The Rámáyan of Válmíki, translated into English verse
little doubt that in the Rámáyana the monkeys of southern India have been
confounded with what may be called the aboriginal people of the country.
The origin of this confusion may be easily conjectured. Perchance the
aborigines of the country may have been regarded as a superior kind of
monkeys; and to this day the features of the Marawars, who are supposed to
be the aborigines of the southern part of the Carnatic, are not only
different from those of their neighbours, but are of a character
calculated to confirm the conjecture. Again, it is probable that the army
of aborigines may have been accompanied by outlying bands of monkeys
impelled by that magpie-like curiosity and love of plunder which are the
peculiar characteristics of the monkey race; and this incident may have
given rise to the story that the army was composed of Monkeys.”
WHEELER’S _History of India. Vol. II. pp. 316 ff._
Page 342. The Fall Of Báli.
“As regards the narrative, it certainly seems to refer to some real event
amongst the aboriginal tribes: namely, the quarrel between an elder and
younger brother for the possession of a Ráj; and the subsequent alliance
of Ráma with the younger brother. It is somewhat remarkable that Ráma
appears to have formed an alliance with the wrong party, for the right of
Báli was evidently superior to that of Sugríva; and it is especially
worthy of note that Ráma compassed the death of Báli by an act contrary to
all the laws of fair fighting. Again, Ráma seems to have tacitly
sanctioned the transfer of Tárá from Báli to Sugríva, which was directly
opposed to modern rule, although in conformity with the rude customs of a
barbarous age; and it is remarkable that to this day the marriage of both
widows and divorced women is practised by the Marawars, or aborigines of
the southern Carnatic, contrary to the deeply-rooted prejudice which
exists against such unions amongst the Hindús at large.”
WHEELER’S _History of India, Vol. II. 324_.
Page 370. The Vánar Host.
“The splendid Marutas form the army of Indras, the red-haired monkeys and
bears that of Râmas; and the mythical and solar nature of the monkeys and
bears of the Râmâyaṇam manifests itself several times. The king of the
monkeys is a sun-god. The ancient king was named Bâlin, and was the son of
Indras. His younger brother Sugrívas, he who changes his shape at pleasure
(Kâmarúpas), who, helped by Râmas, usurped his throne, is said to be own
child of the sun. Here it is evident that the Vedic antagonism between
Indras and Vishṇus is reproduced in a zoological and entirely apish form.
The old Zeus must give way to the new, the moon to the sun, the evening to
the morning sun, the sun of winter to that of spring; the young son
betrays and overthrows the old one.… Râmas, who treacherously kills the
old king of the monkeys, Bâlin, is the equivalent of Vishṇus, who hurls
his predecessor Indras from his throne; and Sugrívas, the new king of the
monkeys resembles Indras when he promises to find the ravished Sítá, in
the same way as Vishṇus in one of his incarnations finds again the lost
vedás. And there are other indications in the Râmâyaṇam of opposition
between Indras and the monkeys who assist Râmas. The great monkey
Hanumant, of the reddish colour of gold, has his jaw broken, Indras having
struck him with his thunderbolt and caused him to fall upon a mountain,
because, while yet a child, he threw himself off a mountain into the air
in order to arrest the course of the sun, whose rays had no effect upon
him. (The cloud rises from the mountain and hides the sun, which is unable
of itself to disperse it; the tempest comes, and brings flashes of
lightning and thunder-bolts, which tear the cloud in pieces.)
The whole legend of the monkey Hanumant represents the sun entering into
the cloud or darkness, and coming out of it. His father is said to be now
the wind, now the elephant of the monkeys (Kapikunjaras), now Keśarin, the
long-haired sun, the sun with a mane, the lion sun (whence his name of
_Keśariṇah putrah_). From this point of view, Hanumant would seem to be
the brother of Sugrívas, who is also the offspring of the sun.…
All the epic monkeys of the _Râmâyaṇam_ are described in the twentieth
canto of the first book by expressions which very closely resemble those
applied in the Vedic hymns to the Marutas, as swift as the tempestuous
wind, changing their shape at pleasure, making a noise like clouds,
sounding like thunder, battling, hurling mountain-peaks, shaking great
uprooted trees, stirring up the deep waters, crushing the earth with their
arms, making the clouds fall. Thus Bâlin comes out of the cavern as the
sun out of the cloud.…
But the legend of the monkey Hanumant presents another curious resemblance
to that of Samson. Hanumant is bound with cords by Indrajit, son of
Rávaṇas; he could easily free himself, but does not wish to do so. Rávaṇas
to put him to shame, orders his tail to be burned, because the tail is the
part most prized by monkeys.…
The tail of Hanumant, which sets fire to the city of the monsters, is
probably a personification of the rays of the morning or spring sun, which
sets fire to the eastern heavens, and destroys the abode of the nocturnal
or winter monsters.”
DE GUBERNATIS, _Zoological Mythology_, Vol. II. pp. 100 ff.
“The Jaitwas of Rajputana, a tribe politically reckoned as Rajputs,
nevertheless trace their descent from the monkey-god Hanuman, and confirm
it by alleging that their princes still bear its evidence in a tail-like
prolongation of the spine; a tradition which has probably a real
ethnological meaning, pointing out the Jaitwas as of non-Aryan
race.”(1040) TYLOR’S _Primitive Culture_, Vol. I. p. 341.
Page 372.
