________________
SOURCES, CONTRIBUTION AND INFLUENCE OF PCV.
305
Western Account No. 14:-1. Voluntary exile of Rāma for the favour of Bharata (Supra, Ch. 3. 3. B). 2. Battle of Lava and Kuša (Supra, Ch. 3. 9. D).
Western Account No. 17:-1. Lava as elder brother of Kuśa and their battle (Supra, Ch. 3. 9. D).
Western Account No. 19:41. The episode of cursing Sūrpanakha's son and his emancipation at the hands of Rama (Supra, Ch. 3. 5. B).
(3) A Note on the Previous Birth Stories of Daśaratha, Rāma
and Rāvana:
Previous birth stories of Dasaratha, Rāma, Rávana and Vibhisana do not find place in the Vālmīki Rāmāyana and Mahabharata. The Puraņās and subsequent Brahmanical works on Rāma-story contain stories of their previous births. All these works are later than the Paumacariyan which systematically deals with their previous births (Supra, Ch. 4). Though Brahmanical works contain independent stories yet the indirect influence of the tradition of Paumacariyaṁ can be presumably seen on the Brahmanical works as in the line with the Paumacariyaṁ explain the causes of Dasaratha's fortune, Rāma's separation from Sīta, kidnapping of Sīta by Rāvana and Vibhīšana's good character.
Previous Birth of Dasaratha:For the first time the Skandapurāna (Vaisnavakhanda, Ch. 24) narrates that Brahmin Dharmadatta on account of his devotion to Vişnu was reborn as Daśaratha (Bulcke, p. 274). The Ananda Rāmāyana also contains this story (1.4.117 to 1.5.28).
The Adhyatma Rāmāyana (1.2.25 and 1.4.14) and the TR (1.186.3) narrate that Kaśyapa on account of his penances was reborn as Dasaratha.
The Padmapurāna (Uttarakhanda, Ch. 246) and the Rāmarahasya (canto 1 ; Bulcke, p. 274) as well as the TR (1.141) narrate that Svayambhu Manu was reborn as Daśaratha.
Kidnapping of Sīta by a Rākşasa and her Separation from Rāma:-The episode of the curse cast on Vişnu by Bhțgu is found in the Brahmānda, (Ch. 73), Väyu (Ch. 97) and Matsya (Ch. 47) Purānas ranging from the 4th cent. A. D. to 6th century A. D. (Bulcke, p. 274) but therein Rāma, Sītā and Rāvaņa are 'not connected. The same episode is narrated in the Southern version of VR (Uttara, 51. 1218) Here Bhřgu cursed Vişnu to suffer separation from his wife, but still the abduction of his wife by any Rakşasa is not referred to. It is in the Skandapurāņa of the 9th century A.D. (Vaisnavakhanda, Ch. 20-21) that
20
