1852.] Analysis of the Rag hu Vans' a* 459 



and Aja's risen in the firmament. Aja to re-acquire an invincible 

 kingdom associated himself with ministers skilled in politics ; Raghu 

 to attain a kingdom undecaying in the skies united himself to holy 

 men. The one to look after the welfare of his subjects occupied the 

 seat of judgment, the other to devote himself to meditation occupied 

 the seat purified by kusa grass. The one by his power reduced kings 

 beneath his sway, the other by meditative power subdued the five 

 airs of his body. Aja exercised the six royal qualities Sandhi, bigraha, 

 jana, asanna, daidhya, ashray; Raghu achieved the three qualities, 

 satya, raja, tama, and esteemed gold equal to clay. Raghu thus 

 passed a few years viewing terrestrial things with indifferent gaze 

 until by the force of sacred meditation he attained to the Supreme 

 Purusha (Spirit) dwelling beyond darkness ; his son paid the last rites 

 to his remains which were interred.* Shortly after this was born 

 Das'aratha, bright as the sun, the father of Rama. Aja when by the 

 study of the Vedas, by sacrifice, and a son, he had discharged his debts 

 to the Rishis, Gods and Pitris, shone forth as the rays of the sun free 

 from eclipse ; he used his power to free the wretched from fear ; not 

 merely his wealth but his virtues were at the service of others. As 

 Indumati walked with her husband in a grove, she fell dead on the 

 spot. The husband clasping to his bosom his lifeless spouse appeared 

 as the moon at morning tide covered with spots, as iron becomes soft 

 by heat, so lost he his native courage and made the following lament : 

 ' A garland soft my wife has killed, thus death destroys the soft by soft : 

 as I have seen the lotus killed by liquid snow ! Why, without bidding 

 me farewell, have you departed into another world from whence you will 

 not return ? not as yet has the perspiration from my embrace been 

 dried up from your forehead, and thou art dead, alas! the unsubstantial 

 nature of the body ; thy speechless face covered with dishevelled locks, 

 torments me like the solitary lotus sleeping at night in which the bee 

 has ceased its hum. Oh beloved, awake and dispel my sorrow, as the 

 plant the midnight darkness of the caverns in the Himalayan mount ; 

 l he wind waving thy locks entwined with flowers, casts on my mind 



* The Hindu notion is to burn the bodies of ordinary persons as fire is consi- 

 dered to purify them, but the corpses of Yogis or devotees are not burnt as being 

 considered purified already. 



