CHAPTER LXIV. Sport of the Heavenly Nymphs.
Project Gutenberg EPUB edition
Valmiki and Mitra, Viharilala
Argument:—Full account of the nymph, since her birth to her Beatification.
Vasishtha continued:—The graceful nymph with lotus like eyes, and her side long glances darting as a string of málati flowers, was then gently looked upon by me, and accosted with tenderness.
2. Who art thou sweet nymph, I said, that art as fair as the farina of the lotus floret, and comest to my company; say, whose and what thou art, where is thy abode and wither thou goest, and what thou desirest of me.
3. The nymph replied:—It is meet, O muni, that you greet me thus; that repair to you with a grieving heart, and will lay my case confidently before you for your kind advice to me.
4. There is in a corner of the cell of the great vault of vacuity, that this worldly dwelling of yours is situated.
5. This dwelling house of the world has three apartments in it, namely the earth, heaven, and the infernal regions; wherein the great architect (Brahmá) hath placed a dame by name of fancy, as a mistress of this dwelling.
6. Here is the sombre surface of the earth, appearing as the store-house of the world; and beset with numerous islands surrounded by oceans and seas. (The earth is said to be the mother and supporter of all worlds).
7. The earth stretches on all sides, with many islands in the midst of its seas and with many a mine of gold underneath, and extending to ten thousand yojans in its length.
8. It is bright and visible itself, and is as fair as the vault of heaven; it supplies us with all the objects of our desire, and vies with the starry heaven by the lustre of its gems.
9. It is the pleasure and promenading ground of gods, siddha spirits and apsara nymphs; it abounds with all objects of desire, and fraught with all things of our enjoyment.
10. It has at its two ends the two polar mountains, called the lokáloka ranges (for having one side of them always brightened by the sunlight, and the other ever darkened by the sunly night). The two polar circles resembling the two belts at both extremities of the earth.
11. One side of the polar mountains, is ever covered by darkness, like the minds of ignorant people; and the other side shines with eternal light, like the enlightened souls of the wise.
12. One side of these is as delightsome, as society with the good and wise; while the opposite side is as dark and dolesome, as company with the ignorant and vile.
13. On one side all things were as clear as the minds of intelligent men, and on the other, there was as impervious a gloom as it hangs over the minds of unlettered Bráhmanas.
14. On one part there was neither the sunshine nor the moon light to be had; and as one side presented the habitable world before it, so the other showed the vast void and waste beyond the limits of nature.
15. One side of these teemed with the cities of gods, and the other with those of demons; and as the one side lifted its lofty summits on high, so the other bent below towards the infernal regions.
16. Some where the vultures were hovering over the craters and at others the lands appeared charming to sight; while the mountain peaks appeared to touch the celestial city of Brahmá on high. (The city of Brahma loka, is situated in the highest heaven).
17. Some where there appears a dismal and dreary desert forest, with loud blasts of death hovering over them; and at others there are flower gardens and groves, with the nymphs of heaven, sitting and singing in them.
18. In one part of it there is the deep infernal cave, containing the horrible Kumbhanda demons in it; and in another are the beautiful nandana gardens with the hermitages of holy saints in them.
19. On one part there overhang the eternal clouds, roaring loudly like furious elephants, while raining clouds are showering on the other. There are deep and dark caverns ＜on＞ one part, and thick forest arbours on another.
20. The labouring woodmen are felling the trees of wood-lands, inhabited by evil spirits on one side or the hardy woodmen are driving away the devils on one side, by felling the woods of their haunts in the wood-lands; while the other is full of inhabited tracts, and men more polished in their manners, than the celestials of heaven.
21. Some places are laid desolate by their inhabitants, by the driving and whirling winds; and others secure from every harm, are flourishing in their productions (of animals and vegetables).
22. Some where are great and desolate deserts, dreary wastes dreadful with their howling winds; and in some places there are purling lakes of lotuses with rows of sounding cranes gracing their borders.
23. In some places, is heard the gurgling of waters, and the growlings of clouds in others; and in others are the gay and merry Apsaras, turned giddy with their swinging.
24. On one side the landscape is beset by horrible demons, and is shunned by all other beings; and on the other, the happy spirits of Siddhas, Vidyádharas and others, are seen to be sitting and singing by the side of cooling streams.
25. Somewhere the pouring clouds, caused the ever flowing rivers to encroach upon the lands; and there were the light and flimsy clouds also, flying as sheets of cloths, and driven by gusts of winds here and there.
26. There are the lotus bushes on one side, with swarms of humming bees, fluttering about their leafy faces; and there are seen the rubicund teeth of celestial damsels, blushing with the tincture of betel leaves on the other.
27. In one place is seen the pleasant concourse of people, pursuing their several callings under the shining sun; and in another the assemblage of hideous demons, dancing in their demoniac revelry in the darkness of night.
28. Somewhere the land is laid waste of its people, by havocs and portents befalling on them; and else where the country is smiling with its rising cities, under blessing of a good government.
29. Sometimes a dreary waste distracts, and at others a beautiful population attracts the sight; sometimes deep and dark caverns occur to view, and at others the dreadful abyss appears to sight.
30. Some spot is full of fruitful trees and luxuriant verdure, and another a dreary desert devoid of waters and living beings; some where you see bodies of big elephants, and at others groups of great and greedy lions.
31. Some places are devoid of animals, and others peopled by ferocious Rákshasas; some places are filled with the thorny karanja thickets, and others are full of lofty palma forests.
32. Somewhere are lakes as large and clear as the expanse of heaven, and at others there are vast barren deserts as void as the empty air. Somewhere there are tracts of continually driving sands, and there are goodly groves of trees at others, flourishing in all the seasons of the year.
33. This mountain has many a peak on its top, as high as ordinary hills and mounts elsewhere; and the kalpa clouds are perpetually settled upon them, blazing with the radiance of gems by the hues of heaven.
34. There are forests growing on the milk white and sunny stones of this mountain, and serving as abodes of foresters; and always resorted to by the breed of lions and monkeys.
35. There is a peak on the north of this mountain, with a grotto towards the east of it; and this cavern affords me a sequestered habitation, in its hard and stony bosom.
36. There I am confined, O sage, in that stony prison-house; and there methinks I have passed a series of yuga ages (of which there is no reckoning).
37. Not I alone, but my husband also is confined in the same cave with myself; and we are doomed to remain imprisoned therein, like bees closed up at night fall, within the cup of a closing lotus-flower.
38. Thus have I with my husband, continued to abide in the stony dungeon, for the very long period of very many years.
39. It is owing to our own fault, that we do not obtain our release even at the present time; but continue to remain there in the state of prisoners as ever and for ever.