File:A VAISHNAVAITE NUN READING THE RAMAYANA STORY OF RAMA 1913.jpg

Identifier: indianmythlegend00inmack Title: Indian myth and legend Year: 1913 (1910s) Authors: Mackenzie, Donald Alexander, 1873-1936 Subjects: Hindu mythology Publisher: London, Gresham Contributing Library: Indiana University Digitizing Sponsor: Indiana University

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Text Appearing Before Image: Old Vow—Prince Bharata Chosen and Rama Banished—AFaithful Wife and Loyal Brother. Now hear the tale of Rama and Sita, which was re-lated unto the poet Valmiki^ by Narada, the renownedRishi. Be it told that when Valmiki came to know ofthe adventures and achievements of the great prince, hewent towards the river to bathe, musing the while. Itchanced that two fond herons disported on the bank,when suddenly a passing huntsman shot the male bird,which at once fell dead in a pool of blood. Great wasthe grief of the female heron, and Valmikis heart wasso deeply moved by its cries of distress that he gaveutterance to his emotions in a stream of metrical speech.In this manner was the sloka metre invented. Thencame towards the brooding poet the supreme god Brahma,who smiled and commanded him to celebrate the storyof Rama in the poetic measure which, involuntarily, hehad invented. Valmiki prepared himself accordingly tofulfil the desire of Brahma. He sat upon a carpet of Fron, val-meekee.S74

Text Appearing After Image: A VAISHNAVAITE NUN READING THE RAMAYANA STORY OF RAMA 375 Kusa grass, sipped holy water, and became absorbed inthought, until visions of the story were revealed beforehis eyes. Sloka by sloka and book by book, he com-posed the Ramayana\ and as long as mountains endureand rivers run towards the sea, so long will it be repeatedby the lips of mankind. Valmiki sang that in days of yore there were twomighty kingdoms in sun-bright Hindustan, and thesewere Kosala, whose King was Dasaratha, father of Rama,and Mithila,^ which was ruled over by Janaka, the fatherof beauteous Sita. Now the capital of Kosala was Ayodhya^, which shonein splendour like to Indras celestial city; it had widestreets with large dwellings, richly decorated temples,towering like mountains, and grand and noble palaces.In the palace gardens there were numerous birds andflowers, shady groves of fruit trees, and lakes gemmedwith bee-loved lotuses; the soft winds were wont to beatback the white water-blooms from the honey bee

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