Chapter 39 - Rama Loads His Allies With Gifts

Those magnanimous princes departed joyfully on their countless elephants and horses whose tread shook the earth. Many army divisions, full of ardour, had come to the aid of Raghava under Bharata’s command with their regiments and squadrons. Thereafter, in the pride of their strength, those monarchs said:—

“We did not see Rama’s adversary, Ravana, on the battlefield; Bharata called on us too late or those Rakshasas would assuredly soon have fallen under our blows. With the protection of the valiant Rama and Lakshmana we should have striven successfully without anxiety on the shores of the ocean.”

Conversing on this and other matters, those kings, full of joy returned to their kingdoms, those mighty empires that were prosperous, happy, abounding in silver and grain and overflowing with treasure. Reaching their capitals safely, those monarchs, anxious to gratify Rama, paid him homage by sending him every kind of precious object: horses, carriages, jewels, elephants intoxicated with ichor, rare sandalwood, celestial ornaments, gems, pearls, coral, lovely slave girls, coverings made of goats skin and a variety of chariots.

The mighty Bharata, Lakshmana and Shatrughna, having accepted those gifts, took their way back to the capital and, returning to the ravishing City of Ayodhya, those lions among men handed all those objects of great price to Rama, who, receiving them, joyfully bestowed them on Sugriva, who had fulfilled his duty, and also on Bibishana and the other Rakshasas and the monkeys, by whose aid he had attained victory, and those monkeys and titans decorated their heads and arms with the jewels that Rama had given them.

Thereafter, the Sovereign of the Ikshvakus, that warrior of the great car, he whose eyes resembled the petals of the lotus, Rama, seating Hanuman and Angada on his knees, said to Sugriva:—

“This Angada, thine illustrious son, and the Son of the Wind, your minister, O Sugriva, both of whom are endowed with wisdom and devoted to our interests, merit every kind of honour and, on thine account also, O King of the Monkeys.”

With these words, the illustrious Rama took off some extremely rare ornaments from his breast and decorated Angada and Hanuman with them.

Thereafter Raghava addressed the foremost of the monkey leaders—Nila, Nala, Kesharin, Kumuda, Gandhamadana, Sushena, Panasa, the valiant Mainda and Dvivida, Jambavan, Gavaksha, Vinata and Dhumra, Balimukha, and Prajangha, Samnada of great valour, Darimukha, Dadhimukha and Indra-janu, and in a sweet voice, consuming them with his glance as it were, in gentle accents said:—

“You are my friends, my brothers, my very Self! It is you who have saved me from misfortune, O Dwellers in the Woods I Happy is King Sugriva to possess such excellent friends!”

Uttering these words, that lion among men bestowed jewels upon them in accord with their desserts as also diamonds of great price and then embraced them all. Thereafter they drank of fragrant honey and partook of choice viands, roots and fruits and, sojourning there for a month, such was their devotion to Rama, that it seemed to them that but an hour had passed. Rama too spent the time happily in the company of the monkeys, who were able to change their form at will, and the extremely powerful titans and bears of great energy.

In this way the second month of autumn passed and the monkeys and titans savoured delights of every kind in that city belonging to the Ikshvakus that was full of allurements and, during the time they were thus entertained, by the grace of Rama’s affectionate regard, the hours flew by happily for them.