The As'oka Grove.

CANTO XIV.: THE AS'OKA GROVE.

He cleared the barrier at a bound;
He stood within the pleasant ground,

p. 404

And with delighted eyes surveyed
The climbing plants and varied shade,
He saw unnumbered trees unfold
The treasures of their pendent gold,
As, searching for the Maithil queen,
He strayed through alleys soft and green;
And when a spray he bent or broke
Some little bird that slept awoke.
Whene'er the breeze of morning blew,
Where'er a startled peacock flew,
The gaily coloured branches shed
Their flowery rain upon his head
That clung around the Vánar till
He seemed a blossom-covered hill,  1
The earth, on whose fair bosom lay
The flowers that fell from every spray,
Was glorious as a lovely maid
In all her brightest robes arrayed,
He saw the breath of morning shake
The lilies on the rippling lake
Whose waves a pleasant lapping made
On crystal steps with gems inlaid.
Then roaming through the enchanted ground,
A pleasant hill the Vánar found,
And grottoes in the living stone
With grass and flowery trees o'ergrown.
Through rocks and boughs a brawling rill
Leapt from the bosom of the hill,
Like a proud beauty when she flies
From her love's arms with angry eyes.
He clomb a tree that near him grew
And leafy shade around him threw.
'Hence,' thought the Vánar, 'shall I see
The Maithil dame, if here she be,
These lovely trees, this cool retreat
Will surely tempt her wandering feet.
Here the sad queen will roam apart.
And dream of Ráma in her heart,'

Footnotes

403:1 The Vasus are a class of eight deities, originally personifications of natural phenomena.

403:2 The Maruts are the winds or Storm-Gods.

403:3 The Ádityas originally seven deities of the heavenly sphere of whom Varuna is the chief. The name Áditya was afterwards given to any God, specially to Súrya the Sun.

403:4 The As'vins are the Heavenly Twins, the Castor and Pollux of the Hindus.