But Sita of the lovely smile, A captive to the giant's wile, Turned Lakshman's prudent speech aside And thus with eager words replied: "My honoured lord, this deer I see With beauty rare enraptures me. Go, chief of mighty arm, and bring For my delight this precious thing. Fair creatures of the woodland roam Untroubled near our hermit home. The forest cow and stag are there, The fawn, the monkey, and the bear, Where spotted deer delight to play, And strong and beauteous Kinnars(494) stray. But never, as they wandered by, Has such a beauty charmed mine eye As this with limbs so fair and slight, So gentle, beautiful and bright. O see, how fair it is to view With jewels of each varied hue: Bright as the rising moon it glows, Lighting the wood where'er it goes. Ah me, what form and grace are there! Its limbs how fine, its hues how fair! Transcending all that words express, It takes my soul with loveliness. O, if thou would, to please me, strive To take the beauteous thing alive, How thou wouldst gaze with wondering eyes Delighted on the lovely prize! And when our woodland life is o'er, And we enjoy our realm once more, The wondrous animal will grace The chambers of my dwelling-place, And a dear treasure will it be To Bharat and the queens and me, And all with rapture and amaze Upon its heavenly form will gaze. But if the beauteous deer, pursued, Thine arts to take it still elude, Strike it, O chieftain, and the skin Will be a treasure, laid within. O, how I long my time to pass Sitting upon the tender grass, With that soft fell beneath me spread Bright with its hair of golden thread! This strong desire, this eager will, Befits a gentle lady ill: But when I first beheld, its look My breast with fascination took. See, golden hair its flank adorns, And sapphires tip its branching horns. Resplendent as the lunar way, Or the first blush of opening day, With graceful form and radiant hue It charmed thy heart, O chieftain, too."Ramayana 3.256 · Ramayana · 3
Ramayana 3.256
Ramayana · translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith
Themes in this passage
NatureSpeechStrengthJoyMercyWealthDesireThe Divine
Nature in other traditions
The same theme, as Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and Taoism address it.
The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining:Joel 2:10 · Bible · Joel
Hast thou not seen that unto Allah payeth adoration whosoever is in the heavens and whosoever is in the earth, and the sun, and the moon, and the stars, and the hills, and the trees, and the beasts, and many of mankind, while there are many unto whom the doom is justly due. He whom Allah scorneth, there is none to give him honour. Lo! Allah doeth what He will.Quran 22:18 · Quran · The Pilgrimage
Cut down the whole forest (of lust), not a tree only! Danger comes out of the forest (of lust). When you have cut down both the forest (of lust) and its undergrowth, then, Bhikshus, you will be rid of the forest and free!Dhp 20.283 · Dhammapada · The Way
Abstaining from speech marks him who is obeying the spontaneity of his nature. A violent wind does not last for a whole morning; a sudden rain does not last for the whole day. To whom is it that these (two) things are owing? To Heaven and Earth. If Heaven and Earth cannot make such (spasmodic) actings last long, how much less can man!Tao Te Ching 23.1 · Tao Te Ching
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