The Third Book. Chapter 28
The Third Book
Chapter Xxviii
On The Incidents Connected With Navartri
p. 234
1. Janamejaya said :-- O Muni! How did Rmchandra celebrate the Devs Pj, that leads to happiness? Who was He! And how was stolen away His St? How was He deprived of His kingdom? Please satisfy me by narrating all these incidents to me.
2. Vysa said :-- O king! There lived, in days of yore, in the city of Ayodhy, a prosperous king of the solar dynasty named Dasaratha. He always worshipped the Devas and Brhmanas.
3-5. He had four celebrated sons Rma, Laksmana, Bharata and Satrughna. These four sons were equally learned and beautiful and they always did actions agreeable to the king. Of these, Rmachandra was the son of the Queen Kausalya, Bharata was the son of Kaikey, and the good looking Laksmana and Satrughna were the twin sons of Sumitr. While young, they learned the art of archery and began to play with bows and arrows in their hands.
6-7. Thus educated and purified, the four sons began to give delight more and more to the king; one day the Maharsi Visvmitra came to Ayodhy and aked from the king Dasaratha the help of his son Rmachandra for the protection of his sacrificial ceremonies. The king could not cancel the Visvmitra's request and sent with him Rma, accompanied by Laksmana.
p. 235
8-11. The lovely Rma and Laksmana accompanied the Muni on his way back. There lived a terrible looking Rkhsas, named Tdak, in a forest on their way, who used to give great troubles to the ascetics; and Rma killed her with only one arrow. Next he killed Subhu and shot arrows at another night-wanderer Mrcha and made him senseless, almost dead and threw him at a great distance and thus saved Visvmitra from all the obstacles troubling him in his sacrificial ceremonies. Thus fulfilling the great work, protecting the sacrificial ceremonies, Rma, Laksmana and the Muni Cowsick, the three, started for the kingdom of Mithil. On his way, Rma Chandra rescued Ahaly from the curse that she was suffering from.
12-13. At last the two brothers, accompanied by the Muni, reached the city Videhanagar. Just at this time the king Janaka of Ayodhy made a vow to give in marriage St to anybody who will be able to break the bow of Siva; Rma broke that bow into two and married St, born of Laksms parts. The king Janaka gave in, marriage, to Laksmana his own-daughter Urmil.
14. The good and auspicious Bharata and Satrughna married respectively Mndavi and Srutakrti, the two daughters of Kusadhvaja.
15. O king! Thus, in the great city of Mithil, the four brothers performed their marriage ceremonies, according to the prescribed rules and rites.
16. The king Dasaratha, then seeing Rma well qualified to take charge of the kingdom, proposed to install him on the throne of Ayodhy.
17. The queen Kaikey, seeing that various articles were being collected for the installation of Rma, asked for the two boons, promised before, from her husband Dasaratha, who was completely under her control.
18. The first request was her own son, Bharatas becoming the king of Ayodhy; and the second request was the banishing of Rma to the forest for fourteen years.
19. Thus Rmachandra went accompanied by St and Laksmana to the Dandak forest, frequented by the Rksasas.
20. The high souled king Dasaratha felt very much due to bereavement of his son, remembered the curse given to him by Andhaka Muni and left his mortal coil.
21. Bharata, seeing that his father died solely on, account of his mother, refrained from becoming the king of Ayodhy, the prosperous city and wanted the welfare of his brother Rma.
p. 236
22. Rmachandra went to the forest Pachavat. One day the youngest sister of Rvana, named Srpanakh became very passionate and came to Rma; whereon Rmachandra disfigured her by cutting off her nose and ears.
23. Seeing her nose thus cut away, the Rksasas Khara, Dsana, and others fought very hard against the powerful Rmachandra.
24. The truly powerful Rma killed Khara, Dsana and all other powerful Rksasas, for the welfare of the Munis.
25. Then Srpanakh went to Lank and informed Rvana of her nose having been cut and of the death of Khara, Dsana and others.
26. The wicked and malignant Rvana, hearing of their death, became filled with anger and, mounting on a chariot, quickly went to the forest of Mrcha.
27. Rvana expressed his desire to take away St; so ordered that magician Mrcha to assume the form of a golden deer and go to Rma and entice him away.
