Kishkindha Kanda, Chapter 1
Rama at Pampa Lake Lamenting for Sita
Rama, on arriving at that Lake of Lotuses called Pampa along with Lakshmana, which is full with lotuses, costuses, and fishes, lamented as his emotions are disturbed, on seeing the beauty of the Lake comparable with Sita's face.
There, on seeing that Lake of Lotuses, thrilled are his senses with gladness, and he engrossed and overcame by passion spoke this way to Lakshmana.
"Oh! Soumitri, magnificent is Pampa Lake with its cat's-eye-gem like waters, and she with her fully bloomed lotuses and costuses is beaming forth, along with many trees around her.
"Oh! Soumitri, see the forest of Pampa, the auspicious one in its appearance... where the mountains or trees lustre with their mountainous peaks...
"But I, who am well seethed by the anguish of Bharata, and even by the abduction of Sita, am indeed distressed by my sensibilities and their distresses...
"This auspicious Pampa is pleasant to me with its delightful forests overspread with many diverse flowers, cool waters, though I am disquieted...
"Even enwreathed with lotuses this is remarkably sacred in its aspect... rambling snakes and elephants and restless are the deer and birds flocks, as well...
"All this is shining very much with bluish, yellowish grassland with a variety of trees... and with flowers covering it like flowery bed-sheet with variegated colours...
"Everywhere the treetops are fully flowered and the onus of those flowers is on the rise, though they are wholly embraced by climbers and their apices.
"Pleasing is this breeze, oh! Soumitri, and Manmadha, the Love God, prevails at this time, and prideful is this month with its fragrance, flowers, fruits and trees... all anew...
"See this figuration of these forests enriched with these flowers, Soumitri! Outpouring is the flower rain, like the rain from rain-clouds...
"Also on those appeasing terraces of mountains there are many forest trees... speed of winds are swinging them to shower flowers onto ground...
"These are the flowers already fallen, about to fall, or still on the trees, but everywhere the air is playing with these flowers, see that Lakshmana...
"The honeybees are displaced when the wind rapidly moved numerous branches of trees with full of flowers, and though displaced those bees are singing as though in accompaniment to the singing breeze...
"Breeze coming out from those mountain caves along with the high callings of lusty black cuckoos are making the trees to dance, and the air itself is as though singing as an accompaniment to that dancing...
"Entwined are the spires of trees when muchly moved by the air, thus the trees themselves seem to be entwined one with the other...
"He, this breeze is thus a happy one for touch, carrying a coolant and the fragrance like that of the sandalwood, and this breezing is a merited one and a fatigue remover...
"Air is vacillating these trees in this honey scented forest... and the trees appear to be enjoying their fluttering dance and seem to be swinging their treetops to appreciate the singing of honeybees that are humming in accompaniment to this dance...
"On mountain-planes that are beautiful with fully flowered and pleasant tress that entwine the mountain peaks with their high treetops, and thus these mountains indeed liven up with these great trees...
"Air is moving the treetops fully covered with flowers to swinging and the coronet like honeybees have to swing around those treetops, thus these trees themselves appear to be dancing to be dancing and singing...
"Fully flowered are these Karnikaara plants all over with golden colour flowers at top and yellow coloured stems, and they look like men wearing golden ornaments on their upper body, while their loin cloth is yellow...
"This spring with the soundings of many birds, oh! Soumitri, is enkindling grief in me, for Sita is disunited...
"I, who am already pervaded by grief, am now well sweltered by the Love God, and this cuckoo that has happy calls is rather calling me down...
"This gallinule bird happily calling in the forest brooks is making me awesome with its calls, as the Love-god has already made me awestricken...
"Earlier when we were in hermitage, on hearing this bird's call, dear Sita used to call me to listen, and she herself was highly cheerful at this bird's calls...
"Very many amusing birds of that kind are flitting all over on trees, bushes, and creepers emitting very many sounds... see them, Lakshmana...
"Well mingled are these female birds with their male ones, for which they are well admired by their own flock, oh! Soumitri, and such birds are calling gladsomely together with the pleasing humming of king-bees...
"At the shore of this Lake Pampa rejoicing are these birds in groups, and these trees loaded with the mating sounds of gallinule birds, and even loaded the callings of the male black cuckoos, are while inciting me they are inspiring love in me...
"The fire called spring season will burn me down with its fiery paraphernalia like the clusters of red flowers of hellebore that are akin to fireballs, the humming of honeybees that is alike the rustle of campfires, and the coppery red colour of tender leaves just sprouted that is identical to burning fire...
"And if she with slender eyelids on her eyes, decent hairdo, and a soft spoken one, Oh! Soumitri, if she is unseen by me will there be any purposefulness of my life?
