SECTION LII.
"When the morning broke, that illustrious one having a spacious chest, Rāma, addressed Sumitrā's son, Lakshmana, graced with auspicious marks,—"This is the time of sunrise: the reverend Night hath departed. O child, this gracefully sable-hued bird, the coel, has begun to warble, and I hear the cries of peacocks uttering notes in the woods. O amiable one, we will cross the Jahnavi, fast rushing to the ocean." Hearing Rāma's words, that enhancer of the delight of friends, Sumitrā's son, conveyed them unto Guha and the charioteer; and then stood before his brother. Hearing of Rāma's speach and accepting it, that lord of the Nishādas speedily summoning his counsellors spake unto them saying, —"Do ye without delay bring to this bathing-place a strong and elegent boat furnished with a rudder and steered by a helmsman, such as is capable of ferrying (people) comfortably." Hearing this mandate of Guha. his potent counsellors procuring a goodly boat, informed him of it. Then with joined hands, Guha spake unto Rāghava, saying,—"The boat is ready, worshipful one. What more shall I do in thy behalf? O thou that resemblest the son of a celestial, here is the boat for thee, O foremost of men, to cross over the river that goeth after the ocean. O thou of excellent vows, do thou ascend it." Thereupon the highly energetic Rāma said unto Guha the following words,—"I have attained my end through thee. Do thou at once get on board the baggage." Then donning on their mail and equipped with their bows, quivers and swords, the Rāghavas along with Sitā descended unto the Gangā. Then coming forward in humble guise before Rāma cognizant of virtue, the charioteer said with joined hands,—"What shall I do (now)?" Thereupon Daçarātha's son touching Sumantra by his goodly right hand, said,— "O Sumantra, do thou again repair unto the monarch, but let thy senses be unclouded." "Do thou" said he unto the charioteer, "turn back. So far I have come (in obedience to the order of the monarch;. Now, renouncing the car, will I repair unto the mighty forest on foot" Finding himself thus commanded, the charioteer, Sumantra grieved at heart spoke unto that best of men, the descendant of Ikshwāku. "That Destiny owing to which you will have to pass your days in the forest like a low person, along with your brother and wife, has in this world been withstood by none. I deem the Brahmācharyya mode of life, or study, or meekness or sincerity as attended with no fruit, since you have come by calamity. O Rāghava, living in the forest with Vaidehi and your brother, you, O Lord, attain a state (of supreme excellence), having, as it were, conquered the three worlds. O Rāma, it is we, wretched that we are, that are undone, as we, deprived of your company, shall come under the sinful Kaikeyi expressing great misery." Having said this, the charioteer, Sumantra, seeing Rāma intent upon going to a distant land, wept for a long while in heaviness of heart. Then when he had dried up his tears, and sanctified himself by touching the water of the Gangā, Rāma again addressed the charioteer in sweet words, saying,—"I do not find any one that is a friend of the sons of Ikshwāku like unto thee. Do thou so act that king Daçarātha may not grieve (for me). The lord of earth hath been deprived of his senses by grief, hath grown old, and is oppressed by the weight of desires (thwarted). Therefore it is that I tell thee this. Whatever that noble- minded lord of earth commands for the pleasure of Kaikeyi, should by us be done with alacrity. It is for this that those lords of men, kings, govern,—viz., that others may not thwart their purposes. O Sumantra, do thou act so, that the mighty monarch may not come across any thing unpleasant, or be attacked with chagrin through grief. Do thou saluting him for me say these words unto the aged monarch, who has his senses under complete control, and who hath never seen misfortune before. 'Neither I nor Lakshmana grieve for being ejected out of Ayodhyā, or that we shall have to abide in the forest. After these fourteen years have gone by, you will see Lakshmana, Sitā. and myself come to you speedily.' Having thus, O Sumantra, in my name again and again spoken to the king, to my mother and to Kaikevi along with the other revered ladies do thou communicate unto Kauçalyā our welfare conveying unto her at the same time Sitā's and Lakshmana's salutations to her feet as well those of myself who am her eldest son. Do thou also tell the king,— 'Do you spedily bring Bharata; and when Bharata has come, let him be invested with royalty. And when you have embraced Bharata and installed him in the kingdom, you no longer be overpowered with grief on our account,' And tell Bharata,—'As thou bearest