Setubandha

Author(s): Krishnakant Handiqui
Publisher: Prakrit Text Society Ahmedabad

Page 48

INTRODUCTION into the sea, disappear in the waters. Sugrīva then appeals to Nala to build the causeway, and the latter accepts the responsibility. He methodically arranges the mountains, and succeeds in joining them closely together in a compact concatenation. Nala's achievment is a triumph of method and planning. Pravarasena gives a new meaning to the ancient legend,
It may be noted here that, in a footnote under 6.15,21, the critical edition of the Rāmāyaļa gives an additional verse closely resembling the Setu verse 8.43, which describes how Nala planted in the sea the mountains brought by Hanāmat. It is probable that the verse was known to Pravarasena who puts the idea in a more elaborate form?.
The Bhatţikāvya (Canto 13) which deals with the building of the causeway follows Pravarasena closely in summarizing the events outlined in Cantos 6-8 of our poem. As is wellknown, this Canto is mostly written in Prakrit in the same metre as the Setubandha. The coincidences are as follows. The Ocean appears, supporting his arm on Gangā. He appeals to Rāma to save the waters that serve as a resting place for him as Vişņu; and points out that even if the sea dried up, the slimy bottom would be impassable for the Vānaras. The Vānaras rush through the air and uproot the mountains and return with loads of them The causeway, built entirely of mountains, is called giri- or adribandha. As in our poem, the narrative is followed by a description of Mount Suvela, the southern terminus of the causeway?.
1. HEC ETHERE ti ayesaff27971
å å stor ata 4 73: 11 P. 89 (crit. ed.) jam jam āņei girim rai-raha-cakkapari-maţtha-siharam haņumā /
tam tam lijāi nalo Vāma-karutthamghiam raei samudde /Setu 8.43. 2 Another Sanskrit poet Kumāradāsa (earlier than the tenth century) follows the
general outline of Pravarasema's account in describing the building of the causeway