365bet娱乐

[Full title: Section IX: The abandoning of Sita; (A) Back to Ayodhya]

(i) Last Rites of Ravana:-Vibhisana getting bereaved at the death of his brother, makes an attempt to commit suicide with a dagger, but Rama intervenes and saves his life. Then follows the mourning of the death of Ravana by Vibhisana and the wives of Ravana (74). Rama consoles them. Vibhisana performs the final rites of Ravana. On that occasion Muni Aprameyabala arrives there. He ordinates Indrajit, Ghanavahana, Bhanukarna and Marica. Mandodari, Candranakha and other wives of Ravana also accept nunhood under Arya Samyamasri (75). (ii) Meeting Sita:-Rama goes to Sita and accepts her (76). He along with Laksmana and Sita stays in the palace of Vibhisana. Rama is offered the crown of Lanka by Vibhisana, but he declines the offer. All the girls who were engaged to them during their journey are then sent for and Rama and Laksmana marry them (77). (iii) Back to Ayodhya:-Narada brings a message of Aparajita's suffering and requests Rama to return to Ayodhya. Accordingly a messenger is sent in advance to Bharata. Rama along with Laksmana and Sita driving in Puspakavimana accompanied by the Khecara chiefs and showing the important places of their sojourn to Sita, returns to Ayodhya. Bharata and his mothers receive them heartily (78.79). The Valmiki Ramayana does not mention any attempt of Vibhisana to commit suicide (6.10.9). Vibhisana denies to perform the last rites of Ravana on account of the latter's wickedness, but Rama convinces him to do the same. First Rama sends Hanumat to convey the news of his victory to Sita. Then Vibhisana brings Sita to Rama (6.112-114). Vibhisana is made the king of Lanka by Rama (6.112.9). According to the Valmiki Ramayana Indrajit and Kumbhakarna are killed in the battle. There is no mention as regards the renouncing of the world by the wives of Ravana and no reference to any other marriage of Rama and Laksmana. Rama does not accept Sita at once. He doubts her character for her long association with Ravana. Sita enters the fire and proves her 1. Rama-katha; by Dr. C. Bulke (First Edition). is of the opinion that the fire test did not find mention in the Adi Ramayana (Rama-katha; by Dr. C. Bulke (First Edition)., p. 398).

104 A CRITICAL STUDY OF PAUMACARIYAM purity (6.116.27). At that time many gods appear and announce Rama as an incarnation of God (6.117.27) and Sita as that of Laksmi. Rama is also called as eighth Rudra¹ (6.117.8). Here Mahesvara (6.119.4) and Dasaratha who also appear there (6.119.20), request Rama to go to Ayodhya to dispel the agony of his mothers and Bharata. Dasaratha tells that fourteen years of his exile have completed. Then appears Mahendra who brings to life all the dead Vanaras (6.120), advises Rama to go home to console his mothers and Bharata and to accept the crown of Ayodhya. Rama travels in the Puspakavimana. At the request of Sita he takes with him the Vanara ladies also (6.123). He continues his journey showing to Sita various places of his sojourn and different incidents. He stays at the Asrama of Bhardvaja and sends Hanumat to ascertain the mind of Bharata. Hanumat goes there in the form of a human being (6.125) Thereafter Rama reaches Ayodhya. At that time the monkeys assume the form of human beings (6.127). The Ramcharitmanas generally agrees with the Valmiki Ramayana with the following additions. When Ravana is killed, his head and arms fall down before Mandodari (6.103). Here Rama censures Sita to obtain real Sita from the deity of fire. The fire consumes illusory Sita and the deity offers real Sita to Rama (6.109). Various deities praise Rama as an Avatara. Hanumat goes to Ayodhya in the form of a Batu (6.121). When Rama meets Bharata he creates many illusory Ramas to facilitate his embrace to all the persons who are present there to receive him (7.6). Hanumat remains there and all the other Vanaras go back to their respective places (7.19). According to the Ramopakhyana, Ravana's body gets burnt to ashes on being pierced by the Brahmastra of Rama (3.290-30). It does not mention the fire ordeal of Sita. Rama gets convinced of the purity of Sita by the appeals made by various deities. Brahma tells that he protected Sita's purity through the curse given to Ravana by Nalakubara (3.291,33). Here Brahma revives the life of the dead monkeys. In other respects it agrees with the Valmiki Ramayana The Brahmanical Mahapuranas and the Upapuranas do not mention the fire ordeal (Rama-katha; by Dr. C. Bulke (First Edition)., p. 399). after retrieving his lived with a mean According to the Anamakam Jataka, the king queen, questions her purity. She answers that she person, but she was not at all polluted just like a lotus, which though living in water has no attachment for the same. She further asks the 1. In the Paumacariya he is the eighth Baladeva.

COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE RAMA-STORY 105 earth to give way if she is chaste. The earth gives way and her purity is proved. Hence there is no abandonment of the queen.