Episode 01 - Chapter11-Dhanush.
Chapter 11 - THE BREAKING OF THE ‘SHIVA DHANUS’ - கார்முகப் படலம்
After listening to Sadananda’s narrative about the Shiva Dhanus and Janaka’s determination about giving Sita’s hand to the brave one who would chord it, and coming to a decision in his mind, Sage Viswamitra beckons to Rama with a hint flowing from his face. Rama reads that well and instantly.
நினைந்த முனி பகர்ந்த எலாம் நெறி உன்னி. அறிவனும் தன்
புனைந்த சடை முடி துளக்கி. போர் ஏற்றின் முகம் பார்த்தான்;
வனைந்தனைய திருமேனி வள்ளலும். அம் மா தவத்தோன்
நினைந்த எலாம் நினைந்து. அந்த நெடுஞ் சிலையை நோக்கினான்.
Sage Viswamitra, having listened to Sadananda about the Shiva Dhanus and Janaka’s determination that the one that would chord it would earn Sita’s hand, internalised that
message and concluded in his mind. Then, with his glowingly lovely bearded head, beckons to Rama, resembling a battle-ready bull, hinting to him that he wished him to try and chord the bow. Rama, with a portrait-perfect divine figure, mind-reads the Sage comprehensively and looked at the Shiva Dhanus.
பொழிந்த நெய் ஆகுதி வாய் வழி பொங்கி
எழுந்த கொழும் கனல் என்ன எழுந்தான்;
‘அழிந்தது வில் ‘என விண்ணவர் ஆர்த்தார்;
மொழிந்தனர் ஆசிகள் முப்பகை வென்றார்
Like the rousing, roaring, rising (skywards) poornaahuthi flames, fed by the pouring of all the ghee in the ritual, Rama rose. The Devas proclaimed loudly with delight: “The bow is destroyed”. Elders and sages who had conquered the three vital enemies within - lust, anger and distraction, graced Rama with their choicest blessings.
The congregation of women, though, not having the benefit of foreknowledge that the Devas have, only knowing the past history of countless kings and princes who dared at all to this challenge, having fled in defeat and humiliation and reacting emotionally to the apparently impossible mismatch between the young divinely glowing Rama and the monster bow, lapse again into rants:
காணும் நெடுஞ் சிலை கால் வலிது’ என்பார்;
‘நாணுடை நங்கை நலம் கிளர் செங் கேழ்ப்
பாணி. இவன் படர் செங் கை படாதேல்.
வாள் நுதல் மங்கையும் வாழ்வு இலள்’ என்பார்.
The rants of the women in the huge assembly ranged from:
“The bow that we see is (reputed to be) with a heavy leg (implying that it could not be lifted)” If the bashful Sita’s crimson-tinted lovely hands don’t get held by this young prince’s reddish hands, then this lovable damsel blessed with that lovely resplendant forehead, has no (married) life.”
கரங்கள் குவித்து. இரு கண்கள் பனிப்ப.
‘இருங் களிறு இச் சிலை ஏற்றிலன் ஆயின்.
நரந்த நறைக் குழல் நங்கையும். நாமும்.
முருங்கு எரியில் புக மூழ்குதும்’ என்பார்.
The ranting of emotional distraught by the women escalates:
With folded hands the women lay their own lives at stake with that of Sita:
“should this strong elephant-like lad fail to chord the bow, bringing tears of joy to our eyes, this poor thing, Sita, with lustrous hair fragrant with kasturi incense, and all of us with her, shall have to immolate ourselves.”
Then, the women move into a state of helpless exasperation:
வள்ளல் மணத்தை மகிழ்ந்தனன் என்றால்
“கொள்” என முன்பு கொடுப்பதை அல்லால.
வெள்ளம் அணைத்தவன் வில்லை எடுத்து. இப்
பிள்ளை முன் இட்டது பேதைமை’ என்பார்.
If the generous (king) Janaka really desired to realise (parental) joy in seeing Sita wed, he ought to have without hesitation offered her to this most qualified man for Sita - “here, take her hands”. Without doing that (obviously smart) thing, his having laid this
Monstrous bow in front of this young boy is stupidity.”
