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The Rmyaa: A Version of Rma's Story from CeylonAuthor(s): C. E. GodakumburaReviewed work(s):Source: Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, No. 1 (Apr., 1946),pp. 14-22Published by: Cambridge University PressStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25222061.

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Til 15RAMAVANA 15for three months and added that at the end of that time she wouldallow him to fulfil his wishes.

At the end of the seven years Rama returned and not findinghis wife began to roam the forest in search of her, where he metValin wandering round lamenting the loss of his wife who hadeloped with the king of the apes. Valin came to Visnu and toldhim, " Friend, help me to get my wife back and I will accompanyyou to battle. Moreover, I shall go to Havana, deceive him, andbring back your queen Sita."

Visnu agreed and shot at the king of the apes with his arrow.Valin recovered his wife and obtained three boons from Visnu :ability to walk on the sea, protection from fire, and immunityagainst arrows. Valin then entered Havana's park, climbed thebest of his mango trees, and ate the fruits thereof. The parkkeeper tried in vain to capture the vicious animal, and in the endbrought the matter to the notice of the king. Royal guardssurrounded the monkey, amused at his curious antics. Sita, too,was there enjoying the fun in the company of Havana, and aftera while she ordered the guards to seize the monkey, wrap clothround his tail and set it on fire. The guards dipped the monkey'stail in oil, wrapped rags round it, and set fire to them. Valinjumped on to the palace roof, setting fire to it, and burning thewhole city. Then while confusion reigned in Havana's court heseized Sita and carried her back to Visnu.

A short while after Sita conceived a child and at the same timeVisnu had to attend a meeting of the assembly of the gods, leavingSita alone at home. Uma paid a visit to Sita, and inquiring abouther life in Lanka, asked her to describe the appearance of Ravana.To satisfy the curiosity of her friend Sita made a sketch of Havana'sfigure on the leaf of an ash-plantain tree. Hardly had Sita completedher drawing when Visnu came home, and seeing him come shethrew her drawing under the bed. Visnu sat on the bed, but bythe majesty of Ravana the bed began to shake, and when Visnulooked underneath to see what the matter was he discovered Sita'sdrawing. Enraged at the sight of it, and suspecting Sita to bein love with Ravana, Visnu sent for his brother Saman (? Sanskrit:

Sumana) and commanded him to kill Sita, adding, " I want youto take this wicked woman into the forest and behead her." Samanled Sita to the Himalaya, left her near a hermitage, and returned

with his sword wet with the blood of a wild animal which he had

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Hi TIIK RAMAYANAcut, and reported to his brother that his command had beenfulfilled.

Sita was weary and slept there for a long while. At last shewoke, and fearful of the lonely forest where she was left helpless,she wept loud. The sage Valamlga (= Sanskrit: Vdlmiki), wholived in the hermitage close by, went towards the direction of thecries and saw Sita in that pitiable condition. Tho compassionatesage thought that it was his duty to help a pregnant woman andtherefore built her a hut of leaves near his own pond. Sita livedin this hut on the fruits of the forest, and when her time of deliverycame she gave birth to a son whom she showed to the hermit.

The holy man gave his blessings to the little one and the motherand child continued to live there enjoying his protection. Oneday when the mother left the child in bed and went to the forestin search of fruits he fell off from his bed and began to scream. Thehermit, attracted by the shrieks of the infant, went to the hutand discovered him on the ground. The sage could not touch himto put him back on the bed, for it did not befit his holy life. Hetherefore plucked a lotus from the pond and threw it on to thebed where it turned into a child. Ignorant of what had happenedSita came back, took up the child that was on the bed, and wasfeeding him when her own child cried from under the bed. Seeingher son there she was confused and ran to the ascetic, who toldher what had happened and tried to console her, but it was allin vain.

"I shall not believe you," said she,

"unless you create forme another child." " How will you feed a third child ? " asked

the sage. " I shall feed two at my breasts and the third I shall feedon my little finger," replied Sita. Valamlga went back with herand threw a blade of sacrificial grass on to the bed from whichforthwith another child was created. When the three boys wereonly seven years old, they left their mother and went to the Malayacountry where they built three royal parks and palaces andflourished under the names of Sandalindu, Mala, and Kistri(Kit-^rl, Kistri).

The following stanzas relating the story of the three princeshave been extracted from a MS. of the Kohornba Kankariyaobtained from Hilipatc-gedara Silpa, a dancer living in the villageof Tirappuva in Udunuvara, in the Kandy District. The accountcontained in them differs only in a few details from that whichhas already been related.

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tiik kamayana 17Text

1. ira e-ramba-pa'tak riigenapura ohuge ruva andiminadira emav(?) gunaya andinanura sitin dundiiyi gena.

2. de-pa[ba] nirindugen ahalasura'tata kagapata dilasarosin kanda depalu-kajabisovun gena bara-kala.