28. The magician Mrcha assumed the form of a golden deer and reached the sight of Jnak. Then that variously spotted deer began to move about near the St Dev.
29. Looking at the beautiful golden splendour of the body of that golden deer, St Dev, prompted as it were by the great Fate, spoke to Rmachandra like other independent women "O Lord! Bring me the skin of the deer."
30. Rma too, not judging at all, as if it was the work of Destiny, asked Laksamana to remain there and protect St, took hold of his bows and arrows and went after the deer.
31. Infinitely skilled in magic, the deer seeing Hari in the shape of Rma sometimes came and sometimes came not within his sight and travelled from one forest to another.
32. When Rma saw that He had come very far away from His place, He became angry and drew his bow and shot sharp arrows at that deer, the transformed Mrcha.
33. The deceitful conjuror Rksasa, being thus shot very violently and pained intensely, cried out "O brother Laksmana! I am killed" and breathed his last.
34-35. This loud awful cry reached Jnaks ears. She took that voice for Rma's voice and told to Laksmana in a grieved tone "Laksmana, go quickly. I fear Rma is killed; hear the voice O Laksmana! come quickly and deliver me is calling you to go there."
p. 237
36. Laksmana then replied "Mother! You are alone in this forest; therefore I cannot leave you thus even if Rmchandra be killed.
37. O daughter of Janaka! Rma has ordered me to remain here. Now if I leave you and go elsewhere, then I will be charged with having disobeyed his order. Fearing that, I am unable to leave this place.
38. It seems to me, moreover, that some magician has carried Rma away from here; I am therefore unable to move a step from here and leave you alone.
39. Hold patience; let me consider; I find no such man as can kill Rma; I am unable to leave you by any means alone here and to go away, disobeying Rmas orders."
40. Vysa said :-- O king! Then the young wife of Rma, having handsome teeth, began to cry aloud, fearfully, as if made to do so by Destiny, and uttered the cruel words to the pure Laksmana.
41. \"O son of Sumitr! I know why you are so much attached towards me? I know very well that you have been sent here by Bharata to accompany us simply to obtain me.
42. O vile Ksattriya, skilled in magic! I am not that sort of woman acting to my wanton will; never I will accept you of my will as my husband in case Sr Rmchandra be dead.
43. In case Sr Rma does not return, I will certainly commit suicide; without him I would be very much grieved and afflicted with sorrows; and I would not be able to hold on my life.
44. O Saumitr! Whether you remain here or do not remain, I wont request anything more to you; for I am quite unaware of your mind; but this much I like to say to you, where has your intimacy towards your religious elder brother now gone?"
45-46. Hearing thus the St Devs words, Laksmana became exceedingly sorry; and, being suffocated with heaving sighs on account of the internal pain told St "O! One born from without any womb! Why are you uttering so cruel and malignant words; I clearly see when you are speaking such unworthy words, that some great evil is sure to befall on you very soon."
47. O king! Thus saying, the spirited Laksmana left St and went out weeping very much, and, being very much afflicted with grief, traced the footsteps of his elder and went on in search of him.
48. When Laksmana thus departed, Rvana entered into the hermitage in the guise of a deceitful beggar (Bhiksu wearing a red garb).
p. 238
49. Jnak took that villain Rvana to be a Yogi and respectfully gave him offerings of worship and forest fruits.
50-52. That villain asked St humbly, in a gentle tone, "O beautiful! Your eyes are beautiful like Palsa lotus leaves; therefore it seems that you are not an ordinary woman; how is it that you are here thus alone in a wild forest? O fair one! Who is your father? who is your brother and who is your husband? Being such a beautiful one, how is it that you are in this forest here like an ordinary woman, dumbfounded? O good looking one! You are worthy to live in a palace filled with nectar; why are you living, in this hovel, in this wild forest like an ordinary Munis wife, when your beauty is shining in lustrous beams like a Deva girl?"
53-55. Vysa said :-- The daughter of Jnak, hearing the words of Rvana, the husband of Mandodar, unfortunately took him to be a good Yogi and replied in the following way :-- "Perhaps you have heard that a prosperous king Dasaratha is reigning in the Ayodhy city. He has four sons; the eldest of these, Sr Rm Chandra, is my husband. The king offered two boons to Kaikey; due to which Rm Chandra has been exiled in this forest and is with his brother Laksmana.
