteous T\u00e1r\u00e1 thus he cried:\n 'What cause of anger, O my spouse\n Fair with the charm of lovely brows,\n Sets Lakshman's gentle breast on fire,\n And brings him in unwonted ire?\n Say, canst thou see, O faultless dame,\n A cause to till his soul with flame?\n For there must be a reason when\n Such fury stirs the king of men.\n Reveal the sin, if sin of mine\n Anger the lord of Raghu's line.\n Or go thyself, his rage subdue,\n And with soft words his favour woo.\n Soon as on thee his eyes are set\n His heart this anger will forget,\n For men like him of lofty mind\n Are never stern with womankind.\n First let thy gentle speech disarm\n His fury, and his spirit charm,\n \n \n And I, from fear of peril free,\n The conqueror of his foes will see.'\n \u00a0\u00a0 She heard: with faltering steps and slow,\n With eyes that shone with trembling glow.\n With gold-girt body gently bent\n To meet the stranger prince she went.\n When Lakshman saw the V\u00e1nar queen\n With tranquil eyes and modest mien,\n Before the dame he bent his head,\n And anger, at her presence, fled.\n Made bold by draughts of wine, and cheered\n By Lakshman look no more she feared,\n And in the trust his favour lent\n She thus addressed him eloquent:\n 'Whence springs thy burning fury? say;\n Who dares thy will to disobey?\n Who checks the maddened flames that seize\n On forests full of withered trees?\n \u00a0 Then Lakshman spoke, her mind to ease,\n His kind reply in words like these:\n \u00a0 'Thy lord his days in pleasure spends,\n Heedless of duty and of friends.\n Nor dost thou mark, though fondly true,\n The evil path his steps pursue.\n He cares not for affairs of state,\n Nor us forlorn and desolate,\n But sits a mere spectator still,\n A sensual slave to pleasure's will.\n Four months were fixed, the time agreed\n When he should help us in our need:\n But, bound in toils of pleasure fast,\n He sees not that the months are past.\n Where beats the heart which draughts of wine\n To virtue or to gain incline?\n Hast thou nor heard those draughts destroy\n Virtue and gain and love and joy?\n For those who, helped at need, refuse\n Their aid in turn, their virtue lose:\n And they who scorn a friend disdain\n A treasure naught may buy again.\n Thy lord has cast his friend away,\n Nor feared from virtue's path to stray.\n If this he true, declare, O dame\n Who knowest duty's every claim.\n What further work remains for us\n Deceived and disappointed thus.'\n \u00a0\u00a0 She listened, for his words were kind.\n Where virtue showed with gain combined,\n And thus in turn the prince addressed,\n As hope was rising in his breast:\n 'No time, no cause of wrath I see\n With those who live and honour thee:\n And thou shouldst bear without offence\n Thy servant's fitful negligence.\n I know the seasons glide away,\n While R\u00e1ma maddens at delay\n I know what deed our thanks has earned,\n I know that grace shonld be returned\n But still I know, whatever befall,\n That conquering love is lord of all;\n \n \n Know where Sugr\u00edva's thoughts, possessed\n By one absorbing passion, rest.\n But he whom sensual joys debase\n Heeds not the claim of time and place,\n And sees not with his blinded sight\n His duty or his gain aright.\n O pardon him who loves me! spare\n The V\u00e1nar caught in pleasure's snare,\n And once again let R\u00e1ma grace\n With favour him who rules our race.\n E'en royal saints, whose chief delight\n Was penance and austerest rite,\n At love's commandment have unbent,\n Beguiled by sweetest blandishment.\n And know, Sugr\u00edva, roused at last,\n The order to his lords has passed.\n And, long by love and bliss delayed.\n Wakes all on fire your hopes to aid.\n A countless host his city fills,\n New-gathered from a thousand hills:\n Impetuous chiefs, who wear at need\n Each varied form, his legions lead.\n Come then, O hero, kept aloof\n By modest awe, nor fear reproof:\n A faithful friend untouched by blame\n May look upon another's dame.'\n \u00a0\u00a0 He passed within, by T\u00e1r\u00e1 pressed,\n And by his own impatient breast.\n Refulgent there in sunlike sheen\n Sugr\u00edva on his throne was seen.\n Gay garlands round his neck were twined,\n And Rum\u00e1 by her lord recline.\n \n \n \n \n364:1b Maireya, a spirituous liquor from the blossoms of the Lythrum fruticosum, with sugar, &c.\n364:2b Their names are as follows: Angad, Mainda, Dwida, Gavaya, Gav\u00e1ksha, Gaja, Sarabha, Vidyunm\u00e1li, Samp\u00e1ti, S\u00fary\u00e1ksa, Hanum\u00e1n, Virab\u00e1hu, Sub\u00e1ha, Nala, K\u00famuda, Sushena, T\u00e1ra, J\u00e1mbuvatu, Dadhivakra, *Nila, S'up\u00e1tala, and Sunetra.","title":"BOOK IV: Canto XXXIII.: Lakshman's Entry.","type":"page"}