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Thereafter, well bested,
Pushkara sojourned with the Prince one moon;
So to his town departed—heart-content—
With slaves and foot-soldiers and followers,
Gay as a rising sun (O Bharat’s glory!).
Thus sent he Pushkara, rich and safe, away.
Then, with flags and drums and jewels, robed and royally arrayed,
Nala into fair Nishadha entry high and dazzling made;
At the gates the Raja, halting, spake his people words of love;
Gathered were they from the city, gathered from the field and grove;
From the mountain and the maidan, all a-thrill with joy to see
Nala come to guard his children. “Happy now our days will be,”
Said the townsfolk, said the elders, said the villagers, “O King!”
Standing all with palms upfolded: “Peace and fortune thou wilt bring
To thy city, to thy country! Boundless welcome do we give,
As the gods in heaven to Indra, when with them he comes to live.”
After, when the show was ended, and the city, calm and glad,
Rest from tumult of rejoicing and rich flood of feasting had,
Girt with shining squadrons, Nala fetched his pearl of women home.
Like a queen did Damayanti back unto her palace come,
By the Maharaja Bhima, by that mighty monarch sent
Royally, with countless blessings, to her kingdom, in content.
There, beside his peerless Princess, and his children, bore he sway,
Godlike, even as Indra ruling ’mid the bliss of Nandana.[30]
Bore he sway—my noble Nala—princeliest of all lords—who reign
In the lands of Jambudwipa;[31] winning power and fame again;
Ruling well his realm reconquered, like a just and perfect king,
All the appointed gifts bestowing, all the rites remembering.
Pushkara sojourned with the Prince one moon;
So to his town departed—heart-content—
With slaves and foot-soldiers and followers,
Gay as a rising sun (O Bharat’s glory!).
Thus sent he Pushkara, rich and safe, away.
Then, with flags and drums and jewels, robed and royally arrayed,
Nala into fair Nishadha entry high and dazzling made;
At the gates the Raja, halting, spake his people words of love;
Gathered were they from the city, gathered from the field and grove;
From the mountain and the maidan, all a-thrill with joy to see
Nala come to guard his children. “Happy now our days will be,”
Said the townsfolk, said the elders, said the villagers, “O King!”
Standing all with palms upfolded: “Peace and fortune thou wilt bring
To thy city, to thy country! Boundless welcome do we give,
As the gods in heaven to Indra, when with them he comes to live.”
After, when the show was ended, and the city, calm and glad,
Rest from tumult of rejoicing and rich flood of feasting had,
Girt with shining squadrons, Nala fetched his pearl of women home.
Like a queen did Damayanti back unto her palace come,
By the Maharaja Bhima, by that mighty monarch sent
Royally, with countless blessings, to her kingdom, in content.
There, beside his peerless Princess, and his children, bore he sway,
Godlike, even as Indra ruling ’mid the bliss of Nandana.[30]
Bore he sway—my noble Nala—princeliest of all lords—who reign
In the lands of Jambudwipa;[31] winning power and fame again;
Ruling well his realm reconquered, like a just and perfect king,
All the appointed gifts bestowing, all the rites remembering.
[22] Jhillikas are the large wood-crickets
[23] A caravan.
[24] This is a secretion which flows by a small orifice from the elephant’s temples at certain seasons. It is sweet-smelling, and constantly alluded to in Hindoo poetry.
[25] “Gentleness is chief of virtues.”
[26] These “curls” are the “Arvathas,” or marks of good blood and high-breeding.
[27] “O Beautiful One!”
[28] This raining down of heavenly flowers on auspicious occasions is a frequent incident in ancient Indian poetry.
[29] A short; broad-bladed sword.
[30] Nandana is the Paradise of Indra.
[31] Ancient name of India: “The Land of the Rose-apple Tree.”
SELECTIONS FROM THE RAMAYANA
BY
VALMIKI
[Metrical translation by R.T.H. Griffiths]
INTRODUCTION
