49. Its body was spotted all over, as with the stars of heaven; and its eyes were as outstretched as the petals of lotus flowers, and by far more handsome than the eyes of beauteous damsels.
50. It looked with its timorous glances, on the blue sapphires which decorated the court; ran to bite them with its open month, thinking them to be blades of grass.
51. Then as it gazed at the assemblage, with its raised neck, uplifted ears and staring eyes through fear; so they raised their heads, pricked up their ears, and looked upon the animal with their open eyes, for fear of its leaping and jumping upon them.
52. At last the king with all his ministers and courtiers, were all amazed at the sight of the animal, and thought it was all a magic, which they saw before them.
53. The wondering eyes of the assembled people, and the shining gems on the persons of the princes, made the court hall appear, as if it were studded with full blown lotuses all around. (The simile of blooming eyes and blossoming lotuses, is common in all Indian poetry).
CHAPTER CXXX.
Entering of the stag into the fire.
Argument:—The stag burnt in the meditation of Vasishtha, and turned in its former figure of the Prince.
Válmíki related:—Ráma then asked Vasishtha, to tell him by what means Vipaschit was released from his brutish shape and restored to his human form again.
2. Vasishtha said:—The way by which a person has had his rise, is the only means that conduces to his success, welfare and happiness in life (and a departure from this course, brings on his ruin).
3. Vipaschit had been a worshipper, and it is by his re-entrance into the refuge of that deity only; that his changed form of the stag, may be altered and restored to its former figure, of bright and unalloyed gold.