"My dear Sita has an enchantment for these enchanting woodlands bustling with koels up to their horizons, and Lakshmana, similarly enchanting is this vernal season to her...
"This fire of grief born out of the throes of love, and furthered by the attributes of spring season will swiftly burn me down in no time...
"As the one unable to see that lady but able to see beautiful trees the Love-god in me gains intensity...
"Now, that invisible Sita is intensifying my agony, and this visible spring season, the remover of the touch of sweat too, is doing the same...
"Overwhelmed with the grief of worry about that deer eyed Sita, such as I am, I am burnt down by this cruel vernal breeze of forests...
"And these peacocks that dance here and there are shining forth with crystal like windows on their plumage, when up-shoved by the wind...
"Those peacocks that are surorounded by their peahens and convulsed in love are intensifying longing in me, who am already muffled in love-longing...
"See Lakshmana, on that mountain terrace this peahen longing for love is dancing at the nearby of her husband, that peacock...
"Spreading his beautiful wings and screaming as though joking, even that peacock is longingly running after his female...
"Definitely no demon has abducted that peacock's ladylove, hence he is dancing with her in beautiful forests...
"Living in this flowering month is unbearable for me... Lakshmana, see the fondness even in those originated in animals, thus that peahen in her passion is following her husband...
"Had she, that broad eyed lady Sita, not been abducted, she too would have followed me in this way with an ecstatic love...
"See Lakshmana, while these forests are abundantly weighty with flowers in wintry season these flowers are becoming futile to me...
"Though these flowers on the trees are exceedingly beautiful they are falling onto the earth wastefully, along with the swarms of honeybees hovering over them...
"These blithesome birds appear to be inviting each other in mutual consent, and they are melodious calling as they like, and this is causing love madness in me...
"Should this spring season be there too, where my dear one Sita is living, she with her unrequited merriment will definitely be saddened like me...
"Definitely this spring season will not touch that place where she is... and even if this touches that place, how can that lady with black-lotus-eyes can possibly comport without me!
"Otherwise, even if the spring happens to be there where my dear is, what can that fine waisted lady do under threat by others?
"She in midst of her youth, eyes like lotus petals, also soft-spoken one is my dear one... and definitely taken by the spring she leaves her life...
"Indeed in my heart a strong notion is prevailing that the chaste lady Sita will be unable to live separated from me...
"My thoughts of Sita alone are well biding in me, and in Sita also thoughts about me will always be abiding...
"This breeze carrying fragrance of flowers is though pleasant for touch and though coolish like snow, this alone is like fire to me as I am very much worried about that lady...
"By which breeze I always felt happiness earlier along with Sita... that breeze alone is increasing anguish in me without Sita...
"When Sita was with me, then this crow flew into the sky and cawed much indicating Sita's departure from me, and now sitting on a tree it is cawing agreeably indicating early arrival of Sita...
"This bird alone, then roving in the sky indicated about the abduction of Sita... and this very same bird will now lead me near to that broad eyed one...
"Lakshmana, observe the appealing tonality of birds in the forest that calling out atop the flowered trees, that which is indeed furthering one's passion�
"That honeybee is quickly reaching these red flowers bouquets of Tilaka that are like his loved ones that are raising their faces with vigour�
"To the impassioned ones that Ashoka tree is very much enhancing grief, and with its bouquets of flowers hustled up by the wind it is sanding as though to daunt me...
" Lakshmana, these mango trees bearing greenish yellow flower are appearing like men whose hearts are flirtatiously aroused, and who have creamed their bodies with greenish-yellow body cream�
"Oh, tigerly man Soumitri, see these Pampa's amazing forests ranges... and therein the nymphs are moving, hither and yon...
"See Lakshmana, these fragrant and propitious blue lotuses are everywhere in the waters, glistening like tender sun...
"This Pampa Lake is shining forth with its tranquil waters, that contain lotuses, blue water-lily's, and red lotuses, along with swans and water-birds that permeate it �
"Lotuses with the resplendence of tender sun enwrapping its waters, pollen grain pilfered by honeybees enwrapping those lotuses� with them this Pampa is beaming forth�
"This Pampa is always bedecked with the ruddy geese, amazing deep areas of the forest, and with water thirsty herds of elephants and deer, and with them it gleams forth...
"In the tranquil water the speed of wind is throbbing ripples, and the ripples throb the lotuses, thus the throbbing and rippling lotuses appear beautiful�
"That one with lotus-petal-like broad eyes, who always holds the lotuses dear...without finding that Vaidehi... to me my life is uninteresting...
"Aha! Deplorable is the deviousness of Love-god, for he is causing reminisces about that graceful lady who articulates that gracefully, even if she is gone away and cannot be regained now...
