RAMAYANA FOR CHILDREN --CHAPTER 63

                                   RAMAYANA FOR CHILDREN—CHAPTER 63

The long and severe Tapas was over. Everyone came to Visvamitra to reap the fruits of his arduous labours. Then the four-faced One spoke glory of Visvamitra. “Hail to you! You are a Rishi. You certainly deserve the rank your holy Tapas has earned you. But Visvamitra’s heart was heavy yet. And he resumed his untiring labours.

The long years passed over his patient head. Menaka was an Apsaras. Her name was Menaka. She came to the Lake Pushkara. She wanted to have her shapely limbs in its cool depths. Visvamitra saw her. She was a dream of beauty. The sky was overcast. The bright God of Love was at hand. He shot his magic bow right at the heart of the sage. All of a sudden a burning passion burst forth.

“Welcome, you fairest maid in heaven or earth! You live with me and be my love. I am faint with passion.     

“As you say, my Lord” replied the bashful Maneka. And she lived with him in the peaceful retreat. She thus became a fatal check to his mighty Tapas.

Ten bright summers flew over their heads. It was a sweet dream. But Visvamitra woke up one from it one day. He was ashamed of himself. Pity and grief gnawed at his heart. All at once a light broke upon his brain. And he cried out in anguish. “I was a fool. I should have seen this was a snare to entrap me. This is the work of those foes of mine. This obstacle has nipped my hopes in the bud.”

He sighed and became rependent. Looking up he saw the golden-hued Manaka. She was trembling in fright. She raised her hands in an appeal for pardon. The sight filled his heart with pity. With gentle words, he sent away the witching siren.

Then he set his way to the north. He went to the mountains. There the bright Kausiki gladdened the earth. He made a resolve to win or die in the attempt. He engaged in a long course of stern Tapas.

A thousand years passed. And the bright gods quaked to see him. Grim and stern, he was still set on his mighty quest. The gods went to the Heavens of Brahma. “Let this terrible man be pacified” they begged. “Give him the gift of the high rank of a Maharishi.”

“Be it so,” said Brahma and he took himself to see Visvamitra. “All hail. A Maharishi, you are,” Brahma said to Visvamitra.

But Visvamitra answered, “Then am I,” he cried, “the proud controller of the rebellious senses?”

“Not yet” broke Brahma. “You have not yet the undisputed sway over the fleeting senses. The road lies long. You attain that dizzy eminence. Toil on, brave one”. And Brahma went back to his Heaven.

Visvamitra began with zeal his Tapas. This time it was far and fiercer. He stretched his arms above his head. He stood there without a prop. His only food was the air. The burning heat of summer played on his devoted head. Four fires blazed around his wasted body. The dark clouds poured over his defenseless head. The chill moths found him there day and night.

Mighty fear took relentless hold of Indra. Indra summoned to his presence Ramba. She was the fairest daughter of the Heaven. He unfolded to her a plan.