The Ramayana by Valmiki (ink book reader TXT) 📕

From him who rules the Vánar race.” 880. The ten heads of Rávaṇ have provoked much ridicule from European critics. It should be remembered that Spenser tells us of “two brethren giants, the one of which had two heads, the other three;” and Milton speaks of the “four-fold visaged Four,” the four Cherubic shapes each of whom had four faces. 881. Durdhar, or as the Bengal recension reads Mahodara, Prahasta, Mahápárśva, and Nikumbha. 882. The chief attendant of Śiva. 883. Bali, not to be confounded with Báli the Vánar, was a celebrated Daitya or demon who had usurped the empire of the three worlds, and who was deprived of two thirds of his dominions by Vishṇu in the Dwarf-incarnation. 884. When Hanumán was bound with cords, Indrajít released his captive from the spell laid upon him by the magic weapon. 885. “One who murders an ambassador (rája bhata) goes to Taptakumbha, the hell of heated caldrons.” Wilson's Vishṇu Puraṇa, Vol. II. p. 217. 886. The fire which is supposed to burn beneath the sea. 887. Sítá is likened to the fire which is an emblem of purity. 888. I omit two stanzas which continue the metaphor of the sea or lake of air. The moon is its lotus, the sun its wild-duck, the clouds are its water-weeds, Mars is its shark and so on. Gorresio remarks: “This comparison of a great lake to the sky and of celestial to aquatic objects is one of those ideas which the view and qualities of natural scenery awake in lively fancies. Imagine one of those grand and splendid lakes of India covered with lotus blossoms, furrowed by wild-ducks of the most vivid colours, mantled over here and there with flowers and water weeds &c. and it will be understood how the fancy of the poet could readily compare to the sky radiant with celestial azure the blue expanse of the water, to the soft light of the moon the inner hue of the lotus, to the splendour of the sun the brilliant colours of the wild-fowl, to the stars the flowers, to the cloud the weeds that float upon the water &c.” 889. Sunábha is the mountain that rose from the sea when Hanumán passed over to Lanká. 890. Three Cantos of repetition are omitted. 891. Madhuvan the “honey-wood.” 892. Indra's pleasure-ground or elysium. 893. Janak was king of Videha or Mithilá in Behar. 894. The original contains two more Cantos which end the Book. Canto LXVII begins thus: “Hanumán thus addressed by the great-souled son of Raghu related to the son of Raghu all that Sítá had said.” And the two Cantos contain nothing but Hanumán's account of his interview with Sítá, and the report of his own speeches as well as of hers. 895. The Sixth Book is called in Sanskrit Yuddha-Káṇḍa or The War, and Lanká-Káṇda. It is generally known at the present day by the latter title. 896. Váyu is the God of Wind. 897. Garuḍa the King of Birds. 898. Serpent-Gods. 899. The God of the sea. 900. Indra's elephant. 901. Kuvera, God of wealth. 902. Kuvera's elephant. 903. The planet Venus, or its regent who is regarded as the son of Bhrigu and preceptor of the Daityas. 904. The seven rishis or saints who form the constellation of the Great Bear. 905. Triśanku was raised to the skies to form a constellation in the southern hemisphere. The story in told in Book I, Canto LX. 906. The sage Viśvámitra, who performed for Triśanku the great sacrifice which raised him to the heavens. 907. One of the lunar asterisms containing four or originally two stars under the regency of a dual divinity Indrágni, Indra and Agni. 908. The lunar asterism Múla, belonging to the Rákshases. 909. The Asurs or demons dwell imprisoned in the depths beneath the sea. 910. The God of Riches, brother and enemy of Rávaṇ and first possessor of Pushpak the flying car. 911. King of the Serpents. Śankha and Takshak are two of the eight Serpent Chiefs. 912. The God of Death, the Pluto of the Hindus. 913. Literally Indra's conqueror, so called from his victory over that God. 914. Their names are Nikumbha, Rabhasa, Súryaśatru, Suptaghna, Yajnakopa, Mahápárśva, Mahodara, Agniketu, Raśmiketu, Durdharsha, Indraśatru, Prahasta, Virúpáksha, Vajradanshṭra, Dhúmráksha, Durmukha, Mahábala. 915.

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