SECTION LXXXXIV.
Having spent a long time in that mountain, that lover of hills and woods, Daçarātha's son resembling an immortal, anxious to pleasure Vaidehi as well as to please his own mind, showed the variegated Chitrakuta unto his wife, like Purandara unto Sachi. "O gentle one, neither deprivation of the kingdom nor separation from friends afflicts my mind on beholding this romantic mountain. My gentle one, look but at the hill abounding with flocks of various birds, adorned with summits cleaving the welkin and teeming with mineral substances. And some parts of this monarch of mountains are like silver, and some are blood-red, and some yellow like the hue of Manjisthā, and some lustrous like sapphires, and some shining like blossoms or crystal or Ketakas, and some blazing like stars or mercury, and some dight in mineral substances. And the mountain shines, being filled with divers beasts and multitudes of innocuous tigers, hyenas and bears, and thronged with innumerable birds. And overspread with mangos, rose-apples, and Asanas, and Lodhras,[175] Piyālas, jacks, Ankolas, and Bhavyatiniças, and Vilwas, and Tindukas, and bamboos, Kaçmaris, Arishtas, and Varanas, and Madhukas, sesames, and jujubes, and Amalakas, Nipas, canes, Dhanwanas, and citrons—all in full flower, and bearing fruits, umbrageous and charming,—the mountain attains an accession of loveliness. And, thou gentle one, on the picturesque plateau of the hill behold these intelligent couples of Kinnaras engaged in sport at spots yeilding every enjoyment; and look at their swords hung up on the boughs. And see the gorgeous apparel of Vidyādharis, as well as the charming regions in which they sport. And like an elephant dropping the temporal juice, this hill appeareth beautiful with cascades, fountains and rillets, flowing here and there. Whom doth not the breeze laden with the perfumes of many a flower, soothing the sense of smell, fill with delight? If, O blameless one, I dwell (here) for many years with thee as well as Lakshmana, grief cannot overcome me. O damsel, I take delight in this picturesque peak abounding in flowers and fruits, and frequented by various birds. By this banishment of mine, I have gained two things—my father has maintained his truth in religion, and Bharata has obtained his dear interest. O daughter of Videha, art thou being pleased on viewing along with me on Chitrakuta, various objects grateful unto mind, speech and body? O queen, this abode in the forest like unto ambrosia hath been declared by those royal saints, my ancestors, as working out one's emancipation after death. The giant crags of the mountain grace the place all round by hundreds; many and various-hued, blue and yellow aad pale and red. In the night, the annual herbs by thousands growing on this foremost of hills, shine and become visible by their own lustre, like flames of fire. And, O lady, some parts of the mountain appear like dwellings, and some like gardens, and some, again, consist of single rocks (capable of accommodating numbers of men). And Chitrakuta looks as if it had arisen, riving the earth; and the fair front of Chitrakuta can be perceived from every point. Behold the beds of pleasure-seekers, consisting of the petals of lotuses, with Sthagaras, Panagas and Bhuryapatras for their coverlets. And, my wife, behold these lotus-garlands have been crushed and scattered; and the various fruits have been partaken of. The mountain Chitrakuta abounding in fruits and roots and waters, surpasses Kuvera's capital or Sakra's city or the north Kurus. My wife, O Sitā, if in consonance with my own excellent rules, I can, remaining in the path of the pious, pleasantly pass this time along with thyself and Lakshmana, then I shall attain the happiness resulting from observing the duties of one's race."