The Rmyaa: A Version of Rma's Story from Ceylon Author(s): C. E.

Godakumbura Reviewed work(s): Source: Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, No. 1 (Apr., 1946), pp. 14-22 Published by: Cambridge University Press Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25222061 . Accessed: 24/03/2012 15:03
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The
A Version

Riimnyana
Story from Ceylon

of Rama's

By 0. E. aODAKUMDUKA AVERSION of the story of Sita is related during the performance " " or the Rohoinba of tho Kohomba Yakkama ", Kankariya " one most of the called of ", Kankariya popularly interesting extant among tho Sinhalese. The rito is supposed to ceremonies the have been first performed during tho reign of Pancjuvasadcva, " second

Sinhalese (circa fifth century B.C.).1 king of Ceylon it is said, was tormented PancUtvasadcva, by frightful dreams of a promise of violation to be due to his predecessor's believed could do nothing to Kuveni. the Yak^a princess Magicians marriage until finally, at the request of the gods, King Malaya tho first KohorTiba Yakkama. India and performed several historical occult this ceremony During among them came from

related,

Malaya Malaya. and was brought another boy who tho drum-beaters whole verse, account text

arc legends the story of the birth and childhood of Prince : mala = a flower) was born of a flower (Sinhalese in her exile with her own son and Sita up by had a similar miraculous who the birth. Tho dancers and rite know from memory tho in Sinhalese the anecdotes,

The following in prose. a the KohoiTiba text of is from of Sita of the story gathered a of Kotaligorja in the village from dancer obtained Yakkama of Kandy. in the District in Ya(.inuvara was under an inauspicious Visnu aspect of (incarnate as Rama) avert its to evil and in order malicious effects, Saturn, the planet, he left his queen, Sita, and taking the guise of an elephant passed Sita Ravana carried unlucky years in the forest. Meanwhile and car to in Lanka his his aerial in attempted away capital to seduce her. Sita told him that she was under a vow of chastity the seven
1 Tho unrlicRt

perform of the ceremony, with all narratives together with detailed

tlmn tho of tho rult do not dnto buck further accounts litemry to 1k> of iSoitth Indian a.p. jlaolf appear* Tlio ccromony origin century ono miglit with tinmen in tlio texts and from tlio geographical Identify Malaya a full account of tlio Kohomba lias prepared Tlio writer tlio Malabar country. of this journal. number with toxin, nnd it will nppcar hi a subscquont Yakkama, fifteentli

Til 15 RAMAVANA 15 for three months and added that at the end of that time she would returned and not finding of her, where he met

allow him to fulfil his wishes. At the end of the seven years Rama his wife Valin began to roam round the forest

in search

the loss of his wife who had lamenting wandering came to Visnu and told the with of the Valin apes. king eloped " me to and I will accompany wife back him, Friend, help get my deceive him, and I shall go to Havana, Moreover, you to battle. Sita." back your queen bring Visnu agreed recovered to walk arrows. and shot at the king of the apes with his arrow. three boons from Visnu : his wife and obtained on the Valin sea, then from fire, and immunity protection entered Havana's park, climbed the and ate the fruits thereof. The park and in the end

Valin ability

guards Royal the monkey, amused at his curious antics. Sita, too, was there enjoying the fun in the company of Havana, and after a while she ordered the guards to seize the monkey, wrap cloth on set it fire. The guards dipped the monkey's round his tail and tail in oil, wrapped Valin rags round it, and set fire to them. on to to fire the and roof, it, setting burning the jumped palace surrounded whole Then while confusion court he reigned in Havana's city. seized Sita and carried her back to Visnu. A short while after Sita conceived a child and at the same time had to attend a meeting of the assembly of the gods, leaving Uma paid a visit to Sita, and inquiring about asked her to describe the appearance of Ravana.

against best of his mango trees, keeper tried in vain to capture the vicious animal, to the notice of the king. the matter brought

Visnu

Sita alone at home.

