SECTION XXI.
Then on the shore of the sea, Rāghava, spreading darbha, with his hands joined towards the great deep, laid him down, with his face to the East. And that slayer of foes (lay down), making his pillow his arm resembling the shining form of a serpent; always dight with golden ornaments; full many a time pressed with the palms of beauteous damsels,⁵¹ decked with jewelled golden Keyuras and superb ornaments studded with pearls; smeared from above with sandal and aguru; (his arm) which formerly had been graced in bed with the head of Sitā; like unto the body of Takshaka under the waters of the Gangā; resembling a yoke; in battle increasing the sorrow of foes and enhancing for long the delight of friends;—his left arm having its skin destroyed by the strokes of the bow-string; which was the refuge of the entire earth;—his right arm resembling a mighty bludgeon,—the donor of thousands of kine,—making this great arm his pillow (he laid him down). "To-day either I shall die, or shall the Ocean".—Having thus formed his resolution in respect of the great deep, Rāma, restraining his speech, with a concentrated mind lay down there agreeably to rule. And as Rāma slept on the earth on Kuça spread over, without ever swerving from the rule, three nights passed away. And while spending three nights, Rāma, learned in polity and attached to virtue, prayed unto that lord of streams—the Ocean. Yet the wicked Ocean, albeit adored according to his deserts by Rāma with his mind concentrated, did not show himself. Thereat Rāma grew enraged and had the corners of his eyes crimsoned; and he spake unto Lakshmana of auspicious marks, saying,—"Behold the hauteur of the Ocean in not presenting himself before me. Calmness, forbearance, candour, and soft speech—these virtues of the good are by the insolent taken for the effects of incompetency. The person⁵² that is self-laudatory, wicked, and badly-bold, publisheth his own praise, and meteth out chastisement every where,⁵³ is honored in the world. By moderation one cannot attain celebrity, by moderation one cannot attain fame,—and, O Lakshmana, in this world by moderation one cannot attain victory on ’the edge of battle.’⁵⁴ See, O Sumitrā’s son, the abode of Makaras, with his waters obstructed all around with Makaras destroyed by my shafts. And, O Lakshmana, see the bodies here of serpents, and the huge bodies of mighty fishes, and the trunks of elephants,—torn by my arrows. And to-day in terrible battle will I dry up the Ocean with conchs and oysters, and fishes and Makaras. This abode of Makaras taketh me, who is forbearing, to be incompetent. Fie on forbearance towards such as he! In consequence of my moderation, Ocean showeth not his own form. O Saumitri, bring thou my bow, my arrows resembling venomous snakes. I will dry up the Ocean, and the monkeys shall go over on foot. And, being angered, to-day, albeit incapable of being agitated, will I agitate the deep. And by means of my shafts will I make Varuna’s abode, surging with a thousand billows and having his dignity maintained by his shores,—overleap his continents. And I will agitate the deep harbouring numbers of mighty Dānavas". Having spoken thus, Rāma, equipped with his bow, with his eyes dilated in wrath, became exceedingly irrepressible, like unto the flaming fire at the final dissolution. And straining his dreadful bow, making the earth shake, tremulously, he let fly fierce shafts like him of an hundred sacrifices hurling his thunder-bolt. Thereat, flaming up, those vehement choice shafts surcharged with energy, enter into the waters of the sea, with its serpents afflicted with fear. And then great and exceedingly dreadful was the motion of the sea, with fishes and Makaras, and with the roar of the winds (blowing there). And on a sudden the mighty deep was heaving with mighty surges, with conchs scattered about, and a smoke (enveloped) the ocean; and the billows became visible on all sides. And the serpents were distressed, with their faces flaming and their eyes aglow; as well as the Dānavas of terrific energy, and the dwellers of the nether spheres. And billows of the sovran Ocean, resembling Vindhya or Mandara, containing crocodiles and Makaras sprang up by thousands. And Varuna’s abode had its surges whirling, its serpents and Rākshasas seized with affright, and its ferocious aquatic animals borne all around; and it sent forth sounds. Then Sumitrā’s son, springing up, said unto Rāghava of fiery vehemence, as he sighed and kept stretching his matchless bow.—"This must not be". And he took away his (Rāma’s) bow. "Without doing this unto the Ocean, thou, supreme of heroes, mayst have thy work accomplished. Personages like thee do not come under the influence of passion. Do thou deliberately look about for some worthy means (for compassing thy end)". Then remaining invisible in the sky, Brahmarshis and Surarshis⁵⁵ exclaiming,—"Well-a-day!" and "Don’t," in loud accents ejaculated,—(Oh! and alas!)
⁵¹ The commentator appropriately remarks: As Rāma was wedded to a single wife, these damsels must mean nurses attending on him.—T.
⁵² The word, however, is naram (ac.), man.—T.
⁵³ i.e. indiscriminately.—T.
⁵⁴ Rana murddhani,—’The perilous edge of battle when it raged.’ Paradise Lost Book I
⁵⁵ Celestial saints.