56. I am the daughter of the King Janaka; my name is St; Rm Chandra has broken the bow of Siva and has married me.
57. Resting under his prowess of arms, I am resting here fearlessly in this wild forest; seeing a golden deer, he has gone out to kill that for me.
58. Laksmana, too, hearing his voice has gone just now. O Yogi! I am living here depending on the strength of these two brothers.
59. Thus I have told you all about our living in this forest; shortly they will come and worship you duly.
60-61. The man who has controlled his passions and has become a Yati is like Visnu incarnate; therefore I have worshipped you. O Yogi! Our sram is in the midst of this terrible forest, surrounded by Rkhsasas. Therefore I am asking you how is it that you have been able to come here in this dress of Tridandi (a Sannyasi Yogi); please speak in the name of Truth before me."
62. Rvana said :-- "O askance looking one! I am the king of Lank, the husband of Mandodar. O beautiful one! it is for you that I have put on this dress of Yati.
63. O beautiful! My two brothers Khara and Dsana have been killed in this forest; and being urged by my sister I have come here.
64-65. Now leave your this man-husband, residing in the forest as a pauper, devoid of fortune and wealth; and worship me as a husband. O fair one! I am Rvana, the king of kings; you now become my lord.
p. 239
66. O daughter of Janaka! I am the lord of the Regents of the quarters; and yet I bow my head down to your lotus feet; better accept me and fulfil my desires today.
67-68. Formerly I asked of you from your father, the king Janaka; but he then said, that he had laid a pledge, Whoever will break the Sivas bow will marry my daughter. The Bhagvn Rudra is my Guru; hence I feared to break his bow, and therefore I was not present in your Svayamvara. But from that time my mind is always thinking of you and is in a state of bereavement for you.
69. O beautiful one! Hearing now that you are residing in this forest, I, impelled by my previous fascination for you, have now come hither; and you better now crown my labour with success."
Thus ends the 28th Chapter on the incidents connected with the Navartri and the description of Rmayanam in Sr Mad Dev Bhgavatam of 18000 verses, by Maharsi Veda Vysa in the 3rd Adhyya.
Note: The story about the origin of St Dev runs thus :-- Rvana, the king of Ceylon (Lank) practised very severe austerities and got extraordinary powers. He brought the three worlds under his subjection, levied taxes from all. The Devas and all the other inhabitants of the several worlds paid their taxes, as imposed by Rvana. Rvana sent messengers to the Risis and the Munis, the ascetics, dwelling in forests and asked them to pay their taxes. The Risis replied that they had no property. But Rvana insisted. The Risis gave, then, blood, cutting their thighs, in a jar that was carried to Lank. Rvana kept that jar under the custody of his queen Mandodar, and instructed her that the jar contained poison and that she should not eat that. Mandodar, however, ate a portion of that, out of curiosity, and became pregnant and gave birth to a daughter. Fearing Rvana, she floated the jar with the daughter, in the ocean, which, floating through oceans and rivers, came and touched the lands of the King Janaka. The peasants while tilling, found that and took the girl to the king, who reared her as his daughter. Thus St, born out of the blood of the Brhmanas, took away subsequently the kingdom, life, and all of Rvana.
Another version is this :-- As before, the messengers advised the Munis to give something; otherwise Rvana would insist and put them to various troubles. So the Munis cut their thighs and gave blood as their tax, saying that that blood in the jar would cause ruin and desolation to the country where it will be kept. Rvana, hearing this, ordered the jar to be carried to the kingdom of the king Janaka, thus causing ruin to him. The jar was brought and placed in the fields of Janaka.
p. 240
Now it happened that there was a very severe drought; rains were absolutely wanting; and a dire famine was imminent. The Brhmin Pundits informed the king that if the king and his wife ploughed themselves the fields, rains would fall. So the king with his wife did that, the king holding the plough and the queen holding the hand of the king. The fore end of the plough accidentally hit upon that jar, out of which came out St Dev with two women Riddhi and Siddhi, waving chowries on her two sides. The two ladies disappeared and St Dev looked like a girl. The king Janaka reared her, as if his daughter. St Dev used to lift daily with her left hand the bow of Siva, kept in the kings house, and daily worshipped that, and thus cleansed the place. Seeing this, the king Janaka pledged the vow that, whoever would break the Sivas bow, would marry St.
