The Ramayana

brought the story to its pleasant conclusion, the portrait of Rama enthroned would be carried in a procession with lights and music.

I am omitting a sequel which describes a second parting between Rama and Sita, with the latter delivering twins in a forest, and concluding with Rama and Sita leaving this world and returning to their original home in the heavens. But this part of the story is not popular, nor is it considered to be authentic, but a latter-day addition to Valmiki’s version. Kamban does not take note of this sequel but concludes his tale on the happy note of Rama’s return to Ayodhya, followed by a long reign of peace and happiness on this earth. And there I prefer to end my own narration.

R. K. NARAYAN

Glossary

areca—a variety of palm

ashram—hermitage

asthra—weapon, missile or arrow powered by supernatural forces

asura—a demon

Brahma Rishi—an enlightened sage

dharba—a stiff grass generally collected for ritual purposes

durbar—court

Gandharva—a supernatural being

mantra—syllables with magic potency

margosa—a shade tree whose leaves are bitter

Maya—illusion

musth—a secretion on the forehead of an elephant during mating season

Pushya—a star

rakshasa—a demon

sadhu—a recluse or saint

sanyasi—an ascetic

shastra—scriptures

simsupa—a tree

vanji—a rare flowering creeper, which blooms once in twelve years

veena—a stringed musical instrument

yagna—a sacrifice

yaksha—a demigod

yojana—a measure of distance, usually of about 5 miles

1

The story of its composition is told in “Valmiki” in the author’s Gods, Demons, and Others.

2

I have given an idea of an original Tamil epic in Gods, Demons, and Others, in the chapter entitled “The Mispaired Anklet.”

3

See “Viswamitra” in Gods, Demons, and Others.

4

Lust, anger, miserliness, egoism, envy.

5

See “Manmata” in Gods, Demons, and Others.

6

Manmatha, the god of love.

7

Another name for Sita.

8

A subtle compliment to Sita’s figure; a slender waist being an aesthetic point stressed often and in various ways by classical poets.