Indian Epic Poetry;
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"I- *'*.. PiJ ?4&*ilb3aK~ i.w 7 . W« *> \ific *jXm> t..»' .* >%S»4^»v^L Digitized by Google N A2IONALE B Prov NAPOLI biblioteca provinciale d' ordine Digitized by Googk 1 Digitized by Google INDIAN EPIC POETRY; BEING X3j 'V'', " V*»oi;r* V THE SUBSTANCE OF LECTURES RECENTLY GIVEN AT OXFORD: WITH A FULL ANALYSIS OF THE RAMAYANA AND OF THE LEADING STORY OF THE MAHA-BHARATA. BY MONIER WILLIAMS, M.A. OF UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, OXFORD, BODE N PROFESSOR OF SANSKRIT, &C. WILLIAMS AND NORGATE, 14, HENRIETTA STREET, COVENT GARDEN, LONDON ; AND 20, SOUTH FREDERICK STREET, EDINBURGH. MDCCCLXIII. Digitized by Googli OXFORD: PRINTED BY T. COMBE, E. PICKARD HALL, AND H. LATHAM, PRINTERS TO THE UNIVERSITY. Digitized by Google P E E F A 0 E. iHE following pages contain the substance of a public lecture delivered by me at Oxford on the 9th of May, 1862. They also embody much of the information on the subject of Indian Epic Poetry, which I have con- veyed to my classes in a more familiar manner during the past year. The Ramayana and Maha-bharata, unlike the Iliad and the Odyssey, are closely connected with the present religious faith of millions; and these millions, be it re- membered, acknowledge British sway, and have a right to expect the British public to take an interest in works which are the time-honoured repository of their legend- ary history and mythology, of their ancient customs and observances, as well as of their most cherished gems of a 2 Digitized by Google IV PREFACE. poetry. It needs no argument to show that some know- ledge of the two great Indian Epics ought to be required of all who hold office in India, whether in the Civil Service, or in any other capacity. Nor is it right, or even possible, for Englishmen generally to remain any longer wholly ignorant of the nature and contents of these poems. British India is now brought so close to us by steam and electricity, and the present condition of the Hindu community, social, political, and religious, forces itself so peremptorily on our attention, that the duty of study- ing the past history of our Eastern empire, so far as it can be collected from ancient Sanskrit literature, can no longer be evaded by educated men. Hitherto the Indian Epics, which, in the absence of all real history, are the only guides to the early condition of our Hindu fellow-subjects, have been sealed books to the majority of Englishmen. Continuous translations of works, so tediously spun out, have never been accomplished : no reliable summaries have been printed of either poem*; * A short outline of the story of the Mahfi-bharata, written by Prof. Wilson, has been prefixed to Prof. Johnson’s useful edition of Selections It is, however, from the text of that work. but a bare sketch ; and the ab- sence of references makes it impossible to verify some of the statements. For instance, Pan (In is described as incapable of succession to the throne ; whereas it will be seen from my Summary (p. 95) that he not only reigned, Diqitiz by Google PREFACE. v and such metrical versions of the more beautiful episodes as have from time to time appeared are so scattered about in reviews and ephemeral publications, as to be practically inaccessible. I trust, then, that the present volume may do some- thing towards supplying a manifest want. Its object is to exhibit, in a popular manner, the general features of Indian Epic Poetry, to indicate the points of contact and divergence between that poetry and the Greek epos, and to furnish the Sanskrit scholar with a full analysis of the R&mayana and of the leading story of the Malia-bharata. In justice to myself I should state that the size of the book does not represent the amount of labour employed on its composition. To produce a few insignificant pages, I have had to work my way through volumes of Sanskrit ; but I shall not regret the time I have devoted to the task, if any useful purpose be thereby served. I should also state that, in writing the following lectures, I have had occasion constantly to refer to the various excellent reviews and anonymous critiques but extended his empire in all directions. Again, Yudhishthira is said to be vanquished at dice by Duryodhnna ; whereas he does not play at all with Duryodhana, but with S'akuni (Saubala), who appears to have been a form of Dwfipara; sec my Summary, p. 103, and p. 1 23, note; and compare Udyoga-parva 10, Swargfirohnnika-parva 167. Digitized by GoogI VI PREFACE. on Sanskrit literature which have appeared from time to time in India and Europe, and to which I acknowledge my obligations. I have, moreover, derived great benefit from the valuable ‘ Sanskrit Texts’ of Dr. John Muir, tjo whom also I am indebted for many pertinent criticisms on my statements as they passed through the press. M. W. Oxford, May 1863. Digitized by Google CONTENTS. LECTURES ON INDIAN EPIC POETRY. Page The Ramayana . 