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Válmiki
Yoga-Vāsistha, Book 1: Vairāgya-Prakarana (On Moral Apathy). Chapter 33 - Association of Aerial and Earthly Beings
The Siddhas said- It behoves us to hear the decision of the great sages, in reply to the holy sermon, already delivered by the chief of Raghu's race.
Come forward you great chiefs of the sages, you Narada, Vyāsa, Pulaha and all ye great sages, and be ready (to hear).
Let us descend to the full open court of Daśaratha, which is as bright as gold and free from stain, in the manner of bees alighting on the aureate and immaculate lotus.
Vālmīki said- So saying, the whole company of divine sages alighted themselves in that court from their aerial abode.
There Narada the chief of sages, sat foremost playing on his lute, and in the midst was Vyāsa, with his dark blue complexion resembling a rainy cloud.
It was more over adorned with the presence of the chief sages Bhrgu, Angiras, Pulastya and others, with Cyavana, Uddālaka, Uśīra, Śaraloman and many more about them.
Their garments of deer skins hang loosely down as they embraced one another. Their beads of rudrāksa moved in one hand, and their water pots shook in the other.
Their bodies shed a luster in the Court-hall, resembling the yellow light of the stars in the sky, and like the beams of so many suns blazing upon one another.
They appeared as a shower of moon-beams or as a halo about the full moon, or as a circle about the orb of the sun out of its season.
They looked like a circlet of gems of varied colors, or like a belt of pearls of great luster.
Vyāsa appeared at the place where he sat, to be as a dark could amidst the stars; and Nārada was beheld upon his seat as the white orb of the moon amongst the starry group.
Here Pulastya shone as Indra among the gods, and there Angirā blazed as the sun amidst the heavenly bodies.
On seeing the body of Siddhas descending from the sky on earth, the whole court of king Daśaratha rose up (to great them).
There was a promiseuous assemblage of the aerial and earthly sages, whose commingled glory spread a luster to the ten sides of the Court.
Some of them held bamboo sticks in their hands, and others had lotuses in theirs. Some had put the sacred grass in their crests, while others had inserted some gems to the braids of their hair.
Some had matted and tawny brown hairs on their heads, and others wore garlands of flowers on theirs. Some had strings of beads for their bracelets and others wore wristlets made of the jasmine flowers.
Some were clothed in tatters, and others wore garments made of bark, while there were othes who wore raiments of silk. Some were girt with girdles of grass and skin about their waists, and others wore waist bands with pendant strings of pearl.
Vasistha and Viśvāmitra honoured the aerials one by one; with respectful offerings and water and courteous address.
The great body of the ethereals also honored Vasistha and Viśvāmitra in their turn, with water and offerings worthy of them and with polite speeches.
The king also honoured the gods and the body of the Siddhas, who in return greeted the monarch with inquiries about his welfare.
Then the heavenly and earthly saints interchanged their greetings with one another with cordial welcomes and gestures, and were all seated afterwards on seats made of the kuśa grass.
They next honoured Rāma, who lay bowing before them, with gentle words and congratulations accompanied with shedding of flowers.
There were seated in that assembly the sages- Viśvāmitra, Vasistha, Vāmadeva and the ministers of state.
There were also Nārada, the son of Brahmā, Vyāsa the greatest of sages, Marīci, Durvāsa and Angirā.
There were Kratu, Pulastya, Pulaha, Saraloma, the great sage Vātsāyana, Bharadvāja, Vālmīki the great bard and sage.
There were also Uddālaka, Ricika, Sarjati as well as Cyavana.
These and many others versed in the Vedas and their branches, and knowing all things worth knowing, were the leading members (of the assembly).
Then Nārada and others joined with Viśvāmitra and Vasistha in adderessing Rāma, who was sitting silent with his face turned downwards; and said-
We admire the blest and graceful speech of the price which is dignified with the spirit of stoicism that breathes through the whole of it.
It is full of thought, perspicuous, elegant, clear, dignified, sweet and worthy of noble minded men, by its lucid style and wants of faults.
Who is there that is not struck with admiration at the speech of Rāma? It is well expressive of his thoughts, correct in its diction plain and sweet and agreeable to all:
It is rare to find one man among a hundred who is so eloquent as to combine dignity and force with a clearness and sweetness, that may command the admiration of all.
Who has such a clear head as our prince, a head which is as penetrating as the best pointed arrow, and as fruitfill and beauteous as the creeping plant.
He is truly a man whose intellectual light like that of Rāma's, burns as the flame of a lamp within himself and enlightens all about him.
Man's blood, flesh, and bones with other (parts of his body) serve as machines to supply him with sensations of external object; but there is no intelligence in them.
Life and death, old age and troubles, repeatedly overtake every man; but they are beasts who are so infatuated as never to think of these.
There is scarcely any man to be seen, who is of so clear an understanding as Rāma (the destroyer of his enemies), who is able to judge of the future by the past.
Rāma is the most excellent, admirable, useful, and well shaped person amongst men, as is the mangoe tree (in the vegetable world).
It is only to-day that we see that a man of Rāma's age has acquired so much experience of the world, and such extraordinarily mature an understanding.
There are many such trees found growing in every place as are beautiful to see, easy of ascent, abundant in flowers and leaves; but there is no tree of paradise growing on earth.
There may grow in every forest, trees with goodly flowers and leaves; but the extraordinary and fair clove tree is not always to be met with.
Rāma has displayed the wonder of his knowledge, as the moon displays her cooling beams and good trees their clusters of blossoms, and as the flowers diffuse their, fragrance all about.
It is very difficult to get the essence of true knowledge in this accursed world, which is constructed by the ungovernable and dominant predestination (of our past acts for misleading us to error and misery).
Those only are reckoned the best of men, and leaders of the good, who try their best to gain the essence of truth, and whose minds are fixed on glory as their best treasure.
We do not see any one in all this world, who is equal to Rāma in discrimination and magnanimity; nor shall there be one like him in future. This is our firm conviction.
If this speech of Rāma, which has filled every one here with admiration, fail to get its reply to the satisfaction of Rāma's mind, it is certain that all of us here, must pass for senseless sages (on earth).
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