WEBER ON THE RAMAYANA.
JUNE 7, 1872.]
181
supra), in Bharata's return journey from his uncle, and in the journey of the messengers
nishmātah, ganakāh)| writing and reckoning (lekhya-samkhyā)," the arthasastra,” and all
who were sent to fetch
kinds of arts (silpatt and kala), if the nātaka, §§ but especially the dharmaśāstram, , the nitisãs,
him."
In Rāvana's
palace in Lankä, Hanumant seest noble horses from the North-West: Árattajääs cha Kâmboján Vålhikān Subhalakshanān, Šukānanáñs cha turagán . . . ; and the powerful hounds which Bharata takes home with him as a present
from Ašvapatif re-appear in the accounts of the Greeks regarding the country of the Kwaio S. I remark further, in the fourth place, that although the word samskrita is applied in the Ramayana| in a manner which shows that it had not yet come to be used in its technical meaning as the name of the “Sanskrit.”" language, yet it is evident that the use of the
latter name was just about to come into exist ence. And accordingly we find frequent re ference made to a literature already very widely developed, and designated by names that are comparatively modern (Śāstra, for instance, used
tram," " the nyāyaśāstram," (cf. naiyāyika,f and the ānvikshiki buddih.): In this place also may be noticed the frequent references to the heretical views of the materialists and the unbe
lievers, laukayātika,S and nāstika.
In addi
tion to these, there are direct quotations: e.g.,
the Hastibhir gitāh slokah" (regarding enmity among relatives), Kanlună gāthās chirodgital,” (regarding those that pray for help), paurani gáthá,ff imam puránam dharmasamhitam . . . Rikshena gito yah slokali: Finally, we may also refer here to the mention of Dhanvantari as
king of the physicians, SS and father of Sushena, as also to the representing of Jaimini," Kātyā yana," Jāvāli and Mārkandeya as among the royal counsellors,t in Ayodhya.-Although these literary data, which I have taken, for the sake
throughout as the name for a treatise, both standing alone,” and as the second part of compound words, as shown in the examples
of unity, exclusively from the Gaula recension,f
given below).
certainly furnish, on the other hand, decisive evid
Thus, in addition to the Veda,ff
and the vedañga, consisting of six aiiga, if special ly the Šiksha§§ (mantraib Sikshāksharasaman vitaih) in addition to the sūtra and bhāshya," sūtra and kalpa"", kalpasiltra,” the following are
by no means enable us to determine the precise time at which the poem was composed, yet they ence against so high an antiquity as has hitherto been assigned to the Ramayana.
Nor, fifthly, do the data relating to the history of religion, which are furnished by the
also mentioned by name : the dhanurveda with
Ramayana, give any certain evidence that a
ańga, upāńga, upanishad and rahasya,t the gandharvavidyā,f astronomy $ (jyotirgatishu
high antiquity should be assigned to the poem. Specially noticeable in this connection is the
- 1, 55, 18, ff., II. 70, 6, 11–19, 73, 2 f. Gorr. Lassen
i II. 109, 30, (in the Kachchit-Sarga, however). § II. 109, 29, (also in the Kachchit-Sarga). | I. 5, 12, Nāstikyam II. 109, 64 (ibid.) 114, 40 (of
Ind. Alt. II. 523.
+
W. 12, 36. II. 72, 24.
Jāvāli ().
Alexander receives from Sopeithes as a present 150 of such hunting dogs : (vide Lassen, Ind. Alt. II. 16). Wide Ind. Streif, n, II. 53. As distinguished from the des’abhāshā; I. 51, 3, Gorr.
- E. g. I. 12, 19. II. 109, 30, 63.
++ The praushthapada is the month for the svā dhyāya of the Sãmaga IV. 27, 10. if E. g., I. 5, 20. 6, 1, 71. 6, 13, 21. 80, 4. W. 16 41.
III. 69, 5.
V. 88, 6.
IV., 41, 42.
- VI. 91, 7.
++ VI. 110, 2. it VI. 98, 32. §§ I. 46, 30. | I. 66, 22.
- II. 82, 10.
- I. 71, 4, WI, 112, 73.
+ Similarly the old Vedic rishi, Vasishta, Vāmadeva, Gotama or Gautama, Maudgalya, Kasyapa, Bhrigu (1.7 I, 4), and other names that have merely an etymological signifi cance, such as Suyajna, Sumantra, Vijaya—are mentioned
among the royal guru or counsellors; the former evidently
§ 1. 13, 18.
|| I. 11, 6.
+
I. 13, 3.
- I. 13, 21.
I. 56, 16. 79, 20.80, 27. W. 32, 9.
f I. 79, 21.80, 4. § I. 80, 29. | I. 12, 7.
- I. 80, 2, 29.
- I. 80, 28. W. 1, 82. In this class also, e. g., hasti
sikshās and rathas'ikshās:—treatises (? or merely : In formation ?) regarding the management of elephants, and
only in majorem gloriam Sumiträ, the third wife of Dasaratha, is even spoken of as the daughter of Vāmadeva (by a karani) I. 19, 9.-The passages regarding Valmiki's being contemporary with Rāma are wanting in the Gauda recension, and are found besides only in some MSS. It is
only when we come to the Uttarakanda (and Bhavabhuti) that the MSS. agree in recording (49, 47, 51, 1 f.) that Sità came into his hermitage and there gave birth to her two
the preparation (guiding 2 Vide I. 79, 21) of war-chariots;
sons, whom he afterwards taught to repeat the Râmayana.
cf. Kaidambart, I. 67 ; Wilson, Hindu Theatre, I.14. ++ I. 80, 4. II. I. 79, 22.
Valmiki thus appears to be a new acquaintance of Sita ;
so that those passages in the previous books, which speak of an earlier meeting having taken place between them,
§§ II. 71, 4,
nātakānyapare chakrur (práhur Schl. II,
69, 4) hasyani vividhāni cha; cf. nata in combination with
must evidently have been added at a later period.-In, the
nartaka I. 12, 7 (Schl. and Gorr.) II. 67, 12 (Schl., not in
inclined to recognise a slight trace of the pique which
Gorr. II. 69).
| I. 79, 20.
- I. 79, 20. 80, 3, 27. Cf. the reference to the
kåkatáliyam vairam, III.45, 17.
- I. 80, 4.
+ II. 116, 1. -
peculiar position which Jāvāli occupies in the Rām., I am probably animated our poet, a follower of the black Yajus (vide supra p. 123 b, n.S) against the Jāvāla-school of the white Yajus.
Regarding the mention of Buddha, in II. 104, 33 (ed. Schlegel), vide supra p. 122 a, n.**
