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Full text of “The divine archer, founded on the Indian epic of the Ramayana, with two stories from the Mahabharata”
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THE DIVINE ARCHER
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THE
DIVINE ARCHER
FOUNDED ON THE
INDIAN EPIC OF THE
RAMAYANA WITH
TWO STORIES FROM
THE MAHABHARATA
BY
F. J. GOULD
All rights reserved
CONTENTS
PAGE
The Divine Archer 3
From the Ramayana
The Five Princes 81
From the Mahabharata
What Love can do 91
From the Mahabharata
vu
21 20f:,00
INDIA
AYODHYA
(oude)
OCEAN
OCEAN
LANKA
(ceylon)
Map Illustrating these Stories
PREFATORY NOTE
Speaking of the memories of Rama and Sita,
so cherished by the Hindu people, Miss Mar-
garet Noble {Web of Indian Life) says: —
We ask in vain what can have been the life of India
before she found refuge and direction in such dreams as
these. For to-day it has become so one with them that
all trace of the dawn before they were is lost. They pene-
trate to every part of the country, every class of society,
every grade of education. Journeying in the mountains
at nightfall, one came upon the small, open hut of the
grain-dealer, and saw, round a tiny lamp, a boy reading
the Ramayana in the vernacular to a circle of his elders.
At the end of each stanza they bowed their heads to the
earth, with the chant, " To dear Sita's bridegroom, great
Rama, all hail! " The shopkeeper in the city counts out
his wares to the customer, saying :
" One (Ram), two (Ram), three (Ram)," and so on, re-
lapsing into a dream of worship when the measuring is
done. Nay, once at least it is told how at the " Four
(Ram)," the blessed name was enough to touch the
inmost soul of him who uttered it, and he rose up then
and there and left the world behind him.
The women, terrified at thunder, call on " Sita Ram! "
and the bearers of the dead keep time to the cry of " Nama
Rama Sattva hai." (" The name of the Lord alone is
real.")
THE DIVINE ARCHER
Flowers were falling from the sky, for the
shining gods were happy. And happy also
were the folk of the city of Oude, or Ayodhya.
Banners waved. Wreaths were hung at every
point. Women carried gold and silver dishes
laden with gifts to the new-born son of the
king. Players of musical instruments marched
through the streets. None could tread with-
out stepping on sweet musk and sandal-
wood and saffron that had been flung upon
the ground.
King Dasa-ratha, in his joy, gave presents
to the holy priests, the Brahmans — presents
of gold and plate, and sacred cows.
The people everywhere brought out rich
jewels to adorn the walls of the houses, and
the city was all ablaze with gold, silver, red
rubies, green emeralds, blue sapphires, and
gleaming pearls.
For four weeks the sun forgot to set, and he
beamed on the city where the four babes —
four sons of the king — were born.
3
4 THE DIVINE ARCHER
One was son of Queen Kausalya, namely,
Rama the Delight; and he was dark.
One was son of Queen Kaikeyi, namely,
Bharat; and he was also dark.
The third and fourth were sons of Queen
Samitra, namely, Lakshman and Satrughna;
and both were fair.
Now, Rama (Rah-ma) was the noblest. On
the soles of his feet were the magic signs
— the thunderbolt, the flag, and the goad
which drivers use to urge elephants. Anklets
tinkled on his ankles. A row of tiger's claws
were hung across his breast, and a necklace
of gems with a charm fastened to it enriched
his neck. Curls adorned his head. Clad in
wee yellow drawers, the little Indian prince
crawled and played; and his mother caught
him up, and kissed him, and put him in the
cradle, and took him out, and called him the
darling of darlings.
But one day, as she and the babe were alone,
she saw him change, and he grew, and he grew,
and he grew, until he seemed to fill the whole
world; ay, and more than that; for not only
were hills and woods and streams and seas
all about his body, but even suns and moons
THE DIVINE ARCHER 5
and stars shone; and yet, in this wide sky
and earth, she could still see her baby Rama.
Thus for a while he was so great that he could
not be greater; and then he changed to the
small child again.
Such eyes have mothers; they see into the
years to come, and say to themselves, " My
child will be noble."
Rama could play and jest, and, while the
king and the queen sat at table, he would
snatch up a handful of cream and curds and
run away, thrusting the dainty into his mouth,
and laughing. And all the royal court laughed.
Rama could work. When he and his brethren
were grown lads they became twice-born, and
sacred threads were placed on each — the
thread passing over one shoulder and lying on
the breast. Then they went to the Guru,
or teacher, to be taught in the book of hymns
to the shining gods; and Rama learned the
Vedas in a very short time — even all the
four books of hymns. The four brothers also
took lessons in shooting arrows from the bow,
and other lessons in something far better,
namely, the right behaviour towards men,
women, and children. The manners of Prince
6 THE DIVINE ARCHER
Rama were so gentle and so courteous that all
the city loved him, and the eyes of the folk
followed him as he went along the highway.
Now, in the forest, near the city, there lived
an aged hermit, Visva-mitra; and this good
old man was sore beset by ugly Furies or
Demons, who would not let him rest.
" I will go to the king," he said to himself,
" and ask him for the help of his brave son,
Rama."
When the hermit stood at the royal gate, the
king made haste, and he set the old man on
the throne, and brought water to wash his
feet, and bowing before him, he said:
" It is a blessed day for me because you have
come to my house. Tell me, O holy one, why
you come to see me."
" King," he answered, " a troop of furies
annoy^me in my house in the jungle, and I
beg for the aid of your noble son Rama, in
driving them away, and let Lakshman the
Fortunate come with him."
Then was the face of the king downcast,
and he sighed:
" Oh, sir, ask anything but that — cattle,
jewels, even myself, but I cannot let my sweet
THE DIVINE ARCHER 7
son go. What would his strength avail
against the demons of the wood? "
But the wise man of the court, even Vasishta,
bade the king send his sons, and so Dasa-
ratha gave way; and having said good-bye
to their mothers, they went forth. Each
youth was bright of eye, broad of chest;
and each had a quiver slung from a yellow
sash, and each bore a bow.
A scream was heard on the road, and the
hermit pointed to a horrid figure that fluttered
in the air.
The Divine Archer, Rama, aimed and shot;
and the demon fell, pierced by an arrow.
That night the two princes supped on roots
and fruit and water in the hermit's hut, and
there also they slept.
At daybreak the hermits of the forest were
standing about the fire of sacrifice, when
dark shapes floated about their heads, and
raised a dreadful yell.
The Divine Archer and his brother raised
their bows. Arrows flew; and ere long all
the band of demons were slain.
After a few days the hermit, Visva-mitra, said
to the young men:
8 THE DIVINE ARCHER
" My lords', would it not gladden your hearts
to see the holy stream of Ganges, and to see
the city of Videha, where lies the bow that
no man on earth can bend? "
" We do, indeed, desire to behold these
things," they replied.
So the old man and the two youths fared
forth.
They saluted the waters of the Ganges, and
bathed in the sacred river.
They journeyed onward and saw the mighty
waUs and towers of the city of Videha, and
round the city were beautiful gardens; and
in the city the bazaars were fiUed with rich
goods; and horses, elephants, and chariots
crowded the streets; and fountains gUttered
in the sunshine.
The king of that place was Janak, and he
heard of the coming of the hermit, and went
to see him as he sat in a grove of mango-
trees near the gate, and he kneeled before him
in deep respect, and offered him and his com-
panions a fair lodging in the town. So they
took up their abode in the rooms which the
king placed at their service, and they ate
supper.
THE DIVINE ARCHER 9
The sun had not yet set, and Rama saw that
his brother Lakshman had a keen longing to
view the wonders of the city, so he asked leave
of Visva-mitra, and, with the hermit's consent,
they walked out into the streets.
As they crossed the market-place, crowds of
people, young and old, watched them with
wondering looks; for the princes were hand-
some; they were clothed in yellow coats;
their breasts were shining with big pearls;
curly hair peeped out from under their caps;
they carried bows and arrows in their hands.
And Indian girls, peeping from latticed
windows, whispered to one another that these
princes were goodly youths, and surely the
dark one was fit for wedding with the king's
daughter, Sita (Seeta).
Thus they rambled from street to street till
they arrived at the meadow of sports — a vast
place marked out in a ring; and aU round
it were, first, a row of seats for princes and
nobles; then behind that, higher up, a row
of seats for the citizens ; and a grand gallery,
painted in many colours, was the Place of
Ladies. All was quiet, and after giving a
hasty look at this tournament field, the
lo THE DIVINE ARCHER
brothers hurried to their lodging, and were
soon asleep.
At the rising of the sun Rama and Laksh-
man bathed in a stream, and asked the hermit
if they might pluck flowers, and he cheerfully
gave leave.
Now, as they roved, they saw the splendid
garden of the king, and they entered and
admired the fruit trees and the flowers, and
the peacocks, which spread their glorious
tails; and they came to a lake like a looking-
glass, around which were steps of smooth
stone; and water-hens plashed in the pool,
and thousands of lilies — which the Hindus name
the lotus — spread their lovely petals to the
sun. And the gardeners allowed the princes
to cut flowers. And it came to pass that the
Princess Sita was walking in the garden with
her maids. One of the maids had gone in
front of the others, and she suddenly saw the
two youths. She paused one moment, and
then ran back.
"What have you seen?" asked her com-
panions,
" I have seen two most noble youths,"
THE DIVINE ARCHER ii
II
At that instant, Rama heard the jingle of the
bangles on the lady Sita's feet, and he said :
" I know of a surety that there comes hither
a lady whom I shall love beyond all things
else in the world."
Lifting his eyes he saw Sita, the king's
daughter, and they loved each other then and
for ever.
The princess said not a word.
"It is time to go," said one of the maids.
" Let us return to the palace, Lady Sita."
" It is time to go," echoed the princess; and
presently she and her companions had passed
from view of the brothers.
On the way to the palace, she stopped at the
house of the goddess Bhavani, and, entering
the temple, she knelt before the image and
prayed —
" Great mother, bright as the lightning; and
giver of gifts to gods and men, thou knowest, as
I bend before thy lotus feet, what is the wish
of my heart."
Then a garland of flowers dropped from the
12 THE DIVINE ARCHER
hand of the image, and Sita picked it up with
joy, and felt a throb in her left side, and was
sure, by these tokens, that her prayer was
heard.
With flowers in hand, the princes returned
to the guru, and told him of the meeting
in the king's garden. The sage recited holy
legends during the day, and at night Rama
lifted his eyes to the moon and said:
" The queen of night is not so fair as Sita."
Next day vast crowds flocked to the green
space where the trial of the bow was to be
held. Murmurs arose from the people when
the two princes of Ayodhya took their seats.
Kings were there who had come to bend the
bow of the god Siva, and they looked with
jealous eyes at the brothers; but Sita gazed
at Rama with a look of delight. Folk
whispered :
" The dark youth is the right husband for
Sita."
Heralds cried aloud :
" Here is the great bow of the god, and he
who shall bend it wiU have fame in earth and
heaven and hell, and take the king's daughter
to wife."
THE DIVINE ARCHER 13
One king after another mounted the platform
and girded up his loins, and pulled, tugged,
strained. . . .
All in vain.
" Well," said King Janak, with a sneer, " if
I had known there were no men in the world, I
would not have come to this spot to be laughed
at for offering what no one will take."
" No men in the world! " said Lakshman to
his brother, " we must not let this wretched
old bow mock us."
The hermit spoke a word in Rama's ear:
" Up, Rama, and break the bow! "
Rama bowed at the feet of the sage, and went
up on the platform.
