English Tapasvinī Kāvya Canto-4/Harekrishna Meher

TAPASVINĪ
Original Oriya Epic Poem By : Poet Gańgādhara Meher (1862-1924)
Complete English Translation By : Dr. Harekrishna Meher
*
[Canto-4 has been taken from pages 47-58 of my English Book
‘ Tapasvinī of Gańgādhara Meher ’
Published by : R.N. Bhattacharya, A-217, Road No.4, HB Town, Sodepur,
Kolkata-700110, India. First Edition : 2009, ISBN : 81-87661-63-1]
*
For Introduction, please see,
‘ Tapasvinī of Gańgādhara Meher : A Critical Observation ’ :
Link : http://hkmeher.blogspot.com/2007/08/tapasvini-of-gangadhara-meher-critical.html

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Tapasvinī [Canto-4]
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Auspiciously came
Ushā, the blooming lotus-eyed dame,
in her heart cherishing keenly
thirst for a vision
of the virtuous Jānakī.
Bearing dew-pearls as presentation
in her hands of leafage,
standing forward
in the outer courtyard
of Sītā’s cottage,
in cuckoo’s tone spake she :
“O Chaste Lady !
Deign to give your sight.
Dawned the night.” (1)

The saffron costume
of auroral shine,
flowers’ smiling bloom
and tranquil mien
make a room
in the mind to presume :
Some goddess of Yoga reaching the place,
by sweet words giving solace
calls to render relief
from pangs of grief.
From heaven on earth as if
has descended to bestow a new life. (2)

Musical tune Zephyr sang swinging,
Black Bee played on lute charming.
By Ushā’s bidding, in dance
rapt remained Fragrance.
Kumbhāţuā bird as a royal bard
began to eulogize forward.
As the panegyrist premier
Kalińga bird appeared there
and spake in voice gracefully sweet :
“Wake please,
O Queen of the empire of chaste ladies !
Dawned the night.” (3)

The Vedic lore chanted by ascetics there
reverberated the darksome penance-grove.
Transcending the sphere
the high ‘OM’ sound raised above.
From the lute of Sarasvatī, the Speech-Goddess,
the tune jingling,
giving hearty propitiation
to Vishņu, the Lord of heaven,
as if could find own access
into the ears of Ananta, the Serpent-King.
By and by, the forest bore
brightness more and more.
With the incantation-power
energy as if increased further. (4)

The celebate hermitess
ascetic-maid Anukampā
meantime came near Sītā
and with sonorous words spake :
“O Vaidehi ! please wake.
The delicate-limbed Ushā
has now come here.
Giving thy sight duly gratify her.
Placing you once in lap, Tamasā
has awaited to attain happiness.” (5)

From her bed got up Sītā,
the devoted wife,
on the board of her mind perforated
by inner grief,
portraying the heroic image
of King Rāma , like Sun’s reflection
in the dew-drop rested
in the heart of Lotus-maid.
Extending salutation
at the feet of Anukampā,
humble homage
at Ushā ’s feet, she paid. (6)

With admiration
Sītā addressed her :
“In this world, thou art harbinger
of the rising of Sun,
the darkness-dispeller.
Thy tender feet compile brilliance.
To them I consign with firm aspiration.
O Ye fond of fair fragrance !
On my lord, King Raghu’s scion,
auspiciousness kindly confer.” (7)

With heart eagerly restless
at the end of the night,
Tamasā, the hermitage-hostess,
limpid-limbed
and sacred-streamed,
strewing on the yard flowers pleasant,
sprinkling water fragrant,
kindling auspicious Lucifer-lamp bright,
with her fish-eyes frequently gazing thus,
was awaiting Sītā’s arrival gracious. (8)

Accompanied by Anukampā, that moment,
Sītā, the jewel among the chaste,
highly applauded in the world by the overflow
of endless endearment
rendered by hermit-maidens, in haste,
from the hermitage went to the river-flow.
Her on own lap Tamasā placed,
with the wave-hands lovingly embraced. (9)

