The Nandi - Hanuman connection is mentioned in the Valmiki Ramayana

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V Subrahmanian

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Sep 9, 2023, 1:33:45 PM9/9/23
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At the beginning of the 50th sarga in Sundara Kanda, Ravana recalls to mind a past experience when he meets Hanuman:
किमेष भगवान्नन्दी भवेत्साक्षादिहागतः।।5.50.2।।
येन शप्तोऽस्मि कैलासे मया सञ्चालिते पुरा।
सोऽयं वानरमूर्तिस्स्यात्किंस्विद्बाणो महाऽसुरः।।5.50.3।।
'Did he (Nandi) come here in person? Earlier I was cursed by him when I shook Mount Kailasa. He may have assumed the form of a monkey. Or this could be a great demon BaaNa (Nandi is the bull, Lord Shiva's vehicle).'
This story (which comes at length in the Skandapurana) is told in the Valmiki Ramayana commentary on these verses. This image can be seen here. Commentaries on Ramayana are: Tilaka, Shiromani, Bhushana.
Other related article:
Hanuman is Amsavatara of Nandikeshwara - says the Skandapurana
Om

Images from Valmiki Ramayana commentary: image.png
image.png

Kalyan

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Sep 9, 2023, 5:45:33 PM9/9/23
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The relevant portion of the 3 commentaries may be found here - 


A few observations -

1. All the above mentioned commentators are commenting on the Southern recension. 

This fact is also confirmed by the editors of the Baroda edition here - 


2. Commentary by Sri Govindaraja does not seem to touch upon this connection (first link above)

3. Northern manuscripts do not contain this connection. Hence these verses are not part of the Baroda edition and mentioned in foot notes -



Best Regards

V Subrahmanian

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Sep 10, 2023, 2:31:36 AM9/10/23
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On Sun, Sep 10, 2023 at 3:15 AM Kalyan <kalyanchakr...@gmail.com> wrote:
The relevant portion of the 3 commentaries may be found here - 


A few observations -

1. All the above mentioned commentators are commenting on the Southern recension. 

This fact is also confirmed by the editors of the Baroda edition here - 


2. Commentary by Sri Govindaraja does not seem to touch upon this connection (first link above)

Govindaraja has taken cognizance of the connection.  You will see in his commentary, which is for shlokas 1 - 4 collectively, that he says '(Ravana thinks) ....(this vanara here) could be BANa .. we can infer that Ravana has been cursed by BANa too.  One can see this in the image at the end of this post.  

बाणः बलिसुत: (bANa is the son of Bali). अनेन तेनापि किञ्चित् शप्तमिति गम्यते | ... The word 'tenApi' conveys to us that 'by bANa 'also' Ravana has been cursed.  The 'api' says that Govindaraja has seen the part of the verse which says about the curse by Nandi.  Hence alone he says: by bANa 'also = api' R has been cursed.  Thus Govindaraja has not denied Ravana's recollection for the Nandi-curse part.   

3. Northern manuscripts do not contain this connection. Hence these verses are not part of the Baroda edition and mentioned in foot notes -


There are opinions expressed by people about the 'sanctity' of the Critical edition.  At least with respect to the Mahabharata Critical edition by BORI, there has been opinions, questions, about it by scholars.  I have seen this discussion in BVP forum.  

What is crucial for the Advaitin is that Sri Appayya Dikshitar has cited copiously from the Skanda Purana about the entire story of Nandi's curse, etc. in his 'Ramayana Tatparya Sara Sangraha stotram' which is based on the Valmiki Ramayana.  To support his thesis he cites from Skanda, Kurma, etc. Puranas. 

Also Govindaraja is a sectarian Vaishnava. His attitude towards the Shiva-specific verses of the Ramayana can be seen by anyone to be what it is. In any case, in this particular instance Govindaraja has not denied the Nandi-Hanuman connection.

regards
subbu   


Best Regards

On Saturday, 9 September, 2023 at 11:03:45 pm UTC+5:30 v.subrahmanian wrote:
At the beginning of the 50th sarga in Sundara Kanda, Ravana recalls to mind a past experience when he meets Hanuman:
किमेष भगवान्नन्दी भवेत्साक्षादिहागतः।।5.50.2।।
येन शप्तोऽस्मि कैलासे मया सञ्चालिते पुरा।
सोऽयं वानरमूर्तिस्स्यात्किंस्विद्बाणो महाऽसुरः।।5.50.3।।
'Did he (Nandi) come here in person? Earlier I was cursed by him when I shook Mount Kailasa. He may have assumed the form of a monkey. Or this could be a great demon BaaNa (Nandi is the bull, Lord Shiva's vehicle).'
This story (which comes at length in the Skandapurana) is told in the Valmiki Ramayana commentary on these verses. This image can be seen here. Commentaries on Ramayana are: Tilaka, Shiromani, Bhushana.
Other related article:
Hanuman is Amsavatara of Nandikeshwara - says the Skandapurana
Om

Images from Valmiki Ramayana commentary: image.png
image.png

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Kalyan

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Sep 10, 2023, 3:42:42 AM9/10/23
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>  Govindaraja has taken cognizance of the connection.  You will see in his commentary, which is for shlokas 1 - 4 collectively, that he says '(Ravana thinks) ....(this vanara here) could be BANa .. we can infer that Ravana has been cursed by BANa too.  One can see this in the image at the end of this post.  