Lakshman muttered a prayer:
" O ye elephants that hold up the four
quarters of the world, and O tortoise, upon
whom the elephants stand, hold the earth
firm when the bow breaks, for mighty will be
the shock."
The people stood still and silent. A tear
trembled in the eye of Sita.
Flashing with hght, the bow gleamed in
Rama's hand. When he bent it, lo ! it seemed
to bend over all the sky.
14 THE DIVINE ARCHER
It snapped with a crash.
The crash shook the earth, the elephants,
the tortoise, and even the shining gods put
their hands to their ears, so loud was the
rumbling !
People shouted. Angels danced in the sky.
The gods rained down gay flowers, and the
kettle-drums rolled in heaven; and on earth
the citizens made noises with cymbals, drums,
conch-shells, clarions, and sackbuts; and
women sang songs.
Some of the kings growled like surly tigers,
and grasped their weapons, as if they would
do harm to Rama.
But just then a strange and weird figure
sprang upon the scene. It was a tall, bull-
like man who had a bow in one hand, and had
tilted an axe over his shoulder. His body
was bare except for a deerskin cloth about
his loins. On his brow were marked three
white lines that showed he worshipped the
god Siva. His hair was twisted in a knot.
Flushed with rage, this hermit of the woods
had come to see who had broken the god's bow.
The whole crowd bowed to him, for his name
was a name of terror to all the land.
THE DIVINE ARCHER 15
" Who has broken the bow? " he thundered.
" 'Twas an old bow," repHed Lakshman,
" which my brother snapped. Why be
angry? "
"Wretch!" shrieked the hermit, "do you
talk thus of the sacred bow? Know you not
that with my axe I cut off the thousand arms
of a fiend? "
" Holy sir," said Lakshman, " do not blow
at me as if I could be puffed away."
" The madman who dares thus to speak shall
be swallowed by the jaws of death! "
The hermit would have smitten the youth
with his terrible axe, but Rama stepped
between, put his hands together in sign of
respect, and sought by soft words to turn
away the sage's wrath.
" If," said the hermit at last, " you are a
hero indeed, draw this bow of Vishnu."
So saying, he handed to Rama his bow, the
string hanging loose. No sooner had Rama
touched it than the string fastened itself
tight, ready for shooting a shaft !
At this token of magic the hermit of the woods
clasped his hands in homage:
" Glory to the mighty Rama! "
i6 THE DIVINE ARCHER
And he went his way, and the kings also
departed. Then was the city made glorious
with ornaments — arches set up in the streets,
and pillars of gold crusted with green emeralds,
and wreaths of lilies made out of pearls,
turquoises, and diamonds, and golden birds
and golden bees that were hung amid the
leaves of trees. For Rama was to marry Sita,
and nothing could be too splendid to express
the people's gladness.
Messengers sped to the city of Ayodhya to
tell the old King Dasa-ratha of the break-
ing of the bow and of the coming marriage,
and to bid him travel in all haste to the
bridal.
Amid the joyful cheers of the citizens, King
Dasa-ratha set forth in procession — soldiers on
grand horses, nobles on the backs of elephants,
and over the heads of the nobles were spread
canopies; and the elephants' bells jangled,
and the drums beat ; and three million porters
carried the baggage of the royal party; and
the sky rained flowers, and the gods beat
their kettle-drums.
A blue-necked jay pecked seed on the road.
It was a token of good fortune !
THE DIVINE ARCHER 17
A woman passed with a child and a pitcher.
Another good omen !
A man carried fish and curds of milk ! Another
happy token.
Two Brahmans met the procession, and each
held a book. Another pleasing presage !
As the procession arrived at the gates of
the city of Videha, out came an army of
servants with gifts — clothes, jewels, birds,
deer, horses, elephants, chariots, spices, per-
fumes; and cakes on silver trays and dainties
on golden dishes. And they all marched in
together; and the sky rained flowers, and the
kettle-drums of the gods rattled.
Blissful was the meeting of King Dasa-ratha
with his two noble sons and the good hermit
of the jungle, Visva-mitra.
On the bridal-day, Rama, clad in dazzUng
raiment, rode on horseback, and the saddle
glittered with pearls and rubies, and the
harness glowed like the sun ; and so, amid the
music of bells and trumpets and voices, Rama
entered the great pavilion. And when all
the nobles were in their places the bride came
in with her maids, and the sweet bells on
their ankles tinkled. Prayers were said, the
i8 THE DIVINE ARCHER
flame of the altar burned heavenwards; the
bride and bridegroom walked, hand-in-hand,
round the altar three times.
Nay, I should have said the brides and bride-
grooms, for on that same day, in that same
place, the three brothers of Rama were
married to three lovely ladies, and thus the
wedding was four-fold.
Walking over the beautiful carpets, the guests
proceeded to the banquet, and all were merry
at the tables, and music clashed, and laughter
rose to the roof.
Many days the gaiety lasted, and when the
King of Ayodhya and his four sons and their
four brides must needs go home, vast were
the gifts given them by King Janak — 100,000
horses, 25,000 chariots, 10,000 elephants;
waggons of gold and jewels; buffaloes and
cows without number.
The sky rained flowers.
The sacred kettle-drums rolled.
THE DIVINE ARCHER 19
III
One day, King Dasa-ratha, looking in a
polished mirror in order to set his crown
straight, saw a white hair.
The white hair whispered:
" O King, old age comes on. Make Rama
regent, and you will be happy in seeing the
noble way in which he acts the part of
monarch."
First he spoke his thought to the guru — the
teacher; and the guru said:
" Yes, O King, let this thing be done without
delay; yes, this very morrow."
Tidings were sent round the city of Ayodhya
that on the next day the Prince Rama would
be made king, and the people, who all loved
Rama, every man, every woman, every child,
prepared banners and canopies, and imitation
fruit-trees sparkling with jewels to adorn the
streets; and all night the busy hands were at
the work.
Now, at this time two of the four princes —
Bharat and Satrughna — were in the region of
the West.
20 THE DIVINE ARCHER
You may remember that Bharat had not
the same mother as Rama. His mother was
Queen Kaikeyi.
On the night when the citizens were putting
up the shining jewel-trees in the streets, and
the strains of music were heard in every
quarter of Ayodhya, a dark and ugly face
peered forth from a window in that part of
the palace where hved Queen Kaikeyi. The
face was that of the hump-backed waiting-
woman, Manthara. Leaning out of the lattice,
she said to some folk that passed :
" What mean the songs and the sparkling
lights? "
" Have you not heard ? The glorious Rama,
breaker of the bow of the god, is to be made
king in his father's stead to-morrow."
Manthara drew in her head quickly, and she
stood still and thought a long time.
Oh! the evil thoughts that swarmed in
Manthara's brain! Alas, for the sorrow that
was to come upon Rama, and Sita, and Laksh-
man, and Bharat, and the old king, and the
city, and upon hosts and hosts of the folk
of India! Woe to Rama! Years must pass
before joy shines again upon the city, and
THE DIVINE ARCHER 21
before the festal music is heard in the streets
and the jewel-trees grow in the highways.
The waiting-woman lifted the curtain of
Queen Kaikeyi's door, and tottered in crying
and wringing her hands.
" What is the matter? " asked the queen.
She still cried.
" Is Rama ill, or my Bharat? "
" Do not speak tenderly of Rama! Why
should he be made king to-morrow? For so
all the city says he will. And look from the
lattice, queen, and see the people preparing
for the festival. Why did the king send j^our
beloved son, Bharat, away? Was it not at
the wish of the vile Queen Kausalya, mother
of Rama, in order that her own child should
be raised to honour? What will happen to
you and your son? You will be caught
like a fly in a bowl of milk. You will be
bondslaves to this proud Rama."
" Now I understand," said the queen with a
frown, " why my right eye keeps throbbing,
and I have bad dreams at night. What shall
I do, dear and trusted friend? "
" Go, mistress, to the dark chamber, where,
as the king knows, his ladies retire when they
22 THE DIVINE ARCHER
are smit with sorrow. Let Dasa-ratha find
you lying on the floor."
Joyous citizens came and went in and out
of the palace. On aU sides shouts of mirth
resounded. The king was as happy as the
love-god. With light foot he approached
Queen Kaikeyi's room.
" She is in the sulking chamber, sir," said the
hump-backed waiting- woman.
With a mind sore disturbed, Dasa-ratha
hastened to the dark room. By a dim lamp,
he saw his queen lying on the floor, her dress
being old and coarse, and her hair all wild.
" Why are you angry, joy of my soul? " he
asked.
She glared at him like a snake, and put out
her arms to bid him keep away.
" Rise, my dear, this is no time for ill-temper,
for on the morrow I give the throne to my
noble son Rama. Come and rejoice with
us."
" I cannot. Once you promised me two
boons, and you have never given me them.
To Rama you give all; to me, naught."
" Nay, queen, I will keep my word like a
king. Deck yourself in comely robes, and I
THE DIVINE ARCHER 23
will grant you the two favours, whatsoever
they are."
She changed her dress, and put on her glint-
ing gems, and said with a smile :
" Dasa-ratha, make our son Bharat king;
that is one boon. Send Rama into a far land
for fourteen years; that is the other boon.
You have pledged your word as a king."
He put his hands to his forehead and trembled,
even as a partridge that is pounced upon by
a falcon in the forest.
" Now," he moaned, " now has my wife laid
waste the city of Oude, and brought woe
upon my paradise. How can I live without
Rama? "
" If," she shrieked, "if at daybreak to-
morrow, Rama does not leave the city,
clad in the hermit's coarse robe, know, O
Dasa-ratha, it wiU be the death of me, and
everlasting disgrace will come upon your
head."
And though he knelt and prayed at her feet,
she would not change her will.
So passed his night in grief, and the music
stiU rang in the streets, but there was no
music in the king's heart.
24 THE DIVINE ARCHER
Rama rose very early and saw his father
lying as in a swoon on the ground.
"What ails him?" he asked of queen
Kaikeyi.
With cruel looks in her eyes, she told him,
and waited to see him act like a raging mad-
man.
But Rama said in a clear, steady voice :
"It is well, O queen. Often have I longed
to dwell in the peaceful forest, and thither will
I go."
" Father," he said, as the king revived at the
sound of his son's voice, "I go to bid my
mother farewell."
When Rama appeared before Kausalya, she
beamed with joy.
" My darling," she cried, " this is the happy
day."
Gently, he broke in : —
" Mother, my father has given me a king-
dom."
" Yes, my son, the kingdom of Ayodhya."
" No, mother, the kingdom of the wild woods,
where I am to dwell for fourteen years, while
Bharat reigns as king."
Then was the queen's soul torn sharp with
THE DIVINE ARCHER 25
grief, and she clung to his feet — his lotus-
feet — and wept much; and as she wept, there
came in the lady Sita, to hear the mournful
news. And Sita, for a time, shed tears, and
was silent.
" But do not take Sita," begged the mother.
" Dear Sita," said Rama, " for my mother's
sake, you will stay here."
" No," she answered, " as a river without
water, so is a wife without her husband. The
birds and the deer shall be my comrades, the
forest my dwelling, the bark of the trees my
dress. The hut we live in together will be
even as a mansion of the gods, and the
road that we two walk will not make me
weary."
And as Sita said, so also said Lakshman, for
he declared that he would share the long
banishment with his brother, just as he had
shared his joys.
These three then went to say good-bye to the
king; and the king's heart was like to break.
And as they talked together, the Queen
Kaikeyi entered with a box, and, setting it
on the ground, she opened it, and there lay
in it the coarse dark coat of a hermit.
c
26 THE DIVINE ARCHER
*' I have brought you your raiment," she said,
with a dreadful smile.
