Episode 04 - Obeisance to the Assembly.

OBEISANCE TO THE ASSEMBLY - அவையடக்கம்.

In the olden times, literary works were presented, either in assemblies of literary stalwarts or in royal durbars; spiritual works were dedicated usually at the altars of the Almighty. 

History notes that Kamba Ramayanam was presented by Kamban in a mandap in the  Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam. (He did not get the divine nod in the first  place as he was required by Nam Perumal to anoint Sadagopan (Nammazhwar) ahead  of this event, appropriately. Kamban complied, by composing “Sadagopar Andhadhi” 

of 100 verse on Nammazhwar and presented that work in the said mandap. Then  followed the “arangetram” of Kamba Ramayanam. 

Every literary work commenced with the writer’s presentation to the Assembly. This was  called அவையடக்கம் = BOWING TO THE ASSEMBLY. Kamban’s அவையடக்கம் – the first  verse – is a gem for its imagery, the unimaginable hyperbole, indelibly stating his  mental state when he set out to do this work: audacity, greed, hopeless mismatch  between the job and the skill for it. We would consider it here: 

ஓசை பெற்று உயர் பாற்கடல் உற்று, ஒரு 

பூசை முற்றவும் நக்குபு புக்கென, 

ஆசை பற்றி அறையலுற்றேன் - மற்று, இக் 

காசு இல் கொற்றத்து இராமன் கதைஅரோ!  பூசை = cat காசு இல் = blemishless; கொற்றத்து = Royally Victorious; 

Like a frail. Frivolous. pretentious cat beset 

With stupid audacity, avarice distilled and intent risible 

Venturing unto the mightily roaring rarefied shore wave-swept, 

Immense ocean of milk – Whence Lakshmi ascended, Amrit’s crucible, Abode of Vishnu, reclined on Anantha, where Nitya Suris His praises sIng. To devour ALL OF THAT, lapping with its tiny penny-sized tongue: 

“I, as pretentious, audacious and with laughable savoir faire, 

Driven by pure, puerile greed, setting about to narrate 

This Great Epic - of Sri Rama, shining descendant of Raghu the Great,  The One with Spectacular Victories –

none with a taint and each most fair.” 

Imagine a humble cat – always fond of milk – venturing to drink ALL OF (முற்றவும் நக்குபு புக்கென) Thirupaarkadal! Just by lapping it all with its tiny tongue! The  metaphor underscores greed overtaking discretion, in a hyperbole that startles you. 

Compare this with Shakespeare’s similar hyperbolic figure of speech in Macbeth:

MACBETH: “What hands are here? Ha! They pluck out mine eyes, 

Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood, 

Clean from my hand? This my hand will rather 

The multitudinous seas in incarnAadine, 

Making the green one red.” (Act II, Scene II.) 

There are four more verses in this section – obeisance to the Assembly, but this (first)  one comes out startlingly the best and is most quoted.