"If this spring with its flowered trees is not going to deaden me... the Love-god is a possible one to tolerate, though now he came upon me forcefully...
"All those places or objects that were delightful ones to me when she was with me, and they alone are now becoming anguishing ones to me...for she parted from me�
"To gaze the petals of the lotus buds my sight is fascinated... and in them I perceive the pair of Sita's bud-like eyes...Oh! Lakshmana...and they are alike thus...
"This breeze� let out from within the thickets of forests, breezing touching the pollen of lotuses, is reminding Sita's exhale, as such it is heart-stealing�
"Soumitri, see those flowered Karnikara trees with their tree-trunks on those southern hill-terraces of Pampa, they are highly splendorous...
"That one, that kingly mountain which is ornamentally impregnated with ores and minerals is exhausting much mass of wondrous dust with the colour of its ores, that is drifted by the wind's speed...
"On the mountainsides, Soumitri, all over fully flowered are the exquisite Kimshuka trees, while their leaves are hidden under those reddish flowers, and with them that mountain is as though aglow...
"On the banks of Pampa these jasmines, water-lilies, red oleanders have grown up and they are now flowered that is wetted with the fragrance of nectar...
"The Mogra bushes, Sinduka, Vaasanti are well flowered. Maadhavi, flowers are also fully fragrant, and everywhere there are bushes of Jasmine...
"Charming are the saplings of Bilva, and Madhooka, and plants like Vakula, Champaka, Tilaka, Naaga trees are well flowered....
"Padmaka plants are well flourishing, and like that Neela, Ashoka are also flowered... trees on the mountain terraces namely Lodhra trees are brownish like lion's mane...
"The trees of Alangium, Kurntaka, Poornaka, Devadaaru, and also the Mango trees, and like that Patala trees, and the trees of Mountain ebony are flowered...
"Muchukunda trees, also Arjuna trees are seen on mountain terraces...Date palm trees, Uddaalaka trees also... like that the Shiriisha tree, simshupa trees, and dhava trees...
"Silk cotton trees, palaasha trees also, like that are red mehandi trees, thus are Tinisha and Naktamaala trees, sandalwood trees, spandana trees are all thus well flowered...
"Flowered are the trees like hintaala, tilaka, and naaga trees, and they are enfolded by the flowered climber-plants at their apices...
"See the splendorous trees of Pampa here, oh! Soumitri...their branches bestirred by wind and bend onto other trees, as though these trees are nearby and within the reach of climber-plants... thus the climber-plants passionately bear upon those trees, like the doting of passionate women...
"And the breeze is perhaps unhappy by savouring only one kind of nectarine aroma, hence it appears to be gliding from tree to tree, forest to forest, mountain to mountain... while going from tree to tree, mountain to mountain, forest to forest...
"Some trees are full with flowers whose nectar is fragrant, and some shine forth with dark colour as they are enveloped with buds...
"And the honeybee on assessing each of the flower as 'this one is pure... this one is delicious... and this one is well bloomed...' is plunging into them...
"On plunging into the flowers that nectar-avaricious honeybee is again coming up, and quickly going elsewhere in the trees on the banks of Pampa...
"These clusters of flowers that have fallen on their own are spreading out like a bed of flowers laid on, with them the ground appears to endow comfort...
"On mountain slopes varied flowers are spread out, with them the colour of diverse mountain slabs is rendered into yellow-red hue...
"Soumitri see the bloom of flowers in spring after winter, as if the trees have indeed bore the flowers in competition with one another...
"The drones of honeybees among the trees with flowered treetops appear to be the talk of trees, and the swinging branches of trees appear to be their invitational gestures to one another, thus those trees look highly attractive...
"Entering the blessed waters this bird, partridge, is rejoicing together with his female, kindling desire in me too...
"This sort of heart pleasing nature is also available with River Ganga, and that alone reasonably signifies the popularity of River Pampa in the world...
"If that devot lady Sita is found, and also if we were to stay here only, I neither think about Indra's throne in Heavens nor Ayodhya's throne, which is like Indra's throne on the earth...
"Nay... if I were to take delight this way in these pleasant green meadows along with her, there will be no worry to me... nor interest in other things...
"Indeed these beautifully leaved and variously flowered trees are maddening my heart as I am without that lady Sita in this forest...
"See the cool water of this Pampa Lake, Soumitri, filled with blue lotuses, and with ruddy geese well moving in, and well venerated by the partridge birds...
"Well filled with waterfowls, curlew birds, and adored by great animals, this Pampa glistens much with pleasantly calling birds...
"Enkindling passion in me, are these umpteen gladdened birds, reminding me of my dear one who is in the mid of her youth, moonfaced, and with the radiance of lotuses in her eyes...
