Ayodhya Revisited

by Kunal Kishore

  These passages have highlighted the religious importance of the sacred city of Ayodhyā. The following paragraphs describe the māhātmya of the Rāma-Janma-bhūmi. Incidently, the story of the thieves has a striking similarity with that narrated in the Satyopākhyānam:

  In the heart of the city lies the great Ram Kot, the fort of Rama, with its gates guarded by the immortal monkeys who accompanied him on his return from Ceylon. On its western side is the Janam Bhum or Janam Asthan, the birth place of the hero. To visit this on the Rama-Nomi, that sacred ninth which falls in Chait, delivers the pilgrim from all the pains of the transmigration of souls. The virtue of this act is as if the pilgrim had given 1,000 cows, or performed a thousand times the sacrifices of the Raj Suiji or Agin-hotra, “but the fool, who eats on that day shall go to hell, where all the vicious are thrown into boiling oil.” They say there was once a band of five thieves, who had been banished from their native country for highway robbery, adultery, murder of cows and other heinous crime. These five men spent their days alternately in robbing pilgrims and in riotous living. A party of pilgrims from Delhi passed through the forest in which was the den of these robbers, and the robbers joined them in the guise of travellers from a far country. But as they neared Ajudhia the guardian-angels of the holy city, who are stationed to prevent the entrance of the deliberately wicked, took visible shape and began to beat the robbers with their clubs. A sage who lived near by, Asit Muni, hearing their cries, interfered in their behalf. They were released at his intercession, and in gratitude they obeyed their preserver’s command to complete the pilgrimage to Ajudha, and secure salvation by performing the prescribed ritual. As they entered the city Ajudha appeared as a beautiful goddess, clad in white robes, and attended by her maidens. The men trembled with fear. On a sudden their sins arose before them, shrouded in the blue garbs of mourning, of horrible countenances, red-haired, blear-eyed, mis-shapen, their iron ornaments clanking like chains. Then the goddess beat the sins, and they fled out of the city and took refuge under a pipal tree, and the thieves went on rejoicing and bathed at Swargdwar, and kept the fast of Nomi, and worshipped at the birthplace of Rama, and they were purified from sin, and Yama called Chitra Gupta the recorder, and their sins were blotted out from the Book of the Judge of the dead. Meanwhile the messengers of Yama traversing the earth fell in with the sins of the robbers, standing crying under the pipal tree. On these the messengers took compassion, and prayed of Yama that the sins might be re-united to the robbers. But Yama said that the advantages of bathing at Ajudhia were irrevocable, and retired to meditate on the banks of the Sarji. Ajudhia was pleased with the wisdom of Yama, and the place of his meditation she named Jama Asthal, and appointed a holy day in his honour on the 2nd of Katik, and the sins were destroyed under the pipal tree.

  Just beside the birthplace of Rama is the “Kitchen” of Janki-ji. It is in shape like the ordinary Indian “Chilha,” and is supposed to be always filled with food. The sight of it satisfies every want; a daily visit keeps the house supplied with food. The sight of it satisfies every want; a daily visit keeps the house supplied with food. Close to this is the house of Kaikayi, where Bharat-ji was born. On the other side is that of Somitra, where Lachhman and Satrohan were born. South-east of this is the Sita Kup, the waters of which are said to give intelligence to the drinker.”

  (6) Ram Narayan’s translation of Ayodhyā-māhātmya

  The English translation of the Ayodhyā-māhātmya was published in the “Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal,” Vol. XLIV in the year 1875. It was translated by Ram Narayan of Bareli collage and contains 30 cantos. It does not mention the date of the manuscript but merely says that it is not very old because it mentions Muhammadans. But it is not the same version which was edited by Pt. Ram Narayan Das and published in 1898 from Lucknow. However, there is no discrepancy in the description of the Janmasthāna-māhātmya in this version published by Asiatic Society of Bengal.

  According to the Proceeding of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, 1875 the following informations are available:

  4. Translation of the “Ayodhya Mahatmya’’ or ‘ Pilgrimage to Ayodhya’ — By Ram Narayan, Bareli College.

  (Abstract.)

  This is a translation of a Hindi work on the sacred spots with which the site of ancient Ayodhya abounds. The legendary origin is given of the city itself, the river Sarayù (Sarju), the birthplace of Rama, the Maniparbat, Svargadvar, and many others. The narrative is thrown in the form of a dialogue between Mahãdeva and Pãrvatī. The Hindi work appears to be modern; for it contains allusions to Muhammadana.

