Canto XXXVI.The Birth Of Gangá.
The hours of night now waning fast
OnŚona's pleasant shore they passed.
Then,when the dawn began to break,
To Ráma thus the hermit spake:
“The light of dawn is breaking clear,
The hour of morning rites is near.
Rise,Ráma,rise,dear son,I pray,
And make thee ready for the way.”
Then Ráma rose,and finished all
His duties at the hermit's call,
Prepared with joy the road to take,
And thus again in question spake:
“Here fair and deep theŚona flows,
And many an isle its bosom shows:
What way,O Saint,will lead us o'er
And land us on the farther shore?”
The saint replied:“The way I choose
Is that which pious hermits use.”
For many a league they journeyed on
Till,when the sun of mid-day shone,
The hermit-haunted flood was seen
Of Jáhnaví,177the Rivers'Queen.
Soon as the holy stream they viewed,
Thronged with a white-winged multitude
Of sárases178and swans,179delight
Possessed them at the lovely sight;
And then prepared the hermit band
To halt upon that holy strand.
They bathed as Scripture bids,and paid
Oblations due to God and shade.
To Fire they burnt the offerings meet,
And sipped the oil,like Amrit sweet.
Then pure and pleased they sate around
Saint Viśvámitra on the ground.
The holy men of lesser note,
In due degree,sate more remote,
While Raghu's sons took nearer place
By virtue of their rank and race.
Then Ráma said:“O Saint,I yearn
The three-pathed Gangá's tale to learn.”
Thus urged,the sage recounted both
The birth of Gangáand her growth:
“The mighty hill with metals stored,
Himálaya,is the mountains'lord,
The father of a lovely pair
Of daughters fairest of the fair:
Their mother,offspring of the will
Of Meru,everlasting hill,
Mená,Himálaya's darling,graced
With beauty of her dainty waist.
Gangáwas elder-born:then came
The fair one known by Umá's name.
Then all the Gods of heaven,in need
Of Gangá's help their vows to speed,
To great Himálaya came and prayed
The mountain King to yield the maid.
He,not regardless of the weal
Of the three worlds,with holy zeal
His daughter to the Immortals gave,
Gangáwhose waters cleanse and save,
Who roams at pleasure,fair and free,
Purging all sinners,to the sea.
The three-pathed Gangáthus obtained,
The Gods their heavenly homes regained.
Long time the sister Umápassed
In vows austere and rigid fast,
And the king gave the devotee
Immortal Rudra's180bride to be,
Matching with that unequalled Lord
His Umáthrough the worlds adored.
So now a glorious station fills
Each daughter of the King of Hills:
One honoured as the noblest stream,
One mid the Goddesses supreme.
Thus Gangá,King Himálaya's child,
The heavenly river,undefiled,
Rose bearing with her to the sky
Her waves that bless and purify.”
[I am compelled to omit Cantos XXXVII and XXXVIII,The Glory of Umá,and the Birth of Kártikeya,as both in subject and language offensive to modern taste.They will be found in Schlegel's Latin translation.]
