The Ramayan

The son of Raghu to his queen Thus far described the unequalled scene, And, as the hermit's death he rued, The mournful story thus renewed: "The deed my heedless hand had wrought Perplexed me with remorseful thought, And all alone I pondered still How kindly deed might salve the ill. The pitcher from the ground I took, And filled it from that fairest brook, Then, by the path the hermit showed, I reached his sainted sire's abode. I came, I saw: the aged pair, Feeble and blind, were sitting there, Like birds with clipped wings, side by side, With none their helpless steps to guide. Their idle hours the twain beguiled With talk of their returning child, And still the cheering hope enjoyed, The hope, alas, by me destroyed. Then spoke the sage, as drawing near The sound of footsteps reached his ear: "Dear son, the water quickly bring; Why hast thou made this tarrying? Thy mother thirsts, and thou hast played, And bathing in the brook delayed. She weeps because thou camest not; Haste, O my son, within the cot. If she or I have ever done A thing to pain thee, dearest son, Dismiss the memory from thy mind: A hermit thou, be good and kind. On thee our lives, our all, depend: Thou art thy friendless parents' friend. The eyeless couple's eye art thou: Then why so cold and silent now?"

With sobbing voice and bosom wrung I scarce could move my faltering tongue, And with my spirit filled with dread I looked upon the sage, and said, While mind, and sense, and nerve I strung To fortify my trembling tongue, And let the aged hermit know His son's sad fate, my fear and woe: "High-minded Saint, not I thy child, A warrior, Dasaratha styled. I bear a grievous sorrow's weight Born of a deed which good men hate. My lord, I came to Sarju's shore, And in my hand my bow I bore For elephant or beast of chase That seeks by night his drinking place. There from the stream a sound I heard As if a jar the water stirred. An elephant, I thought, was nigh: I aimed, and let an arrow fly. Swift to the place I made my way, And there a wounded hermit lay Gasping for breath: the deadly dart Stood quivering in his youthful heart. I hastened near with pain oppressed; He faltered out his last behest. And quickly, as he bade me do, From his pierced side the shaft I drew. I drew the arrow from the rent, And up to heaven the hermit went, Lamenting, as from earth he passed, His aged parents to the last. Thus, unaware, the deed was done: My hand, unwitting, killed thy son. For what remains, O, let me win Thy pardon for my heedless sin."