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

79] Act V, Princes in Combat — Translation [—v. 31ᶜ father of thy race! Unto thee may the son of Mitra and Varuṇa [Vasiṣhṭha]—he who has been the guru of thy gurus—speak gladness! Of Indra and Vishṇu, of Fire-god and Wind-god, and of the [heavenly] Eagle, may the vigour be thy own! And may the twang of the bows of Rāma and Lakshmaṇa be [unto thee] the magic-spell that yields victory! 28 Lava—Prince, thou dost certainly look extremely comely even as thou art—in thy chariot: enough, enough of this excess of courtesy. Chandraketu—In that case, let the valiant one also grace another chariot. Lava—Worthy [charioteer], take the Royal prince again upon his chariot. Sumantra—Then do thou also assent to dear Chandraketu's wishes. Lava—Why hesitate when it is a question of one's own equipage? We however are foresters, unused to going in chariots. Sumantra—Thou knowest, noble youth, how [to speak] what pride and politeness demand! If, for once, the noble scion of Ikshvāku, [I mean] King Rāma, were to see thee as thou art, then would his heart melt for very love! ¹ Lava—Yes, [worthy Sir]; we have heard that that Royal sage is kind- hearted. Colouring slightly. Neither are we—by any means—of a sort to be jealous even of [holy] sacrifices; for, breathes there the man that would not, for King [Rāma's] virtues, accord him pre-eminence? Still, that speech of those guardians of the horse—it stirred me up by that arrogant defiance which it conveyed unto all Kshatriyas what- soever. 29 Chandraketu, smiling—Indeed! Is the eminence of even father [Rāma's] prowess something you cannot put up with? Lava—Perhaps I can—I may—put up with it, perhaps not; but this I would ask. We have, to be sure, heard that the noble descendant of Raghu [Rāma] has subdued his own self. It is said he is not himself arrogant, nor is there arrogance in his subjects. Why then do his men utter a speech worthy only of a Rākshasa [demon]?— For, that, declare the sages, is a speech worthy of a Rākshasa which flows from arrogance and intoxication: such [a speech] is the source of all feuds: it is the world's curse (nirṛiti). 30 Thus they censure this kind of speech, the other they praise thus— It yields desires and dispels misery; it begets fame and blunts malice (dushkṛita): such a speech [at once] truthful-and-agreeable ¹ Sumantra artfully introduces this reference age be true. Lava's answer sorely dis- to Rāma to ascertain if what he suspected appoints him. (cf. v. 20, above) about the boy's parent-