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It has been pointed out by great scholars of unquestioned merit that Adi Kavi Valmiki's, first and foremost epic poem,
Ramayanam (the saga of Rama) mentions, by name, two classic poems. Both the works are by that emperor among poets Kalidasa. They are
Raghuvamsa, the longest poem of Kalidasa, and the Kumara sambhava (the birth of Kumara Subrahmanya), the poet's classic poem, the eighth chapter of which is noted for its unabashed erotica!
Samskshepa Ramayana
In the Balakandam, chapter 3 and verse 9 of the Valmiki Ramayana, the line 'Raghuvamsasya caritam cakaara Bhagavaan munih' - 'The celebrated sage Valmiki composed the glorious saga of Rama, descended in the lineage of Raghu, as narrated to him by sage Narada earlier" ('Samskshepa Ramayanam' - Balakandam;ch.1, ver. 6 to 100. 'Samskshepam' means summarised version).
Interesting variations
But, Narada begins his narrations with the words 'kshvaaku vamsa prabhavo Ramo naama janaih srutah' (verse 8) 'there is one descended in the lineage of Ikshvaaku hailed by men as Rama'. Sage Narada does not at all mention the lineage of Raghu in his narration. In the course of this brief narration comprising 93 verses, sage Narada mentions the name 'Rama' forty times and the name 'Raghava' (the descendant of Raghu) eight times. Sri Rama is also hailed as Dharmatma (virtuous soul), Mahabahu (of powerful shoulders) etc.
Kumara sambhavam
Again in ch.37 of the same Balakandam of the epic the poet Valmiki uses, in ver. 31, the word Kumarasambhava: 'Kumarasambhavaiscaiva dhanyah punyastataiva ca' (second line) - 'thus have I narrated to you the glorious advent of Kumara (son of Lord Siva : Kartikeya)' - says sage Viswamitra to Sri Rama.
Scholars' conclusion
It is on the basis of these two references that many scholars acclaim that sage Valmiki had intuitive farsight (Jnaana Dhrishti) and made these references that would form the titles for Kalidasa's immortal poems. While such reverential allusions to sage Valmiki's all-round genius cannot be faulted, yet these would not stand close scrutiny.
Lineage of Rama : Vasishta's enumeration
In fact, when sage Vasishta enumerates in great detail the ancestry and heritage of Sri Rama just before his marriage to Sita (this reference to lineage is practised even today in traditional, orthodox Hindu weddings, only difference being it is restricted to just three predecessors!) the long list comprises about forty ancestors of Rama. ref. ch.70 - Balakandam. The interesting point is that Raghu, the greatest of Sri Rama's ancestors is the twelfth before Sri Rama and is mentioned as the son of the great Bhagiratha, who brought the sacred Ganga down to earth. Bhagiratha is mentioned as the son of Dilipa.
Kalidasa's version
In Kalidasa's Raghuvamsam, it is said, that Raghu is the great grandfather of Rama (Raghu, Aja, Dasaratha and Rama). Raghu himself is mentioned as the son of Dilipa from whom Kalidasa's lineage (Raghuvamsam) starts. One more point is Valmiki's Surya lineage ends with the sons of the four brothers Rama, Bharata, Lakshmana and Satrughna (each of whom has two sons) while that of Kalidasa proceeds further by 22 more generations ending with Agnivarna, whose pregnant widow rules the kingdom as Regent for the child in the womb!
R Srinivasan
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