The Rámáyan of Válmíki - 76

night and day. Her lover Purûravas is the counterpart of the Hellenic
Polydeukês; but the continuance of her union with him depends on the
condition that she never sees him unclothed. But the Gandharvas, impatient
of her long sojourn among mortal men resolved to bring her back to their
bright home; and Purûravas is thus led unwitingly to disregard her
warning. A ewe with two lambs was tied to her couch, and the Gandharvas
stole one of them; Urvasî said, ‘They take away my darling, as if I lived
in a land where there is no hero and no man.’ They stole the second, and
she upbraided her husband again. Then Purûravas looked and said, ‘How can
that be a land without heroes or men where I am?’ And naked he sprang up;
he thought it was too long to put on his dress. Then the Gandharvas sent a
flash of lighting, and Urvasî saw her husband naked as by daylight. Then
she vanished. ‘I come back,’ she said, and went. ‘Then he bewailed his
vanished love in bitter grief.’ Her promise to return was fulfilled, but
for a moment only, at the Lotos-lake, and Purûravas in vain beseeches her
to tarry longer. ‘What shall I do with thy speech?’ is the answer of
Urvasî. ‘I am gone like the first of the dawns. Purûravas, go home again.
I am hard to be caught like the winds.’ Her lover is in utter despair; but
when he lies down to die, the heart of Urvasî was melted, and she bids him
come to her on the last night of the year. On that night only he might be
with her; but a son should be born to him. On that day he went up to the
golden seats, and there Urvasî told him that the Gandharvas would grant
him one wish, and that he must make his choice. ‘Choose thou for me,’ he
said: and she answered, ‘Say to them, Let me be one of you.’ ”
COX’S _Mythology of the Aryan Nations._ Vol. I. p. 397.


Page 324.

_The sovereign of the Vánar race._
“Vánar is one of the most frequently occurring names by which the poem
calls the monkeys of Ráma’s army. Among the two or three derivations of
which the word Vánar is susceptible, one is that which deduces it from
vana which signifies a wood, and thus Vánar would mean a forester, an
inhabitant of the wood. I have said elsewhere that the monkeys, the
Vánars, whom Ráma led to the conquest of Ceylon were fierce woodland
tribes who occupied the mountainous regions of the south of India, where
their descendants may still be seen. I shall hence forth promiscuously
employ the word _Vánar_ to denote those monkeys, those fierce combatants
of Ráma’s army.” GORRESIO.


Page 326.

_No change of hue, no pose of limb_
_Gave sign that aught was false in him._
_Concise, unfaltering, sweet and clear,_
_Without a word to pain the ear,_
_From chest to throat, nor high nor low,_
_His accents came in measured flow._
Somewhat similarly in _The Squire’s Tale_:
“He with a manly voice said his message,
After the form used in his language,
Withouten vice of syllable or of letter.
And for his talë shouldë seem the better
Accordant to his wordës was his chere,
As teacheth art of speech them that it lere.”


Page 329. Ráma’s Alliance With Sugríva.

