Secondary Tales of the Two Great Epics

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

Page 47

Secondary Tales of the two Great Epics
the hero of the epic was not intended to be an ideal of monogamy and, therefore, in presenting him as performing Aśvamedha and consequently necessarily having more than one wife, there was no question of damaging the image of a monogamous Rāma since it did not exist. There is no sense in arguing that the author was primarily a paurāņika, an expert in the lores of itihāsa and purāṇas, and hence was not well conversant with the intricate details of the sacrifice; we even need not contradict Mm. Kane when he says that “It is probable that in the epic only the popular elements and a few of the religious rites were emphasized;"15 the necessity of having four wives for the yajmāna king of Aśvamedha is not such a small or intricate or even insignificant detail as can be missed even by a passing observer of the sacrifice. The argument that the sacrifice was extinct and the author was describing it only from a traditional memory also does not stand, since numerous performances of Aśvamedha have been recorded in the Indian history even of the Middle ages.16 The ancient sacrifice of Aśvamedha was not extinct, and the author of the UK cannot plead ignorance of the eye-catching requirement of the four wives of the yajamana king; still if he chose to show Rama performing Aśvamedha, the conclusion is inevitable that either he was deliberately ignoring the basic contradiction or he was ignoring the ideal of monogamous Rāma if it did exist.
(2) The Rşyabriga Episode
From Sarga 5, the actual epic narrative, claimed to be the work of Vālmīki, begins. Sargas 5, 6 and 7 give us the descriptions of Ayodhyā, of its King Dasaratha, and of his ministers. These sargas can legitimately be considered as part of the principal story.
In Sarga 8, the mention of the childlessness of Dasaratha brings in an occasion for introducing the Rşyaśộnga episode. Dasaratha deliberates with his ministers that he should perform a Vājimedha sacrifice for obtaining a son.17 When he orders his chief minister Sumantra to call the priests, Sumantra (called Sūta here) privately tells him that, in connection with his (Dasaratha's) obtaining sons, he (Sumantra) has heard from the priests the episode of Rsyaśộnga as narrated in their presence by Sanatkumāra. The episode runs thus: "Kasyapa's son Vibhāndaka will have a son Rşyaśộnga who will have seen no other human being but his father. At that time, there will be a severe drought in Angadeśa. Its king Romapäda, upon the advice of Brāhmaṇas, will request them to bring Rsyaśộnga into his kingdom. The Purohita etc., fearing the curse of the sage Vibhāņdaka, will fetch Rşyaśộnga with the help of courtesans whereupon it will rain in his kingdom and the king will give him in marriage his daughter Šāntā. The sage Rsyaśộnga will then perform for you to obtain sons."18
15 History of Dharmaśāstra, Kane, II. ii, p. 1237, 16 ibid. pp. 1238-39, 17 BK, 8. 2–3. 18 BK. 8, 5-22.