Rama put it on and bowed to his father and
to Kaikeyi, and left the palace, and the people
saw him go forth.
The jewel-trees were hid away; the banners
all torn down; hushed were all songs; for
the tidings had gone about the city that Rama
was to live in an exile of fourteen years.
" Sir," said Rama to his guru, " be kind to
all my servants while I am away."
So saying, he went out with Sita and Laksh-
man, and many people of the city ran at their
side and in front and behind — old and young,
and children; and the sobs of the folk were
sad to hear.
IV
Not only did the folk mourn. The very
trees withered, and the horses, elephants, and
birds seemed to feel the loss of a prince who
had been the friend of every citizen and every
dumb creature in Ayodhya. Rama, Laksh-
man, Sita, and the people travelled all the day.
THE DIVINE ARCHER 27
and at night all except the three exiles slept
soundly under the trees.
The three exiles mounted their chariot in the
darkness, lest the people should follow again,
and be worn out.
On coming to the holy Ganges in the morning,
they saluted the noble flood which all India
worships, and bathed in its refreshing waters.
A crowd of people approached with gifts of
fruit, for they had heard of the journey of
the princes.
" Pray," invited the leader, " lodge in my
house to-night."
" For fourteen years," replied Rama, " must
we abide in the open air, nor enter any village."
The good man then spread a mat of grass and
soft leaves under a sinsapa tree, and this was
the couch of the wanderers that second night.
At break of day, Rama sent away the chariot,
though the charioteer begged them to ride
to the city, for he was sure the old king
wished it.
The horses loved Rama, and whinneyed and
turned their heads towards him as they
departed.
Now they must cross the Ganges. An old
28 THE DIVINE ARCHER
ferryman took them over the roUing stream,
and would not take for fee the ring which
Sita drew from her finger.
" No," he said, " pay me when you come
back — in fourteen years from now."
Sita spoke to the sacred Ganges.
" O river, may I return with my husband
and his brother and again adore you."
" Lady," said the great river, " you will all
return in safety and again cross my waves."
They came to the mighty forest. Here and
there they passed a hermit's hut, sheltered
under tall trees. Rama walked first, then
Sita, then Lakshman. Birds and deer looked
upon them as they threaded their way through
the jungle. At night they rested under a
fig-tree.
Next day they reached the hut of the hermit
Valmiki. It was built near a spring of clear
water, which formed a pool, and lotuses made
the water pretty. The forest trees were
bright with blossoms, and bees hummed in a
sweet murmur.
Old Valmiki sat with them in his hut, and
heard the story of their exile from Ayodhya.
Then he pointed to a hill.
THE DIVINE ARCHER 29
" On yonder hill of Chitra-Kuta," he said,
" you should make your abode. A river
winds about its slope. There, amid the
woods, dwell in a green shelter, and elephants,
tigers, lions, monkeys, boars, deer, and birds
will be your friends and companions."
So in the green cot on Chitra-Kuta they
lodged; and the flowers bloomed gaily, and
the wild beasts were pleasant comrades, and
jays, cuckoos, parrots, and many other
feathered friends made good company.
Meanwhile, the charioteer had gone back to
the city, and told the King Dasa-ratha all
that had happened.
Death of the King
The king lay on a sick-bed, his wife, Kausalya,
at his side. When he had heard the charioteer's
report, he sent him away and said to his wife :
" Now, dear wife, I call to mind the curse of
the blind hermit, for he told me I should
weep for a beloved son, even as I caused him
to weep."
" How did you give him cause to weep? "
asked the queen.
30 THE DIVINE ARCHER
" In this way did it come to pass," said the
king. " When I was a young hunter, so
keen was my sense of hearing that I could
aim at a beast in the dark and kill it, simply
by hearing the sound of its tread, and judging
in what spot it was to be found. People called
me the Shooter in the Dark, and proud was
I of the title. One night, before I ever met
you, dear Kausalya, I rode out in my chariot
to the woods where beasts were wont to drink
at the woodland pool, and I lay in wait. At
last I heard a rustle and a splash. I felt sure
it was an elephant on the bank of the lake.
So I fitted an arrow to my bow, and shot.
Alas! The cry of some one hurt — a human
cry — smote on my ear. What had I done?
I made haste through the shrubs and trees,
and by the dim star-light I saw on the bank
of the water a youth who was bleeding, and a
pitcher lay at his side. He asked me what
ill deed he had done that I should take his
life. His parents were old folk, both blind.
They lived in yonder humble shed. He felt
he was d5nng, but, with his last breath, bade
me go and tell his mother and father what had
happened. So I left him dead, and, with a
THE DIVINE ARCHER 31
heavy heart, made my way to the hut. The
old folks heard my steps. The father called
out to ask why I had been so long, for he
thought his son had returned. So I told them
the tale of sorrow and death, and prayed for
their pardon, because I had slain their son
unknowingly. They bade me lead them to
the place of the dead, and, with trembling
hands poured funeral water over the body,
crooned a holy song of farewell, and dropped
many a tear. Then the old hermit said that,
for a punishment, I, too, should suffer as he
had suffered. I should bewail the loss of a
dearly loved son."
At midnight the king blessed his wife, Kau-
salya, and blessed his wife, Samitra, mother
of Lakshman (but he did not bless Kaikeyi),
and he died.
In the Western land, word came to . Prince
Bharat that the guru bade him repair to the
city. At once he leaped into a chariot.
" O that I had wings to fly," he cried.
Horses tore; wheels rattled.
Queen Kaikeyi met her son.
" Is my father well? "
32 THE DIVINE ARCHER
" He is dead, my son."
"Alas! my father, my father. How came
he to die so soon? "
She told him all about the exiles; that he —
Bharat — was now king; thanks to the faithful
humpback, Manthara.
" Wretched woman ! " he shouted. " Why did
the king — ^good sire that he was — give way to
you? And you, base creature, what led you
to this vile plot? I loved Rama as I loved
myself."
So crying, and half-mad with grief, he pushed
Manthara till she reeled, and then he fled from
the room to the chamber of Kausalya. His
brother, Satrughna, went with him; and all
wept together.
A vast pile of sandal-wood and aloes and
spices was heaped up beside the river, and
the royal body was laid thereon, and the fire
leaped to heaven.
After the funeral, Bharat, the noble prince,
announced his will. He would go to the woods,
and bring Rama back, and all who pleased
might go with him on his errand. Deep was
the joy in every house, and folk went forth
on horses and elephants, in carts and chariots
THE DIVINE ARCHER 33
— high and low, rich and poor — in one great
eager stream. Point by point they tracked
the pilgrims — to the sinsapa tree; to the
Ganges; to the jungle; to the hut of old
white-haired Valmiki, until at last, the pro-
cession of citizens halted at the holy hill of
Chitra-Kuta, and looked with wondering eyes
upon the scene.
Rocks rose high, and splendid trees clothed
them with their shade. Wild animals lay or
moved about or ate together in peace —
hares, elephants, lions, tigers, boars, buffaloes,
wolves; and bees hummed; and parrots
chattered, and peacocks spread their glorious
tails. And in the midst stood Rama, Sita,
and Lakshman.
Happy were the moments of meeting, but
grief followed. For neither to the pleading of
Bharat, nor the tears of his mother, Kausalya,
would the noble Rama yield. His father, he
said, had commanded him into exile, and in
exile he would stay; and Bharat must rule
the kingdom.
And so, after many words said on each side,
Bharat and the citizens and the Queen Kau-
salya returned to Ayodhya. But Bharat
34 THE DIVINE ARCHER
took with him as a keepsake a pair of sandals
which Rama had worn; and he put these
shoes on the golden throne in the palace,
to wait there until his brother came home.
One day the glorious Rama, thinking the
people of Ayodhya would never let him rest
in the green shades of the hill of Chitra-Kuta,
set forth again on his wanderings with the
lady Sita and the loyal Lakshman, and
plunged into the depths of the forest, TaU
were the trees; glowing the hues of the
flowers; fair the lotuses on the pools; and
when there was a space among the boughs,
and the sun's rays fell through, beautiful were
the spots of light in the glades of the wood.
And save for the call of the birds, or the rustle
of beasts amid the foliage, or the ripple of
brooks, very quiet was the forest. Now and
then the pilgrims halted at the hut of some
saintly hermit, and talked with him of love
and mercy and justice and the service of the
gods.
THE DIVINE ARCHER 35
Such a hermit was Saint Agastya, a brave
man who had come from the north of India
to seek out the wild tribes of the Deccan, that
so he might speak to them words of grace and
truth, and teach them to be more humane and
gentle in their dealings. As he greeted the
wanderers, he had comrades at his right hand
and his left — holy hermits who helped him
in his work, and fed the flames on altars in
honour of the god Brahm, and fiery Agni, and
shining Vishnu, and Yama, Lord of Death,
and Dharma, the god of well-doing. And
Saint Agastya looked upon Rama and loved
him, and he gave him rare gifts. He gave
him the magic bow of the lord Vishnu, and the
glittering dart of Brahma, and the quiver of
Indra that never lacked arrows, no matter
how often shafts were shot, and, last of all,
a sabre with a hilt of gold. Well armed was
now the Divine Archer.
" Rama," he said in words deep in meaning,
" you will have need of these weapons."
" I thank you with all my heart, great sage,
and much would I like to stay in this charm-
ing spot. But the fate of exile rests upon us,
and we must go still further."
36 THE DIVINE ARCHER
" I will tell you a place where you may be
quite alone, except for the roving deer. Walk
through that thick wood until you see an old
nyagrodha tree, then climb a steep path, and
so you will come to a stand in the forest of
Panchavati, where the Godaveri stream rushes
along the dark glen."
Near the glen, Lakshman built a house for
the winter that was coming. The walls were
of soft earth, the posts of bamboo, thatch of
jungle leaves and grass; and the floor was
stamped upon and pressed till it was quite
level. And here they dwelt in peace while
autumn glided by, and when the winter night
air was cold ; berries their food and water their
drink. Oft they talked of home and the
people of Ayodhya, and of times that seemed
far back in mists, when Rama broke the bow
of Siva, and the thunders of the cheers shook
the city of Videha. In the woods how still
was the scene, how lonely the paths; and yet
the three hearts were good and tender comrades
to each other, and they worshipped the red
sun at dawn and at eve, and so the winter
went by in peace.
One day a wild-looking woman met the lord
THE DIVINE ARCHER 37
Rama in the wood of Panchavati; her face
tanned by air and sun; her hair loose; her
mouth ape-Hke and cruel.
She was a Raksha — a demon maid; and she
admired the noble form of Rama.
" Who are you that wander in the forest
that belongs to us Rakshas, to me, and to
my brothers Khara and Dushan? "
Rama told her the tale of the exile.
" Wander no more," she said; " make your
home with us demons of the jungle. You shall
be my husband, and our food shall be the
flesh of men."
" My dear wife is Sita," he answered, " and
not for me is the horrid food that pleases
Rakshas, But my brother has no wife."
This he said with a smile.
To Lakshman then she went, and said like
words, and when he said No in a very angry
voice, she took on a terrible shape, and her
eyes glared, and Lakshman, in swift swing
of his sword, slashed the Raksha's nose and
ears, and she fled shrieking to her brothers.
Presently Rama shouted to Lakshman :
" Take Sita to the nearest cave and shield her
there. The Raksha army is flying this way."
38 THE DIVINE ARCHER
Black figures were gathering in the air,
thousands upon thousands; and the yell of
the Rakshas was like the noise of a storm
at sea. But when the two demon captains
first beheld the shining body and steady eyes
of Rama, they paused in dread, for in the
moment of battle, Rama shone even as the
sun.