In her tone sweet as ambrosia
expressed amply complacent Tamasā :
“Daughter dearest ! In my mind
never was the hope that Sītā, the necklace
of the heart of Royal Wealth-goddess
would fondly find
my lap as a sporting place
by forsaking the kingly pleasure-seekingness.
In this world, people all
solely because of your noble self will call
me very fortunate one
with words of appreciation. (10)

Wandering over several woods wide,
never wavering astray
by illusion of any gorge,
surmounting many an impediment
in my life limpid,
never deeming darkness
as a distress,
never thinking light
to be a delight,
for a remote way
ahead I’ve continued to forge
with my head humbly bent.
Gratifying every bank-dweller
with offering of water,
fruitfulness of my birth
I’m realizing worth. (11)

From the view-points
of all those attributes, my compeers
are Mandākinī and Godāvarī ;
still both have enhanced glory
by earning the imperishable opulence
of your holy foot-prints,
also your physical fragrance that confers
deity’s divine excellence.
To acquire those I had inner thirst ;
bereft thereof I was mentally accurst. (12)

Many a noble deed
I had done indeed.
Dharma betimes brought you therefore,
after discerning the earnest yearning
of my heart’s core.
Unattainable wealth I’ve got.
Heartful complacence
I’ll enjoy hence
by addressing and caressing
your sacred self on my lap everyday.
Aroma of your limbs will purge away
my life’s all the blot. (13)

Herons and flamingoes
roaming in rows,
cranes as well as sheldrakes couple-wise,
all these sportive players
of my lap beside me will reside for ever,
taking heartful drinks of my water
sanctified by ablution of your sacred body.
Singing your glory under the guise
of dulcet indistinct warbling-melody
immensely they’ll be pleasing my ears. (14)

To acquire sanctity
in touch with the body
of the devoted spouse, various flowers
detached from their home of creepers,
leaping and leaping
from remote regions,
will be rushing by floating forward
and will be moving
oft in your close proximity.
With your feet, O Compassionate Lady !
in my water during ablutions
them you’ll never discard. (15)

Stepping on my banks, My dear !
you’ll kindly meander
on pretext, presenting supernal splendour.
Earning this, the sylvan trees
will cheerfully bear
the pride of deities ;
also peace they’ll grant.
In the foliage, sure,
will remain perpetually pure
the lustres, rosy, darkish and elegant.” (16)

Sītā replied :
“Like the water of coconut
sweet is this limpid water ;
nay, nay, not water, but
mother’s milk real,
flowing as the stream ambrosial,
from the mountain-breast
for Sītā, the dead-like daughter.
Oh ! In this land, you’re indeed
my mother dearest
incarnate as Tamasā having a heart
riven by my severe smart. (17)

Pierced by crack
has been your back ;
the other side is seen.
Despite this, to delight the daughter,
opening the eyes of affections
you fondle and flatter
with the design
of words, lovingly sweet.
Effusive thanks, O Mother benign !
Sandy your heart has been
for the harsh heat
of my afflictions. (18)

Blemished by the vision
of denizens in King Rāma ’s empire,
Sītā, ever-exiled, will ably stand
in your opinion
to sanctify in the world entire,
all the beings, movable
as well as immovable,
by virtue of own devotion-to-husband.
Mother verily knows
her daughter’s sorrows.
A burnt-faced daughter
looks moon-faced in the eyes of mother. (19)

Your banks have been, of course,
my permanent recourse.
In your serene lotus-feet
my hope finds a firm seat.
She, for whom, O My Darling !
the movable and the immovable ones
all turned nothing,
has her mother’s lap solely present
as the vast treasure of her endearment
in the mundane regions.
Having own gem-wombed mother
why would she seek shelter another ?” (20)

