________________
AUGUST, 1902.]
THE RAMAYAN. A ORITICISM.
351
THE RÂMÁYAN. A CRITICISM. BY AKSHAY KUMAR MOJUMDAR.
Note by the Editor. The title of this paper is the author's own. I have already published an article (ante, Vol. XXIX, p. 8 f.) exhibiting the South Indian Natives' ideas of criticism, and I publish this article from North India with the same object :- to prove by their ipsissima verba how hopelessly the Natives' attitade towards the criticism" of their literature diverges from that of the West, and how far an "English" education has influenced those most completely subjected to it. The forms of English expression have been caught by the papils; but the mental attitude behind the forms has been missed altogether.
Text.
I. - The Author. VAlmiki is the renowned author of the still more renowned Hindu Lyrical Epic - the Ramayan. But he has totally left as in the dark as to his own personality. From his own writings, we simply know that he was a very good sage-pions, learned, travelled and well read; and that he got his poetical inspiration spontaneously.
The great sage Vasishta, however, has thrown much light on this point. The following is his account of the poet :-"Early in life, Valmiki was a great dasyu or dacoit, Ratna kara by name, and used to plunder wayfarers for the maintenance of his family. In reality he was & jewel under ashes. One day, Siva and Narada, in disguise of two human beings, came that way in a highly tempting fashion. Valmiki also sprang forward from behind a tree to rob them. But the travellers succeeded in inducing him to hear their say, and thereon a short dialogne followed :-(Siva and Närada) --Well, you know that robbery is a great sin. (Robber) - Yes, I do. (8. and N.)-Then why do you commit it? (R.) - To maintain my family. (8. and N.)
- You seem to believe that the inmates of your family share your guilt, do they? (R.) - Why not P (S. and N.) - If you ask them, you will get the opposite answer. (R.) - Oh no, never. (S. and N.) - Go home and ask. Then Ratnakara, tying them tightly to a neighbouring tree, went home and returned shortly, frustrated and pale ; for all answered in the negative. (R.) - Sirs, you are quite right. Now tell me how I may be good. (S. and N.) - Go to the forest and train your mind by constantly repeating the word Râma. Thus, after a long time, he became siddha or enlightened. So persistently did he practise this austerity that white-ants are said to have built their hills on his stirless body. From "valmika' (white-ant hill) his name became Valmiki.
II. - History of its Composition, One fine morning Valmiki went to the river Tamasa (destroyer of sins) to bathe. After having had his dip, he stood in navel-deep water to perform ablutions. For a time he lost himself in communion. Then plaintive wailings of a she-crane suddenly broke his pious impassiveness and made him look round, to behold a crane pierced with an arrow by a fowler! Immediately a complet came out of his lips ex tempore, the parport of which is this :-"Cursed be thy name, O fowler, for ever; for thou hadst killed the crane while enjoying conjugal bliss." This spontaneous poetical outburst surprised him. He came back to his hermitage, musing on the matter. At this time, Brahma, the first Poety came to him and gave him the power for making measured language. Nârada helped him a step further by suggesting that the divine virtues of Rama - ua ideal king-should be set to the lyre. Valmiki followed him and commenced his epic.
III. - Its publication. Valmiki made the twin-sons of Sita, then banished to his hermitage, learn his epic hy heart. In those days a grand annual fair used to be held at Ayodhya. Valmiki sent the