The names of peoples occurring in the following _ślokas_ are omitted in
the metrical translation:
“Go to the Brahmamálas,(1041) the Videhas,(1042) the Málavas,(1043) the
Káśikośalas,(1044) the Mágadnas,(1045) the Puṇḍras,(1046) and the
Angas,(1047) and the land of the weavers of silk, and the land of the
mines of silver, and the hills that stretch into the sea, and the towns
and the hamlets that are about the top of Mandar, and the
Karṇaprávaraṇas,(1048) and the Oshṭhakarṇakas,(1049) and the
Ghoralohamukhas,(1050) and the swift Ekapádakas,(1051) and the strong
imperishable Eaters of Men, and the Kirátas(1052) with stiff hair-tufts,
men like gold and fair to look upon: And the Eaters of Raw Fish, and the
Kirátas who dwell in islands, and the fierce Tiger-men(1053) who live amid
the waters.”
Page 374.
“Go to the Vidarbhas(1054) and the Rishṭikas(1055) and the
Mahishikas,(1056) and the Matsyas(1057) and Kalingas(1058) and the
Kauśikas(1059) … and the Andhras(1060) and the Puṇḍras(1061) and the
Cholas(1062) and the Paṇḍyas(1063) and the Keralas,(1064) Mlechchhas(1065)
and the Pulindas(1066) and the Śúrasenas,(1067) and the Prasthalas and the
Bharatas and Madrakas(1068) and the Kámbojas(1069) and the Yavanas(1070)
and the towns of the Śakas(1071) and the Varadas.”(1072)
Page 378. Northern Kurus.
Professor Lassen remarks in the Zeitschrift für die Kunde des
Morgenlandes, ii. 62: “At the furthest accessible extremity of the earth
appears Harivarsha with the northern Kurus. The region of Hari or Vishṇu
belongs to the system of mythical geography; but the case is different
with the Uttara Kurus. Here there is a real basis of geographical fact; of
which fable has only taken advantage, without creating it. The Uttara
Kurus were formerly quite independent of the mythical system of _dvípas_,
though they were included in it at an early date.” Again the same writer
says at p. 65: “That the conception of the Uttara Kurus is based upon an
actual country and not on mere invention, is proved (1) by the way in
which they are mentioned in the Vedas; (2) by the existence of Uttara Kuru
in historical times as a real country; and (3) by the way in which the
legend makes mention of that region as the home of primitive customs. To
begin with the last point the Mahábhárata speaks as follows of the freer
mode of life which women led in the early world, Book I. verses 4719-22:
‘Women were formerly unconfined and roved about at their pleasure,
independent. Though in their youthful innocence they abandoned their
husbands, they were guilty of no offence; for such was the rule in early
times. This ancient custom is even now the law for creatures born as
brutes, which are free from lust and anger. This custom is supported by
authority and is observed by great rishis, and it is _still practiced
among the northern Kurus_.’
“The idea which is here conveyed is that of the continuance in one part of
the world of that original blessedness which prevailed in the golden age.
To afford a conception of the happy condition of the southern Kurus it is
said in another place (M.-Bh, i. 4346.) ‘The southern Kurus vied in
happiness with the northern Kurus and with the divine rishis and bards.’
Professor Lassen goes on to say: ‘Ptolemy (vi. 16.) is also acquainted
with _Uttara Kuru_. He speaks of a mountain, a people, and a city called
_Ottorakorra_. Most of the other ancient authors who elsewhere mention
this name, have it from him. It is a part of the country which he calls
Serica; according to him the city lies twelve degrees west from the
metropolis of Sera, and the mountain extends from thence far to the
eastward. As Ptolemy has misplaced the whole of eastern Asia beyond the
Ganges, the _relative_ position which he assigns will guide us better that
the absolute one, which removes _Ottorakorra_ so far to the east that a
correction is inevitable. According to my opinion the _Ottorakorra_ of
Ptolemy must be sought for to the east of Kashgar.’ Lassen also thinks
that Magasthenes had the Uttara Kurus in view when he referred to the
Hyperboreans who were fabled by Indian writers to live a thousand years.
In his Indian antiquities, (Ind. Alterthumskunde, i. 511, 512. and note,)
the same writer concludes that though the passages above cited relative to
the Uttara Kurus indicate a belief in the existence of a really existing
country of that name in the far north, yet that the descriptions there
given are to be taken as pictures of an ideal paradise, and not as founded
on any recollections of the northern origin of the Kurus. It is probable,
he thinks, that some such reminiscences originally existed, and still
survived in the Vedic era, though there is no trace of their existence in
latter times.” MUIR’S _Sanskrit Texts_, Vol. II. pp. 336, 337.
Page 428.
_Trust to these mighty Vánars._
The corresponding passage in the Bengal recension has “these silvans in
the forms of monkeys, vánaráh kapirupinah.” “Here it manifestly appears,”
says Gorresio, “that these hosts of combatants whom Ráma led to the
conquest of Lanká (Ceylon) the kingdom and seat of the Hamitic race, and
whom the poem calls monkeys, were in fact as I have elsewhere observed,
inhabitants of the mountainous and southern regions of India, who were
wild-looking and not altogether unlike monkeys. They were perhaps the
remote ancestors of the Malay races.”
Page 431.
_"Art thou not he who slew of old_
_The Serpent-Gods, and stormed their hold."_
All these exploits of Rávaṇ are detailed in the _Uttarakáṇḍa_, and
epitomized in the Appendix.
Page 434.
_Within the consecrated hall_.
The Bráhman householder ought to maintain three sacred fires, the
_Gárhapatya_, the _Ahavaniya_ and the _Dakshiṇa_. These three fires were
made use of in many Brahmanical solemnities, for example in funeral rites
when the three fires were arranged in prescribed order.
Page 436.
_Fair Punjikasthalá I met._
“I have not noticed in the Úttara Káṇda any story about the daughter of