The Ramayana by Valmiki (classic reads txt) 📖

951. I have omitted several of these single combats, as there is little variety in the details and each duel results in the victory of the Vánar or his ally. 952. Yajnaśatru, Mahápárśva, Mahodar, Vajradanshṭra, Śuka, and Sáraṇ. 953. Angad. 954. A mysterious weapon consisting of serpents transformed to arrows which deprived the wounded object of all sense and power of motion. 955. On each foot, and at the root of each finger. 956. Varuṇ. 957. The name of one of the mystical weapons the command over which was given by Viśvámitra to Ráma, as related in Book I. 958. One of Sítá's guard, and her comforter on a former occasion also. 959. The preceptor of the Gods. 960. Ráma's grandfather. 961. The Gandharvas are warriors and Minstrels of Indra's heaven. 962. “It is to be understood,” says the commentator, “that this is not the Akampan who has already been slain.” 963. Rávaṇ's son, whom Hanumán killed when he first visited Lanká. 964. Níla was the son of Agni the God of Fire, and possessed, like Milton's demons, the power of dilating and condensing his form at pleasure. 965. An ancient king of Ayodhyá said by some to have been Prithu's father. 966. The daughter of King Kuśadhwaja. She became an ascetic, and being insulted by Rávaṇ in the woods where she was performing penance, destroyed herself by entering fire, but was born again as Sítá to be in turn the destruction of him who had insulted her. 967. Nandíśvara was Śiva's chief attendant. Rávaṇ had despised and laughed at him for appearing in the form of a monkey and the irritated Nandíśvara cursed him and foretold his destruction by monkeys. 968. Rávaṇ once upheaved and shook Mount Kailása the favourite dwelling place of Śiva the consort of Umá, and was cursed in consequence by the offended Goddess. 969. Rambhá, who has several times been mentioned in the course of the poem, was one of the nymphs of heaven, and had been insulted by Rávaṇ. 970. Punjikasthalá was the daughter of Varuṇ. Rávaṇ himself has mentioned in this book his insult to her, and the curse pronounced in consequence by Brahmá. 971. Pulastya was the son of Brahmá and father of Viśravas or Paulastya the father of Rávaṇ and Kumbhakarṇa. 972. I omit a tedious sermon on the danger of rashness and the advantages of prudence, sufficient to irritate a less passionate hearer than Rávaṇ. 973. The Bengal recension assigns a very different speech to Kumbhakarṇa and makes him say that Nárad the messenger of the Gods had formerly told him that Vishṇu himself incarnate as Daśaratha's son should come to destroy Rávaṇ. 974. Mahodar, Dwijihva, Sanhráda, and Vitardan. 975. A name of Vishṇu. 976. There is so much commonplace repetition in these Sallies of the Rákshas chieftains that omissions are frequently necessary. The usual ill omens attend the sally of Kumbhakarṇa, and the Canto ends with a description of the terrified Vánars' flight which is briefly repeated in different words at the beginning of the next Canto. 977. Kártikeya the God of War, and the hero and incarnation Paraśuráma are said to have cut a passage through the mountain Krauncha, a part of the Himálayan range, in the same way as the immense gorge that splits the Pyrenees under the towers of Marboré was cloven at one blow of Roland's sword Durandal. 978. Rishabh, Śarabh, Níla, Gaváksha, and Gandhamádan. 979. Angad. The text calls him the son of the son of him who holds the thunderbolt, i.e. the grandson of Indra. 980. Literally, weighing a thousand bháras. The bhára is a weight equal to 2000 palas, the pala is equal to four karśas, and the karśa to 11375 French grammes or about 176 grains troy. The spear seems very light for a warrior of Kumbhakarṇa's strength and stature and the work performed with it. 981. The custom of throwing parched or roasted grain, with wreaths and flowers, on the heads of kings and conquerors when they go forth to battle and return is frequently mentioned by Indian poets. 982. Lakshmaṇ. 