The World of Valmiki- 07

The World of  Valmiki- 07

1.6 Castes

स्वकर्मनिरता नित्यं ब्राह्मणा विजितेन्द्रियाः ।
दानाध्ययनशीलाश्च संयताश्च प्रतिग्रहे ॥१/६/१३॥
Brahmins who were engaged in their assigned duties had control over their senses, were busy with study and giving away and were constrained in accepting gifts.
 
क्षत्रं ब्रह्ममुखं चासीद्वैश्याः क्षत्रमनुव्रताः ।
शूद्राः स्वधर्मनिरतास्त्रीन्वर्णानुपचारिणः ॥१/६/१९॥
Kshatriya's followed Brahmins, Vaisya's followed Kshatriya's and Sudra's engaged in their duties served the (other) three castes.

दरिद्राय द्विजायाथ हस्ताभरणमुत्तमम् ।
कस्मैचिद्याचमानाय ददौ राघवनन्दनः ॥१/१४/५२॥
Rama gave away a valuable bangle to some poor Brahmin who was seeking a gift.

ये चेमे कठकालापा बहवो दण्डमाणवाः ।
नित्यस्वाध्यायशीलत्वान्नान्यत् कुर्वन्ति किञ्चन ।
अलसाः स्वादुकामाश्च महतां चापि सम्मताः ॥२/३२/१८-१९॥
Yonder are students carrying staff who study Katha and Kalapa versions of Veda. As they are busy with their studies they do not do anything else, are lazy and like sweets, yet are respected even by the great.

मेखलीनां महासङ्घः कौसल्यां समुपस्थितः ।
तेषां सहस्रं सौमित्रे प्रत्येकं सम्प्रदापय ॥२/३२/२१॥
A large  group of celibates is waiting on Kausalya. See that a thousand (coins) are given to each.

तत्रासीत् पिङ्गलो गार्ग्यस्त्रिजटो नाम वै द्विजः ।
क्षतवृत्तिर्वने नित्यं फालकुद्दाललाङ्गली ॥२/३२/२९॥
There was a Brahmin belonging to Garga lineage called Trijata, pale in colour who had strayed from his avocation and was carrying an axe, a spade and a plough.

शुश्राव जपतां तत्र मन्त्रान् रक्षोगृहेषु वै ।
स्वाध्यायनिरतांश्चैव यातुधानान् ददर्श ह ॥५/४/१३॥
In the residences of Rakshasa's he heard those Rakshasa's who were engaged in their studies and chanting mantra's.




1.7 Food and utensils

इत्युक्त्वोपायनं गृह्य मत्स्यमाम्समधूनि च ।
अभिचक्राम भरतं निषादाधिपतिर्गुहः ॥२/८४/१०॥
Guha, the chief of hunters brought to Bharata a gift and fish, meat and honey.

अन्याः स्रवन्तु मैरेयं सुरामन्याः सुनिष्ठिताम् ।
अपराश्चोदकं शीतं इक्षुकाण्डरसोपमम् ॥२/९१/१५॥
Let some streams bring maireya (a fermented drink made of date palms), others bring refined sura ( a fermented drink made of jaggery,flour etc.) and still others cold water as sweet as sugur-cane juice. 

आजैश्चापि च वाराहैः निष्ठानवरसञ्चयैः ।
फलनिर्यूहसंसिद्धैः सूपैः गन्धरसान्वितैः ॥
पुष्पध्वजवतीः पूर्णाः शुक्लस्यान्नस्य चाभितः ।
ददृशुः विस्मितास्तत्र नरा लौहीः सहस्रशः ॥२/९१/६६-६७॥
People saw there with amazement thousands of metal vessels filled with goat-meat, porc, flavoured soup with fruit-extracts, decorated with flower flags around white rice.

