Rāma Digvijaya

In the Rājya Khaṇḍa of the Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa, Bhagavān Rāma goes out on a digvijaya (conquest of all directions) over the whole earth. The account runs through chapters 7, 8 and 9. He wins all the lands of Bhāratavarsha, then all nine regions of Jambūdvīpa, and then the six other dvīpas: Plaksha, Śālmalī, Kuśa, Krauñca, Śāka and Pushkara. At the end he shares the rule of the world among his sons and brothers.

Bhāratavarsha (chapter 7)

The digvijaya starts in chapter 7 with a full sweep through all the regions of Bhāratavarsha. The text lists kingdoms, peoples and regions that Rāma wins, from the northern Himālaya lands to the southern coast, and from the eastern regions to the western lands by the sea.

This is not a war of destruction. The kings accept Rāma’s rule, bring tribute, and in return receive his protection and blessing. No kingdom is destroyed. All are brought into the order of Rāmarājya. This kind of conquest is called digvijaya-dharma, and it is different from conquest by destroying the enemy.

The nine regions of Jambūdvīpa (chapter 8)

Chapter 8 takes the conquest beyond Bhāratavarsha to all nine varshas (regions) of Jambūdvīpa. Jambūdvīpa is the innermost of the seven dvīpas, and Mount Meru stands at its centre. The chapter also describes Mount Meru in detail: its form, the rivers that flow from it, the lokas on its different levels, and its place as the axis of the world.

The nine regions of Jambūdvīpa are:

  • Bhāratavarsha, already won
  • Ilāvṛtavarsha, the central region around Meru
  • Bhadrāśvavarsha
  • Ketumālavarsha
  • Harivarsha
  • Kimpurushavarsha
  • Ramyakavarsha
  • Hiraṇmayavarsha
  • Uttarakuruvarsha

Rāma wins all of these, including regions beyond the lands that people ordinarily know. So he rules the whole central continent.

The six outer dvīpas (chapter 9)

Chapter 9 tells how Rāma won the six dvīpas beyond Jambūdvīpa:

  • Plakshadvīpa, the dvīpa of the Plaksha tree
  • Śālmalīdvīpa, the dvīpa of the Śālmalī tree
  • Kuśadvīpa, the dvīpa of kuśa grass
  • Krauñcadvīpa, the dvīpa of the Krauñca mountain
  • Śākadvīpa, the dvīpa of the Śāka tree
  • Pushkaradvīpa, the outermost dvīpa

Each dvīpa is described with its land, its ruling peoples and its place in the order of the world. With the six outer dvīpas won, Rāma rules the whole earth of seven dvīpas, as the Purāṇas count it. He becomes the true Saptadvīpeśvara (ruler of the seven dvīpas).

Sharing the conquered lands

After the digvijaya, Rāma gives the rule of the lands to his family:

  • Lava receives rule over Jambūdvīpa as a whole.
  • Bharata receives the rule of Bhāratavarsha in particular.
  • Kuśa is made yuvarāja (crown prince) under Rāma himself.
  • Śatrughna had already received Mathurā.
  • Bharata had already received Gāndhāra, in an earlier sharing.
  • The sons of Lakshmaṇa receive Gajāśva and Dhanaratna.

The title Saptadvīpeśvara

The digvijaya of the Rājya Khaṇḍa makes Rāma Saptadvīpeśvara. He uses this title for himself in the Rāmanāthapura land-grant inscription in chapter 18. The Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa shows Rāmarājya as reaching beyond Ayodhyā and beyond Bhārata, to the farthest parts of the created world.

Sources

  • Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa, Rājya Khaṇḍa, chapter 7 (Bhāratavarsha)
  • Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa, Rājya Khaṇḍa, chapter 8 (the nine regions of Jambūdvīpa, Mount Meru)
  • Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa, Rājya Khaṇḍa, chapter 9 (the six outer dvīpas, sharing of the lands)
  • Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa, Rājya Khaṇḍa, chapter 18 (the Rāmanāthapura land-grant inscription)