3. riigena varan kukus no-kotadun kagapata gena sura'tataSitapati issara-kotariigena gosin maha-himayata.

4. kara(jubarin(?) un Sitanirindu basata siika nositiipasindu e-landa dukma sitanirindu visin iiri Sita.

5. kuda kumaru yahana bojandakada giyo palavtila sondavida-vemin ot nidi tadaanda kumaru yahana bojanda.

6. yahane un kumaru rusidiikse [dukse ?] gos biiluva rusitisse diika yahan rusiviksopen unnu rusi.

7. mada-mat gaja lihiniyadotada pada yana rakusekdopadamak naiti visa nayidoadavat kumarun kohedo

8. vanaye [vane] vesena devidekdoane tama un dulidovanaye [vanej rakusu grna giyadoane kumana mayamado.

.ikas ai*i:il 11MU.2

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18 TIIK RAMAYANA9. matuva c-mahanel rfipa

matuta sidda-guliya diipasatutu-sitin dun 3 paevita kumaru gatiya upa.

10. ruvata ruvak mava-lcti [-latl]durata c-giya mav pcmatlsatutu sitin vada-latl [vacja-]evita kumaru riiv nagetl.

11. denna gena dev ukulatayanna liya pansatayatapenna la rusin asatadanna kiv aruraa evita.

12. landa c-kumaru mav-bisavadavanda kl rusige siripadadcdenek

viyakumaru bolanda

ma'dl jut(-lat ?) daru yi topa^a.13. c-basata e-bisav sarosin

melesata mayam kiyaminma dtika bijidek mavaminniitahot vavenu itikin.

14. aragena Itana konda ata(amatuta damati eva[ema] vilasatabihiva kumaru manika lesatavadati e-tun-dena ukulata.

15. matu iiti una kumarumjaKitsri yayi nam uncja

sonda lesa somiguna-vandayasa tcda bala deti unda.

16. sarivannfi epamanna (?)pirisunna landa-vanna (?)kiri denna mopavanna (?)daru dcnna raka denna.

17. vacja kumaru van pematikava pova ati-karatl

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Till-; RAM AY ANA ID

geva dahas gaman yatinimahiven(0 gos kejitl

18. Gran da kana tiinabalamin dcnna vena venasiira pakiira iiri tiinade-tun denekut vale eka-tiina.

19. uran da vida ganavena vena kara taba gananomala piitiyan genakcjiti pansala miida taba gena.

20. Rama-raja pokunatanoyav bijindum etanata

ma-bas vimasannatadcbayo gos vanni pokunata.

21. pokunata gosillarasa-pala uyana dakalasenagat balaladenna dunu deka aya sitalil.

22. iida siira vidinnasiirayak pasu no(ba)yanna

Rama-rajadenna

denna kagc daruvo da yanna.23. himaye upannemi

Pulvan-rajata da unemick-vemi de-bH vemiasura sura senagata pasu no-bfi vemi.

24. bale tediiti Sitapati bisavun kusa pijisindetikiile tapas rakina lesala kumarun yahane sifitikaje varada Maha-visnu bisavun pitivalial vctibale tediiti pin-balayen Sandalindu nama piitira yati.

25. eveni bisavu vanantare pala-rasa soyamin vaditieveni kumaru yahan tide niiti biiv rusi yd dakitieveni tapasvara siinekin i tana kondak kadatideveni Kistri kiy.i kumaru i-tana kondcn mavati.

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liO TIIK RAMAYANA26. bale boya pera jatiyc pin-bala boho sinda

vile pipuna manel-mala kacja atafa dun daalesavi pirivara saha teda bala pamindamalen upan kumaru kiya Malaya kumaru nanda.

Translation1. " She (Sita) tore off the leaf of a plain tain tree and drew on it

his (Ravana's) figure. The firm one (Rama), who knew the natureof women, suspected that she did so through lust for him."

2."

Thereupon he consulted his brother, and being in a fit ofrage, gave him his own sword and handed to him his queen so thaihe might cut her in two."3. " Then he (Saman) accepted (his brother's) command, andwithout hesitation took the sword in his right hand and went tothe great forest leading Sita in front of him."

4. " Sita, who was with child (?), had no misgiving concerningthe king's order, and the noble woman was struck with grief whenshe was sent away by him."* * *

5. " The tender little infant was in bed, and (Sita) had gone outin search of fruits. The little one was tired and had slept heavily.It then awoke and cried."

