Episode 01 - Chapter 16 - Canto on Hanuman entering/exiting a cavern.

Chapter 16 - Canto on (Hanuman) entering and exiting a cavern பிலம் புக்கு நீங்கு படலம்

 

The team comprised of Hanuman, Angada and Jambavan, accompanied by an army that had countless foot-soldiers (all siminans, though), completed their search from the northern fringe – the Vindhyas – and came up with no clue to Sita’s whereabouts. கொம்பினைக் கண்டிலர் குப்புற்று ஏகினார். 

 

At this stage, Angada bade the army – “you all go, spread out everywhere and look around; and at the end of your search (within a month), do come and join us in the Mahandra Parvatham (the Mahendra mountains at the southern cape.)”

 

தெள்ளு நீர் உலக எலாம் தெரிந்து தேடி, நீர்

எள்ள அரும் மயேந்திரத்து எம்மில் கூடும்'

 

The stage is thus set for the launch of the core search venture – Hanuman, Angada and Jambavan with a minimal army in support, start towards the Mehendra Parvatham, intuitively zeroing in on that point for the critical launch.

 

This core party reached a scorching desert enrout. The party made of the mightiest trio amongst Sugreeva’s commanders – Hanuman, Angada and Jambavan – and their support forces, found the going smoulderingly tough; parched tongues, burning skin and scalding, blistering feet made their progress very, very,  painful.

 

நீட்டிய நாவினர்; நிலத்தில் தீண்டுதோறு

ஊட்டிய வெம்மையால் உலையும் காலினர்;

காட்டினும் காய்ந்து, தம் காயம் தீதலால்,

சூட்டு அகல்மேல் எழு பொரியின் துள்ளினார்.

 

With (parched) tongues stuck out, feet scalding and developing blisters as they touched the smouldering ground, they skipped around “like corns popping out of the roasting pan.”

 

Fleeing this roasting treat, the vanara party sought refuge in a huge, very dark, cavern that they came by. திக்கினோடு உலகு உறச் செறிந்த தேங்கு இருள்

எக்கிய கதிரவற்கு அஞ்சி ஏம் உறப்புக்கதே அனையது ஓர் புரை புக்கு எய்தினார். The cavern seemed to have already been taken refuge of by all the darkness in the world that had fled the blistering sun.

 

The party of vanaras pleaded with Hanuman to lead it out of this mess that seemed to be worse than the desert. Hanuman, assuming a gigantic form, advised them to fall in line behind him and make a chain one holding the tail of the one in front and follow him. After trekking quite a distance the party reached civilization – or, so it seemed at first sight - a well laid-out splendorous city.

 

What was this city life?

 

கற்பகக் கானது; கமலக் காடது;

பொன் பெருங் கோபுரப் புரிசை புக்கது;

அற்புதம் அமரரும் எய்தலாவது;

சிற்பமும், மயன் மனம் வருந்திச் செய்தது;

 

The city resembled a large grove of the divine “Karpaga” trees; it looked like a forest of lotus flowers laid out (in interminable water bodies); had ramparts punctuated by gleaming, golden towers; a splendor that even the Devas would envy. It would fit the best work of Maya, the architect of the Devas.

 

BUT, IT WAS A DEAD CITY!

 

இயக்கு இலாமையால் உயிர் இலா ஓவியம் என்ன ஒப்பது.

 

As there was no life nor its movement, it resembled a lifeless portrait.

 

வாவி உள; பொய்கை உள; வாச மலர் நாறும்

காவும் உள; காவி விழியார்கள் மொழி என்னக்

கூவும் இள மென் குயில்கள், பூவை, கிளி, கோலத்

தூவி மட அன்னம், உள; தோகையர்கள் இல்லை.

 

There were lovely ponds and lakes; there were lush and fragrantly flowering groves; there were koels that were cooing like young maidens; there were mynahs; parakeets; swans. But there were no women (who would usually be associated with these.)

