SECTION L.
Having passed the extensive and romantic Koçala, the intelligent elder brother of Lakshmana facing Ayodhyā, said with joined hands,—"O best of cities, governed by Kākutstha, I address thee as well as the deities that inhabit and guard thee. Returning from my abode in the woods, I will, freed from my debt unto the lord of earth, behold thee again along with my father and mother." Then he furnished with graceful coppery eyes raising his right hand, with tears in his eyes and in forlorn guise addressed the people of the provinces, saying,—"Ye have shown due compassion and regret for me. To grieve long is not fit. Do ye therefore repair to look after your interests." Thereupon, saluting that high-souled one and going round him, bewailing all the while in heaviness of heart, they at times stopped on their way. And as they kept lamenting, unsatiated in beholding him, Rāghava went beyond the range of their sight, like the Sun disappearing at night-fall. Then that powerful one mounted on his car left behind him Koçala bounding in wealth and kine, inhabited by charitable people, auspicious, free from every kind of fear, charming, containing altars and stakes, with gardens and mango groves, furnished with tanks teeming with burly and contepted people, filled with kine, worthy of being protected by monarchs and resounding with the sounds of Vedic recitations. Proceeding at a middling pace, that best of those endowed with fortitude passed through lands smiling cheerfully, prosperous, and crowded with elegant villas,— realms worthy of being coveted by the foremost of kings. Then Rāghava saw the celestial Gangā running in three courses with cool waters free from moss, beautiful to behold, frequented by the sages, adorned with graceful asylums close by, containing sacred watery expanses haunted at the hours of sport by delighted Apsarās, graced with celestials, Dānavas, Gandharbas and Kinnaras, ever holy, attended by the wives of Nāgas and Gandharbas, with hills serving as sporting-places for the celestials—the river surrounded by gardens of the immortals—that for the behoof pf the celestials had ascended heaven, famous, furnished with assemblage of celestial lotuses, with the rocks laughing aloud in consequence of the dashing of water, laughing without blemish with foam, sometimes having her water flowing like a braid and sometimes decked by eddies, sometimes still and deep, and sometimes rushing furiously, sometimes sounding solemnly and sometimes roaring dreadfully, with crowds of deities bathing in its water, embellished with fresh-blown lotuses, having spacious shoals and spots covered with glittering sand, resounding with the cries of cranes of various kinds, graced by Chakravākas, ever resorted to by maddened fowls, without blame, decked by trees on its banks resembling garlands somewhere covered with full-blown lotuses and somewhere containing multitudes of lotuses, at places decked with tracts of lilies, at others with opening buds, rife with the farina of various flowers, sometimes resembling a proud female, removing the dirt of sin, translucent like a gem to the view, with the elephants of the quarters, wild ones, mad ones, as well as those the best of their species, and those carrying the foremost of celestials, roaring in the neighbouring woods, adorned carefully with the choicest ornaments like unto a damsel, crowded with flowers and fruits and bushes as also with birds, flowing from the feet of Vishnu, divine, without sin, capable of destroying it, filled with porpoises, crocodiles and snakes, drawn out from the matted locks of Sankara by the energy of Sagara's descendant—the queen of the Ocean—resonant with the cries of cranes and kraunchas. The mighty-armed Rāma came to the Gangā near Sringaverapura. And beholding (the river) with her surging eddies, that mighty car-warrior said unto the charioteer, Sumantra, "We will rest here to day. There is hard by the river a gigantic Ingudi tree, bearing a profusion of flowers and fresh leaves. Here, O charioteer, will we stay to-day. I see (before me) the foremost of streams, whose waters are honored (by all) and which is sacred to celestials and men and Gandharbas and beasts and serpents and fowls. Thereupon saying unto Rāghava, "Very well," Lakshmana and Sumantra with the horses went to the Ingudi tree. And reaching the tree, that desendant of Ikshwāku alighted from the car along with his wife and Lakshmana. Then descending, Sumantra relieved those excellent horses, and with joined hands stood before Rāma seated at the foot of the tree. There lived at the place a king named Guha, a friend unto Rāma, dear as his own self, a Nishāda by birth, powerful and famed as the lord of the Nishādas. Hearing that that foremost of men, Rāma, had arrived at the place, he (Guha) surrounded by his aged counsellors and kindred came unto him. Seeing the lord of the Nishadhas at a distance, Rāma came up unto him in company with Sumitrā's son. Thereat touched, Guha embracing Rāghava said unto him, "O Rāma, as Ayodhyā this kingdom is unto thee. What shall I do for thee? Who, O might-armed one, receives such a welcome guest?" Then speedily bringing various kinds of sapid rice and Arghyas, he said,—"O mighty -armed one, has thy journey been a pleasant one? This entire earth is thine. We are thy servants; thou art our master. Do thou rule here, accepting the eatables and drinkables and those that are to be sucked and excellent beds and fodder." When Guha had said this, Rāghava answered him, saying,—"We have been well received by thee and are well pleased with thee, since coming here on foot thou hast shown us affection." Then pressing Guha hard with his arms, Rāma said, "O Guha, it is by good luck that I see thee whole along with thy friends. Is thy kingdom in peace both as regards thy friends and the forest? The things that thou hast presented me with out of love I accept but cannot enjoy. Do thou know me as assuming an ascetic mode of life in the woods, in which I am to wear Kuça and bark and live upon fruits and roots. So, will the single exception of the food for the horses, things require I none; and these horses being well kept, I shall consider myself as entertained by thee. These are the favorites of my father, Daçarātha, and on these horses being well provided for, I shall be well received. Thereupon Guha on the spot commanded the men, saying, "Let the horses have without delay meats and drinks." Then putting his sheet over his person, he (Rāma) performed his evening devotions. Having done this, he took as his sustenance the water that had been procured by Lakshmana himself. On Rāma having lain down on the ground along with his wife, Lakshmana washed their feet, and then remained stationed under the tree. Then bow in hand and with his wits about him, conversing with Sumitrā's son along with the charioteer, Guha remained awake, watching Rāma. Thus the livelong night passed away with that illustrious, intelligent and high-souled son of Daçarātha, unacquainted with troubles and worthy of happiness.