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SRIMATHE RAMANUAJAYA NAMAHA.

The bow?s story is becoming interesting. Sita tells
Anasuya that the bow broken  by Rama to win her hand
was given to her father by Varuna devatha in a
maha-yajna. A similar version is being told by Rama
too in Ayodhya khandam. In the chapter dealing with
Rama?s dialogue with Lakshmana in asking him not to
accompany him to the forest, Rama finally relents to
lakshmana?s prayer and agrees to take him along. He
then tells him that king Janaka had given him 2 bows
(roudhra-dharshana and divye) and other weapons that
he got from Varuna devatha in a maha-yajna. Since he
(Rama)  had left them in the custody of sage Vasishta,
he commands Lakshmana to go and fetch them so that
they can carry them when they go to the forest. (2-31-
27, 28 & 29)

The questions that we get are,
(1) Do  the adjectives ?roudhrou- dharshana? and
?divye? denote the outward meaning like dreadful and
divine or did they mean that the bows belonged to
Rudra? If so why Rama chose to mention only about
Varuna and not Rudra, the fact about whose possession
is far more important? (The verses  are available in
www.valmikiramayana.net) 

(2) What are these bows called? Which then is
Kothandam which we usually associate with Rama? 

(3) Are these bows in addition to the one Rama broke
in the swayamvaram? Is there any reference to Rama
using shiva-dhanush that he broke, after mending it?

Some thoughts:-
In the translation found in www.valmikiramayana.net,
there is no mention of number of  bows. But in the
Tamil transliteration by A.V. Narasimhachar, it is
mentioned as 2. I think the original text in sanskrit
is in dwi-vachanam. I request devotees to confirm.
In the Tamil version that I have, foot-notes by the
translator and vyakhyanam by Sri Govindarajar are
given at some places. This particular verse is also
explained as a foot-note but I am not able to provide
the information on who has given this explanation
(owing to the condition of the book I have, where the 
few pages on the details of the sources for
vyakhyanams are missing)

Now the notes:-
It is said that the weapons including the bows, given
to Rama by Janaka seem to be in pairs, perhaps to
denote that both Rama-Lakshmana would be in need of
them when they go to the forest.

Secondly, there is no mention in Bala khandam of this
information  or even Varuna as having given  these
bows to Janaka. This is perhaps to do with style of
valmiki?s narration. Similar kind of narration (of not
telling the incident when it had happened , but 
telling about it at a later stage to give some impact)
is found in two other places. One is in not having
told about the ?maNi-bhandhanam? (the choodamani being
given at the time of marriage) in bala khandam but
telling about it in Sundhara khandam and the other is
in not having told about Kaakaasura vrudhantham in
Ayodhya khandam but telling about it in Sundara
khandam. 


Regards, 
Jayasree saranathan


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