Rikṣas

The Rikṣas are a people of bears who appear as organized warriors in the Lanka campaign. The poem gives them a forest origin and depicts them through named leaders, connecting their identity as a people to their place in the fighting host.

Identity and Leadership

Dhúmra is presented as a proud ursine chief who leads wild warriors bred in the forest. His origins are tied to Rikshavan's high mountain, where he was nursed, and to the Narmadá, where he slakes his thirst. The poem identifies Jámbaván as his brother and describes him as close to Dhúmra in strength and age, while also calling him a famous sage.

Role in the Lanka Campaign

Jámbaván leads the bears in battle. When Vibhishaṇ's arrival prompts fear and troops flee, Sugríva orders Jámbaván to check them; Jámbaván obeys. This moment shows the Rikṣas not merely as a named race but as a commanded fighting force whose leader is entrusted with restoring order amid a retreat.

Narrative Significance

The account gives the bear host both a natural setting and a military function: its warriors are associated with the forest, while its leadership is integrated into the campaign's chain of command. Dhúmra's chiefly authority and Jámbaván's intervention among fleeing troops provide the poem's concrete glimpses of the Rikṣas as a people.