They sent messengers who said :
" Prince, give up your wife as prisoner, and
you and your brother may go free."
Rama gave back words of scorn; and then,
with a howl, and waving clubs, spikes, spears,
scimitars, maces, axes, and bows, the Rakshas
advanced. As arrows fell towards Rama he
swung his sabre — the gold-hilted sabre — in
such wise as to cut them all in twain though
they rained in countless swarms. Then he
bent the bow of Vishnu, and took arrows
from the quiver that never was empty, and he
shot and shot and shot and shot, and the air
was filled with arrows, and the Rakshas fell
and sprang up again, and rushed upon him
and fled, and vultures flew down to eat the
slain, and lo! the battle came to a sudden
end. Rama stood over the dead army, and
THE DIVINE ARCHER 39
he was calm in hand and eye; and the gods
dropped flowers from the sky, and sweet
music rang in the air.
And the souls of the Rakshas went up to the
house of the gods; for such was the way in
the old Indian days, and when a foe was beaten
by a noble prince, his death was thought to
be enough, and the great-hearted conquerors
let the souls of the conquered go to the place
of peace ; even the souls of the bad.
Sita came out of the cave and embraced her
prince.
But the Raksha woman sped from the forest
of Panchavati, and it was woe to poor Sita
that she went that journey. For the Raksha
woman crossed the water on the south shore
of India, and hastened to the palace of her
great brother, Ravan, King of the Rakshas
of Lanka. Now Lanka was the island of
Ceylon. And Ravan was the most gruesome
monster on earth, for he had ten heads and
twenty hands.
" Who can this archer be? " Ravan muttered
to himself. " I must measure my strength
with his, and see who is the better warrior,
and deeper in wit."
40 THE DIVINE ARCHER
He sought out his cunning friend Maricha,
" Comrade, I want your help. You must
take the shape of a beautiful deer, and show
yourself to my enemy, and lure him away
from his lady, Sita ; and I will seize her and
bring her to this island of the Rakshas."
Little did Maricha care for the task, for he
knew the power of Rama; but he also knew
the power of Ravan the Ten-headed, and so he
consented, and the two demons made their
way in easy flight to the far-off forest by the
silver stream of Godaveri.
Sita suddenly called to Rama:
"See, my prince! What a lovely creature
comes towards us."
It was a deer with a skin like burnished gold,
and on its branching antlers it bore blue
sapphires.
" I beg you," cried Sita, " to get me this
animal's skin, and some day, when we go
home, it shall adorn our palace in Ayodhya."
So Rama, willing to please his wife, gave
chase to the deer, while Lakshman stayed at
her side. The deer (which was the cunning
Maricha) flew this way and that, and slipped
into dark nooks, and away into crooked glades,
THE DIVINE ARCHER 41
and into dells, and up cliffs, and Rama had
much work to come at it, and far off was he
when it fell by his deadly shaft.
" Hark ! " said Sita. " What was that ?"
It was a sound as of Rama's voice.
" I am hurt, Lakshman. Come to my aid! "
" Quick! " she cried to Lakshman.
VI
Lakshman stood still.
" I ought not," he said, " to leave you alone
in this jungle. Do not fear for Rama. He has
no equal in the world for strength and wit."
" Crafty man," burst out Sita, " do you wish
Rama to die in order that you may have his
wife? "
Cruel was the word. In all her life Sita
scarce said a word that hurt a human soul, or
made the heart of a dumb animal quail. But
this word was indeed harsh.
And ah! bitter, bitter, thrice bitter was the
fate that fell on Sita for her fault.
Lakshman turned and went; and many a
long day passed ere he saw her face again.
42 THE DIVINE ARCHER
An old hermit of the forest stood amid the
trees, and he bowed to Sita.
An old hermit, did I say ? It was the Demon
King of Lanka, Ravan, the Ten-headed and
Twenty-handed, in a guise that the lady
knew not,
" Fair stranger," he said humbly, " are you
a nymph of the woodland? Whatever you
are — you with your ruddy lips, your pearly
teeth, your dark, shiny tresses — you are more
meet for a royal mansion than this weird
haunt of wild beasts, and of horrid Rakshas."
" I am Sita, the daughter of King Janak,"
she answered, " and through the working of an
evil woman, my husband, Rama, and I have
been sent into exile. And who, sir, are you? "
" No guru am I," he replied, with a wicked
laugh. " I am the lord of the Rakshas of
Ceylon, and much do I want a queen like you.
Splendid is my island, and five thousand
damsels will wait upon you, Sita, if you will
share my throne."
Sparkled the eyes of Sita.
" I — I — I share a demon's throne? I, the
wedded wife of the hero Rama — Rama, hke
to the glorious moon — Rama, the matchless
THE DIVINE ARCHER 43
warrior! Tear up yonder mountain, Raksha;
you will do that sooner than you will win
Rama's spouse! "
Sita shrieked. Ravan had seized her, lifted
her into his chariot, and his demon horses fled
through the air; and now she saw that Ravan
had ten heads and twenty hands — twenty
hands to hold the reins of the terrible steeds.
A shrill, rough cry was heard, and a big, old,
grey vulture flapped his wings and swooped
down towards the flying car.
" Fear not, Sita; fear not, my daughter! "
called the king of the vultures, Jatayu.
The giant bird clutched Ravan's hair in his
talons, and hurled him like a stone out of the
chariot, and he fell with a thud to the ground.
Leaping up, the demon struck with his sabre,
and slashed off the vulture's wings, and the
poor, faithful bird lay helpless while Ravan
rode off in triumph.
" Rama! Rama! " cried Sita.
" Rama! Rama! " cried the croaking voice
of the vulture.
" Where have you left Sita? " asked Rama»
44 THE DIVINE ARCHER
as he stood by the dead golden deer, and saw
Lakshman at his side.
" She would insist that I should come,
brother."
Rama sprang up like lightning, and ran, ran,
ran to the hut.
Sita was gone.
" O ye deer! O bees that hum! " he called
aloud in the jungle. " O gliding serpent and
roaring lion! O trees and flowers, tell me,
where is Sita? "
The brothers rushed from point to point, till
they saw a wingless vulture, and they knelt
beside him, for they knew him again as old
Jatayu.
" Master," moaned the grey bird, " now I
am ready to die, for I have seen your lotus
face. Alas! Ravan has carried off your lady,
and he has slain your servant — even me."
" Noble bird," said Rama, with faltering
voice, " you die; but in dying you fly higher
than ever you soared over the Vindhya hills,
for you shall go up to the land of the shining
gods."
When the old Jatayu had breathed his last,
Rama made a funeral pile of wood, and buried
THE DIVINE ARCHER 45
the body as if it had been the body of a just
man. Unclean and vile as the creature was
to the eye, his heart was loyal, and Rama
rendered him honour as to a true knight that
did his duty.
Wandering onwards, the Divine Archer and
his brother, Lakshman, peered eagerly into
every corner of the forest that seemed likely
to be a hiding-place for the demon-king and
his prisoner. Herds of elephants trotted by
and trumpeted, and seemed to say —
" She is not here."
And dappled deer scudded by on hght feet,
and tossed their antlers and seemed to say —
" She is not here."
At the lake of Pampa they stopped. Lovely
were the lotuses on the gleaming water, and
swans and water-fowl swam from side to side,
and geese and cranes flew in great flights over-
head. Hermits lived in this charming spot,
but none could tell where Sita was.
Now came the ^sad brothers to the Nilghiri
mountains, and not far now was the point of
India that runs southward into the broad
ocean.
Two singular persons met the two princes of
46 THE DIVINE ARCHER
Ayodhya in the wilderness of these mountains,
and wild was their aspect. They were tall,
strong monkeys; yet were they as men, with
the voices of men, and the speech of men, and
the ways of men — not gentle, indeed, as the
ways of the citizens of Ayodhya, but still,
they were human in their roughness.
Perhaps (to tell the likely truth) these
creatures whom the old Indian poet calls
monkeys were the uncouth and rude-looking
natives of the south land. Monkeys and
bears, he says, were the folk of this southern
region; and monkeys and bears we will caU
them in our tale; and yet, all the time, we
will try to think of them as brave and honest
human beings, who, in spite of their wild
manners, were most faithful friends to glorious
Rama and his brother.
The two singular persons, then, were Sugriva,
king of the monkeys, and Hanuman, his
comrade. Now Sugriva had been driven
from his kingdom by his brother Bali.
Hanuman pointed to the handsome brothers.
" See," he said, " these can be none others
than the exiled sons of King Dasa-ratha.
They search for the lady Sita. They are in
THE DIVINE ARCHER 47
grief, as you are. Let us make compact with
them, and offer them our aid."
At the lotus-feet of Rama bowed Sugriva,
the monkey-king; and Hanuman, good soul,
bowed also, even more lowly than his friend.
" We know your trouble, lord Rama," said
the king. " And we beg you to accept our
help. It may be that we shall find your
\vife, for we, wild creatures as we are, under-
stand the ways and wiles of the demons of
Lanka."
So Rama grasped the hands of Sugriva, and
Hanuman made an altar of earth, and lit a
fire on it for the gods to see, and the four
friends walked round it in token of the bond
of faithfulness.
" Do you know this scarf? " said the chief of
the monkeys, as he held a bright ribbon to
Rama.
Rama gave a shout of surprise.
" It is my Sita's scarf," he cried. " How got
you this? "
" One day, when I was on these hiUs with my
attendants, we heard a rushing in the air, and
saw a chariot fly by, and heard a voice call
Rama, and this scarf dropped at my feet,"
48 THE DIVINE ARCHER
" Sita, Sita," sobbed Rama, as he kissed the
scarf.
Soon he dried his tears.
" Now," said Rama, " we must seek the lost
one. But first, my friend, I must do you a
service, and restore your kingdom to you.
Let us go and do battle with Bali."
So they marched to the city where Bali was
in power as tyrant. And when news came to
him that Rama approached, he took his
weapons. His wife clung to him, and implored
him not to pit himself against the might of
Rama. He took no heed, and boldly sallied
forth from the city gates.
VII
Bali and Sugriva fought first, their eyes
glowing like red-hot copper. They strove
like mad eagles. With claws like tigers they
tore up trees and rocks and flung them at
each other. Ill would have it fared with
Sugriva, however, had not the Divine Archer,
Rama, fitted an arrow to his wondrous bow,
and shot the tyrant dead.
THE DIVINE ARCHER 49
Sugriva, the monkey-king, could now again
take the throne from which his tyrant brother
had ousted him; and he begged Rama the
DeHght to rest a while in his home.
" No," said Rama, " I may not enter a city
for fourteen years. But I shall need your
friendship soon. Meanwhile, for a few days
I will breathe the air of the hills, and prepare
for the perilous days that are coming."
In a cave in the Nilghiri mountains the two
princes lodged. Coming forth one day upon
the hillside, Rama spoke to Lakshman :
" The rains come and go. Dark clouds roll
over the blue, and the clap of thunder signals
the storm, and the waters of heaven descend,
and the streamlets of the hills are swollen.
Grass springs up afresh. Frogs croak. Pea-
cocks strut in glory. Bees murmur. Lotuses
bloom. The fire-flies glow at dusk. And all
the scene is happy, Lakshman; but how can
my heart partake of the general joy when
my Sita, even now, pines a captive in the den
of a Raksha? "
As soon as the days of rain were past, Rama
bade King Sugriva come before him with his
bright-eyed, tree-climbing monkey folk. In a
so THE DIVINE ARCHER
great army, rank upon rank, legion upon legion,
the sprightly monkeys stood — small, stout,
short, tall, brown, black. When Rama had
told his desire that they should search the land
for the lost lady, they started at once, to the
north, the south, the east, the west, to forest,
to rock, to sea-shore, to cave, to hill, to plain.