वाप्यो मैरेयपूर्णाश्च मृष्टमाम्सचयैर्वृताः ।
प्रतप्तपिठरैश्चापि मार्गमायूरकौक्कुटैः ॥
पात्रीणां च सहस्राणि स्थालीनां नियुतानि च ।
न्यर्बुदानि च पात्राणि शातकुम्भमयानि च ॥
स्थाल्यः कुम्भ्यः करम्भ्यश्च दधिपूर्णाः सुसम्स्कृताः ।
यौवनस्थस्य गौरस्य कपित्थस्य सुगन्धिनः ।
ह्रदाः पूर्णा रसालस्य दध्नः श्वेतस्य चापरे ॥
बभूवुः पायसस्यान्ये शर्करायाश्च सञ्चयाः ।
कल्कांश्चूर्णकषायांश्च स्नानानि विविधानि च ।
ददृशुर्भाजनस्थानि तीर्थेषु सरितां नराः ॥२/९१/७०-७३॥
The wells were full of Maireya drink. There were heated pots full of meat of deer,peacock and hen.
There were countless vessels of all shapes full of well garnished curds, fragrant butter-milk, tinged yellow and recently prepared and spiced butter milk, called Rasala and white curds. There were tanks full of payas, milk boiled with rice and sugar. On the steps to the rivers they saw crushed myrobalan, powdered fragrant substances and various articles filled in vessels used for bathing.

निषसाद गिरिप्रस्थे सीतां मांसेन छन्दयन् ।
इदं मेध्यमिदं स्वादु निष्टप्तमिदमग्निना ॥२/९६/१-२॥
He(Rama) sat on a plateau of the hill  cajoling Sita with meat saying, "This is sacred, this is sweet and this is well burnt in fire".

पानभूमिगतं हित्वा हैममासवभाजनम् ।
पात्राणि च महार्हाणि करकांश्च हिरण्मयान् ।
लेह्यानुचावचान् भक्ष्यान् मांसानि विविधानि च ॥५/१/२३॥
(Vidyadhara's left behind golden and very vauable vessels and vases in the area reserved for drinking and also various types of meat and pastes(लेह्य- that which is consumed by licking).

मृगाणां महिषाणां च वराहाणां च भागशः ।
तत्र न्यस्तानि मांसानि पानभूमौ ददर्श ह ॥
रौक्मेषु च विशालेषु भाजनेष्वप्यभक्षितान् ।
वराहवाध्रीणसकान् दधिसौवर्चलायुतान् ॥
शल्यान् मृगमयूरान्श्च हनुमानन्ववैक्षत ।
कृकलान् विविधान् छागान् शशकानर्धभक्षितान् ।
महिषानेकशल्यान्श्च मेषान्श्च कृतनिष्ठितान् ॥
लेह्यानुच्चावचान् पेयान् भोज्यानुच्चावचानपि।
तथाम्ललवणोत्तम्सैः विविधै रागखाण्डवैः।।५/११/१४-१९॥
In the drinks chamber, (Hanuman) saw meats of deer, buffaloes and pigs kept separately. The Great Monkey saw in large silver vessels un- consumed meat of boars, rhinoceros mixed with curds and salt (coming from a country "suvarchala") and half consumed well cooked meats of partridge, goats, rabbits, buffaloes and sheep. He saw all types of pastes (लेह्य), beverages and eatables along with sour and saltish Raga and Khandava (grape juice drinks).   
 
दिव्याः प्रसन्नाः विविधाः सुराः कृतसुरा अपि।
शर्करासवमाध्वीकपुष्पासवफलासवाः ॥
वासचूर्णैश्च विविधैः दृष्टास्तैस्तैः पृथक् पृथक् ।५/११/२०-२१॥
Divine and clear natural alcoholic drinks and artificial alcoholic drinks such as those made from sugar, honey, flowers and fruits spiced with various aromatic additives were seen (by Hanuman).

न मांसं राघवो भुङ्क्ते न चैव मधु सेवते ।
वन्यं सुविहितं नित्यं भक्तमश्नाति पञ्चमम्।५/३६/४१॥
Rama does not eat meat nor does he take honey. He eats forest grown cooked food daily in the fifth period of the day.
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