महावीरचरितम् (महाकवि भवभूति - वीररस-प्रधान रामकथा नाटक सम्पूर्ण ७ अङ्क सटीक)

19] Act I, Picture-gallery — Translation [—i. 15⁶ Lakshmaṇa—As far as the fire-ordeal of the noble Lady [Sītā]. Rāma—Peace! Pure even in her [very] birth, what need has she of other [external] purifications? Holy Water and Fire surely do not need to be made pure by other things. 13 O my Queen, sprung from the [very] sacrificial ground of the Gods, pardon! Here is unto thee my life-long homage. Hard [to please] is the people, and those whose wealth is [the fame of] their family have to follow [the people's] humours! So, whatever unkindly I spoke¹ unto thee was unmerited by thee. By its very nature unto a sweet-smelling flower is ordained a place on the head, and never tramplings under the feet. 14 Sītā—Never mind, noble my Lord, never mind. Come, let us rather, if you please (dāva), see [those pictures of] your career. They rise and walk about. Lakshmaṇa—Here is the painting. Sītā, inspecting it—Who now are these up above, standing close together and seeming as if praising my noble Lord? Lakshmaṇa—These are those jṛimbhaka² missiles and their spells (rahasya), which from the exalted Kṛiśāśva were passed on to the son of Kuśika, [I mean] to sage Viśvāmitra³—that friend (mitra) of the universe (viśva), who in his turn, at the killing of Tāṭakā⁴, presented the same as a favour to my noble brother. Rāma—Salute, my Queen, these divine missiles: Brahmā⁵ (Brahmán) and others, in the interest of the Sacred Truth (bráhman), practised penances for over a thousand autumns. And then those Sires (guru) of old obtained a vision of these [missiles] as if these were the very fires of their own penances. 15 Sītā—My homage unto these. Rāma—Assuredly now these will attend upon thy offspring. Sītā—This is a [great] favour. Lakshmaṇa—This here is the scene at Mithilā.⁶ Sītā—Lo! Like a newly-expanding blue lotus dark and soft and tender and fully developed in the charms of his person—[my] father gazing in rapt amazement on his mild and lovely form—the bow of [God] Śaṅkara ¹ At the time of the fire-ordeal at Laṅkā. ² I. e. missiles producing stupor. They are conceived of in a human shape. ³ Rāma's instructor in archery and warfare. ⁴ A frightful she-demon and molester of pious sacrifices. She was killed by Rāma. ⁵ Creator of the universe. ⁶ Capital of Janaka and the place where, after successfully passing through the test of wielding the heavy bow of God Śiva (or Śaṅkara), Rāma and his brothers married Sītā and her sisters.