The Ramayana/Book II/Canto XCIII: Chitrakúta In Sight

As through the woods its way pursued That mignty bannered multitude, Wild elephants in terror fled With all the startled herds they led, And bears and deer were seen on hill, In forest glade, by every rill. Wide as the sea from coast to coast, The high-souled Bharat's mighty host Covered the earth as cloudy trains Obscure the sky when fall the rains. The stately elephants he led, And countless steeds the land o'erspread, So closely crowded that between Their serried ranks no ground was seen. Then when the host had travelled far, And steeds were worn who drew the car, The glorious Bharat thus addressed Vas'ishtha, of his lords the best: 'The spot, methinks, we now behold Of which the holy hermit told, For, as his words described, I trace Each several feature of the place: Before us Chitrakúta shows, Mandákiní beside us flows: Afar umbrageous woods arise Like darksome clouds that veil the skies. Now tread these mountain-beasts of mine On Chitrakúta's fair incline. The trees their rain of blossoms shed On table-lands beneath them spread, As from black clouds the floods descend When the hot days of summer end. S'atrughna, look, the mountain see Where heavenly minstrels wander free, And horses browse beneath the steep. Countless as monsters in the deep. Scared by my host the mountain deer Starting with tempest speed appear Like the long lines of cloud that fly In autumn through the windy sky. See, every warrior shows his head With fragrant blooms engarlanded; All look like southern soldiers who Lift up their shields of azure hue. This lonely wood beneath the hill. That was so dark and drear and still, Covered with men in endless streams Now like Ayodhyá's city seems. The dust which countless hoofs excite Obscures the sky and veils the light; But see, swift winds those clouds dispel As if they strove to please me well. See, guided in their swift career By many a skilful charioteer, Those cars by fleetest coursers drawn Race onward over glade and lawn. Look, startled as the host comes near The lovely peacocks fly in fear, Gorgeous as if the fairest blooms Of earth had glorified their plumes. Look where the sheltering covert shows The trooping deer, both bucks and does, That occupy in countless herds This mountain populous with birds. Most lovely to my mind appears This place which every charm endears: Fair as the road where tread the Blest; Here holy hermits take their rest, Then let the army onward press And duly search each green recess For the two lion-lords, till we Ráma once more and Lakshman see.' Thus Bharat spoke: and hero bands Of men with weapons in their hands Entered the tangled forest: then A spire of smoke appeared in ken. Soon as they saw the rising smoke To Bharat they returned and spoke: 'No fire where men are not: 'tis clear That Raghu's sons are dwelling here. Or if not here those heros dwell Whose mighty arms their foeman quell, Still other hermits here must be Like Ráma, true and good as he.' His ears attentive Bharat lent To their resistless argument, Then to his troops the chief who broke His foe's embattled armies spoke: 'Here let the troops in silence stay; One step beyond they must not stray. Come Dhrishti and Sumantra, you With me alone the path pursue.' Their leader's speech the warriors heard, And from his place no soldier stirred, And Bharat beat his eager eyes Where curling smoke was seen to rise. The host his order well obeyed, And halting there in silence stayed Watching where from the thicket's shade They saw the smoke appear. And joy through all the army ran, 'Soon shall we meet,' thought every man, 'The prince we hold so dear.'