Indian Antiquary Vol 42

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 14

10
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[JANUARY, 1913.
of the rakshasat's crying: Ráma! Rama! To ascertain it one must refer to the parallel passage in the R., where it is plainly said that the rikshasas, believing that they saw Rama in every one of their companions, rush upon one another crying : ayam Ramo! 'yam Ramah! ("this is Rama! this is Râma!"). That the Hindi passage is not clear without a reference to the R. is sufficiently proved by the fact that Mr. Growse quite misunderstood its meaning in his translation, which runs as follows: " the Lord .... having power over all illusion, wrought a prodigy and while they were yet looking at one another he finished the battle and the army of the enemy al pe.ished fighting crying . Rama Rana' as their soul left their body; they thus attained beatitude."
(49) Råvaņa wants to secure Maricha's help for carrying off Sita, but Måricha tries to dissuada him from provoking such a tremendons hero as Rama; and says he has already tasted in battle his strength as, when smitten by a single arrow of Rama, he was driven to a distance of a hundred yojanas; from that time on he his lived in continuous apprehension of Rama's appearing and wherever he looks he sees his terrible foe: B, III, 43, 32-34 (C, III, 39, 15-17):
R. C.M., III, 27, 7: api Ramasabasrani bhitah pa yami Rivaņa Râmabbởtam bhai mama kita bhriga ki näin idam sarvam aranyam pratibháti me 11 32 || vșikshe vrikshe jaham tabam mai dekhaüm dou cha pacyfi chiraksisbộajinambaram | caracha padharam Ra- bhall. mam på cahastam ivâ 'ntakam 11 33 || Ramam ova 'nupacyâmi rahitesby &kulegu cha | drishtva svapnagato Råmam udbhramami vichetanah II 34 ll.
(50) In the R. Ravana menaces Maricha with death, who declines to help him out of fear of Ráma, and gives him to a choice : either a probable death at the hands of Rama, or a most certain death at his own hands, in case he should refuse to obey :
B, III, 44 31, (C, III, 40, 27):
asadya tam jivitasarçayo va mrityur dbruvas te 'dya maya viradhyaevam yathirad viga
payys baddbya yad rochate tat kuru yach cha pathyam || 31 ||
It is clear that Tulasi Dâsa bud before his mind that alternative, when he wrote that Maricha resolved to obey, after having seen that either way he must die:
R.C.M., III, 28, 5:
ubhaya bhêmti dekhâ nija marana | taba tåkesi Raghunayaka-sarana l.
(51) "The apparition of the golden deer in the hermitage, Sita's longing for its skin, Rama's pursuit of it, the fligbt and death of the deer and its calling out. Lakshmana ! Lakshmana !' at the moment of dying, are narrated in quite identical terms both in the R. and in the R. C. M. AS A specimen of Talasi Dâsa's close dependence on Valmiki's narrative in this episode, I quote the parallel passages, describing the trick of the deer of keeping itself now near, now far, now in sight, now hidden, in order to take Rama lure away: B, III, 50, 47:
1 R. C. M., III, 29, 12-13: sa cha Râmabbayodvigno Mâricho Daņdake vane |4 || babhu- kababum nikața puni dûri parai ya'ntarhitas tatra kshanat punar adsiçyata | esho'yam ayam kabahut ka, pragațai kabahum chhaeti'ti vegavan Raghavo yayau 11 5 || mubůrtâd eva dadrice pâi Il pragatata durata karata chhala muhůrtán na prak&cate ativritta ishutrasůl lobhayan sa Rabhûri ehi bidhi prabhuhi gayaüghûttamam | 6 | kvachid dfishtah kvachin naştah kvachit lei duri. trâsâch cha vidrutaḥl....
(52) Talasi Dasa's description of the beauty of the Pampå forest in the spring and of its effect on the mind of Rama, bereft of Sità (III, 40-41), is derived from Valmiki's sarja B, III,