‘ஞான முனிக்கு ஒரு நாண் இலை’ என்பார்;
‘கோன் இவனின் கொடியோன் இலை’ என்பார்;
(‘njaana munikku oru naaN ilai’ enpaar;
‘kOn ivanin kodiyOn ilai’ enpaar;)
This Viswamitra, boasting of all the realised knowledge,
has no sense of shame (in bidding this youngster to venture
Into this (seemingly hopeless) challenge) there could be no
person more cruel than this (reputed) man.
தோகையர் இன்னன சொல்லிட. நல்லோர்
ஓகை விளம்பிட. உம்பர் உவப்ப.
மாக மடங்கலும். மால் விடையும். பொன்
நாகமும். நாகமும். நாண நடந்தான்.
Rama walks to the bow. How does he walk?
In the midst of the aforestated rantings by the women in the assemblage, to the accompaniment of graces and blessings by the learned and the sages and the joy of all the Devas, Rama walked to the bow - his walk putting to shame the walk of an elephant, a fiercely imposing bull and the Meru, the largest mount of gold.
ஆடக மால் வரை அன்னதுதன்னை.
‘தேட அரு மா மணி. சீதை எனும் பொன்
சூடக வால் வளை. சூட்டிட நீட்டும்
ஏடு அவிழ் மாலை இது’ என்ன. எடுத்தான்.
Here is a delightful simile from Kamban:
He took the bow that resembled the Maha Meru, as if it was the very, fresh floral garland that he was picking up to wed Sita with, the priceless, rare to find, Sita (the wedding garland). (The monstrous features of the Shiva Dhanus have been elaborate;y presented by the poet earlier; the apparent mismatch between this young lad and the impervious bow has been presented too. And, the anti-climax of the great ease with which Rama actually picks up the bow is built in this remarkable metaphor.)
தடுத்து இமையாமல் இருந்தவர். தாளில்
மடுத்ததும். நாண் நுதி வைத்ததும். நோக்கார்;
கடுப்பினில் யாரும் அறிந்திலர்; கையால்
எடுத்தது கண்டனர்; இற்றது கேட்டார்.
This verse is universally celebrated for the concluding lines:
எடுத்தது கண்டனர்; இற்றது கேட்டார்.
Everyone in the assemblage - including the Devas from the heavens (who never blink),
were watching with intense intent, not allowing a blink to impair their viewing, could not see Rama set his foot on the base of the bow, draw the chord; because of the nearly invisible swiftness he did all this with, they did not realise any of this. They only SAW him picking the bow with his hands: HEARD it break. They saw the picking up of the bow and only heard its breaking. Nothing in between could be seen by any one due to the very deft swiftness of Rama’s hands.
“எடுத்தது கண்டனர்; இற்றது கேட்டார்” -
I tried to figure this conundrum out. I tend to believe, without rational support possibly, that renderings of maha kaavyas are not wholly man-made and there should have been an unseen divine energy driving Kamban’s rendering. (He is supposed to have completed this monumental epic of over 12000 verses in ten nights.) If that is conceded, then there could be no place for unsubstantiated assertions like sound outspeeding sight. Then how do we find a scientific explanation for this. I think it is explained by the phenomenon of “transfixing” or “spell-binding:of the sight. (Kamban would, later in the epic, would use this “transfixing” of sight metaphor when he asserts தாள் கண்டார் தாளே கண்டார்.
The poet builds up to the crescendo by elaborately bringing to us the monstrous proportions of the Shiva Dhanus, its endless history of defeating men endowed with both brawn and blinding ambition (to secure Sita’s hands). He brings to us two nearly equally divided rants amongst the assemblage - those who p;ity Sita as they can’t in any way persuade themselves that this very young, innocent-looking, handsome lad could accomplish what had eluded those infinitely more powerful forays, , ridiculing and pitying Janaka ( வெள்ளம் அணைத்தவன் வில்லை எடுத்து இப்பிள்ளை முன் இட்டது பேதைமை! ) ‘and also cursing Sage Viswamitra for prodding Rama towards that hopeless mismatch. The more pessimistic among them believed that they were in for self-immolation along with Sita. The other half saw the young lad as the incarnation of Sri Maha Vishnu, and the right match for Sita; they were confident that he would beat the Shiva Dhanus and wed Sita.
