parents, his sin ought to be so too. He explains his idea to Brahma, who sends him to consult them. They answer in the negative; and Ratnakur, in terrible remorse, throws himself at the feet of Brahma, and demands assistance. Brahma enables him, after some difficulty, to utter the name of Rama: and, the instant the holy words had escaped his lips, the guilty dacoit is absolved. Brahma departs to heaven, and Ratnakur addresses. himself to a terrific course of penance.

The name of Ram he still repeats; in one place, still he sate,
And all his fleshy outward parts wild ants and insects ate :
His flesh consumed, they dug within, and ate his heart for food;
The kushi grass and prickly thorn grew round him as it would.
They ate the flesh, they ate the skin, they scarcely left the bones :
The Muni still within the Mound the name of Rama moans.

Brahma once more descends, changes the name of Ratnakur to Valmiki, the "ant eaten," and instructs him in the plan of the Ramayun. After the argument, which is not worth translation, the poet celebrates the pedigree of Rama; and the following extract may be taken as a fair specimen of the imbecility of the stories scattered through the book:

Before this nether world was made, the Holiest Being lived,
Brahma, Narayun, Siva's self, from him their life derived.
These godheads three one sister had, a female deity;
The godheads three bestowed on her the name of Kandini.
Jarut, the holy Muni's son, Narád by merit tried,

They summoned, and to him they gave their sister as a bride.
Then danced and sung the godheads all, and Narád with the rest,
And with a daughter, Bhànà named, the couple soon were blest.
A Raja, Jamadugni named, received her as his wife ;
On earth, incarnate in her house, Sri Vishnu sprung to life.

And so on. Be it understood the doggrel of the translation is not among the sins of the translator. It is simply a copy of the original. This dull list rolls on for about five hundred lines, after which we arrive at the main point of interest in the first canto, viz. the descent of the Ganges. Passing over Sagor, his sixty thousand sons, the pans of milk, in which they were nourished, and the spades, with handles, eight miles long, by which they dug their way through the tortoise back, we come to the birth of Bhagirath, who finally succeeded in bringing down the Ganges.

Childless the sorrowing Rajah is; no comfort can be brought:
With his two beauteous wives once more his capital he sought.
The Gunga to obtain the king a mighty effort made,

For many a fasting year of pain his strict devotions paid.
And now with biting hunger faint, and now half dead with thirst,
An hundred million years he spent, in Brahma's praise immersed;
And Ayodhya's wide spread realm was left without a king.
Then Brahma, the creator, deep reflects his minds within.
"I've heard that of this solar race Narayun shall be born,
Yet how can that be, if the race is childless left forlorn?"

In deep and earnest thought reflect the bright celestial train,
And Siva the Destroyer send to Ayodhya's plain.

Alive the monarch had possessed in his own land two brides,
And on his wondrous bull to them the stern Dread-giver rides.
The two wives gently he addressed, the stern Asuras' foe;
"Ye twain shall have a beauteous son, my blessing I bestow."
His blessing on them then bestowed the stern Asura's foe;
Glad-hearted at his word to bathe the wives of Dilip go.

In due time one fair wife again a mother's pains begun;
But a shapeless lump of flesh she bore, instead of a fair son.
Their son upon their lap, the two in mighty trouble rave,
"O Siva triple-eyed! is this the beauteous son you gave?
It is but flesh, it has no bones, it cannot even walk,

And all the sneering world will see, and all the world will talk.”
The women took it on their laps within a basket placed,
And angry to the river's brink to drown it went in haste.

It chanced a learned Brahman did the women going view,

And, deeply meditating, he the will of Siva knew.

The Muni them addressed, "The child upon the road place ye,
And he will pity, whosoe'er th' afflicted child shall see."

At his command they placed the child, and forthwith parted home:
In his eight limbs decrepit, there to bathe a sage had come.
The holy sage could scarcely walk; his limbs were bent awry ;
He gazed upon th' afflicted child, while slowly passing by.
The Muni, in eight limbs diseased, the boy viewed haughtily,
And in his heart he angry said "That child is jeering me;
If thus in ridicule he laughs at me, that shapeless boy,
My heavy curse, by Brahma's might, his body shall destroy.
But if from earliest birth his form has thus distorted been,
My mightier blessing shall restore his body wholly clean.'
Like Vishnu in his power he stood, though thus decrepit all,
On whomsoe'er his blessing came, no evil could befall.
He, in eight limbs decrepit, spake, and saw, in high surprise,
The son of Dilip rise in health, all healed before his eyes.
The queens the Muni called the two heart-grieving queens obey;
Heart glad they took their son again, retook their homeward way.
Then all the neighbouring Brahmins came, and made high festival,
And, from his wondrous monstrous birth, him Bhagirath they call.
I pandit Kirtibas, who am first poet on the earth,

In this first gentle canto sing of Bhagiratha's birth.

