listened to the words of Márícha, and returned to his stately HISTORY OF palace at Lanká. INDIA. PART IV. foregoing nar Ráma's wars on Súrpa-nakhá. imagination The foregoing narrative, as already indicated, is Review of the essentially Hindú. No one but an oriental bard rative of would have ventured to depict a woman making account of such proposals to two men in succession, as were addressed by Súrpa-nakhá to Ráma and Lakshmana ; and no audience, excepting an oriental one, would have appreciated the jesting replies of Ráma and his brother, or have applauded the savage proceeding of Lakshmana. The description of the wars Brilliant that ensued is apparently the work of pure imagin- displayed in the ation, whilst the similes are often far-fetched; but still the details exhibit some brilliant coruscations of fancy, which although altogether unreal, serve to amuse the intellect in much the same manner as a display of fireworks amuses the eye. The slaughter of fourteen Rákshasas with fourteen iron arrows, bright as the sun and fledged with golden feathers, is an exploit on the part of the leading hero which would have satisfied most romance writers. But Divinity of Ráma was to be represented as a god, and conse- manifested quently the story was told of his triumphantly re- Rakshasa sisting three distinct charges of an army of fourteen thousand Rakshasas, as dreadful as the thundercloud and as valiant as tigers, and ultimately slaying them all. Such a narrative, half heroic and half Impression divine, never fails to create a deep impression upon audience. a Hindú audience. The fantastic character of the omens which preceded the battle, and the extravagant idea that the gods came down from heaven to witness the conflict, are perfectly understood and fully accepted by every Hindú. The descriptions descriptions to Ráma over the army. of the story upon a Hindú Reality of the the Hindú. INDIA. PART IV. Reality of Khara's wonderful chariot. HISTORY OF again are very graphic, although exuberant beyond measure; and the pictures which they bring before the mind's eye are real and substantial forms to the Hindú, although they must appear as mere idle dreams to the European. Thus every Hindú audience accepts as a grand reality the marvellous chariot in which Khara and Dúshana ride to battle. Each one realizes the appearance of the vast car, spacious as a city, and moving at the will of its occupants, sparkling with jewels and golden moons, decked with banners and hung with bells, and resplendent with pictures of fishes, flowers, trees, The Rakshasa rocks, birds, and stars. In like manner each one army. interest taken in Rama's can perceive the army of Rákshasas rushing with yells and roarings upon the quiet hermitage of Ráma, and pouring a shower of iron clubs, javelins, darts, scimitars, and battle-axes upon the dauntless hero; whilst Ráma stands as bright and unmoved as a pillar of fire, and replies with countless arrows which carry death and destruction amongst the Deep personal advancing host. Lastly, the audience always takes a by the audience deep personal interest in the single combats between single combats. Ráma and Dúshana, and Ráma and Khara. Every one exults and sympathizes in the abusive language which Ráma lavishly employs against Khara, and which is scarcely compatible with the divine character of the incarnation of Vishnu, although in strict accordance with the ancient usage of the Kshatriyas. Exulting chorus Finally, when the story is told that Khara is slain Ráma!" by the flaming arrow amidst the rejoicings of the gods and sages, one and all rejoice in like manner, and the air is filled with the pious chorus of " to Ráma!" of to "Glory CHAPTER XVII. RÁVANA'S ABDUCTION OF Sítá. INDIA. of Lanká, ap pears upon the THE defeat of Khara and Dúshana now brings HISTORY OF Rávana himself upon the scene. This powerful PART IV. sovereign is said to have been not only a worshipper Ravana, Raja of Brahma, but a grandson of a Bráhman sage pers named Pulastya; consequently he does not appear His real cha as an aboriginal monarch, but as a heretic, a renegade, an apostate, who was employing against the Brahmans the very powers which he had acquired by the worship of Brahma. racter. narrative. The narrative of the carrying away of Sítá by Scope of the Rávana requires but a brief introduction. The design was first suggested to Rávana, as already seen, by a Rákshasa who had fled from the dreadful battle with Ráma; but he is said to have been dissuaded from the attempt by his Minister Márícha, the very Rákshasa whom Ráma had driven into the sea in the great battle near the hermitage of Viswamitra. Súrpa-nakhá, however, was resolved to be revenged alike on Ráma and