med like the mighty deep:
The peer of Vishnu's power and might,
And lovely as the Lord of Night;(22)
Patient as Earth, but, roused to ire,
Fierce as the world-destroying fire;
In bounty like the Lord of Gold,(23)
And Justice self in human mould.

With him, his best and eldest son,
By all his princely virtues won
King Dasaratha(24) willed to share
His kingdom as the Regent Heir.
But when Kaikeyi, youngest queen,
With eyes of envious hate had seen
The solemn pomp and regal state
Prepared the prince to consecrate,
She bade the hapless king bestow
Two gifts he promised long ago,
That Rama to the woods should flee,
And that her child the heir should be.

By chains of duty firmly tied,
The wretched king perforce complied.
Rama, to please Kaikeyi went
Obedient forth to banishment.
Then Lakshman's truth was nobly shown,
Then were his love and courage known,
When for his brother's sake he dared
All perils, and his exile shared.
And Sita, Rama's darling wife,
Loved even as he loved his life,
Whom happy marks combined to bless,
A miracle of loveliness,
Of Janak's royal lineage sprung,
Most excellent of women, clung
To her dear lord, like Rohini
Rejoicing with the Moon to be.(25)
The King and people, sad of mood,
The hero's car awhile pursued.
But when Prince Rama lighted down
At Sringavera's pleasant town,
Where Ganga's holy waters flow,
He bade his driver turn and go.
Guha, Nishadas' king, he met,
And on the farther bank was set.
Then on from wood to wood they strayed,
O'er many a stream, through constant shade,
As Bharadvaja bade them, till
They came to Chitrakuta's hill.
And Rama there, with Lakshman's aid,
A pleasant little cottage made,
And spent his days with Sita, dressed
In coat of bark and deerskin vest.(26)
And Chitrakuta grew to be
As bright with those illustrious three
As Meru's(27) sacred peaks that shine
With glory, when the Gods recline
Beneath them: Siva's(28) self between
The Lord of Gold and Beauty's Queen.

The aged king for Rama pined,
And for the skies the earth resigned.
Bharat, his son, refused to reign,
Though urged by all the twice-born(29) train.
Forth to the woods he fared to meet
His brother, fell before his feet,
And cried, "Thy claim all men allow:
O come, our lord and king be thou."
But Rama nobly chose to be
Observant of his sire's decree.
He placed his sandals(30) in his hand
A pledge that he would rule the land:
And bade his brother turn again.
Then Bharat