Episode 02 - Chapter 1 - Yudhdha Kandam Invocation and Preface.

Invocation – for Yudhdha Khandam

 

ஒன்றே என்னின் ஒன்று ஏ ஆம், பல என்று உரைக்கின் பல ஏ ஆம்,

அன்றே என்னின் அன்றேயாம், ஆமே என்னின் ஆம் ஏ ஆம்,

இன்றே என்னின் இன்றேயாம், உளது என்று உரைக்கில் உளதேயாம்,

நன்றே நம்பி குடிவாழ்க்கை!  நமக்கு இங்கு என் ஓ! பிழைப்பு? அம்மா!

 

With the tumult, horrors and the ultimate victory for Dharma in front of him, Kamban gets into a flight of metaphysics!

 

“If we assert it is the only ONE, yes, it is indeed the only ONE. If we, on the other hand prefer to say – no, it is several(ly perceived), yes, that too, it is indeed several(ly perceivable). If one goes to the devilish point of denying that It exists, (for that mind), yes, It doesn’t. If one (in the grip of positivity) asserts, It Does Exist, yes, for those minds of positivity IT indeed Exists. Oh! Man! You and your pathetic life! Try and think your best: there is no dawn of truth for you.”

 

As we have seen right through this journey, Kamban is found to be greatly influenced by Nammazhwar and his Tiruvaimozhi. Here, this verse, just out of nowhere contextually, would remind us of Tiruvaimozhi’s several verses acclaiming the incomprehensible Supreme Being and the limitations of the human mind in relation to it:

 

உளன் எனில் உளன் அவன்*  உருவம் இவ் உருவுகள்*

உளன் அலன் எனில், அவன்*  அருவம் இவ் அருவுகள்*

உளன் என இலன் என*  இவை குணம் உடைமையில்*

உளன் இரு தகைமையொடு*  ஒழிவு இலன் பரந்தே.

 

The resonance is loud.

 

***

 

A preview, before we get into this largest, (128 sargas in the Aadhi Kaavya, the next largest being Ayodhya Khanda with 119 sargas), (Kamban has invested 39 cantos – the lengths being comparable with the Aadhi Kaavya) most dramatic and effectively the last khanda of this great epic:

 

Yudhdha Khanda is not all about warfare. Of course, we shall have an almost 3-D view of countless ‘astras’ and their destructive potential,  astras that neutralize each other, the ones that have unfailing fatal (or near fatal) target-seeking attributes e.g. the nagastra, aagneyastra, and the incomparable Brahmastra; about severed limbs, severed heads, blood-flow and gruesome picturization of the core battle hate. It is significantly also about state-craft, non-battle war strategies (like sending greatly-skilled probing spies into each other’s camps in order to sow dissent and disaffection) – Ravana sends “Sukha”, an expert spy, to Sugreeva even before the vanara army was waiting for the Strait to the dammed, to try and persuade him to go back to the comfort of Kishkinta rather than face extinction in a hopelessly mismatched confrontation with the invincible and mighty Lanka army; it is also specially about the dramatic ‘maayaa’ trickery by the Rakshasas – they throw in front of Sita the ‘severed head of Rama along with his Kothanda’ the plan being that Sita, having lost that last sliver of hope, would be persuaded to yield to Ravana and thus would be removed for Rama the one and only cause of the war.  Also, Indrajit would create a ‘maayaa Sita’ and have her killed in the full view of Rama and Lakshmana and the vanaras.

 

We would have “Vibheeshana Saranagathi”and his provisional Pattabhishekam not as distractions from the war but as core components of that incomparable war. We would see how critically valuable would Vibheeshana’s alignment with Rama be – critical knowledge about Rakshasas’ war power, trickery and antecedents. For instance, it would be Vibheeshana who would take the form of a bumble-bee and find out that Sita was unharmed in the Asoka Vanam – and what was ‘killed’ by Indrajit was just an illusion. This would be major course-changer.

 

We would also see Rama in rage – a rare capture of Rama invoking, evidently with effort, his anger for a purpose. Samudhra Raja would be the unfortunate one that would take that unbearable heat – physically (with the seas drying up) and metaphorically. And, of course, in the heat of war, a few times more:  சினத்தினால் தென்னிலங்கைக் கோமானைச் செற்ற மனத்துக்கினியான்.

 

We would witness some unpredictable emotions from Rama: when Lakshmana slays Indrajit, Rama would tell that victorious sibling: ‘this victory is not yours’, thus underscoring for us the one attribute of Lakshmana that nearly completely offset all his humanly impossible sacrifices for his brother and Lord, Rama – leaving his wife, leaving the palace comforts, protecting Rama and Sita incessantly without winking an eyelid (he would not sleep all through those fourteen years), would take for his meal, only the left overs from Rama. This seemingly outrageous barb from Rama would tell him: ‘your ego, your ‘ahambhava’, nullifies all your ascetics’.

