Ramayana - Sanskrit Documents

THE

Ramayana OF

*

-

Valmeeki

RENDERED INTO ENGLISH

WITH EXHAUSTIVE NOTES BY

(.

^

^reenivasa

jHv$oiu$ar,

B. A.,

LECTURER S.

P

G. COLLEGE, TRICHINGj,

N

Balakanda and

MADRAS: M. K. PEES8, A. L. T. PRKS8

>

AND GUARDIAN

1910.

PBE8S.

*

%

i*t

Copyright ftpfiglwtd.

3

,

[ JJf JB^/to Reserved

PREFACE The Ramayana of Valmeeki is a most unique work. The Aryans are the oldest race on earth and the most *

advanced

and the Ramayana

;

is

their

first

and grandest

epic.

The Eddas Germany,

of Scandinavia, the Niebelungen Lied of the Iliad of Homer, the Enead of Virgil, the

Inferno, the

Purgatorio,

and the Paradiso

of Dante,

the

Paradise Lost of Milton, the Lusiad of Camcens, the Shah of Firdausi are Epics and no more the Ramayana

Nama of

;

Valmeeki If

it is

an Epic

is

and much more.

any work can clam} to be the Bible of the Hindus, Ramayana of Valmeeki.

the

Professor MacDonell, the latest writer on Samskritha Literature, says "

:

The Epic

contains the following verse foretelling

its

everlasting fame *

As

long as moynfain ranges stand

And

rivers flow upon the earth, So long will this Ramayana Survive upon the lips of men.

This prophecy has been perhaps even more abundantly No profulfilled than the well-known prediction of Horace. duct of Sanskrit Literature has enjoyed a greater popularity Its in India down to the present day than the Ramayana. story furnishes the subject of many other Sanskrit poems as well as plays and still delights, from the lips* of reciters, of the Indian people, as at the the hearts of the

myriads

PREFACE

11

great annual Rama-festival held at

translated

into

Benares.

Indian vernaculars.

many

inspired the greatest poet of medieval

been

has

It

Above

all, it

Hindustan, Tulasi

Das, to compose in Hindi his version of the epic entitled Chant Manas, which, with its ideal standard of

Ram

and

virtue of

the

is

purity,

a

kind of Bible to a hundred millions

people of Northern India."

So much

p. 317.

within

a fact

Sanskrit

Literature,

for the version.

personal observation of the elders of our country, that witnesses swear upon a copy of the Ramayana in the law-courts. Any one called upon It is

the

" pay an unjust debt contents himself with saying, I will let him take it if he place the money upon the Ramayana dares." In private life, the expression, " I swear by the

to

,

Ramayana/'

sums leaf

of

is

an inviolable oath

money were

manuscript

to lose

When

on earth and

lent

of the

man

a

raise

him

I

know

instances where

upon no other security than a palm too precious a Talisman

Ramayana

yearns for a son to continue his line to the Mansions of the Blessed, the

Elders advise him to read the Ramayana or hear or at least the

Sundarakanda

When

great issue at stake that will either

reads the Sundarakanda or hears

a

mend

it

it

man

or

mar

recited,

some

has his

expounded.

life,

he

When

a

is very ill, past medical help, the old people about him " Read the Sundarakanda in the house with one voice, say

man

"

bring him back to life and health an evil spirit troubles sore a man or a woman, the beards wag their wise heads and oracularly exclaim,

and Maruthi

will

the Sundarakanda never

"

fails

When

When grey"

Ah

any one desires

f

to

know

the result of a contemplated project, he desires a child to open a page of the Sundarakanda and decides by

the nature of the subject dealt with therein. (Here is a I was or asked two ago, case in point. A year by a young man to advise him whether he should marry or lead a life

lit

single blessedness.

the surface shadow there, But never yet hath dipt into the abysm,

The Abysm of all Abysms, beneath, within The blue of sky and sea, the green of earth, And in the million millionth of a gram Which cleft and cleft again for ever more,

And ever vanishing, never vanishes, Tome, my son, more mystic than myself, Or even than the Nameless is to me And when thou sendest thy free soul thro'

heaven,

Nor understandest bound nor boundlessnesas, Thou seest the Nameless of the hundred names.

For, saith the Lord.

"He who

"

thus knoweth

my

divine

and action in its essence, having abandoned the body, cometh not into birth again, but cometh unto me, O,

birth

Arjuna! I

"Geetha

have tried

word and

in

IV, 9.

my

best to

sentiment

be

faithful to the

wherever

it

was

original in

possible.

tried to place before his readers the thought

that

I

have

underlay

the words of the poet. I have tried to preserve, as far as I could, the force, the beauty and the spirit of the Ramayana, that

it

may

arouse

m the hearts of the readers the same

senti-

ments, passions and feelings that well up in the hearts of a

XXX

PREFACE

Hindu audience, when

it

incorporated into the translation

was

its

the

of

recital.

I

hpve wherever it

text,

comments of authoritative commen-

and the

the explanations other and the

necessary,

Govmdaraja

to

listens

where they differed or supplemented one have another, given the essence of their opinions in the form of Notes. I have drawn from all available sources tators

but,

;

I

Hindi version of Thulasi Das, the Prakrith of Hemachandracharya, the Vedas, the Smnthis, the Puranas, the Darsanas, in fact, the whole range of of

the

information,

Samskntha and other literature, I

know

that

English of

as far as

Mahabharatha must have

know

at his disposal a large

also that

presented library; nor the influence to possess it. to render my heart-felt thanks, I

me

such as have helped

more Kumbakonam.

disposal,

initial

was accessible

to

me.

any one who undertakes the translation into such colossal works as the Ramayana or the

know

outlay of capital

well-re-

But,

I

take this opportunity

and over-flowing, to by placing their books at

especially to the I

and

have neither the means

I

full

Brahma Vidya Lodge,

all

my

T.S.

that this enterprise requires a large

and

that

I

have

it

not

Babu Pratap

Chandra Roy, the brave translator of the Mahabharatha, appealed and with success to the various Governments of Mr. Manmath Nath Dutt, the India, Europe, and America first translator of the Ramayana into English prose, was ;

favoured with the royal support of His Highness the Maharaja of Travancore, to whom he dedicated his work.

But my mainstay and support is Sree Ramathandra, whose greatness and glory I humbly endeavour to bring home to the hearts of the millions in the East and in the West. To Him I dedicate, in all humility and reverence, my unworthy production to Him, to Seetha, to Lakshmana to Bharatha, to Sathrughna and last, not least, to Maruthi, 9

the Ideal

Rama-bhaktha.

In

their

never-failing grace

do

PREFACE / place

my

trust

to

enable

me

to

XXXI

carry on

this

work

to its

completion. I

know, better than others, the shortcomings

work and of the numerous under to do my duty towards it indulgence of their advice

my

and

disqualifications ;

readers, their

their

C. R.

and

I

I

of

my

labour

humbly crave the

sympathy, their support,

good thoughts.

SRINIVASA AIYANGAR,

B.A.,

TRICHINOPOLY

INTRODUCTION I

"

The record

" :

of the life arid adventures ot Sri

This expression that treat of Sri

ted

it

to the

;

which

Rama."

naturally applicable to all works but custom and tradition have limi-

is

Rama

,

of Valmiki.

grand epic

Words are tional sense

The Ramayana."

of three kinds

:

Rudln, used in a conven-

Yaugika, derivative, retaining that significa-

it its and by etymology both an and Yaugika Rudha, having etymological special

tion

to

belongs

;

meaning.

Such names

as

Krishna belong to the

class

first

;

Dasarathi, the son of Dasaratha, is a type of the second Pankafa, the lotus, represent the third. The last word,

;

"

but etymologically understood, means "born in the mud other flowers such as the water-lily are not so called. It ;

confined by convention to the lotus alone. expression Ramayana Many have sung

Even

is

'

'

'

the

so the

Life

of

Rarna/ but convention restricts it by pre-eminence to the immortal epic of Valmiki alone. The Gita, the Brahma

The Maha Bhashya and Rama, are by conventional usage and tradition understood to mean respectively, The Bhagavad Gita, The Brahama Sutras of Vedavyasa, the Maha Bhashya of Patanjah and Rama the son of Dasaratha. Sutras,




Ra

corresponds to the syllable Thath Mahavakya (the Great Sentence) Ma stands for Thwam the union between the two is rendered by Asi.

Maya.

letter

in the

;

;

is capable of conferring only Emanthe Manthra secures to us Happiness Rama while cipation, here and Emancipation hereafter. Besides, it is not al-

But, the

lowed

Mahavakya

to

while the

upon the Mahavakya the common property of all. As

recite or to meditate

all to

Rama

Manthra

is

;

the expression of Pranava, the aspirant for Emancipation or the man of dispassion, or he that has renounced the world to

work

it

is

for

it,

may

higher than

useful.

He who

with profit to meditate upon it. Hence, the Mahavakya and more practically grasps and assimilates the manifold

Rama

mysteries embodied in this Sree

Doubt

Emancipation even here.

it

Manthra, attains not, yea, doubt it not."

Ramarahasyopanishad. The Inner Meaning. VI.

From

the letter

Jambavan.

From

A

known on earth as Upendra, known on M arose Siva, known

arose Brahma,

the letter

U arose

From the letter as Hanuman. From the Bmdu arose the Discus on earth of the Lord, known on earth as Sathrughna. From the Nada arose the Conch, known on earth as Bharatha. Frojn the Kala rose Sesha, known on earth as Lakshmana. The Chit (Con-

earth as Sugreeva.

beyond it, is Seetha. And beyond all, is the Supreme One, Sree Rama. He is Eternal, Pure, Consciousthe Supreme ness, Truth, Immortality, Absolute, Perfect

sciousness)

Brahman

Tharasaropanishad.

Tht Inner Meaning. VII. Moolapraknthi. The letters forming her name connote Maya. Unmamfested by nature, she sometimes

Seetha

is

55

manifests herself. is

this is at

During the chant of the Holy Writ, she Sabda Brahman (the Logos, the Word)

sensed as the her

the

;

manifestation.

first

his

of

point

earth as Seetha third

is

this

;

the primal

Though she presence. She

is

manifestation of

As Pranava Prakrithi

her second

Her

manifestation.

dependent upon the Lord, yet she sheds the might

through

universe,

of

his

energy that lies behind Evolution, Seetha in her eight-fold

the

and

Preservation

She

is

is

Unmamfested form.

on the

her light

while he was furrowing the her his daughter, known on

plough

and made

sacnficiat ground,

Janaka found her

King

Involution.

power

is

Moolapraknthi. her visible symbol, she

is

is

also

is

the Divine

titled

Saunakeeya. Prakrithi

is

;

She

is

the

Vedas

;

She

Hierarchy She is Fame She is the Universe she is the Law; she is the Cause and the Effect. ;

;

;

She She

is all

;

exists

Mahavishnu and She is identical with him. As the animate and the inanimate; as gods, sages, men, Asuras, (fallen Angels), Rakshasas (giants), Bhoothas (Elementals) apart from

;

Prethas (shades), and Pisachas (Nature

spirits),

through

infi-

and actions as the five Elements, the senses, the mind, the Prana (Vital current), She underlies all the manifested universe. Ichcha Sakthi, Knyasakthi and Sakshath Sakthi (Will, nite modifications

of

attributes

;

Activity and Wisdom) are her prime aspects. Ichcha Sakthi is again varied as Sree Devi,

Bhoo Devi

and Neela Devi. Sree Devi manifests herself as the energy that lies be, hind Goodness, Power, the Moon, the Sun and the Fire.

Through the Moon she and herbs flowers ahd

of

occult

fruits,

the Waters of

presides force over plants As the Kalpa tree, as virtues.

creepers,

herbs,

medicinal leaves and

Immortality, she nourishes the Gods.

'Through the Sun she supports the Shining Ones by the cattle, by ever producing ever increasing the Food ;

grass and fodder and all beings, by shedding light and life upon them. She is Time, from its minutest point to the ;

Brahma

life-period of

seconds, minutes, hours, day, night,

weeks, fortnights, months, seasons, half-years, years, Yugas, She turns the Wheel

manvantaras, kalpas and parardhas. of

Time.

Through the Fire she makes thirst in all

Beings

,

she

is

hunger and the Gods into which

herselt felt as

the face of

are thrown the sacrificial offerings to them. She is heat and cold in the plants and the trees of the forest she is the ;

wood and

Thus, transitory on its surface. Sree Devi works out the Lord's will and comes forth as Sree and Lakshmi to sustain the universe.

fire latent in

the

the stay and the support of the fourteen spheres, including the seven islands and the seven oceans around them. She is the Pranava, the symbol visible of

Bhoo Devi

is

the Invisible Presence.

Ncela Devi that

is

go to sustain

wind, the

air,

the

visible in the all

thousand and one forces

beings, animate

fire,

the water

Great Waters upon which one of her mystic symbols.

all

and inanimate the like. She is the

and the

worlds

rest.

She

is

the Frog,

From the mouth of Mahavishnu arises Nada (Sound). From Nada arises Bindu (the Point). Fromj Bindu comes forth the Pranava. From the Pranava springs forth the Tree of

Knowledge

(the

Vedas), with

its

branches of

Action and Wisdom.