The boy is insulted at school with the name of bastard, and his mother, with many tears, informs him of his parentage. We pass over sundry other adventures, and come to the story of the bringing down of the Ganges, which, as a favourable specimen of the poem, we shall extract at some length, preserving the irregular rhymes of the Bengali translator :

This Bhagirath contented, heard, and looked right merrily,
And to his loving mother's face thus merrily spake he.
"These mighty kings of Solar race were mighty fools I deem.

Who, without labour, hopes to win from heaven bright Gunga's stream?
If such in truth my name, and you a true descent do trace,

I'll bring bright Gunga down, and win salvation to my race.
Weeping, his mother answered him," I crave of thee, my boy,
Such worship thou'lt not pay; alone thou art thy race's joy."
He turned to go, he would not hear his pleading mother's word;
In legal form at once the King of angels he adored.

But as his mother's tearful face before his mind uprose,
His eyelids quivered tearfully, and back to her goes;
Before his grieving mother's feet obeisance he preferred,
And then departed forth, and prayed into the angel's Lord.
Fasting from all, to Indra's praise mysterious runes he said,
For sixty thousand hungry years to Indra worship paid.
The mighty runes the God constrained; he dared not stay within ;
Forth Indra came, the Lord of Fire, and blessing gave to him.
"Raja, whose progeny art thou? of what race dost thou spring ?
I grant thy wish, whatever it be ask what thou wilt O king."
He, meet obeisance humbly made, to Indra gave reply,
"Of Solar race is my descent; king Dilip's son am I.
Of sixty thousand mighty sons was Sagor king the sire,
And all a heap of ashes fell at Kupil's flaming ire.

O angel-monarch! grant to me to take bright Gunga's stream,
And in that glorious act wilt thou my family redeem."
Quoth the Fire lord again, " Hear, thou of royal progeny,

;

To give to you bright Gunga's stream, O king, rests not with me.
If I my blessing give to thee, bright Gunga thou wilt bring.
To Siva worship pay; adore the great destroying king.
Within a mountain's darksome cave must Gunga first remain
Then call on me, O King, and I will set her free again."
At Indra's feet the King again his meet obeisance paid,
Then to the "Monster slaying lord," to Koylas mount he sped.
Fasting he prayed, and fasting still repeats his earnest prayers,
And fasting ever worshipped thus for twice five thousand years.
Said the Destroyer, “ Hear, O thou of royal race the son,
Wherefore such painful sacrifice in hunger hast thou done?
Now Siva's blessing be on thee: the stream shalt thou receive.
To Vishnu go, and once again thy heartfelt worship give."
At the Destroyer's feet the King a meet obeisance paid,

66

To Vishnu's heavenly seat once more, to Lakshmi's lord, he sped.
Within twelve circling hours the King a million texts repeats;
Intrepid with his head all bare he faced the solar heats:
For four months in the cold within the gelid river stayed,

In heat and cold for forty years a painful worship paid.

The mighty runes the god compelled; he dared not stay within ;
Vishnu came forth, and gently thus his blessing gave to him.
"At thy high penances and deeds amazement seizeth me ;

What wouldst thou, son of mighty kings? what can I give to thee ?"
Full sixty thousand mighty sons from Sagor king were sprung,"

66

(So answered Bhagirath the king, of Solar race the son),

"By Kupil Muni's flaming ire they all of them were slain.
But, Gunga once obtained, on earth they all would live again."
The Wielder of the quoit replies, a smile within his eye,
"Am I the Gunga's sire, O king? of Gunga what know I ?"
Swiftly replied the king" If thou the Gunga wilt not give,
Low at thy feet my soul I yield, I will no longer live."
Narayun heard content, on him bestowed a solace kind,

"In holy Brahma's glorious heaven, thou Gunga's stream shall find.” What common water there remained on Brahma's holy seat,

Narayun took, and bore away in innocent deceit.

Narayun forthwith went, and stood before the Maker's face,
And the Creator reverently arose, and gave him place.
And water for his feet he sought within his house was none;
The Kalasis were empty all, as dried up by the sun.
Of Gunga's water then a thought within his mind uprose,
And speedily, the stream to bring, himself the Maker goes.
The water on his feet he poured, to Vishnu worship paid;
And from this act is Gunga named "the foot-produced" maid.

Vishnu, the "wielder of the Quoit," unto the Rajah said,

"Go now with holy Gunga's stream: be blessings on thy head!
Who, impious, shall a bull or Brahmin slay,

And yet on Gunga's wave one blade shall lay
Of holy Kushi grass, his sins shall pass away.
Whoso in Gunga bathes his mortal leaven,

How many sins are unto him forgiven,

That much to say transcends the power of heaven,”

"Go," said Vishnu, "O holy one;" take Gunga down with thee,

And free at once king Sagor's sons thy grandsire's family.

"And Gunga, thou,” Narayun said, "go thou now down with him,
And free the nether world immersed in seas of deadly sin.

This carriage I on thee bestow;

High seated onward shalt thou go,

*

And ever in thy march thy glorious conch shell blow."

