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Wheeler has given an epitome of the whole work after the Ben- gal recension. There is also a poetical version by Griffiths. Besides the ancient Ramaya?ia, there is another popular work of comparative modern times called the Adhyatma Ramaya^za. The authorship of it is ascribed to Yyasa, but it is generally con- sidered to be a part of the BrahmaTZfia Pura?ia. It is a sort of spiritualised version of the poem, in Mdiich Rama is depicted as a saviour and deliverer, as a god rather than a man. It is divided into seven books, which bear the same names as those of the original poem, but it is not so long. The Ramayawa celebrates the life and exploits of Rama (Rama-chandra), the loves of Rama and his wife Sita, the rape of the latter by Rava7?a, the demon king of Ceylon, the war 262 I^AJfA YA XA —RAMA -SE TU. carried on by Eama and liis monkey allies against Eava?za, end- ing in the destruction of the demon and the rescue of Sita, the restoration of Kama to the throne of Ayodhya, his jealousy and banishment of Sita, her residence at the hermitage of Valmiki, the birth of her twin sons Ku5a and Lava, the father's discovery and recognition of his children, the recall of Sita, the attesta- tion of her innocence, her death, Kama's resolution to follow her, and his translation to heaven. The Kamaya/^a is divided into seven kiiw/as or sections, and contains about 50,000 lines. The last of the seven sections is probably of later date than the rest of the work. 1. Bala-ka?w/a. The boyhood of Kama. 2. Ayodhya-kaw(/a. The scenes at Ayodhya, and the banish- ment of Kama by his father. King Dasa-ratha. 3. AraTiya-ka/if/a. ' Forest section.' Kama's life in the forest, and the rape of Sita by Kava?ia. 4. Kishkindliya-ka?k7a. Kama's residence at Kislikindhya, the capital of his monkey ally. King Su-griva. 5. Sundara-ka?i(ia. ' Beautiful section. ' The marvellous passage of the straits by Kama and his allies and their arrival in Ceylon. 6. Yuddha-ka?ic/a. ' War section.' The war with Kava?2a, his defeat and death, the recovery of Sita, the return to Ayod- hya and the coronation of Kama. This is sometimes called the Lanka or Ceylon KamZa. 7. Uttara-ka7iJa. ' Later section. ' Kama's life in Ayodhya, his banishment of Sita, the birth of his two sons, his recognition of them and of the innocence of his wife, their reunion, her death, and his translation to heaven. The Avriter or the compilers of the Kamayawa had a high esti- mate of its value, and it is still held in very great veneration. A verse in the introduction says, " He who reads and repeats this holy life-giving Kamayawa is liberated from all his sins and exalted with all his posterity to the highest heaven;" and in the second chapter Brahma is made to say, "As long as the mountains and rivers shall continue on the surface of the eartli, so long shall the story of the Kamayana be current in the world. " (For the age of the Kamaya?za, see p. 190.) RAMA-GIKI. 'The hill of Kama.' It stands a short dis- tance north of Xagpur. KAMA-SETU. ' Kama's bridge,' constructed for him by his T^AMA TAPANIYOPANISHAD-RA TNA VAU. 263 general, Nala, son of Vmva-karma, at the time of his invasion of Ceylon. This name is given to the line of rocks in the channel between the continent and Ceylon, called in maps " Adam's bridge." RAMATAPANIYOPANISHAD. An Upanishad of the Atharva-veda, in which Rama is worshipped as the supreme god and the sage Ytijnawalkya is his glorifier. It has been printed and translated by Weber in his Indische Shidien, yo\. ix. RAMBHA. An Apsaras or nymph produced at the churn- ing of the ocean, and popularly the type of female beauty. She was sent by Indra to seduce YisAvamitra, but was cursed by that sage to become a stone, and remain so for a thousand years. According to the Ramaya/^a, she was seen by Rava/ia when he went to Kailasa, and he was so smitten by her charms that he ravished her, although she told him that she was the wife of Nala-kiivara, son of his brother Kuvera. RAME^'WARA. 