Brahman, whose nature

they

illuminate,

is

Kriya

Sakthi.

is

Sakshath

Sakthi

(the

inseparate

from

him.

Direct It

lies

Ewrgy) behind

of

the

Lord

Evolution,

5?

Preservation,

other

and

Disintegration

world-processes.

variety of

Form.

entiated.

It is

It is

and

Involution,

the

It about the infinite brings the Differentiated and the Undiffer-

Self-radiance.

It is

the Power that showers

It good. It is the inexhorable Law that rights Wrong. the spiritual splendour of men, of sages and of Gods. is

the heart of Serenity, The dark mole on the

left

breast of Mahavishnu,

as Sree Vathsa, symbolises the

Ichcha Sakthi as

Him during

It is

also

Pralaya (Involution). The Kalpa tree, Sakthi (spiritual powers). Plenty, treasures

it

known the

is

It

known rests in

as

Yoga

Cow

of

Chinthamam, Sankha, Padma and the other of the Lord of Wealth, nine in number, are the

results of Bhoga Sakthi (psychic powers). This extremely useful to those that seek the Lord interestedly and also to those that render or out of unalloyed devotion visible is

;

service unto

shrining his

him

shape of raising temples and entherein, so that the devout might

in the

images

meditate upon him through the eight-fold path of Yoga. Veera Sakthi, the Goddess of Valour, is described thus.

Under the spreading

fragrance of the Kalpaka tree shines the

gem-encrusted throne. The Lotus spreads its graceful petals it and on it sits enthroned the four-armed Goddess of

over

;

Valour.

On

all

sides stand elephants,

the Waters of Immortality their

tusks.

Amma

The

eight

from the

bathing her with

gemmed

Yoga-Siddhis

vessels

in

(occult powers),

and the rest, are ranged on either side of her. The Sun Jaya and her sister Apsarasas wait upon her. and the Moon illuminate the Hall of Audience. The full t

moon, the new moon and the umbrellas over her head.

half

moon

Hladini and

hold

snow-white

Maya

fan her with

chamaras (chowries). Swaha, that nourishes the Gods, and Swadha, that feeds the Fathers, wave fans on either In front of her stand the Gods, the Vedas and side.

.58

the Sciences.

And from

the universe.

Seethopantshad.

her seat

power She

of

rules the

The Inner meaning. VIII.

The Gayathri Manthra is the seed

of the

Tree of Rama-

Rama Raksha is the sprout the Vedas are the and Emancipation is the fruit of it. Gayathri, the mother of the Vedas, is the root of all. It has three Padas (feet). They that strive after Liberation should meditate upon the Germ, from which the Tree of yana; the roots

;

;

the Universe sprang, as the material cause of the universe in his Matter aspect, and as the instrumental cause of the

same

in his

Brahman

that underlies the

This

aspect.

first foot.

The

Truth

in brief, the

is,

universe, as the effect, is

He superimposed by Nescience upon the Supreme Self are asked to banish His we is the Cause. matter Hence, aspect and try to realise His ultimate Brahman aspect ;

alone.

The Vedic

"

text

The Golden Person who

is

visible

Orb/' denotes the Primal Being, should meditate upon the Supreme Self in

in the heart of the Solar

Narayana.

We

this aspect of

(Form

Unbounded

of Illusion).

whom men know

"

as

on Earth, time and

I

this Light meditate upon

Rama and

;

His Mayaviroopa

is

the Ineffable Glory

Krishna

;

who came down This

oft, for the uplifting of the world."

what the second foot conveys to us. This is his second manifestation, in which man might more easily meditate upon him. This is the Means to reach the Brahman, whom the first Foot sets out to describe. is

" gies"

He is

that

directs

what the

grace, curb the fleeting feet.

more

and controls our

mind and

This the epitome of the tortuous.

turn

Self

He

third foot teaches. it

and

its

ener-

can, out of his

inward towards his

Path of Action, longer and

...

59

of of

The three feet of the Gayathri Manthra are the germs out which springs the Tree of Knowledge with its branches Wisdom, Meditation and Action. Maithrayana Sruthi

RAMA RAKSHA. The

Ramaraksha express the same Gayathn Manthra; and in them are condensed the incidents of the Ramayana. 1. May Raghava protect my head. He who presides over the universe, He who presides over the Annamayakosa may He protect my head that symbolises (Food-Sheath syllables of the

truths as the

),

the universe. 2.

May

ihe so;/ of Dasaratha protect

my

Pranamayakosa (Prana-Sheath) is drawn is the of sense and action) and

forehead, The by ten horses

Manomayakosa (Mind- Sheath). it,

my

protect

destiny

May

forehead,' the tablet

he,

who

presides over

upon which

Brahma, who was evolved

the

effect of

(organs

after the

writes

my

universe.

(The Self, as manifested in each of the above sheaths, has a wider consciousness and powers than in the preceding one). 3.

May

the son of

Kausalya protect

my

He who

eyes.

presides in theVignanamayakosa (Intution-Sheath)is endowed with the faculty of cognising all impressions. May he protect my eyes, the channel of all knowledge and wisdom. 4.

The

May

Sheath) universe

he ivho

is

May

dear

innate, unselfish

to

Visvamithra protect

He

is

and

disinterested.

Sushupthi does away with

in the state of

sorrow.

is

my

ears.

manifested in the Anandamayakosa (Bliss filled with infinite compassion towards the

as

Self

the

he protect

embodiment

my

of Bliss

ears through

which

It is

all

he that

grief

and

and Consciousness. I

reach him.

three Manthras superimpose the universe up[The on Sree Rama, the Parabrahman and the next three help to first

60

remove the

Thus

illusion.

far the nature of the

Supreme

Brahman, the Absolute, that forms the subject of the foot of the Gayathri].

first

May he who protected the sacrifice of Visvamithra guard my nose. The delights of the heavenly world form 5.

the reward of sacrifices.

May

he, that brings

about the result

my organs of smell and taste, with divine fragrance and taste are experienced.

where-

of sacrifices, protect

sou of Sumithra The Lord's heart goes out towards Hiranprotect mv face. from Himself and is the best friend of that evolved yagarbha,

My

6.

he whose heart goes out

to the

the Jeeva. Those that attain Emancipation in the ordinary way reach the world of Brahma there they are initiated ;

into the mysteries of the Absolute;

back

go along with him,

to the Lord, they

May

7.

he who

and when Brahma goes

is

the fountain o] all

knowledge protect is the of Knowledge organ speech. only means of reachmy he him. protect my organ of speech through ing May

which

I

May he whom Bharatha

8.

Those

acquire knowledge.

that follow the "

sacrificial rites,

sacrifices"

Path of

reverences perfect

Action

The Brahmanas seek

Srutlu.

my

worship him to

know

neck.

with It

by

Manthras, Sthotliras andSasthras form

the component parts of sacrificial rites. They should ever find a place in the throat, the channel through which they Hence, the prayer to protect that pass from the heart. portion of the body.

The Jeeva

lays

by much merit by

such holy acts as sacrifices that directs him to the Path whereby reaches the Soothrathma (He on ;

of Meditation

whom

;

the worlds are strung).

9.

be who wields the Divine Weapons protect In his divine incarnation, the Bow, the Sword other weapons, symbolising Power, Time and

May

shoulders.

and the

my

61

the Ijke attributes,

my

corresponding portions of he

May

10.

When

May he

graced his arms.

who broke

the

protect the

body.

Bow

of Siva protect

my arms.

man among men, with bow of Siva that was no

he walked on earth as a

the might of his arms he broke the other than the mount Meru (the Axis of the world). places him above

ly, this

against the Asuras of the

Brahma

car,

his driver,

"

Siva.

Three

When Mahadeva

Cities,

mount Meru

vishnu the point of his arrow.

"

Plain-

went

the Earth was his

his

bow, and Maha-

Sruthi.

May the Lord

ofSeetha protect my hands. These two Manthras show us that Bala, one of the two Vidyas (occult 11.

sciences) imparted to him by Visvamithra, gave him unlimited physical strength. 12. May he who put down Parasurama protect my heart Parasurama stored in himself the spiritual

Brahmana and of the Lord Vishnu. and destroyed the worlds won by his down him put

splendour of the

Rama

This evidences what a mighty

Thapas.

Here

is

heart

he had.

manifest the power of Athibala, the other Vidya,

Rama was

able to accomplish superhuman acts at once. (Manthras 9, 10, 11, and 12 teach that the third manifestation of the Lord is higher than Brahma, Vishnu in that

and

Siva).

13.

May

he

who

slew

Khara

protect

my

trunk.

Khara

and the other Rakshasas constantly meditated upon the Lord, though as their mortal enemy hence, they stand higher than many who have never bestowed a thought upon him. The Lord fails not to reward each as he deserves. He slew Khara and his Rakshasas and that was a blessing in disguise gave them a place in his world. ;

;

14.

May he,

and support,

upon

protect

my

whom Jambavan navel.

leant as his stay

Jambavan sought the

the Lord to save himself from his dire distress R se

;

his

feet of

62

was one

and not

of love,

Hence, he stands on

of enmity.

a higher level than Khara.

May

15.

the

Lord of Sugreeva protect

good turn deserves another'.

Rama

savoured more

ted friendship.

and

his

Rama

of barter

monkey

of use

Hence, he does not come up

*

loins.

One

Sugreeva's relations with than of genuine disinteres-

served his ends

hosts were

my

to

first

to

and Sugreeva

;

Rama

Jambavan's

long

after.

altitude.

May Hanumaris master protect my thighs. Hanuman's devotion to Rama was unselfish to the extreme humble service to his master and to the best of his 16.

;

might, was the only thing he prayed for. He stood nearest As his favourite child, he sat upon his to the Lord's heart. He is the ideal Bhaktha (devotee). [The last four lap.

Manthras depict the four types

of those that seek the

Lord

during his divine incarnations], 17. May he, who threw the bridge over the sea, protect my knees. The Lord is the shores of the ocean of Samsara (material existence), in that he keeps back and is the haven of those who toil in it.

its

rolling

waves

May he guard

my knees that form, as it were, the feet of children when they crawl about. (This teaches us that the Lord is beyond the material vehicles. He who meditates upon him thus,

freed for ever from his vehicles). 18. May he who destroyed the ten-headed is

The Lord

Ravana

guard my beyond the Sookshmasareera that works through the ten organs of sense and action. To the grown-up child the ankles form the chief help in ankles.

locomotion;

upon the and rests 19.

may He guard them. (He who

lord

is

freed for ever from the

Joy

thus meditates

Sookshmasareera

bosom of Praknthi). May he who conferred all good and

in the

upon Vibheeshana of

is

to

him

protect

who

my

feet.

escapes

He

the

prosperity

opens the

jaws

of

gates

Avidya

63

(Nesgience). May He guard "This rapid locomotion. is

the

wealth

highest

wherein

Emancipation,

supreme

"

my

Srutht. evil

all

the

feet,

the

is

good. This the state of

highest is

(This is

instruments of

annihilated

and where

bliss is experienced).

May Rama protect all my body. The Lord, as

20.

is

Almighty Ruler,

the

the monarch that shines on his Throne

Glory in the Audience Hall of the Universe. I earnestly seek to stand in his presence. May he purify my three

of

May he remove all obstacles and dangers on the eight-fold Path. May he, out of his grace, qualify me to find a place among the Elect. The expression, 'Raghava,' in the first Manthra, symbo-

vehicles.

lises

the Universe

The

Brahman.

as

later

His collective and

;

and the

Hence, the 24

and

form

is

then described for

Manthras 13,18

lay

down

the

while Manthras 19 and 20 describe the destruc-

tion of evil

Its

individual

of meditation

purpose process

superimposed by Ignorance upon Manthras remove this misconception.

letters

The

supreme

bliss.

Gayathn forms the germ of the Ramayana.

begin the 24,000 stanzas of the poem.

Vedas

Valmeeki's

realization of

epic

form but

is

basis

the

an

of

the

Ramayana.

amplification of

the

Truths

and like the Vedas, it blesseth him taught in the Vedas " The that reads and him that listens to it. Supreme One down earth as Sree on came Vedas to whom the reach, try ;

Rama, the son where he was, So,

my

of

as

beloved,

Dasaratha

;

so,

the

Vedas came down

to

Ramayana, the child of Valmeeki's heart.

Ramayana

is

the

Veda

;

doubt

it

not,

Agasthya SamJntha. "Valmeeki, the sage, chose the two royal youths Kusa anc| Lava out of many they were endowed with considerable

Parvathi."

;

64 intelligence,

Ramayana, not have a

had studied the Vedas, and their mysteries life, their mother, could ;

the record of Seetha's fitter

V.

exponent''

R.

I.

4.

Ramayana and the Vedic passages which it The exoteric narrates the a double aspect. have amplifies incidents in the life of Rama and Seetha. The esoteric So, the

Let the mtutive student unfolds the mystery of the Self. ponder over it. The Vedic Manthras are the deep pool, full

brim with the Waters

of Immortality. They flow fields of to the of on broad the channels episodes through Vidya, the Science of Self they that walk along the Path of

to the

;

Action, also drink of

by the way.

it

Now, let us take, for example, the following Manthra, to be recited in that sacrificial rite where " As a dead man leaves the two Aswins are invoked. behind him the wealth he accumulated cast

Thugra were there, him and his have

like to

in

his

life,

King

son into the roaring deep. But, you and with numerous boats saved Aswins his

!