her life in Lanka, To satisfy the curiosity of her friend Sita made a sketch of Havana's tree. Hardly had Sita completed figure on the leaf of an ash-plantain her drawing when Visnu came home, and seeing him come she threw her drawing under the bed. Visnu sat on the bed, but by the majesty of Ravana the bed began to shake, and when Visnu to see what the matter was he discovered Sita's looked underneath drawing. Enraged in love with Ravana, Sumana) to take this wicked led Sita with the sight of it, and suspecting Sita to be sent for his brother Saman (? Sanskrit: " and commanded him to kill Sita, adding, I want you Visnu woman into the forest and behead the blood left her near a hermitage, of a wild animal her." which Saman he had and returned at

to the Himalaya, his sword wet with

Hi cut, and fulfilled. Sita was reported weary fearful

TIIK RAMAYANA brother that his command At had been

to his and

woke, and she wept loud.

left helpless, Sanskrit: Vdlmiki), who sage Valamlga (= lived in the hermitage close by, went towards the direction of the Tho compassionate condition. cries and saw Sita in that pitiable a sage thought that it was his duty to help pregnant woman and Sita lived therefore built her a hut of leaves near his own pond. The came

slept there for a long while. of the lonely forest where she was

last she

in this hut on the fruits of the forest, and when her time of delivery to the hermit. she showed she gave birth to a son whom one to the little and the mother The holy man gave his blessings his protection. to live there enjoying One and child continued left the child in bed and went to the forest day when the mother in search of fruits he fell off from his bed and began to scream. The to the hut hermit, attracted by the shrieks of the infant, went and discovered The sage could not touch him him on the ground.

to put him back on the bed, for it did not befit his holy life. He
therefore Sita bed where plucked a lotus from the pond and threw it on to the it turned into a child. Ignorant of what had happened came back, took up the child that was on the bed, and was

feeding him when her own child cried from under the bed. Seeing her son there she was confused and ran to the ascetic, who told her what had happened and tried to console her, but it was all " " in vain. unless you create for I shall not believe you," said she, " " me another child." asked How will you feed a third child ? " the sage. I shall feed two at my breasts and the third I shall feed on my went back with her little finger," replied Sita. Valamlga and of sacrificial grass on to the bed from which forthwith When the three boys were another child was created. seven went to the Malaya mother left their and years old, they only where three and built country they royal parks and palaces threw flourished under the stanzas names of Sandalindu, Mala, and Kistri (Kit-^rl, Kistri). The following been a blade

the story of the three princes relating from a MS. of the Kohornba Kankariya from Hilipatc-gedara obtained Silpa, a dancer living in the village in Udunuvara, of Tirappuva in the Kandy District. The account have extracted contained has already in them been differs only in a few details from that which related.

tiik

kamayana

17

Text
1. ira e-ramba-pa'tak riigena

pura ohuge ruva andimina dira emav(?) gunaya andina nura sitin dundiiyi gena. 2. de-pa[ba] sura'tata nirindugen ahala

kagapata dila sarosin kanda depalu-kaja

gena bara-kala.

bisovun

3.

riigena

varan

kukus

no-kota

dun kagapata gena sura'tata issara-kota Sitapati

riigena gosin maha-himayata.

4. kara(jubarin(?) nirindu basata

un Sita siika nositii sita

pasindu e-landa dukma nirindu visin iiri Sita. 5. kuda kumaru

yahana bojanda kada giyo palavtila sonda ot nidi tada vida-vemin anda kumaru yahana bojanda.
rusi

6.

yahane

un

kumaru

diikse

[dukse ?] gos biiluva tisse diika yahan rusi

unnu rusi.

rusi

viksopen

7. mada-mat

gaja lihiniyado tada pada yana rakusekdo padamak naiti visa nayido adavat kumarun kohedo devidekdo

8. vanaye [vane] vesena ane tama un dulido vanaye

ane .ikas ai*i:il

[vanej

rakusu grna giyado

kumana 11MU.2

mayamado.

18
9. matuva c-mahanel

TIIK RAMAYANA
rfipa

matuta

diipa sidda-guliya satutu-sitin dun 3 pa evita kumaru gatiya upa. ruvak mava-lcti [-latl]

10. ruvata durata

satutu evita kumaru 11. denna yanna penna

danna

c-giya mav pcmatl sitin vada-latl [vacja-] riiv nagetl.

gena dev ukulata liya pansatayata la rusin asata

kiv aruraa evita.

