Having passed the extensive and romantic Kocala, the intelligent elder
brother of Lakshmana facing Ayodhya, said with joined hands,--"O best of
cities, governed by Kakutstha, I address thee as well as the deities
that inhabit and guard thee. Returning from my abode in the woods, I
will, freed from my debt unto the lord of earth, behold thee again along
with my father and mother." Then he furnished with graceful coppery eyes
raising his right hand, with tears in his eyes and in forlorn guise
addressed the people of the provinces, saying,--"Ye have shown due
compassion and regret for me. To grieve long is not fit. Do ye therefore
repair to look after your interests." Thereupon, saluting that
high-souled one and going round him, bewailing all the while in
heaviness of heart, they at times stopped on their way. And as they kept
lamenting, unsatiated in beholding him, Raghava went beyond the range of
their sight, like the Sun disappearing at night-fall. Then that powerful
one mounted on his car left behind him Kocala bounding in wealth and
kine, inhabited by charitable people, auspicious, free from every kind
of fear, charming, containing altars and stakes, with gardens and mango
groves, furnished with tanks teeming with burly and contepted people,
filled with kine, worthy of being protected by monarchs and resounding
with the sounds of Vedic recitations. Proceeding at a middling pace,
that best of those endowed with fortitude passed through lands smiling
cheerfully, prosperous, and crowded with elegant villas,-- realms worthy
of being coveted by the foremost of kings. Then Raghava saw the
celestial Ganga running in three courses with cool waters free from
moss, beautiful to behold, frequented by the sages, adorned with
graceful asylums close by, containing sacred watery expanses haunted at
the hours of sport by delighted Apsaras, graced with celestials,
Danavas, Gandharbas and Kinnaras, ever holy, attended by the wives of
Nagas and Gandharbas, with hills serving as sporting-places for the
celestials--the river surrounded by gardens of the immortals--that for
the behoof pf the celestials had ascended heaven, famous, furnished with
assemblage of celestial lotuses, with the rocks laughing aloud in
consequence of the dashing of water, laughing without blemish with foam,
sometimes having her water flowing like a braid and sometimes decked by
eddies, sometimes still and deep, and sometimes rushing furiously,
sometimes sounding solemnly and sometimes roaring dreadfully, with
crowds of deities bathing in its water, embellished with fresh-blown
lotuses, having spacious shoals and spots covered with glittering sand,
resounding with the cries of cranes of various kinds, graced by
_Chakravakas_, ever resorted to by maddened fowls, without blame, decked
by trees on its banks resembling garlands somewhere covered with
full-blown lotuses and somewhere containing multitudes of lotuses, at
places decked with tracts of lilies, at others with opening buds, rife
with the farina of various flowers, sometimes resembling a proud female,
removing the dirt of sin, translucent like a gem to the view, with the
elephants of the quarters, wild ones, mad ones, as well as those the
best of their species, and those carrying the foremost of celestials,
roaring in the neighbouring woods, adorned carefully with the choicest
ornaments like unto a damsel, crowded with flowers and fruits and bushes
as also with birds, flowing from the feet of Vishnu, divine, without
sin, capable of destroying it, filled with porpoises, crocodiles and
snakes, drawn out from the matted locks of Sankara by the energy of
Sagara's descendant--the queen of the Ocean--resonant with the cries of
cranes and _kraunchas_. The mighty-armed Rama came to the Ganga near
Sringaverapura. And beholding (the river) with her surging eddies, that
mighty car-warrior said unto the charioteer, Sumantra, "We will rest
here to day. There is hard by the river a gigantic Ingudi tree, bearing
a profusion of flowers and fresh leaves. Here, O charioteer, will we
stay to-day. I see (before me) the foremost of streams, whose waters are
honored (by all) and which is sacred to celestials and men and
Gandharbas and beasts and serpents and fowls. Thereupon saying unto
Raghava, "Very well," Lakshmana and Sumantra with the horses went to the
Ingudi tree. And reaching the tree, that desendant of Ikshwaku alighted
from the car along with his wife and Lakshmana. Then descending,
Sumantra relieved those excellent horses, and with joined hands stood
before Rama seated at the foot of the tree. There lived at the place a
king named Guha, a friend unto Rama, dear as his own self, a Nishada by
birth, powerful and famed as the lord of the Nishadas. Hearing that that
foremost of men, Rama, had arrived at the place, he (Guha) surrounded by
his aged counsellors and kindred came unto him. Seeing the lord of the
Nishadhas at a distance, Rama came up unto him in company with Sumitra's
son. Thereat touched, Guha embracing Raghava said unto him, "O Rama, as
Ayodhya this kingdom is unto thee. What shall I do for thee? Who, O
might-armed one, receives such a welcome guest?" Then speedily bringing
various kinds of sapid rice and Arghyas, he said,--"O mighty -armed one,
has thy journey been a pleasant one? This entire earth is thine. We are
thy servants; thou art our master. Do thou rule here, accepting the
eatables and drinkables and those that are to be sucked and excellent
beds and fodder." When Guha had said this, Raghava answered him,
saying,--"We have been well received by thee and are well pleased with
thee, since coming here on foot thou hast shown us affection." Then
pressing Guha hard with his arms, Rama said, "O Guha, it is by good luck
that I see thee whole along with thy friends. Is thy kingdom in peace
both as regards thy friends and the forest? The things that thou hast
presented me with out of love I accept but cannot enjoy. Do thou know me
as assuming an ascetic mode of life in the woods, in which I am to wear
Kuca and bark and live upon fruits and roots. So, will the single
exception of the food for the horses, things require I none; and these
horses being well kept, I shall consider myself as entertained by thee.
These are the favorites of my father, Dacaratha, and on these horses
being well provided for, I shall be well received. Thereupon Guha on the
spot commanded the men, saying, "Let the horses have without delay meats
and drinks." Then putting his sheet over his person, he (Rama) performed
his evening devotions. Having done this, he took as his sustenance the
water that had been procured by Lakshmana himself. On Rama having lain
down on the ground along with his wife, Lakshmana washed their feet, and
then remained stationed under the tree. Then bow in hand and with his
wits about him, conversing with Sumitra's son along with the charioteer,
Guha remained awake, watching Rama. Thus the livelong night passed away
with that illustrious, intelligent and high-souled son of Dacaratha,
unacquainted with troubles and worthy of happiness.