The king, high seated on the car, the conch shell sounded ever,
And after him rolled on the Gunga's rushing river.

I pandit Kirtíbas have sung the fall of Gunga famed,

Of Gunga, who in heaven above was Mandakíní named;
When Bhagirath had left the sky the plains below to seek,
With Gunga fell he down, and stood on high Suméru's peak.
Within the mountain's pathless top a cavern deep appears,
There Gunga wandered to and fro for twelve long weary years.

She is released at last from durance, at the prayer of Bhagirath, by Airavut, the far-famed elephant of Indra :

To Airavut he told the word,
The mighty beast, to action stirred,
With long continued effort strave;
Four sep'rate open ways he clave,
Within Suméru's mountain cave,

Through which the Gunga leaping rides,

And in four streams abroad right joyfully she glides.

Basu rolled south unto the Ocean wide;

Bhadra rushed onward on the northern side ;

Sweta, another, sought the Western Sea;

Over the broad earth rolled along Alaknanda the free.

Passing over her further progress from Sumeru to Koylas, from Koylas into Siva's hair, and thence to Hurdwar and Benares, through the ever potent penances and prayers of the unwearying Bhagirath, we extract a well known episode, illustrative of her virtues :

An evil Muni once there was, and Kamdúr was his name ;
A man more basely bad than he is yet untold to fame.
Now, and e'en upwards from his birth, an harlot he obeyed;
To her his soul was bound in chains, and in her house he stayed.
One day the jungle's deepest shades he sought to get some wood,
And there a tiger rav'ning seized and slew him as he stood.
The prowling ministers of Jom, Hell king, the soul embraced;
To Yama's house in hell they bore the destined soul in haste.
The hungry tiger eats the flesh, and then departs again;
Within the jungle's deepest shade the whitened bones remain.
A carrion crow pounced down on them, and o'er the Gunga flew ;
Avulture, as it hovered o'er, the carrion chanced to view.

Her whirring flight she envious saw; to seize the crow she sped;
The screaming crow in deadly fear along the Gunga fled.

And as they quarrel, angry there, and fight, and rend, and scream,
The dead man's bones, for which they fought, fell into Gunga's stream.
The instant that the evil bones in Gunga's stream were laved,
Like Vishnu innocent of soul, the sinful sage was saved.
Narayun gazing sat within the pleasant bowers of heaven,
And swiftly from the demon's hands the Brahmin's soul was riven.
They screamed with rage the servants they of Patal's haughty lord,
Then flew to Yama's feet, and thus their angry prayer out poured;
"No more of work do we; our power from us has Vishnu torn ;
This day, O Lord of hell's black plain! great insult have we borne.
Kamdúr by name, a Brahmin man of sinful soul, we seized:
To take this justly punished one from us has Vishnu pleased."
The Lord of Patal, Yama, heard in mingled rage and grief;
To Vishnu's feet he raging sped; and made him question brief.
And Yama wept full sore, as he at Vishnu's footstool fell,
"My power away from me has passed; I am not Lord of hell.
O'er all the sinful souls of men extends my wide spread sway:
Then why, Narayun, this disgrace thou'st put on me to-day ?"
Narayun heard his wrathful speech, and gently laughing spake,
"Gunga to nether earth has gone all sins away to take.
The worth of Gunga's mighty river,

I, high Narayun, cannot tell:

Giver of penance, hear me well!

As far as Gunga's wave shall sound,

And o'er earth's fertile plains resound,

So far, if thou approachest ever,

My spirit shall rush forth the doomed ones to surround;
And whoso's bones to Gunga have been given,

Though from his body has his soul been riven,

Like Vishnu faultless he shall spring to highest heaven.
Who Gunga's wave shall drink, that act alone

For all his sins most amply shall atone;

His body, hear, O king, his body is mine own.

:

Let not your rav'ning slaves go there the instant they appear,
The very air shall ring with shrieks of high Narayun's fear."
Yama, the Lord of Patal, heard this sentence with affright.

I pandit-poet Kirtibas in my first canto write,

When Kamdur's sinful soul to heaven

By Gunga's power had thus been given,

To Gour the Gunga's waters bright

Rolled onward in their God and man redeeming might.
Pudma, a sage, before them went,

And Gunga followed, rolling free.

The monarch last, his hands he bent,

To Gunga wild petition sent;

"Go not the Eastern road; there is no path for me."

Instant the Muni Pudma took the Pudma stream away,

And holy Gunga with the king straight onward took her way :

And Gunga angry muttered low a curse upon the stream,

"From this time forth no man shalt thou from punishment redeem."

These extracts will give a sufficiently accurate idea of the spirit of the Ramayun, and, as we have no intention either of recounting, or condensing, its interminable episodes, or of victimizing our readers by any recapitulation of its well known story, we will proceed to sum up its character in as few words as possible, and then return to our main subject, Brahminism, as we see it in Bengal. In the first place, the whole poem is