Episode 01 - Chapter 6 - Canto on (Rama) viewing Sita's jewellery.
Chapter 6 - Canto on Viewing (Sita’s) Jewellery - கலன் காண் படலம்
The Aadhi Kaavya presents a very deeply poignant scene that celebrates Lakshmana’s devotion to Sita embedded in his character – his reverence of her, not just as his mother but as a virtuous lady who he would meet with eyes lowered at her feet. In this part of the Aadhi Kaavya, while Sugreeva is presenting Sita’s ornaments to Rama and Rama, agonized, is identifying them one after the other attributing intimacy with Sita as she was wearing those, Lakshmana could identify only Sita’s anklets:
एवम् उक्तसः तु रामेण लक्ष्मणो वाक्यम् इदम् अब्रवीत् |
न अहम् जानामि केयूरे न अहम् जानामि कुण्डले || ४-६-२२
नूपुरे तु अभिजनामि नित्यम् पाद अभिवंदनात् |
evam uktasaH tu raameNa lakshmaNo vaakyam idam abraviit |
na aham jaanaami keyuure na aham jaanaami kuNDale || 4-6-22
nuupure tu abhijanaami nityam paada abhiva.ndanaat |
Lakshmana said: “I know not the bracelets; I know not the earrings. But, because I always paid obeisance to her feet, I know these anklets well.”
Sugreeva seeks Rama’s permission to narrate an event which he assumed involved Sita being carried by Ravana across Kishkinta and Sita, looking down at Sugreeva and his aides atop a hill, tied her ornaments with her upper garment and threw the knot at him – hoping to establish evidence for Rama, hoping that he would pass this way, about the abduction and where she was being taken to. Rama granting him permission, Sugreeva proceeds to bring and show the various ornaments of Sita to him.
இவ் வழி, யாம் இயைந்து இருந்தது ஓர் இடை,
வெவ் வழி இராவணன் கொணர, மேலைநாள்,
செவ் வழி நோக்கி, நின் தேவியே கொலாம்,
கவ்வையின் அரற்றினள், கழிந்த சேண் உளாள்?
“Some days ago, when I and my aides were assembled here, we found the evil-minded Ravana carrying (air-bound, flying very high) a lady, who seemed to be your dear spouse Sita, who was crying with inconsolable grief. (Sugreeva could not make out the identity of the lady that Ravana was carrying as he had not seen Sita before; besides, the flight was very high and the view indistinct; but he made the conjecture with Rama’s briefing and tying that to Ravana, whose identity was presumably clear by the flying craft and Ravana’s umistakble ten crowns and twenty arms.) நின் தேவியே கொலாம், = would it have been your spouse Sita?.”
' உழையரின் உணர்த்துவது உளது'' என்று உன்னியோ?
குழை பொரு கண்ணினாள் குறித்தது ஓர்ந்திலம்;
மழை பொரு கண் இணை வாரியோடு தன்
இழை பொதிந்து இட்டனள்; யாங்கள் ஏற்றனம்.
“Perhaps thinking that she found some probable messengers (who could inform you about her abduction), - we did not know what her intent was – Sita tied her ornaments in her upper garment and dropped that bundle down at us and we recovered that bundle.”
Since the height made the identity of persons on both sides indistinct – save Ravana identified with his unmistakable multiple crowns and arms and his distinct flying craft, this verse could also be construed to mean that Sita meant and hoped that the ornaments she threw down to disclose to Rama – Sita concluded he would pass this way in his search for her – these would be messengers who could convey to him her plight and where she was bound.
It is revealing to find a pointed reference to this particular episode in PURA NAANOORU (புறனானூறு): 'கடுந்தெறல் இராமன் உடன் புணர் சீதையை, வலித்தகை அரக்கன் வவ்விய ஞான்றை, நிலம் சேர் மதரணி' (378)
'வைத்தனம் இவ் வழி; - வள்ளல்! - நின் வயின்
உய்த்தனம் தந்த போது உணர்தியால் எனா
கைத்தலத்து அன்னவை கொணர்ந்து காட்டினான்; -
நெய்த்தலைப் பால் கலந்தனைய நேயத்தான்.