  The translation will appear in No. II of Part I of this year’s Journal. Four photographs forwarded by the author were also exhibited, viz., views of the Mosque which Aurangzib built upon Rama’s birthplace, of the Maniparbat, Svargadvar, and of an old Mosque in Faizabad (pp. 138-39).

  It is now learnt that Ram Narayan had a photograph which showed a mosque at Rāma’s birthplace built by Aurangzeb. Thus, the association of Aurangzeb’s name with the construction of the mosque at the site of Rāma-Janma-bhūmi has a long tradition.

  Certain excerpts from Ram Narayan’s translation of A.M. are produced below:

  From the 7th chapter:

  “Afterwards, he should go to Janma-bhùmi [birthplace of Ramachandra]. East of Vighnesvar, or north of the residence of Vasishta or west of that of Lomasa Rishi, is the Janma-sthãna, the giver of salvation, the mere sight of which releases a man from returning to a woman’s womb. The fasting on the day of Rama Navamí, visiting the place with devotion, giving alms and performing pilgrimages and sacrifices, frees a man from the transmigration of his soul. A visit to it yields the reward of giving one thousand cows, obeying father, mother, and the spiritual guide, and performing the Rajasùya, and Agni-hotra [sacrifices] one thousand times.”

  From the 8th chapter:

  Asitamuni answered, “Those who restrain their passions and do not commit sins, gain the full advantages of the pilgrimage. He who controls the passions and gives alms in proportion to his means, obtains these benefits. He who keeps the Naumi fast, shaves at Svargadvar, bathes there, and visits the birthplace, is released from the sins of killing a cow and a brahman, of cohabiting with the wife of a spiritual guide, and from many others of the same kind, and thus obtains salvation. On that day, men, Kinnaras, Gandharvas, and the gods bathe in the Sarayù and visit the birthplace. You should also do the same; proceed and you will see great wonders.”

  From the 9th chapter:

  (a) “It was the Navami day, they bathed in the Sarayù, repaired to the Birthplace, kept the fast, and visited the place. Thus they were freed from all sins. At this time, Yama called Chitra-Gupta and said, ‘The thieves have become pure, blot out their sins from thy book and forgive them; their sins have been destroyed by Ayodhya, the first city of Vishnu. Here live those who require salvation. The thieves have become Vaishnavas. Then Chitra Gupta became sorry, and said, “We have suffered much trouble in entering their sins, but it may be, as thou sayest, that we shall no more register the crimes of the wicked; for it is all in vain : the wicked go to Ayodhyã and obtain salvation and the vicious, in the Kali Yuga, become pure on visiting the Birthplace.’ Having said this, they scratched out the sins of the thieves.”

  (b) “Yama replied, ‘You are not aware of the advantages of bathing at Svargadvar, keeping fast on the Navami and visiting the Birthplace. I am quite unable to fight with Ayodhya, let us go there.”

  (c) “Visvakarma replied, ‘I come from Ayodhya after bathing at Sargadvar and visiting the Birthplace, and have been ordered by Brahmã to repair to Sakait with the gods, and build houses there for the pilgrims of Navami.”

  From the 10th chapter:

  “Then Mahadeva said to the goddess, “I have told you the advantages of Ayodhya, the Sarayù, the Birthplace, and the day of the Navami. He who hears them, or relates them to others, obtains salvation in the end after having enjoyed all pleasures.”

  (7) Min
or Hindi texts

  In addition, there is another Ayodhyā-māhātmya in Hindi which was composed by a poet named Hajari. It contains 20 chapters in verses. But it is a small work covering only 20 pages. The book was published in July 1901 A.D. by Seth Chhotelal Laxmichand of Bombay and was printed at the Jain Press, Lucknow. This, too, is a dialogue between Hara and Gauri in the style of Rudra-yāmala. Though there is no self-introduction of the poet in the epic and no date is indicated anywhere in the work, yet the work appears to be a small composition of the 18th century, after the new, grand Hanuman-garhi temple was constructed. Its language and style match with that of Avadha-vilāsa. Therefore, it may be a work of the late 18th century. The poet mentions the incarnation of Vishnu at Ayodhyā in the following words:

  अवध नाम ताको धरो होय अवधपुर नाम।

  तामें मम अवतार हो रामचद्र गुण-ग्राम।।

  About Janma-sthana the poet writes:

  अथ जन्मस्थान की

  जन्मभूमि के दर्शन पावै, वह नर नहिं चौरासी जावै।।

  (p. 7, 4th chapter)

  Similarly, a small book Avadha-yātrā was written in Hindi by Munsi Rai Gur Sharan Lal Avadhvasi. It was published in 1869 A.D. by Munshi Nawal Kishore Printing Press, Lucknow. It narrates the importance of the Janma-sthāna in the Ram Kot and indicates its exact location.