;

troops." This

is

how

the

interpreted, "All the

man

of action

Gods and

all

would

the

own

hymns who shines He, who cannot

The above

vedic text affirms that the Manthras do but seek

of the

it

Rigveda are

in

Him, the Supreme

Self,

light and who ever remains. him pierce to through these garments of sound, has very little to do with them, even in their exoteric dead letter aspect."

his

by

to

somewhat of the veil that is thrown over the Namewhose manifestations come down to us as the presiding

lift

less,

deities of the senses.

He

has no

eye for the deeper study the Holy Writ. Hence, it is but just that the above Manthra should have an inner mean" The of the past, is Self, on whom bear the burden ing.

meaning has no

call to

thrown into the ocean the

Personality

Ruler

!

that

that

of

Samsara (embodied existence) by

clings

to

material objects.

Soothrathman (Thread-Soul)

!

Inner

You extend your

65

grace unto

it

through through the it

and

;

the guise

in

Teacher save

the

of

Sentences (Mahavakyas), that sail Akasa in the heart and dispel the clouds

the

Great

of Ignorance. It

Q.

seems

above

that the

Aswinee

Devas

Manthra.

are

praised in

Transitoiy spoken of and as such, give no colour to the view, that the Vedas in which they are found are not composed by man.

the

and

Grain

A.

objects are

other

the

cereals are

but in the type so, every Kalpa sees the divine incarnation of Brahma),

eternal, not individually

of

(life-period

;

Rama; and

as a type symbolising a

nal

Devathadhikarana

;

the

The Chamasadhikarana the is

it is

do

really

aim

at

eter-

of

it.

though teaching

Brahman. Take the Manthra "Aja who " and black if we give the white, here,

Science red,

words

kosmic event, this view

takes

holds that such Manthras,

episodes,

past

narrating

regarded as

of

;

meaning, the passage simply expresses facts of previous knowledge and forms no evidence of superphysical truths. Hence, the Teachers understand that their natural

Aja denotes Praknthi are given such names Food.

Similar

matter) to whom Splendour, the Waters and

(differentiated

instances

as

would

naturally

suggest them-

Manthras with an esoteric narrative aspect and an esoteric spiritual one underlying.

selves, of

The Vedic text "All names do but point to him. All " Vedas do but describe the Supreme State makes it plain that Sree Ramachandra is the subject ot all knowledge, Vedic or otherwise. His names

;

in fact,

all

Indra and like expressions are but words do but express His infinite

But, the passages yield a narrative as suited to the context. qualities.

Q.

How

can

we understand

meaning

expressions that

too,

denote

66

other gods as pointing to Rama ? If the aforesaid interpretais made to serve our purpose, the words have no mean-

tion

ing of their own.

The

A.

numerals

various

1, 2,

makes them denote

of place

or thousands.

dots

that

form

;

stand

but, a

a unit or tens or

word

for

the

difference

hundreds or

sentence can, by by difference of context, The word Amntha denotes natur-

Similarly,

with others

association

or

are similar in

4,

.'5,

lines

a

a

or

or

yield many meanings. ally the Waters of Immortality obtained during the churn-

But, in the following Vedic texts ing of the ocean. When this mortal man has his mind washed pure *

even the least, then he becomes Amntha " " Brahman even here May we drink " " That is man's May we become Amntha

of all desire,

he of

attains

Soma

;

Amntha; Godship, "

The

;

;

;

That

stands for Emancipation, yours." and offspring respectively. Or, take the text, It

is

Devas

with

Yagna

Yagna ." Here, worship Supreme One the Yagna, Jeeva is to be viewed by us as the Supreme Brahman. But, " in the passage They sprinkle the Yagna," it means Indra, Agni and the other Devas. Again, the word denotes the worship

the object

of

is

the

;

when it occurs in a passage about the churnfire. The Adhyathmika, the Adhi-Daivika and the

sacrificial fire

ing of the

Adhi-Bhouthika meanings stand in the relative order of their importance. The word Indra means literally "One who is

endowed with superhuman powers

"

Usage too lends

its

the

passage that support treats of the replacing of the Garhapathya fire uses the to denote the Garhapathya fire. same expression very Again, the expression Akasa can but denote naturally the to

material

this

Akasa

interpretation.

;

but

in

But,

" Whatever is seen passage denotes the Supreme One; the

the

it springs from the Akasa" to the conventional. is subservient meaning

natural

So,

we

67

conclude that narratives do often yield a the

meaning,

spiritual

expressions denoting other deities do really stand for

and

Soul.

Supreme

There

Q.

Supreme

show

a

is

Manthras as do not Self, that

lay

they

justice in interpreting such rules of sacrifice, to mean the

of

down

may

not

st

nd

useless. But,

what

of

the other Manthras that are connected with sacrificial rites?

Do you

contend that they too point

Even

A.

so.

to

Rama

?

Since the entire Vedas are devoted to that

purpose alone, we have no right

to except

any portion

of

it.

not reasonable to give such an interpretation in sections treating of the Science of Self. Then, the passages about chopping off the It is

p.

to

Manthras that are not found

branches of trees must also be interpreted

Supreme

Self.

Then, the

who

eyes of those

Karmakanda

loses

denote the

to

its

value in the

tread the Path of Action.

A. Not so. The same fact is understood variously by A rope lying on the road is various grades of intelligence. taken for a serpent by one, for a stick by another and for a " rope by a third. Brahma gave out that The person who is seen in the eye

is

the

Athman,

is

Fearlessness,

is

Brahman/'

Now, Virochana, one of his auditors, understood it that embodied self was characterised by immortality and

the the

that the

other attributes; but, Indra, another of them, took Self transcending the vehicles was meant. Difference of it

intelligence pretations.

slew

sometimes accounts

for

difference

of inter-

Now, we read in the Maha Bharatha that Indra the body with the invisible weapon Vajra

Vnthram

(Aswamedha Parva).

"

When the universe was

enveloped in

ignorance, the Jeeva dispelled it by Divine Knowledge that " transcends the senses this is how the most advanced will interpret is

it,

The Vedic

text describing the

Wheel

of

interpreted ^s follows, to suit the intellects of a low

68

The women mentioned there stand for the deities Dhatha and Vidhatha the black and white threads mean the fortnight, the month, the seasons, day and night order.

;

;

and the year are similarly interpreted. Now, the more advanced would see that the six seasons stand for the six

Each

senses.

of

these

made up

is

of

sense has Desire and Aversion as

made up

of

two fortnights

;

its

two months poles.

Dharma

made up

Law)

(the

;

each

month

is

and Aversion have a

Desire

double aspect, according as they are directed tion of

A

or against

it.

the direc-

in

Each

fortnight

is

through the movements of the Sun and the Moon. The sun is the Self the moon is Manas with her sixteen rays (Prana, Sraddha, Akasa, Vayu, Agni, Water, of fifteen days

;

Earth, Senses, Mind, Food, Energy, Thapas, Manthra, Karma, Worlds and Name). During sleep, the mind withdraws into itself all the rays except the last, and is absorbed in the Self.

It is

Avidya (Nescience), whose very nature

is

abso-

Thamas (Inertia). The New-moon day, on which the sun and the moon are in conjunction, symbolises this truth. lute

Later on, the rays emerge from the Self, one after another, through the agency of Viveka (Discrimination) this is the ;

waxing

Moon

of the

Wisdom. The Self and the mind one another, when wisdom has dawned

are opposite to

the

full

moon.

moon This

of

typifies the

is

the

Wheel

disjunction of of

the sun and the

Time, the result

of

Action.

Thus, the Manthras yield a spiritual meaning to the wise, and but the traditional one to the less advanced.

such an interpretation is the right one, how is it that Sayana and the other commentators on the Vedas have never revealed it ? Further, the incidents of the Q.

If

Ramayana

are

nowhere mentioned

the episode of the death of Vnthra. the

Ramayana

Manthras have a

is

based

upon

in the It is

the

spiritual significance,

Vedic

hard

texts, like

to believe that

Vedas,

and

that all

69

t

A. But,

it is

even

The Vedic commentators set them-

so.

selves to interpret the texts that bear upon the Path of Action and that sing forth the praises of the gods, in such a way as to draw the hearts of the less advanced to Action, fully

aware that

in course of

time

will lead

it

them on to Wisdom. and finds no place.

The deeper meaning is not called for, Now, it is simply unreasonable to declare

that the

incidents find no mention in the

Vedas.

knocks himself against a

the fault

If you care not Vedic lore, how

in vain that the

and

post,

delve

to

is it

deep

Ramayana Maha Bharatha is

into the

to

blame

represent me.

'

"

in each mirror in

'Lo

A it

!

;

even

its

so,

in

man

latter

hidden mines for '

It is

it ?

The

furniture

the Universe

Ithihasas

likely mis-

are

reflected

with

all

;

the others.

purposes desired. But, it does not prevent from reading into them the episodes of the Ramayana,

suit the

We

cannot

its

Everyone of one of them is every

Worship of them is worship The Vedic commentator interprets the texts

the force of

of

not

each God.

them forms the cause of the world the effect of

?

they reveal the inner the man of little wis-

one may more

this

room and

ruling Powers are reflected

Rama.

;

The Vedas shun

mysteries thereof. dom, and cry out

Ramayana

blind

of the

exclaims,

the Puranas amplify the Vedas

a

If

of to

us

by

context and by other traditional methods. accept the exoteric interpretations as ulti-

mate, since they but plunge one deeper into the mire of Ignorance. So, we can well conclude that the Manthras

bear only the traditional meaning to the uninitiated, while the initiated see in them a direct reference to Sree Rama

and the mysteries connected with him. Q.

The Manthras found

in

connexion with religious

do but mention the Gods, the materials, the method, the objects, and the results. How then, can you twist them acts

to yield

an interpretation in support of the Ramayana

?

70

The Manthras

A.

are invariably based

Manthra

"You

Krishna.

Hence,

are even so

upon

;

but, in addition, ^they

entered the great trees I

Let us take the

spiritual truths.

in

gather you

Brahman evolved

reveals the fact that the

form of

the

in

two ways.

"

this

Now, the

Universe

and pervaded it and the sacrificial fuel is to be regarded one of Its manifestations. This episode we find in the ;

as

Brahmanas and is but repeated in the above text. "You, as Krishna the Supreme Brahman, evolve the universe, animate and later on, pervade it through and and inanimate ;

through.

You

are

sacrificial

fuel.

I

up by

him,

who

it

We

dived

the

as

dug up

is

Boar

is

hence, you are even this you thrice seven times."

gather the earth thrown the Waters after this

into

Earth, that lay hidden therein."

Lord

;

gather "

Manthra

the

Again

one with

now

The

referred to

incarnation ,

the

of

the

Earth that he

should be gathered by us. For the essence of Food and Stren-

sacred and

very

" Again the Manthra is used when we chop the branches of trees. The gth," " Lord of to universe it mean the Initiate understand you shine forth even in this branch you have made. I !

chop you

off to attain

supreme

bliss

Brahman to you/'

and the

level of Virat

as pervading the universe and I have attained Texts that relate to inanimate objects should be ;

similarly interpreted; for, food

symbolises

Viratj

and the

Essence of food denotes the Supreme One. ("Verily he is the Rasa, the Essence; having attained that essence, one enjoys bliss."

Besides, such

Sruthi).

vedic

texts as " All this is

Purusha;" "All this is the form of Brahman;" 'That state is hinted at by all the Vedas;" "That whom all these

which

attain;"

"The hymns "

the

changeless the Vedas. And ful student

of

of the

Rigveda in the splendour of our authorities for so interpreting this is possible only in the case of a careare

th$

Ithihasas

and the Puranas, who has

fi

inner meaning; while the less advanced no other sees meaning than the praise accorded to the gatherHe who ing of the material earth and the sacrificial fuel.

mastered their

worships the physical Boar is not very spiritual nor bright; but, he who sees Sree Krishna through the veil and tries to reach

him

is

the

However, the Vedic com-

Initiate.

mentator has given an exoteric

interpretation to the pasthat sage as referring to the physical food and its essence is meant to attract those whose for them fits temperament ;

the Path of

Action.

But,

nothing prevents

from understanding it according to We should explain the Q.

own

his

the Initiate

light.

Manthras

in

conso-

nance with the religious rites in which they are to be used. But, if that meaning does not ht in with the particular act, is it

not better to abandon

A. No.

it ?

"

The Manthra

Mahavishnu

crossed

the

is used in the silent recitation three worlds in three paces" laid down as a penance for breaking the vow of silence, as also in the oblation of ghee as a general penance. The

greatness of the Lord is the only meaning here but, nothing authorises us to interpret ;

nance with the subject

in

He who

hand.

we can it

see

in conso-

does not ac-

quaint himself with the Boar and the Dwarf incarnations of Vishnu cannot explain the texts solely by their context and Since the Vedic commentaries aim only at attracting use.