983. I have abridged this long Canto by omitting some vain repetitions, commonplace epithets and similes and other unimportant matter. There are many verses in this Canto which European scholars would rigidly exclude as unmistakeably the work of later rhapsodists. Even the reverent Commentator whom I follow ventures to remark once or twice: Ayam śloka prak shipta iti bahavah, “This śloka or verse is in the opinion of many interpolated.” 984. Narak was a demon, son of Bhúmi or Earth, who haunted the city Prágjyotisha. 985. Śambar was a demon of drought. 986. Indra. 987. Devántak (Slayer of Gods) Narántak (Slayer of Men) Atikáya (Huge of Frame) and Triśirás (Three Headed) were all sons of Rávaṇ. 988. The demon of eclipse who seizes the Sun and Moon. 989. Lakshmaṇ. 990. In such cases as this I am not careful to reproduce the numbers of the poet, which in the text which I follow are 670000000; the Bengal recension being content with thirty million less. 991. The discus or quoit, a sharp-edged circular missile is the favourite weapon of Vishṇu. 992. To destroy Tripura the triple city in the sky, air and earth, built by Maya for a celebrated Asur or demon, or as another commentator explains, to destroy Kandarpa or Love. 993. The Lokapálas are sometimes regarded as deities appointed by Brahmá at the creation of the word to act as guardians of different orders of beings, but more commonly they are identified with the deities presiding over the four cardinal and four intermediate points of the compass, which, according to Manu V. 96, are 1, Indra, guardian of the East; 2, Agni, of the South-east; 3, Yáma, of the South; 4, Súrya, of the South-west; 5, Varuṇa, of the West; 6, Pavana or Váyu, of the North-west; 7, Kuvera, of the North; 8, Soma or Chandra, of the North-east. 994. The chariots of Rávaṇ's present army are said to have been one hundred and fifty million in number with three hundred million elephants, and twelve hundred million horses and asses. The footmen are merely said to have been “unnumbered.” 995. It is not very easy to see the advantage of having arrows headed in the way mentioned. Fanciful names for war-engines and weapons derived from their resemblance to various animals are not confined to India. The “War-wolf” was used by Edward I. at the siege of Brechin, the “Cat-house” and the “Sow” were used by Edward III. at the siege of Dunbar. 996. Apparently a peak of the Himalaya chain. 997. This exploit of Hanumán is related with inordinate prolixity in the Bengal recension (Gortesio's text). Among other adventures he narrowly escapes being shot by Bharat as he passes over Nandigrama near Ayodhyá. Hanumán stays Bharat in time, and gives him an account of what has befallen Ráma and Sítá in the forest and in Lanká. 998. As Garuḍ the king of birds is the mortal enemy of serpents the weapon sacred to him is of course best calculated to destroy the serpent arrows of Rávaṇ. 999. The celebrated saint who has on former occasions assisted Ráma with his gifts and counsel. 1000. Indra. 1001. Yáma. 1002. Kártikeya. 1003. Kubera. 1004. Varuṇ. 1005. The Pitris, forefathers or spirits of the dead, are of two kinds, either the spirits of the father, grandfathers and great-grandfathers of an individual or the progenitors of mankind generally, to both of whom obsequial worship is paid and oblations of food are presented. 1006. The Maruts or Storm-Gods. 1007. The Heavenly Twins, the Castor and Pollux of the Hindus. 1008. The Man par excellence, the representative man and father of the human race regarded also as God. 1009. The Vasus, a class of deities originally personifications of natural phenomena. 1010. A class of celestial beings who dwell between the earth and the sun. 1011. The seven horses are supposed to symbolize the seven days of the week. 1012. One for each month in the year. 1013. The garden of Kuvera, the God of Riches. 1014. The consort of Indra. 1015. The Swayamvara, Self-choice or election of a husband by a princess or daughter of a Kshatriya at a public assembly of suitors held for the purpose. For a description of the ceremony see Nala and Damayantí an episode of the Mahábhárat translated by the late Dean Milman, and Idylls from the Sanskrit. 1016. The Pitris or Manes, the spirits of the dead. 1017. Kuvera, the God of Wealth. 1018. Varuṇ,