2 The death of the hermit’s son 6 Episode of Vis'wamitra 11 SM!b address to her, husband 13 Episode of the Ganges 14 The Maha-bharata . 16 Single-combat between Bhlma and Salya .... *5 The journey of the five brothers towards Indra’s heaven .... 29 Bhagavad-Git6 32 Baka-badha. or the Brahman’s lament 33 The Deluge 34 Story of Savitri and Satyavan 37 The Ram&yana and Maha-bh&rata compared 39 The Indian Epics contrasted with the Iliad and Odyssey . ... 42 Hindu and classical mythology 47 Delineation of character in the Indian poems and in . Homer . 53 ANALYSIS OF THE RAMAYANA. I. Bala-k&nda . 6q Episode of Rishyasyinga 62 Aswamedha 63 Ambarisha, Richika, and S'unahs'ephah 66 II. Ayodhya-kanda 67 III. Aranya-kanda 71 Digitized by Google vni CONTENTS. Page IV. Kishkindhya-kanda 76 V. Sundara-kanda 77 VI. Yxxddha-kdnda 82 VII. Uttara-kanda 88 UMMARY OF THE LEADING STORY OF THE MAHA-BHARATA Genealogy of the Lunar Race 9 i 1 . Adi-parva 94 II. Sabha-parva III. Vana-parva 10.I IV. Virata-parva V. Udyoga-parva VI. Bhishma-parva 1 15 VII. Drona-parva VIII. Karna-parva ”7 IX. Salya-parva 118 X. Sauptika-parva XI. Stri-parva XII. Santi-parva XIII. Anusasana-parva XIV. Aswamedhika-parva XV. Asrama-vasika-parva 128 XVI. Mausala-parva XVII. Mahaprasthanika-parva XVIII. Swargirohanika-parva > 3 > Khila-harivansa-parva ERRATUM. Page 31, line 7, for Vaitarim rend Vaitarani. Digitized by Google ; INDIAN EPIC POETRY. In India, literature, like the whole face of nature, is on a gigantic scale. Poetry, born amid the majestic scenery of the Himalayas, and fostered in a climate which inflamed the imaginative powers, developed itself with Oriental luxuriance. Although the Hindus, like the Greeks, have only two great epic poems, namely, the Ramayana and Maha- bharata*, yet to compare these with the Iliad and the Odyssey, is to compare the Indus and the Ganges, rising in the snows of the world’s most colossal ranges, swollen by numerous tributaries, spread- ing into vast shallows or branching into deep divergent channels, with the streams of Attica or the mountain-torrents of Thessaly. There is, in fact, an immensity of bulk about this, as about every other depart- ment of Sanskrit literature, which to a European mind, accustomed to a more limited horizon, is absolutely bewildering. Nevertheless, a sketch, however imperfect, of the two Indian epics can scarcely fail to interest the admirers of Homer ; for all true poetry, * I am here speaking of that form of epic poetry which may be called natural and spontaneous as distinguished from artificial. Whether the Indian epics (Itih&sas) or even the Iliad can be said to answer Aristotle’s strict definition of Epos, is another question. Specimens of the more artificial epic poetry (k&vyas) are not wanting in Sanskrit; ex. gr. the Raghu-vansa by Kalidasa, on the same subject as the Ramayana the Sisupala-badha of Magha, on a subject taken from the 7th chapter of the ad book (or Sabhfi-parva) of the Maha-bhirata ; the Kirataijuniya of Bharavi, on a subject taken from the 4th chapter of the 3d book (or Vana-parva) of the Mahfi-bharata ; the Nalodaya, said to be by Kalidasa, and the Naishadha by Sri Harsha, on the same subject as the Nala. These are all artificial poems written when men began to be learned and critical rather than poetical. The story of Rama and many of the episodes of the Mahk-bharata are stock-subjects, which appear over and over again in the later literature. B Digitized by Google 2 INDIAN EriC POETRY. whether European or Asiatic, must have features of resemblance ; and no poems could have achieved celebrity in the East as these have done, had they not addressed themselves to feelings and affections common to human nature, and belonging alike to Englishmen and Hindus. I propose therefore, before commencing a dry analysis of the Rama- yana and Maha-bharata, to give a brief general idea of their character and contents, comparing them in some important particulars with each other, and pointing out the most obvious features of similarity or difference, which must strike every classical scholar who contrasts them with the Iliad and the Odyssey. To begin with the Ramayana, said to have been composed by the poet Vdlmiki, and so called from two Sanskrit words Rama and ayana, meaning * the adventures of Rama’ (who as an incarnation of Vishnu, the Preserver*, is still a favourite deity in parts of India, especially in districts of Oude and Bahar where Krishna has not supplanted him).