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The Sanskrit Epics

Page 151

by Delphi Classics


  350

  Súryamcha pratimehatu, adversus solem mingat. An offence expressly forbidden by the Laws of Manu.

  351

  Bharat does not intend these curses for any particular person: he merely wishes to prove his own innocence by invoking them on his own head if he had any share in banishing Ráma.

  352

  The Sáma-veda, the hymns of which are chanted aloud.

  353

  Walking from right to left.

  354

  Birth and death, pleasure and pain, loss and gain.

  355

  Erected upon a tree or high staff in honour of Indra.

  356

  I follow in this stanza the Bombay edition in preference to Schlegel’s which gives the tears of joy to the courtiers.

  357

  The commentator says “Śatrughna accompanied by the other sons of the king.”

  358

  Not Bharat’s uncle, but some councillor.

  359

  Śatakratu, Lord of a hundred sacrifices, the performance of a hundred Aśvamedhas or sacrifices of a horse entitling the sacrificer to this exalted dignity.

  360

  The modern Malabar.

  361

  Now Sungroor, in the Allahabad district.

  362

  Ráma, Lakshmaṇ, and Sumantra.

  363

  The svastika, a little cross with a transverse line at each extremity.

  364

  When an army marched it was customary to burn the huts in which it had spent the night.

  365

  Yáma, Varuṇa, and Kuvera.

  366

  “A happy land in the remote north where the inhabitants enjoy a natural pefection attended with complete happiness obtained without exertion. There is there no vicissitude, nor decrepitude, nor death, nor fear: no distinction of virtue and vice, none of the inequalities denoted by the words best, worst, and intermediate, nor any change resulting from the succession of the four Yugas.” See Muir’s Sanskrit Texts, Vol. I. p. 492.

  367

  The Moon.

  368

  The poet does not tell us what these lakes contained.

  369

  These ten lines are a substitution for, and not a translation of the text which Carey and Marshman thus render: “This mountain adorned with mango, jumboo, usuna, lodhra, piala, punusa, dhava, unkotha, bhuvya, tinisha, vilwa, tindooka, bamboo, kashmaree, urista, uruna, madhooka, tilaka, vuduree, amluka, nipa, vetra, dhunwuna, veejaka, and other trees affording flowers, and fruits, and the most delightful shade, how charming does it appear!”

  370

  Vidyadharis, Spirits of Air, sylphs.

  371

  A lake attached either to Amarávatí the residence of Indra, or Alaká that of Kuvera.

  372

  The Ganges of heaven.

  373

  Naliní, as here, may be the name of any lake covered with lotuses.

  374

  This canto is allowed, by Indian commentators, to be an interpolation. It cannot be the work of Válmíki.

  375

  A fine bird with a strong, sweet note, and great imitative powers.

  376

  Bauhinea variegata, a species of ebony.

  377

  The rainbow is called the bow of Indra.

  378

  Bhogavatí, the abode of the Nágas or Serpent race.

  379

  “The order of the procession on these occasions is that the children precede according to age, then the women and after that the men according to age, the youngest first and the eldest last: when they descend into the water this is reversed and resumed when they come out of it.” Carey and Marshman.

  380

  Vṛihaspati, the preceptor of the Gods.

  381

  Garuḍ, the king of birds.

  382

  To be won by virtue.

  383

  The four religious orders, referable to different times of life are, that of the student, that of the householder, that of the anchorite, and that of the mendicant.

  384

  To Gods, men, and Manes.

  385

  Gayá is a very holy city in Behar. Every good Hindu ought once in his life to make funeral offerings in Gayá in honour of his ancestors.

  386

  Put is the name of that region of hell to which men are doomed who leave no son to perform the funeral rites which are necessary to assure the happiness of the departed. Putra, the common word for a son is said by the highest authority to be derived from Put and tra deliverer.

  387

  It was the custom of Indian women when mourning for their absent husbands to bind their hair in a long single braid.

