The Rig Vedic Ramayana - 3

[Anand Hudli]

Rig Veda 10.99.3

sa vAjaM yAtApadushhpadA yantsvarshhAtA pari shhadatsanishhyan.h |
anarvA yachchatadurasya vedo ghan.h chhishnadevAn.h abhi varpasA
 bhUt.h ||

 shrI rAmabhadra walked on the ground, in the forest, even on thorns,
 and on water (by building a bridge across the ocean). He proceeded to
 the battle on foot without using any horses or chariots. He killed
 the rAkShasas who were attached to sex, devoid of bramhacharya. He went
 to Lanka and killed the kidnapper of His wife, rAvaNa and installed
 rAvaNa's brother vibhIshhaNa on the throne.

Rig Veda 10.99.4

sa yahvayo .avanIrgoshhvarvA juhoti pradhanyAsu sasriH |
apAdo yatra yujyAso .arathA droNyashvAsa Irate ghR^itaM vAH ||

 shrI rAma's walk is as swift and smooth as the movement of a boat
 on water, although His followers the vAnaras (apes) appeared as if
 they were not walking (because they walked on all four legs instead
 of two like us humans). rAma built the great bridge across the ocean
 with their help and made the ocean as suitable to traverse as the
 earth.

Rig Veda 10.99.5

sa rudrebhirashastavAra R^ibhvA hitvI gayamAre avadya AgAt.h |
vamrasya  manye mithunA vivavrI annamabhItyArodayanmushhAyan.h ||

That rAma returned to His place, ayodhyA accompanied by the blemishless
sItAdevI and HanumAn and other companions. Since He wanted to eliminate
any allegation regarding rAvaNa's having touched His wife, sItA, He
sent Her back to the forest. She was  weeping in the forest (and was
offered shelter by vAlmIki). Her sons, lava and kusha, studied under
vAlmIki and spread the rAmAyaNa all over the world. This is my
understanding (says the mantra-drashhTA).

Notes:

1. The word "rudrebhiH" in 10.99.5 is interpreted as "hanumadAdibhiH
sahAyaiH", "by followers such as HanumAn, by nIlakaNTha", and even
sAyaNa in his bhAshhya interprets "rudrebhiH" as "rudraputrair-
marudbhiH", "by Maruts, the sons of Rudra." Indeed, in the Rig Veda,
Rudra is addressed as "pitar.h marutAm.h" , "O Father of the Maruts."
The Maruts are wind gods and Rudra is their father. Here lies the basis
for the identification of HanumAn with Shiva. An "aMsha" of Shiva
is described as having descended as HanumAn according to this view.

2. These five Riks, Rig Veda 10.99.1-5, briefly describe the rAmAyaNa
as found in the first few chapters of the vAlmIki rAmAyaNa.

Next, the rAmAyaNa describes the birth of the first "shloka" from
vAlmIki's grief, "shoka" when he watches the death of the krauncha bird.

Anand

--
bhava shankara deshikame sharaNam

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