Nala (Ramayana)
| Nala | |
|---|---|
Vishwakarma (father) (brother)Nila |
In the
Builder of the bridge
The Ramayana narrates that
Commentaries on the Ramayana elaborate the event. Nala is said to have been born when Vishwakarma embraced Nala's vanara mother and has an ejaculation.
In some versions, Nala is said to have the power to make stones float and, thus, easily makes the sea-bridge.[3] In other versions, another vanara called Nila is also said to have this power and both Nala and Nila are described as builders of the bridge. The tale justifying this power states that in their youth, these monkeys were very mischievous and used to throw the murtis (holy images) worshipped by the sages in the water. As a remedy, the sages decreed that any stone thrown by them in water will not drown, thus saving the murtis. Another tale narrates as assured by Varuna, the stones dropped by Nala and Nila float, but they drift in the sea and do not form a continuous structure, Hanuman, Rama's devotee and monkey lieutenant suggests that the name of Rama be written, so they stick together; the remedy worked.[9]
Telugu and Bengali adaptations of the Ramayana as well as Javanese shadow plays narrate about an argument between Nala and Hanuman. Hanuman feels insulted that Nala takes stones Hanuman fetches with the "impure" left hand and uses the "pure" right hand to place them in the ocean. Hanuman is pacified by Rama who explains him that is the tradition of workers to take from the left hand and place the object by the right.[10]
The Ananda Ramayana, an adaptation of the Ramayana, says that Rama worships nine stones installed by Nala as the Navagraha deities before commencing the bridge.[11]
The battle
The Kamba Ramayana portrays Nala also in charge of creating living quarters for the army of Rama in Lanka. He creates a city of tents of gold and gems for the army; but builds a simple house of bamboo and wood and grass beds for himself.[12]
Nala fights in the battle led by Rama against Ravana and his rakshasa army. Nala is described to be seriously wounded by the arrows shot by Ravana's son Indrajit.[13] Nala kills a rakshasa called Tapana in battle.[14] The Mahabharata describes him fighting a giant called Tundaka.[2]
Jain Version
According to
Notes
- ^ Swamy p. 43
- ^ ISBN 0-8426-0822-2.
- ^ ISBN 978-81-8475-182-6.
- ^ Venkatesananda p. 280
- ^ Goldman p. 617
- ^ Goldman p. 619
- ^ Kamba Ramayana p. 287
- ISBN 978-81-208-0762-4.
- ^ Lutgendorf p. 143
- ^ Lutgendorf p. 204
- ^ Swamy p. 53
- ^ Kamba Ramayana pp. 287-8
- ^ Venkatesananda p. 315
- ^ Goldman p. 764
- ^ "Mangi Tungi Temple". Archived from the original on 2013-10-01.
References
- ISBN 978-81-241-1418-6.
- Swami Venkatesananda (1988). The Concise Ramayana of Valmiki. SUNY Press. ISBN 978-0-88706-862-1.
- Robert P. Goldman, Sally J. Sutherland Goldman (2009). The Ramayana of Valmiki. Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0-691-06663-9.
- ISBN 978-0-19-804220-4.
- Kamba Ramayana. Penguin Books India. 2002. ISBN 978-0-14-302815-4.
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