Path ot Action men whose temperament lies that cannot expect the episodes of the Ramayana we way,

to the

of

doubt that the epic

since of

But, there

a place therein

to find

it

little

of

Valmeeki

but amplifies the

knowledge

through the veil

,

may

but to the

is

truths

find

is

not the least shadow

based upon the Vedas, Men taught in them.

it

difficult

Open Eye

The Ramayana and

to

pierce

of the Initiate

it is

original, the hymns transparent of the Rigveda, narrate the incidents in the life of Sree its

Rama

meanin be should Each Manthra explained through. ing relation to the sacrificial rite, to the incidents in the Ramayana and to the Science of Self. ( Manthra Ramayana). but, there runs an under-current of spiritual

;

all

How

XIL

to

read the

Ramayana

?

" You current a quaint saying of the wise. cannot spend the day better than by studying the records

There

of the

is

gamblers in the forenoon; the stories of women and form a fit theme to while away the afternoon

their doings

and the to

;

the adventures of the

above

literally

tha, that

form a lovely background thief," Now, no one takes the

early hours of the night

;

but, understands

it

to

mean

that the Bhara-

narrates the gambling of the eldest of the

vas and the evils that

resulted therefrom,

Panda-

should occupy

The Ramayana of Valmeeki, whose theme is Seetha, the ideal woman, and her sorrows, is to be recited and listened to when the day draws to a close while, the

the forenoon.

;

Bhagavatha, that records in symbols the incarnation of the Supreme Purusha, Sree Krishna, the thief who steals away our hearts and his work among men is the best

prelude one could desire to a peaceful and calm dreamlife.

Valmeeki has enjoined the royal youths, Kusa and Lava, to recite just twenty chapters a day, neither more nor less. (V. R. VII. 93). It gives extreme pleasure to the Fathers to hear

it

recited,

when

the anniversary rites are

performed in their name. Gifts of cloths cattle and gold should be made to him that reads it (Ib. id. III). The

Coming

of the Lord, the marriage

of Seetha, the

Installa-

tion of the Sandals, the coronation of Sugreeva, the Surren-

der of Vibheeshana and the coronation of Sree fitting

occasions

when

should be honored with

the reciter liberal gifts.

Rama

are

and the expounder

n How

XIIL "This record

Rama's

of

destroys their sins,

does

benifit us ?

it

punfieb the heart of men,

life

and confers supreme

Hence

merit.

the

reverence with the Holy Writ and he is freed from sin of every A long and happy life is his portion in the world of kind. men and when he goes away from it, he is a welcome wise hold

who

in equal

it

reads

it

;

with a devout heart,

;

world

the

guest in

among them,

of

Gods and

yea, his kith

is

held

in

honour

high

and km.

Brahmana read it, gift of speech meed, and wisdom equalled by none. Should one Should 3

read

warrior race

owns

his sway.

pay homage to read, he shall

it,

and

wide Earth

the

is

his

of the

contains

all it

Should a Vaisya read it, merchant princes him nay, should a Soodra happen to hear it ,

win honor and glory among his kind. "

(V.R.1.1). Later on,

we

find

that relates to shall

any

Brahma

(76. id, 2) that

upon Valmeeki the Open Eye

of the Seer

of the actors in

and

conferred "

Nothing world-drama

said,

that great

Rama, Lakshmana, Seetha,

escape thy all-seeing eye

men and monkeys, Gods and

Rakshasas, their

known

acts, their

or secret.

Nothing words, nay, their very thoughts, that comes out of your mouth, consciously or otherwise, shall prove other than true. Sing you a poem that shall

charm

away

melodious

the hearts of men, perfect in

in its flow.

swift-coursing rivers,

and

be

has

The

and

all

But, your noble song naught fade from the hearts of men

as the record of

so U

A

Rama's

long shall rare

and

honeyed verses and

life

you

sit

noble faultless

rhythm and

cloud-cappe.l mountains, the created things shall pass away

them and never men,

its

holds sway

shall outlive

And

over the hearts of

by me in my epic

this,

diction,

as long "

highest heaven. the Ramayana of

beautifully

adapted

u begun and

and

instrumental

to music, vocal or

the most exacting critic cannot praise of

to hear

charming canons

it

art,

too highly; the

first

kind and an unapproachable ideal for all tune to

its

the

best

model

for

all

future poets

essence of the Holy Scriptures

and

happiness, read or listen to 11

length it."

;

;

come

;

the thrice-distilled

surest giver of health

the

of years

;

of the

finished according to the best

and prosperity,

to ail

who

(Ib. id. 4.)

Tins epic confers on kings long

life,

fame, victory and

from every other blessing desired. Do you wealth ? to it. Is fail not You loins? your object get your You have it as much as you wish. The king triumphs over desire offspring

his

enemies and rules the lord

of the Earth.

The woman

that listen to this holy narrative with a heart full of devotion^ her length of days and wealth of children and rejoices

m

even

grand-children,

ot Dasaratha,

queens unto the earth

as

to the

children of their

this

and her

passions

him who all

listens

to the

misery behind him

lands

Rama

is is

and rejoiced

loins

world can give and the next.

everything that sister

seventh remove, like unto the the Lord himself come down

who saw

restored to the

find not a place

words

bosom

Anger heart of

He

puts away

The wanderer

in strange

of Valmeeki.

for ever.

in the

in

of those that

ever ready to gratify his requests.

love him. Sree

The Shining Ones

beyond measure. The evil Powers that may infest his house become his very inends and benefactors. Young women do bring forth excellent sons to gladden their hearts. Those ot the royal race that listen to it with a devout heart from some good Brahmana, are ever blessed are delighted

with wealth

unbounded and

offspring numerous. In short,

an evergrowing circle of kinsmen, abundance of wealth and corn, faithful and devoted wives, perfect health, long life,

fame and upright heart, spiritual splendour, good brothers and every thing that the human heart can wish for all this

75

and much more form the meed

him who

of

studies, with a

heart and devout, the noble epic of Valmeeki,*

pure

(/&.

VI. 131). '

The

quested of

sages that frequent

him

permission of

Rama and

listen

to

to

the

the

world of

go back

Brahma

re-

to the audience-hall

remaining

of the

chapters

(Ib. VII, 98).

Ramayana." " The Omnipresent Lord and

his glory

form the sub-

ject of the

Ramayana. Hence, the Gods, the Gandharvas, the Siddhas and the Sages ever listen to it with hearts over-

A single chapter of the flowing with joy. the merit accumulated by thousands of Vajapeyas

and

other

holy

sacrifices.

poem

confers

Aswamedhas,

Pilgrimages

to

Prayaga, Naimisa, Kurushethra and other holy spots, Ganga and the other sacred rivers all the merit accumulated

thereby

is

his,

who

listens

whole-hearted to the

recital

Ramayana. The gift of untold wealth to deserving Brahmanas at Kurushethra during sacrifices confers no greater merit. The Divine Hero fails not to lift his devotee

of the

even unto his world Lord."

(Ib.id.

becomes one

nay,

he

Other

Ramayanas

with

the

111).

XIV.

We have

,

reason to believe

that the life of

Rama was

sung by many others besides Valmeeki, even during the life time of the Divine One. "Chyavana, the sage, sang the Life of Rama. But, Valmeeki, who came after him, obtained immortal fame" (Aswaghosha's Buddha Charithra VII. 48.)

The Ramayanas of Bodhayana, Bharadwaja and many other Rishis are not now extant.

Ananda Ramayana The Lord Mahadeva his beloved,

Parvathi. in

It

narrated the life of Rama unto forms a portion of the Original

100 crones of

stajizas.

Jt is

divided

into 9

76

The Sarakanda cantos of 109 chapters and 12,252 stanzas. as over the the same ground goes Ramayana of Valmeeki. The Yathrakanda gives an account of the pilgrimage underby Rama. The Yagakanda describes the horse

taken

sacrifice

conducted by Rama,

as also his

108 sacred names.

The Vilasakanda depicts Rama's government, the prayer known as Ramasthavaraja and the Deha Ramayana The Janmakanda tells us about (the inner meaning of it). the putting their

back

with the

fight

of

of Seetha, the

away

Seetha

The Vivahakanda of

scions

the

army

her

to is

of

lord

birth of

as

;

Kusa

Rama and also

the

and Lava, the

coming

Ramaraksha.

an account of the marriages of the

house

of

Ikshvakhu.

The

Rajyakanda 1000 holy names of Rama, the bringing the trees from the heaven of Indra, the destruc-

recounts the

down

of

Asura

Moolaka, the conquest of the seven Dweepas and the past births of Valmeeki. The Manoharakanda contains the Laghu Ramayana (the Sum-

tion

the

of

mary given

to

Valmeeki by Narada) and the Kavachas (protec-

manthras) of Rama, Lakshmana, Bharatha, Sathrughna, Seetha and Hanuman. The Poornakanda relates the genea-

tive

logy of the Lunar Race, the battle between the kings of the Soorya and Chandravamsas and the Passing of Rama.

Adhyathma Ramayana It is

generally held that this forms a part of the Brahthe printed editions confirm it. But,

manda Purana and internal evidence

shows

Bhavishya Purana

that

it

was related by Visvamithra. us that " The Lord Sanka-

(III, 19) tells

ra, having thus gratified the wishes of Ramananda, vanished from the place. Later on, the holy man sought out Sree Krishna Chaitanya and served him faithfully for twelve

years,

him

to

upon milk. The Master enjoined compose the work known later on as the Adhyathma

subsisting

solely

77

Ramayana". Hence, neither Valmeeki nor Vyasa can be claimed to be its author.

As

usual,

dents of the ethical

Mahadeva recounts

life

and

Rama are

of

spiritual

it

to Parvathi.

described

at length,

illuminating the

episodes

The incimany

with

exoteric

events.

Adbhutha Ramayana Valmeeki narrates it to his disciple Bharadwaja. It is and forms a portion of the Original RamaThe yana. greatness of Seetha, the events that brought about the human incarnations of Rama and Seetha, and the in 27 chapters

episode of the thousand-headed Ravana are

described at

great length.

Agnivesya

Ramayana

have come across only some stanzas giving the chronology of the incidents of the Ramayana. I

A

Sangraha Ramayana modern work by Narayana Panditha,

a

follower

of

Bharadwaja what took place

in

Sree Madhwacharya.

Yogavasishtha

Valmeeki narrates

to

Ramayana

the audience-hall of King Dasaratha when ated Rama into the Science of Brahman. lean

more

towards the

Manthra Rainayana By Lakshmanarya a rare and unic 156 hymns of the

Rigveda are

the incidents

of

taught these very same texts verted them later on into stanzas

t

i

initi-

The teachings

Adwaitha philosophy

Sankaracharya.

as the basis of

Vasishtha

of

Sree

l

78 it is

a

summary

and forms

of the epic,

Manthra narratively and

its

The author

the Samkshepa Ramayana.

chapter interprets each

while he refers the

spiritually,

the standard Dreader to Sayana,

first

commentator,

for the current

explanation.

The Puranas

Every one cidents in the

of

them

at some length the inwhile the Padmapurana gives

narrates

Rama

life of

;

a comparative account of the

same

in a previous kalpa.

Raghiwamsa

By the famous poet Kalidasa. In 19 chapters he relates the prominent incidents in the lives of the Solar Kings from Dileepa down to Agnivarna Bliattt

Kavya

By the poet Bhatti, who lived about the time of King Dharasena, of ruler Balabln. Evey one of the 22 Chapters of the

work

is

built

of

important peculiarity

m

words which

illustrate

some one

Sanskrit grammar.

Kamba Ramaycwa By Kamban, night

he,

listened

the inspired to

the

Tamil

various

poet.

after

Night

and the

Ramayanas

and Puranas expounded by the ablest men of his time He is the next day he sang them in melodious stanzas. ;

the

Milton of Tamil literature and his

the

Ramayana

is

Northern

India.

Indian Paradise Lost.

Ramachanthramanaw

By

Tulasidas,

He was

the son of

in"

1575 A.

D.

the famous

saint of

Athma Rama, and was born

He was warmly

Jahan, the Magnificent, and spent his 1&24 A. D. he went back unto Sree

at Delhi.

patronised by Shah In life at Benares.

Rama, whose

Life he

79

He divides his work into 7 cantos like the Ramayana sang. of Valmeeki, but the Balakanda is the longest of them. The Uttarakanda deals at length with the episode of the Crowsage Bhusunda, and of Devotion in its manifold aspect. It was thus the Ramachanthra came down to him. In a former kalpa, in a dark age of

the

kingdom and a

Siva

bitter

drove him from his Saivite took

him

inner

the

there lived a Soodra in was a bigoted worshipper of hater of other sects. A cruel famine to where a philanthropic place Ujjain,

Kosala.

of

in,

relieved his wants and revealed to

nature

unity of all unfortunate

ijt,

He

of

religions.

man

and

Saivaism But,

drove

the

him

past

on

force to the deeper depths of mtolerent

him

fundamental

the

karma

with

of

the

irresistable

bigotry.

Blinded

came to regard his broad-hearted teacher as a heretic, and thought it his bounden duty to hold him up to criticism and ridicule. One day his master chanced to come into the temple where the misguided man was with fanatism, he

seated in devout meditation upon his God. Big with conceit, he rose not to salute him ; but, sat on with a look of pity

and contempt upon

his face.

