A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE SANSKRIT, TAMIL, THAI AND ...

SANSKRIT, TAMIL, THAI AND lilA LAY VERSIONS OF THE STORY OF RAMA 15 9
III. V.R./ /H.S.R. (a) Same as II (a)./ I SIT ADEWi is born
as the daughter of MAHARAJA RAWANA.
IV. K.R./ /T.R. and H.S.R. (a) Citai (Sitii) is revealed by the
plough of King CANAKAN (Janaka)./ I SiDA in T.R. (SlTADEWi
in H.S.R.) is first born as the daughter of THOTSAKAN in T.R.
(MAHARA.JA RAWANA in H.S.R.).
PARALLELS
V: K.R.= T.R. (a) !RAMAN's (Phra RAM's in T.R.)eyes meet
with the eyes of CiT AI (SiD A in T.R.) and they fall in love at first
sight. (b) The bow of King CANAKAN (CHONOK CAKRAVARTI
in T.R.) is said to have been used once by CIVAN (Siva; ISWAN in
T.R.) to destroy TIRIPURAM (Tripura; TRIPURAM in T.R.).
SUMMARY
(a) In regard to the motifs encountered in this section, one
striking motif, namely, that of Rama and Sita seeing each other for
the first time is to be found in K.R. and T.R. but not in V.R. This
motif is further discussed later in this paper in the context of diffusion
and acculturation; see also Comparative Data, section 8. I (c).
(b) With regard to the name-form, in K.R. TIRIPURAM
(Skt. Tripura 'three cities') corresponds with TRIPURAM in T.R.,
the latter form appearing, however, without the a nap tyxis or svarabhakti
'i' between t and r as in the case of the Tamil name-form; the termination
'am' is used to derive nouns of neuter singular form in Tamil.
3. THE BANISHMENT OF RAMA
V.R.: HPS. 1. II. 7-64: 164-303; K.R. II. 1-5; T.R. XIV. 37-38;
H.S.R.: Zies 26-27.
DIVERGENCES
I: V.R./ /K.R. (a) There is no reference to RAMA'schildhood
prank in maltreating MANTHARA, the hunch-backed maid of KAI­
KEYI./ / MANTARAI (Mantbara) or KUNI ('the hunch-backed one')