Being thus addressed angrily by Sita, some of those Rakshasees, beside
themselves with ire, proceeded to relate this unto the vicious-souled
Ravana. And approaching Sita those grim-visaged demons again addressed
her with words rude and rough. "O vile Sita, O thou bent on committing
sin, we Rakshasees shall to-day devour thy flesh to the best of our
satisfaction." Beholding those vile demons threaten Sita, a Rakshasa
matron, wise and old, named, Trijata cried--"O vile demons, do ye eat
your own persons[334] but do not devour Sita, the daughter of Janaka and
the esteemed daughter-in-law of the king Dacaratha. I dreamt a terrible
dream last night which made my down stand on their end. And in that
dream I foresaw the overthrow of the Rakshasa race and the conquest of
her husband." And being thus addressed by Trijata, those demons,
exercised with wrath and terrified, accosted her with the following
words,--"Do thou relate (unto us) what sort of dream didst thou dream
last night." And hearing those words proceeding from the mouths of the
Rakshasees, Trijata began to describe the dream she had at the latter
end of the night,--"I saw Rama, wearing garlands and clothed in white,
ride in a celestial charriot, along with Lakshmana, made of ivory,
traversing the etherial regions and drawn by a hundred steeds. I saw in
my dream to-night, that Sita, clad in the purest white, appearing on a
snow-white hill beaten by the waves of the ocean, had at last met Rama,
like unto light joined to the Sun. And I again saw Rama and Lakshmana
appear in effulgence, seated on a huge elephant, having four tusks and
resembling a bull. Thereupon those two (brothers), resplendant like unto
the Sun by their own effulgence, and wearing white garlands and clothes,
appeared near Janaka's daughter. And the lotus eyed Janaki, on the top
of the hill situate on the welkin, first fell on the lap of her husband
and then stationed herself on the neck of the elephant guided by her
husband. Then I saw Sita rubbing the Sun and the Moon with her two
hands. And then that best of the elephants, with those two princes and
the large eyed Sita on him, stood high above Lanka. I again saw Rama,
clad in white, and adorned with garlands, ride along with Lakshmana in a
charriot drawn by eight white bullocks. I again saw that highly
energetic, best of men--Rama, having truth for his prowess, along with
his brother Lakshmana and Sita flee to Northern realms, ascending a
celestial flowery charriot resembling (in brightness) the Sun. And I saw
Ravana too, shaved and shorn, besmeared with oil, wearing a crimson
cloth, drinking honey, wearing a garland of Karavira flowers, fall down
on earth from the flowery charriot. And dragged by a woman, shaved,
wearing a red cloth and garlands and sprinkled with crimson paste,
Ravana was again seen by me riding in a charriot drawn by asses. And
quaffing oil, laughing and dancing, that one of agitated senses,
forgetting himself sped on the charriot to the South.[335] And I again
saw Ravana, the lord of the Rakshasas, stricken with fear, fall,
headless, down on the earth. And then rising all on a sudden, and
uttering obscene and inconsistent words like unto a maniac, Ravana
overwhelmed with fear, and amazement, and intoxicated, fell into a mass
of dirt, stinking and resembling the very hell. And again proceeding to
the South he entered into a lake devoid of mud and water. And a dark
woman, clad in a crimson cloth, and bedaubed with mud, dragged the
Ten-necked demon, entwining herself round his neck. Then followed the
mighty Kumvakarna[336] and all the sons of Ravana, shaved and shorn and
besmeared with oil. And they all proceeded southward--the Ten-necked
demon on on a boar, Indrajit[337] on a porpoise, and Kumvakarna on a
camel. I saw only Biveesana, with a white umbrella and accompanied by
four courtiers, range in the welkin. And there was audible in the large
assembly sound of music and stringed instruments. And all the Rakshasas
wearing crimson clothes and garlands, were quaffing oil. I saw the royal
and picturesque city Lanka with her steeds, cars and elephants, drowned
in the ocean, having her gateways and ornamented arches broken. And in
Lanka, covered with dust, Rakshasa women, laughing; and making terrible
sound, were engaged in quaffing oil. I saw all the leading
Rakshasas--Kumvakarna and others, dark-hued and wearing crimson clothes,
emerged in an abyss of cow dung. Do ye therefore fly at some distance,
and will find that Raghava shall regain Sita. And exercised with ire he
shall destroy you all along with the Rakshasas. Raghava shall never
brook, his esteemed and beloved spouse, living in the forest, being
taunted and threatened by you. No more with rough words therefore; do
you console the lady and humbly pray her to forgive you. This I think
proper. Surely shall she, divested of misfortune, be reconciled to her
beloved and excellent husband, regarding whom, in her misery, I have
dreamt such a dream. Ye Rakshasees! You have threatened her, do ye
implore her forgiveness--no more with harsh words. Forsooth, from
Raghava shall proceed the mighty disaster of the Rakshasas. If
Maithilee, the daughter of the king Janaka, be pleased with you (for
your imploring her forgiveness) you might be saved from the mighty
disaster. I do not perceive any inauspicious mark on the person of this
large-eyed dame. It appears from the paleness of her countenance that
she hath been overcome by misfortune. And I saw (in my dreamt this
worshipful damsel, unworthy of any misfortune, stationed in the welkin.
Verily I do perceive, before me, the satisfaction of Vaidehi's end, the
destruction of the lord of the Rakshasas and the conquest of Raghava.
Behold I there, her left eye, spacious, as a lotus-petal, is dancing to
hear this pleasant dream announcing the satisfaction of her own end. And
her left arm is also dancing with joy, all on a sudden. And her
excellent beautiful left thigh, resembling the trunk of an elephant, is
also dancing as if indicating, that she shall at no distant date, be
reconciled to Raghava. And the birds, again and again, entering their
nests, and highly delighted are pouring forth their notes announcing the
advent of a happy occasion." Thereupon that modest dame, greatly
delighted in the prospective conquest of her husband, said-- "If this be
true I shall save you all."
[334] The proper expression, I think, should be--"Eat me." The
commentator Ramanuja explains _Atmanam_ as your own bodies.--T.
[335] In the south is the region of Yama, the God of Death and hence his
going to the South is not an auspicious sign.--T.
[336] Ravana's brother.--T.
[337] Ravana's son--the name signifies the conqueror of the lord of the
celestials.--T.