The Ramayana, Valmiki [best authors to read txt] 📗

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. 520. See Book I, Canto XVI. 521. Or as the commentator Tírtha says, Śilápidháná, rock-covered, may be the name of the cavern. 522. Pampá is said by the commentator to be the name both of a lake and a brook which flows into it. The brook is said to rise in the hill Rishyamúka. 523. Who was acting as Regent for Ráma and leading an ascetic life while he mourned for his absent brother. 524. The Indian Cuckoo. 525. The Cassia Fistula or Amaltás is a splendid tree like a giant laburnum covered with a profusion of chains and tassels of gold. Dr. Roxburgh well describes it as “uncommonly beautiful when in flower, few trees surpassing it in the elegance of its numerous long pendulous racemes of large bright-yellow flowers intermixed with the young lively green foliage.” It is remarkable also for its curious cylindrical black seed-pods about two feet long, which are called monkeys' walking-sticks. 526.

“The Jonesia Asoca is a tree of considerable size, native of southern India. It blossoms in February and March with large erect compact clusters of flowers, varying in colour from pale-orange to scarlet, almost to be mistaken, on a hasty glance, for immense trusses of bloom of an Ixora. Mr. Fortune considered this tree, when in full bloom, superior in beauty even to the Amherstia.

The first time I saw the Asoc in flower was on the hill where the famous rock-cut temple of Kárlí is situated, and a large concourse of natives had assembled for the celebration of some Hindoo festival. Before proceeding to the temple the Mahratta women gathered from two trees, which were flowering somewhat below, each a fine truss of blossom, and inserted it in the hair at the back of her head.… As they moved about in groups it is impossible to imagine a more delightful effect than the rich scarlet bunches of flowers presented on their fine glossy jet-black hair.” Firminger, Gardening for India.

527. No other word can express the movements of peafowl under the influence of pleasing excitement, especially when after the long drought they hear the welcome roar of the thunder and feel that the rain is near. 528. The Dewy Season is one of the six ancient seasons of the Indian year, lasting from the middle of January to the middle of March. 529. Ráma appears to mean that on a former occasion a crow flying high overhead was an omen that indicated his approaching separation from Sítá; and that