The Ramayana · 78 of 493

Ayodhyā Kānda (The Book of Ayodhyā): Canto 3 — Dasaratha’s Precepts

The monarch with the prayer complied Of suppliant hands, on every side Uplifted like a lotus-bed: And then these gracious words he said: “Great joy and mighty fame are mine Because your loving hearts incline, In full assembly clearly shown To place my Ráma on the throne.” Then to Vaśishṭha, standing near, And Vámadeva loud and clear The monarch spoke that all might hear: “’Tis pure and lovely Chaitra now When flowers are sweet on every bough; All needful things with haste prepare That Ráma be appointed heir.”

Context

Daśaratha now delivers what Indian tradition calls a precepts speech to Rāma, the rāja-dharma instruction laid on an heir about to be crowned. These speeches are a stock feature of epic literature across the world. The departing king or father gives the rising son a compressed ethics of office. Polonius does a famously meaner version of it in Hamlet. The Egyptian Instructions of Ptahhotep are an older one. The Laws of Manu, the Arthaśāstra of Kauṭilya, and later medieval Indian dharma manuals are all the descendants in Indian tradition. Notice that the precepts here are largely moral, not tactical. Tradition cares more about what kind of person the king becomes than how he wins the next battle.Polonius's speech: Hamlet 1.3; Instructions of Ptahhotep, twenty-fourth century BCE; on rāja-dharma in epic Sanskrit: Patrick Olivelle, King, Governance, and Law in Ancient India (2013).

Then burst the people’s rapture out In loud acclaim and joyful shout; And when the tumult slowly ceased The king addressed the holy priest: “Give order, Saint, with watchful heed For what the coming rite will need. This day let all things ready wait Mine eldest son to consecrate.” Best of all men of second birth Vaśishṭha heard the lord of earth, And gave commandment to the bands Of servitors with lifted hands Who waited on their master’s eye: “Now by to-morrow’s dawn supply Rich gold and herbs and gems of price And offerings for the sacrifice, Wreaths of white flowers and roasted rice, And oil and honey, separate; New garments and a car of state, An elephant with lucky signs, A fourfold host in ordered lines, The white umbrella, and a pair Of chowries,(261) and a banner fair; A hundred vases, row on row, To shine like fire in splendid glow, A tiger’s mighty skin, a bull With gilded horns most beautiful. All these, at dawn of coming day, Around the royal shrine array, Where burns the fire’s undying ray. Each palace door, each city gate With wreaths of sandal decorate. And with the garlands’ fragrant scent Let clouds of incense-smoke be blent. Let food of noble kind and taste Be for a hundred thousand placed; Fresh curds with streams of milk bedewed To feed the Bráhman multitude. With care be all their wants supplied. And mid the twice-born chiefs divide Rich largess, with the early morn, And oil and curds and roasted corn. Soon as the sun has shown his light Pronounce the prayer to bless the rite, And then be all the Bráhmans called And in their ordered seats installed. Let all musicians skilled to play, And dancing-girls in bright array Stand ready in the second ring Within the palace of the king. Each honoured tree, each holy shrine With leaves and flowery wreaths entwine, And here and there beneath the shade Be food prepared and presents laid. Then brightly clad, in warlike guise, With long swords girt upon their thighs, Let soldiers of the nobler sort March to the monarch’s splendid court.”

Thus gave command the twice-born pair To active servants stationed there. Then hastened to the king and said That all their task was duly sped, The king to wise Sumantra spake: “Now quick, my lord, thy chariot take, And hither with thy swiftest speed My son, my noble Ráma lead.”

Sumantra, ere the word was given, His chariot from the court had driven, And Ráma, best of all who ride In cars, came sitting by his side. The lords of men had hastened forth From east and west and south and north, Áryan and stranger, those who dwell In the wild wood and on the fell, And as the Gods to Indra, they Showed honour to the king that day.

Like Vásav, when his glorious form Is circled by the Gods of storm, Girt in his hall by kings he saw His car-borne Ráma near him draw, Like him who rules the minstrel band Of heaven;(262) whose valour filled the land, Of mighty arm and stately pride Like a wild elephant in stride, As fair in face as that fair stone Dear to the moon, of moonbeams grown,(263) With noble gifts and grace that took The hearts of all, and chained each look, World-cheering as the Lord of Rain When floods relieve the parching plain. The father, as the son came nigh, Gazed with an ever-thirstier eye. Sumantra helped the prince alight From the good chariot passing bright, And as to meet his sire he went Followed behind him reverent. Then Ráma clomb, the king to seek That terrace like Kailása’s peak, And reached the presence of the king, Sumantra closely following. Before his father’s face he came, Raised suppliant hands and named his name,(264) And bowing lowly as is meet Paid reverence to the monarch’s feet. But soon as Daśaratha viewed The prince in humble attitude, He raised him by the hand in haste And his beloved son embraced, Then signed him to a glorious throne, Gem-decked and golden, near his own. Then Ráma, best of Raghu’s line, Made the fair seat with lustre shine As when the orient sun upsprings And his pure beam on Meru flings. The glory flashed on roof and wall, And with strange sheen suffused the hall, As when the moon’s pure rays are sent Through autumn’s star-lit firmament. Then swelled his breast with joy and pride As his dear son the father eyed, E’en as himself more fair arrayed In some clear mirror’s face displayed. The aged monarch gazed awhile, Then thus addressed him with a smile, As Kaśyap, whom the worlds revere, Speaks for the Lord of Gods to hear: “O thou of all my sons most dear, In virtue best, thy father’s peer, Child of my consort first in place, Mine equal in her pride of race, Because the people’s hearts are bound To thee by graces in thee found, Be thou in Pushya’s favouring hour Made partner of my royal power. I know that thou by nature’s bent Both modest art and excellent, But though thy gifts no counsel need My love suggests the friendly rede. Mine own dear son, be modest still, And rule each sense with earnest will. Keep thou the evils far away That spring from love and anger’s sway. Thy noble course alike pursue In secret as in open view, And every nerve, the love to gain Of ministers and subjects, strain. The happy prince who sees with pride His thriving people satisfied; Whose arsenals with arms are stored, And treasury with golden hoard,— His friends rejoice as joyed the Blest When Amrit crowned their eager quest. So well, my child, thy course maintain, And from all ill thy soul refrain.”

The friends of Ráma, gathered nigh, Longing their lord to gratify, Ran to Kauśalyá’s bower to tell The tidings that would please her well. She, host of dames, with many a gem, And gold, and kine rewarded them.

Then Ráma paid the reverence due, Mounted the chariot, and withdrew, And to his splendid dwelling drove While crowds to show him honour strove. The people, when the monarch’s speech Their willing ears had heard, Were wild with joy as though on each Great gifts had been conferred. With meek and low salute each man Turned to his home away, And there with happy heart began To all the Gods to pray.