And that
chaste lady, devoted to her husband, harshly reproved Lakshmana, saying,
"The object which thou, O fool, cherishest in thy heart, shall never be
fulfilled! I would rather kill myself with a weapon or throw myself from
the top of a hill or enter into a blazing fire than live with a sorry
wretch like thee, forsaking my husband Rama, like a tigress under the
protection of a jackal!"
[50] Tard-mrigam. Formerly Prajapati, assuming the Form of a
deer, followed his daughter from lust, and Rudra, armed with a
trident, pursued Prajapati and struck off his head. That
deer-head of Prajapati severed from the trunk, became the star,
or rather constellation, called Mrigasiras.
"'When the good natured Lakshmana, who was very fond of his brother,
heard these words, he shut his ears (with his hands) and set out on the
track that Rama had taken. And Lakshmana set out without casting a
single glance on that lady with lips soft and red like the _Bimba_
fruit. Meanwhile, the Rakshasa Ravana, wearing a genteel guise though
wicked at heart, and like unto fire enveloped in a heap of ashes, showed
himself there. And he appeared there in the disguise of a hermit, for
forcibly carrying away that lady of blameless character. The virtuous
daughter of Janaka, seeing him come, welcomed him with fruits and root
and a seat. Disregarding these and assuming his own proper shape, that
bull among Rakshasas began to re-assure the princess of Videha in these
words, "I am, O Sita, the king of the Rakshasas, known by the name of
Ravana! My delightful city, known by the name of Lanka is on the other
side of the great ocean! There among beautiful women, thou wilt shine
with me! O lady of beautiful lips, forsaking the ascetic Rama do thou
become my wife!" Janaka's daughter of beautiful lips, hearing these and
other words in the same strain, shut her ears and replied unto him,
saying, "Do not say so! The vault of heaven with all its stars may fall
down, the Earth itself may be broken into fragments, fire itself may
change its nature by becoming cool, yet I cannot forsake the descendant
of Raghu! How can a she-elephant, who hath lived with the mighty leader
of a herd with rent temples forsake him and live with a hog? Having once
tasted the sweet wine prepared from honey or flowers, how can a woman, I
fancy, relish the wretched arrak from rice?" Having uttered those words,
she entered the cottage, her lips trembling in wrath and her arms moving
to and fro in emotion.
Pages:
487
488
489
490
491
492
493
494
495
496
497
498
499
500
501
502
503
504
505
506
507
508
509
510
511