“The literal interpretation of this portion of the Rámáyana is indeed
deeply rooted in the mind of the Hindu. He implicitly believes that Ráma
is Vishnu, who became incarnate for the purpose of destroying the demon
Rávana: that he permitted his wife to be captured by Rávana for the sake
of delivering the gods and Bráhmans from the oppressions of the Rákshasa;
and that he ultimately assembled an army of monkeys, who were the progeny
of the gods, and led them against the strong-hold of Rávana at Lanká, and
delivered the world from the tyrant Rákshasa, whilst obtaining ample
revenge for his own personal wrongs.
One other point seems to demand consideration, namely, the possibility of
such an alliance as that which Ráma is said to have concluded with the
monkeys. This possibility will of course be denied by modern critics, but
still it is interesting to trace out the circumstances which seem to have
led to the acceptance of such a wild belief by the dreamy and marvel
loving Hindi. The south of India swarms with monkeys of curious
intelligence and rare physical powers. Their wonderful instinct for
organization, their attachment to particular localities, their occasional
journeys in large numbers over mountains and across rivers, their
obstinate assertion of supposed rights, and the ridiculous caricature
which they exhibit of all that is animal and emotional in man, would
naturally create a deep impression.… Indeed the habits of monkeys well
deserve to be patiently studied; not as they appear in confinement, when
much that is revolting in their nature is developed, but as they appear
living in freedom amongst the trees of the forest, or in the streets of
crowded cities, or precincts of temples. Such a study would not fail to
awaken strange ideas; and although the European would not be prepared to
regard monkeys as sacred animals he might be led to speculate as to their
origin by the light of data, which are at present unknown to the
naturalist whose observations have been derived from the menagerie alone.
Whatever, however, may have been the train of ideas which led the Hindú to
regard the monkey as a being half human and half divine, there can be
little doubt that in the Rámáyana the monkeys of southern India have been
confounded with what may be called the aboriginal people of the country.
The origin of this confusion may be easily conjectured. Perchance the
aborigines of the country may have been regarded as a superior kind of
monkeys; and to this day the features of the Marawars, who are supposed to
be the aborigines of the southern part of the Carnatic, are not only
different from those of their neighbours, but are of a character
calculated to confirm the conjecture. Again, it is probable that the army
of aborigines may have been accompanied by outlying bands of monkeys
impelled by that magpie-like curiosity and love of plunder which are the
peculiar characteristics of the monkey race; and this incident may have
given rise to the story that the army was composed of Monkeys.”
WHEELER’S _History of India. Vol. II. pp. 316 ff._


Page 342. The Fall Of Báli.

“As regards the narrative, it certainly seems to refer to some real event
amongst the aboriginal tribes: namely, the quarrel between an elder and
younger brother for the possession of a Ráj; and the subsequent alliance
of Ráma with the younger brother. It is somewhat remarkable that Ráma
appears to have formed an alliance with the wrong party, for the right of
Báli was evidently superior to that of Sugríva; and it is especially
worthy of note that Ráma compassed the death of Báli by an act contrary to
all the laws of fair fighting. Again, Ráma seems to have tacitly
sanctioned the transfer of Tárá from Báli to Sugríva, which was directly
opposed to modern rule, although in conformity with the rude customs of a
barbarous age; and it is remarkable that to this day the marriage of both
widows and divorced women is practised by the Marawars, or aborigines of
the southern Carnatic, contrary to the deeply-rooted prejudice which
exists against such unions amongst the Hindús at large.”
WHEELER’S _History of India, Vol. II. 324_.


Page 370. The Vánar Host.