  Carey and Marshman translate, “the one-tailed city.”

  388

  The verses in a different metre with which some cantos end are all to be regarded with suspicion. Schlegel regrets that he did not exclude them all from his edition. These lines are manifestly spurious. See Additional Notes.

  389

  This genealogy is a repetition with slight variation of that given in Book I, Canto LXX.

  390

  In Gorresio’s recension identified with Vishṇu. See Muir’s Sanskrit Texts, Vol. IV. pp 29, 30.

  391

  From sa with, and gara poison.

  392

  See Book I. Canto XL.

  393

  A practice which has frequently been described, under the name of dherna, by European travellers in India.

  394

  Compare Milton’s “beseeching or beseiging.”

  395

  Ten-headed, ten-necked, ten faced, are common epithets of Rávaṇ the giant king of Lanká.

  396

  The spouse of Rohiṇí is the Moon: Ráhu is the demon who causes eclipses.

  397

  “Once,” says the Commentator Tírtha, “in the battle between the Gods and demons the Gods were vanquished, and the sun was overthrown by Ráhu. At the request of the Gods Atri undertook the management of the sun for a week.”

  398

  Now Nundgaon, in Oudh.

  399

  A part of the great Daṇḍak forest.

  400

  When the saint Máṇḍavya had doomed some saint’s wife, who was Anasúyá’s friend, to become a widow on the morrow.

  401

  Heavenly nymphs.

  402

  The ball or present of food to all created beings.

  403

  The clarified butter &c. cast into the sacred fire.

  404

  The Moon-God: “he is,” says the commentator, “the special deity of Bráhmans.”

  405

  “Because he was an incarnation of the deity,” says the commentator, “otherwise such honour paid by men of the sacerdotal caste to one of the military would be improper.”

  406

  The king of birds.

  407

  Kálántakayamopamam, resembling Yáma the destroyer.

  408

  Somewhat inconsistently with this part of the story Tumburu is mentioned in Book II, Canto XII as one of the Gandharvas or heavenly minstrels summoned to perform at Bharadvája’s feast.

  409

  Rambhá appears in Book I Canto LXIV as the temptress of Viśvámitra.

  410

  The conclusion of this Canto is all a vain repetition: it is manifestly spurious and a very feeble imitation of Válmíki’s style. See Additional Notes.

  411

  “Even when he had alighted,” says the commentator: The feet of Gods do not touch the ground.

  412

  A name of Indra.

  413

  Śachí is the consort of Indra.

  414

  The spheres or mansions gained by those who have duly performed the sacrifices required of them. Different situations are assigned to these spheres, some placing them near the sun, others near the moon.

 
415

  Hermits who live upon roots which they dig out of the earth: literally diggers, derived from the prefix vi and khan to dig.

  416

  Generally, divine personages of the height of a man’s thumb, produced from Brahmá’s hair: here, according to the commentator followed by Gorresio, hermits who when they have obtained fresh food throw away what they had laid up before.

  417

  Sprung from the washings of Vishṇuu’s feet.

  418

  Four fires burning round them, and the sun above.

  419

  The tax allowed to the king by the Laws of Manu.

  420

  Near the celebrated Rámagiri or Ráma’s Hill, now Rám-ṭek, near Nagpore — the scene of the Yaksha’s exile in the Messenger Cloud.

  421

  A hundred Aśvamedhas or sacrifices of a horse raise the sacrificer to the dignity of Indra.

  422

  Indra.

  423

  Gorresio observes that Daśaratha was dead and that Sítá had been informed of his death. In his translation he substitutes for the words of the text “thy relations and mine.” This is quite superfluous. Daśaratha though in heaven still took a loving interest in the fortunes of his son.

  424

  One of the hermits who had followed Ráma.

  425

  The lake of the five nymphs.

  426

  The holy fig-tree.

  427

  The bread-fruit tree, Artocarpus integrifolia.

  428

  A fine timber tree, Shorea robusta.

  429

  The God of fire.

