thoughtful heart it sank.
His large full eyes in anguish rolled,
His trembling limbs grew stiff and cold;
Then fell he, like a tree uptorn,
In woe too grievous to be borne.
When Guha saw the long-armed chief
Whose eye was like a lotus leaf,
With lion shoulders strong and fair,
High-mettled, prostrate in despair,--
Pale, bitterly afflicted, he
Reeled as in earthquake reels a tree.
But when Satrughna standing nigh
Saw his dear brother helpless lie,
Distraught with woe his head he bowed,
Embraced him oft and wept aloud.
Then Bharat's mothers came, forlorn
Of their dear king, with fasting worn,
And stood with weeping eyes around
The hero prostrate on the ground.
Kausalya, by her woe oppressed,
The senseless Bharat's limbs caressed,
As a fond cow in love and fear
Caresses oft her youngling dear:
Then yielding to her woe she said,
Weeping and sore disquieted:
"What torments, O my son, are these
Of sudden pain or swift disease?
The lives of us and all the line
Depend, dear child, on only thine.
Rama and Lakshman forced to flee,
I live by naught but seeing thee:
For as the king has past away
Thou art my only help to-day.
Hast thou, perchance, heard evil news
Of Lakshman, which thy soul subdues,
Or Rama dwelling with his spouse--
My all is he--neath forest boughs?"

Then slowly gathering sense and strength
The weeping hero rose at length,
And words like these to Guha spake,
That bade Kausalya comfort take:
"Where lodged the prince that night? and where
Lakshman the brave, and Sita fair?
Show me the couch whereon he lay,
Tell me the food he ate, I pray."

Then Guha the Nishadas' king
Replied to Bharat's questioning:
"Of all I had I brought the best
To serve my good and honoured guest
Food of each varied kind I chose,
And every fairest fruit that grows.
Rama the hero truly brave
Declined the gift I humbly gave:
His Warrior part he ne'er forgot,
And what I brought accepted not:
"No gifts, my friend, may we accept:
Our law is, Give, and must be kept."
The high-souled chief, O Monarch, thus
With gracious words persuaded us.
Then calm and still, absorbed in thought,
He drank the water Lakshman brought,
And then, obedient to his vows,
He fasted with his gentle spouse.
So Lakshman too from food abstained,
And sipped the water that remained:
Then with ruled lips, devoutly staid,
The three(362) their evening worship paid.
Then Lakshman with unwearied care
Brought heaps of sacred grass, and there
With