“The splendid Marutas form the army of Indras, the red-haired monkeys and
bears that of Râmas; and the mythical and solar nature of the monkeys and
bears of the Râmâyaṇam manifests itself several times. The king of the
monkeys is a sun-god. The ancient king was named Bâlin, and was the son of
Indras. His younger brother Sugrívas, he who changes his shape at pleasure
(Kâmarúpas), who, helped by Râmas, usurped his throne, is said to be own
child of the sun. Here it is evident that the Vedic antagonism between
Indras and Vishṇus is reproduced in a zoological and entirely apish form.
The old Zeus must give way to the new, the moon to the sun, the evening to
the morning sun, the sun of winter to that of spring; the young son
betrays and overthrows the old one.… Râmas, who treacherously kills the
old king of the monkeys, Bâlin, is the equivalent of Vishṇus, who hurls
his predecessor Indras from his throne; and Sugrívas, the new king of the
monkeys resembles Indras when he promises to find the ravished Sítá, in
the same way as Vishṇus in one of his incarnations finds again the lost
vedás. And there are other indications in the Râmâyaṇam of opposition
between Indras and the monkeys who assist Râmas. The great monkey
Hanumant, of the reddish colour of gold, has his jaw broken, Indras having
struck him with his thunderbolt and caused him to fall upon a mountain,
because, while yet a child, he threw himself off a mountain into the air
in order to arrest the course of the sun, whose rays had no effect upon
him. (The cloud rises from the mountain and hides the sun, which is unable
of itself to disperse it; the tempest comes, and brings flashes of
lightning and thunder-bolts, which tear the cloud in pieces.)
The whole legend of the monkey Hanumant represents the sun entering into
the cloud or darkness, and coming out of it. His father is said to be now
the wind, now the elephant of the monkeys (Kapikunjaras), now Keśarin, the
long-haired sun, the sun with a mane, the lion sun (whence his name of
_Keśariṇah putrah_). From this point of view, Hanumant would seem to be
the brother of Sugrívas, who is also the offspring of the sun.…
All the epic monkeys of the _Râmâyaṇam_ are described in the twentieth
canto of the first book by expressions which very closely resemble those
applied in the Vedic hymns to the Marutas, as swift as the tempestuous
wind, changing their shape at pleasure, making a noise like clouds,
sounding like thunder, battling, hurling mountain-peaks, shaking great
uprooted trees, stirring up the deep waters, crushing the earth with their
arms, making the clouds fall. Thus Bâlin comes out of the cavern as the
sun out of the cloud.…
But the legend of the monkey Hanumant presents another curious resemblance
to that of Samson. Hanumant is bound with cords by Indrajit, son of
Rávaṇas; he could easily free himself, but does not wish to do so. Rávaṇas
to put him to shame, orders his tail to be burned, because the tail is the
part most prized by monkeys.…
The tail of Hanumant, which sets fire to the city of the monsters, is
probably a personification of the rays of the morning or spring sun, which
sets fire to the eastern heavens, and destroys the abode of the nocturnal
or winter monsters.”
DE GUBERNATIS, _Zoological Mythology_, Vol. II. pp. 100 ff.
“The Jaitwas of Rajputana, a tribe politically reckoned as Rajputs,
nevertheless trace their descent from the monkey-god Hanuman, and confirm
it by alleging that their princes still bear its evidence in a tail-like
prolongation of the spine; a tradition which has probably a real
ethnological meaning, pointing out the Jaitwas as of non-Aryan
race.”(1040) TYLOR’S _Primitive Culture_, Vol. I. p. 341.


Page 372.

The names of peoples occurring in the following _ślokas_ are omitted in
the metrical translation:
“Go to the Brahmamálas,(1041) the Videhas,(1042) the Málavas,(1043) the
Káśikośalas,(1044) the Mágadnas,(1045) the Puṇḍras,(1046) and the
Angas,(1047) and the land of the weavers of silk, and the land of the
mines of silver, and the hills that stretch into the sea, and the towns
and the hamlets that are about the top of Mandar, and the
Karṇaprávaraṇas,(1048) and the Oshṭhakarṇakas,(1049) and the
Ghoralohamukhas,(1050) and the swift Ekapádakas,(1051) and the strong
imperishable Eaters of Men, and the Kirátas(1052) with stiff hair-tufts,
men like gold and fair to look upon: And the Eaters of Raw Fish, and the
Kirátas who dwell in islands, and the fierce Tiger-men(1053) who live amid
the waters.”


Page 374.

“Go to the Vidarbhas(1054) and the Rishṭikas(1055) and the
Mahishikas,(1056) and the Matsyas(1057) and Kalingas(1058) and the
Kauśikas(1059) … and the Andhras(1060) and the Puṇḍras(1061) and the
Cholas(1062) and the Paṇḍyas(1063) and the Keralas,(1064) Mlechchhas(1065)
and the Pulindas(1066) and the Śúrasenas,(1067) and the Prasthalas and the
Bharatas and Madrakas(1068) and the Kámbojas(1069) and the Yavanas(1070)
and the towns of the Śakas(1071) and the Varadas.”(1072)


Page 378. Northern Kurus.