His teacher minded

it

not, so

great was his heart and so full of pity for the erring one. But, the Lord Mahadeva could not pass over the open insult to his servant "A serpent thou shall become" said he " at

and

ot

this

Loid

to

unwieldy bulk." The Teacher, pained unlooked-for mitigate the

" replied Siva

it

can't

doom

of dread,

severity

to the heart

besought

of the sentence.

be undone.

of

the

"Nay"

But, your intercession

him from the bhndrng force of births and deaths. unimpeded on earth, and he shall remember his past." Thus, the fanatic Saivite became

shall preserve

His course shall be

an ardent devotee of Sree Rama houses of flesh he abode in. In

Brahmana; and sought the lonely

;

and one

many were of

the

them he was a

retreats of

Mount

Ateru,

80

where he came upon the Rishi Lomasa. Our friend clasped his feet in reverence and prayed to be instructed in' the Science of Brahman. Lomasa tried to draw his heart towards the Absolute, beyond all attributes, beyond all Name and Form, But, he felt himself out his death in it and prayed oft to

be

worship of Sree Rama. Again and sage, who, out of patience with him, thou shalt become/' croaking crow

initiated into the

again he crossed the cried

out,

"

A

(We should not jump to the conclusion that Lomasa, the sage of restrained self, could not keep his temper. Far from it. He was but the mouthpiece of the karma of the man, that came head at that moment). But, the Brahmana had now a clearer intellect and a calmer heart. He accepted with gladness

to a

the apparent cuise as one more debt paid, as one more stone removed from the Path of Progress. Lomasa thereupon instructed him in the mysteries connected with Sree Rama

and narrated unto him the Life-record of the Divine One, known as Ramachanthra Manasa. The crow passed beyond the portals of Death Time had no power over him. His vision was unclouded and saw far into the heart of Rama had not a more ardent devotee. He was the things. great Yogi, Bhusunda. ;

When Rama

was bound by

the

magic weapons

of

Narada despatched Garuda, the Divine Bird, to them. Now, the messenger was seized with a destory "If Rama be the Supreme Brahman, how cruel doubt Indrajith,

could Indrajith or any other prevail over him

Narada to enlighten him on the his Father

point.

Brahma who passed him on

" ?

He

prayed

Narada sent him to

to

Mahadeva, the

supreme hierophant of the mysteries connected with Rama. Sankara transferred him to Bhusunda, the latest addition ^But, to the fold; and Garuda heard from the crow the Ramacharithramanasa, as also the deeper truths

the Lord's Illusion and doings.

connected with

31

and to visit Agasthya him. There had the went with Parvathi pleaalong they sure of listening to the life and adventures of Sree Rama

One day Mahadeva happened

;

by the sage. Mahadeva, struck with his extreme devotion to Rama, instructed Agasthya in the deeper mysas narrated

Divine

teries of the

Incarnation.

In the course of time,

Mahavishnu came down on earth as Raghava, exiled himself to Dandaka, lost Seetha, and went in search of her with a breaking heart and woe-begone countenance. Sankara failed to meet him then, try as he would. Later on, his wishes were gratified. Bhavani, who was with him, could not refrain from exclaiming to herself, " And so this is Sree Rama who bewails the loss of his wife like any

countryman in

And

?

regarding as the

this

is

what Sankara would

supreme Brahman and

persist

the object of too enthusiastic

his worship ? Verily, Agasthya was a little Sankara warned her of her grievous misover his hero." and let her into the truth about Rama's incarnation. take, "

How

is it,

my

dear,

illusion

delightful

?

fail

you

He

is

a

to see that

all

man now and

this

is

his

a forlorn

he cannot but ; play the part to perfection." Then, Sankara But, Parvathi would not yield her point. advised her to go by herself and subject Rama to any test she liked for, that is the only means of convincing an lover

;

obstinate

to Accordingly, Rudrani repaired was and stood before him as Seetha. Laksh-

sceptic.

where Rama

mana could

quietly called out,

have you

left

ful solitudes

Rama mine Where

not pierce through the illusion "

;

but,

Greeting to you, sister Sankara and what would you in these "

!

fright*

Parvathi was dumb-founded.

Wonder, a smarting sense of defeat, shame at being found out and fear ior the consequences overcame her. She went -back to Paramasiva and Rama took the opportunity to mystify ?

;

her

still

more.

Wherever she

turned,

there

sh& saw

Rama, Lakshmana and Seetha, adored by countless hosts of Gods, sages and Thrimoorthis (Brahma, Vishnu and Siva). But, when she looked back, lo it vanished. Sankara asked her with a smile, *' Well, I hope you are satisfied. I am curious to know how you tested him/' But, her evil hour !

still and she blurted out, "Nay, I thought and tested him not. Your arguments were enough " convince me. Now, Mahadeva's heart was heavy with

,was

upon her

better of to

grief

;

it

Parvathi

could

withstand

not

upon her by

Rama and

Gods sang

his praises high,

the illusion

cast

she could not keep her lips from a lie. Then, he bethought himself that she had, though for a time, assumed the guise of Seetha the Divine Mother. " No more in this incarnation shall I regard this woman " The as my wife she is a mother to me and sacred, ,

;

;

Rama by came

who

such a terrible vow.

know

testified

his devotion to

Sometime

Parvathi

after,

and prayed hard to be forgiven but Siva was in deep meditation and could not reply and she dragged on a miserable existence in that body of hers for about 87,000 years. At last Sankara arose from his Samadhi and the first thing he did was to recite the holy Names of Sree Rama. to

of

it

;

;



the

maideji

greenhorn was as much

for

the

strange

emotions that

a

self-*

stood his

loss to

at

played

over

84

her heart to gaze

and

her

rooted

feet

the intruder with

upon

was a case of mutual love

the

to

spot, perforce

wonder-waiting eyes.

It

All at once, a call

at first sight.

from some one near broke into the lovely dream and flash, the girl vanished back into the grove. Sagara,

like a

who

had fairly lost all consciousness of where he he was doing, was rudely awakened to a sense what or was, of reality and closed his eyes to see if he was not the vic-

by

that time

tim of some strange optic

When

he opened

his

eyes, there stood before him an aged man who wore He bowed to Sagara with livery of a king upon him.

the

illusion.

deepest reverence and said,

" Lord

!

I

am

the

entrusted with

a message to you which I beg to lay at your It feet. might not be unknown to you that Sulochana, of the race,

ruled

Gaganavallabha, hard

at

He had two

Mount

Vaithathya. nethra and a girl Sukesi.

race and

hand battle

Poornamegha, of the same Rathanapura, was a suitor for the and as Sulochana would not princess

lord

of the

favour his

the Vidyadhara children, a boy Sahasra-

by

suit,

of

;

made war upon him, slew him in kingdom. But, the God Chakrapani

the lover

and annexed

his

saved the lives of the children, and led them onto this

where they have

forest,

m

If seems disguise. saw Her here. heart that Sukesi, the princess, has gone you out to you and she would give you her hand in marriage. Her brother (to whom you are not unknown by fame) looks upon it with supreme satisfaction and has sent me

lived ever since

here to request you to repair to their lowly abode." Sagara was overjoyed at this unexpected turn of events that promised to gratify the wildest hopes of his heart, and gladly followed his guide.

He

married Sukesi, and lost no

time in leading an army against the usurper, whom he defeated with dreadful loss. Sahasranethra ruled over his father's dominions, and the lands of his foe.

85

Some^fcie

after,

the friends

made

a pilgrimage

to a

Lord Jina, in a grove near the town of Saketha. As Fate would have it, Sahasranethra came upon Poornamegha, the murderer of his father and his son Ghanavahana. Blind with rage, he slew the father out of hand and was at the point of sending the son after him, when famous shrine

Lord Lord

of

arm. Then, Sagara prayed of the the from the past. " What causes brought veil to about such a deadly hatred between Poornamegha and Jina stayed his lift

Sulochana, between Ghanavahana and Sahasranethra ? Why should myself and Sahasranethra be drawn towards each other by feelings of strongest affection ? opened their eyes to the past, and dwelt, of yore, at Adithyapura, a

He was away

"

Then, the Lord " There

said

:

merchant by name Bhavana.

in other lands trading for a

long time

when, and travelled back as fast as he could. He left his friends and fellowtravellers far behind, and came back to his home some he was seized with

a

fit

of

home

;

sickness,

after midnight. In the anxiety of his heart, he knocked loud and vehemently for admittance. But, wonderful are the ways of Fate. His son Handasa, thus rudely roused

time

from

his

deep slumbers, mistook

his father for

some daring

dacoit, least expecting his parent's arrival at that time.

rushed out in anger, and at his

own

threshold,

He

him dead, his poor father heart was beating high with

alas! struck

when

his

the anticipated delight of meeting, after so long a period of But, inexhorable separation, those whom he loved most. karma could not be stayed in its course; and they were born later

on as Poornamegha and Sulochana, with the old

animosity "

A

still

fierce

ablaze in their hearts.

devout ascetic you were

in

your

last birth

;

and- two

One day, they chanced disciples you had, Sasi and Avali. to quarrel over something, and Sasi killed his friend in a fit of fury. They are no other than Ghanavahana B

39

Sahasranethra

;

and

their last thoughts

Avali was your favourite and

hearts.

still

is

dominate their

now your

friend

and kinsman." This

was

marvellous

story,

with

listened to

deep

this

page

from the

wonder and

past,

surprise

by

But, none drank in the words of every one present. the Lord with greater avidity than Bheema, one of the doorAll at once he and a Rakshasa by descent. from his place to where Ghanavahana stood, " In my upon his neck with tears of joy, and cried,

keepers

rushed fell

last birth

of KanchanaVidytithnethra, the king the son of my were Rathivallabha,

was

I

pura, and

you

The

gods have restored you to my arms But, full well do I know that my I and are must quit this body. So, receive over, days from me this diamond necklace and the arts of illusion of heart.

great

after so long a time.

which

am

I

a master.

I

crown you king

of

Lanka

in the

as also of the Pathala

Lanka, six Yojanas and happily to long May you Rakshasas." line of on earth the perpetuate Accordingly, Ghanavahana became the ruler of the

Rakshasadweepa, deep below the Earth.

live

Rakshasadweepa. His son was Maharakshasa, who begat His son Keerthidhavala took to wife Devi, Devarakshasa. the daughter of Sreekantha, who ruled over Vaithathya. Thatithkesa succeeded him in the sovereignty of the Rak-

shasadweepa.

Meanwhile, Pushpoththara of the Vidyadhara race, and had long contemplated an alliance

ruler of Rathanapura,

between Devi and

would not hear him.

Now,

in secret

her

his son

Padmoththara; but, as her father he resolved to revenge himself upon it, Padma his daughter, had long loved of

Sreekantha

away

in

his

side himself with

;

who, coming

aerial

rage

car.

to

know

of

Pushpoththara

and was

at

the

heels

it,

carried

was

be-

of his foe,

8?

vowing dire vengeance upon him. But, Keerthidhavala interferred, and reconciled them whereafter, they became ;

fast

friends.

Pushpoththara

Sreekantha as the

installed

his

Vanaradweepa, where the latter made Kishkmdha capital. His son was Vajrakantha, who begat Dadhiratha.

her

Once, Sreechandra the wife of Thatithkesa, requested husband to take her out for a pleasure trip in the

ruler of

They went to Vanaradweepa, and had a very of it when, a monkey tore at Sreechandra time pleasant with his claws. Thatithkesa was so much enraged that he struck him dead on the spot. A devout follower of Ji-

aerial car.

;

neswara the Lord for

of

Compassion, he

having taken the

happened

to pass by,

life

of a

felt

supreme remorse

living thing.

An

and the king questioned him

ascetic as to his

unwitting crime. The holy man's exhortations were so powerful as to arouse in his heart supreme indifference to the things of the world. He installed his son Sukesa on the throne and donned the orange-robes of the Sanyasi.

Dadhiratha, the ruler of Vanaradweepa, had a similar turn mind and entrusting his kingdom to his son Kishkindha, renounced the world. of

Meanwhile, a great Swayamvara was announced

Manthramah.

Adithyapura, ruled over by

On

that

at

occa-

daughter Sreemala threw the garland of flowers around the neck of Kishkindha of the Vanaradweepa and thereby choose him out as her partner in life. Asanivega sion, his

of

Rathanapura resented

it

as

an insult

to himself, fought

and drove him out of his kingdom. Sukesa underwent a similar fate at his

with the successful lover

Sometime

after,

when

the two companions in misfortune retired to hands, Pathalalanka with their followers, and lived a happy life there and fearless. There Indrani, the wife of Sukesa, gave birth to Mali,

Sumali and Malyavan

Adithyarajas and Riksharajas.

