VII.

The Sentence

Morning came and duteous Rama to the palace bent his way,
For to make his salutation and his due obeisance pay,
And he saw his aged father shorn of kingly pomp and pride,
And he saw the Queen Kaikeyi sitting by her consort's side.
Duteously the righteous Rama touched the ancient monarch's feet,
Touched the feet of Queen Kaikeyi with a son's obeisance meet,

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but the tear bedimmed his eye,

"Rama!" cried the feeble monarch,
choked his failing utterance and his bosom heaved a sigh,
Sorrow
father's grief or wrath,
Rama started in his terror at his by serpent in his path!
Like a traveller in the jungle crossed
appeared the monarch, crushed beneath a load of pain,
Reft of sense heart would break in twain,
Heaving oft a sigh of sorrow as his
like the sun in eclipse pale,
Like the ocean tempest-shaken,when his truth and virtue fail!
Like a crushed repenting rishi
what foul action hath he done,
Breathless mused the anxious Rama,
father, wherefore greets he not his son?
What strange anger fills his
mother," uttered Rama, *"what strange error on my part,
"Speak, my father's heart,
Unremembered sin or folly fills with grief my
boundless grace,
Gracious unto me is father with a father's
wherefore tears bedew his face?
Wherefore clouds his altered visage,

piercing painful ailment rack his limbs with cruel smart,

|36) Doth a his torn and tortured heart,
Doth some secret silent anguish wring
thy father's realms afar.,
Bharat lives with brave Satrughna in auspicious star?
Hath some cloud of dark disaster crossed their bright
loving monarch wait,
Duteously the royal consorts on thedimmed
misfortune the lustre of their fate,
Hath some woe or dire
ere I wound my father's heart,
Iwould yield my life and fortune
folly caused his ancient bosom smart?
Hath my unknown crime or
consort and her king.
Ever dear is Queen Kaikeyi to her thus his royal heart to wring,
Hath some angry accent escaped thee
know,
speak the truth for thou mustbrow?"
Speak, my ever-loving mother,pains his heart and clouds his
What distress or deep disaster

Mother's love nor woman's pity moved the deep-determined queen,

she spake her purpose keen:
As in cold and cruel accents thus
pains thy father loved of old,
"Grief nor woe nor sudden ailment
his Rama true and bold,
But he fears to speak his purpose to

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 II. The Banishment - 41

And his loving accents falter some unloving wish to tell,

Tillyou give your princely promise. you will serve his mandate well!
Listen more, in bygone seasons, Rama thou wert then unborn, -
Ihad saved thy royal father, he a gracious boon had sworn,
But his feeble heart repenting is by pride and passion stirred,
He would break his royal promise as a caitiff breaks his word,

Years have passed and now the monarch would his ancient word forego,
He would build a needless causeway when the waters ceased to flow!

Truth inspires each deed attempted and each word by monarchs spoke.
Not for thee, though loved and honoured, should a royal vow be broke,

If the true and righteous Rama binds him by his father's vow,
Iwill tell thee of the anguish which obscures his royal brow.
|37) If thy feeble bosom falter and thy halting purpose fail.
Unredeemed is royalpromise and unspoken is my tale!"
"Speak thy word," exclaimed the hero, "and my purpose shall not fail,
Rama serves his father's mandate and his bosom shall not quail,

Poisoned cup or death untimely, - what the cruel fates decree, -

To his king and to his father Rama yields obedience free,
Speak my father's royal promise, hold me by his promise tied,
Rama speaks and shall not falter, for his lips have never lied."

Cold and clear Kaikeyi's accents fell as falls the hunter's knife,
"Listen then to word of promise and redeem it with thy life.

Wounded erst by foes immortal, saved by Queen Kaikeyi's care.

Two great boons your father plighted and his royalwords were fair.
Ihave sought their due fulfilment, - brightly shines my Bharat's star, -
Bharat shall be Heir and Regent, Rama shall be banished far!

If thy father's royal mandate thou wouldst list and honour still,
Fourteen years in Dandak's forest live and wander at thy will,

Seven long years and seven, my Rama, thou shalt in the jungle dwell,
Bark of trees shall be thy raiment and thy home ihe hermir's cell,

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 II. The Banishment - 42

Over fairKosala's empire let my princely Bharat reign,

With his cars and steeds and tuskers, wealth and gold and arméd men!

Tender-hearted is the monarch, age and sorrow dim his eye,

And the anguish of a father checks his speech and purpose high,
For the love he bears thee, Rama, cruel vow he may not speak,
Ihave spoke his will and mandate, and thy true obedience seek."
Calmly Rama heard the mandate, grief nor anger touched his heart,
Calmly from his father's empire and his home prepared to part.

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