Professor Lassen remarks in the Zeitschrift für die Kunde des
Morgenlandes, ii. 62: “At the furthest accessible extremity of the earth
appears Harivarsha with the northern Kurus. The region of Hari or Vishṇu
belongs to the system of mythical geography; but the case is different
with the Uttara Kurus. Here there is a real basis of geographical fact; of
which fable has only taken advantage, without creating it. The Uttara
Kurus were formerly quite independent of the mythical system of _dvípas_,
though they were included in it at an early date.” Again the same writer
says at p. 65: “That the conception of the Uttara Kurus is based upon an
actual country and not on mere invention, is proved (1) by the way in
which they are mentioned in the Vedas; (2) by the existence of Uttara Kuru
in historical times as a real country; and (3) by the way in which the
legend makes mention of that region as the home of primitive customs. To
begin with the last point the Mahábhárata speaks as follows of the freer
mode of life which women led in the early world, Book I. verses 4719-22:
‘Women were formerly unconfined and roved about at their pleasure,
independent. Though in their youthful innocence they abandoned their
husbands, they were guilty of no offence; for such was the rule in early
times. This ancient custom is even now the law for creatures born as
brutes, which are free from lust and anger. This custom is supported by
authority and is observed by great rishis, and it is _still practiced
among the northern Kurus_.’
“The idea which is here conveyed is that of the continuance in one part of
the world of that original blessedness which prevailed in the golden age.
To afford a conception of the happy condition of the southern Kurus it is
said in another place (M.-Bh, i. 4346.) ‘The southern Kurus vied in
happiness with the northern Kurus and with the divine rishis and bards.’
Professor Lassen goes on to say: ‘Ptolemy (vi. 16.) is also acquainted
with _Uttara Kuru_. He speaks of a mountain, a people, and a city called
_Ottorakorra_. Most of the other ancient authors who elsewhere mention
this name, have it from him. It is a part of the country which he calls
Serica; according to him the city lies twelve degrees west from the
metropolis of Sera, and the mountain extends from thence far to the
eastward. As Ptolemy has misplaced the whole of eastern Asia beyond the
Ganges, the _relative_ position which he assigns will guide us better that
the absolute one, which removes _Ottorakorra_ so far to the east that a
correction is inevitable. According to my opinion the _Ottorakorra_ of
Ptolemy must be sought for to the east of Kashgar.’ Lassen also thinks
that Magasthenes had the Uttara Kurus in view when he referred to the
Hyperboreans who were fabled by Indian writers to live a thousand years.
In his Indian antiquities, (Ind. Alterthumskunde, i. 511, 512. and note,)
the same writer concludes that though the passages above cited relative to
the Uttara Kurus indicate a belief in the existence of a really existing
country of that name in the far north, yet that the descriptions there
given are to be taken as pictures of an ideal paradise, and not as founded
on any recollections of the northern origin of the Kurus. It is probable,
he thinks, that some such reminiscences originally existed, and still
survived in the Vedic era, though there is no trace of their existence in
latter times.” MUIR’S _Sanskrit Texts_, Vol. II. pp. 336, 337.


Page 428.

_Trust to these mighty Vánars._
The corresponding passage in the Bengal recension has “these silvans in
the forms of monkeys, vánaráh kapirupinah.” “Here it manifestly appears,”
says Gorresio, “that these hosts of combatants whom Ráma led to the
conquest of Lanká (Ceylon) the kingdom and seat of the Hamitic race, and
whom the poem calls monkeys, were in fact as I have elsewhere observed,
inhabitants of the mountainous and southern regions of India, who were
wild-looking and not altogether unlike monkeys. They were perhaps the
remote ancestors of the Malay races.”


Page 431.

_"Art thou not he who slew of old_
_The Serpent-Gods, and stormed their hold."_
All these exploits of Rávaṇ are detailed in the _Uttarakáṇḍa_, and
epitomized in the Appendix.