6. " The clever boy was on the bed and the hermit went to lookfor him; but seeing the bed empty the holy man was perturbed(and thought):7. " 'Could it be a fierce hawk (that has carried away the child)or could it be a Raksasa who turned his heavy steps (this way)or is it the countless poisonous cobras Where is the boyto-day '"

8. " 'Alas Have not the silvan dieties seen the child ? Hasa Raksasa of the forest carried him away What an illusion isthis ' "

9. " The sage then picked up a beautiful lotus and threw it onto the bed together with a magic pill over which he had muttereda charm. Immediately the flower was transformed into a child,which (Sita) later fed joyfully."10. " He (the hermit) created a child in the image of the other.The loving mother who had gone far (having come back) took the

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THE RAMAYANA 21child up to her breast, and then her son who was on the groundcried out."

11."

The woman took the two children on her sides and wentto the hermitage, and showing them to the sage begged of him totell her what that miracle meant."

12. " Then the little boy worshipped his royal mother as wellas lie feet of the sage and said, *We are two little boys here, butI am the son whom you got first.' "

13. " At those words the queen replied in anger, 'This is allamyth. Unless I

see another child created I shall not believe andbe consoled/ "

14. " The sage took a blade of sacrificial grass in his hand andhaving again muttered a charm over it threw it on to the bed.A child, as beautiful as a precious gem, was born of it, and (Sita)carried all three of them on her sides."

15. " The boy who was born last was named KitSri. (The sage)blessed all three of them so that they may be endowed with gentleness, virtue, fame, glory, and power."

16. . . .The beautiful lady, who was satisfied at this (?), fed ather breasts the two children (created by the sage) and protectedthem I"

17. " Lovingly did she bring up the boys giving them to eat anddrink. While at their sports the boys, who went in pairs (?), usedto walk thousands of miles a day."

18."

The two (boys) used to watch where the wild boar fedand shoot their arrows at them, killing two or three at one shot."19. " They carried on their shoulders the boars they shot, andwith their young ones whom they captured alive, they played

about in the hermitage grounds."20. " It was said that the children would not go to the pond

of King Rama. To learn the truth of these words the two brothers(Rama and Saman) went in search of them and arrived at the(hermit's) pond."21. " They came to the pond and saw the fruit garden near by.

At the sight of the (princes) and their retinue the two (Rama andhis brother) drew their bows."

22. " They drew their bows and let off their arrows; but thearrows did not fly forth. Then King Rama and his brother askedthe princes, *Whose children are you ?

' "

23."

(Then came forth the reply) :*

I am the son of Utpalavarna

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22 THE RAMAYANA(Visnu), and I was born in this forest. I was alone, but now I havetwo brothers, and we cannot be subdued even by the hosts of the

Asuras or of the gods."24. " *I was born in the womb of the glorious and majestic

Sitapati, and while yet an infant, I was left alone in the cot as ifI were practising austerities in the forest. The great Visnu did

wrong when he expelled his queen. I have nevertheless becomefar-famed as prince Sandaliiklu by the power of my good deeds inthe past.' "

25." '

That queen was away in the forest gathering fruits. Thehermit came into the hut and did not see the boy in his cot. Thenhe quickly plucked a blade of sacrificial grass and created thissecond prince Kistri (Kit?ri) out of it.' "26. " *This Prince Malaya?so called because he was born outof a flower?who is endowed with great prowess because of themanifold merits he has acquired in his past births, sprang upwhen (the hermit) plucked a lotus which blossomed in the pondand placed it in my hand. He now goes about undaunted withhis retinue displaying his glory and majesty.' "

There is a Sinhalese version of the Ramayana written in prose.It is a translation made from a Dravidian source and may bedated about the eighteenth century. The story given above hasno connection with it.

NOTES1. (c). dird tmav meaning is doubtful. dir& = Sanskrit: dhlrd 72. (a), va corrected to'65.3. {d). himaya = any forest, not necessarily the Himalaya.4. (a), karadu-barin: the meaning is not clear. Karadu (= Sanskrit:

karandaka) means a casket. It is perhaps used here as a synonym for garbha9thus karadu-barin = gab-bar in (= Skt. garbha-bhdrena) " heavy with child ".6. (6). daksi: may he an error for duksl " in grief ". (c). tissi = sis-si, whorei > ff cf. sesu > tesu, siras > tiros, (d). vik&dpen =s Skt. vikstptna. Perhaps thecorrect reading is viksipen.8. (a, c). vane suits the metre.9. (c). Tho meaning of 3 pa is doubtful. 8. has, howover, bcon taken as" she "

and pd as " milk " (= Skt. payas).12. (d). madilut corrected to nulditat =* ma + adi -f lot. T14. (6). eva corrected to etna.16. (a), the meaning is obscure, (b). pirisun =s beautiful, possessing prettyfeatures ; cf. Pali: paricchinna " measured M. (c). dennd tnopavannd may becorrected to : dennH ma povannd.17. (d). nimafuven may mean " in twos ", cf. nimul " twins M.20. [a-b). Tho construction of these two lines is somewhat confusing.25, 26. Tho order of these two stanzas should bo reversed.