The last to leave was brave Hanuman.
" Take this ring," said Rama to the faithful
ape, as he drew a bright circlet of gold from
his finger, " and if you find my Sita, give her
this in token that I never lose the thought of
her, and that I will surely come to save
her."
Far and wide had the monkeys gone in their
quest, and none had found the wife of Rama.
A party of searchers — Hanuman among them
— at length stood on the shore of the sea that
rippled in purple waves between India and
the Island of Ceylon.
A huge vulture flapped its wings, and it
spoke to Hanuman:
" The vultures, O Hanuman, are loving
friends of Rama, and I will tell you what I,
with a vulture's keen vision, can see. As I
look across the water from here, I can see
THE DIVINE ARCHER 51
Sita weeping in a grove of asoka trees in Lanka.
Whoever can leap over the water will find
her in the garden of the demon-king."
Hanuman told his companions he would
make the venture. Between India and Lanka
the passage is more than thirty miles wide,
and in the water He rocks that make a sort
of bridge — Adam's bridge, folk caU it to-day.
The monkey resolved to leap from rock to
rock, or rather fly; for he had more than a
common monkey's strength; he had powers
of magic.
An enormous serpent rose up against him
just as he was about to depart, its mouth
yawning hke a cave. Hanuman's body
swelled larger than the serpent's jaws. The
reptile's mouth doubled its size. Hanuman's
size also doubled! Presently, the monkey
mocked his foe by making himself small and
darting right into the serpent's mouth, and
out again!
" Hanuman," said the serpent, " the gods
only sent me to try your courage. You have
stood the test. Proceed on your errand of
mercy."
In vast jumps, Hanuman leaped from rock
52 THE DIVINE ARCHER
to rock, the air whistling round his head, the
waters of the ocean rolhng below.
The monkey alighted on a tall peak, whence
he saw the splendid city of the demon chief.
The walls were of glistening gold, inside which
were streets, bazaars, elephants, horses, mules,
chariots, gardens, groves, lawns, and ponds.
Demons crowded the ways and spaces — demons
with the heads of men, buffaloes, oxen, asses,
and goats.
Hanuman made himself as tiny as a gnat, flew
into the city, unseen by the guards, and roved
from one scene to another, admiring the riches
and the greatness of it all. At length his eye
caught the name of Rama on the wall of a
fine building. He entered (now being in his
proper shape), and met a grave, noble-looking
man, very different from the demons of
Lanka.
" I rejoice," said the monkey chief, " to
find some one here who loves the name of Rama.
Who, sir, may you be? "
" I am Vibishan, brother to the ten-headed
king. But I have no care for the things he
cares for, and my heart is not in Lanka at all,
and often I wish I were afar off in Ayodhya,
THE DIVINE ARCHER 53
where I should be comrade to the noble Rama.
And who are you? "
Hanuman told all the tale of Rama and Sita
and the search.
" Friend," said Vibishan, pointing, " in
yonder grove of asoka trees is a mansion.
There Sita is kept a prisoner."
The faithful monkey rushed off at once, and
halted under the shade of the asoka trees, just
as the lady Sita came out into the garden,
pale and sad; and her dark hair was twisted
in one braid and knotted, as a sign of mourning
for her absent lord.
A noise was heard. Ravan, the ten-headed
and twenty-handed king, entered the grounds,
with a troop of demon waiting-women.
" Once again, lady," he said harshly, " I
ask you if you will become my queen."
" Never."
" You shall be queen above all my other
queens."
" Never. My lord Rama will come and save
me."
" He will not, for you shall die."
He raised his blue-steel scimitar.
" Yes, Ravan, kill me, and rid me of my
sorrow."
54 THE DIVINE ARCHER
But there was a power in her eyes that held
his hand. He lowered his weapon, and went
away muttering.
No sooner had he turned his back than one
of the demon-women spoke hoarsely to her
companions :
" Listen to my dream, women of Lanka. I
saw a monkey set fire to the city, and set
Ravan on an ass to mock him, and Ravan's
heads and arms were hewn off; and Vibishan
was made king; and in four days shall this
dream come true."
In fear, they bowed to Sita, and hurried from
the grove.
Just then, a ring flew through the air, and
fell shining at Sita's feet. She picked it up,
knew it as Rama's ring, and gave a scream of
joy-
"Lady!"
She looked about, and beheld the monkey.
She stepped backwards in fear.
' Be not afraid, lady Sita. I am but a
monkey, but the noble Rama allows me to call
myself his friend. From him I brought the
ring, and from him I bring also a message."
He told her all the story.
THE DIVINE ARCHER 55
" In but a few days, lady," he said in closing,
" the arrows of Rama will vanquish the demon-
king and all his followers, and you will be
delivered."
So saying, he left her presence. As he was
leaving the grove, he pulled down the branches
of an asoka tree, and plucked the fruit and ate.
The crackling sound caught the ears of the
guards, and they ran to attack the stranger,
Hanuman tore up a tree, and swung it round,
sweeping the demon soldiers away as a broom
might sweep shavings. At length, however,
he was seized, and carried away to the court
of Ravan, the king. Giant demons and horrid
spectres stood in the palace hall, and they
feared the very look of the ten-headed lord.
But Hanuman had no fear. Ravan burst into
a loud laugh when he beheld the monkey.
" Who are you? " he said.
" In me, O King, monkey as I am, you see
the messenger of that glorious hero, Rama,
who bent and broke the bow of Siva, and
whose wife Sita you carried away by brutal
force. Be warned, Ravan! I put my hands
together, and beg you, be warned ere it is too
late, and give back Sita to her Rama."
56 THE DIVINE ARCHER
VIII
"Wretch!" shouted Ravan. "Dare you
address such words to a king? "
Turning to his courtiers, he said :
" Kill the beast."
" Sir," cried Vibishan, his brother, stepping
forward and bowing. " That would not be a
kingly act. This monkey is a messenger from
Rama. He speaks as an ambassador. Kings
do not slay ambassadors."
" True," sneered Ravan, the Ten-headed, " but
they may take off the ambassadors' tails,"
Then Ravan gave the order:
" Tie rags to the creature's tail; steep the
rags in oil; set light to them; and when the
tail is consumed, let Rama's noble messenger
go free,"
Hanuman smiled.
Rags were tied on, but there were not enough.
More were fetched, and yet more were needed.
The fact was, Hanuman's tail was growing by
magic. More rags, more oil, more tail ! Not a
rag was left in the city; every drop of oil was
used up! But the demons took no warning
THE DIVINE ARCHER 57
from this wonder. Drums were beat and hands
were clapped as the tail was set light to.
Suddenly, making his body smaller (but not
his tail!) Hanuman slipped out of the grasp
of the guards, who held him, and leaped on to
the palace roof, his immense tail all in flames.
The palace caught fire. Hanuman leaped to
another house, another, another, and so aU
over the city. A large part of Lanka was in
a blaze, but not the house of the good Vibi-
shan, the brother of the king, nor the mansion
where Sita was sheltered in the grove of asoka
trees. The flames roared.
Springing into the Indian Ocean, the monkey
quenched the fiery tail, shortened it by magic
to its right length, and hastened to the asoka
grove.
" Lady," he said humbly to Sita, " give me
a token to carry back to your husband."
She unfastened a shining jewel from her hair
and handed it to the loyal messenger.
" Say to my lord," she said, " that he has
never yet failed to keep his word, and I wait
for him to save me."
He bowed and departed.
Leaping again over the watery channel, he
58 THE DIVINE ARCHER
sprang into the midst of the host of monkeys
who awaited him, and they received him with
shouts of joy. Again they cheered as they
heard the news that Sita was fomid. The army
marched to the Nilghiri mountains, and soon
Hanuman was placing the jewel in Rama's
hand and telUng him the tale of his adventures
in Ceylon.
When Rama, his eyes fiUed with tears of
gratitude, put his royal hand on Hanuman's
head in blessing, the good soul felt happier
than he had ever felt since he was bom in the
jungle.
" And now," said Rama, "it is the hour for
the advance. Call the bears and muster the
troops."
Oh! who could count the number of the
soldiers in this strange host? In vast regi-
ments they marched — monkeys of many kinds,
and bears of many kinds, shaggy and sharp-
clawed. Rama, Lakshman, Sugriva, and
Hanuman gazed with pride at the mighty
host. And so, like a giant river, the living
stream of monkeys and bears flowed to the
sea.
Meanwhile, fear fell on the breasts of the
THE DIVINE ARCHER 59
demons of Lanka, and they murmured to each
other, saying:
" If Rama's messenger who burned our
houses is so mighty, what must Rama himself
be? "
And word came unto the Queen Mandodari
that the people were sore afraid, and she went
and fell at the feet of her lord, and said —
" Husband, make no more fight against the
Divine Archer, for he will destroy us all, even
as the frost destroys a bed of lotuses,"
The Raksha laughed with aU his ten mouths,
and then summoned his council and asked
them what he should do.
A dark-faced demon rose and made a speech,
and advised war.
Another fierce Raksha said likewise.
Another, with iron teeth, shrieked the same
defiance.
Vibishan, the king's brother, spoke in a
different tone.
" Pardon my boldness, brother; I beg you to
render back Sita to her consort, for the shafts
of Rama kill, even as the rays of the sun bum
up the grass of the earth."
" Wretch! " howled Ravan, and he rushed
6o THE DIVINE ARCHER
upon Vibishan, and threw him out of the hall
of audience.
Then up stood Kumbha-Karna, the king's
second brother,
" Ravan," be said solemnly, " you ought
never to have taken Sita away. But you are
my brother; you are my king. I know my
duty, and I will fight at your side till Rama
is laid low and Sita his widow becomes your
bride,"
Vibishan had sprung in one tremendous leap
over Adam's bridge and the trembling sea,
and jumped down among the astonished bears
and monkeys on the shore. He told them who
he was, and was led at once to the presence of
Rama and Lakshman, and Rama embraced
him, and received him as a friend and ally.
Ravan sent spies to spy in the camp of
Hanuman, and they were seen and caught.
But when their noses and ears were about to
be cut off, Rama and Lakshman ran in and
spared the captives, and sent them back to
Lanka to tell the king aU they had seen.
" My lord," said the chief spy, as he knelt at
Ravan's feet, " never before was seen such a
host of terrible monkeys and bears. I have
THE DIVINE ARCHER 6i
heard that the number of them is eighteen
thousand bilHons."
A cry of horror went round the court, but
Ravan only smiled and sneered.
" Rama is trying to grasp the sky and he will
fall with empty hands."
Now was the time come for the army to cross.
Rama shot an arrow into the sea, and at this
signal a strange figure emerged from the water.
It was old Ocean, all shaggy with seaweed
and with shells that clung to his body.
" I wish to cross over your realm, sir," said
Rama.
" Then, heroic prince, I advise you to give
order to the clever monkeys Nala and Nila to
construct a causeway over my waves, and I
will take care that it shall not be disturbed
in any way while you and your followers
march to Lanka."
Ocean bowed and retired to his watery palace.
At a word from Rama, Nala and Nila pre-
pared their plan, for they were magical
engineers. At another word from Rama the
army of bears and monkeys brought the
material for the giant bridge, more than thirty
miles long. They tore up trees, rocks, and
62 THE DIVINE ARCHER
even mountains, and carried them to the
master monkeys Nala and Nila.
