The Ramayana: The Book of Ayodhya

the sovereign appeared like the adorable thousand-eyed one A traditional title for Indra, the King of the Gods, who is said to possess a thousand eyes to watch over the world. surrounded by the immortals.

SECTION II

THEN facing his whole court, that lord of earth, the king, resounding on all sides as if with thunder, in a mighty voice—echoing, solemn, and like the sounds of a kettle-drum—spoke words fraught with welfare, capable of creating high rapture, and worthy of the attention of all. And in tones overflowing with royal signs, sweet as honey, peerless, and filled with the sentiment of surprise, the monarch addressed the princes, saying:

“It is known to you that the people of this spacious empire now governed by me were governed like children by those sovereigns that were my predecessors. Now it is my intention to bring welfare to this entire earth, which is worthy of being rendered happy, and which had been governed by all those sovereigns, Ikshwāku The legendary first king of the Solar Dynasty and an ancestor of Rāma; his name is often used to refer to the entire royal lineage. and the rest. Following the path trodden by my predecessors, I have, heedless of my own happiness and to the best of my power, always protected the people. And under the shade of the white umbrella The shveta chatra, a primary symbol of royal sovereignty and protection in ancient India., effecting the good of the entire community, I have brought aging upon my body.

Having attained an age extending over many thousands of years, and having lived for a long period, I desire rest for this aged frame. Bearing the heavy burden of duty in the interests of the people—a burden incapable of being borne even by those who have controlled their senses, and requiring right royal qualities in the bearer—I have become fatigued. I therefore wish for rest, after installing my son in the interests of the subjects, with the permission of all these excellent twice-born Sanskrit: dvija. This refers to members of the three upper social classes—priests, warriors, and merchants—who have undergone a spiritual initiation ceremony considered a "second birth." ones around me. My worthy son, like unto Purandara Another name for Indra, meaning "Destroyer of Forts," emphasizing his power and leadership. himself in prowess—Rāma, the conqueror of hostile cities—has been born, endowed with all virtues..."