54. The previous births of Rama, Sita, Laksmana, Ravana, Sugriva etc.

[Full title: Didactic stories; (A) Religious cum Moral Stories; (54) The previous births of Rama, Sita, Laksmana, Ravana, Sugriva etc. or The story of Dhanadatta, Gunamati Vasudatta, Srikanta, Vrsadhadhvja etc.]

Following the fire ordeal of Sita, her intiation and the delivering of a religious discourse by Kevalin Sakalabhusana to Rama, Vibhisana enquired as to why Rama attained such a 'Mahatmya' great prowess, why Sita was kidnapped by Ravana, why Rama was deluded, why Ravana was attracted to Sita and why Ravana was killed by Laksmana? The Kevalin narrated the following story (103.1-123) (136-152) elucidating the results of forming 'nidana' and observing penances and to show the consequences of committing murder, harbouring enmity, censuring monks and to exemplify the fruits of affection, love and confession. Vanik Sagaradatta of Ksemapura had begot on his wife Ratnaprabha a son, Gunadhara and a daughter, Gunamati. He betrothed Gunamati to Dhanadatta who was the son of Nayadatta and Sunanda. But Ratnaprabha being allured by the offer of some wealth betrothed Gunamati secretly to a Sresthin Srikanta. Brahmin ( Jannavakka) Yajnavalkya broke this news to his friend Vasudatta, the younger brother of Dhanadatta. Vasudatta at once went out to kill Srikanta and in the following encounter both of them were killed by each other. They were reborn as antelopes in the Vindhya hills and Gunamati was also reborn as a doe at the same place. Both the antelopes killed each other for that doe and then wandered through the existences of boars, elephants, he-buffaloes, oxen, monkeys, stags,

188 A CRITICAL STUDY OF PAUMACARIYAM Rurus (a species of deer) and many other existences of earth and water beings. Dhanadatta who had left his country on being afflicted with the sorrow of the death of his brother Vasudatta, met a monk and became a lay-devotee. After his death he became a celestial being and from there he descended as Padmaruci being the son of Sreshin Meru and Dharini of Mahapura. Once an old and deseased bull got englightened on hearing the Namaskara formula from Padmaruci. The bull then was reborn as Vrsabhadhvaja, being the son of Srikanta and king Chatrachaya of Mahapura. He once remembering his previous birth got constructed a Jina-temple on the spot where he had died as a bull and decorated it with a painting depicting the incident of his enlightenment. Padmaruci on observing it began to pause over it. He was reported to Vrsabhadhvaja. Then the latter bestowed the former with prowess and prosperity. Both of them became lay-devotees and were reborn as celestial beings in Isana Kalpa. From there Padmaruci became Nayanananda. After renouncing the world he became a celestial being in the Mahendra Kalpa. From there he was reborn as Sricanda. After having renounced the world he performed austerities. He was reborn as the Indra of Brahmaloka. Sresthin Srikanta was reborn as Svayambhu (Sambhu), being the son of Vajrakancu and Hemavati of Mrnalakunda (nagara). Vasudatta was reborn as Sribhuti being the Purohita of Svayambhu. Gunamati after transmigrating through various births was reborn as she-elephant and then as Vegavati, being the daughter of the Purohita. Once she laughed at a monk and being reproached by her father she became a lay-devotee. On account of her beauty she was demanded by Svayambhu and various other kings in marriage. But Sribhuti rejected their demands, because he did not like to marry his daughter to a person who was wrong faithed. Then Svayambhu reverted to the use of force. He killed her father and raped her. Vegavati cursed Svayambhu to the effect that she would be the cause of his death in future. Thereafter she became nun and after performing severe penances she ascended to heaven. Svayambhu transmigrating through hell and other subhuman existences was reborn as Vipra Prabhasakunda. He became a monk, observed austerities and resolved on seeing the prosperity of a Vidyadhara king Kanakaprabha, to become a Khecara lord. He ascended to Sanatkumara heaven and from there he was reborn as Ravana. Dhanadatta (Indra), Vasudatta (Purohita Sribhuti), Gunadhara (the brother of Gunamati), Yajnavalkya and Vrsabhadhvaja were reborn as Rama, Laksmana, Bhamandala. Vibhisana and Sugriva respectively. Vegavati was coveted by Svayambhu hence she as Sita was kidnapped by the latter