'Lord of Rama.' Xame of one of the twelve great Lingas set up, as is said, by Rama at Rameswaram or Ramisseram, which is a celebrated place of pilgrimage, and contains a most magnificent temple. RAMOPAKHYAIS'A. ' The story of Rama,' as told in the Yana-parva of the Maha-bharata. It relates many, but far from all, of the incidents celebrated in the Ramaya?ia ; it makes no mention of Yalmiki, the author of that poem, and it represents Rama as a human being and a great hero, but not a deity. RANTIDEYA. A pious and benevolent king of the Lunar race, sixth in descent from Bharata. He is mentioned in the Maha-bharata and Purawas as being enormously rich, very reli- gious, and charitable and profuse in his sacrifices. The former authority says that he had 200,000 cooks, that he had 2000 head of cattle and as many other animals slaughtered daily for use in his kitchen, and that he fed innumerable beggars daily with beef. RATI. ' Love, desire.' The Yenus of the Hindus, the god- dess of sexual pleasures, wife of Kama the god of love, and daughter of Daksha. She is also called Reva, Kami, Priti, Kama-patni, 'wife of Kama;' Kama-kala, 'part of Kama;' Kama- priya, ' beloved of Kama ; ' Raga-la/a, ' vine of love ; ' Mayavatl, ' deceiver ; ' Kelikila, ' wanton ; ' /S'ubhangi, ' fair-limbed.' RATNAYALI. ' The necklace.' A drama ascribed to a 264 ^^ UCHYA—RA VA NA. king of Kaslimlr named Six Harsha Deva. The subject of the play is the loves of Udayana or Vatsa, prince of Kausambi, and Yasava-datta, princess of UjjayinL It was written between 1 1 13 and 1 125 A.D., and has been translated by Wilson. There are several editions of the text. EAUCHYA. The thirteenth IManu. See INIanu. RAXJDRA. A descendant of Rudra. A name of Karttikeya, the god of war. RAYAA^A. The demon king of Lanka or Ceylon, from which he expelled his half-brother Kuvera. He was son of Yi^ravas by his wife Xikasha, daughter of the Rakshasa Su-mali. He was half-brother of Kuvera, and grandson of the it/shi Pula- stya ; and as Kuvera is king of the Yakshas, Ravana is king of the demons called Rakshasas. Pulastya is said to be the pro- genitor, not only of Rava?ia, but of the whole race of Rakshasas. "By penance and devotion to Brahma, Rava?ia was made invul- nerable against gods and demons, but he was doomed to die tlirough a woman. He was also enabled to assume any form he pleased. All Rakshasas are malignant and terrible, but Ravawa as their chief attained the utmost degree of wickedness, and was a very incarnation of evil. He is described in the Ramayawa as having " ten heads (hence his names Dasanana, Da.sa-kan/ha, and Pankti-griva), twenty arms, and copper-coloured eyes, and bright teeth like the young moon. His form was as a thick cloud or a mountain, or the god of death with open mouth. He had all the marks of royalty, but his body bore the impress of wounds inflicted by all the divine arms in his warfare with the gods. It was scarred by the thunderbolt of Indra, l)y the tusks of Indra's elephant Airavata, and by the discus of Yishwu. His strength was so great that he could agitate the seas and split the tops of mountaius. He was a breaker of all laws and a ravisher of other men's wives. . . . Tall as a mountain peak, he stopped with his arms the sun and moon in their course, and prevented their rising." The terror he inspires is such that where he is " the sun does not give out its heat, the winds do not blow, and the ocean becomes motionless." His evil deeds cried aloud for vengeance, and the cry reached heaven. Yishmi declared that, as Ravawa had been too proud to seek protection against men and beasts, he should fall under their attacks, so Yisli?m became incarnate as Rama-chandra for the express purpose of destroying RAVANA. 265 "Ravana, and vast numbers of monkeys and "bears were created to aid in the enterprise. Rama's wars against the Rakshasas inflicted such losses upon them as greatly to incense Ravawa. Burning with rage, and excited by a passion for Sita, the wife of Rama, he left his island abode, repaired to Rama's dwelling, assumed the appearance of a religious mendicant, and carried off Sita to Lanka. Ravawa urged Sita to become his wife, and threatened to kill and eat her if she refused. Sita persistently resisted, and was saved from death by the interposition of one of Rava?ia's wives. Rama called to his assistance his allies Su-griva and Hanumiin, with their hosts of monkeys and bears.