lore,
    To all mankind great love they bore. 
    Fair stores of wisdom all possessed,
    With princely graces all were blest. 
    But mid those youths of high descent,
    With lordly light preeminent,
    Like the full moon unclouded shone
    Rama, the world’s dear paragon. 
    He best the elephant could guide,
    Urge the fleet car, the charger ride—­
    A master he of bowman’s skill,
    Joying to do his father’s will. 
    The world’s delight and darling, he
    Loved Lakshman best from infancy;
    And Lakshman, lord of lofty fate,
    Upon his elder joyed to wait,
    Striving his second self to please
    With friendship’s sweet observances. 
    His limbs the hero ne’er would rest
    Unless the couch his brother pressed;
    Except beloved Rama shared
    He could not taste the meal prepared. 
    When Rama, pride of Raghu’s race,
    Sprang on his steed to urge the chase,
    Behind him Lakshman loved to go
    And guard him with his trusty bow. 
    As Rama was to Lakshman dear
    More than his life and ever near,
    So fond Satrughna prized above
    His very life his Bharat’s love. 
    Illustrious heroes, nobly kind
    In mutual love they all combined,
    And gave their royal sire delight
    With modest grace and warrior might;
    Supported by the glorious four
    Shone Dasaratha more and more,
    As though, with every guardian God
    Who keeps the land and skies,
    The Father of all creatures trod
    The earth before men’s eyes.

CANTO XX

VISVAMITRA’S VISIT

    NOW Dasaratha’s pious mind
    Meet wedlock for his sons designed;
    With priests and friends the King began
    To counsel and prepare his plan. 
    Such thoughts engaged his bosom, when,
    To see Ayodhya’s lord of men,
    A mighty saint of glorious fame,
    The hermit Visvamitra came. 
    For evil fiends that roam by night
    Disturbed him in each holy rite,
    And in their strength and frantic rage
    Assailed with witcheries the sage. 
    He came to seek the monarch’s aid
    To guard the rites the demons stayed,
    Unable to a close to bring
    One unpolluted offering. 
    Seeking the King in this dire strait
    He said to those who kept the gate:—­
    “Haste, warders, to your master run,
    And say that here stands Gadhi’s son.” 
    Soon as they heard the holy man,
    To the King’s chamber swift they ran
    With minds disordered all, and spurred
    To wildest zeal by what they heard. 
    On to the royal hall they sped,
    There stood and lowly bowed the head,
    And made the lord of men aware
    That the great saint was waiting there. 
    The King with priest and peer arose