For both the halves, however, Rama lifting the monster of a bow as if he was picking the garland with which to wed Sita, that sight was one of total disbelief. That awe was spell-binding. Their eyes were riveted to that one scene and did not move on to the others - his fixing his toe to the bottom of the bow, chording and the breaking of the bow. The great noise of the breaking shook them from this transfixing, awesome, reverie. That is my take on this exceptional line of Kamban.
Now, more hyperbole from the poet on the noise that emanated from the breaking of the Shiva dhanus:
‘ஆரிடைப் புகுதும் நாம்?’ என்று. அமரர்கள். கமலத்தோன்தன்
பேருடை அண்ட கோளம் பிளந்தது’ என்று ஏங்கி. நைந்தார்;
பாரிடை உற்ற தன்மை பகர்வது என்? பாரைத் தாங்கி.
வேரெனக் கிடந்த நாகம் இடி என வெருவிற்று அன்றே!
“Where shall we take refuge?” panicked the residents of the heavens. They feared and grieved that the entire globular Universe created by Brahma, has blown up. If this is the fate of the heavens itself, what to speak of mere earthlings? The (thousand hooded) serpant (Aadisesha), that held this earth as its root, shivered as if it was an shattering thunder bolt.
(One of the several irrational anachronisms in Hindu thought is that serpents don’t like thunderbolts and shiver when they hear them. Science tells us that snakes don’t hear. But it is possible that they perceive the vibrations from sound in their nervous system and those vibrations bother them. With the same (misplaced) belief, the literature of yore uses the metaphor: “மகுடி கேட்ட நாகம் போல்” - serpent spell bound by the music from the pipe. Actually, when the piper pipes his pipe, he sways the pipe around and the cobra is “transfixed” on the sight, as a possible danger, ready to protect itself in case the pipe did get close. )
Universal Celebration:
பூ மழை சொரிந்தார் விண்ணோர்; பொன் மழை பொழிந்த மேகம்;
பாம மா கடல்கள் எல்லாம் பல் மணி தூவி ஆர்த்த;
கோ முனிக் கணங்கள் எல்லாம் கூறின ஆசி; - ‘கொற்ற
நாம வேல் சனகற்கு. இன்று. நல்வினை பயந்தது’ என்னா.
Celebrating the breaking of the Shiva Dhanus - and heralding the wedding of Sita with Rama -
the gods showered (the yagasalai of Janaka) with flowers; rain clouds, unbounded by joy, showered the earth with showers of gold. All the wide, expansive, oceans rose with their waves and roared, scattering the earth with glittering, precious gems. All the revered rishis offered their fondest blessings for the event and the event’s core - Rama. The event heralded the consummation of all the good deeds of Janaka, with an invincible army of lancers and all-conquering empire, symbolised by his imperial parasol.
The residents of Mithila celebrated even more demonstrably and audibly. As was the custom in ancient times, joyous celebrations granted a licence to the poor and under-privileged to take and keep wealth from the treasury and from the more affluent.
வெண்ணிற மேகம் மேல் மேல் விரி கடல் பருகுமா போல்,
மண் நிறை வேந்தன் செல்வம் வறியவர் முகந்து கொண்டார்.
Like the white, moisture-less clouds drinking deep and hard from the vast oceans, the poor in Janaka’s all-encompassing empire gathered to their heart’s content, wealth from the empire’s treasury..
வயிரியர் மதுர கீதம் மங்கையர் அமுத கீதம்.
செயிரியர் மகர யாழின் தேம் பிழி தெய்வ கீதம்.
பயிர் கிளை வேயின் கீதம் என்று இவை பருகி. விண்ணோர்
உயிருடை உடம்பும் எல்லாம் ஓவியம் ஒப்ப நின்றார்.