Comfortably cool, clear and pure
flows Tamasā’s water.
Alike is the nature
of all ascetic-girls thither.
Tamasā, anxious with affections,
under the pretext of reflections
transformed herself into their exact figures
and in graceful embrace
longingly mingled apace
her own body with theirs. (21)

To behold further
always remaining by Sītā’s side
and availing herself of the auspicious
opportune moment,
in this manner
Tamasā, indeed intelligent,
gently imbibed in limbs various,
the forms multi-hearted
and multi-minded,
being ownself multi-eyed.
Mixing with the stature
of like attribute and like nature,
to a great extent
mind derives contentment. (22)

Having accomplished ablutions
all returned and rendered salutations
at the feet of Sage Vālmīki .
With benedictions said he :
“Possessing the wisdom-opulence
through sincere perseverance,
crowned with success may you all be.”
With endearment, the great seer
especially addressed Jānakī :
“My Darling !
May you, free from fear,
be the mother of great warrior offspring. (23)

O Dear Daughter !
Practising the effort of affections
please look after
the hermitage-saplings as sons.
Naturally thence
you’ll experience
how son-gem in the mundane level
is never easily attainable.
Anukampā will regularly take care
to fulfil your all necessity here. (24)

By the bidding of the great seer,
with their lotus-tender hands there
bearing pitchers all of them went.
Among the crystals as a diamond dazzles,
Sītā shone resplendent
amid the hermit-damsels.
As they proceeded thence
towards the pleasure-garden yonder,
obtaining that opulence
Forest enhanced own splendour. (25)

While glittered Maithilī
at the door-way of the pleasure-grove,
Dame Vana-Lakshmī heartily,
adorned with sun-shine,
in her leaf-lips fine,
spreading smile sweet
with Madhuka flowers as nice teeth
attracted mind with love.
As a formality for Sītā’s reception
she offered the red Silk cotton
and for washing her feet
gave dews in green grasses therewith. (26)

Offering a seat of land-lotus
for Sītā, greeted she, rapturous.
in guise of sweet
sobre myna’s tweet.
Just as the pond in autumn
causing the new lotus bloom in water
extends warm welcome
to the female flamingo
in the tone of bee’s humming,
said the Beauty : “O Virtuous Friend Dear !
Dawned the night of my sorrow
by the Sun of your feet oncoming. (27)

By favourable fortune, acquiring you,
I actually learnt
the sky-flower true.
With heartiest ecstasy
in Chitrakūţa’s dale,
in Daņdaka forest inhabited by Siddhas
and across the sea
in Aśoka grove of Lańkā as well,
having enshrined in my front
your good self as ideal,
for fourteen years
I built the love-idol real. (28)

By Pushpaka plane when
you were returning through the sphere,
I standing here
bearing in hands a gift of flowers fine,
with gazelle’s eyes woefully gazing above
was calling you with keen love
in the voice of peahen
from a long way.
Friend dearest mine !
Did you come today
remembering this companion
after so many days gone ? (29)

Prolonged separation, to a huge measure,
O Friend ! I couldn’t endure
and in final thought ahead
took the form of an ascetic-maid.
In the sentiment of affection,
having emerged the reflection
in your heart’s mirror,
I received thy noble self here
with extreme exhilaration.
Thanks immense accept please, for
my long-cherished aspiration
you fulfilled with faith sincere. (30)

In the company of the noble
remains noble feeling ever-unsplit stable,
just as blue colour in the sky.
Nigh the noble companion
never in vain goes aspiration.
Your gracious sight, that’s why
I could obtain
at the time opportune.
Verily attainable is this gain
on favourable fortune.
O My Dear Friend Intimate !
Your feeling made me very fortunate.” (31)

To extinguish the conflagration
of severe separation
in the forest of Sītā’s heart, that moment
Sylvan Beauty, sweetly attractive,
seemed in mind’s view
like a cloud-mass appeared anew.
Said Jānakī with endearment :
“O Dear Companion !
In your prison
myself became life-long captive.” (32)

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( Canto-IV of Tapasvinī ends )

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