55^ AT THE G0V7. PRESS LALLAHABADJ ^(flA;\M.^m ,^i^r ^^ ^^i^' ^>-x-^'*-'-^- r'l^^' ^'tU^X^**^^ /^ >^-'^ ^' - .J " '-^^^ ^-rv/i^ >v^- -^^ '^ ^^.-t^W J^l^ ^jwM^^^'^ r<;**^. /" ^ ^ ^ •^^^i^ - THE RAMAYAIA OF TULSI DAS. TEAK SLATED BT F. S. GROWSE, M.A., B.C.S., FELLOW OF THE CALCOTTA UMVEKSITT. BOOK I. CHILDHOOD. Tho Riiinayana of Tulsi Dds is more popular and more honoured by the people of the North Western Provinces than the Bible is by the corresponding classes in England." Griffith. ALLAHABAD: I O R T H-W E S T E R N T II V I N C E S G V E U N M E N T P K E S 3> 18 7 7. ' ' ' ' ERRATA, Page 17, note—iorLamentioTea.iLaurenfio. ' Narsiu ' read Narsinh.' 72, line 2 from bottom—' ' ' ' trouble. 94, line 5—for troube read ' ' feather. bottom—for father ' read 97 1 line 6 from ' most read ' must.' 100, line 8 from bottom—for ' " ' ' read ' winking. 129, last line, fcr inking your favour ' ' insert ' my lord, upon whom 135, after His wiU be the glory, rests. CORRIGENDA. 'triumphed over host and all, yet" read ' he and his ra?e 53, Doha 95—for and army were defeated.' read ' the ' Bhavaui and her mother ' 60 hue 25—for the banquet-table of Bhavani.' Ijanquet in the house where dwelt the Great Mother lakes.' called all the gods' read 'called all the hills and 63 line 5—for ' 63 Une 13—for ' fame ' read ' birth.' INDEX OF PKINCIPAL NAMES, Amxi, 24, 73, 107. Kaikkti, 30, 108. ApastvH, 3. 4, 25, 34, 36. Kaka-bhnsnndi, 23, 71, 84, 112. Ahalya, 19, Kala-ketu. 95 Ajauiil, '.'0. Kala-nemi, 7, 21. Akanipaii. 100. Kalpa-taiH (Parijilta). 5, 9. Alaka, 103. Kama (Kama-deva), 51, 74, 180. Aniaravati, 8C, 99. Kama-dhenu (Surabhi), 5, 13, 87. Ansiad, 15 Kapila, 82. Ari-mardan, S7, 97. Kardama, 82. Atikaya, IdO. Kartikeya, 63. Avadli, 14, 20, 2 6, 30, &;c. Karm-na^a, 5, 6. Ayodhya, 13. Kasi (B.nares), G, 15, 24, 33, 70. Kasyapa, 73, 107. Balara'm, 15, 16. Kausalya, 14, 73, 107—116, 192, Eali. 20, 23, 101. Kayadiiu, 49, Banasur, 140. Kekaya. 86, Bharaiwaja, 23, 32, 33, 63, 14. Khar. 12. 98. Bharat, 14, 31, 113, 180, Kishkindya, 20. Bhogavati, 99. Kosala (Avadh), 107, 114. Bhrign, 42, 149,'&c. Krishna, 54 Bhringi, 57. Kuli.^^a-radd, loO. Bijay. 7 2. Kumbha-karan, 5, 73, 98. Bir-bhadra, 42. ivumukh, 100. Kusa-ketu (Kusa-dhwaja), JPQ, 189. ClIITRA-KETU, 49. Kiisika, 122, 151. Chitra-kut, 24. Kuver, 4. Daksha, 34, 40, 41, 49, CO. Lakshman (Lachhman), 14, 16, 30, 37, Dandaka, 19, 34. 113, 18(1, &c. Dasarath, 14, &c. 73, 107, Lakshmi (Sri, Rama). Deva-huti, 82. Lanka, 20, 99. Dhanvantari, 5. Lomas, 71. Dhaim-ruchi, 87, 88, 98. Phruva, 20, 82. Magadha (Bihar), 6. Dhumra-ketu, 100. Mahishasur, 4, 34. Dushan, 12. Maina, 44, 58, 179. Malwa, 6. Ek-tanu, 91. MandakinI, 2i. GXdhi, 117, 121, 152, 196. Mandavi, !80. Ganes, I, 15,61. Mandara, 5. Gautama, 19, 120. Manu, 81—86. Gomati, 82. Maricha, 19, ;i5, ll7, 119, 198. Markaiideya, 46. 21. HanumXn, 1, 7, 14. 20, Marwar, 6. Himalaya (Himachal, Himavant), 42, 44, Megh-nad, loO, 50, 55—63, 179. Mekal, 24. Hiranyaksha, 72. Mithila, 122. Biranya-kasipu, 20, 49, 72, Murdhanya, 46. IndkajJt, 104. Naimisha, 82. Ji^BA'LI, 185. Nala, 103. Jalandhar, 73. Narad, 3, 15, 16, 20, 43, 45, 49, 59, 73, Jamad-agni, 153. 101, 186. Jamavant, 7. Nimi, 129, Janak, 104, 121, &c. Jasodd, 16. Pampa-puk, 1'i2 Jatayu, 19, 55. Piirvati, styled also Anibika, Bliawani, Jay, 72, Devi, Durga, Qauri, Girija, Sali, Umj. ( ii. ) Paraauram (Bhrigu-nath, Bhrigu-pati;, 30, Sruti-kirti, 180 149-187. Subahu, 117, 119, 198. Pivari, 46. Sui/riva, 19, 20, 23. Prahlad, 20, 22,79. Suka-deva, 16, 20. Pradyumna, 54. Sukar-khet (Soron), 23. huketu, 19. Pran-ndth 24 , Pratap-bhanu, 87-97. Sukra, 87. Praydg, 3, 32. Sumitra, 14, 109, 193. PrithuTaj, 5. Sunayana, 179. Priya-vraia, 82. Surpa-nakha, 98. Pulastya, 98, 103. TXdaka, 19, 119, 198. Taraka, 51, 63. Ra'hu, 7, 95, 134. Rama, styled also Khararl, Raghu-bar, IjRMILi, 180. Kaghu-bir, Raghu-nayak, Raghu-nath, Urvasi, 103. Raghu-pati, Raghu-raj, Raghu-iai. Uttana-pada, 20, 82. Rambha, 74, 103. liati, 54. 180. VXLMfKi, 1,3, 16, 185. Ravan, 7, 20,73, 97-106. Vama-deva, 185, 199, 200. Renuka, 150. Varuni, 5. Vasishta. 108,110, 180, 195, 199. Sahasra-bahu CSahasra-bhuj), 102, 150, Vasuki, 6. 