The Rámáyan of Válmíki, translated into English verse
offerings to fire for five days. It is the first and principal part
of the Jyotishṭoma, one of the great sacrifices in which especially
the juice of the Soma plant is offered for the purpose of obtaining
Swarga or heaven.” GOLDSTÜCKER’S DICTIONARY. “The _Ágnishṭoma_ is
Agni. It is called so because they (the gods) praised him with this
Stoma. They called it so to hide the proper meaning of the word: for
the gods like to hide the proper meaning of words.”
“On account of four classes of gods having praised Agni with four
Stomas, the whole was called _Chatushṭoma_ (containing four
Stomas).”
“It (the Ágnishṭoma) is called _Jyotishṭoma_, for they praised Agni
when he had risen up (to the sky) in the shape of a light
(_jyotis_).”
“This (Ágnishṭoma) is a sacrificial performance which has no
beginning and no end.” HAUG’S _Aitareya Bráhmaṇam_.
The Atirátra, literally _lasting through the night_, is a division
of the service of the Jyotishṭoma.
The Abhijit, _the everywhere victorious_, is the name of a
sub-division of the great sacrifice of the Gavámanaya.
The Viśvajit, or _the all-conquering_, is a similar sub-division.
Áyus is the name of a service forming a division of the Abhiplava
sacrifice.
The _Aptoryám_, is the seventh or last part of the Jyotishṭoma, for
the performance of which it is not essentially necessary, but a
voluntary sacrifice instituted for the attainment of a specific
desire. The literal meaning of the word would be in conformity with
the _Prauḍhamanoramá_, “a sacrifice which procures the attainment of
the desired object.” GOLDSTÜCKER’S DICTIONARY.
“The _Ukthya_ is a slight modification of the Ágnishṭoma sacrifice.
The noun to be supplied to it is _kratu_. It is a Soma sacrifice
also, and one of the seven Saṇsthas or component parts of the
Jyotishṭoma. Its name indicates its nature. For _Ukthya_ means ‘what
refers to the Uktha,’ which is an older name for Shástra, _i.e._
recitation of one of the Hotri priests at the time of the Soma
libations. Thus this sacrifice is only a kind of supplement to the
Ágnishṭoma.” HAUG. _Ai. B._
104 “Four classes of priests were required in India at the most solemn
sacrifices. 1. The officiating priests, manual labourers, and
acolytes, who had chiefly to prepare the sacrificial ground, to
dress the altar, slay the victims, and pour out the libations. 2.
The choristers, who chant the sacred hymns. 3. The reciters or
readers, who repeat certain hymns. 4. The overseers or bishops, who
watch and superintend the proceedings of the other priests, and
ought to be familiar with all the Vedas. The formulas and verses to
be muttered by the first class are contained in the
Yajur-veda-sanhitá. The hymns to be sung by the second class are in
the Sama-veda-sanhitá. The Atharva-veda is said to be intended for
the Brahman or overseer, who is to watch the proceedings of the
sacrifice, and to remedy any mistake that may occur. The hymns to be
recited by the third class are contained in the Rigveda,” _Chips
from a German Workshop._
105 The Maruts are the winds, deified in the religion of the Veda like
other mighty powers and phenomena of nature.
106 A Titan or fiend whose destruction has given Vishṇu one of his
well-known titles, Mádhava.
107 The garden of Indra.
108 One of the most ancient and popular of the numerous names of Vishṇu.
The word has been derived in several ways, and may mean _he who
moved on the (primordial) waters_, or _he who pervades or influences
men or their thoughts_.
109 The Horse-Sacrifice, just described.
110 To walk round an object keeping the right side towards it is a mark
of great respect. The Sanskrit word for the observance is
_pradakshiṇá_, from pra pro, and _daksha_ right, Greek δεξίος, Latin
dexter, Gaelic deas-il. A similar ceremony is observed by the Gaels.
“In the meantime she traced around him, with wavering steps, the
propitiation, which some have thought has been derived from the
Druidical mythology. It consists, as is well known, in the person
who makes the _deasil_ walking three times round the person who is
the object of the ceremony, taking care to move according to the
course of the sun.”
SCOTT. _The Two Drovers._
111 The _Amrit_, the nectar of the Indian Gods.
_ 112 Gandharvas_ (Southey’s Glendoveers) are celestial musicians
inhabiting Indra’s heaven and forming the orchestra at all the
banquets of the principal deities.
_ 113 Yakshas_, demigods attendant especially on Kuvera, and employed by
him in the care of his garden and treasures.
_ 114 Kimpurushas_, demigods attached also to the service of Kuvera,
celestial musicians, represented like centaurs reversed with human
figures and horses’ heads.
_ 115 Siddhas_, demigods or spirits of undefined attributes, occupying
with the _Vidyádharas_ the middle air or region between the earth
and the sun.
Schlegel translates: “Divi, Sapientes, Fidicines, Præpetes,
illustres Genii, Præconesque procrearunt natos, masculos,
silvicolas; angues porro, Hippocephali Beati, Aligeri, Serpentesque
frequentes alacriter generavere prolem innumerabilem.”
116 A mountain in the south of India.
117 The preceptor of the Gods and regent of the planet Jupiter.
118 The celestial architect, the Indian Hephæstus, Mulciber, or Vulcan.
119 The God of Fire.
120 Twin children of the Sun, the physicians of Swarga or Indra’s
heaven.