Page 434.

_Within the consecrated hall_.
The Bráhman householder ought to maintain three sacred fires, the
_Gárhapatya_, the _Ahavaniya_ and the _Dakshiṇa_. These three fires were
made use of in many Brahmanical solemnities, for example in funeral rites
when the three fires were arranged in prescribed order.


Page 436.

_Fair Punjikasthalá I met._
“I have not noticed in the Úttara Káṇda any story about the daughter of
Varuṇa, but the commentator on the text (VI 60, 11) explains the allusion
to her thus:
“The daughter of Varuṇa was Punjikasthalí. On her account, a curse of
Brahmá, involving the penalty of death, [was pronounced] on the rape of
women.” MUIR, _Sanskrit Texts_, Part IV. Appendix.


Page 452.

_“__Shall no funereal honours grace_
_The parted lord of Raghu’s race?__”_
“Here are indicated those admirable rites and those funeral prayers which
Professor Müller has described in his excellent work, _Die
Todtenbestattung bei den Brahmanen_, Sítá laments that the body of Ráma
will not be honoured with those rites and prayers, nor will the Bráhman
priest while laying the ashes from the pile in the bosom of the earth,
pronounce over them those solemn and magnificent words: ‘Go unto the
earth, thy mother, the ample, wide, and blessed earth.… And do thou, O
Earth, open and receive him as a friend with sweet greeting: enfold him in
thy bosom as a mother wraps her child in her robes.’ ” GORRESIO.


Page 462.

_Each glorious sign_
_That stamps the future queen is mine_.
We read in Josephus that Caesar was so well versed in chiromancy that when
one day a _soi-disant_ son of Herod had audience of him, he at once
detected the impostor because his hand was destitute of all marks of
royalty.


Page 466.

_In battle’s wild Gandharva dance_.
“Here the commentator explains: ‘the battle resembled the dance of the
Gandharvas,’ in accordance with the notion of the Gandharvas entertained
in his day. They were regarded as celestial musicians enlivening with
their melodies Indra’s heaven and the banquets of the Gods. But the
Gandharvas before becoming celestial musicians in popular tradition, were
in the primitive and true signification of the name heroes, spirited and
ardent warriors, followers of Indra, and combined the heroical character
with their atmospherical deity. Under this aspect the dance of the
Gandharvas may be a very different thing from what the commentator means,
and may signify the horrid dance of war.” GORRESIO.
The Homeric expression is similar, “to dance a war-dance before Ares.”


Page 470.

_By Anaraṇya’s lips of old._
“The story of Anaraṇya is told in the Uttara Kaṇḍa of the Rámáyaṇa.…
Anaraṇya a descendant of Ixváku and King of Ayodhyá, when called upon to
fight with Rávaṇa or acknowledge himself conquered, prefers the former
alternative; but his army is overcome, and he himself is thrown from his
chariot.
When Rávaṇa triumphs over his prostrate foe, the latter says that he has
been vanquished not by him but by fate, and that Rávaṇa is only the
instrument of his overthrow; and he predicts that Rávaṇa shall one day be
slain by his descendant Ráma.” _Sanskrit Texts_, IV., Appendix.


Page 497.

“With regard to the magic image of Sítá made by Indrajit, we may observe
that this thoroughly oriental idea is also found in Greece in Homer’s
Iliad, where Apollo forms an image of Æneas to save that hero beloved by
the Gods: it occurs too in the Æneid of Virgil where Juno forms a
fictitious Æneas to save Turnus:
Tum dea nube cava tenuem sine viribus umbram
In faciem Æneæ (visu mirabile monstrum)
Dardaniis ornat telis; clipeumque jubasque
Divini assimulat capitis; dat inania verba;
Dat sine mente sonum, gressusque effingit euntis.
(_Æneidos_, lib. X.)” GORRESIO.


Page 489.

