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[Full title: Section II: Birth of Sita and her marriage; (E) Svayamvara of Sita]

According to the Paumacariya Janaka then arranges for the 'svayamvara' and invites various princes. Rama along with his parents and brothers go there. Nobody is able to string the bow except Rama. Sita is then declared as his wife (28.93-124). Laksmana also strings the same Then some Vidyadharas offer him their daughters in marriage. bow. In the Valmiki Ramayana, there is no 'svayamvara' ceremony and no simultaneous arrival of various princes. They come casually at intervals, try their 1. Note that the Paumacariya (28. 74) also calls it 'suresu kayarakkham' i. e. protected by the Suras. 2. Patalakhanda, ch. 112.

48 A CRITICAL STUDY OF PAUMACARIYAM strength at the bow and go away disappointed. It is after a long period of time that Visvamitra takes Rama and Laksmana along with him to attend the Yajna of Janaka (1.31.6-7) and to show them the strange bow. At the request of Janaka and with the permission of Visvamitra as soon as Rama strings the 'Saiva' bow, it breaks into two (1.67.16-17). Janaka sends for Dasaratha. He arrives there with his other sons to attend the marriage ceremony (1.68-69) of Rama and Sita. Tulasidasa has introduced a new element in it. He tells us that Sita develops Rama and Sita see each other in a garden at Mithila. love for Rama (1.230-232) and prays the deity 'Girija' (1.236) to fulfil her desire. Again when all the princes are unsuccessful, Sita prays Mahesabhavani to lighten the bow in weight so that Rama may wield it easily (harahu capagaruai 1.257). Thus in the Ramcharitmanas many princes assemble to decide their fate (1.250.2), but only Rama emerges. successful. Sita puts 'jayamala' round the neck of Rama (1.264). Disgruntled princes are mentioned to have made a row, but the immediate appearance of Parasurama subdues their anger (1.266,268). It mentions that previously Ravana had come there to string the bow, but he felt defeated at the very sight of the heaviness of the bow and went away. (1.250.1). There are many non-Jaina works which mention the presence of various princes on the occasion of the 'svayamvara' of Sita, their failure in stringing the bow, Rama's success and his claim for the hand of Sita. The Nrsimhapurana (47.105-118), the Balaramayana (Anka 3), the Mahanataka (1.35), the Padmapurana (Patala 112), the Prasannaraghava (3.40-41), and the Ananda Ramayana (1.3.61-140) refer to the unsuccessful efforts of other princes. The Bhagavata Purana (9.10.6) and the Adhyatmaramayana (1.6.24) speak of to the presence of various princes. Brahmacakra of Laos refers to the same event (Rama-katha; by Dr. C. Bulke (First Edition)., 2.p.280). The Tamil Ramayana of Kambana (1.12), the Telugu Dvipada Ramayana and the Reyamakera mention the unsuccessful efforts of other princes (Vide Rama-katha; by Dr. C. Bulke (First Edition)., p.286). There are some non-Jaina works which mention that after the svayamvara-ceremony is over, the disgruntled candidates attack¹ Rama. Rama defeats them and marries Sita. The Nrsimhapurana (47.119-124), Padmapurana (ch.112, Pt. II, p. 739) and the Seri Rama (vide Rama-katha; by Dr. C. Bulke (First Edition).- 1. In Rama's case the Paumacariya does not refer to this kind of incident. It is on the occason of the 'svayamvara' of Kaikeyi that the disappointed candidates attack Dasaratha,

COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE RAMA-STORY 49 p. 287) refer to this battle. The Maithili Kalyanam (5.38-45), a Jaina work states that the disgruntled candidates make a row but then submit to Rama. The Ananda Ramayana (1.4.20-45) states that the unsuccessful candidates (1.3.165-168) attacked Rama and his father when they were returning from Mithila, on the occasion of Dipavali. According to the Paumacariya, Laksmana strings the other bow 'SagaraThe Trishashti Shalaka Purusha-caritra varta' (28.247). The Paumacariu and the Ramapurana of Bhattaraka Somasena. follow the Paumacariya (IV. 204) follows the Paumacariya and further mentions that Sita puts the 'svayamvara' garland round Rama's neck. Dasaratha is said to have come there on the occasion of Rama's marriage. In the Uttara-purana there is no reference to the 'svayamvara' ceremony and the bow. Janaka had invited Rama and Laksmana with a promise to marry Sita to Rama, if they protected his yajna from being disturbed by Ravana and the Raksasas (67.169). In the presence of many kings the yajna was accomplished and Sita was married to Rama. The Mahapurana follows the Uttara-purana and further mentions that Rama strung his bow to warn the enemies (70.13).