148. Rama was highly perturbed at the thought of Seetha.

                  Lakshmana was somewhat startled to hear the tone with which Rama spoke to him. Scrutinizing his brother's anguished face, Lakshmana guessed the reason. The Pampa lake with full of Lotuses, costus and fishes looked extremely beautiful comparable with Seetha's face. 

                Rama conntinued "Oh! Soumitri, magnificent is this Pampa Lake with its cat's-eye-gem like waters, and with the fully bloomed lotuses and costus is beaming forth, along with many trees around her.

                "Oh! dear bro, see the forest of Pampa which looks very auspicious in its appearance.

                "But inexplicably my thoughts wander over dear Bharata and Seetha and I am very much distressed by the same.

                "Nevertheless it is very pleasant to look at this auspicious Pampa with its delightful forests overspread with many diverse flowers and cool water.

                "The entire area is shining very much with bluish and yellowish grassland with a variety of trees, with flowers covering it like flowery bed-sheet with variegated colours.

               "The treetops fully covered by flowers are very pleasing to the eyes and to the mind.
              "Oh! Soumitri, the breeze from the trees is quite invigorating and Manmadha, the Love God, prevails at this time, and prideful is this month with all trees with their fragrance, flowers, fruits and trees."

               In this manner Rama was describing the lake, trees, mountain, landscape etc.  Then he continued "I, who is already pervaded by grief, am now well tormented by the Love God, and this cuckoo that has happy calls is rather provoking me.

             "This gallinule bird happily calling in the forest brooks is making me uncomfortable with its calls, as the Love-god has already made me lovestruck. Earlier when we were in the hermitage, on hearing this bird's call, dear Seetha used to tell me to listen, and she herself was highly cheerful at this bird's calls. Very many amusing birds of that kind are flitting all over the trees, bushes, and creepers emitting very many sounds. Well mingled are these female birds with their male ones, for which they are well admired by their own flock, oh! Soumitri, and such birds are calling gladly together with the pleasing humming of king-bees.

                   "At the shore of this Lake Pampa rejoicing are these birds in groups, and these trees loaded with the mating sounds of the gallinule birds, and the callings of the male black cuckoos, while inciting me they are inspiring love in me.

                 "This spring season is burning me like fire with its fiery paraphernalia like the clusters of red flowers of hellebore that are akin to fireballs, the humming of honeybees that is alike the rustle of campfires, and the coppery red colour of tender leaves just sprouted that is identical to burning fire.

               "These things make me long to see my Seetha. Without her I feel that there is no point to continue to live. My dear Seetha has an enchantment for these enchanting woodlands bustling with koels up to their horizons, and Lakshmana, similarly enchanting is this vernal season to her.

                "This fire of grief born out of the throes of love, and furthered by the attributes of spring season will swiftly burn me down. Now, my Seetha in her absence is intensifying my agony, and this visible spring season, the remover of the touch of sweat too, is doing the same.

                "Overwhelmed with the grief of worry about that deer eyed Seetha, such as I am, I am burnt down by this cruel vernal breeze of forests.

                 "And these peacocks that dance here and there are shining forth with crystal like windows on their plumage, when up-shoved by the wind.

               "Those peacocks that are surrounded by their peahens and convulsed in love are intensifying longing in me, who is already muffled in love-longing. See! Lakshmana, on that mountain terrace this peahen longing for love is dancing along with her husband, that peacock. Spreading his beautiful wings and screaming as though joking,  that peacock is longingly running after his female. Definitely no rakshash has abducted that peacock's ladylove, hence he is dancing with her in these beautiful forests. Living in this flowering month is unbearable for me. Lakshmana, see the fondness between these animals and birds. See that peahen in her passion is following her husband.

                "Had she, that broad eyed lady Seetha, not been abducted, she too would have followed me in this way with an ecstatic love. See Lakshmana, while these forests are abundantly weighty with lovely flowers but they are of no use to me. Though these flowers on the trees are exceedingly beautiful they are falling onto the earth wastefully, along with the swarms of honeybees hovering over them.These blithesome birds appear to be inviting each other in mutual consent, and they are melodiously calling as they like, and this is causing love madness in me.