;

while Sreemala begat

88

Mali somehow came to know that his ancestral Lanka

was in the hands

of the

ruler of

Rathanapura

;

he repaired

thither, drove him out of his new conquests and regained his kindom. Later on, he marched upon Rathanapura and

was

Indra

ruler.

its

then

Chithrasundan was possessed

of

the

an

with a strong passion for Indra, the

Her husband came

to

by assuming the form

know of

His mother

king.

evil spirit, that filled

Lord

her

of the Celestials.

it, and gladdened her heart the object of her love. A son was

of

whom

she named Indra. But, the boy did he imitated his great name-sake in his Stop vehicles and other signs of royalty and weapons, retinue, ruled long and well. Mali, the Rakshasa, fell in battle with

born unto

her,

not

there;

Thereupon, the conqueror made over Lanka to Vaisravana, the son of Visravas and his wife Samseka. Then him*

Sumali and Malyavan hid themselves in the Pathalalanka and led the life of ascetics. But, Sumali never despaired of restoring the

Kekasi, the

fortunes of his house;

daughter

of

three sons Rathnasravas

so,

he took to wife

Vyomabindu, by whom he had Bhanukarna (Kumbhakarna), Vi-

bheeshana and a daughter Soorpanakha. The boys were extraordinary strength and might and stood a half bows-length in height. Rathnasravas, and over sixteen

endowed with

the eldest, one day

belonged

to

his

came upon a necklace

father

and

lightly placed

of it

gems

that

round

his

might was such that none could so much as move it an inch thousand deadly serpents guarded it Sumali and watched that wonderful feat of his night. day shoulders.

Now,

its

;

son and, struck with the reflection of the face of the boy

named him Dasamukha (ten-headed). after, the young man came to hear from

in the nine gems,

Sometime

his

mother how their house had. been rulers of Lanka and the Rakshasadweepa, how they were dispossessed of it, and were leading a hole-and-corner existence down there

The spirit of his ancestors was upon him he of and retired to the depths Bheemaranya, from which he returned master of a thousand magical arts. He married Mandodan, the daughter of Maya of the as sanyasins.

;

Vidyadhara race, and had by her a son Indrajith. Six thousand Gandharva women became his wives later on. He

him out of Lanka and Vaisravana, drove sway over the Rakshasadweepa with great pomp,

attacked

held

he came to know through Pavanavega that the sons of Kishkindha, the old friend of his house, was thrown

One

day,

into hell

by Yama, a descendant

He proceeded to where they

of Indra of

Rathanapura.

them from their kingdom and made Adithya-

were, relieved

misery, drove Indra from his rajas the ruler of Kishkmda's dominions, while Riksharajas was placed over Rikshapura in the Vanaradweepa.

Adithayarajas took to wife Indumathi, by whom he had sons Vali and Sugreeva. Riksharajas married HariNala and Neela. kantha, who bore him

two

Reports of the mighty strength and prowess of Vali and he proceeded forthwith reached Dasamukha's ears ;

Kishkindha and his army with him. But, Vali could not understand this unprovoked attack so, he simply caught up the Rakshasa and placed him in durance vile. Dasato

;

mukha had ample time frankly

confessed

had caught a Tartar

vowed

;

for reflection

and repentance

;

he

Vali that he had miscalculated and

to

he prayed hard to be set free, and and gratitude. Vali, for all his

deathless friendship

strength and valour, seems to be a good soul and soft-hearted;

and he allowed Rayana after,

retired to the

We

to

go back

Vali installed his brother

of

charming solitudes meditation.

in peace.

Sugreeva of

Some

in his place

Mount Meru his

time

and

to lead

a

daughter Sugreeva gave quit Sreeprabha in marriage to Dasamukha and celebrated it with extraordinary pomp and splendour.

90

Long

Rakshasa monarch

the

afterwards,

in love

fell

with Rathnavah, a goddess of Nithyaloka and went thither All at once its course was checked; and in his aerial car. looking down, he saw that it was Mount Meru and Vali Fired with seated there plunged in profound meditation.

wrath at this insult to his majesty, he attempted to root out The monkey smiled in the mountain and Vali along with it* pity and, not disposed to be too hard upon the fool, pressed

down

the

mount

ever so

much

Long did he howl

the earth.

rending were tired of

in his agony and protestations prayers

his

him

let

it ill,

the

Sometime

after,

cal

to

over

the

him

in

who, This incident gave the Rakshasa

go.

Now, the ambition

Sakthi

as

broad its

heart-

to Vali,

he won the grace of Jmeswara and obtain from Dharna, the serpent, the magi-

known

art

and

;

Howler (Ravana).

a fresh epithet

was allowed

Dasamukha

with his toe.

between the mountain and

could not free his hands from

earth

and

the

on

kings

with

to

rule

to

it

caught

aid him, he

Sugreeva on a campaign of conquest. On his way, he broke his journey at the banks of the river Narmada to bathe grip

;

and,

started

He was engaged m devout worship of on the pleasant sands of the river, when SahasJineswara and

rest a while.

ramsa, king of Mahishmathi, kicked away the

back all

waters.

its

The

rolling

too soon and washed

worship.

torrent

Ravana,

his

away

beside

image and the

himself with

Sahasramsa and took him prisoner

but, set

;

earnest request of his father Sathabahu.

recovered from to

the

his

friend

contagion

his son

sanyasm.

the

blow

;

he

spread

Dasaratharaya

on

the

new

the

that kept

articles of

rage, attacked

him free

at

the

Sahasramsa never

made over

Anaranya, and took to

dam

came upon Ravana

holy

his

kingdom

orders.

who

But,

ruler, placed throne and became a

91

During

Ravana came upon king Maruth-

his travels,

who was engaged

tharaya,

sheep and awaiting

were

cattle

their

of

Countless

sacrifice.

grand

tied to the

hour

the

in a

sacrificial posts, patiently

and

death

deliverance.

Ravana, as a true follower of Jmeswara, could not bear to see

wanton

this

no words

cruelty, this

hecatomb

of innocent animals, with

misery but a cry. In a fit of fury, he sad havoc of the sacrifice. Narada, who set on

made

to voice their

mercy, came there, praised the Raksaid to the assembled crowd, piety, " There lived of yore a great teacher by name Ksheeraka-

Ravana to shasa and

this act of

and

his

His son Parvathaka, the prince Vasuraya, son of Abhichandra of Sukthimathi and myself the third,

damba.

were disciples unde r the holy man. One day, he gave us each a bird made of flour and told us to kill it

where

We

none present.

were

there

took different

The others came back after a time and described how they killed their birds and where but, I came back to the teacher and said, Reverend Sir Try directions.

;

(

!

as

would,

I

and is

failed to find a place

I I

further,

where

hold that harmlessness to

The master was

the highest virtue.

all

there

is

none

;

sentient beings

mightily pleased with

me and condemned hell.

of

it

the others to long periods of life in But, Parvathaka his son, wanted to know the why and argued the point with me. " The Vedas enjoin

on us the

sacrifice of Aja.

Now,

the

word has no other

meaning good honest Sanskrit than a sheep or a goat.' But cried I the same word has been understood to in

'

'

'

denote that which the

is

name of common

three years ever intent sentient

with

;

Now, what can it mean, in but sense, grain that has been kept over not born.

then,

for,

it

upon putting

being,

declare

such gram

;

that

is

that is

The Vedas, harm any every tendency all sacrifice should be made

useless

down

as

seed.

how Aja should be

to

mterperted,

92

Grain

having

the

of

power

reproduction

in

it

is,

in

a way, a sentient being and it must not receive harm at our hands. absurd to apply the passages to authorise sacrifice of animals, so much higher in the scale of evolu;

How

tion than grain!' so, I

too

But, Parvathaka was hard to

convince

referred the matter to Vasuraya as the umpire. decided it in favour of my opponent. But,

Gods,

who

ever by condemned

are

decision and

multitude were loud

us,

were incensed

him

to hell."

in their praises

masterly and lucid manner in which he

of

at

;

He the

his unjust

The assembled Narada

for

the

had solved a very

vexed question and let light upon it. Maruththaraya paid no heed to the ruin of his sacrifice he placed to heart the words of Narada and bestowed his daughter Kanakaprabha ;

in marriage

upon Ravana.

The Rakshasa king next proceeded to Mathura and of Madhu, who was the envied possessor of a him trident given by God Chamarendra. A warm friendship was the guest

grew up between the two, and Ravana cemented it by giving his daughter Manorama as a wife to Madhu. News reached him through his spies that Nalacoobara was ruling his and Ravana proceeded there subjects with a rod of iron in all haste to punish the tyrant as he deserved. But, his ;

woman and virtuous, interceded him and promised that he would turn over a new leaf whereupon, Ravana left him in peace and turned his arms Now, Indra had for long against Indra of Rathanapura. name his untarnished, and had jealously guarded years kept But Fate fought against him his title of 'the Invincible/ and he drank of the bitter cup of in the shape of Ravana defeat. Nirvanasangama, his teacher, reminded him of a past evil deed of his, when he insulted Ahalya, the wife of wife Uparambha, a good

for

;

;

a holy

man Anandamali

expiation of the sin,

might be, in a way, an Indra was consoled somewhat, ;

his defeat

93

Thus, Havana ranged over the earth, now winning hard victories over some and anon suffering shameful defeat at On his way back to Lanka, he was the hands of others. met by Ananthaveerya, the sage, who said to him, " Dasamukha, my son you have incurred much sin by violating !

wives of others.

the

A

heavy punishment is in store for Lord Vasudeva. You will lay violent " wife, and he will be your Fate. Now,

you through the hands

on

his

Havana's heart sank within him,

"Well

No

"

he said

at

these words of evil omen.

to himself, "let the

use of crying over

spilt

milk.

dead past bury itself. Henceforth at least, I

keep my heart away from those who place not their affections on me." There was a king, by name Mahendra, who held sway He had a wife at Mahendrapura, near mount Vaithathya. shall

Hridayasundan and a daughter Anjanasundari. Countless were the princes that sought her hand in marriage, and sent their horoscopes and portraits to her father. Mahendra consulted with his ministers, and chose Vidyuthprabha and Pavananjaya as the best of the lot. Now, Vidyuthprabha was the master of unbounded wealth, was extremely proficient in all the arts and sciences of the time, and was gifted with marvellous beauty; but, the stars promised a very short life. Pavananjaya, the son of Prahladaraya,

reignfed at Adithyapura,

lences as his

very long

rival

;

was not endowed with such

but, the astrologers guaranteed

him

who

excel-

him

a

life.

Naturally, the father chose the latter as a meet husband day of marriage and sent word to his

for his girl, fixed the

would celebrate

town near the holy spot Manasatheerththa, Well, they assembled there in due course, and the preliminary rites were conducted with magnificent pomp. Pavananjaya was no fool. He knew very well that the choice fell upon him not because he was

friends and kin that he

B-40

it

at a

94 a

more

eligible party

than his

He

an unusually long one.

know how

curiosity

to

king and

his

himself in the

took

affianced

his

people viewed

but because his

rival,

life

was

could not repress the natural it,

He managed

it.

apartments of the princess,

how

to

the

cenceal

with a view to

hear for himself what they thought of the match. Anjanaher two friends touched upon various

sundan and

current topics for a time; when, one of the girls turned to " I the other and said, cannot, for the life of me, make out

why

our master should pass over Vidyuthprabha, the most

beautiful

and wealthy

upon Pavananjaya in the

are

you

" there

is

husband

secret."

nothing in

has but a short

of all the princes

as a

life

"

for

we know, and pitch May be

our princess. "

Nay, nay

replied the other

make a secret of. Vidyuthprabha before him and Pavananjaya has an it

to

;

At

unusually long one.

least

that

is

what the

astro-

"

That is all." "What a pity rejoined the logers give out. " a than first Better a short life and sweet long one and !

dreary.

what

I

A cup of nectar and death the next moment, is would prefer to unending draughts of poison anda

lease of

life,

longer

if

possible

than that of Father Time.''

it as became a dutiBut, Anjanasundan nor ful daughter. Her face was as inscrutable as a sphinx

quietly listened to

;

did she chide her maids for taking that extraordinary liberty with her and the object of her father's choice. Pavananjaya

jumped to the conclusion that the princess his only recommendanot for his own sake him accepted the tion was that astrologers guaranteed him a very long life. He was the last man to make a scene. His friends, his kin and the guests shall never come to know the He would go through great sacrifice he made for their sake. unfortunately

;

he were the most ardent of lovers; but, Anjanasundan must be a stranger to him for the rest of his life.

the affair as

|

if

*b? marriage

came

off as

grandly as any one could,

\yislv

95

Pavananjaya took his bride home splendid suite of apartments, heart could

comfort that

gave her a

to his capital,

numerous retinue and every

desire

he

but,

;

never

set

his

eyes upon her.

Ravana the Rakshasa, sustained shameful defeat at the of Varuna and sent word to his friend Prahladaraya come and lead his troops against the foe. Pavananjaya

hands to

caught at the opportunity to escape from a cheerless home. His parents and wife did their very best to detain him He travelled far but he heeded them not. ;

during the

and

and encamped

day

Lake

of

Manasarovara.

pain. Pavananjaya

shores hot

insufferably

hold

to

the

breath

her

in

on an uneasy bed, listless and swan sent up from somewhere near

rolled

too tired to sleep. A a doleful wail, calling

ed

night on

was

It

seemed

Nature

sultry.

at

upon her mate

that

in the prince a train of thought, that

came

not.

arous-

It

unconsciously led

him to reflect upon the life of happy couples,of love-matches, and of the course o\ true love that did run smooth. His mind had been under a cloud, and his heart warped and unnaturally perverted.

What

had been And what an wife had proved herself!

a brute he

angel of goodness and patience his

1

His unbounded self-conceit had certainly misconstrued her maiden modesty and silence, into a loveless heart and utter apathy. Well, he was glad that he had found out his mistake before it was too late. Not a moment should be lost in reparation, even

making ample horse

it

once,

of

his

gates the presence

-and

and,

palace his wife

of

it

past

if

tiight

possible* ;

and

and,

in

to to

So, he took

was

any.

