When Ráma, pride of Raghu's race,
Virtue's dear son, had cleft the mace,
Thus with superior smile the best
Of chiefs the furious fiend addressed:
'Thou, worst of giant blood, at length
Hast shown the utmost of thy strength,
And forced by greater might to bow,
Thy vaunting threats are idle now.
My shafts have cut thy club in twain:
Useless it lies upon the plain,
And all thy pride and haughty trust
Lie with it levelled in the dust.
The words that thou hast said to-day,
That thou wouldst wipe the tears away
Of all the giants I have slain,
My deeds shall render void and vain.
Thou meanest of the giants' breed,
Evil in thought and word and deed.
My hand shall take that life of thine
As Garud 1 seized the juice divine.
In S'vetáranya's silvery dell:
So Namuchi and Vritra 2 died
By steaming bolts that tamed their pride:
So Bala 3 fell by lightning sent
By Him who rules the firmament.
Then all the Gods in close array
With the bright hosts who sing and play,
Filled full of rapture and amaze,
Sang hymns of joy in Ráma's praise,
Beat their celestial drums and shed
Rain of sweet flowers upon his head.
For three short hours had scarcely flown,
And by his pointed shafts o'erthrown
The twice seven thousand fiends, whose will
Could change their shapes, in death were still,
With Tris'iras and Dúshan slain,
And Khara, leader of the train.
'O wondrous deed,' the bards began,
'The noblest deed of virtuous man!
Heroic strength that stood alone,
And firmness e'en as Vishnu's own!'
Thus having sung, the shining train
Turned to their heavenly homes again.
263:1 Garud the King of Birds, carried off
the *Amrit* or drink of Paradise from
Indra's custody. 264:1 A demon, son of Kas'yap and Diti, slain
by Rudra or S'iva when he attempted to
carry off the tree of Paradise. 264:2 Namuchi and Vritra were two demons
slain by Indra. Vritra personifies drought,
the enemy of Indra, who imprisons the
rain in the cloud. 264:3 Another demon slain by Indra.
