Cupid Sounds a War Drum of Anklets
Bala Kanda, Chaupai 227
Doha 230 · Movement 1 of 2
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The melody of bangles, anklets, and ornaments reaches Ram through the garden. He tells Lakshmana it sounds as though Kama has struck a war drum and announced his campaign to conquer the world.
Ram turns. His eyes become chakora birds fixed upon Sita's moonlike face, so motionless that even the deity of blinking seems to withdraw in bashfulness. Joy rises, but the heart's recognition cannot find speech.
It seems Brahma displayed his entire artistic power in creating her. Sita makes beauty itself more beautiful, like flame illuminating the house of splendour. Poets have exhausted every comparison, leaving Videha's princess beyond analogy.
Anklets sound through the flowers, and Ram's unblinking eyes find Sita.
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AI-created devotional illustration · Chaupai 227
Full8 source units retained; selected representative moment explicitly described.
Source reference and artistic choices
Gita Press code81 undated · PDF pages 227, 228 · printed pages 225, 226. Reader passage: bala-kanda-chaupai-227. Printed numbering may differ.
Source facts
- 1 RAMA hears BANGLES, WAISTBELLS, ANKLEBELLS; reflects then speaks LAKSHMANA.
- 2 As if KAMA sounds WAR DRUM with RESOLVE/INTENTION to conquer WORLD, not conquest by mindalone. Simile no enactedwar/drumgod.
- 3 Rama turns towards Sita; MOONFACE/CHAKORAEYES similes, no literalmoonbird.
- 4 Lovely eyes grow STILL; NIMI shyly LEAVES EYECORNERS personification not blinkdeity sleeps/physicaldeparture.
- 5 Joy at Sita beauty and inward praise; WORDS FAIL.
- 6 As if creator shows ALL SKILL; poetic notactualBrahma visible.
- 7 Sita beautifiesbeauty like LAMP inHOUSEOFSPLENDOR, no flamebody.
- 8 Poets used/tarnished ALL SIMILES; narrator whatcompare VIDEHA'SDAUGHTER.
Artistic choices
- Selected uprightwaistup RAMA gazing OPEN-EYED viewerRIGHT towards Sitaoffcrop, gentleclosedmouth absorbedjoy, no sleep/hypnosis. Established D233 bluegreyovalface browneyes blackearshouldercurls creamgoldfourcorner foldedfabriccap WHITEUredcenter/detail onepeacockfeather whitepinkbudclusters, yellowcreamgold drape/dhoti gems pearls goldhoops.
- Actual onehead2connectedownarms2distincthands ownRIGHTchesthand ownLEFTgreenleafbowl wholewhitepinkflowers lowwaist; lowerlegsfeetgearoutcrop notdeclaredabsent. Exactgaze/posture/counts/featherbudcapembedding sourceunquantifiedartist; no audibility/unblinking physiology/fullsequence certificate.
- E03 jeweledcoloredglass/leadwork creamgold gardenarch floralborder; foliage/buildingplan/light materials artist. Sita/Lakshmana/companions offcrop notdenied; metaphor facts retained no literalmoon/bird/Nimi/flamebody/creator.
An imaginative interpretation, not a historical portrait or documentary evidence.
कंकन किंकिनि नूपुर धुनि सुनि। कहत लखन सन रामु हृदयँ गुनि।। मानहुँ मदन दुंदुभी दीन्ही।।मनसा बिस्व बिजय कहँ कीन्ही।। अस कहि फिरि चितए तेहि ओरा। सिय मुख ससि भए नयन चकोरा।। भए बिलोचन चारु अचंचल। मनहुँ सकुचि निमि तजे दिगंचल।। देखि सीय सोभा सुखु पावा। हृदयँ सराहत बचनु न आवा।। जनु बिरंचि सब निज निपुनाई। बिरचि बिस्व कहँ प्रगटि देखाई।। सुंदरता कहुँ सुंदर करई। छबिगृहँ दीपसिखा जनु बरई।। सब उपमा कबि रहे जुठारी। केहिं पटतरौं बिदेहकुमारी।।
Hearing the sweet chime of bangles, the tinkling of waist-bells, and the music of anklets, Rama pondered in His heart and spoke to Lakshmana. It is as though Kamadeva has sounded his war-drum, declaring through the mind alone his conquest of the entire world. Saying this, He turned and gazed in that direction. His eyes became chakora birds, and Sita's face their moon. Those beautiful eyes grew perfectly still, as though Nimi, the god of blinking, had shyly departed from their corners. Beholding Sita's radiance, He tasted deep joy, yet His heart's praise could find no voice in words. It was as if Brahma had gathered all his skill and, fashioning her, displayed it openly before the world. She made beauty itself more beautiful, like a lamp-flame burning inside the very palace of splendor. Every comparison the poets ever fashioned has been spent. To what, then, shall I liken the princess of Videha?