  430

  Kuvera, the God of riches.

  431

  The Sun.

  432

  Brahmá, the creator.

  433

  Śiva.

  434

  The Wind-God.

  435

  The God of the sea.

  436

  A class of demi-gods, eight in number.

  437

  The holiest text of the Vedas, deified.

  438

  Vásuki.

  439

  Garuḍ.

  440

  The War-God.

  441

  One of the Pleiades generally regarded as the model of wifely excellence.

  442

  The Madhúka, or, as it is now called, Mahuwá, is the Bassia latifolia, a tree from whose blossoms a spirit is extracted.

  443

  “I should have doubted whether Manu could have been the right reading here, but that it occurs again in verse 29, where it is in like manner followed in verse 31 by Analá, so that it would certainly seem that the name Manu is intended to stand for a female, the daughter of Daksha. The Gauḍa recension, followed by Signor Gorresio (III 20, 12), adopts an entirely different reading at the end of the line, viz. Balám Atibalám api, ‘Balá and Atibilá,’ instead of Manu and Analá. I see that Professor Roth s.v. adduces the authority of the Amara Kosha and of the Commentator on Páṇini for stating that the word sometimes means ‘the wife of Manu.’ In the following text of the Mahábhárata I. 2553. also, Manu appears to be the name of a female: ‘Anaradyam, Manum, Vañsám, Asurám, Márgaṇapriyám, Anúpám, Subhagám, Bhásím iti, Prádhá vyajayata. Prádhá (daughter of Daksha) bore Anavadyá, Manu, Vanśá, Márgaṇapriyá, Anúpá, Subhagá. and Bhásí.’ ” Muir’s Sanskrit Text, Vol. I. p. 116.

  444

  The elephant of Indra.

  445

  Golángúlas, described as a kind of monkey, of a black colour, and having a tail like a cow.

  446

  Eight elephants attached to the four quarters and intermediate points of the compass, to support and guard the earth.

  447

  Some scholars identify the centaurs with the Gandharvas.

  448

  The hooded serpents, says the commentator Tírtha, were the offspring of Surasá: all others of Kadrú.

  449

  The text reads Kaśyapa, “a descendant of Kaśyapa,” who according to Rám. II. l0, 6, ought to be Vivasvat. But as it is stated in the preceding part of this passage III. 14, 11 f. that Manu was one of Kaśyapa’s eight wives, we must here read Kaśyap. The Ganda recension reads (III, 20, 30) Manur manushyáms cha tatha janayámása Rághana, instead of the corresponding line in the Bombay edition. Muir’s Sanskrit Text, Vol I, p. 117.

  450

  The original verses merely name the trees. I have been obliged to amplify slightly and to omit some quas versu dicere non est; e.g. the tiniśa (Dalbergia ougeiniensis), punnága (Rottleria tinctoria), tilaka (not named), syandana (Dalbergia ougeiniensis again), vandana (unknown), nípa (Nauclea Kadamba), lakucha (Artœarpus lacucha), dhava (Grislea tomentosa), Aśvakarna (another name for the Sál), Śamí (Acacia Suma), khadira (Mimosa catechu), kinśuka (Butea frondosa), pátala (Bignonia suaveolens).

  451

  Acacia Suma.

  452

  The south is supposed to be the residence of the departed.

  453

  The sun.

  454

  The night is divided into three watches of four hours each.

  455

  The chief chamberlain and attendant of Śiva or Rudra.

  456

  Umá or Párvati, the consort of Śiva.

  457

  A star, one of the favourites of the Moon.

  458

  The God of love.

  459

  A demon slain by Indra.

  460

  Chitraratha, King of the Gandharvas.

  461

  Titanic.

  462

  The Sáriká is the Maina, a bird like a starling.

  463

  Mahákapála, Sthúláksha, Pramátha, Triśiras.

  464

  Vishṇu, who bears a chakra or discus.

  465

  Śiva.

  466

  See Additional Notes — Daksha’s Sacrifice.