12.

landa

c-kumaru

mav-bisavada

kl rusige siripada dcdenek viya kumaru bolanda ma'dl

13. c-basata

vanda

jut(-lat
e-bisav

?) daru yi topa^a.
sarosin

melesata mayam kiyamin ma dtika bijidek mavamin niitahot vavenu itikin. 14. aragena Itana konda ata(a damati eva[ema] vilasata matuta bihiva kumaru manika lesata vadati 15. matu Kitsri
sonda

e-tun-dena

ukulata.

iiti una kumarumja yayi nam uncja

lesa somiguna-vanda

yasa

tcda bala deti unda. epamanna (?) landa-vanna (?) (?)

raka denna.

16. sarivannfi

pirisunna kiri denna mopavanna

daru dcnna

17. vacja kumaru van pemati

kava pova ati-karatl

Till-;

RAM AY ANA ID

geva dahas nimahiven(0

gaman

yati

gos kejitl tiina vena vena

18. Gran da kana balamin dcnna

siira pakiira iiri tiina de-tun denekut vale eka-tiina. 19. uran da vida gana
vena vena kara taba gana

piitiyan gena kcjiti pansala miida taba gena. 20. Rama-raja noyav
ma-bas

nomala

bijindum

pokunata etanata

vimasannata

dcbayo 21. pokunata

rasa-pala

gos vanni pokunata. gosilla

uyana dakala

senagat denna dunu deka aya sitalil. 22. iida siira vidinna siirayak pasu no(ba)yanna
Rama-raja denna

balala

denna 23. himaye

kagc daruvo

da yanna.

upannemi da unemi Pulvan-rajata de-bH ck-vemi vemi

asura sura senagata pasu no-bfi vemi.

24. bale tediiti Sitapati bisavun kusa pijisindeti kiile tapas rakina lesala kumarun yahane sifiti vcti bisavun pitivalial kaje varada Maha-visnu bale
25. eveni

tediiti pin-balayen
bisavu vanantare

Sandalindu

nama

piitira
vaditi

yati.

pala-rasa

soyamin

eveni eveni

kumaru

yahan tide niiti biiv rusi yd dakiti tapasvara siinekin i tana kondak kadati kiy.i kumaru i-tana kondcn mavati.

deveni Kistri

liO

TIIK RAMAYANA

26. bale boya pera jatiyc pin-bala boho sinda vile pipuna manel-mala kacja atafa dun da alesavi pirivara saha teda bala paminda malen upan kumaru kiya Malaya kumaru nanda.

Translation 1. She (Sita) tore his (Ravana's) figure. of women, suspected " he 2. Thereupon " off the leaf of a plain tain tree and drew on it The firm one (Rama), who knew the nature

that she did so through lust for him." his brother, and being in a fit of consulted own his sword him and handed to him his queen so thai rage, gave he might cut her in two." " Then he (Saman) accepted 3. and command, (his brother's) took the sword in his right hand and went to hesitation without the great forest leading Sita in front of him." " 4. Sita, who was with child (?), had no misgiving the king's order, and the noble woman was struck with she was sent away by him."
* * *

concerning grief when

infant was in bed, and (Sita) had gone out in search of fruits. The little one was tired and had slept heavily. It then awoke and cried." " 6. The clever boy was on the bed and the hermit went to look but seeing the bed empty the holy man was perturbed for him; 5. The tender little

"

(and " thought): '

7. Could or could or is

it be a fierce hawk (that has carried away the child)! it be a Raksasa who turned his heavy steps (this way)! it the countless is the boy Where cobras! poisonous

! Have not the silvan dieties seen the child ? Has a Raksasa an illusion is of the forest carried him away! What '" this ! ! " 9. The sage then picked up a beautiful lotus and threw it on to the bed together with a magic pill over which he had muttered a charm. into a child, the flower was transformed Immediately

to-day!!!'" " ' 8. Alas

which (Sita) later fed joyfully." "

10. The (the hermit) loving mother who He created had gone

a child

in the

far (having

image of the other. come back) took the

THE RAMAYANA 21 up to her breast, and then her son who was on the ground cried out." " 11. The woman took the two children on her sides and went child to the hermitage, and showing them to the sage begged of him to tell her what that miracle meant." " as well his royal mother 12. Then the little boy worshipped * as lie feet of the sage and said, We are two little boys here, but " I am the son whom you got first.' ' " This is all 13. At those words the queen replied in anger, I see another child created I shall not believe and Unless " be consoled/ " The sage took a blade of sacrificial grass in his hand and 14. a charm over it threw it on to the bed. having again muttered A child, as beautiful as a precious gem, was born of it, and (Sita) carried all three of them on her sides." " 15. The boy who was born last was named KitSri. (The sage) blessed all three of them so that they may be endowed with gentle a myth.
ness, virtue, fame, glory, and power."