வயிரியர்(VAYIRIYAR) = those engaged in the art form of theatre (koothar);
செயிரியர் (SEYIRIYAR) - those engaged in the playing of “yaazh” the unique Thamizh
String instrument (paaNar).
Celebration with Music: The gods of the heavens and the whole humankind, immersed the engulfing symphony of sweet music, by those engaged in the art form of drama, those engaged in playing the “yaazh”, young women well-trained in music and endowed with a sweet voice, the music flowing from the mellifluous flutes, all rendering music fit for the gods, stood spell-bound - as if lifeless portraits.
The citizens of Mithila are celebrating the handsome and royally celebrated prince-charming, bridegroom to be:
தயரதன் புதல்வன்’ என்பார்; ‘தாமரைக் கண்ணன்’ என்பார்;
‘புயல் இவன் மேனி’ என்பார்; ‘பூவையே பொருவும்’ என்பார்;
‘மயல் உடைத்து உலகம்’ என்பார்; மானிடன் அல்லன்’ என்பார்;
‘கயல் பொரு கடலுள் வைகும் கடவுளே காணும்’ என்பார்.
Hail! This son of Dasaratha! He is lotus-eyed; He is cloud-complexioned; He is of the colour of kaayampoo (a dark-crimson coloured flower of a plant that doesn’t produce a fruit). He is spell-binding the world; He is not human; He is that very Lord Vishnu that resides in the Milky Ocean that is profuse with fishes.
What is Sita’s circumstances while all this drama was being enacted?
Sita rouses herself from the flower-petal bed with effort and moves to a pretty lotus pond constructed with of white marble, that is filled with cool water yielded by “chandra kaantha” stones (this legendary stone is reported to yield profuse cool water when exposed to moonlight - ‘cool’ solution a to Chennai’s water problems?).
She continues to pine for the handsome dusky young man that stole her heart to be presented to her: laments that that young man is her very life breath (and if he did not come to her again, she would lose her life):
‘நாண் உலாவு மேருவோடுநாண் உலாவு பாணியும்.
தூண் உலாவு தோளும். வாளி யூடு உலாவு தூணியும்.
வாள் நிலாவின் நூல் உலாவும் மாலை மார்பும். மீளவும்
காணல் ஆகும்? ஆகின். ஆவி காணல் ஆகுமேகொலாம்.
His stone pillar like shoulders that adorned a remarkable bow that appeared to be made of Meru the divine mount and chorded by Aadi Sesha the thousand hooded serpant, the arrows-chest filled with arrows, the sacred thread swaying on his broad garlanded chest - should I get to see them again, my life would be spared.
‘விண்ணுளே எழுந்த மேகம் மார்பின் நூலின் மின்னொடு. இம்
மண்ணுளே இழிந்தது என்ன. வந்து போன மைந்தனார்.
எண்ணுளே இருந்த போதும். யாவரென்றுதோகிலென்;
கண்ணுளே இருந்த போதும். என்கொல் காண்கிலாதவே?
That captivating young man who appeared in front of me as if a dark rain cloud descended the earth , distinguished by the lightning-like sacred thread adorning his broad chest - and then disappeared - but he is fixated in my mind but I can’t figure out who that is; he is right in my eyes’ pupils, all the time, yet I can’t see him, how strange?
Sita also assails Rama’s chivalry, as he had failed to quell her burning desire lit by Love God’s pityless arrows: சஞ்சலம் கலந்த போது, தையலாரை உய்ய வந்து,‘அஞ்சல்! அஞ்சல்! ‘என்கிலாத ஆண்மை, என்ன ஆண்மையே?“
As Sita is in the grip of this agonising reverie and lamenting, her intimate friend, Neelamalai, arrives there, swinging and singing, dancing and laughting, obviously engulfed by joy and excitement. Sita demands an explanation for that (inappropriate in the context) exuberance: சிந்தையுள் மகிழ்ச்சியும் புகுந்த செய்கையும் சுந்தரி! சொல்’ - What is this (unexplained) joy in your mind and the affected (joyful) conduct?, My lovely mate, tell me.
