Classic Poem

In the flow of the river
of devotion-to-husband there,
Sī tā ’s life was floating,
and in eddies, was restlessly rotating.
Unable to bring and keep
her life in own lap, Dame Sleep
approached Yogamā yā,
and apprised: “O Goddess! Life of Sī tā
has today gone beyond
the human heart’s bond.

For twelve years
Virtuous Maithilī,
permeating her bed with tears,
managed to come slowly
in my lap once even.
But today despite my frequent call
in my very sweet tone,
she not at all
paying heed to it, alone
proceeds to the state of heaven.

Idols of eyes, her twin sons,
from her eyes shall now disappear.
All the ten directions
shall seem darkened for her.
In this life of hers
no sun-rise of happiness appears.

So much devoted to her husband,
what fruit did she acquire at the end?
Kindly make her future bright.
Let the poor lady behold it.

Pouring water from eyes
in her life’s basin,
the sobre lady obtained the grand
garden of devotion-to-husband.
Neither any flower bloomed therein,
nor did any fruit appear.
Ah! Tell me please,
would the life
of the virtuous wife
so desperately suffer? ”

Yogamā yā directed: “Come, My Friend!
Cool night is at its end.
Approaching the devoted Sī tā now earlier,
we both will reveal the secret of her future.”

With Sleep, entered Yogamā yā hastily
in the cottage of Maithilī.
By celestial lustre, the sylvan site
continued to shine.
Surface of earth turned replete
with the fragrance divine.

By the aromatic affluence
horripilated, Sī tā ’s life aroused.
Under the splendour’s influence
her eyes became closed.
There appeared the scene.
Lustrous Sī tā has been.
World is being illumed further
by her effusive lustre.

Resplendent with blooming mien,
King Rā ma with herself as Queen
has ascended the bejewelled throne there.
Kuś a has sat in the lap of Rā ghava,
and in Sī tā ’s lap, Lava.
Holding the lifted umbrella,
Lakshmaņ a, the husband of Urmilā,
has stood anear.
Moving the charming chowery moonbeam-fair,
Bharata performs his own duty.
Holding by hand, Ś atrughna moves there
the fan prepared with peacock-plumes pretty.

In the mouth of future,
life-lustre of every creature
is flowing apace
forming a stream of river.
Crores of men and women thither
are performing ablutions in the very stream,
knowing it a great place,
sacred, noble and supreme.

By and by, the stream
with its physical expanse
advances towards the ocean of time
in great distance.

Gods and demi-god Vidyā dharas with love
are offering from above
soothing showers
of beautiful flowers.
Gods, with demons all,
serpents, human beings
and nymphs celestial,
are permeating there
the entire mundane sphere
with ‘Victory-to-Sī tā -Rā ma’ chantings.

In every house, in every life, in every city,
in the river-boat, in the bark of the sea,
in every cavern,
at day and night,
in the even and the morn,
in dolour and delight,
in the hearts of the affluent
as well as of the indigent,
reigns ever-reverberant
the ‘Victory-to-Sī tā -Rā ma’ chant.
Observing all these,
stood entranced at the scene
Crest-crown of the chaste ladies,
the Great Queen.

(Tapasvini, Canto-XI)

[Translated from Gangadhara Meher’s Oriya epic-poem ‘Tapasvini’, by Dr. Harekrishna Meher]