 

ஆடவர் திலக! நின்னால் அன்று. இகல் அனுமன் என்னும் சேடனால் அன்று; வேறு ஓர் தெய்வத்தின் சிறப்பும் அன்று, வீடணன் தந்த வென்றி ஈது.

 

There is more to this conundrum. And we shall discuss all that when we arrive here.

 

We would have Rama actually rue having slain Ravana after such a ferocious combat because he saw, on the fallen Ravana’s back,  battle scars – Rama would lament: “I thought I had met and overcome an adversary who was an unblemished warrior; this one seems to have been a coward, that had fled from battle, with those marks on his back.’ It would be Vibheeshana again who would disabuse Rama’s distress, explain that those marks actually represented the powerful tusks of the Dig Gajas, who Ravana battled and overcame with his bare shoulders, having pierced his chest and come out through his back. (Ravana would wear the remnants of those tusks on his mighty chest.)

 

We would of course have our hearts rent and bleeding as Rama would reject Sita on conclusion of the war  - in full public view - forcing her to decide to end her life – by entering a pyre lit by – poignantly – Lakshmana.

 

And, we would have Ravana go studiously through the principles of state-craft: he would call for a caucus with his Council of Ministers to discuss the impending war; being dissatisfied with the outcome of that meeting call for a larger meeting of General Assembly with prominent citizens as well.

 

As could be expected, Ravana would hear a lot of ‘feed-back’ that would applaud him thus pleasing his ears. But there would be bold, fearless, sage advice as well: from Vibheeshana leAadhing to his desertion to Rama’s feet; from Kaikesi, Ravana’s mother and Mandodhari, his first consort. Here (from Valmiki) is an absorbing input from Mahodhara, one of his cabinet ministers, that could come through as a distilled antithesis of the Upanishads and the Gita (Mahodhara chides Kumbakarna who was critical of Ravana, pointing out that he acted for himself and in total disregard of both dharma and the good of the larger Rakshasa tribe when he abducted Sita, suggesting that the perils that he had thus invited, he was now dispersing, unfairly, amongst the whole tribe, leAadhing it to destruction.) In the process, Mahodhara expounds a strange-sounding, but amazingly comprehensive ‘philosophy’ of Rakshasas. This could stand along side the Bhagavad Gita – no less – if only as its polar opposite!

 

न हि राजा न जानीते कुम्भकर्ण नयानयौ |

त्वम् तु कैशोरकाद्धृष्टः केवलम् वक्तुमिच्छसि ||

 

na hi raajaa na jaanIte kumbhakarNa nayaanayau |

tvam tu kaishorakaaddhR^iShTaH kevalam vaktumichchhasi

 

"O Kumbhakarna! It is not that the king does not know about the prudent and the imprudent conduct. Due to childishness and audacity, you, on your part, are just blabbering."

 

स्थानम् वृद्धिम् च हानिं च देशकालविभागवित् |

आत्मनश्च परेषाम् च बुध्यते राक्षसर्षभ |

 

sthaanam vR^iddhim cha haaniM cha deshakaalavibhaagavit |

aatmanashcha pareShaam cha budhyate raakShasarShabha

 

"The Lord of Rakshasas comprehensively knows about appointing the right place and time, understands (what it takes) for strengthening and maintainining (of relationships) and, of course his own position and the position of others."

 

 

यांस्तु धर्मार्थकामांस्त्वं ब्रवीषि पृथगाश्रयान् |

अवबोद्धुम् स्वभावेन न हि लक्षणमस्ति ते |

 

yaa.nstu dharmaarthakaamaa.nstvaM bravIShi pR^ithagaashrayaan |

avaboddhum svabhaavena na hi lakShaNamasti te ||

 

You are talking as if Dharma, Artha and Kama are separate entities but there is no way to know their attributes, precisely."

 

कर्म चैव हि सर्वेषाम् कारणानां प्रयोजनम् |

श्रेयः पापीयसाम् चात्र फलं भवति कर्मणाम् ||

 

karma chaiva hi sarveShaam kaaraNaanaaM prayojanam |

shreyaH paapiiyasaam chaatra phalaM bhavati karmaNaam ||

 

"Action is the reason and cause for attaining anything and fruit of prosperity is also obtained by (sinful) acts driven by (blind) desire."

 

निःश्रेयस फलावेव धर्मार्थावितरावपि |

अधर्मानर्थयोः प्राप्तिः फलम् च प्रत्यवायिकम् ||

 

niHshreyasa phalaaveva dharmaarthaavitaraavapi |

adharmaanarthayoH praaptiH phalam cha pratyavaayikam ||

 

Apart from Dharma and Artha, other acts which are unjust but aimed at prosperity also (could) lead one to prosperity."

