Ramavijaya, The Mythological History Of Rama. With Illustrations

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Ramavijaya The Mythological History Of Rama. With Illustrations

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This edition published in 2021

ISBN : 9789354412578

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JUN 2

-

!

1966

0V

1

08837"

IN-

PROFOUND AND RESPECTFUL ADMIRATION OF

A NOBLE CAREER AND A

STAINLESS CHARACTER

WORK

THIS

BY PERMISSION

IS

DEDICATED TO

The Hon. Mr. M. A.,

Justice K. T.

L L. B,,

C,

I.

E.,

TELANG

AC. AC.

BY

THE PUBLISHERS

PREFACE. Lord Macaulay begins

We

have always thought

his it

Essay on Clive thus: while the history

strange that,

of the Spanish empire in America is familiarly known to all the nations of Europe, the great actions of our countrymen in the

East should, even

among ourselves, excite little interest. Every who imprisoned Montezuma, and who strangled Atahualpa. But we doubt whether one in ten, even among English gentlemen of highly cultivated minds, can tell who won the battle of Buxar, who perpetrated the massacre of schoolboy knows

Dowlah ruled

Patna, whether Sujah or whether Holkar "What

was a Hindoo or a

Macaulay remarks

about the educated

in

Oude

or in Travancore,

Mussulman."

in these introductory lines of his

Englishmen

with

time may,

justice, be applied to the Hindus of the present day, who, though well versed in the details of the histories of foreign

nations, are ignorant of even the most important events in

the lives of their ancient

heroes

and

saints.

The reason

enough. All their time is taken Up in reading English authors and consequently works written in Vernacular are naturally neglected. It is, there of this

fore,

anomaly

with the

Purans

is

plain

object of imparting

some knowledge

of the

to such of the

English reading public as are either with unacquainted any of the Vernaculars of this country or as are unaccustomed to read Vernacular books, that we have undertaken to publish this series. Our thanks are due to those gentlemen who have kindly subscribed for

who have rendered

Bombay 1891.

the

publication as

well as to

those

us assistance in other ways.

DUBHASHI &

CO.

RAMAVUAYA. THE MYTHOLOGICAL HISTORY OF RAMA. Powlasti, a son of varni,

Bramhadev* was married

and he had a son

called

Vishrava.

A

to

Deva-

daughter

a Eishi, f was given away in marriage to Bramhadev Vishrava; and she had a son called Kuber. of Bharadwaja,

had created Lanka and given it to Kuber. While Kuber was ruling there, a demon came from Fatal J in the form The de of a Brahman and became very jealous of him.

mon

said to himself,

has no

"

country and this man to himself he gave in marriage to Vishrava with

Lanka

right to rule here.

"

is

my

So saying

his daughter, Kakesi, a view to drive out Kuber of his country, Lanka, with the Vish help of the sons who would be born to her by him.

away

rava had got by Kakesi three demons, Havana,

and Vibhishana and two demonesses, Surpanakha. Ha van and his brothers went

karna,

Kumbha-

Tateka and

to Gokarna, where they performed severe penances. Siva was pro pitiated by Havana, Bramhadev by Kumbhakarna, and Vishnu^ by Vibhishana. Bramhadev was pleased with

them and called upon them to ask him for blessings. Ha vana was blessed with a power to imprison all gods and also with wealth and learning. Kumbhakarna wanted such a blessing from Bramhadev as would enable him to

devour heaven and earth.

All the gods were, therefore, alarmed and prayed to the goddess, Saraswati, who induc ed the demon to ask the god for sleep. Bramhadev blessed

The creating god of the universe, f A sage. J The re~ The destroying god of the universe, gions under the earth. ^ The protecting god of the universe. *

I"

2

Ramavijaya.

him with sleep, saying that the demon would rise every six months to eat his meals and indulge in all other luxu Vibhishana,was blessed with a power to pray always Havana and Kumbhakarana then collected all

ries.

to Vishnu.

demons including Kharadushana and

Trishira

and march

ed against Kuber to conquer Lanka. They fought with Kuber with bravery, but the latter repulsed them with heavy loss. Havana then went to Vishrava and brought

Kuber asking him to give Lanka to the de without any resistance. On reading the letter from his father he gave the country to Ravana and proceeded to heaven by a Viman* Mayasur, a demon, gave

his letter to

mon

daughter, Mandodari, in marriage to Ravana. a grand-daughter of Bali, was married to Kmnbhakarna, and Sharma, a daughter of a GandharvJ to his

away

Pirghajwala,

Ravana conquered all countries and devour Vibhishana. ed a large number of Brahmans and cows. He robbed Ivuber of his treasure and oppressed all other people. He had eight thousand wives, one lac of sons and one lac and twenty thousand

grand-sons.

He had

eighteen

who entertained him with music. slaves, and eight thousand torches

kshoyanis^ of musicians, All

kings

lighted his of

were his

sabha

Indra^ prayed

every night. to

Ravana

All mountains

for protection,

who

for fear

told

them

become elephants.