Soon the work was done, A broad road
spanned the sea.
" March," cried the deep voice of Rama.
With a sound as of thunder the troops pro-
ceeded across the bridge, and the Divine Archer,
seated on a hill, watched the advance of his
mighty host. Last of all, Rama and Lakshman
rode in their chariot, and ere long they pitched
their tent on the shore of Ceylon.
The news of their landing reached the ears of
the demon king. But he bade the servants
prepare a banquet; and after supper he sat
on the throne, his queen at his side, and a
royal umbrella over his head, and the dancers
danced before him, and the minstrels played
the cymbals, drums, and lutes.
It was dusk, and Rama, looking from his
tent, saw a flash on the top of the hill of Lanka.
" It lightens," he cried.
" No, sire," observed Vibishan, " that flash
was the flash of the crown on Ravan's head,
and of the earring in his queen's ear. They
are sitting on the thrones and the dancers
dance before them."
THE DIVINE ARCHER 63
Rama smiled, and took up his bow, and fitted
an arrow, and aimed at the city on the hill,
and shot.
The arrow crashed through the umbrella,
knocked off the crown, and whisked the gold
ring out of the queen's ear ! Having done that,
the arrow turned in the air and flew back to
Rama's quiver.
At this strange event Ravan's ten faces turned
pale. He dismissed the players and dancers
and courtiers to their homes, and spent the
long night arguing with his tearful wife.
Over and over again she besought him to yield
to Rama.
IX
The hour had dawned for the assault. Rama's
host was divided into four parts for the attack
on the four gates of the city of the ten-headed
monster.
Roaring and growling, the monkeys and bears,
carrying huge masses of rock and timber, and
with the war-cry of " Glory to Rama! " rushed
upon the fortress.
64 THE DIVINE ARCHER
Demon drums and clarions sounded the
alarm, and on the walls appeared swarms of
Rakshas flourishing javelins, clubs, maces,
axes, picks, swords, bludgeons, bows, arrows,
slings, rocks. Horses galloped, elephants
charged, chariots rolled. Masses of stone
flew through the air. Ravan's palace was
reduced to ruins. Night fell, and the two
armies rested.
Next day Lakshman headed the attack, and
he was met by Meghnad, son of the demon
king. Vast masses of earth were flung from
side to side, and clouds of dust darkened the
air, and in the midst of the hurly-burly Laksh-
man was engaged in combat with the Lanka
prince. Meghnad threw his spear with full
force against Lakshman's breast, and the
brother of Rama fell in a swoon and was borne
from the field. And night fell again. Rama
leaned over his beloved brother's form and
saw his danger, and sent Hanuman to a far-
off mountain where precious herbs of healing
grew. In the blackness of the night the faith-
ful monkey hurried to the place of magic
plants, culled the herbs, and was back by the
bedside of Lakshman before the break of day.
THE DIVINE ARCHER 63
Rama prepared a potion, gave it to his brother,
and soon Lakshman arose, gay and refreshed,
ready once more for the fray.
Next day the valiant Kumbha-Karna,
brother of Ravan, having drunk many jars of
wine and eaten many buffaloes, sallied forth
to the combat. Showers of rock fell upon
him, but he was no more hurt than an elephant
by a shower of seeds. Advancing like a moving
hill, he caused the bears and monkeys to fly
in panic.
And now was the moment for Rama to enter
the conflict. He raised his bow, and his
arrows rained up, down, right, left, over, under,
forwards, straight, slanting, in every possible
direction, and at length the terrible Kumbha-
Kama lay like a log, and his soul went up to
the shining gods, because he was slain by the
Divine Archer.
Then flowers fell from the skies, and the
kettle-drums rumbled in the clouds, and night
fell once more.
Days passed in this tremendous war of Lanka,
and time would fail to tell of the deeds of the
valiant on either side. Meghnad and many
another proud Raksha had faUen, and the last
€(i THE DIVINE ARCHER
great contest was a duel between the ten-headed
king and Rama the glorious.
Each leader stood in his chariot. Now the
god Indra had sent down to Rama his golden
car, drawn by four flying horses, and also a
suit of gleaming armour, and a heavenly sword,
and a bow and quiver.
" To-day," shouted Ravan, " I will give you
in charge to death, for now you are to meet
the all-powerful Ravan."
" Boast not," replied Rama, " but act."
What words can rightly tell of the terror of
this battle? Earth and ocean shook as the
champions waged their last fight, and the sun
turned a dull grey, and the winds ceased to
breathe, and the army of Lanka and the host
of bears and monkeys stood still and watched,
as the darts of Rama flashed, and the twenty
hands of the demon wielded awful weapons.
And then the arrows were shot from the bow
of Indra, and all the world seemed a mass of
fire and smoke as the giant form of Ravan
fell, and the spirit of the fallen king soared
up to the house of Indra and the wondrous
gods.
Flowers dropped; kettle-dnims rattled in the
THE DIVINE ARCHER 6']
upper air; the sun shone golden; and voices
from heaven cried :
" Well done, hero, noble and true! "
Queen Mandodari came with her women and
made sore lament over the body of the king :
" So thou hast fallen, dear lord, but not by
the hand of man; for Rama's strength was
divine, and the arrow that slew thee leaped
from the bow of Indra. Oh that thou hadst
never touched the lady Sita! Oh that thou
hadst given ear to my prayer and let her
return to her Rama ! I remember, beloved one,
how, in the days far gone, thou and I were
happy in our wedded youth; but the heart
of Mandodari will never again know joy."
Rama, the great-souled, showed respect to
the fallen foe, and bade that grand funeral
rites should be performed. The body of
Ravan, richly robed, was laid upon a high
pile of sweet-scented wood and covered with
many garlands, and the flames flared upwards,
and the queen and her women wept, and priests
chanted a low and solemn chant for the dead.
Meanwhile Hanuman, the faithful ape, had
hastened to the mansion in the grove of asoka
trees, and Vibishan went with him; and soon
68 THE DIVINE ARCHER
they returned, bearing the fair Princess Sita
in a splendid palanquin, and a multitude of
guards, staves in hand, marched on either
side.
But Rama hurried not to meet her.
And the people wondered.
" Brother," he said to Lakshman, "it is not
fitting that my queen should come back to
me till, in the sight of all folk, she is proved
true to me, her husband. Long time has she
dwelt in the home of Ravan, and if her love
has wandered from Rama, she cannot stand
the test of fire. But if she has always been my
faithful spouse, flame will not hurt one lock
of her hair. Lakshman, build up the pile."
Lakshman heaped up a stack of wood and set
it on fire, and all the people stood by in silence.
Then Sita climbed the pile, and for a few
moments naught was seen of her form amid
the smoke and glow; and the people wept.
But the red flames parted, and lo! out of the
ordeal of fire, without singe or hurt, the lady
Sita stepped down, and the shouts of the army
were loud and long as she was clasped in the
arms of Rama.
Heavenly flowers fell, and music was heard in
THE DIVINE ARCHER 69
the high air, and the nymphs of cloud-land
danced in gay rings.
From the enormous treasure-houses of the
demons of Lanka rewards were bestowed upon
the army of bears and monkeys, and these
sturdy and loyal friends of Rama went home-
wards, rejoicing that their work was so happily
ended.
The good Vibishan took Mandodari to wife,
and these two reigned over the beautiful isle
of Lanka.
Rama and Sita, Lakshman and Hanuman the
faithful monkey, and other comrades in joy
and grief, mounted an air chariot drawn by
flying swans and soared upwards on the
journey to Ayodhya city. And as they sailed
peacefully through the air they looked down
upon the scenes of earth.
They saw the isle of Ceylon as a gem in the
ocean — the bridge of Rama that joined the
island to the shore of India — the land of the
monkeys and the bears and Sugriva their
king — the rocky Nilghiri hills — the wood where
the golden deer was slain and Ravan snatched
Sita from her husband's care — the stream of
Godaveri in the jungle where Lakshman built
70 THE DIVINE ARCHER
the bamboo hut — the forest-home of Saint
Agastya — the hill of Chitra-Kuta — the retreat
of the white-haired hermit Valmiki — the sacred
river of Ganges. Had not the holy river
promised Sita that she should safely cross his
waves again? And the word had come true.
A winged genie had carried the news of Rama's
coming to the Prince Bharat in Ayodhya.
Crowds filled the streets and gardens, and
spread along the city walls. Flags waved.
Festoons were gay. Troops marched to music.
Priests chanted. Heralds shouted proclama-
tions. Dancers leaped. Elephants trumpeted.
Drums roUed.
The swan-car descended.
Prince Bharat bowed before his brother, and
laid at his feet the pair of sandals which had
rested on the throne ever since Rama had
left the palace fourteen years before; and
the brothers embraced. And Rama's mother,
Kausalya, clasped his neck and shed tears of
gladness.
The whole city shook with cheers.
Flowers floated from the skies.
The kettle-drums of the gods rumbled.
THE DIVINE ARCHER 71
X
But alas! it was not many days ere evil
tongues set going a murmur in the streets and
the busy bazaars.
"Is it right," the murmuring voices said,
" that queen Sita, having lived in the house of
Ravan, the Demon King of Lanka, should now
again take her place at the side of her royal
lord Rama? "
" It is not right," answered other voices.
Rama gave way to the will of the people.
He sent his wife Sita out of his palace, to dweU
in the forest in a new exile. Oh that he had
shut his ears to false words! Oh that he had
held fast to his faith in Sita, and let no evil
shadow come between them.
Rama was a good and noble prince, and he
ruled justly over the city and land of Ayodhya;
but he was alone, and his spirit was often weary.
Where was Sita ?
She found shelter in the hut of the aged
Saint Valmiki. Under that shelter she became
the mother of twin boys. She named them
Lava and Kusa. Years would pass before
72 THE DIVINE ARCHER
these children would look upon the face of their
father Rama.
But that day came in this wise.
Rama said to his brother Lakshman:
"It is time to prove my power over all the
chiefs and kings of this region. Take a black
horse, therefore, and let it roam where it will,
from place to place; and if any king dares to
lay hands upon it, make war upon him in my
name. And so make a circuit of all the lands
round about, and when all is finished the horse
shall be sacrificed to the gods, and there shall
be a feast."
And it came to pass that after this was done,
and no king had stood up against the power
of Rama, the black steed was slain by the
knives of Brahmans, and its flesh was burned,
and word was carried far and near to all folk,
high and low, prince and peasant and priest,
to attend the feast and the giving of gifts.
So people came as flies to the honey, and
countless was the host of nobles and knights,
beggars and widows and orphans, that gathered
at the sacrifice of the horse, and received
presents of all kinds from the bounty of Rama.
Now, among the guests that came to the feast
THE DIVINE ARCHER 73
was the old hermit Valmiki, and he brought
with him two dark-eyed, handsome lads. He
had reared them in the way of the simple life,
water from the forest spring for their drink,
and berries and fruits for food. Much learn-
ing had he taught these sons of Sita — for they
were Lava and Kusa — and they could recite
thousands of verses that told the tale of Rama's
life and deeds.
To the assembled princes and people the lads
spoke from memory the Ramayana — the poem
of Rama; and the ears of the folk were
charmed by the music of the harps and the
sweet verses of the song.
Rama wished to give them a fee of many gold
pieces, but they would take naught.
" Who taught you this poem? " he asked.
" Saint Valmiki taught us; and if it be your
pleasure, sir, we will come again and sing
more."
That evening they returned to their mother
and the aged hermit in the forest.
Next day the crowds sat and listened with
delight to more of the song. And so, day by
day, the grand chant of the Ramayana was
chanted by the young harpers of the woods.