  467

  Himálaya.

  468

  One of the mysterious weapons given to Ráma.

  469

  A periphrasis for the body.

  470

  Triśirás.

  471

  The Three-headed.

  472

  The demon who causes eclipses.

  473

  “This Asura was a friend of Indra, and taking advantage of his friend’s confidence, he drank up Indra’s strength along with a draught of wine and Soma. Indra then told the Aśvins and Sarasvatí that Namuchi had drunk up his strength. The Aśvins in consequence gave Indra a thunderbolt in the form of a foam, with which he smote off the head of Namuchi.” Garrett’s Classical Dictionary of India. See also Book I. p. 39.

  474

  Indra.

  475

  Popularly supposed to cause death.

  476

  Garuḍ, the King of Birds, carried off the Amrit or drink of Paradise from Indra’s custody.

  477

  A demon, son of Kaśyap and Diti, slain by Rudra or Śiva when he attempted to carry off the tree of Paradise.

  478

  Namuchi and Vritra were two demons slain by Indra. Vritra personifies drought, the enemy of Indra, who imprisons the rain in the cloud.

  479

  Another demon slain by Indra.

  480

  The capital of the giant king Rávaṇ.

  481

  Kuvera, the God of gold.

  482

  In the great deluge.

  483

  The giant Márícha, son of Táḍaká. Táḍaká was slain by Ráma. See p. 39.

  484

  Indra’s elephant.

  485

  Bhogavatí, in Pátála in the regions under the earth, is the capital of the serpent race whose king is Vásuki.

  486

  the grove of Indra.

  487

  Pulastya is considered as the ancestor of the
Rakshases or giants, as he is the father of Viśravas, the father of Rávaṇ and his brethren.

  488

  Beings with the body of a man and the head of a horse.

  489

  Ájas, Maríchipas, Vaikhánasas, Máshas, and Bálakhilyas are classes of supernatural beings who lead the lives of hermits.

  490

  “The younger brother of the giant Rávaṇ; when he and his brother had practiced austerities for a long series of years, Brahmá appeared to offer them boons: Vibhishaṇa asked that he might never meditate any unrighteousness.… On the death of Rávaṇ Vibhishaṇa was installed as Rája of Lanká.” Garrett’s Classical Dictionary of India.

  491

  Serpent-gods.

  492

  See p. 33.

  493

  The Sanskrit words for car and jewels begin with ra.

  494

  A race of beings of human shape but with the heads of horses, like centaurs reversed.

  495

  The favourite wife of the Moon.

  496

  The planet Saturn.

  497

  Another favourite of the Moon; one of the lunar mansions.

  498

  The Rudras, agents in creation, are eight in number; they sprang from the forehead of Brahmá.

  499

  Maruts, the attendants of Indra.

  500

  Radiant demi-gods.

  501

  The mountain which was used by the Gods as a churning stick at the Churning of the Ocean.

  502

  The story will be found in Garrett’s Classical Dictionary. See Additional Notes.

  503

  Mercury: to be carefully distinguished from Buddha.

  504

  The spirits of the good dwell in heaven until their store of accumulated merit is exhausted. Then they redescend to earth in the form of falling stars.

  505

  See The Descent of Gangá, Book I Canto XLIV.

  506

  See Book I Canto XXV.

  507

  Aśoka is compounded of a not and śoka grief.

  508

  See Book I Canto XXXI.

  509

  An Asur or demon, king of Tripura, the modern Tipperah.

  510

  Śiva.

  511

  See Book I, Canto LIX.

  512

  The preceptor of the Gods.

  513

  From the root vid, to find.

  514

  Rávaṇ.

  515

  Or Curlews’ Wood.

  516

  Iron-faced.

  517

  Kabandha means a trunk.

  518

  A class of mythological giants. In the Epic period they were probably personifications of the aborigines of India.

  519

  Peace, war, marching, halting, sowing dissensions, and seeking protection.

 

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