153. Vedasiras, 46. Sampati, 55, Vibbishana, 19, 20, 23, 98. Sarju, 13, 29, 30. Videba (Mithila), 14, 121. Satanand, 134, 146, 185. Vinata, !48. Satarupa, 81 -86. Vindhyacbal, 68. Satrughna, CRipu-sudan), 14, 113, ISO. Vishnu, styled also Hari, Madhava, Mu- Satya-ketu, 86, 92. kund, N'aiayan, Rama-pati. Sila-nidhi, 76. Visva-mitra, 19, 117, 122, 142, 185, Si'ta (Jinaki), 104, 128, &c. 199. yiva, styleJ also Sankara, Sambhu, Visva-mohani, 76. Mahadeva, Hara, ^il-kanth, Bhava, Visiavas, 98, 103. Visra- Tripurari, Purari, Visva-ketu, Vyasa, 1 1. natb. Sriugi, 108. YXjha-valkta, 23, 32, 33. ; INTRODUCTION. The Sanskrit Ramayana of Valmiki has been published more than once, with all the advantages of European editorial skill and the most luxurious typography. It has also been translated both in verse and prose, and, in part at least, into Latin as well as into Italian, French, and English. The more popular Hindi version of the same great national Epic can only be read in lithograph or bazar print,^ and has never been translated in any form into any language what- ever. Yet it is no unworthy rival of its more fortunate predecessor. There can, of course, be no comparison between the polished phrase- ology of classical Sanskrit and the rough colloquial idiom of Tulsi Das's vernacular ; while the antiquity of Valmiki's poem further invests it with an adventitious interest for the student of Indian history. But, on the other hand, the Hindi poem is the best and most trustworthy guide to the popular living faith of the Hindii race at the present day—a matter of not less practical interest than the creed of their remote ancestors, —and Its language, which in the course of three centuries has contracted a tinge of archaism, is a study of the greatest importance to the philologist, since it serves to bridge an otherwise impassable chasm between the modern style and the mediaeval. It is also less wordy and diffuse than the ' Sans- krit original, and, probably in consequence of its modern date, is loss disfigured by wearisome interpolations and repetitions ; while, if it never soars so high as Valmiki in some of his best passages, it maintains a more equable level of poetic diction, and seldom sinks with him into such dreary depths of unmitigated prose. It must also be noted that it is in no sense a translation of the earlier work : the general plan and the management of the incidents are necessarily much the same, but there is a difference in the touch in every detail ^A handsome edition of the text was issued frona the press of the Baptist Mission in Calcutta many years ago ; but it has long been out of print, and the only copy I have ever seen of it was the one in use at the college of Fort W^illiam. I had thus entirely forgotten the fact till reminded of it by Mr. Bate, a gentleman who has ably maintained the scholarly reputation of the same society by the very useful Hindi Dictionary that he has lately compiled. U INTRODUCTION. and the two poems vary as widely as any two dramas on the same mythological subject by two different Greek tragedians. Even the coincidence of name is an accident ; for Tulsi Das himself called his I3oem " the Ram-charit-manas," and the shorter name, correspond- ing in form to " the Iliad" or " iEneid," was only substituted by his admirers as a handier designation for a popular favourite. However, the opinion that the more modem poem is but an adaptation or tnfaccimento of the Sanskrit original is very widely entertained not only by European scholars but also by Hindus themselves. For among the latter an orthodox pandit is essentially Jioino vnitis lihri, to whom the idea of comparative criticism is altogether strange and unintelligible. Whatever is written in the one book to which he pins his faith is for him the absolute truth, which he positively declines to weaken or obscure by a reference to any foreign authority. If he can understand Valmiki's Sanskrit he despises Tulsi D:is as a vulgarian, and would not condescend to read a line of him ; if he knows only Hindi, he accepts the modern poem with as implicit faith as if it were an immemorial shastra, and accounts a quotation from his Ramayana an unanswerable argu- ment on any disputed topic. Thus, in all probability, the only edu- cated Hindus who have any acquaintance with both poems are the professors and students of Government colleges, whose views have been broadened by European influences. It may, therefore, be of interest to show a little more at length how great is the diver- gence between the two poems. In both the first book brings the narrative precisely to the same point, viz., the marriage of Rjima and Sita. But vi'ith Tulsi Das it is much the longest book of the seven, and forms all but a third of the complete work, while in the Sanskrit it is the shortest but one.