Stood the God of the lofty mind,
And his darksome hosts remained
Like his shadow cast behind.
And against the warlike Arjun
Siva shook his sounding bow,—
And the mountains seemed to split.
And the skies re-echoed low!
Arjun shot his countless arrows
With his more than mortal skill,—
But by Siva's shafts averted
Arjun's arrows useless fell!
Thick and fast across the sky
Siva's winged arrows fly,
And with a lurid lustre shine,—
Like the lightning's lurid ray!
Speeding through great Arjun's shafts,
On that warlike chief they fell.
But the haughty warrior stood
Dauntless and unshaken still!
Still he proudly stood and fought,—
Vain his skill and vain his ire!
For his weapons shattered fell,
And his eyes flashed angry fire!
Wondering at the hunter's skill,
Arjun, conqueror of his foes,
Paused in silence and in doubt,—
In his heart these thoughts arose.
"Warriors great of matchless power
I have met and beaten all!
Doth the sun bow to the moon?
Before the swain will Arjun fall?
Is this all magic, is this dream?
Or am I mighty Arjun still?
Why conquers not my matchless power
This mountaineer's untutored skill?
Rending the sky as if in twain,
Shaking the wide earth's solid frame,
How fights this boorish mountaineer!
Such deeds a man disguised proclaim!
Not Bhishma's self nor Drona owns
Such skill to shield, to send the dart!
And can a simple mountain swain
Possess such superhuman art?
Whoe'er he be, his mighty power
By shafts celestial I will quell!
Nor shall a forest hunter's skill
'Gainst Arjnn's matchless art prevail!"
Pondering thus he quickly sent
Mighty shaft of death-like sleep ;—
And a shadow filled the sky,
And the gloom of midnight deep!
Faint and powerless Siva's forces
Fell into a death-like sleep,
As a flippant youthful speaker
Falls abashed when questioned deep!
But the spreading gloom dispelling,
Siva sent a radiance bright,—
And as learning gloom dispelleth,—
Waked his hosts to new-born light!
Sorrowing Arjun thus beheld
His weapon lost and vain his art!
Fired with wrath the hero sent
The shaft of snakes,—a dreaded dart!
Pouring from their poisonous tongues
Liquid fire like lightning bright,
Countless myriad winged serpents
In the blue vault took their flight!
With their hue of molten gold
Reddening all the livid sky,
Flew the snakes across the view,
As the flashing meteors fly!
But unnumbered golden eagles
Issued from great Siva's dart!
And the serpents fled those birds.
Vain again was Arjun's art!
Burning with a mighty anger
At the hunter's skill, he sped
A flaming shaft of fatal force,
The shaft of fire, not fuel-fed!
With a sound like bursting rocks.
Hiding the sun with flashes dire,
Casting crimson sparks around,
Terrific rose the mighty fire!
Towering high like mountain peaks,
Like molten gold, before, behind.
Flaming like the Kinsuk flower
Spread the fire before the wind!
Rolled the red fire's tongues of flame,
As on the world's destruction bent!
Siva quelled the mighty flame
By the shaft of clouds he sent.
Quick and bright the lightuing gleamed.
And the rain-clouds, mountain high,
Deep incessant torrents poured
Like Ganga pouring from the sky!
The fire was quenched, but Arjun still
Sent other shafts of wondrous might ;
But vain his efforts,—vain our toil,
When struggling 'gainst an adverse fate!
Long waged the fierce and mighty war,
Till Siva, pleased with Arjun's might.
Withdrew all shafts from Arjun's quivers.
Ended thus the unequal fight!
And aye withdrew from Arjun's mien
His armour streaked with rays of gold,
So from the sun the wind withdraws
The lightning clouds in many a fold.
Like shining blade from scabbard drawn,
Like cobra darting from his skin,
Or like the tusker wild and furious.
Breaking from his cord and chain,
Or like the lion, with wild roar
Springing from his desert cave,
Or like the flame which leaps from smoke,
All armour-less, shone Arjun brave!
Undaunted chief! He little recked
His person streaked with purple blood!
Forward he leaped with angry shout.
And shook the hills beneath his tread!
And with his bow, like Indra's lightning,
Wielding it with all his might.
He struck his foe, as strikes a tusker
At some tree of ancient height!
But vain the effort, vain the toil.
The shattered weapon useless flew;—
Last refuge of his dauntless pride.
His mighty sword at last he drew!
Shielding self from Siva's darts.
Marching forward bold and free,
Arjun came with measured step,
Glorious as the sunlit sea!
But the good and trusty falchion
By great Siva's arrows driven,
Broke and fell with sound of thunder.
As from clouds the bolt of heaven!
Reft of bow and shining blade,
Reft of armour golden bright,
Like the monster of the sea,
Darted Arjun in his might!
Viewing Arjun reft of weapons,
Siva cast his arms aside,
Hand to hand the warriors wrestle
Like two tuskers in their pride!
And the sound of mutual blows,
The hunter and the hero gave,
Like the sound of bursting rocks.
Was echoed from the mountain cave!
And the blows which Siva dealt
Left their impress on the chief!
Proudly Arjun bore the wounds,
Felt no pain and felt no grief!
But the blows which Arjun gave
Were beaten back from Siva's chest,
As the surges of the ocean
From the mountain's rocky breast!
Reeling from the hunter's blows,
Charging with a mighty rage,
Arjun grasped him in his arms,
In close fight the chiefs engage!
With their arms and with their feet
They tug and strain and wrestle still,
And beneath their mighty tread
Shakes the everlasting hill!
Siva's hosts bewildered view
The wondrous fight,—with terror faint!
Who's above and who below?
Is that Siva or the saint?
Freed at last from mutual grasp,
Sounding their arms they spring in air!
The bank gives way beneath their tread,
And falls into the streamlet fair!
Siva springs into the air,
Arjun pulls him by the feet.
And to throw him on the ground,
Holds them close with all his might.
Mercy moves the heart of Sambhu great.
For pious Arjun holds him by the feet!
The god relents,—his heart is full of grace.
He holds the hero in a dear embrace!
Bhāravi (6th century) India
Translated by Romesh Chunder Dutt
From "The Hunter and the Hero"
by Romesh Chunder Dutt; Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner, 1894
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please keep your comments relevant and free from abusive language. Thank you. Note that comments are moderated so it may be a day or two before your comment is posted - irrelevant or abusive comments will not be published.