And then the dream returned
By power divine. And Hari??chandra stood
In heaven, and he beheld his wife on earth,
With flowing hair, dragged forcibly along--
Stripped of her clothes: the cry came to his ear,
"Protect us, king of men!" Then, snatched away,
The demons hurried him before the judge;
And Hari??chandra seemed to hear the words:
"Go forth! return once more to earth! Thy grief
Is well nigh past and ended; joy ere long
Shall come to thee. The sorrows that remain
Endure." The king, then driven from the sky
By Yama's messengers, falling through space--
Senseless in fear and terror, filled with pain
Yet more exceeding--thought within himself,
"How shall I suffer all these torments sore!--
The changes manifold of form--the pain
In N??raka." Then Hari??chandra sought
Aid from the gods: "O mighty lords," he said,
"Protect me! O protect my wife and child!
O mighty Dharma, thee I worship! Thee,
O Krish.na, the Creator! Faultless ones,
Both far and near, before you now I come,
A suppliant. On thee, O lord of prayer,
I call! on thee, O Indra too! to thee
O ancient one! I pray--immutable!"
The vision fled, the king arose from sleep.
Pages:
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37