He

at

the

sought

her great surprise

and frankly and him forget pardon They had a very happy time of the small hours of the morning

confessed

bewilderment,

that

;

fullest.

midnight,

unknown

honestly, and besought

the

before

to the

her to

everything

96

Pavananjaya took leave of his wife, promising to be back as As a sign of his visit to her that night, early as possible.

any scandal in case she conceived and bore he gave her his signet ring and rode back in

and

to silence

him

a child,

all

speed to the camp.

to at

and

conceive

did

Anjanasundan

came

it

to

the

They would not listen king and queen. not bestow a glance would any explanations. They the signet ring she produced. They would not heed

ears

the

of

the advice of their prudent minister to take no action

The

their

son should corne home.

made

to leave the capital the very next day.

until

unfortunate girl

was

Her

parents " You were, if possible, more stupid and pig-headed. do not want us to believe that they are fools enough to punish an innocent girl. Here is no place for you."

Now, name by

the princess had a very dear friend of hers, She sought her out and Vasanthathilaka.

requested

shelter

of pain

the

A

tie

from her when her hour

more clearly than Age and crabbed PreShe consoled the heart-broken girl and assured she would see her through at any cost. They left

loving heart saw

judice

her that

the abodes of

woods,

on At

and help

and misery should come upon her. For once, was the than tie of blood. of friendship stronger

the

men

far

behind and repaired

travelling

by

kindly

charity

easy of

stages,

those

they

the

to

and

wild

subsisting

came

across.

they reached Hanupura, a sort of oasis in the midst of a dense forest, and put up for themselves a sort of last

cottage near the hermitage of Amithagathi, a holy man. One morning Vasanthathilaka approached him and asked, "Holy sir! What will become of my poor friend? The child in

her wornb

has

replied the sage,

meevathi, one

it

happy days

before

" it ?

" In her last birth this lady

of the

two queens

of

And

to her

was Laksh-

Kanakaratha.

She

hated her

rival,

and

in

sheer spite, stole the image of Jinesit on a heap of rub-

wara that she worshipped, and threw

bish. She brought But, repentence came upon her soon. back the image and prayed to the Lord to pardon her sacriThat is why she was hounded out by her kith and lege.

Her timely repentance will bear ample fruit, in that a son would be born unto her and great will be his fame km.

;

The cloud

in all the worlds.

name

that

now

darkens

her

fair

soon pass away and she will be taken back with and honor joy by the very people who have discarded her." will

I* Shortly after, Anjanasundan gave birth to a son. was a Sunday in the month of Chaithra and the constella-

tion

Sravana ruled the day.

Hanumantha

they called him,

from Hanupura, where he was born. Mighty were his feats and marvellous his deeds even as a child and the fame of his strength and prowess flew far and fast. ;

One morning he saw

the rising

Sun and mistaking

it

for a

nice plaything, sprang into the air to bring it down. But, he found out his mistake and alighted on mount Sreesaila,

which was shattered

to pieces

through the shock.

made war upon Meanwhile, and delivered from captivity Khara Varuna, routed his army and Dooshana, the brothers of Havana Thereafter, he his

father Pavananjaya

returned to his kingdom, covered with glory and loaded with honors and presents by the Rakshasa king. A terri-

him at home. His wife, his new-found was love, mercilessly driven from the town by his own and all because parents, who ought to have known better ble shock awaited

she had born in her

union

after

womb of

the

happy pledge of their reThey might misery.

desolate

long years waited for him to

come back he had a voice more vital interests at stake. He called the people together and related to them how he had cruelly misunderstood his innocent wife, how happy Fate have

at least

in the

affair

;

he had

;

98

brought them

how he

together,

provided against that

very contingency and how his parents were obstinately blind to the truth and had perpetrated an unheard-of cruelty.

was left away and with

His house

unto

him

His

desolate.

heart

He had no call to remain was far his wife. where the persecutors of his wife abode. He would go out into the world and search even to the remotest corners of it, even if the search should end with his life. Long did he wander and

far did

he roam, until

he came upon them all

humbly.

to

girl

when

at

last

the outskirts of

own

her

flesh

mother

a

Vasanthathilaka,

one happy day

Hanupura, living and dearer child

clasped his dear wife

breast.

his

poor

He

at

and blood

cast

the

to

her out with

he could not thank her enough nor think of any

scorn

re-

humbly praying her to live with her days and continue to be a mother to himself

turn of gratitude, except

him and

all

They came back

his wife.

kingdom and

to his

lived

there long and happily.

Hanumantha rendered signal service

to

Havana the Rak-

shasa, who, out of a heart full of gratitude and delight, gave

him to

wife his daughter Sathyavathi. His sister Soorpanakha

was not

less grateful

and bestowed her daughter AnanthaOn his way back, Sugreeva and Nala

kusuma upon him. him to stay with them, and coming to know of the service rendered by him to their old friend Ravana, great gave him their daughters Padmaraga and Harimahni to invited

wife.

King Vijaya ruled at Ayodhya. Himachooda was his he had two sons Vajrabhahu and Purandara.

wife and

The

Manorama

elder took

to

wife

entered the order of the monks. the throne, ratha,

and

Kosala,

Simharatha,

after

him,

;

but, after a time, they

The younger came

father

Hiranyagarbha,

and

son,

Nahusha,

Brahmaratha, Chathurmukha,

to

Keerthi-

Saudana,

Hemaratha,

99

Indudhara, AdithyaMandhatha, Vetrasena, Prathimanya Prathibandhu, Kuberadaththa Kumku, Ravimanyu, Vasanthalethaka,

Satharatha, Vathayapritha, Vandhara, ratha,

;

Simhadasava,

Sarabha, Dwiratha,

Hiranyakasipu, PunjaKakuthstha, Raghuraya and Anaranya. His son Dasa-

sthala,

ratha reigned at

of

Ayodhya long and

happily. King Janaka of faithful and friend. contemporary One day Havana met Narada, and asked him in a spirit of banter, "Now, tell me when I am to die and by whom ?"

Mithila

was

his

To whom Narada of

Ayodhya and

Fate."

"

replied,

The son

of

Dasaratha,

King

the daughter of Janaka of Mithila are your

Havana was dumb-founded at this unexpected turn Narada had taken him all too seriously

of the conversation.

and had spoken out a very unpleasant prophesy. But, he would cheat Destiny and give the he to Narada he would make it utterly impossible for Dasaratha and Janaka to have any children at all he would lay them out as corpses and there was an end of it. So, he sent his brother Vibhee;

;

shana to make away with them but, they had word of it before hand and were far away by the time their enemy was upon their city. Vibheeshana executed the orders ;

Havana upon the life-like images that the kings had on their throne and reported to his brother that the objects of his apprehension were no more.

of

left

Meanwhile, settled in jitha,

with

the

Magadha

Sumithra, an enemy

rendered

him

Dasaratha

country

Kaikeyee

who signal

travelled

and

attacked service

with

a long way and his wives Apara-

Suprabha.

elephant, the sun and the

ted

it

that she

would give

saw

moon.

a

battle

wantonly, Kaikeyee return got from reserved for some future

and

in

the king two boons, which she occasion to ask. Dasaratha had four sons. Aparajitha, his eldest wife,

In

him

in

her

The

One

dreams a

night lion,

an

astrologers interpre-

birth to a son

whose fame would

100

spread over the whole world.

Shortly

after,

a son was born

Goddess Lakshmi who dwells in Brahmaloka. He was an incarnation of one of the gods. They named him Padma, from the lotus on which Lakshmi sits; Rama was another of his names. The second wife likewise dreamt of a lion, an elephant, the sun, the moon, the fire, the ocean God and Lakshmi. A son was born to her, blue in hue, overshadowed by Mahavishnu. They called him Narayana and also Lakshmana. The third wife, to her, as beautiful as the

Kaikeyee, begat Bharatha, and Suprabha was the mother of Sathrughna. About the same time, Janaka married Vaidehi

and had a daughter, Seetha by name. Later on, Atharangama, the Mlechcha

over

king

Mayuramala, the capital of Barbaradesa, north of mount Kailas, attached Janaka, who requested his friend to assist him.

Rama

obtained permission to go instead of his father This induced Janaka to give him

and defeated the enemy.

Now, Narada came

his daughter Seetha to wife. of

of

the

the

to hear

princess and

extraordinary beauty paired to the house of Janaka to have a sight of her.

Seetha was horribly frightened

re-

But,

monstrous ugliness

at his

and would not come forth. induced King Bhamandala

Stung to the quick, Narada to abduct Seetha. But, his

father Chandragathi stopped

it

give Seetha

in

claimed Janaka

"

I

to

Janaka to

"

a

pity!" ex-

What

have already promised her hand to

Chandragathi would not drop the matter 'Such a gem of a woman shall never be the prize

Rama."

But,

there. of

marriage

and sent word

to his son.

pure

luck

;

merit

worth,

and valour must have a

send you a famous bow, VajravarShould Rama succeed in so much as bending it, tha. Seetha shall be his.' Janaka acceeded to the proposal and and invited Rama to fulfil the conditions. It was but

voice in

it

too

I will

play for the hero

;

and Seetha became

his

wife,

101

Lakshmana married eighteen race

;

and

maidens

of the

Bharatha married the daughter

Vidyadhara of

Janaka's

brother.

Thereafter, Dasaratha was enabled to regain, through the grace of Jineswara, his lost kingdom of Ayodhya. But, the snows of age chilled his heart and he resolved to install

Rama

in his place.

It

was then

forward and requested him to

came

that Kaikayee

promise unto her. "With the greatest pleasure" replied Dasaratha "Then," said Kaikayee

place heart

my

"

send away

Kama

fulfil his

to

the

distant forests

son Bharatha on the throne."

and

Dasaratha, whose

knew no deceit, whose lips were never soiled by an untruth, bowed his head in sorrow and consented to condemn to long exile the darling of his heart. Bharatha went on his knees to Rama and besought him to remain at Ayodhya and accept

the throne as his lawful right. But, took an example from his father and was bent upon going away from the kingdom. The old monarch had, without a moment's hesitation, sacrificed his life and every

Rama

thing that

it

could offer him

on the

altar of

Truth

and

Duty. Would he, the son of such a noble father, tarnish by his weakness for power the bright fame of his ancestors that shone far far into the illimitable past

?

His

father's pro-

mise, of which the price was his life, should be kept in full. and Lakshmana travelled long Seetha Rama, and far, and at last entered the dense forests of

Panyathra.

many

days'

They passed by mount journey from it, came upon

Chittrakoota and a

town where they

found no living soul. Rama called unto him a hunter that " Lord " said stood by, and asked him the reason of it man "this is or this was the famous town of the 1

a petty ruler, governed here with and He was a devout follower great justice. of Jineswara; he cut his image on his signet and vpwed

Dasanga. Vajrakarm,

fame

102

never bow his head to any other,, This the ears of Simhadasa, his lord reached god and master, who came down upon him with a large army, drove him and his subjects from the town and reduced it

would

he

that

or man.

you now see

to the state

pained to hear

He

it.

"

Rama was extremely Lakshmana to punish

it in.

directed

wanton injustice and brought about a This better understanding between him and Vajrakarni.

Simhadasa

for his

enabled the

worship

of

devote himself heart and soul to the

latter to

Lord

Jina.

Thereafter, they dived deeper

woods and one day came upon man's

and deeper

They consoled

about

in

know

that her father king Valakhilya

attire.

into the dark

a lovely princess

her

wandering and came to

was defeated and kept

by Kaka, a hunter-king. Rama sent Lakshmana to and free Valakhilya from bondage Kaka slay Another day, they travelled far and suffered much from heat, hunger and fatigue. A large banyan offered them a welcome refuge under its pillared shade A Yaksha, who had made the tree his home, came down and offered reverent worship to Rama and through his magic, a beautiful town arose on the spot, where the exiles lived for a time. One day, Rama reached the town of Vijayapura and was sauntering through the lovely gardens on he saw a beautiful girl about the outskirts, when He ran to her and sucto put an end to her life in prison

ceeded

in thwarting her

purpose. could you ever think of going into Maker unbid and before your time

maiden,

''

My

sister

good

the presence '"

"

Lord

" 1

in accents of bitter despair, "doubtless

!

of

How your

replied the

you rejoice and regard it as a great benefit done to me but, if you knew what misery I was trying to escape from, you would have been the first to kill me out of sheer pity"; and she burst into a flood of tears,

in

having saved ;

my

life

103

blamed himselt

for

resolved to lighten "

Grieve not,

power.

yearns after

and

mana,

;

''He

said,

having caused her useless grief and her load of sorrow, if that were in his

is

my

and you

who

child

Tell

!

shall have

is

hell.

Now,

all

see

fulfilled?"

beautifully

your heart

stands by your side, your brother Laksh-

the cause of

Mine

woe.

my

unreturned. Better dark death than a living

me what

Then she took heart

it."

