CHAPTER I. conceal himself in a marshy glen. But the Pándavas felt that so long as their chief enemy was alive, the war might be renewed. Accordingly Duryodhana was routed out of his concealment and compelled to engage in a final combat with Bhíma. At length, after a deadly struggle, Bhíma is said to have struck a foul blow, which broke the thigh of his adversary in fulfilment of his vow. Duryodhana was left mortally wounded upon the field, and died the next day. Main tradition of the Rámáyana. Thus ended the great war of Bhárata. An incident is related of a night attack on the camp of the Pandavas; but the story is simply horrible, and merely illustrates the blind madness for revenge which characterized all the combatants. The Pándavas proceeded in triumph to their old home at Hastinapur, and took possession of the entire Raj. After this they conquered all the Rajas round about, and celebrated the horse sacrifice, known as the Aswamedha, by which they asserted their sovereignty. Meantime the blind Raja Dhritarashtra and his wife Gandharí retired to a hermitage on the banks of the Ganges, where they ultimately perished miserably in a conflagration of the jungle. The main tradition of the Rámáyana appears under very different aspects to that of the Mahá Bhárata, and the surroundings are of a more luxurious character. Instead of a colonial settlement, like those at Hastinápur and Indraprastha, there was the great imperial city of Ayodhya, the capital of a substantive empire, situated on the river Sarayú, the modern Gogra, with strong walls, gates, and a garrison of archers. Instead of a rude fort there was a magnificent palace, an extensive zenana, and CHAPTER I. all the paraphernalia of sovereignty. The Maháraja, or great Raja, was not a mere feudal chieftain surrounded by retainers, but the monarch of an empire, with ministers of state and a council of nobles. Finally, the exile of Ráma was not brought about by a quarrel between rival kinsmen, but by zenana intrigues between two jealous and unscrupulous queens. The subject matter of the epic has been already treated in a separate volume, much in the same manner as that of the Mahá Bhárata. It will therefore only be necessary to bring together such incidents as will indicate the state of civilization; and these may be considered under four heads, namely: 1st. The domestic life of the royal family at Ayodhya. 2nd. The intrigues of the first queen, and the favourite queen, respecting the appointment of the heir-apparent. 3rd. The exile of Ráma. 4th. The death of the Maharaja and triumphant return of Ráma.22 Ayodhya, or Oude. Maharaja Dasaratha was sovereign of the empire Royal family at of Kosala, in the centre of Hindustan; and a descendant of the Suryavansa, or children of the Sun. The city of Ayodhya was the metropolis; and here he dwelt in his palace in all the pride and pomp of royalty. He had three queens, by whom he had four sons. The first and oldest 22 See History, vol. ii., part iv., Rámáyana.-The Rámáyana also narrates an important event, known as the war between Ráma and the Rakshasas, on account of the abduction of the wife of Ráma, by Rávana, the demon Raja of Lanká or Ceylon. This event, however, seems to have no real connection with the tradition of the exile. It appears to be connected with the life of another Ráma, who was distinguished as the Ráma of the Dekhan. It will be brought under review in chapter vii., which deals with the history of the Brahmanical revival. CHAPTER I. queen was named mother of Ráma. Marriage of Kausalyá, and she was the The youngest and favourite queen was named Kaikeyí, and she was the mother of Bharata. There was also a third queen, who had two sons, but they played such unimportant parts in the story, that their names may be passed over in silence. Ráma, the eldest son of the Maharaja, was married to a princess named Sítá. She was the daughter of Janaka, the Raja of the neighbouring kingdom of Mithila, which seems to have generally corresponded to the modern country of Tirhoot. The story of the marriage is a curious relic of old Hindú life. Ráma paid a visit to Mithilá at an early age, and found that Sítá was to be given in marriage to the hero who first succeeded in bending a certain enormous bow. Many young men had tried to accomplish this feat, but all had failed. Ráma, however, bent the bow with ease, and thus obtained his beautiful bride. The marriage rites were performed by Raja Janaka. The sacred fire was burning on the altar, and Ráma was conducted to it by a procession of friends and kinsmen, and stood at the north-east corner of the altar. Janaka then brought his daughter and placed her by the side of the bridegroom; and Ráma took her by the hand in the presence of the fire-deity, and accepted her as his wife. The pair were sprinkled with water which had been consecrated by the utterance of Vedic hymns; and then walked three times round the altar, whilst the trumpets were sounded to announce that the marriage was over.2 23 23 It is impossible to avoid noticing the striking resemblance between the ancient marriage ceremony, as it was performed by our Aryan forefathers in their "Little Raja," or heir-appar ent. Shortly after the marriage of Ráma a question of CHAPTER I. considerable importance was agitated at the court of Ayodhya, namely, the appointment of an heir- Appointment of apparent to the throne under the title of Yuvaraja, or "Little Raja." According to Hindú usages, the heir-apparent was installed as Yuvaraja whilst the Maharaja was still living; in order that he might relieve the sovereign of the heavier duties of the administration, and prepare himself for the important position which he would have to fulfil when he succeeded to the throne. But Maháraja Dasaratha, like many other sovereigns, was disinclined to resign any share of his power and dignity to a son and successor; and possibly he feared that the appointment would lead to a bitter and jealous dispute in his own household. He was, however, compelled to yield to the popular will. A deputation of ministers and chieftains waited upon him to express the general desire that he should retire from the more active duties of the administration, and entrust the power to his eldest son Ráma. Accordingly the Maharaja summoned a great council of chieftains and people, and publicly announced his intention of appointing Ráma to the post of Yuvaraja; and it was decided that on the following day the prince should be solemnly inaugurated upon the throne with all the ancient ceremonial. private dwellings, and the more modern rite as it is performed in Christian churches. In Protestant countries the fire on the altar has been rejected as Jewish; it belongs rather to the old Aryan fire-worship. Again, the use of holy water has been abandoned, although it is nothing more than an old rite of purification. But in all essential particulars the ceremony is the same. The bridegroom and the bride are still placed before the altar; and the father of the bride gives away his daughter; whilst the bridegroom takes her hand in his, and pledges his troth in the presence of the altar, although the fire is wanting.— History, vol. ii., Rámáyana, ch. v. CHAPTER I. Whilst these proceedings were transpiring before the public eye, intrigues were already in progress Intrigues of the within the palace walls. Kausalyá, the first queen, first queen. was naturally deeply interested in the movement which would secure the succession to her son Ráma; and there seems no question that Ráma, as the eldest son, had the strongest claim to the post of Yuvaraja. But Kaikeyí, the youngest queen, had long maintained an extraordinary influence on the aged Maháraja by reason of her youth and beauty; and it was feared that she would cajole the old sovereign into nominating her own son Bharata. Accordingly the whole business had been kept a profound secret from Kaikeyí. She had even been induced to allow her son Bharata to pay a visit to her own father, without suspecting that the only object was to get him out of the city until Ráma had been installed, and consequently only exulting with all a mother's pride in the expected meeting between her son and her father. The great council was over, and preparations were on foot for the inauguration. Kaikeyí was unconsciously sitting in her own apartment, expecting a visit from the Maháraja. Meantime her old nurse happened to ascend the roof of the palace, and there beheld the blaze of illuminations and general rejoicings; and at the same time was told that on the following morning Ráma was to be enthroned as Yuvaraja. The woman had been too long familiar with zenana intrigues not to perceive at once that her mistress had been outwitted by the first queen; that Kausalyá had procured the absence of Bharata in order to secure the installation of her own son Ráma. She accordingly carried the terrible |