 

ऐहलौकिकपारत्र्यम् कर्म पुम्भिर्निषेव्यते |

कर्माण्यपि तु कल्प्यानि लभते काममास्थितः ||

 

aihalaukikapaaratryam karma pumbhirniShevyate |

karmaaNyapi tu kalpyaani labhate kaamamaasthitaH ||

 

All beings get fruit of good actions in this world and in other worlds but he who is engaged in actions aimed at carnal pleasures also gets joy and pleasure in this world."

 

तत्र कॢप्तमिदम् राज्ञा हृदि कार्यं मतम् च नः |

शत्रौ हि साहसम् यत्स्यात्किमिवात्रापनीयते ||

 

tatra kL^iptamidam raaGYaa hR^idi kaaryaM matam cha naH |

shatrau hi saahasam yatsyaatkimivaatraapaniiyate ||

 

That being the case, this act of pursuit of sensuous pleasure, cherished in his heart by the king, was approved by us. What violation is there in doing this daring act against the enemy?"

 

Curiously, Bharathi, in his Paanchaali Sabatham, recalls this very scene thus:

 

DraupAadhi responds to Bhishma who, most unconvincingly, washes his hands off saying that that was the contemporary dharma – women had no rights:

 

‘சாலநன்கு கூறினீர் ஐயா, தருமநெறி

பண்டோர் இராவணனும் சீதைதன்னைப் பாதகத்தால்

கொண்டோர் வனத்திடையே வைத்துப்பின், கூட்டமுற

மந்திரிகள் சாத்திரிமார் தம்மை வரவழைத்தே,

செந்திருவைப் பற்றிவந்த செய்தி யுரைத்திடுங்கால்

“தக்கதுநீர் செய்தீர்; தருமத்துக் கிச்செய்கை

ஒக்கும்” எனக் கூறி உகந்தனராம் சாத்திரிமார்!

பேயரசு செய்தால், பிணந்தின்னும் சாத்திரங்கள்.

 

Finely, bravely spoken Sir!

When treacherous Ravana, having carried away

And lodged Sita in his garden,

Called his ministers and law-givers

And told them the deed he had done,

These same wise old advisers declared:

Thou hast done the proper thing:

Twill square with dharma's claims!

When the demon king rules the land

Needs must the sastras feed on filth!

 

And, ranged against Mahodhara and his numerous ilk, we had Vibheeshana, Kumbakarna and Indrajit himself, trying to drive into the granite wall that Ravana’s heart was when it came to giving up on Sita, some sanity and sense – and expectedly failed.

 

S.K.Ramarajan’s** “Meghanadham” would have Sulochanai, Indrajit’s consort, hand out this rebuke to her husband and through him to her ‘invincible’ father-in-law, Ravana himself:

 

My handsome Lord! When your father

Imprisoned the beautiful Sita,

Were there no wise men here

To warn him: The eyes of chaste women?

They are balls of fire; their cloud-like

Tresses? They are Yama's noose

Terrible. Their body is a tender creeper?

No, they are powerful lightning!

 

Ravana and his sycophants needed this reminder from Pura Naanooru:

 

ஓங்குமலைப் பெருவில் பாம்புஞாண் கொளீஇ

ஒருகணை கொண்டு மூவெயில் உடற்றிப்

பெருவிறல் அமரர்க்கு வெற்றி தந்த

கறைமிடற்று அண்ணல் காமர் சென்னிப்

 

பிறைநுதல் விளங்கும் ஒருகண் போல

வேந்து மேம்பட்ட பூந்தார் மாற,

கடுஞ்சினத்த கொல்களிறும் கதழ்பரிய கலிமாவும்

நெடுங்கொடிய நிமிர்தேரும் நெஞ்சுடைய புகல்மறவரும்என

நான்குடன் மாண்ட தாயினும் மாண்ட

 

அறநெறி முதற்றே அரசின் கொற்றம்;

அதனால், நமரெனக் கோல்கோ டாது,

பிறர்எனக் குணங் கொல்லாது,

ஞாயிற் றன்ன வெந்திறல் ஆண்மையும்,

திங்கள் அன்ன தண்பெருஞ் சாயலும்,

 

வானத்து அன்ன வண்மையும் மூன்றும்

உடையை ஆகி இல்லோர் கையற

நீநீடு வாழிய நெடுந்தகை! தாழ்நீர்

வெண் தலைப் புணரி அலைக்கும் செந்தில்

நெடுவேள் நிலைஇய காமர் வியன்துறைக்

 

கடுவளி தொகுப்ப ஈண்டிய

வடுஆழ் எக்கர் மணலினும் பலவே!