 

The vanara party was perplexed, bamboozled with this encounter. Jambavan, the eldest of this party, actually despaired that they have been entrapped: காம்பு அனைய தோளியை ஒளித்த படு கள்வன், நாம் புக அமைத்த பொறி நன்று; முடிவு இன்றால்; ஏம்பல் இனி மேலை விதியால் முடியும் ‘ The great thief (Ravana) who stole and hid Sita, the slender-shouldered one, had laid this trap for us; there is no escape for us. This shall be our end and deliverance from all our karmas, now.’

 

Hanuman, disappointed with Jambavan, who ought to have had a clearer mind and lent a motivating strong shoulder to the confused vanara lot and visibly upset with him, challenged: even if it would mean that they would dig through this whole planet and find themselves out of this great cavern, and destroy the rakshasas with just their might, they shall do it. They shall not despair or be dispirited.

 

Motivated and energized by Hanuman’s valourous words, the vanara party progressed to the interior of this ‘dead’ city and encountered an ascetically glowing, lustrous-tressed lady – Swayamprabha.

 

Swayamprabha was seated in an ascetic pose:

 

தாமரை மலர்க்கு உவமை சால்புறு தளிர்க் கை,

பூ மருவு பொன் செறி குறங்கிடை பொருந்த,

காமம் முதல் உற்ற பகை கால் தளர, ஆசை

நாமம் அழிய, புலனும் நல் அறிவு புல்ல,

 

“With her lotus-like hands folded down on her laps, she sat there – with all the vices and non-virtues fleeing that person and desire completely losing its identity in her.”  The yogic pose is alluded to by the poet to two distinct facets of “ashtanga yoga” – yamam  and prathyaakaaram – the first containing and overwhelming the in-surging non-virtues like lust, hatred, miserliness, desire, egotism and malice and the other having the mind focussed on the divine form of one’s choice (புலனும் நல் அறிவு புல்ல.)

Looking at this ascetic feminine form, the vanara party wondered if this was indeed Sita. அருந்ததி எனத் தகைய சீதை அவளாகப் பரிந்தனர்; பதைத்தனர்; 'பணித்த

குறி, பண்பின் தெரிந்து உணர்தி; மற்று இவள்கொல், தேவி?' எனலோடும்,

 

Hanuman, who had been comprehensively briefed by none other than Sri Rama himself about how Sita would look, disabuses and ridicules the bewildered lot:

 

'எக் குறியொடு எக் குணம் எடுத்து இவண் உரைக்கேன்?

இக் குறியுடைக் கொடி இராமன் மனையாளோ?

அக்கு வடம், முத்தமணி ஆரம்அதன் நேர் நின்று

ஒக்கும்எனின், ஒக்கும்' என, மாருதி உரைத்தான்.

 

“With what features of Sita shall I compare the features of this one? How could this one be Rama’s spouse? If a garland of bones could be equated with a garland of glistening great pearls, then there could be that kind of comparison of Sita with this one!”

 

Swayamprabha, alerted to the arrival of the vanara party, enquired of them, who they were and what was their mission.

 

The Vanara party succinctly stated their mission:

வேதனை அரக்கர் ஒரு மாயை விளைவித்தார்;

சீதையை ஒளித்தனர்; மறைத்த புரை தேர்வுற்று

ஏதம் இல் அறத்துறை நிறுத்திய இராமன்

தூதர் உலகில் திரிதும் ‘என்னும் உரை சொன்னார்.

 

“The Rakshasas, through a painful trickery, stole and hid Sita somewhere. In search of where Sita is hid, we, the messengers of the Dharma-establishing Sri Rama, are going around the whole world.”

 

Swayamprabha, overwhelmed on hearing the name of Sri Rama, desired to know the whole story and Hanuman narrated the whole story to her in his own inimitable way.