_"To Raghu’s son my chariot lend."_
“Analogous to this passage of the Rámáyana, where Indra sends to Ráma his
own chariot, his own charioteer, and his own arms, is the passage in the
Æneid where Venus descending from heaven brings celestial arms to her son
Æneas when he is about to enter the battle:
At Venus æthereos inter dea candida nimbos
Dona fereus aderat;…
…
Arma sub adversa posuit radiantia quercum.
Ille, deæ donis et tanto lætus honore,
Expleri nequit, atque oculus per singula volvit,
Miraturque, interque manus et brachia versat
Terribilem cristis galeam flammasque vomentem,
Fatiferumque ensem, loricam ex ære rigentem.
(_Æneidos_, lib. VIII)” GORRESIO.


Page 489.

_Agastya came and gently spake._
“The Muni or saint Agastya, author of several Vedic hymns, was celebrated
in Indo-Sanskrit tradition for having directed the first brahmanical
settlements in the southern regions of India; and the Mahábhárata gives
him the credit of having subjected those countries, expelled the
Rákshases. and given security to the solitary ascetics, who were settled
there. Hence Agastya was regarded in ancient legend as the conqueror and
ruler of the southern country. This tradition refers to the earliest
migrations made by the Sanskrit Indians towards the south of India. To
Agastya are attributed many marvellous mythic deeds which adumbrate and
veil ancient events; some of which are alluded to here and there in the
Rámáyana.” GORRESIO.
The following is the literal translation of the Canto, text and
commentary, from the Calcutta edition:
Having found Ráma weary with fighting and buried in deep thought, and
Rávaṇ standing before him ready to engage in battle, the holy Agastya, who
had come to see the battle, approached Ráma and spoke to him thus: “O
mighty Ráma, listen to the old mystery by which thou wilt conquer all thy
foes in the battle. Having daily repeated the Ádityahridaya (the delighter
of the mind of the Sun) the holy prayer which destroys all enemies (of him
who repeats it) gives victory, removes all sins, sorrows and distress,
increases life, and which is the blessing of all blessings, worship the
rising and splendid sun who is respected by both the Gods and demons, who
gives light to all bodies and who is the rich lord of all the worlds, (To
the question why this prayer claims so great reverence; the sage answers)
Since yonder(1073) sun is full of glory and all gods reside in him (he
being their material cause) and bestows being and the active principle on
all creatures by his rays; and since he protects all deities, demons and
men with his rays.
He is Brahmá,(1074) Vishṇu,(1075) Śiva,(1076) Skanda,(1077)
Prajápati,(1078) Mahendra,(1079) Dhanada,(1080) Kála,(1081) Yáma,(1082)
Soma,(1083) Apàm Pati _i.e._ The lord of waters, Pitris,(1084)
Vasus,(1085) Sádhyas,(1086) Aśvins,(1087) Maruts,(1088) Manu,(1089)
Váyu,(1090) Vahni,(1091) Prajá,(1092) Práṇa,(1093) Ritukartá,(1094)
Prabhákara,(1095) (Thou,(1096) art) Aditya,(1097) Savitá,(1098)
Súrya,(1099) Khaga,(1100) Púshan,(1101) Gabhastimán,(1102)
Śuvarṇasadriśa,(1103) Bhánu,(1104) Hiraṇyaretas,(1105) Divákara,(1106)
Haridaśva,(1107) Sahasrárchish,(1108) Saptasapti,(1109) Marichimán,(1110)
Timironmathana,(1111) Sambhu,(1112) Twashtá,(1113) Mártanda,(1114)
Anśumán,(1115) Hiranyagarbha,(1116) Siśira,(1117) Tapana,(1118)
Ahaskara,(1119) Ravi,(1120) Agnigarbha,(1121) Aditiputra,(1122)
Sankha,(1123) Siśiranáśana,(1124) Vyomanátha,(1125) Tamobhedí,(1126)
Rigyajussámapáraga,(1127) Ghanavríshti,(1128) Apám-Mitra,(1129)
Vindhyavíthíplavangama,(1130) Átapí,(1131) Mandalí,(1132) Mrityu (death),
