14 F. S. Growse — The Prologue to the Bdmdyana of Tuhi Dds, [No. 1 



Bold 21. 

 Whether I am awake or dreaming, if Siva and Gauri grant me their 

 favour, then my words shall come true and this shall be the effect of my 

 song, though it be in the vulgar tongue. 



Ghaupdi. 

 I reverence the holy city of Ayudhya and the river Sarju cleansing 

 from all earthly impurity. I salute also the inhabitants of the city, for 

 whom the Lord had no little affection ; seeing that he ignored all the sin of 

 Sita's calumniator and set men's minds at rest.* I reverence Kausalya, 

 eastern heaven from which glory was diffused over the whole world ; whence 

 Baghupati arose as a lovely moon, giving joy to the world, but blighting 

 like a frost the lotus leaves of vice. To King Dasarath and all his queens, 

 incarnations of virtue and felicity, I make obeisance in word, deed, and heart, 

 saying Be gracious to me as to a son or a servant, O parents of Eama, that 

 acme of greatness, ye in whose creation the creator surpassed himself. 



Soratha 3. 

 I reverence the king of Avadh, who had such true love for Eama's feet, 

 that when parted from his lord, his life snapped and parted too like a 

 straw. 



Ghaupdi. 

 I salute the king of Videha with all his court who had the greatest af- 

 fection for Eama ; though he concealed his devotion under royal state, yet 

 it broke out as soon as he saw him. Then next I throw myself at the feet 

 of Bharat, whose constancy and devotion surpass description ; whose soul 

 like a bee thirsting for sweets was ever hovering round the lotus-feet of Ea- 

 ma. I reverence too the lotus-feet of Lachhman, cool, comely and source of 

 delight to their worshippers ; whose glory is as it were the standard for the 

 display of Eama's pure emblazonment. Thou who, to remove the terrors of 

 the world, didst become incarnate in the form of the thousand-headed ser- 

 pent for the sake of the universe, be ever propitious to me, O son of Sumi- 

 tra, ocean of compassion, store-house of perfection. I bow also to Eipu- 

 sudan (i. e. Satrughna) the generous hero, Bharat's constant companion ; 

 and to the conqueror Hanuman, whose glory has been told by Eama 

 himself — 



* The calumniator was a dhobi, whose wife had gone away without asking his 

 permission to her father's house and had stayed there three days. On her return her 

 husband refused to take her in, saying, Do you think I am a Eama who takes back his 

 Sita after she has been living for eleven months in another man's house ? When this came 

 to Eama's ears, he showed his respect for the delicacy of his subjects by dismissing Sita, 

 and instead of punishing the dhobi promoted him to honour. 