"See that female deer along with male deer moving there and there on those wonderful mountainsides... and at me, who am weaned away from such a fawn-eyed lady Sita... and such as I am, my heart is further agonised on seeing these wide-eyed deer, and for not seeing her, the wide-eyed Sita...
"If only I can see that lady on those spectacular terraces filled with impassioned bird groups with much ado, then there shall be peace for me...
"I live along for sure, Soumitri, if that slender-waisted Vaidehi basks in this benignant breeze of Pampa along with me...
""Lakshmana, the breeze from the greenswards of Pampa that carries the fragrance of lotuses including that of red lotuses is an auspicious one, an eliminator of melancholy, and those that adore such a breeze are fortunate ones...
"That youthful, lotus-petal eyed beloved of mine, that Janaka's daughter... how can that helpless lady bear her lives without me...
"What sort of well-being can I say to that virtuous and truth speaking King Janaka, if he enquires about Sita's well-being among hosts of people?
"She who accompanied me, an unfortunate one whom his father sent to forests, taking up a virtuous course... now where will be she, that ladylove of mine, be abiding...
"Whose kingdom is forfeited, and whose soul succumbed to the circumstance at the time of exile, but she accompanied suchlike me, and Lakshmana, without her how I can I live on in desolation...
"She who has a pretty and beaming face with lotus-like eyes, that is fragrant, auspicious and scarless, and not seeing such a face my mind is as though sinking...
" Lakshmana, when can I hear that conversation of Vaidehi that will have smiles and wits in between... wisdom wise pleasing, friendly and unique one in its own way...
"That youthful and decent lady though succumbed to suffering in forests used to look as though got rid of her sufferings, and as though gladsome woman, and she used to speak to me, one smitten by her love, very fondly...
"What can I say in Ayodhya to that kind hearted lady and my mother Kausalya, oh, prince Lakshmana, when she asks �where is she, my daughter-in-law? And how is she? '
"Begone! Lakshmana.... you may see Bharata, that affectionate one for his brothers... I may not be able to live on leaving off Sita... isn't so!"
To that great-souled Rama who is bewailing that way like a waif, his brother Lakshmana said these appropriate and infallible words.
"Oh, best one among men, please control yourself Rama, let safety betide you, do not lament, the intellect of your kind of unblemished souls does not become languorous...
"Recollect the sadness caused by departure of loved ones, and it may please be forsaken for some extent, with the embrace of too much of friendship of the water-drenched wick with oil, even that water-drenched wick burns in the lamp...
"If Ravana goes to the netherworlds, or still deeper worlds from there, oh my brother, still he will not live, Raghava...
"Let the emplacement of that sinning demon e obtained... and then he either cedes Sita or enters into his own doom...
"Even if he enters the womb of Diti along with Sita, and if he does not give away Sita, even there I wish to slay him,...
"May you rejuvenate and be secure, oh, revered one, cast-off your pathetic mood... result of purpose will be lost indeed, for the endeavourers without a try, thus nothing can be regained by them...
"Vehemence is might, oh, noble one, there is no superior might than vehemence and to him with vehemence there is no impossibility in the world,... even the slightest...
"Vehement men do not regress in deeds, and taking hold of vehemence alone we regain Sita...
"You leave off this enclosure of ardency and pushback that compassion ... you are not able to know your great and controlled soul...with these thoughts of self-pity and fondness...
Thus addressed by Lakshmana, then Rama whose conscience is marred by emotions, got rid of pity and fondness, and acquired courage, to perform the deed demanded of his incarnation.
He that inestimable valiant Rama strode forward those areas of charming Pampa Lake, with the charm of wind-flopped trees, getting rid of grief.
That great one Rama on observing all over quickly, all round the forest with its brooks and caves, and reviewing with Lakshmana, though agonised at heart that anguished one travelled on.
While that great soul Rama is walking ahead, that great souled Lakshmana whose stride is also like that of an elephant, and whose deeds are agreeable to Rama, vigilantly protected Rama with an un-despaired mind and even by his virtue and strength.
He who is the chief of Vanara-s, who moves about Mt. Rishyamuka, while he is meandering thereabout he happened to see those two who are so amazing for a look, namely Rama and Lakshmana, by which he is so frightened that he is petrified.
On seeing those two Rama and Lakshmana who are advancing his way, he that great soul who is a tree-branch animal, and he who strides like an elephant, derived profound agony that muffled him in worry, and he is engulfed under the weight of his fear.
On seeing those magnificent two, Rama and Lakshmana, the monkeys are frightened and fled towards the pious hermitage of Sage Matanga, which has an inland that is always adored by monkeys for it is consolatory and sheltering them.