{"collection":"Hinduism","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/hin/rama/ry423.htm","path":"hin/rama/ry423.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/hin/rama/ry423.htm","text":"As shine the heavens with autumn's moon\n Refulgent in the height of noon,\n So shone with light which R\u00e1ma gave\n That army of the bold and brave,\n As from the sea it marched away\n In war's magnificent array,\n And earth was shaken by the beat\n And trampling of unnumbered feet.\n Then to the giants' ears were borne,\n The mingled notes of drum and horn,\n And clash of tambours smote the sky,\n And shouting and the battle cry.\n The sound of martial strains inspired\n Each chieftain, and his bosom fired:\n While giants from their walls replied,\n And answering shouts the foe defied,\n Then R\u00e1ma looked on Lank\u00e1 where\n Bright banners floated in the air,\n And, pierced with anguish at the view.\n His loving thoughts to Sit\u00e1 flew.\n 'There, prisoned by the giant, lies\n My lady of the tender eyes,\n Like Rohini the queen of stars\n O'erpowered by the fiery Mars.'\n Then turned he to his brother chief\n And cried in agony of grief:\n 'See on the hill, divinely planned\n And built by Vis'vakarm\u00e1's hand,\n The towers and domes of Lank\u00e1 rise\n In peerless beauty to the skies.\n Bright from afar the city shines\n With gleam of palaces and shrines,\n Like pale clouds through the region spread\n Bv Vishnu's self inhabited.\n Fair gardens grow, and woods between\n The stately domes are fresh and green,\n Where trees their bloom and fruit display,\n And sweet birds sing on every spray.\n Each bird is mad with joy, and bees\n Sing labouring in the bloomy trees\n On branches by the breezes bowed.\n Where the gay Ko\u00efl's voice is loud.'\n \u00a0\u00a0 This said, he ranged with warlike art\n Each body of the host apart.\n \n \n 'There in the centre,' R\u00e1ma cried,\n 'Be Angad's place by N\u00edla's side.\n Let Rishabh of impetuous might\n Be lord and leader on the right,\n And Gandham\u00e1dan, next in rank,\n Be captain of the farther flank.\n Lakshman and I the hosts will lead,\n And J\u00e1mbav\u00e1n of ursine breed,\n With bold Sushen unused to fear,\n And Vegadars\u00ed, guide the rear.'\n \u00a0\u00a0 Thus R\u00e1ma spoke: the chiefs obeyed;\n And all the V\u00e1nar hosts arrayed\n Showed awful as the autumn sky\n When clouds embattled form on high.\n Their arms were mighty trees o'erthrown\n And massy blocks of mountain stone.\n One hope in every warlike breast,\n One firm resolve, they onward pressed,\n To die in fight or batter down\n The walls and towers of Lank\u00e1's town.\n \u00a0\u00a0 Those marshalled legions R\u00e1ma eyed,\n And thus to King Sugr\u00edva cried:\n 'Now, Monarch, ere the hosts proceed,\n Let S'uka, R\u00e1van's spy, be freed.'\n He spoke: the V\u00e1nar gave consent\n And loosed him from imprisonment:\n And S'uka, trembling and afraid,\n His homeward way to R\u00e1van made.\n Loud laughed the lord of Lank\u00e1's isle:\n 'Where hast thou stayed this weary while?\n 'Why is thy plumage marred, and why\n Do twisted cords thy pinions tie?\n Say, comest thou in evil plight\n The victim of the V\u00e1nars' spite?'\n \u00a0\u00a0 He ceased: the spy his fear controlled,\n And to the king his story told:\n 'I reached the ocean's distant shore,\n Thy message to the king I bore,\n In sudden wrath the V\u00e1nars rose,\n They struck me down with furious blows;\n They seized me helpless on the ground,\n My plumage rent, my pinions bound.\n They would not, headlong in their ire,\n Consider, listen, or inquire;\n So fickle, wrathful, rough and rude\n Is the wild forest multitude.\n There, marshalling the V\u00e1nar bands,\n King R\u00e1ma with Sugr\u00edva stands,\n R\u00e1ma the matchless warrior, who\n Vir\u00e1dha and Kabandha slew,\n Khara, and countless giants more.\n And tracks his queen to Lank\u00e1s shore.\n A bridge athwart the sea was cast,\n And o'er it have his legions passed.\n Hark I heralded by horns and drums\n The terrible avenger comes.\n E'en now the giants' isle he fills\n With warriois huge as clouds and hills,\n And burning with vindictive hate\n Will thunder soon at Lank\u00e1's gate.\n \n \n Yield or oppose him: choose between\n Thy safety and the Maithil queen.'\n \u00a0\u00a0 He ceased: the tyrant's eyeballs blazed\n With fury as his voice he raised:\n 'No, if the dwellers of the sky,\n Gandharvas, fiends assail me, I\n Will keep the Maithil lady still,\n Nor yield her back for fear or ill.\n When shall my shafts with iron bail\n My foeman, Raghu's son, assail,\n Thick as the bees with eager wing\n Beat on the flowery trees of spring?\n O, let me meet my foe at length,\n And strip him of his vaunted strength,\n Fierce as the sun who shines afar\n Stealing the light of every star.\n Strong as the sea's impetuous might\n My ways are like the tempest's flight;\n But R\u00e1ma knows not this, or he\n In terror from my face would flee.'","title":"BOOK VI: Canto XXIV.: The Spy's Return.","type":"page"}