Ramayana 2.506a

Ramayana · translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith

As thus he sadly mourned and sighed, The son of Dasaratha spied A bower of leafy branches made, Sacred and lovely in the shade, Of fair proportions large and tall, Well roofed with boughs of palm, and Sal, Arranged in order due o'erhead Like grass upon an altar spread. Two glorious bows were gleaming there, Like Indra's(377) in the rainy air, Terror of foemen, backed with gold, Meet for the mightiest hand to hold: And quivered arrows cast a blaze Bright gleaming like the Day-God's rays: Thus serpents with their eyes aglow Adorn their capital below.(378) Great swords adorned the cottage, laid Each in a case of gold brocade; There hung the trusty shields, whereon With purest gold the bosses shone. The brace to bind the bowman's arm, The glove to shield his hand from harm, A lustre to the cottage lent From many a golden ornament: Safe was the cot from fear of men As from wild beasts the lion's den. The fire upon the altar burned, That to the north and east was turned. Bharat his eager glances bent And gazed within the cot intent; In deerskin dress, with matted hair, Rama his chief was sitting there: With lion-shoulders broad and strong, With lotus eyes, arms thick and long. The righteous sovereign, who should be Lord paramount from sea to sea, High-minded, born to lofty fate, Like Brahma's self supremely great; With Lakshman by his side, and her, Fair Sita, for his minister. And Bharat gazing, overcome By sorrow for a while was dumb, Then, yielding to his woe, he ran To Rama and with sobs began: "He who a royal seat should fill With subjects round to do his will, My elder brother,--see him here, With silvan creatures waiting near. The high-souled hero, wont to wear The costliest robes exceeding fair, Now banished, in a deerskin dress, Here keeps the path of righteousness. How brooks the son of Raghu now The matted locks which load his brow, Around whose princely head were twined Sweet blossoms of the rarest kind?

Ramayana 2.506a · Ramayana · 2

Themes in this passage

Wealth Children Dharma Fear Justice The Divine Family Grief

Wealth in other traditions

The same theme, as Christianity, Hellenism and Islam address it.

And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.

Genesis 13:2 · Bible · Genesis

She spoke; Minerva burns to meet the war: And now heaven’s empress calls her blazing car. At her command rush forth the steeds divine; Rich with immortal gold their trappings shine. Bright Hebe waits; by Hebe, ever young, The whirling wheels are to the chariot hung. On the bright axle turns the bidden wheel Of sounding brass; the polished axle steel. Eight brazen spokes in radiant order flame; The circles gold, of uncorrupted frame, Such as the heavens produce: and round the gold Two brazen rings of work divine were roll’d. The bossy naves of sold silver shone; Braces of gold suspend the moving throne: The car, behind, an arching figure bore; The bending concave form’d an arch before. Silver the beam, the extended yoke was gold, And golden reins the immortal coursers hold. Herself, impatient, to the ready car, The coursers joins, and breathes revenge and war.

Iliad 5.77 · Iliad · 5

Give unto orphans their wealth. Exchange not the good for the bad (in your management thereof) nor absorb their wealth into your own wealth. Lo! that would be a great sin.

Quran 4:2 · Quran · Women

While he was thus in two minds Helen came down from her high vaulted and perfumed room, looking as lovely as Diana herself. Adraste brought her a seat, Alcippe a soft woollen rug while Phylo fetched her the silver work-box which Alcandra wife of Polybus had given her. Polybus lived in Egyptian Thebes, which is the richest city in the whole world; he gave Menelaus two baths, both of pure silver, two tripods, and ten talents of gold; besides all this, his wife gave Helen some beautiful presents, to wit, a golden distaff, and a silver work box that ran on wheels, with a gold band round the top of it. Phylo now placed this by her side, full of fine spun yarn, and a distaff charged with violet coloured wool was laid upon the top of it. Then Helen took her seat, put her feet upon the footstool, and began to question her husband.42

Odyssey 4.12 · Odyssey · 4

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