16.

. . . The beautiful

her breasts

" them I
17. "

was satisfied at this (?), fed at lady, who the two children (created by the sage) and protected

did she bring up the boys giving them to eat and Lovingly at their sports the boys, who went in pairs (?), used drink. While to walk thousands of miles a day." " the wild boar fed 18. The two (boys) used to watch where and shoot their arrows at them, killing two or three at one shot." " and 19. They carried on their shoulders the boars they shot, with their young ones whom alive, they played they captured about 20. would not go to the pond of King Rama. To learn the truth of these words the two brothers in search of them and arrived at the (Rama and Saman) went to the pond and saw the fruit garden near by. the sight of the (princes) and their retinue the two (Rama and his brother) drew their bows." " but the 22. They drew their bows and let off their arrows; arrows did not fly forth. Then King Rama and his brother asked '" * Whose children are you ? the princes, * " 23. (Then came forth the reply) : I am the son of Utpalavarna (hermit's) pond." " 21. They came in the hermitage grounds." " It was said that the children

At

22

THE RAMAYANA

I was alone, but now I have (Visnu), and I was born in this forest. two brothers, and we cannot be subdued even by the hosts of the Asuras or of the gods." " * of the glorious and majestic I was born in the womb 24. an was and while I left alone in the cot as if infant, yet Sitapati, in the forest. austerities The great Visnu did I were practising I have wrong when he expelled his queen. far-famed as prince Sandaliiklu by the power " the past.' " ' 25. That queen was away in the forest hermit came into the hut and did not see the nevertheless of my become in good deeds

fruits. The gathering in his cot. Then boy

a blade of sacrificial he quickly plucked this grass and created " out of it.' second prince Kistri (Kit?ri) " * 26. This Prince Malaya?so called because he was born out is endowed with great prowess because of a flower?who of the manifold merits he has acquired in his past births, sprang up

when (the hermit) plucked a lotus which blossomed in the pond

He now goes about undaunted and placed it in my hand. with " his glory and majesty.' his retinue displaying in prose. written There is a Sinhalese version of the Ramayana a a source from Dravidian and may be It is translation made dated about the eighteenth no connection with it. century. The story given above has

NOTES
dir& = Sanskrit: dhlrd 7 is doubtful. (c). dird tmav meaning to'65. (a), va corrected = the Himalaya. any forest, not necessarily {d). himaya is not the meaning clear. Karadu (= Sanskrit: (a), karadu-barin: a casket. means It is perhaps used here as a synonym for garbha9 karandaka) " = thus karadu-barin child ". gab-bar in (= Skt. garbha-bhdrena) heavy with " 6. (6). daksi: in grief ". (c). tissi = sis-si, whore may he an error for duksl =s Skt. i> tiros, the ff cf. sesu > tesu, siras > vikstptna. (d). vik&dpen Perhaps is viksipen. correct reading 8. (a, c). vane suits the metre. " " 8. has, howover, of 3 pa is doubtful. 9. (c). Tho meaning bcon taken as she " " and pd as milk (= Skt. payas). 12. (d). madilut to nulditat =* ma + adi -f lot. T corrected to etna. 14. (6). eva corrected =s beautiful, 16. (a), the meaning is obscure, (b). pirisun possessing pretty " features measured M. (c). dennd be ; cf. Pali: paricchinna tnopavannd may to : dennH ma povannd. corrected " " in twos ", cf. nimul 17. (d). nimafuven twins M. may mean of these two lines is somewhat 20. [a-b). Tho construction confusing. should bo reversed. 25, 26. Tho order of these two stanzas 1. 2. 3. 4.