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रामोपाख्यानपर्वन् (rAmopAkhyAnaparvan)

 
Mahabharata
English
Rāmopākhyānaparvan (“the episode relating to Rāma^2, ” i.e. the subject-matter of the Rāmāyaṇa
it is the 48th of the minor parvans of Mhbhr.). (Cf. Rāmopākhyāna, Rāmāyaṇa.) § 525: As Yudhishṭhira asked Mārkaṇḍeya if he knew any one more unfortunate than he was (III, 273), Mārkaṇḍeya related the story of Rāma Dāśarathi: King Aja of Ikshvāku's race had a son Daśaratha, who had four virtuous sons: Rāma (son of Kausalyā), Lakshmaṇa and Śatrughna (sons of Sumitrā), and Bharata (son of Kaikeyī). Sītā, the daughter of the Videha king Janaka, was created by Tvashṭṛ himself to become the wife of Rāma. Prajāpati (Pitāmaha, Svayambhū, the Creator of all the worlds) had a mind-born son Pulastya, who with a cow begat a son Vaiśravaṇa (i.e. Kubera). Leaving his father, Vaiśravaṇa went to his grandfather, and angered at this, his father with half of his own self became born as Viśravas for wreaking vengeance on Vaiśravaṇa. But Pitāmaha, pleased with Vaiśravaṇa, gave him immortality and made him the sovereign of wealth (Dhaneśa), a lokapāla and friend of Īśāna, and gave him a son Nalakūbara, and Laṅkā for his capital, guarded by hosts of Rākshasas, and the vimāna Pushpaka capable of going everywhere, and the kingship of the Yakshas, etc. (III, 274).--§ 526: The muni Viśravas was greatly enraged against Vaiśravaṇa. Kubera (Naravāhana), the king of the Rākshasas, always sought to please his father, and, living in Laṅkā, sent three Rākshasa women () skilled in singing and dancing to wait upon him. Pulastya granted them boons: to Pushpotkaṭā two sons: Kumbhakarṇa and Daśagrīva (= Rāvaṇa)
Mālinī bore one son, Vibhīshaṇa
Rākā became the mother of the twins Khara and Śūrpaṇakhā. Vibhīshaṇa surpassed everybody in beauty and was very pious
Daśagrīva was energetic and strong
Kumbhakarṇa was the most powerful in battle and a master of illusion
Khara was proficient in archery and hostile to brahmans
Śūrpaṇakhā troubled the ascetics (siddhavighnakarī). Learned in the Vedas, they lived with their father on Gandhamādana. And there they beheld Vaiśravaṇa seated with their father, and seized with jealousy, they gratified Brahmán with severe penances (), while Khara and Śūrpaṇakhā protected and attended on them. After 1, 000 years Daśagrīva, cutting off his head (i.e. heads), offered it (i.e. them) in the fire, and Brahmán appeared and made them desist from their austerities, granting them boons () except immortality. Now Daśagrīva defeated Kubera in battle and drove him from Laṅkā
Kubera then, followed by Gandharvas, Yakshas, Rākshasas, and Kinnaras, went to live on Gandhamādana. Rāvaṇa took from him Pushpaka, upon which Vaiśravaṇa cursed him saying: “This chariot shall never carry thee, but him who will slay thee in battle, and as thou hast insulted thy elder brother thou shalt soon die.” Vibhīshaṇa followed Kubera, who invested him with the command of the Yaksha and Rākshasa hosts. On the other hand, the man-eating Rākshasas and Piśācas anointed Daśagrīva as their sovereign. Daśagrīva deprived the gods and Daityas of their valuable possessions, and because he terrified (rāvayām āsa, v. 15928) all creatures, he was called Rāvaṇa (III, 275). The Brahmarshis, Siddhas, and Devarshis, with Agni as their spokesman, sought the protection of Brahmán, who said that the four-armed Vishṇu had already been incarnate for this object, and caused Indra and the gods, Gandharvas, and Dānavas to beget strong sons, capable of assuming any form at will, on monkeys and bears
and the Gandharvī Dundubhī he caused to be born on earth as the hunch backed Mantharā, who, instructed by Brahmán, went hither and thither ever engaged in fomenting quarrels (III, 276).-§ 527: Asked by Yudhishṭhira, Mārkaṇḍeya related: The sons of Daśaratha were conversant with the Vedas and the Dhanurveda. Rāma equalled Indra and Bṛhaspati. At night, the Pushya being in a lucky conjuncture, Rāma was to be invested as yuvarāja. Mantharā aroused the jealousy of Kaikeyī against Kausalyā, Kaikeyī prevailed upon Daśaratha that Bharata should be anointed and Rāma be in exile in the forest of Daṇḍaka for fourteen years. Rāma was accompanied by Lakshmaṇa and Sītā. Daśaratha died. Bharata rebuked Kaikeyī and set off to find Rāma, accompanied by Kausalyā, Sumitrā, Kaikeyī, Śatrughna, Vasishṭha, Vāmadeva, etc. He saw Rāma and Lakshmaṇa on the mountain Citrakūṭa, but Rāma would adhere to the order of his father. Bharata then ruled in Nandigrāma, keeping before him the shoes of Rāma.--§ 528: Rāvaṇagamana (q.v.).--§ 529: Sītāharaṇa (q.v.).--§ 530: Viśvāvasumokshaṇa (q.v.).--§ 531: Having bathed in the lake Pampā, Rāma and Lakshmaṇa on the mountain Ṛshyamūka beheld the monkey-king Sugrīva (whom his brother Vālin had deprived of his wife Tārā and his kingdom) and his four counsellors, Hanūmat (equalling Himavat), etc. Sugrīva showed Rāma a piece of cloth that had been dropped by Sītā. Sugrīva promised to bring back Sītā. Rāma installed Sugrīva as king of all the monkeys and promised to slay Vālin. Then they all repaired to Kishkindhyā. Vālin came out
Tārā (who understood the voice of every creature) told him that it was Rāma, Lakshmaṇa, Ṃainda, Dvivida, Hanūmat, Jāmbavat (the king of the bears), and Sugrīva who had come to destroy him. Vālin suspected Tārā. Near the mountain Mālyavat he had an encounter with Sugrīva. Hanūmat placed a garland round Sugrīva's neck (so that he shone like the mountain Malaya), and Rāma recognized Sugrīva by that sign and killed Vālin with an arrow. Sugrīva thus regained Kishkindhyā and Tārā. Rāma dwelt on Mālyavat for four months.--§ 532: Sītāsāntvana (q.v.).-§ 533: Sītā-Rāvaṇasaṃvāda (q.v.).--§ 534: Hanūmatpratyāgamana (q.v.).--§ 535: Setubandhana (q.v.).--§ 536: Laṅkāpraveśa (q.v.).--§ 537: Rāma-Rāvaṇayuddha (q.v.).-§ 538: Kumbhakarṇaraṇagamana (q.v.).--§ 539: Kumbhakarṇādivadha (q.v.).--§ 540: Indrajidyuddha (q.v.).--§ 541: Indrajidvadha (q.v.).--§ 542: Rāvaṇavadha (q.v.).--§ 543: Rāmābhisheka (q.v.).--§ 544: Yudhishṭhirāśvāsa (q.v.).