 

Swayamprabha then had the famished and thirsty vanara party fed with great hospitality. On Hanuman urging her, she related her story to the vanaras:

 

“Maya, the divine architect (an asura), desired one of the divine courtiers (in Indra’s court). As she was my close mate, I inveigled her to this city. The two were love-bound and spent their infatuated lives here. When Indra came here to look for her, she confided in him all that had happened. Retrieving that divine courtier from this city, Indra cursed me, who was the cause of his courtier’s misconduct, to stay behind here in this dead city as its guard. When I asked Indra when and how shall be my deliverance, he said that when the vanaras from Rama arrived here, then shall be my deliverance. This cavern is an interminably long one. As you all had arrived here signaling my deliverance, please help me to regain my due place in the heavens.”

 

The vanara party, joining Swayamprabha’s chorus, entreated with Hanuman to grant her her wish – as this would also be deliverance for all of them, their getaway from this clueless and nightmarish huge cavern.

 

Hanuman, enlarging his form through the entire huge cavern and touching its apparently limitless ceiling, with his strong and vibrant shoulders, through that huge cavern, with its dead city and all, aloft into the sea.

பாழிநெடு வன் பிலனுள் நின்று படர் மேல்பால்

ஆழியில் எறிந்து அனுமன் மேகம் என ஆர்த்தான்

 

Swayamprabha delivered from her accursed prison, rose heavenwards.

 

(Kamban, once again, diverges from the AAadi Kaavya here, in this particular episode. According to the AAadi Kaavya, it is Swayamprabha who took the vanaras from out of this hell-hole.)

 

यत् त्वया रक्षिताः सर्वे म्रियमाणा बुभुक्षया || ४-५२-१७

ब्रूहि प्रत्युपकार अर्थम् किम् ते कुर्वन्तु वानराः |

 

yat tvayaa rakShitaaH sarve mriyamaaNaa bubhukShayaa || 4-52-17

bruuhi pratyupakaara artham kim te kurvantu vaanaraaH |

 

"You have rescued all of us who were on the verge of hunger-deaths, and what could we do for you in requital?  please tell." Thus Hanuma spoke to that ascetic, saintly lady.

 

This version – the dark cavern and deliverance to light from it -  resonates the Maha Vaakya: AsatOmaa, Sat gamaya; thamasOmaa jyotir gamaya; mrityOmaa amrtam gamaya.)

 

The vanara party, proceeding further, released from this entrapped obstacle, arrived at the banks of a splendorous lake.

 

P.S. Like “Ayomukhi”, this side story episode does not seem to embellish the epic or add any particular story value. The Group’s studied comments are welcome.

 

Chapter 16 – Canto on (Searching Vanaras) Arriving at the (Pennai) River - ஆறு செல் படலம்

 

As the vanara party of Hanuman, Angada and Jambavan, with their foot-soldiers, delivered from their nightmarish brief captivity in the cavern, arrived at the banks of a splendorous lake, they celebrated riotously, plundering the bounteous offerings of fruits, tubers, honey, etc. and, exhausted from release and revelry, fell asleep. They encountered thereabouts an asura, Thumiran.

 

The asura provoked the sleeping Angada, by hitting him on his chest. Angada, enraged, embattled with the asura and killed him. Jambavan identified the asura as Thumiran, the one who was controlling the lake and its precincts.

 

The search party proceeded further, evidently following the directional instructions of Sugreeva (which we found to be very perplexing and cluelessly topsy turvy), looking for Sita.

 

From the mapping picture gleaned from the arrangement of the verses, the party was moving northwards, while it was bidden by Sugreeva southwards – they reach the River Pennar, then reach Vidarbha, the Vindhyas,  the Dandakaaranya, all north-bound and then made a U-Turn to River Godavari, then Konkan,…a repeated replica of the mind-blowing swirl of directional instructions by Sugreeva -  let us leave this head-reeling GPS alone for now! We shall just consider the poet’s presentation of the Thamizh country:

 

THONDAI NAADU: தொண்டை நாடு

 

குன்று சூழ்ந்த கடத்தொடும், கோவலர்

முன்றில் சூழ்ந்த படப்பையும், மொய் புனல்

சென்று சூழ்ந்த கிடக்கையும், தெண் திரை

மன்று சூழ்ந்த பரப்பும் - மருங்கு எலாம்.

