The Rāmāyana, Volume 1. Bālakāndam and Ayodhyākāndam

The commentator here seems to be in fault. He explains,— "By you have your royal ancestors been honored." Evidently an error. I differ from him. The particle cha (and) makes the point clear.— T.

[100]

The Bengal text—Like Prajāpati himself.— T.

[101]

The adjectival epithet is nityasatrughnah. In rendering it I follow the commentator, who is presumably learned in the peculiar associations of the literature. But the literal meaning may do as well: ever vanquishing his foes—T.

[102]

Lit. with the fondness shown to a son.—T.

[103]

Brahmā.—T.

[104]

He who alone vanquishes an innumerable host of warriors is called an Atiratha.—T

[105]

Vishnu.—T

[106]

The Sanskrit abhishikta literally means sprinkled. But such a rendering would sound outlandish.—T.

[107]

There is an alliterative beauty here in the original Lakshmivān Lakshmanagraja; which of course is impossible to be retained in the translation.—T.

[108]

This is Mill's principle of free and equal discussion so lucidly upheld in his Liberty. The meaning in the text is obscurely expressed. The thought of the disspassionate is different from that of the passionate; and truth comes out from the friction of the two opposite forces.—T.

[109]

Consists of Murā Valerian and such like drugs.—T.

[110]

A religious rite, preparatory to any important ceremony, in which the Brāhmanas strew boiled rice on the ground, and invoke the blessings of the gods on the rites about to commence.—T.

[111]

The religious fig.—T.

[112]

Sacrifice, study, son, gift, enjoyment are the five means of clearing the debts one owes to the celestials, the saints the pitris, the vipras and self.—T.

[113]

The celebrated hymn to the sun, the most sacred thing in all the Vedas.—T.

[114]

Historically Rāma had but one wife. Mantharā here anticipated that Rāma would marry many wives like his father after the installation.—T.

[115]

The story goes that desirous of testing the charity of Saivya, Indra and Agni assuming the forms of a hawk and a pigeon respectively, went to the king, the former pursuing the latter. The pigeon in a fright asked the protection of the monarch, whereon he granted it. But the hawk urged, 'why dost thou retain the food that has been appointed by Providence?' But the king declined, and cut off his own flesh and gave it unto the hawk.— T.

[116]

This is a new coinage rendered necessary for the exegencies of translation. If 'first-born' is justifiable, 'own-begotten,' is also such.— T.

[117]

The epithet Kritajnena may as well be rendered into general terms; such as 'who acknowledges services rendered onto him.' Here in translation I have followed the commentator who has restricted it to the special sense suitable to the occasion.— T.

[118]

Here the commentators differ in fixing the age of Rāma at the time of his going to the forest. Rāma's age was under sixteen at the time of marriage, and after he was married to Sica he enjoyed her company for twelve years, when the proposal of installation was made. This makes totally an age of twenty-seven. In the text 'dasa saptacha' (ten and seven) ten years fall short which are to be made up by taking into account the age of ten being left out, preceding Rāma's entering into the second birth which begins at maunji-bandhana or initiation into the mysteries of the Vedic literature. Following the example of Bhashyakara Patanjali, the commentator, Rāmanuju has in the sentence 'dasa saptacha' supplied another (dasa) (ten) by means of ellipsis, thus giving an age of twenty-seven. This, however, contradicts the statement of Sitā to Rāvana in guise of an anchorite, informing him of the age of her husband being twenty-five. A modern annotator with great ingenuity has devised ways to make up this discrepancy. The age of Rāma was under sixteen, when Visvamitra asked his assistance in destroying Tārakā. 'Under sixteen' may mean fifteen or twelve as well. After marriage at twelve, Rāma enjoyed twelve years more the pleasure of home. This giving in total twenty-four, it is to be supposed that when he was exiled he stepped at twenty-five. The text 'dasa saptacha' is correct, considering the age of eight being left out preceding his second birth at the initiation into the mysteries of the Veda.

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