Sugreeva, whose friendship with Rama was like honey getting mixed with milk, informed Rama: “We had preserved that bundle of ornaments here; when we bring this to you you would (perhaps) recognize them” Saying thus he brought the ornaments to Rama and showed them to him. (Honey and milk have very different, distinct tastes, but both pleasurable. Does the metaphor equate Rama with honey and Sugreeva with milk? The two are as distinctly different as honey and milk but could mix very well too!
Rama viewed the ornaments with intent, with flowing emotions of every kind. He would pick up each piece, look at it, connect it with Sita’s person and imbued with that recalled intimacy, would slip into a cauldron of indescribable emotions – recall of pleasure, separation, helplessness, distress, guilt and plain grief.
தெரிவுற நோக்கினன், தெரிவை மெய் அணி;
எரிகனல் எய்திய மெழுகின் யாக்கைபோல்
உருகினன் என்கிலம்; உயிருக்கு ஊற்றம் ஆய்ப்
பருகினன் என்கிலம்; பகர்வது என்கொல் யாம்?
Rama looked intently at the ornaments of Sita. And, melted like wax brought to flame. Or, did these ornaments, which brought back Sita to him, actually bring new hope and motivation to Rama? The poet was not sure which was the effect: உயிருக்கு ஊற்றம் ஆய்ப் பருகினன் = Rama drank in the view of Sita’s ornaments and that reinfused life in him.
விட்டபேர் உணர்வினை விளித்த என்கெனோ?
அட்டன உயிரை அவ் அணிகள் என்கெனோ?
கொட்டின சாந்து எனக் குளிர்ந்த என்கெனோ?
சுடடன என்கெனோ? யாது சொல்லுகேன்?
This is the poet articulating his own bewilderment on the probable effect the ornaments had on Rama:
“Should I say that the ornaments retrieved for Rama his reputed intellect (that he had seemingly lost along with the loss of Sita)? Or they in fact tormented and consumed his life? Did they, on the other hand, engulf him with the cool, enlivening fragrance of Sandal paste? Or did they scorch him (alive)? What shall I say?”
We could savour this – Rama’s condition that the Poet sees swinging in a wild pendulous spectrum, along with a corresponding state of Sita when Hanuman shows her Rama’s ring, for Sita to assure herself that the one in front of her was indeed Rama’s messenger and her deliverance was not very far away.
இறந்தவர்பிறந்த பயன் எய்தினர்கொல் என்கோ ?
மறந்தவர்அறிந்து உணர்வு வந்தனர்கொல் என்கோ ?
துறந்த உயிர்வந்து இடை தொடர்ந்ததுகொல்
என்கோ ?
திறம் தெரிவதுஎன்னைகொல், இந் நல் நுதலி
செய்கை ?
(Sundara Khandam - உருக்காட்டு படலம்)
மறந்தவர்அறிந்து உணர்வு வந்தனர்கொல் என்கோ ? ties with விட்டபேர் உணர்வினை விளித்த என்கெனோ;
துறந்த உயிர்வந்து இடை தொடர்ந்ததுகொல் என்கோ ? ties with அட்டன உயிரை அவ் அணிகள் என்கெனோ
மோந்திட, நறுமலர் ஆன; மொய்ம்பினில்
ஏந்திட, உத்தரியத்தை ஏய்ந்தன;
சாந்தமும் ஆய், ஒளி தழுவ, போர்த்தலால்,
பூந் துகில் ஆய, அப் பூவை பூண்களே.
Those ornaments of Sita, emitted for Rama the intoxicating fragrance of fragrant flowers, as he wore them on his shoulders, they transformed as his upper cloth, as their lustre reflected on Rama, it became the soothing comfort of sandal paste.