 

Thondai naadu had the four types of terrain – kurinji, mullai, marutham, neithal குறிஞ்சி, முல்லை, மருதம், நெய்தல். குன்று சூழ்ந்த கடத்தொடும் = hilly terrain குறிஞ்சி; கோவலர் முன்றில் சூழ்ந்த படப்பையும் = wooded terrain (groves that encompassed the courtyards of shepherds and cow-herds) முல்லை; மொய் புனல் சென்று சூழ்ந்த கிடக்கையும் = richly irrigated and fertile land (மருதம்); தெண் திரை

மன்று சூழ்ந்த பரப்பும் = wave swept sandy shores (நெய்தல்). Thondai Naadu, thus did not have the fifth terrain – பாலை – desert.

 

CHOZHA NAADU: சோழ நாடு

 

பூ நெருங்கிய புள் உறு சோலைகள்

தேன் ஒருங்கு சொரிதலின், தேர்வு இல,

மீன் நெருங்குறும் வெள்ளம் வெரீஇ, பல

வானரங்கள் மரங்களின் வைகுமால்.

 

“Dense with fragrant flowering groves that were home to droning bumble bees; as the flowers dripped flows of honey, that were mistaken by confused monkeys as floods filled with fishes and drove them to their secure perch on the trees.” Profusion of flow of honey – equated with threatening floods that scared monkeys.

 

தாறு நாறுவ, வாழைகள்; தாழையின்

சோறு நாறுவ, தூம்புகள்; மாங்கனி

நாறு நாறுவ; நாறு வளர்க்குறும்

சேறு நாறுவ, செங்கழுநீர்அரோ.   *

 

“The ripe and large bunches of bananas spread their aroma all over; bamboo bushes, laden with the fragrant dust of thaazhai (தாழை), carried that fragrance, the aroma of ripening mangoes swept everywhere; paddy seedlings ready for transplanting carried the aroma of mangoes; the softened slushy wetlands that the seedlings were growing in, carried the fragrance of water lilies.” THERE WAS AN INTOXICATING MIXTURE OF AROMA AND FRAGRANCES ALL OVER THE LAND, SWEEPING ACROSS THE NATURAL RICHES INDISCRIMINATELY.

 

PANDYA NAADU: பாண்டிய நாடு

 

The poet exults and exemplifies Pandya Naadu with a short, succinct and surreal metaphor:

எத்திறத்தினும் ஏழ் உலகும் புகழ் முத்தும் முத்தமிழும் தந்து முற்றுமோ? “Would the fame of Pandya Land, celebrated in all the seven worlds across all attributes and riches; rich with pearls; and even more rich with the three forms of matchless Thamizh – prose, poetry and drama (முத்தமிழ் -இயல், இசை, நாடகம்)

 

Having failed to find Sita or secure clues about her whereabouts in all these globe-trotting, intensive searches, the vanara party arrived at the Mahendra Parvatham (Mahendra Mountain), at the cape:

 

வன் திசைக் களிறு அன்ன மயேந்திரக்

குன்று இசைத்தது வல்லையில் கூடினார் -

தென் திசைக் கடற் சீகர மாருதம்

நின்று இசைக்கும் நெடு நெறி நீங்கினார்.

 

“Trekking through Pandya Land that was ceaselessly caressed with the gentle, moistre-laden southerly breeze, the vanara party (headed by Hanuman, Angada and Jambavan) arrived post-haste at the foothills of the Mahendra Parvatham (Mahendra Mountain) at the land’s end.

    

Sampathi Padalam (சம்பாதிப் படலம்) – next. We are in good shape, Sri Rama Willing, to try and plumb the yet unfathomed Sundara Khandam – by Sri Rama Navami Celebration.