(laddhagabbhaparihárá).

125

ON THE RAMAYANA.

APRIL 5, 1872.]

He was named prince

From thence R 4 m a was altogether at home and

From the love which he bore to the

the others nourished him with herbs and fruits.

son, the king said to the queen : “Dear (bhadda), I shall confer a boon; accept (it).” Behaving as having accepted it,f or as if she were pleased at it, she (was silent for a time) and went up to the king (one day), when the boy was seven or eight years of age, and said to the king : “Please your majesty, a boon was conferred by you upon my son; give it to him now.” “Dear, take it,” replied the king. “Sire, give the kingdom to my son.” The king snapping his fingers wrathfully said : “Wretch (vasali), I have two sons as resplendent as two flames of fire, and doest thou wish me to kill

Whilst they were thus dwelling, king D as a rath a, owing to the grief for his sons, died (a premature death) in the ninth year (after the departure of his sons). His queen, after the rites of cremation, said : “Give the kingdom (chatta) to my own son

Bhar at a.”

them and give the kingdom to thy son 2" (Where upon) terrified, she quietly entered her bed-cham

prince B h a rat a.” The ministers saying—“ those who are entitled to the kingdom are in the forest,” did not comply. (Whereupon) prince B har at a (resolving)—“I will bring my brother R 4 m a

from the woods and will set him upon the throne,” proceeded with four-bodied army and the five-fold

royal insignia (pancha rājakakudhabhánda) to the locality where Rá m a dwelt; and pitching their

ber. On subsequent days (nevertheless) she re

tents near it, B h a r at a with several ministers went to his residence at a time when Lak kh an a

peatedly asked the king to bestow the very king

and S it ā had gone to the woods.

dom (on her son). The king, still refusing her the boon, and reflecting, “ that women were un grateful and envious, and that either by means of forged writings (katapanna); or by means of a dishonest bribe (kittalancha), the queen might procure the death of his sons,” caused them to be summoned (to his presence), communicated the same (his misgivings) to them, and said : “Children, some calamity might befall you if you live here; go (therefore) to a foreign country or to the woods; return at the time of my funeral obsequies (dhümakále), and assume the sovereignty to which you are lineally entitled.” So saying, he sent for astrologers (nimittaka), and enquired of them how long he would live; and having learnt that he would live a further period of twelve years, said: “Sons, return after twelve years from hence, and ascend the throne.” The princes saying : “Well,” saluted the king, and went down the mansion weeping. S it 4-d e v i (hearing this) said: “I too will go with my brothers,” saluted

R 4 m a at the door of his residence, in the enjoy ment of health, and quietly seated like a firm golden

the king and proceeded with them weeping.S These three persons, accompanied with a large

retinue, left (the city), and dismissing them (after they had gone some distance,) gradually reached Him a van ta, and built a dwelling in a locality which had the advantage of water and herbs, and abounded with various fruits;

and living on them they dwelt there. P and it [sic!] Lakkh an a and his sister S it 4 sup plicated Ráma, and obtained his consent (to the following proposal) : “You stand to us in the po sition of a father, therefore tarry you here, we shall fetch herbs and fruits and maintain you.”

• D'Alwis has Baratha throughout.

He met

statue. Having accosted him and taken his respect ful distance, Bh a rat a informed him of the news regarding the king, and wept with his minis ters falling down at the feet of Rá m a. But R 4 m a neither wept nor sorrowed. In him there was not the slightest emotion." In the evening, whilst B h a rat a was (yet) weeping, the other two returned with herbs and fruits.

Whereupon R 4 m a thus pondered :-"These are children. They have not, as I have, the wisdom of pariganhana.” If at once it be said to them : your father is dead, unable to bear the grief, their hearts will be rent. I shall (therefore) by some device get them to descend into the water, and shall then cause the intelligence to be conveyed (to them).” He then, pointing to a pond opposite to them, spoke in a couplet thus: “You have come very late, let this be a punishment for you. Get down into this water and stand.

Lakkh an a

and S it à come ye both (ettha Lakkhana Sitā cha) and descend into the water.” They at once de scended and stood (as desired); when, communicat ing to them the (sad) intelligence, R A m a gave ut terance to the remaining couplet:—“This B h a rat a says thus:– King D as a rath a is dead’.” The moment they heard the intelligence of their father's death they became insensible. It was again conveyed to them, and they again became insensible. When they had thus fainted for the third time, his ministers raised and lifted them up from the water, and set them down on the ground. After they had recovered, all of them reciprocated their grief, Buddhaghosa's commentary on the

Dhammapada : vide

Fausbüll, p. 217, 221, 235, 240, 245, 245, 265–8, 417.

+ yahitan (gah-?) katvá ſhapetrá- behaving as if

§ In this respect the demeanour of the Mádri-devi in the

(she had) accepted it; i. e. inducing him by her manner to believe that she would accept the offer hereafter,” (the erund, thapetrá has usually the meaning, praeter : proper y, “putting aside.”

ponds much more closely with the account in the Rāmāyana. | Conf. Fausböll, Dhammapada, p. 222 (where rſijakakuda bhanda). Contrast Rámay. II. 103, 3ff.

t With reference to this word, conf. Ind. Streiſen, II. 337-9. In addition to the passages quoted there regarding letters and the like, numerous proofs are to be found in

Vessantara-Jataka (vide Hardy : Manual, p. 117) corres

• The wisdom of taking things easy, of accepting all

.#. with complaisance, of submitting to

every condition