ஈர்த்தன, செங்கண் நீர் வெள்ளம், யாவையும்;
போர்த்தன, மயிர்ப் புறம் புளகம்; பொங்கு தோள்,
வேர்த்தன என்கெனோ? வெதும்பினான் என்கோ?
தீர்த்தனை, அவ் வழி, யாது செப்புகேன்?
Tears flooding from Rama’s lovely eyes swept everything in their wake; goose bumps covered his whole body; his broad and powerful shoulders rose with his emotions and were covered with sweat; did Rama found pleasure in all this or did he really despair beyond comforting – I am unable to hazard which.
தடம்பெருங் கண்ணனைத் தாங்கினான்; தனது
உடம்பினில் செறி மயிர் சுறுக்கொண்டு ஏறவே.
Sugreeva tried to comfort Rama, hugging him – and the thick bristly hair all over his body pricked Rama.
அயனுடை அண்டத்தின்அப் புறத்தையும்
மயர்வு அற நாடி என் வலியும் காட்டி, உன்
உயர் புகழ்த் தேவியை உதவற்பாலெனால்;
துயர் உழந்து அயர்தியோ, சுருதி நூல் வலாய்?
Sugreeva promises Rama: “Oh! One who mastered all the Vedhas! It is my resolve to search your spouse everywhere – even in all the limitless Brahmalokam and beyond without a distraction, I shall deliver to thee your dear Sita, in the process demonstrating my prowess as well. Please do not grieve and become despondent.”
'திருமகள் அனைய அத் தெய்வக் கற்பினாள்
வெருவரச் செய்துள வெய்யவன் புயம்
இருபதும், ஈர் ஐந்து தலையும் நிற்க; உன்
ஒரு கணைக்கு ஆற்றுமோ, உலகம் ஏழுமோ?
Having indulged in some breast-beating, Sugreeva, feeling humble now, idolizes Rama’s own prowess (that could render Sugreeva’s efforts superfluous.)
“Let the much-celebrated ten crowns and twenty arms of that evil-minded Ravana, who caused such grief and distress to Sita, the one like Sri Maha Lakshmi herself, be set aside – would all the seven worlds bear the brunt of just one of your darts?”
By imputing divine chastity to Sita, (தெய்வக் கற்பினாள்) Sugreeva conveys to Rama, Sita cannot be harmed at all.
'ஈண்டு நீ இருந்தருள்; ஏதொடு ஏழ் எனாப்
பூண்ட பேர் உலகங்கள் வலியின் புக்கு, இடை
தேண்டி, அவ் அரக்கனைத் திருகி, தேவியைக்
காண்டி; யான் இவ் வழிக் கொணரும் கைப்பணி.
Sugreeva lapses back into bombast:
“You just stay here. I shall reach, with my power, all corners and everywhere in all the fourteen worlds and look for Sita; I shall sever the ten crowns of Ravana and bring Sita back to you here. This shall be my errand. You shall see.”
'முளரிமேல் வைகுவான், முருகன் தந்த அத்
தளரியல் பாகத்தான், தடக் கை ஆழியான்,
அளவிஒன்று ஆவரே அன்றி, - ஐயம் இல்
கிளவியாய்! - தனித் தனி கிடைப்பரோ துணை?
Reverts to extolling Rama’s prowess:
“Oh! The One with crystalline speech! Except as Trimuthis rolled into one, (Brahma who is seated on a lotus, Siva who shares half his self with the tender and splendourous Uma and who gave us Muruga, and the one holdingSudarsana in His hand), is there any one in this whole Universe who could be compared as your match?”
(In several places through this epic, Kamban rise above his perception that Rama is Sri Maha Vishnu and places him in the highest pedester – that பரம்பொருள் that encapsulates all the three – Brahma, Vishnu and Siva.)
என்னுடைச்சிறு குறை முடித்தல் ஈண்டு ஒரீஇப்
பின்னுடைத்து ஆயினும் ஆக! பேதுறும்
மின் இடைச் சனகியை மீட்டு, மீள்துமால் -
பொன்னுடைச் சிலையினாய்! விரைந்து போய்' என்றான்.
