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SOURCES, CONTRIBUTION AND INFLUENCE OF PCV.
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devices (See Supra, Ch. 3 Sec. 8A). There is a general reference in the PCV that Rama and his Vanara army reached Lanka driving. in their Yanas, Vāhanas and Vimānas (54. 37) after defeating Samudra a chieftain (54-40-45). It indicates that Samudra guarded the sea frontiers of Lanka. The Abhiseka Nataka mentions that the sea gave way when Rama was ready to discharge an arrow from his bow. The Padmapurana (Pātālakhaṇḍa) mentions that with the help of the bow of God Sankara, the sea was crossed; its Uttarakhanda mentions that when Rāma discharged an arrow the waters of the disappeared and the Adbhuta Ramayana mentions that when Laksmana jumped into the sea, the waters got evaporated and the army crossed the sea. These accounts may be taken as allegorical references to the defeat of the guard who was protecting the sea-frontiers. Similarly the appearance of the deity of the sea as mentioned in the Ramopakhyana and the VR may be taken as an element of divine touch. In the Ramopakhyāna itself it is mentioned before the construction of the bridge that someone advised Rāma to cross the sea by the available boats (Kecin naubhirvyavasyanti kecicca vividhaiḥ plavaiḥ-MB, 3. 283. 26), but Rāma did not accept the proposal because in his view the availabie boats were not enough to accomodate all the army and further he did not consider it advisable to mar the commerce by engaging those boats for crossing the sea (MB, 3. 283-28). It indicates that boats were available for crossing the sea. This reference in the Ramopakhyāna and the absence of constructing of bridge in the above mentioned works reveal that the boats were most probably used for crossing the sea but for introducing the element of wonder or exaggeration the bridge or some other device has been mentioned in several works. The Yanas and Vimānas mentioned in the PCV are various types of vehicles plied for crossing/
the sea.
sea
The PCV does not refer to bringing of any mountain peak by Hanumat. The same is the case with the Ramopakhyana and the Raghuvamsa. Even in the VR this episode is regarded by Dr. Jacobi as interpolated (Bulcke, p. 381; See Supra, Ch. 3. Sec. 8E).
In the PCV Rama is depicted as a man only. No divinity is attached to him. In the VR he has been raised to the level of a divine being, but it is held by Dr. Jacobi that in the five genuine books of VR Rāma is a man and man only (Das. Rama, p. 50).
In the PCV, Rāvana is depicted as one-faced while in the VR as ten-faced. But there are statements in the VR itself, that prove that he was one-faced. (See Infra, 'Daśamukha, Ch. 10 Sec. 6).
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