Week 11 Reading (Extra): The Ramayana: Uttara Kanda by Valmiki trans. by Manmatha Nath Dutt
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Notes: The Ramayana: Uttara Kanda by Valmiki trans. by Manmatha Nath Dutt (year.1894)
The birth of Ravana, p.1583 Uttarakandam described: "A very terrible and hideous offspring having the form of a Raksha, --having ten necks, furnished with large teeth, and resembling a heap of collyrium, with coppery lips, twenty arms, huge faces, and flaming hair. On his having been born, jackals with flaming mouths and other ferocious beasts began to gyrate on the left. And that god showered down blood ; and the clouds uttered forth harsh sounds. And the Sun was deprived of his splendour ; and meteors began to dart to the earth. And the earth shook ; and the wind swept away violently. And that lord of streams — the ocean, which was calm before, became agitated."
On Kumbhakharna, the second eldest's birth: "After him was born Kumbhakarna endowed with prodigious strength, than whose proportions there are none other's on earth."
From LankaLibrary: "Kumbhakarna was a seemingly ordinary creature of the universe but his appearance posed a grave problem for the creator himself. Pleased by his penance when Brahma arrived to grant him a boon, he got worried even before granting one and began to think: " If this man takes a regular meal, he will devour everything on earth." So Brahma invoked Saraswati to create illusions in Kumbhakarna's mind. Thus in illusion, Kumbhakarna begged Brahma to grant him a boon of a 6 month long sleep and wake up only for a day in these six months of slumber."
Shurpanakha: "Then was born she that, having a frightful visage, gocth under the name of Surpanakha"
Vibhishana: "the righteous Bibhishana is the youngest son of Kaikasi. On that one endowed with great strength having been born, blossoms were showered down from heaven ; and celestial kettle-drums were sounded in the heavenly regions."
On the piety of the siblings: (p.1585)
"And Kumbhakarna, putting forth his best energies, constantly abode in the path of righteousness. And remain- ing in the midst of five fires in summer,he practised austerities, and in the rainy season, soaked in water (poured down) by clouds, he sat in .the heroic attitude.* And in winter he always remained in the water. Thus passed away ten thousand years of that one putting forth exertions in behalf of religion, and established in the path of honesty. And the virtuous Bibhishana, ever intent on virtue and pure of spirit, remained standing on one leg for five thousand years. And when he had completed (his term* of restriction), swarms of Apsar§s danced, and blossoms showered, and the deities hymned (him). And for five thousand years, he adored the Sun, and with his mind concentrated in the study of the Veda, remained with his head and hands raised up. In this wise Bibhishana like a deity in Nandana passed away ten thousand years, observing restrictions. And the Ten-necked one passed ten thousand years without fare. On a thousand years being complete, he offered his own head as a sacrifice to Fire. In this way he passed away nine thousand years ; and nine of his heads entered into Fire. And as in the tenth year he intended to strike off his tenth head, the Great-father present- ed himself at that place."
Ravana asks Rama and (great-grandfather) Brahma for a favor:To be invincible to all but humans.
"O lord of creatures, I would, O eternal one, be incapable of being slain by birds and serpents, Yakshas, Daityas, Danavas and Rakshasas, and the deities ; for, O thou that art worshipped by the immortals, anxiety I have none from any other beings. Indeed, I deem as straw creatures such as men etc! Thus accosted by the Raksha — the Ten-necked one— that righteous-souled one, the Great-father, along with the celestials, said, — foremost of Rakshasas, what thou sayest shalj come to pass."
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