I personally consider this particular segment in the epic as thrice blessed:
1. It is filled with joyous celebration practically all through – as we move on we would find the epic presenting to us events and characters engulfed in stress, tension, privation, separation, grief and confrontation. When an exceptional good thing is on offer, let us soak it in.
கால் உறு கண் வழிப் புகுந்த காதல் நோய். பால் உறு பிரை என. பரந்தது எங்குமே.
முந்தி. என் உயிரை. அம் முறுவல் உண்டதே!
கண்ணொடு கண் இணை கவ்வி. ஒன்றை ஒன்று உண்ணவும்
வரி சிலை அண்ணலும் வாள் - கண் நங்கையும் இருவரும் மாறிப் புக்கு. இதயம் எய்தினார்.
எடுத்தது கண்டனர்; இற்றது கேட்டார்” -
3. Personally – your narrator’s initiative in this delightful, divine journey was nearly sundered at Selection 51: August 31, (2017) standing in front of Sowmya’s pooja alcove, (Aravinda and I were visiting her), I was chanting Sahasramam, had done with Lakshmi
Ashtoththaram, Aaditya Hridayam, Panchayudha Stotram and was almost through Dwadasa Pancharam. On to Apathaam apaharthaaram… (Sri Rama steals your evil encounters – dispossesses them)..Head feeling light!
Whirring.. Hands trying to reach the edge of the alcove for support –a mere 12 inches away, but looks like light miles away. Hands shake without control. And.. nothing.. absolutely nothing.. faintly hear Aravinda and Sowmya by my side and even those voices fade off..nothing.. When I come to I find myself sitting on a chair that was not
there before. I had thrown up and find my clothes terribly soiled. A minute on, I hear the unmistakable sirens of the ambulance. Another minute, hefty, tall, para medics hover over me.. Emergency Room in Washington Hospital, Fremont, 24 hours of hospitalization and battery of tests later am back home; and giving final touches to Selection 51
and posts them – September 1. Apathaam apaharthaaram? Sri Rama?
Let us consider this as a scene out of the long drama that keeps us
relentlessly riveted:
As Sita is sitting at the lotus pool made of white marble and “chandira kaanthak kal” (a legendary rock that exults in moonlight and issues founts of cool water), in the grip of an agonising reverie and lamenting, her intimate friend, Neelamalai, arrives there,
swinging and singing, dancing and laughting, obviously engulfed by joy and excitement.
பூங் கலைகளும் குழலும் சோர்தர,
நுடங்கிய மின் என நொய்தின் எய்தினாள்,
நெடுந் தடங் கிடந்த கண் நீலமாலையே.
All her flower garlands and necklaces, and her long lustrous hair,
disheveled and flowing, like a lightning, Neela Maalai, (Sita’s
closest mate) arrived where Sita was seated.
Sita demands an explanation for that (inappropriate in the context) exuberance: சிந்தையுள் மகிழ்ச்சியும் புகுந்த செய்கையும் சுந்தரி! சொல்- What is this (unexplained) joy in you and the affected (joyful) conduct?My lovely mate, tell me
We noted, in an earlier post, that Dr. David Shulman, Professor of Sanskrit and Head of the Indology Department, Hebrew University, Jerusalem assert that Kamban’s epic was a drama rathen than a kaavya:
“It was not written as a Kaavya, but a dramatic text, suitable for enactment. Seventy to eighty percent of the text contains dramatic dialogues between various characters. Rama does not talk much. Everybody else talks. In the smaller dialogue sequences there are speech marker signs such as the terms “inran” , “kotiyan” at the end
of lines, rhyming and “nityaksharaprasam” which give a clear idea of its dramatic tone. Kamban was a magician of sound and used alliteration constantly. Another quality of the text is that it is written in simple, easy language understood by the common people. With his simple and poetic language he weaves a text of ten thousand verses which are hypnotic and mesmerizing.”