Pingala,(1133) Sarvatápana,(1134) Kavi,(1135) Viśva,(1136)
Mahátejas,(1137) Rakta,(1138) Sarvabhavodbhava.(1139) The Lord of stars,
planets, and other luminous bodies, Viśvabhávana,(1140)
Tejasvinám-Tejasvi,(1141) Dwádaśátman:(1142) I salute thee. I salute thee
who art the eastern mountain. I salute thee who art the western mountain.
I salute thee who art the Lord of all the luminous bodies. I salute thee
who art the Lord of days.
I respectfully salute thee who art Jaya,(1143) Jayabhadra,(1144)
Haryaśa,(1145) O Thou who hast a thousand rays, I repeatedly salute thee.
I repeatedly and respectfully salute thee who art Áditya, I repeatedly
salute thee who art Ugra,(1146) Víra,(1147) and Sáranga.(1148) I salute
thee who openest the lotuses (or the lotus of the heart). I salute thee
who art furious. I salute thee who art the Lord of Brahmá, Śiva and
Vishṇu. I salute thee who art the sun, Ádityavarchas,(1149) splendid,
Sarvabhaksha,(1150)and Raudravapush.(1151)
I salute thee who destroyest darkness, cold and enemies: whose form is
boundless, who art the destroyer of the ungrateful; who art Deva;(1152)
who art the Lord of the luminous bodies, and who appearest like the heated
gold. I salute thee who art Hari,(1153) Viśvakarman,(1154) the destroyer
of darkness, and who art splendid and Lokasákshin.(1155) Yonder sun
destroys the whole of the material world and also creates it. Yonder sun
dries (all earthly things), destroys them and causes rain with his rays.
He wakes when our senses are asleep; and resides within all beings. Yonder
sun is Agnihotra(1156) and also the fruit obtained by the performer of
Agnihotra. He is identified with the gods, sacrifices, and the fruit of
the sacrifices. He is the Lord of all the duties known to the world, if
any man, O Rághava, in calamities, miseries, forests and dangers, prays to
yonder sun, he is never overwhelmed by distress.
Worship, with close attention Him the God of gods and the Lord of the
world; and recite these verses thrice, whereby thou wilt be victorious in
the battle. O brave one, thou wilt kill Rávaṇa this very instant.”
Thereupon Agastya having said this went away as he came. The glorious Ráma
having heard this became free from sorrow. Rághava whose senses were under
control, being pleased, committed the hymn to memory, recited it facing
the sun, and obtained great delight. The brave Ráma having sipped water
thrice and become pure took his bow, and seeing Rávaṇa, was delighted, and
meditated on the sun.


Page 492. Rávan’s Funeral.

“In the funeral ceremonies of India the fire was placed on three sides of
the pyre; the _Dakshiṇa_ on the south, the _Gárhapatya_ on the west, and
the _Áhavaníya_ on the east. The funeral rites are not described in detail
here, and it is therefore difficult to elucidate and explain them. The
poem assigns the funeral ceremonies of Aryan Brahmans to the Rákshases, a
race different from them in origin and religion, in the same way as Homer
sometimes introduces into Troy the rites of the Grecian cult.” GORRESIO.
Mr. Muir translates the description of the funeral from the Calcutta
edition, as follows: “They formed, with Vedic rites, a funeral pile of
faggots of sandal-wood, with _padmaka_ wood, _uśira_ grass, and sandal,
and covered with a quilt of deer’s hair. They then performed an unrivalled
obsequial ceremony for the Ráxasa prince, placing the sacrificial ground
to the S.E. and the fire in the proper situation. They cast the ladle
filled with curds and ghee on the shoulder(1157) of the deceased; he (?)
placed the car on the feet, and the mortar between the thighs. Having