Chapter Xxviii
On The Incidents Connected With Navartri
p. 234
1. Janamejaya said :-- O Muni! How did Rmchandra celebrate the Devs Pj, that leads to happiness? Who was He! And how was stolen away His St? How was He deprived of His kingdom? Please satisfy me by narrating all these incidents to me.
2. Vysa said :-- O king! There lived, in days of yore, in the city of Ayodhy, a prosperous king of the solar dynasty named Dasaratha. He always worshipped the Devas and Brhmanas.
3-5. He had four celebrated sons Rma, Laksmana, Bharata and Satrughna. These four sons were equally learned and beautiful and they always did actions agreeable to the king. Of these, Rmachandra was the son of the Queen Kausalya, Bharata was the son of Kaikey, and the good looking Laksmana and Satrughna were the twin sons of Sumitr. While young, they learned the art of archery and began to play with bows and arrows in their hands.
6-7. Thus educated and purified, the four sons began to give delight more and more to the king; one day the Maharsi Visvmitra came to Ayodhy and aked from the king Dasaratha the help of his son Rmachandra for the protection of his sacrificial ceremonies. The king could not cancel the Visvmitra's request and sent with him Rma, accompanied by Laksmana.
p. 235
8-11. The lovely Rma and Laksmana accompanied the Muni on his way back. There lived a terrible looking Rkhsas, named Tdak, in a forest on their way, who used to give great troubles to the ascetics; and Rma killed her with only one arrow. Next he killed Subhu and shot arrows at another night-wanderer Mrcha and made him senseless, almost dead and threw him at a great distance and thus saved Visvmitra from all the obstacles troubling him in his sacrificial ceremonies. Thus fulfilling the great work, protecting the sacrificial ceremonies, Rma, Laksmana and the Muni Cowsick, the three, started for the kingdom of Mithil. On his way, Rma Chandra rescued Ahaly from the curse that she was suffering from.
12-13. At last the two brothers, accompanied by the Muni, reached the city Videhanagar. Just at this time the king Janaka of Ayodhy made a vow to give in marriage St to anybody who will be able to break the bow of Siva; Rma broke that bow into two and married St, born of Laksms parts. The king Janaka gave in, marriage, to Laksmana his own-daughter Urmil.
14. The good and auspicious Bharata and Satrughna married respectively Mndavi and Srutakrti, the two daughters of Kusadhvaja.
15. O king! Thus, in the great city of Mithil, the four brothers performed their marriage ceremonies, according to the prescribed rules and rites.
16. The king Dasaratha, then seeing Rma well qualified to take charge of the kingdom, proposed to install him on the throne of Ayodhy.
17. The queen Kaikey, seeing that various articles were being collected for the installation of Rma, asked for the two boons, promised before, from her husband Dasaratha, who was completely under her control.
18. The first request was her own son, Bharatas becoming the king of Ayodhy; and the second request was the banishing of Rma to the forest for fourteen years.
19. Thus Rmachandra went accompanied by St and Laksmana to the Dandak forest, frequented by the Rksasas.
20. The high souled king Dasaratha felt very much due to bereavement of his son, remembered the curse given to him by Andhaka Muni and left his mortal coil.
21. Bharata, seeing that his father died solely on, account of his mother, refrained from becoming the king of Ayodhy, the prosperous city and wanted the welfare of his brother Rma.
p. 236
22. Rmachandra went to the forest Pachavat. One day the youngest sister of Rvana, named Srpanakh became very passionate and came to Rma; whereon Rmachandra disfigured her by cutting off her nose and ears.
23. Seeing her nose thus cut away, the Rksasas Khara, Dsana, and others fought very hard against the powerful Rmachandra.
24. The truly powerful Rma killed Khara, Dsana and all other powerful Rksasas, for the welfare of the Munis.
25. Then Srpanakh went to Lank and informed Rvana of her nose having been cut and of the death of Khara, Dsana and others.
26. The wicked and malignant Rvana, hearing of their death, became filled with anger and, mounting on a chariot, quickly went to the forest of Mrcha.
27. Rvana expressed his desire to take away St; so ordered that magician Mrcha to assume the form of a golden deer and go to Rma and entice him away.
28. The magician Mrcha assumed the form of a golden deer and reached the sight of Jnak. Then that variously spotted deer began to move about near the St Dev.