                  "Should this spring season be there too, where my dear one Seetha is living, she with her unrequited merriment will definitely be saddened like me. Definitely this spring season will not touch that place where she is; and even if this touches that place, how can that lady with black-lotus-eyes can possibly comport without me! Otherwise, even if the spring happens to be there where my dear Seetha is, what can that fine waisted lady do under threat by others?

            "When Seetha was with me, this crow flew into the sky and cawed much indicating Seetha's departure from me, and now sitting on the tree it is cawing presumably indicating early arrival of Seetha. This bird roving in the sky indicated about the abduction of Seetha. I hope that  this very same bird will now lead me near to that broad eyed one.

              "Oh, Soumitri, see those Karnikara trees blooming with beautiful flowers. Their tree-trunks on those southern hill-terraces of Pampa are highly splendorous to look at. That one, that kingly mountain which is ornamentally impregnated with ores and minerals is exhausting much mass of wondrous dust with the colour of its ores, that is drifted by the wind's speed. On the mountainsides, Soumitri, all over fully flowered are the exquisite Kimshuka trees, while their leaves are hidden under those reddish flowers, and with them that mountain looks like a mountain of fire.

              "See the splendorous trees of Pampa here, oh! Soumitri. Look, their branches bestirred by wind and bend onto the neighboring trees, as though to make them within the reach of climber-plants. And the climber-plants passionately bear upon those trees, like the doting of passionate women.

                "Oh, Lakshman, if only that devout lady Seetha is found, and all the three of us were to stay here, I wouldn't care about Indra's throne in Heavens or Ayodhya's throne. 

                "See the cool water of this Pampa Lake filled with blue lotuses, and with ruddy geese well moving in, and well venerated by the partridge birds. Well filled with waterfowls, curlew birds, and adored by great animals, this Pampa glistens very much with the pleasantly calling of birds. Seeing all these, I am very much kindled with passion and very much reminded of my dear wife, Seetha.
               "See that female deer along with the male deer moving there on those wonderful mountainsides. Then look at me, who is weaned away from such a beautiful eyed lady Seetha. And as such, my heart is further agonized on seeing these wide-eyed deer, and for not seeing her, the wide-eyed Seetha.

                "That youthful and decent lady though succumbed to suffering in forests used to look as though got rid of her sufferings, and as though a gladsome woman, and she used to speak to me, one smitten by her love, very fondly. What can I say in Ayodhya to that kind hearted lady and my mother Kausalya, oh, prince Lakshmana, when she asks 'where is she, my daughter-in-law? And how is she? '

               "Begone! Lakshmana. You may see Bharata, that affectionate one for his brothers. I will not be able to live leaving off Seetha." 
              Lakshmana became very distressed to see the utter misery of his dear brother Rama. He tried to console him by saying "Oh, my dear brother, please control yourself. Let safety betide you.
             "Try to remember only the fondness for the dear ones and keep in abeyance the sadness caused by separation.

             "We will surely find and crush that Ravana even if he goes and hides in the nether world, or still deeper world from there.

             "Cast-off your pathetic mood. You know very well that nothing can be gained without a try. Vehemence is might, and there is no superior might than vehemence and nothing is impossible for a man with vehemence. Vehement men do not regress in deeds, and taking hold of vehemence alone we can regain Seetha."

            The mere voice of his dear brother was very soothing to the mind as well as the heart of Rama. And his words acted as a powerful tonic to Rama whose mind was clogged with the distressing thoughts and his conscience marred by emotions. He looked fondly at Lakshmana and nodded with a smile. Then he got rid of pity and fondness, and derived courage to go ahead with confidence.

             Then both the valiant brothers strode forward majestically towards the Mt. Rishyamuka. 

             The chief of the Vanaras in the Mt. Rishyamuka, while meandering thereabout happened to see those two who were so amazing to look at and seemed to be coming towards that Mt. Rishyamuka, was frightened and petrified. 

On seeing those magnificent two, Rama and Lakshmana, the monkeys there around the Lake were frightened and fled towards the pious hermitage of the Sage Matanga, where no one with a nefarious intent can enter.

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