INTERVENING STORIES 189 as Ravana. Sribhuti (Purohita) who was killed by Svayambhu was reborn as a celestial being and from there as Khecara Punarvasu¹ who died with a resolve to get a certain girl.2 Svayambhu was the enemy of Sribhuti, hence the latter as Laksmana killed Ravana. Vegavati had once falsely blamed Muni Sudarsana of keeping company with a woman, but ultimately she had to admit her fault to free the monk from the false charges. Therefore, she as Sita was first censured and then she was proved to be pure and faultless on account of her confession. The Paumacariya (106. 10-184, 207-231) mentions Ksetranagara, Yajnavalkya as as Yajnavali. Ksemapura as While describing the their two more rebirths rebirths of Vasudatta and Srikanta it refers to viz., as leopards and wolves in place of deer. Gunamati is mentioned as Gunavati, Vajrakancu, Svayambhu and Vegavati are called Vajrakambu, Sambhu and Vedavati respectively. It mentions that the woman about whom Vedavati spread false news was really the sister of Muni Sudarsana. She was being instructed in the religion by the muni and Vedavati took her to have been illicitly associated with the monk. The Paumacariu (84. 2-22) agrees with the Paumacariya, but cuts short the story by dropping some rebirths viz. Padmaruci as Nayanananda and a god, Sricandra as Indra and Sribhuti as Prabhasakunda. It does not refer to some animal-births of the characters. The Ramapurana of Bhattaraka Somasena. (ch. 31) follows the Paumacariya it mentions the name of the mother of Vrsabhadhvaja as Sridatta. Here Vedavati resolved to be reborn as Sambhu's daughter to take revenge upon him. It calls Sudarsana of the Paumacariya as a nun. The Trishashti Shalaka Purusha-caritra (IV p. 336) mentions Gunamati as Gunavati. It does not mention various animal-rebirths of Vasudatta and Srikanta. It gives here the story of Anangasundari (Visalya) and Punarvasu (Sribhuti Laksmana).3 Gunavati's brother, Gunadhara is said to have been reborn as Kundalamandita and thereafter as Bhamandala. The Uttarapurana and the Mahapurana relate different stories about the previous births of Rama, Laksmana, Sita and Ravana as follows:Rama and Laksmana :-Prajapati, the king of Ratnapura had begot on his wife Gunakanta a son, Candracula. He and his friend Vijaya, the son of were notorious. a 1. See Visalya's rebirth-story. 2. Ibid, Anangasara. minister See the story of the previous birth of Visalya. 3. 4. See the story of the previous births of Kundalamandita. Once when

190 A CRITICAL STUDY OF PAUMACARIYAM Kuberadatta, the daughter of merchant, Kubera was being betrothed to Sridatta, the son of Vaisravana and Goutama, Candracula along with Vijaya made an attempt to kidnap her. The king, on being reported by Kubera, ordered his guards to punish both of the culprits to death. The chief minister intervened and took them to the Vanagiri. There he met Muni Mahabala who predicted that the culprits would be reborn as Balabhadra and Narayana. The minister then saved their lives by initiating them into the ascetic order. Once Muni Candracula on seeing the prowess of Narayana Purusottama resolved to have the same prowess. After their death Vijaya and Candracula were reborn as Suvarnacula and Manicula in the Sanatkumara heaven. From there they descended and were reborn as Rama and Laksmana respectively (Uttara-purana, 67.89.147). The Mahapurana (69.4-12) mentions that Sridatta was the son of Gautama and Vaisravana. Kuberadatta is said to have been kidnapped by Candracula. Sita's previous birth:-The story of Sita's previous birth is narrated separately. Princess Manimati, the daughter of king Amitavega of Alakapuri was performing penanceson the Vijayardha mountain. Ravana reached there and tried to seize her Vidyas (supernatural powers). She resolved to be reborn as the daughter of Ravana and to become the cause of his death in future (Uttara-purana, 68.13-17). Therefore she was reborn as the daughter of Mandodari. The Mahapurana (70.6) agrees with it. Ravana's previous birth :-King Naradeva of Nagapura once. met Ganadhara Ananta and got initiated under him. On seeing the prowess of Capalavega, a Vidyadhara king, he resolved to enjoy the same prowess. After his death he was reborn in heaven and from there he descended as Dasanana being the son of Pulastya and Meghasri of Lanka (Uttara-purana, 68.1-12). The Mahapurana (70.2) agrees with it. The previous birth of Sita in the Valmiki Ramayana :-The Valmiki Ramayana (7.17) states that Vedavati was the daughter of Brahmarsi Kusadhvaja, the son of Brhaspati. She was demanded in marriage by the Devas, Gandharvas, Yaksas, Raksasas and the Pannagas, but her father refused their proposal because he wanted to marry her to Visnu. Sambhu, the lord of the Daityas got enraged by this refusal and he killed her father. Her mother also died along with her father. Then Vedavati commenced to observe .

INTERVENING STORIES. 191 penances for accomplishing the desire of her father. Once Ravana came there and wanted marry her. Vedavati narrated her story and expressed her unwillingness. Ravana could not control his carnal desire, hence he forcibly seized her braid. She at once cut off her braid and entered the fire cursing him that she would be reborn as 'ayonija', particularly to bring about his end. The Ramcharitmanas (Bala, 122-139) contains stoires to explain the cause of incarnation of Rama and Ravana They are based on the Brahmanical Puranas. (i) It mentions that Visnu was born as a human being on account of the curse of Jalandhara's wife whom he had deviated from the path of virtue. Jalandhara was reborn as Ravana. on the (ii) Narada had cursed Hari and the Ganas of Siva occasion of the 'svayamvara' of Visvamohini, hence Hari became a human being and the Ganas as Raksasa Ravana and Kumbhakarna. (iii) It also narrates the story of Pratapabhanu who had fed the brahmins upon animal-flesh. He was cursed by them, so he was reborn as Ravana, his brother as Kumbhakarna and his minister as Vibhisana (I.153-176).