They accordingly became elephants whom he engaged as his servants. He then marched

to

A

severe against Indra with his eldest son, Meghanand. battle took place between the gods and the demons, but

were defeated by the latter. In that battle Meghanand flung down Indra with his hairawati$ and

the former

* A conveynance or a chariot serving as a throne through the skies, self -directed and self -moving. | A demi-god. J One

kshoyani consists of 21,870 chariots, 21,870 elephants, 1^09,350 A court. foot, and 65,610 horses. ^ The king of the gods. $

An

elephant,

3

Ramavijaya.

hence he was called India jit, the conquerer of Indra. All the gods were seized by Ravana and released on the condi tion that they

should serve him in his

household in dif

Indra ferent capacities. All the gods became his slaves served him as his butler, Chandra held a chatra* over ;

him, Kuber and Anil cleaned and washed

the things

all

washerman, and Agni Gabhasti as his page. Brahaspati was his pleader, Bramhadev his priest, and Narada always entertained him with Ravana became a great favourite of Siva and served

his house.

in

him

as his

singing.

by

;

his blessing

day

he had got ten faces and twenty hands.

proud of his

he,

prosperity,

went by

his

One

viman

to

when Nandi^ who was guard

Kailasa, the place of Siva,

ing the door of the abode in which the god lived, prevent ed him from entering it. The demon was greatly insult I do not care a fig ed at the conduct of ISTandi, and said "

of thee

and thy

master."

So saying he began to

when Siva cursed him and being and monkeys will kill thee

way

in,

at this

curse he

tried to pull

off

said to him, in a

"

force his

A human Enraged

battle."

the mountain

on which

the abode of Siva stood with a view to carry it to Lanka, when the god pressed it in such a manner that the domon-

king was confined to cried

and prayed

it

thousand years. He always during the time for his release.

for one

to Siva

One day the god pitied him and set him free. Thence he went to Sahasrarjun and praised his own strength there,

latter caught hold of him and put him in was ashamed and went to the kingdom of

when the

his arms.

He

He entered the Bali, who possessed prodigious strength. palace of the king and praised his valour and bravery, when the latter said in order to test his strength, There lie 1

"

the kundalas | of the demon, ^eranyakashapu, whom shnu had killked to protect Pralada. Just go and get the "Vi

%

* A large and lofty Ear -ornaments.

parasol,

f The bull on which Siva ridei.

4

Ramavijaya. here." Havana went them up, when Bali said

ornaments

to bring

not

to him,

lift

them but he could

"If

the kundalas, just get that die which fell my wife and I were playing together.

thou canst bring

down there, while Havana accord

ingly went to

bring the die but, to his great surprise, he could not remove it, when both Bali and his wife heartily

laughed at him. Havana, humbled as he was, set out for Lanka; but on the road he was robbed of his clothes and

ornaments and

and with

let off

with soot being applied to his ten

hands tied up behind like a prisoner. He was much troubled by the people on the road. Some threw dust at him, some slapped him in the face, some

faces

pulled

him by the beard and others made him

on a dung-hill. cibly

his

that he

sit

down

A

maid-servant of Bali caught him so for Vishrava implored her to spare his life.

then came there apd begged of Bali to make a present of the demon to him. His request was granted and Ravana was let off. The demon-king returned to Lanka with shame

and confusion. A few days after his return to Lanka he went to catch Vali, who carried him away in his arms to his house and tied him up to the cradle in which his son, Angada, was fast asleep. Vishrava came and requested Vali to set him free. Vali granted his request and, ap

plying soot to

all

the faces of

Ravana, allowed him

to

go

One day he asked Bramhadev to inform him whose hands he would die, when the god told him that by to

Lanka.

he would die by the hands of Rama, a son of Dasharatha

and grand-son of Ajapal. Ravana got very indignant and he would kill Dasharatha and his wife by any means. Soon after, Ajapal made preparations for celebrat said that

ing the marriage of his son with Kausalya, when Narada told him to watch his son and daughter-in-law, because

Ravana would kill them under any circumstances. Where upon Ajapal took Dasharatha and Kausalya on board a ship in the sea far off and was about to tell his priest to

5

Ramavijaya.

perform their marriage, when Ravana attacked the ship at night with a large army of demons and broke her in All perished except Dasharatha and Kausalya. into a box and handed it over to a

the sea.

Rarana pat Kausalya fish,

which carried

there

for

safety.

it

to a desolate

island

and deposited

much with

Dasharatha struggled last he got into a broken

wares of the sea but at

it

the

vessel,

which was carried by the waves to the island, where the box was deposited by the fish. Dasharatha landed on the sea-shore

on

it

;

and seeing the box there he seated himself up Having got refreshed, he opened the box

for rest.

out of curiosity but, to his great surprise, he found in

salya

Narada came there

it.

in the

Kau

meantime and,

having perfonied their marriage, blessed them, saying that the god, Rama, would be born to them. In Lanka Ravana

He said asked the god, Bramhadev, about his prediction. has al he You Where is Dasharatha? to the god, know, "

ready perished in the sea." Bramliadev replied, "Long since Dasharatha has been married to Kausalya; and you will see

Rama

Ravana said, to them." If I Bramhadev them here." replied, then, get Ravana will you give me what them said, here, get

that "

be shortly born

will

Well

"

"I

?"

promise

to give

you whatever you

will

ask from

Bramhadev then went and brought the box from the and, having opened it, he showed the bride and

gro@m

to the

demon.

As soon

as he

island bride-

saw them, he got

exceedingly enraged and was about to cut

when Bramhadev stepped forward and

me."

off their

said to him,

heads, "

You

promised me that you would give me whatever.! would ask from you. I, therefore, ask you not to kill Dasharatha

and Kausalya.

Ravana

"

replied,

You may

ask

me

for

any other thing but I cannot spare the lives of those wretI do not want any other tched beings." Bramhadev said, "

Rahings from you but I want you to spare their lives. yana could not break his promise and accordingly spared

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