Raghuvamsha

Raghuvamsha
Kalidasa’s Raghuvamsham
 Kālidāsa is the last among the ṛṣi-kavis.

 Among the 5 mahakavyas of Sanskrit literature
 About the lives of the kings of the Solar dynasty.
 Drawing its source from Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa,
 Viṣṇu Purāṇa and Padma Purāṇa
 19 cantos
 1500 verses
 Refers to Kumara Kartikeya
History
 Raghuvamsham deals with as many as 29 kings
 The first king was Manu, the son of Vivaswat
 The most famous king was Rama.
 Since the foremost among Rama’s fathers was Raghu his illustrious race
came to be known as ‘Raghuvamsham’
 It starts of with Dilipa, the father of Raghu ,Aja, Dasharatha, and Rama and
his son Kusha and his son Atithi
 A number of less important kings get a passing mention
 The last great king described is Sudarshan
 Later the glory of the race is destroyed by Agnivarna
Content
 Canto 1: King Dilipa went to Sage Vashishta’s Hermitage
 Canto 2: Nandini grants king his desire
 Canto 3: Raghu is born, Indra steals the Ashvamedha horse
 Canto 4: Raghu succeeds his father and conquers the world
 Canto 5: Raghu’s splendid generosity . Aja is born
 Canto 6: Aja pleasing Indumati and her choice
 Canto 7: Aja and Indumati ‘s wedding
 Canto 8: Aja’s early happiness and death of Indumati
 Canto 9: The prosperous reign of Dasharatha
 Canto 10: Vishnu incarnates into Rama to defeat Rachana
 Canto 11:Rama’s triumph and his marriage with Sita
 Canto 12: Rama’s banishment ,carrying away of Sita and defeat of Ravana
 Canto 13: Rama’s triumphant and return
 Canto 14: The restoration of Rama to his kingdom and divorce of Sita
 Canto 15: Sita bears twin sons and passing away of Rama
 Canto 16: The reign of kusha and his return to Ayodhya
 Canto 17: The wise rule of King Atithi
 Canto 18: The later kings of Raghu’s race
 Canto 19: Agnivarna’s Voluptuous reign and death
वागर्ाा ववव संपृक्तौ वागर्ाप्रविपत्तये ।
जगिः वपिरौ वन्दे पावािीपरमेश्वरौ ॥ १-१॥
I salute(invoke) the parents of the universe, Parvati and Parameshvara
who are in constant relation(with each other) like words and their
signification for the sake of acquiring (for obtaining) a right understanding
(the sound knowledge) of words and their meanings (ideas)
क्व सूयाप्रभवो वंशः क्व चाल्पववषया मविः ।
वििीषषार्ाष स्तरं मोहार्ष डषपेनास्मि सागरम् ॥ १-२॥
Where is the race sprung from the sun(the race of which the sun is the
cause)?and where my scanty powers of mind (intellect)? Actuated by my folly
I wish to get across the ocean, though difficult to be passed over, by means of
a small raft(a boat)
मन्दः कववयशः प्रार्ी गवमष्याम्यषपहास्यिाम् ।
प्रां शषलभ्ये फले लोभार्ष द्बाहुररव वामनः ॥ १-३॥
Incompetent as I am ,I should make myself the object of ridicule were I to Seek
the fame of a poet (were I to become a candidate for the fame of a poet )
like a dwarf who would be laughed at in greedily stretching up his hands to
get the fruit that is accessible only to tall person( obtainable by a tall man
The Characteristics of King Raghu
 आजन्मशषद्धत्व : A boon by Nandini
 आफलोर्यकमात्व : Ashvamedha Sacrifice
 आसमषद्रवििीशत्व :
The glorious Campaign and Victories
 यर्ाववविहुपावित्व :
Visvajit Sacrifice
 यर्ाकालप्रबोवित्व :
A proper judge
RAGHUVAMSA – THE STORY OF KING RAGHU
Dilipa
 Dilipa ‘s sonless condition
 Reason/Solution given by Vasishtha
 King Dilipa propitiate Nandini. Lion attacks Nandini
 King offered his own body in exchange of Nandini
 Celestial cow grants his wish to have a son
 Birth of Raghu
Raghu
 Aswamedha sacrifice performed for 100th time
 Indra steals the horse
 Raghu’s valour pleases Indra and grants merit of the sacrifice
 Raghu is installed on the throne. Extends his kingdom
 Visvajit sacrifice performed and gives everything away

Aja
 Fulfill sage Kautsa’s desire for Gurudakshina
 Plan to attack Kubera. Kubera tries to please Raghu
 Kautsa’s boon of a worthy son Aja

The message of the epic:
“Great institutions built over generations can be destroyed by one irresponsible
Individual with great powers. If great power is not alloyed with great
responsibility it is sure to cause disasters”
“The society at large derives its morals and ways by the kind of rulers governing
it. If the rulers of the land set high standards the people will automatically
follow them”
Thank you

Raghuvamsha

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Raghuvamsha

 Kālidāsa is the last among the ṛṣi-kavis.

 Dilipa ‘s sonless condition

 Reason/Solution given by Vasishtha

 King Dilipa propitiate Nandini. Lion attacks Nandini

 King offered his own body in exchange of Nandini

 Celestial cow grants his wish to have a son

 Aswamedha sacrifice performed for 100th time

 Indra steals the horse

 Raghu’s valour pleases Indra and grants merit of the sacrifice

 Raghu is installed on the throne. Extends his kingdom

 Visvajit sacrifice performed and gives everything away

 Fulfill sage Kautsa’s desire for Gurudakshina

 Plan to attack Kubera. Kubera tries to please Raghu

 Kautsa’s boon of a worthy son Aja

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