தய ரத துரக மாக் கடலன், கல்வியன்,
தயரதன் எனும் பெயர்த் தனிச் செல் நேமியான்,
புயல் பொழி தடக் கையான், புதல்வன்; பூங் கணை
மயல் விளை மதனற்கும் வடிவு மேன்மையான்;
Son of Dasaratha, possessed of infantry, cavalry and other forces in
his sea-like army, highly accomplished in all sources of knowledge,
who gives like a storm with his large hands. He is infinitely more
handsome than the God of Love himself.
மரா மரம் இவை என வளர்ந்த தோளினான்;
"அரா-அணை அமலன்" என்று அயிர்க்கும் ஆற்றலான்;
'இராமன்' என்பது பெயர்; இளைய கோவொடும்,
பராவ அரு முனியொடும், பதி வந்து எய்தினான்;
His name is Rama. Possessed of hands and shoulders that resemble the “maraa” trees; possessed of power and valour that make one wonder: He is that very Maha Vishnu, reclining on Anantha the thousand-hooded divine serpant. He, accompanied by his younger sibling and the Sage (Viswamitra) with indescribable spiritual prowess, arrived in the city.
பூண் இயல் மொய்ம்பினன், புனிதன் எய்த வில்
காணிய வந்தனன்" என்ன, காவலன்
ஆணையின் அடைந்த வில் அதனை, ஆண்தகை,
நாண் இனிது ஏற்றினான்; நடுங்கிற்று உம்பரே!
As the young prince expressed a desire to view the Shiva Dhanus,
Janaka ordered it to be brought in. This remarkable man chorded it.
And the heavens shivered!
மாத்திரை அளவில் தாள் மடுத்து, முன் பயில்
"சூத்திரம் இது" என, தோளின் வாங்கினான்;
ஏத்தினர் இமையவர்; இழிந்த, பூ மழை;
வேத்தவை நடுக்குற முறிந்து வீழ்ந்ததே!'
In just a trice, Sri Rama, telling to himself, “this is what I was taught”, fixed his (left) toe on the bottom of the Shiva Dhanus, and (chorded and) drew it to his shoulders; all the gods applauded; it showered flower petals; as Anantha’s hooded head shivered, the Shiva
Dhanus broke and fell.
'கோமுனியுடன் வரு கொண்டல்' என்ற பின்,
'தாமரைக் கண்ணினான்' என்ற தன்மையால்,
'ஆம்; அவனேகொல்' என்று, ஐயம் நீங்கினாள்-
Sita receives Neelamalai’s news with a compound of diverse emotions.
(She knows she has to give her hand to this lad who has defeated the
(so far) undefeated Shiva Dhanus; and she needs the one she met
briefly in front of her terrace a while ago and NO ONE ELSE. Would the
twain be the one? She finds distinct solace from the narrative details
from Neelamalai, over which her mind is riveted: “This man accompanied
the Sage; he had the complexion of a rain cloud; he had eyes matching
the lotus”. With (passing) relief, she then avers: “Yes, he should be
the same that resides in my mind and in my eyes from that fleeting
moment.”
'சொல்லிய குறியின், அத் தோன்றலே அவன்;
அல்லனேல், இறப்பென்' என்று, அகத்துள் உன்னினாள்.
A doubt overtakes her, though: “From everything that Neelamalai has
said, it ought to be that very man; in case, in case, just in case, it
be not so? I shall die.” she decides.
Janka proposes a stellar wedding – soon:
'உரை செய்-எம் பெரும! உன் புதல்வன் வேள்விதான்,
விரைவின், இன்று, ஒரு பகல் முடித்தல் வேட்கையோ?
முரசு எறிந்து அதிர் கழல் முழங்கு தானை அவ்
அரசையும், இவ் வழி அழைத்தல் வேட்கையோ?
Janaka enquires of Sage Viswamitra: Is it your wish that your son (Sri
Rama), (having won Sita’s hand) should wed now, today? Or, would you
rather have this proclaimed by drum beats all over and also conveyed
to Emperor Dasaratha, inviting him and his entourage here?
We are closing in on the most glittering celestial event on this earth. Hold on!