Secondary Tales of the Two Great Epics

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

Page 51

Secondary Tales of the two Great Epics to obtain sons are mentioned by their personal as well as sacerdotal names only in connection with Aśvamedha,38 The Putresti is just barely mentioned without any details. This means, that Aśvamedha, and not Putresti, is properly emphasised as the cause of the hero's birth.
The cumulative effect of the above considerations is that, if at all, the Aśvamedha which itself is originally a fertility rite should be considered responsible for Dasaratha's obtaining the sons. Putrești is purely duplicative and useless, and therefore, very likely an interpolation in the tale later even than the Aśvamedha. Consequently, the character of Rşyaśmåga also which is specially brought in for performing that rite falls useless and appears grafted upon the narrative. This should naturally mean that the entire episode of Rşyaśộnga is a late addition even in BK.
Some further considerations can be brought forth in corroboration. Vasistha is the famous Vedic sage, is the traditional family priest of the solar race, and is fully capable of performing the Aśvamedha sacrifice. This Aśvamedha, as shown above, 39 was actually intended to achieve Daśaratha's desire of having progeny, and it was a fertility rite originally. Putreşti, therefore, is not at all necessary. Rşyaśộnga who is specially brought in to perform Putresti is also not necessary. Any tale or episode included in his name is, therefore, spurious.
The person who must have added the episode was aware of the contradiction. This is reflected in the apologetic attitude of Dasaratha towards Vasistha when the former goes to king Romapāda to fetch Rsyaśộnga with the consent of Vasiştha.40 Again the sages who approve of Daśaratha's desire of performing Aśvamedha are mentioned, as it were, in two groups : those headed by Vasistha and those headed by R$yaśộnga". The author of the interpolation, as it were, is at a loss about the relative importance of the two sages. The queer thing is, if these are to be taken as two groups of sages, it is the latter group that confirms in clear words that the king will obtain four sons from Aśvamedha !42 Actually, whenever Vasistha is mentioned, the name of Rsyaśộnga also occurs almost without fail.43 The author, as it were, takes special care to see that Rsyaśộnga is never lost sight of in the glory of the name of Vasistha. Such an insistence for mentioning Rsyaśộnga even to the point of ridiculousness, raises, by its over-doing, our suspicion about its genuineness. Again, the redactor's attempt to present Rsyaśộnga as inevitable for Dasaratha's obtaining sons by showing him predestined for the purpose is also too obvious to be convincing. The very fact that such an attempt has to be made shows that the tale has been grafted upon the narrative at a later date. The form of the tale -- the device of narrating the present as viewed
38 See above footnote 12. 39 See above footnotes 24 and 25. 40 See above footnote 19. 41 Cf. BK, 11. 10c (Vasişthapramukhāḥ sarve) and 11. lla (rsyaśğrgapurogaś ca). 42 vide BK. 11. 11cd & 12. 43 Cf. BK, 11. 10-11, 12,33, 12.34, 13.2, 13.42