Chapter CLXIX: Section XXVII

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.