74 THE DIVINE ARCHER
And day by day the people noticed the
wondrous Ukeness between the lads and the
King of Ayodhya; and day by day Rama
himself felt the sense of kinship grow within
his breast, till at last he asked old Valmiki
many questions concerning the birth of the
boys, and then at length learned that they
were his own sons, and he pressed them to his
breast and bade them stay with him in his
house. . , .
But where was Sita ?
Rama's heart was sore smit with remorse.
He was ashamed to think how he had yielded
to the murmurs of the city. Had not Sita
passed through the fire in Lanka, and had not
hundreds of thousands of his followers beheld
how she came out of the flames, unhurt, and
had he not taken her to himself in peace and
trust and love ?
Was Sita yet alive ?
Yes; so the hermit said.
And where did she hide her sorrows ?
In the hut of old Valmiki in the jungle.
" Father," said Rama, " does Sita still
cherish affection for me after all I have
done? "
THE DIVINE ARCHER 75
*' She holds you in her remembrance as dear
as ever," answered Valmiki.
" And will you tell her I repent me of my
folly, and that I long — oh, ever so much — to
see her and have her in my home again? "
" I will bring her to you to-morrow morning,"
said the saint.
A great concourse of people were got together
the next day, and they and Rama and his
sons. Lava and Kusa, waited for the coming
of the lady Sita.
She came.
Pale her face, and thin her frame, after the
much suffering of her life of exile.
The light of the old love was in her eyes as
she approached the royal house.
But she never more entered it.
She saw her husband on the throne. She
saw the multitudes of citizens. She saw the
splendid crowd of princes and nobles that had
come to the feast of the sacrifice of the horse.
And above all these she saw the faces of angels,
and nymphs of the sky, and the shining gods.
Then Sita cast down her eyes to the ground,
and said :
" O mother earth, am I not thy daughter?
^e THE DIVINE ARCHER
Dost thou not know me and all that I have
ever done in my life ? Thou knowest, mother,
that I have been a good and true wife to Rama.
Thou knowest how I have laboured for him
and for our children. Thou knowest the pain
of my soul all these many years. And now,
mother, let my sorrows have an end. Take
me to thy rest! "
And when she had said these words, behold!
the earth opened, and there rose out of it a
throne of gold, and the throne was surrounded
by glorious spirits that shone with bright
jewels. And the lady Sita cast one look of
love at her husband and her sons, and all the
folk around, and she sat upon the throne,
and she and her earth-spirits sank from view,
and the ground closed over her head, and Sita
was gone for ever to the great mother in the
under-world.
And Rama was in his house alone.
Note. — The foregoing tale is based on two versions of the
national Indian legend — (i) The Ramayana of Tulsi Das,
translated from the Hindi by F. S. Growse, published at
Cawnpore in 1891; (2) Ramayana, the Epic of Rama,
Prince of India, condensed into English verse by Romesh
Dutt, published by Messrs. Dent, and obtainable in cheap
form. Mr. Dutt's work is founded on the oldest version.
THE DIVINE ARCHER -jj
namely, the Sanskrit; and this differs in various parti-
culars from that of Tulsi Das.
Speaking of the influence of this story on the popular
mind, Mr. Dutt says: "The Ramayana is still a hving
tradition and a living faith. It forms the basis of the
moral instruction of a nation, and it is a part of the lives
of two hundred millions of people."
The original poem is of very great length, and is inter-
spersed with moral and religious reflections, which have
been omitted in the preceding story of " The Divine
Archer." In the belief of the mass of the Indian people,
Rama is a god in human shape.
THE FIVE PRINCES
THE FIVE PRINCES
Five princes, brothers, wandered in a forest.
They were the sons of an Indian king. Now
this king had two wives, Koontee and Madree,
and the young men were sons to one or the other
of the queens. The two sons of Madree were
thus half-brothers to the three sons of Koontee.
A hard fate drove them from their home-land.
For thirteen years they must not see their
country. For thirteen years they must be
exiles. They must hide from their foes.
A dread place was the wood where they hid.
Tall trees put out their great arms and made
a black shade. The thin-legged deer ran to
and fro in the glades. Bears stole in and out
of the bushes. Snakes lurked in nooks.
Wild bees hummed. Birds of strange shape
flew from tree to tree.
The five princes, two sons of Madree, three
sons of Koontee, felt a deep thirst, and nowhere
could they see the sweet shine of water.
Then Yudhisthira, who was more than a
8i
82 THE FIVE PRINCES
prince — he was a king — said to his half-brother
Nakula :
" O Nakula, son of Madree, climb yonder
tree and look all ways, and see if water is
near; look if any plants that grow in moist
soil are in this jungle, for they will be a sign
of water."
Then Nakula, who was the twin-brother to
Sahadev, went up the tree as he was bid, and
he looked this way and that, and he made
a shout:
" Yes, I can see plants and leaves that live
in the damp. And hark ! I can hear the sharp
call of the cranes."
Said the king:
" Make haste down, Nakula. Take your
arrow-case with you and fill it with water
at the pool or spring where the cranes are, and
bring your brothers a precious draught! "
So Nakula came down with speed, and he ran
with his quiver in hand to the place where
he had caught sight of the green plants. A
smooth, clear pool was there, and on the edge
of it he beheld cranes, birds with long legs and
long necks; their tails feathery, their eyes
eager and watchful; and a red tuft was on
THE FIVE PRINCES 83
each head. The cranes snapped at worms, at
small snakes, at frogs, at fish, and now and
then tore up a weed from the pool.
But the prince had no care for cranes. He was
all but mad with thirst. Down on his knees
he fell. He leaned his head to the clear pool.
" Stay! " cried a voice. " Stay, young man!
Drink naught till you have done as the law
of this pool bids. None may drink here till
he has made answer to the questions I ask.
Answer first, and then fill your quiver."
Nakula paid no heed. He drank. The next
moment he fell dead among the reeds that
grew at the brink of the water.
The cranes waded in the pool. Wild bees
hummed. Deer trotted through the jungle.
The dead prince held the quiver in his hand;
and his four brothers waited.
Finding that he did not return, the king said :
" Sahadev, we will not wait longer. I know
not why your brother delays. Go and fetch
water for us, for we are faint, and can scarce
move. Follow the track your brother went."
When Sahadev reached the water he saw the
dead youth, and his heart was sore troubled;
yet was his thirst so great that he had no will
84 THE FIVE PRINCES
to stay and weep over his lost one, and he
knelt to drink.
" Halt," cried a loud voice. " Do not take
one drop of this water until you have made
reply to my questions; else it will mean death ! "
The prince said not a word. He bent over
the pool, and then rolled upon the earth dead.
Side by side lay the brothers — the twin sons
bf.Madree the queen. And the bear of the
woods crept among the bushes in search of
berries, and the gleam of the tiger's eyes was
bright in the jungle.
Two brothers dead; three brothers living;
and dry were the mouths of the three.
Said the king :
" Have you strength, Arjuna, brother of
mine, to go to the pool and fetch water?
Your brother and I are weak with thirst.
Oh, haste, Arjuna, haste! "
When Arjuna saw his two dead brothers he
put his arrow to the bow and looked about
for the foe that had slain them, so that he
might slay the slayer. But he saw no living
man. Then the thirst came so strong upon
him that he must drink; so he stooped down.
" Beware," cried a voice. " Drink not until
THE FIVE PRINCES 85
you have answered my questions. To drink
now wiU be your doom,"
" Who are you, vile man?" shouted Arjuna;
and he shot one arrow this way among the
reeds, and another among the trees; and he
pulled out darts from his bundle, and flung
them up, and north and south, and east and
west ; but he saw no man.
" Ha, ha, ha," laughed the voice. " You can-
not strike me, prince. Answer, if you wish to
live."
Arjuna knelt and was about to drink. He
also fell dead.
"Alas!" sighed the king, "they come not
back. What can have happened? Perhaps
they are all too faint to walk. Will you, dear
Bhima, go for drink? "
Then Bhima rose slowly and crept to the pool,
and he was in great sorrow when he saw the
three dead youths ; but he was so parched that
he could not stay to mourn.
" Drink not," said the voice. " Let not
water touch your lips till you have given
answer to my questions; else you will breathe
your last! "
And Bhima also died.
S6 THE FIVE PRINCES
Silent was the forest, except for the murmur
of bees and the sounds of bird and beast;
and the king sat in pain of thirst. At last
he arose, and with slow steps he wended his
way to the pool.
Loud was his wail when he saw the four dead
men, and he glanced all round to see who it was
that smote them, but he could discover no
enemy. And then he bent towards the water
where grew the lilies.
"Stay!" cried the voice, "Unless you
answer my questions ere you drink, death will
fall upon you; such is the law of this place.
I, the old crane with the red crest, rule over
the pool, and I dare you to drink."
" No crane," replied the king, " would have
such power. You must be some bad genie.
Show yourself! "
He saw the crane amid the reeds.
" King," said the bird, " I am indeed a genie.
But hearken unto my warning. Drink not yet."
" Repeat your questions,"
" How can a man become wise? "
" By learning the sacred texts of the hymns —
the blessed Vedas."
" Who is he that is not rich, though he looks
well and fair? "
THE FIVE PRINCES 87
" The man who has much and gives naught."
" What is heavier than the world and higher
than the clouds? "
" The love of father and mother."
" Whose eyes never close? "
" The fish's eyes."
" Which is the way to be happy? "
" To say truth and be kind."
" How may a man be a true Brahman? "
" Not by saying texts from the holy scriptures ;
not by praying many prayers; but by just
deeds and right life."
These and other questions did the king answer.
Then said the spirit of the pool :
" Well have you spoken. Drink."
Then said the spirit of the pool again :
" Well pleased am I with your speech, and
now I give you a boon. You may name which
you will of these dead men, and he whom you
choose shall live."
There was silence. Said the king:
" I will choose Nakula, son of Madree."
" But he is only your half-brother. Will you
not choose your own brother, Bhima, or your
own brother, Arjuna? Did you not love
them?"
88 THE FIVE PRINCES
" Yea, I loved them," said the king. " But
I wish that Nakula should come back to life."
"Why?"
" Because he is the son of Madree, and I am
the son of Koontee. Now, after the thirteen
years of wandering, we shall return to our
home, and the two queens will come forth to
see us. Two only of the five brethren will
they see. And if Madree sees that both are
the sons of Koontee, and she learns that her
twin sons are dead, then will her heart faint
and be like to break. Therefore, O spirit, let
us be just to the mother's heart, and let one son
of each mother bring gladness to their eyes."
The crane was no more seen. But as it fled
away its voice was heard saying softly:
" Noble-hearted prince! You have chosen
Nakula before your own dearest brothers, and
you wished to be just rather than snatch at
what would best please your own soul. There-
fore they all shall live! "
And the four brothers rose up.
Note. — The story is adapted from the beautiful version,
entitled " The Enchanted Lake," in Sir Edwin Arnold's
Indian Idylls. The original tale is in the Indian epic.
The Mahabharata.
WHAT LOVE CAN DO
WHAT LOVE CAN DO
" The love that moves the sun and all the stars." — Dante.
Now, there was a king in India whose name
was Aswapati (As-wa-pah-tee) , and the folk
loved him, and he gave help to all in need,
and he served the shining gods in prayer and
sacrifice.
But he had no son or daughter in whom his
name and line could live on, when the time
came for him to die, and his heart was grieved,
and he fasted oft, and said hymns to the
shining gods, and burned offerings on their
holy altar, and hoped they would grant him
the gift he asked. When sixteen years had
thus passed, his prayer was heard. In the
red fire of the altar he beheld a lady of fair
look and ways, and she said to him :
" Thy faith hath pleased me, O Raja, and if
thou wilt say thy desire, it shall be given
thee."