  Thus, there is ample evidence in the Rudrayāmala, Skanda-purāna, Satyopākhyāna and Avadha-vilāsa to conclude that the birth-site of Rāma has been regarded as a sacred spot for more than a thousand years. After realising the importance of these books and manuscripts one is reminded of the statement of Thoreau in ‘Walden’:

  “Books are the treasured wealth of the world and the fit inheritance of generations and nations.”

  

  Chapter Three

  Babur was not a religious fanatic

  [(1) Testimony of Sankara Misra (2) Testimony of Mahesa Thãkura (3) Testimony of Sãlikanãtha (4) Babur’s visit to Gwalior temples (5) Babur visits Jogis at Gur-khattri (6) Testimony of Bãburnãma (7) Guru Nãnak Dev’s poignant narration (8) Charges against Babur (9) Babur’s literary achievements (10) ‘Mubayyin’, a commentary written by Babur on Islamic fiqh (11) Babur’s Wasiyat-nama (12) Babur’s sermon to Humayun in Sarva-desa-vrittãnta sanagraha (13) Babur’s patronage to Hindu officers (14) Dr. Radhe Shyam’s unsubstansiated account of the demolition of Rãma temple at Ayodhyã (15) Mahesa Thãkura’s homage to Babur on his demise (16) Abul Fazl’s eloquent tribute to Babur (17) Tributes in his epitaph (18) Babur remains immortal in history.]

  It is an irony that Babur, who candidly wrote in his Memoirs that ‘in this history I have held firmly to it that the truth should be reached in every matter, and that every act should be recorded precisely as it occurred’, has been facing gross historical injustice for the last two centuries.

  Babur was a veteran warrior and liberal emperor who was seldom guided by religious bigotry in his endeavours for assiduously building an empire in India. His early exciting experience in the school of adversity had implanted in him the spirit of adventure and eclecticism. A successful conqueror gifted with indomitable energy and indefatigable industry he laid the splendid foundation of the mighty Mughal Empire in India. He was no ruthless victor exulting in wanton destruction of temples in this country. But for a generation fed upon the hatred for Babur for decades, it may not sound convincing in the beginning. Therefore, I am first quoting three great Sanskrit scholars who have showered panegyrics on Babur.

  (1) Testimony of Śanakara Miśra (Jhā)

  Śanakara Miśra, the son of illustrious Pand+ita Ayāchī Miśra alias Bhavanātha Miśra, was a great authority on Nyāya and wrote many treatises including one on the difficult work of Śrīharsha’s ‘Khandana–khanda-khādya’. Śanakara Miśra’s father Bhavanātha Miśra was such a great self-respecting person that he never asked for anything from anyone and therefore he was called Ayāchī Miśra. Śankara Miśra wrote “Rasārnava”, an anthology of his own verses, and in the introductory chapter of the book he wrote a subchapter ‘Nripatim prati’, i.e. ‘Towards kings’. In this chapter he eulogized not only his patron king but Babur also. His eulogy for Babur is in as many as 18 ślokas. One such śloka is quoted here:

  वास्तोष्पतिर्बाबरकः क्षितीद्रो बलिश्च नूं बलिनत्रयोऽमी।

  तथापि दानव्यसनप्रकर्षादाद्यन्तयोर्मध्यम एव जेता।।18।।

  The heavenly king Indra, earthly king Babur and the king of the nether world Bali are, no doubt, very mighty, but in the habit of giving donation in abundance, the middle one i.e. Babur excels the first i.e. Indra and the last i.e. Bali.

  Some scholars ascribe the authorship of Rasārnava to another Śanakara, who was son of M.M. Śuchikara of the Kujaulī family and who wrote Smriti-sudhākara in 1581 during the reign of Akbar. Since the period of the first Śankara Miśra, son of Ayāchī Miśra, cannot overlap the fifteenth century because of the known dates of his brother’s grandson Bhānudatta, who flourished in the first half of the sixteenth century and his father’s mātāmaha (maternal grandfather) M.M. Vateśvara Upādhyāya, who lived in the first half of the fourteenth century. Therefore, the second Śanakara appears to be the author of Rasārnava and, in all probability, it was he who composed 12 verses in the honour of Babur. In the colophon of the Rasārnava it is stated that it was composed by Śanakara. No surname- Miśra or Jhā- has been added. The second Śanakara appears to be Śanakara Jhā who was the real author of the Rasārnava.