 

(Oh! Nanmaaraa! (of Pandya kingdom): you are comparable with Lord Siva,  the one with a blue-stained neck, with a third eye on his forehead, who wielded Meru as the bow and Vasuki as its chord, destroyed the flying fortresses of the Asuras with just one dart, and gained a great victory for the celestials, the one that stands out among the three Thamizh kings!

 

Though the huge and formidable army of yours, comprised of angry and powerful elephants, the speeding and proud cavalry, the division of chariots flying your flags aloft and the battle-thirsty and steely-minded foot soldiers is renowned and remarkable for its might, (please understand) the righteousness of your rule is the core that shall sustain your reign and its invincibility. Please bear in mind these three sterling attributes: Do not favour those you deem to be close to you, if such favouring is not neutral; do not dismiss the opinion of those who you may not like because of that fact; be possessed always of the valour of the sun, the cool accessibility of the moon and the nourishing attribute of the rains; make sure that there is no place at all in your reign for the word ‘want’ or ‘need’. Let you live, long, oh! theGreatOne!

 

Let you and your reign live and endure for years far longer than the grains of dark sand that are swept on the waves-lashing shores of Tiruchendur, presided over by Sri Muruga.

 

We would also witness Rama seek from Dasaratha who descends from his heavenly abode on seeing Rama’s victorious ending of the Lanka war, two boons – to pardon Kaikeyi and and Bharata and accept them as his Consort and his prince.

 

We would have, soothing our ruffled hearts, scenes of Rama seated with Sita on the Pushpaka Vimaana that Vibheeshana makes available to the humongous victorious party - எழுபது வெள்ளம் = 1.3 trillion! – (this craft accommodates all of them), enroute to Ayodhya,  with Rama pointing out to Sita as the craft was flying over, the Sethu that he had built with the vanaras’ labour; kishkinta the kingdom of Sugreeva and other scenes of beauty and anecdotal interest.

 

We would of course have Sri Rama Pattabhishekam, after Rama is shorn of his severe forest-abdication attire and matted hair and coiffured royally for the coronation.

 

The Yudhdha Khanda is also about Sita’s ascetic glory and blazing virtuosity – Lord Agni would complain, in the words of Kamban, that Sita’s own fiery attributes burned him severely – the god of fire is himself seared!

 

Kamban imprints in this khanda his own spiritual faith when he dedicates a whole canto for presenting the இரணிய வதைப் படலம் - the story of Hiranya Kasipu -  using Vibheeshana as the mouth-piece - somewhat disruptive of the story flow but conveying a strong message – however elaborate, to Ravana. Commentators like Sri V.V.S.Iyer and Prof.T.P.Meenashisundaram have extensively wondered the contextual relevance of this canto in Kamban’s epic. It is inconceivable that Vibheeshana could pile on the already annoyed and disgruntled Ravana, a discourse as long as 176 verses and talk about something that happened eons ago, even after Ravana had outright rejected Vibheeshana’s thesis that Ravana’s own curses shall catch up with him. Why did, then, Kamban choose this interpolative narrative at that particular juncture? It is difficult to establish a direct purpose. Kamban’s time was contemporaneously adjacent to the time of the great Azhwars and Nayanmaars of Thamizh country. Kamban is found to closely reflect the idiom and message of the Azhwars in several of his verses (and we have discussed this in this narrative as well.) Not just that: Kamban has demonstrated his deep and comprehensive knowledge and faith in the UpanishAadhic philosophy and tenets as well as those of the Gita and we could see expressions corresponding to these. Even in this very canto - இரணிய வதைப் படலம் – we would find him presenting those tenets, especially from Chandogyam and Mundakam, the identity being unmistakable. Therefore, we could grant the poet this little space – however lacking in direct relevance to his  story-telling.

 

We also find Kamban present a rare human attribute in the universally celebrated இன்று போய், போர்க்கு நாளை வா followed by the deeply poignant line வீரமும் களத்தே போட்டு, வெறுங்கையோடு இலங்க்கை புக்கான்.

 

And, without a strand of doubt, the khanda is also – primarily so – of that great war; Kamban presents minutely informative details from the point the vanara sena, after crossing the Sethu and arriving on the shores of Lanka, divides itself into strategic units that are despatched to the different entry points of the fortress Lanka. The commanders and their abilities are brought out vividly. The same amount of attention to detail is found while he presents the Rakshasa forces and their commanders. Homer’s Iliad ought to take a back-seat!

 

Your narrator believes that by presenting this preview, he is not detracting in any manner from the excitement that shall be fetched when the Khanda unfolds and the gripping episodes flow through, because the preview is not capable of capturing the poesy and the epic’s natural flow.

 

We shall begin this gripping, exciting journey –  Fasten seat-belts!