Chapter XXI: Section XXI

Hearing those words of Dacaratha, composed of letters faltering with affection, Kucika's son, stirred up with anger, answered the monarch, saying,--"Having promised me first, thou endeavourest to renounce that promise of thine. This surely is unworthy of a descendant of Raghu,-- and this can bring destruction upon the dynasty. If, king, in acting thus, thou hast acted properly, I will then repair to the place whence I had come. O Kakuthstha's descendant false in promise, do thou attain happiness, being surrounded by thy friends." And when the intelligent Vicwamitra was exercised with wrath, the entire earth began to tremble, and the gods even were inspired with awe. And knowing that the entire universe was in trepidation, that mighty saint, the sedate Vasishtha of excellent vows, said these words unto the king,--"Born in the line of Ikshwaku, thou art the very second self of virtue. And endowed with patience, and auspicious, and observing excellent vows, thou ought not to renounce virtue. The descendant of Raghu is famed over the three worlds as righteous-souled. Do thou maintain thy habit of adhering to promise; for it doth not behove thee to act unrighteously. If having promised,--'I will do so,' thou dost not act up to thy word, the merit thou hast achieved by digging tanks and by performing sacrifices shall come to naught,--therefore do thou renounce Rama! Accomplished or not accomplished in weapons, the Rakshasas cannot bear him protected by Kucika's son, like ambrosia, by flaming fire. This one is Virtue incarnate: this one is the foremost of those possessing prowess. This one surpasseth all others in learning, and is the refuge of asceticism. This one is cognizant of all the weapons that exist in the three worlds furnished with mobile and imobile things; but others do not know him,--nor yet shall know him hereafter. And neither the gods, nor the saints, nor the immortals, nor the Rakshasas, nor the foremost of Gandharbas and Yakshas, nor the Kinnaras, nor the mighty Serpents can know him. And formerly while the descendant of Kucika was ruling bis kingdom, Siva conferred upon him the highly famous sons of Kricacwa in the shape of all weapons. And those sons of Kricacwa were the offspring of Prajapati's daughters. They were endowed with various forms, and were effulgent and dreadful. And Daksha's daughters of elegant waists, Jaya and Suprabha, brought forth an hundred exceedingly effulgent weapons. And by virtue of her boon, Jaya obtained fifty sons of immeasurable strength and endued with the power of becoming invisible for the purpose of slaughtering the hosts of the Asuras. And Suprabha also brought forth fifty sons named _Sanharas_, incapable of being borne, and infallible, and powerful. Kucika's son is adequately conversant with all those weapons. And that one knowing duty is also capable of creating wonderful weapons. And, O descendant of Raghu, there is nothing present, past, or future which is not known by that foremost of ascetics of high soul, and cognizant of morality. Such is the prowess of that highly famous Vicwamitra possessed of mighty energy. Therefore, O king, it behoveth thee not to hesitate in the matter of Rama's going. The descendant of Kucika is himself capable of repressing the Rakshasas; and it is in order to thy son's welfare that coming unto thee, he asketh for him of thee." At this speech of the ascetic, that foremost of Raghus, the king, well- pleased, became exceedingly delighted. And that famous one, relishing the journey of Rama, began to reflect in his mind about consigning him unto Kucika's son.