Sítá; and she accordingly stirred up the rage of Rávana against the one, and excited his desires for the other. The story requires no preliminary explanation. It will be sufficient to bear in mind that according to the popular belief the Rakshasas had the power of as Popular belief thesa in the power of Rakshasas forms at will. INDIA. Extraordinary HISTORY OF Suming any form at will; and that Rávana in his PART IV. normal shape possessed ten heads and twenty arms. However wild and unnatural this idea may seem to Conception that the European, it is a substantive conception to every twenty arms, a Hindú, for it is formed in boyhood, and strengthened belief with the by the frequent sight of numerous pictures of the Rávana had ten heads and substantive Hindús. terrible Rákshasa. From the narrative Rávana would appear to be only a mortal sovereign of the ordinary human type as regards appearance and shape; and indeed, in his character as a lover of woman, it is difficult to conceive of him as any other than a mortal man. But the Hindú realizes him as a huge being moving along the earth like a vast tower, with ten crowned heads rising on separate necks, and twenty arms stretching out on either side. Such a monstrosity is the pure creation of a disordered Probable origin brain; an unmeaning mass of incongruities; and probably arose from some childish idea that by multiplying the arms the physical strength of the demon was increased tenfold, and by multiplying the number of heads, the intelligence or cunning of the Rakshasa was increased in the same ratio. of the con ception. The narrative of the capture of Sita by Rávana. Súrpa-nakhá Description of The narrative of the circumstances connected with the capture of Sítá by Rávana is as follows:— Now when Súrpa-nakhá, the sister of Rávana, saw that her brothers Khara and Dúshana, and the mighty army of Rakshasas, had been slain by the single mortal Ráma, she set up a horrid yell like the roaring of a thunder-cloud. She then hastened to Lanká, and beheld Rávana seated in front of his palace upon a throne of gold, as bright as the sun and as glowing as flame; and he was surrounded by his Counsellors as Indra is surrounded by the Maruts. He had ten heads and twenty arms; and his eyes were of the colour of copper, whilst his teeth were white like the new moon. INDIA. PART IV. powers. Vásuki and His form was vast like a mountain, and his ten faces were HISTORY OF each as terrible as that of the all-destroying Yama. He was a tall and heroic Rákshasa, possessing all the signs of royalty, and invincible to the gods. His body was as smooth as a polished onyx, and his ears were adorned with earrings; but his breast was scarred by the thunder-bolt of Indra, the tusks of Airávata, and the chakra of Vishnu. He could His mighty shake the seas with his strides, and rend asunder the tops of mountains with his brawny arms. He was the breaker His wickedness. of all laws, the ravisher of the wives of others, the murderer of the Brahmans, the obstructor of sacrifice, the enemy of sacred vows. This was he, who went to the city of His exploits. Bhagavati, the great city of resplendent serpents, and conquered Vásukí, and carried away the beloved wife of the Conquered snake Takshaka. This was he, who conquered Kuvera on Kuvera. the Kailasa mountain, and carried away the chariot Pushpaka, which constantly obeys the will of the rider; who in his rage destroyed the divine forests of Chitra, Nalina, Nandana, and all the gardens of the gods; who by the strength of his mighty arms stopped the sun and the moon in their course, and prevented their rising. This was he who performed His religious religious austerities in a vast forest for ten thousand years, standing on his head with his feet uppermost in the midst of five fires; who by permission of Brahma traversed the air in an instant, and assumed any shape at will; who offered his ten heads as a sacrifice to Siva; who caused the affrighted sun to rise upon his city with a subdued lustre. He was the cruel one, the wicked, and the furious; who by Invulnerable to the blessing of Brahma was invulnerable to gods and beasts and demons, and to every being excepting beast and man. austerities. all excepting men. angry address When Súrpa-nakhá saw her brother Rávana, adorned Surpa-nak há's with excellent ornaments and beautiful flowers, she to Rávana. approached him flaming with rage; and with wide-stretched fiery eyes, and a dejected countenance, and mad with fear and terror, she yelled out these horrid accents:-" Intoxicated with the pleasure of sense, you disregard the dreadful danger which has arisen: The Raja who is devoted to his lusts, even though he be lord of the world, is detested by |