thyself unto the king, so it behoves thee to bear thyself to all thy mothers, without making any distinction at all. As Kaikeyi is unto thee, so without distinction is Sumitrā, and so also without distinction my mother Kauçalyā. Governing the kingdom as the heir- apparent with the view of compassing the pleasure of our father, he will be able to secure happiness both in this world and the next." Told by Rāma to go back and instructed in this wise, Sumantra having heard everything, addressed Kākutstha from affection, saying,—"It behoves you to forgive what I say plainly from affection, without letting myself be overwhelmed with emotion, and with due reverence for you. How can I, O child, without you return to that city! which seems as if afflicted with the grief incident to the loss of a son? Having then seen my car with Rāma on it, the hearts of the people and the palace now will in all likelihood burst when they shall see it without Rāma. Surely the city will be distressed on beholding this empty car, like a host seeing a car with its hero slain and the charioteer alone left in the field. Thinking in their minds that you although actually at a great distance from them, are before them, the subjects (not finding you) will renounce food (and thus destroy themselves.) You yourself witnessed how the subjects overwhelmed with grief on your account, conducted themselves when you were being banished unto the woods. They will on seeing me with the car, burst out into lamentations exceeding a hundred times in bitterness those in which they indulged when you set out for the forest. Shall I say unto the worshipful one,—'I have conveyed your son to the home of his maternal uncle. Do you not grieve'. I will never tell such a lie. Yet how can I speak this truth which is so very unpleasant? And ever abiding by my command and used to carry your friends, how can these excellent horses bear this car without you? Therefore, O sinless one, I shall not be able to go to Ayodhyā without you; and it behoves you to permit me to follow you to the forest. But if you forsake me who beseech you, I will as soon as left by you, enter into fire along with the car. I shall, O Rāghava, by means of this car, withstand all those impediments that shall present themselves against your ascetic austerities in the forest. I have through your favour experienced the pleasure of driving the car. I expect at your hands the pleasure of living in the woods. Be you propitious. It is my wish to remain in the forest with you, and do you say, affectionately—'Do you remain by my side'. And these horses, O hero, will attain to a supreme state if they serve you during your abode in the forest. Living in the forest, I will serve you with the crown of my head; and I will entirely renounce Ayodhyā or the celestial regions themselves. Even as a doer of evil deeds cannot enter the metropolis of the mighty Indra, I am incapable of entering Ayodhyā without you. And this is my desire that the term of exile over, I may carry you back to the palace on this very car. Remaining with you in the forest the fourteen years will pass away dwindled into a moment, but without you, they shall assume the proportions of an hundred years. O you bearing affection towards your servants, it does not behove you to forsake your servant having regard for you, ever abiding by the way that is wended by the son of his master, and observing the duties of his pesition." Thereupon Rāma kind towards servants, said these words unto Sumantra as he besought him thus humbly in various ways, "O thou that bearest attachment unto thy master, I know that thou regardest me highly. But do thou listen as to why I send thee to the city from hence. Seeing thee returned to the city, my youngest mother Kaikeyi will believe that Rāma has gone to the woods. Then well pleased on my having repaired to the woods, she will not entertain any apprehension anent the righteous monarch, thinking that he is untruthful. This is my first wish that my youngest mother may obtain her son's kingdom, properous and well protected by Bharata. Do thou, O Sumantra, bear thyself unto the palace to compass the end of both the king and myself, and do thou communicate in the desired way what I have said unto the respective parties." Having said this unto the charioteer and consoled him again and again, the energetic Rāma spoke unto Guha the following words fraught with reason, "O Guha, I should not now reside in a forest inhabited by men. I should certainly now abide in an asylum in proper guise. In harmony with the wishes of Sitā and Lakshmana, I, imposing on myself in the interests of my father selfdenial and wearing that ornament of ascetics, a head of matted hair, will go (to the