  How this Śanakara Jhā of Mithilā came into contact with the Mughal Emperor Babur was probed by me. In the Baburnama I found the name of Tirhut (Mithilā) King Raja Rup-narain. In the Revenue List Babur mentions that the Raja made considerable financial contribution to the imperial coffers (p. 521). It appears that Śanakara Jhā’s father, M.M. Śuchikara might have accompanied Raja Rup-narain to Babur’s camp and received handsome gifts from the Mughal Emperor. Śanakara Jhā might have heard Babur’s munificence from his father’s mouth.

  In the eyes of Śankara Jhā of Mithilā, Babur excelled famous Bali and Indra in granting donations. This was the impact of a Turkish emperor Babur with the capital at Agra on a great Pand+ita in distant Mithilā. Thus, Babur was considered a generous donor by the Hindu elite in the contemporary society.

  (2) Testimony of Maheśa Thākura

  Maheśa Thākur was the founder king of the erstwhile Khand+avalā dynasty of Mithilā estate. Akbar had granted this kingdom to Raghunandana on account of the latter’s profound learning, and Raghunandana placed this kingdom at the feet of his guru Maheśa Thākur who wrote सर्वदेशवृत्तान्त-संग्रहः सर्वदेशवृत्तान्त-संग्रहः'(Sarva-deśa-vr+ittanta sanagraha), a collection of the whole events of the whole country or Akbar-nama in Sanskrit. This book was edited by Dr. Subhadra Jha from a manuscript in British Library, India House and published by Patna University in 1962 A.D. Since only the Sanskrit text was published and there was no English translation, it could not catch the attention of historians.

  In this book the author has lavished many encomiums on Babur and some of them are quoted here:

  हिजरतिफिरदौसमकानी मुहम्मदबाबुरुपातिशाहः चतुश्चक्रेश्वरः सप्तद्वीपाधिपतिः सकलभुवनपतिः आकाशसमहृदयः क्षमया क्षमया समः सप्तद्वीपरूपमृगयाविहारशीलः समुद्रतुल्यान्तःकरणः कुलरत्नरूपः पातिशाहोपि ऋषिः। महाकार्यकर�
��ानां महोत्साहानां च स्थलमस्य देहः स्थितः। प्रभुतायां सत्यामपि तत्र निःस्पृहः निर्ममो निरहंकारश्च।च (पृ. सं.-54 )

  Pātiśaha Muhammad Babur, whose abode was in the paradise, was the master of four Chakras, king of seven islands, and ruler of the entire world. His heart was vast like sky, and his thinking faculty was large like sea. He was like earth in tolerance, expert in hunting the whole earth consisting of seven islands, and a gem of his dynasty. Despite being a King, he was a sage. His body was the abode of great feats and supreme zeal. Despite his prowess, he was without any ambition, attachment and arrogance.

  Thus, two towering pandits of Mithilā have showered such shining encomiums on Babur that one has to accept that Babur was a very liberal emperor.

  (3) Testimony of Śālikanātha

  In addition, Śālikanātha’s following panegyric on Babur quoted in “UdbhaTa-Sāgara”, an anthology of Sanskrit epigrams, compiled by Jīvānanda Vidyāsāgara and published from Calcutta would be of relevance and interest:

  वैकुण्ठाभिप्रणीतः कमलयुतशिराः कुञ्जराकृष्टदृष्टिः

  कोदण्डोदारनामाप्यमितपरिजनो विश्वविख्यातकीर्त्ति।

  सुन्दर्य्यासक्तचित्तः समरणविजयी कङकणाहारयुक्तो

  वीर श्रीबाबराख्य त्वमिव तव रिपुर्हन्त मुक्तादिवर्ण।।

  O valiant! you are known as Babur! You are wedded to paradise. Your head is decorated with lotus, your eyes hypnotize even elephants.You are known for your expertise on bows, your retinue knows no limit, you are famous throughout the world, you are indulgent towards damsels, you are victorious of many battles. You wear many jewels. Your foes, alas, appear white-coloured like pearls (out of fear). You are skilled (in battles).