“Putting my little problem on the backburner for now, Oh! The One with a golden peerless bow! I shall speedily venture to look for the distressed Janaki – the one with a lightning-like waist and shall return with her.”
Sugreeva brings up his “little” problem – of getting rid of Vaali, regaining his spouse and securing the KishKinta crown again – and with (affected) self-effacement, offers to let that wait for now as he swears to set about the more important task of finding and bringing Sita back to Rama.
Sugreeva gracefully concedes here that his distress is far less weighty than what Rama was enduring.
தெளிவு தோன்றிட ஒரு வகை உணர்வு வந்து உரைப்பது ஆயினான்.
Rama, regaining his poise and composure, would say to Sugreeva:
'விலங்கு எழில்தோளினாய், வினையினேனும், இவ்
இலங்கு வில் கரத்திலும், இருக்கவே, அவள்
கலன் கழித்தனள்; இது கற்பு மேவிய
பொலன் குழைத் தெரிவையார் புரிந்துளோர்கள் யார்?
“Oh! The One with huge and splenderous shoulders! Even while I, with my bow still in my hand, am still around, Sita discarded her ornaments. Who else among reputedly chaste and virtuous women could have done this?”
The cultural mores of the Thamizh society of Kamban’s times come into play here. Rama is distressed that Sita should have discarded her ornaments even while he was very much alive. It was customary in that culture that widowhood predicated women to discard all their jeellery and ornaments. Rama found Sita’s gesture as unendorsed by culture and custom. And he blames himself and his bow for that dubious distinction. Sita’s intent in discarding her ornaments was very different – planting ‘messengers’ on Rama’s path and help him in his search for her; but in his grieving mind, Rama associates inauspicousness to it.
Hanuman imputes, on the contrary, only auspicousness – the role of a protective armour - to those discarded ornaments – later in Sundara Khandam:
''இற்றை நாள் அளவும், அன்னாய்! அன்று நீ இழித்து நீத்த
மற்றை நல் அணிகள் காண், உன் மங்கலம் காத்த மன்னோ!''
“The ornaments that you discarded that day, have saved your virtuosity thus far.”
In deep sense of helpless self-pity, Rama blames himself:
'ஆறுடன் செல்பவர், அம் சொல் மாதரை
வேறு உளார் வலி செயின், விலக்கி, வெஞ் சமத்து
ஊறுற, தம் உயிர் உகுப்பர்; என்னையே
தேறினள் துயரம், நான் தீர்க்ககிற்றிலேன்.
“(Even ordinary people) when even women who are totally strangers but travelling with them are confronted with harassment or peril, they would save them from that hazard, even at the cost of their own lives – if necessary. Sita chose and trusted me alone and I could not redress her grief.”
Not coming forward to protect women in distress, even if they were total strangers, was regarded as amongst the gravest of sins. Bharatha would flagellate himself imputing all the most heinous sins of this world to him, in case he was really guilty of coveting Ayodhya’s crown – in Ayodhya Khanda. செயலாவதை 'ஆறு தன்னுடன் வரும் அம் சொல் மாதரை, ஊறுகொண்டு அலைக்க, தன் உயிர் கொண்டு ஓடினோன்'
Rama continues with his help-less, self-pitying reverie:
'கருங் கடல் தொட்டனர்; கங்கை தந்தனர்;
பொரும் புலி மானொடு புனலும் ஊட்டினர்;
பெருந் தகை என் குலத்து அரசர்; பின், ஒரு
திருந்திழை துயரம் நான் தீர்க்ககிற்றிலேன்.
“My ancestors were highly reputed rulers – they dug into the vast seas; (sagaras); they brought Ganges to this earth (Baheeratha); some of them made the fierce carnivorous tigers to drink from the same stream along with (their trAaditional meat) deer – with no enmity in evidence (Maandhata); having come in that lineage, I could not relieve the distress of one virtuous woman.”
