  Her grief and woe she cast aside, Her lips with water purified, And thus her benison began That mother of the noblest man: “If thou wilt hear no words of mine, Go forth, thou pride of Raghu's line. Go, darling, and return with speed, Walking where noble spirits lead. May virtue on thy steps attend, And be her faithful lover's friend. May Those to whom thy vows are paid In temple and in holy shade, With all the mighty saints combine To keep that precious life of thine. The arms wise Vi?vÁmitra292 gave Thy virtuous soul from danger save. Long be thy life: thy sure defence Shall be thy truthful innocence, And that obedience, naught can tire, To me thy mother and thy sire. May fanes where holy fires are fed, Altars with grass and fuel spread, Each sacrificial ground, each tree, Rock, lake, and mountain, prosper thee. Let old VirÁj,293 and Him who made The universe, combine to aid; Let Indra and each guardian Lord Who keeps the worlds, their help afford, And be thy constant friend the Sun, Lord PÚshÁ, Bhaga, Aryuman.294 Fortnights and seasons, nights and days, Years, months, and hours, protect thy ways, Vrihaspati shall still be nigh, The War-God, and the Moon on high, Shall watch thee from their starry heaven. The mountains, and the seas which ring The world, and Varu?a the King, Sky, ether, and the wind, whate'er Moves not or moves, for thee shall care. Each lunar mansion be benign, With happier light the planets shine; All gods, each light in heaven that glows, Protect my child where'er he goes. The twilight hours, the day and night, Keep in the wood thy steps aright. Watch, minute, instant, as they flee, Shall all bring happiness to thee. Celestials and the Titan brood Protect thee in thy solitude, And haunt the mighty wood to bless The wanderer in his hermit dress. Fear not, by mightier guardians screened, The giant or night-roving fiend; Nor let the cruel race who tear Man's flesh for food thy bosom scare. Far be the ape, the scorpion's sting, Fly, gnat, and worm, and creeping thing. Thee shall the hungry lion spare, The tiger, elephant, and bear: Safe, from their furious might repose, Safe from the horned buffaloes. Each savage thing the forests breed, That love on human flesh to feed, Shall for my child its rage abate, When thus its wrath I deprecate. Blest be thy ways: may sweet success The valour of my darling bless. To all that Fortune can bestow, Go forth, my child, my RÁma, go. Go forth, O happy in the love Of all the Gods below, above; And in those guardian powers confide Thy paths who keep, thy steps who guide. May ?ukra,297 YÁma, Sun, and Moon, And He who gives each golden boon,298 Won by mine earnest prayers, be good To thee, my son, in Da??ak wood. Fire, wind, and smoke, each text and spell From mouths of holy seers that fell, Guard RÁma when his limbs he dips, |
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