A Flower Garland, a Drop of Blood, and the Arrow That Cannot Be Escaped
Aranya Kanda, Chaupai 1
Doha 1ख · Movement 1 of 2
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After singing the matchless love of Bharata and Ayodhya, the poet turns toward Rama's purifying forest deeds. One day the forest is gentle. Rama gathers beautiful blossoms with his own hands, fashions ornaments from them, and lovingly adorns Sita. Together they sit upon a clear crystal rock, flowers bright against bark garments and stone.
Above this tenderness, folly takes wing. Jayanta, son of Indra, assumes the form of a crow and comes to measure Raghupati's strength, like an ant approaching the ocean to discover its depth. He darts toward Sita, strikes her foot with his beak, and flees. A line of blood appears where flowers had filled the scene.
Rama sees it. He lifts a single blade of grass, sets it upon the bow, and makes it an arrow. The scale of the forest changes at once. The crystal seat remains, Sita's ornaments still carry their fragrance, yet the smallest stalk now bears a power before which the offender's wings and all the distances of creation will prove insufficient.
From beside Sita's wounded foot, a blade of grass rises with the certainty of divine justice.
Read the passage from the Manas
पुर नर भरत प्रीति मैं गाई। मति अनुरूप अनूप सुहाई।। अब प्रभु चरित सुनहु अति पावन। करत जे बन सुर नर मुनि भावन।। एक बार चुनि कुसुम सुहाए। निज कर भूषन राम बनाए।। सीतहि पहिराए प्रभु सादर। बैठे फटिक सिला पर सुंदर।। सुरपति सुत धरि बायस बेषा। सठ चाहत रघुपति बल देखा।। जिमि पिपीलिका सागर थाहा। महा मंदमति पावन चाहा।। सीता चरन चौंच हति भागा। मूढ़ मंदमति कारन कागा।। चला रुधिर रघुनायक जाना। सींक धनुष सायक संधाना।।
I have sung of the prema between the people of Ayodhya and Bharata, beautiful and matchless according to my understanding. Now listen to the supremely paavan deeds of Prabhu, which delight the devas, men, and munis in the forest. Once, gathering beautiful flowers, Rama made ornaments with His own hands. The Lord lovingly adorned Sita with them and sat upon a beautiful crystal rock. Indra's son Jayanta, taking the form of a crow, foolishly wished to test the power of Raghupati. Like an ant trying to fathom the ocean's depth, the great fool sought to measure the Immeasurable. The senseless crow struck Sita's feet with its beak and fled, driven by its dull understanding. When blood flowed, Raghunayaka saw it at once and fitted an arrow to His grass bow.