Secondary Tales of the Two Great Epics

Author(s): Rajendra I Nanavati
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 41

CHAPTER II
THE TALES IN RĀMĀYANA
A. BĀLA - KANDA The implications of the various terms in the title thus made clear, we can now proceed on to the investigation of the tales themselves. For that purpose, first, we propose to make a complete survey of the tales of BK and UK of RM.
Most of the scholars agree that BK is a later addition to RM. One of the reasons adduced for this supposition is the difference between the style of BK and that of the other Kāņdas (except UK). While the other Kāndas reveal a dignified, soberly-paced, epic-like style of the narrative, almost entirely free from any sort of narrative or didactic digressions, justifying the title "Ādi-Kavya' (the First Poem) given to the epic, the BK (as also UK) reveals a purānic style abounding in digressive narratives which seriously disturb the flow of whatever little portion of the principal narrative has remained here. Even this little portion of the principal narrative gives us such details as are contradicted in the main body of the epic. Laksmana, for example, is shown to marry Urmila in BK, 2 but she is never mentioned again in the epic hereafter. Not only that, even Laksmana is called a-krta-dāra in Ark. Since the marriages of all the brothers take place towards the end of BK, we shall not be wrong in taking the entire BK as secondary, providing material for our study.
The secondary material of the BK can roughly be divided into five groups: (1) The first four Sargas – Introductory part; (2) The Rsyaśộnga episode; (3) The Entourage tales; (4) The Viśvāmitra story-cycle; (5) The Paraśurāma episode.
(1) The First Four Sargas
The BK opens with Vālmīki asking Nārada about the best of human beings. Nārada, in reply, briefly counts the principal events of Rāma's life. In Sarga 2, Valmiki goes to the river Tamasā, sees one of the pairs of amorous cranes beings pierced by a Nişāda, and, overwhelmed with pity, curses him. The curse, accidentally, is expressed in a new metre which is suitable to poetise the Rāma-story. Brahmā bids him to poetise it. Vālmīki accepts the advice and the events he poetises in the epic are again listed in Sarga 3. In Sarga 4, he finds the two royal princes as the suitable bards for
1 Cf. History of Indian Literature, M. Winternitz, Vol. I, ii, pp. 495-6; The Riddle of the RM,
C. V. Vaidya, Ch. IT; Rāma-kathā, Camille Bulcke, pp, 122-3; The Rāmāyana, H. Jacobi.
Tr. S. N. Ghosal, Baroda, pp. 21, 47 ff. 2 Rāma-kathā, c. Bulcke, p. 123. Cf. BK. 72.18. 3 Ark. 17.3.