29. Looking at the beautiful golden splendour of the body of that golden deer, St Dev, prompted as it were by the great Fate, spoke to Rmachandra like other independent women "O Lord! Bring me the skin of the deer."
30. Rma too, not judging at all, as if it was the work of Destiny, asked Laksamana to remain there and protect St, took hold of his bows and arrows and went after the deer.
31. Infinitely skilled in magic, the deer seeing Hari in the shape of Rma sometimes came and sometimes came not within his sight and travelled from one forest to another.
32. When Rma saw that He had come very far away from His place, He became angry and drew his bow and shot sharp arrows at that deer, the transformed Mrcha.
33. The deceitful conjuror Rksasa, being thus shot very violently and pained intensely, cried out "O brother Laksmana! I am killed" and breathed his last.
34-35. This loud awful cry reached Jnaks ears. She took that voice for Rma's voice and told to Laksmana in a grieved tone "Laksmana, go quickly. I fear Rma is killed; hear the voice O Laksmana! come quickly and deliver me is calling you to go there."
p. 237
36. Laksmana then replied "Mother! You are alone in this forest; therefore I cannot leave you thus even if Rmchandra be killed.
37. O daughter of Janaka! Rma has ordered me to remain here. Now if I leave you and go elsewhere, then I will be charged with having disobeyed his order. Fearing that, I am unable to leave this place.
38. It seems to me, moreover, that some magician has carried Rma away from here; I am therefore unable to move a step from here and leave you alone.
39. Hold patience; let me consider; I find no such man as can kill Rma; I am unable to leave you by any means alone here and to go away, disobeying Rmas orders."
40. Vysa said :-- O king! Then the young wife of Rma, having handsome teeth, began to cry aloud, fearfully, as if made to do so by Destiny, and uttered the cruel words to the pure Laksmana.
41. \"O son of Sumitr! I know why you are so much attached towards me? I know very well that you have been sent here by Bharata to accompany us simply to obtain me.
42. O vile Ksattriya, skilled in magic! I am not that sort of woman acting to my wanton will; never I will accept you of my will as my husband in case Sr Rmchandra be dead.
43. In case Sr Rma does not return, I will certainly commit suicide; without him I would be very much grieved and afflicted with sorrows; and I would not be able to hold on my life.
44. O Saumitr! Whether you remain here or do not remain, I wont request anything more to you; for I am quite unaware of your mind; but this much I like to say to you, where has your intimacy towards your religious elder brother now gone?"
45-46. Hearing thus the St Devs words, Laksmana became exceedingly sorry; and, being suffocated with heaving sighs on account of the internal pain told St "O! One born from without any womb! Why are you uttering so cruel and malignant words; I clearly see when you are speaking such unworthy words, that some great evil is sure to befall on you very soon."
47. O king! Thus saying, the spirited Laksmana left St and went out weeping very much, and, being very much afflicted with grief, traced the footsteps of his elder and went on in search of him.
48. When Laksmana thus departed, Rvana entered into the hermitage in the guise of a deceitful beggar (Bhiksu wearing a red garb).
p. 238
49. Jnak took that villain Rvana to be a Yogi and respectfully gave him offerings of worship and forest fruits.
50-52. That villain asked St humbly, in a gentle tone, "O beautiful! Your eyes are beautiful like Palsa lotus leaves; therefore it seems that you are not an ordinary woman; how is it that you are here thus alone in a wild forest? O fair one! Who is your father? who is your brother and who is your husband? Being such a beautiful one, how is it that you are in this forest here like an ordinary woman, dumbfounded? O good looking one! You are worthy to live in a palace filled with nectar; why are you living, in this hovel, in this wild forest like an ordinary Munis wife, when your beauty is shining in lustrous beams like a Deva girl?"
53-55. Vysa said :-- The daughter of Jnak, hearing the words of Rvana, the husband of Mandodar, unfortunately took him to be a good Yogi and replied in the following way :-- "Perhaps you have heard that a prosperous king Dasaratha is reigning in the Ayodhy city. He has four sons; the eldest of these, Sr Rm Chandra, is my husband. The king offered two boons to Kaikey; due to which Rm Chandra has been exiled in this forest and is with his brother Laksmana.