121 The deity of the waters.
122 Parjanya, sometimes confounded with Indra.
123 The bird and vehicle of Vishṇu. He is generally represented as a
being something between a man and a bird and considered as the
sovereign of the feathered race. He may be compared with the Simurgh
of the Persians, the ’Anká of the Arabs, the Griffin of chivalry,
the Phœnix of Egypt, and the bird that sits upon the ash Yggdrasil
of the Edda.
124 This Canto will appear ridiculous to the European reader. But it
should be remembered that the monkeys of an Indian forest, the
“bough-deer” as the poets call them, are very different animals from
the “turpissima bestia” that accompanies the itinerant organ-grinder
or grins in the Zoological Gardens of London. Milton has made his
hero, Satan, assume the forms of a cormorant, a toad, and a serpent,
and I cannot see that this creation of semi-divine Vánars, or
monkeys, is more ridiculous or undignified.
125 The consort of Indra, called also Śachí and Indráṇí.
126 The _Michelia champaca_. It bears a scented yellow blossom:
“The maid of India blest again to hold
In her full lap the Champac’s leaves of gold.”
_Lallah Rookh._
127 Vibháṇdak, the father of Rishyaśring
128 A hemiśloka is wanting in Schlegel’s text, which he thus fills up in
his Latin translation.
129 Rishyaśring, a Bráhman, had married Śántá who was of the Kshatriya
or Warrior caste and an expiatory ceremony was necessary on account
of this violation of the law.
130 “The poet no doubt intended to indicate the vernal equinox as the
birthday of Ráma. For the month _Chaitra_ is the first of the two
months assigned to the spring; it corresponds with the latter half
of March and the former half of April in our division of the year.
_Aditi_, the mother of the Gods, is lady of the seventh lunar
mansion which is called _Punarvasu_. The five planets and their
positions in the Zodiac are thus enumerated by both commentators:
the Sun in Aries, Mars in Capricorn, Saturn in Libra, Jupiter in
Cancer, Venus in Pisces.… I leave to astronomers to examine whether
the parts of the description agree with one another, and, if this be
the case, thence to deduce the date. The Indians place the nativity
of Ráma in the confines of the second age (tretá) and the third
(dwápara): but it seems that this should be taken in an allegorical
sense.… We may consider that the poet had an eye to the time in
which, immediately before his own age, the aspects of the heavenly
bodies were such as he has described.” SCHLEGEL.
131 The regent of the planet Jupiter.
132 Indra = Jupiter Tonans.
133 “_Pushya_ is the name of a month; but here it means the eighth
mansion. The ninth is called _Asleshá_, or the snake. It is evident
from this that Bharat, though his birth is mentioned before that of
the twins, was the youngest of the four brothers and Ráma’s junior
by eleven months.” SCHLEGEL.
134 A fish, the Zodiacal sign _Pisces_.
135 One of the constellations, containing stars in the wing of Pegasus.
136 Ráma means the Delight (of the World); Bharat, the Supporter;
Lakshmaṇ, the Auspicious; Śatrughna, the Slayer of Foes.
137 Schlegel, in the _Indische Bibliothek_, remarks that the proficiency
of the Indians in this art early attracted the attention of
Alexander’s successors, and natives of India were so long
exclusively employed in this service that the name Indian was
applied to any elephant-driver, to whatever country he might belong.
138 The story of this famous saint is given at sufficient length in
Cantos LI-LV.
This saint has given his name to the district and city to the east
of Benares. The original name, preserved in a land-grant on copper
now in the Museum of the Benares College, has been Moslemized into
Ghazeepore (the City of the Soldier-martyr).
139 The son of Kuśik is Viśvámitra.
140 At the recollection of their former enmity, to be described
hereafter.
141 The Indian nectar or drink of the Gods.
142 Great joy, according to the Hindu belief, has this effect, not
causing each particular hair to stand on end, but gently raising all
the down upon the body.
143 The Rákshasas, giants, or fiends who are represented as disturbing
the sacrifice, signify here, as often elsewhere, merely the savage
tribes which placed themselves in hostile opposition to Bráhmanical
institutions.
144 Consisting of horse, foot, chariots, and elephants.
145 “The Gandharvas, or heavenly bards, had originally a warlike
character but were afterwards reduced to the office of celestial
musicians cheering the banquets of the Gods. Dr. Kuhn has shown
their identity with the Centaurs in name, origin and attributes.”
GORRESIO.
146 These mysterious animated weapons are enumerated in Cantos XXIX and
XXX. Daksha was the son of Brahmá and one of the Prajápatis,
Demiurgi, or secondary authors of creation.
147 Youths of the Kshatriya class used to leave unshorn the side locks
of their hair. These were called _Káka-paksha_, or raven’s wings.
148 The Rákshas or giant Rávaṇ, king of Lanká.
149 “The meaning of Aśvins (from _aśva_ a horse, Persian asp, Greek
ἵππος, Latin _equus_, Welsh ech) is Horsemen. They were twin deities
of whom frequent mention is made in the Vedas and the Indian myths.
The Aśvins have much in common with the Dioscuri of Greece, and
their mythical genealogy seems to indicate that their origin was
astronomical. They were, perhaps, at first the morning star and