I.1. Queens of Dasaratha

[Full title: Section I: King Dasaratha, his wives and sons; (A) Queens of Dasaratha]

CHAPTER III COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE RAMA-STORY A comparative study of the Rama-story of Paumacariyam has been made particularly with that of the Valmiki and Tulasi Ramayana Valmiki while other important Jaina and non-Jaina works dealing with the story of Rama have been referred to in general wherever necessary to illustrate the points of agreement and variation. SECTION I KING DASARATHA, HIS WIVES AND SONS A. Queens of Dasaratha : According to the Paumacariyam³ of Vimalas uri, Dasaratha, the king of Saketapuri (Ayodhya) marries (22.100-108) Aparajita (Avaraiya), the daughter of king Sukosala and his queen Amrtaprabha of the city of Aruhasthala (Aruhatthala), Sumitra (Somitti), the daughter of king Subandhutilaka (-tilaa) and his queen Mitra (Mitta) of Kamalasankulapura (22.106-8) and Kaikeyi (Kegai), the daughter of king Subhamati (Suhamai) and his queen Prthvisri (Puhaisiri) of the city of Kautukamangala (Kouyamangala²). Kaikeyi's brother's name is Dronamegha (Donameha 24.2-3). According to the Valmiki-Ramayana, the name of the first queen of Dasaratha who reigns over Ayodhya, is Kausalya (1.14.33). The names of the other two queens are identical with those mentioned in the Paumacariya It does not refer to the birth-places and the parents of the first two queens. Kaikeyi's father is said to be king (1.73.1-2) Asvapati (2.9.22) of Kekaya country with his capital at Rajagrha (2.68.6), also called as Girivraja (Ibid. 21). Kaikeyi's brother is named as Yudhajit (1.73.1). 1. Dr. Rama-katha; by Dr. C. Bulke (First Edition). mentions four queens of Dasaratha. This number is found in the Padmacaritam of Ravisena, not in the Paumacariyam. Rama-katha; by Dr. C. Bulke (First Edition). has quoted in his Ramakatha all the references from Padamacaritam on the basis that the Paumacariyam and the former are identical. But there are certain differences also. 2. Besides there three queens, Dasaratha is said to have 500 wives (ruvagunasalininam pancasaya jassa pavarajuvainam 28.7 ). The Padamacaritam of Ravisena agrees with this number (28.161). The Valmiki-Ramayana also refers to 350 (trayah Satasatardha-2,39.36 ardhasaptasata 2.34.13) wives of Dasaratha. The Ananda Ramayana mentions 700 wives of Dasaratha (1.1.72). 2

34 A CRITICAL STUDY OF PAUMACARIYAM The Ramacaritamanasa or Tulasi-Ramayana agrees with the Valmiki-Ramayana as regards the names of the queens of Dasaratha. Kaikey is merely mentioned as Kekayanandani (2.91). Their seniority is not clear. However at the time of distribution of the sacrificial offering (havi) Kausalya is given the first preference, Kaikeyi follows her and Sumitra is mentioned last of all (1.190). The same order is found when they bear sons (I. 195, 195). According to the Vasudevahindi, Dasaratha has three queens, Kaikeyi being the second one (pt. I, p. 241). The name of the first queen is Kausalya. According to the Padmacaritam of Ravisena, Suprabha is the fourth queen of Dasaratha (22,176). She is also called Supraja (25.39; 123.80). The birth-place of Aparajita is said to be Darbhasthala¹ (22.171). Kaikeyi's mother's name is Prthusri (24.3). The Paumacariu of Svayambhu follows Ravisena (21.4.9), but does not mention their birth-place and parentage except that of Kaikeyi. Aparajita is called Kosaladuhiya (=duhitr 22.12.4). Hemacandra's Trisastisalaka-purusacaritra agrees with Ravisena, but the name of the mother of Kaikeyi is Prthvisri (IV. pp. 190-1). The Rama-Purana² of Bhattaraka Somasena follows Ravisena, but Sumitra, hails from the city of Padmapatra. Kaikeyi is called Kaikamati. Her mother's name is Prthvimati. Kaikeyi has two brothers: Kaikaya and Drona. Suprabha is daughter of the king of Ratnapura. 1. Aruhatthala of the Paumacariya, Darbhasthala of the Paumacariya and Kusavati of the Valmiki Ramayana (7. 108.4) seem to be identical. Kusavati of the Valmiki Ramayana is called Kusasthali in the Vayu Purana (Hindi Translation, H. S. S. Prayaga-p, 366). The very name of Kusasthali denotes that it was a place where the Kusa grass grew abundantly. Such a place is not suitable for the cultivation of crops. There fore Aruhasthala (i. e. a land unsuitable for growth) and Darbhasthala mean the same thing. Further the Valmiki Ramayana (7. 108.4) mentions that Kusavati was situated in the Vindhyas. It was made the capital for Kusa. Kusa is also called as the king of the Kosala country and Lava of the Uttarakosala (Kosalesu Kusam viramuttaresu tatha Lavam 7. 107. 7). It means that Kusavati or Kusasthali was the capital of South Kosala. Further the Valmiki Ramayana states that on the occasion of Dasaratha's horse-sacrifice king Bhanumat of Kosala had visited Ayodhya (tatha Kosalarajanam Bhanumantam susatkrtam 1. 13. 26). It indicates that Bhanumat was the king of Daksina Kosala and perhaps the father of Kausalya (Ramayana Kalina Samaja-p. 135) who was addressed after the name of the country to which she belonged just as the name Vaidehi (Sita, the princess of Videha country) and Kaikeyi (the princess of Kekaya country) denote. Therefore, Aruhasthala of the Paumacariya should be the capital of South Kosala and Aparajita can be called as Kaulsaya i. c. the princess of Kosaladesa. 2, Rama-carita (Hindi Translation of Rama-Purana) by L. B. Shastri-p. 84-85.

COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE RAMA-STORY 35 According to the Uttarapurana of Gunabhadra (67. 148-165), Dasaratha rules at Varanasi. He shifts his capital to Ayodhya when Sagara, the king of Ayodhya dies. The names of the first two queens of Dasaratha are Subala and Kaikeyi. The third one is anonymous. The Mahapurana (Tisatthimahapurisagunalahkara-mahakavva) of Puspadanta follows Gunabhadra, but mentions one more queen (69. 14. 10). I In the Ramopakhyana (Mahabharata, 3. 174. 8) the queens are mentioned in the same order as in the Ramcharitmanas In the Raghuvamsa their order agrees with that of the Valmiki Ramayana They are said to be the daughters of the kings of Magadha, Kosala¹ and Kekaya countries (9. 17). It indicates that Sumitra belonged to the Magadha country. This account agrees with that of the Padmapurana (Uttarakhanda, ch. 269) and Anandaramayana (1. 1. 32, 70-71). In the latter work king Kosala is the father of Kausalya. According to the Dasaratha Jataka³ Dasaratha is the king of Varanasi and he has 16000 wives. The Dasaratha Kathanam mentions four queens only. According to the Seri Rama and the Hikayata Maharaja Ravana, Dasaratha has two wives, Mandu and Baliyadari. The Serata Kanda' names them as Baliadaru and Bandodari. In a western account 8 Dasaratha is said to have four wives.