This, is plausible, though not conclusive. However, I agree your point looks correct.


>There are opinions expressed by people about the 'sanctity' of the Critical edition.  At least with respect to the Mahabharata Critical edition by BORI, there has been opinions, questions, about it by scholars.  I have seen this discussion in BVP forum.  

One can legitimately criticize the Critical Edition, but it is still a fact that the Nandi-Hanuman connection is missing in the Northern Manuscripts! The critical edition of the Sundarakanda is based on 29 manuscripts from various regions (South, North East, North West, Bengal), out of which this connection is absent in 15 of them. If this connection is a part of Valmiki Ramayana, then it needs explanation why more than 50% of the studied manuscripts do not mention it. 


>What is crucial for the Advaitin is that Sri Appayya Dikshitar has cited copiously from the Skanda Purana about the entire story of Nandi's curse, etc. 

Of course, Sri Appayya Dikshita, also being from the Southern part of India, would naturally follow the Southern recension! The same conclusion will also apply too Sri Muthuswamy Dikshita. There are no surprises here.


Best Regards


On Sunday, 10 September, 2023 at 12:01:36 pm UTC+5:30 v.subrahmanian wrote:

সপ্ত Rishi

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Sep 10, 2023, 5:20:59 AM9/10/23
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Actually there are northern indian manuscripts with this shloka

1.valmiki ramayana,with tika by hemchandra vidyabhushan(Gaudiya path)

2.pandit chandra shekhar shastri translation

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2015.553756.RamayanamSundarkandam_0453.jpg
Shrimad Valmiki Ramayana Sundara Kanda with Hindi Commentary by Pt. Chandra Shekhar Shastri, 1927 - Sasta Sahitya Pustakamala Office, Varanasi_0175.jpg

V Subrahmanian

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Sep 10, 2023, 5:31:40 AM9/10/23
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On Sun, Sep 10, 2023 at 1:12 PM Kalyan <kalyanchakr...@gmail.com> wrote:


>What is crucial for the Advaitin is that Sri Appayya Dikshitar has cited copiously from the Skanda Purana about the entire story of Nandi's curse, etc. 

Of course, Sri Appayya Dikshita, also being from the Southern part of India, would naturally follow the Southern recension! The same conclusion will also apply too Sri Muthuswamy Dikshita. There are no surprises here.

Actually Sri Appayya Dikshitar, in that text, has not cited from the Valmiki Ramayana for this episode.  He has cited many verses from the Skanda Purana Kedara Khanda.  Also, in the case of Muthuswamy Dikshitar too we can guess that he has relied on the Skanda Purana where alone the identity has been stated in most certain terms, unlike the VR where it is Ravana's doubt.  Sri M. Dikshitar in another work of his has said 'You are established by the Shiva Purana', on Devi. 

regards



Best Regards


On Sunday, 10 September, 2023 at 12:01:36 pm UTC+5:30 v.subrahmanian wrote:
On Sun, Sep 10, 2023 at 3:15 AM Kalyan  wrote:
The relevant portion of the 3 commentaries may be found here - 


A few observations -

1. All the above mentioned commentators are commenting on the Southern recension. 

This fact is also confirmed by the editors of the Baroda edition here - 


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Kalyan

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Sep 10, 2023, 5:49:02 AM9/10/23
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Dear Sir,  

Manuscripts and published editions are different. The images that you attach look like published editions. 

Having said that, if my understanding is right, among thre 16 Northern manuscripts used for Baroda Edition, one contains these slokas. The other 15 dont. This is an anamoly, not a norm.

There is a published North-Western recension of Valmiki Ramayana, based on 10 manuscripts by DAV college Lahore (published before independence) which does not contain these slokas.


The details of manuscripts used are given. These slokas are missing - 


Best Regards

সপ্ত Rishi

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Sep 10, 2023, 5:52:20 AM9/10/23
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The first image was the bengal recension,(in bengali-gaudiya patha)so yes my claim stands.(also published by vidyasagar.)

The second,might be your comclusion.


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Kalyan

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Sep 10, 2023, 5:54:21 AM9/10/23
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Sorry, I forgot to add this. This is for Sundara-Kanda

Here is the description of the 10 manuscripts used to prepare the Sundara Kanda North-Western recension of Valmiki Ramayana -

Warm Regards

সপ্ত Rishi

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Sep 10, 2023, 5:54:48 AM9/10/23
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Correction:conclusion.

সপ্ত Rishi

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Sep 10, 2023, 5:55:28 AM9/10/23
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Great, thank you for the information.

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Kalyan

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Sep 10, 2023, 5:56:32 AM9/10/23
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Please provide link to the published edition. It would be intetesting to see what manuscripts are used.

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সপ্ত Rishi

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Sep 10, 2023, 5:59:17 AM9/10/23
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There aren't any links to this document left anymore, my relative,sri narendrachandra vedantatirtha of calcutta sanskrit college had given me this image.

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sunil bhattacharjya

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Sep 10, 2023, 2:56:46 PM9/10/23
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Dear Subbuji,

Here we are having a lot of discussion involving Ravana, the king of Lanka. Early this year an author named Jijith Nadumuri Ravi published a book entitled '"Geography of Ramayana", where he tries to prove that Ravana of the Ramayana was not the king of Sri Lanka. While I find it difficult to agree with this author, I am inquisitive to know if any of the scholarly members of this august group, can express his or her thoughts on  this issue.

Regards,
Sunil KB


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