Secondary Tales of the Two Great Epics

SR No.: 001566
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Rajendra I Nanavati
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad
Publication Year: 1982
Total Pages: 210
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Literature, Mythology, & Story
File Size: 15 MB

Page 100

The Tales in Rāmāyaṇa
Dāśarathi, but very likely the scale is intended only upto the third step. Again, Uśanas is said to perform sacrifices for Meghanāda, son of Rävaņa, but that again reminds us of the Bhär java helping the side which finally loses the battle. Usanas is also shown to curse the king Danda. The tales of Arjuna and Danda ars, again, put in the mouth of Agastya. This shows that the authorship and authority of Agastya for the Rävaņa-story-group was rather well-estabiished and Blārkavas could not remove the Agastya-element. Similarly, in BK, they introduced Rşyaśțnga with l.is Ātharvaņa-site but they could not remove Vasiştha's Aśvamedha and Višvāmitra's prominence. In this sense, then, let us hope, the suggestion of a collective authorship of the pic will not appear as hazardous as it might appear at first sight.
A comparative review of the tales of BK and UK will not be out of place here. All the tales of BK can, in one way or the (ther, be shown to bave some connection with the hero of the epic. They are intended to show the hero) - the great 'bow'-wielder, the moral ideal, the incarnation of Vişņu – in the making. And they are arranged in a pattern of cruscendo, which begins with the tale of incarnation made possible by the sacrifices, then shows the hero of a great lineage -- the incarnation - gradually attaining and exhibiting martial prowess and moral stature through a Brahmarși-teacher (whose own greatness is narrated in a story-cycle), and finally reaches the climax of the fullest flowering of incarnation in the Paraśurāma-episode. Most of the tales are narrated by Viśvāmitra himself who not only conducts the princes to the various places but also trains them in arms and educates them. The Viśvāmitra-story-cycle also has double justification. It is narrated by Satānanda who feels ol liged towards Viśvāmitra for conducting Rāma to his mother. And Viśvāmitra is the great teacher of the great hero of the epic. It again comes at the end of the group of tales narrated by Viśvāmitra himself, topping the collection of tales, as it were. And then, all this is emboxed within the motif of incarnation which supplies the beginning as well as the climax of BK.
The pattern of the tales of UK, on the cther hand, is not very clear. The Rāvanakathā-cakra, claiming almost one-third of the UK, looms large as compared to the other tales of UK which resolve themselves into small and unimportant groups. The groups themselves are again scattered through the flow of the narrative of the hero which itself also does not remain prominent. Thus, after the Rāvana-kathā-cakra (and the Hanūmat-tale) comes the episode of Rāma's renunciation of Sitā on account of public censure. Then come the Lavaņa-episode (itself a small group of tales told by Vālmiki, by Cyavana and by Brahman), the Sambuka episode, the tales of Sveta and Danda, and two tales of the arthavāda of Aśvamedha told one each by Laks. maņa and by Rāma. And finally comes, once again, Rāma performing Aśvamedha at which the final tragedy occurs. The fact that the narrators of the tales are different, also aggravates the impression of scatteredness. The narrator of the tales of Rāvana and Han umat is Agastya. The episodes of Rāma's renunciation of Sita, of Lavaņa and of Sambūka are narrated as events of the principal narrative. Tales