forest). Do thou therefore bring me starch from the banian." Thereupon Guha speedily brought the starch for the prince; and prepared matted locks for himself, Rāma and Lakshmana. And that mighty- armed chief of men wore matted locks. And those brothers Rāma and Lakshmana dressed as mendicants, and wearing heads of matted hair, appeared like saints. Then entering upon the Vānaprastha mode of life, Rāma along with Lakshmana assuming the vow of that life, observed unto that adherent of his, Guha,—"Do thou, my friend, vigilantly protect the army, the exchequer, the fort and the provinces; for a kingdom demands all the exertions (of the king thereof)." Then taking the permission of Guha, the descendant of Ikshwāku, holding his soul in calmness, set out with his wife and Lakshmana. Seeing a boat at the river-side, that son of Ikshwāku desirous of crossing the swift-coursing Gangā, spoke these words,—"Do thou ascend, gently, O foremost of men, the boat that stayeth here, after the making the virtuous Sitā ascend by taking her by the hand." Hearing his brother's command, that strong-willed one, furthering everything, having made Mithilā's daughter ascend, ascended himself. That energetic elder brother of Lakshmana next ascended himself. Then the lord of the Nishādas, Guha, incited his kinsfolk. Having got on board the boat, the exceedingly puissant Rāghava for securing his welfare, recited mantras fit to be recited by Kshatriyas and Brāhmanas. Then that mighty car-warrior, Lakshmana, sipping water from the river as laid down in the scriptures, bowed down to it along with Sitā in gladness of heart. Then telling Sumantra, Guha, and the forces, Rāma ascending the boat, ordered the boatmen (to proceed). Then the boat decked out by the helmsman, moved by them, and urged on by the pulls of the goodly oars, proceeded apace in the water. Having arrived at the middle of the Bhāgirathi, that blameless one, Vaidehi, with joined hands, addressed the river, saying,— "O Gangā, protected by thee, may the son of the intelligent and mighty monarch, Daçarātha, execute the mandate (of the latter.) Having spent complete fourteen years in the forest, he will return in company with his brother and myself. Then, O worshipful one, O thou of auspicious fortune, having returned safely, I will, O Gangā, worship thee, thou that crownst every desire. O thou that wendst in three ways, O revered one, thou envelopest the regions of Brahmā. Thou appearest in this world as the spouse of the Ocean- king. I will, O respected one, bow down unto thee, O beauteous one, I will hymn thee, when, with good fortune returned, the foremost of men has obtained the kingdom, I will to please thee give away unto Brāhmanas hundreds and thousands of kine, cloths, sapid rice, and vessels of wine by thousands, and pillaos. O worshipful one, I will worship thee on Rāma having returned to the city. And I will worship all the gods that dwell on thy banks, as well as the holy spots and fanes, as soon as, O sinless one, that mighty-armed one without sin will, coming back from his abode in the forest, enter Ayodhyā in company with his brother and myself." Having thus addressed the Gangā, that blameless one ever obedient unto her husband, swiftly went to the south bank (of the river). Going to the (other) bank of the stream, that best of men, and subduer of foes stood along with his brother and Vaidehi. Then that long-armed one spoke unto the enhancer of Sumitrā's delight, saying,—"Be thou, whether in society or solitude, intent upon protecting Sitā. Of course it behoves us to protect her in lone places. Do thou, O son of Sumitrā, go ahead; and let Sitā follow thee. I myself will go in your wake, protecting both yourself and Sitā. Surely, O foremost of men, we should now protect each other. We have not yet performed any of the arduous tasks. Today Vaidehi will know the grief of a life in the woods. And today she will enter the forest destitute of the concourse of men, devoid of fields and gardens, uneven, and containing pits, etc." Hearing Rāma's words, Lakshmana went ahead; that descendant of Raghu, Rāma, followed Sitā.
On Rāma having speedily crossed the Gangā, the distressed Sumantra who had been gazing at him stedfastly, being no longer able to discern him, turned away his eyes and, overcome with grief, shed tears. And having crossed that mighty river, that high-souled one, that bestower of boons, resembling in prowess a Lokapāla, without delay entered the flourishing and smiling Vatsas crowned with goodly crops. And then the two (brothers) having slain the four kinds of beasts, viz., boars, risyas, prishatas and mahārurus,[149] and taking their flesh, in the evening took refuge under a mighty tree, feeling the demands of appetite.