" Goddess," replied the king, " my wish is to
have a child to live after me."
91
92 WHAT LOVE CAN DO
" The Lord of heaven," she said, " will
grant thee what thou hast prayed."
She was gone, and the Raja saw only the red
flame.
A babe was bom — a girl, with bright eyes,
bright like the lotus hly, as the Indian people
say — and she was the glory of her mother
and father. She grew to be so sweet a maid
that her father made sure that kings would
come from far and near to seek her as a wife.
But none came, for she — the lotus-eyed — had
a soul that seemed too great for even kings,
and her serious ways and speech kept men
in awe.
Now, one day, this maid of grace — Savitri
(Sah-vee-tree) by name — had knelt at the altar
of Agni, god of the red flame, and had laid
there an offering of cakes and drink. Then
she took up a bunch of flowers in the holy
place, and came and gave them to her sire,
Aswapati. He gazed upon her with tender
eyes and said :
" Daughter, it is time you should be wed
after the manner of high-born ladies, lest folk
should think that I am at fault in not choosing
a husband for you. And since no man comes
WHAT LOVE CAN DO 93
to pay suit to you, I pray you go where you
will and choose for yourself."
So she bowed herself before her sire, and
took her leave, and rode in a splendid car
along with elders and wise men, whom the
king had told to go with her up and down
the land. The car passed through forests
and along the streets of great towns, and among
the hamlets of the hills, and wherever she went
the princess gave alms to the poor and
greetings to high and low, and the people
blessed her.
At last she came back and the Raja was on
his throne, and the wise man, Narad, sat at
his side.
" Father," she said, " I have done as you
bade, and I have found my choice. It is the
Prince Satyavan. Prince he is, yet he dwells
not in a royal house."
" Wherefore? " asked the Raja.
" He has no kingdom, and lives in a cottage
in the woods with his father and mother. A
noble pair are they, but sad is their lot. The
old man is blind, and he and his queen have
had their home many years, ever since their
son was a babe, in this jungle, for enemies drove
94 WHAT LOVE CAN DO
them from their kingdom, and took from the
king his rightful throne. My prince is noble,
and his name shows what he is, for at his
birth the Brahmans called him Truth-lover.
Gay and strong is he, and a rider of horses,
and his hand has a gift for painting horses
in pictures that are a wonder to see."
" What think you? " asked the king of Narad,
the wise.
" Alas! " answered Narad, " 111 has she
chosen. The old king indeed is a just man,
and the Prince Satyavan is a noble youth,
but there is a dark fate that waits for him,
for it has been shown to me by the shining
gods that in a year from this very day he shall
die."
" Hear you that, my daughter? " cried the
king. " O choose some other, choose some
other, for the Lord of Death, even Yama, will
come in a year and claim your husband for
his own. Choose some other."
" I can choose none other, father dear,"
said the maid. " To Satyavan alone is my
heart given, and though Death will take him
in a year, yet him only will I wed."
" Let it be so, child," sighed the Raja.
WHAT LOVE CAN DO 95
" Strange will your bridal be. You will have
your home in the wilderness, and in twelve
months be left a mourner."
The king and his courtiers and priests set
forth to the woods, carrying with them
much treasure, and they found the blind
old king seated on a grass mat beneath a
sal tree.
" Be seated, sir! " said the blind Raja, when
he knew that a king had come to see him.
So Aswapati sat on the grass mat, and the
blind king offered him water from a jar, for
he was poor, and had neither wine nor silver
cups. And the two kings agreed upon the
marriage, and soon the prince and the maid
were wed in the forest, and when she was made
lady of the little cot among the trees of the
jungle, her sire kissed her with many tears,
and her friends said farewells, and they
departed. As soon as they were gone, she
took off her jewels and sparkling dress, and
she put on a plain robe made of bark of trees,
and a cloak of yellow cloth. Her queenhood
was not in her jewels or her dress, but in
her kind soul and the sweet service she did
to the blind old king and his wife, and in
96 WHAT LOVE CAN DO
the love she bore to the prince of her
choice.
So passed the happy year, and only four days
more would go by ere the Shadow of Death
would glide into the forest kingdom of her
lord, and take him from her arms. For three
days she fasted and she had no sleep, and her
heart was in pain at the dread of that which
was to come. But Satyavan, the noble prince,
knew naught of the fate that waited for his
Hfe.
On the morning of the last day rose Satyavan,
in blithe mood, and he took his woodman's
axe for felling trees, and said, smiling :
" Dear wife, I go forth to hew down trees,
and at set of sun, I shall be home again."
Her heart smote her at the words, for she
knew that the black-robed Yama would lay
his thin hand upon her love and take him
hence.
" I will go with you this day," she said.
" Nay," he cried, " the ground is rough for
your feet, and the way will be long, and you
will be faint."
" Let me go, Satyavan," begged the princess
in the robe of bark.
WHAT LOVE CAN DO 97
He said her nay no more, and they walked to
the distant spot where grew the trees he meant
to fell, and the wild fruit that she would
gather in her basket.
The hour of noon had passed, and the dusk
was creeping upon the great forest. The
sound of the axe echoed in the grove. Basket
in hand, Savitri plucked ripe berries from the
shrubs, but often and often she paused and
she looked at the wood-cutter, and she looked
again. , . .
" Oh, wife," he called.
She ran to his side, and set her basket
down.
" My head, my head! A pang shoots sharp
through my brain. Hot is my blood. I must
lie down."
She sat beneath a tree and laid his head
upon her lap, and fanned his face. His eyes
were closed, his pulse was slow, and now it
was still.
The year had flown.
Before her stood a tall shadow that had the
shape of a man, and its robe was black, and a
red light was in its eyes, and a crown was
on its head.
98 WHAT LOVE CAN DO
" Are you one of the holy gods? " she asked
in a low voice.
" Lady," it said, " I am Yama, the Lord of
Death, and I am come for the prince you
love."
He lifted his hand, and in it was a cord, and
he flung the cord, and lo! it caught the life
of the prince in its noose, and drew it from
his bosom, and Satyavan was dead, and
Death turned its face towards the south,
for the south (so the Indian fables tell) was its
kingdom.
Dark was the jungle.
Strong was Death.
But the woman was brave.
She rose up and followed in the steps of
Death.
Presently, the black god, hearing her foot-
steps, turned and spoke:
" Go back. You have come far from home.
Go back, and do those sad rites in which
mourners show their sorrow for the dead."
" I must go," she replied, " where my husband
goes. That is my duty. The wise men say
that to walk seven steps with another makes
them friends. So let me walk more than
WHAT LOVE CAN DO 99
seven steps with you. And the wise men
also say that the best road to walk is that of
right."
" Well have you convinced me," said the
Lord of Death, " and in return for the good
words, I promise that, except the soul of
Satyavan, I will give you what you will."
" Then give me a gift for my prince's father,
and let the eyes of the old king once more
behold the light of day, and let his strength
be as the strength of the sun."
" It shall be done," said Death; " but now
you must turn back, for you have far to go;
and my way leads only to Doom."
" I shall never be weary of the way that my
husband goes. There is no sweeter fruit on
earth than the company of those we love."
The black god smiled, for her words were
good and precious.
" Once again, I will give you a gift, except
the soul of Satyavan."
" Thanks again, O Death; and now I will
ask that the kingdom of the old Raja shall be
restored to him, so that he may have his land
as well as his sight."
" Lady, it shall happen as you wish. And
loo WHAT LOVE CAN DO
now, go back. The forest is wide, and home
is distant."
" Master of Death, hear me once more.
What is the goodness of the good man ? Is it
kindness to all things in earth, air, or sea?
It is indeed, and even if an enemy seeks help,
the good man will be ready to grant him
aid."
" Fair is your saying, princess; and for these
blessed words I will promise yet another boon.
Speak."
" O Death, I would be mother to noble
children, and teach them to walk in. the steps
of their dear father, Satyavan. Give me my
prince."
Then Yama, King of Death, shook the cord
that he held in his hand.
" Lady, your husband shall reign long years
with you, and your sons shall reign after you."
The dark shade that wore the crown had
floated into the gloom of the jungle.
With quick feet she ran. Breathless, she
flew. And when she reached the tree under
which the body of Satyavan lay, she knelt,
she placed the head on her lap, she watched;
and the eyes opened, and the lips said:
WHAT LOVE CAN DO loi
■' I have slept a long time. Just as I was
falling into slumber, I seemed to see a vision
of a shadow that seized my very life in a magic
noose, and bore it away I know not where."
" It was Yama, Lord of Death. But he is
not here. Rise, Satyavan, for it is night, and
we must go home."
" Ah! " he said, " now I call to mind that a
sharp pang shot through my brow."
" To-morrow let us talk of what has happened
to-day. Let us go."
" The night is dark. We could not find the
path."
" Look! " she said, " some way off a fire has
been burning to-day in the forest — the work
of the blazing sun at mid-day, perhaps. I will
fetch a brand, and we will wave it as we walk,
so as to scare away the beasts of the jungle.
Or, if you will, let us stay here till your pain
is all gone."
" It has gone, Savitri. I am strong again.
My father and mother \vill grieve at our
absence."
As he thought of his bhnd father (ah! but
was he blind now?) the prince's eyes filled
with tears.
I02 WHAT LOVE CAN DO
So he sprang to his feet, and brushed off the
dry leaves that clung to his clothes.
" There is your basket of fruit," he cried.
" Fetch it to-morrow, Satyavan. We have
enough to do to find our way in the dark.
But I will carry the axe."
She carried the axe in her left hand, and her
right arm was about his waist; and his left
arm was about her neck; and so they wended
their way through the jungle; nor did bear or
tiger harm them.
The sky was becoming grey when they
reached the hamlet where the old king and
queen and their few companions lived. They
heard voices crying eagerly. A shout arose
when the prince and princess were seen.
" My children! " cried the king.
" Father! " exclaimed Satyavan. " How is
this? You were able to see me? "
" My son, my eyes can see once more. I
know not how the marvel came about, but I
do know I can see my son. And you, dear
Savitri, for the first time can I now look
upon my faithful daughter! "
After he had held them some moments, and
gazed at them both with joy, he asked:
WHAT LOVE CAN DO 103
" And where have you been all the night ?
Tell me, Satyavan, what kept you so
long? "
" Father," said Savitri, " he does not know all
that took place in the night. Let me tell the
tale."
So they sat down — king, queen, prince,
princess, and their comrades and loyal friends,
and the soft voice of Savitri told : —
How they wandered in the forest ;
How the curse had been foretold by Narad,
the sage, and how it must be fulfilled at the
end of the year;
How Satyavan died;
How Death came ;
And how she had followed Death and what
had been said.
Now, while the king and his friends thus
listened, and their hearts were moved by the
story, a great noise was heard in the forest.
Along the glade they saw a crowd of people
approach — soldiers, officers, citizens.
" News, good news ! " the people cried. " The
tyrant who took the throne by unjust means
and cruel power has been overthrown. Come
back to us, dear king. Blind though you are.
I04 WHAT LOVE CAN DO
you shall at least know that we gather round
you in true service."
" Thanks be to the shining gods, my people,"
said the old king, " I can see you all; and I
will go with you, and see my kingdom once
again."
Note, — The story is based on Sir Edwin Arnold's poem
" Savitri, or Love and Death," in his Indian Idylls : also
on the version of the same episode in Mr. Romesh Chunder
Dutt's translation of the Mahabharata.
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