Rama continues with his lament extolling his own father’s (Dasaratha’s) great adventures and deeds in contrast with his pitiable, helpless circumstance:
இந்திரற்கு உரியதுஓர் இடுக்கண் தீர்த்து, இகல்
அந்தகற்கு அரிய போர் அவுணன் - தேய்த்தனன்,
எந்தை; மற்று, அவனின் வந்து உதித்த யான், உளேன்,
வெந் துயர்க் கொடும் பழி வில்லின் தாங்கினேன்.
“My father (Dasaratha), venturing to help Indra himself, battled with (Sambara) that fearsome, even beyond the command of the God of Death, and vanquished him. I, born of him, am still existing, bearing the very distressing taint, with this bow of mine.”
Throughout the epic, Rama would be found naming his “Kothandam” bow as representative of his own persona – in positivity and in negativity (as he does here.) e.g.
'கொடும்பழி வில்லின்தாங்கினேன்'; 'நாண் நெடுஞ்சிலை சுமந்து உழல்வென்'
'விரும்பு எழில் எந்தையார் மெய்ம்மை வீயுமேல்,
வரும் பழி'' என்று, யான் மகுடன் சூடலேன்;
கரும்பு அழி சொல்லியைப் பகைஞன் கைக் கொள,
பெரும் பழி சூடினேன்; பிழைத்தது என் அரோ?'
“I renounced the (Ayodhya) crown in order to avert the denunciation that would be attracted by me being the cause of my father (Dasratha)’s words being belied; (but) when Sita, the one with a cane-sweet speech, was abducted by the adversary, I bear that, reprehensible, monumental taint. What was spared?
Rama then extends to Sugreeva his very assuring, most affirmative, promise – a promise at the point of a death-declaration:
'ஐய,நீ ஆற்றலின் ஆற்றினேன் அலது,
உய்வெனே? எனக்கு இதில் உறுதி வேறு உண்டோ?
வையகத்து, இப் பழி தீர மாய்வது
செய்வேன்; நின்குறை முடித்து அன்றிச் செய்கலேன்.'
“Dear Friend! I feel quietened with your consoling words and assurances. (But), having assumed this unbearable blot, would I live with it? Is there any other acceptable way out for me except ending myself? I shall end my life. (But), I shall not do that without relieving your distress (as promised by me.)
Sugreeva offers to prioritise the search for Sita over his own problem – of getting freed of Vaali’s tyranny, repossessing his wife and regaining the crown. Rama offers to place his own promise to resolve Sugreeva’s problems before he went on to end his own life. A moving riposte.
கொடுந் தொழில் வாலியைக் கொன்று, கோமகன்
கடுங் கதிரோன் மகன் ஆக்கி, கை வளர்
நெடும் படை கூட்டினால் அன்றி, நேட அரிது,
அடும் படை அரக்கர்தம் இருக்கை - ஆணையாய்!
Hanuman brings to Rama the ground reality: “Only when Vaali is destroyed by you and Sugreeva is crowned, would the large army (of vaanaras) be mobilized for the daunting task of searching and finding Sita.”
Hanuman briefs the assembly about the enormity (and apparent intractability) of the task ahead:
வானதோ? மண்ணதோ? மற்று வெற்பதோ?
ஏனை மா நாகர்தம் இருக்கைப் பாலதோ? -
தேன் உலாம் தெரியலாம்! தெளிவது அன்று, நாம்,
ஊன் உடை மானிடம் ஆனது உண்மையால்!
“Oh! Rama! Where could we find Ravana and his kin? In the sky? On this earth? Or, in the mountains? Or, in the nether world of the Nagas? We cannot fathom this – for we are just humans with flesh and blood.”
Hanuman conveys his assessment of the resources needed for the task of searching for Sita, by underscoring the fact that they were, after all, just humans with flesh and blood (not Vaanaras?), not having the divining skills of the Devas. He would later present the intractability of the trickly Rakshasas. He is driving at the need to have a very very large – army of a – search party.