56. I am the daughter of the King Janaka; my name is St; Rm Chandra has broken the bow of Siva and has married me.
57. Resting under his prowess of arms, I am resting here fearlessly in this wild forest; seeing a golden deer, he has gone out to kill that for me.
58. Laksmana, too, hearing his voice has gone just now. O Yogi! I am living here depending on the strength of these two brothers.
59. Thus I have told you all about our living in this forest; shortly they will come and worship you duly.
60-61. The man who has controlled his passions and has become a Yati is like Visnu incarnate; therefore I have worshipped you. O Yogi! Our sram is in the midst of this terrible forest, surrounded by Rkhsasas. Therefore I am asking you how is it that you have been able to come here in this dress of Tridandi (a Sannyasi Yogi); please speak in the name of Truth before me."
62. Rvana said :-- "O askance looking one! I am the king of Lank, the husband of Mandodar. O beautiful one! it is for you that I have put on this dress of Yati.
63. O beautiful! My two brothers Khara and Dsana have been killed in this forest; and being urged by my sister I have come here.
64-65. Now leave your this man-husband, residing in the forest as a pauper, devoid of fortune and wealth; and worship me as a husband. O fair one! I am Rvana, the king of kings; you now become my lord.
p. 239
66. O daughter of Janaka! I am the lord of the Regents of the quarters; and yet I bow my head down to your lotus feet; better accept me and fulfil my desires today.
67-68. Formerly I asked of you from your father, the king Janaka; but he then said, that he had laid a pledge, Whoever will break the Sivas bow will marry my daughter. The Bhagvn Rudra is my Guru; hence I feared to break his bow, and therefore I was not present in your Svayamvara. But from that time my mind is always thinking of you and is in a state of bereavement for you.
69. O beautiful one! Hearing now that you are residing in this forest, I, impelled by my previous fascination for you, have now come hither; and you better now crown my labour with success."
Thus ends the 28th Chapter on the incidents connected with the Navartri and the description of Rmayanam in Sr Mad Dev Bhgavatam of 18000 verses, by Maharsi Veda Vysa in the 3rd Adhyya.
Note: The story about the origin of St Dev runs thus :-- Rvana, the king of Ceylon (Lank) practised very severe austerities and got extraordinary powers. He brought the three worlds under his subjection, levied taxes from all. The Devas and all the other inhabitants of the several worlds paid their taxes, as imposed by Rvana. Rvana sent messengers to the Risis and the Munis, the ascetics, dwelling in forests and asked them to pay their taxes. The Risis replied that they had no property. But Rvana insisted. The Risis gave, then, blood, cutting their thighs, in a jar that was carried to Lank. Rvana kept that jar under the custody of his queen Mandodar, and instructed her that the jar contained poison and that she should not eat that. Mandodar, however, ate a portion of that, out of curiosity, and became pregnant and gave birth to a daughter. Fearing Rvana, she floated the jar with the daughter, in the ocean, which, floating through oceans and rivers, came and touched the lands of the King Janaka. The peasants while tilling, found that and took the girl to the king, who reared her as his daughter. Thus St, born out of the blood of the Brhmanas, took away subsequently the kingdom, life, and all of Rvana.
Another version is this :-- As before, the messengers advised the Munis to give something; otherwise Rvana would insist and put them to various troubles. So the Munis cut their thighs and gave blood as their tax, saying that that blood in the jar would cause ruin and desolation to the country where it will be kept. Rvana, hearing this, ordered the jar to be carried to the kingdom of the king Janaka, thus causing ruin to him. The jar was brought and placed in the fields of Janaka.
p. 240
Now it happened that there was a very severe drought; rains were absolutely wanting; and a dire famine was imminent. The Brhmin Pundits informed the king that if the king and his wife ploughed themselves the fields, rains would fall. So the king with his wife did that, the king holding the plough and the queen holding the hand of the king. The fore end of the plough accidentally hit upon that jar, out of which came out St Dev with two women Riddhi and Siddhi, waving chowries on her two sides. The two ladies disappeared and St Dev looked like a girl. The king Janaka reared her, as if his daughter. St Dev used to lift daily with her left hand the bow of Siva, kept in the kings house, and daily worshipped that, and thus cleansed the place. Seeing this, the king Janaka pledged the vow that, whoever would break the Sivas bow, would marry St.