Rama

not

you and

is

a hopeless love

of dire misery, a that your promise

life

she laughed

out

of very

Lakshmana and is endowed My you lady mind and body she with no ordinary attractions of has set her heart upon you and I have passed my word bitterness. "

said,

turned see

dear,

to

that

this

;

;

happy which you never knew me to break. So, would it give me infinite pleasure to see you take this worthy maiden to wife." Lakshmana, to whom his brother's word was law, raised the poor girl from the depths of hopeless despondency to the highest pinnacle of joy and She was to remain with her parents until they delight. to see her

came back

On

to take her to

their way, they

Ayodhya.

came

to

know

that Athiveerya, king

was working up a conspiracy against his and Rama punished him master and over-lord Bharatha as he deserved. of Nandavartha,

;

Another lime, they stayed at a town named Kshemanjali, where Lakshmana married princess Jithapadma. Two Brahmanas that lived in the mountain valleys sought his feet

and were raised by him Then, they came

to the

to the

highest heavens. Dandakaranya, so named after

Danda, the king, who took birth there as a bird to expiate his Rama took pity on the poor creature and transformed sins.

him

into Jatayus, a sacred bird.

Sambooka, the son of Khara and Soorpanakha, was undergoing severe austerities in a bamboo grove on the banks of

104

the Krounchapa.

The famous sword Chandrahasa,

of magical

Lakshmana decided ppwers, was what he wanted to get. that his success would considerably endanger the safety of the world, and slew

him with

the very sword he was trying

Soorpanakha was inexpressibly pained to hear of and complained to Rama in no mild terms. She came more than once on that errand. Rama's divine beauty to get. it

enslaved her heart and she overcame

modesty

to

beseech him

to

a

woman's sense

of

Rama spurned

her.

But, marry her avvay from him as a loathsome thing, whereupon, she set her husband upon Rama and Lakshmana, who she swore

had offered her deadly insult. Khara, blind with jealous rage, came upon them with a large army. Lakshmana asked

Rama

to take care of

Seetha

while he went forth to

fight

the Rakshasa hosts. Then, Ravana took the opportunity to do He concealed himself his sister Soorpanakha a favour. to

Rama, and called upon him in the save him from death at the hands ol

his enemies. Seetha at

once concluded that Lakshmana was

behind the hermitage voice of

in

Lakshmana

deadly

peril.

She

of

not a

lost

moment

in

sending

Rama

Finding her alone and unprotected, the Rakshasa king pounced upon her and earned her to his island home in Lanka, where he placed her in the Asoka to his assistance

grove under the guard of fierce-visagecl Rakshasis. He tried he threatened her with horriall his arts of persuasion ;

ble tortures and a

he offered her his wife

lingering death too painful to conceive;

his untold

wealth and unbounded power; to plead for him with

Mandodan was induced

woman's logic. But, Seetha grew more and more bitter towards Ravana and openly scoffed at him, his barbarous all

a

splendour, his wild ways, and his unbounded wickedness. Vibheeshana tried his utmost to save her from his persecutions. But, Ravana turned a deaf ear to all remonstrances

and well-meant

advice.

105

Rama and Lakshmana annihilated Khara and and returned laugh

to

their hermitage, intending

Seetha for her

at

wild

fears

found

Lakshmana.

But, they search as they would, they could anybody thereabouts

for

their

to

his forces

have a good

the

home

safety

of

desolate

;

came not upon Seetha, nor give them the least news

about her.

King Viratha complained treatment he had

to

Rama and Lakshmana

from Khara and ever from his tormen-

Dooshana Lakshmana freed him for and gave him the kingdom of Pathala Lanka ;

tors

He, out faithful

of the

to rule.

great gratitude of his heart, sent messengers

and cunning, north and south,

him news

of

endured

the cruel

of Seetha

but

east

and west

to bring

vain.

all in

Sugreeva, king of the Vanaradweepa, had a wife, Thara by name, of matchless beauty and intelligence. Sahajathi fell in love with her and taking advantage of the absence oi

her husband, assumed his shape and proceeded to her apartments. But, as Fate would have it, the real Sugreeva came

There was a terrible all too unexpectedly. beteen his and counterfeit, in which the latter fight Sugreerva had the best of it. Sugreeva took refuge with Kama

upon the scene

and

laid before

him

his tale of

wrong and

suffering.

Rama

divined the truth in a moment, slew out of hand the pretender and restored Sugreeva to his kingdom and to his

The

king vowed nevei to discovered the whereabouts of Seetha. wife.

grateful

Viratha and Bhamandala that the wife of his heart

rest, until

he had

word to their friend was kept in durance vile at

sent

Rama, Lanka by the infamous Ravana. Sugreeva sent his monkey hosts to Lankadweepa to search it through and through. Hanumantha was entrusted with Rama's signet to watch over Seetha in her hour of peril and the ring was to be his ;

credentials.

log

The

valiant Hanumantha crossed over to Lanka, interVibheeshana and through his help, managed to peneviewed trate into the garden Devaramana, where Seetha was kept: She was there, seated under an in close confinement.

Asoka of

tree,

Rama,

her heart sore with grief and her thoughts

whom she expected every moment to come

Hanumantha declared

full

to her.

himself unto her as a trusted mes-

senger from her lord, produced the signet and acquainted her with the whereabouts of Rama and what he passed through on her account. Joy illumined the heart of the

poor forlorn wife. She kissed over and over the priceless ring that was to her an embodiment of her beloved; blessed

Hanumantha

as

than a thousand

her

own

her

crest-jewel

from

a

fate

worse

gave

him

in

return

taken

back

to

Rama,

deliverer

deaths

;

to

and be

with an oft-repeated prayer to come on the wings of speed to Lanka and free her from the clutches of the vile Rakshasa.

Now, Hanuman would not go back without giving Ravana some tangible proof of his having been at Lanka, something to remember him by he managed to destroy a ;

large section of the royal army and finished up with sending Aksha, the favourite son of Ravana and a very famous

general, to

where

his

had gone before him. He must meet the be done.

forefathers

But, something remained to woman-stealer face to face, and have his

own

magical

way. So, he allowed himself serpent-bonds, and was

it

to

out with

him

after

be bound by the

taken before

the king.

roundThere he brake them as so many wisps of straw countless his his evil hfe and iniquities ly rated Ravana for and in the end, shattered to pieces the diadem of the ;

;

proud monarch. He sprang away over the heads of those that stood around him, destroyed many of the fortifications of the town and was back to the mainland, leaving Ravana

107

and

his

Rakshasas utterly dazed with fear and confusion.

He

laid

before

Rama

a harrowing tale of

Seetha's woe, of

her fortitude, of her brave defiance of Ravana and hts might, of her oft-repeated prayer to be freed from that den of crime

;

and produced Seetha's crest-jewel

to

confirm

his statements.

Rama, Lakshmana, Sugreeva, Hanumantha, Bhamandala and the monkey hosts marched upon Lanka in hot haste. Samudra and Sethu, two friends of Ravana, barred their way, whom Nala and Neela put to rout. Suvela and Hamsadhara met with no better fate when they tried to oppose their march. At last they approached Lanka and beseiged it. Meanwhile, Vibheeshana after one more hopeless attempt to turn Ravana's feet from the path of wickedness,

promised

went

over

to

assistance

signal

Then, the two Ravana sent forth

armies

Rama

with his

during the closed in

army and coming battle. light. deadly bind the

his magical serpent-we.ipons to

monkey host, and render Rama utterly powerless. But, Lakshmana thought of his conveyance, the bird Garuda, who speedily appeared upon the scene, and made short work

Rama caused a dreadful carnage serpents. the Rakshasa hosts, and victory was almost within

of the

among

Now, Ravana came upon the battlefield, and Lakshmana was the most powerful of his hurled upon him a magical weapon, Sakthi by name,

his reach.

recognising that foes,

he had reserved against his dread enemy Lakshthe convention that the Sakthi ought not to be fought against he quietly allowed himself to be that

mana respected

;

bound and

lay as

one dead.

But, Bhamandala divined his

was off to mount Drona, from purpose and Where he brought the Waters of Life. Rama dashed it ;

in a flash, he

over his brother,

who

Lakshmana, who had

rose as from all

a

deep sleep. Then, for the moment been waiting along

108 that

would end the

of Havana,

life

mentally called unto

came, and severed the head of the Rakshasa king from his body. Vibheeshana begged hard of Lakshmana to accept the sovereignty of the Lankahimself his Discus.

It

he himself was crowned king of

in return,

dweepa; but,

by

it

noble benefactor. Kumbhakarna, brother to Havana, and Indrajith,his eldest born,were made rulers of other kingdoms.

his

at Lanka, most hospitably whose joy and gratitude knew

Sixteen days they stayed entertained by Vibheeshana,

no bounds. Thereafter, they travelled back to Ayodhya in the famous aerial car Pushpaka. Bharatha and Saththem some from the met way capital; and a touchrughna so

was

it

ing sight

many

the brothers meet again after separation, danger and trouble.

see

to

of

years

Bharatha formally and with a

kingdom

to

Rama,

declared, but the "

of worldly life

woods,

there

its

full

lawful ruler, of

faithful Viceroy.

made over

heart

the

whom he was, as he " He had had enough

he said and passed away into the silent hold communion with the Supreme.

to

who had ample

and repentance, was heartily ashamed of her meanness and followed her son to his calm retreat. Rama was duly installed on Kaikeyee,

the throne

of

time for reflection

Ayodhya

He

placed

Sathrughna over

gave the Rahshasadweepa to Vibheeshana; was to rule over the Vanaradweepa Hanumantha Sugreeva Viratha was rewarded for his faithheld sway at Sreepura

Madhurapun

;

;

,

ful

service

Hanupura,

with

the

where

charge of Neela

;

vast

dominions of

Hanuman was

Vaithadya

born,

Pathalalanka;

was placed

and Rathanapura

fell

to

in

the

Bhamandala, the true friend. Thus, Rama remembered those that had befriended him in his adversity and stood lot of

by him through peril and danger. They were loaded with honors and presents, and went back to their respec* pective kingdoms in great joy.

109

ruled over

Ayodhya long and

and Seetha,

well;

Prabhavathi, Rathinibha and Sreedama were his queens. Lakshmana divested himself of all cares of state, and lived a peaceful

wives

of domestic felicity in the

life

company

his

of

Vanamala,

Rupavathi,

Kalyanamahka, Rathnamahka, Jithapadma and Manorama and the two hundred and fifty children born unto them. Visalya,

Dasaratha Jathaka. forms one of the Birth-stones of Lord Buddha

It

and

written in Pali prose.

is

Rama's

part of

and ends with

forest

his

most curious thing about the

brother of

Yuddhakanda

It

found

in

his

it

is

that

the

to

itself

wanderings

marriage to Seetha.

A verse

Seetha. is

confines

and

adventures,

Rama

is

first

in the

But,

the

represented as

from chapter 128 of the

it.

OTHER WORKS ON THE SUBJECT POEMS 1. Sethu-bandha A poem written in the Prakntha '

dialect

by Pravarasena. Dandi

refers to

it

in his

Kavyadarsa,

1,34.

The

central

Rama's

is

episode

across the sea that separates

laying

a

bridge

Lanka from the mainland.

Chainpn Ramayana : in five cantos by Bhoja a prose work interspersed with beautiful poetry.

2.

It is

Raja. 3.

Raghava-bhyudaya

4.

Raghava-pandavceya.

ed that

Rama

it

may apply

equally

or the Pandavas, being

Ramayana and 5.

by Kavi Raja. well in

to

fact

It is

so word-

the adventures of

an epitome

of

the

the Mahabharatha.

Raghava-vilasa

:

by Visvanatha,

the

author

of

Sahithyadarpana.

by Ramacharana. Ramavilasa: by Hannatha. It is written on the 7. model of the Geetha Govinda of Jayadeva, 6.

Rama-vilasa:

110 8.

9.

Ramachandra-chariihra-sara

by Agnivesa.

:

RaghunatJia-bhyudayci. '

11.

by Hara-daththa-soon. Ramayana-manjan -by Kshemendra.

12.

Ravavarjnnccya

10.

Raghava-naishadliecva

by Bhatta Bheema.

DRAMAS 1.

Maharcera-charithraand Uttara Rama-chanthra-

by Bhavabhoothi, dealing respectively with the incidents the Poorvakanda and the Uttarakanda of the Ramayana. 2.

have

Hanuman-nataki or Malia-nataka- It is said to been composed by Hanuman, who wrote it on

Valmeeki sung his marvellous poem and should be thrown into the shade, the faithful devotee

rocks. Later on, lest

of

//

in

Rama cast

;

his stanzas into the

sea.

Long long after, of them were

the reign of Bhoja Raja, some portions covered and arranged by Damodara-misra. fourteen acts, and

some

It is

written

of the stanzas are veritable

gems

in

rein

of

Sanskrit literature. 5.

4.

Anargha-raghava Prawnna-raghavci

o.

Abhirama-mani

in

seven acts by Muran.

by Jayadeva.

.

in

seven

acts

by

Sundara-

misra. 6.

Bala-ramayana'by

7.

Udaththa-rafthava.

8.

Uiimaththa-r(ighava-by Bhaskara kavi

9.

Chalitha-rauia.

Rajasekhara.

10.

Dootliangada'by Subhata.

11.

Janakee-charana-chamara:by Sreemvasacharya. Janakee-pannaya:by Ramabhadra Deekshitha.

12.

Here concludes Preface and Introduction given by Srinivasa Ayyengar