“we are just humans with flesh and blood.” Hanuman elevates the Vaanaras to the status of humans as they are conducting themselves as humans – endowed with remarkable intellect and smartness.
எவ் உலகங்களும் இமைப்பின் எய்துவர்,
வவ்வுவர், அவ் வழி மகிழ்ந்த யாவையும்;
வெவ் வினை வந்தென வருவர், மீள்வரால்;
அவ் அவர் உறைவிடம் அறியற்பாலதோ?
Hanuman presents the attributes of the elusive, tricky and evil Rakshasas. “They could reach any of the worlds in a trice; they would rampage all the places they visit, rob and plunder everything that they fancy for themselves; they would arrive and retreat like the visiting of evil fate; is it possible at all to find where they stay?
'ஒரு முறையே பரந்து உலகம் யாவையும்,
திரு உறை வேறு இடம் தேரவேண்டுமால்;
வரன்முறை நாடிட, வரம்பு இன்றால் உலகு;
அருமை உண்டு, அளப்ப அரும் ஆண்டும் வேண்டுமால்.
“Looking for Sita in all the worlds, going to places one by one, we would need countless number of years and there would be impediments in that choice; we need to compress the search, simultaneously spreAading to all the vast worlds.”
What Hanuman hints at here is the ‘hide and seek’ character of the search when it involves trickly, fast traversing Rakshasas. These evil beings were endowed with the skill of moving across different worlds in a trice and at will and would elude any sequential search.
Hanuman presents to the assembly, after expatiating the enomity and complexity of the task ahead, the vast resources that Sugreeva had to offer that would be more than a match for the task:
ஏழு பத்து ஆகிய வெள்ளத்து எம் படை,
ஊழியில் கடல் என உலகம் போர்க்குமால்;
ஆழியைக் குடிப்பினும், அயன் செய் அண்டத்தைக்
கீழ் மடுத்து எடுப்பினும், கிடைத்த செய்யுமால்.
“Our army, seventy ‘VELLAM’ strong *** would engulf this whole world like the deluge: and it could, (if asked) drink off the seas or would lift, with bare hands, the whole universe created by Brahma – whatever is asked of it.”
****
The size of the armies – reduced to specific numbers in literary research – is mind-boggling. One “VELLAM” “ வெள்ளம் “ is supposed to be made up of 2,611,807,510,224 chariots,
an equal number 2,611,807,510,224 in elephant-borne, 7,925,422,620,672 in cavalry and 13,209,037,701,120 in footmen. I fumbled at this mind-boggling number – and the improbability of the entire population of this planet counting up to that number – 27 trillion and counting!!!
See Table attached.
Hanuman says that the Kishkinta army is of the size of 70 VELLAMs which would be 150 trillion!!
And Kamban would later place Ravana’s army at a count of 1000 VELLAMs which would be 27000 trillions!!!!
Am I slipping (or sleeping) somewhere here? Would any of the members come in?
No wonder that they were capable of drinking off the seas, etc!!
'ஆதலால், அன்னதே அமைவது ஆம் என,
நீதியாய்! நினைந்தனென்' என, நிகழ்த்தினான்;
'சாது ஆம்' என்ற, அத் தனுவின் செல்வனும்,
'போதும் நாம் வாலிபால்' என்ன, போயினார்.
“This, I think, would be the order of our task – (slaying of Vaali by Rama, redeeming the crown for Sugreeva and have his wife brought back to him; and then the Kishkinta army going out in search of Sita)” so said Hanuman and rested his presentation. And Rama, concurring, bade the assembly Vaali-wards.” 'போதும் நாம் வாலிபால்'”
The poet uses the term நிகழ்த்தினான் to bring us Hanuman’s presentation effort on par with a peroration.
Coming up next … one of the tensest and most literarily and ethically challenging cantos in the whole epic – THE SLAYING OF VAALI … வாலி வதைப் படலம்.